• Persistent sadness
• Loss of self-confidence
• Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
• Numbness (lack of feelings or emotions)
• Lethargy or increased lack of energy or drive
• Insomnia or problems getting up in the morning
• Persistent headaches, stomachaches, backaches, or muscle or joint pain
• Increased difficulty making decisions
• Problems remembering things or concentrating
• Loss of interest in pleasurable activities, including hobbies, sports, and sex
• Increased isolation from friends and family members
• Eating disturbances (weight gain and weight loss)
• Panic attacks
• Overwhelming feelings of guilt or fear
• Frequent crying
• Increased arguments with friends or coworkers
• Loss of interest in saving money or controlling how much you spend
• Dangerous or compulsive risk taking
• Thoughts of your own death or suicide
If you have (and for at least two weeks, you simply lost interest in ordinary activities), you must be suffering from the big D – Depression!
According to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Depression by the editors of Prevention (available at National Book Store), depression affects nearly 10 percent of adult Americans, and major depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States and worldwide.
Fact is, depression is considered the "common cold" of mental health. But it’s not to be sneezed at, say the editors of Prevention, who cough up this friendly reminder: "When you have it, you need to take better care of yourself than ever. What could be more appropriate than a book that will help you clear up what’s stressful in your lifestyle, power up your diet, and offer positive ways to resolve problems?"
Agree, especially amid recent grim realities.
The editors point out, "Whether you are struggling your way out of the grief of a recent loss, have seasonal or occasional bouts of the blues, or have a clinically diagnosed depressive illness, we believe that you will find it refreshing to know how you can take a proactive approach, using hundreds of proven and practical methods.
"What’s more, you can and will feel better. Experts will tell you, that once properly diagnosed, even the most severe forms of depression are highly manageable and very treatable."
The very handy book’s got more than a handful (over 100) of solutions "for turning your life around through positive thinking, nutritional healing and more," as dished out by health care professionals and spiritual gurus. Here are some prescriptions:
• Get 8-10 hours of sleep. Lay down the law to tuck yourself in at a regular hour each night; your body will take care of everything else. – Denise Landau, Ph.D.
• Don’t diet your way to depression. Usually, it’s a guess whether it’s the eating disorder that’s causing depression or whether it’s depression that’s causing the eating disorder. It can go either way. – Jonathan Alpert, M.D.
• Avoid a prescription for the blues. Depression is a fairly common side effect of many drugs (you may be taking), including everything from caffeine and alcohol to prescription medications like sleeping pills, birth control pills, and inhalants. – Robert Oresick, Ph.D.
• Clear the air. Something as seemingly innocent as aerosols or air fresheners may be polluting your spirits. Aerosols and air fresheners contain dozens of volatic organic compounds that weaken the body’s defenses, making people easier targets for depression. – Jean Golding, Ph.D.
• Manage your grief. Dealing with the death of a family member or a friend shouldn’t take over your life. One of the best things you can do to deal with your emotions at a time of loss is to join a support group. – Paul J. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.
• Air out the skeletons in your closet. A traumatic childhood, even a seemingly forgotten one (the big T and small t traumas), could keep you on an emotional downswing for decades. Just knowing these emotional skeletons exist will help change existing feelings and behaviors. – Carol Boulware, Ph.D.
• Unplug that TV, beat the space age blues. In many ways, technology is actually drawing people away from each other, leaving them isolated and more prone to becoming depressed. So make sure you balance daily high-tech experiences (like watching TV or spending time with the computer) with enduring pleasures like being with family or friends. – Robert Kraut, Ph.D.
• Encourage the person in the mirror. If you let positive affirmations into your consciousness, they have the power to become more and more believable until, eventually, they may become real for you. – Louise Hay
• Talk yourself out of distress. Logic can calm you down and reveal situations. – Mark Sisti, Ph.D.
• Map your route to happiness. Learn to create and maintain a strategic plan that will liberate you from where you are stuck. Start by writing down what brings you the most joy and satisfaction. – Dannel I. Schwartz, spiritual leader.
• "Time travel" to forgiveness. Embrace who you once were and who you can become – to better appreciate who you are now. – Marcia Emery, Ph.D.
• Let go of grudges. It’s never too late to release your offender and open yourself to healing. – Michele Wheat Dugan, psychologist
• Decide you deserve. If you believe that you are not worthy of a happy life, you may keep yourself from experiencing life’s abundance. Learn to accept good, whether or not you think you deserve it. Believe you deserve life, love, health – an abundance of them. – Louise Hay
• Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. This liberating mind shift will free you from negativity and increase all that is good in your life. – Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D.
• Find your inner kid. Children have gotten a happy-go-lucky nature down to a fine art. Let some of that joy rub off on you by spending time in their wonderful world of play. – John Morreall, Ph.D.
• Humor yourself. Laughter is a natural lubricant that helps you release the intense grip you may have on misery. – John Morreall, Ph.D.
• Hit that jive, Jack. No matter whether your favorite tune is rock, rap, or romantic, music offers a potent way to be-bop the blues away. – Deforia Lane, Ph.D.
• Vanquish your vampires. When so-called friends start sucking the life force out of you, take out the psychological garlic and beat back those bad vibes. – Maryann Troiani, clinical psychologist
• Put a leash on the blues. A four-footed friend can help you make remarkable healing progress. Research confirms that having a pet may actually increase your quality of life as well as your life span. – Joel Gavriele-Gold, Ph.D.
• Reach out and touch. Four hugs a day may keep the therapist away.
So to all those suffering from the big D, here’s a big hug.