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Hidden Epidemic of Asymptomatic Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:06:04 GMT

The cases of sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are ever increasing due to uncontrolled sexual contacts, and because many do not know the basic knowledge of such diseases. Asymptomatic sexually transmitted diseases appear silently, and the unaware people become easy victims to such diseases. On contracting some sexually transmitted diseases, people can usually notice that something is going wrong, and seek medical advice accordingly. However, in some cases, they become infected but fail to notice any troubling symptoms, and can live years with such diseases, unknowing passing the infections to others during sexual contacts.

It is not untrue to say that such kinds of sexually transmitted diseases work as a hidden epidemic. You can imagine how fast it can infect countless people, as one passes to another, then the other to some other, and so on, the spreading grows rapidly in number. In fact, asymptomatic sexually transmitted diseases are more dangerous than those that erupt with apparent symptoms.

Most of the people with Chlamydia, a treatable sexually transmitted disease, fail to note any kind of symptoms of this disease. Gonorrhea remains hidden for long in 50% cases of infected women, and 10% cases in infected men. Many other such diseases remain dormant for months or even years, affecting more and more people. It is a fact that, due to not following the rules of having sex with known a partner only, or at least having the ‘safe sex’, more than 19 million new STD cases are reported every year in the U.S. alone. This data has been collected by the Centers for Disease Control.

When such STDs are not treated in time, they can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and the infected women cannot bear children. As other long-term damages, they result in organ damage, general illness, or even death. Do not mistake that if you are feeling good, you are not involving yourself with the hazards of these diseases. Moreover, you will become a perfect source of spreading these diseases. Even if you got aware of the presence of such diseases, you may not get the troubling symptoms right away. Take examples of HPV, Herpes, etc. Herpes is silently transmitted, so are the viruses that cause genital warts, cervical cancer, and AIDS. Unfortunately, these diseases cannot be cured, and this increases the responsibility of those who are infected with one of them to take all the precautions to stop it from spreading.

If you follow the golden rule that prevention is better than cure, you should never cross the normal limits while fulfilling your sexual desire, and restrict sexual activities with known persons only, or at least observe safe sex rules. Find powerful herbal Erectile Dysfunction Pills to improve lovemaking performance. Read the benefits of Shilajit for enhancing libido. Also know how Female Libido Enhancer improves lovemaking desire.

Women encounter heart attacks with no chest pain?

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:47:29 GMT

The trial incorporated above 1 million individuals. About 42% of women showing no signs of chest pain reached the hospital for treating heart attacks. Around 30% of men encountered a similar scenario. This case was specifically true for women aged below 45, however with growing age, the difference became smaller.

“Contrary to popular belief, a heart attack doesn’t necessarily mean dramatic and excruciating chest pains. Symptoms vary; for some the pain is severe and yet others may feel nothing more than a mild discomfort or heaviness. The most important thing to remember is if you think you’re having a heart attack, call 999,” commented Cathy Ross, BHF Senior Cardiac Nurse.

Though the team found that men suffer from heart attacks more than women, a relatively higher proportion of women died due to the condition. For individuals aged below 65, the difference between mortality rates of men and women seemed to be the highest.

The scientists asserted that women need to be more cautious of an heart attack as they may not encounter chest pain during the episode. Inexperienced medical staff could overlook the effects of heart attack in younger women.

More studies to gauge these gender differences in terms of heart diseases are underway. The report is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Grief is not an illness, warns The Lancet

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:49:42 GMT

"Grief is not an illness", say the journal's editors in an impassioned editorial, which argues that "medicalising" such a normal human emotion is "not only dangerously simplistic, but also flawed". Doctors tempted to prescribe pills "would do better to offer time, compassion, remembrance and empathy", they write.

The editors are worried by moves which appear to categorise extreme emotions as problems that need fixing. Their fears have been prompted by the publication of a new draft version of the psychiatrists' 'bible', the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, known as DSM-5. Although this is not used by NHS psychiatrists, it is still regarded as influential here.

The editors are also concerned about changes proposed by the World Health Organisation, to include a category of "prolonged grief disorder" in its International Classification of Disease (ICD-11). It is used by NHS psychiatrists. They note the DSM-5 draft contains "no exclusion for bereavement" before diagnosing a "major depressive disorder".

They write that this "means that feelings of deep sadness, loss, sleeplessness, crying, inability to concentrate, tiredness, and no appetite, which continue for more than two weeks after the death of a loved one, could be diagnosed as depression, rather than as a normal grief reaction". The editorial continues: "Medicalising grief, so that treatment is legitimised routinely with antidepressants, for example, is not only dangerously simplistic, but also flawed.

"The evidence base for treating recently bereaved people with standard antidepressant regimens is absent."It concludes: "Grief is not an illness; it is more usefully thought of as part of being human and a normal response to death of a loved one. "For those who are grieving, doctors would do better to offer time, compassion, remembrance, and empathy, than pills."

Dr Astrid James, deputy editor of The Lancet, said it seemed "far too early" to classify someone as mentally ill two weeks after the death of a loved one. She added: "We need to be careful not to overmedicalise experiences that are part of normal living, and to make sure we allow people to grieve rather than try and suppress it or treat it."Professor Sue Bailey, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: "The publication of DSM-V will not directly affect diagnosis of mental illness in our health service."

Depression App

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:46:15 GMT

Depressed? Local researchers are developing an app for that. It's technology that provides immediate support for patients struggling with mental health problems. Think of it as a therapist in your pocket.

Dr. David Mohr, depression researcher, Northwestern Medicine: "About 10% of Americans experience a mood disorder, so it's a large problem that translates into 30 million people needing treatment in any given year."

Anti-depressant medications and psychotherapy help. Dr. Mohr: "One of the drawbacks is when you see a psychotherapist you spend your time in the office and then you go home to the rest of your world and you have a whole week before you go back again. This is a way to extend treatment to people who may not be able to access it."

This is mobilyze -- an application for smart phones Northwestern Medicine researchers hope will fill the gap between therapy sessions, or, in some cases, break down barriers that prevent patients from getting the help the need.

Dr. Mohr: "This takes a very different approach. It moves treatment outside of this office outside of this clinical setting and puts it in the environment where the person is and tries to assist them in making the kinds of changes in their life that will be beneficial. Here's how it works. First, patients check in by entering information about their daily routine.

Mark Begale, technology coordinator: "The idea is the phone needs to know enough about who you are and what you are doing in order to use all of these pieces of information, like GPS. It asks questions like 'Where are you at?' So right now I'm at work."

The smart phone remembers your patterns -- where you go throughout the day and what triggers stress and anxiety. For some, it may be a work setting that sets them off. The app is there every step of the way, reminding patients how to cope with a tense situation. Mark Begale: "When it detects I'm in a certain state it gives me a few strategies to center myself, take a few deep breaths."

Outside of the office it encourages patients to gather with friends and loved ones -- positive social behaviors that boost overall wellbeing. Dr. Mohr: "The goal is not to get them just to interact with the phone. The goal is to get them to interact with other people."

The app also provides lessons -- reading material and self-help guides. And test patients said it did make a difference for their mood. "It's a resource. It's like a library in your pocket."

Taking depression to heart

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:45:56 GMT

Mental state can play a crucial role in physical health — medical professionals have long known about the connection between anxiety and the immune system, for example. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that mental health can also interfere with the heart.

Heart attack patients who also suffer from depression are more likely to be readmitted for cardiac events and chest pains in the future, and have 14 percent more days of hospitalization than their happier counterparts, says researcher Vicki Myers of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine. Along with Dr. Yariv Gerber and other members of the Israel Study Group of First Acute Myocardial Infarction, Myers examined the association between depressive symptoms in heart attack patients and hospital admissions more than a decade after the initial attack.

These findings have long-term ramifications, says Myers. Spending more time in the hospital, these patients are a massive financial burden on health services, but an investment in extra psychiatric support may have a large positive payoff.

The study was funded by the Israel National Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research and has been published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.

Making better lifestyle choices
Most studies examining the connection between heart attack recovery and mental health have only included short term follow up, says Myers. To study the effect of depression on the long-term health of heart attack patients, the researchers used data collected from 632 heart attack patients under the age of 65 admitted to Israeli hospitals between 1992 and 1993, comparing their recoveries using follow-up data through 2005.

Although a large percentage of people who survive a heart attack will be re-admitted to the hospital at some point, people identified as at least "mildly depressed" during their first hospital stay were far more likely to be re-hospitalized later with further cardiac health problems. Patients with a higher depression score spent 14 percent more time in the hospital than those with a low score. Data were controlled for measures of co-morbidity, including other illnesses and risk factors such as smoking and socioeconomic status.

Making the right choices
Post-heart-attack lifestyle choices played a major role in this relationship, explains Myers. Most heart attack patients are offered rehabilitation services, and are advised to change their lifestyle to include exercise, diet, and smoking cessation programs. Depressed patients are far less likely to avail themselves of rehab services, or elect to make life changes themselves, she says. Overall, depressed patients were 20 percent less likely to be physically active after suffering a heart attack, 26 percent less likely to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program, and 25 percent less likely to quit smoking.

"The message is that doctors cannot ignore psychological factors in patients who have had a heart attack. Patients who exhibit signs of depression need to be followed more closely, and may need extra help in following lifestyle recommendations. Ignoring this problem weighs heavily on health services," she adds.

Women’s Groups Broadly Support Birth Control Compromise

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:11:02 GMT

On Friday, the Obama administration announced a rule change to accommodate religious organizations on the issue of contraception coverage under the Affordable Care Act. So far, pro-choice groups who hoped the administration would not to cave on the issue have seemed broadly satisfied with the changes, having been assured by the President that “all women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive services.”

The new rule shifts the onus of coverage from employers to insurers. “The insurance company will be required to reach out directly and offer her contraceptive coverage free of charge,” an administration official told reporters on a conference call.

Women’s groups are taking the administration at its word that the change will not cost women coverage. “In the face of a misleading and outrageous assault on women’s health, the Obama administration has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring all women will have access to birth control coverage, with no costly co-pays, no additional hurdles, and no matter where they work,” read Planned Parenthood’s statement. “We believe the compliance mechanism does not compromise a woman’s ability to access these critical birth control benefits.”

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan echoed that sentiment, “Today’s announcement makes it clear that President Obama is firmly committed to protecting women’s health,” she said in a statement. EMILY’s List president Stephanie Schriock stressed the importance of electing pro-choice women to act as a “firewall” to protect access and is pleased that the new rule will hold the line on contraceptive coverage.

However, pro-choice groups stress the need to continue to protect access. “Unfortunately, some opponents of contraception may not be satisfied” Keenan wrote. “These groups and their allies in Congress want to take away contraceptive coverage” for women at religious organizations. Likewise, Planned Parenthood promised to be “vigilant” in ensuring that “the administration and the institutions accountable for a rigorous, fair and consistent implementation of the policy.”

Another important endorsement of the rule change came from the Catholic Health Association, whose president, Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, said in a statement that the CHA is “very pleased” with the change, which “protects the religious liberty and conscience rights of Catholic institutions. The framework developed has responded to the issues we identified that needed to be fixed.” Their endorsement should help insulate the administration from pro-lifers unsatisfied with the compromise.

One pro-choice group that was also unsatisfied with the fiddle was Catholics for Choice, whose president Jon O’Brien sees the accommodation as a victory for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “The devil is in the details,” O’Brien told TPM, which takes the position that only time will tell if the new rule preserves access for all women. O’Brien also noted that there are now three tiers of coverage: rules for churches whose plans will not provide coverage for contraception, rules for religious organizations like hospitals, and rules for secular employers.

Heart disease, prostate cancer may be linked

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:07:14 GMT

DURHAM, N.C. — There appears to be a significant connection between two of the deadliest human illnesses — prostate cancer and heart disease — suggesting that they may have the same causes, according to a new study led by Duke Cancer Institute researchers.

If further research shows that both diseases have the same triggers, it could mean that it’s possible for men to reduce their risk of prostate cancer by making the straightforward, proven lifestyle changes for fighting heart disease, including improving diet, stopping smoking, reducing cholesterol levels and getting more exercise.

“That’s obviously what’s exciting to us about these results,” said Dr. Stephen Freedland, an associate professor of surgery and pathology in the Division of Urology at Duke and senior author of the paper. The study appears online this month in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Previous studies into a possible link between the two diseases have offered conflicting results. This time, researchers found that the correlation is real, Freedland said.

“It’s not like every man in the study with heart disease had cancer,” he said. “But we can say that clearly if you do have heart disease, your risk of prostate cancer is higher.”The researchers studied data from nearly 6,400 men who were enrolled in a large prostate drug trial. Of those, 547 reported a history of heart disease at the time they enrolled.

The men had prostate biopsies to test for cancer two years and four years into the study. Using results from those biopsies, the researchers found that having coronary artery disease increased the risk of prostate cancer by 35 percent averaged over the four-year study. That risk increased over time.

The study is not ideal, in part because it relied on data from an unrelated drug trial. In addition, the results simply show a link, pointing the way to further research into questions such as whether heart disease can somehow cause prostate cancer.

Still, the implications carry unusual weight because both diseases are major killers. Cancer of the prostate is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among men, while heart disease is the single greatest killer of adults of both genders, responsible for one in four deaths.

Junk foods still plentiful at elementary schools

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:36:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Junk food remains plentiful at the nation's elementary schools despite widespread efforts to curb childhood obesity, a new study suggests. Between 2006 and 2010, nearly half of public and private schools surveyed sold sweet or salty snack foods in vending machines or other places, the study found.
There was little change over the four years, a surprising finding given vocal advocacy campaigns to improve kids' diets, said researcher Lindsey Turner, a health psychologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the study's lead author.

The study focused on snacks not sold during mealtimes, which until recently weren't subject to government nutrition standards. Schools most likely to sell chips, cookies or similar foods were in the South, where obesity rates are the highest; these foods were scarcest at schools in the West.

The results are concerning, Turner said, because they show that many schools have not heeded messages from health advocates including the Institute of Medicine, which in a 2007 report urged limiting availability of food in schools outside of mealtimes, and said these items should not be sugary, salty or fatty snack foods. Many schools in the study also offered more healthy foods outside of mealtimes, including fruit and vegetables. But selling them along with junk food may tempt kids to skip the healthy options, and sends "mixed messages about healthful nutrition," Dr. Thomas Robinson, a Stanford University pediatrician and obesity prevention researcher.

Robinson called the study results "sobering" and said a key strategy for reversing childhood obesity includes improving nutrition in schools. Recent data suggest that almost 20 percent of elementary school children nationwide are obese. Policies that limit junk food sold in schools have been linked with less obesity among students, said C. Tracy Orleans, a senior scientist at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which paid for the study. The study appears in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, released Monday. Robinson wrote an accompanying editorial.

Anti-obesity advocates also have pushed to remove sugary sodas from schools, and some states and schools have enacted bans. Also, a 2010 report found a big decline in sales of these drinks to schools during some of the years studied.

The new study, which focused only on foods, is based on surveys mailed to principals at public and private elementary schools. Nearly 4,000 responded, or more than half of those contacted. The participating schools were nationally representative and there were no geographic or economic differences in schools that didn't respond that would affect the results, Turner said.

Overall, about 45 percent of schools sold sugary and salty snacks. Some schools sold low-fat salty snacks and baked goods, including pretzels and low-fat ice cream, but their high sugar or salt content makes them a poor choice, Turner said. Candy, salty snacks and regular-fat baked goods were more common at private schools than public schools; and low-fat ice cream was more common at both types of schools than full-fat ice cream snacks.

The study authors say their results should encourage the U.S. Department of Agriculture to crack down on junk food in schools. A law enacted in December 2010, after the study ended, gives the agency authority to do so, and it is developing changes. Before that measure, USDA policy restricted schools from selling foods "of minimal nutritional value" during mealtimes. Under the new law, the agency can set nutrition standards for all foods sold in U.S. schools.

Another USDA change announced last month focuses on making school lunches healthier, with changes including less sodium and more whole grains. The changes affecting snack foods "need to be comprehensive, they need to be strong, they need to be specific," and they could be "a game-changer," said Orleans. A website for the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service says restricting these foods can pose challenges for schools, because many rely on sales of snack foods to boost revenue. But it also explains why changes are needed. "The constant availability of foods and beverages may increase the likelihood of impulse buying and contribute to overeating by some students," the USDA website says. It lists states and school districts that have imposed some restrictions on these foods.

Anxiety and depression inventory

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:46:40 GMT

Wondering if you’re anxious or depressed? Here are two tests (based on Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory) that Dr Daniel Zainal Abdul Rahman uses to make a diagnosis. Scoring: Add the numbers in each column to get a total. Then, add the total for each column together to reach a grand total.

Interpretation: A grand total of between 0 and 21 indicates very low anxiety. However, too little “anxiety” could indicate that you are detached from yourself, others, or your environment. A grand total between of 22 and 35 indicates moderate anxiety. You may have some conflict issues that need to be resolved. A grand total that exceeds 36 is a potential cause for concern and may need proactive treatment.

-Depression inventory
Question 1
I do not feel sad. (0)
I feel sad. (1)
I am sad all the time and I can’t snap out of it. (2)
I am so sad and unhappy that I can’t stand it. (3)

Question 2
I am not particularly discouraged about the future. (0)
I feel discouraged about the future. (1)
I feel I have nothing to look forward to. (2)
I feel the future is hopeless and that things cannot improve. (3)

Question 3
I do not feel like a failure. (0)
I feel I have failed more than the average person. (1)
As I look back on my life, all I can see is a lot of failures. (2)
I feel I am a complete failure as a person. (3)

Question 4
I get as much satisfaction out of things as I used to. (0)
I don’t enjoy things the way I used to. (1)
I don’t get real satisfaction out of anything anymore. (2)
I am dissatisfied or bored with everything. (3)

Question 5
I don’t feel particularly guilty (0)
I feel guilty a good part of the time. (1)
I feel quite guilty most of the time. (2)
I feel guilty all of the time. (3)

Question 6
I don’t feel I am being punished. (0)
I feel I may be punished. (1)
I expect to be punished. (2)
I feel I am being punished. (3)

Question 7
I don’t feel disappointed in myself. (0)
I am disappointed in myself. (1)
I am disgusted with myself. (2)
I hate myself. (3)

Question 8
I don’t feel I am any worse than anybody else. (0)
I am critical of myself for my weaknesses or mistakes. (1)
I blame myself all the time for my faults. (2)
I blame myself for everything bad that happens. (3)

Question 9
I don’t have any thoughts of killing myself. (0)
I have thoughts of killing myself, but I would not carry them out. (1)
I would like to kill myself. (2)
I would kill myself if I had the chance. (3)

Question 10
I don’t cry any more than usual. (0)
I cry more now than I used to. (1)
I cry all the time now. (2)
I used to be able to cry, but now I can’t cry even though I want to. (3)

Question 11
I am no more irritated by things than I ever was. (0)
I am slightly more irritated now than usual. (1)
I am quite annoyed or irritated a good deal of the time. (2)
I feel irritated all the time. (3)

Question 12
I have not lost interest in other people. (0)
I am less interested in other people than I used to be. (1)
I have lost most of my interest in other people. (2)
I have lost all of my interest in other people. (3)

Question 13
I make decisions about as well as I ever could. (0)
I put off making decisions more than I used to. (1)
I have greater difficulty in making decisions more than I used to. (2)
I can’t make decisions at all anymore. (3)

Question 14
I don’t feel that I look any worse than I used to. (0)
I am worried that I am looking old or unattractive. (1)
I feel there are permanent changes in my appearance that make me look unattractive. (2)
I believe that I look ugly. (3)

Question 15
I can work about as well as before. (0)
It takes an extra effort to get started at doing something. (1)
I have to push myself very hard to do anything. (2)
I can’t do any work at all. (3)

Question 16
I can sleep as well as usual. (0)
I don‘t sleep as well as I used to. (1)
I wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual and find it hard to get back to sleep. (2)
I wake up several hours earlier than I used to and cannot get back to sleep. (3)

Question 17
I don’t get more tired than usual. (0)
I get tired more easily than I used to. (1)
I get tired from doing almost anything. (2)
I am too tired to do anything. (3)

Question 18
My appetite is no worse than usual. (0)
My appetite is not as good as it used to be. (1)
My appetite is much worse now. (2)
I have no appetite at all anymore. (3)

Question 19
I haven’t lost much weight, if any, lately. (0)
I have lost more than five pounds. (1)
I have lost more than 10 pounds. (2)
I have lost more than 15 pounds. (3)

Question 20
I am no more worried about my health than usual. (0)
I am worried about physical problems like aches, pains, upset stomach, or constipation. (1)
I am very worried about physical problems and it’s hard to think of much else. (2)
I am so worried about my physical problems that I cannot think of anything else. (3)

Question 21
I have not noticed any recent change in my interest in sex. (0)
I am less interested in sex than I used to be. (1)
I have almost no interest in sex. (2)
I have lost interest in sex completely. (3)

Scoring: Now that you have completed the questionnaire, add up the score for each of the 21 questions by counting the number to the right of each question you marked.

Interpretation:
1-10: these ups and downs are considered normal.
11-16: mild mood disturbance.
17-20: borderline clinical depression.
21-30: moderate depression.
31-40: severe depression.
over 40: extreme depression.

Social Support Is Critical for Depression Recovery

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:38:53 GMT

Every human being wants to belong. This need is so strong that people will do nearly anything to feel like they are part of something. Personal relationships form a safety net around individuals to protect them from too much isolation. Long ago, people who strayed from a group had a much harder time surviving the elements or avoiding starvation. While it’s physically safer now to live a solitary life, emotional isolation can still threaten a person’s mental well-being.

Social support is a vital and effective part of depression recovery. It can turn around damaging isolation, affect a person’s life focus, and generate solutions for depression management. Learn more about how this powerful social force can positively effect someone living with depression.

Social Connection Curbs Your Sense of Isolation
Depression is a selfish, abusive captor. It enjoys nothing more than seeing you all alone, feeling like nobody would miss you if you weren’t around. It magnifies your sense of shame, making sure you believe that no one could understand or care about your struggles. You can easily imagine rejection and ridicule for speaking up. Holding your tongue might keep you isolated, but at least you’d avoid petrifying embarrassment.

This can seem like the lesser of two evils and a reasonable tradeoff. But in the end, isolation breeds only more isolation. This creates a reclusive lifestyle that can cut you off from people who mean a lot to you. Your hopelessness and thoughts of despair will only get worse over time. Your isolation can put you at much greater risk for suicidal thoughts (1). So how does social support counteract this destructive spiral?

People are meant to be social beings, and we have better lives when we care about each other. Sharing your innermost feelings can seem like a huge risk. Human beings often do whatever they can to avoid complete rejection from others. But relationships aren’t just for the good times. People lift each other up when they go through tough situations. This often strengthens their personal ties as well. Why? Because it’s real life, and genuine real life has fear, uncertainty, and problems. The good times mean even more when you’ve been through some valleys together.

The isolation that comes with depression can cut you off from these important relationships. Getting help from a caring person isn’t about pity or being a “defective” human being. It’s just the way people are supposed to be with each other. You may need to choose your confidants carefully. If you have a few people in your life who are genuinely concerned for your well-being, then hold on to them. They are a priceless part of your life and depression recovery. However, if you have toxic, unreliable individuals in your life, be very careful. These people may use your personal vulnerability to their advantage, hurting you time and again. A pastor or mental health counselor may be a good place to start if this is your situation.

Social Support Keeps You Connected with Life
An isolated, depressed person can slowly die on the vine, believing the world is better off without him or her (or that that person is better off without the world). Thoughts of death coupled with intense negative emotion are two of the most dangerous aspects of depression. A person who keeps meaningful connections with others stays connected with life. He or she can visualize the future, making plans to keep on living and stay out of harm’s way.

When you are depressed, isolation turns you away from life. This creates a self-fulfilling cycle where you feel increasingly rejected and remain disconnected, increasing the chances that your connections might fade or weaken. This dangerous combination affects how you see your very existence. Instead of turning your vision toward growth and living, you become focused on avoiding the most pain. And unfortunately, death can easily become the leading candidate for pain relief.

Sometimes a support person has to forcibly break through strong walls of isolation to make a connection. This may be met with fierce resistance, especially if isolation has been prolonged or you are feeling suicidal. However, if you have some flicker of life inside (even if it is deeply covered) or you have a great deal of trust in your support person, you can turn your vision from death to life. When the pattern is changed to include regular social time with positive, trusted people, depression’s grip can be loosened. Life is put back on center stage, giving death less and less time in the spotlight.

Social Connection Helps You Find Solutions
If you have depression and you reach out to a trusted, non-depressed person for help, you highlight one of the more important aspects of social support. Helping people, if chosen wisely, will have a vision of health that you can’t muster yourself. A non-depressed person can create and capture a healthier vision of your life, something you truly need in order to get better. It’s so easy to lose perspective when you are inside depression, even forgetting what healthy periods of your life looked and felt like.

Until you can truly capture that vision for yourself, a supportive person can hold on to it for you. It’s hard to reach a goal when you can’t figure out what it looks like. This “borrowed” vision from a support person can keep it real and thriving, even broken down into smaller pieces when that’s all you can handle. As you improve, you can live out and see the vision more clearly. The support person acts much like a compass, helping to reorient you to a healthier path of life.

Depressed thinking often involves replaying many of the same problems, the same negative scripts, and predicting the same (or worse) outcomes from the past. It’s really hard to be innovative or logical about what you really need to do if you only consult yourself. Friends, counselors, trusted health professionals, loving family members, and other supporters can help you generate a variety of solutions.

If you are still quite doubtful or confused about your options, a support person can gently help you see which ones might be the most helpful. You may have clear ideas about what you need but not about how to get started. You may also have a good idea about what hasn’t worked, but not why. When you bounce these issues off someone else, you open yourself up to their encouragement and their fresh ideas. Sometimes, all it takes is some new perspective on your situation to expose more effective solutions.

Social Support: A Vital Part of Depression Recovery
Depression recovery can be a complex process, but you don’t have to do it alone. Social support goes way beyond your friends trying to cheer you up a little. It’s about making genuine connections and spending time with people who care about you. It’s about knowing that you matter to other people. Depression can create a pit of despair and hopelessness inside you. With your loved ones nearby, the pit won’t be nearly as frightening. Your safety net is ready to keep you from falling in.