WHEN WILL PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR SOME TO BE MEDICATED FOR DEPRESSION?

Several decades have gone by since treatment for depression was no longer believed to be treatable by psychotherapy alone.  Research made it clear that a combination of medication and either psychotherapy or behavioral therapy was the most effective treatment.  Clinical depression is on a spectrum of intensity.  Given the number of neurotransmitters humans have, as well as hormones, endocrines, and other balances effecting our moods, treatment is still not a simple matter.

Any licensed physician can prescribe psychotropic drugs but, unless they have been well trained and are current, they can do more damage than good.  The patient is always the one at risk.  Many areas have no one sufficiently trained to treat properly.  When medication doesn't work, some have prescribed raising the dosage.  A medication has a 'window ' of effectiveness. More is not at all necessarily better.  More, in fact can be toxic and make a patient worse.

Each year medications are being improved and their targets more refined.  Yet, the treatment of Affective Disorders (uncontrollable mood changes), particularly the Bipolars, requires great medical skill.  Our society nis still in the dark ages holding onto the belief that people should be strong and solve their own 'problems'.  Patients still express fears that admitting to psychotropic prescriptions will damage their trustworthiness, employability, and will be seen as 'mental'. 

The current state of mental health is described in a Harvard Medical School article in its Family Guide. When the entire population can understand both the disorders as well as the treatment, people will be more comfortable talking about their diagnosis, symptoms and treatment so that it will help others.  The course of bipolar disorder is not a straight line, usually.  There are peaks and valleys which we call 'episodes'.  No one can predict how long anyone's episode may last.  We only know that a depressive episode is stressful and the stress hormone, cortisol, is toxic to the brain over the years sometimes shortening one's life

Research now correlates chronically elevated levels of cortisol with blood sugar problems, fat accumulation, compromised immune function, exhaustion, bone loss, and even heart disease. Memory loss has also been associated with high cortisol levels. Continual stress can indeed have a negative impact on your health.  To learn more about the impact of high stress levels of cortisol for prolonged periods, click here. .

Hard work harms people far less than worry and continued stress.  All those lovely little messages about stopping and smelling the coffee, taking time out to smell the roses and many more suggestions to lower stress may not work as a panacea for all but the thought is in the right direction.  Calm down!

FEELING COMPLETE

It took widowhood to teach me that feeling complete happens totally within. While you are in partnership, it is very nice to share tasks, like keeping up the house, shopping, food preparation, kitchen cleanup, cloths washing, both inside and outside maintenance and so much more . Living alone, you get to do it all, by yourself. You can find or hire someone to do it for you, which takes money and effort.

However, there are some hidden pluses to living without that significant other. You, alone, choose what you want to do and are able do. There is no discussing, compromising, arguing or wait for a decision. Though you might have later regrets, you don't even have to be reasonable or responsible. All consequences are up to you and you alone will live with them. You can stay up as late as you wish, get up to your own schedule. You never have to watch a TV show in which you have no interest, nor be interrupted in the middle of one in which you are interested.

You are free to develop lots of friends with different interests who help broaden the scope of subjects by which you grow. You are free to go out whenever you please, alone or with friends, with no one to question your loyalty or actions.

'Do-it-yourself' becomes a way of life. When you accept that you can, you are complete.