Defeating depression: How others can help April 29, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : depression, friends , 1 comment so farIT WAS the third time within just a few days that Ann had phoned long distance for no apparent reason. Her mother, Kay, noticed that her voice seemed lifeless. “It was like a voice of depression,” explained Kay. “Though she didn’t complain, the tone of her voice was saying out loud, ‘I need help!’” Kay’s heart raced as she sensed trouble. (more…)
How to win the fight against depression April 7, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : depression, friends, loneliness , add a comment“For waging war you need guidance” states an old saying. Skill, not just good intentions, is needed to win a battle. Certainly, if depressed, you do not want inadvertently to cause yourself to feel worse. For instance, a recent study of depressed persons found that some tried to cope with their depression by ‘taking anger out on other people, reducing tension by drinking more, eating more, and taking more tranquilizing drugs.’ The result: “more depression and physical symptoms.”Some depressed persons fail to seek skillful direction because of their fear of being viewed as mentally weak. Yet, major depression is not a sign of mental weakness. (more…)
How to maintain good friendship April 4, 2008
Posted by caregiver in : friends, loneliness , add a commentIt has been said that “the only way to have a friend is to be one”. Many, though, have chosen the route of solitude. Rather than reaching out and being a friend, they cut others off. The result? “People who spend a lot of time by themselves tend to feel ‘very passive, unhappy, left out of the world,’” a Brazilian newspaper quoted a researcher as saying. He continued: “When there’s nothing else to do, when there’s no one to talk to, you turn inwards. It’s much easier to get caught up in your problems.”
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