Depression

depression is often based on councios or subcouncios belif. one has to find those belives, and contradict them into happy thought or realistic thoughts intead of pessimistic thoughts. hope your brother will be fine once you have found the sorce of the depression and changed it to something good.

How one deals with depression is dependent upon the cause(s) of the depression. The first step must be to ask your brother why he is depressed. It may be a specific cause, in which case one can propose many different solutions; it may be a general feeling the result of many things---which can be resolved either one at a time--- that requires a change of attitude.
Without additional information, it is difficult to say more.

Skipping school and wallowing in depression is not going to help anything. Staying occupied (work, school, exercise, reading) will keep it off of your mind, and in the process of engaging yourself in various activities, you might find something fun that will defeat the depression. Here's a secret though: nobody is as happy as they seem, and part of growing up is learning that you aren't going to be content in life...you have to chase down happiness if you want it.

There are some foods that can arguably help depression due to their chemical content:

green tea, yerba mate tea, dark chocolate, dairy products

Or go to a psychologist who will probably want to start expensive counseling sessions and put you on antidepressants...

As someone who has battled depression for a little while, I can say that it is not a matter of events affecting moods, but of moods affecting the way we perceive events.

It is very easy to say that one who is battling depression simply needs to stay occupied, but depression sours any desire one might have for doing anything, so convincing oneself to stay occupied is extremely difficult.

He should consider psychological help, and approach the problem with a combination of medication and more personal attention. The medication can grease the gears to get him on the right track, but in will never be a permanent solution, and if a permanent solution isn't found, the medication will only create another issue.

It is a very, very delicate situation to deal with, and the one thing I can tell you is that the worse thing you can do is to be sure that you understand what is going through his mind. Since it is a likely a matter of the way he perceives things, thinking or saying that you understand what he is going through will sound hollow at best, patronizing at worst.

There are some pretty good drugs on the market these days. Have him make an appointment with a shrink! NOW! Or make one for him.

Personally, there is not much philosophy can do for depression. In fact, I think it may make a person worse for ware. I'm also a disbeliever in psychology and psychiatry. In fact, from what I hear many of the profession are more inclined to push a particular anti-depressant than give you a genuine prescription or prognosis. But that may be unfair to say. Honestly, positive thinking... or at least convincing yourself to think in a positive sense may help a lot more than taking the word of some complete stranger.

I'm a big fan of preventative medicine and I know of two really good vitamins. B complex vitamin is usually a good vitamin to take when you are down. Also GABA (or really Gamma Pyridoxine Hydrochloride). It is a non essential amino acid and inhibitory neurotransmitter. GABA is often referred to as the brains natural calming agent. Its primarily just vitamin B6 and GABA. It supposedly reduces anxiety, stress, and alleviates some symptoms of depression.

Good stuff. I usually took it when I was taking tests or when I felt really stressed. In my opinion it worked... and to a point worked too well. I noticed how calm I was naturally after a few hours from taking it. It is some what powerful depending on you physiology and health. The healthier you are, the less you need. If I took it for more than a few days, I'd get a small headache.

I'm not a doctor, so don't take my word for it. I would recommend 500 mg becuase 1000 mg gave me headaches. If you do take it, take it in the morning before you eat anything, otherwise you can get kinda nauseated.

Things that work on the GABA receptors are more for combatting anxiety...there is the OTC supplement called Phenibut, which is used in Russia and other places as a prescription anti-anxiety medicine. Other substances that work in a similar way are alcohol, valium and xanax.

Oh yes. The small D... The big D is death.

I can say from experience that not all doctors just want to push you some nasty medicine in cooporation with the greedy phrmacautical companies. I was hospitalized for mild chronic depression, and they didn't give me anything until after a week or so.

Yes, Mr. Fight the Power is right. The problem with depression is that it's often hard to find external causes for it. Mostly it's just a cancer that grows form inside. I went to school, got good grades, enlisted the army- got f****d. Next thing I know I'm grabbing for the M-16.

I also don't believe in medicine and psychology- but look where I'm today! I don't think that the meds and shrinks are responsible for this highted mood- but they didn't hinder that either.

I would suggest a CBT- take your brother to someone he can talk to and open up to- sometimes its all one needs to chase the depression away.

Yes we have started my brother on CBT and it seems to be working but he still won't open up and tell us what is going on and why he is so depressed. Thanks for the help everyone.

I wish you all luck and happiness. Sometimes time is the best medicin, cliched- yes. But sometimes the truest things in life are cliches- which is also a cliche in some kind of way.

MITech,

I commend you for your concern for your brother. It is important to find out why he is depressed. Maybe he is being bullied at school. If you could get him to start talking and then just listen that alone could be quite helpful.

Is their any further things I should do to respond to his irritability and mood swings.

He's at school so I take it he is a teenager. Some of that could be quite normal for his age. But it might also help to look at what he is eating and drinking. Too much caffeine, like what's in cola, can cause irritability. If you were talking of a woman or a young girl I would suggest relaxation and the like. But I know boys think that's a bit soft. If at all possible it might help to ask him what is wrong and what would make him feel better. Bottom line there is not a lot you can do. Your brother is the only one who can know what he needs. Maybe talking to the school councillor would help. Do your parents know your brother is going through this?

There may not be an actual "reason", apart from just generally being unhappy about the world in general.
Having a family member who suffers from bouts of depression, I have to say that the first thing you personally have to do is rid yourself of the idea that you can "do" something to help. It's a medical condition and you can no more cure it than cure asthma or arthritis. You can help by making sure your brother knows you care and love him, just as you could help an asthma sufferer by getting rid of dust and smoke from their vicinity, but you can't "cure' him. Only he can do this, perhaps with a combination of medication and therapy.
I quite frankly think it is just something some people are born with, it can certainly be helped but it may always be there and he may get recurring bouts throughout his life. He is lucky to have family who care - this is the best treatment.

What else can cognitive behavioural therapy be used for?

To this I might add that regular exercise has also been known to be effective.
If you can motivate yourself to do it.

As somebody who is currently having personnal difficulties with depression, I can offer little tips, based on what I have encountered so far.
CBT, to an extent, does it's job. I've started reading a book on the topic, as well as going to therapy sessions with a psychiatrist, and simply talking about things can help. Often, though, it is easier to talk to a stranger than to one's family or friends. I share what's on my mind with my closest friends, because I trust them the most. My family, however, is a different matter. The problem with talking to your family is that often they try and force information out of you. What you do tell them suddenly changes the way they act around you, which can be extremely uncomfortable as often people who are depressed don't want a big deal made about them. You know, just a little bit of care and love, rather than loads falsely placed on them.

School is, in my opinion, the most difficult thing to cope with. You're forced to spend almost all day, every day with a bunch of people (many of which you probably don't even like, and who don't like you either) learning a lot of pointless things. School does have strong values, and as a good achiever, I understand the importance, but many times I wonder why I'm wasting my time there, not learning anything. The fact that your brother isn't going to school must make it quite severe, as even I plod along each day.

Another thing about depression is the mood swings. How at one point your may feel quite happy, and good about yourself, yet the next you're miserable, not wanting to move, let alone do anything. CBT does help you keep a more positive attitude, and focus on the things that are worth doing. Of course, it won't make all the problems go away, or even try and stop the causes of the depression, but just helps lift the load while you recover.

At least, that's how I feel. I haven't been at it very long, but I think it's one of the best methods for helping teenage boys. However, I believe that it all depends on the circumstances, so what I've just said may not be entirely relevant.

Also speaking from the experience of depression, I can offer a few suggestions for dealing with depression:

1) I cannot encourage you more to go see a psychotherapist, to get a diagnosis as to what they believe the cause is. This is central to how to deal with depression, understanding what it is. Depression, itself, is a number of different, but related, conditions. Psychotic depression would require drugs, or else the risk of self-harm becomes more and more eminent. Bi-polar (manic-depressive) disorder is typically also treated with drugs. Major depressive episodes can also be treated in the short term with drugs, to lower risks of self-harm as well. Otherwise other methods can often help, for atypical depression or seasonal affective depression as examples. But knowing what you are dealing with is the largest part, 'depression' itself is to broad to try and help with.

2) If there is a risk of self-harm, such as from psychotic depression, then drugs are necessary, regardless of personal opinion about them. There is a situation where psychiatrists push drugs without proper evaluation (which is why I suggest you go to a liscenced psychotherapist) but those drugs can save lives in cases. If it is serious or chronic, drugs may be the only effective solution and the responsable recourse.

3) Therapy can be useful, but this depends on the person. I didn't respond to therapy: openly discussing my issues raised more problems rather than solutions, to which even a trained professional was useless. It never hurts to try this "expensive" and "ineffective" solution on the chance that it will offer results.

4) As much as you want to help, interference is often not the best policy. There is a fine line between caring and prodding, one you must unfortunatly tread. The goal is to be responsive, but NEVER pushy. Rather than being someone eminently concerned, you need to be someone always available. Given the right conditions your brother should want to talk, he just needs to know that he will be heard rather than cured.

5) As much as school is necessary, depression does warrant time away from it. If school does appear to be a large concern to your brother then please have him taken out for a while if he is congenial to the idea. The last thing anyone needs is more teenagers around them when they are depressed, it is enough to send anyone further into depression rather than away from it. The damage of missing a couple of classes is considerably less than some of the damage peers can do. Credits can be re-done, trauma often cannot.

6) For mood swings, there are two things you can do: compensate and (secretly) interfere. As afternoon-special as this may sound, a pint of Ben and Jerry's goes a long way, even to someone clinically depressed. The little things get to someone in a depressive swing, so make sure they are removed and/or compensated for. Also, mood swings are when you have to worry about your brother hurting himself. Even if he hasn't before, be wary of him hoarding pills or things to cut himself with. Suicide, or suicidal behaviour, is often not an instantaneous thing but is often something prepared for.

Depression is not something to fool around with. As much flack as they get, psychologists and therapists are trained to deal with this sort of thing and their guidance should be consulted if only to have another perspective on the matter. That said, being insistent pushed people further into themselves, so tread carefully. I truly hope you are able to make progress with your brother: some of us know how bad depression can get and how fast it gets there. Just having you around will help him.

(Even in the coup chickens can be lonely. Surrounded by other poultry, anyone can feel alone. There is a difference between being crowded and being social, one not so easy to identify.)

I've experienced depression myself and found that in my own personal situation, counselling therapy was useless, medication was extremely helpful. What turrned out to be the cause though, was that my job was causing stress, and the depression was cured by a change of career.

I strongly advise seeking professional help. Maybe therapy will work for him, maybe medication won't be necessary. But either way, doctors can help. Additionally I would suggest looking into the possibility of changing schools, or changing the subjects being studied, if either of those are possible. A change of enviromnent or a change of educational approach might help.