Dealing with the loss of a loved one is not an easy thing. Mourning and grieving are natural processes a person will go through in order to cope with the reality of a major loss. Mourning the loss of a loved one is a very personal affair which may last many months, or even years.

Grieving is the outward expression of your loss. Your grief is likely to be expressed physically, emotionally, and psychologically. For instance, crying is a physical expression, while depression is a psychological expression.

Grief that is complicated by adjustment disorders (especially depressed and anxious mood or disturbed emotions and behavior), major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are all issues which can arise as a result of grief or loss. Complicated grief can be identified by the length of time of the symptoms, the manner they affect normal function, or by the intensity of the symptoms (for example, intense suicidal thoughts or acts).

Complicated grief may also appear as a complete absence of grief and mourning, or the inability to experience normal grief reactions, delayed grief, conflicted grief, or chronic grief. Factors contributing to the chances one may experience complicated grief include the suddenness of the death, the gender of the person in mourning, and the relationship to the deceased.

Grief reactions that turn into major depression should be treated with both drug and psychological therapy. One who avoids any reminders of the person who died, who constantly thinks or dreams about the person who died, and who gets scared and panics easily at any reminders of the person who died may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Depressive illness, not to be confused with situational depression caused by the loved one’s death, occurs in 17%-27% of survivors during the first year after a death. Symptoms of depression typically begin after one to two months of bereavement, last for several months after the loss, and are constant. The help of a mental-health professional is needed.

What is a support network? Support comes in many forms. The basic premise here is to offer something that you have to help someone else. A person searching for cures for depression can use a lot of support. Some suggestions include:

• Support groups
• Friends network
• Church membership
• Therapist
• Family

These are in no special order. Your first line of support will probably be your family. They are the ones who love you the best and will want to do whatever they can to help find your cures for depression. Talking to them about your feelings and also studying up on depression together strengthens your bond over this condition.

Your doctor may advice you to seek additional help by talking to someone like a therapist. A therapy professional in psychotherapy will tell you that part of your success hinges on the relationship that you forge with them. You both trust each other to tell the truth about depression in your sessions.

Local support groups are places where others like you can meet and discuss issues on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis. Simply knowing that you are not alone is like a weight being lifted from your shoulders. You don’t have to deal with it alone. In support groups, you have an outlet with no repercussions.

Your local church can also be a strong support in your life. Your faith can help you to deal with a number of things. Besides, a church is a welcoming community that shares their lives through their faith.

Friends are often underestimated. When the chips are down, the good ones come through. Call on your friends for a chat, a cup of coffee, dinner or to see a movie. They can ask you to venture out but also be strong enough to ask them for help when you need it.

Support is often the difference between hopefulness and helplessness. Create a support structure that works for you.

Mental health professionals tend to approach their subject from one of two quite different perspectives. Some regard mental health problems as a biological disorder or malfunction. This is the approach that is emphasized within medical models of illness, and by psychiatrists. Psychologists are more likely to look at the psychosocial and cognitive factors. So where does that leave the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory of depression?

Mind: Body Relationships and Chemical Imbalance

We are beginning to understand the ways in which the mind and body are interdependent. The consensus today is that stress and emotions can induce the biochemical changes that can be measured in depressive illness. More rarely it can work the other way round, with physical illness resulting in depressed mood.

Often it is hard to separate the two. Stress or poor diet causes us to become run down and renders us more vulnerable to physical illness. Physical illness is itself frequently a cause of stress, and so a feedback situation arises. Most experts agree that depressive illness is a two-way street.

Various diseases and conditions are thought to trigger depression in certain individuals. Depression is associated with various diseases of the nervous system and the endocrine system, for example. It can also be triggered by infections, such as glandular fever.

What Chemicals Are Implicated in Depressive Illness?

Whichever approach is adopted, there is no doubt that biochemistry is a very real factor in depressive illness and that drug treatments that alter body chemistry can be effective. Attention has focussed on hormones and neurotransmitters called monoamines.

The best-known neurotransmitter linked to depression is serotonin. Low serotonin levels are linked to depressed mood, poor appetite and sleep and other bodily functions. The stress hormone norepinephrine is another. Drugs that prevent re-uptake of these neurotransmitters increase their levels in the body and are fundamental to medical management of depression, usually together with psychological therapies.

An alteration in brain chemistry is involved in depression. Returning that imbalance to normal plays an important role in treatment.

The broad term for the category of therapies encompassing behavioral modification is psychotherapy. This is not something you’d see going on in the back room in one of those low-budget horror flicks. It is a form of talk therapy designed to help you to recognize your depression for what it is.

You’d be surprised how many people are in denial. They classify their depression as a bad case of sadness that will eventually pass. They don’t want to be labeled by depression.

They don’t realize that the way not to be labeled is to find help.

Here are the basics of behavioral modification.

• You and your therapist will discuss your condition. They will find out your symptoms, what you feel from day to day and how you view your depression. All of the answers you give are clues to helping them to find a complementary treatment for you.
• One form of psychotherapy is cognitive behavior therapy. This therapy teaches you to recognize when you are slipping back into depression and how to use your behavior, thinking and words to influence the outcome.

Cognitive behavior therapy involves:

1. Working with your therapist to decide on what the outcome of treatment will be.
2. Learning to recognize what events trigger you to relapse into depression.
3. Modifying your thoughts, words and actions from negative to positive in order to cope successfully and not relapse.

What you get out of therapy largely depends on you. Psychotherapy treatments are usually highly structured to give you the safety and confidence to keep pursuing it. Along with medical treatment, hopefully you will find a prescription for successful management.

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Depression has been characterized as feeling the “blues” but that is not an accurate description. The “blues” can be chalked up to having a bad day or the aftermath of an argument. Neither of these situations has anything to do with depression. Once you have a pep talk or shake off the feeling, your mood and attitude returns to normal. With depression, it does not.

If you are a woman, guess what? You are more at risk for depression. No one knows why in particular. Women are prone to postpartum depression after giving birth. Since many women also chalk their feelings up to “the blues,” the number of depressed people of the female sex is probably higher that reported.

Another risk factor is socioeconomic status. It is believed that if you are poor, you are more likely to develop depression. That is not to say that everyone who is of below average means will also have this issue. There are other factors surrounding your financial status that play a part.

Substance abuse plays a part in developing many conditions not the least of which is depression. It could be the side effect of the drugs or the aftermath of getting clean when you realize how you have lived while abusing drugs. The term “drugs” here is not just illegal substances but also abuse of prescription medications such as narcotics and sleeping pills.

Now, we come to family history. You have a greater risk if someone in your family has suffered or is suffering from a depressive condition. But, that is not set in stone. Simply being aware of your risk can help you fight it.

Are you at risk? Talk to your family doctor to find out more and what you can do to help yourself.

Many of the symptoms of depression revolve around your attitude. There is a tendency towards insomnia or trouble staying asleep. Sleep is the time when the body recharges itself.

If you are suffering from depression, you may notice that you are more irritable than usual. That could be followed by crying spells and moments of anger. The majority of suicides have been diagnosed with some form of depression at some point in their lives.

All of these symptoms and others lead to one thing: a change in your outlook on life and your own well-being. It is a common practice for depressed people who are contemplating suicide to give away their belongings. It may not be odd to be generous but these are items that they hold dear and, under any other circumstance, wouldn’t be parted with.

For that reason, making any major life decisions is not wise at this time. If you know anyone who exhibits signs of depression, get them help right away. When people who are depressed are approached by salespersons, they can be more highly suggestible than normal. You may not have wanted to change your life insurance policy a year ago, but in light of your depressive episodes, you may be talked into changing that and more. The downside here is that your life can be totally turned upside down in those days and months when your depression went undiagnosed.

If you or someone you know is being treated for depression, ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Changes in relationship status, financial status, work status (to name a few) need to be put on hold until you are thinking more clearly.

Apart from potentially unpleasant side effects, they have been described as overrated and over-prescribed. A key criticism is that they target the symptoms of depression without addressing the causes. That is certainly true, but antidepressants have their uses in modern medicine and mental health treatments, although many professionals no longer use them as a first line of defense against depressive illness.

Types of Antidepressants

Although there are many classes of antidepressants, three are most commonly used. All work in much the same way, by affecting the chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Those chemicals include serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine (noradrenalin), which are all implicated in mood regulation.

• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are the oldest kind, dating back to the 1950s. They have largely been replaced by newer kinds with fewer side effects and lower overdose potential. Imipramine, clomipramine, trimipramine and amitryptiline are all TCAs (brand names include Anafranil, Tofranil, Surmontil). They are still occasionally prescribed when the need arises.
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). These are now rarely prescribed because of negative interactions with other drugs and with foods containing tyramine (including red wine, some cheeses, Marmite/Bovril/Vegemite).
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The most used these help to build up serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is linked to mood as well as appetite, and low levels have been implicated in chronic pain syndromes. Well known SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat) and sertraline (Zoloft).

Antidepressants are often in the headlines due to real and supposed side effects and questions about their effectiveness. Some argue that they are little better than placebos. Anyone opting for antidepressant drug therapy should discuss the pros and cons with their doctor. Antidepressants alone may not solve the problem and are often taken as one arm of a wider-ranging treatment program that can include counseling and lifestyle changes.

Side Effects – General

Headaches, nausea and stomach upsets are common side effects of the antidepressants, and some people also experience unpleasant feelings of agitation and anxiety. Sexual dysfunction is not uncommon and feelings of apathy, numbness and emotional detachment are also reported. Other side effects include dry mouth, vision problems, dizziness, skin complaints and fluctuations in weight. Some may interfere with driving or use of machinery.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are known for the serious consequences arising from drug interactions and if users eat foods rich in tyramine (including red wine and cheese). They also reduce REM sleep and can cause fatigue. Serotonin syndrome is a rare but dangerous drug reaction that can be caused by any of the antidepressants (not just SSRIs) and some tranquillizers.

Although not addictive in the way that the benzodiazepines (such as Valium) can be, antidepressants can nevertheless induce physical and psychological dependence and if discontinued, this should be done gradually. Reputable practitioners will discourage long term use of antidepressant therapies.

Major Controversy

Antidepressants have regularly made the news, with some high profile lawsuits. Thousands have sued GlaxoSmith over paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat), who advertised it as safer than subsequent studies suggest. As well as risks associated with withdrawal, it is claimed that it can raise a person’s suicide risk (or their risk of acting out suicidal behavior by harming others). Those under 25 are thought to react especially badly to it, and it is contraindicated for children and adolescents.

Antidepressants have transformed some people’s lives, and made others’ lives a misery. They can be dangerous and should be used with extreme caution, always strictly according to prescription specifications.

Click Here To Find Out How To Cure Yourself Naturally Of Depression.

This is one of those topics that people give close attention. It is actually empowering. When you know the causes of an illness, you are more self-aware. The power is in your hands at that point to be proactive.

Depression is an illness that mostly results from an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters. The ones affected are associated with neural pathways that control mood.

There isnt just one cause for depression. In fact, finding a cause can be rather complex in its nature. Many of the causes that scientists and doctors have come up with are still being tested. Start with this list and follow up with your doctor for more in-depth information.

1. Heredity Like other conditions such as alcoholism, you are at a greater risk if someone in your family also has the condition. Those with family members suffering from  depression or who have succumbed to a depressive symptom (suicide) are more likely to develop depression according to the experts. They have not identified which types of depression that includes as yet.
2. Illness There seems to be a correlation between illness and depression. This refers to prolonged illness like cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes and heart disease. If you already have been exhibiting symptoms of depression before these illnesses your risk is greater.
3. Personality type People who exhibit low self-esteem, poor body image, inability to handle stress, feelings of isolation and negative thinking are more likely to become depressed.
4. Nutritional deficiencies What you eat is important. When your diet lacks vitamins and minerals instrumental in brain health, depression could become a reality in your future.
5. Medications Some medications may have side effects that can lead you to depression. If youve ever read the list on the bottle, prolonged use of some can increase depressive symptoms.

Are you concerned that something in your life may be a cause for depression? You wont know for sure unless you see a professional.

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Some of these are:

• Headaches. These are fairly common in people with depression, especially if you were prone to migraines before your diagnosis of depression.
• Back pain. Another ailment which can worsen with a diagnosis of depression.
• Muscle aches and joint pain. Depression can possibly make any chronic pain worse.
• Chest pain. For obvious reasons, it’s important to have any chest pain checked by a physician immediately. While it could potentially be a heart attack, chest pain is also a known ailment associated with depression.
• Digestive issues. You might feel queasy or nauseous. Diarrhea or chronic constipation are also possibilities.
• Fatigue. Even with adequate amounts of sleep, you may still feel tired. In some cases, getting out of bed is even impossible.
• Sleep problems. Many people with depression have difficulty obtaining proper sleep. Some can’t fall asleep easily or wake too early. Others sleep much longer than is necessary.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness.

Many people suffering from these issues never get the help they require, simply because they don’t realize their physical symptoms might be caused by depression. Even some doctors may miss the link. These physical symptoms aren’t “all in your head.” Depression can cause real changes in your body. For instance, it can slow down your digestion, which can result in stomach problems.

Treating Physical Symptoms

In most cases, treating your depression – with therapy, medicine or both – will resolve the physical symptoms. Make sure to discuss any physical symptoms with your health care provider. These may need additional treatment. For instance, your doctor may suggest anti-anxiety medicine to help your insomnia.

Certain depression treatments can also help with painful symptoms. Certain types of focused therapy – like cognitive behavioral – can teach you ways to cope better with the pain.

Click Here To Find Out How To Cure Yourself Naturally Of Depression.