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Understanding Depression: Does Depression Ever Go Away?

Post author:admin
Post published:June 21, 2021
Post category:POSTS

Depression is a little more than just feeling “low” or “blue”, it is a serious mental health condition that can have severe long-lasting effects on a person’s health and wellness.

Depression is often accompanied by sadness and while sadness is a common emotion, depression can enhance the feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, and other emotions.

While depression can be treated, some questions are left unanswered; how long does depression last, and does depression ever go away? To understand the answers to these questions, we need to understand a little about depressive episodes and risk factors that can contribute to recurring depression.

Understanding Depressive Episodes

Depression is a serious mental health disorder that, if left untreated, can cause a person difficulty in functioning normally in their daily lives. A depressive episode is when a person experiences the symptoms of depression for at least or more than two weeks.

How long do depressive episodes last?

The span of the episode might vary. For instance, someone may experience only one episode while someone with a depressive disorder may have recurring episodes during their lifetime. If left undiagnosed or untreated, the symptoms can worsen over time and may interfere with a person’s job, home-life, relationships, and might also lead to thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

Risk Factors For Recurring Depressive Episodes

Risk factors can depend on contributors such as genetics, environment, exposure to trauma, etc. Examples of risk factors include:

The severity or intensity of the first depressive episode
Presence of another underlying mental health disorder
Family or medical history of depressive disorders
Presence of stress in life
Recent exposure to trauma
The lack of social support and acceptance

Among others. While there is no average span for depression symptoms, to be diagnosed with depressive disorders, a person must experience the symptoms for at least two weeks or more and must meet the criteria defined in the DSM-5.

Can Depression Go Away On Its Own?

While it is true that time heals all wounds, it might not be true in the case of depressive disorders or depression, in general. The answer to the question, can depression go away on its own, can be based on different factors such as:

1. Types

There are different types of depression and their symptoms can also differ in terms of length. For instance, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) occurs during the winter season but seems to ease during summertime. On the other hand, dysthymia symptoms can last longer than two years.

2. Causes

Causes of depression can also affect the duration of the disorder. For instance, if depression is caused by a specific situation then there is a possibility it may not last longer than few weeks. However, if depression is a result of another mental health condition, such as Postpartum Depression, then the duration of the depression may last longer than few weeks.

3. Intensity

The intensity of the depressive episode can also be a factor. For instance, if someone is diagnosed with mild depression, then it may be treated without any formal treatment (psychotherapy or medications) but if someone is diagnosed with moderate or severe depression, then they might require formal treatment.

How Long Can Depression Last?

The good news is that depression can be treated! Psychotherapy is one of the most effective treatment options when it comes to treating depression. Although, a combination of psychotherapy, medications, and self-help can also help treat depression.

Please keep in mind that the treatment might not be the same for all and factors such as individual personality, symptoms, and severity must be taken into account.

1. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also referred to as talk therapy is the first line of defense when it comes to treating depression and related disorders. Therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy are more common.

Talk therapy can help in:

Identifying the triggers
Reframing negative thinking patterns with positive thinking
Provide effective coping techniques to help in the future

Psychotherapy treatments are tailored according to the individual’s personalities, experiences, symptoms, goals, etc.

2. Medications

Medications are often combined with psychotherapy and while one type of medication might work for you, it might not work for others. However, medications should always be taken as prescribed by your doctor and over-the-counter medications should be avoided.

Antidepressants can have side effects that may worsen your condition, therefore, it is recommended you take prescribed medications only.

3. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

While ECT is not a widely used therapy treatment, it can be effective in treating severe depression or catatonic depression. ECT is used when the patient is unresponsive to other therapy treatments. This treatment option can have side effects such as memory loss and must be performed under the supervision of a professional.

4. Lifestyle Changes

To treat or prevent recurring depression, you can try:

Following your therapy plan and continue going to therapy sessions
Avoid alcohol, recreational drugs, caffeine, or other harmful substances
Try to exercise regularly, maintaining a routine, and eating a well-balanced diet
Getting enough sleep and staying active
Asking for support from your support system

5. Alternative Treatments

Alternative treatment options can include:

Does Depression Ever Go Away?

No one can guarantee that depression can go away, permanently. More often than not the outcome depends on time, type, symptoms, severity, and causes of the depression. While some people may recover from depression completely, others may be more prone to depression relapse.

Since depression can be treated, you can consult a psychologist and create a plan in case you fear a relapse. Remember that some kinds of depression may not be easy to treat and may require years of therapy and treatment.

Getting the right treatment should be the priority. I hope this article answered the question; Does Depression Ever Go Away? For more, you can contact us at info@calmsage.com or follow us on social media.

You are not alone.

Take care!

Nutritional Therapy For Mental Health Issues: Is It Really Worth?

Post author:admin
Post published:June 19, 2021
Post category:POSTS

Nutritional therapy is a newly-researched way of treating mental health disorders and related issues. You must be wondering how nutrition can improve mental health? Well, do you know there is an indestructible link between nutrition and mental health?

If I talk about basics, we all know that physical health and mental health are related to each other. If you will improve one, the other one will be improvised accordingly. While comparing nutrition with psychotherapy is the most effective way of promoting recovery as nutritional therapy has gained interest worldwide due to its efficacy and recovery results.

This blog covers how effective nutritional therapy is and the connection between them.

So, let’s get started.

Introduction to Nutritional Therapy

Nutritional therapy is the part of nutritional psychology wherein the therapist basically looks over nutrients to improve the behavior and mood of the client. Nutritional therapy is basically taken up by a psychiatrist or a therapist along with a nutritionist for better recovery and efficacy.

Nutritional therapy came into research and application because its evidence provided high insight into the relationship between biochemical functions and various micronutrients. As per research, nutrition is seen as an important factor for the improvement of mental health.

It not just only improves mental health but also improves the efficacy of treatments that are applied to the client for better recovery.

Reducing Symptoms with Adequate Nutrition

Minerals and vitamins are known as micronutrients. Micronutrients do not provide energy however, they are considered to be an important part of nutrition. Moreover, they balance the biochemical and metabolic processes of the body.

We all know that deficiency of micronutrients causes various illnesses in the body. It does not only impact physical health but also impacts mental health. This is the reason why vitamins and a proper diet are suggested even during the treatment of mental health. For the clients who are experiencing mental health issues, deficiency of a certain vitamin or vitamins is more pronounced. In many cases, this cannot be completely understood.

However, with the right approach and research, providing dietary supplements can help to reduce symptoms related to mental health disorders. Like, there is a link between depression and Vitamin D. The appropriate amount of nutrition does not only treat depression but also helps with major disorders like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and clinical depression.

Disorders That Can Be Resolved With Nutrition Therapy

1. Bipolar disorder

According to the research, it has been provided that we can trace the deficiency of mineral vanadium (a mineral responsible for causing bipolar disorder).

Moreover, deficiency of Vitamin C is also tested as these vitamins and minerals are helpful for decreasing the major signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder. Moreover, deficiency of vitamin B is also related to almost 80% of cases of bipolar disorder.

2. Clinical Depression

Research shows that providing an adequate amount of magnesium helps in the recovery of clinical depression. Moreover, supplementation of Vitamin B is linked with the recovery of depression and it also improves mental health, overall mood, and behavior.

3. Schizophrenia

In a study, it has been proved that the consumption of nutritional supplements works as an antipsychotic medication for treating schizophrenia.

The researchers also found the link between Vitamin B9 with schizophrenia. Therefore, providing an adequate amount of folate can help in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia. Also, it works as an antipsychotic therapy tool.

4. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

It has been researched in a study that OCPD is caused by a deficiency of some minerals and vitamins. However, this can be achieved with the help of a herb named St. John’s wort.

Using Nutrition as a Therapeutic Tool:

12 main vitamins

As of now, Omega-3 fatty acid is known to be an effective therapeutic tool. However, there are various types of omega-3 fatty acids but eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DPA) are known to be the two most effective fatty acids. They both are found in fish naturally and they are also required for healthy body functioning.

researches state that both omega-3 fatty acids can be used for various mental health issues. studies also show that the consumption of fish in a daily diet reduces the risk of mental health disorders. Omega-3 fatty acids can be used for various mental health disorders like major depression, bipolar disorder, OCPD, and more.

You can easily get nutritional therapy with the help of a professional therapist and nutritionist. Just make sure that you’re booking appointments with the legit ones.

I hope this blog helps you to learn about nutrition therapy. Comment down and share your views on nutritional therapy. For more such content, follow Calm Sage on all social media platforms.

Thanks for reading!

Happy not perfect with Poppy Jamie

Post author:admin
Post published:June 19, 2021
Post category:POSTS

There are more than a few words I’d love to remove from our daily vocabulary. The first is ‘should’ – an implicitly judgy and directional word. The second is ‘perfect’; it’s uncompromising and leaves no room for error, or evolving. The idea of perfection, in itself, is far from perfect.

Poppy Jamie knows just how problematic this concept is. In her mid-20s, her quest for perfection saw her bed bound, chronically exhausted, and with so little energy that she could barely reply to a text.

From this rock bottom, the only way was up. Poppy began to learn about her own mental health, and incorporate new practises into her life – including breathwork, which she reveals was transformational for her.

After speaking with numerous world-renowned mental health practitioners, and developing her own self-acceptance toolkit, Poppy decided that it was time to bring all the knowledge and self-led help she’d discovered together, in order to help others, too. And so, Happy Not Perfect was born.

Here, the ‘Not Perfect’ podcast host, founder of the Happy Not Perfect app, and now book of the same name, shares how to challenge limiting beliefs, embrace curiosity, and discover what makes you wildly happy:

‘Perfect’ is a damaging concept

For me, it was quite life-changing when I really started to think about the beliefs I took on from a really young age, and how they instructed my behaviour and decision-making before I started to question them. When I was little, I developed the belief that I wasn’t enough.

Poppy-Book-2-1

To become good enough I thought I had to work really hard.

I became a workaholic at the age of 13, and that morphed into a sense of perfectionism. If I could be perfect then I’d be OK. I’d be enough then.

That way of working, throughout my teens and 20s, meant that I ended up with chronic burnout and anxiety, because life isn’t perfect and, of course, as human beings, we’re all imperfect, too.

Perfection is unattainable

Perfection is so transient – even if you’ve done something really well, another challenge appears and you might not do as well. Perfectionism is a completely unsustainable and deeply self-critical way of living life.

Self-acceptance is the key

When I was 25, I woke up in the middle of the night with the words ‘happy not perfect’ in my mind. I didn’t know why these words had come to me, but I knew it was a message, and it felt like an antidote to a way of being that I’d allowed to consume me. From that moment on, I wanted to know what happiness meant, and understand the self-acceptance that I was so far from.

I’ve since concluded that happiness is self-acceptance. Accepting who we are, wherever we are on the path, even when life isn’t anywhere near together, and we’ve got no idea what our next step is. If we just have self-acceptance, that will bring happiness.

When you know better, you can do better

They say that it takes a village to raise a child, but I genuinely believe it takes a village to manage a mind! What I mean by that is turning to books, podcasts, reading, or hearing about lots of different perspectives on the mind.

For me, what created change was learning about my mental health. I do think learning is the route to all change, like that famous Maya Angelou quote: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Poppy-Book-8

Embrace curiosity

We all have the power to be curious, and it can really help when you’re stuck. Ask better questions of yourself. Before you jump to a negative conclusion about a situation, ask yourself: “Is this true?”

Byron Katie has been a huge inspiration and change agent for me. Her method is called ‘The Work’, and it includes four brilliant questions: Is this true? Can you absolutely know it’s true? How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? Who would you be without that thought?

This helps us to realise that the root of suffering is often in our thoughts. We’re so convinced by our very powerful inner critic, storytelling brain, that sometimes it takes a professional or a ‘flexible friend’ who can help you bend your thoughts to another viewpoint.

I believe that curiosity is the pathway to freedom, endless possibilities, growth, and a future we couldn’t even dream of.

“There is only one you. You have a unique wonder that only you can bring to the world”

Focus on your wildest future

I challenge you to think about a sustainable future that lights you up every single day. With my book, I’m hoping to help people understand what their wildest self wants because we often lose sight of ourselves as the demands of life take over.

The world will try to tell us who we should be, but when we are our truest, wildest, most expressed self, we are our best ‘us’. Unapologetically ourselves.

‘Happy Not Perfect: Upgrade Your Mind, Challenge Your Thoughts and Free Yourself From Anxiety by Poppy Jamie is available now (Yellow Kite, £16.99).

Hero image photography | Adam Braizer

To connect with a counsellor to discuss managing your mental health and anxiety, visit counselling-directory.org.uk

Myths And Facts About Domestic Violence You Should Be Aware Of!

Post author:admin
Post published:June 19, 2021
Post category:POSTS

Did you know that, statistically, 85% of women are victims of domestic abuse? Or that young boys who witness domestic abuse are twice as likely to abuse their partners and children as adults?

Domestic abuse or domestic violence is a sensitive issue and not very openly discussed. Because of its sensitivity, there have been many myths about domestic violence and abuse.

The trauma domestic violence leaves in its wake can stay with the victim for a long time. While recovering from trauma is not easy as it sounds, with the right help and support, it can be possible.

The mental and emotional impacts of domestic abuse are intense. One of the best ways to heal and recover from trauma is to be educated and be aware of the misconceptions about domestic violence. It is always better to be well-informed than be presumptuous.

Below are some of the common myths about domestic violence and the truths about them.

5 Myths And Facts About Domestic Violence

Myth #1: It’s domestic abuse only when it’s violent and physical.

Domestic Violence myths fact 1

Fact: When we hear the term ‘domestic violence or ‘domestic abuse’, the image our minds conjure up is images of physical attack or sexual abuse. In truth, while physical abuse is a form of domestic violence, it is not necessarily the only form of abuse. Domestic violence can take many forms, including:

Physical abuse is a rare act of violence, initially. Abusers often begin by manipulating and verbally demeaning their victims, reducing their self-esteem.

Myth#2: Alcohol and drugs are to be blamed for the abuse.

Domestic Violence myths fact 2

Fact: While it is easy to blame abuse and the consequences of one’s actions on alcohol and drugs, it is not always the case. These substances only inflame the abuse but are rarely the cause of it. Many abusers are sober when they abuse their victims. Some people are just aggressive and may lash out at their partners in the form of violence or abuse.

Myth #3: Many abusers grow up in abusive households.

Domestic Violence myths fact 3

Fact: As I mentioned before, young boys who witness abuse in their childhood are twice as likely to abuse their partners and children. Not always, though. The majority of people who’ve witnessed abuse in their childhood are outraged with such actions and do what they can to prevent anything like that from occurring again. Some people even use their past experiences of domestic abuse and violence to bring positive change in their as well as other survivors’ lives.

Myth #4: Men are as likely to experience domestic abuse as women.

Domestic Violence myths fact 5

Fact: Men are indeed as likely to experience domestic violence as women, however, according to statistics, domestic abuse is one of the leading causes of harm to women (more than muggings and rape). I mentioned before as well that 85% of women are victims of domestic violence. Worldwide, 1 in every 4 women experiences domestic abuse or intimate partner violence. Men experience abuse too but women are a more likely target for domestic abuse and family violence.

Myth #5: The victim can just walk away from their abuser.

Fact: Many people believe that a victim of domestic abuse can just walk away from their abuser. And as it may seem like an easy choice, in reality, it is probably not as easy as it looks. Abusive partners are manipulative and controlling.

Leaving and walking away from an abusive partner or spouse is difficult because of many reasons:

1. Women with children are partially (or in some cases, fully) dependent on their partner, financially.

2. In many cultures, a woman walking or leaving her husband’s house is a mark of shame.

3. Abusive partners make it so that their victim’s self-esteem is essentially non-existent, making them feel they are unable to manage on their own.

4. Many abusers also threaten their victims to make them compliant and making it so that the victim feels it is in their best interest to stay with their abusive partners.

Get Help…

If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence or abuse, please immediately contact these helpline numbers:

National Commission for Women (India) – +91-72177 35372
National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799−7233
SAMHSA Helpline – 1-800-622-4357
National Sexual Assault Hotline – 1-800-656-4673

You can also reach us at info@calmsage.com or contact us on Facebook or Instagram. We are always here to help you!

We are here for you!

Take care, be safe!

At What Age Does Mental Illness Start? – Psychology Today

Post author:admin
Post published:June 18, 2021
Post category:POSTS

Why it is important to know when mental disorders start

Knowing at what age mental illness typically starts is highly important information for psychologists. When it is known when a disorder typically starts, early prevention measures and early interventions can be conducted at the right time. This improves the long-term well-being of the patient compared to a situation where therapy started years after the beginning of a disorder.

A new large-scale study on the onset of mental disorders

To provide robust estimates of when mental illness starts, data from as many patients as possible should be integrated. This is why Solmi and co-workers (2021) just conducted a meta-analysis of 192 studies investigating the onset of mental disorders. A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that integrates the results of many different scientific studies. It has the advantage of having a larger sample size, increasing statistical power, and rendering the analysis less likely to be affected by characteristics of individual studies.

Overall, the 192 studies analyzed by Solmi and co-workers (2021) included data from more than 700,000 patients diagnosed with a mental disorder. Besides the age of onset for different disorders, the scientists also analyzed the percentage of people that developed a mental disorder before the age of 14, 18, and 25 years.

Results show that mental disorders often start earlier than expected

When the data from all 192 studies were integrated, the authors found that the peak age of onset for mental disorders was 14.5 years. About 34.6 percent of patients showed a disorder before the age of 14, 48.4 percent before the age of 18, and 62.5 percent before the age of 25 years. This shows that for almost 50 percent of patients, mental disorders start before they reach adulthood, highlighting the importance of early intervention and prevention measures for mental health issues in adolescents.

In a second step, the scientists also analyzed the age of onset for different forms of mental disorders. In ascending peak age on onset, here is what they found:

There were no significant differences between male and female patients regarding the age of onset.

Implications of the study

If there is one thing that the study clearly shows, it is that mental health issues in adolescents should be treated seriously. People often have the idea that most mental health conditions start in adulthood, and only developmental disorders start in childhood. When adolescents show mental issues, parents sometimes think that they will “grow out of it” or “it is just a phase.” The study shows that such ideas are wrong, and mental issues in adolescents need to be treated as in almost 50 percent of patients, mental disorders start in this life phase.