Interesting and original:

AICI

 

Lori, the pert and pretty nurse, took her troubles to a resident psychiatrist in the hospital where she worked.

“Doctor, you must help me,” she pleaded. “It has gotten so that every time I date one of the young doctors here, I end up in bed with him. And then afterward, I feel guilty and depressed for a week.”

“I see,” nodded the psychiatrist. “And you, no doubt, want me to strengthen your willpower and resolve in this matter.”

“For God’s sake, NO!” exclaimed the Nurse. “I want you to fix it so I won’t feel guilty and depressed afterward.”

AICI

Major scale

words& music, balauru

I see the World
With the same eyes
I “smell” the Magic
With the same nose
I go outside
My soul is cold
Look in the mirror
The child is old

 

And I cry may pain
With flowers
I look at my years
With regret
I just want
To be happy
A few more hours
Yes I want
To be young again

I feel love
With the same heart
I whisper poems
With the same lips
I go outside
My soul is cold
Look in the mirror
The child is old

And I cry may pain
With flowers
I look at my years
With regret
I just want
To be happy
A few more hours
Yes I want
To be young again
Again
Again
Again

This must not happen again. Gipsies were in the same hell with the jews. Do not not forget!!!

The Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem.

The Holocaust museum, Yad VaShem-Jerusalem

Ei n-au supravietuit. Au fost ucisi miseleste din cauza de ura gratuita. Nu instiga la ura. Intr-o zi se poate naste un nou monstru si tu ai putea sa sa fii in locul ei.

sursa:

 

 

Dealing with the Depths of Depression

by Liora Nordenberg

“I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would be not one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell. I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better it appears to me.” –Abraham Lincoln

Imagine attending a party with these prominent guests: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Robert Schumann, Ludwig von Beethoven, Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Vincent van Gogh, and Georgia O’Keefe. Maybe Schumann and Beethoven are at the dinner table intently discussing the crescendos in their most recent scores, while Twain sits on a couch telling Poe about the plot of his latest novel. O’Keefe and Van Gogh may be talking about their art, while Roosevelt and Lincoln discuss political endeavors.

But in fact, these historical figures also had a much more personal common experience: Each of them battled the debilitating illness of depression.

It is common for people to speak of how “depressed” they are. However, the occasional sadness everyone feels due to life’s disappointments is very different from the serious illness caused by a brain disorder. Depression profoundly impairs the ability to function in everyday situations by affecting moods, thoughts, behaviors, and physical well-being.

Twenty-seven-year-old Anne (not her real name) has suffered from depression for more than 10 years. “For me it’s feelings of worthlessness,” she explains. “Feeling like I haven’t accomplished the things that I want to or feel I should have and yet I don’t have the energy to do them. It’s feeling disconnected from people in my life, even friends and family who care about me. It’s not wanting to get out of bed some mornings and losing hope that life will ever get better.”

Depression strikes about 17 million American adults each year–more than cancer, AIDS, or coronary heart disease–according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). An estimated 15 percent of chronic depression cases end in suicide. Women are twice as likely as men to be affected.

Many people simply don’t know what depression is. “A lot of people still believe that depression is a character flaw or caused by bad parenting,” says Mary Rappaport, a spokeswoman for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She explains that depression cannot be overcome by willpower, but requires medical attention.

Fortunately, depression is treatable, says Thomas Laughren, M.D., team leader for psychiatric drug products in FDA’s division of neuropharmacological drug products.

In the past 13 years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved several new antidepressants, including Wellbutrin (bupropion), Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine), Effexor (venlafaxine), Serzone (nefazodone), and Remeron (mirtazapine).

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), 80 to 90 percent of all cases can be treated effectively. However, two-thirds of the people suffering from depression don’t get the help they need, according to NIMH. Many fail to identify their symptoms or attribute them to lack of sleep or a poor diet, the APA says, while others are just too fatigued or ashamed to seek help.

Left untreated, depression can result in years of needless pain for both the depressed person and his or her family. And depression costs the United States an estimated $43 billion a year, due in large part to absenteeism from work, lost productivity, and medical costs, according to the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association.

Three Types

The three main categories of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar depression (sometimes referred to as manic depression).

Major depression affects 15 percent of Americans at one point during their lives, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its effects can be so intense that things like eating, sleeping, or just getting out of bed become almost impossible.

Major depression “tends to be a chronic, recurring illness,” Laughren explains. Although an individual episode may be treatable, “the majority of people who meet criteria for major depression end up having additional episodes in their lifetime.”

Unlike major depression, dysthymia doesn’t strike in episodes, but is instead characterized by milder, persistent symptoms that may last for years. Although it usually doesn’t interfere with everyday tasks, victims rarely feel like they are functioning at their full capacity. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, almost 10 million Americans may experience dysthymia each year.

Finally, bipolar disorder cycles between episodes of major depression and highs known as mania. Bipolar disorder is much less common than the other types, afflicting about 1 percent of the U.S. population. Symptoms of mania include irritability, an abnormally elevated mood with a decreased need for sleep, an exaggerated belief in one’s own ability, excessive talking, and impulsive and often dangerous behavior.

Genes and Environment

Study after study suggests biochemical and genetic links to depression. A considerable amount of evidence supports the view that depressed people have imbalances in the brain’s neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow communication between nerve cells. Serotonin and norepinephrine are two neurotransmitters whose low levels are thought to play an especially important role. The fact that women have naturally lower serotonin levels than men may contribute to women’s greater tendency to depression.

Family histories show a recurrence of depression from generation to generation. Studies of identical twins confirm that depression and genes are related, finding that if one twin of an identical pair suffers from depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of developing the disease. For fraternal twins or siblings, the rate is just 25 percent.

Environmental factors, however, may also play a role in depression. When combined with a biochemical or genetic predisposition, life stressors (such as relationship problems, financial difficulties, death of a loved one, or medical illness) may cause the disease to manifest itself.

John (not his real name), 25, was diagnosed with depression for the first time last year when he and his girlfriend ended their three-year relationship. “I couldn’t do anything because I was totally absorbed with the whole break-up issue,” he says. “It was impossible for me to sleep, and I would wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning and literally shake. And when it was time to wake up, I just couldn’t get out of bed.”

In addition, substance abuse and side effects from prescription medication may also lead to a depressive episode. And research shows that people battling serious medical conditions are especially prone to depression. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, those who have had a heart attack, for example, have a 40 percent chance of being depressed.

Seasonal affective disorder, often called “SAD,” is a striking example of an environmental factor playing a major role in depression. SAD usually starts in late fall, with the decrease in daylight hours and ends in spring when the days get longer.

The symptoms of SAD, which include energy loss, increased anxiety, oversleeping, and overeating, may result from a change in the balance of brain chemicals associated with decreased sunlight. The exact reason for the association between light and mood is unknown, but research suggests a connection with the sleep cycle. Several studies have suggested that light therapy, which involves daily exposure to bright fluorescent light, may be an effective treatment for SAD.

Diagnosing the Disease

Medical professionals generally base a diagnosis of depressive disorder on the presence of certain symptoms listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. The DSM (presently in the fourth edition) lists the following symptoms for depression:

• depressed mood
• loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities
• changes in appetite or weight
• disturbed sleep
• slowed or restless movements
• fatigue, loss of energy
• feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
• trouble in thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
• recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

The diagnosis depends on the number, severity and duration of these symptoms.

Even with this list of symptoms, diagnosing depression is not simple. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, it takes an average of eight years from the onset of depression to get a proper diagnosis.

In making a diagnosis, a health professional should also consider the patient’s medical history, the findings of a complete physical exam, and laboratory tests to rule out the possibility of depressive symptoms resulting from another medical problem.

The symptoms of the depressive part of bipolar disorder are the same as those expressed in major (unipolar) depression. Because of the similarities in symptoms and the fact that manic episodes usually don’t appear until the mid-20s, some people with bipolar disorder may mistakenly be diagnosed with unipolar depression. This may lead to improper treatment because antidepressants carry the risk of triggering a manic episode. (For information about treating bipolar disorder, see “Evening Out the Ups and Downs of Manic-Depressive Illness” in the June 1996 FDA Consumer.)

Antidepressant Drugs

One major approach for treating depression is the use of antidepressant medications. The older antidepressants include tricyclic antidepressants such as Tofranil (imipramine) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as Nardil (phenelzine). Antidepressants approved more recently include the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft, and the other newer antidepressants Wellbutrin, Effexor, Serzone, and Remeron.

The effects of antidepressants on the brain are not fully understood, but there is substantial evidence that they somehow restore the brain’s chemical balance. These medications usually can control depressive symptoms in four to eight weeks, but many patients remain on antidepressants for six months to a year following a major depressive episode to avoid relapse.

Different drugs work for different people, and it is difficult to predict which people will respond to which drug or who will experience side effects. So it may take more than one try to find the appropriate medication.

Since the mid-1950s, tricyclic antidepressants have been the standard against which other antidepressants have been measured. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors were discovered around the same time as tricyclic antidepressants, but were prescribed less because, if mixed with certain foods or medications, the drugs sometimes resulted in a fatal rise in blood pressure.

Laughren describes Prozac as the “first of a new type of more selective antidepressants.” The older antidepressants had unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects, such as insomnia, weight gain, blurred vision, sexual impairment, heart palpitations, dry mouth, and constipation. Prozac, other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and other recently approved antidepressants have had generally safer side effect profiles.

A recent study funded by NIMH suggested that Prozac may be as effective in treating children and teens as adults, but the drug is not yet approved by FDA for use in this population.

Other types of therapy, such as natural substances extracted from plants, are currently being studied. Although not approved by FDA, some people believe St. John’s wort, for example, is extremely helpful in alleviating their depressive symptoms. (See “An Herbal Alternative?”)

When people are unresponsive to antidepressant medications or can’t take them because of their age or health problems, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or “shock therapy,” can offer a lifesaving alternative. Like antidepressants, ECT is believed to affect the chemical balance of the brain’s neurotransmitters.

Before ECT, the patient is given anesthesia and a muscle relaxant to prevent injury or pain. Then electrodes are placed on the person’s head, and a small amount of electricity is applied. This procedure is usually done three times a week until the patient improves. Some patients may experience a temporary loss of short-term memory.

Talking It Out

For severe depressive episodes, medications are often the first step because of the relatively quick relief they can bring to physical symptoms. For the long term, however, psychotherapy may be needed to address certain aspects of the illness that drugs cannot. “Although the biological features of depression may respond better to drugs,” Laughren says, “people may need to relearn how to interact with their environment after the biological part of the depression is controlled.”

“I wanted to talk things out and get better in that way,” John says. “And even after the first couple of times I saw my therapist, I could do a little bit more. Talking with her gave me some reality that how I was feeling wasn’t so abnormal, so unusual, or so terrible.”

Anne explains, “It’s just comforting sometimes to share the little day-to-day happenings in my life with someone who doesn’t get to see them first-hand.”

Some find support groups to be invaluable in helping them cope with their depression. “It’s through talking with others with similar experiences,” says Mary Rappaport, “that you can better understand what you’re going through.”

Changes in lifestyle are also important in the management of depression. Exercise, even in moderate doses, seems to enhance energy and reduce tension. Some research suggests that a rush of the hormone norepinephrine following exercise helps the brain deal with stress that often leads to depression and anxiety. A similar effect may be obtained through meditation, yoga, and certain diets.

A Bright Future

Like many others who have not had to face depression themselves, John’s friends lacked knowledge about the disease. “I think the whole thing really affected my relationships with people,” he says. “I was pretty much a jerk all of the time. I didn’t want to talk to anybody. I just wanted them to leave me alone.”

With the growing awareness of the seriousness of the disorder and the biological causes, the understanding and support of family and friends may be easier to come by. “The future looks very bright for individuals who in the past have often had to suffer alone,” says Rappaport. “More and more people are coming out, which encourages people to talk about it.” Among those who have “come out” recently to publicly discuss their personal bouts with depression are comedian Drew Carey and “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace.

Experts say that no one, young or old, has to accept feelings of depression as a necessary part of life. The National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association and other organizations offer medical information and referrals. By trying different options for facing their personal challenges, Anne and others have learned what treatments help them most. “All in all,” Anne says, “I think my ability to weather the ups and downs of life has gotten better.”

Researchers continue to make great strides in understanding and treating depression. For example, scientists are beginning to learn more about the chromosomes where affective disorder genes appear to be located. “While there is a long way to go in coming up with even more effective drugs,” Laughren says, “there’s much ongoing research and reason for optimism.”

Liora Nordenberg is a freelance writer in Harrisburg, Pa.

“An Herbal Alternative?”

St. John the Baptist’s birthday is celebrated on June 24. It is also around this time that the pretty yellow flowers of St. John’s wort, the plant named in his honor, bloom in Germany. The plant may be more than just beautiful. Hypericum, the concentrated extract of flowers and leaves, is thought by some to be effective in treating depression.

While the herb is the most-prescribed antidepressant in Germany, in the United States, St. John’s wort is not an approved drug. Many health food stores in this country sell it as a dietary supplement, but FDA does not allow any antidepressant claims because it has not been proven to be a safe and effective drug for this use. “There’s no particular reason to doubt that it might have biological effects,” says Thomas Laughren, M.D., in FDA’s division of neuropharmacological drug products. “Whether or not it is an effective antidepressant remains to be seen.”

The National Institutes of Health is sponsoring studies to determine if St. John’s wort is safe and effective as a treatment for mild to moderate cases of depression. One issue of concern is how the herb interacts with certain drugs, especially antidepressants that affect the brain chemical serotonin.

–L.N.

 

Take it HERE

 

to Romania

words and music by balaurul Joe King

 

 

Why do they always keep smiling?

Why they don’t tell us the truth?

Why our future is dying?

And why we depress our youth?

 

 

 

Why do we kill our values?

Why  we pretend that we care?

Why do we build useless statues?

When we don’t have much to share?

 

 

 

And I don’t know why

They will never try

To make us see some good changes

Nothing left for hope

Nothing left to give

They want to sell us more dreams

They want to sell us more dreams

 

 

 

Why do you hate so much, brother?

Why can’t you  let me be who I am?

We must respect and help each other

And not to find somebody else to blame

 

 Why do they always keep lying

Why  they pretend that they care

They know, our future is dying

They know, there is nothing left to share

 

 

Why do we choose the wrong guys?

Who speak nice but do nothing

Why can’t we see they tell lies?

Why do we take those lies as something?

They want to sell us more dreams

They want to sell us more dreams

 

 

 

 

Why do you drink so much, father?

Why when you’re drunk you beat mom?

We suppose to love each other

We are family, all as one

 

 

 

 Why do they always keep smiling?    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by balauru

to Marian

major scale

Once a day, a small mistake

brings you into tomorrow.

you find yourself

filled with pain

and all the roads are narrow.

 

R

and everyone says…

Hey man

you’ll be the strong guy again.

look at you

you’ve just became a shadow

nobody knows

how bad it is

to find another world to live in

when you’re scared

depressed and tired.

 

once a week

you send the night to sleep

and don’t care about tomorrow.

once again

she plays with you

she shoots you an arrow.

 

 R

And everyone says…

Hey man

you’ll be the strong guy again.

look at you

you’ve just became a shadow

nobody knows how bad it is

to find another world to live in

when you’re scared

depressed and tired.

 

once a year you get older

and look at it with sorrow.

and every day, a small mistake

brings you into tomorrow.

 

R

And everyone says…

Hey man

you’ll be the strong guy again.

look at you

you’ve just became a shadow

nobody knows how bad it is

to find another world to live in

when you’re scared

depressed and tired  

Q What’s good about being depressed?
A No more scrounging around for downers.

Q What’s good about being depressed?
A You’re getting what you deserve because you’re such a worthless piece of shit.

Q What’s good about suicide?
A No more worry about global warming.

Q What’s good about suicide?
A You can be your own hospice team.

Q What’s good about suicide?
A No more worry about cellulite.

Q What’s good about suicide?
A No more fears they’re going to get you cause, haha, you got yourself first.

Sursa

Fighting depression, coping with depression is a hard work. Take it now easy or at least easier…

Humor is a healthy factor.

 

Look at the funniest collection of depression jokes:

 

• I’m absolutely healthy… The voices in my head agreed as well.
• Client: “Everybody ignores me. “
  Doctor: “Next, please.”
• I was depressed last night so I called Lifeline. They’ve got a call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal. They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.
• I’m not satisfied with the result of the therapy… I used to be Napoleon, but today I’m simply John Smith.
• Man goes to doctor. Says he’s depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world, where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says the treatment is simple. The great clown Terrifini is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up. Man bursts into tears: “But doctor . . . I am Terrifini.

 

by Dan Teodor Pohic

 

sursa

Depresia este una dintre cel mai des intalnite afectiuni din lume si poate si cea mai caracteristica. O persoana din cinci va suferi de depresie la un moment dat in viata ei. Poate afecta atat femeile cat si barbatii de toate varstele si indiferent de mediul in care traiesc.

Multi oameni cred ca aceasta boala nu se poate trata, dar multi dintre cei care sufera din aceasta cauza vor face tot ce le sta in putinta pentru a inlatura durerea, uneori, descoperind chiar tratamentul potrivit.

Depresia este un termen general care cuprinde o larga paleta de afectiuni psihice, de la starile proaste pana la sentimente de sinucidere. Pentru a putea raspunde la intrebarile pe care vi le puneti, aflati mai multe despre cauzele majore ale depresiei, diferitele tipuri ale acesteia si posibile modalitati de tratare.

1. Cauzele depresiei

Chiar si cauza este un amalgam al acestor factori. Starea de depresie poate fi legata de o serie de cauze fizice cum ar fi o alimentatie saracacioasa, lipsa exercitiilor fizice sau unele boli, cum ar fi gripa. Chiar si folosirea frecventa a energizantelor poate duce la depresie din cauza distrugerii reactiilor chimice ale creierului.

2. Simptomele depresiei

Exista foarte multe simptome ale depresiei printre care putem intalni:
- sentimente persistente de tristete, pierderea increderii in sine sau proasta parere despre sine, pierderea bucuriei in fata lucrurilor care altadata ar fi fost placute si interesante;
- pierderea sperantei si sentimente de neajutorare, sentimente inexplicabile de vinovatie si de zadarnicie;
- agitatie sau anxietate, dificultati in munca de la serviciu sau in comunicarea cu colegii, dificultati in concentrare;
- ganduri de sinucidere si de moarte.

Alte simptome fizice pot fi: oboseala, pierderea energiei, probleme cu somnul, pierderea apetitului sau exagerarea cu mancatul, pierderea apetitului sexual sau chiar probleme ale functiilor sexuale, consumul de alcool sau fumatul mai mult decat in mod obisnuit, dureri fizice sau diverse tulburari ale organismului. Daca ati experimentat patru sau chiar mai multe dintre aceste simptome aproape in fiecare zi timp de peste doua saptamani, trebuie sa cereti ajutor.

3. Tipuri de depresie

- Depresie reactiva
Se pare ca depresia reactiva este cel mai obisnuit tip de depresie. Aceasta este declansata de un eveniment traumatic, dificil sau stresant al vietii. Persoanele afectate se simt rau, nervoase, anxioase sau chiar furioase. Acest tip de depresie mai poate aparea dupa o perioada prelungita de stres si chiar la mult timp dupa sfarsitul acestei perioade. Cauzele variaza enorm de la o persoana la alta, fiind vorba uneori de schimbarea locuintei sau de pierderea unui parinte in copilarie pana la incapacitatea de a realiza ceva o lunga perioada de timp, o pierdere grea sau un divort.

- Depresia endogena
Acest tip de depresie nu este intotdeauna cauzat de un eveniment stresant din viata, ci mai repede poate fi vorba de un dezechilibru al reactiilor chimice ale creierului. Acest tip de depresie apare cel mai adesea din cauza problemelor legate de familie.

- Depresia maniaca
Cel putin o persoana dintr-o suta va experimenta genul acesta de depresie cel putin o data in viata ei. Acest tip de depresie - cunoscuta si ca depresia bipolara - este foarte diferita de toate celelalte tipuri de depresie. In afara sentimentului de nefericire care o urmareste tot timpul, persoana afectata experimenteaza o crestere exagerata de energie si stari de exaltare urmate de scaderi bruste si de disperare cumplita. Aceste urcusuri si coborasuri de stare pot dura chiar si cateva luni la rand.
De asemenea, persoanele afectate pot suferi de deziluzii si halucinatii - vad si aud lucruri care nu exista. Cei mai multi din cei afectati de acest tip de depresie sufera de aceasta in adolescenta si in jurul varstei de 20 de ani.
Ca si in cazul celorlalte tipuri de depresie, se poate da vina pe un intreg amestec de factori fizici si de ambient. Nu s-a confirmat ca ar exista vreo legatura cu determinarea genetica; daca unul din parinti sufera de aceasta afectiune, exista sanse de 10% ca aceasta boala sa va afecteze.

- Depresia post-natala
Aceasta este o foarte bine cunoscuta forma de depresie care afecteaza intre 10 si 20% dintre femeile care dau nastere unui copil. A nu se confunda cu o alta afectiune denumita “baby-blues” - o scurta perioada de timp de nefericire care apare la trei sau patru zile dupa nastere. Aceasta afectiune poate provoca un plans inexplicabil si sentimentul de singuratate pentru cateva zile de la nastere.
Depresia post-natala este o afectiune cu mult mai serioasa care apare dupa doua sau chiar trei saptamani de la nastere si care se dezvolta incet, ceea ce face sa fie foarte greu de diagnosticat. De asemenea, poate fi foarte dificil chiar si pentru mama sa isi dea seama ca sufera de depresie, ceea ce ingreuneaza cu mult situatia. Acest tip de depresie este cauzat de un dezechilibru hormonal in creier.

- Tulburari afective de sezon
Acest tip de depresie apare odata cu apropierea iernii si se pare ca se datoreaza lipsei de lumina a zilei in lunile de iarna. Aceasta lipsa de lumina a zilei limiteaza producerea serotoninei, un hormon al fericirii produs de creierul nostru, provocand sentimente de nefericire. Acest tip de depresie poate fi tratat cu terapie prin lumina.