Depression Expert Deborah Gray shares Depression management news and commentary at MyDepressionConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18 http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18 http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/88443/handling-depressed Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:22:00 -0500 Deborah Gray So you've got a big project at work or a paper to do for school, and you're at your wit's end. If you're depressed, it's really hard to get things done, since there are some characteristics of depression in particular that make doing a big project seem as likely as climbing Mt. Everest. For one thing, your brain and thought processes are probably a bit foggier than usual. A lot of people aren't aware of this, but mild or moderate cognitive... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/88443/handling-depressed http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/100104/year-resolutions Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:55:00 -0500 Deborah Gray I have to confess something - I think making New Year's Eve resolutions is generally a waste of time. January 1st is just an arbitrary date. In the same way that going out on New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day can cost you much more than it would any other night, I think that working ourselves up into a lather about making and keeping New Year's Eve resolutions can be detrimental.   And one could argue that when you're depressed, the last... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/100104/year-resolutions http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/96782/fat-anxiety-attack Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:43:00 -0500 Deborah Gray I had a major anxiety attack last night. My husband went to the emergency room about 11:00pm because his lungs were filling up with fluid. All three of us - my husband, my son and I - have had nasty colds the last week, so it wasn't a surprise. My husband has had respiratory problems since he was an infant. At least once a year, he ends up going to the emergency room. Right before he went to sleep earlier, or tried to, he said, "If my breathing... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/96782/fat-anxiety-attack http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/96808/making-winter Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:20:00 -0500 Deborah Gray It's winter in much of the world, and many people are dreading being shut inside for months. Even though I live in California now and enjoy a sunny, temperate climate, I spent most of my life in the Northeast United States, and used to absolutely hate November, since it was the beginning of winter. October usually was sunny and crisp, and there were leaves of blazing hues on the trees, but from November on the landscape was grey, and the sky... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/96808/making-winter http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/93041/simplify-holidays Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:13:00 -0500 Deborah Gray My parents do a beautiful job with decorating for Christmas - they always have. Every year they get a real live tree. They have a couple of hundred of beautiful ornaments, as well as garlands and other assorted decorations. The tree is always put up at least two weeks before Christmas. Granted, they're retired, but it was always like this even when they both were working.   In contrast, my husband and I broke down a couple of years ago... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/93041/simplify-holidays http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/96785/holidays Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:53:00 -0500 Deborah Gray If you're going to be alone during the holidays and you have clinical depression, you're looking at a double whammy that could do a number on you before the end of the year. By Christmas Eve, your depression voice might be telling you that you're a sad loser - unless you come up with some countermeasures. Keep these suggestions in mind:   If you're alone because someone close to you has died, or because your marriage or relationship has... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/96785/holidays http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/96783/depression Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:47:00 -0500 Deborah Gray Right before I got diagnosed with depression, I suffered through the most horrible Christmas ever. On the surface, everything was fine. I spent Christmas Day with my family as usual and a couple of days later my best friend got married in a lovely ceremony and reception. But the moment I was out of sight on my way home from my parents' house, I burst out crying and cried for hours. And I was only able to endure an hour of the wedding reception... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/96783/depression http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/93042/anxiety-holidays Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:16:00 -0500 Deborah Gray We spent Halloween at my sister's house this year. Every year, most of the houses on the block she lives on decorate their garages as one of the locations in the Harry Potter books. The crowd that comes is by now completely insane. You can barely move through the street (which is blocked off). Whenever we go there for Halloween, we help to pass out candy as the crowds move through their garage.   My son, who is almost seven, wanted to... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/93042/anxiety-holidays http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/93050/making-welcoming Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:43:00 -0500 Deborah Gray I've written about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that is triggered by different seasons. A small amount of people are affected by the late spring and summer, but many more are laid low by winter. What if, however, you don't have SAD per se, but are someone with depression whose depression is exacerbated by the fall and winter darkness? Granted, when you have depression you're frequently unaware of the weather. The most... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/93050/making-welcoming http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/93044/depression-illness Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:20:00 -0500 Deborah Gray Last November I started getting sick with a sinus headache and fever. At the end of a week, I was so sick that I ended up throwing up in a bathroom stall at work. The doctor diagnosed a sinus infection. Not unusual for someone with allergies, but I hadn't had one in years. I got a prescription for antibiotics, and thought that was the end of it.   Nope. For a few days after I started the antibiotic, my fever abated and I felt better. But... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/18/93044/depression-illness