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Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Depression (aka Dysthymia or Persistent Depressive Disorder)

 

“I’m in shock!”

“She always seemed so happy.”

“I didn’t have any idea.”

“Everyone loved her! She was so talented and had so much to live for.”

“I just never knew.”

 

The horrible reality of High Functioning Depression (HFD)—

Unfortunately, these are some of the first comments you hear following the suicide of a depressed friend or family member.

The survivors didn’t know. They were so surprised, didn’t have any idea.

Unfortunately, this is so often the tragic scenario. We’ve experienced a couple of these tragedies in my own hometown in the last couple of years. Young men who seemed to be blessed with talent, personality and great families. A bright future ahead of them.

Little did their adoring friends know they suffered such internal pain and turmoil.

But why don’t we know and recognize that pain?

Is it because we’re just not really paying attention to others, their actions and words? We’ve lost our empathy for others? We’re afraid to reach out to others to divulge our pain?

Or is it because we just don’t recognize depression in others or happening to us?

Or maybe it’s just really difficult to diagnose, like High Functioning Depression can be.

 

Become familiar with HFD or Chronic Depressive Disorder—

Due to the recent suicides of high-profile people, it seems depression is gaining more attention these days. With 350 million people worldwide and 3.3 million people in the United States suffering with this serious disorder, you’re bound to know someone who is chronically depressed. A family member, co-worker or friend may be suffering with, so it’s important to learn more about the disorder.

 

Know the warning signs of High Functioning Depression—

Because sufferers can look and act normal—and even be successful, high-achieving, and social—recognizing and diagnosing persistent depressive disorder is sometimes challenging.

In this wonderful infographic by my friends at BetterHelp, you’ll discover the warning signs and symptoms of what is known as High Functioning Depression, also known as

 

  • Chronic Depressive Disorder
  • Dysthymia
  • Persistent Depressive Disorder

 

The kind of depression your seemingly happy family members or super-efficient, successful co-workers might be suffering from.

 

People like—

  • the popular student
  • the successful lawyer
  • the smiling co-worker

 

BetterHelp gives you the:
  • Signs
  • Treatment options
  • Risk Factors
  • The two sides of high functioning depression

 

A timely topic—

And what better time of year than the holidays to discuss this issue? The time when so many of us feel overwhelmed with life, exhausted and depressed by the expectations of others and of ourselves, at a time in history when we spend so much time comparing ourselves to others on social media platforms, and become depressed about our own lives in comparison to others’.

Christmas can be a challenging time of year for anyone, but for someone who suffers from depression—any kind of depression—it can be particularly rough. They may be even more fragile than normal at this time of year.

That’s why I’ve chosen now to provide you with this beautiful infograph my friends at BetterHelp have put together. In it they highlight:

 

  • The definition of High Functioning Depression (HFD)
  • The risk factors associated with HFD
  • The 2 sides of HFD
  • The signs of HFD
  • The treatment options

 

Please take the time to read this information-packed graphic BetterHelp has put together for you. If you identify with it, hopefully it’ll prompt you to seek help from counselors, like the licensed experts at BetterHelp, who are trained to help you heal and conquer this and other types of depression.

 

Are you or a family member suffering with high functioning depression?

For all of you going through life pretending to be happy, this may be the wake-up call and permission you need to admit that you’re not, that you want and need help.

Print it off and hang it up in a prominent location at work, maybe the break room, water cooler, or on the notice bulletin board.

Know that you and your family members, friends and co-workers are not alone, and others want to come alongside you to help.

 

Get the help you need—

To learn more about depression, go to BetterHelp.

And if you think you or someone you know is suffering from persistent depression disorder, or any kind of depression, don’t wait any longer to get help.

You can contact BetterHelp to connect with a licensed expert. You’ll learn more about how online therapy with a licensed therapist can help you; and they’ll walk you through the process of finding the best therapist for you, all from the convenience, comfort and privacy of your own home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until next week,

bring some hope—and help—to the hurting.

Blessings,

Andrea

Andrea Arthur Owan is an award-winning freelance writer, speaker, teacher and blogger. Her nonfiction and fiction work has appeared in books, secular and religious magazines and newspapers, teaching manuals, devotionals and theater productions. She is also a certified fitness pro and licensed, ordained chaplain.

3 Reasons to Maintain Your Exercise Program Throughout the Holidays

When the schedule falls apart, so usually does the exercising.

And this time of year is no exception. Company parties to attend, family get-togethers to orchestrate, open houses, special events, Christmas decorating, Christmas shopping, Christmas present wrapping can all put a big snag in your hallowed workout schedule.

But they shouldn’t.

You need to keep exercising for some critical reasons:

 

  1. Exercise keeps your brain happy and alert!

When you’re exercising your body, your brain is reaping most of the benefits. You’ll think better and function better. And sleep better too.

And that’s helpful for a lot of things, including keeping your immune system in top shape for battling colds and the flu, big culprits this time of year.

 

  1. Exercise helps keep depression under control.

Not everyone enjoys the holidays or looks forward to them with eager anticipation of family celebrations. For many reasons, the holidays can be tough, and depressing.

December is always a roller coaster of emotions time for me because my beloved cousin, Jeff, was killed in a tragic car accident just a week before Christmas when we were in college, and my Dad died on December 11.

Exercising helps keep the happy hormones (endorphins) running through your body. And getting outside to exercise is even better for you. So make a point to keep up your exercise routine and also try to head outside for some deep breathing and walking.

 

  1. Exercise helps manage stress.

There can be an overload of stress during the Christmas season, and exercise helps you burn that off. It can also keep your distracted from the stress swirling around you. Again, exercising to crank up those happy hormones is a stress-reducing benefit.

 

BONUS:

Keeping to your exercise program will also tamp down the guilty feelings after you’ve nibbled on one too many treats at a holiday party. So maintain your program, pat yourself on the back, and head into the New Year on track!

 

Until next week, keep that body and brain happy!

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Christmas: The Gift of Love

Although there are many Bible verses associated with Christmas, like Old Testament passages about Jesus being called Immanuel, and New Testament verses about bringing peace to men of good will, I think the best passage to give full perspective to Christmas is:

 

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son,…” (John 3:16a).

 

Loved.

 

The thing we all crave. To be loved. And who could love us better than the One who created love and is love?

 

The story is simple:

You have God, who created humankind.

He gave mankind some rules, to protect us. Keep them innocent, happy and shrouded in peace and protection.

But they rebelled, broke the rules and lied about it to their creator, and laid bare their progeny and all mankind (all of us) to the ugly ramifications of their sin.

With the snap of His powerful creating fingers, God could have scrapped them and started over; or shook his head and given up. Spent the rest of eternity with his angels.

But He didn’t. He immediately devises a redemptive plan. A plan for death and destruction to be overcome, to have no power over life. A plan that wouldn’t come to fruition for thousands of years, but a plan that would come to fruition because He ordained it so.

And it did. A little over two thousand years ago.

 

And that’s what we’re celebrating at Christmas, really.

A love so deep and so wide and so unfathomable that it’s impossible for us to fully wrap our minds around. To comprehend it.

God sends His spirit to be joined to the seed of a woman to form a baby—His Son—to live a fully human life while simultaneously being fully God.

This son’s purpose is to experience life as a human—child and adult—and embark on a ministry of healing and teaching and leading people to a better life. A redeemed life.

 

To show people the Father.

 

To show them what real love looks like.

 

And believe. And follow.

 

And then pay the ultimate price of sacrificing Himself, to bring the redemption tory full circle.

 

To redeem mankind.

 

“…so that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16b).

 

The story of Christmas is that Heaven gave the supreme gift of love. Of life.

So we could stop perishing.

“Love,” God says. “I give you unconditional love. Because I know you don’t have the power to do this yourself, to redeem yourself. I’ll do it, so we can be properly reunited to spend eternity together.

“So I’m going to do it for you.

“That’s my gift.

“The gift of Love.”

 

This is the start of a season of love that begins with a gift and culminates in a death and Resurrection. Both gifts of life. To you and me.

 

This month—

In the next several weeks, we’ll look at just how powerful love is and what effects it has on us physically, emotionally and spiritually.

 

The power of Love.

 

Are you ready to give it?

Are you prepared to receive it?

 

Until next Monday, prepare your heart to be a love-receiving and love-dispensing vessel.

It’s what Christmas is all about.

 

Until then!

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Well, I had a great blog post ready to go for you, with a beautiful infographic, care of the counseling pros at BetterHelp.

 

Unfortunately, as technology would have it, we are having difficulties embedding the infographic so it appears in a readable form!

Sigh…

As soon as we can get the code, I’ll have that post up for you ASAP!

If not, then I’ll re-work the original post for you to be armed with the information you need to recognize and get help for high functioning depression.

Thanks for your patience!

Andrea

Andrea Arthur Owan is an award-winning freelance writer, speaker, and teacher. Her nonfiction and fiction work has appeared in books, secular and religious magazines and newspapers, theater productions, devotionals, and teaching manuals. She is also a certified fitness pro and licensed, ordained chaplain.

Conscientious Eating: Tips for Eating Healthy During the Holidays

So how did you do with your conscientious eating on Thanksgiving, Black Friday outings and throughout the weekend?

Did you manage to alter some of the expected family gathering eating habits a bit, or fall a little short of your hoped-for goal?

 

A (little) different Thanksgiving—

Here at the Owan household, we had a mixed bag. I didn’t tell anyone in the family about the changes or transitions I planned to make, or expect them to go along with me. I just got up in the morning, strapped on my post-surgery shoe, and set about fixing a brunch spread for Chris and my younger son, Cory, to enjoy before the main three o’clock feast.

By the time Cory rolled out of bed (around 11:00ish), the kitchen counter was spread with baked brie, grapes, crackers, soppresatta, (in honor of Cory, who fell in love with the Italian sausage while studying abroad), turkey summer sausage (in honor of Chris, who grew up on the fattier variety in Wisconsin), Basque cheese (in honor of our recent pilgrimage through that gorgeous country), blueberries, raspberries, navel orange slices, and several other minor selections. Oh, and Café con Leche and spiced apple cider, of course!

 

It was a hit! Not all items would have made the top 10 (or 20) health foods list, but it was a nice assortment that filled us up sufficiently to avoid gorging at the big meal. In fact, we enjoyed it so much, that Chris and I decided we’d opt for that kind of Thanksgiving meal every year from now on, were it not for the other family members expecting the regular turkey and sides.

 

The main meal fare—

At dinner I started off with a plate-filling salad of mixed greens, (no Romaine, of course), fresh pineapple, heirloom tomatoes and mandarin orange slices with just a swish of olive oil and Thai ginger salt. By the time I got to the “main course,” I was full enough to opt for just a couple of small turkey pieces, and a little stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, (the tastiest Chris has ever made, I might add), and two of those ubiquitous crescent rolls (items for my mother and Cory, who can’t seem to celebrate Thanksgiving without them).

Then I actually finished the meal with a bowl of butternut squash soup.

And much later, after cleaning the kitchen, I did sit down with a slice of relatively healthy pumpkin pie, although it is beyond me why American dessert makers feel a need to overpower the wonderful natural flavors of the ingredients with an overload of sugar.

The following day Chris and I sent Cory back to grad school with a grocery bag full of leftovers—ham (one of his favorites), mashed potatoes, turkey, and stuffing. And the remainder of the corn bread (I’m allergic to corn), and the three leftover crescent rolls. (I love those things, but the dough conditioner and other assorted preservatives and flavorings in them never fail to make me feel bloated and sick!)

Chris had one more piece of pecan pie and then, without prompting, tossed the rest of it in the garbage. We did kill the pumpkin pie, ourselves, though.

 

Looking ahead—

Don’t fret if you feel as though you failed at your first conscientious eating attempt.

The holidays are a tough time to initiate a new eating paradigm, not just because there’s an avalanche of health-compromising food available. It’s also because your loved ones, friends and co-workers are often your biggest saboteurs in your efforts. If they feel the least bit convicted, they’re likely to go to supreme efforts to squash your intentions. The status quo social pressure can be your undoing.

As you go forward to Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, keep the following tips in mind—

 

 

First step: Pray, pray and pray some more! For resolution, direction, protection and determination. Don’t plan to fail. Plan to persevere and succeed!

As you move forward toward Christmas, have a plan in place and work the plan. Don’t attend events where you feel you’ll have tremendous difficulty making healthy choices, of any kind. It’s better to stay away than lead yourself into temptation.

Decide ahead of time what you’re going to eat, and what you will stay away from.

Give yourself permission to indulge a few fattier or sugar-laden treats, but make sure you have a number of items or number of bites already programmed into your brain before you head to the buffet or dessert table.

Remember, you can only control the things you can control! Don’t try to control others or even make comments about their lousy meal choices. Be uplifted and internally happy about the choices you’re making and the success you have.

Again, remember to tend to yourself first. If you’re not in prime condition, how much energy and time can you devote to someone else and their needs? How effective will you really be at it?

Keep a running mental check on how you feel. Are you feeling sluggish? It may be that you haven’t had enough water to drink, so reach for 8 ounces of water and drink that before opting for another cup of coffee or an artery-clogging Red Bull!

If you’re going out to eat, access the restaurant’s menu on line and decide what you’re going to order ahead of time. Ask a loved one or trusted confidant to steer you clear of the desserts. Two truly are better than one in this game.

For every meal you successfully manage to avoid health-diminishing food and choose something health benefiting, give yourself a non-food treat—a certain amount of time to spend uninterrupted in the spa, reading a good book, adding the money you would have spent on the food to a personal “Reward” piggybank.

If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, (I bring it up here because we’re into flu season and food and social exposure does play a part), STAY HOME FROM WORK! And avoid sugar like the plague. Processed sugar actually stifles the immune system so it can’t do its job. More scientists and doctors are recognizing sugar’s role in a plethora of diseases.

Make sure you get 7 – 9 hours of sleep a night. Being tired suppresses the immune system and also makes it difficult to make sharp decisions, like choosing good foods.

Whenever possible, cut out oils made from seed or vegetables. They cause damaging inflammation.

Don’t try to keep up with everyone else! You’ll feel stressed, and your brain won’t function properly. When you’re under stress, you crave sugar, fat and salt, and there is no satiation point for these ingredients. Your body will want and demand more and more and more.

AVOID ANY food that contains high fructose corn syrup. It functions like crack cocaine to your body and brain—highly addictive and damaging.

Be aware of your emotions. Emotions cause people to reach for the wrong kind of food. And once the decision is made in the brain, it’s nearly impossible to reverse it.

If you want some relaxation, reach for a piece of cheese. Cheese contains opioid-like compounds.

For lunch and breaks, go outside to enjoy the fresh air, and stay off your phone and computer!

If you feel compelled to eat crummy food, stop and ask yourself why. Do you really just need an outside-in-the-fresh-air break; some prayer time to connect with the Lord, who can direct you to a better way? What is it you’re hoping to accomplish by eating the food? And will it satisfy you the way you hope to be satisfied? Probably not.

Stay away from white foods—white bread, cakes, rolls, etc.

Plan some intermittent fasting days, to give your digestive system a rest and divert digestive energy into healing. (We’ll talk a lot more about that in 2019.)

It’s okay to allow yourself some weekend treats. Just make sure you keep them to a minimum.

 

When selecting foods look for:

natural (no GMOs, artificial coloring and minimal processing)

organic

grass-fed

antibiotic-free

hormone-free

unsalted

non-GMO

 

Aim for eating 8-10 servings of plants daily. That amount will outway the risk from the chemical farming poisons in them.

Aim to keep your body and brain happy and your immune system strong.

Guarantee that you will stay healthy and well through the stressful, overfull holiday season emotionally, physically and spiritually, and sail into 2019 with a bright outlook for the new year!

 

NEXT WEEK we’ll look at some exercise basics and helps to see you safely and happily through the holidays. And join me this Friday when I provide you with a great Functional Depression info-graphic, care of my friends at BetterHelp.

Until then, enjoy your holidays even more with good food choices and transitioning your new food plan into place before the New Year!

 

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Photo by Marcus Wallis on unsplash