Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

Depression

barney said:
Hi Julia, Enjoy your posts, obviously a caring person............Re my last post.....Just want to clarify I wasn't indicating that I wanted to "refer" anyone to see my friend the Phsycologist..........I was just trying to point out that anyone (even phsycologists) can suffer from Depression....Cheers Barney
Hi Barney

Yes, I realised that. It was just that your post reminded me of how different mental health professionals have their own weakness in the therapy areas, as well as being vulnerable themselves.

Cheers
Julia
 
tech/a said:
Depression

I cant even think about it!!
Don't . Thinking about it compounds the problem. There are plenty of better things to think about. It is a nice sunny day here and after all it IS the first day of the rest of your life.
 
Hi Stop the clock,

I noticed that you have tried a few alternative treatments, have you ever tried SamE ?

My wife used this when a bit down and found it helped, she suffers from the blues a bit, but not too severely.
 
From ABC, September 28, 2006
Depression patients urged to exercise


The national depression initiative, beyondblue, says a new awareness campaign promoting the benefits of exercise could make a significant difference for the one-in-five Australians who suffer depression.
Beyondblue has joined forces with the Exercise Physiologists Association to help educate both GPs and depression sufferers about the effectiveness of using exercise to manage depression.
The Exercise Physiologists Association's New South Wales president, Chris Tzar, says exercise has been proven to be as effective in fighting depression as medication or psychotherapy.
"There are numerous studies that have shown those results," he said.
"They range from aerobic-based exercise like walking or jogging to strength training so what it presents is an alternative to medication if appropriate.
"Exercise can also address a range of other chronic conditions, not just depression."
Beyondblue's chief executive, Leonie Young, says while studies show these results, exercise has been largely neglected as a method to manage depression.
She says the joint association initiative will work to curb that trend.
"When people are visiting the GP and their identifying signs and symptoms of depression they will be able to be referred to an exercise physiologist," she said.
"As well as that though we're really keen to get the message out that depression and exercise are a good fit and keeping active can be a great way of helping manage depression and anxiety."

Article right on cue.

Of course there is other end of spectrum, with exercise junkies, who have to do weights 5 to 6 hours a day to feel reasonable.
During physical activity our body produces narcotic - feel good substance, unfortunately adictive.

Everything best in moderation
 
Hi folks .

Don't worry Nelly . I though that A holiday would be the thing as well in the early stages but just found out that I could of been surrounded by bikini clad woman on a remote beach and I think I still would of found something that would just keep me from enjoying it .

After a while you just always tend to see things through dark glasses and it is hard to find cheer in anything . And I found that when it was finally time for me to go over the edge it happened after a really good day at work . couldn't explain what it was but I felt that it was just the thing to do . I think it was the only time in the last few months that I had ever done anything with any sort of conviction . I almost felt like I was actually watching myself go through it all from a distance and just couldn't stop :(
I know now when I am not feeling to good . My trading is bad and when a trade goes against you , You just tend to sit there and watch it as though you are punishing yourself for being so stupid . And although the button to sell is right in front of you it just seems like the hardest thing to push it .

I still surprise my friends sometimes by just turning up on their doorstep and just wanting to be around other people gives me security when things just don't seem to be working out . They probably wonder why I have come around just for no reason but maybe they understand .

I think the worst thing with depression is
A. not knowing that you have it
B. the people that tell you just to get over it .
You think maybe they should try it once , but then you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy :)
Cheers Martin
 
x2rider said:
Hi folks .

Don't worry Nelly . I though that A holiday would be the thing as well in the early stages but just found out that I could of been surrounded by bikini clad woman on a remote beach and I think I still would of found something that would just keep me from enjoying it .

After a while you just always tend to see things through dark glasses and it is hard to find cheer in anything . And I found that when it was finally time for me to go over the edge it happened after a really good day at work . couldn't explain what it was but I felt that it was just the thing to do . I think it was the only time in the last few months that I had ever done anything with any sort of conviction . I almost felt like I was actually watching myself go through it all from a distance and just couldn't stop :(
I know now when I am not feeling to good . My trading is bad and when a trade goes against you , You just tend to sit there and watch it as though you are punishing yourself for being so stupid . And although the button to sell is right in front of you it just seems like the hardest thing to push it .

I still surprise my friends sometimes by just turning up on their doorstep and just wanting to be around other people gives me security when things just don't seem to be working out . They probably wonder why I have come around just for no reason but maybe they understand .

I think the worst thing with depression is
A. not knowing that you have it
B. the people that tell you just to get over it .
You think maybe they should try it once , but then you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy :)
Cheers Martin

Hello Martin

That's just such a great post. Gives more insight into how depression actually IS than many of the so called learned academic textbook descriptions.
Thank you and my very best wishes.

Julia
 
My say is (which is helpful)........I caught depression and found that by removing,fighting off and ignoring the depressants I achieved a better quality of life.I now have more respect and less baggage.

I cut tv ,radio ,newspapers, bullies , and false people out of my life.

This is an excerpt from a web site I found when needed some answers.I don`t go there much anymore but is good for reference.It covers heaps of stuff and if anyone wants to view the web site then I will paste it to them.

Remember: you are not a victim but a target.

- from Bully in Sight, by Tim Fields

top tips to take control

The first thing to recognize is that you are not alone, but you probably are one of the first few to attempt to identify, what you are going through as work place bullying. Hang on in there.

Psychologically I believe this has a bearing on how you think about the whole situation. You are a good person who is with out doubt well respected and probably admired by peers, colleagues and service users. By valuing yourself, you will begin to establish a clear picture of what is going on and why.

Nobody has the fundamental right to tarnish or harm you or your reputation as an individual...... :grenade:
 
Julia said:
Because????

Julia

I get depressed.


No no no only kidding---yes I know its a serious topic but I have this problem with humour,its evil!
 
Stop_the_clock said:
Anyone suffered it?

I have!

Come on fess up, there must be at least 1000 members on this board that have suffered it over the past year.

(5000+ members on ASF and 1 in 5 people suffer with depression)
When I was kid grew up in depression. My father use to shoot rabbits for stew. There was no christmas presents, life was very tough. My sister died because she was ill. we were very young and I hardly remember now. :banghead:
 
On lighter note we arrive in adelaide. the city has changed much since i was here 15 years ago. my back packer friends are fun and are have good time. i now almost speak fluent japanese :) time forgives all hates :) we will keep driving to Perth :) life is good. i am happy with aex gold silver etc. :) :cool:
 
There was an interesting interview this morning on Radio National's "Life Matters" programme with Prof Martin Seligman to whom I have referred when we've discussed this topic in the past. For anyone interested, the details will be on the ABC's website usually from tomorrow.

He teaches at one of the US's large universities and has for some years written widely on the general theme of "learned optimism". His point is that there tends to be a focus on depression, disorders, and disease etc., and that by altering the focus somewhat onto more affirming aspects of our lives we can gradually adjust the way we think.

He's not proposing that this is a substitute for medication in people who are severely depressed but rather that it's an adjunct, or possibly a preventative measure for people who just feel their lives are dull and boring. His simple suggestion, for a start, is to routinely think about three things every day that we can be grateful for in our lives. Sound too simplistic? Possibly.
However, a person I know who was hospitalised for severe depression says he finally made his way out by just using the phrase "fake it till you make it"
feigning cheerfulness even when he didn't feel all that great. These days he's a happy and productive member of society and has completed a degree in about half the usual time.

Professor Seligman's other suggestion is that more of us get involved in doing something for others. Studies have measured how good people felt after (a) doing something 'fun', or (b) helping another person, and the people who had done something altruistic felt a far greater sense of satisfaction.

Julia
 
I have been reading a book about cholestrol and the associated misinformation over the weekend, it seems that one of the side effects of cholesterol reducing (statin) drugs can be depression.
 
Scary stuff!

Worth noting for family members is the following.

"The only information a family member or Doctor can act on is from the person themselves, and they are in no condition to provide decent information."
 
Wysiwyg said:
This site is choc full of ideas and answers.You can heal yourself. :bekloppt:


www.thisisawar.com/Authors.htm

Thanks for the website, very interesting links.

I have to disagree about self-healing, it aint that simply!

I have even studied psychology at university level, but that aint gonna self heal me from the mirage of mental illness.

It takes professional help to implement skill sets to re-program the brain and guide patients to better health.

Its like the Nurse who learns how to nurse patients to better health but fails to keep herself/himself healthy.

Learning is one thing but implimenting that knowledge into practical steps takes professional help, much practise, guidance and support.
 
Stop_the_clock said:
Thanks for the website, very interesting links.

I have to disagree about self-healing, it aint that simply!

I have even studied psychology at university level, but that aint gonna self heal me from the mirage of mental illness.

It takes professional help to implement skill sets to re-program the brain and guide patients to better health.

Its like the Nurse who learns how to nurse patients to better health but fails to keep herself/himself healthy.

Learning is one thing but implimenting that knowledge into practical steps takes professional help, much practise, guidance and support.


Hi there S.T.C.,

thanks for pointing out the other extreme. To encompass a complex subject the answers are not in the words alone.I want people to help themselves by gaining a better understanding.

Good vibes, W
 
Depression is a very complex problem. Self help is fine for minor cases. Medication can help manage it, if you can find a med that works without bad side effects. The best help is managing your life style to reduce stress factors. Of course with depression it is difficult to do much of anything to help yourself as the depression affects your thinking and emotional stability. You may not be able to make any changes because you simply cannot be bothered, or work out for yourself what needs to be fixed/changed. Family or very close friend is definitely the best help you can have.
 
TUESDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- New insights into how genes affect an individual's response to particular drugs could someday speed the effective treatment of depression, researchers say.

Reporting in the Oct. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists say variations in a serotonin transport gene accurately predicted which patients would respond to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs such as Prozac.

They also identified key variations in the norepinephrine transporter (NET) gene. Those variants predicted response to nortriptyline, an antidepressant in a class of drugs called norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NRIs).

"I don't think this is going to change the way we treat depression, but it's another piece of the puzzle that will help us individualize treatment," said Dr. Julio Licinio, chairman of psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He was not involved in the research.

The study, conducted by researchers in the United States and Korea, shows "that it's important to look at gene variants in terms of treatment response," Licinio said.

Some 30 percent to 40 percent of patients fail their first drug treatment for major depression. Experts say that, right now, it's not possible to predict with any degree of accuracy which drug will work best for each patient.

Clinicians are pinning future hopes on "pharmacogenetics," or genetic factors that influence an individual's response to drugs.

There's reason for some optimism. Previous studies have shown that polymorphisms (individual differences in the DNA sequence) in the serotonin transporter gene might predict response to SSRIs, which include drugs such as Celexa, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft.

Ethnic variations may also play a role. Prior studies have shown that gene variants linked to poor response to SSRIs among white patients were actually associated with a good response in Japanese and Korean patients.

"This raises some basic genetic questions about what exactly is the signal coming from the polymorphisms as to function and as to interaction with the drugs," Bernard Carroll, co-author of the research and scientific director of the Pacific Behavioral Research Foundation in Carmel, Calif., said in a prepared statement. "And it serves as a caution that results found in one ethnic group can't necessarily be transposed straight across to another ethnic group."

The new research was conducted at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul and was supported by the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The study authors tracked the outcomes of a group of 241 Koreans diagnosed with major depression that had begun, on average, in the individuals' early-to-mid 50s.

The researchers were interested in two different types of antidepressants and associated pathways in the body: SSRIs and the serotonin transporter gene, as well as NRIs and the associated norepinephrine transporter (NET) gene.

Participants were treated for six weeks with an SSRI (either Prozac or Zoloft) or the NRI nortriptyline (brand names Aventyl or Pamelor).

Individuals who carried the "GG" polymorphism of NET had a better rate of response to NRI treatment than to SSRI treatment (83.3 percent and 58.7 percent, respectively).

"That's a 25 percent difference in response rate, so that is going to have a major impact, we would predict, on clinical practice," Carroll said.

The research also confirmed that response to SSRIs was associated with a genetic variation in the serotonin transporter gene.

Although the findings are preliminary and need to be replicated, particularly in a white population, "we're certainly optimistic that it's going to stand up," Carroll said.

More than half (56 percent) of Koreans and about 45 percent of whites have the GG polymorphism, the researchers noted.

"This is likely to still be a major finding in [whites] if the replications studies hold up," Carroll said. "If our findings are confirmed and if this genotyping is taken up in clinical services, then the market for SSRI drugs as first-line treatment will fall by around 50 percent. Another implication is that new drug development will shift to dual-action agents."

"The word is now out that depression is a very serious disorder with major public health and economic consequences," he continued. "There is a great deal of motivation on the professional side to do a better job of treating depression and this genetic prediction is an obvious place to start."

More information

For more on depression, visit the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

Some info' I thought was interesting.
cheerful :)
 
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