Search Results for: blog signs of depression and suicide

Anxiety-Fueled Depression: Patricia’s Story (Is It Yours Too?)

For those living with chronic anxiety, there often comes a time when it just gets to be too much. You can only ride the ups and downs of anxious thoughts for so long before a sense of hopelessness creeps in. A heaviness of depression blankets every anxious thought. Paralysis sets in. Patricia’s story is a perfect example: Patricia lay in bed, dreading waking up, let alone getting up. At least in sleep she could escape for just a little while. Waking up meant gearing up, gearing up to somehow face another day. Patricia didn’t know exactly how she was going … Continue reading →

Athlete with Depression Makes a Statement

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The title above has a double meaning. New York Mets relief pitcher Taylor Buchholz made an official announcement today that he was being treated for depression and anxiety. When I read the statement I nearly jumped with excitement. It may seem strange to be happy about this, but for someone in his position openly disclosing his problems is a major step in putting a face on “normal” mental health problems. It is always a fight to try and remove stigma from “mental illness”. When people hear that phrase they think of the seriously mentally ill, like those who have been … Continue reading →

Signs of Depression and Suicide

Depression, as a mental health illness, is one of those things that is hard to explain if you have never experienced it or see it in someone close to you. It’s more than just feeling down. It’s more than just a series of bad days. Anytime that depression begins to affect your ability to do the thing you normally do, then there is a chance it may be more than just being sad. Depression is a disease that affects millions of people, men and women, old and young, across all ethnic and cultural boundaries. And, chances are, it is affecting … Continue reading →

Recognizing Teenage Depression

Teenagers experience a wide variety of moods and emotions. Sometimes they will go through a period of feeling depressed. Teenage depression is normal; however, if it becomes a chronic issue then it may be something more serious. As a parent of teenagers I want to be able to recognize when things are not right. Most teenagers won’t come right out and say that they are depressed. Or they may not even associate what they are feeling as being depression. It is not always recognizable to the person experiencing it. Of course, we have to be balanced in gauging our teens … Continue reading →

Cocaine: Tolerance, Dependence and Withdrawal

Cocaine is often taken in conjunction with other drugs to offset the negative side effects of the former. Hence tranquillizers, alcohol, marijuana, and heroin are often used to bring the user “down” and to help them sleep. This unfortunate situation means that the regular cocaine user who is dependent on the drug now finds him or herself dependent or a raft of other legal and illegal medications. Use of cocaine during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, or if the baby is carried to full term, may result in a low birth weigh baby, premature delivery, and signs of cocaine … Continue reading →

8th Grader Attempts Suicide

I sit writing this blog with tears in my eyes. When I turned on the TV to watch the local mid-day news the main story was about a 13-year-old boy who attempted to kill himself this morning. His parents had just dropped him off at school and had no idea he was suffering from the type of depression that would make him take a gun and try to blow his brains out. He was found in a seated position behind the school’s gym with a small handgun resting beside him. As of this writing, he’s in critical condition. Two years … Continue reading →

Depression in children and adolescents

In Depression in babies and young infants we looked at how symptoms of depression can develop in babies as young as three months. In today’s article, we will look at the occurrence and signs of depression in children of elementary school age as well as the teenage years. Estimates on the occurrence of depressive states in children and adolescents fluctuate from study to study, so it is hard to get a handle on a percentage value of the number of clinically depressed individuals in this age group. However, research has illuminated one fact: depression is less frequent in children than … Continue reading →

Suicide By Cop–The Death of An 18 Year Old.

Last week in the neighborhood my oldest children grew up, the police shot and killed and 18-year-old, high school football star. The police shot him four times in the back, after attempting to control him with bean bag shots. The young man turned to run back into his parent’s home, while holding a knife. The police were afraid this young man would hurt someone in the home. They had no choice but to protect his family. A few days later the 911 calls were released to the media. His mother had called at 4:00 a.m. and told the dispatch 911 … Continue reading →

Causes of Child Depression

More and more children are being treated for depression. Teen Depression.org states that as many as one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents may have depression. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among adolescents’ ages 15-19 and 6th leading cause of death among children ages 5-14. Although more girls actually attempt suicide at a rate of 3:1 more boys actually die from suicide. The sad thing is that most of the deaths could have been prevented if the child’s parents had recognized the signs of depression. But what causes child depression? And what exactly do … Continue reading →

What is Depression?

”If you’re going through hell, keep going!” WINSTON CHURCHILL Winston certainly knew a thing or too about emotional hell. He was a long-term sufferer of what he called the “black dog” of depression, yet he was also a high achiever and has left an indelible stamp on world history. We remember him for his achievements, not for his mental illness. Depression is such a common disorder that primary care practitioners estimate that up to 80% of ailments for which treatment is sought have an emotional component, of which depression forms a significant proportion. The term “depression” is used so commonly … Continue reading →