Low-level chronic depression has reached such epidemic proportions that the medical community has given it a name: dysthymia (pronounced dysthymia).airtight-I ah). It’s a huge problem that affects nearly 8% of the American population. Low-grade depression (dysthymia) is one of the most common ailments on the planet and one of the least likely to be diagnosed. Like its cousin, clinical depression, low-grade depression affects women about twice as often as men. Dysthymia is, by definition, chronic. A diagnosis requires the presence of symptoms on most days for a period of at least two years, which is what makes it so difficult to pin down. Any day can be fine, even happy. However, in the general course of the days, there are more gray days than not, more unhappiness than joy. Most people afflicted with this type of chronic illness instinctively blame themselves: they would rather believe they can solve the problem, if they could find the right job or the right man or lose weight, than admit they have a psychiatric disorder. Unfortunately, many people who are suffering do not seek help because they have been feeling this way for a long time, feelings of depression and discomfort are “normal”.
The presence of two or more of the following symptoms that persist for at least two years is indicative of dysthymia in adults:
- Lack of appetite or overeating
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Low energy or fatigue
- Low self-esteem
- poor focus
- Difficulty making decisions
- Feelings of hopelessness
So what is the problem? Why do so many women have so many anxiety and/or depression problems? One of the reasons is that we are taught and conditioned from our first day on this planet to chase the “American dream” (or the European dream, or the Australian dream, or whatever, you get our point), in order to have it. all – family, relationship, career, house, car, money, etc. Over time, one of two things seems to happen: either you fall short in one or more areas of life and eventually give up on your dreams, or you actually get everything and find yourself in this place of comfort and routine with no new goals on the horizon. In either case, you find yourself in a dark place where you feel absolutely stuck and dissatisfied with your life, and if left unchecked, that dissatisfaction has a nasty way of manifesting as low-level chronic depression.
Mental health experts have identified all kinds of underlying factors that make women, in particular, so susceptible to developing depression in midlife. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, women develop depression at more than twice the rate of men. We have summarized these factors in six basic areas:
frazzlemania (Overload): The demands of women today are enormous! Most middle-aged women have careers, families, homes, aging parents, and a myriad of other responsibilities that live for their time and attention. Striking a balance between everyone tends to leave one feeling like a failure: spend too much time on the career and the kids suffer, too much time on the kids and the marriage suffers, you can see the problem. Further, many women were born in a time when it was very common for women to be housewives and there is also a sense of guilt in the game when they feel that they are not doing a good job of managing everything like their own mother did. . Guilt, along with feelings of failure and stress, make fertile ground for depression to take root.
second class mishap (Social Gender Inequality): As evolved as we’d like to think we are, the fact remains that in much of the industrialized world, women are often still not valued at the same level as men. Women who do not work outside the home are often perceived as sitting around watching soap operas and eating sweets during the day. Women who dedicate time to their careers to raise their children find it difficult, if not impossible, to make up lost ground in terms of salary and retirement savings. These types of “no-win” scenarios can make women feel like second-class citizens and cause stress and hopelessness.
Steamed glasses syndrome: Depression is largely a disease of perception. Everywhere we look, we see images of perfection: the perfect body, the perfect car, the perfect house, the perfect relationship, the perfect children, etc. Perfection is an illusion, but everyone is trying to achieve it. These images are hard to live up to at any age, but they become particularly noticeable as we get older. Constant exposure to these images of perfection subtly and subconsciously affects us by making us feel “less than.”
the punch (Traumatic Life Events): The way we react to unexpected events in life certainly affects our mood and emotions. A stressful life event can plunge a person into depression, especially if a person is at risk for depression due to other factors. Stressful life events can include: prolonged medical illness; illness or death of a loved one; divorce; end a close relationship; loss of a job; relocate; and financial or legal problems.
the clone effect (Environmental factors): The environment in which you were raised may be a major factor underlying your susceptibility to depression. If you were raised to think that you were never good enough or that you were a “bad” child or other negative ideas, these ideas become incorporated into your self-image over time. If you have a negative self-image, the twists and turns of life can make you much more susceptible to depression.
Comfortitis (comfort vs. Achievement): This was my KEY underlying factor! I was a goal achiever from day one: I always wanted to do better, faster, and smarter than anyone thought possible. Once I got to a point in my life where I had achieved the major goals I had set for myself, I felt “comfortable” and in that “comfortable”, I found myself completely miserable. There are many people who need to constantly strive for the next goal; without it, they feel rudderless, purposeless, and depression can easily take hold.
Regardless of the underlying factor (or factors) that caused it, the first step in overcoming depression is to admit that there is a problem. How many conversations have you had with yourself saying that you have to find a way to be okay with your life, to accept it, that’s how it was! Well, that’s not true! The life you are living right now is No The way that has be! You are not a slave to your circumstances!
Unfortunately, everyone at some point in their life will be affected by depression, whether it be their own or someone else’s. Fifty-four percent of those people believe that depression is a personal weakness and that there is no hope that they can overcome it, which is why 80% of people who suffer from low-level chronic depression currently do not receive any treatment. . And get this, a survey by the National Association for Mental Health showed that more than 50% of women believe that depression is a “normal part of aging” and that treatment for depression during menopause is unnecessary.
According to the World Health Organization, depression is the second leading cause of death in men, after heart disease, and studies show that depression is a contributing factor in fatal coronary heart disease. and Current projections show that depression will overtake heart disease as the leading cause of death worldwide by the year 2020. There have even been studies showing links between depression and diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, some forms of cancer, eye diseases and back pain.
But you know, we just don’t pay as much attention to our mental health and well-being as we do to our physical health. We read those statistics and most of us just shrug and say there’s nothing you can do about it, that’s life. Well, in part, that’s true. He is your life and that is because everything we do, every feeling we have and our belief system and the programming we received as a child is driving every result we are getting. That self-image, that belief system, is nothing more than a huge collection of habits: programming. It is happening in the background and without your permission. It’s like a computer virus. Those little bugs get inside your computer and wreak havoc, but they don’t stop you from using your computer until things get so bad that the system just crashes. They operate in the background, no matter what you try to do, they just carry out their program without you even knowing. So how do you avoid becoming a statistic? Is there a way to change your programming?
The good thing is that really is It is possible and quite simple to reprogram your “hard drive” with clean and virus-free programs of your choice! It’s very simple (though not necessarily EASY), but it’s not something we’re usually taught. There is nothing new about it, it has been around for thousands of years, but it is something that is not taught in school, although it certainly should be!
That feeling that life is hopeless or out of control, being angry with yourself for not being able to do anything about it, changes in sleeping or eating habits, loss of interest in participating in activities that once brought you joy, we have convinced ourselves. that these are all normal parts of life. Furthermore, we convince ourselves that as long as we are not under a doctor’s care or on prescription drugs, all is well. But the fact is that all these are signs that something is wrong, and the cause can be traced back to some “virus” in your mind. The emotional pain you feel is the higher side of yourself screaming at you to live up to your infinite potential: do more, be more, have more!
There is help out there! Traditional stress and behavior modification programs pump you up with motivation, but don’t offer a follow-up action plan. Think of the typical diet program: it teaches you how to modify your behavior to eat a certain way, to exercise a certain way, but it doesn’t address the root cause of your excess weight: self-image, programming! For lasting change to occur, the cause of the problem must be addressed, not just the symptoms.
It is your birthright to be happy and prosperous and your obligation to be all that you can be. Why the hell should we settle for the status quo when greatness and abundance beyond our wildest dreams is within our grasp?