Parenting pressures can mount and be overwhelming with the challenging issues of work, home and raising kids. Our kids are often under extreme pressures with growing up, learning, competing and striving for acceptance with peers, and dealing with adults.
Depression may set in for a combination of reasons for any family member, and it can be upsetting to devastating.
If guilt is involved get rid of it. We can consider our errors or wrong doings long enough to realize the error of our ways. If there is something we can do about it and want to, we can do it. Otherwise we can assure ourselves that we will avoid that mistake in the future. Beyond this, rebashing ourselves endlessly will do no good, is a complete waste of time and unhealthy.
To improve upon a frenzied troublesome way of life we can reassess our values and routines. If possible, we can eliminate some of those things which are not necessary to a contented life, and we can slow down. Achieving a stress free way of life will help keep us happier and living longer.
Have a friend. Friendship can be a soothing balm for depression sufferers as the relationship takes up some mental capacity that would otherwise be used on anxieties and self-doubt. "The rule of friendship means there should be mutual sympathy between them, each supplying what the other lacks and trying to benefit the other, always using friendly and sincere words." - Buddha.Severe depression can be very difficult to deal with and extremely harmful healthwise. Medical attention should always be a first consideration for serious depression.
Facts About Depression from the FCIC
At some time or another, everybody feels sad or blue. But if you are sad most of the time, and it's causing problems in your relationships or with normal daily activities, the problem may be depression. Some people think that depression is just a state of mind that people can "snap out of" if they only try. Unfortunately, this is not true. Depression is a real illness and can affect people of any age, race, ethnic or economic group. In any given year, over 18 million American adults will suffer from a depressive illness (which affects nearly twice as many women as men) and it is the leading cause of disability in the United States.
Symptoms of Depression
Depressive disorders come in different forms, the most common being major depression, dysthymia and bipolar disorder. Within these types there are variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence.
No one knows what causes depression. It is an illness. It may have something to do with:
- The way different parts of the brain “talk” to each other
- Depression runs in the family
- Being very sick or being sick all the time
- Stress
- Using drugs or alcohol
- Having a baby
- Sadness
- Things that used to make you happy, don’t make you happy anymore
- No interest in eating
- Eating too much, or all the time
- Sleeping too little, or all the time
- Feeling tired all the time
- Feeling nervous or cranky
- Crying a lot
- Feeling guilty
- Feeling hopeless
- Trouble paying attention
- Thinking of death or trying to kill yourself
Other Self-help posts here at S-F
