Coping at Work

An important aspect of recovering from depression is continuing to participate in as many of your regular daily activities as possible during treatment.  For many people, work is high on that list.  Employment is about much more than making a living. The satisfaction and security of work contribute to positive self-esteem, and being part of a work team can help foster a sense of belonging.
But it can be challenging to function at your best in the work world while dealing with depression.  That’s true whether you currently have a job, or you’re just entering or returning to the job market.   Strategies to help you make the most of your job situation are found below. Note that many of these strategies can be put into action before you ever set foot in your workplace or schedule your first job interview.  When you are playing an active role in your own treatment plan and maintaining the proper perspective on your situation, you will find it easier to bring out your very best in the work world.

On-the-Job Strategies

Consider adopting the following strategies to improve your outlook and performance on the job:
Don’t let work take precedence over recovery.  Work is important, but it is only one aspect of your life.  Even on the busiest of days, remember that recovery is your top priority. Your treatment plan and the self-care strategies you employ each day should not take a back seat to the immediate concerns and demands of the workday. 
Remember what’s important about work.  It is rare to find a job that doesn’t involve challenging people, deadlines, difficult assignments and other stressors.  At times when work feels overwhelming, try to focus on the positive reasons why you work, including financial independence and security, personal satisfaction and the sense of community or belonging that comes from contributing to a team effort.
Don’t set yourself up by expecting perfection.  You will face disappointments, make mistakes, and encounter obstacles at work – everyone does.  Adjust your attitude and expectations about yourself and your work, knowing that problems are inevitable in any job.
Don’t let the past define today or tomorrow.  Realize that problems caused by your symptoms in the past will not necessarily repeat themselves, especially if you have a working treatment plan in place. Just because a lack of energy once caused you to miss a crucial deadline doesn’t mean you are unreliable.  Give yourself credit for the progress you are making, and permission to start over.
Develop symptom-specific strategies.  To help you keep focused on the future instead of the past, make sure to learn all you can about your illness and your specific symptoms. Take a close look at the symptoms that have tripped you up in the past, and develop specific strategies for countering each of them.  For example, if your depression can make it hard to concentrate or if you feel overwhelmed when beginning a project, it might be helpful to break work assignments into smaller, more manageable steps that can be completed in shorter timeframes.
Keep in mind that politics and personalities are part of working.  When you work with other people (and most of us do!), differing agendas, conflicting priorities and interpersonal conflict can’t be avoided. They do not need to derail your efforts to recover from depression. 
Don’t go it alone.  It is difficult to juggle a full work schedule while also meeting everyone’s expectations at home.  When you also need to find time and energy to devote to managing your depression, it can be overwhelming.  Examine your daily or weekly schedule and look for activities, both at home and at work, that could be delegated to others.  Involving coworkers in shared responsibilities, asking family members to help with chores, or reaching out to a friend to provide a “sounding board” for your ideas and concerns are all good strategies for accomplishing your goals without sacrificing your emotional health and recovery.
Source:  http://www.depressiontoolkit.org/takecare/coping_at_work.asp

PTSD increases risk for cardiac ischemia

There is growing concern that long-term untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may increase the risk of developing a number of medical problems, particularly compromised cardiovascular health.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term for diseases of the heart and blood vessels. There are multiple known risk factors, including age, family history, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Prior studies show that individuals with PTSD are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, most of these studies proposed this relationship on the basis of self-report measures, creating a need for objective studies to establish the validity of this hypothesis.
In this issue of Biological Psychiatry, Jesse Turner and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco have done just that and now report new evidence of elevated rates of myocardial ischemia in patients with PTSD.
They recruited 663 outpatients from two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers who underwent a series of assessments, including questionnaires and a blood test to determine their risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Each also completed a structured interview with a clinician, which resulted in a diagnosis of PTSD for 230 of the veterans. Lastly, the participants performed standardized exercise treadmill tests, commonly called 'stress tests', which were used to detect ischemia.
The researchers detected the presence of myocardial ischemia in 17% of the participants with PTSD but only 10% of participants without PTSD. This increase was not explained by differences in traditional cardiac risk factors, health behaviors like alcohol use and sleep quality, or depression.
"Persistent PTSD symptoms produce more than psychological distress; they constitute a major adaptive challenge for the entire body," commented Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "Increased risk for cardiac ischemia may turn out to be an important new concern for individuals suffering from long-standing untreated PTSD."
"This study adds to a growing literature demonstrating the objective effects of PTSD on the heart. An important next step for this area of research will be to identify the mechanisms through which PTSD may damage the cardiovascular system. Though we controlled for several potential mechanisms, such as traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors, these did not explain the association of PTSD and ischemia," said Dr. Beth Cohen, senior author on the project. "Determining precisely how PTSD can affect the heart will allow us to develop new, tailored treatments to improve the health of veterans and others who experience PTSD."
Considering that up to 30% of veterans suffer from PTSD, this is an important goal. For now, it is increasingly clear that, veteran or not, any individuals suffering from PTSD should seek treatment.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/269616.php

Dealing with Depression

Self-Help and Coping Tips to Overcome Depression

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Depression drains your energy, hope, and drive, making it difficult to do what you need to feel better. But while overcoming depression isn’t quick or easy, it’s far from impossible. You can’t beat it through sheer willpower, but you do have some control—even if your depression is severe and stubbornly persistent. The key is to start small and build from there. Feeling better takes time, but you can get there if you make positive choices for yourself each day.

In This Article:

The road to depression recovery

Recovering from depression requires action, but taking action when you’re depressed is hard. In fact, just thinking about the things you should do to feel better, like going for a walk or spending time with friends, can be exhausting.
It’s the Catch-22 of depression recovery: The things that help the most are the things that are the most difficult to do. There’s a difference, however, between something that's difficult and something that's impossible.

Start small and stay focused

The key to depression recovery is to start with a few small goals and slowly build from there. Draw upon whatever resources you have. You may not have much energy, but you probably have enough to take a short walk around the block or pick up the phone to call a loved one.
Take things one day at a time and reward yourself for each accomplishment. The steps may seem small, but they’ll quickly add up. And for all the energy you put into your depression recovery, you’ll get back much more in return.

Should you wish to read more use the link below.

Reference:-
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_tips.htm
Authors:-Authors: Melinda Smith, M.A., Robert Segal, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. Last updated: July 2013.