Depression can be debilitating. Most of the time I write about major disaster scenarios but depression is something that you may be dealing with daily already. In a major disaster scenario, these depressive feelings could lead to your demise. Personal disasters can bring on these negative feelings just as quickly as major ones. The symptoms vary and can display themselves in multiple ways. The good news is, many treatment options have proven to be effective in resolving these feelings. Also, you can prepare a Crisis Wellness Plan to help you manage depressing moments in a better mental state.

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Depression can appear out of nowhere, but some factors add to the problem. Abuse in a person’s past can increase depression later in life. If feelings about abuse or other social issues go undealt with, a person might deal with grief in future years. Any conflict that an individual has to handle emotionally regularly can cause depression. Often people turn to substance abuse to improve their emotional status. However, most of the time drug use adds to depressive feelings.

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A person may have particular genetic markers that lead toward depression. Scientists proved that people with a smaller hippocampus have fewer receptors for serotonin, a significant source of positive feelings in the brain. After having children, women are prone to, post-partum depression.

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Chronic pain or long term illnesses are a significant cause of depression. Some folks experience increased anxiety when they can’t live their normal lives the way they did before the injury. Feelings of uselessness or reliance upon others can also cause an individual to feel sad. Depression often makes chronic pain worse. Certain medications that are prescribed also increase depressive feelings. Some acne medications fall into this category.

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Sometimes the change of seasons will increase negative feelings in individuals. Also, the loss of a loved one can be a significant source of depression.

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People suffering from depression have a wide variety of symptoms. Some people overeat, and some people stop eating. Typically, people withdraw. They experience sad feelings as a regular pattern and have a loss of interest in things they used to do. A general lack of hope plagues individuals experiencing depression along with a sense of guilt or worthlessness. Most people are fatigued, despite a tendency to sleep excessively or experience insomnia. Depression can severely affect your life, making it difficult to focus and make decisions. Suicide is a significant possibility in extreme cases.

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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

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There are tried and true therapies to treat depression. Talk therapy is a category of treatment that does what it says, provides counseling to the individual. If you attempt to change that individual's thoughts and behaviors, the method is known as cognitive therapy. Interpersonal therapy analyzes relationships and how they are affecting an individual. Unconscious and repressed emotion exploration is known as psychodynamic therapy.

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Many herbs can also assist with depression. Please consult a doctor before using any of these because I am not one. St. John’s wort helps deal with mild depression, but it can interfere with medications. Omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon, trout, and fish oil. Do your research and add items with Omega 3 to your diet. Foods high in folate can assist with depression. Beans, lentils, fortified cereals, dark leafy greens, sunflower seeds, and avocado are high in folate. Zinc can help you out as well as saffron. Other herbs that assist are hawthorn, California Poppy, ginkgo Biloba, lavender, chamomile, lemon balm, purple passionflower, kava, and valerian.

Exercise is another method of curing depression. When the body is active, it releases positive endorphins that aid in mood enhancement. This increased mood leads to higher self-esteem, better sleep, less stress, and overall more energy. You don’t have to be a work out freak. Any type of activity twenty to thirty minutes four to five times a week can be useful.

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For seasonal mood swings, light therapy can help. There is a lightbox that you can sit in front of to increase sunlight exposure.

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Having pets and seeking social support can increase overall mood. This social network also helps remove feelings of loneliness.

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Scientists have discovered some extreme ways of helping with severe depression. Vagus nerve stimulation uses an implanted device in the brain to stimulate it electronically. Electroconvulsive therapy uses controlled seizures in unconscious patients to improve their depressive states.

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Preplan a Crisis Wellness Plan to help manage life-altering emergencies so you can avoid depression. For a personal disaster such as occupation loss and excess stress, try to have finances stored for a rainy day. Make sure you are putting money away while you are making it. Have food supplies stocked at home, so you don’t have to spend money to keep your belly full. Even while you are employed, keep your mind open to new job opportunities. You never know when you may need them. Not everyone is an entrepreneur but you should attempt to build some alternative income that you may be able to turn to in times of need. Manage your debt and try to pay as much down as possible while you have an income source.

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Hospital stays can be devastating. They are expensive, and when you leave the hospital, you may need some help at home. Have plans for potential home helpers. Make a pact to help one another if needs be. Having your finances in order ahead of time will be a big help. Know your expected recovery times and try to keep negative feelings of uselessness at bay by working hard on your recovery goals.

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Losing a loved one or a breakup in a relationship can be emotionally crushing. Take time to morn the loss and feel self-pity. It is normal. Having your finances and food preps in place are critical to maintaining your mental state while you attempt to heal. Having extra money or life insurance in place can be useful for any lawyer fees you may encounter. Develop a robust social network and try to be accepting when they reach out to you.

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Depression can also stem from natural and human-made disasters. A proper threat assessment of your location can help you develop a plan for your family if faced with an emergency. You should have the appropriate insurance plans in place to help with recovery. Specified human-made disasters like war will exclude most life insurance policies. Make sure you back up your relevant documents and store an extra copy at an alternative location. Financial planning now will go a long way when you need to ensure that additional resources are available to recover from the disaster.

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Depression is a painful feeling to deal with, and it can be completely debilitating. A crisis is not the time when you need these paralyzing emotions. Knowing the sources of depression and how you can combat it are essential. Preplanning goes a long way to make sure you can weather any storm in a better state of mind.