Insomnia

Episode 78:  Insomnia, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, M, tells the story of his lifelong depression, struggles with addiction, current losses and how love for his sons keeps him from despair. Sunday, January 21, 2018.

https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-sleep-disorder#1

Sleep and Depression – WebMD

If you’ve been diagnosed with clinical depression, you may be having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. There’s a reason for that. There is a definite link between lack of sleep and depression. In fact, one of the common signs of depression is insomnia or an inability to fall and stay asleep.

That’s not to say insomnia or other sleep problems are caused only by depression. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the U.S., affecting nearly one out of every three adults at some point in life. More women suffer from insomnia than men, and as people get older, insomnia becomes more prevalent.

Most experts agree that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night. But even without depression, according to the National Sleep Foundation, the average American only gets about 6.9 hours. When you add depression to the mix, the problems with sleep are compounded.

What’s the Link Between Sleep Disorders and Depression?
An inability to sleep is one of the key signs of clinical depression. Another sign of clinical depression is sleeping too much or oversleeping.
Having a sleep disorder does not in itself cause depression, but lack of sleep does play a role. Lack of sleep caused by another medical illness or by personal problems can make depression worse. An inability to sleep that lasts over a long period of time is also an important clue that someone may be depressed.

Why Is Sleep So Important?
Normal sleep is a restorative state. However, when sleep is disrupted or inadequate, it can lead to increased tension, vigilance, and irritability.

Physical or emotional trauma and metabolic or other medical problems can trigger sleep disturbances. Poor sleep can lead to fatigue. With fatigue, you exercise less and that leads to a decline in your fitness level. Eventually, you find yourself in a vicious cycle of inactivity and disturbed sleep, which causes both physical and mood-related symptoms.

“Put your thoughts to sleep, do not let them cast a shadow over the moon of your heart. Let go of thinking.” -Rumi

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Anger

Episode 77:  Anger, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Lance Barney, tells the story of his depression and how leaving the Mormon church was a step toward mental health but that co-housing allowed him to keep the community aspects of the church that were such an important part of his childhood. Sunday, January 14, 2018.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/compassion-matters/201710/the-role-anger-in-depression

The Role of Anger in Depression: Turning anger on ourselves contributes to the severity of depression – by Lisa Firestone Ph.D. (Excerpts)

Sigmund Freud used to refer to depression as anger turned inward. While many people may regard this as an overly simplistic approach to the most common mental health disorder in the world, there is no doubt that anger plays a significant role in depression. As one study from 2016 found, when it comes to emotional disorders in general, the presence of anger has “negative consequences, including greater symptom severity and worse treatment response.” Researchers concluded that, “based on this evidence, anger appears to be an important and understudied emotion in the development, maintenance, and treatment of emotional disorders.” When it comes specifically to depression, science seems to be further supporting Freud’s theory, showing more and more how anger contributes to symptoms. A UK study from 2013 suggested that going inward and turning our anger on ourselves contributes to the severity of depression.

Having worked with depressed clients for more than 30 years, these findings were not surprising to me. Many of the people I’ve worked with who struggle with depression also share the common struggle of turning their anger on themselves. As much as I try to help my clients express their anger rather than take it on and turn it inward, I witness first-hand how hard it often is for people to interrupt this process. It’s a challenge for them to recognize the nasty way they treat themselves; they are significantly more critical of themselves that they are of others.

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Ultimately, accepting that anger plays a role in our depression should be an empowering tool in our fight to feel better. When people express anger outwards in a healthy adaptive manner, they feel less depressed. Accessing and expressing this anger isn’t a matter of acting out, being explosive, or feeling bitter toward our surroundings. In fact, it means exactly the opposite. It’s an act of standing up for ourselves and accepting that we are not who our “voices” are telling us we are. It’s a process of facing up to the things that hurt us but also facing off against the inner enemy we all possess that drives us deeper into our suffering. The more we can take our own side and resist our tendency to turn our anger on ourselves, the more compassionate and alive we can feel in facing any challenge, including depression.

Quitting

Episode 76:  Quitting, by host, Laura Milkins. Our guest, Doctress Neutopia, tells the story of her depression and how being diagnosed early with dyslexia led to feelings of isolation and depression, and how anger about the nuclear arms race led to being institutionalized by the State for expressing her opinions. Sunday, January 7, 2018.