Depression is not a disorder that can affect adults only; children and teens are also at a risk of suffering from depression. This may be difficult for some people to understand how young kids can get depressed. It is very unfortunate that many kids suffer from depression and still live with it without seeking medication. According to reports filed after intensive research, 3% of kids and 9% of teens suffer from depression and are not diagnosed in order to get treatment. The problem of depression in children is that parents or guardians usually assume that the kid will be alright after having mood swings.

Depression in kids is not easy for parents to note because they think that it is the usual mood change or sadness. Depression in children is different and therefore cannot be determined easily. To be able to find out whether a kid is suffering from depression which is also called mood disorder in children, the guardian or parent needs to study the child’s behavior for a certain period of time. If a child is sad for a few days because of something they did not like that is normal but when it exceeds to more than a week and to a month then the kid is suffering from depression. It is highly advised that the parent speaks to the kid and identifies the feelings of the kid and if need be get assistance from a counselor.

It is better to treat a depression case as early as possible to avoid complications later. The parents who would like to know whether their kids are suffering from depression should look out for the following symptoms.

• A young kid can be said to be suffering from depression if the kid does not find any more pleasure in their favorite activities.
• If a kid shows signs of boredom at all times, adds on weight, or drops a few pounds, has feelings of guilt, lack of hope and worth.
• If the kid is also not able to concentrate, make decisions and also has some thoughts of suicide.

Parents should not overlook some of these symptoms because their kid may be suffering from a very dangerous type of depression. The symptoms of depression in kids may vary according to the age of the kid. Here are some of the specified symptoms for parents to be able to get accurate information for their kids.

• It is believed that very small kids may not be able to show much emotion but can show some little feelings of being less hopeful and also may have sleeping problems. They also become weak due to energy inefficiency.
• Kids that are in grade school may have problems such as hallucinations and delusions especially if the depression is severe. They may complain of frequent stomach aches and headaches and also may not be interested in their friends anymore.
• Teens can spend most of their time sleeping and may wake up with delusions and hallucinations. It is advisable for parents to take their child for diagnosis if they find out that they have some of the symptoms highlighted above.

Dysthymia which is also referred to as chronic depression is a type of depression which is less severe compared to clinical depression. Dysthymia symptoms can be observed for a longer period usually exceeding two years. It is evident that people suffering from Dysthymia act and function normally though at times are seen to be sad. The disorder is usually common in women though men can become victims also. In the US it is approximated that 10.9 million of the total population of people who are 18 years and older suffer from chronic depression. It is believed that individuals can suffer from chronic depression at any age but mostly adults are the victims.

It is easy to differentiate the symptoms of chronic depression from other forms of depression. The signs and symptoms are the main factors that are used to differentiate types of depression. Symptoms evident in chronic depression victims are similar to those evident in clinical depression victims but are slightly intense. Some of the symptoms that Dysthymia patients display include the patient feeling guilty, feeling helpless, having problems with sleep, feeling disinterested in some activities that they used to enjoy, feelings of fatigue, change in eating habits, slow thinking, cramps and feeling worthless leading to thinking of committing suicide.

If a person notices the above symptoms it is advisable to get a diagnosis from a qualified doctor for Dysthymia. Dysthymia diagnosis is performed mainly concentrating on the symptoms but by a qualified health specialist. To be able to determine that the symptoms shown in a victim are truly associated with chronic depression, they should be evident for a long period of time. The things that the doctors avoid by checking on the time that the symptoms have been experienced, is to avoid judging wrongly on short term symptoms which may be caused by either the use of medication or drug abuse. Chronic depression diagnosis does not involve any blood samples or x-rays but only involves the analysis of the visible symptoms.

Though it is not clear the actual cause of Dysthymia, specialists believe that it may be probably caused by changes in serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical found in the human brain that helps them in the controlling of their emotions. Since chronic depression mainly affects an individual’s emotions it is therefore believed that it can be the cause of chronic depression. Dysthymia can also be said to be caused by the common things that stress people in day to day activities such as work and relationship issues.

Though Dysthymia is seen to be a severe disorder it can be treated by local physicians. There are a couple of ways to treat chronic depression. The first step to treatment of any disorder is the acceptance and early diagnosis. If a patient is diagnosed at an early stage it is easy to suppress some of the symptoms before they become more pronounced. Antidepressants are commonly used in the treatment of depression. Doctors may also recommend the use of psychotherapy for the treatment of chronic depression or a combination of psychotherapy and other medication.

Psychotherapy is one of the methods used in the treatment of depression that does not involve the use of drugs. Psychotherapy can be used alongside other methods to treat depression. It is a not yet proven that psychotherapy can fully treat depression without the use of other medication but it is proven to work when other methods of medication are incorporated. Depression can be described as a mood disorder that affects an individual’s behavior making them act in some ways that undermine them in the society. Some of the symptoms associated with depression include insomnia, the victim feeling guilty, the victim feeling no need to live and the victim feeling mad at things they used to like.

It is easy to understand psychotherapy and depression because depression is a disorder that involves behavior while psychotherapy involves behavior correction and understanding. The main role played by psychotherapy in treating depression is helping the patient to get in terms with their new sate and be able to avoid any kind of stressful activities to be able to get well quickly.

Specialists and studies have proven that psychotherapy plays a major role in the treatment and care of clinical depression patients. Patients suffering from depression need to get support for their condition in order to be able to cope with it. Some of the studies have proven that the use of psychotherapy together with antidepressant is more effective than the use of the drugs alone. The study also concluded that patients who undergo psychotherapy together with medication are more likely to stick to their medication that those that are on medication alone. Psychotherapy usually takes a longer time than any medication but is more effective if taken seriously together with the medication.

Psychotherapy has not been proven to treat a type of depression known as treatment resistant depression but physicians highly recommend its use. According to a study carried out in the year 2007, patients who suffered from the treatment resistant depression had their symptoms change after undergoing a type of therapy known as cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychotherapy can be used to treat depression all by itself without the use of drugs but needs a lot of time. The use of psychotherapy without any other medication causes minimal adverse reactions compared to drug use. The use of therapy is highly encouraged because it has benefits associated with that may not be found in other medication.

The beneficial part of therapy includes,

• Reduction of stressful events and activities in life. Psychotherapy improves life’s value by reducing stress to an individual.
• Increases the chances of the patient’s ability to handle issues with the people they associate with each and every day like family, work mates and friends.
• Psychotherapy is believed to increase the chances of a patient being able to carry on with the medication for a long time or to the last dose.
• Psychotherapy can help a patient to be able to cope with some side effects that are associated with some drugs used to treat depression.
• Psychotherapy increases the awareness of the victim about their condition.

Psychotherapy is a proven method of treatment of clinical depression. It is believed that the use of other medication together with psychotherapy can treat severe clinical depression. Psychotherapy does not involve any kind of drugs but talking to the patient in a way to get them able to handle the depression. Since depression is associated with stressful events in life, psychotherapy can be very effective to the victim. This method however has not been proven to work fully on its own. The use of other treatment methods such as antidepressants together with psychotherapy works well with the patient.

There is a list of many types of psychotherapies but the most common are cognitive therapy, interpersonal therapy, psychodynamic therapy individual therapy, family therapy and group therapy.

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy which is also referred to as cognitive behavioral therapy involves a patient employing a therapist who works hand in hand with the victim to determine the victim’s behavior and thoughts. The main task of the therapist is to make the victim learn better ways to handle situations that are associated to depression symptoms. The victim and their therapist take time to come up with short term goals which they work on achieving within a given time.

Psychodynamic therapy

This is a method which was used traditionally where the victim and their therapist focus on causes of depression to the victim which involve activities of the past. In this type of therapy the victim may need to revisit any childhood traumas.

Interpersonal therapy

This is a type of therapy that involves the victim being able to realize their relationship with other people and how their affect their depressed situation. This therapy helps the victim to realize their behaviors that need to be corrected and work on them.

Individual counseling

This involves the victim of depression taking time to visit a qualified and certified therapist who is able to handle depression disorder. The victim and the therapist take time to get to understand the causes of stress o the victim. The professional takes time to help the victim in taking heart and to avoid any issues involving relationships or family that can lead to the worsening of the victim’s condition. The therapist also helps the patient by encouraging them to take the prescribed medicine and also encourage them to sleep and visit their doctor on a regular basis.

Family counseling

This is a psychotherapy method that involves a therapy for an entire family. Family therapy is highly rated because it does not only assist the victim on their depressive status but also teach family members about depression. It is believed that some people especially family members do not understand a depressed patient and hence may worsen the condition.

Group counseling

This is a great method for victims of depression because they are able to meet more people who are suffering from the same condition and share their views. In group therapy people suffering from depression are grouped together where they feel safer unlike suffering on their own.

Depression, against what many people think is an illness or medical disorder. It does not signify weakness in any way as it is the common belief .There are different types of depression which have different signs and symptoms. The major types of Depression and also most common include Major Depression which can also be referred to as clinical depression and dysthymia which is commonly known as chronic depression. There are also other types of depression which vary in their symptoms, signs and treatment. Some of them are seasonal depression, bipolar depression and Atypical Depression.

Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder is a depression type that is characterized by combined symptoms which include insomnia, lack of appetite and finding no pleasure in doing what a patient used to enjoy. Major depressive disorder can occur to an individual only once in a lifetime. The victim suffers from loneliness, hopelessness and feelings of sadness for a few days. Clinical depression is known to disable a victim and prevent them from doing things in a normal way. With clinical depression the symptoms may include, disinterest in all things or either a depressed mood. The symptoms of clinical depression occur on a daily basis for a period of two weeks. The symptoms can cause distress which should be clinically proved. The symptoms may be exempted from their association to clinical depression in some cases. If a victim shows the symptoms after taking drugs, within a period of two months after losing a family member or friend or suffers from hyperthyroidism, then the individual may be exempted from suspicion that he or she is suffering from clinical depression.

Chronic Depression

An individual can be said to suffer from chronic depression after experiencing a depressed mood for a very long time like two years and more. Though Clinical depression is more severe than chronic depression, victims of chronic depression are expected to experience an episode or more of Clinical depression in their lives. There is no clear cause of chronic depression but experts believe it is because of the changes in brain which in turn involving serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in the human brain that deals with the emotions of an individual. It is also believed that the common things that may heighten the chances of chronic depression are work and relationship problems, medications and chronic disorders or diseases.

Treatment of Depression

The most common treatment of depression is the use of antidepressants. Depression types such as chronic depression which are known to be severe can also be treated by the use of antidepressants. It is advisable to individuals suspecting the depression symptoms seek medical assistance. The diagnosis of a potential victim is the first step to the treatment of depression. Psychotherapy which is normally referred to as counseling can be used to treat depression cases. According to the doctor or health specialist, depression can also be treated by combining both psychotherapy and medication. Seeking medical attention increases the chances of reducing the intensity of the symptoms associated with depression.

Ativan is a white substance which is nearly insoluble in water. A tablet of Ativan should contain 0.5mg-2mg of lorazepam which is the main ingredient used to create Ativan. There is however some other ingredients which are termed as inactive used to make the drug. These ingredients include polacriline potassium, lactose monohydrate and microcrystalline cellulose. Lorazepam is known to harmful to the fetus and therefore it is highly advisable not to get pregnant when using Ativan. Lorazepam is also present in breast milk and therefore it is required that you avoid breastfeeding while using Ativan.

The main use of Ativan is to treat anxiety but can also be used for other purposes when prescribed by a certified doctor. Ativan which belongs to the class of benzodiazepines has been proven to show withdrawal symptoms in infants at the postnatal period. Pregnant patients should not take Ativan to avoid harming the unborn baby. The symptoms that are proven to be caused by the use of benzodiazepines especially at the late stages of pregnancy to newborns include hypothermia, apnea, hypoactivity, hypotonia, respiratory depression and cold stress. A report of a study in mice showed that lorazepam can cause cleft palate if a dose of 20mg-36mg.

Lorazepam which is the main ingredient in Ativan is present in the human breast milk in little amounts which is harmful to the baby who is being breastfed. Health specialists consider the administration of Ativan to breastfeeding mothers a high risk to the baby. It is therefore not allowed to be prescribed for use by breastfeeding mothers unless the benefits gained highly outweigh the risks associated with the use of lorazepam to the baby. Though sedation has not been proven in lorazepam it still remains a concern for breastfeeding mothers. It has however been observed in breastfeeding mothers taking other benzodiazepines. Inability to suckle, sedation and irritability are among the pharmacological effects that occur to a baby when the mother uses benzodiazepines.

Breastfeeding mothers should consider other methods of curing anxiety for example natural methods. There are few ways to cure anxiety without the use of drugs such as Ativan. A natural way of curing anxiety involves self realization and acceptance. Here are some simple steps to take for a natural risk free way to cure anxiety for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

The first step is the recognition of the anxiety. The patient should be able to recognize that she is suffering from anxiety.

The patient should take time to identify the cause of their anxiety. Some patients think that they know the trigger to anxiety but when keenly checked it turns out to be different.

The patient should be diagnosed by a fully qualified doctor to know which type of anxiety she is suffering from. It is a step that is vital in the patient getting relief from the fear and panic.

Find natural ways to cope with the anxiety, most natural anxiety remedies are found in the internet for free. The patient should also avoid the things they find to trigger anxiety as a precaution.

Depression is a medical condition and therefore should be taken seriously as any other medical illness. There are different types of depression but the symptoms are always more or less the same. The major difference in the symptoms is their severity. Some of the common symptoms of depression include the patient having feelings of less worthiness, being helpless, hopeless and sad. Victims can suffer from mild or moderate depression showing symptoms like insomnia, lack of appetite, low self esteem and fatigue. A victim could also suffer from major depression with symptoms such as weight gain or loss, hypersomnia, disinterest in daily activities and suicidal thoughts.

Depression in special situations includes depression in the elderly, depression in men, depression in women and treatment resistant depression. Depression in special situations has different causes, symptoms and treatments in each and every situation.

Depression in Men

It is a shock to note that over six million men living in the United States of America are victims of clinical depression year in year out and yet most of them do not know the symptoms of depression. The thought that depression is a disorder associated with female hormones hinders men from recognizing that they are suffering from depression and seek medical attention. The depression symptoms found in women are not different from those found in men. The only difference is that men’s symptoms are expressed in a different way. Some of the common symptoms of depression in men include, fatigue, apathy, suicidal thoughts, disinterest in sex and disinterest in activities that they used to like. The main difference in the symptoms is that men tend to be more aggressive and hostile while women are emotional and sad.

Depression in Women

It is believed that women have a higher risk of suffering from depression than men. Statistics show that 10%-25% of women suffer an episode of clinical depression in their lifetime. The possibility of men suffering from depression is half that of women. The differences between men and women suffering from depression include,

• Depression in men does not occur earlier, lasts shorter and is less likely to recur compared to women.
• Depression in women is associated mostly with life stresses and can be sensitive more on seasonal changes.
• Women suffering from depression are not likely to be associated with alcohol and drug abuse.

Depression in the Elderly

Depression is common in elderly individuals and should not be taken as a normal aging disorder. Many elderly people in the United States of America suffer from depression but only a small percentage is treated of depression. The main reason that may lead to many of the cases not being treated is the common confusion on the other illnesses that the elderly are prone to.

Treatment resistant Depression

Treatment resistant depression is a condition when depression symptoms decline to respond to antidepressants or other medication. Treatment resistant depression which is also known as refractory depression can affect both men and women. Victims suffering from refractory depression need to consult their doctor for alternative treatment otptions.