Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Symptoms of Depression..

Depression comes in very different forms! If you are not sure if you just have the "blues" or if you are suffering from a serious Depression problem, here are some symptoms to keep an eye out for. If you have the following symptoms that just don't seem to go away then it is time to consider getting help.

* you can't sleep enough or you sleep too much
* you can't concentrate or find that previously easy tasks are now difficult
* you feel worthless and hopeless
* you can't control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try
* you have lost your appetite or you can't stop eating
* you are constantly irritated or become enraged even at small things - and this is new for you
* you have thoughts that life is not worth living, or have a plan for how you would end it
* you have lost your energy.
*you cry for no apparent reason and feel as if you can't control it.
*IF you have thoughts of suicide GET HELP IMMEDIATELY!!

Ways to help you cope with your depression:

*Ask for help and support from your friends and family.
*Make healthy lifestyle changes (regular exercise, enough sleep, eating healthy.. etc).
*Seek help from a professional. Talk to a therapist or even just a doctor to help you decide if you need to be on medication.
*Keep up with social activities.
*Join a support group.
*Do things that you enjoy.
*Write in a journal.
*Make a list of things you like about yourself.
*Get some sunlight every day.
*Find ways to manage your stress.
*Boost your B vitamins.
*Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. (this can be difficult but practice and make yourself do it and the easier it will become!)

Depression is not an easy thing to deal with. If you are tired of living with depression and fighting a constant battle get HELP and make the changes that are needed to make life enjoyable again! I'm working on it and I feel soo much better already on the inside and out!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Something odd is going on!

I came to post but.. where are all of my posts?? All that shows up are my ads and my side bar?? WTF? My other two blogs are showing up just fine?? This has me freaking out just a wee bit! Where did they go? I'm hoping it's just some sort of glitch and will be fixed in the morning??

I've not posted much lately. I spent all of last week dealing with the horrible stomach flu that was going around. It started off with my 4 yr old son getting it. Then I got it, then my 5 yr old son got it! My husband had it the week before but we didn't realize it was the flu because he has a lot of other stomach problems. The only one that didn't get it was my daughter. Lucky her! It was awful! Horrible stomach cramps. Couldn't keep anything down. Ugh. I hate the stomach flu.. I'm glad it's over with!.. Oh, I also hate cleaning up my children's puke, too! Eeegads!

Things have been going a little better here. My husband was put on Anxiety pills and it has made a huge difference in him. He is in a better mood now and is a lot more fun to be around and a lot more affectionate. I need to buy stock in these pills! I can't believe the difference! Things are much more relaxed here now, thankfully!

I went back to the doctor yesterday. He's upping my dosage of Effexor a little bit. I was doing alright until just a few days ago then I felt the mood swings coming back. I don't know if it is just the stress of everything going on right now. I'm so burned out. I feel like I am doing EVERYTHING around here. I feel like I am taken for granted because I work at home instead of going out somewhere to work. I spend my day working, taking care of kids, dealing with arguments/temper tantrums, cooking, cleaning up after 3 kids, dishes, laundry, cooking some more, working some more, and working some more.. ooh and don't forget I'm also in school, too! Soo, trying to squeeze some reading/studying time in there, too! From the time I get up in the morning I don't really have a chance to sit down and RELAX until after the kids are back in bed that night! Then I usually come online and work some more.. Thankfully night time is slow so this is when I try to squeeze in my blogging or other internet things that I do! My husband doesn't really help with much at all anymore. He comes home from work and sits on the couch or at the computer while I'm studying or cooking.. etc.. Yesterday I asked him to do something quite simple for me on his day off. His response was, "it's my day off, I just want to relax and do nothing".. and THAT he did! While I did everything else. I even made the comment, "I wish I had a day to just relax and do nothing". To which he responded, "well take a day and relax". HA! Right. I don't have that option! He just doesn't get it and I don't think he realizes how much I do. I think that HE thinks because I work from home that I have it easy!

Oh yay! I just checked my blog again and all posts are back! *phew*...

While I'm thinking of it. I have made a Squidoo lense similar to this blog. I have put a lot of great advice on it including symptoms of depression and how to improve your self esteem! I do hope you will take some time to check it out! JOURNEY TO A NEW ME SQUIDOO LENSE

Monday, February 9, 2009

A little inspiration....

A few quotes to make you think!

“Realize that true happiness lies within you.

Waste no time and effort searching peace, contentment and joy in the world outside.

Remember there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.

Reach out.

Share.

Smile.

Hug.

Happiness is a perfume that you cannot pour out on others without getting a few drops on yourself.”


--Og Mandino



“Hope is the strongest driving force for a people. Hope, which brings about change, which produces new realities, is what opens man’s road to freedom. Once hope has taken hold, courage must unite with wisdom. That is the only way of avoiding violence, the only way of maintaining the calm one needs to respond peacefully to offenses.”


--Oscar Arias Sanchez

Monday, February 2, 2009