Are You A High functioning Depressive?

If you work long hours, suffer from insomnia, and find yourself suffering from anxiety, unable to relax unless actually working, you may actually be suffering from a high functioning depressive disorder.
This type of depression doesn't yet have an "official" name - but has become increasingly common since the 1990's. Typical of its victim:
•  Contract work with no benefits or self-employment
•  At least 3 periods of unemployment within the last 15 years
•  Financial difficulty
•  No time for leisure or hobbies
•  A family to look after financially
Granted, the nature of jobs has changed completely since the early 1990's.  The sort of guaranteed 9-5 job, with benefits, long tenure, pensions, vacation time and weekends and evenings guaranteed free has turned out to be a universal phenomenon peculiar only to those who served in World War II - and the generation immediately after it.
The rest of North America's population now has to scramble for existence.
This has given rise to great entrepreneurship and ingenuity - but also great stress. "We are probably seeing the most stunning multitude of high functioning depressives this world has seen in decades," says former counselor, Susan B.
What many of these high functioning depressives are turning to, however, is natural therapies.  As quickly as this type of disorder mushroomed, so too did the realization that these work habits are not healthy.
6 Popular Natural Tactics
Among successful anxiety and stress release tactics reported on an entrepreneur's forum:
•  Massage
•  Reiki treatments
•  Natural ingested remedies
•  EFT
•  Biofeedback
•  Behavior Modification
There is a particular stress nowadays on diet as an aid to curing depression. It's recognized that B vitamin deficiencies may have a large part to play, particularly among vegetarians, since the body can only absorb vitamin B12 from meat. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been reported to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression. These can be found mostly in tuna, salmon and flax seeds. However, this is one case where ingested in food, levels may be inadequate in counteracting depression and anxiety.  Supplementing your diet with a recognized Omega-3 fish oil or Evening Primrose oil may prove more effective.
3 Tips In Overcoming Insomnia and Depressive Anxiety
The biggest 3 tips in overcoming insomnia and depressive anxiety:
•  Don't drink coffee, tea or cola after 4 p.m.
•  Use timers to signal when tasks are to be completed
•  Eat or drink a light snack containing L-Tryptophan
Not drinking caffeine after 4 has been reported as the single most effective remedy for insomnia caused by this type of depressive disorder, followed by the L-Tryptophan containing snack. (Dairy, poultry or nuts should do the trick.)
Using a timer to "cue" you as to when to "switch off" - but too many people abandon this technique, ignoring the timer alarm and pushing through to keep working.  However, if you stick with this method long enough for it to become a habit (6 weeks, according to an unrelated NASA experiment), it can actually make a difference.