Positive Steps: An Overview To Mental Health And Well-Being

INTRODUCTION

Our very well-being is dependent upon strong mental health, and a variety of indicators tell us that we may be in a great deal of trouble.  The number of people suffering from mental health problems continue to skyrocket and research is demonstrating the horrible impacts of the most common mental health difficulties.

This ebook is designed to provide an overview of the two most common mental health problems noted today:  depression and anxiety.  It does not attempt to be a comprehensive look at either difficulty, but instead hopes to show the seriousness of these problems, identifying characteristics, and basic information that can introduce readers to methods of treatment if they believe they may be suffering from either disorder. 

It also seeks to provide a way for most of us to deal with depressed feelings or a sense of anxiousness or stress.

Most of us, fortunately, are not experiencing a serious case of either depression or anxiety that will require medical intervention.  Nonetheless, the nature of modern society and its pressures (combined, perhaps with our genetic tendencies) does leave us vulnerable to feeling down and anxious on many occasions. 

In additional to discussing depression and anxiety from a “medical” perspective, this ebook also provides a great tool many of us can use to conquer problems in our everyday life.  This technique, the Release Method, is outlined in detail in this volume and can be a wonderful way to help oneself to feel better.

This ebook is not a source of medical advice.  Anyone who believes they may be suffering from a serious mental health problem should immediately consult with a physician and receive proper medical care.  None of the material contained herein is provided to contradict that conclusion. 

If you believe you are suffering from a mental health problem, seek qualified professional assistance immediately.

DEPRESSION

 DEFINING DEPRESSION

Everyone has moments in life where they feel down.  Sadness, hopelessness and loneliness are entirely natural human emotions and experiencing them is not, in and of itself, evidence of a mental health problem or disorder.  In fact, those who are unable to feel lonely or “blue” are probably more likely to have a serious difficulty of some sort as those who can!

So, if experiencing sadness isn’t a demonstration of depression, what is?  At what point does one move from simply experiencing the highs and lows of life normally to having a problem that requires attention? 

There is no clear bright line separating sadness or a “low” feeling from depression.  However, those who feel this way often or for a prolonged period of time may have a problem that justifies additional investigation and concern.    When one experiences these down feelings and they don’t subside, they may be suffering from depression.

Depression is a disorder that impacts all areas of one’s life.  It tends to change appetites, sleeping patterns, feelings of self-worth and self-esteem, and one’s ability to function normally. 

When one is depressed, they cannot simply make the problem go away with willpower or dedication.  The low feelings don’t simply disappear because one wants them to do so, and without intervention those feelings and their awful side effects can last for extended periods of time.

EXTENT OF DEPRESSION

Depression is a very serious problem.  Some have described a depression epidemic, and although that may strike some as an exaggeration, statistical evidence and new research do make it clear that the world is truly confronting a major medical problem.

The United Nations World Health Organization has projected that by 2020, depression will rank only second to heart disease as the most “devastating illness” in the world. 

Depression, of course, is not merely an easily encapsulated mental health disorder.  It has impacts on all levels of one’s well-being, giving it a “multiplied” power.  Depression can influence other illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.  It can make these other serious conditions very difficult to treat effectively, making it even more devastating.

The extent of depression exceeds most people’s understanding.  Consider the following facts:

- Nearly twenty percent of all Americans will deal with major depression during their lives.

- Approximately ten percent of all Americans suffer from recurring depression.

- Approximately thirty percent of women experience depression and research is indicating that the number of males suffering from the disorder is higher than what had once been believed.

- Depression costs employers over fifty billion dollars annually due to absenteeism and decreased productivity.

- Depression is growing in younger age brackets.  Nearly five percent of pre-school children may be depressed and the rate of increase for depression in children is growing at a rate in excess of twenty percent per year.

- Depression affects everyone.  Even those not directly burdened with the condition will know others who are or will be compelled to deal with the impact of the disease in some fashion.

Depression does not discriminate based upon age, sex or gender.  Statistics from nations other than the U.S. demonstrate that it is a global phenomenon and is not merely a problem for a few industrialized nations.  Depression really is an epidemic.

When one considers the untold suffering caused by depression (not to mention the substantial economic losses it spurs), it is clear that we must learn more about the disease and how to treat it.  The stakes are simply too high to allow us to pretend that depression is a problem for only a few unlucky souls or something that can be left alone to run its own course.

The staggering statistics should also provide some level of solace for those who may be suffering from depression.  If you are depressed, you are clearly not a lone.  Depression is not a matter of personal weakness or failure.  It is a serious disease that harms tens of millions of people.

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