desain grafis & interior: March 2010

Psychotherapy for Depression

Psychotherapy is often the first form of treatment recommended for depression. Called "therapy" for short, the word psychotherapy actually involves a variety of treatment techniques. During psychotherapy, a person with depression talks to a licensed and trained mental health care professional who helps the person identify and work through the factors that may be triggering the depression.

Sometimes these factors work in combination with heredity or chemical imbalances in the brain to trigger depression. Taking care of the psychological and psychosocial aspects of depression are just as important as treating its medical cause.
How does psychotherapy help?

Psychotherapy helps people with depression:

* Understand the behaviors, emotions, and ideas that contribute to his or her depressed state
* Understand and identify the life problems or events—like a major illness, a death in the family, a loss of a job or a divorce—that contribute to their depression and help them understand which aspects of those problems they may be able to solve or improve
* Regain a sense of control and pleasure in life
* Learn coping techniques and problem-solving skills

Types of therapy

Therapy can be given in a variety of formats, including:

* Individual — This therapy involves only the patient and the therapist.
* Group — Two or more patients may participate in therapy at the same time. Patients are able to share experiences and learn that others feel the same way and have had the same experiences.
* Marital/couples — This type of therapy helps spouses and partners understand why their loved one has depression, what changes in communication and behaviors can help, and what they can do to cope.
* Family — Because family is a key part of the team that helps people with depression get better, it is sometimes helpful for family members to understand what their loved one is going through, how they themselves can cope, and what they can do to help.

Approaches to therapy

Although therapy can be done in different formats—like family, group, and individual—there also are several different approaches that mental health professionals can take to provide therapy. After talking with the patient about his or her depression, the therapist will decide which approach to use based on the suspected underlying factors contributing to the depression.
Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is based on the assumption that a person is depressed because of unresolved, generally unconscious conflicts, often stemming from childhood. The goal of this type of therapy is for the patient to understand and better cope with these feelings by talking about the experiences. Psychodynamic therapy is administered over a period of three to four months, although it can last longer, even years.
Interpersonal therapy

Interpersonal therapy focuses on the behaviors and interactions a depressed patient has with family and friends. The primary goal of this therapy is to improve communication skills and increase self esteem during a short period of time. Therapy usually lasts three to four months and works well for depression caused by mourning, relationship conflicts, major life events, and social isolation.

Psychodynamic and interpersonal therapies help patients resolve depression caused by:

* Loss (grief)
* Relationship conflicts
* Role transitions (such as becoming a mother or a caregiver)

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people with depression to identify and change inaccurate perceptions that they may have of themselves and the world around them. The therapist helps patients establish new ways of thinking by directing attention to both the "wrong" and "right" assumptions they make about themselves and others.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is recommended for patients:

* Who think and behave in ways that trigger and perpetuate depression
* With mild-to-moderate depression as the only treatment or in addition to treatment with antidepressant medication
* Who refuse or are unable to take antidepressant medication
* Of all ages who have depression that causes suffering, disability, or interpersonal problems

Therapy tips

Therapy works best when you attend all of your scheduled appointments. The effectiveness of therapy depends on your active participation. It requires time, effort, and regularity.

As you begin therapy, establish some goals with your therapist. Then spend time periodically reviewing your progress with your therapist. If you don’t like your therapist’s approach or if you don’t think the therapist is helping you, talk to him or her about it and seek a second opinion if both you and your therapist agree, but don’t discontinue therapy abruptly.
Tips to help you get started

* Identify sources of stress — Try keeping a journal and note stressful as well as positive events.
* Restructure priorities — Emphasize positive, effective behavior.
* Make time for recreational and pleasurable activities.
* Communicate — Explain and assert your needs to someone you trust; write in a journal to express your feelings.
* Try to focus on positive outcomes and find methods to reduce and manage stress.

Remember, therapy involves evaluating your thoughts and behaviors, identifying stresses that contribute to depression, and working to modify both. People who actively participate in therapy recover more quickly and have fewer relapses. Therapy is treatment that addresses specific causes of depression; it is not a "quick fix." It takes longer to begin to work than antidepressants, but there is evidence that suggests that its effects last longer. Antidepressants may be needed immediately in cases of severe depression, and the combination of therapy and medicine is very effective.

Psychological impact

Since it can be said that humans are generally creatures of habit, the state of a person's home has been known to physiologically influence their behavior, emotions, and overall mental health.[citation needed]

Some people may become homesick when they leave their home over an extended period of time. Sometimes homesickness can cause a person to feel actual symptoms of illness.

It has been argued that psychologically "The strongest sense of home commonly coincides geographically with a dwelling. Usually the sense of home attenuates as one moves away from that point, but it does not do so in a fixed or regular way."[2] Furthermore, places like homes can trigger self-reflection, thoughts about who one is or used to be or who one might become. These types of reflections also occur in places where there is a collective historical identity, such as Gettysburg or Ground Zero.[3]

In the past the mother was the person who ran the household. The house was a place for women's work more than anywhere else. However, in the modern sense, these duties are now shared between mother and father. In Western countries, the home has become a place for more equality in duties, the roles are shared and the burden of maintaining the household is a shared family responsibility

Victorian Architecture

What, exactly, is a Victorian? Many people use the term to describe an architectural style. However, Victorian is not really a style but a period in history. The Victorian era dates from about 1840 to 1900. During this time, industrialization brought many innovations in architecture.
There are a variety of Victorian styles, each with its own distinctive features. The most popular Victorian styles spread quickly through widely published pattern books. Builders often borrowed characteristics from several different styles, creating unique, and sometimes quirky, mixes. Buildings constructed during the Victorian times

Interior Characteristics of a Neo-Colonial Home

The interior of the Neo-Colonial features a large center entrance, or foyer. Traditionally, the living room as well as the kitchen and dining room are located within the first floor. Meanwhile, the bedrooms and various other rooms are located on upper floors. The homes can also feature a grand fireplace in the great room, as well as various other modern features.

The Neo-Colonial is just an updated version of a traditional American favorite. While the Neo-Colonial may not be around forever, there is no doubt that another Colonial style home will eventually rise in popularity. For many Americans, the Colonial, Colonial Revival homes, and the Neo-Colonial are representations of the American dream.

Modern Neo-Colonial Homes and Architecture

During the mid 1960s, the modern day style of architecture was just beginning. The word ‘neo’ literally means ‘new,’ so when placed in front of an older style of home, it translates into an updated version of that home. For example, there is the Neo-Mediterranean, the Neo-Eclectic, and the Neo-Colonial. The Neo-Colonial features many of the details found in historical Federal and Colonial homes as well as many modern updates and features.

Neo-Colonial or Colonial Revival

While it may be difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish the difference between a Neo-Colonial home and a Colonial Revival home - the difference can actually be quite obvious once one knows what to look for. Many Neo-Colonials feature a ‘great room’ as well as modern, high tech kitchens, luxurious spa-like bathrooms, updated grand fireplaces, and more.

Exterior Characteristics of Neo-Colonial Style Homes

The Neo-Colonial home takes on many of the characteristics of the traditional Colonial home. Both the traditional and Neo-Colonial feature a rectangular shape and can rise up three stories in overall height. There are also Neo-Eclectic versions of the Neo-Colonial, but their lack of a defined, rectangular shape keeps them from being a true Neo-Colonial.

The facade of the home features a center door and symmetrical windows. However, above the front door, many homes now feature a Palladian window. Generally, windows are double-hung and many of them can feature a semicircular fanlight or shutters on the exterior of the home. The exterior generally is composed of vinyl, brick, stone or various other materials included faux stone or faux brick.

Some homes, depending on the architect or homeowner’s preference, can feature a grand front porch. Some may add traditional dentil moldings instead. Both details, and more, can showcase the variety of differences in Colonial and Neo-Colonial homes.