DEPRESSION

Depression is a common problem in today's world and continues to be a major cause of personal suffering and lost of productivity. Many people suffering from depresssion do not seek professional help as they fail to recongnise that they are depressed or are too shameful to seek help.
Stress in today's world also can lead to depression.I went through it before and would like others to know that early treatment can cure your depression. There is nothing wrong in seeking professional help like all other sickness. We all have our ups and down days. No matter how low we fall there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
The following are my findings about depression.
Causes of depression
Depression has no single cause; often, it results from a combination of things. You may have no idea why depression has struck you.
Whatever its cause, depression is not just a state of mind. It is related to physical changes in the brain, and connected to an imbalance of a type of chemical that carries signals in your brain and nerves. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.
Some of the more common factors involved in depression are:
• Family history. Genetics play an important part in depression. It can run in families for generations. My sister and I have it, so I can say it may run in my family.
• Trauma and stress. Things like financial problems, the breakup of a relationship, or the death of a loved one can bring on depression. You can become depressed after changes in your life, like starting a new job, graduating from school, or getting married.
• Pessimistic personality. People who have low self-esteem and a negative outlook are at higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by low-level depression (called dysthymia).
• Physical conditions. Serious medical conditions like heart disease, cancer, and HIV can contribute to depression, partly because of the physical weakness and stress they bring on. Depression can make medical conditions worse, since it weakens the immune system and can make pain harder to bear. In some cases, depression can be caused by medications used to treat medical conditions.
• Other psychological disorders. Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and (especially) substance abuse often appear along with depression.
Causes of Depression
* You feel miserable and sad.
* You feel exhausted a lot of the time with no energy .
* You feel as if even the smallest tasks are sometimes impossible.
* You seldom enjoy the things that you used to enjoy.
* You feel very anxious sometimes.
* You don't want to see people or are scared to be left alone.
* You find it difficult to think clearly.
* You feel like a failure and/or feel guilty a lot of the time.
* You feel a burden to others.
* You sometimes feel that life isn't worth living.
* You can see no future. There is a loss of hope.
* You feel irritable or angry more than usual.
* You feel you have no confidence.
* You have difficulty sleeping or wake up very early in the morning and can't sleep again.
* You may have physical aches and pains which appear to have no physical cause, such as back pain.

Here are 2 recipes I found in a book by Dr Sandra Cabot for treating depression with fruit juice.
Give it a try.

No. 1
6 strawberries or a bunch of grapes
1 cup chopped brocilli
1 carrot
6 string beans
2 lettuce leaves
Wash, trim and chop and pass through a juicer.

No. 2
2 large spinah leaves
2 stems celery
2-3 lettuce leaves
1 cup meddium beetroot & tops
1 cup grapes or 1 medium carrot
1 tomato
A dash of Tabasco sause (optional)
Wash, trim and chop and process through a juicer.
Approx. 1/2 litre can be taken daily.

Depression has afflicted man for hundreds of years. King David had some very depressing times in his life. He wrote in Psalm 31:9,10:

"Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak."
We are very fortunate to live in a time where there is help for depression. Less than a hundred years ago people with depression, and other forms of mental illness, would be hidden away by family members or committed to insane assylums to live out the remainder of their lives. I thank God that is no longer the case.