She talks so fast that it is just possible she has found a way to avoid breathing altogether. The only time I see her inhale is around a Marlboro Light. She claims this was to be a non-smoking day. I'm not sure how this squares with five cigarettes in two hours. She is hyped up, helter skelter and is serious and funny at the same time. "We've been everywhere!" she exclaims at the end. "We've done jewellery, we've done depression." She laughs, puffing away. Clearly the recluse phase is over.
Exhausted? Well, you would be if you had to witness the negotiations between Bloomsbury and my bosses for this interview. In fact, there were initial signs that Rowling had become rather grand. She was now the kind of person who has "people", as in "my people will talk to your people". And rumour was that she had become "a bit of a madam". Certainly she had broken the news barrier; every other day there is something about her in the papers.
The Most Unpleasant Thing About Depression
But, I ask, aren't you going to buy something, like a yacht perhaps? This makes her bark with laughter. Rowling says that, like any girl, she likes to go shopping. Then she looks down at her jeans. "I saw you look at my jeans and think 'Why don't you go shopping!" But, I persist, most people in your position would have bought something by now.
The character of Hermione is Rowling as a young girl: hard working, bookish, a worrywort. Rowling says she was painfully swotty, with NHS spectacles and short, short hair. She claims that she loosened up a bit later on but I'm not so sure about this. At times during the interview she is nothing short of earnest, especially about her work. She defends Hermione pretty fiercely, too. "My American editor says that I am mean to her because she is me. But I don't think that I am mean to her. I love her dearly."
But, I say, Hermione tries so damn hard. In Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, for instance, she looks into the mirror that reflects what you fear most and sees a teacher telling her she failed all her exams. "I understand where that is coming from. It comes from believing yourself to be plain and feeling yourself to be no good at anything else so you've got to achieve something. I completely understand Hermione and I really love her and I don't want to depict her as a feisty little ..."
So what about merchandising? Can we expect little Harry Potter dolls in the future? Rowling looks pained. "Well, uh, Warner Brothers is perfectly aware that this is the area that I am most concerned and worried about. I can't lie about it."
But kids like to have something to play with, too, I say. "The brutal truth is that yes, they do. But they wanted the books most and they wanted the books first, so maybe we should all hold on to that and then do what we can to make sure that the film is as true as possible to the books."
I do not think that these are just characters. I think they are a description of depression. "Yes. That is exactly what they are," she says. "It was entirely conscious. And entirely from my own experience. Depression is the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced."
Goblet of Fire has been a trial. She had written half of it when she discovered a "gaping hole" in the plot. This had never happened before. Rowling likes to worry: if there is nothing immediately to hand to worry about, she will invent something. But here was something real. "It's the central book. It's pivotal in every sense. I had to get it right."
Exactly how postpartum depression unfolds is somewhat unpredictable. For most women, the symptoms go away without treatment, but about 20% of women will still have significant depressive symptoms after one year.
Although depression is a common problem, each person's case is different and needs dealing with differently. However, there are several typical lifestyle issues which can get in the way of recovery. Here are 12 things it's best to avoid if you're suffering from depression or anxiety.
10) Try not to think too hard about the future, especially if this always leads to catastrophization, where you can only imagine the worst. Try and live in the moment whenever something positive is happening.
Only a health care provider can help a woman determine whether the symptoms she is feeling are due to perinatal depression or something else. It is important for women who experience any of these symptoms to see a health care provider.
Treatment for perinatal depression is important for the health of both the mother and the baby, as perinatal depression can have serious health effects on both. With proper treatment, most women feel better and their symptoms improve.
Do not stop taking antidepressants without the help of a health care provider. Sometimes people taking antidepressants feel better and then stop taking the medication on their own, and the depression returns. Stopping medications abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms. When a woman and her health care provider have decided it is time to stop the medication, the health care provider will help her to decrease the dose slowly and safely. To find the latest information about antidepressants, talk to a health care provider and visit this U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) webpage on the use of medications during and after pregnancy.
Communicating well with your health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Read our Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider to help prepare for and get the most out of your visit. For additional resources, including questions to ask a provider, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a type of depression that happens after someone gives birth. Postpartum depression doesn't just affect the birthing person. It can affect surrogates and adoptive parents, too. People experience hormonal, physical, emotional, financial and social changes after having a baby. These changes can cause symptoms of postpartum depression.
The baby blues affect between 50% and 75% of people after delivery. If you're experiencing the baby blues, you will have frequent, prolonged bouts of crying for no apparent reason, sadness and anxiety. The condition usually begins in the first week (one to four days) after delivery. Although the experience is unpleasant, the condition usually subsides within two weeks without treatment. The best thing you can do is find support and ask for help from friends, family or your partner.
Postpartum depression is a far more serious condition than the baby blues, affecting about 1 in 7 new parents. If you've had postpartum depression before, your risk increases to 30% each pregnancy. You may experience alternating highs and lows, frequent crying, irritability and fatigue, as well as feelings of guilt, anxiety and inability to care for your baby or yourself. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may appear within a week of delivery or gradually, even up to a year later. Although symptoms can last several months, treatment with psychotherapy or antidepressants is very effective.
Many people have baby blues after giving birth. Baby blues and postpartum depression have similar symptoms. However, symptoms of baby blues last about 10 days and are less intense. With postpartum depression, the symptoms last weeks or months, and the symptoms are more severe.
Postpartum depression can last until one year after your child is born. However, this doesn't mean you should feel "cured" in one year. Talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms and treatment. Be honest about how you feel. Think carefully about if you feel better than you did at the beginning of your diagnosis. Then, they can recommend ongoing treatment for your symptoms.
Some people feel ashamed about their symptoms or feel they are terrible parents for feeling the way they do. Postpartum depression is extremely common. You're not the only person who feels this way, and it doesn't mean you're a bad person.
In addition to these chemical changes, the social and psychological changes associated with having a baby increase your risk of postpartum depression. Examples of these changes include physical changes to your body, lack of sleep, worries about parenting or changes to your relationships.
Postpartum depression is a common mood disorder that affects 1 in 7 people after giving birth. It's not your fault, and you did nothing to cause it. It doesn't make you a bad parent or a bad person. The biological, physical and chemical factors that cause PPD are beyond your control. Signs of postpartum depression include feeling sad or worthless, losing interest in things you once enjoyed, excessive crying and mood swings. Talk to your healthcare provider if you think you have postpartum depression. They can figure out how to best manage your symptoms. Counseling, medication or joining a support group can help.
Here at Thriveworks Aurora, your health and happiness is of utmost importance. Partner up with a depression therapist today to get back to better living. You can reach us at (303) 731-3701.
A new study on the approach to be published in a forthcoming issue of The Lancet found that MBCT helped prevent depression recurrence as effectively as maintenance antidepressant medication did. The study also found that MBCT had a larger effect on people with histories of more severe childhood abuse, which has been associated with a greater risk of relapse, than on participants overall. An "Evidence Map of Mindfulness" prepared for the Department of Veterans Affairs on all types of mindfulness interventions found the most consistent effect on depression versus other health conditions (Evidence-based Synthesis Program Center, 2014).
"People at risk for depression are dealing with a lot of negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs about themselves and this can easily slide into a depressive relapse," says the Lancet study's lead author, Willem Kuyken, PhD, a professor at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. "MBCT helps them to recognize that's happening, engage with it in a different way and respond to it with equanimity and compassion." 2ff7e9595c
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