| ion and loneliness are often strongly linked to each | | | | more of the below treatment methods are more or |
| other. You can feel depressed because you are | | | | less preferred. |
| lonely, or you can feel lonely because you feel | | | | 1. Suitable and recommended medication |
| depressed. If you can get a grip on depression, you | | | | 2. Proper nutrition |
| are likely to feel less lonely too. | | | | 3. Appropriate herbal treatment or other natural |
| Although depression is an umbrella term for a host of | | | | treatments |
| problems, it is important to diagnose it correctly and | | | | 4. Hormone treatments |
| quickly. With proper medication, therapy, nutrition and | | | | 5. Exercise |
| exercise, people can return to their daily lives without | | | | 6. Cognitive behavior therapy (thought-behaviour |
| any long-term effects. | | | | connection) |
| Depression is a very common condition. | | | | 7. Change of situation wherever possible (e.g. bad |
| Approximately, 15 percent of doctor’s office | | | | relationship, job, etc) |
| visits are depression related. This is also the most | | | | 8. Counseling or forms of psychological treatment |
| prevalent serious illness primary care physicians treat. | | | | 9. Relaxation therapies |
| One out of 10 American adults is afflicted with major | | | | 10. Mindset and thinking patterns |
| depression and more than 15 million Americans are | | | | The key is a holistic approach and the use of more |
| diagnosed every year as clinically depressed. the | | | | than one of the above listed methods to beat |
| World Health Organization predicts that by the year | | | | depression |
| 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of | | | | Depression and Loneliness |
| disability throughout the world, and its researchers | | | | Depressed people tend to suffer in silence and isolate |
| estimate that 121 million people currently suffer from | | | | themselves from the outside world. When you are |
| it. | | | | depressed, you feel less motivated to go out, make |
| Some of the symptoms of depression are the | | | | contact, socialize or participate in activities, or doing |
| following: | | | | anything at all. Days, even weeks can go by without |
| 1. Feeling hopeless | | | | wanting to see anyone or talk to anyone and this |
| 2. Difficulty making decisions | | | | aggrevates feelings of isolation. Often depressed |
| 3. Sometimes numb (no emotion at all ) | | | | people do not want to talk about their problem or |
| 4. Easily agitated, irritable or angry | | | | simply feel misunderstood. |
| 5. Easily tired | | | | Similarly, prolonged and intense feelings of loneliness |
| 6. Feeling guilty and terrible | | | | can lead to depression. Treating the symptoms of |
| 7. Unable to sleep at night or excessive sleeping | | | | depression is likely to resolve the problem of |
| 8. Disturbing thoughts | | | | loneliness. If the reasons of loneliness are well |
| 9. Crying | | | | understood (this requires some soul-searching and |
| 10. Excessive weight gain or excessive weight loss | | | | questioning oneself) and if methods of overcoming |
| 11. Abuse of children or violent towards loved ones | | | | loneliness are applied, it is very likely that symptoms |
| 12. Inflicting self-injury | | | | of depression will become less or disappear. |
| 13. Negative self esteem | | | | Beating depression or loneliness does not start with |
| 14. And the list goes on
| | | | having more friends, or a relationship, although it can |
| Many of the illustrated symptoms of depression can | | | | help. It really starts from within and is a process that |
| actually be symptoms of loneliness as well. | | | | takes time and care. Asking the right questions and |
| Depression is a condition which many people are too | | | | doing the right things as part of this process is one |
| embarrased to talk about. | | | | of the keys to healing. Humans go through life in |
| Due to the historical stigmatism associated with the | | | | patterns by doing the same thing over and over |
| disorder, it remains a silent topic. | | | | again. Even in different situations, these patterns will |
| Depression can be caused by a number of things. It | | | | be repeated and simply generate the same results. A |
| can be caused by a sudden, life-changing event such | | | | pattern is a repeated response to a situation in life or |
| as loss of a beloved one or an illness. The condition | | | | a series of activities that are repeated over and over |
| can also gradually develop over a long period of time | | | | again. They are formed by what we have learned |
| due to a number of factors, such as poor living | | | | from the past, what we know now, what we feel |
| conditions, poverty, environment, relationship | | | | comfortable with and what our beliefs and values are. |
| problems or unemployment. Depression is also linked | | | | If any of these remain unchanged we become |
| with personality traits, genetics or abnormal levels of | | | | fixed in our ways. That’s why many of |
| certain hormones such as low thyroid hormone levels. | | | | us have a hard time making lasting changes. The |
| Whether it be physical, environmental or genetic, | | | | challenge is to break a pattern and gain new, |
| there are many ways depression can be defeated. | | | | life-changing insights. |
| Depending on the person and the condition, one or | | | | |