Like everything else, Happiness is also a Choice

Like everything else, Happiness is also a Choice

The core of every endeavour, every pursuit and every single action of man is to attain happiness. Yet we are a miserable lot in this world. For most of us, it is a mirage which has been eluding us throughout life. If you peep into a center for mental health services, or any mental health center in California, you will be astonished to see so many dejected faces looking for solace.

But, is it really so difficult to be happy in our lives? The fact is, it is not. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

There are several recent studies to vindicate this claim that happiness is a choice and we can choose to be happy at will. Two U.S. academics, Yuna L. Ferguson and Kennon M. Sheldon conducted a study which revealed that people who chose to be happy were happier than those who did not while participating in it. Studies in the field of positive psychology also buttress this belief that happiness is a cultivated habit.

So, how do we find happiness and stay happy? Let us find our way to happiness and stay blessed:

Choose happiness: First thing in the morning, before getting out of the bed, make a choice for yourself. Choose to be happy throughout the day and then go about your business. It is a habit and needs to be reiterated before it gets embedded in your DNA. It is a wonderful feeling and experience when you see happiness sipping into your life from every aspect.

Share your happiness: The Buddha claims, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” In other words, whenever you are happy let others also have a piece of the pie. Sharing our happiness only increases it manifold.

Be grateful: Practicing gratitude and thankfulness increases happiness. Studies reveal that those who are grateful appreciate simple pleasures of life and enjoy a happy disposition. That is why we take our Thanksgiving Day very seriously. Be grateful for all that you have in your life and count your blessings every now and then. When you lament, it only brings miseries.

Be non-judgemental: Much of our energy and peace is sapped because of being judgemental. We always remain critical of people, situations and events over which we have no control. However, the moment we become non-judgemental much of our stress dissipates and we become a lot calmer. By being non-judgemental we also reconcile to the fact that we have chosen happiness for ourselves. So, become non-judgemental and enhance your happiness quotient.

Now, that you know the choice is yours choose happiness and keep spreading your joy to others as well.

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Causes of Depression

Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who experience it need treatment to get better.

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Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the vast majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Intensive research into the illness has resulted in the development of medications, psychotherapies, and other methods to treat people with this disabling disorder.

Causes There is no single known cause of depression. Rather, it likely results from a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors.Research indicates that depressive illnesses are disorders of the brain. Brain-imaging technologies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have shown that the brains of people who have depression look different than those of people without depression.

The parts of the brain responsible for regulating mood, thinking, sleep, appetite and behavior appear to function abnormally. In addition, important neurotransmitters–chemicals that brain cells use to communicate–appear to be out of balance. But these images do not reveal why the depression has occurred.

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Some types of depression tend to run in families, suggesting a genetic link. However, depression can occur in people without family histories of depression as well. Genetics research indicates that risk for depression results from the influence of multiple genes acting together with environmental or other factors.

In addition, trauma, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or any stressful situation may trigger a depressive episode. Subsequent depressive episodes may occur with or without an obvious trigger.SymptomsPeople with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms.

The severity, frequency and duration of symptoms will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness.

Symptoms include:

• Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings

• Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness

• Irritability, restlessness

• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

• Fatigue and decreased energy

•Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions

• Insomnia, early–morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

• Overeating, or appetite loss

• Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment.

Medical Treatment

Therapy frequently includes antidepressant medication and supportive care such as psychotherapy. Other less widely used therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy, are used in severe cases...

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Causes of Depression

Therapy may be provided by your health-care provider or by a specially trained mental-health professional.

• Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed specialized training in mental disorders.• Psychologists have graduate (after college) training that includes experience in a mental-health-care facility.

• Psychotherapists may have a degree in medicine (psychiatry), psychology, social work, mental-health counseling, or couples and family therapy, as well as additional more specialized education or training.

Regardless of which is used, psychotherapy, medication, or a combination, most people with depression can safely be treated in a series of office (outpatient) visits. Inpatient care (in the hospital) may be necessary for people with more serious symptoms and is required for those who are contemplating suicide or cannot care for themselves...

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Identifying And Intervening Clinical Depression

An estimated one-third of the total population is suffering from clinical depression and the number is continually rising. By the term "clinical depression", it doesn’t mean the transient blue mood that simply goes away but a disorder that needs medical attention.

Stressors such as a loss or a trauma may instigate clinical depression but there are those afflicted by the condition due to a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Treatment and intervention may therefore include medications to correct the imbalance and therapy to sort out emotional and psychological issues. Other than that, peer and family support are also essential for a person to totally overcome clinical depression.

Depression is a potentially deadly disease as it robs the person of hope and enthusiasm being beset by overwhelming pessimism, sadness and sometimes anxiety. As such, clinical depression at worst can trigger thoughts of suicide or even suicide attempts.

Depression symptoms vary from person to person although there are general indications to look for. According to the degree and severity of the condition, professional help must be sought so a psychiatrist or psychotherapist can administer the appropriate treatment measures.

Intervention is usually more effective and the recovery speedier once clinical depression is addressed in the initial stages.

What are the general symptoms of clinical depression to be on the lookout for?

One must be keen in ascertaining those symptoms not only among family members or friends but within oneself as well. One must be aware of unexplained crying or being overcome by unhappiness or a saddened mood. A person with clinical depression may also lose their enthusiasm in whatever used to give them pleasure and tends to persistently sulk. Insomnia might likewise be prevalent.

It is either that the patient will have little or no sleep at all or has the tendency to oversleep yet a poor quality of sleep at that. In fact, they may feel as though they never slept at all. Consequently, the patient feels fatigued, tired and worn out.

This is usually accompanied by loss of energy. Restlessness and agitation and feeling the urgency to do things immediately are also manifestations of clinical depression.

Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand or in some cases they are experienced separately. Some depressive patients tend to relieve their depression by overeating thereby gaining weight or others may lose their appetite and forget to eat because of preoccupation with distressing
thoughts therefore they lose weight.

Poor concentration and difficulty in focusing on simple tasks may also be indications of clinical depression. One usually feels sluggish and may go about doing things in slow motion. Clinical depression may also instigate irritability, being upset or frustrated as well as trigger unfounded feelings of anger.

It may be sensible to seek professional help once these symptoms manifest in a loved one or friend or in oneself to ascertain whether one is afflicted with clinical depression. In moderate cases, the symptoms may be tolerable but there is no arguing that depression can deprive an individual of total well-being and a good quality of life therefore a professional’s assessment may be necessary.

Clinical depression is treatable as long as one takes the initiative to address the problem and soon, one’s zest and enthusiasm will be restored making life more fulfilling and worthwhile...

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