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a friend is going through a divorce and hasn't left the house for 3 months. Only leaves to go the grocery store and doesn't have a job. Not sure how to help?

2006-07-19 15:04:22 · 5 answers · asked by dt 5 in Health Mental Health

5 answers

I commend you for being such a caring friend.

What most people don't understand is that depression isn't simply a matter of "stinkin thinkin," although that is o­ne symptom of the illness. And the people who get depressed aren't lazy people or people who choose to be miserable. Depression is a devastating illness that strikes o­ne in ten Americans: happy o­nes, sad o­nes, optimists, pessimists, rich people, poor people, good people, bad people.

To a non-depressed person depression may look like a choice. That's because a non-depressed person's brain chemistry allows them see most situations in a fairly balanced way. What the uninitiated don't understand is that depressed people?s brains are different. They have undergone physical changes that make it difficult for them to see the world in a balanced way

Expecting a person struggling with depression to think positively is like asking a person who's is high o­n cocaine to chill out. In each case, the person's brain chemistry largely determines how they will experience the world.

Neuroscientists have recently discovered that the brains of depressed people actually look and act differently from the brains of non-depressed people. Medications used to treat depression do so by increasing the availability of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate our moods. When these medications are effective, as they are in 40 to 70 percent of all cases (depending o­n whose research you read), they allow a person?s mind to shift focus more easily, so that they can o­nce again see the world in a more flexible and less threatening way.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) work by teaching depressed people how to use their conscious minds to challenge the distorted messages sent by their sick brains. In essence, these therapies teach you how to use your mind to heal your brain. Over time and with practice, most depressed people can learn how to pull themselves out of the whirlpools of negative thinking and retrain their brain to think in a more fluid and balanced way.

Meditation and other mindfulness practices have also been effective in reducing depressive symptoms, especially when a person also suffers from anxiety. The brain scans of accomplished meditators show increased activity in the left frontal cortex of the brain, the area associated with happy feelings. With regular practice, meditation can retrain the brain to focus o­n what Jon Kabat-Zinn has called the "bloom of the present moment," and let go worries about the future and painful memories from the past.

The main thing to remember is that depression is an illness. It is not an attitude, and it most certainly is not a choice. The good news is that almost everyone who suffers from depression gets better, but healing takes time, and getting the right kind of help is very important. Research shows over and over again that the more active a role a person takes in their own treatment, the better their chances for a full recovery.

You can help those who are suffering from depression by taking their complaints seriously and by encouraging them to seek help as soon as possible. There is evidence that untreated depression can cause permanent changes to the brain that make a person more vulnerable to future episodes. So getting help right away is critical.

My advice for the anyone suffering from depression is this: Hit it hard. Hit it fast. And treat it aggressively from all four directions: biochemical, behavioral, spiritual, and emotional. Reach out to others. Keep looking until you've assembled a team of trusted others who understand depression and can guide you gently and firmly o­n the path through the darkness.

With patience and hard work, your riend will get better.

2006-07-19 16:02:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0 2

Adult separation anxiety disorder is not the same thing as generalized anxiety disorder. In reality, adult separation anxiety is much less common than childhood separation anxiety and usually only manifests itself as a symptom of a bigger issue. Adults may suffer with separation anxiety disorder when dealing with a marital separation.Generalized anxiety disorder does not confine itself to fear or worry associated with being separated from a loved one or from a familiar environment. Instead, it is a pervasive, ongoing feeling of anxiety and/or worry that may impact relationships, health and well-being, and the workplace. Individuals who suffer with generalized anxiety disorder frequently feel a sense of impending doom that may not be associated with anything specific. If symptoms of anxiety occur over a protracted period of time, panic attacks may also occur. Although there is no research to specifically link separation anxiety to generalized anxiety disorder, some adults who suffer with separation anxiety disorder may be predisposed to develop another form of anxiety later in life.
Treatment interventions to help adults who are suffering with adult separation anxiety and/or generalized anxiety disorder include a number of different approaches.
Cognitive therapy is used to help determine whether excessive fears are linked to irrational thought processes or misinformation.


Behavioral techniques are used to assist anxiety sufferers with taking necessary steps to act positively in spite of an ongoing struggle with associated fears.

2006-07-19 16:31:48 · answer #2 · answered by purple 6 · 0 0

Send him a stripper-gram

2006-07-19 15:14:36 · answer #3 · answered by sfredbook 3 · 0 0

Tell him to go home, that you cant have him there that your wife husband doesnt want them there.

2006-07-19 15:09:36 · answer #4 · answered by sanchez detail 3 · 0 0

make them watch You, Me, and Dupree

2006-07-19 15:07:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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