BEAUTY KLINIC

After the many years I spent under the cloud of impending doom suffering from a severe long episode of major depression I believe they were the worst and the best in my life.

Allow me to explain and please don’t think I am under the influence of something because I am not, never been. Those years were indeed the worst but when I finally started getting and feeling better I came to realize that I came out stronger and more “philosophical” so to speak.

You may wonder “yeah right”. But please believe me, after feeling so bad and desperate for not seeing results according to my wishes (you know, one wants to get better NOW or BY YESTERDAY), I had some time to think about life and its intricacies.

It’s strange how much time I wasted trying to figure out why and why me?, but when I started focusing on what could I do to get better?, things started to change for the good, slowly but changing nevertheless.

Major depressive disorder (also known as clinical depression, major depression, unipolar depression, or unipolar disorder) is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Persons dealing with major depression want to do nothing and stay in bed all day.

The term “major depressive disorder” was selected by the American Psychiatric Association for this symptom cluster under mood disorders in the 1980 version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) classification, and has become widely used since.

The general term depression is often used to describe the disorder, but as it is also used to describe a depressed mood, more precise terminology is preferred in clinical and research use.

Major depression is a disabling condition which adversely affects a person’s family, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health. In the United States, approximately 3.4% of people with major depression commit suicide, and up to 60% of all people who commit suicide have depression or another mood disorder.

The diagnosis of major depressive disorder is based on the patient’s self-reported experiences, behavior reported by relatives or friends, and a mental status exam.

There is no laboratory test for major depression, although physicians generally request tests for physical conditions that may cause similar symptoms. The most common time of onset is between the ages of 30 and 40 years, with a later peak between 50 and 60 years. Major depression is reported about twice as frequently in women as in men, although men are at higher risk for suicide.

There is no way to fully understand why things happen the way they do, but when facing life challenges, face them head on and with faith, trust and help from family, friends and health care professionals or alternative practitioners.

I still have a long way ahead of me, I know. But I trust that if I ever face another episode of major depression, chances are I will be more prepared physically and mentally.

The biggest lesson of all, to ask for help. You don’t have to face your depression all by yourself. This mental illness is tough enough to do so. Seek help and support.

Hope and depression. They seem to be opposite but it is possible to have hope that you will overcome depression.

Lets rephrase that, it is imperative that you maintain hope about your future and that you will get better.

I know from experience, I have dealt with depression my entire life. Once thing I found out is that, although is quite difficult and sometimes impossible to have hope or aspirations while you are depressed, it is the only gift you can give yourself. Please don’t despair.

Hope, don’t lose it and don’t allow anybody to take it away from you. Hang on to it as your life saver.

Hope is what saved me and kept me alive. Even during my darkest moments, although excruciating at times, I learned that the hope of getting better and enjoying a full life was the main reason for me to keep living and therefore fighting to get better.

If you are a religious person, pray and keep faith. Spirituality has helped millions of people to overcome difficulties, including illnesses.

Speak to a priest, pastor, spiritual counselor, a doctor or a close friend. The main thing is not to close yourself up to the world. Please allow me to give you an advice here. Withdrawing is a “safe” place when depressed, but in the long run it makes the road to recovery slower and painful. It took me years to get this.

I know, speaking of your problems is not easy, especially if you are a parent, spouse or the main provider in your family. Our culture has created the wrong belief that mental illness is something you can just brush up and move on.

How many times we’ve heard, “you are just depressed, get over”. If everything were as easy as that. But you and I now how painful it is to live with the cloud of depression hanging over our heads.

How blurry everything looks when depressed and how the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness don’t go away no matter how hard we try. This is where hope and faith come in.

Although impossible to comprehend, don’t try to find explanations as to why are you depressed and why is this happening to you. That is a road to nowhere, instead focus your attention and efforts on getting better and overcome this terrible mental illness.

There is a way out of depression and you are not alone. I am here for you because I know what it is to be depressed and how lonely one feels.

Why am I using the word ritual on the title of this page?

I am not using it on the religious context of the word. Rituals imply a personal choice and tend to be followed more than habits.

Habits can break easily, but rituals not so much. Rituals do have a more profound moral and mental connotation and there are not so easily broken. We are more concious when talking about ritual. Habits tend to be unconciuos.

Few years ago I decided to follow a “Depression Help Morning Success Ritual” to gelp me getting started.

With a mental illness such as depression getting up can, usually is, the most excruciating time of the day.

So, if you follow a particular ritual, nothing heavy, can help you get your day started on the right foot.

This is what I do every morning as my ritual:

1.- Get up at 6 am (you know it is recommended to get up and go to bed at the same time, weekends included, to get your brain hormones released on a regular flow).

2.- Drink a half a liter of water. It’s been proven that the body gets dehydrated during the night. So, makes sense to drink water (no, not coffee or tea, plain water).

3.- Go the bathroom (no explanations here).

4.- Floss and brush your teeth (the intention of this is to start your day clean and refresh and what better way than to start with your mouth. We’ll take a shower a bit latter)

5.- Meditation for 5 or 10 minutes (if your preference is for a longer period of time, by all means go for it).

6.- Light exercise such as yoga or pilates for 10 to 15 minutes (the intention here is to pump up your heart rate a bit). The single most important method of emotional renewal is to increase your heart rate. This is very true.

7.- Take a shower or a bath based on your preference.

8.- Get on with your day…..:)

I have been following this Depression Help Ritual for approximately 2 years, and you have no idea how much has helped me, especially on those dreary days of winter.

As you see, this is simple routine that requires very little time and effort and there are some things in it that you must do any way, such as going to the bathroom, brushing your teeth and taking a shower. So, might as well make them part of your Depression Help Daily Ritual.

Of course this is not set in stone, you can make adjustments that fit your life style. Some people like to go to the gym first time in the morning, well go for it.

The intention here is to set up a simple, easy to follow morning ritual that you commit to follow every day with the intention of getting your day started on a solid and stable ground.

With this simple Depression Help Ritual you take care of your body, your mind and your spirit.

Depression isn’t simple. Depression can linger and grow for months or even years before being detected . It’s known that some 15 million people in America will be impacted by some type of depression each year. Unfortunately fewer than 1/3 of these people will look for help.

Those with the disease don’t even know it in many cases. Life is full of stress on a daily basis. The road blocks in life have become more severe. Many families are surviving week to week. The recent economic crises has created even more pressure to obtain and hold a job. Stress can give birth to depression.

Countless types of depression exist. Many of the labels are similar in meaning. These include medical depression, clinical depression and manic depression. Late stages of the disease are called severe depression.

Depression is brought on by many associating factors. There are those that believe it is biological, that chemical imbalances in the brain lead us to depression. Depression is also passed along in the genes. Those with family histories of depression are at risk.

Different types of depression are given birth by other similar factors. Depression is often the result of substance abuse. Alcohol or drugs both show links to depression. The death of a family member can increase the chance for depression.

Mental depression has taken a bad rap down through history. Before being classified as a disease it was thought to be a defect in character. The end result was treatment that was not appropriate or effective. Negative effects persist through all the stages of depression. Therefore treatment requires early detection.

When it has become severe depression treatment is needed ASAP. At this stage suicide is often the result. The calls for assistance weren’t answered and now the chance to solve the problem is fading. Treatment is typically ‘talk therapy’ and anti-depressants. Also available are support groups that can help. Natural herbs have also been found to work.

There are options available to those who suffer from all types of depression. If you or someone you love are experiencing symptoms of lingering depression please consult a medical professional for diagnosis and treatment.

My friend,

If you would like to regain control of your life by overcoming depression I urge you to read this.

It’s that important.

Here’s what this is all about:

Five years ago, at the age of 42, I was diagnosed with Major Clinical Depression after the passing of my father and 2 close friends within a period of few months. I was devastated, feeling lost, hopeless and helpless.

The diagnosis was not a shock to me, what threw me out of base was the fact that I had been depressed since I was a child. So I knew I needed help desperately.

How do you overcome something that’s been part of your entire life. I realized that I didn’t know how to be other than a depressed person, it was so ingrained in my psyche that I couldn’t fathom the thought of not being depressed.

I had no choice but to confront my fears and step right into my depressed mind set.

Was it scary?, you bet it was. Would I make it? was the constant question lingering in my mind.

When a person is depressed the last thing she thinks is, am I depressed?. Sad feelings and emotions make it very difficult to seek for help because your logical mind gets clouded and a lot of times it takes family and/or friends to pull you out and take you to the doctor.

What do you do when you are told that you have been depressed your entire life?. At first I felt even sadder but with time I came to accept it.

Wow, those are news you don’t want to hear, but after I took sometime to think about it, started to make sense. I could not remember the last time I was truly happy actually.

Once I got diagnosed I accepted the fact that it was the first step towards recover and a life richer and fuller.

Then, all I had to do was to focus on getting better. I know, easier said than done, but doable. A lot of work though.

I will share with you my journey on all the ways I got depression help for over 5 years.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. You are worth it and you will make it through.

Steep hill ahead but there are always smooth sailings after a storm, remember that.

You can do it, I know.

Of course and this is big disclaimer, I am in no way suggesting to take my advice to the T and not seek professional help for your depression. As a matter of fact, a big part of my recovery occurred because of the outstanding support from health professionals.