DEALING WITH DEPRESSION NATURALLY
Dr. Miriam Kinai
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Published by Dr Miriam Kinai at Smashwords
(c) 2011 by Dr Miriam Kinai http://thebestsellingebooks.blogspot.com/
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
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DEALING WITH DEPRESSION NATURALLY
Dealing with Depression Naturally helps you answer the following questions:
1. What is depression?
2. What are the symptoms of depression?
3. What causes depression?
Dealing with Depression Naturally then teaches you how to manage depression holistically by using the following natural therapies:
1. Apparel therapy
2. Aromatherapy
3. Art therapy
4. Christian Biblical principles
5. Diet therapy
6. Ecotherapy
7. Herbal remedies
8. Home decor therapy
9. Music therapy
10. Physical exercise
11. Self-Psychotherapy
12. Social therapy
13. Talk therapy
14. Vitamins
15. Writing therapy
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WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
Depression is a mental illness in which someone has the following symptoms nearly every day for two weeks or longer.
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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION?
1. Feeling sad or unhappy or numb
{My eyes are grief stricken, they grow old because of all my enemies. (Psalm 6:7)}
2. Lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities you previously enjoyed
(I hate my life. Job 7:16)
3. Crying easily and for no apparent reason
{I am tired of my crying; all night I drench my bed with tears. (Psalm 6:6)}
4. Feeling tired
5. Feeling worthless and hopeless
(My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. Job 7:6)
6. Feeling guilty or fixated on past mistakes or failures
7. Feeling irritable or restless or agitated
(I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet. Job 3:26)
8. Slowed speaking and slowed body movements
9. Slowed thinking, poor concentration, poor memory and poor decision making capacity,
10. Increased or decreased appetite
(For my sighing cometh before I eat. Job 3:24)
11. Increased or decreased weight
(My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh. Job 19:20)
12. Increased or decreased sleep
(When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. Job 7:4)
13. Physical symptoms such as headaches and backaches
(My skin is broken, and has become loathsome. Job 7:5)
14. Reduced sex drive
(My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Psalm 32:4)
15. Thoughts of death or suicide
(On my eyelids is the shadow of death. Job 16:16)
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WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION?
There are numerous causes of depression and these include:
a) Chemical imbalances in the brain
b) Genetic causes
c) Life events such as death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, getting married, getting a baby
d) Traumatic events such as physical violence, emotional abuse, sexual abuse.
e) Anxiety for the Bible says Anxiety in the heart causes depression.(Proverbs 12:25)
f) Medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease, thyroid disease and chronic pain conditions such as arthritis.
g) Abusing alcohol and drugs
h) Prescription medications such as the following can also cause depression:
1. Acyclovir (Zovirax) used to treat herpes or shingles.
2. Anticonvulsants such as Ethosuximide (Zarontin) and Methsuximide (Celontin) used to treat epilepsy are also a cause of depression.
3. Barbiturates such as Phenobarbitone (Phenobarbital) and secobarbital used to prevent epilepsy and treat anxiety are other causes of depression.
4. Benzodiazepines such as Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepan (Ativan), Flurazepam (Dalmane), Triazolam (Halcion), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), Alprazolam (Xanax) which are used to treat anxiety, insomnia and to relax muscles.
5. Beta blockers such as Atenolol (Tenormin), Metoprolol (Lopressor) and Carvedilol (Coreg) which are used to treat high blood pressure, angina chest pain, abnormal heart rhythms, heart failure and migraines can also cause the signs and symptoms of depression..
6. Bromocriptine (Parlodel) used to treat Parkinson's disease is another cause of depression.
7. Calcium channel blockers such as Nifedipine (Procardia), Verapamil (Calan) and Diltiazem (Cardizem or Tiazac) used to treat high blood pressure, chest pain, abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure.
8. Contraceptives such as Norplant.
9. Disulfiram (Antabuse) used to treat alcoholism is another cause of depression.
10. Estrogens such as Premarin and Prempro used as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat symptoms of menopause and osteoporosis can also cause the signs and symptoms of depression.
11. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and Ofloxacin (Floxin) used to treat infections such as urinary tract infections are other possible causes of depression.
12. Interferon alfa used to treat cancer and hepatitis B.
13. Isotretinoin (Accutane) used to treat acne can also cause signs and symptoms of depression in teenagers.
14. Opioids such as Codeine, Morphine, Meperidine (Demerol), OxyContin (Oxycodone), Percodan (aspirin+oxycodone) which are used to relieve pain are other causes of depression in teenagers.
15. Statins such as Atorvastatin (Lipitor), Lovastatin (Mevacor), Simvastatin (Zocor), Pravastatin (Pravachol) and Fluvastatin (Lescol) used to lower cholesterol and prevent heart attacks.
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DISCLAIMER
This book has been written to help you manage depression more effectively. It is not intended to take the place of your conventional medical doctor. It is meant to complement the treatment they prescribe and the advice they dispense. Therefore consult your doctor first before using any of these natural remedies.
Though we have taken reasonable care to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate, neither the author nor the publisher takes any responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, action or remedy to any person reading or following the information in this book.
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APPAREL THERAPY FOR DEALING WITH DEPRESSION
Chromotherapy or color therapy is the use of color for its healing effects. Since different colors have different effects on a person’s mood, you can try to change your mood by changing the colors of your clothes.
Colors said to have a positive effect on a depressed mental state include warm colors such as orange and yellow and their numerous in-between shades such as mellow yellow, neon yellow, citrus, peach, amber, apricot, burnt orange and pumpkin.
My definition of apparel therapy is the use of clothes and clothing accessories in different colors for their possible healing effect.
Therefore, experiment with the following apparel therapy and chromotherapy tips since they will definitely cheer your wardrobe and possibly provide help for depression patients.
1. Hair Accessories
A perfect way to introduce brilliant color into a drab wardrobe is through inexpensive hair accessories such as scrunches, pins and bows.
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2. Earrings, Necklaces And Rings
Stud earrings are another gentle and inexpensive way of sneaking bright colors into a wardrobe. For starters you can buy those in colors matching your hair accessories. Consider purchasing sets consisting of earring, necklaces and rings as they may be cheaper than buying them individually. As you get more comfortable with color on your face, you can purchase bigger and brighter dangliing earrings.
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3. Bracelets And Watches
Buy or create as part of your art therapy bright orange bracelets or bangles that match with your earrings and necklaces to inject more color into your wardrobe. In addition, consider buying a watch with a bright orange strap to remind you every time you check the time that you are your way out of the valley of depression.
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4. T-Shirts
Buy a T shirt in bright orange since you can wear it with dark colored clothes and blue jeans for blue is the complementary color for orange. You can also try tie and dying a white T shirt as part of your art therapy.
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5. Scarves, Gloves And Tights
Scarves, gloves and tights in matching hues of orange are another way of cheering up your wardrobe. They are also relatively inexpensive and versatile since you can wear them with many black clothes. Consider also purchasing orange hats, caps and bandanas for your informal wear.
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6. Blouses And Tops
Brighten your outfits further with an orange blouse or top in a design that can be worn to work with a black suit or dressed down with jeans.
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7. Shoes
After getting comfortable with bright colored clothes, you can now invest in a pair of yellow, citrus, peach, amber, apricot, pumpkin or orange colored shoes.
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8. Bags
Complete your outfit by buying a handbag in a matching shade. Consider also sewing or investing in a brightly colored cloth shopping to save the environment from degradation as it accompanies you on your shopping trips and adds even more color to your life.
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