The Truth About Postpartum Depression

The Truth About Postpartum Depression

Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields are currently engaging in a word war against each other because of a type of depression, called postpartum depression. Cruise's and Brooke's debacle started when Tom Cruise openly disapproved of Brooke Shield's personal choice of opting to take prescribed medicines to cure her postpartum depression, when he guested at the Today Show. According to Cruise, who is a popular devotee of Scientology (who believes that we can be cured through natural means and that taking medicine is doing our body harm), Brooke Shields should have instead, opted to cure her postpartum depression by doing healthy exercises. Adding that a lot of people have been misinformed about depression and how to actually cure this common illness.

But what is postpartum depression really? We've heard about it often enough, yet are we really sure that we know enough about it for us to actually understand this illness in order for us to help ourselves as well as others? Being pregnant should really be a source of joy for everyone, especially the mother to be, who for nine months, will actually have living being grow from inside of her. Unfortunately, there is another side to this joyous occasion, being pregnant means that you and your body will have to get used to some adjustments for you to have a safe pregnancy. Smoking, alcohol, strenuous activities as well as stress should be avoided at all cost. A healthy baby means having a healthy mother as well. But given that you have been able to successfully avoided all these bad habits for your baby to be, childbirth is a whole different thing, as much as we may try to avoid it, there are still some unfortunate cases wherein the mother's as well as the baby's life might be in danger.

But there's actually more, postpartum depression actually happens after childbirth. Although it's quite common and a lot of women have learned to how to deal with it as well as successfully treat it (like Brooke Shields), it is still quite avoidable. Postpartum depression is actually a lot like depression, but only new moms are the possible victims of this illness. There are actually a lot possible reasons why postpartum depression occurs:

Childbirth as we all know is not as easy as pie, actual physical stress from giving birth is one of the main reasons why postpartum depression occurs. Next postpartum depression trigger is massive changes is hormonal levels. A lot of moms-to-be who were hesitant about bearing a child are also more susceptible to postpartum depression, those who are not ready to be a mother yet are more easily to get depressed as opposed to happy and excited moms-to-be.

When postpartum depression happens, it really is best to go to the doctor immediately. Aside from obviously having ill-effects for the new mother, postpartum depression can prove to be harmful to the child as well. New mothers who are suffering from postpartum depression may be harboring ill feelings toward their children. Their are actually some cases of murder wherein postpartum depression has been cited as the reason. Mothers who suffer from postpartum depression may blame their child for their weight gain, thus feeling like they've become less attractive and unloved. It is really best to consult a reputable cognitive behavior therapist to take care of your postpartum woes, your therapist may prescribe medications to help cure postpartum depression as well as therapy sessions to help relieve whatever pent emotions that you may have.

The tell-tale symptoms of depression

The tell-tale symptoms of depression
People who may be suffering from depression or manic disorders actually exhibit or show each and every kind of symptom of depression that doctors will tell you that depressed people have. Sometimes it’s actually quite easy to overlook such symptoms and not be able to help one’s self or others who are suffering from depression for that matter.

There are actually a lot of symptoms of depression that depressed people may actually posses but they don’t have to suffer from each and every one of them before you actually help them get diagnosed and be treated for this illness. Also, since symptoms of depression actually vary, the time of their "attacks" varies as well.

Here are some common examples of symptoms of depression:

Prolonged period of sadness or not feeling "up to it,"  people who are always feeling not in the mood, who’d rather mope around the house and feel sorry for one’s self is the best example for this symptom of depression.

Feels hopeless, perennial pessimist: speaking of feeling sorry for one’s self, another common symptom of depression is when a person actually feels like he/she has nothing to look forward to in his or her life. As for being the perennial pessimist, those who show this symptom of depression are usually very negative about things, again, the feeling of hopelessness comes in to mind.

Guilt-driven, loss of self-worth and helplessness: other symptoms of depression that can be easily seen on people who prefer to mope around all day long are these. Whenever a person feels so guilty over something, that actually makes one a very sad person who feels like he or she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Thus, the loss of self-worth, if that person feels like he or she isn’t worthy of being happy or enjoying one’s self then that’s clear tell-tale symptom of depression. Helplessness also contribute to being depressed, when assuming that things won’t simply go your way, it’s already a clear saying that you have absolutely no hope in your body at all.

Isn’t interested in finding or taking pleasure; just dropping the hobbies as well as the other things that one used to enjoy: this tell-tale symptom of depression just shows how depressed a person can be, if one is actually too sad to take pleasure even in the very things that one loves then that person is seriously lacking something, rather, that person might well have caught the depression bug.

Fatigue, always tired: people suffering from depression, since they’ve lost whatever interest in life that they may have had before are actually lacking of physical energy at all times, if one would prefer to just mope around, probably won’t even eat not get enough sleep, a depressed person may well be on their way to not just a mental illness but depression can actually be terrible for one’s physical health as well.

Having trouble concentrating, having bad memory and is indecisive: a person who is suffering from depression easily gives away this tell-tale symptom of depression. Wherein one’s lack of interest with regards to the outside world or for just about anything for that matter can lead to that person’s inability to lose track of things and actually not be able to remember things that happened or what other people said. Lack of interest actually makes depressed people very inattentive.

There are actually more symptoms of depression that can actually help you see if a person (or you) needs to be brought to the doctor to get some help when it comes to depression: lacking sleep, sleeping too much or waking up at wee hours of the morning are all symptoms of depression (if it happens on a daily basis), appetite loss as well as eating too much may show one’s lack of enthusiasm for life. Be weary of sudden weight loss or weight gain in those around you. Being suicidal, talking about death, about wanting to die is another clear indication that that person is depressed. Being restless and irritable and physical symptoms that are usually brought about by poor mental health such as headaches, digestive disorders and various body pains.

Understanding Zoloft Depression Better

Understanding Zoloft Depression Better

Always feeling under the weather? Always not in the mood to be around others and have a good time? If you’re suffering from prolonged sadness for quite some time now, you should face these bouts of depression and get yourself diagnosed by a psychiatrist, they’re doctors who can actually help you out with your problem. Also, with the introduction of Zoloft depression, the number one, most-prescribed medicine for depression treatment, the problems concerning depression can easily be gone.

Depression or prolonged sadness is actually quite common in the United States, around 9.5 percent of the American population actually suffer from this illness, however, not all of them get to be treated, thus, depression and its ill-effects continue to be a burden to some individuals. This illness may seem quite simple to treat but in reality, it takes more than a little cheering up to actually cure depression. Constant visits to a cognitive behavior therapist is a must as well as taking all the prescribed medicines that the doctor will ask the patient to take – none of these exactly come cheap, but the amount of suffering that a person is going through because of depression is enough reason already for others to start taking notice and face depression head on. Here’s where Zoloft depression actually steps in, proven to be a safe and very effective treatment for various types of depression as well as anxiety, Zoloft depression has actually been around for around 12 years. Patients have been proven to respond well to treatments from Zoloft depression while doctors favor Zoloft depression’s availability in various strengths, this way, someone who’s suffering from depression doesn’t have to settle for something else just cause they don’t have the right dosage available, with Zoloft depression, it’s hard to not get the right dosage for you.

 In a nutshell, Zoloft depression is actually a type of antidepressant which is known to people as “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor” or SSRI. It’s well-known to be a good treatment for patients over the age of eighteen that are being treated for the following: depression, posttraumatic disorder or PTSD, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD and obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD.

Some commonly asked questions about Zoloft depression are the following:

How long does it take before the effect of Zoloft depression actually kicks in?

How important is it to follow the doctor’s prescription for Zoloft depression?

To be frank, Zoloft depression is actually not for everyone, those patients who are taking pimozide or MAOIs are strictly discouraged from using Zoloft depression. Various side effects can stem from actually using Zoloft depression such as: diarrhea, nausea, sleepiness/insomnia, dry mouth and sexual side effects. Although according to studies, a lot of people actually didn’t care about the side effects and still opted to continue on taking Zoloft depression.

Some good points to consider though is that Zoloft depression is actually in no way addicting unlike other medication and it is not in any way, can be associated with weight gain.

Since Zoloft depression actually comes in various dosages (25mg, 50mg and 100mg tablets), it is definitely best to consult your doctor first before taking any Zoloft depression tablet. This is one of the main reasons why Zoloft depression was actually created in various dosages, since each person is unique, one’s need for Zoloft depression may actually differ from the other and that is why we need professional doctors to assess how much or how little of Zoloft depression does one actually need. Self medication has always been a problem of doctors since their patients usually just end up in worse state than usual whenever they self-medicate and conduct their own diagnosis.

Depending on a person’s body makeup or ability to respond to treatments as well as one’s willingness to actually help him or herself get better, the effects of Zoloft depression can be felt in as early as 2 weeks, just continue on following the doctors prescriptions as well as showing up for every therapy session, Zoloft depression will seriously work for you.

Depression Tidbits

Depression is a very serious matter, which does not discriminate.

Depression doe not care what your age is, what gender you are,

or even what your race or social class is.

Depression can often make a person feel sad, helpless, hopeless,

and irritable. It is normal for people to have these feeling

sometimes, but some people cannot just snap out of it and this is

the difference between what is normal and major depression. It is

the determination and brutality of the emotions that determine the

mental illness of depression from normal mood changes.

We are going to talk about different types of depression and how

it can affect you. Depression is an illness that affects your body,

mind, disposition, thought, sleep, energy, concentration, weight,

and much more. Depression is not a mood, it is not a sign of

personal weakness, and it cannot be simply willed away.

Clinical depression is constant and can interfere significantly with

an individual’s ability to function by emotional experiences of

sadness, loss, or passing mood states. Clinical depression can be

devastating to all areas of a person’s everyday life, including family

relationships, friendships, and the ability to work or go to school.

Bipolar disorder (manic-depression) is a mood disorder, which

means that the symptoms are abnormalities of mood. Bipolar

disorder involves episodes of both serious mania and depression.

Bipolar disorder can have a devastating impact on sufferer’s lives

and can lead to suicide if it is not treated.

Major depression is a more common illness, the symptoms of which

are mainly those of ‘low’ mood.

Causes

Several things can cause depression; one of the causes can be

attributed to a deficiency of certain neurotransmitters in the brain

that signal from one nerve cell to another. The immune system of

a depressed person is usually very low and therefore ineffectively

responding to diseases, including cancer. The everyday stressors

faced by Americans have simply become too much for many to

bear, and reasonably so. In recent years, taking an anti-anxiety

medication or anti-depressant has become as common as taking a

multi-vitamin.

How to Alleviate

Two amino acids are known to alleviate depression in many

persons. They are tyrosine and L-phenylalanine. The two amino

acids are a natural precursor of certain neurotransmitters.

You can’t afford what?

Perhaps the only thing worse than depression is having

depression and not being able to afford treatment. Needy Meds is

a website that offers all the information you need to get your meds

free, just click the name of your drug in the list on the left side of

the page.

The Medicine Program is for people who do not have insurance and

do not qualify for government programs you may qualify to enroll in

a privately sponsored program. They do charge a $5 processing

fee but the medications themselves are free. Volunteers staff this

organization and the processing fee covers their expenses. This

company will contact the drug manufacturer on your behalf, or you

can choose to contact the drug companies themselves.

Free Samples – Often pharmaceutical companies provide physicians

with free samples. Ask your doctor is he/she has any samples on

hand of your medication.

Can Depression Be A Sign Of Something More

Have you taken more than one antidepressant but are still feeling depressed? Are you frustrated that your depression keeps coming back? You are not alone. Many people are first told that they have depression or anxiety when, in fact, they actually have a different medical condition. Of these people, one in two will first be told they have depression, one in four will be told they have anxiety.

Why Does Your Depression Keep Coming Back?

There are a number of reasons why symptoms of depression may persist despite taking medication. One of these reasons may be because patients don’t always remember to tell their doctors about all the symptoms they’re experiencing. For example, patients may talk to their doctors when they feel down or depressed and are looking for relief. They may not talk about the times when they’ve felt really good or energetic. In fact, patients often think about these times as their “good times” or “normal times.” This is important information that can help your doctor make a correct diagnosis and provide treatment that may help you feel better. 

Help Your Doctor Help You

Getting a correct diagnosis is the first step to finding a treatment that is right for you. Bipolar depression is a form of depression that requires a different kind of treatment. If you have questions about bipolar depression, be sure to talk with your doctor. Several treatments, including some new medications, along with support from your doctor, can help people manage their symptoms over time. 

What Is Bipolar Depression?

Bipolar depression is one part of bipolar disorder, a chronic-but treatable-illness. Sufferers usually have episodes of depression (“lows”) and episodes of increased energy, racing thoughts or anxiety (“highs”). Untreated bipolar depression can affect an individual’s ability to function at work, participate in social activities and maintain relationships. Getting an accurate diagnosis and the correct treatment can help patients with bipolar depression manage their symptoms and lead productive lives.

Transforming Your Thoughts Is Key For Dealing With Depression

The Greatest Teacher that ever lived once said: “As a Man thinks in his heart so is he”. What you constantly think of a situation is quite inevitably what becomes of it; therefore it is paramount that in any and every situation our thinking should be positive.

If there is one fact that religion, science and psychology seem to agree on, it is that the mind is indeed the most powerful force in the world. Yoga sages have stated that whoever can control the mind is indeed a powerful human being.

That said, it is obvious that in coping with stress and dealing with depressive situations, one should make every step to think positively as perhaps the first weapon to combat negative challenges.

Friends, everything starts with a thought. 

Moreover, thoughts have the innate ability of phenomenally materializing into what it is that is projected in your mind. Consequently, it will be safe to say we should all make attempts to change our mental habits to belief instead of disbelief as much as possible. This of course will be most paramount when seeking ways to overcoming depression. 

Characterized by feelings of worthlessness, doubt, pessimism, if we allow depressive thoughts to constantly permeate our minds, they could actually gain the ability to diffuse into our speech and actions and consequently could aggravate the very situations and challenges one is facing that may be causing depressive thoughts in the first place.

When dealing with problems arising from depression, the famous psychologist-William James has this cryptic quote to say: “Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking or challenging situation is the one thing that insures a successful outcome at the end”

This reminds me of another powerful verse in the Bible found in Mark 4 verse 23: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes”. 

Combining the gist and effect of both quotes, one can see that it is imperative to believe in and expect the best in any situation one may be going through. In so doing you will bring everything into the realm of possibility and success. 

In no way does this mean that we should sit back and just expect things to miraculously change. It means we must change our thought processes about our situations first, perform the actions that will lead us to and keep us on the path to success at overcoming our challenges and as words, thoughts and actions have an effect on each other as factors, one is also advised to constantly speak positively about what challenges one may be facing.

Combining all three factors will greatly help in making sure each component (most importantly our thoughts) remains positively tuned towards overcoming our depression.

My friends, although it may not always be an easy journey to overcome our challenges, I would like you to remember this quote as well “Life’s problems are like knives, which either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle: Grasp a difficulty or problem by the blade and it cuts; grasp it by the handle and you can use it constructively” 

Take the quote above into consideration and keep it in mind my friend as THE reason to constantly have faith and to hope for the best when it comes to dealing with depression. It is perhaps the one thing that will ensure success at the end.

The Health Benefits Of Tai Chi

More and more people are looking at the different alternative health therapy options these days. In this article, I write about the health benefits which using tai chi can bring. I hope you enjoy the read.

Tai chi is the most popular exercise in the world today. It is relatively new to the western world but is becoming more and more popular. The two thousand year old Chinese martial art is quite simple to do and has many benefits.

I have been attending tai chi classes for around a year now and it has massively helped me to control my anxiety and stress levels. Stress has been a big factor in my life and I have always struggled to think in a positive way. I now try many alternative treatments to manage my stress including meditation and tai chi. Both work very well for me.

I was introduced to tai chi by a friend. I must say that I did not really know much about it before this. He told me that it had helped him no end in controlling his depression. His name is John and he has many issues in his life which not only affect his self-confidence but also makes him very depressed at times. John has been attending tai chi classes for nearly two years and has seemingly become a new man. For whatever reason he did not tell people about what he was doing. On a night out I mentioned to him that he had been a lot happier in the recent months. This is when he talked to me about tai chi. He also asked if I would like to attend the classes with him, which I duly agreed to. I am very glad that we had this conversation as I can also quite easily spiral into a state of depression.

It may be a piece of mind thing as I know that I will be attending a tai chi once a week, but I am now very able to deal with stress and am far less anxious than I ever used to be.

People have also mentioned that I look far healthier and even that I look younger than before. This is supposed to be another benefit of tai chi, it helps to delay the aging process. This is good for somebody like me as people always thought that I was around five years older than I actually was. 

Other health benefits of tai chi:

Helps to keep people mobile well into old age

Helps to improve balance

Helps to reduce asthma

Helps people to recover from certain injuries

Helps to boost the immune system

Helps to lower blood pressure

In conclusion, if you are like me and are a person who is always stressed out and often depressed, tai chi could be the answer for you. Give it a go and it could change your life. 

It goes without saying that tai chi is not for everybody and I would also recommend meditation, reflexology, aromatherapy, and hypnotherapy.

I am a person who likes to try new things as I am always trying to improve my life. I want to live a long, happy and stress free life. Using these forms of alternative treatments is helping me to achieve this at the moment.

When Do You See A Doctor If You Have Or You Think You Have Depression

diagnose yourself. You need to have a healthcare practitioner that is skilled to give you a correct assessment and professional diagnosis of your condition.

There is absolutely no reason to feel shy or embarrassed when talking to a healthcare provider regarding any symptoms of your condition. There are many healthcare professionals that are very understanding of your problem. After all, they were trained to study and treat depression.

If you have symptoms like these, do not hesitate consulting a medical practitioner. Before getting any actual help or treatment for depression, you must need to first have a diagnosis that is correct.

You see, these symptoms are also symptomatic of other problems. For example, weight loss, fatigue and sleeping patterns may not be caused by depression, but by some medical problem. Other symptoms like losing interest in activities that you previously enjoyed or problems with attention or memory may not be related to depression at all but may be indicative of a undiagnosed medical condition.

You need to consult a doctor so that you can make sure that the symptoms you are experiencing are actually a result of your depression and from there, you can start what the best treatment for you individual case. The doctor might ask you to answer questions to fully assess and help determine if you actually have depression and possibly conduct tests to determine that your symptoms are a result of some other health issue.

Depression is a medical condition that is real. Remember that having depression is not something that you want to have. You probably would not think less of someone who has influenza or is suffering from heart disease. In the same manner, you must not be ashamed or feel guilty that you suffer from depression.

Depression will not go away by “toughing it out” or “being strong.” Being weak in your will does not instantly cause you to be depressed. Most cases of depression can’t simply go away just by trying to cheer up. You can’t simply make it go away by doing exercises, taking vitamins or going on a vacation. Treating your depression requires professional help – you can’t do it alone. Like any other serious illnesses, depression needs professional treatment from a healthcare practitioner. When you are suffering from depression, you need to ask for help to make the problem go away.

Your feelings might change when treatment comes along. You should be pleased to know that depression has proved to be one of the most easily treated conditions.

When you are seeking treatment for your depression, what type of healthcare professional should you see?

Although there are some issues raised on what treatment is the best for depression problems (whether it is drugs, therapy, or if it is a mixture of both), there is actually a type of healthcare professional that is highly qualified to help you recover from depression and various mood disorders that use medications or drugs: a psychiatrist.

Psychologists, in fairness, are also highly qualified to cure depression problems, but they are not medical professionals and as such, cannot prescribe medications. You should realize that psychologists specialize in therapy, especially talk therapy. If you do not know if you need drugs or medications, it might prove best to start your treatment of depression under a psychiatrist’s care.

If you think you might also have a good chance of eliminating depression through talk therapy, many psychiatrists can also be good in this, although there are some that may refer you to more experienced therapists. More on this in an upcoming article.

Can A Neurotransmitter Imbalance Be Causing Your Mood Problems

Neurotransmitters are powerful chemicals that regulate numerous physical and emotional processes such as cognitive and mental performance, emotional states and pain response. Virtually all functions in life are controlled by neurotransmitters.

Interactions between neurotransmitters, hormones, and the brain chemicals have a profound influence on overall health and well-being. When our concentration and focus is good, we feel more directed, motivated, and vibrant. Unfortunately, if neurotransmitter levels are inadequate these energizing and motivating signals are absent and we feel more stressed, sluggish, and out-of-control.

Disrupted communication between the brain and the body can have serious effects to ones health both physically and mentally. Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders are thought to be directly related to imbalances with neurotransmitters.Some of the more common neurotransmitters that regulate mood are Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine.

Serotonin imbalance is one of the most common contributors to mood problems. Some feel it is a virtual epidemic in the United States. Serotonin is key to our feelings of happiness and very important for our emotions because it helps defend against both anxiety and depression. You may have a shortage of serotonin if you have a sad depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, low energy, migraines, sleeping problems, obsession or compulsions, feel tense and irritable, crave sweets, and have a reduced interest in sex. Additionally, your hormones and Estrogen levels can affect serotonin levels and this may explain why some women have pre-menstrual and menopausal mood problems. Moreover, stress can greatly reduce your serotonin supplies.

Dopamine and Norepinephrine are responsible for motivation, energy, interest, and drive. They are associated with positive stress states such as being in love, exercising, listening to music, and sex. These neurotransmitters are the one’s that make you feel good. When we don’t have enough of them we don’t feel alive, we have difficulty initiating or completing tasks, poor concentration, no energy, and lack of motivation. Low neurotransmitter levels drive us to use drugs (self medicate) or alcohol, smoke cigarettes, gamble, and overeat. For many years, it has been known in medicine that low levels of these neurotransmitters can cause many diseases and illnesses. A neurotransmitter imbalance can cause Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, irritable bowel, hormone dysfunction, eating disorders, Fibromyalgia, obsessions, compulsions, adrenal dysfunction, chronic pain, migraine headaches, and even early death.

Health Resort Spas Of Asia A Mixture Of Spirituality And Health

Today’s life is fast paced, hectic and very competitive making people to crave for leisure time. The leisure time away from the busy schedule is treated as an eternal time and health resort spas offer such heavenly leisure pursuit. Resort in general is a place for relaxation and recreation. The main activities of such resorts include indulging oneself with great drink, food, sports activities, lodging, shopping and entertainment. Resorts can be one of the either, one like the town which itself is a place for tourism and holidaying where most of the local activities take place, generally not run by one company, or it can be a vacation centre which is run by one company providing all the needs and wants of the vacationers during their stay. Spas are places which are believed to provide health to the people through soaking in water. The water used is a mineral water or water drawn from hot springs. Some may even include cold water for treatments. Among different spa types available like the holiday spas, destination or resort spas and trim spas – specific for weight loss regime, the health resort spas use thermal bath or balneotherapy or hydrotherapy for giving health benefits to the users.

Health resort spas are closely associated with tourism and travel. They are very popular, as business tours often involve making the much required deals while doing it completely at leisure. This is the main reason for the transition of hotels, resorts and spas into health resort spas.

Health resort spas of Asia are very famous. They are attracting people from all over the world who come for beauty and health solutions. Asian health resort spas adopt the healing wisdom of spiritual gurus and spa experts, a haven or organic and natural way of living. Some of the health resort spas are located in a tranquil, serene environment pampering the clients with a variety of massages, body treatments, health related therapies and making the experience an unforgettable one for most of them.

Treatments offered by health resort spas of Asia:

Health resort spas of Asia use some of the ancient holistic and spiritual healing treatments like the yoga, Reiki and Ayurveda which are meant for restoring inner calm, improving memory, balancing emotions, refreshing the body, enhancing skin complexion by exfoliation, cleaning and toning, reducing weight while strengthening the muscles and bones etc. The very famous cranial therapy is used to balance the circulation of the liquid around the brain releasing any accumulated stress by applying gentle movements on the vertebrae and skull. They also use ingredients which are available in the kitchen for natural facemasks like the papaya mask, honey mask, healing herbs, sea salt face scrub etc. Aroma therapy massage offered in these health resort spas blends essential oils to rejuvenate and relax the body. Some of the latest treatments include traditional Chinese medication, gem therapy, crystal therapy and light, color and sound filtered through the body in a steam room, using flower essences etc. They aim in revitalizing the mind, soul and the body through the above processes.

St John S Wort Benefits And Side Effects

What is St John’s Wort?

Extracts of Hypericum perforatum L. (St John’s wort) are now successfully competing for status as a standard antidepressant therapy. Because of this, great effort has been devoted to identifying the active antidepressant compounds in the extract. From a phytochemical point of view, St John’s wort is one of the best-investigated medicinal plants. Researchers in Europe have studied St John’s Wort for decades. They discovered a combination of elements in the plant, foremost of which is “hypericin”, react with specific chemicals in the brain to temper emotional discomfort, lift depression, and calm the nerves. Working very much like the common synthetic prescription antidepressants (maprotiline hydrochloride and imipramine), natural extracts from St. John’s Wort have shown to relax and soothe the psyche with minimal side effects

St John’s Wort Benefits

St. Johns Wort today has been found to be very beneficial in healing wounds and is especially good for dirty, septic wounds. St. Johns Wort has been used in case of putrid leg ulcers, that noting heals. Like the leach that was used not too many years ago for wound cleansing it does not destroy the healthy tissues and healthy cells but it cleans the dirt out of septic wounds. It helps reduce the inflammation in septic sores, in boils, in cellulite and lymhangitis.

The compound Hypericin was isolated from St. Johns Wort in 1942 and has been used as an anti-depressant for emotionally disturbed people. This tranquilizing quality from small quantities hypericin increase blood flow to stressed tissue. There is a reduced capillary fragility and enhanced uterine tone due to the increased Hypotensive blood flow.

St John’s Wort Side Effects

The use of St. Johns Wort has been shown to demonstrate a side effect producing a photosensitivity. Hypericin is absorbed in the intestines and concentrates near the skin. An allergic reaction takes place when those with light fair skin are exposed sunlight. That exposure causes tissue damage and in some cases death has resulted. While taking St. Johns Wort one should avoid strong sunlight whether the skin is dark or light. There is a photosensitizing substance produced under the skin by this exposure to sunlight that causes the skin to burn.

How do I know if I am depressed?

Curiously easily diagnosable and treatable medical problem, depression happens to at least 20 million American adults every year. As we discussed earlier, although everyone has experienced sadness and feelings of being depressed, people that are suffering from true depression have many frequent and recurring long-term symptoms, making them view life as something not worth living.

How would you know if you have a depression problem? Here are more depression symptoms. These symptoms vary in each person, although if these happen to you, it might be wise to consult a doctor.

– Sadness that is prolonged

– Crying spells that are unexplained

– Significant and abrupt changes in sleep patterns and appetite

– Anger, irritability, anxiety, worry, agitation

– Pessimism, indifference

– Energy loss

– Persistent lethargy

– Guilt feelings and unexplained sense of worthlessness

– Difficulty in concentrating and indecisiveness

– Inability in taking pleasure in interests you previously enjoy

– Social withdrawal

– Unexplained pains and aches

– Extreme fatigue when you have not done much

– Recurring and frequent thoughts of suicide or death

If you are experiencing at least five of the symptoms listed above and have begun interfering with family activities or work for more than a week, ask your doctor for a thorough checkup. This would most likely include having a comprehensive physical exam (although some symptoms might be caused by other health problems that you have) and a detailed clinical history. Just be honest and open on what and how you are feeling.

Do not even think of diagnosing yourself. Likewise, you cannot rely to a friend or a member of your family for diagnosis. Only a doctor that is properly trained to check illnesses is the only one that can fully determine if you are having a depression episode.

If you want, you could try self-evaluation tests available on the Internet that could help you gauge the symptoms that you have, or at least, can prepare you when you visit your doctor. Think of these tests as a way of communicating your symptoms better to a healthcare professional when you go in for a visit. Of course, online tests prove no match to an actual consultation.

For other people, depression is recurrent, which simply means that they experience depression episodes often – once or twice in a month, at least once a year, or many times throughout their lifetimes.

Do not feel embarrassed, shy, or ashamed of your depression problem. People of various ages, ethnic groups, races, and social classes get this problem. Although depression can happen at any given age, depression commonly develops in people whose ages lie between 25 and 44. If you have a depression problem, you’re not the only one. Every day, there are more than 20 million American adults that are experiencing depression problems.

Be persistent and patient and you will find the method that suits you best for determining depression.

How is depression treated?

More than eleven million people in the United States suffer from depression each year. This medical condition that affects the mind can have lasting effects such as a feeling of hopelessness, lack of ambition and an inability to focus. Depression can affect all age groups and genders, but is more prevalent in women. Consulting a mental help professional such as a psychiatrist is beneficial to obtain proper diagnosis and treatment. This condition can adversely affect school, home life and employment.

Most treatments will involve a combination of drug therapy and natural remedies for a fully balanced physical and emotional state. Medications will likely involve some form of antidepressant drug. The most commonly used types are: tricyclic, Monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOI’s, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRI’s. SSRI’s have become the most popular form for treating depression because of the lower risk of side effects. These drugs include names such as Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft.

Therapy is often prescribed with drug treatments to help a person come to terms with issues, symptoms and techniques for dealing with depression. These can be group or individual therapy sessions to talk about issues. Expression therapy such as dance, art or music can help articulate deep feelings and emotions. Relaxation techniques will assist in bringing focus and serenity. Yoga and meditation are ideal forms of this.

Changing lifestyle to promote a better self image and naturally adjust chemicals in the body has also proven helpful. Eating a well balanced diet and adding supplements such as fish oil, Zinc and B vitamins help regulate depression. Exercising several times each week is also valuable. Alternate treatments such as acupuncture and hypnosis may be beneficial to help alleviate symptoms of depression and melds the body, mind and spirit.

It is important to discuss all treatment options with your physician or psychiatrist to decide on the proper combinations. Each person has different levels of depression and a treatment plan should be customized to the individual. If using supplements or radically changing your diet; make sure to inform the doctor so those can be taken into consideration when developing a treatment plan.

Depression does not need to negatively affect a person’s life. With proper treatment, many depressed people live full, happy, successful lives. It is important to take action to help minimize depressive tendencies in order to allow a better sense of well being and peace. Using a combination of drug therapies and natural remedies will bring a balance to mind, body and spirit.

Childhood Abuse And Depression Anxiety Lives On

It has been established that nature and nurture should not be taken as enemies or total opposites, but as two intertwined realities that function together to make up the human experience. Nature was designed for nurture.

Many recent and notable studies have documented the effects that early childhood experience can have on both the physical and chemical makeup of the brain. In particular, childhood abuse and/or neglect can permanently alter an individual’s physiology. These physiological changes may lead to a greater likelihood of the person suffering from depression or anxiety later in life.

Groundbreaking results from a major study of depressed women in the US have shown that women who were abused as children have abnormally elevated hormonal responses to stress compared to women with no history of abuse. It suggests that childhood abuse is associated with persistent hyperactivity of the hormonal system associated with the stress response and this may cause greater vulnerability to psychiatric disorders in adulthood.

The study, headed by Dr. Charles Nemeroff at Emory University, looked at women diagnosed with clinical depression who had been abused as children; depressed women with no past abuse; and healthy women. Each person was given a moderately stressful experience and asked to perform simple mathematic problems aloud for a panel of stalwart non expressive judges.

Cortisol and ACTH (two hormones that play a critical role in a person’s response to stress) were measured in each subject while she completed the task. It was found that the levels of these hormones were especially pronounced in women who were abused as children and who also had current depression. In fact, their ACTH response indicators were more than six times those of the healthy women.

In addition to high levels of stress hormones, other studies by the same group found that women who had been abused as children had abnormal development of the brain’s hippocampus, which suggests another physical result of early abuse that could lead to permanent brain abnormalities in later life.

Other brain structures can also be affected by early abuse or neglect. While the basic unit of the brain is in place at birth, neuronal pathways for the body’s reaction to different experiences are still developing.

There is a critical period of time in a child’s first three years of life during which most of these pathways are formed. If a child receives primarily negative stimulation early in life, pathways for forming lasting relationships and responding to positive experiences can be stunted or destroyed. While this may be a reaction to help the child survive, it can cause permanent difficulties for the individual.

Other research shows that the brains of severely neglected children tend to be smaller than average with underdeveloped areas in the cortex. The long term implications of this are still being examined, but it shows one more way in which nurture or lack of it can affect a person’s biological make-up.

The knowledge that nature and nurture are two crucial aspects to a person’s health will undoubtedly prove to be a very useful tool in the research and treatment of psychiatric illness and may lead to even more effective treatments in the future.

What Is Bipolar Disorder And How Do You Treat It

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a diagnostic category describing a class of mood disorders where the person experiences states or episodes of depression and/or mania, hypomania, and/or mixed states. Left untreated, it is a severely disabling psychiatric condition.

The difference between bipolar disorder and major depression is that bipolar disorder involves “energized” or “activated” mood states in addition to depressed mood states. The duration and intensity of mood states varies widely among people with the illness.

Fluctuating from one mood state to another is called “cycling” or having mood swings. Mood swings cause impairment not only in one’s mood, but also in one’s energy level, sleep pattern, activity level, social rhythms and thinking abilities. Many people become fully disabled, for some period of time, after being diagnosed, and during this time may have great difficulty functioning.

The vast majority of people diagnosed with suffer from depression. In fact, there is at least a 3 to 1 ratio of time spent depressed versus time spent in a normal mood or hypomanic or manic during the course of the bipolar I subtype of the illness. People with the bipolar II subtype remain depressed for substantially longer. Up to 37 times longer than bipolar I.

A 2003 study by Robert Hirschfeld, M.D., of the University of Texas, Galveston found bipolar patients fared worse in their depressions than unipolar patients.

In terms of disability, lost years of productivity and potential for suicide, bipolar depression is now recognized as the most insidious aspect of the illness.

Severe depression may be accompanied by symptoms of psychosis. These symptoms include hallucinations and delusions. They may also suffer from paranoid thoughts of being persecuted or monitored by some powerful entity such as the government or a hostile force.

Intense and unusual religious beliefs may also be present, such as patients’ strong insistence that they have a God-given role to play in the world, a great and historic mission to accomplish, or even that they possess supernatural powers. Delusions in a depression may be far more distressing, sometimes taking the form of intense guilt for supposed wrongs that the patient believes he or she has inflicted on others.

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Currently bipolar disorder cannot be cured but it can be managed. The emphasis of treatment is on effective management of the long-term course of the illness, which can involve treatment of emergent symptoms. Treatment methods include pharmacological and psychological techniques.

A variety of medications are used to treat bipolar disorder. Most people with bipolar disorder require combinations of medications.

Relapse of Bipolar Disorder

Even when on medication, some people may still experience weaker episodes or have a complete manic or depressive episode. The following behaviors can lead to depressive or manic relapse:

* Discontinuing or lowering one’s dose of medication without consulting one’s physician.

* Being under or over medicated. Generally, taking a lower dosage of a mood stabilizer can lead to relapse into mania. Taking a lower dosage of an antidepressant, may cause the patient to relapse into depression, while higher doses can cause destabilization into mixed-states or mania.

* Taking other psychotropic or recreational drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroin. These can cause the condition to worsen.

* An inconsistent sleep schedule can destabilize the illness. Too much sleep can lead to depression, while too little sleep can lead to mixed states or mania.

* Excessive amounts of caffeine can cause destabilization of mood toward irritability, dysphoria and mania.

* Inadequate stress management and poor lifestyle choices. If unmedicated, excessive stress can cause the individual to relapse. Medication raises the stress threshold somewhat, but too much stress still causes relapse.



The information presented here should not be interpreted as medical advice. If you or someone you know is suffers from a bipolar disorder, please seek professional medical advice for the latest treatment options.

When I Finally Admitted I Was Depressed And Cured It

Winter has always been a difficult time for me in Michigan, with its many gray days, and not much sunlight. I awoke, feeling heavy, sluggish, and still exhausted. I wanted to pull the covers back over my head and return to my secure sleep state. I sensed something was wrong but really didn’t seem to care what it was. I knew I did not want to face another grueling day, outside the world of sleep. I felt scared, but didn’t know why. I dragged myself, out of bed, and into the bathroom. I could not decide whether I wanted to shave or shower first, then I made that extremely difficult decision to shower. Typical thoughts that would run through my head every morning, would I ever get over this feeling? Why was I feeling like this all the time? Maybe this is normal and I will eventually get over it?

Finally, I was fully awake small tasks seemed monumental, drudgery and overwhelming but I pushed on. I started my day by looking for faults in everything but myself. I was very short tempered with those closest to me and I didn’t even realize it, then out the door to work I go. The rest of the day, at work, I felt numb people were talking to me, asking questions, but nothing was getting thru. On the outside I put up a great front so no one could see, but I was trapped inside a deep dark world, a personal hell.

I was forgetting things very easily, even if I wrote them down. Organization, no matter how I organized things, didn’t seem to matter, because I was depressed and felt hazy. I couldn’t decide exactly what to start on because it all seemed overwhelming. When I did start something it was like climbing a mountain and I couldn’t see the top. Sometimes I felt a sinking feeling or a sense of little hope for anything. I felt like no one knew what I was going through or could help me. I would easily get angry and irritated at everything and everyone. There were times of Panic/Anxiety attacks in the middle of the night, those were not fun.

My typical day was like that movie “Ground Hog Day” with Bill Murray where he had to keep repeating the same day over and over till he got it right. What I found out later was that somewhere, I allowed myself to tumble into a state of depression and had not realized it or even truly acknowledged it. When I did finally acknowledge I was depressed and needed to do something it took me along time to find the right solutions by trial and error. The only person that can drag you out of depression is you, but I have to tell you the big secret to my success was the pharmaceutical grade St. Johns Wort that I took for about 6 months. If you need to know more about what I was taking come to my forum I go into more detail there.

Now I am doing great, I have focus, drive, energy and care what happens to myself and others. I jump out of bed, can’t wait to face all of the issues at hand (They are issues now, before they were monumental problems). I don’t have the emotional tendencies that I had before. I am by no means walking around with “rose colored glasses”, but more like a clear view now without the numb hazy feeling.

Depression is an emotionally draining journey that many will go through in their lifetime, but depression does not have to rule your life there is plenty of help available. Answers and treatments will vary from person to person what works for one person may not work for another. Allowing the state of depression to control you and be the norm will negatively affect you and others. Depression drags you down to depths that you feel you don’t have the energy to accomplish anything or even beat depression itself, a vicious cycle. Depression appears to cause many physical illness’s that can be over come with treatment. It’s time now, for you to pull out of the emotional numbness and rollercoaster that you step on to, but can’t remember where.

Being able to feel normal and handle life is your right. When people look at others that are cool and calm they appear to have everything under control that might not be the case, because many of us can put of a really good front. Putting up a good front is ok for a while, but you need to address the disorders. “Depression slowly erodes your will and breaks down any attempt at your happiness for a normal life this is not what anyone wants.

Finally, I want all of you to know that depressed people are highly intelligent, loving and sensitive people that have a lot to contribute to the world, but they need to realize that they are depressed, admit it and find a solution.

Depression Natural Treatment

Man is the social animal who has come with his own development. He has come to this phase with his own thoughts and ideas. He not only got the compensations with his progress but also got some of the negative aspects like he was exposed to many diseases that came in the way of his progression. One among them is this depression. This is a curable disease and can get treated as early as possible at its early stage. It has a natural and herbal remedy.

This depression is one of the diseases having an anxiety disorder that attacks especially the adult population. No matter what the age is or where we are from. The depression is a mental disorder that prevails in the person and may attack at any moment. Here in this condition he undergoes a mental disorder that affects his mood. In this situation he has abnormal feelings or normal feelings, which fall in the category of calm and deep which in turn makes him to get or fell into the attack of this disease. If a person gets deeply attacked with this disease then he is away from performing his daily activities or he is away from his normal life and this can be considered as the symptoms of the depressive order. This in turn leads to personality disorder and lacks in self-improvement.

When the man gets this at the initial stage then it just sadness and gloom. But this must not go deeper as he will become abnormal from his daily activities. So, he should get treated at its initial stage. He may get upset for the small things but these should not contribute as a major part for his depression disease. Now there is a good news for this disease that it can be cured with the proper treatment given by the physician whom you consult for the treatment.

The cause for this depression is not found exactly. In the previous days the main cause was that the man was disturbed with his thoughts and emotions. But the for this there are many factors and it may depend on any of these factors like biological, environmental and the genetic also. It can also occur when a person is affected with the chronic diseases that take some period to get cured. There is chance of getting affected with this disease when the medication does not cure the affected disease.

One can say that he is affected with this disease when he has these signs like tension, sadness, lack of interest in new things or habits or daily activities, feels tired unnecessarily, inactive in what he does, unable to concentrate, feels guilty about himself, attempts or thinks about suicide.

A person can come out of this depression with the regular intake of the medications which are prescribed by the physician that may be natural or herbal. The patient may also undergo counseling if needed. It is better to turn your attention towards the natural or herbal treatments as they don’t have any side effects to you. The disease can be cured by the remedies are natural so that they don’t harm you and cures you as soon as possible.

The primary thing what you can do is you can consult the doctor as early as possible. The check ups that are needed should be regularly as it should be narrowed at its first stage. Keeping oneself with enthusiasm and being away with the tiredness. To have confidence in doing the works which are daily activities or others. This depression can be helped when we encourage the people active in their work, thinkings. He should have a loved atmosphere that can cure the disease.

Easy Steps To Avoid Depression

There seem to be so many people who are depressed that we really should take a look at the causes of depression in the first place. The factors that contribute to depression are well-known, and well-researched, but what causes it is not quite understood. New studies have uncovered some of the factors that contribute to the probability of people developing depression.

Stress

Stress takes the first place prize. It’s true that any stressful environment or situation can lead to depression. It can be anything such as social stress, getting a job, relationship difficulties, worrying about money, staying up late, lifestyle out of control, pressures of school and getting good grades. Other events that could cause depression are: death, change of job, moving from one place to another; even the fear of the unknown can cause depression. The list is endless. While these events cannot be avoided, we must come up with an effective stress coping mechanism to be able to thrive even in stressful situations because they are never going to go away. Stressful situations just keep changing.

Drinking and Drugs

People who take drugs and alcohol are more prone to depression. When these substances are used at a young age, they can effect a a person’s brain in negative ways. These substances help make the person feel good temporarily, but in most cases, people become addicted.

Drugs release dopamine in the pleasure center of the brain. For example: delicious food boosts dopamine release by about 50 percent. Sex, on the other hand, doubles this number. However, drugs can increase dopamine release anywhere from four to ten times. This unnatural high almost certainly leads to depression after the high goes away. This substance is the surest way to fry brain circuitry.

Drugs make a person depressed more than it makes him happy. This effect will spiral downward until the person doing drugs will want more and more of the substance to break the cycle of depression that follows each high and so the addiction is born.

Not Enough sleep

Studies show that up to 40 percent of adults do not get the proper amount of sleep per day and among students, up to 71 percent complain of sleep disorders and lack of sleep.

Sleep is essential to a person’s health. During sleep, the body repairs itself and reorganizes thought. Lack of sleep contributes to a lack of coherence in brain waves. This scenario often leads to depression. Sleeping during the day and staying up late also interferes with the body’s natural rhythms. This can lead to a sense of depression.

Here are few ways on how to prevent depression.

Sleep is a vital part of preventing depression. Balance your life with enough rest and exercise everyday. Most people require seven to eight hours of sleep per day.

Keep some regularity in your life. Orgaize your activities so they can come at expected and regular times. If your weekly, daily or monthly routine is set then your body has time to get used to the activities. This will lead to a reduced chance for depression to set in.

Don’t push yourself beyond your limits. Keep stress in check and try to avoid stressors if you can. If this can’t be done, then try to deal with the stressors in a manner that minimizes the damage it causes.

Sunlight and exercise can help the brain to function a higher level. Make time to enjoy the sunlight and try to stay active in the daylight when possible.

Keep away from alcohol and drugs. They may seem attractive, but all they really do is cause havoc in a person’s life.

Make at least one warm meal daily a priority. Good eating habits and good health are important when keeping away from depression.

Have fun every day. Nothing takes the load off of depression like some good old fun time. Social activities such as chatting, joining a support group sports, and other hobbies can do wonders towards healing a stressed out and busy mind.

Depression can be avoided and treated and it can be fun doing so. Follow the above mentioned tips for a brighter and happier disposition each day. You will look and feel better for it!