According to a 2004 Rand Corporation report, depression results in more absenteeism than almost any other physical disorder and costs employers more than US$51 billion per year in absenteeism and lost productivity.
Welcome to BestDepressionResources.com - Depression Help and Information
Featured Depression Article
BREAKING THE SILENCE
Depression: One Womans Story
Sharon was talking to a friend on the phone one night. When her friend asked,
"How are you?" Sharon suddenly exploded with emotion. Without warning, she began
sobbing and literally collapsed in a heap on the floor. Her friend came over and
took Sharon's kids for the night. Sharon cried for hours till she fell asleep.
It was only the first of many sleepless nights.
She cried every day for months, never knowing when she might break down. She
didn't need a reason. While driving to work in the morning, she would burst into
tears. She worried about embarrassing herself, so she stayed home more and
avoided people as much as she could.
Isolating herself made her feelings of loneliness worse. "Nobody understands
what I'm going through," she told herself. She felt that her life was worthless
because she could no longer function. She couldn't sleep, eat, or focus on
anything. She was irritable and couldn't seem to get along with anyone anymore.
She was disappointed and ashamed that she had let herself sink so low. She tried
her best to pull herself out of this "funk." But she felt stuck. She felt guilty
because her family deserved better treatment than she was able to give them. She
concluded that they would be better off without her.
One day, while having an annual medical exam, Sharon's doctor asked how
things were at home. Sharon began crying uncontrollably. When her doctor
suggested that she was suffering from clinical depression, Sharon was surprised.
She should have known, but she didn't.
The doctor prescribed anti-depressants and made an appointment for Sharon to
talk with a therapist. Sharon didn't notice any improvement for a couple of
weeks. It started slowly, but she gradually began to feel more peaceful and
content. At this point, she was able to think more clearly and tackle small
steps, one at a time, to work toward taking charge of her mental health. As
Sharon took better care of herself, she grew stronger, which helped her to
continue on the path to wellness.
When she met with her doctor for a six week follow up, she told him, "I just
wish I had sought help earlier. I could have avoided so much pain."
Author Marsha Jordan is founder of a nonprofit charity called Hugs and Hope for
Sick Children (http://www.hugsandhope.org).
More of her articles on depression are in her book, Hugs, Hope, and Peanut
Butter, a compilation ofthought-provoking essays illustrated with drawings by
critically ill children. Proceeds from book sales will benefit kids battling
cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. In this book, the author combines
hope with humor, drawing upon her own experience of living with chronic pain and
depression for thirty years. She opens her life and her heart to share everyday
experiences and the lessons God has taught her from them. Other essays in the
book include, "Ten Tips For Beating Depression," and "Why Doesn't God Answer My
Prayer?" Order the book or learn more at
http://www.hugsandhope.org/book.htm
Additional Reading
End Depression Now An easy and very effective way of finding lasting happiness.
The Relationship Between Pain and Chronic or Major Depression The relationship between pain and chronic or major depression is just being recognized my scientists and researchers. General practioners are not trained to look for depression as the cause of an illness.
Treating Depression Without Drugs When trying to determine what the best treatment for depression will be, it is important to first identify what kind of depression one is suffering from. After that there are many treatment options to chose from including diet, exercise, certain therapies, and herbs.
Tuning the Music Therapist Music Therapy an ancient form of healing that has come back into vogue in the last decade. It often employs a non verbal musical language to help the therapist access the patient's psyche of emotional and physical problems. In some ways the therapist can be seen as the tuning instrument of the patient. This article ask the question; What happens when the therapist is out of tune internally. The theme of the article applies just as well to more traditional therapists.
BestDepressionResources.com
According to a 2004 Rand Corporation report, depression results in more absenteeism than almost any other physical disorder and costs employers more than US$51 billion per year in absenteeism and lost productivity.
BREAKING THE SILENCE