Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Mental Health MON - SPECIAL WED edition

This is Part III of my post about bipolar disorders, which I began yesterday. You may recognize some of these symptoms in yourself, in loved ones, in others you know. This disorder is treatable! It usually requires medication & psychotherapy. Rather than self-diagnosis, you should consult a mental health professional. [My source is the Mayo Clinic website.]

MAJOR DEPRESSIVE EPISODE

"A major depressive episode includes symptoms that are severe enough to cause noticeable difficulty in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationships. An episode includes 5 or more of these symptoms:
  • "Depressed mood, such as feeling sad, empty, hopeless or tearful (in children & teens, depressed mood can appear as irritability)
  • Marked loss of interest or feeling no pleasure in all--or almost all--activities
  • Significant weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite (in children, failure to gain weight as expected can be a sign of depression)
  • Either insomnia or sleeping too much
  • Either restlessness or slowed behavior
  • Fatigue or loss of energy
  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt
  • Decreased ability to think or concentrate or indecisiveness
  • Thinking about, planning or attempting suicide"
Other features of bipolar disorder

"Signs & symptoms of bipolar I & bipolar II disorders may include other features, such as anxious distress, melancholy, psychosis or others. The timing of symptoms may include diagnostic labels such as mixed or rapid cycling. In addition, bipolar symptoms may occur during pregnancy or change with the seasons."

Thought for Today

This is another excerpt that I found especially meaningful in light of today's topic.


GRACE ABOUNDS

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” Ps. 51:1

“O God, no man or creature can help or comfort me, so great is my misery; for my affliction is not bodily or temporal. Thou alone, therefore, who are God & eternal, canst help me. Have mercy on me, for without Thy mercy all things are terrible & bitter to me.”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.

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