Prevention and Treatment of Depression

Ten to thirty percent of people will suffer from at least one episode of depression in their life. The medical definition of depression is at least one of the following: low mood, low energy, low sense of enjoyment, or high anxiety, for at least two months. But the best nonmedical description is that depression feels like lack of vitality. In this page you'll learn how relaxation prevents and treats depression.

Ask your doctor or therapist if mindbody relaxation is right for you. Relaxation can complement the work you do with your doctor or therapist, but should not be your only form of treatment.

The Causes of Depression

There are three basic causes of depression.

A family history of depression, which makes you genetically predisposed.
Abusing drugs or alcohol, which are brain depressants.
Feeling that you're trapped in a box that you can’t escape from.

How Tension Can Cause Depression

You can become depressed if you feel trapped in a box that you can't escape from. If you are figuratively trapped in a box, such as a job that you don’t like or an unhealthy relationship that won’t change, you'll struggle against it until you eventually become exhausted and depressed.(1)

The box you struggle in can be external, like a job or a relationship, or it can be internal, like poor self-esteem. Below are some examples of how you can make yourself depressed by living inside a box of tension.

Poor self-esteem can cause depression. If you believe that you never get a break in life, then you’re trapped in a box of your own making. Your belief can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, because if you behave as if you never get a break, then people will begin to respond to you that way, and sure enough you won’t get a break. The more you live in that box, the more tense you’ll become, the more energy you’ll consume, and the more depressed you’ll feel.

Resentments can cause depression. Resentments trap you in a box because they make you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings. With each new resentment and every new fault that you find in the world, you make your zone of comfort smaller and your world less enjoyable. If you have enough resentments and if you spend enough of your time dwelling on the things that you can't change, you will eventually become mentally exhausted and depressed.

Never being satisfied with what you have can cause depression. If you're always chasing after something more than what you have, you're saying that you're in a box you want to get out of. A little of that can be motivating. But if you set your standards so high that you can't realistically achieve the things you're chasing after, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, and you've built a box that you can't get out of. Of course everybody thinks they'll stop when they get what they really want. But many people develop a pattern of chasing after things, and by the time they get what they had initially wanted they find it a hard habit to break. If you continue to struggle in that box, after a while you'll feel let down and depressed.

Trying to live up to someone's expectations can cause depression. Right off the bat when you do that, you've created a box that you don't want to live in. You force yourself to live in it out of a sense of duty or obligation, but you know that you'd be happier doing something else. The most common example, of course, is trying to live up to your parents' expectations. The mistake I see a lot of people make is that they take their parents' expectations too literally. They think their parents want them to grow up to have a specific job or to make a specific amount of money. Most parents just want their kids to grow up and be happy. For many people that's a liberating idea.

The Medical Evidence

Mindbody relaxation can reduce the risk of a relapse of depression by 50 percent. One study looked at fifty-five patients who had recently recovered from depression. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group received regular medical follow-up, while the other group was also taught how to relax. Both groups were followed for sixty weeks.

Seventy-eight percent of the non-relaxation group had another episode of depression during the next sixty weeks, while only 36 percent of the relaxation group had another episode of depression during the same time. (2)

The simple act of relaxation reduced the risk of a relapse of depression by half.

Learn More

In Chapter 19, "Overcome Depression and Addiction" you'll learn:

How fears and resentments can cause depression
How mindbody relaxation can help treat depression
The risks of recurrence of depression
How mindbody relaxation prevents depression from recurring
How mindbody relaxation relieves the anxiety associated with depression

You'll also learn:

The underlying causes of tension in greater detail
A simple but effective relaxation technique to let go of tension and change your life
The key to relaxing your body and mind
Simple breathing techniques that will help you let go of tension quickly
How to stay focused and deal with distractions
How and why relaxation works
The science and psychology behind relaxation
How relaxation feels
Answers to frequently asked questions about relaxation and meditation
Hints to help you overcome common obstacles
A one-month relaxation program that will help you integrate relaxation into your life
How to reduce anxiety and improve your sleep.

Next Page >

MAKE ROOM FOR HAPPINESS.ORG
A New Approach to Self-Help - excerpts from the book "Make Room for Happiness"
Home Four Laws of Happiness Self-Esteem Health & Heart Disease Relationships Weight Loss Depression Addiction Anxiety Pain Relief Psychotherapy Mindbody Relaxation See the Book The Author Recommended List Quotes Bibliography Website Policies Contact Press Room	Prevention and Treatment of Depression Ten to thirty percent of people will suffer from at least one episode of depression in their life. The medical definition of depression is at least one of the following: low mood, low energy, low sense of enjoyment, or high anxiety, for at least two months. But the best nonmedical description is that depression feels like lack of vitality. In this page you'll learn how relaxation prevents and treats depression. *Ask your doctor or therapist if mindbody relaxation is right for you.* Relaxation can complement the work you do with your doctor or therapist, but should not be your only form of treatment. The Causes of Depression There are three basic causes of depression. A family history of depression, which makes you genetically predisposed. Abusing drugs or alcohol, which are brain depressants. Feeling that you're trapped in a box that you can’t escape from. How Tension Can Cause Depression You can become depressed if you feel trapped in a box that you can't escape from. If you are figuratively trapped in a box, such as a job that you don’t like or an unhealthy relationship that won’t change, you'll struggle against it until you eventually become exhausted and depressed.(1) The box you struggle in can be external, like a job or a relationship, or it can be internal, like poor self-esteem. Below are some examples of how you can make yourself depressed by living inside a box of tension. Poor self-esteem can cause depression. If you believe that you never get a break in life, then you’re trapped in a box of your own making. Your belief can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, because if you behave as if you never get a break, then people will begin to respond to you that way, and sure enough you won’t get a break. The more you live in that box, the more tense you’ll become, the more energy you’ll consume, and the more depressed you’ll feel. Resentments can cause depression. Resentments trap you in a box because they make you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings. With each new resentment and every new fault that you find in the world, you make your zone of comfort smaller and your world less enjoyable. If you have enough resentments and if you spend enough of your time dwelling on the things that you can't change, you will eventually become mentally exhausted and depressed. Never being satisfied with what you have can cause depression. If you're always chasing after something more than what you have, you're saying that you're in a box you want to get out of. A little of that can be motivating. But if you set your standards so high that you can't realistically achieve the things you're chasing after, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, and you've built a box that you can't get out of. Of course everybody thinks they'll stop when they get what they really want. But many people develop a pattern of chasing after things, and by the time they get what they had initially wanted they find it a hard habit to break. If you continue to struggle in that box, after a while you'll feel let down and depressed. Trying to live up to someone's expectations can cause depression. Right off the bat when you do that, you've created a box that you don't want to live in. You force yourself to live in it out of a sense of duty or obligation, but you know that you'd be happier doing something else. The most common example, of course, is trying to live up to your parents' expectations. The mistake I see a lot of people make is that they take their parents' expectations too literally. They think their parents want them to grow up to have a specific job or to make a specific amount of money. Most parents just want their kids to grow up and be happy. For many people that's a liberating idea. The Medical Evidence Mindbody relaxation can reduce the risk of a relapse of depression by 50 percent. One study looked at fifty-five patients who had recently recovered from depression. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group received regular medical follow-up, while the other group was also taught how to relax. Both groups were followed for sixty weeks. Seventy-eight percent of the non-relaxation group had another episode of depression during the next sixty weeks, while only 36 percent of the relaxation group had another episode of depression during the same time. (2) The simple act of relaxation reduced the risk of a relapse of depression by half. Learn More In Chapter 19, "Overcome Depression and Addiction" you'll learn: How fears and resentments can cause depression How mindbody relaxation can help treat depression The risks of recurrence of depression How mindbody relaxation prevents depression from recurring How mindbody relaxation relieves the anxiety associated with depression You'll also learn: The underlying causes of tension in greater detail A simple but effective relaxation technique to let go of tension and change your life The key to relaxing your body and mind Simple breathing techniques that will help you let go of tension quickly How to stay focused and deal with distractions How and why relaxation works The science and psychology behind relaxation How relaxation feels Answers to frequently asked questions about relaxation and meditation Hints to help you overcome common obstacles A one-month relaxation program that will help you integrate relaxation into your life How to reduce anxiety and improve your sleep. Next Page >	See a larger image of the Book Read the First Chapter Read the Reviews Buy from Indigo.ca
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Learn about Depression facts, Major depression, Anxiety depression, and Clinical depression. Gather Depression information on Causes of depression, Symptoms of depression, Dealing with depression, and Depression causes. Natural treatments for depression, Treatment for depression and anxiety, Natural depression treatment, and Alternative treatment for depression are included. Learn about Depression symptoms, Prevention of depression, Depression treatment, Signs of depression, and Prevention for depression. What is the Definition of depression? Mindbody relaxation helps with Depression prevention and Treatment of depression. Read how Mindbody Relaxation can improve your life from the book, Make Room for Happiness by Dr. Steven M. Melemis.