It’s not every day I get to hang out with Paul Chek…at his home no less. This to me is one of the biggest draws for coming to ZIG. I get to see the man in action, in his environment….with just a few other cool/sensitive people around.

But this being my third time attending ZIG, I had hung out with Paul CHEK at his house a few times…and I actually had bigger reasons for wanting to attend yesterday. I came to ZIG of Friday with the intention of learning more about intimacy. This is an issue I have been struggling with for a long time, and really is a significant blockage on my path to healthy relationships.

I had been looking forward to this day for weeks. I had a booth at the CHEK Conference the week prior, and I was feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

After picking up breakfast/lunch from whole foods, Lukas and I raced up to Vista, to go to Paul’s house. I then sprinted from my car to Paul Chek’s house to see this amazing site! That first walk through the Zen rock garden felt like I was walking in between statues of towering titans who have long since left the earth.

I was greeted by Vidya (I LOVE VIDYA!!) as we got to the door and was stolked to see Paul ??? and his wife Melissa. I met Paul ??? in the first ZIG I attended and really value his friendship and his life path intersecting mine. Then I was stolked again to see Donal (not Donald) Carr. Donal is the Chek Affiliate down in Australia and has been doing a TON to spread the Chekies down under.

We then grouped up in Paul’s living room and he shared that we would be going on a hiking meditation and then go stack rocks in the rock garden!! Fun!

So we walked through the zen rock garden, went up hill a few blocks to the trail head. Paul informed us that we would be going on a 45 minute hiking loop, with no talking. He asked to ask the great spirits any question we wanted, and then to pay attention to yes or no answers with the changing wind (eg. a wind dead spot, or increase in velocity), or any other signs in nature. He also told us to keep our tongue on the roof of our mouth, just behind our teeth (I assume for optimum Qi flow), and to pay special attention to the moisture in our mouth, and to hike at a slower pace if our mouths became dry. After all, this wasn’t a workout hike, it was a meditation hike for parasympathetic stimulation and contemplation.

So off I headed, with the biggest question for the spirit with no name…what does intimacy look like in nature? And how can I use that example of intimacy in my own life?

So we began hiking in silence. I began asking great spirit for help understanding intimacy in nature. I walked in my Vibram 5 fingers and really enjoyed the acupressure of the pointy stones on the sore spots on my feet. I observed the hues of green and the late summer southern California hill-scape. I tried to contemplate intimacy, and really only found anxiety and mental chatter.

But I kept hiking at our gentle pace, and kept observing the moisture in my mouth and the wildlife around me, paying attention to each step on the dirt and rock path. I contemplated vibrant bushes rooted deep in the ground and swaying in the wind, dying grasses lining the trail, and stones jutting out of the dirt. I watched the birds of prey soar high above and thought about coyotes tearing their rabbits to shreds, in harmony and intimacy? Stories from my former Aikido Sensei poured though my mind.

As we neared the crest of the loop, I noticed that I had been following very closely on the heels of Lukas in front of me – I saw myself putting non-verbal pressure on him…probably forcing him out of his own rhythm, something that I judged as the opposite of intimacy. It was humbling to it contemplate that I have done throughout many of my relationships, romantic and otherwise. While this was a useful tactic that has protected me and gotten me what I wanted in the past, greater intimacy will come with letting people have their own pace in my WE relationships.

At the top of the loop the group took a rest, I had a pee, and picked some Annis seeds. They taste like black liquorice, and I have nibbled on this plant since my father and mother first showed me them

Almost immediately after we started on the downward part of the loop it hit me. Acceptance is a part of intimacy…acceptance acceptance acceptance. Over and over I kept hearing it in my head. Great spirit gave me the next piece of my journey into intimacy ^_^ I didn’t really know what kind of acceptance, so I figured it was all of them – acceptance of myself, my lover, my friends, my strangers, my love, my life…just as the bushes, grass, bugs, herbivores, birds of prey did. They all accepted and adapted to the seasons, the rainfall, the changing air, their neighbors…and did their best to thrive in harmony with their circumstances.

I continued to enjoy more Annis seeds, pay attention to the trail (it has since turned steep and rockier!), and reflect on intimacy. I felt about Paul ??? and Melissa’s relationship, and how it felt like *I* would like to have a relationship like that.

Then as we neared the end of the trail, I felt the urge to slow down, fall back, and walk slowly apart from everyone. Then a bit of a fog and some little streaks that came over my vision, and I felt like I was seeing and feeling the interaction of all the living beings in that canyon. I don’t know, but it was interesting to feel/see whatever it was.

At the end of the trail I shared that I felt quite heavy and a bit sleepy…the same way I feel when I am discussing some heavy emotional things with JP Sears. Either Paul Chek or Vidya suggested to me that it wasn’t that I was tired, it was more that I was so jacked up and in a state of GOGOGO that a more parasympathetic (but closer to natural body baseline) state feels a bit “sleepier”.

**CONSIDER MAKING THIS PART TWO**

After the hike, we jumped into the garden…well I should say that we tip-toed in and had Paul explain to us 17 different ways we could be seriously injured by bouncing rocks, stacks of rocks falling, rocks with spiders under them, or running away from the above and then tripping on other rocks, and so on. So in this sense stacking rocks is about as dangerous as a martial art (Aikido is my favorite) and requires just as much attention, and has as much potential for catalyzing personal growth ^_^

After going through the safety rule, Lukas asked:

“Right but WHY do we stack rocks?”

Paul responded with something like:

“First, there is great therapeutic benefit to unbounded play. I would have so much more stress if I didn’t come out here and play in the garden.”

Paul then continued, “Second, everything in life is a relationship…nothing can exist without being in relationship to something else. And stacking rocks is all about creating harmonious relationships. But, when the rocks fall down, we get to 1) practice non-attachment 2) try some new relationships that might work better.”

So while everyone began creating their rock stacks, I kinda walked around tried to feel where the rocks were pulling me, and what the rocks and my soul wanted me to do. My very first time in the garden in March…Paul told me to “feel where I should make a stack”. And then “feel which rock was pulling me”. I wasn’t really feeling where I was suppose to go. Or what rocks to work with. So I just sat on this really cool throne rock (see above), and tried to feel what it feels like to be a rock.

While I was chilling like a rock, I got to enjoy everyone around me stack their rocks. I reflected a bit…in my own life it’s not always my turn to create myself, but sometimes I just need to observe…especially as a business owner, I need to step aside and let others create on my behalf.

I was quite impressed with the first stack Lukas had ever made (above)!

After a bit I started to feel the rock mojo and began to play with some rocks. I felt around, made a stack, took it down and just enjoyed the sun and watching everyone else.

It was really fun watching Paul stack rocks. He makes such TALL stacks!

In past rock gardens I have been quite hesitant to build high or stack big rocks. So today I decided to really get risky and make something I couldn’t have dared to make previously. I have spent much of my life in fear my own power. As a bright, personable individual, I will be able to go far, do what I commit to, date lots of great people, have fun experiences and the like…but I have been holding back and self-sabotaging. Maybe fear of being a bit of being too tall a poppy (tall poppies get cut down)? Fear of people not relating to me?

I have also been afraid of making mistakes. I am not sure where this come from because obviously everyone make many mistakes throughout their lifetime. And I have been and still am very harsh to myself when I make mistakes.

I have found Paul’s Zen Garden one place where I can safely move out of my comfort zone and grow through some issues of perfectionism and self-sabotage (what a nasty combo!).

There I am carefully adjusting what I consider to be some large, heavy rocks (see above)…especially compared to my first rock stack I ever made (see below).

INSERT PHOTO OF MY FIRST TINY ROCK STACK ^^___

And here’s Vidya (below), making a rock stack taller than her in about 10 minutes flat. Vidya told me that “She just stacks the rocks up, and doesn’t care if they fall, since she isn’t attached to them.” I am so thankful she’s my business (and life) coach!

Here’s a cool collection of stacks by my buddy Paul! I really have a great time with Paul every time we had out:

Different rock types require different relationships…generally round river rocks will be much more difficult. And in the spirit of doing more daring and impossible things, I choose to make a fairly tall stack of just river rocks. It was so fun because this stack just came together in just a few minutes! I was so proud of myself to literally and metaphorically go for it!

Around this time we went and had a lunch and laid on the cool tile floors of Paul’s living room. We chilled out, chanted a few ohms, and harmonized with the rocks a bit.

And Paul Chek told us some *crazy* stories about his days as a logger. Really amazing stuff that I won’t go into here…but if you come to ZIG next time, be sure to ask him about “spiders, sap, and logging”. Hahahah.

It’s great breaking (gluten free ^^__) bread with everyone. I feel a bit naive saying it, but if everyone took a day each week to be with nature, we could enjoy more of the vitality of our ancestors.

After lunch it was back to the garden, to stand among the rock beings we were creating and enjoying. It really felt like we were walking among giants.

At this point I was able to tune out most of my internal chatter and just enjoy the garden. Yes I was looking to learn more about intimacy, but was just as focused on having fun in our unbounded play.

I find my healthy child-like curiosity and imagination can be quickly re-sparked with unbounded play like this.

How much more healthy would we be with more parents, couples and children playing outdoors together instead of trying of working to pay off shit we don’t need?

The day after a previous rock garden, I found myself to be much less intellectual and much more *feeling* what others were saying or explaining to me. Being a trained physicist and having had many emotional needs meet through pleasing teachers and parents with good grades, it feels quite amazing to be switched into a more right brained state ^_^.

I also took the opportunity to enjoy some of Paul’s “night soil fertilized” tangerines…so tasty!!

It was just so fun stacking the rocks, even the small ones. See that big smile on my face

And here is the man at work:

And one last pose for the cameras:

And one of his students at play, planking his ass off.

And a few more laughs to tears!!

Some last bits of debriefing from General Chek…

And making love to the rocks!!

So all in all I had a day full of reflection, laughter, intimacy, meditation and nurturing energy. Honestly though, words fail me. There was much more happening that what I was able to observe with my conscious mind and report back to you.

Words fail to convey how nurturing it is for me to hang out with such like-minded people in such a fun, playful and safe environment. Although I am more comfortable in my skin than ever, it is nice to be even more myself, explore more of myself and to feel fully supported while doing it.

But if I must sum it up with words, I would say this.

Taisen Deshimaru (samurai master) said, learn to think with your whole body. And to me, learning thinking with your whole body is what Zen in the Garden at Paul Chek’s house is all about.

If that is something in which you’re interested, I’ll catch you there next time!

W0000hooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To life!@!@

Antidepressants are powerful drugs and medications commonly used to treat mental and psychological disorders. These medications are frequently used to “cure” various mood disorders, some of which are major depressions, anxiety disorders and dysthymia. There are many companies that manufacture antidepressants for each specific condition. There is no definite criterion (only theories) for determining the best antidepressants. Typically doctors use trial and error to figure out how to best treat a patient’s specific disorder. Here are some of the best antidepressants on the market today:

Top Depressants in the Market

Citalopram was first manufactured in 1989 by a pharmaceutical company called the Lundbeck. Its medical use is to treat symptoms of several major depressions. However, off-label the drug is used to treat disorders like panic disorders, OCD, anxiety, ADHD and body dysmorphic disorder. Aside from this Citalopram can reduce symptoms of diabetic neuropathey and even premature ejaculation.

Fluoxetine is another top selling antidepressant in the United States. Sold as Prozac, Fontex and Sarafem, this is manufacted by Eli Lilly and Company. It is often combined with olanzapine to form symbyax. It is used to treat major depressions as well as premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Desvenlafaxine is an antidepressant originally made by Pfizer but now marketed and developed by Wyeth and is used as the first treatment for menopause. This drug is a synthetic form of another metabolite Venlafaxine and is marketed as Effexor and Efexor. The brand name for this drug is Pistiq and is approved for use in the United States.

Another popular depressant in the market today is Amitriptyline. This is sold in the brands such as Elavil, Laroxyl, Tryptizol and among others. One of the oldest drugs being a tricyclic antidepressant, this drug is known to treat depressions and other newer classes of SSRIs. Other symptoms that this drug cures include tension headaches, anxiety attacks, migraines, and even schizophrenic symptoms.

Other types of antidepressant drugs are called augmenter drugs. These type of drugs are designed to enhance other drugs or basically works best when combined with other drugs. One of these augmenter drugs is Buspirone which is manufactured and distributed by Bristol-Myers Squibb in the United States. Buspirone is another psychorative drug used as an anxiolytic or a cure for common anxiety disorder.

Bupropion is another antidepressant drug that is marketed as Aplenzin, Wellbutrin, Voxra and many others. This drug was originally researched for antidepressant properties but later was found out to have smoking cessation properties. In the year 2007, this drug had twenty million subscriptions in retail making it the fourth-most prescribed antidepressant in the whole United States. Bupropion is known to be an effective drug on its own however it can be used as an add-on mechanism with other drugs.

It should be noted that these antidepressants are powerful drugs that originally to cure specific diseases but when not used properly they can have very dangerous side-effects. As mentioned before, there are no fixed criterions on how the good the drug is. The important thing is how effective the drug is to treat the specific symptom the drug is used for.

Dealing with chronic clinical depression is difficult for everyone to understand – the individual experiencing it and the loved ones, co-workers and others in the life of that individual.

Depression can affect anyone, old or young, man or woman, boy or girl. Chronic clinical depression is not just feeling down for awhile, or an emotional state due to a current external event such as a loss of job, divorce, death, or a child leaving home. However, these types of events, or several of them occurring in succession, can so trigger the chemistry of depression that chronic clinical depression sets in.

A self-empowering approach to alleviating depression is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – CBT. There is ever-growing support for CBT as an effective treatment for both anxiety and depression, two conditions which tend to go hand-in-hand. Statistics cite that 70 percent of the people who experience clinical anxiety also experience depression.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy allows the individual to better understand the causes of depression while offering ways to manage and reduce the symptoms of depression.

An unmistakably positive change in brain function is demonstrated in the brain scans of people engaged in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT works because it teaches people strategies that affect how they think, how they feel, and thus, how they live.

So what is a way you can put Cognitive Behavioral Therapy into practice yourself?

It’s important to understand that body chemistry follows an emotion. In other words, the emotion one chooses after having a though becomes a chemical reaction. Changing your emotion changes the chemistry that flows through the body in response to that emotion. Changing this chemistry disempowers depression.

The first step in self-empowered depression-busting is to learn to hear your thoughts before they become an emotion, before they trigger chemistry. You ask yourself, “does this thought make me feel positive and uplifted?” If the answer is no, you pause and refashion the thought/feeling matrix until it is positive – or at least neutral.

At first, this is may not be easy. The experience of depression over time develops many constructs of thinking/feeling that are firmly in place. It may initially seem you do not have a choice regarding your feelings. But the more determined you are to change the presence of depression, the more you’ll see the influence of your determination.

Little rays of positive thinking will start peeking through the cracks in the mortar of the wall of depression. Considering the fact that self-motivated and self-empowered approaches to banning depression have been proven to be more effective and more lasting than medications – which have negative side effects – you’ll discover you have an increased capacity to stick with it.

Working with a caring professional can be very effective. Your counselor tracks your progress, comes to know your depression triggers and is there to support, guide and help you through the narrow passages, holding the line while you banish depression and “reel in” your ever-present happiness.

A journal is a great place to note the day’s events and to record your thoughts, feelings and insights. My suggestion in journal-keeping is to jot down at least three things for which you are grateful every day. They may be the smallest of things – describing the light as it came into your room in the morning, the trill of a song bird – anything that caused you to pause and to be entirely in the moment, however briefly.

You also write down those times you stopped a thought that would have developed into a bad, sad or negative feeling and chose a thought/feeling that was depression-busting. Write about how you accomplished your mood change so that some other day when something seems overwhelming, you can return to your own self-teaching and recall how, step by step, you succeeded in moving away from depression.

I’ve worked with many people who said they couldn’t journal and who didn’t believe journaling could positively undermine their depression. But they eventually, with my dogged encouragement – and sometimes supplying them with a blank book – began writing. I’ve gone with them on their journey of self-healing as they learned the power of journaling. I’ve served as guide and witness to many people healing from chronic depression and I’ve seen first-hand that it can be done. And I know you can do it too.

Depression is an illness that doesn’t discriminate. It may surprise many people to know that Terry Bradshaw, a star quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers who won four Super Bowls, has struggled with depression. He comes across to many as being very cheerful and energetic.

Bradshaw went public about his struggle in 2004, five years after being diagnosed. He described the overall experience with depression as “always feeling unfulfilled”.

How It Started

Terry Bradshaw pinpointed the beginning of the problem to his third divorce. He had always been able to bounce back from adversity, including two previous divorces, not so great game performances and just the usual ups and downs of life but the third divorce hit him hard. He sank into a deep pit of despair and was often bitter and angry to everyone around him. He often cried after games, even when he’d turned in a spectacular performance.

Bradshaw also suffered weight loss, insomnia and anxiety attacks. To combat the symptoms and bad feelings, he began to self-medicate by drinking heavily.

How it was Diagnosed

Bradshaw eventually became so frightened by his excessive alcohol consumption, he confided in his pastor. Thus began a long journey of talk therapy with a psychiatrist and anti-depressants.

He was prescribed Paxil, an SSRI that helps balance serotonin in the brain without the side effects caused by older, tricyclic antidepressants. Tricyclics are often fatal when overdosed and can also interact badly with common over the counter medications, like cold pills. SSRIs don’t carry this risk.

Terry will need to remain on this medication for the rest of his life.

More About Depression

Bradshaw has stated there is no history of depression in his family but has also acknowledged that “no one talked about it back then.” His parents still won’t discuss it with him because it makes them feel ashamed or like they failed in some way.

Terry Bradshaw does emphasize that no one should have to suffer with depression because they are afraid they will be labeled or stigmatized with “mental illness” or looked upon as being weak or a failure.

The hallmarks of depression are sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, helplessness and feeling worthless. These are accompanied by inability to sleep or sleeping too much, lack of energy and loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed, including sex. There is also lack of appetite and loss of weight. Suicidal thoughts or attempts are common in clinically depressed people.

Getting Help

Bradshaw encourages people to seek help for their depression any way they can. They should go see a doctor, talk to their clergy person or even a friend, teacher or mentor.

Most of all, they should never feel embarrassed or ashamed for being depressed. While the fear of stigma can be powerful, it is nothing compared to the pain of living with depression.

Bradshaw’s 2004 Depression Tour was about sharing his painful experience and his journey back from the dark place he found himself in. He wanted other people to know they weren’t alone.

Terry says when people get the help they need, they’ll wonder why they waited so long.

What is Terry Bradshaw doing now?

Terry Bradshaw is currently a studio analyst for FOX NFL Sunday and has appeared in commercials, television programs and feature films. He has also recorded six gospel and country music albums and written five books about football.

Overcoming Adversity in the Midst of Joy: Brooke Shields’s Struggle with Depression

Brooke Shields is an actress, model, and icon. Throughout the change of times, Brooke Shields was and still is, an American beauty admired by millions of fans worldwide. In the eyes of others, she seemed to have it all: a happy marriage, ageless beauty, world fame, fortune, and by age 38, a beautiful baby girl. There was one detail, however, unknown to outsiders: Brooke Shields’s struggle with depression.

The Beginning of Brooke Shields’s Struggle with Depression

Mothers can have high risk factors for postpartum depression. In Brooke Shields’s case, her risk factors for this mental setback were high: she had a complicated labor that resulted in an emergency C-section. Furthermore, Brooke’s suffered a herniated uterus during the surgery and lost lots of blood.

Regardless which circumstance fully onset her depression, after giving birth to her daughter, Rowan Francis, on May 15, 2003, Brooke began experiencing postpartum depression.

This dark mood disorder turned everything upside down in her life, including the joyous occasion of her daughter’s birth.

It is highly possible, however, that Brooke Shields’s struggle with depression may have been onset before Rowan’s birth.

Before conceiving, she was stressed from in vitro fertilization as well as a previous miscarriage. Apart from this she has a family history of depression.

Three weeks prior to giving birth, Brooke was mourning the loss of her father to prostate cancer. She was also grief stricken over the untimely 1999 death of her best friend and “Suddenly Susan” co-star David Strickland, who committed suicide.

Given the pain of losing two loved ones and postpartum depression, Brooke was facing the most tumultuous time in her life. This dark period created an emotional battle that crippled the usually sunshine personality this iconic figure is known for.

The Depression Symptoms That Plagued Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields’s struggle with depression was boggled with symptoms of shame, helplessness, despair, and reclusiveness. She could not bond with her newborn or tend to her needs. She additionally felt harmful to herself. While staring out her Manhattan apartment’s fourth floor window, she considered jumping to her death. She simply did not want to live anymore.

She admits that she cried more than her daughter. This particularly happened in the midst of a job interview for a commercial for Bright Beginnings infant formula.

Worst of all were the disturbing visions that haunted Brooke. She kept visualizing her infant daughter flying through the air until hitting a wall and sliding down it. Although she did not visualize herself committing this violent act against Rowan, the visions were still disturbing to her.

Brooke Shields Postpartum Depression Treatment

Unable to bear postpartum depression any further, Brooke sought treatment for her disorder. She decided to take an antidepressant drug called Paxil, along with therapy. She also rested a lot while getting help from family and friends.

Brooke Shields and Postpartum Depression Today

Times have improved for Brooke Shields. She’s no longer struggling with postpartum depression. She’s now the doting mother of two daughters: Rowan and Grier Hammond, who was born April 18, 2006.
She wrote a book entitled “Down Came the Rain.” It discusses postpartum depression, including her battle with the mental setback.

Brooke Shields not only accomplished international fame and fortune; she also accomplished beating postpartum depression. And that within itself is more victorious than winning any television or movie role.

Billy Joel was born in the Bronx in 1949. His family moved to Long Island shortly thereafter. His parents eventually divorced, and his mother struggled financially. In order to help his family with the bills, he took various music jobs while in junior high. He had too many absences, so he was not permitted to graduate with his class.

Joel’s Career

Billy Joel is known for being a popular singer, as well as an outstanding composer, songwriter, and pianist. He released is first album in 1972. He had hit singles in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. He is a six-time Grammy winner, and has sold millions of copies of his albums. He is in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also was the first United States pop-star to conduct a fully-staged rock show in the Soviet Union.

Family

Billy Joel married supermodel Christie Brinkley in 1985, and in the same year, their daughter Alexa Ray was born. But in April, 1994, Joel and Brinkley announced that they had separated. They later divorced. Alexa remains Billy’s only child.

Problems with Depression

In 2005, author Hank Bordowitz published a book revealing that Billy Joel had suffered from depression and alcoholism for many years. In 1970, he even attempted suicide at one point by drinking furniture polish.

Causes of Depression

What causes a person to become so hopeless that they feel they have no reason to live? One of the main causes of Billy Joel’s depression was family and marriage problems. He has been married and divorced 3 times. 1st he was married to Elizabeth Webber Small, then to Christie Brinkley, and lastly, he was married to Katie Lee. His failed marriages and love life have been a contributing factor in his depression.

Billy has also been involved in some serious accidents. In 2002, he was fortunate to escape unharmed in a crash in New York. Two other accidents followed. In 2003, he smashed his into a tree along a highway in Long Island. Then in 2004, he was not injured when he crashed into a house. None of the accidents were attributed to alcohol.

The media at times have been downright brutal to Joel. They criticized his music. They pounced on his personal life. And they have even attacked his family. They reported that his daughter, Alexa, overdosed on pills in an apparent suicide attempt. Rumors were rampant both Joel and Brinkley were left defending themselves and their family. Billy Joel has never been popular among the critics.

Billy’s alcoholism did not help in his fight with depression. Billy grew up around alcohol. He states that he grew up in an area where everyone went to the local bar after a hard day’s work. It was always a part of his life, and it eventually became a problem.

Some of Billy’s depression problems stem from his childhood. Following the divorce of his parents, he became rebellious. He got involved in street gangs, and he began boxing. His life did turn around somewhat when he saw the Beetles on the Ed Sullivan show and decided to pursue a music career.

Rehabs and Hospitals

Billy Joel has been in and out of rehab. In 2002, he spent 2 weeks in a substance abuse and psychiatric center because he was abusing alcohol. Then just two years later, he checked into a rehabilitation center because he was suffering from gastrointestinal distress.

The price of fame can come at a price to many celebrities, and Billy Joel was no exception. He has fought depression for many years, and continues to try to get the help that he so desperately needs. He continues to record and tour.

Many were surprised when Ashley Judd went public in a 2006 Glamor magazine article about her struggle with depression. Who knew? Judd is someone who seemed to have it all: Marriage, a film career, beauty and fame. Not to mention she’s the daughter of Naomi Judd and younger sister of Wynonna. She will be the first to tell you that depression is an equal opportunity disease. No one is immune.

Insecure Childhood

Today’s successful Ashley Judd reached the top the hard way. She was born April 19, 1968, in Granada Hills, California, to Naomi and Michael Ciminella, Jr.. Naomi Judd was still years away from being a famous singer and had, at 18, become pregnant with Wynonna. The biological father abandoned her. While still pregnant she met Ciminella and married him in 1964. When the couple divorced in 1972, Naomi Judd struggled like any single mom to take care of her daughters.

Ashley Judd remembers being shuttled around between her father, her mother, and her grandparents. Twelve schools in 13 years made for a chaotic and rootless childhood. She coped by becoming a compulsive perfectionist as her own behavior was the only part of her life over which she had control. No one is perfect, of course, so she magnified her failures and developed severe anxieties. Years later, a pastor convinced her that perfectionism is a form of self abuse, and this helped her enormously in overcoming her compulsive urges.

Diagnosis and Treatment

One constant during Ashley Judd’s childhood was her loving relationship with her sister Wynonna, and that relationship proved instrumental in getting the treatment she needed. Judd visited her sister during the time she was receiving inpatient treatment for an eating disorder at the Shades of Hope center in Big Gap, Texas. During the visit she exhibited behaviors including a compulsive need to tidy the room that the staff recognized as consistent with depression. They reasoned that as a product of the same family as Wynonna, it was only natural that she suffered too. Judd recognizes that as a defining moment in her life. Her pain was validated.

Judd has described her illness as “relationship co-dependence, depression, blaming, raging, numbing, and denying or minimizing my feelings.” She stayed at Shades of Hope for 47 days. Treatments, both as an inpatient and after her release, have included counseling and psychotherapy. She also credits a 12-step program as being a major component of her recovery. “I found God,” she says. “Not in the religious sense, but in recognizing that there is a supreme being that I can count on.” That made her realize that she isn’t, and doesn’t have to be, in total control and that it is okay to be less than perfect.

Ashley Judd Today

Now Ashley Judd enjoys the mental stability that she always appeared to possess. She is happy with her husband, Dario Franchitti, a Formula One racer. The couple married in 1999 and divide their time between his home in Scotland and hers in Tennessee. Her marriage continues to grow and so does she. So far they have no children of their own, but Franchitti has two from his previous marriage. Judd especially enjoys the time she devotes to her various humanitarian passions including AIDS research.

She is less intense about her career and selects her roles carefully. She did the film, Helen, in 2010, because it takes an unflinching look into the life of a woman afflicted with depression. Though it had critical success, the film never caught on with the public. Ironically, it was just too depressing. Though a private person, she is happy she overcame her natural reticence and talked freely about her struggles with depression. She hopes that open discussion about depression and other forms of mental illness will eventually reduce the stigma that has long caused people, including herself, to hide their anguish and avoid seeking treatment.

When a student first starts college, he or she may be a bit nervous but usually upbeat and excited as well. The future seems set and assured. As classes progress, however, you might start feeling listless; you stop sleeping well or you sleep longer and more often, finding concentration difficult. Classes are no longer interesting or challenging. You might have a vague feeling of dissatisfaction underlying every emotion or thought. Odds are that you are depressed about the course of study—the career path that lies ahead. Fortunately, if the chosen career path is the culprit, there are things you can do to make a change.

Career Paths That Cause Depression

First, determine if the chosen career path is one that is prone to cause depression in workers:

1. Child Care and Nursing Home Workers
2. Food Service and Hospitality Industry
3. Social Workers
4. Health Care Professionals
5. Entertainers, Writers, and Other Artists
6. Teachers
7. Administrative Assistants
8. Maintenance
9. Accountants
10. Sales

While you may not be actively working yet in any of those fields, if you are prone to depression, the above career path choices may not be healthy ones.

Personal Checklist

If you feel depressed in school, and the symptoms emerged after school started or when faced with a career path already determined prior to starting, the career path itself may be the cause. To determine if the chosen career path may be the culprit, create an in-depth, honest and comprehensive checklist.

In one column, list every personality trait you possess, whether positive or negative. Because no one else need see the list, be brutally honest, even if the results paint an uncomfortable picture.

Categorize the results list: Which entries may influence career path choices? For example, if an entry reads that you dislike large crowds, public service may not be an optimal career path. If you are usually an outgoing humanitarian, some type of public service career may be optimal.

In a second column, list activities or hobbies you like then the ones you dislike. Prioritize the list from most enjoyed to least enjoyed.

In the third column, outline working conditions that would be optimal and detested. Prioritize the entries from most preferred to least preferred.

Review each column for the positive aspects in each. Create a fourth column listing the top five entries in each column.

That fourth column forms the platform from which an optimal career path may emerge.

Examine Current Career Path

Create a three-column chart that is separate from the prior lists.

In the first column, list every aspect of the career path that comes to mind. Include time, expense, crucial aspects, and other items that come to mind.

In the second column, recreate the first column into a pros and cons comparison list. List each item in the first column as positive if you like that aspect or as a negative if you dislike it.

In the third column, note whether each item matches an attribute in the fourth column of the first list.

You should be able to determine if your current career path is one that fits your abilities and preferences. If it does match, your depression may be caused by other factors. If it doesn’t match, it may be time to determine what career path does suit you better.

Optimal Career Paths

If necessary, create that three-column list for career paths that theoretically or truly do appeal to you. If a clear-cut choice presents itself or confirms a secret wish, you may want to change your course of study into a lifetime career in which you will be happier.

If you are unable to clearly and without hesitation identify a career that may be more satisfying, don’t be afraid to consult your support structure. Friends who know you well and who will be forthright or university faculty can often help you determine other options.

Once you determine an optimal career path, change your major if needed, your minor if needed, and put yourself on the right path for your life’s work.

Remember: it’s your life. No one can live it but you.

About the Author
JC Ryan is a freelance writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them and helps them understand which online courses and online schools they can choose from to reach their goals.

The importance of treating teenage depression might be driven home by one fact: depression that is not treated is the number one reason teens kill themselves. This sobering fact should be a call to action in a country where only 33% of teenagers suffering from depression actually get help.

Teens face special challenges compared to adults who suffer from depression. Academic worries, peer pressure, and changes in hormone levels and body perception all increase the likelihood that a teenager will be unable to deal with his depression on his own.

Symptoms of Depression In Teens

• Loss of interest (in peers, school, outside activities)
• Marked appetite changes (including anorexia or binge eating)
• Unexplained physical symptoms (head and back aches, upset stomach)
• Extreme irritability
• Talk of suicide

Depression and Substance Abuse

30% of teenagers who suffer from depression will begin to abuse alcohol or drugs. Drug and alcohol abuse creates a vicious cycle that most teens are unable to break themselves. They begin abusing substances as a way to self-medicate, which leads to intensified feelings of depression, which makes them abuse substances even more.

Substance abuse can also lead to criminal activity. If a teen is caught and jailed, the chances of him getting the help he truly needs markedly decreases.

Important Risk Factors To Know

• Being a victim of violence or abuse, in or outside the home
• Having strained relationships with parents or guardians
• Having any biological relative with depression
• Being a child of divorce
• Having few friends

The exact cause of depression is not yet known. However, science has established risk factors that can increase the likelihood of a teenager suffering from depression.

What You Can Do

If you suspect a teen is suffering from depression, do not be afraid to act. Provide a safe and neutral place for the teen and encourage him to talk. Most often teens need support from loved ones or mentors.

Make an appointment with the teen’s doctor. It is vital that a medical doctor be involved, if only to make referrals.

Therapy has been shown to help teens who suffer from depression, and medication might not be necessary. But support from family and other people in the teenager’s life can not be underestimated. Currently, the FDA has only approved two antidepressants for use in teens: Prozac and Lexapro.

If you think a teenager might harm himself, call 911. Do not leave him alone. If you think the threat level is diminished but still there, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Western society generally labels depression as a problem that primarily impacts women. Research has shown that there are millions of men in the United States who also suffer from severe clinical depression.

Due to the social stigma attached to men with depression, it is difficult to determine whether or not the numbers for men with depression are truly accurate. It is possible that there are several thousand more cases of male depression that go unreported every year.

Typical male symptoms include:

• Extreme pessimism
• Feeling worthless
• Decreased Sex Drive
• Difficulty focusing or concentrating
• Sleeping too much or being unable to sleep
• Heightened Irritability
• Quiet and sullen moodiness
• Lack of interest in hobbies
• Persistent irritating health problems
• headaches
• stomach problems

The Differences Between Depression in Men and Women

The physical symptoms of depression are very similar with each gender. The main differences between men and women who suffer from the disorder is the way they react to the symptoms. Women tend to have more social freedom to express their discomfort, while men tend to repress their symptoms until they are too severe to ignore.

Men also experience more dramatic self-esteem issues and personal guilt about their depression. Many people still believe that depression is a sign of weakness, which is why women are more susceptible than men. Even though there is no real connection between willpower and clinical depression, these societal myths can be damaging for men who suffer from the disorder.

Male Coping Strategies

Many men attempt to treat their depression without seeking help from medical professionals. One of the most typical coping strategies that men turn to is substance abuse. Over time, however, this form of self medication can compound the problems and make the depression more severe.

Some men choose to throw themselves into their work so that they are never at home and never have to be alone with their feelings. This strategy also tends to backfire as their depression begins to impact their ability to be productive on the job.

Problems with Untreated Depression

Left untreated, depression in men can become dangerous. The possibility of a man committing suicide is quadruple that of a woman’s possibility. Male suicide attempts are also more violent, which means they are more likely to succeed.

Untreated depression in men can also have a more serious financial impact because the majority of men are the main breadwinners in their families. If depression is allowed to become so severe that it interrupts a man’s ability to work, the loss of his paycheck and benefits can devastate his family.

Men who suffer from untreated depression also tend to have relationship problems that can easily lead to divorce or separation.

Recognizing Symptoms

The symptoms of depression in men are similar to the symptoms in women. Men who suffer from depression tend to withdraw from close friends and family to avoid exhibiting recognizable symptoms. This tendency can cause male depression symptoms to appear more subtle. Depression is highly treatable, especially if diagnosed early.