Here are some depression symptoms to help you. Not all people have all the same symptoms or even at the same time. If you suspect your or someone you know may be suffering from depression the best thing to do is consult a doctor.

- Unexplained crying

- Lethargy

- Indecisiveness and difficulty in concentrating

- Anger, worry, worry, agitation and irritability

- Prolonged sadness

- Negativity or pessimism

- Loss of energy

- Thoughts of death and suicide

- Unexplained body aches and pains

- Social withdrawal

- Feelings of guilt and sense of worthlessness

- Irregular sleep patterns and loss of appetite

- Fatigue even without heavy physical activity

- Lack of interest to surroundings

A medical check-up for depression will include a complete physical examination to rule out any other health problems and to get a detailed clinical history. When being diagnosed, you must be honest with your feelings to help the doctor arrive at the correct diagnosis. Though we’ve listed the most common depression symptoms above, never do any self diagnosis or rely on unqualified opinions from friends or family. Only a trained medical practitioner can determine if you are indeed suffering from depression and he will be able to help in recommending the proper care for you.

Also note that one type of depression is recurrent, this means the depression episodes regularly happen. This could be as regular as once a month or as far between as several years.

Depression must never be covered up. Do not be ashamed or embarrassed if you are diagnosed with depression. You should accept the problem and seek medical assistance. No one is immune from depression. People from all walks of life, ethnic groups and ages could be affected. And as mentioned earlier, over 20 million suffer from it every year so realize that you are not alone.

Regulating blood sugar level

Eating small quantity of food and healthy snacks in small intervals helps us to maintain the blood sugar level the whole day. According to experts, instead of having three heavy meals a day, person should opt for five small meals. One should not miss out on their daytime meals and especially the breakfast. Food rich in carbohydrates helps in increasing the level of serotonin in our body. Serotonin is one neurotransmitter which keeps our mood pleasant and stress free. It also helps in curing the problem of insomnia and increases our appetite. Sugary food should be taken in minimal amount since for once they do increase our blood sugar level all of a sudden which lowers down quickly. Low level blood sugar makes us feel tired, irritable and tensed.

Food rich in amino acids

Experts believe that whenever a person feels sad and dejected, he should have food which is rich in amino acids like milk, chicken etc. Amino acid increases the production of serotonin hormone which keeps our mood good. Apart from that one can also take food rich in carbohydrates. Health experts advice to have a balanced diet and not to follow any such diet plan which prohibits any kind of food or nutrient.

Stay away alcohol and caffeine

It has been observed that few people tend to drink alcohol so as to distract their minds and keep it free from thoughts creating tension in their minds. This practice surely doesn’t solve a person’s problem and in turn affects the health of the person. In one of the researches it has been found out that not only alcohol but caffeinated drinks and liquids induce depression. Liquids containing alcohol or caffeine negatively affect person’s sleep, mood and ability to focus.

Intake of good amount of fruits and green leafy vegetables

It has been found out that one of the reasons of depression in a person can be lack of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in his diet. Food must be rich in vitamin B6 (all types of grains, potato and banana), vitamin B12 (all kinds of low fat dairy products), folic acid (all types of green vegetables, oranges, beans and dry fruits), vitamin C (lemon and all kinds of citrus fruits) etc. They not only make our mood better but also keep us free from stress and tension.

Intake of fats is crucial

According to experts our food must contain some amount of fats. Fats play an important role in making our mood better and also channelise production of hormones required for a healthy mind. As per cardiologists mono-saturated fatty acids are beneficial in case of heart diseases since it lowers down the level of LDL cholesterol. Thus, our food should include groundnut oil, olive oil, almonds, cashewnuts, melon seeds etc. Saturated fats such as butter, margarine should not be taken in excess. According to a recent research, it is due to low amount of omega-3 fatty acids in body that a person highly likely gets into depression. Walnuts and flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acid.

The truth is proper diagnosis and treatment can take a long time, especially in the case of bipolar disorder. In a study in 1994 and again in 2003 by Lish and Hirshfeld respectively, they found that it takes about a decade from the time patients seek help to be correctly diagnosed. (shorter for type I illness; longer for type II). One of the biggest reasons for this is that bipolar disorder when it first appears often presents itself as unipolar depressions and these people will suffer three major depressive episodes before their first manic episode. (Goodwin and Jamison 1990). About one half of acutely manic patients do not realize they are experiencing a manic episode. Hence when a patient presents with depression and the clinician seeks to identify past mania or hypomania, the patient will deny such symptoms half of the time.

The important point here is that although depression and bipolar disorder are some of the more effectively treated medical conditions out there, it may take time and a skilled medical clinician to properly diagnose and treat the patient. This is often not your primary care physician. A psychiatrist who has proper training, insight and experience regarding manic episodes can hasten proper diagnosis and treatment to this population.

So like with so many things on TV these days, use these commercials as a tool to understand that there is help available. Seek professional assistance and discuss not only what is seen on TV but also other effective treatment plans that are available.

A good trick to improve these symptoms is to learn how to eat properly, by eating the correct foods you can stabilize the balance of insulin and blood sugar in your system. Not only will your moods improve but you will see a steady drop in your weight.

Sadly enough the people with this disorder are prone to diabetes, heart diseases and stroke. This leads to a early demise (bipolar people are twice as likely to pass on from these diseases than people without this disorder), so it would be a good idea if you suffer from bipolar to take your health into your own hands and change not only your eating habits but your lifestyle as well.

A good tip is to always be aware of the fact that there is a connection between what you eat or drink and manic depression. So one would have to minimize what they drink and start thinking about a healthier diet, one aimed at the control of mood swings, depression and weight loss – some medication for this condition can cause a fair amount of weight gain. (I am pretty sure if you surf the web you will find a menu that will suit your needs.)

Here’s an idea, why not learn to master the simple guidelines of the basic weight loss diet and incorporate the foods you need for bipolar control into the diet. You will need to control the food portions, learn the healthy food combination and find a cheap, quick and easy way to ensure that there are plenty of omega 3 fatty acids and folic acid nutrients within the diet. (to name but a few as there are plenty out there that assist in controlling this disorder, all it would take is a little more investigating on your part for you to find them) By doing this you will be able to avoid buying all those expensive supplements and cut down on the amount of prescription pills you need.

Another good tip for the bipolar sufferer – as your energy is going to be through the roof (you are going to find that once you are well entrenched into your new way of eating and your change of lifestyle that this will happen) – use it don’t lose it, go running or swimming, go to the gym, do anything physical as not only will this improve your mood and help with your self esteem, it will also tighten those muscles and help with the weight loss.

While I don’t claim to understand this disorder, I have watched a very good friend go through these mood swings and the highs and lows that come with depression. After a bit of research I found that there are ways of controlling this problem and wanted to share a few with you.

Yes, before you seek professional help, you need to assess yourself first of what really bothers you. Check if your heart beat is normal, monitor your breathing and see if you sweat a lot. During panic attacks, these symptoms are usually present. If you are still anxious and your body temperature is normal, then your problem is psychological in nature.

To avoid mental stress or anxiety, you need to be physically active to revert your mind to something else. Exercise is a good example on how to relieve mental stress and anxiety. Exercise is not just your best partner in fighting anxiety, it is an all around health enhancement.

It is proven in most studies that anxiety attacks are cured effectively by just being active physically, emotionally and mentally. And the effects does not stop there, regular exercise can boost confidence because it makes you fit, slim and tones your muscles perfectly. Also, a physically active individuals can also help improve social interaction.

Anxiety treatment studies shows that exercise fuels the brain enabling it to fight stress. Also, physically active people are less prone to anxiety and depression compared to socially isolated people. Although these are not concrete medical evidence linking exercise as treatment to mental stress, most cases already shows otherwise that exercise has great effect on brain stimulation.

One explanation is that, exercise could make yourself comfortable and can make you feel healthy physically and mentally. Aside from cardiovascular health benefits, exercise can make your body in a heightened state of exertion like heavy breathing and rapid heart beat. This kind of state is not similar to the more unnatural anxiety symptoms. This makes our sensations much immune to a more anxious state because exercise helps your body’s over all health condition.

Furthermore, a regular exercise can make you calm and relaxed during and after an activity. You will not be threatened by panic attacks anymore because you are mentally confidence that you know you are healthy. In other terms, you are already aware of what is going on with your body and mind thus resulting to a less anxious state and less worries.

Below are some added explanations on how exercise can help treat anxiety and depression.

- Exercise can release the feel-good brain chemicals which aids anxiety and depression.

- Helps reduce immune system chemicals that can affect mental stress.

- Helps increase body temperature naturally.

So what kind of exercise is best to help you treat anxiety? If you think that running 5 kilometers is the only way to distract mental stress, you are wrong. As you know exercise is composed of wide range of activities and this includes sports, dancing and different body workouts. It really depends on what your hobby is. The most important is that you are satisfied and happy on what you do because it also contributes on how you fight mental stress.

The links between anxiety, depression and physical activities are not yet proven but based on unofficial reports, workout can definitely help you relax, calm and feel much better. Research also shows that exercise can help keep anxiety and depression from coming back so it can also be considered as a good alternative treatment.

The best way to keep yourself from having panic attacks is to have a healthy lifestyle. Do positive things to avoid mental disturbances, it is one of the natural strategy to avoid anxiety. Avoid alcohols and other unprescribed drugs because it can make anxiety symptoms much more worse. Remember to be healthy inside and out, that is the best way to fight mental stress.