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Featured Depression Articles

8 Things You Can Do For Someone Suffering from Depression
Someone suffering a clinical depression needs medication and therapy. In addition, here are some things you can do for them as a loving person in their life, or as their personal life coach.1. Be clear in your mind that they need medication and therapy, ...

Avoiding Depression
Can you really avoid depression? Is there a way that you can get rid of this awful disease that seems to be taking over your life? For many, the only way to rid their bodies of depression is by taking medications and getting therapy. Both of these things ...

When Do You See A Doctor If You Have (Or You Think You Have) Depression?
If you have depression, or at least you think you have one, you must realize that you should not diagnose yourself. You need to have a healthcare practitioner that is skilled to give you a correct assessment and professional diagnosis of your condition. ...

8 Things You Can Do For Someone Suffering from Depression
 

1. Be clear in your mind that they need medication and therapy, and project this. Encourage them to continue both. Make it clear it's now the new routine.

2. There should be Guide Dogs for the Depressed. If the depressed loved-one or client in your life doesn't have a companion pet, give them a well-trained, easy-to-manage, older one. This is particularly important if they live alone. Specify that you will take care of the dog in terms of vet care and bills, and provide a starter-kit--huge bag of dog food and container, food and water dishes, bedding, etc. In other words, make it easy for them to accept this healing gift. I have a depressed coaching client in Manhattan suffering the aftermath of Nine One One who mostly talks to me about her beloved companion dog. I consider "Cody" part of the healing team for this woman.

3. Make any decision you can for the person. In other words, don't say "Would you like to go out for dinner tonight? Where would you like to go?" Say instead, "We're going to Bijan's tomorrow night for dinner. I'll pick you up at 7:00. Just wear your jeans." Once there, offer to order for the person.

4. Speak in normal, modulated tones. Avoid an overly-'compassionate' look of concern or a patronizing tone of voice. If they have trouble making a decision or remembering something, keep your eyes from looking overly concerned or worried. This will only add to their worry and confusion.

5. Just be with them. Don't hover, try to cheer them up, argue, try to 'get a rise out of them,' or ask them 'talk about it.' Cognitive processes are slowed, and emotionally, they're in conflict. Under those circumstances, it's difficult to talk. It's hard to connect with people, even best-beloved ones, when you're clinically depressed--hard to maintain eye-contact and to follow long sentences and thoughts. A metaphor I use is play lacrosse with them, don't face off with them on the football line. Be 'around' them, not 'in their face.'
6. Don't put them in a position that would arouse emotions. Celebrations, holidays, receiving gifts, or a long discourse on foreign policy all require a level of involvement the depressed person is not capable of.

7. Be grounded and stay centered yourself. Remind yourself of your love for them that will endure "even this."

8. When the person begins to heal is a wonderful time for them to have a coach.

About the Author
Susan Dunn is a personal and professional life coach, and author of the hot new ebook "Secrets to Marketing Prof. Services Online (on her web). Email her for FREE ezine, 100% FREE.


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Depression News

Recession or Depression? Finding the Trigger ... - CNBC
The key question facing markets these days is the difference between recession and depression. A recession is an economic slowdown that may last for 6 to 18 months. A depression is an economic pullback that may last from two to four years. We'd ...

This Is Not the Great Depression II - CNBC
In the space of 10 minutes, prepping for a segment on the Today Show this morning, I had one staffer say to me, “Everyone younger than 50 just needs to relax!” while another asked, “Is this really going to be another Great Depression?” It’s ...

Salvos seek to target rural depression - ninemsn
The Salvation Army is battling to cut high suicide rates in the bush with a project that includes a DVD showing people how to get help for depression. Half a million free DVDs featuring four rural Australians talking about their battles with ...

Cardiac Events Not Reduced by Treating Depression in Patients With CVD ... - Medscape News
Physicians - maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™ for physicians; Family Physicians - up to 0.25 AAFP Prescribed credit(s) for physicians To participate in this internet activity: (1) review the target audience, learning objectives, and ...

OPINION: Depression Buff's New Course of Study - Washington Post
It was the annual conference of the American Economic Association in January 2000, and the well-regarded Princeton professor was explaining to a fellow economist why he had always loved macroeconomics. What made his chosen field so compelling, he ...

Whitehead sees slump worse than Depression - Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The economy faces a slump deeper than the Great Depression and a growing deficit threatens the credit of the United States itself, former Goldman Sachs chairman John Whitehead, said at the Reuters Global Finance Summit on ...

Young mothers' depression risk - BBC News
Women who become mothers as teenagers or in their early 20s are more likely to suffer depression during pregnancy than older mothers, UK researchers say. An 11-year study of 176 families found children born to women aged 16 to 22 are also more likely ...