Depression

Making The Diagnosis Of Clinical Depression

Want to learn more about Making The Diagnosis Of Clinical Depression? Check out Agonist Learning Center for more information!

Q: Concurrent diagnoses – bipolar and borderline personality?
I know that there’s a lot of similarity between borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder so I was wondering whether or not you could have them both at once? I’m curious as to how you could label the mood lability as being due to one or the other because they both feature mood instability.

I’ve been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder amongst other things – including clinical depression and the other day I eavesdropped on my psychiatrist (who was talking about me in the corridor to his registrar) and he mentioned bipolar disorder (but didn’t bring it up in the consult). I think he might be on the right track, given my history with medications and a few other things that have happened.

So can you have both at once? Or would a bipolar diagnosis make them reconsider my other diagnoses?

Thanks in advance.

A: i think it would make them reconsider the original diagnosis of BPD. But BPD is a personality disorder whereas bi polar is a mood disoreder, so i think it is possible to have both

Q: Your opinion if I have Asperger’s?
I’m not asking for a diagnosis just an opinion if you think I COULD have it or if I should get tested for it? I’d REALLY like to put a name to my problems. They are really starting to affect my life right now and I’m frustrated because I’ve always known I wasn’t “normal”. I’ve done a little research on it …actually accidently while I was just watching You Tube video’s on mental disorders that interest me to find out more about them. So now I’m thinking I just might have found an answer to my own problems. If you don’t think it could be Aspergers, is there something similar that my problems could fit into it?
Me: (I’m 39 yrs old -female)
-hate to be interrupted when I’m doing something
-I always say I’m a “creature of habit”. Same routes driving, etc
-stress out, irritated, upset when I have to entertain or if someone drops by unexpectedly
-don’t like to be “over hugged” or “over touched”
-don’t like noise or commotion -can’t concentrate or think clearly
-don’t make conversation or small talk well AT ALL
-put on a facade at work to be ‘normal’ and ’social’
-prefer to be alone. Irritated if I have to deal with people when I want to be alone
-don’t talk much at all. I listen and think more.
-I get really “into” things particularily computer games. I play way too much and neglect everything else. Younger it used to be chat rooms. I only want to do that one thing and nothing else. Having to sway from it makes me angry and I dread having to leave it. I call it “hiding out”
-I tend to turn conversations back to being about myself. If someone has an experience I compulsively have the need to tell them my own story about something similar.
-I have a hard time caring about someone else’s day. I never ask my kids or my husband how their day was but freely tell them how mine was (self centered)
-I feel I have a bit of OCD
-stimulated and need to go decompress
-I talk and people are like just looking at me again like I’m stupid and then I start listening to myself and realize I’m rambling on about something so totally unrelated to what we were talking about then I feel stupid and get uncomfortable and don’t know how to end the stupid story I was telling because I realized how unrelated it was to anything
-I need to plan…EVERYTHING
-I obsess about things. Lost items. Arguments. When someone has done me wrong.
-I hate meeting new people, parties, visiting
-I find it hard to look people in the eye. I avert my vision elsewhere. I have to force myself to look people in the eye
-Introverted
-I can’t stand repetitive noises
-Have a hard time lying and making up lies
-quick temper
-diagnosed with clinical depression 1996
-hard time sympathizing even with my kids
-feel immature.

I had to repost. It was too long the first time and it cut off alot of it. Sorry :/
There’s more but I figured it was too long already.
Some things I DON’T think I have pertaining to Aspergers:
-Not REALLY freaked out if my routine changes. I just get annoyed if someone calls me into work on my day off and I have to stop what I’m doing… even if I’m doing nothing!
-High intelligence
-Obsessive about interests (maybe slightly)
-The only sensory overload I think I have is noise
-I don’t know about missing facial cues. Never really noticed.
-I definitely have the lack of eye contact but no facial grimaces or weird body postures (at least I don’t think so! )

A: Well, I guess some of your symptoms point to that…

but i wouldnt worry about it… if youve been living like that your whole life, Im sure you’ll be fine(:

Q: My chances of acceptance into a master’s program…?
If I keep refreshing the webportal page that could potentially reveal my admissions status, I’m going to go nuts…

I applied to SDSU, SFSU, and Chico State and prefer that order, respectively. I want nothing more than to make this happen but I need some honest answers as to my chances of getting into the MFT program and counseling.

GRE scores: 560 Q/460 V/5.0 AW with an overall 3.5 GPA

I’ve had research experience in two studies, one of which I co-authored and presented at an international conference with two publications in cognitive/consciousness research. The study included an instrument I helped develop that has concluded to, by operational definition, “measure” an individual’s level of consciousness based on defining answers to certain questions that measure certain aspects of thought, creativity, and awareness.

I have plenty of community and academic involvement with an A.A. and B.A. in psychology with 4 letters of recommendation submitted– 3 of the 4 I would consider to be outstanding faculty/professional references with what I consider to be a more in-depth analysis of my character and potential from people I was close to (the 4th recommendation was from an employer who simply said I would be a great candidate with the ability to connect and the desire to help). My personal essay was honest (without sounding too pathetic or personal) with statements I felt to be a powerful illustration of my insatiable need for this opportunity. I had also included excerpts from my research in case it was needed for anything, including the methodology and statistical analysis portion.

I come from a very diverse, single-parent household with enough problems to fill a personal DSM-IV book. Granted, plenty of people have had a worse life than me– but with having experienced many issues, both personal and in the family, ranging from substance/physical/sexual abuse to clinical diagnosis of manic/bi-polar/depression (not all me) AND being involved in the family court system since the age of 5, I’m hoping that my own personal schema of life has a fair enough advantage in being able to say I can relate and connect a little more to some.

I want to be confident, really, but I also don’t know how these people think or what may put me ahead/behind the game that I hadn’t considered. Please tell me what you think my chances are…and if I’m invited for the group interview on March 20th, what suggestions and tips would you have for me in blowing them out of the water?

Thank you…really, if you take the time to help me out here, many, MANY thanks…
For the record, I didn’t specify nor elaborate on personal experiences about myself or family…I had only added that I had been through my share of hardships but, if anything, it taught me at a young age what relationships were and how I could benefit myself and others from it. My essay extended more into knowing that this is my life path and I wish to extend what I can to others.

A: “I come from a very diverse, single-parent household with enough problems to fill a personal DSM-IV book. Granted, plenty of people have had a worse life than me– but with having experienced many issues, both personal and in the family, ranging from substance/physical/sexual abuse to clinical diagnosis of manic/bi-polar/depression (not all me) AND being involved in the family court system since the age of 5, I’m hoping that my own personal schema of life has a fair enough advantage in being able to say I can relate and connect a little more to some.”

This amounts to “special pleading”. It probably lowered your chances of acceptance.

Q: Should I be petrified of the psychiatrist?
my mom is making me go see one here in the next few days, but previous she thought it was best if i viewed some mental health websites to get a better idea of where i stand…. not as a diagnosis tool. i received bipolar 2 ” whatever the diff is” and high likely high symptoms of clinical depression.

as i read up on these doctors i get freaked out, thinking there going to be like those doctors you see in the movies ” silent hill” and only want to admit me in to the hospital. im really scarred, and i also read they give you pshyicals, i don’t like this idea please help me

i tried a psychologist not the answer because ive bin there done that, nothing worked because id always fall back into tho’s massive slumps of whatever FML., i don’t have the mind setting or the will power, meaning my brain liquids i guess are a tad off balance?

“help
also, what exzactly is borderline personality? i hear it sometimes happens to people after they go through sorts of abuse?
nope i dont think. i dont live for the day nor for the next. lost all sense of reality and loosing all sense of disbelief?

omgdid i just say?

im scurrrrrrd here. i just dont wana freaky doc thats going to bugg me out on crazy meds
!
oh and when i meant freaky doc, i once went to a ear doctor who was really crazy and had me sit in a metal chair with all this odd old looking equipment. his pupils were dialated and didnt speak good english. now i know hollywood is not where you should get your med advice from. keep the answers coming, it will help the little berdies inside calm down D:

jkjk.

A: No, psychiatrists are not like in the movies. Mostly because it costs a lot of money to admit people to hospitals and they can’t afford it… partially because they actually don’t like cutting people off from normal society and their support group, they want to help in the best way possible. Even those who have to be in hospital, they put as muich effort into getting them re-integrated into society as soon as it’s safe. It’s basically a last resort. They will prescribe drugs when necessary, and these are designed to help with as few side effects as possible. They are to re-balance your brain liquids, in effect. You may be given therapy as well, to help you cope in day to day life. Psychiatrists and psychologists are different things.

Psychiatrists are not evil. Hollywood prefers it when they are, it’s more dramatic. Silent hill is not a good source.

Q: What is wrong with my brother?
My brother is twenty years old, holds a job at a video game store, and has been diagnosed with clinical depression and recently attempted suicide for the first time (in the past he would threaten it to get out of responsibility). While this is his only diagnosis, I feel there are other mental disorders affecting him because of his other habits/behaviors.

He is EXTREMELY lazy at home, never does chores, and always has an excuse for why he can’t (too tired, has work in 4 hours, etc). He is also a compulsive liar. He will lie about even mundane things. Anything bad that happens to him is always someone else’s fault. He is intensely secretive and soemtimes cannot follow simple logic; his own logic is often faulty.

Strangely, he is extremely extroverted in public and seems overly friendly to strangers (some think he’s gay). He makes friends quickly, but cannot keep them because of his narcissistic tendencies. He is easy to take advantage of—he will naively do almost anything a stranger asks him to, partly because his self-esteem is so low.

His IQ is off the charts, but he does not put it to use. Instead he works and then plays video games or surfs the internet into the wee hours of the morning (5:00-a.m. on average, and then goes to work as early as 11:00 a.m.) Before he was started on anti-depressants, he used to fly off the handle and have violent tantrums almost daily. He is the most negative and cynical person imaginable.

My brother has hinted—indirectly and unintentionally—that he plans on living with my parents forever and seems terrified of responsibility and living on his own. There is no doubt in my mind that he is incapable of doing so.

I have known others with depression who function far better than my brother. His compulsive lying and his problems with logic in particular suggest something more, perhaps a personality disorder. We have looked into Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism), Bi-polar Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, among other possibilities. There is also a strong possibility that he is gay, which could explain much of his inner turmoil, but wouldn’t explain any of his other maladaptive behaviors. If he is gay, he will undoubtedly take that to the grave—and not because the family would be unsupportive (we would be supportive), but due to his supreme secrecy.

I personally think there must be multiple other conditions at play here which exacerbate his depression. He really seems like some sort of idiot savant. Any thoughts on what else he might have? We’re very worried about his future.

A: The fact that his IQ is “off the charts” is interesting. When one thing is out of balance, even in a good way, something else may be out of balance (not so good).

Have you looked at Borderline Personality Disorder? There are some fits. The suicidal tendency fits. Overly charming, and yet unable to maintain relationships. (idealization and devaluation). Not wanting to leave your parents, and terrified to do so. (attachment disorder). Brilliant but working in a video game store (not sure what he wants to be. No sense of “self”). Gaming until all house (compulsive behavior). He sounds a bit like lot like my BPD sister, BS and law degree, works part time out of her home because that’s all she’s able to do, has tantrums and drives people away, but is overly charming alternating with horrible behavior, trying to get friends and then getting frustrated. Also, consider whether the lying may in some cases by psychotic episodes. Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish whether someone is lying, or whether they think that what they are saying is real.

Q: My health has hit a brick wall. Any suggestions?
Hi everyone! Could really use some help on this one, or feel free to make suggestions or present any ideas. Ideas are something my doctor and I are running out of so could use some fresh perspectives!

I’m 24, female. My medical history doesn’t involve a lot of medical visits due to a rural upbringing so I’m just starting to deal with some long due issues now. This explains why I don’t have many diagnoses for my problems.

Long-term (10+ years) I have struggled with clinical depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, excessive irritability and muscle tension and migraines. Muscle tension is primarily throughout the neck, back, shoulders. Irritability pertains to almost everything, temperature and light sensitivity. Sensation irritability, such as the tag in a shirt, I was cutting these all out when I was 5, and it was so painful if I didn’t that I would cry.

The last 5+ years I’ve developed some more problems including stomach irritability and food sensitivities. I start my day feeling very nauseous and this persists through most days. I rarely eat because I feel bloated and like vomiting afterward. I unintentionally vomit frequently. I experience a lot of digestive discomfort and irregular stool. I seem to either be constipated or have diarrhea, there’s rarely an in between.

I’ve always had a general sense of not feeling well, but the last two years it has become constant. I constantly have cold symptoms, sore throat, blocked sinuses, coughing. I also frequently have flu symptoms, fatigue, fever and vomiting. More recently I’ve become absolutely exhausted. Simple tasks can be near impossible. I wake up tired and this never goes away.

My muscle tension has also increased greatly. My neck is often in so much pain I can’t move it. Beginning any activity soon results in me on the couch crying in pain. My headaches are also a near constant. The tension seems to have constricted my breathing as well where I feel I can only take short, shallow breaths.

Quite possibly due to all of the above, the depression and anxiety have greatly worsened. I now often have too much anxiety to even leave home, so I basically only go anywhere if I can get my husband to go with me.

So now I’m in a position where my quality of life is very poor. I don’t feel well enough to do even simple tasks or visit friends and I’ve become too sick to maintain employment. Being sick is very bad for relationships, I feel for my poor husband who has been great through all this. I feel pretty useless. I want to get better and get on with my life. I’ve seen several doctors, and most doctors when presented with someone like me just aren’t up to the challenge. I’ve found one who has run an array of tests, but so far nothing has shined a light. I’m at a point where I don’t want there to be anything wrong with me, but there obviously is so I would at least like a diagnosis so I can work from there.

Well, that probably wasn’t the most fun read. Thanks for sticking around! So…any thoughts, ideas, suggestions?

Thank you!

A: Since the doctor did tests – did he/she rule out lupus? It can be diagnosed with blood tests.
I would ask that doctor what the tests ruled out, and what that leaves open.
Also, you might want to ask about food allergies.
If you don’t get answers from the doctor, ask for a referral to a specialist in nerve disorders. List all your symptoms – especially the ones where you’re sensitive to light and touch.
Good Luck!

Q: I’m not really sure what to believe between doctors?
I’ve always had depression and anger issues and and a gradually increasing OCD issue.
I’ve gone to many therapists and psychiatrists and been on many medications and been hospitalized and I still don’t understand why no one can tell me what condition I have. I am almost 18 and have been seeing therapists since I was 4.

I have been diagnosed with:
Borderline Personality Disorder
ADHD
Clinical Depression/Manic-Depressive Disorder
Schizophrenia
Bipolar Disorder
Night Terrors
Insomnia
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

I honestly think that’s almost the whole list of psychological disorders.

I don’t really understand why I have to be told what I’m feeling but after so many diagnosis’ I am naturally going to be curious.

I self-mutilated from 7th-11th grade on my arms and hands and was further hospitalized multiple times. I had overdosed three times and had tried to bleed out twice. I have restrained myself for quite some time and still hope to stay that way but there’s always a fear that it is only hidden, not cured.

I have always been naturally very smart and ahead of others in knowledge but always felt the lack of needing to impress others around me so school work was mainly average.
My father was and still currently is an alcoholic and I always stood up for both myself and my mother and I’ve always been naturally attached to animals spiritually and too emotionally and have lost a lot of that love in the past. I am adopted and always felt detached from my adoptive family and had learned later that I have an additional 3 brothers and 2 sisters, a meth-addicted biological mother, and a father that was in and out of jail. So I believe I’m lucky to be with a family who can at least support me.

For examples, I have been prescribed Trazodone, Prozac, Sertraline and a few others which I can’t really remember or pronounce all too well.

I hope that in some way you can help me with what could be a hidden issue or a condition that would make more sense or a new idea to help with any condition I might have. Thank you for reading this if you have gotten this far, I’m sorry it was so long.
And I have always felt an overwhelming thought that there is just something different or unknown about me, I can’t really explain it in any real form — in person or in literature. I write poetry and play music to inspire myself to open up but the words never sound right or simple enough to tell what I really mean. I feel like I’m put here for a real purpose; a very important purpose. But how would I even begin to understand it at all? That’s what nags at me constantly.

A: I believe it is due to your age. They usually don’t give you a formal diagnosis until your 18. I am severly bipolar and suffer occasional psychosis from it. I take Depakote Lamictal Geodon and Klonopin. It’s a terrible disease to live with but hey it could be worse! I know that I always had “issues” but I didn’t peak until I turned 21. So continue seaking help! You will be fine if you stick to your meds! No amount of counseling can fix a chemical problem! good luck!!! <3 I am here if u need to talk!

Q: Derealization/depersonaliation with a feeling of no self control…?
I often suffer from periods of ‘derealisation’. I am using this as a loose term, as it is the closest description that matched my episodes that my psychiatrist coudl come up with.
However, having done a lot of research online since finding this ‘label’, I have found that it distinctly lacks the main structure of my episodes because, whilst I feel like I am isolated from my actual body, I also feel like an overriding feeling/power/voice (without trying to sound cliche) has taken over, or is intructing me what to do. Rather than this being a form of schizophrenia, which I suppose it probably sounds like, I refuse to believe that I have literally switched personalities. It is more like this voice/feeling makes me feel like everything I do cannot be done fast/well enough, and no matter what it is I am trying to accomplish, I cannot make it happen. These things can be as simple as getting ready for the day ahead in a hurry. They become of ultimate importance, but, no matter what, there is a sense that I am failing.

This is not a reserved, or repressed approach to feeling of little use, I have also been a sufferer of clinical depression, I would liken it more to a sense of extreme panic and urgency. I also suffer from ‘normal’ (oh the irony?!) panic attacks, anxiety and OCD, three things that are so often related to the cause of derealisation and depersonalisation,

Please could someone shed some light on my situation ASAP, I feel like I am going mad and that the ‘I hear voices in my head’ cliche is just too scary to deal with by myself. I am seeing a professional doctor about this, so please don’t presume I am doing this by myself/ self diagnosed. However, he did not come up with a clear cut diagnosis, and this is what I seek in order to get better!

Thanks in advance xxx

A: Consider to get a second opinion from another specialist.
I was diagnosed by two specialists: a therapist & a psychiatrist.
Both diagnoses have to match in order to be valued.

I wish you all the best!

Q: How are complex eating disorders usually treated?
I’m especially curious about people that have been treated in Scandinavia (specifically Norway), but anyone’s experience is welcome.

I’ve been diagnosed with Tourette’s, OCD, BPD, GAD/agoraphobia, and clinical depression. I don’t respond at all to SSRIs, and have to be careful with meds because the few that work for other symptoms have tended to make the Tourette’s unbearable. I’m currently on no meds, but I’m not exactly high-functioning right now either.

Over the last few years, I’ve developed purging disorder as what seems to be a Tourette’s tic or stress response. Originally weight may have factored in a little (I put on a lot of weight quickly on Zyprexa/Effexor/Remeron), but it’s definitely not the main issue. Eating causes such physical discomfort that I can’t concentrate on anything else until I purge, and it feels just like suppressing a Tourette’s tic.

I’ve lost a lot of weight in a short period of time, and I would like to stop purging, but when I try to ignore the discomfort it becomes mentally and physically overwhelming. I’ve recently been seeing a specialist, my next appointment is in a few weeks, to get a diagnosis and treatment plan, but I’m wondering how things like this are usually treated? I don’t know if it makes a difference, but I just moved to Norway and don’t have any local support (friends or family) which I know is usually recommended when trying to overcome an eating disorder. I’m just wondering what to expect.

A: If you wonder how eating disorders in Norway usually are treated (if I understood you correctly) it depends very much from case to case, but it is normal to get a diet plan to follow with a minimum amount of food you must eat. Weekly appointments with a doctor, sometimes more often, sometimes more seldom including weight, (blood pressure and/or blood tests if the condition require it).

The diet plan will be made in a way to make you gain x pounds a week, and it will be constantly changed to make sure you gain those x pounds.

You might also get an appointment to a psychologist.

If you’re in an eating disorder clinic, or a hospital of some kind, the treatment will be different.

Were you using meds for tourette’s or something else?

I wish you good luck, and if you want to talk about anything, send me a mail at runnering90@yahoo.com

Q: Please read and help me, self control, derealisation etc!!!!!?
I often suffer from periods of ‘derealisation’. I am using this as a loose term, as it is the closest description that matched my episodes that my psychiatrist coudl come up with.
However, having done a lot of research online since finding this ‘label’, I have found that it distinctly lacks the main structure of my episodes because, whilst I feel like I am isolated from my actual body, I also feel like an overriding feeling/power/voice (without trying to sound cliche) has taken over, or is intructing me what to do. Rather than this being a form of schizophrenia, which I suppose it probably sounds like, I refuse to believe that I have literally switched personalities. It is more like this voice/feeling makes me feel like everything I do cannot be done fast/well enough, and no matter what it is I am trying to accomplish, I cannot make it happen. These things can be as simple as getting ready for the day ahead in a hurry. They become of ultimate importance, but, no matter what, there is a sense that I am failing.

Thanks in advance xxx

A: Get out of the problem and into the solution.

You know your symptoms, you know your behaviors, so instead of focusing on all that, and getting yourself scared to death and more confused, why not just spend your time getting better.

Find solutions and work towards them.

That overriding critical voice that hung over my shoulder for so long and kept telling me I wasn’t good enough was just the echo of an overly critical parent with major problems of her own. Just tell it to shut up and fill your head with sweet thoughts. Be as persistant as that damned voice.

Let the panic attack roll. Let it do it’s thing, shake your body, make you tremble, whatever, but don’t get emotionally involved. Just wait for it to pass.

Got depression? Fight back. It’s your body, your life. Fight to spend it the way you want to. You are stronger than you think.

Q: I’ve Diagnosed Myself…Now What?
For a long time I struggled with the possibility of having clinical depression. However, over time, I realized that my symptoms exactly match that of Hypomania [mild variation Bipolar Disorder]. There are depressive episodes, cycling and varying with the manic periods. As a psych student, further research and understanding only asserts my beliefs.
I worry that I could just be a hypochondriac and that I just ”want” the disorder, if that makes any sense. I also feel that walking into a psych office or clinic, with this self-diagnosis, won’t work out so well. Any ideas on what I should do? Thanks for any advice you guys can offer!

A: You should see a medical professional and get a proper diagnosis. You may be right, but the professionals know best and would be able to prescribe the correct medication to control your symptoms.

Q: Complex PTSD panic attack help?
I hope someone can help me. Feel suicidal.
I have clinical depression and for 30 years have suffered from panic attacks with agoraphobia. I overcame much of the latter by using valium, (not all the time and not everyday). No anti-depressants or CBT helped at all.
Last week a new psychiatrist (not referred by my gp) actually sat down and read my 30 year history and said that he could not believe all the other doctors missed the fact that I have complex PTSD. (Before that I was called borderline personality). The two can have similar symptoms, and I agree that I have some so-called borderline traits, but not enough for a diagnosis. He is also a specialist in addictions and said I am not addicted to valium ( I am psychologically dependent).
He now wants to put me on a high dose of prozac, and restrict the valium, (I take 5 per week). About 4 months ago, a close (in my face neighbour) harassed me so much that all the ptsd symptoms reappeared, this has occurred before, in that case I’d up the valium for two weeks, then drop it back down again – this helped regain my confidence, but I would always decrease the dose because I am very well aware of potential physical addiction.
I went to see my gp who refused to temporarily increase the dose, and gave me self-help books (recommended by Oprah !). I began losing more and more confidence and the ability to leave the house unaided, I saw him again, andhe tried to tell me I was bipolar and still refused to help – instead,he’s made me out to be a drug seeker (I have no history of this) and I have to go to the
chemist to get 5 tablets each week, like a drug addict. I hate this. I hate him
Agoraphobia is hell. Not only on the sufferer, but also because I have become dependent on my daughter to shop for me etc and she’s only 19 years old. I haven’t seen my partner for 3 months because I am so embarrassed about the panic. I sleep on the couch with my clothes on, I rarely wash because I feel vulnerable with nothing on. The telephone is muted as the ring makes me have an attack.I am scared of people visiting. I horde the valium I do get for when I absolutely HAVE to leave the house
like seeing the doctor. There are no doctors taking new patients in this place so I am stuck with this one
Sorry this is so long

A: AGORAPHOBIA often occurs as a result of having had a panic attack in a public place, and not wanting to repeat that experience outside of a place where someone feels safe, which is usually at home, in a place where they feel exposed, and unable to get help quickly. 85% of people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either seek professional hypnotherapy, or more alternatives along such lines are on page 1, at 8m.com, below, about agoraphobia. At the first sign of one, employ an ANTI PANIC ATTACK breathing technique. Advice from a clinical psychologist is to breathe in to the count of 3: (one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three) each takes around a second to say to yourself, in your mind, and out to the count of 3. Keep repeating this until the panic subsides, which will deal with the hyperventilation aspect. View http://deeplyrelax.com & www.deepsloweasy.com/html/intro.htm Note: the controlled breathing only helps with the symptoms, as do medications/herbal remedies. Address the underlying cause, which requires some form of therapy; see your-mental-health.8m.com, below, re anxiety, on pages 1, h, & i. Page h shows the difference between panic, and anxiety attacks.

Read: When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life, by David D. Burns (2007), & Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick by David Carbonell, & “Power Over Panic”, by Bronwyn Fox, from your bookstore, or enter “panic attacks” in the searchbar at Amazon.com for more media. Some people recommend nettle tea, with a little honey. Others use Lavender tea, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, but use no milk or cream with herbal teas, or Valerian (caution: use it for 3 weeks at most!). Know how these affect you before driving, or doing anything dangerous, and it is far better to use the treatments, rather than relying on herbal remedies. Free online PANIC COURSE – www.panic-attacks.co.uk also available by email. See the section on panic attacks at www.mind.org.uk also Ebooklet form. They recommend letting a panic attack run its course, without doing anything to treat it, so you KNOW you will survive it. The usual maximum is 30 minutes, until symptoms begin to subside. Also see www.anxietypanic.com/signs.html and http://www.onestepatatime.com (chatroom, and one free email is allowed to their resident expert on joining [free] – more if a paid up member) and

www.medicinenet.com/panic_disorder/artic… and www.squidoo.com/controlpanicattack/modul… and http://www.anxietynetwork.com Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-stress.html or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody/a/Meditation.htm or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate or Yoga Nidra, (a series of easy mental exercises only; no flexibility required) at http://your-mental-health.8m.com/blank_11.html Hypnosis alternatives are on page 1, at 8m.com, about panic. PTSD; see pages 1 & Q; use the EFT for PTSD; seek EMDR therapy.

Q: Can chronic stress lower testosterone levels?
Hey, I’m a 19 year old college freshman. It sounds hard to believe coming from a 19 year old guy, but please hear me out. I suspect that my testosterone levels have been depressed by severe, chronic stress.

I’ve experienced chronic stress day in and day out for the last 3 years (junior through senior years of high school) because of a case of undiagnosed and untreated ADHD (it was diagnosed a couple months ago). I did well freshman year and managed to survive sophomore year, but junior and senior years got the better of me. I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t get my homework done; the last two years of high school were miserable… The chronic stress definitely caused some depression and anxiety, although the depression wasn’t severe enough to be ‘clinical’ depression. Fortunately, I went to my college’s counseling center and they diagnosed the ADHD, which in retrospect was blatantly obvious.

Since then, I have done much better because I understand why I did so bad in my junior and senior years. I had assumed that your successes earlier were simply because I was a big fish in a small pond, and when I went to the big pond (last couple years of high school), I couldn’t cut it. Now, all of the pieces have been put together…almost. I had always assumed that I had suffered from depression and anxiety due to the stress that the undiagnosed ADHD had caused. I didn’t think of my testosterone levels.

But I stumbled upon a site that listed the possible symptoms of testosterone deficiency:

* A lack of energy;
* Low libido (sex drive);
* Depression;
* Irritability;
* Fatigue;
* Postural problems;
* Increased blood pressure;
* Loss of muscle;
* You exercise consistently but can’t add any lean muscle;
* Loss of muscular strength;
* Loss of muscular endurance;
* Physical height reduction;
* Your erections are not “rock hard”;
* Sleep disorders.

I suffered from pretty much all of the above, and still do to a large extent. Even though the depression and the anxiety have been 85% quelled, I still have suffer from irritability, fatigue, loss of muscular strength and endurance, and most pronounced, sleeping problems.

Undoubtedly, I born with a high level of ‘endogenous testosterone.’ My ring finger is significantly longer than my index finger (This isn’t BS, the digit ratio is affected by the testosterone levels in the womb, and the ratio remains constant throughout the lifespan). I know from experience what it’s like to have high testosterone. You’re uninhibited, fearless, active (and want to be active), focused (in spite of the ADHD), have a thick skin, are hardly ever tired, and sleep soundly (the opposite of what’s going on right now!!!). Whole groups of girls would be into me…I won’t lie. And I’m guessing girls subconsciously know if you have high levels of T. I definitely feel like I’ve lost the “it” factor. Especially in sports – I earned a varsity letter in track and field as a freshman and I was overall good at sports and in good shape, but now I’m somewhere between average and couch potato, and 10 pounds overweight.

I know that I’m only 19, but I have read on many reputable health websites that low testosterone can happen at any age, especially if you have experienced chronic stress (I was close to a nervous breakdown for two years.) I feel like there’s something wrong with my body, and I don’t feel like the same person I was when I was younger.

My diagnosis of ADHD has taught me an important lesson: if there is a change in your behavior, school performance, and whatever that cannot be accounted for, make sure you get help and find out what’s going on. I suspect that my testosterone levels might have been depressed from its natural level due to chronic stress. When my academic performance changed dramatically, it wasn’t because I couldn’t ’swim with the big fishes.’ It was because I had ADHD (and now I am doing MUCH better in school). Along the same line of reasoning, when my personality has changed this dramatically, perhaps I shouldn’t just say: ‘oh, this is how you really are, just accept it.’ Maybe there’s a definite cause (low T), just like there was a definite cause for my drop in academic performance (undiagnosed ADHD).

What do you guys think? Should I make an appointment with my family physician? Thanks very much for your help and advice.

A: YEp. too long question!!=(

Q: Do you think I am an alcoholic?
Ok, so I’ve looked up the “definition” of alcoholism and can’t really find a common or “official” proclamation on what makes an alcoholic an alcoholic. I will apologize for anything that doesn’t make sense as I am, ironically, very drunk.
I do a lot of problem drinking, not just general “bad day” so I pull out the bourbon and drain it, but really depressing times, I drink a lot, sometimes going to a bar with a couple friends, but usually, I sit at my home bar and drink until I’m either happy again or I pass out. I can drink socially without getting drunk, usually at a bar because people always try to start sh-t (college bars) and I need to be able to kick some @ss if I have to. I do drive sh!tfaced sometimes but have never been pulled over despite having LEOs behind me, but they usually turn off so I guess I’m not a bad driver drunk. I don’t have a family (usually the reason the whiskey comes out) so I don’t worry about scarring nonexistent kids or hurting my wife (although I’m not violent, drunk or sober unless physically threatened). Both of my biological parents are alcoholics so I know I am at risk. I also have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder although the diagnosis has been called into question due to how mild the symptoms are, it might just be depression, idk, I studied law not psych lol. The purpose for my problem drinking is always to get drunk and to feel better so I usually drink tons of whatever I have, Irish whiskey, bourbon, brandy, beer, rum, etc.

So hopefully I wasn’t confusing, but just to clarify, in your professional opinion, or in your opinion based on research, counselling, or other clinical, professional or student based work or education, am I an alcoholic or just a really pissed off guy who has no other coping mechanism?
@Kim L. Thanks for your reply but it should be noted that I am 22 years old, well above the drinking limit in most countries, however I’m also an American living in the US and was legal (21) in 2009, I thought this had been implied by the comment of going to the local college bars, which typically do not allow anyone under 21 to enter. Thanks.

A: It sounds like you started drinking as you were unable to cope with your feelings and now you do not know any other way to get through dealing with your emotions. You certainly do have a drink problem and you sound like you want to do something about it as you are thinking about it. You really need to talk to your doctor about your relying on drink. It is not about having family but it is about stopping yourself getting to the point were you are no longer able to work or even afford to keep a roof over your head as all you care about is getting a drink. This is the last thing that you want to happen so please talk to your doctor now before you get any more addicted to alcohol.

Q: Can someone please edit my essay for social work?
I decided that I wanted to be a social worker when I realized that social work is very similar to psychology( my major in undergrad), except it puts more emphasis on helping people and finding their strengths rather than giving them a diagnosis and being predominantly problem-focused. My own decision in enjoying helping people with their problems influenced me to want to pursue a profession in social work.

Becoming a full professional with a graduate degree in Social Work represents the culmination of a life long of personal and professional preparation. I have so enjoyed working with people, helping them with their problems. At 34, I feel that I have the necessary maturity to perform at my very best level, again, as a student. I now also have a high level of motivation that accompanies my current position working with incarcerated youth, mostly minority. However, I am deeply concerned by the explosive incarceration rates in America, and the way African Americans and Hispanics lead the way going to jail, rather than college, working, etc. This sense of urgency makes me an excellent candidate for your Master’s program because I am so fully engaged with my place of employment. It is my sincere hope to be able to make some modest contribution to discussions of how to best counsel and care for at-risk youths, in my case my research interest is in boys, especially those at-risk for spending their young adulthood behind bars.My inspiration and level of motivation, it all speaks to be graduate school as a place where I belong.

I am currently working at Harbor View Adolescent Center as a Youth Counselor for incarcerated youth with behavioral and emotional problems in a residential treatment facility. In my job as a youth counselor, my primary work responsibility was to serve as a positive role model for adolescents aged twelve to eighteen. The residents had backgrounds of being homeless and victims of physical and sexual abuse. Some of them were also dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and the criminal justice system. At times, my job was extremely stressful. But I discovered that I had the ability to connect with the adolescents and develop strong emotional ties with them. I focused on helping them with their social skills, coping skills, and independent living skills. My main goal was to help them build their self-esteem and improve their sense of security.

The adolescents that I worked with in the residential treatment facility at times would get physically assaultive, throwing chairs and banging their heads on the doors. They would also exhibit self-harming behaviors. It was during these crisis situations that I would get stuck in knowing the best clinical approach to use when they were self-harming. I would like to have better tools for helping these kids when they are in crisis, and whether those interventions are well supported by the literature. I hope that with the aid of a Master’s degree in Social Work I will be able to do just that. I will be able to help my kids in crisis and am at teaching them the necessary skills so that they can transition into more independent living.

These youth need all the help and attention we can give them in order to fight recidivism, especially African American and Hispanic males, who continue to come back into our system.If you were to grant me the privilege of studying in your program, I hope to be able to research the recidivisim rates of black and Hispanic juveniles and young adoelscents so as to contribute to our understanding of how we can best go about saving their lives and, at the same time, easing the financial burdens on our society.

A: My suggestions are in CAPS…good luck in your career our youth need more individuals like you : )
I decided (OMIT that) I wanted to beCOME a social worker when I realized that Social Work is very similar to Psychology(my major in undergrad). SIMILAR WITH THE exceptION THAT it puts more emphasis on helping people (PMIT and) FIND their strengths, rather than giving them a diagnosis and being predominantly problem-focused. My own EXPERIENCE in helping people with their problems, AND ENJOYING IT, influenced me to (OMIT want to) pursue a profession in Social Work.

Becoming a full professional with a graduate degree in Social Work represents the culmination of MANY YEARS of personal and professional preparation. I have ALWAYS enjoyed working with people AND helping them with their problems. At 34, I feel that I have the MATURITY NECESSARY to perform at my (OMIT very) best level ONCE again, as a student. I ALSO have a high level of motivation that accompanies my current position. I work with incarcerated youth WHO, BY THE WAY, ARE mostly minoritIES. (OMIT However,) I am deeply concerned by the explosive incarceration rates in America, SPECIFICALLY the way African-Americans and Hispanics lead the way IN going to jail, rather than college, work, etc. I FEEL this sense of urgency makes me an excellent candidate for your Master’s Program because I am so fully engaged AT my place of employment. It is my sincere hope to be able to CONTRIBUTE to discussions of how to best counsel and care for at-risk youths. My research interest FOCUSES ON boys, especially those at risk for spending their young adulthood behind bars. (SORRY BUT THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL – NOT SURE WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY) My inspiration and level of motivation, it all speaks to be graduate school as a place where I belong.

I am currently working at Harbor View Adolescent Center. I AM a Youth Counselor for incarcerated youth with behavioral and emotional problems in a residential treatment facility. In my job as a youth counselor, my primary work responsibility IS to serve as a positive role model for adolescents aged twelve to eighteen. The residents haVE backgrounds of homelessNESS and ARE ALSO victims of physical and sexual abuse. Some of them were also dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and the criminal justice system. At times, my job COULD BE extremely stressful. But I discovered that I had the ability to connect with the adolescents and develop strong emotional ties with them. I focused on helping them with their social skills, coping skills, and independent living skills. My main goal was to help them build their self-esteem and improve their sense of security.

The adolescents that I worked with in the residential treatment facility Could get physically assaultive AT TIMES; throwing chairs and banging their heads on the doors. They would also exhibit self-harming behaviors. It was during these criTICAL situations that I would get stuck in knowing WHAT the best clinical approach WAS to use when they were self-harming. I would like to have better tools for helping these kids when they are in crisis and KNOW whether those interventions are well supported by the literature. I hope that, with the aid of a Master’s Degree in Social Work, I CAN ACHIEVE that. I WANT TO be able to help my kids in THEIR TIME OF crisis and (OMITam at) TEACH them the necessary skills THEY WILL NEED TO transition into more independent WAY OF living.

These youth need all the help and attention we can give them in order to fight recidivism, especially THE African- American and Hispanic males, who continuALLY come back into our system. If you were to grant me the privilege of studying in your program, I WOULD LIKE TO research the recidivisim rates of black and Hispanic juveniles and young adoLEscents. I WISH to contribute to our understanding of how we can best go about saving their lives and, at the same time, easE the financial burdens on our society.

The Health Corner

DEPH.ORG

Depression

Making The Diagnosis Of Clinical Depression

Related Posts

Write a comment