Self Help Resources

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Depression
Bipolar
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Suicide

Depression

Everyone suffers from depression from time to time. It's a natural defense mechanism that allows the mind to take a rest by causing an individual to withdraw from reality for a day or two. But for some people, the withdrawal is deeper and lasts longer. It interferes with their lives and can lead them to substance abuse or suicide as a means of escape. When this happens, a person is said to have a mental illness called severe depression.

There are three types of depression:

• Mild depression is the most common and can be brought on by both happy and sad events. A wedding is certainly happy, but also very stressful, and the stress can be depressing. Another common cause is childbirth, which may lead to post-partum blues. While usually mild, it can become severe.

• Moderate depression, or a feeling of hopelessness, lasts longer and is more intense. Moderate depression is often brought on by a sad event, such as a death of a loved one or loss of a job. It usually does not interfere with daily living, but can become severe. If it persists, professional help may be warranted.

• Severe depression can cause a person to lose interest in the outside world, can cause physical changes, and can lead to suicide. A person with severe depression requires professional treatment.

Note: Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings from mania (excessive excitement or joy) to deep depression with many of the same symptoms and causes as depression, but requiring a different course of treatment. This illness is also known as manic-depression.

Who is affected?

One in five people suffers from depression at some point in their life. Depression can strike anyone, even children and babies who have been abused and neglected. Middle-aged adults, however, are more likely to become depressed than any other age group. While depression is often associated with loneliness, married people are more likely to become depressed than single people. Women are twice as likely as men to become depressed.

Symptoms

The symptoms of depression range from feeling "down" to feeling suicidal. A slowing down or neglect in performing daily tasks, irritability, poor memory, or changes in behavior are all symptoms. A loss of sexual desire or loss of warm feelings toward family members, a lack of pleasure in anything, or a loss of self-esteem are all symptoms. Physical changes can include sleep disturbances, fatigue, unexplained headaches or backaches, digestive problems, and nausea. All of us at some time experience one or more of these symptoms. But when they become persistent and so severe that pain and other problems outweigh pleasure much of the time, then it is time to seek professional help.

Causes

There is no one cause for depression. Personality, personal relationships, physical health, and genetics are all factors. People who are highly self-critical, very demanding, or unusually passive may be prone to depression. Problems with a spouse, a child, or an employer can cause depression. Imbalances in the chemicals in the brain due to illness, infection, or medications can be a cause. Substance abuse can be a symptom of depression, but also a cause. And while depression cannot be inherited, it does seem to be more prevalent in some families.

Prevention

Depression cannot always by avoided, but because it is often related to stress and physical problems, it is possible to lessen the chances of becoming severely depressed. Here are some tips:


• Take time for a favorite activity as a way to relax and relieve stress.
  
• Get plenty of exercise to maintain a healthy body, to relieve tension, and to help get a good night's sleep.
  
• Don't try to be Superman or Superwoman. Know your limitations and avoid stressful situations.
  
• Cultivate friendships to have someone to talk to who can provide support.
  
• Don't be afraid of feelings. There's nothing wrong with being mildly depressed. But if you feel it is more than mild depression, don't hesitate to seek counseling.

* Information Obtained from the University of Missouri Counseling Center 

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Bipolar

Roller coaster rides of emotion from frantic highs to devastating lows are the classic signs of bipolar disorder. Also known as manic depression, bipolar is one of the most treatable mental illnesses, but left untreated it can cause mental suffering, disruption of family life, poor job performance, and reckless or dangerous behavior.

Symptoms

A person with bipolar experiences mood swings from mania to depression, with a "normal" period between these cycles of up and down. The length of the cycles varies from a few days to several months and they can occur without warning.

During the manic phase, a person may feel "on top of the world" and have an abundance of energy. He/she seems to talk and think faster and espouse a number of ideas. He/she also may think he/she is invincible, leading to reckless behavior and acts that may endanger his/her life or well-being. A person in the manic phase also may have delusions of fame or believe he/she has a special relationship with a famous person. During this phase he/she also sleeps less, is easily distracted, and often is irritable. During the depressive phase, a person may feel hopeless and lose all interest in other people or usual activities. His/Her weight may fluctuate and he/she feels tired all the time. He/She may sleep more than usual or have insomnia. He/She often complains of unexplained aches or pains and has trouble concentrating. A person in the depressive phase is a suicide risk.

The symptoms of the depressive stage are the same as for clinical depression, a different mental illness that does not have the manic phase. Bipolar mimics several physical disorders and only a comprehensive physical and mental health evaluation can provide an accurate diagnosis.

Causes

The causes of bipolar are uncertain, but there are factors known to play a role.

• Heredity: Bipolar runs in families and may be carried by a gene inherited from one or both parents.
• Chemical changes: Persons with bipolar have chemical changes in the brain that continue to be studied for their cause and effect.
• Stress: Situations that cause unusual stress, such as physical illness or money problems, may trigger a bipolar episode.

As with any mental illness, bipolar is not a sign of moral weakness or caused by something the person did or did not do. And, as with any mental illness, it cannot be willed away and will not go away if left untreated.

* Information Obtained from the University of Missouri Counseling Center 

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Everybody experiences anxiety from time to time, perhaps when giving a speech, facing a job interview, or driving along a slippery road. In cases such as these, anxiety is a useful emotion that helps us focus our attention and energy to avert any potential mishap or disaster. Some individuals, however, experience higher than normal anxieties and fear, persistent and overwhelming feelings that can greatly impact day-to-day living. These people suffer from anxiety disorders, a group of psychiatric disorders that can be terrifying and crippling.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is one such type of anxiety disorder in which a person typically has vague feelings that something bad is going to happen. Excessive or unrealistic worries often are so persistent and uncontrollable that the individual cannot make them go away and has difficulty concentrating on daily tasks. Chronic and excessive worry most days for at least 6 months about events that are unlikely to occur is a key characteristic of this disorder.

Who is affected?

According to estimates by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 4 million Americans, aged from 18-54, have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) during the course of a given year. GAD affects women more often than men. While it most often strikes individuals during their childhood or adolescent years, GAD can begin in adulthood as well.

Symptoms

GAD sufferers characteristically experience 3 (or more) of the following 6 symptoms:

• restlessness, feeling "keyed up" or "on edge"
  
• becoming easily fatigued
  
• trouble concentrating (or mind "going blank")
  
• irritability
  
• muscle tension, aches, or soreness
  
• trouble falling or staying asleep, or unsatisfying sleep

Causes

While science has not yet identified the exact cause of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), some research suggests that biological factors, family background, and life experiences are important contributors to this disorder. GAD may be triggered or symptoms may increase in times of stress.

• Biologically, it appears that emotional memories stored in specific parts of the brain may play a role in disorders involving very distinct fears, like phobias, while other parts may be involved in other forms of anxiety. Some researchers suggest that GAD may be caused by an imbalance of specific chemicals in the brain. Three of these chemicals are called norepinephrine, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and serotonin. It is believed that changes in the levels of these chemicals play a role in anxiety disorder.
  
• For some people, GAD may "run in the family." It may have been even reinforced through anxious role models while growing up. For example, these individuals might have had a parent who constantly viewed the world as an unstable and dangerous place. People coming from this background seem more likely to suffer from GAD.
  
• Stress, whether from something tragic or something positive like a job promotion, can also trigger GAD. While stress may be a contributing factor, mental health professionals emphasize that stress is only a "catalyst." Stress does not cause GAD. Stress seems to contribute to GAD in people who already are experiencing chronic anxiety.

Anxiety Self-Quiz

If you suspect that you may be suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder and haven't yet seen a physician, click the link below. On the page that appears, you will be asked a series of simple "yes" and "no" questions. Answer each question honestly and bring it to your counselor. The answers you give will help your counselor diagnose your illness.

Take this quick self quiz.

* Information Obtained from AnxietyInfo.com 

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Panic Disorder

Put yourself in the following situations:

• You're speeding along a highway when suddenly a deer crosses in front of you. You pull the steering wheel hard trying to avoid the animal. The car swerves and spins off into the emergency lane and you skid to a stop. Somehow you've manage to avoid a potentially fatal accident - for both you and the deer. You're shaking, you're heart is racing, and you've broken out into a quick and cold sweat. But you're alive! This would be the normal reaction for most people in a similar situation.
• Now imagine this: You're at a restaurant having a quiet dinner when suddenly, for no apparent reason, you experience the same uneasy feelings. You begin shaking, your heart starts racing, and you break out into a cold sweat. You even feel like you might be having a heart attack. You're rushed to the hospital and the doctors can find nothing immediately wrong with you.
• What has happened? - Quite possibly you may have experienced a "panic attack" and a few of the typical symptoms usually associated with Panic Disorder.

Who is affected?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (in 1999), approximately 2.4 million Americans ages 18 to 54, suffer from Panic Disorder in a given year. That's about 1.7% of the adult US population. About one third of those develop "agoraphobia" - fear of being in public places. And just like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, women are twice as likely as men to develop Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder typically strikes in young adulthood, beginning in the late teen years or early to mid twenties. About half of all people who have Panic Disorder develop it before the age of 24. Although in most cases a panic attack is spontaneous and unexpected, sometimes, but not always, a stressful event, such as a divorce or death of a parent, can also trigger an attack.

Symptoms

Few sufferers experience all of the dozen or more physical or emotional sensations that accompany a panic attack. Although panic attacks vary with the individual, doctors define an "attack" when it has at least four of the following common symptoms:

• heart palpitations
• sweating
• trembling
• shortness of breath
• choking
• chest pain
• nausea
• faintness/dizziness
• feelings of "unreality"
• feeling like you're "going crazy" or "losing control"
• fear of dying
• chills or hot flushes
• numbness or tingling sensations

Causes

At one time, Panic Disorder was believed to have stemmed from "psychological problems." Researchers now believe however that Panic Disorder is a real and treatable medical illness caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. It is a disorder that can also sometimes be accompanied by depression.

• Biologically, it appears that emotional memories stored in specific parts of the brain may play a role in disorders involving very distinct fears, like phobias, while other parts may be involved in other forms of anxiety.
• Some researchers suggest that Panic Disorder may be caused by an imbalance of specific chemicals in the brain. Three of these chemicals are called norepinephrine, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and serotonin. It is believed that changes in the levels of these chemicals play a role in anxiety disorder.
• Panic Disorder appears to run in families and is more common in women than in men.
• Genetic factors or changes in body chemistry, combined with stress, may also play an important role.
  
• Certain illnesses, drugs, and certain social situations - or even substances like caffeine - may also contribute to triggering attacks.

Panic Disorder Self-Quiz

If you suspect that you may be suffering from a Panic Disorder and haven't yet seen a counselor, click the link below. On the page that appears, you will be asked a series of simple "yes" and "no" questions. Answer each question honestly and bring it to your counselor. The answers you give will help your counselor diagnose your illness.

Take this quick self quiz.

* Information Obtained from AnxietyInfo.com 

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Suicide

Why people commit suicide:

• Problems that seem overwhelming may lead a person to think the only solution is to end his or her life.

• Suicide also can take place indirectly when a person's reaction to a problem leads him or her to act recklessly or ignore serious illness.

Who is affected?

While suicide knows no social or cultural boundaries, members of some groups are more prone to attempt or commit suicide than others. You do not have to have a mental illness to have suicidal feelings. The following are considered high-risk groups:

• The elderly - Feelings of loneliness, loss of friends or spouse, loss of income and independence, and declining health often make older persons consider suicide as an alternative.
  
• Young adults and college students - Burdened with independence and responsibility for the first time, pressured to succeed in college or on the job, and faced with a world they seemingly cannot change, many young adults are overwhelmed and see suicide as an escape.
  
• Business people and professionals - The pressure to succeed and disillusionment over unfulfilled dreams place business people and professionals at risk.
  
• Minorities and the poor - Despair brought on by discrimination, poverty, unemployment, and a feeling of being trapped, are causes of suicide.
  
• Children - Depression brought on by child abuse or neglect and an inability to communicate feelings or ask for help has led children as young as five years of age to commit suicide.

Some Causes:

• Depression - Depression is the leading cause of suicide. It can be caused by a personal loss, heredity, or a chemical imbalance in the body.

• Crisis - Major life changes, anger, humiliation, or frustration can lead a person to attempt suicide, sometimes before having had a chance to think it over.

• Old age - The changes wrought by old age can be frightening and may lead an older person to think of suicide as an alternative.

• Substance abuse - Substance abuse can weaken a person's self-control and lead to self-destructive behavior.

Warning signs

Suicide is rarely a spur-of-the-moment decision and most people give warning signs that they are contemplating taking their own lives. Some warning signs are:

• Threats or previous attempts - People who threaten suicide must be taken seriously, even if they have no intention of carrying out the threat. A previous attempt may have generated the attention a person was needing - and needing the attention again, the person may attempt suicide again.
• Depression - Anyone suffering from severe and prolonged depression is at risk of attempting suicide.
• Personality or behavioral changes - Someone who has been depressed or troubled and suddenly is better or seems to have resolved their conflicts may have decided upon suicide as a solution. Insomnia, loss of weight or appetite, loss of sexual d rive, and withdrawal are also warning signs.
• Preparations for death - Someone suddenly making out a will, putting their affairs in order, giving away personal possessions, or acquiring the means of committing suicide (buying a gun, stockpiling sleeping pills, etc.) is sending out a warnin g sign.
  

* Information Obtained from University of Missouri Counseling Center 

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