The current economic recession will see many people having to deal with different situations, either with themselves or their family members.  One of the problems that have been increasing amongst Americans, especially older ones, is anxiety about the future.  This anxiety can result into the onset of a variety of mood disorders that range from being relatively mild to severe.

Depression and Bipolar Disorder are two types of mood disorders that are becoming increasingly common.  Depression has many levels and often goes undiagnosed for a long time if it’s mild.  Bipolar Disorder is a bit easier to identify because it involves severe mood swings that others will find abnormal and may seek to investigate the matter further.

How do you know if you are depressed or have bipolar disorder

There are signs that you can use to tell you if you or a loved one is depressed.

·        You feel sad, irritable or tense at all times.

·        You find yourself not enjoying hobbies and other things that you used to enjoy.

·        You don’t have a lot of energy even when you’ve done nothing all day.

·        You either lose or gain a lot of weight due a change in your eating habits.

·        You’re either sleeping too much or not enough.

·        You have difficulty concentrating on something for a prolonged period of time.

·        You have times when you feel as though you’re not contributing to your family, job or community – a general sense of worthlessness.

·        You think about committing suicide or dying.

·        In the case of bipolar disorder, you have mood swings that go from one extreme to the other.

How to deal with it

If you find that most of the above signs fit your current emotional state, you may be depressed or have bipolar disorder and need to seek professional help immediately.  This does not mean that you should start taking a lot of medication; but it is the first step in diagnosing whether or not you really have a mood disorder.  A professional will help you create a mood chart on which you can record your moods over a period a time so that you can be accurately diagnosed. 

Do not be afraid to talk about your findings with those close to you.  Do not try to work things out alone; it will probably only make matters worse.  Also, try to identify the source of your depression and, with the help of loved ones, work on a solution or a positive way of dealing with the problem.

These mood disorders have a way of creeping up on us and slowly eating away at our will to live without us realizing it.  Awareness of the signs is the key to preventing anything devastating from happening as a result.  As with most illnesses, persistence and patience are essential as you will not necessarily see immediate improvement, but that will come with time.

We, at BoomerYearbook.com, would like to hear your thoughts on dealing with depression and/or bipolar disorder during this current recession.  Visit our website and share with others.

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