“Internet use has been blamed for mental health problems and social isolation among young people – but new research suggests that ‘silver surfers’ are less likely to suffer depression.
The study, based on a survey of almost 8,000 men and women aged over 50, shows that regular users of social-networking sites are almost a third less likely to be diagnosed with depression compared with non-users.
It is known that rates of depression increase with age. Research from the University of Illinois found the incidence of depression was at its lowest around the age of 45, and highest among the over-80s.
Prevalence increases from five per cent at the age of 70 to 13 per cent at 85.
Loneliness, social isolation and lack of emotional support are among the reasons for the trend.
In the new study – the biggest so far on the health effects of internet use among older people – participants were asked whether they regularly used the internet and were then assessed for mental illness.
‘Our findings suggest that internet use has a positive effect on depression,’ says Dr Shelia Cotten, who led the research at the University of Alabama and other centres.
Beating the blues: It is known that rates of depression increase with age
Increasing numbers of older people are going online, with the latest statistics from the Pew Research Centre, a US think-tank, showing that a third of over-65s use social-networking sites, compared with six per cent three years ago.
Six per cent of internet users aged over 65 use Twitter. The think-tank found the internet helps older adults, many of whom have impaired mobility, to keep in touch with friends and family, and expand their social networks.
Another study at the University of California showed brain changes in men and women one week after using the internet for the first time.
The researchers said internet use stimulates nerve-cell activity and could boost brain functioning in older adults.
Nichola Adams, whose research at the University of Surrey has looked at barriers to accessing the internet among older people, says: ‘The internet provides an important tool for the rapidly increasing older population to lead independent lives, to keep in touch with friends and family and to make informed decisions on many issues from health to travel.
‘The major reasons for not using the internet were found to be lack of knowledge or access.
‘Our own research has shown that once the initial practical issues have been overcome, there were still psychological barriers.
Rockefeller Center, in New York City. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Life loses its charm and becomes tedious when one has everything in terms of material comforts.
Some get things too easily.
People long for good food,shelter ,good clothes,Car,Gadgets like Mobile, iPod,Home, a Girl/Boy friend , a job which appears to be satisfying for a while.
They get married.
They postpone be-getting children to ‘enjoy Life’
They work inordinate and ungodly hours, eat junk food, guzzle soft drinks ,Hard Drinks.
On Saturdays/Sundays, they wake up around 12 and laze about, go out for food, sleep , then go out for Dinner and watch movies.
Suddenly they realize that they are ‘burnt out’
They have no desire to do anything.
They leave jobs saying that they want to do things they always wanted to do, forgetting that they chose their Careers on their own and made decisions on their own over every thing.
They become abrasive and irritated and become depressed.
This does not end here.
Once out of job, they try to do some thing which they think they like doing , get disillusioned shortly and start hunting for a job.
Some times they get it immediately, some times they don’t.
They become depressed further and consult a Psychiatrist.
The Psychiatrist tells them that they should get their priorities right and decide on what they like and start doing what they like.
And the whole Cycle begins again!
Why?
People achieve material comforts without too much of a struggle and they receive more they need.
They are left with out the scope for yearning, which alone can spur one to be vigorous.
They follow skin deep relationships taken in by spurious Love.
For them,Personal communications are not dictated by spontaneity but by careful calculated moves.
Relationships are spontaneous so is Love(not lust).
They lack personal goals that appear reachable yet not reachable.
Only when the objective remains tantalizingly reachable,is life interesting, not other wis.
Values like affection,honesty,caring for others genuinely, the ability ti accommodate others and the acceptance of Life as it comes are the keys to Happiness.
Above all Faith is necessary, to sustain interest Life.
If Life runs along predicted lines it would lose its charm.
It is its sheer unpredictability that makes Life worth Living.
Why can’t people be contented and be happy?
Achievements are fine but at what cost?
To be praised by others while w live and be spoken of highly after we die for having left ‘our footprints’
Of what use is this?
All achievers of whom we praise and extol,of what use are these to them if they are unhappy?
Of what use is our praise of Alexander,Michael Angelo,Da Vinci, Gandhi, Einstein to them after they are dead?
Let us Live simple and understand that life is worth living if there is struggle.
“In a hearbreaking and perfectly titled and presumably unpaid-for Huffington Post post, “A Struggle of Not Struggling,” Taylor reveals, in true Lifetime Movie fashion, that her seemingly perfect life has a dark underbelly that threatens to eat her alive.
Now, two months after graduation, I seem to be one of just a handful of people that’s been able to get themselves on their feet, pay their own bills and actually put together some semblance of an adult life with minimal parental assistance. I bought a car, found an apartment and set up a 401k, just six months after turning 22. I came down on the ‘right’ side of every statistic — I found a job in my field that actually pays well, I’m living on my own, and seem to have everything that these other college graduates are dying to have.
But what about that 10-cents-a-word life that I always wanted? What about New York City? What about freelancing, penning newspaper columns and urban adventures? What about the struggles that I see on Girls and the tales of credit card debt and ramen noodle dinners? Aren’t these the things that really make you 22?
The things that really make you 22 are A) modeling your own life after the characters on Girlsin exactly the same way that a previous generation did on characters from Sex and the City, while simultaneously harboring the belief that the depth of your worldview and artistic nature makes you vastly superior to that of anyone who would model themselves on something so gauche as a TV show character, and B) writing first-person essays on the internet that you will look back on with disgust. So rest easy, Taylor Cotter: you are 22.
Anne Marie Slaughter‘s article for The Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” has been quoted and criticized ad nauseam. However, all that’s run through my head is that, at 22, I’ve already had to make life-defining decisions. I chose the path of a full-time job and an adult life. I gave up on the adventures, on freedom, on youth. Forget about career versus motherhood — I can’t even have it all now.
I suppose that I’m grateful that I can make all my car payments and start saving for retirement while most of my friends are living at home and working part-time jobs — but I often find myself lamenting the fact that I’m not living at home and not working a part-time job. From my perspective, these are just some of the life-changing, character-building experiences that I may never have.
At 22, Taylor Cotter has had to make life-defining decisions, such as whether to accept a position as editorial assistant at StudentAdvisor.com. Her fate is sealed. From now on, she’s just “that editorial assistant at StudentAdvisor.com,” rather than “that insouciant unemployed 22-year-old who is stealing beer from bodega, and yes the police have been called, my friend.” Taylor often laments the fact that she has a full-time job and an apartment and then, while lamenting these things, types on her essay draft that she later submits to the HuffingtonPost.com these words: “From my perspective, these are just some of the life-changing, character-building experiences that I may never have.”
From who else’s perspective would you be writing, Taylor? Fanciful girl! From everyone else’s perspective, you can still look forward to the character-building experience of having something you wrote widely ridiculed on the internet. And I can tell you from experience, Taylor: the worst part is when you realize that you weren’t even paid for it. Never underestimate the character-building situations that you can get yourself in, just by being a 22-year-old who is complaining about having a stable income during the worst recession in living memory.
Do not be too harsh on Taylor, gentle reader. Though she has a steady income, an apartment, a car, and a healthy sense of entitlement, she is right to mourn her predicament: she lives in Boston. Even Lena Fucking Dunham worship is preferable to that cruel fate.”
You get the feeling that whatever you are doing at present is worthless and might feel you are searching for something of which you are not sure.
If you happen to read books and if they happen to be depressive you sink further.
Any well-meaning advice will appear to be useless and you might feel despondent.
What one needs to know that there are no individuals or a day with out depression.
The degree differs.
When the these low down feelings persist you become acutely depressed.
What causes Depression?
Sometimes there may be an obvious reason for becoming depressed, sometimes not. There is usually more than one cause and different people have different reasons.
It may seem obvious why – there may be life events or changes in circumstance such as a relationship breakdown, bereavement or even the birth of a child – but sometimes it’s not clear. Either way, it can become so bad that you need help.
Often people don’t realise how depressed they are, because the depression has come on gradually. They may try to struggle on and cope by keeping busy. This can make them even more stressed and exhausted. This can cause physical pains, such as constant headaches, or sleeplessness.”
At the adolescent age,impatience to get things done causes anxiety which might lead to Depression.
The inability to achieve the set goals causes anxiety which may result in Depression.
At an advanced age,insecurity about future,at the middle age concerns about old age might trigger Depression.
It can also be due to some biological reasons like Thyroid,metabolic imbalance in the system.
“There are two types of treatment available: talking treatments and medication. Both can be accessed through your doctor.”
Talking treatments
Counselling helps you to talk about your feelings in private with a sympathetic professional. Your GP may have a counsellor at the surgery.
Cognitive behavioural therapy can help to overcome the powerful negative thoughts that are part of depression.
Interpersonal and dynamic therapies can help if you have difficulties getting on with other people. A relationship counsellor might be helpful if you’re having difficulties with your partner.
If you have a disability or are caring for a relative, a self-help group may give you support.
Medication
Antidepressants can be effective if depression is severe or goes on for a long time. They may help feelings of anxiety and help you to deal with problems effectively again.
The effects of antidepressants won’t usually be felt straight away – people often don’t notice any improvement in their mood for two or three weeks.
As well as tablets, an alternative remedy called St John’s wort is available from chemists. There is evidence that it’s effective in mild to moderate depression. It seems to work in much the same way as some antidepressants, but some people find it has fewer side effects. You should discuss taking it with your doctor, particularly if you’re taking other medication.”
Like all medicines, antidepressants have some side effects, although these are usually mild and tend to wear off as the treatment goes on. The newer antidepressants (called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) may cause nausea and anxiety for a short while. The older antidepressants can cause dry mouth and constipation. Unless the side effects are very bad, your doctor will usually advise you to continue taking them.
Four out of five people with depression will get better without help. The shorter the time you have been depressed, the better the chance that it will lift on its own. However, even with treatment, one in five people will still be depressed two years later.
Support
It may be enough to talk things over with a relative or friend. If this doesn’t help, talk it over with your family doctor.
Talk to someone close to you about how you feel. Going over a painful experience and crying it out can help you come to terms with it.
Get some regular exercise. This will help you keep fit and hopefully, sleep better. Do jobs around the house to take your mind off thoughts that make you depressed.
Eat well, even if you don’t feel like it. Don’t drink alcohol, as this makes depression worse, although it might not seem to at first.
If you can’t sleep, try not to worry about it. Do something relaxing in bed such as reading, watching TV or listening to the radio.
If you know what is making you depressed, write it down and think of ways to tackle it. Pick the best ones and see if they help.
Keep hopeful – this is a very common experience and you will come through it, probably stronger and more able to cope than before.”
One must remember that the treatments are only supports and one can definitely beat depression only by him/herself.
Antidepressants might help to calm the mind chemically ,but over a period of time these drugs might become habit-forming if they are Barbiturate based.
Even Alfazolam may be contra-indicated for some.
Counseling is effective only if one is ready to receive advice, be it a Counselor or Relatives or friends.
Normally under the spell of Depression,the mind will refuse.
Normal advice is to take safe antidepressants under the advice of a qualified Physician .
Never exceed the dose.
In general, one must know the facts of Life.
Life is what it is.
Do not analyse and judge your or other’s Life.
Learn to look at Facts ,not impressions.
We generally carry impressions and hardly look at facts.
Never attempt to ascribe motives for the behavior of others around you.
Planning is fine but too much thinking and planing is unhealthy.
This puts one under pressure because Life has to be run, with interaction with others whether one likes it or not and we can not control what others think of us nor can we control circumstances.
Plan for a shorter period.
Remember none knows whether he/she will be alive the next second.
Do not think you are indispensable, the world has been here before you were born and will be after you go.
Never think you are the one who supports Family or you are indispensable at work either.
Do what you have to do with out reasoning out for Life has to felt and Lived ,not analyzed.
Those who feel that they can not reach their goals should know that any activity you undertake depends on various factors, some of them under your control,most of them out of your control.
So do the best you can and not be anxious.
Results will come.
It is worth noting that if you achieve whatever you want in a very short span of Time, you will have nothing to live for.
Life can be led joyously only when we have something unattainable as well.
Also have Faith.
Do not question every thing in Life for ultimately you will end up as a mental patient,probably this might take some time.
It could be any Faith , may also be Atheism.
Read Books that are light and Books are Optimistic.
Be with people who are not whiners.
People around those who suffer from Depression must not judge those who are as they could become one the next day.
Be positive and talk things that are joyous and optimistic and avoid serious pontificating.
I myself and my wife – in order to escape the disgrace of deposition or capitulation – choose death. It is our wish to be burnt immediately on the spot where I have carried out the greatest part of my daily work in the course of a twelve years’ service to my people.-Adolf Hitler.
Setting goals is fine but one must remember that Life is not about realizing our goals alone,it is about Living, feeling not about rationalizing .Life is a comedy to those who feel and a tragedy to those who think.
When we set goals, we have two outcomes,you realize or you don’t.
In the case of the former, life becomes meaningless to you,in the latter you become frustrated.
The knack is setting goals that are partially achievable and not fully; at the same time not impossibly tough to achieve.
Fame and recognition for a fraction of a second in the Time scale of the Universe.
We presume in our arrogance that what we think we achieve furthers Humanity in some field.it is nothing but arrogance.Universe is not because of us but despite us.
We should know we are limited and our purpose is to live,love and feel without hurting others and be contented.
Related article.
A 35-year-old intellectual wrote a 1900+ page suicide note touching upon historical, religious, and nihilist themes. And his mom probably didn’t even read the whole thing. Apparently he shot himself in the head on the steps of the Harvard Memorial Church in front of a tour group of 20 people.
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