Depression & Happiness

Online Depression Test In 10 Questions

2011-06-20T03:15:00.000-07:00

Do you think you may be suffering from clinical depression? This is a simple online depression test and it cannot replace in any way a formal psychiatric evaluation. This test is designed to give a preliminary idea about the presence of depressive symptoms that indicate the need for an evaluation by a psychiatrist. This test may help you identify any possible depression symptoms that you may be experiencing. As you take the depression test, answer each question as honestly as possible.

Q: Do you feel sad or irritable?

Yes

Q: Have you lost interest in activities once enjoyed?

Yes

Q: Have you experienced changes in sleeping pattern?

Yes

Q: Have you experienced changes in weight or appetite?

Yes

Q: Do you have feelings of guilt?

Yes

Q: Have you experienced fatigue or loss of energy?

Yes

Q: Are you unable to concentrate, remember things, or make decisions?

Yes

Q: Have you experienced restlessness or decreased activity noticed by others?

Yes

Q: Do you feel hopeless, or worthless?

Yes

Q: Have you had thoughts of suicide or death?

Yes

According to The National Mental Health Association, 5 or more 'yes' answers indicates that you may be suffering from depression.

This depression test is based upon information from Mental Health America. This depression test is not intended to diagnose depression or replace a visit to a mental health professional. You can use this information to open a dialogue with your physician.

Theories On The Neural Mechanism Of Depression

2011-06-19T03:28:00.001-07:00

Most of us feel depressed at least once in our lifetime. Down moods are a normal reaction to a painful loss but it is also normal for time to heal the emotional wounds and for people to go on with their lives. We all feel sad, unhappy or get the blues from time to time and that is OK. But there are those who can not get out of this dark pit, and they develop depression. These people lose their capacity to experiment pleasure without any apparent reason, sometimes they are incapable of completing basic activities, such as keeping the house clean or go to work, and an acute feeling of emptiness and despair takes hold on their lives.

There are two major theories that try to describe the neural mechanism of depression:

1. The monoamine hypothesis of depression predicts impairment in central monoaminergic function. This hypothesis connects depression of deficiencies in the absolute concentrations of norepinephrine and/or serotonin (5-HT) in the brain. In general though, the monoamine hypothesis of depression is not very accepted because of the low percentage (around 25%) of the patients that took antidepressants (antidepressants increase the levels of norepinephrine and/or serotonin in the brain) actually got better.

2. The diathesis-stress hypothesis of depression proposes that people have predispositions and vulnerabilities for illnesses (known as diatheses). These diatheses are not capable to cause the depression on their own. Merely possessing vulnerability for an illness alone is not enough to trigger that illness into action. If people predisposed to depression are exposed to stress early in their lives, their system gets sensitive and every time they are in a stressful situation reacts in an excessive way, producing more cortisol than it should and originating structural changes in the brain, especially in the hippocampus. The greater a person's inherent propensity for developing an illness, the less stress is necessary to get the illness started. Conversely, where there is a smaller susceptibility for developing an illness, a greater amount of stress is required to produce the illness. Until this critical amount of stress is reached (however much or little of it is necessary in a given case) people cannot be said to have an illness, and their vulnerabilities are said to be "latent" (hidden).

Unfortunately many doctors choose the treatment depending on the type of depression based on its severity and symptoms without looking into the causes of the depression. As depression is recognized as an illness by DSM-IV and it's common knowledge that in order to treat an illness you have to cut it's roots and treat the causes first, it is incomprehensible why depression is not taken more seriously.

25 Ways To Fight Depression

2011-06-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

I've put together a list that can hopefuly help you fight depression and guide you find the yellow brick road to a better and fulfilling life. However, they are not a solution in a bottle. Happiness is personal and situational. Whatever makes someone happy might make someone else sad. Whatever lifts your mood now might be extremly annoying later. Too much of a good thing can be bad.

1. Remember that you are not alone. Depression might make you feel that you are on your own, but that's just not true. You have family and friends in your life that love you and are ready to listen;

2. Ask for help. family, friends, a therapist, whoever makes you feel comfortable and talk about your depression like it's not in the room;

3. Cultivate supportive relationships. This is just not the right time to have negative and upset people around you. Being a little selfish from time to time can be good for you;

4. Explore your creativity. Painting, photography, drawing, knitting, writing a journal, dancing, ...... (you feel in the blanks) are very good ways to express what's on your mind. By exercising your imagination you not only get those creative juices flowing, you also loosen up some positive emotions. Creativity can beat depression;

5. Exercise daily: go to the gym, join a dance class, follow a tape at home, jog in the park (ask a friend to join, it's more fun like this), etc. It is one of the most important tips one can get;

6. Return to innocence. Play with a friend or a pet or do something fun for yourself. With depression, a person's creativity and sense of fun may seem blocked;

7. Laugh at yourself, laugh at life, watch a comedy, listen to some jokes. If you exercise your smile 5 minutes a day, eventually you will start smiling more often. And there are those who believe that the expression of an emotion triggers the emotion itself;

8. Practice detachment. We spend far too much time and effort trying to control things that aren't worth the struggle. Many things that worry you are not all that important if you come to think about it;

9. Try to sleep between 7 and 8 hours per night in a well ventilated, clean room (can avoid nightmares). Start by going to bed and getting up the same time each day;

10. Keep your house clean, even if you don't feel like doing the chores. I mean who feels like washing the dishes when depressed, but you will feel better when you see the results of your work, I promise you that;

11. Stay clean, wear your favorite clothes, put some makeup if you wish. Depressed people tend not to take care of themselves as they used to. But this is just the influence of the depression and you know it;

12. Eat a healthy, mood-boosting diet. Apart from scaring you depression away, these fruit and veggies could even help you lose the few extra pounds you were trying to get rid of for the past months;

13. Relax. Take a deep breath. Manage stress by practicing some relaxation techniques, watching a good movie, listening to your favorite music, painting, etc;

14. Try different perspectives over life. There is ALWAYS another solution, even if you can’t see it right now;

15. Go out just not to stay inside: take a long walk in the park, go window shopping, go real shopping, meet old friends over dinner, have a cake in a nice coffee shop, visit an art gallery or museum, check out a local event, etc;

16. Challenge negative thought patterns. Stop ruminating on each and every trouble comes your way. There are hundreads, even thousands of other things to think about and enjoy;

17. Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings. Write down what you are sad about and what you are feeling. Write down what types of negative thoughts try to come into your mind;

18. Avoid alcohol and drugs at any cost. They are not the key to your depression. Also reduce the intake amount of coffe, tea, chocolate, Coke and any other activating substances;

19. Join a depression support group either offline or online (Facebook proves to be pretty helpful for some people). Being with others who are dealing with depression can go a long way in reducing your sense of isolation;

20. Don't isolate yourself. Try to keep up with social activities even if you don’t feel like it. When you’re depressed, it feels more comfortable to retreat into your shell. But being around other people will make you feel less depressed;

21. Join a club and make new friends. Meeting new people both offline and online can help you think outside the box;

22. If you’re afraid you can’t control yourself, make sure you are never alone. Even if you can’t verbalize your feelings, just stay in public places, hang out with friends or family members, or go to a movie – anything to keep from being by yourself and in danger;

23. Having thoughts of hurting yourself or others does not make you a bad person. Depression can make you think and feel things that are out of your character;

24. If your feelings are uncontrollable, tell yourself to wait 24 hours before you take any action;

25. Take one step at a time. Be patient with yourself and set goals you can easily achive. Be smart in your fight against depression. Take baby steps. Not even Rome was built in one day;

If you know any other tips to fight depression, please feel free to leave a comment.

Depressed People Ruminate More On Their Troubles

2011-06-17T01:17:00.000-07:00

We all have our ups and downs, good days and bad days, but when a fight with our better half, the kid's problems in school, loss of a dear one or even a sarcastic remark from a stranger becomes a big deal and takes over our life it's time to pause and re-evaluate our attitude. Fortunately most people get over these daily challenges and move on with their lives, but for some few of us, they become the pillar around which their whole life gravitates and they develop depression. A new study suggests that part of the reason people develop depression may be that they get stuck on bad thoughts because they're unable to turn their attention away.

People who don't recover from negative events seem to keep going over their troubles. Jutta Joormann, of the University of Miami says people with depression "basically get stuck in a mindset where they relive what happened to them over and over again. Even though they think, oh, it's not helpful, I should stop thinking about this, I should get on with my life - they can't stop doing it". It's like a loophole in which they get caught and they don't know how to escape.

It is possible that people who get stuck on negative thoughts have problems turning their mind to a new topic. Joormann and her colleagues thought people with depression might have a problem with working memory. Working memory isn't just about remembering a shopping list or doing multiplication in your head; it's about what thoughts you keep active in your mind.

Given a list of three words in a specific order, people with depression had trouble re-ordering the words in their head and took longer if they were asked to remember the words in reverse order which suggests a less flexible thinking than people without depression have. Depressed people also had a particularly hard time if words had negative meanings, like "death" or "sadness". It's like the words get stuck in their working memory. Needless to say, people who had trouble with this simple task are also more likely to ruminate on their troubles, keeping them present in their mind and in their life for longer and therefore suffering from their effects at a greater extent. Learning how to turn your mind away from negative thoughts might prove to be effective in easing depression's pains.

Psychotherapy Treatment For Depression

2011-06-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Psychotherapy, or therapy for short, is often the first form of treatment recommended for depression. It is true that since the antidepressants came on the market many people have come to regard these medications as "therapy in a bottle", but the drugs are a quick and temporary fix, have side effects and on the long run they get to be more expensive than the good old talk.

Psychotherapy is an effective way to fight depression and it is practiced only by psychotherapists. During psychotherapy a licensed and trained mental health care professional helps you figure our the causes of your depression and teaches you ways to cope with it. Psychotherapy involves evaluating your thoughts and behaviors, identifying stresses that contribute to depression, and working to modify both.

Sometimes depression is triggered by a combination between the person´s life experiences and hereditary or chemical imbalances in the brain. In this case your health care professional will advice you on the medication that´s best for you. But the psychological and psychosocial aspects of depression are just as important as treating its medical cause and psychotherapy always helps.

Types of psychotherapy

Individual Therapy - involves only the patient and the therapist
Group Therapy - involves two or more patients that are able to share experiences and learn that others feel the same way and have had the same experiences
Marital/couples Therapy - this type of psychotherapy helps spouses and partners understand why their loved one has depression, what changes in communication and behaviors can help, and what they can do to cope
Family Therapy - because family is a key part of the team that helps people with depression get better, it is sometimes helpful for family members to understand what their loved one is going through, how they themselves can cope, and what they can do to help
Online Phone Therapy - this new type of psychotherapy is conducted by telephone or on a video chat, is cheaper than the traditional therapy and studies show that is nearly as effective as face-to-face consultations

Psichotherapy tips

Therapy is no quick fix; it requires time, effort, and regularity. It can take weeks, months, even years to sort our your problems. Psychotherapy is a working project; sometimes you can see results starting with your first session, sometimes it takes longer, but you will always move forward. Psichotherapy takes longer to begin to work than antidepressants, but there is evidence that suggests that its effects last longer. Antidepressants may be needed immediately in cases of severe depression, and the combination of therapy and medicine is very effective. Psychotherapy works best when you attend all of your scheduled appointments and you are an active participant.

As you begin therapy, establish some goals with your therapist. Then spend time periodically reviewing your progress with your therapist. If you don’t like your therapist’s approach or if you don’t think the therapist is helping you, talk to him or her about it and seek a second opinion if both you and your therapist agree, but don’t discontinue therapy abruptly.

A person's depression is highly treatable when he or she receives competent care. It is critical for people who suspect that they or a family member may be suffering from depression to seek care from a licensed mental health professional who has training and experience in helping people recover from depression. Simply put, people with depression who do not seek help suffer needlessly. Unexpressed feelings and concerns accompanied by a sense of isolation can worsen a depression; therefore, the importance of getting appropriate help cannot be overemphasized.

Chocolate Loves Depression

2010-05-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have news for all you chocolate lovers! Researchers showed that people tend to eat more chocolate as depressive symptoms increase, suggesting an association between mood and chocolate. Now this link is not clear, as the role of chocolate in depression (cause or cure?) has not been determined yet.

Dr. Golomb from the University of California says that this study "confirms long-held suspicions that eating chocolate is something that people do when they are feeling down. Because it was a cross sectional study, meaning a slice in time, it did not tell us whether the chocolate decreased or intensified the depression."

No differentiation was made between dark and milk chocolate. About 1,000 people who were not on antidepressant medications were asked questions regarding how many servings of chocolate they ate in a week. The researchers found no differences between the two sexes. The people with higher depression scores consumed almost 60% more chocolate that the ones that were found not to be depressed at all.

A 2007 study in the British Journal of Psychiatry showed that half of 3,000 people with depression said that chocolate actually made them feel better.

Chocolate might boost your mood or might trigger depression. The results are yet inconclusive. The best thing to do for now would be to enjoy your chocolate but to eat it in moderation.

Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Types, Causes

2010-03-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

Bipolar disorder or manic depression is an affective disorder that causes serious shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Bipolar disorder is characterized by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood, clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania alternated with low mood depression episodes. Mixed episodes are also possible, in which manic episodes happen at the same time as depression episodes.

Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder

Common signs and symptoms of the manic phase of the bipolar disorder include:

- Feeling unusually “high” and optimistic or extremely irritable

- Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about one’s abilities or powers

- Increased levels of energy in spite of a decreased need for sleep

- Talking so rapidly that others can’t keep up

- Racing thoughts; jumping quickly from one idea to the next

- Unable to concentrate, easily distracted, low attention span

- Impaired judgment and impulsiveness

- Acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences

- Delusions and hallucinations (in severe cases)

- Aggressive, intolerant or intrusive behavior

- Sexual drive may increase

Common signs and symptoms of the depression phase of the bipolar disorder include:

- Persistent feelings of hopelessness, sadness, emptiness, worthlessness, social anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation

- Irritability

- Inability to experience pleasure

- Loss of interest in before enjoyable activities

- Fatigue or loss of energy

- Physical and mental sluggishness

- Lack of motivation

- Loss of appetite or eating too much

- Sleep problems

- Concentration and memory problems

- Thoughts of death or suicide

Types of bipolar disorder

Bipolar I Disorder (mania or a mixed episode) is characterized by one or more manic episodes with or without major depressive episodes. A depression episode is not required for bipolar I disorder to be diagnosed, though it frequently occurs.

Bipolar II Disorder (hypomania and severe depression) is characterized by hypomanic episodes and at least one severe depression episode.

Cyclothymia (hypomania and mild depression) is characterized by numerous hypomanic episodes alternated with mild depression episodes. Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder that consists of cyclical mood swings.

Causes of bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is usually diagnosed in the teen years or in early adulthood. Bipolar disorder is a complex condition and has no single cause. It appears that some people are genetically predisposed to bipolar disorder, though not everybody with an inherited vulnerability develops bipolar disorder. Some studies point to physical changes in the brain, other point to neurotransmitter imbalances, oversecretion of the stress hormone cortisol or abnormal hyperactivity in parts of the brain associated with emotion and movement coordination and low activity in parts of the brain associated with concentration, attention, inhibition, and judgment. Between the external environmental factors related to bipolar disorder is stress, substance abuse, traumatic/abusive experiences in childhood, medication, sleep deprivation and seasonal changes. One interesting theory proposes that people with bipolar disorder have a superfast biologic "clock" that influences their circadian rhythm of sleeping and waking.

Depression And Anxiety

2010-03-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

Depression and anxiety though might look similar at a first glance, are two different disorders as classified in DSM-IV-TR.

Depression generates emotions such as hopelessness, despair and worthlessness. Depressed people usually have low energy levels, are unable to enjoy life and feel overwhelmed by the normal daily tasks. (see Symptoms of depression)

Anxiety is a feeling that everybody experiences and normally it helps us with vigilance, learning and general performance. So up till one point, anxiety is useful. However, too much of something useful can turn into something damaging. A person with anxiety disorder experiences chronic fear, panic or anxiety in situations where most people would not feel anxious or threatened and without any apparent reason. Without treatment, anxiety can affect a person's ability to work, maintain relationships, or even leave the house.

Nearly one-half of the people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with anxiety disorder. A history of anxiety disorder is not uncommon between people suffering from depression. However, there is no evidence that one disorder causes the other, though when depression and anxiety occur together, the symptoms of both disorders are more severe than when they occur separately.

Both depression and anxiety are often treated with antidepressant medication. Behavioral therapy and exercise also help overcome both conditions.

In spite of the differences mentioned above, it has been suggested that depression and anxiety should be given a join classification in the DSM-V, planned for publication in 2012.

Cognitive Dissonance

2010-03-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

Cognitive dissonance is a motivational drive, comparable with hunger or frustration that originates when a person has contradictory cognitions (i.e., beliefs, opinions). Cognitive dissonance induces uncomfortable feelings caused by holding two contradictory beliefs simultaneously. Cognitive dissonance can be defined as an unpleasant psychological experience that goes accompanied by feelings of restlessness and is caused by the inconsistency between cognitions.

Smoking is a classical example of cognitive dissonance. People smoke in spite of knowing that smoking might cause lung cancer. The dissonance comes into play when the desire to live a long and healthy life meets the desire to smoke. The tension produced by these conflicting desires can be reduced by quitting smoking, denying the evidence of lung cancer, or justifying one's smoking. For example, smokers could rationalize their behavior by telling themselves that not all smokers get lung cancer, or that if smoking does not kill them, something else will.

The theory of cognitive dissonance states that people tend to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing them. Since 1957 when Leo Festinger came up with the theory of cognitive dissonance, it has been one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.

The cognitive dissonance can be caused by conflicting beliefs (i.e. the origin of the world according to the Bible vs. the scientific version), social conventionalism or by acting against a certain attitude that is included in a more general attitude.

Studies have shown that cognitive dissonance occurs in everyday life situations, like when we go to the supermarket. Most people want to hold the belief that they make good choices. When an item we purchase turns out badly, it conflicts with our previously existing belief about our decision-making abilities. When we are given an external explanation, like the product was recommended by somebody else, the dissonance isn't strong enough to cause a threat to the status quo attitude.

When there is an inconsistency between attitudes and behaviors the cognitive dissonance has to be eliminated. That is done by reducing the importance of the conflicting beliefs, eliminating the dissonant cognitions, acquiring new beliefs that change the balance, or increasing the importance of the consonant cognitions. In case of a discrepancy between attitudes and behavior, it is most likely that the attitude will change to accommodate the behavior.

The classical version of cognitive dissonance is expressed in the Aesop fable, "The Fox and the Grapes", in which a fox sees some high-hanging grapes and wishes to eat them. Unable to reach them, the fox says to himself that the grapes are probably not ripped yet and not worth eating anyway and gives up on trying to reach them. In this fable the dissonance between the desire to eat the grapes and the lack of means to reach them is reduced by the irrational belief that the grapes must are flawed.

To live with cognitive dissonance about oneself contributes to unsatisfactory relationships, depression and anxiety. This can happen when you minimize what is important to you, what has hurt you, or how something impacts you. This is denial of a part of oneself in the service of “not rocking the boat.” But it is dissonant with one’s person and is not a viable strategy for living.

Childhood Abuse Linked To Adult Depression

2010-03-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

Many times childhood abuse leads to adult depression. It's very likely for a person diagnosed with adult depression to have experienced some form of childhood abuse, either physical, sexual, emotional or, often, a combination of these. This type of depression caused by the events in ones life is called reactive depression or exogenous depression. (see Types Of Depression)

Child abuse is more than bruises and broken bones. Child abuse is a very complex and dangerous set of problems that include child neglect, physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse of children. Children can be neglected and abused by parents, other caregivers, or society.

The profound impact of childhood abuse on the emotional, behavioral, social, and physical functioning of individuals is not fresh news. Researchers advised that even small degrees of stress provoke an outpouring of stress hormones, and these hormones in turn act directly on multiple sites of the brain producing the behavioral signs of depression. They push the brain's fear center into overdrive, getting out negative emotions that steer the depression's severity and add a twist of anxiety.

A recent neurobiological study conducted by the researchers at Trinity College Dublin shows that traumatic childhood experiences such as abuse or neglect, particularly when combined with genetic factors, may undergo structural brain changes that propel the person towards the path of adult depression.

Emotional stress during childhood due to negligence, physical and emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, exploitation, pressure by parents and peers, comparison with siblings or friends and tension because of poor performances at school can result in potentially harming the child's health, self-esteem and development.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) major depression has a prevalence of about 10% worldwide, being one of the most important human diseases nowadays. By 2020 major depression will be the second most common cause of disability forecasts WHO.

Professor Thomas Frodl from the School of Medicine and Trinity Institute for Neuroscience, author of the study stated:

"This improved neurobiological understanding shows how stress and genetic variants interact and affect brain structure and function. In turn it demonstrates how it could affect a person's propensity for depression. These structural alterations of the brain are associated with a higher vulnerability to depression and a more chronic course of the depression might be associated with further structural changes."

"Therefore, early intervention in the case of major depression is necessary to increase the chance of a good disease outcome. Fortunately, depression can be treated very well by psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. Moreover, prevention strategies for childhood neglect and misuse are highly important to increase public health and to avoid in later life for these individuals, the burden of major depression."

Recovering from depression as an adult requires some detective work in ferreting out the nature of the exploitation. All types of child abuse and neglect leave lasting scars. Some of these scars might be physical, but emotional scarring has long lasting effects throughout life, damaging a child’s sense of self, ability to have healthy relationships, and ability to function properly in all fields of life.

Bibliography:

- Trinity College Dublin (2010, February 26). Childhood stress such as abuse or emotional neglect can result in structural brain changes. ScienceDaily from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/02/100225122705.htm (Details of these findings are published in the Journal, Neuropsychopharmacology)

Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment For Depression

2010-03-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) allows modulation of brain regions that are dysfunctional in depression. In Deep Brain Stimulation, doctors specifically target the impaired function of certain areas of the brain with an electric brain "pacemaker". Deep Brain Stimulation involves the implantation of electrodes within the brain which are connected with wires to a electronic impulse generator implanted in the chest. A major challenge of this work is determining the best region of the brain to stimulate.

While most people suffering from depression respond well to pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or a combination of these, there are still a number of patients left that seem not to respond to treatment. This severe form of depression that simply won't go away is called treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

In U.S. alone more than 21 million adults suffer from some kind of depressive disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and only about 80 percent of them can be effectively treated with currently available therapies, according to the National Advisory Mental Health Council.

The first research of Deep Brain Stimulation for depression was conducted in Toronto, Canada, by neurologist Helen S. Mayberg, M.D., and neurosurgeon Andres Lozano, M.D., in 2003. They published their findings in Neuron in March 2005, reporting that brain imaging studies indicate that Brodmann Area 25 appears to be overactive in profoundly sad and depressed people.

In 2008, St. Jude Medical, Inc. announces the first patient implants in a clinical study that is investigating whether Deep Brain Stimulation therapy will help people who suffer from severe depressive. The study, called BROADEN™ (BROdmann Area 25 DEep brain Neuromodulation), is a controlled, multi-site, blinded study that is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of Deep Brain Stimulation in patients with depression for whom currently available treatments are not effective. The Libra Deep Brain Stimulation System provides mild pulses of current from a device implanted near the collarbone and connected to small electrical leads placed at specific targets in the brain.

Illustrations of the Libra Deep Brain Stimulation System

In 2009, Biological Psychiatry Physicians at the University Clinics of Bonn and Cologne have treated ten patients with DBS, proving the antidepressant and antianhedonic effects of Deep Brain Stimulation to nucleus accumbens in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression. This centre has a key role as the brains reward system, whose function may be impaired in depressive people. "We were able to show using functional brain imaging methods that the stimulation changes metabolic rates of different areas of the brain. What is very important is that the metabolic changes do not just affect the nucleus accumbens itself but also other regions of the limbic system, where the brain processes emotions and that are known to be dysfunctional in depression." Thomas Schlaepfer says. All participants had suffered from very severe depression for many years and did not respond to any other therapies, but they showed signs of improvement, sometimes few days after the treatment started. In half of them symptoms of depression improved significantly and some of them were even able to go to work again. After a year, the stimulation of the nucleus accumbens still had the same efficacy as at the beginning of the study and there were hardly any side effects. In contrast to other Deep Brain Stimulation depression studies, there was also an antianxiety effect. "Severe anxiety is often an accompanying effect of depression" the primary author of the study Dr. Bettina Bevernick explains.

According to a case study reported in the January edition of the Biological Psychiatry journal, a team of neurosurgeons at Heidelberg University Hospital and psychiatrists at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany, have successfully treated a patient with severe depression using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). This time the brain area stimulated was the habenula, a tiny nerve structure in the brain stem responsible for controlling three major neurotransmitter systems (dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin) which are believed to be involved in depression.

Due to the small number of patients that participated in these studies, the scientists warn against exaggerated hopes. Moreover, such an operation is always associated with risk and brain surgery in psychiatric patients rise ethical issues that have to be considered very carefully.

Bibliography:

- St. Jude Medical (2008, June 29). First Patients Implanted In Study Evaluating Deep Brain Stimulation For Depression. ScienceDaily http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/06/080626144441.htm

- University of Bonn (2009, November 3). Deep Brain Stimulation Gives Hope For Very Severe Depression. ScienceDaily http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/11/091102121624.htm

- University Hospital Heidelberg (2010, January 11). Deep brain stimulation successful for treatment of severely depressive patient. ScienceDaily http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/01/100108101435.htm

Health And Happiness

2010-02-28T06:02:00.000-08:00

Health and happiness are strongly related, show latest studies. Happiness and stress just don't go well together and stress can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible not only to major health problems such as heart disease, but can increase your risk of catching the common cold and flu.

A 2006 study by University Psychology Professor, Sheldon Cohen found that happiness and other positive emotions play a much more important role in health than we might be inclined to think. Researchers found that when happy people contract a virus, or “catch a cold”, they report fewer health symptoms and in fact, are less likely to contract the virus at all. Reporting more negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and anger was not associated with catching colds, though.

This study, however, left open the possibility that the greater resistance to infectious illness among happier people may not have been due to happiness, but rather to other characteristics that are often associated with reporting positive emotions such as optimism, extraversion, feelings of purpose in life and self-esteem.

“We need to take more seriously the possibility that positive emotional style is a major player in disease risk,” Sheldon Cohen said.

Another study on nuns in the US found that nuns who reported happiness, hope, and love in journals kept in their young adult years were likely to live longer.

A 2008 study found that people who report high happiness and life satisfaction are more likely a few years later to report good health. "Everything else being equal, if you are happy and satisfied with your life now, you are more likely to be healthy in the future. Importantly, our results are independent of several factors that impact on health, such as smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and age," said lead author Mohammad Siahpush, PhD.

A new US research conducted by Dr Karina Davidson into the link between happiness and heart disease also found that happier people are less likely than not so happy ones to suffer a heart attack or angina. Specialists strongly recommend doing more of the things that make you happy if you want to reduce risk of heart disease. That sounds pretty easy and reasonable, right?

Dr Karina Davidson who previously wrote about a link between depression and heart disease, this time takes a more positive approach of suggesting a link between happiness and heart health. Dr Karina Davidson suggests getting involved in enjoyable activities every day as this can help make you happier and healthier. Dr Davidson speculates that happier people may spend less time re-living stressful events, which may, in turn, cause damage to health. Perhaps happier people recover more quickly from stress and that is a good thing for their health.

Keeping one healthy can be lots of fun. There is no universal rule to this, except to look daily into the activities that bring you happiness and not to postpone them until your holidays or, worse (much worse) retirement. And yes, I would add, if we are here to play, that let's not take life too serious and allow our brain and heart to relax a bit. They've earned it.

Health and happiness, like love and happiness, go hand-in-hand. Here's what you can do on a more pragmatic scale to keep happy and healthy:

- Don't take yourself or life too seriously
- Realize that if you fail it is not the end of the world
- Allow yourself to dream with your eyes opened
- Believe in yourself
- Do things you love as often as possible
- Enjoy some quiet time every day
- Go for a walk
- Eat healthier
- Love

10 Steps To Happiness

2010-02-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

The things that we think will make us happy usually don’t make us as happy as we think they will. Looks, money and fame have all failed the happiness test. This might be because we are social animals and therefore social relations are the key to our happiness. Good relationships, acceptance and love are the best natural resources for happiness. Here are 10 steps to happiness. These steps are not a solution in a bottle. Happiness is personal and situational. But I figured it out these tips can't hurt anyone, can they? All you risk by following them is to feel a little bit happier!

1. Nurture healthy and close relationships. Concentrate on the quality of the relations you develop not on the quantity. Having 20 not so close friends will never beat having 2 very close friends. Friends, family, loved ones and acquaintances who make you feel more alive, happier, and more optimistic are some of the most important treasures in life.

2. Live in the present. Don't dwell on the past. Nobody can change the past but everybody can enjoy the present and shape the form of things to come.

3. It's OK to be selfish from time to time. Learn to say "No" to others. Learn to say "Yes" to yourself. Happiness is your birth right. Take advantage of it. This doesn't have to be in contradiction with step 9.

4. Fall in love and make love. When you say "I love you" make it mean something. Sex, especially with someone you love, is considered one of the top sources of happiness. Love and happiness go hand in hand.

5. Develop healthy sleeping, eating, relaxation and exercise habits. There's a strong connection between physical health and happiness. Don't sleep too much or too little. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Specialists say 7-8 hours of sleep a night is better than 6 or 9 hours. Exercising will make you feel better. Ask for a friend to join you. Jogging is always better in company of a friend. Go out, dance, and laugh. Laughter is a priceless way of relaxation.

6. Don’t compare yourself to others. Financially, physically, and socially, comparing yourself to others is a trap. You don't know what battles others are fighting. People are highly subjective to reactivity - the tendency to act or appear differently when they know they are being observed. Focus on your own life and goals.

7. Set and pursue goals. Take baby steps. Live one day at a time. Continued self-improvement makes life more fulfilling. Once someone said: may all your wishes come true except one. For you to always have something to look forward to. We need to set goals in order look forward to the future.

8. Embrace routine. Research shows that although we believe we want variety and choice, we’re actually happier with limited options. It’s not that we want no choice at all, just that we don’t want to be overwhelmed. Routines help limit choices. They’re comfortable and familiar and, used judiciously, they can make us happy.

9. Help others. Over and over again, studies have shown that altruism is one of the best ways to boost your happiness. Sure, volunteering at the local homeless shelter helps, but so too does just being nice in daily life.

10. Learn to be content with what you have. Sometimes people tend to look more at things they don't have in their lives than at the people and things they have. Sure, there will always be a newer and better sandwich maker on the market but that's hardly a reason for you to feel unhappy. Instead, you better dress up your face with a big fat smile and be grateful for what you already have!

Types Of Depression

2010-02-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

How many types of depression are out there? This question generated endless debates in the psychiatric circles. Nowadays the official classification of the mood disorders and the one that is most widely used is the unipolar-bipolar dichotomy described in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed.), an American Psychiatric Association publication which describes the standard criteria for different types of psychiatric disorders. The unipolar-bipolar distinction is based merely on the duration and severity of the symptoms the person has and doesn't regard de causes of the disorder.

UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION is characterized by episodes of depression but no manic episodes. Unipolar depression is ten times more frequent thatn bipolar depression and can be divided in:

- Major Depressive Disorder (also known as Major Depression or Clinical Depression) is a severe form of depression characterized by at least five of the following symptoms diring a minimum of a 2-week period: depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, diminished interest or pleasure int he activities that were once enjoyed, significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt, diminished ability to think or concentrate, recurrent thoughts of death;

- Dysthymia (or Dysthymic Disorder)is a persistent but less severe form of depression with a minimum of 2 years of depressed mood history for most of the day, for more days than not. Poor appetite or overeating, insomnia or hypersomnia, low energy or fatigue, low self-esteem, poor concentration or difficulty making decisions, feelings of hopelessness can also be present;

- a third category according to DSM-IV includes the Depressive Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, any depressive disorder that does not meet the criteria for a specific disorder.

BIPOLAR DEPRESSION also known as manic depression is a disorder characterized by moods cycling between high and low over time. is characterized by alternate periods of mania and depression. People who had a manic or hypomanic episodes but never before an episode of depression are also diagnosed with bipolar depression. The bipolar depression is classified in:

- Bipolar I Disorder is characterized by one or more manic episodes with or without major depressive episodes. A depression episode is not required for bipolar I disorder to be diagnosed, though it frequently occurs.

- Bipolar II Disorder is characterized by one or more hypomanic episodes, from which none was a full manic episode. Bipolar II is involves mood swings from depressed to hypomanic states.

- Cyclothymia is characterized by numerous hypomanic episodes alternated with mild depression episodes. Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder that consists of cyclical mood swings.

On the other hand we can look at the causes of the depression and not at its symptoms. A person could be suffering from reactive depression or exogenous depression - depression caused by a negative experience or generally put, a state of depression precipitated by events in the person's life - and endogenous depression - the person is depressed for no apparent reason. The reactive depression is also reffered as psychosocial depression and the endogenous depression as biological depression. However, this kind of distinction didn't get any substantial empirical support.

A third classification makes the difference between primary and secondary depression. Primary depression is a mood disorder that exists isolated, when the person doesn't suffer from any other disorder. Secondary depression is the disorder that seems to be caused by some other underlying condition. This classification was developed originally for research reasons, when it was expected that the two types might differ in their symptoms and response to treatment. In practice this has not been found to be the case and, for this reason, the classification is no longer widely used. This classification refers merely to the order of appearance and does not refer to any causal link between the different conditions.

What Is Depression?

2010-02-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

Depression is a "whole-body" illness, involving your body, mood, and thoughts. Depression affects the way you feel about yourself, the way you think about things and your eating and sleeping habits. Depression is an affective disorder and is not the same as a passing blue mood. Depression is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. Depression is not something that you have made up in your head. People with depression cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Many people suffering from depressive never seek treatment. Without treatment (therapy and/or medication), symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression get better.

Symptoms of depression

Types of depression

How to fight depression (self-help)

Happiness Smoothie

2010-02-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

This smoothie is heaven on earth, that's why I called it Happiness Smoothie. It is very easy and fun to do, it is full of vitamins and fiber, it is a good breakfast/dessert substitute, and boosts up your mood in no time; all you need are some fresh fruits and a blender. I love my Philips blender. I trust it with my life. But I guess any blender would do.

Happiness Smoothie recipe:

(for 1 person)

- 1/2 banana

- 2-3 strawberries

- 200ml freshly squized orange juice

- 1 pineaple slice

Put all the ingredients in the blender and let them mix for about 2 minutes. The Happiness Smoothie is best served cold and it is probably the best smootie that ever existed. If you like it really sweet, you can add a teaspoon of sugar, but I prefer it unsweetened as these fruits are sweet enough on their own.

Life Lessons

2010-02-21T02:50:00.000-08:00

If someone doesn’t take us aside and teach us a few things (assuming we’d listen) before we graduate high school, we are doomed to learn life’s hardest lessons in the real world beyond the classroom. I pass this list on to you with the simple hope that it makes you think. Sometimes thinking about your life and sorting out what you have learned is just as important as tackling a new venture. If you'd like to share some of the life lessons you've learned from your own experience please leave a comment below.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift

Life lessons written by Regina Brett, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

Love And Happiness

2010-02-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

Love and happiness... Love and happiness seem to go hand in hand for many people. Love lightens up our faces in a way never expected. When you are in love, somehow, all of a sudden, no mountain is too high and happiness is easily achieved.

Many people would argue that love is the recipe to happiness. Of course, there are others that would argue that health or money is the way to happiness. But I don't entirely agree with these last ones. Yes, wealth is good, but it doesn't bring happiness. Health is good too, but it doesn't have much to do with happiness either. Dan Gilbert says that one year after winning the lottery or losing a leg, people were equally happy.

Love and happiness go hand in hand. We need to feel loved and secure in order to be happy. We also need to love back or the balance is disturbed. Researchers showed that it is the quality, not the quantity of our relations that brings us on the path to happiness. Also married people tend to be happier than single ones. Happiness does not depend on our nationality, sex, age or possessions. Happiness is love related.

Human beings are social animals and we base our happiness on the quality of the relations we manage to establish and maintain. Maybe not all the relations we have are love based as you might understand love, but love is not a basic feeling. Love is a secondary feeling made out of passion, commitment and intimacy in various proportions. And that's the reason why we cannot love twice the same.

I especially like these Al Green lyrics:

Love and happiness

You be good to me

I'll be good to you

we'll be together

we'll see each other

walk away with victory

oh baby,

love and happiness...

For many people establishing good and loving relations with others might be a problem. Though there are lots of books and magazine articles that pretend to sell you love and friendship recipes, the truth is that happiness has no universal recipe. Some tips might work for some people, some for others, some in one situation but not in another's. Also, it is always good to remember that in a relationship should always be involved two people. There just isn't such a thing as a one person relationship. Though happiness comes from within sometimes our happiness seems to depend on others people love and acceptance. One thing to keep in mind is that it is most likely that being loved by somebody does have as much to do with you as it has to do with the other person. Finding our own happiness sources has to do only with our own person.

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can he dealt with." (Michael Jackson)

Natural Depression Treatment: Aromatherapy

2010-02-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

If you are suffering from a mild form of depression you might be interested in aromatherapy as a natural treatment. Aromatherapy is an alternative treatment that uses highly concentrated essential oils that are extracted from plants to treat depression symptoms and lift sad moods in a pleasant and nurturing way. Aromatherapy is particularly effective in dealing with depression and stress related disorders. Some people with mild depression may find benefit from aromatherapy through increased relaxation, ease of mental fatigue and help with sleep. However, there is no scientific evidence that aromatherapy is effective in treating moderate to severe depression.

Relaxation through aromatherapy can provide relief from depressive symptoms. It can also help you cope with some of the causes of depression, such as grief, anxiety, changing roles, and even physical pain. Studies with brain wave frequency have shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation. Fragrance of jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state of mind.

The sense of smell is closely associated with emotional centers in the brain. Essential oils used in aromatherapy are known to stimulate both the endocrine system and limbic area of the brain, both of which are keys in the mechanisms of depression. Those who are suffering from depression may feel mentally and emotionally immobilized. It can be difficult to make even small changes that may bring some relief. While aromatherapy will not "cure" depression, using essential oils known to be emotionally uplifting may affect the brain and endocrine system in ways that help relieve tension, stress, and anxiety, and promote a general sense of wellness. However, if you are severely depressed, additional support and therapy are necessary. Aromatherapy is more effective when used as a complementary therapy, assisting other therapies.

Many of the essential oils used in aromatherapy for depression are from flowers and fruit. There are several essential oils with antidepressant properties, which can be used in the bath, in a vaporizer or during a massage to help the depressed individual to cope. The essential oils used as antidepressants are basil, bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, melissa, chamomile, frankincense, geranium, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, jasmine, myrrh, neroli, rose, sandalwood, spruce, orange, and ylang ylang. These essences have an uplifting effect on the mind and emotions.

An aromatherapy bath two to three times per week is especially helpful for depression. For treating depression you can use aromatic oils as a full bath, a foot bath, or putting a few drops on a handkerchief and inhale the scent several times a day. Sometimes the aromatic baths are effective enough on their own as a remedy for mild bouts of depression. Aromatherapy foot bath or foot massage can be so calming and uplifting. You may create your own antidepressant perfume and use it few times a day. It might be also an effective depression treatment to vaporise the antidepressant blend in your home or office rooms.

An aromatherapy massage is one of the best ways you can treat your depression. It is pampering and nurturing, in addition to very satisfying. Massage and aromatherapy go hand in hand in treating nervous system ailments such as depression.

Clary Sage essential oil It is used in treating insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Basil essential oil is used to lift fatigue, anxiety and depression.

Rose essential oil is great on the entire nervous system and disorders

Ylang-ylang is a great relaxer for anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Sandalwood's sedative properties are good for treating depression and tension.

Lavender essential oil is used for nervous system disorders such as depression, headache, hypertension, insomnia, migraine, nervous tension, stress related conditions.

As aromatherapy is an alternative treatment for depression, it is adviseble to inform your doctor before starting the treatment because it may cause some side effects and other medications can interact with the essential oils. This is a general guide only, for the treatment of persistent problems, seek advice of a qualified aromatherapist. Clinical depression conditions should be referred to a medical practioner.

Happiness Quotes

2010-02-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a bunch of quotes about happiness I picked from different sources. Some of the quotes represent my own vision, other quotes are simply funny, and a few quotes are just underlining the variety of beliefs people have about happiness. If you like any other happiness quotes that are not here, please leave a comment.

But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads? (A. Camus)

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. (A. Camus)

Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. (B. Disraeli)

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. (A. Schweitzer)

One should never direct people towards happiness, because happiness too is an idol of the market-place. One should direct them towards mutual affection. A beast gnawing at its prey can be happy too, but only human beings can feel affection for each other, and this is the highest achievement they can aspire to. (A. Solzhenitsyn)

The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase, if you pursue happiness you'll never find it. (C. P. Snow)

Happiness is a form of courage. (H. Jackson)

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. (D. Waitley)

Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad. (N. Papernick)

There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state to another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life. (A. Dumas)

It's pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty and wealth have both failed. (F. McKinney "Kin" Hubbard)

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved. (G. Sand)

The fact is always obvious much too late, but the most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid. (J.D. Salinger)

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. (J. Oppenheim)

What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life. (L. Buscaglia)

Happiness and sadness run parallel to each other. When one takes a rest, the other one tends to take up the slack. (H. Elliott)

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. (N. Hawthorne)

If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years. (B. Russell)

Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination. (M. Twain)

Happiness is the feeling you're feeling when you want to keep feeling it. (Author Unknown)

The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mode of happiness, but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change; happiness, like a child, must be allowed to grow up. (C. L. Morgan)

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. (Gandhi)

That is happiness; to be dissolved into something completely great. (W. Cather)

The Pursuit Of Happiness

2010-02-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

The pursuit of happiness, life and liberty, are the "unalienable rights" of man, that appear in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The pursuit of happiness is as natural to us humans as life itself. It is safe to assume that everybody is pursuing happiness, though happiness might mean something else for each and every one of us.

Happiness researchers have been monitoring people's life satisfaction for decades. Though we have not got proof, the science suggests that happiness leads to long life, health, resilience and good performance. If you look at it this way, happiness seems to have almost magical properties.

There is a lot of evidence that being richer doesn't bring happiness. Wealth is like health: although its utter absence breeds misery, having it is no guarantee of happiness. The research suggests that people in richer countries do tend to be happier than people in not-so-rich ones, but once you have a home, food and clothes, then extra money does not seem to make people much happier. That means that after the basic needs are covered, happiness doesn't resides in money or material possesions anymore. Once you have what to eat and you are warm and safe, happiness comes from within and each is held responsible for his/her own happiness. This might explain why despite all the massive increase in our wealth in the last 50 years our levels of happiness have not increased.

Scientists think they know the reason why we do not feel happier despite all the extra money and material things we can buy.

First, it is thought we adapt to pleasure. We go for things which give us short bursts of pleasure whether it is a chocolate bar or buying a new car. But it quickly wears off. People tend to adapt fairly quickly to positive changes in their lives too. In fact, adaptation is one of the big obstacles to becoming happier. For our ancestors, novelty signaled either danger or opportunity - for a new mate or food, for example. We're attuned to contrasts, not sameness, but that also means we readily adapt to positive experiences that happen to us.

Secondly, it is thought that we tend to see our life as judged against other people. We compare our lot against others. Richer people do get happier when they compare themselves against poorer people, but poorer people are less happy if they compare up. Just imagine you live in a modest house. Your neighbour at the left has a smaller house than yours. Your neighbour at the right has a bigger house. When you look left, you fell happy, when you look right... well, you got the idea.

The good news is that we can choose how much and who we compare ourselves with, and researchers suggest we adapt less quickly to more meaningful things such as friendship and life goals. Happiness, said Benjamin Franklin, "is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen as by the little advantages that occur every day". Happiness is the result of living the present moment to its fullest, of being sorrounded by people we love and love us back, of doing meaningful things. What makes you happy?

Happiness Is A State Of Mind

2010-02-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

Happiness does not lie in objects of enjoyment because happiness is a state of mind. Happiness is a pleasant emotion made out of contentment, love, joy, inner peace and fulfillment.

Many people tried to define happiness throughout history. Philosophers and religious thinkers often define happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion. On the other hand, positive psychology defines happiness as consisting of positive emotions and positive activities. Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology says happiness disolves into positive emotions, engagement and meaning.

Happiness is a choice you have to make. Happiness is a state of being only you can create as you manufacture your own happiness every single moment. That's because happiness is not pleasure although they can appear similar. Happiness has an internal source while pleasure has an external source. Happiness is a belief born inside your mind.

Happiness is not the satisfaction of whatever irrational wishes you might blindly attempt to enjoy. Happiness is a state of non-contradictory joy - a joy without penalty or guilt... Happiness is possible only to the rational man... Happiness is a long lasting enjoyment of life, it is being in love with living.

As John Homer Miller said, our living is determined not so much by what life brings to us as by the attitude we bring to life; not so much by what happens to us as by the way our mind looks at what happens.

Why You Are On Facebook

2010-01-08T04:09:00.000-08:00

With more than 400 million active users, Facebook is probably the most used social network worldwide. So many people can not be wrong. Something's going on on Facebook that makes people come back on a daily basis. It's the need to socialize. We people couldn't live in isolation. We need our society. I thought that in exchange of all the time and money we spend socializing on Facebook, we must get something more valuable and more valued in return. Here's the list I've come up with.

1. Facebook helps us keep in touch with friends and family.

2. Facebook provides the means to make new friends.

3. On Facebook you have to be spontaneous and funny; or not even your mother would be interested in what you have to say. Many have said before that keeping it short and funny is the key to success. You don't have to write a book to express a great idea or to make yourself understood.

4. On Facebook you have to be creative, to always find means to entertain your friends and keep the friendships alive. These two last points might seem harsh, but the offline world is harsh too. If you are not on the same page as the people around you, if you are boring and do not bringing anything new in a relationship, people will just look in a different direction.

5. You can develop your social skills. Oh, yes! Facebook users can click a button and you are out of their circle. You either are polite and respect others or you are banned to face an empty book. Relationships might grow strong, but you have to work on that. You can not take people for granted because people won't allow to be taken for granted, especially when there are two screens and a lot of empty space between you and them.

6. You can easily grasp the difference between quantity and quality. Quantity is when you get a lot of gift requests and apps on your wall, quality is when you can actually understand what people are posting on your wall.

7. A screen and a wall can make you more aware of the fact that people have feelings and a certain rhythm. That's something you learn about yourself and extrapolate to others. Being too pushy won't get you there faster.

8. When you don't know much about somebody and you can't see that person either it's even worse than a blind date. And that can be so refreshing as you start clean and no prejudice stands in your way. When you don't put people in tiny labeled boxes right from the beginning you actually might get the change to know them. And you might be pleasantly surprised that in spite of different nationalities, skin color, religion, or looks you have a great deal in common.

9. Probably the most important thing one gets to realize when socializing blind folded like this is that you are not alone. You can always find people ready to listen to what you have to say, to give you a piece of advice when needed (or not), to share your interests with, or to keep you company. Whatever stumbles on you, stumbles on others too.

10. Being on Facebook is somehow cool. It is today's fashion. You can exercise your slang. Nobody cares if you have a bad grammar. So down with the inhibitions. You can be yourself.

I guess these apply to most social networking sites, not only to Facebook, but since they are bigger and better than everybody else, they caught my attention. So my opinion is, as said before, that too much of something good can be bad for you, but if you keep it moderated, on a personal level you can actually get something in return.

Happiness Doesn't Come In A Bottle

2009-12-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

Happiness is a common goal towards which all people strive, but for many it remains frustratingly out of reach. No wonder it is so, as sometimes life hits us really hard and it is almost impossible to fight the feelings of sadness and depression that are left behind. But humanity adapted and nowadays we possess evolved mechanisms that produce deep sources of happiness: those for mating bonds, close kinship, deep friendship, and cooperative coalitions.

Many people think of happiness as a destination or acquisition - whether it's marriage, money, or a new home. Sure, sometimes happiness is that, but happiness is also a process and a resource for achieving other goals in life too. When people are happier, they become healthier and more curious, sociable, helpful, creative, and willing to try new things.

No one expects you to be up and running one day after your divorce, or to smile like crazy after you've just lost your job or got bankrupt. It is very important though not to give up, to take one step at a time, to deal with the NOW and HERE, not with your past or future ghosts, go slowly when you feel like it and run if you have the wind at your back.

In the post 25 ways to fight depression I've put together a list of tips that might guide you find the yellow brick road to your happiness. However, they are not a solution in a bottle. Happiness is personal and situational. Whatever makes someone happy might make someone else sad. Whatever lifts your mood now might be extremly annoying later. Too much of a good thing can be bad.

Despite all the attention it gets, happiness is not vital for your survival, it’s merely good. Happiness is not a must, but happiness improves on your life quality and possibly even on it's length. You are not supposed to feel sad because you don’t feel happy all the time. I imagine the moods scale as a building with lots of stories above and below the ground level. Below the ground level dwell the bad moods, anything from feeling uncomfortable to feeling depressed. Above the ground level are the positive emotions from feeling good to feeling happy. Between depression and happiness there is a completely different level that is neither - the ground level - a state of simply being. No significant pains are found here nor great joys either. Therefore, the lack of happiness doesn't mean necesarily depression nor the other way around.

Part of the experience of being human is feeling a great range of emotions. Each and every emotion we are capable of ensured the survival of our species. Embrace your feelings, try to work with them and transform them into something that serves you better.

You might also be interested in Aromatherapy For Depression

Signs Of Clinical Depression

2009-12-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

Depression is a serious illness that affects all aspects of a persons life. The impact of depression on functioning and well-being has been equated to that of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes. A person suffering from depression usually exhibits a very low mood, and an inability to experience pleasure in activities that formerly were enjoyed.

Here are the most outstanding signs and symptoms of depression:

- you can’t sleep or you sleep too much
- you can’t concentrate or find that previously easy tasks are now difficult
- you feel sad, restless, hopeless, worthless and helpless
- you can’t control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try
- you have lost your appetite or you can’t stop eating
- you are much more irritable and short-tempered than usual
- you have thoughts that life is not worth living
- you find it difficult to take decisions
- you lost your interest in sex

If you identify with several of the above signs and symptoms, and emptiness and despair took hold on your life and won't go away, you may be suffering from clinical depression. Before jumping to any conclusion though, it’s important to remember that these symptoms can be part of life's normal lows and that feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life. You know, don't try to fix it if it's not broken.