Depression info

TOXINS LINKED TO DEPRESSION

2007-09-09T18:55:00.000-04:00

Depression is a growing problem across America. Some reports state that 17.5 million Americans suffer from depression and the statistics on teen depression are even more sobering.

According to one Surgeon General’s report one in ten children may have a serious emotional problem People with severe depression have a reported suicide rate as high as 15%, making it potentially the number one cause of suicide in the United States.

Americans end up spending billions of dollars on ineffectual and harmful pharmaceuticals to handle depression. Researchers are finding evidence that the cause may be the increasing chemical build-up in our bodies.

The University Pathology Consortium, a not-for-profit academic consortium founded and owned by medical school departments of 6 leading Universities including Stanford, recently attributed some of the symptoms of depression to the effects of medication, drug abuse and exposure to toxins.

“Environmental toxins have increased so much over the last 50 years and are now found in everything from grit on the ground to the make up a woman uses to powder her nose,” says Dr Harry Wong, the Director of Alternative Medicine at the Physicians Plus Medical Group in the San Francisco Bay area.

“Pesticides, toxic mold and harsh chemicals have all become prevalent in our country and toxic chemicals are used in our homes.”

Dr. Wong and his colleagues follow the latest research and treat their patients complaining of depression by looking for underlying reasons, like toxic overload in the system. Even common pesticides used in homes and lawns are now being shown to accelerate aging of the immune and nervous system resulting in serious health problems years after exposure.

“We often see patients who have feelings of depression and one of the first things we suspect is an environmental influence.”

Wong recommends a program based on the book Clear Body, Clear Mind by L. Ron Hubbard, which covers his extensive research into the effects of toxic build up on physical and mental conditions.

“Clear Body, Clear Mind” outlines a simple and effective program to purify the body of past build up of toxins and chemicals. While the book makes o medical claims it outlines a simple yet effective procedure to reduce the toxic build up in the body Over 250 000 people worldwide have completed the program based on the book.

“We routinely see a marked improvement in our patients who do this program,” says Dr Wong. “They think more clearly, have more energy and they are definitely happier.”

Ends.

Sally Falkow is a freelance writer who specializes in alternative health care issues.

www.falkowinc.com
sally@falkowinc.com

For information about dealing with depression, visit

http://yourdepressioninfo.com/dealingwithdepression/

http://yourdepressioninfo.com/copingwithdepression/

http://yourdepressioninfo.com/curedepression/

http://yourdepressioninfo.com/currenttreatmentsfordepression/

Treatment of Major Depression

2007-09-06T17:29:00.000-04:00

September 19, 2004 -- The first and most critical decision the therapist must make is whether to hospitalize a patient with major depression, or to attempt outpatient treatment. Clear indications for hospitalization are: (1) risk of suicide or homicide, (2) grossly reduced ability to care for food, shelter, and clothing, and (3) the need for medical diagnostic procedures. A patient with mild to moderate depression may be safely treated in the office if the therapist evaluates the patient frequently. The patient's support system should be strengthened and involved in treatment whenever possible.

Antidepressants
Studies have show that antidepressant therapy for major depression can dramatically reduce suicide rates and hospitalization rates. Unfortunately, very few suicide victims receive antidepressants in adequate doses, and - even worse - most receive no treatment for depression whatsoever.

One of the biggest problems with antidepressant therapy is that most patients don't stay on their antidepressant medication long enough for it to be effective. A recent study found that only 25% of patients started on antidepressants by their family physician stayed on it longer than one month. Antidepressant therapy usually takes 2-4 weeks before any significant improvement appears (and 2-6 months before maximal improvement appears).

First Line Antidepressants
The SSRI antidepressants, escitalopram (Lexapro), Fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox), or sertraline (Zoloft), are considered excellent choices as the patient's first antidepressant because of their low incidence of side-effects (especially weight gain) and their low lethality if taken in an overdose. All SSRI antidepressants are equally effective.

Because many patients with major depression also suffer with intense anxiety, your doctor may also give you Fluvoxamine (Luvox) or lorazepam (Ativan) to reduce anxiety in mixed anxiety-depression.

Both Fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil) tend to be stimulating (elevate your mood); thus patients with mixed anxiety-depression can often dramatically benefit from the addition of clonazepam (Klonopin) to the Fluoxetine (Prozac) or paroxetine (Paxil) therapy.

Keep in mind, prescribing the right antidepressant is not an exact science. It may take some experimentation on the part of the doctor (make sure you're seeing a psychiatrist, a specialist in psychiatric medications) to find the right antidepressant and right dosage for you. Do not give up if everything doesn't come together right away.

SSRI antidepressants should be taken for 6 to 12 months. Antidepressant therapy should not be withdrawn before there have been 4 to 5 symptom-free months. Withdrawal from antidepressant therapy should be gradual. Never discontinue taking your medication without telling your doctor first. Suddenly stopping your medication could produce severe withdrawl symptoms and unwanted psychological effects, including a return of major depression.

Psychotherapy
In general, psychiatrists agree that severely depressed patients do best with a combination of antidepressant medications and psychotherapy. Medications relieve the symptoms of depression quickly, while psychotherapy can help the patient deal with the illness, easing some of the potential stresses that can trigger or exacerbate the illness.

Dynamic Psychotherapy
Dynamic Psychotherapy is based on the premise that human behavior is determined by one's past experience (particularly in childhood), genetic endowment and current life events. It recognizes the significant effects of emotions, unconscious conflicts and drives on human behavior.

Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy is based on the theory that disturbed social and personal relationships can cause or precipitate depression. The illness, in turn, may make these relationships more problematic. IPT helps the patient understand his or her illness and how depression and interpersonal issues are related.

There is some evidence in controlled studies that IPT as a single agent is effective in reducing symptoms in acutely depressed patients of mild to moderate severity.

The National Institute of Mental Health studied interpersonal therapy as one of the most promising types of psychotherapy. Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is a short-term psychotherapy, normally consisting of 12 to 16 weekly sessions. It was developed specifically for the treatment of major depression, and focuses on correcting current social dysfunction. Unlike psychoanalytic psychotherapy, it does not address unconscious phenomena, such as defense mechanisms or internal conflicts. Instead, interpersonal therapy focuses primarily on the "here-and-now" factors that directly interfere with social relationships.

Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy involves activity scheduling, self-control therapy, social skills training, and problem solving. Behavior therapy has been reported to be effective in the acute treatment of patients with mild to moderately severe depressions, especially when combined with pharmacotherapy.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
The cognitive approach to psychotherapy maintains that irrational beliefs and distorted attitudes toward the self, the environment and the future, perpetuate depressive affects and that these may be reversed through CBT.

There is some evidence that cognitive therapy reduces depressive symptoms during the acute phase of less severe forms of depression.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
ECT is primarily used for severely depressed patients who have not responded to antidepressant medicines, and who frequently have psychotic features, acute suicidality, or food refusal. It can also be used for patients who are severely depressed and have other chronic general medical illnesses which make taking antipsychotic medications difficult. Changes in the way ECT is delivered have made ECT a better tolerated treatment.
Importance of Continuation of Treatment

There is a period of time following the relief of symptoms during which discontinuation of the treatment would likely result in relapse. The NIMH Depression Collaboration Research Program found that four months of treatment with medication or cognitive behavioral and interpersonal psychotherapy is insufficient for most depressed patients to fully recover and enjoy lasting remission. Their 18-month follow-up after a course of treatment found relapses of between 33 and 50 percent of those initially responding to a short-term treatment.

The current available data on continuation of treatment indicate that patients treated for a first episode of uncomplicated depression who exhibit a satisfactory response to an antidepressant should continue to receive a full therapeutic dose of that medication for at least 6-12 months after achieving full remission. The first eight weeks after symptom resolution is a period of particularly high vulnerability to relapse. Patients with recurrent depression, dysthymia or other complicating features may require a more extended course of treatment.

In a 1998 article, in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, entitled "Discontinuing Antidepressant Treatment in Major Depression, the authors concluded:

"The benefits of long-term antidepressant treatment in major depression and the risks of discontinuing medication at various times after clinical recovery from acute depression are not as well defined. Computerized searching found 27 studies with data on depression risk over time including a total of 3037 depressive patients treated for 5.78 (0-48) months and then followed for 16.6 (5-66) months with antidepressants continued or discontinued. Compared with patients whose antidepressants were discontinued, those with continued treatment showed much lower relapse rates (1.85 vs. 6.24%/month), longer time to 50% relapse (48.0 vs. 14.2 months), and lower 12-month relapse risk (19.5 vs. 44.8%) (all p < 0.001). However, longer prior treatment did not yield lower postdiscontinuation relapse risk, and differences in relapses off versus on antidepressants fell markedly with longer follow-up. Contrary to prediction, gradual discontinuation (dose-tapering or use of long-acting agents) did not yield lower relapse rates. Relapse risk was not associated with diagnostic criteria. More previous illness (particularly three or more prior episodes or a chronic course) was strongly associated with higher relapse risk after discontinuation of antidepressants but had no effect on response to continued treatment; patients with infrequent prior illness showed only minor relapse differences between drug and placebo treatment.

Refractory Depression
Refractory depression occurs in as many as 10 to 30 percent of depressive episodes, affecting nearly a million patients. Katherine A. Phillips, M.D. (a 1992 NARSAD Young Investigator) has found that failure to provide adequate doses of medication for sufficient periods of time is perhaps the most common cause of apparent treatment resistance. Once the clinician has determined that a patient is truly treatment-refractory, many treatment approaches can be tried.

Phillips recommends the following treatment strategies for refractory depression:
1. Augmentation with lithium, and perhaps other agents like liothyronine (T3 or L-triiodothyronine) (Cytomel). Trazodone may be worth trying either alone or in combination with Fluoxetine or tricyclics if other approaches have failed.
2. Combining antidepressants - supplementing the SSRI antidepressant with a tricyclic antidepressant. Several studies have shown a good response when Fluoxetine is added to tricyclics and when tricyclics are added to Fluoxetine. It is important to monitor tricyclic levels because Fluoxetine can raise tricyclic levels by 4- to 11- fold and thereby cause tricyclic toxicity.
3. Switching antidepressants - stop the first SSRI antidepressant gradually (over one week), then substitute another SSRI antidepressant or SNRI antidepressant (Effexor). Fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), or venlafaxine (Effexor) often are effective for Fluoxetine or paroxetine nonresponders (and visa versa).

Lexapro http://www.dental.am/drugstore/lexapro.php
Prozac http://www.dental.am/drugstore/prozac.php
Paxil http://www.dental.am/drugstore/paxil.php
Zoloft http://www.dental.am/drugstore/zoloft.php
Fluoxetine http://www.dental.am/drugstore/fluoxetine.php

source: http://www.dental.am/articles_more.php?id=3087_0_2_0_M

www.Dental.am - Top Health News consumer Web site offering health and medical information, news and self-improvement and disease management tools.

For information about clinical depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/clinicaldepressiononindianreservations/

http://yourdepressioninfo.com/causesofclinicaldepression/

http://yourdepressioninfo.com/clinicaldepressionsevere/

Depressed? Wise Woman Ways Offer a Helping Hand

2007-09-04T13:41:00.000-04:00

Winter time is depression time for many women. Susun Weed gives Wise Woman wisdom on how to deal when depression strikes!
Winter time is depression time for many women. Perhaps it is harder to look at the bright side when days are short, perhaps the holidays and family demands take their toll on us. Of course, depression can also be triggered by lack of thyroid hormone and by use of steroids, high blood pressure drugs, and ERT/HRT.

But most often the cause of depression is the belief (valid or not) that nothing you do makes any difference. Victimization and poverty lock women into depression. More than one-third of all American women have been victims of sexual or physical abuse; and women make up more than two-thirds of all Americans who live below poverty level. Yet our culture frowns on women who express their anger. No wonder depression is a woman's issue.

“Look here,” Grandmother Growth motions to you as she spreads her story blanket at your feet. “See how depression is deeply woven with anger and grief. When our need for reliable, joyous intimacy is frustrated, and expression of our frustration would endanger us, depression comes and protects us. When there is no way to deal effectively with situations that enrage us, depression comes and helps us quiet our violent impulses.

“Depression is not an easy companion on your journey, but she knows much about life. In her bundle, she carries the anger you have carefully frozen with frigid blasts of fear and kept nourished with your pain. She carries your wholeness. She carries your ability to go beyond the pain, your ability to allow your rage to move you into health. She carries your wholeness. Will you let her teach you?"

Wise Woman remedies don’t seek to eliminate our feelings, or turn “negative” ones into “positive” ones, but to help us incorporate all of our feelings into our wholeness/health/holiness.

* Welcome the dark. Cherish the deepness. Give yourself over to a day or two of doing nothing. Then, get up, no matter how bad you feel. Set a goal for the day and meet it. Smile - it releases brain chemicals that make you feel good. Smile no matter what. Do it as an exercise. Hate it while you do it. But SMILE!

* Homeopathic remedies include Arum metallicum, for women with frequent thoughts of suicide who feel cut off from love and joy; and Sepia, for women who are disinterested in everything, angry at family and friends, and just want to be left alone.

* It’s more than idle chatter that depression comes with gray skies and happiness with sunny ones. For emotional health (and strong bones) get 15 minutes of sunlight on your uncovered eyelids (outside, no glasses, no contacts) daily. If you can’t get out (or if the sun doesn’t cooperate), wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual. (You can stay in bed, but keep those eyes open.)

* Sing the blues; dance ‘em too. Women have depended on songs and dances to carry them out of depression for centuries. Dance therapy is more effective than talk therapy for reaching and healing traumatic experiences. Even a single session may have a dramatic effect.

* Find your rage and write it down. Get a massage and let the anger move out of the muscles. Volunteer to help change something you are upset about, even a small thing.

* St. Joan’s/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) lives in very sunny locations and blooms at summer solstice. I call it bottled sunshine. A dropperful of the bright red tincture taken 1-3 times daily has helped many women relieve SAD (seasonal affective disorder), move through grief, ease the physical pain of depression, and walk on the sunny side! CAUTION: Hypericum in capsules is not as effective and can cause unwanted side effects.

* Oatstraw infusion (not tea, tincture, or capsules) has been an ally for depressed women since earliest times. Gentle Avena nourishes the nerves and helps you remember why life is worth living.

To make an infusion: Brew one ounce by weight of dried herb (that's a cup by volume) in a quart jar filled to the top with boiling water. Steep for at least four hours, then strain and refrigerate your infusion. Drink as many cups a day as you wish. Or make an oatstraw bath by adding two quarts of infusion to your bath water.

* Garden sage (Salvia) is an ancient ally for emotionally-distressed women. In some societies, only crones were allowed to drink the brew made from the nubbly leaves (at least partly because it delays menses and dries up breast milk). Make an infusion (see oatstraw); drink by mixing a few spoonfuls of the dense brew into hot water or warm milk; add honey to taste. The undiluted infusion keeps for weeks refrigerated.

* Behavioral and interpersonal therapies are as effective as drugs in relieving depression. Not only that, two-thirds of those who simply read about therapy improve significantly.

* Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, especially soon after awakening, has been shown to help women whose depression is resistant to all treatments, including drugs.

* Sleep less. If you are a woman who overproduces a normal depression-causing substance which accompanies sleep you will feel depressed and often find it difficult to wake up. Sleeping more will only compound the problem. Instead, stay up all night once a week. If you can’t cope with no sleep, even mild sleep deprivation (such as sleeping five hours or less for two nights in a row) dramatically decreases depressive symptoms in some people.

* Low levels of calcium, zinc, and B vitamins are associated with depression. Get more by eating more cheese and yogurt, more garlic and mushrooms, more whole grains and beans.

* Lack of vitamin B12 doubles the risk of severe depression for older women. This critical nutrient, found only in animal products, is destroyed by tofu and soy beverage. Drink real milk, eat real cheese, eat meat at least occasionally and watch your mood improve :)

* 1600 mg of SAM-e (A-adenosylmethionine) relieved the symptoms of moderate depression as well as imipramine, but no better than Hypericum (St. J's wort). CAUTION: Of the brands tested by Consumer Reports, only Natrol, Nature Made, TwinLab, and GNC passed all tests.

* Avoid hormone replacement - ERT/HRT - if you're depressed; it's strongly associated with an increase in suicide attempts.

* Women who used to take lithium say they have gradually switched over to skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). A dose of infusion is one cup/250 ml or more per day; of fresh plant tincture is 5-8 drops twice a day; of the dried plant tincture is a dropperful/1 ml several times a day. CAUTION: Skullcap can make you sleepy.

* For women whose depression resists all other therapies, electro-convulsive treatments (ECT), previously known as shock treatments, have been updated with special care taken to minimize harm. The women I spoke with who were using ECT told me it was incredibly effective, and the side-effects, including severe memory loss, acceptable to them. From doing nothing, to ECT, the range of remedies available to depressed women is enormous. To help you choose wisely, these effective, simple Wise Woman remedies are in order of safety: the safest remedies first, and the most dangerous ones last.

This is a shortened version of the depression section in New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, available through www.ashtreepublishing.com or your favorite bookseller.

If you liked this article you will want to visit Susun Weed online at www.susunweed.com

About the Author

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health.

For information about brain scans for depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/brainscanfordepression/

Facing Your Brain - Taking Control

2007-08-29T12:38:00.000-04:00

Charleston S.C., June 7, 2003 -- If you or someone you know or love suffers from depression, withdrawal or mental mbalance
the best way to beat any problem is to learn what it is, what it does and how to use that knowledge to overcome it.

Learn what memories are, what type of mental processing you have and how to use that knowledge to help yourself.

By examining the synapse, drugs that effect the synapse and what the drugs are really doing results in learning how to recover from withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping synaptic based medication.

Learn about the dynamic system of the brain and how you know that you know.

Facing Your Brain - Taking Control is published at http://www.enticypress.com .

For information about bipolar depression symptoms, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/bipolardepressionsymptoms/

Obese, Diabetic and Chronic Pain Patient Discovers Vitamin Which Eliminated His Depression and Anxiety - My Story

2007-08-27T14:01:00.000-04:00

September 6, 2004 -- Michael Hansen, 50, an obese diabetic who suffered major injuries from an auto accident years ago, has had chronic pain everyday. The pain was so severe he had to quit working 3 years ago. Depression and even anxiety were a daily battle. Michael started thinking about suicide in the last few months. The pain was wearing him down and he couldn't think or focus.

Michael had been selling vitamins online, but he had not yet ordered them for his own consumption. So, out of desperation, he ordered a bottle and tried them. The vitamins were ordered from the internet. The site is located at:

http://www.worlds-best-vitamins.com.

The vitamin is relatively new and the name of the product is, "The Greatest Vitamin In The World". Michael was amazed to discover by that evening, his depression and anxiety had disappeared. It has been several days and the depression or anxiety have not returned.

"I now believe that my depression was caused by some sort of nutritional deficiency. My body must have really needed those vitamins." Michael said.

It just goes to show that if you sell something, you should try the product.

"Needless to say, I am sold on the quality of this product and I am proud to be a distributor, Michael said."

"I'm not promising they will do the same for you, I am just telling my story and how I benefited from them."

The result was so startling I felt I had to tell others about it. I realized I was not eating right and being diabetic, I suppose that my moods were negatively impacted by improper diet and nutrition.

For information about bipolar depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/bipolardepression/

Depression After Delivery (DAD) is a nonprofit, national postpartum depression education/support organization

2007-08-26T16:07:00.000-04:00

July 12, 2004, Raritan, NJ—The organization known as D.A.D. is asking for help.

Depression After Delivery Inc., a national nonprofit providing support, education, and referral to families at risk during ante- and postpartum depression and related illnesses, is seeking to strengthen partnerships and collaborations so as to reach its 20th anniversary next year and beyond.

Since its founding in 1985 by Nancy Berchtold, a Pennsylvania woman who experienced postpartum complications, it has helped thousands of families with ante- and postpartum depression/psychosis (PPD) that, if unrecognized or inadequately treated, can result in tragic outcomes.

D.A.D. offers a toll-free line, 1-800-944-4PPD, for families and professionals to obtain information. It offers parent packs with national volunteer phone support network and support group listings, a national professional referral registry, professional pack with screening tools as well as publications and an educational video.

D.A.D. first received attention more than a decade ago on the Phil Donahue show. Since then its volunteer board members have appeared on Geraldo, Oprah, Oxegen, Lifetime and other outlets as well as served as sources in Newsweek, Chicago Sun-Times, Parent, American Baby, and other publications. Its board members have authored books, journal articles, op-ed pieces, and other educational materials on the subject and served as expert legal consultants.

D.A.D. responds to more than 5,000 information/referral requests a year and has a family membership of more than 500. Its Web site, www.depressionafterdelivery.com, is an information clearinghouse for families and caregivers alike and receives more than 50,000 visitors a year.

Funding woes
Two years ago, two pharmaceutical companies provided $75,000 for fundraising seed money. D.A.D. paid $60,000 of those funds to a Florida fund development firm, which raised no funds. Currently the organization is seeking collaborative partnerships in order to survive, says Donna Cangialosi, the organization’s only paid staff and part-time administrator. “We’ve invested so much in this organization it would be a shame to simply lock the door and walk away,” she said.

Parents say the organization’s mission is imperative. Katherine Stone, a D.A.D. member who wrote a personal account of postpartum depression in the June 7, 2004 Newsweek, agrees. “D.A.D. serves women all over the country by serving to provide sorely needed information on the various postpartum disorders that exist,” says Stone of Fayetteville, Ga.

“When I went to see a therapist in desperate need of help, she told me about Depression After Delivery and thought I might find comfort with this group. I think it is an extremely important organization, and that every psychiatrist and obstetrician's office ought to know about it. The idea that D.A.D. might go away because of lack of funding is simply unacceptable.”

D.A.D. president Joyce Venis says the organization’s mission is unique because it directly serves families. “I am greatly saddened by D.A.D.’s current situation,” said Venis, a health care practitioner in Princeton, N.J. “Having been with the organization for almost forever, I know its importance. It is so difficult to have trusted supposed professionals to raise funds for us who failed to do so. The money invested is a great loss, but even more so is the faith we put in these people. It is unconscionable for those of us who truly care.”

Serving a great need
Testimonials on D.A.D.’s Web site, newsletter and news articles attest to the countless families who, through adequate education, support and treatment, experience positive outcomes. In worst cases severe PPD can be deadly—resulting in suicides and/or infanticides that shake society’s soul.

In 2001, for example, five Chicago-area women reportedly committed suicide from postpartum depression/psychosis. One D.A.D. member, Carol Blocker, has led the fight to recognize the deadly consequences of the illness. Her daughter, Melanie Stokes, was a pharmaceutical sales manager and wife of a surgeon who leapt to her death three months after the birth of her first child. The Melanie Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act, introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill) (HR 846/S 450), has bipartisan support and awaits a full hearing that would help fund essential care and preventative/screening measures. If passed, the Mental Health Parity Act, introduced by the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), could also help families in postpartum crises.

Up to 80 percent of new mothers experience the “baby blues,” a mild mood disorder that includes crying and feeling low and lasts a few days or weeks. Some 10 to 15 percent experience a mild to severe clinical depression, which may include insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, fears/obsessive behaviors, thoughts about hurting the baby/self or inability to care for self/baby. One or two in 1,000 new moms experience psychosis, a break from reality and a medical emergency.

For more information or to donate to the organization, visit www.depressionafterdelivery.com or contact Cangialosi at 1-800-944-4PPD.
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Sidebar: Postpartum Help for Fathers

Postpartum depression and related illness were recognized as a unique biological phenomenon in birth mothers as early as 400 A.D. by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, however, today’s fathers and adoptive or foster parents can also be at risk.

The June 14, 2004 issue of Medical News Today reported that StatsCan Canadian Community Health Survey on Mental Health and Well Being found that men can also be vulnerable to depression during an exhaustive or stressful transition to parenthood. The article calls men’s mental health in general a “sleeper issue” that is just beginning to receive attention (www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=9475). In addition, fathers, may have a need for support and information when their partners are undergoing PPD.

Depression After Delivery Inc. is a national nonprofit organization providing support, education, and referral to families at risk during ante- and postpartum depression and related illness. It offers a special web page for fathers at www.depressionafterdelivery.com. Fathers can request an info pack at 1-800-944-4PPD that includes a national volunteer phone network of fathers, mothers and others.

Fathers can find additional support at the Web site www.postpartumdads.org.
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Editor's note: For more information:
Donna Cangialosi, Administrator Depression After Delivery
908-541-9712; dadorg@earthlink.net
Joyce Venis, RNC, DAD President, 609-683-1000 or other board member through Cangialosi
Carol Blocker, Stokes Foundation, 312-225-1310
Katherine Stone, stonecallis@msn.com

For information about a biological perspective on manic-depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/biologicalperspectivemanicdepression/

Depression – Cairns groundbreaking talk on using food for mood.

2007-08-25T14:02:00.000-04:00

April 5 2004--In an address to the Cairns Mental Health Association on March 23rd professional health writer and speaker Andrew Cavanagh explained the scientific basis for a comprehensive diet and lifestyle protocol to reverse depression.

Andrew Cavanagh writes a weekly health feature for regional newspapers called Health Watch. He is a member of the Australasian Medical Writers Association.

Mr Cavanagh is also the author of “From depression to glorious health in six steps”, “One hour to glorious health and permanent weight loss” (both available for free download at www.glorioushealth.cjb.net) and a free eighteen part online course “Reversing all chronic disease” available by sending a blank email to glorioushealth@freeautobot.com.

The book “From depression to glorious health” outlines a comprehensive step by step approach using diet and lifestyle changes as the major therapies to reverse depression.

“Each of these approaches has good scientific or clinical evidence. Each has effectively treated patients with depression in the past.

“More exciting though is the combination of therapies. Often improving many key areas like diet, sleep, exercise and emotional health is far more effective than a single therapy.

“Recent studies have supported the idea of multiple therapies to treat depression. Like most diseases, several factors cause depression. So it makes sense to use several different therapies in your efforts to reverse depression.

“The book From depression to glorious health (free download at www.glorioushealth.cjb.net) outlines all the major areas of health including diet, exercise, sleep, hygiene and emotional health and describes how they relate to depression.

“More important the book is full of simple instructions and practical tips to improve these areas in your life.”

Mr Cavanagh is now embarking on a speaking tour of Australia beginning in Sydney in late May. He is speaking to clubs, groups, associations and the increasingly health conscious corporate market.

“Several studies have found depression costs business more in lost productivity than any other disease. The costs average out at approximately A$772 every year for every employee in a company.

“A company with 150 employees could be losing over $100,000 every year to depression.

“The solution can be quite simple. We have enough knowledge now to formulate a diet and lifestyle approach anyone can use.”

For a limited time you can download a free copy of From depression to glorious health at www.glorioushealth.cjb.net.

For the breakthrough free diet and lifestyle course reversing all chronic disease and guaranteeing weight loss - 18 Free information packed lessons by email - send a blank email to glorioushealth@freeautobot.com.

To book Andrew Cavanagh for his Food 4 Mood talk for organizations or Healthy people make healthy profits seminar – turn your huge hidden health costs into huge healthy profits, email Andrew Cavanagh’s office: andrewcavanagh1@bigpond.com.au He will be in Sydney after May 20th, 2004. Dates are limited.

For information about clinical depression treatment, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/clinicaldepressiontreatment/

Postpartum Depression

2007-08-24T14:38:00.000-04:00

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
by Rexanne Mancini

The case against Andrea Yates, accused of drowning her five young children, is disturbing and horrible. Despite what you may think of Andrea Yates or the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of her children, her postpartum depression (PPD) defense will either serve to enlighten more people to the devastating affects of PPD or throw the study of this very real mental illness into the dark ages. While many doctors and psychologists have made great strides in understanding PPD and helping its victims, these same doctors and mental health professionals worry that bad publicity and ridicule could destroy PPD’s credibility and their efforts at gaining more funding and study of this disease.

For some women, PPD can be a nightmare. While her family and friends expect her to be joyous and elated over the birth of her child, a woman can be sinking into the darkest corners of despair, unable to cope with an infant, the biological changes surging through her body and the severe depression overwhelming her brain. As joyously anticipated as the birth of her baby was, a postpartum woman can become riddled with severe anxiety over her ability to care for her newborn, her self-esteem can plummet and her brain’s chemical changes can produce intolerable levels of panic. This is no one’s “fault.” It is a condition that can strike even the ordinarily soundest individual.

PPD is classified as a mental illness. Only a non-professional would categorize it as a character flaw or weakness. PPD is real, at times to the point of severe psychosis and should be treated as soon as the new mother begins to feel any mental or emotional changes that could affect her ability to care for her newborn. Even though some women will refuse to believe PPD is happening to them, her family, friends and especially her husband must be alert to the possibility of this condition. While you, I and most women we know might have breezed through the first year after the birth of our children with only occasional surges of panic or moments of near collapse, a significant percentage of women suffer more serious PPD. Only one percent succumb to actual psychosis leading to the tragic harm or death of babies and sometimes themselves. The greatest threat is denial of their symptoms.

Early identification and treatment of PPD are the keys to successful therapy. If you or a new mother you know is suffering from even the slightest feelings of depression, anxiety or inadequacy, seek immediate help. The birth doctor will be able to identify the severity of symptoms and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Copyright – 2002 – Rexanne Mancini

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com – http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne’s Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For information about the best antidepressant for GAD, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/bestantidepressantforgad/

PROVEN NEW APPROACH HELPS PEOPLE IMMOBILIZED BY DEPRESSION ENJOY THEIR LIVES AGAIN

2007-08-23T12:30:00.000-04:00

PROVEN NEW APPROACH HELPS PEOPLE IMMOBILIZED BY DEPRESSION ENJOY THEIR LIVES AGAIN

PHOENIX RISING: 12 GOLDEN KEYS TO UNLOCK YOUR DEPRESSION provides an innovative 12-step recovery program that's said to be "The Best Book Ever Written on Depression!"

About 10% of the US population is depressed at any given moment. Depression affects the way an individual thinks, feels, and interacts with others and robs the sufferer from normal everyday pleasures.

Many people suffering from depression will not seek help. They feel helpless and hopeless. Friends and family members often cannot even begin to understand what a depressed individual is actually going through.

Anthony J. Schwarz, the author of Phoenix Rising:12 Golden Keys to Unlock Your Depression (ISBN 0-9708747-0-7) was one of those individuals suffering from depression. It was a form of depression known as Bi-polar, a form of depression that is followed by episodes of mania, or "drug-less" highs. Tony spent years studying, tracking and recording his own mental roller coaster ride so he could better describe to other sufferers and their families what it would take to rise out of severe depression. After years of research, experimenting with various medications and involvement with many self-help groups, Tony took control of his own life by developing and applying the "12 Golden Keys". His legacy is a gift to those in need of help

Written in easy-to-understand terms, Phoenix Rising provides valuable insights that not only helps the sufferer, but also helps friends and family learn more by hearing first hand the conflict, guilt, and helplessness one with depression experiences. But by combining spiritual principles with the 12-step model for chemical dependency (first founded by Alcoholics Anonymous) and merging these practices with holistic health habits, the book introduces the reader to a unique and fresh new approach to dealing with depression.

The reader also learns about what to change (eating, exercise, and attitude) and what not to change (religious beliefs, significant relationships, and jobs). The book is written in simple, non-technical terms from a depressive s viewpoint and promises to be a first of its kind.

After reading Phoenix Rising, reader Bill Butler's response was "it is wonderful to have someone who has been there to talk to me as opposed to examining my depression like I m a rat in a cage. Very refreshing."

Media Questions Call for review copies, media kits, interview and additional information. Call us at 877-594-9076

Ordering information: You may obtain this new 184-page book from bookstores as well as directly from the publisher for $15.95 plus $4.50 for shipping and handling. Just call our ordering department at 888-934-7755. Or visit our website: http://www.tpgpub.com. Satisfaction is guaranteed.

Phoenix Rising: 12 Golden Keys to Unlock Your Depression by Anthony J. Schwarz. New release, softcover, 6 x 9, 184 pages, four-color cover. ISBN 0-9708747-0-7, $15.95.

For information about the best antidepressant, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/bestantidepressant/

Depression and Disability, the Real Reality

2007-08-21T14:50:00.000-04:00

New York - New York, USA February 27, 2004 Calgary - AB, Canada -- For those of us that have been hit by a disability we understand the loss of freedom, the loss of independence, the loss of what we use to do and the reality of what we can do now. For most of us it causes a depression second to nothing we have ever experienced.

There seems to be a stigma attached to someone with a disability. Llano Gorman knows this far to well. Mr Gorman had a major accident when he was thirty years old. He was on a ladder, the ladder broke he crashed down breaking his tibia, fibula causing a spiral fracture and blowing out his ankle. Gorman at that time had an active family life with three great kids (all below the age of ten) and an understanding wife. This accident caused depression not just in him but his whole family. Gorman puts it this way … “you never think this could ever happen to you, in a split second your life changes. You find out who you are, and what you are made of.”

Some of the depression came from having to walk with a cane. Gorman was an accomplished athlete, Football, Soccer, Archery, and even Martial Arts. He wanted his kids to be in that world. This tore him apart. Due to the injury, Gorman's right ankle has been fused and he walks with the aid of a special support in his boot. He didn't want to use a cane, but his doctor warned him of the consequences.
"My doctor said hip surgery would be next if I didn't start using a cane," Gorman recalls. "Walking unaided when a cane is medically warranted can prolong an injury, and in some cases, make the injury worse."

In the mist of all the depression, the pain and the loss, Gorman came up with an idea that would help his family and himself. It would even make him feel that he was helping others deal with their injury. Llano hated using his cane because it was so... Medical. He saw an instant opportunity. He set up a Web site, CanesCanada.com ™, and began sourcing, importing and selling a wide variety of canes and walking sticks. And don't simply think of a cane as a wooden stick with a crook for a handle. He has sticks that convert to Fishing Rods, Pool Que, Elegant Silver Canes, Canes with stones. You name it.. he just might have it.

Llano still has his times of Depression, however he has regained his life. He is moving forward. His Company is now two years old and he thinks it just might make a profit next year. If you wish to visit with him you can find him on the net www.canescanada.com or you can phone him toll free at 1-866-217-8091. One of his favourite sayings is “Walk with a Smile, and Walk with Style.™” His family is growing up and things are moving along. Far better than when he almost took his life.

Depression and Disability is a reality, however we can all learn a lesson. Helping others can help you take your eyes off of your disability and your depression. It will also make you some great new friends and help you regain your dignity and your life.

For information about the Beck Depresson Inventory, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/beckdepressioninventory/

Are You Depressed?

2007-08-20T09:32:00.000-04:00

New look at causes of depression in women. New ideas for solutions.
Q: Why are women more depressed than men? A: Because they have to live with men.

It’s an old joke in the battle of the sexes, but women do get diagnosed with depression more than men do.

Depression is reaching epidemic proportions, in the US and elsewhere. Are more women depressed than men? Or are women just more likely to seek treatment, while men “act out” the depression with anti-social behavior, alcohol and drugs?

New research by Turham Canli, Stanford University, suggests that estrogen may play a role in predisposing to depression.

He showed photographs to men and women, some of them emotionally neutral objects (a fire hydrant) and others emotionally disturbing (severed hand). Three weeks later when he retested the subjects, the women were 15% more likely to remember the disturbing pictures.

Brain scans were done by fMRI which shows the actual activity of the brain as emotions are processed. It appears that women store both the memory and the emotion linked with it in the same parts of the brain. Men, on the other hand, while they use the same brain regions, store the memory in one area, and the emotion in another.

At the same time, environmental factors also play a role. Men are taught to stuff it down and be “manly,” while girls are expected to be “more emotional,” expressing their feelings openly.

The researchers leaped from this female way of remembering to depression. If that makes sense to you, learning emotional intelligence and optimism might help. Thirty years of research shows that optimists achieve more, are better motivated, have elevated mood and well-being, and perform better, and it can be learned. Learning how to “manage” those emotions that are stored with the memory would seem to indicated!

About the Author

Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here

For information about aurorix antidepressant, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/aurorixantidepressant/

5 Tips to Reduce Depression

2007-08-19T15:45:00.000-04:00

While war and poor economic conditions begin to affect people all over the world, more and more people suffer with depression. The more we focus on news events and the business climate, the more we are depressed. Whatever the reason you feel is the cause of your depression, the following five simple tips guarantee you reduce it significantly.

1. Do not read newspapers.

Newspapers publish negative stories most of the time. Even in peaceful periods, newspapers will find the worst in humanity and place negative stories on display in order to promote sales and subscribers. Stories focused on War, rebellion, death, destruction, doom and despair abound in the newspapers.

Stop reading the newspaper and reduce the negative input to your brain.

2. Turn off your television.

Watching and listening about the horrible economy and the losses associated with War will add to depression. In fact, you guarantee the feeling of helplessness. Helplessness allows depression to nurture. If you really need to watch or listen to these kinds of news stories, promise yourself you will bury yourself in the documentaries that are sure to follow in the next 5 or 10 years. A way you can eliminate most of the negative input to your brain is by setting it aside for a date somewhere in the future. I guarantee in the future, you will not find it very interesting.

When visitors come to your home, make sure you turn off your television and keep it off. News television broadcasters are fighting for your guests' attention as they promote despair, war, death, and destruction with many headline news interruptions. Those little banners that run across the bottom of the screen grab your attention and they take hold of your consciousness. Television will diminish your positive spirit.

3. Say good things about others

My mother always says, "if you can't say anything nice about others, don't say anything at all." However, when you find yourself in a conversation and a relative says, "Remember Uncle Phil?" " He was an alcoholic"; respond with " Yes, Uncle Phil was an alcoholic and he was the most charitable person, I have ever met."

Connect your relative's negative statement about Phil with a positive one. Set yourself up to find the positive in anyone's statement and you will keep negative thoughts and depression from overtaking your life.

4. Get physical exercise

Adults forget about exercise when suffering from depression. Make sure you are exercising daily and sending more oxygen to your brain cells. The result of exercise will improve your health as well as your attitude.

5. Breathe deep and relax.

Breathe deeply and relax. For 3 minutes each hour take a short mental vacation.

Practice the following breathing exercise to relax your body and mind. You can engage in this exercise while you are standing in the checkout line at the supermarket or when listening to others talking on a telephone. You can complete the exercise at home or at work.

Take three deep breathes and relax. As you inhale, concentrate on calm and peaceful thoughts. You may think about relaxing by a mountain, by the ocean or comfortably in your favorite room at home.

As you exhale, concentrate on pushing any tension out of your lungs. Focus on positive images in your life. Focus on laughter, love, excitement, and hope.

Keep breathing in and out in this pattern until you feel better. If you practice the exercise often, you will notice wonderful changes in your outlook and in other aspects of your life.

Let yourself feel great now!

Enjoy your family, your friends, and your life.

--Wayne F. Perkins

Copyright 2003 Wayne Perkins

About the Author

Wayne F. Perkins is a clinical hypnotherapist and author of "How to Hypnotize Yourself Without Losing Your Mind." and hypnosis distance education courses located at: http://www.wayneperkins.net/

"My mission in life is to help you achieve your mission in life."

wayne@wayneperkins.net

For information about severe clinical depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/clinicaldepressionsevere/

Living With Depression

2007-08-18T17:27:00.000-04:00

Andrea Yates shocked the nation when she admitted to systematically drowning her five children in their Texas home. This 36-year-old mother had previously been diagnosed with depression and consequently was prescribed antidepressants. Depression is an ancient and prevalent mental condition that has been referenced throughout history in song, poetry and literature. In a depressed state one feels hopeless and experiences an overwhelming sense of despair. Depression immobilizes a person; they lack both the desire and the energy to carry on their usual activities. It afflicts men and women, rich and poor, young and old alike.

According to the November 1993 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, more than one hundred million people throughout the world suffer from depression. Each year, more people seek relief from this disabling mental condition than any medical disease, including the common cold. In 1990 the cost of depression exceeded $43 billion in the United States alone. The economic toll is staggering and includes medical treatment, lost work-time, and depression-related suicide.

Why are some people more susceptible to depression than others? Hippocrates, the father of medicine, theorized that we are born into one of four primary temperament styles and that each style has it’s own unique outlook on life; Choleric (aggressive), Sanguine (emotional), Phlegmatic (passive) and Melancholy (analytical). Of these four styles, the introverted Melancholy is the most perfection driven and depression prone. The analytical Melancholy influence gives one tremendous attention to detail but it can also create stress, anxiety and depression. In fact the term melancholy has become synonymous with depression. People with the Melancholy temperament style are by their very nature sensitive, judgmental, and critical. This temperament style becomes depressed primarily due to the fact that they fail to reach their own incredibly high standards. This depression often leads to either suicide and or violence against others.

We each have a personal responsibility for taking control over our thoughts. Thoughts are highly creative and they lead to action. Our thoughts create our emotions and our emotions determine our mental state. Perhaps the most practical suggestion I can give people with the Melancholy temperament style for dealing with depression is to guard against the tendency to engage in destructive, negative self-talk. If you consistently obsess on thoughts of self-criticism, you are automatically setting yourself up for depression. Because of your Melancholy nature you need to keep your drive for perfection in balance. Remember to keep your standards and expectations of yourself and others realistic. Set short-term goals and review them frequently. I have never met anyone that was depressed who was actively goal setting. In my opinion, depression is not a mental illness or disease as some might argue, but rather a choice of mental state. No person, condition or circumstance can make you feel depressed without your permission. President Abraham Lincoln was certainly no stranger to depression. Abe came to the conclusion that man is about as happy as he makes his mind up to be!

John Boe, based in Monterey, CA, helps companies recruit, train and motivate top-quality people. To view his online Video Demo or to have John Boe speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call (831) 375-3668.

For information about atypical depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/atypicaldepression/

Depression Series (Part 3): What to Do with Those Antidepressant Side Effects?

2007-08-17T17:32:00.000-04:00

Maria’s depression was difficult to treat. As you can recall, various medications had been tried to no avail. But after several months of treatment, Maria has eventually become stable on a combination of two antidepressants.

She’s now able to do her usual activities and is motivated to go back to work — something she has struggled to do for a while. Despite her improvement, antidepressant side effects have emerged and are bothersome. Maria begins to consider discontinuing her medications prematurely.

Antidepressant side effects are real and negatively affect patient’s compliance. Many patients like Maria consider stopping the medication even at the risk of relapse because of distressing side effects.

How do you deal with some of the common antidepressant side effects?

Insomnia

Some antidepressants e.g. SSRIs (serotonin-reuptake inhibitor) are highly stimulating that they cause insomnia when taken in the afternoon or at bedtime. Take this type of medication in the morning. Discuss with your physician the use of a sedating medication such as trazodone or sedative-hypnotic drug along with the antidepressant. If you want to take only one pill, talk to your doctor about switching to a sedating antidepressant such as mirtazapine.

Moreover, sleep hygiene should be practiced. Avoid naps and intake of caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda in the afternoon and evening. Involve in regular exercise and physical activities during the day. Moreover, use the bedroom only for sleep and sex and not for recreational activities.

Weight gain

Regular exercise is weight gain’s antidote. If no medical contraindication, you may consider jogging, walking, or swimming. To reduce some excess and unwanted fat, keep yourself busy with physical and recreational activities.

How about diet? Diet has always been a part of any weight control regimen. Monitor your carbohydrate intake. Ice cream, chocolates, and other high-caloric foods should be reduced. If none of the above works, talk to your doctor about switching pills.

Sexual dysfunction

Sexual dysfunction happens too often but is rarely asked or discussed in the clinic. Some physicians and patients feel embarrassed about this subject. When you have concerns, be open to your physician. Discuss the possibility of switching medication to an antidepressant (such as bupropion or mirtazapine) that doesn’t significantly impair sexual functioning. Also, talk to your doctor about adding another drug such as bupropion, yohimbine, or even mirtazapine to counteract the sexual side effect.

How do you know if the sexual dysfunction is from the pill rather than from depression? If the dysfunction persists despite successful remission of depression, then you should consider other causes such as drug-induced dysfunction or other medical causes e.g. diabetes.

Dry mouth

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA e.g. amitriptyline) are notorious for causing dry mouth. Why? These drugs have distressing anticholinergic side effects. Avoid this type of drugs. If TCA is still considered, talk about the use of desipramine or nortriptyline. Compared to other TCAs, these two drugs have less anticholinergic effects.

Moreover, try ice chips. Frequent sips of water should also help. To avoid dental cavities, try sugarless candy or sugar-free gum.

Constipation

Like dry mouth, constipation is usually caused by TCAs. To prevent it from happening, drink enough water and eat high fiber foods such as vegetables and fruits. Consider stool softeners if the above interventions fail. If possible, avoid TCAs.

Nausea and vomiting

Patience is the key in dealing with these side effects. Frequently, patients develop tolerance within two weeks. Take the medication with food. If ineffective, talk to your doctor about possibly reducing the dose of your medication or trying antacid or bismuth salicylate (Pepto-Bismol)

Memory lapses

If given permission by your doctor, try to reduce the dose. Also, discuss with your physician about switching antidepressant (especially if dose reduction doesn’t alleviate your concern) and avoiding drugs with anticholinergic side effects.

Moreover, don’t mix the antidepressant with alcohol. The alcohol-drug interaction can only worsen the memory and cognitive functioning. While on psychotropic drugs, be careful driving and using mechanized equipment.

Dizziness

While still in bed, sit up for 30 seconds, then stand up for another 30 seconds while holding a rail, a table, or a chair before walking. Take the medication at bedtime. Some people use support hose with success.

Agitation or anxiety

Some people benefit from a brief use of benzodiazepine such as lorazepam. Breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation should also help.

In general, some side effects such as gastrointestinal upset and insomnia may resolve in a few days. Patience is the key. However, be on guard. When they occur, address them promptly. I’m not however suggesting that you should be your own doctor.

Collaborating with your doctor is an effective way to cope with mental illness and medication problems. Treatment options such as the need to switch or reduce medications should be discussed in an open and accepting manner.

Copyright © 2003. All rights reserved. Dr. Michael G. Rayel – author (First Aid to Mental Illness–Finalist, Reader’s Preference Choice Award 2002), speaker, workshop leader, and psychiatrist. Through the CARE approach, Dr. Rayel helps individuals recognize the early signs of mental illness and provide early intervention. To receive free newsletter, visit www.drrayel.com. His books are available at major online bookstores

For information about articles about depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/articlesondepression/

The Healing Power of Celebrity? SurvivorList.net Offers a New Twist on Therapy for Manic Depression

2007-08-16T16:00:00.000-04:00

June 9, 2004 -- As a newly diagnosed manic depressive, Lars Lohmiller felt a very strong sense of hopelessness. He was unsure if he would be able to live a normal life or be able to realize any of his childhood dreams. To his surprise, as he learned more about his condition, he discovered that manic depression is actually quite common. Here are just a few of the famous individuals who have beaten manic depression:

*Buzz Aldrin (astronaut)
*Ted Turner (media mogul)
*Drew Carey (comedian)
*Art Buchwald (writer)
*Beethoven (composer)
*Winston Churchill (politician)
*Cary Grant (actor)
*Marilyn Monroe (actress)

The complete list can be found at http://www.survivorlist.net/manic-depression/manic-depression-survivors.html

Searching for a way to beat the disease, Lars latched onto the obvious success of so many well-known manic depressives, and was profoundly affected by their efforts. Although scientific and medical treatments for depression are quite effective and should be pursued by individuals experiencing symptoms of depression, there is also an emotional component to the healing and treatment process. In particular, it is extremely important for depressed individuals to retain a sense of hope about the future. One way to give this feeling to sufferers of manic depression is by showing that other people with their condition were able to overcome their illness and achieve success.

Once his own manic depression was under control and being treated effectively, Lars decided to publish a list of famous manic depression sufferers on the Internet, and make the information available for free, so that other manic depressives seeking hope would be able to find it. The "Famous Manic Depression Survivors" list can be found at SurvivorList.net (http://www.survivorlist.net), along with pointers to some additional depression resources.

About SurvivorList.net
SurvivorList.net was founded to provide a comprehensive list of well-known manic depression sufferers as a free public service. SurvivorList.net is intended to provide inspiration and hope to anyone, anywhere who is experiencing pain or suffering as the result of depression. It is not meant as a substitute for medical advice from a trained physician or psychologist.

For information about Anxiety and Depression symptoms, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/anxietyanddepressionsymptoms/

Depression: An Online Christian Answer Part I

2007-08-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

Explains how specific symptoms of depression can be reduced through Bible based concepts and specific techniques. Offers a uniquely powerful solution in Christ.
According to the National Institute of Health clinical depression frequently includes: Sadness, anxiety, or "empty" feelings, Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed, including sex, Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism, Feelings of helplessness, guilt, and worthlessness, Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts. Source: National Institute of Health Publication No. 97-4266 and 99-3561 as found online at the online "All About Depression" site. (http://www.allaboutdepression.com/)

The full list of depression symptoms includes several more physical aspects. This article, however, focuses on the thoughts and feelings aspects of depression.

While the symptoms can be very serious, occasionally contributing to suicide, there is hope and not just in a therapist’s office. While good therapy from a skilled counselor or psychologist can have a great impact, not every one can afford it. Also, for people who believe in a Biblical worldview, it can be difficult to find a therapist who enhances rather than detracts from such faith. However, learning the truth about how God sees us and what He desires for us, can flood even the most isolated, empty, black lives with the brilliant vibrant life giving holy energy of God!

The Bible states "Then said Jesus... If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32 KJV In the case of depression this truth can lift burdens so big that just crawling under them has become impossible!

Let’s go through each symptom and see how God’s truth can bring freedom to each one.

Negative and pessimistic thoughts are probably the most commonly recognized effect of depression. With those, life can seem nothing more than a tortuous threatening ordeal that must be endured, if possible. Failure isn’t just an occasional disappointment; it becomes a basic expectation of everything in life. “I can never do anything right!” becomes the nearly constant slogan for our lives. Hopelessness becomes a way of life. There is no way out and going through simply means existing in our own private hell for an even longer eternity. And the “I’ll never get anything good in life. It just can’t happen to me.” feeling becomes strong enough to make us forget the few good things that happen with us.

Underlying the constant negative pessimistic thoughts is a basic sense of hopelessness. This is most clearly seen in thoughts like these. “Things are bad and they are going to get worse. It is hopeless to try to change things, can’t happen.”

However, God offers us hope for a true solution to all problems forever. He offers us perfection for eternity with a taste of it right here and now!

Part of that hope springs from His deep desire for us to be happy. His first priority, of course, is our eternal salvation and life. With that, even if we have “hell on earth” we always have an eternity of the truest and fullest infinite happiness. However, God strongly desires joy, peace, prosperity and happiness for us right now. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” Jeremiah 29:11,12 KJV Even though there are times the only way we can learn the lessons and be shaped for heaven is through pain, it lasts just long enough to accomplish what is needed. “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 KJV

God, in the deepest part of His being, wants to make us happy, joyful, and vibrantly alive! After all that is the way He created us to live originally. It gives Him pleasure to see us joyful! It is only the results of our willful sin that have introduced fear, loneliness, despair, and an empty void of purposelessness.

God’s desire for our happiness is incredible hope because he has the power, all the power that has ever existed or will exist, to make it happen! While the negative thoughts of depression are exaggerated beyond reality, there is definitely truth in the knowledge that we cannot do everything ourselves. We are just not smart enough, rich enough, strong enough or any other enough you can think of. On our own we are limited, and we often want and need what we can’t get for ourselves. But choosing life in God blows all limits away. God’s power is infinite and He longs to use it to benefit us, to give us a bright future and a joyous life. With God, we are not limited by our abilities, time, money or even death. “...verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:20-21 KJV A future far greater and more pleasing than we can imagine is guaranteed to us for eternity and available to us now if we will place God above ALL else. "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:31-33 KJV But God wants to give us way more than we deserve, much more than just the minimum needed to survive, He wants to give us proportionate to HIS infinite universal wealth! “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 KJV

A sense of worthlessness , like their life is pointless, a valueless waste of space is also common. At other times we can simply feel worth less than just about everyone else, just never quite good enough but of still some small value.

The true reality is that God values us above ALL else, even His life. He so passionately desires to live with us that one third of the God head died just to give us the option of choosing to live with Him. Without any assurance of our acceptance, because the choice is still ours, Christ endured torture, humiliation, and an agonizing death to have just the possibility of spending eternity with you and me. For the last 6000 years, God’s time, attention, and infinitely loving efforts have been focused on us, His rebellious, selfish, self willed, distrusting, unfaithful, and unappreciative wayward children. It only makes sense that if any being, God or human, invested that much time, energy, heartache, and effort into you or me they have placed a huge value on us. In God’s case, the very life of His own Son, for you… and me. For a more detailed explanation of our incredible God given value see: “Our Infinite Immortal Value” (http://home.earthlink.net/~srbaerg/Our%20Infinite%20Immortal%20Valuehtml.htm)

See “Depression: An Online Christian Answer Part II” for the role of Guilt, Forgiveness, and Loss of Interest in depression and a solution!

About the Author

Steven Baerg is 34 years old. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in preparation for working as a counselor. He is married to a wonderful and supportive wife and has a dog named Bailey. He relies on God’s power and help for inspiration and maintaining a proper focus in life.

For information about the best antidepressant for GAD, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/bestantidepressantforgad/

Major Depression and Manic-Depression — Any difference?

2007-08-14T14:47:00.000-04:00

Countless number of patients and their family members have asked me about manic–depression and major depression. “Is there any difference?” “Are they one and the same?” “Is the treatment the same?” And so on. Each time I encounter a chorus of questions like these, I am enthused to provide answers.

You know why? Because the difference between these two disorders is enormous. The difference does not lie on clinical presentation alone. The treatment of these two disorders is significantly distinct.

Let me begin by describing major depression (officially called major depressive disorder). Major depression is a primary psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of either a depressed mood or lack of interest to do usual activities occurring on a daily basis for at least two weeks. Just like other disorders, this illness has associated features such as impairment in energy, appetite, sleep, concentration, and desire to have sex.

In addition, patients afflicted with this disorder also suffer from feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. Tearfulness or crying episodes and irritability are not uncommon. If left untreated, patients get worse. They become socially withdrawn and can’t go to work. Moreover, about 15% of depressed patients become suicidal and occasionally, homicidal. Other patients develop psychosis—hearing voices (hallucinations) or having false beliefs (delusions) that people are out to get them.

What about manic-depression or bipolar disorder?

Manic-depression is a type of primary psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of major depression (as described above) and episodes of mania that last for at least a week. When mania is present, patients show signs opposite of clinical depression. During the episode, patients show significant euphoria or extreme irritability. In addition, patients become talkative and loud.

Moreover, this type of patients doesn’t need a lot of sleep. At night, they are very busy making phone calls, cleaning the house, and starting new projects. Despite apparent lack of sleep, they are still very energetic in the morning — ready to establish new business endeavors. Because they believe that they have special powers, they involve in unreasonable business deals and unrealistic personal projects.

They also become hypersexual — wanting to have sex several times a day. One–night stands can happen resulting in marital conflict. Like depressed patients, manic patients develop delusions (false beliefs). I know a manic patient who thinks that he is the “Chosen One.” Another patient claims that the President of USA and the Prime Minister of Canada ask for her advice.

So the big difference between the two is the presence of mania. This manic episode has treatment implications. In fact the treatment of these disorders is completely different. While major depression needs antidepressant, manic-depression requires a mood stabilizer such as lithium and valproic acid. Recently, new antipsychotics, for example risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine, have been shown to be effective for acute mania.

In general, giving an antidepressant to manic–depressed patients can make their condition worse because this medication can precipitate a switch to manic episode. Although there are some exceptions to the rule (extreme depression, lack of response to mood stabilizers, among others), it is preferable to avoid antidepressants among bipolar patients.

When considering the use of antidepressant in a depressed bipolar patient, clinicians should combine the medication with a mood stabilizer and should use an antidepressant (e.g. bupropion) that has a low tendency to cause a switch to mania.

Copyright©2004. All rights reserved. Dr. Michael G. Rayel – author (First Aid to Mental Illness–Finalist, Reader’s Preference Choice Award 2002), speaker, workshop leader, and psychiatrist. Dr. Rayel pioneers the CARE Approach as first aid for mental health. To receive free newsletter, visit www.drrayel.com. His books are available at major online bookstores.

For information about anxiety and depression, visit
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NeuroMEDx Receives Another Patent for Parkinson's, Epilepsy, and Depression Therapies

2007-08-13T12:21:00.000-04:00

St. Cloud, MN July 21, 2004 -- NeuroMEDx, an early stage medical device company located in St. Cloud, MN, focused on the treatment of neurologic disorders, has been issued patent #6,764,498 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This is the second patent the company has received for implantable devices to treat disorders such as Parkinson's Disease, Epilepsy, and depression. In addition to providing an alternative to surgery and drug therapies, NeuroMEDx' MED(Mechanoelectric Device)technology may be a viable option to other device-based treatments offered by Medtronic(MDT), Cyberonics(CYBX), Advanced Neurologic Systems(ANSI), Guidant(GDT) and St. Jude(STJ). The MED technology is implanted using standard minimally invasive procedures.
The company also has patents pending that leverage the MED technology in treating disorders of the cardiac and central nervous systems.

Contact Information:

Hans Mische
1 612 987 0249
patriot@cloudnet.com

For information about antidepressant Zoloft dosage, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantzoloftdosage/

Scientific Breakthrough: Doctors Say New Substance May Relieve Depression, Anxiety And Stress For Millions.

2007-08-12T14:20:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
RICHARD HALL (760)728-0747

Scientific Breakthrough: Doctors Say New Substance May Relieve Depression, Anxiety And Stress For Millions.

Over 150 million Americans will suffer from a major depressive episode, anxiety or stress this year alone. All that suffering may be completely unnecessary; thanks to a well kept Russian secret.

Dr. Zakir Ramazanov, former Senior Scientist at the Russian Academy of Science, along with his associates in New York, have extracted a substance that comes from a plant found in the Georgian Republic of the former USSR. This natural plant chemical is widely used in Eastern Europe & Russia to treat depression, anxiety and stress and is currently receiving attention here in the United States.

Why? Because 80% of all illnesses can be traced to stress! The current over use of medications like Prozac, with known & unknown side effects, has caused public alarm and created a need for a safe & effective alternative. So what are the doctors saying?

Noted Psychiatrist, Psychopharmacologist, International Author & Lecturer Dr. Richard Brown of New York, has found this new substance so effective that he recommends it to his patients and supports it in his lectures and published papers. Doctor Brown isn’t alone; over 300 prominent physicians can attest to its effectiveness.

Dr. Richard Brown reports “Overall I see it as a remarkable breakthrough which can help in delaying aging and reducing the effects of stress upon us which accumulate with aging...Furthermore, it improves mental functions, not just memory, but abstraction capacity, reaction time, and is an overall mental stimulant…It has been extremely well tolerated, even in patients in their nineties…I feel this is an inexpensive and time proven herbal supplement for this purpose.”

What is this new find? Rosavin. Rosavin is a phytochemical that comes from a plant called Rhodiola rosea, which grows high up in the mountainous regions of Siberia and the Georgian Republic of Russia. It has a legendary history for increasing health and longevity from generation to generation. The Georgians say that if a person drinks a tea made from Rhodiola rosea they will live more than 100 years. This Russian secret has over thirty years of intensive, well-documented, clinical trials and 300 years of history. The phytochemical, Rosavin, enables your body to cope with or adapt to a variety of stresses without adverse side effects.

Could this be a natural answer for safe & effective stress relief here in America? Dr. Richard Brown and Dr. Zakir Ramazanov say, “YES.” Not only is it safe & effective for stress, anxiety & depression, which could lead to a more resilient America, but those who have tried it are surprised at some of Rosavin’s other benefits, such as greater stamina, weight loss, improved memory & attention span.

Richard Hall, owner of AMERIDEN International, is totally committed to the goal of people having optimal health & mental wellness. To receive more information, a Bio-sheet or to schedule an interview, please call (760) 728-0747.

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http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantpain/

Ritalin, Depression, and Brain Damage

2007-08-10T17:08:00.000-04:00

December 9 2003--Animal findings now show that Ritalin permanently adversely alters the brain function of rats as they grow older, leading to increased depressive behavior and alterations of behavior. The study appears in the Dec. 15, 2003 issue of Biological Psychiatry.

This study sounds alarms regarding the widespread use of Ritalin among children. It raises serious questions about the long-term health problems that are likely to occur by stimulating the nervous system for short-term behavioral improvement.

Expert nutritionist and leading leptin researcher, Byron Richards, CCN, first warned of this danger in his recent book, "Mastering Leptin" (Wellness Resources Books, 2003). He explains the new breakthroughs in biochemistry that help us understand how stimulants damage brain cells. Stimulants depress the brain’s leptin levels, directly exposing brain cells to damage. This leads to stimulant induced anxiety, depression, and addictive behavior. Richards also explains how stimulants damage the NMDA receptor, the key receptor that is malfunctioning in Parkinson’s disease.

Richards states, “This information raises questions about the safety of Ritalin given to an overweight child. Since an overweight child has leptin resistance, and thus less leptin in the brain, their brains are more susceptible to damage not only from environmental toxins but also from any ingested amphetamine.”

These new animal studies confirm the serious risk of permanent long-term damage from Ritalin.

For information about childhood depression symptoms, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/childhooddepressionsymptoms/

A Trail of Tears and Broken Relationships Maybe Symptomatic of Depression

2007-08-07T06:56:00.000-04:00

A trail of tears and many broken relationships may symptomatic of underlying depression.

A Trail of Tears and Many Broken Relationships May be Symptomatic of Underlying Depression

When a young person graduates from High School there is so much hope and promise for the future. He or she looks forward to meeting the RIGHT person, falling in love, and a lifetime of wedded bliss reminiscent of the epic fable Cinderella.

Instead, many middle age people look back on a trail of tears and broken hearts. Deep within the heart many middle age people may secretively wonder, “what happened to my life and dreams”. Deep within the heart, many middle age people may ask “why”. A middle age person may not have a clue to explain how he or she sabotaged personal goals by making so many wrong decisions and choices.

Many middle age people may look in the mirror to see sagging drooping skin collapsing into layers upon layers of folded winkles. Many middle age people may suddenly realize time is running out.

A trail of tears and broken relationships may be symptomatic of underlying depression. Depression is a clinical pathological disease process.

Depression is an imbalance in brain chemicals. Brain chemicals function as neurotransmitters of sensory and perceptual information from nerve cell (neuron) to nerve cell and from nerve ganglia (groups or clusters of neurons) to nerve ganglia.

Attributing affairs of the heart to natural organic disease process turns off many people. According to Sacred Text, all humans are made in the image of God. The human capacity to love is viewed as a deep profound sacred spiritual ability reflecting the very image of God, the Divine Creator. Human emotions surrounding romantic love tend to be translated into enormous proportion and placed upon a high plane on the same level as the epic Shakespearian drama, Romeo and Juliet.

The act of attributing affairs of the heart to a natural organic disease process is often viewed as belittling God given spiritual endowment for the human capacity to love. It should not be surprising that people often deny depression as an underlying causative factor for a trail of tears and broken relationships.

People often blame extreme sadness and heartache upon events and/or people connected to break ups with significant others. For example, a person may claim that he or she got involved with all the wrong people.

A person may prefer to believe that he or she is extremely unlucky at love and a victim of great misfortune and cruel fate instead of accepting that he or she may have an underlying mental health problem. The act of placing blame for many broken relationships upon external circumstances (including all events and/or people involved) allows a person to conveniently wallow in self-pity as well as a myriad of emotional reactions connected to “love sickness”.

Existentialism is a philosophical system of thought that asserts humans cognitively create meaningfulness associated with people, places, and objects. An Existentialist asserts the world, in and of itself, is completely devoid of meaningfulness.

The existential world we live in can be cold hearted and devoid to a large extent of meaningfulness. In a cold-hearted existential world the choice of an individual to wallow in self-pity and a myriad of emotional reactions connected to “love sickness” can become self-affirmation that one is truly alive.

In a cold-hearted existential world devoid of meaningfulness sometimes a person can feel nothing. The feeling of nothingness equates a human person to a machine engaged from day to day in a rote mechanical process to fulfill obligations.

An imbalance in brain chemicals can cause sensory and perceptual distortions that may contribute to vast discontentment and unhappiness during the course of a relationship. Discontentment and unhappiness as a consequence of sensory and perceptual distortions created by a chemical imbalance associated with depression may produce a domino’s effect leading to a number of dating failures during a lifetime. A depressed person with a chemical imbalance may become more deeply entrenched in a depressed state due to becoming obsessed with past dating failures.

A depressed person tends to be obsessed with past failure. Obsession is mentally focusing upon past events for an extreme inordinate amount of time.

A depressed person obsessed with dating failure may constantly search within him or her self for some type of innate spiritual flaw and human weakness. A depressed person obsessed with dating failure tends to practice extreme forms of self-blame and castigation.

It may not always be the best counseling strategy to encourage a depressed person to focus upon underlying causative factors, such as depression. Depression can be a serious life threatening disease requiring professional treatment.

A clinically trained psychologist may have to perform a delicate balancing act similar to walking a tight rope high up in the air in a circus. A clinically trained psychologist may have to (1) not push a depressed client to do too much obsessive soul searching while exploring basic underlying causative factors, such as depression, and (2) yet, gently challenge the depressed client to accept the real underlying mental health problem in order to promote positive goal directed behavior. A façade of blame and denial is an obstacle to positive goal directed behavior.

In order to promote positive goal directed behavior and establish fulfilling healthy relationships it may be necessary for a depressed person to gain more knowledge and understanding about the underlying causative factor of depression. Knowledge and understanding about depression as a disease process can help a person manage chronic depression in the same way a diabetic may manage diabetes as a disease.

Depression may not always be the underlying cause of dating failure. The task of finding the RIGHT person to fall in love and marry is an extremely daunting complex task. It may not be necessary for all people who have experienced problems in relationships to undergo extensive psychotherapy.

However, depression as an underlying causative factor for a trail of tears and many broken relationships should not be quickly dismissed. A person who has experienced many problems in relationships should familiarize him or herself with all the multiple signs of depression. Depression may be why he or she feels so restless.

The famous song writer and musician Dion Dimucci ( http://www.diondimucci.com/main.html ) captured the restless human spirit in a famous popular song entitled, The Wonderer. Dion Dimucci captured the restless spirit in the following lyrical verse included in his song, The Wonderer:

Oh well I'm the type of guy who will never settle down Where pretty girls are well, you know that I'm around I kiss 'em and I love'em 'cause to me they're all the same I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name They call me the wanderer yeah the wanderer I roam around around around...

About the Author

Author byline and Bio: Mark Gaffney is a contributing freelance writer. Mark has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration of coursework in physiology, biology, and computer science. Mark is in the process of trying to start a new Not-for-Profit Foundation entitled, Wonderful Life Foundation. Mark plans to submit his online work as a thesis project to earn his Doctorate (PhD.) degree and officially become a Nanotechnology Sociologist. Bookmark this page now and click here to review preliminary plans for organizational development of Wonderful Life Foundation currently published on www.ServeNet.org. ServeNet.org, Idealist.org, and Network-for-Good.org are associated with the government web site portal, www.freedomcorp.gov, an initiative of President George W. Bush to promote volunteerism and provide services to help Not-for-Profit organizations.

For information about Zoloft antidepressant, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantzoloft/

8 Things You Can Do For Someone Suffering from Depression

2007-08-06T17:12:00.000-04:00

Someone suffering a clinical depression needs medication and therapy. In addition, here are some things you can do for them as a loving person in their life, or as their personal life coach.

1. Be clear in your mind that they need medication and therapy, and project this. Encourage them to continue both. Make it clear it's now the new routine.

2. There should be Guide Dogs for the Depressed. If the depressed loved-one or client in your life doesn't have a companion pet, give them a well-trained, easy-to-manage, older one. This is particularly important if they live alone. Specify that you will take care of the dog in terms of vet care and bills, and provide a starter-kit--huge bag of dog food and container, food and water dishes, bedding, etc. In other words, make it easy for them to accept this healing gift. I have a depressed coaching client in Manhattan suffering the aftermath of Nine One One who mostly talks to me about her beloved companion dog. I consider “Cody” part of the healing team for this woman.

3. Make any decision you can for the person. In other words, don't say "Would you like to go out for dinner tonight? Where would you like to go?" Say instead, "We're going to Bijan's tomorrow night for dinner. I'll pick you up at 7:00. Just wear your jeans." Once there, offer to order for the person.

4. Speak in normal, modulated tones. Avoid an overly-'compassionate' look of concern or a patronizing tone of voice. If they have trouble making a decision or remembering something, keep your eyes from looking overly concerned or worried. This will only add to their worry and confusion.

5. Just be with them. Don't hover, try to cheer them up, argue, try to 'get a rise out of them,' or ask them 'talk about it.' Cognitive processes are slowed, and emotionally, they're in conflict. Under those circumstances, it's difficult to talk. It's hard to connect with people, even best-beloved ones, when you're clinically depressed--hard to maintain eye-contact and to follow long sentences and thoughts. A metaphor I use is play lacrosse with them, don't face off with them on the football line. Be 'around' them, not 'in their face.'
6. Don't put them in a position that would arouse emotions. Celebrations, holidays, receiving gifts, or a long discourse on foreign policy all require a level of involvement the depressed person is not capable of.

7. Be grounded and stay centered yourself. Remind yourself of your love for them that will endure "even this."

8. When the person begins to heal is a wonderful time for them to have a coach.

Susan Dunn is a personal and professional life coach, and author of the hot new ebook "Secrets to Marketing Prof. Services Online (on her web). Email her for FREE ezine, 100% FREE.

For information about antidepressant withdrawal, visit
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Depression/Anxiety-Art Healing Therapy Book “The Color of Grace”-a highly potential bestseller looking for US/Canada publisher

2007-08-05T19:21:00.000-04:00

The mission of Art Against Depression and Anxiety (Art-A-DAY), a non-profit, non-government organization from Belgrade, Yugoslavia is to provide spiritual, educational, and marketing support to art creation of people who suffer from developmental and adjustment-related problems, such as major and/or moderate depression, anxiety and panic disorders and other forms of mood disorders (the artworks produced by this type of artists who lack formal artistic training are generally recognized and labeled by art historians and critics as a “raw art/outsider art” or “art brut"

In addition, Art-A-DAY will strive to provide the latest and the most relevant information related to both the mainstream (pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and art therapy) and the alternative modes of healing (acupuncture, herbal therapy, aromatherapy, light therapy. etc) of depression-anxiety disorders.

Majority of Art-A-DAY's activities are supported by the sale of our book – “The Color of Grace”. Filled with hope and love, the book represents an unique encouragement for all those who 'still search for a meaning', and will, with no doubt, soon became a classic and bestselling text in the emerging field of alternative and complementary therapies in mental health. An original self-massage method is included in the book's Appendix. Highly recommended for mental health experts, as well.

“CLEARLY WRITTEN…FASCINATING…TRUTHFUL…SPIRITUAL…BRILLIANT… A MUST-HAVE FOR EVERY HOME AS A PREVENTION…THE BOOK OF HOPE AND LOVE…INTERACTIVE…” Dusica Babovic-Vuksanovic, M.D.
Consultant, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

“Beautifully-written, fascinating…a delight to read. Mr. Djurovic has made a profound contribution to our knowledge of depressive disorders and alternative modes of healing.”
Milena Janjic
Psychologist, London, UK

“This book is one of the kind; it is extremely valuable, accurate…useful…understandable…spiritual…truthful. This is the book of truth about depression and the ways the disease can be conquered. One of the best books I have ever read about depression and applied psychology, in general. I warmly recommend this book to everyone, especially at this global time of “sinking souls”. ”
Vladimir Pavicevic, Ph.D. Ambassador
Geneva, Switzerland

“This is one of the most easily readable and well thought-out guides and compendiums on the potentials of self-conducted art therapy for alleviating distresses of people who suffer from mood disorders. A must-have for every home as a prevention.”
Dejan Miljkovic, M.D.
Belgrade, Serbia

“This extraordinary book offers a great deal of suggestions and examples aimed at people with depressive disorders to acquire new skills necessary for their recovery. The book illuminates an aspect of art-therapy and personal struggle for dignity and hope. It deserves everyone's attention.”
Ksenija Sredanovic, M.D.
Montreal, Canada

“As a professional therapist dealing with peoples mental and emotional problems on a daily basis, I find this book both enlightening and refreshing.
Mr. Nebojsa Djurovic has captured the very essence of feeling encountered by depressives, but has gone further by giving a clear and honest insight into how a person can find the light at the end of the tunnel. This book
should be compulsory reading for everyone therapist and patient alike. Truly brilliant.”
Keith Jones, C. HYP. M.P.H. M.I.H.T
HEAD TUTOR, THE LA ROCHE INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England

“…And finally, allow me to give you my personal impression about the book; the book is read with a feeling “Yes this is it”, it overwhelms and colors your feelings and has almost a mesmerizing effect on a reader so that it makes difficult for the reader to makes a distance from the presented material; however, at the same time, the book provide the assurance and hope which can be summarized in the words: “nothing is lost, I can do something by myself in order to feel better”. The book that I’ve just read speaks about a great personal strength and the authentic altruism.”
Snezana Milutinovic, Psychologist and Therapist
Belgrade, Serbia

“Through his art and writing Mr. Djurovic shows us that the medical and
spiritual both have a place in healing the mind and body. Utilizing
artwork in his book makes the reader more able to grasp the despair,
pain, courage and hope that physical and mental illnesses evoke.”
Anna Claxton, Interior Designer
St. Pauli, MN, USA

The book is currently at the stage of “in print” preparation in Russia and Ukraine. We are in need of a good quality publisher in the USA and Canada. Please contact Mr. Djurovic for information regarding publishing this rare and helpful book in either Canada or the United States.

Email: artworks@art-a-day.org
Attn: Mr. Djurovic
Art-A-DAY
Treci bulevar 172
11 070 Novi Beograd
SERBIA

Please visit our site to find out more about making donations and sponsoring Art-A-Day “The Color of Grace” book. http://www.art-a-day.org/english/donations_sponsor.htm

Art- A- Day.com
Website http://www.art-a-day.org/
Email : ndjurovc@EUnet.yu

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Silent Epidemic of Workplace Depression is the Most Costly Illness for Employers

2007-08-04T14:04:00.000-04:00

Santa Barbara, CA via PR Web Direct) August 4, 2004 -- Science of Light, Inc. (SOL), has translated their SAD (seasonal depression) light therapy technology right onto computer users’ desktops with a smart new product designed to help reduce the epidemic of workplace depressive states (WDS) and the eyestrain, headache and fatigue associated with computer vision syndrome (CVS).

CVS affects virtually all computer users and is costing corporate America in excess of 2 billion a year, according to the American Optometric Association. However more alarming is a report from the American Psychiatric Association (APA): Depression Most Costly Illness for Employers (Psychiatric News, Vol.38, Number 14). According to the APA, employers across the country are losing an estimated $44 billion a year in lost productivity directly related to depression.

SOL’s new therapeutic task light, aptly named the Intelli Lite®, merges superior, glare-free, full spectrum task lighting for high visual acuity, with the wellness benefits of light therapy. Its interactive ergonomic design features three independent light sources which are adjustable to suit individual computer users’ needs. Intelli Lite is so effective… it’s often covered by medical insurance when prescribed for depression.

“The Intelli Lite is simply the best available work station illumination source for those living and struggling with depression. A high profile design with a true full spectrum light source, the Intelli Lite provides both proper illumination and desk-side treatment,” according to Michael L. Johnson, M.D., Staff Psychiatrist, Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.

The new Intelli Lite® is the latest product in the company’s lineup of biologically beneficial lighting for use in the home and office. Manufacturers of the popular Solar Lite™ light therapy system for SAD, depression and shift work, as well as the Solar Lite plus™ light therapy system for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and autoimmune health disorders associated with the lack of vitamin D.

The Intelli Lite® carries on this tradition, but with a different twist. Whereas the Solar Lite and Solar Lite plus light therapy devices shower their users with high quantities of bright light and are generally used for only 20-60 minutes a day, the Intelli Lite® has been designed for comfortable, continuous use, and provides a less intense light that is adjustable to the user’s comfort level, and produces a positive, therapeutic effect that reduces the risk of CVS and WDS. Former inefficient workplace lighting can now be conveniently corrected with a task lamp that not only helps reduce common stressors such as eyestrain, headache, and fatigue, but also helps keep employees alert, efficient, and – BONUS – in better moods throughout the day!

Health science researchers and light therapy pioneers since 1988, Science of Light’s products are renowned for their wellness-enhancing qualities. In addition to their light therapy systems for depression and computer vision syndrome, other Science of Light products for the office and home include a full line of energy-efficient and uniquely human-efficient fluorescent tubes, light bulbs and floods. The tubes come shielded against EMF or nonshielded. Quantity discounts are available on all products. For more info call 800-234-3724 or visit: www.intellilite.com & www.DepressionReliefNaturally.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ken Ceder
Science of Light, Inc.
800-234-3724 x 14
www.scienceoflight.com

For information about antidepressants and weight loss, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantweightloss/

Postpartum Depression: ePregnancy.com Helps Moms Help Themselves

2007-08-03T13:37:00.000-04:00

ePregnancy.com recently created a new tool aimed at helping new mothers, their friends, and their families recognize signs of — and seek treatment for — postpartum depression.

Central to the interactive feature is the "Postpartum Contract," a free customizable document that outlines various forms of postpartum depressive disorders. The site visitor can personalize and customize the contract online, print the contract, and give it to her husband or partner, as well as family and friends, for signing before her baby's birth. Signature indicates an understanding of postpartum depression's signs and symptoms, and a promise to encourage the new mother to seek help should she not be able to recognize the signs herself. The contract is free and available at http://ePregnancy.com/tools/depressioncontract.htm.

The tool was developed partly in response to the tragic case of Angela Yates, the Houston mother suffering from extreme severe postpartum depression (PPD) who reportedly killed her five children this week.

"Her case is extreme, but it's a fact of life: Millions of women suffer from PPD to one degree or another," said Nancy Price, co-founder/editor of ePregnancy.com. "It can happen to anyone, and you never know if you'll be one of the unlucky ones. So many women suffer needlessly, because their depression is undiagnosed or they are embarrassed or uncertain that they have PPD. We created this postpartum 'contract' to help women who need treatment get it as quickly as possible. Early treatment is key, and the contract can help family and friends of new moms spot trouble before it takes over. At the very least, it can help a new mom's partner understand how she might be feeling and why."

"Postpartum depression is very real — and very treatable," echoed Betsy Gartrell-Judd, co-founder/editor of ePregnancy.com. "We need to get the word out. We need to take away the stigma that blocks women from seeking treatment."

Both women cite recent medical research that ascribes postpartum depression to the many physical changes that occur in the pregnant body. "It's not just pop hype calling postpartum depression a genuinely physical condition, but scientists, researchers and reputable medical professionals, too," said Gartrell-Judd. "After all, the brain is still a physical organ, just as susceptible (if not moreso) to failure and breakdown as our hearts, lungs, stomachs, etc. when under stress. Research shows that the brain is more susceptible to illness during pregnancy, since pregnancy is controlled — indeed, fully sustained — by hormones released from the brain... from release of the egg from the ovaries right down to the hormones required for starting labor."

Postpartum depressive disorders occur in three degrees:

· Between one quarter and one half of the nearly four million women who give birth annually experience baby blues, a mild depression occurring in the first couple weeks after birth; the cloud typically lifts within hours or days without treatment.

· More serious is postpartum depression (PPD), which strikes 10–15 percent of new mothers during the first year after their babies' births. The condition usually requires and responds well to psychotherapy and/or antidepressants, many of which are considered safe for breastfeeding mothers.

· Postpartum psychosis (PPP) occurs in about one in every 1000 women, usually within the first three weeks after the birth. PPP is considered a medical emergency. Experts typically recommend hospitalization because of the risk of suicide or infanticide.

ePregnancy, a publication of Myria Media, Inc., is a comprehensive source of information for women in the preconception to early postpartum stages and, according to Yahoo!, among the most popular pregnancy sites online. Designed specifically for those who are pregnant or planning to be, ePregnancy offers a large collection of articles, interactive features, and active message board communities with the goal of informing and inspiring expectant families. The site's founders are also the editors of the forthcoming national print magazine, Pregnancy & Baby, having also served as editors of Pregnancy magazine.

Other Myria Media, Inc. properties include: Myria.com, an online magazine geared toward informed women with a focus on mothers; GeoParent.com, an interactive and informative resource for parents; and ChefMom.com, which offers recipes and cooking ideas for the family chef.

For more information about ePregnancy and Myria Media:

ePregnancy: http://ePregnancy.com
Myria Media: http://MyriaMedia.com

For information about antidepressants and weight gain, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantweightgain/

Report: On the FDA Panel Ruling Approving Vagus Nerve Implant for Depression Treatment

2007-08-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

June 18, 2004 -- The Neurological Devices Panel of FDA's Medical Devices Advisory Committee has voted "5 to 2 to recommend approval with conditions of Cyberonics' VNS Therapy™ System 'as an adjunctive long-term treatment of chronic or recurrent depression for patients over the age of 18 who are experiencing a major depressive episode that has not had an adequate response to four or more adequate antidepressant treatments.'" [ref1

"FDA's Division of General and Restorative Neurological Devices will consider the deliberations, vote and recommendation of the Advisory Panel and make the final decision on approval of the VNS Therapy System for the proposed indication for use." [ref1

We urge the Psychiatric community and the 'FDA's Division of General and Restorative Neurological Devices' to reject the panel's recommendation. We urge the Psychiatric community to put their hands on the wheel and start driving.

Setting aside, for the moment, the company's appeal for those who suffer from chronic depression, which is actually a veiled excuse for pleading the ability to recover investments, the approval of the device "Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS Therapy)" [ref1 stands in the face of logic and science and threatens the very future of Psychiatry as well as the lives of those it purports to help.

In an age when Psychiatric treatment has finally escaped the barbarism of blood-letting, the overkill of electric shock treatments and the absurdity of lobotomy, the FDA is seeking to approve the return to barbarism under the excuse of technology, expecting a magic bullet for the cause of a condition the FDA itself cannot define.

The study is peddled by Cyberonics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CYBX) as its proof of effectiveness.

"Using a technique known as vagus nerve stimulation, the device uses electrodes implanted in the neck to activate brain regions that are believed to regulate mood." [ref2

"The decision by an expert advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration came after a day of clashing scientific opinions about whether the data submitted by the manufacturer were adequate for approval. Proponents of the device prevailed, citing the desperate need of patients with chronic depression that does not respond to existing treatments." [ref2

"Cyberonics' central study was a randomized trial involving 221 patients. All received implants, but the power was turned on for only half the group." [ref2

"Of 111 patients getting stimulation, 17 showed an improvement of at least 50 percent on a psychiatric scale of depression after 12 weeks. Of 110 patients getting "sham" treatment, only 10 showed similar improvement. The difference between the groups was not statistically significant, however." [ref2

Placebo trials make for one sided and ignorant assumptions. In this study, as with all other placebo trails, the company makes conclusions about the placebo participants as if the knowledge the researchers have of who used the placebo and who did not is somehow imposed upon the group of patients, who in reality, all assume they may or may not have the placebo.

With 111 patients resulting in 17 showing improvement of 'at least' 50%, that alone is a paltry 15% success rate. Of 110 patients receiving the placebo (interesting that it is referred to as the 'sham' treatment) and 10 showed 'similar improvement', a 9 percent success rate without the device: that would logically mean that the device itself contributed to only a 6% success rate. Failing to apply the placebo effect to the actual working device patients is a fatal flaw of all such studies. People participating in such trials are aware they either do or do not have the real treatment. Failing to take into account that assumption by those who actually have the treatment is to ignore the placebo effect altogether.

Cyberonics is resting its case on a 6% success rate but they do not address the rate of regression if the device fails to work or is removed. They do not address the long or short term consequences of the implant's effect on the patient. They do not address the most logical extension of this treatment.

If the FDA approves the device and a state or condition, based on "two or more adequate antidepressant treatments at appropriate dose and duration" [ref1 or even four or more such treatments is established, where surgery to implant a device is evident then the procedure becomes medical and not psychiatric and the science of Psychiatry will pass the legal ability to treat a patient with such state of condition to medical science after a specific number of chemical attempts.

That is forcing the science of Psychiatry back to the dark ages. It is passing the responsibility of mental condition to a tool instead of the trained professional. It is placing the determination of treatment options upon the use of previous treatment options and opening up a legal question of mal-practice against Psychiatrists who attempt to urge the removal of the device (only 6% were effective in trial) in order to 'try' other treatment options.

While Cyberonics' press release goes to great lengths to justify its mission "to improve the lives of people touched by epilepsy, depression and other chronic illnesses that prove to be treatable with our patented therapy, VNS" [ref1 it does so without one concern of consequence.

"'The Panel's recommendation represents a major step forward toward U.S. availability of the first FDA-approved, safe, tolerable and effective long-term treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression,' commented Robert P. ('Skip') Cummins, Cyberonics' Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. 'Millions of Americans today suffer from treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a devastating, lifelong and life-threatening illness. According to published studies, 15% of previously hospitalized patients commit suicide and annual depression treatment costs in the United States exceed billion including .7 billion for drugs alone.'" [ref1

"Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent and serious illnesses in the world, affecting nearly 19 million Americans over the age of 18 in any given year. MDD is the fourth most disabling condition worldwide and the second most disabling condition in the U.S. Total annual costs of depression in the U.S. exceed billion including billion of annual direct treatment costs. Twenty percent of depressed Americans or approximately 4 million people suffer from treatment-resistant depression (TRD) defined as a depressive episode that has failed to respond to at least two antidepressant treatments of adequate dose and duration. Patients with TRD are often isolated, hopeless, desperate, and unemployed. Studies show that annual healthcare costs for patients with TRD exceed ,000 per patient per year. A person with depression is 35 times more likely to commit suicide than a person not experiencing depression and 15 percent of previously hospitalized depressed patients commit suicide. Although there are many safe and effective acute antidepressants including medications, psychotherapy and electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), there are no FDA-approved, informed-use, safe and effective long-term treatments for TRD. Multiple medication combinations are used to treat TRD without evidence of long-term safety and efficacy. ECT, the most effective acute antidepressant, is often declined, and is of limited long-term value due to cognitive side effects and high relapse/recurrence rates within six months of treatment." [ref1

While Cyberonics identifies its target market and the vast potential for revenue it mentions how other treatments are "without evidence of long-term safety and efficacy", but fails to test its own treatment for the same consequence while admitting the business is full-steam ahead with "Pilot studies are underway evaluating VNS Therapy as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders, Alzheimer's disease and chronic headache/migraine."

Cyberonics has not one clue what causes any of those conditions, let alone depression. The Cyberonics treatment is like a cancer patient accepting a doctor's recommended surgery to open them up and wrap the tumor in a Band-Aid. Not one study is offered as to what the results will be, long term, to a patient who's treatment consists of masking a cause so it can be rushed to market so it can start making money without regard to if it does any good in the process. With only 6% success in the study offered to the FDA the claim is ridiculous.

The actual consequences are enormous.

A point in this issue is near the opening of the Washington Post's article: "Using a technique known as vagus nerve stimulation, the device uses electrodes implanted in the neck to activate brain regions that are believed to regulate mood." [ref2

Notice the term 'believed to regulate mood'.

There is no 'location' that 'regulates' anything. Brain science has turned into where, instead of how, thanks to the fMRI and the false readings of blood flow through use. It is de-evolution of science to return to a modern and now accepted version of head-bumps and Franz Josef Gall's Phrenology.

Benjamin Rush was one of the leaders in 'Moral Treatment' which, "challenged the demonic explanations for insanity and emphasized the role of environment in determining character" [ref3 "Essential to this theory was a physiological basis for mental disorder: insanity was caused by brain damage." [ref3

Today's chemotherapy treatments employ that attitude in treating synapse response. The present Cyberonics device extends it to the Vagus nerve.

"Promoted in the United States by Orson S. Fowler, the [phrenology movement claimed a person's character was made up of 37 faculties which could be "read" on the cranium at the site where each was located. The size of the brain in these locations would reveal the strength of that particular faculty. As Fowler stated, there were "connexions and relations which exist between the conditions and developments of the BRAIN and the manifestations of the MIND." Phrenology was even applied to art as sculptors and painters did phrenological profiles of their subjects to insure their art would reflect the traits of the subject."

Now, science has switched from 'size' to 'location' but the quackery still persists.

In reality, the Cyberonics device and therapy is a patented return to the electropathy of the 19th century. "If electricity was applied to the areas where these charges were out of balance, the patient would be cured. Electricity was particularly useful in treating "nervous diseases" (mental illness) since there were no known scientific cures. Resourceful entrepreneurs soon began producing electrical garments and products, including corsets, belts, and hairbrushes (advertised as a cure for hair loss)." [ref3

Cyberonics has produced a device that does the same thing and is no different in intent. It is created to make money, regardless of the noble attempt, "'to accomplish our mission in epilepsy in fiscal 2005 ... and the plan to properly scale our organization to accomplish our mission in depression will be implemented as soon as we are confident of depression approval.'" [ref1

To place that commerce driven noble gesture ahead of the safety of the use of a device that has been shown by its own salesmen as capable of just 6% effectiveness is no less snake-oil than the electropathy it is based in and the phrenology that gives it credence.

In the Washington Post article, "'It's possible this is a viable treatment; it is also possible it is not a treatment,' said Richard P. Malone, a psychiatrist at Philadelphia's MCP Hahnemann University. 'I'm not sure it is ethical to give a treatment for which there is not substantial evidence.'" [ref2

"Malone and another panel member, statistician Jonas Ellenberg, nearly convinced other panelists that the company should conduct another trial, but the proposal was shot down after a tense vote, with one panelist changing her mind. The chairwoman of the panel, Kyra Becker, a neurologist at the University of Washington, School of Medicine in Seattle, cast the deciding vote." [ref2

No, it is not ethical and the excuses provided by Cyberonics to push through approval of the device border on the insane.

"'We lost four of these individuals in the last 2 1/2 hours,' said A. John Rush, a psychiatrist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, basing that figure on the high suicide rate among patients with resistant depression." [ref2

"Karmen McGuffee of Garland, Tex., told the panel she had tried virtually every antidepressant drug on the market before getting the device. Improvement came within weeks, she said." [ref2

"'My mother said she wasn't looking into the eyes of a dead person anymore,' she said. When people asked why she was willing to get an implant, she replied, 'I had nothing to lose.' [ref2

Citing a desperate patient as proof of the reason to approve a literally untested and suspect device is an affront to the scientific community and the patients the device prays to assist. But she was not just a desperate patient.

"McGuffee was paid by Cyberonics to testify. Rush (not Benjamin), who was paid to conduct some of the clinical trials, said there are 30,000 suicides a year in America, about 80 percent of them attributable to depression. Half of those are among patients with treatment-resistant depression who had tried multiple therapies and were still not better, he said." [ref2

"In response to suggestions by some panel members that the company conduct another trial, Rush warned, 'In the time to do another trial, we will lose another 1,000 patients a month, 36,000 if the trial takes three years.' [ref2

And there is the threat of 'act now so we can save them', as if the device is the only hope to desperate people. If that was the case for any chemical therapy the safety of drugs entering the market could never be assured or even pretended, but this is a mechanical device: a technological interference in brain function, a scary thought in and of itself.

"The company conducted a separate analysis with patients in another study. This group involved 124 patients who were similarly ill but were not getting vagus nerve stimulation. The company showed trend data that over 12 months, patients with the device were significantly better compared with those getting drugs or electro-convulsive therapy." [ref2

"Malone, Ellenberg and the FDA's statisticians expressed worry that the two groups of patients were not comparable and the apparent benefit might be statistically spurious. Cyberonics officials argued that conducting a new trial would be problematic because of the special needs of this patient group." [ref2

Not only is a new trial mandatory, but it is absurd not to be forced.

In the U.S. alone, over 400,000 people die each year from cigarette smoking-related causes. Using Rush's logic in the time to do another trial, we will lose another 1288 patients a month, 46,368 if the trial takes three years. Dare we compare losses without effective treatment over losses with ineffective and perhaps (most logically) damaging, treatment?

By Cyberonics' own flawed study, Rush's patients' deaths might be reduced by 6%. 60 people to benefit per thousand from the rush to market for a product that treats a condition the makers of the product have no idea of how is caused and the therapy that offers alternatives to barbaric intrusion surgery has never seen the light of day.

Depression, chronic or not, as long as it is not caused by a malfunction of tissue (which is almost never the case) is like the driver of a car who never touches the wheel.

Why is the car going there? Why did I hit that tree? I didn't turn that way. Slow down before I hit something else. Stay slow. Why is everything else so chaotic? Don't tell me I don't have control of my car. I have the gas pedal.

The problem with depression is, it is misunderstood. Depression is treated by increasing synapse transmission, but the synapse does not do the thinking. It sends the thinking on to the next neuron and keeps it from going the wrong direction.

Perhaps the most viable excuse for approving the Cyberonics device is its best hope to stop it from starting the ruin of a science who's only intention is to help others. Psychiatry cannot treat what the science of the medical doctor has assumed.

"The panelists mostly agreed that the data presented by Cyberonics had problems but were swayed by the lack of alternative treatments and the evidence that the device is generally safe, based on its widespread use to reduce epileptic seizures." [ref2

The cause of seizures and the cause of depression are not at all the same. And there are alternative treatments. The problem with alternative treatment is simple. It is not normal. It is not accepted. It is not understood. And in most cases it is completely unknown.

The only treatment for any condition should be based on how the condition is caused and how the total system is affected by it.

To learn how depression is caused, what it is, how to treat it and why Psychiatry should never, ever give away the responsibility to fight depression, even after a million attempts, read 'The Brain Is A Wonderful Thing' and 'Modern Mysticism' available at The Enticy Institute. The books are free.

But in the mean time, do not let the presentation of a different approach get in the way of stopping a horrible one.

References:

[ref1 FDA ADVISORY PANEL RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF CYBERONICS’ DEPRESSION DEVICE Cyberonics Press Release 6/15/2004 http://www.cyberonics.com/PressRelease_detail.asp?id={3FEFBC64-A01B-44BF-909F-9150D2D9CF89}
[ref2 'FDA Panel Backs Implant To Counter Depression But Questions Linger About Manufacturer Data' By Shankar Vedantam Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, June 16, 2004; Page A03 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44636-2004Jun15.html?nav=rss_health
[ref3 University of Toledo Libraries, Mental Health, http://www.cl.utoledo.edu/canaday/quackery/quack5.html
[ref4 Cigarette Smoking-Related Mortality Centers For Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/health_consequences/mortali.htm

For information about antidepressants and vertigo, visit
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Depression - the hidden curse of the entrepreneur

2007-08-01T17:21:00.000-04:00

We don't like to talk about it, but it's a fact of life for many hard-driving entrepreneurs. Depression - the edge of darkness, the bane of the bold and restless. It strikes hard, fast and deep, and no one's immune.

Can't happen to you, you say? Think again. The very traits of entrepreneurial success - drive, ambition, creativity, independence and a zest for change - can easily set you up for failure. And what surprises most experts and lay people alike is that few entrepreneurs recognize depression, or even admit to having it. Even fewer will talk about it because of the stigma attached to mental disorders.

Depression is a debilitating mood disorder. It affects our sleep, eating habits, energy level and the ability to concentrate or make decisions. But it doesn't have to be that way. Nine out of every ten of us who get it, whether in mild or severe form, can beat it. Sure, you can be depressed if your best friend dies. But if you get depressed when you lose a potential sale, or one of your grand plans doesn't work out, you need some help - self-help, if you're strong enough, someone else's help if you aren't.

Depression is more normal than most people realize. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in ten Canadians will experience depression at some point in their lives. And women are twice as vulnerable to it than men. We're not talking about getting "the blues", once in a while. Depression is worse - it's a black mood that is intense and long-lasting, often resulting in uncontrollable sadness, a sense of worthlessness, and a loss of interest in pleasure and normal activities.

Research has shown that depression is associated with abnormally low levels of the brain's neuro-transmitters - serotonin, epinephrine and dopamine, among others. Those naturally-occuring chemicals can easily get burned up by entrepreneurs who tend to overwork and isolate themselves, and the condition becomes exacerbated by the entrepreneurial personality, itself, which often refuses to acknowledge personal problems, let alone seek help for them.

The very existence of an entrepreneur depends on a healthy mental attitude. It takes a healthy mental attitude to be driven, creative and independent, to face the stresses of banking, human resources, sales, and business transitions, but while those personality traits serve entrepreneurs well, they can also create problems in the long run.

Yet, even in the 21st century, those who ask for psychological help are stigmatized. But by seeking help, you can stop being a victim of your own making. Finding the proper treatment, though, can be a long process. Sure, there are many drugs available, but finding the right one can be tricky - they can cause blurred vision, dry mouth, loss of sexual drive, and unsteadiness. Don't expect a "quick fix", either. Changing your mindset, getting some balance in your life, and taking proper vacations to separate yourself from your work is not an overnight chore, but according to experts, 90% of depression sufferers can be successfully treated with a combination of psychotherapy and medications.

It's important to distinguish between pathological depression and the occasional and fleeting sensation of the blues, which everyone experiences from time to time. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, you're depressed if you experience a down mood and/or a loss of interest in regular activities, paired with the daily occurrence, during a two-week period, of four of the following symptoms (if this sounds like you or a colleague, consult a doctor):

* loss of interest in usual activities and/or inability to experience pleasure
* change in sleeping habits
* lack of energy or extreme fatigue
* psychomotor retardation or agitation
* drastic changes in eating habits
* suicidal ideas of preoccupation with death
feelings of worthlessness and/or excessive or inappropriate guilt
loss of concentration

For more information about mental health issues and depression, check out these online sources:

Canadian Mental Health Association, at www.cmha.ca
McMaster University's Depression & Anxiety Information Resource & Education Centre at www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/direct
Mood Disorders Association of Ontario at www3.sympatico.ca/mdamt

Lorne Peasland, is a former advertising agency owner and national media consultant, the founder and past-president of the Canadian Home & Micro Business Federation, and author of "Influencing Public Opinion - A Communications
Primer For Political Candidates, Community Activists, and Special Interest Group Spokespeople" (ISBN 0-9697364-0-1). He is a home-based marketing consultant, writer and speaker, and publisher of HomeBizNews, a syndicated web-based weekly for home-based and small-office entrepreneurs. He can be contacted through either of
his web pages at http://www.accept.ca/homebiznews/lorne.html or http://www.accept.ca/homebiznews/pms2.html, via
e-mail at lorne@pacificcoast.net., or by phone at 250-708-0250.

For more information about antidepressants and pain, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantpain/

The Blues, The Blahs and Depression: Tested Ways to Help Yourself Escape the Downs

2007-07-31T17:45:00.000-04:00

Released in September of 2002, Susan Buckner's audiobook "The Blues, the Blahs and Depression" is a user-friendly, sympathetic CD, designed to help the listener make their way out of depression's grasp.

Ms. Buckner has suffered through her own spells of depression, and offers these techniques, which have helped her recover from one of the most common yet baffling mental illnesses in the world today. She credits her family, physicians and faith for helping her through the rough spots. She's delighted to be able to offer others the tips she searched for all her life.

Her easy-to-understand, upbeat CD can be listened to in the car, while relaxing at home, or anywhere one might be interested. It can be purchased at the low-cost Drive2Learn website.

For information about antidepressant moclobemide comments, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantmoclobemidecomments/

Depression Series: Why Don’t I Respond to Medications? (Part 1)

2007-07-30T06:42:00.000-04:00

Maria has been feeling depressed for at least two and a half years. About three years ago, her husband of 20 years left her for another woman. Devastated, she became despondent and tearful almost daily.

Eventually, her depression got worse associated with inability to function. Her appetite, energy, concentration, and sleep became impaired. She also felt hopeless and suicidal. Her psychiatrist put her on a starting dose of antidepressant. She responded initially but after a few days, she felt just like before taking the medication.

For the past two years, Maria has tried four types of antidepressants. She has taken the usual adult doses of these drugs. Although she somewhat improves, she has virtually remained the same — depressed and disabled.

Maria seems to be taking the medications regularly. But why is she not responding to her antidepressants?

Maria is just one of the many depressed individuals who don’t feel “normal” despite treatment. Depression is a treatable disease but how come some people don’t do well on medications?

There are many reasons why depressed patients like Maria don’t improve on antidepressants.

First, is the diagnosis correct?

Depression can be caused by many clinical entities. Sometimes, knowing the right diagnosis is a challenge. Medical disorders, medications such as beta-blockers and benzodiazepines (e.g. clonazepam), and various psychiatric disorders can cause depression and they all require different treatment. If your doctor fails to identify and treat the true cause of your depression, you will remain depressed despite the use of antidepressant.

Second, are there co-morbid disorders?

Depression can exist along with other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorder, alcohol or drug problems, personality disorder, dementia, and psychosis. Depression will persist if these co-morbid disorders are not treated. For instance, depressive disorder with psychosis cannot be adequately treated just with antidepressant alone. You need an antipsychotic drug added to an antidepressant to treat the illness.

Third, is there an ongoing neurological or medical disorder that precipitates, aggravates, or complicates depression?

Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, vitamin B-12 deficiency, pancreatic cancer, brain tumor, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke can all cause depression. If any of these disorders are present, antidepressants are less likely to help. The goal in these situations is to treat the underlying medical condition. A 65 year-old lady came to see me complaining of severe depression. On evaluation, she disclosed that she had been on three types of antidepressants for the past four years with minimal response. I checked her recent laboratory results which showed an abnormal thyroid! No wonder, she was not responding to the medication.

Fourth, are there ongoing psychosocial issues?

Financial problems, family conflict, work-related stress can all precipitate and complicate depression. Despite adequate medication treatment, some individuals will remain depressed especially if such problems are not addressed by the therapist or psychiatrist. Is there any way you can reduce the stressors? Please do so the earliest you can.

The treatment of depression is frequently straightforward. Occasionally however, various factors complicate it. For antidepressant to be effective, a psychiatrist should ensure that the diagnosis is correct, that co-morbid psychiatric disorders and medical problems are treated, and that psychosocial issues are adequately addressed.

Maria’s doctor should explore further the real problem and provide the most appropriate intervention.

Copyright © 2003. All rights reserved. Dr. Michael G. Rayel – author (First Aid to Mental Illness–Finalist, Reader’s Preference Choice Award 2002), speaker, workshop leader, and psychiatrist. Dr. Rayel helps individuals recognize the early signs of mental illness and provide early intervention. To receive free newsletter, visit www.drrayel.com. His books are available at major online bookstores.

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RADAR (Research Aimed at Depression and Anxiety Reduction-in COPD/EMPHYSEMA): AN EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR VETERANS WITH DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY

2007-07-29T17:10:00.000-04:00

WHAT IS THE RADAR PROGRAM?

The RADAR (Research Aimed at Depression and Anxiety Reduction-in COPD/Emphysema)Program is looking for eligible volunteers!! The Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine are looking for veterans (anyone who has served in the military)for an education program geared to help them cope with symptoms of nervousness and/or anxiety as well as their breathing problems. This is a study made up of 8 weekly classes, each lasting about an hour that are held at the VA Hospital. Also, you will be asked to answer some questions about how you are doing and feeling half way through the classes (week 4) and after the last class (week 8). Then you will come back to answer similar questions at 4 months, 8 months and 12 months after completing the classes.

REIMBURSEMENT?
It will not cost you anything to participate in the study. The program is free to those who decide tojoin teh study. You may also receive up to $130 for completing the entire study.

INTERESTED?
If you are interested in learning more about the study call the RADAR Program directly at 713-794-8692

*This study is funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is approved by Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston VA Medical Center.

For information about the antidepressant moclobemide, visit
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HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR ORGANIZATION IS DEPRESSED

2007-07-28T11:25:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Kim Finger, Ph.D.
Corporate Coaching International
540 El Dorado Street, Suite 102
Pasadena, California 91101
Phone: 626.405.7310
Fax: 626.405.7312
Email: Kim@corporatecoachingintl.com
Web Site: www.corporatecoachingintl.com

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR ORGANIZATION IS DEPRESSED

“Depression is the number one emotional problem for people in the United States,” says Dr. Lois Frankel, President of Pasadena-based consulting firm, Corporate Coaching International. “It shouldn’t be surprising that entire organizations or departments within certain companies experience the effects.” With this in mind, Frankel suggests that there are specific symptoms, causes, and cures for organizational depression.

The symptoms of organizational depression are not unlike individual symptoms. The most obvious is a general feeling of lethargy – people do the minimum required and little more. “You can feel it when you walk into a company,” Frankel claims. “Other clues are low creativity, productivity and communication but high absenteeism and delayed decision-making.”

Factors contributing to organizational depression are as varied as the organizations themselves. A few that Frankel has noticed are clinically depressed managers and executives, prevalent substance abuse (drugs or alcohol) among managers and executives, tolerance and reward for mediocrity, and highly controlling executives.

10 Tips for Adding Vitality to Your Workplace

1. Recognize organizational depression and commit yourself to taking positive action to resolve the problem.
2. Conduct a climate survey. The caveat is that once you ask, you are obliged to act on the findings. Otherwise, you’ll make the situation worse.
3. Include all levels of staff in solving the problem of organizational depression. Although they may at first be reluctant or distrustful, involving them is the ideal way to ensure buy-in to outcomes.
4. Identify specific goals and objectives for a healthy workplace. This may include public statements about diversity, rewards for healthy behavior, or communications related to creating a healthy culture. Although these may at first be viewed as simply “slogans,” eventually they will become institutionalized.
5. Provide coaching to senior executives who may require it. At the risk of sounding self-serving, coaching is the ideal way to prepare executives who may be unwittingly contributing to the problem of turning around a depressed organization.
6. Hold managers accountable for the emotional climate of the organization. Remember the maxim, what you measure is what you get. Not only should they be responsible for contributing to the solution, but for their personal behaviors as well.
7. Increase communication at all levels. Whether it’s through a newsletter, townhall meetings, or regular communications from the CEO, information is key to overcoming organizational depression.
8. Create a system for airing legitimate concerns. The GE Workout process, where small groups come together and are empowered to solve problems on the spot, is just one great idea for how you can do this. Avoid suggestion boxes – physical or on-line. They only increase the likelihood of complaining rather than focus on problem resolution.
9. Implement an incentive program. The system need not be complex or expensive, merely one that recognizes and rewards behaviors consistent with goals. Pick up a copy of Bob Nelson’s book, 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. It will stimulate your thinking in this direction.
10. Expect and work through resistance. Change isn’t easy and almost always takes twice as long as you’d like it to. Just keep in mind, you’re in a marathon, not running a sprint.

For information about antidepressant drug comparison, visit
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12 Simple, Powerful Therapies Can Rid Your Life of Stress or Depression, Says Previous Sufferer

2007-07-27T18:38:00.000-04:00

We’re All In This Together’ is the new awareness and healing work on stress & depression from author Jess Miller, himself a previous sufferer of clinical depression in part due to an attempt on his life in 1997.

Miller brings us a catalogue of home truths about how easily we can become lost to the System of Life. He examines how from the cradle we hardly get time to really learn about ourselves as we try desperately to learn everything that we need to equip us for life, whilst suffering the daily bombardment of problems from the System.

He explains that what is not stressful for some may be extremely stressful for others and how in consequence many of us can gradually become beaten down the slippery slope of stress and slip unwittingly into depression.

As the reader gains an understanding of this process Miller gives a striking description of what it is really like to be in the darkness of depression, something most of us cannot imagine. Understanding the process and its effects will be extremely helpful to those who need to help either themselves or others who are suffering from this insidious condition.

Of enormous value to the reader are Miller’s explanations of twelve simple, yet powerful therapies that can help anyone win out over whatever degree of stress or depression may be affecting them. Learned and developed whilst he was in depression and called ‘The Neil Armstrongs’ (one small step for you…...) these therapies slow everything down and show how easy it is for all of us to really look after ourselves and so counter the ravages and effects of what Miller calls ‘STLD’ (Stress, Tension, Loneliness & Depression).

From how to make a cup of tea (as only an Englishman could !), to how to create your own sanctuary, to how to count colours – a process of getting the mind to concentrate on a simple task and leave the onslaught and the pressures behind – these easy, but powerfully effective therapies are intended as a personal aid to those of us struggling a little with life.

Already credited for providing constructive help to those in unfortunate and stressful situations, the reception to ‘We’re All In This Together’ has been nothing short of phenomenal. Miller is now sought after as a speaker on the subject by all kinds of groups from schoolchildren to the police and from reflexology students to corporations.

Miller’s doctor throughout his depression experience, Dr.Carel Bredell of Somerset West, South Africa has endorsed the book as follows: ‘It is rare to get help on Stress and Depression that is as clear and practical as this. It will be of the greatest benefit to both sufferers and non-sufferers’.

Already one reader has contacted Miller to tell him that ‘We’re All In This Together’ stopped them from committing suicide. Miller’s reaction? Just to say this means that it doesn’t matter what happens from now on in his life, his continued existence here upon Earth has been validated.

‘We’re All In This Together’ ISBN: 0-620-26640-6 is now available from:
Bookstores (wholesaler Ingram) price $12.99
Online with discounts of up to 50% from Jess Miller’s awareness and healing website: Lifetravellers.com
By post from: TGS, P.O. Box 950, 201 West Grande, Yoakum, Texas 77995.
Tel: 361-293-7698

Review copies are available to bona fide media only from: TGS – 361-293-7698

Jess’s Resumé can be found at: http://www.lifetravellers.com/bio/CV.html

Jess can be contacted via:

Tel/Fax: 011 27 21 852 4682
CellPhone: 011 27 82 256 9047
Mail: Suite 72, Private Bag X 4, Gordons Bay, 7150
Email: lifetraveller@lifetravellers.com

For information about tapering off antidepressants, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressanttaper/

Beating Depression During the Holidays

2007-07-25T11:06:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, November 25th, 6-8 PM
Calistoga Community Center
1307 Washington Street, Calistoga

One out of six Americans suffers from some form of depression during their life. An estimated 20 million adults suffer from depression. The holidays can be especially stressful for a depressed person. This will be the topic of an upcoming talk given by Dr. Christopher Henderson, N.D., L.Ac.; Director of Calistoga’s Optimal Health Center. The free event will be held November 25th, 6-8 PM at the Calistoga Community Center.

Dr. Henderson will discuss what can be done to help support your body and mind during the holidays. These will include nutritional, herbal, and lifestyle support to prevent depression and relieve stress. He will also discuss the contributing factors causing us to be stressed and depressed and what we can do to stop them.

“The holidays are such a hard time for so many people.It is especially hard when you are also dealing with depression”, said Dr. Henderson. “There is much one can do to reduce or eliminate depression during the holidays and all year long.”

Henderson who earned his Naturopath Doctorate from Washington’s Bastyr University where he also earned his Master of Science degree in acupuncture will provide handouts and other free literature to assist participants in making decisions about how to beat depression during the holidays.

For more information about this free event, call 707-942-1250.

Media Contact Only: Karen Pierce Gonzalez 707-792-4376

For information about antidepressant drugs, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantdrugs/

Military Columnist and Navy Wife Shares Personal Experience with Depression During Husband’s Deployment

2007-07-24T06:59:00.000-04:00

March 19, 2004--Where is a military wife to go when she needs information and support…and she doesn’t feel like a “Proud Military Wife”? These days, thousands of wives from all branches of service are flocking to the newest web site for military families, Shore Duty (www.SarahSmiley.com).

Begun less than 3 months ago, Shore Duty has grown at an amazing speed. Sarah Smiley, the site’s owner and operator, reports that Shore Duty already has over 200 subscribers and more than 4,000 unique visitors a month.

So what’s so special about this site for military families, and why has it grown so fast? Smiley says the answer is in Shore Duty’s realistic, uncomplicated approach.

“I wanted to create something for the real military spouse,” says Smiley. “There is so much pressure to be the ‘the strong military wife’ that society imagines in their head, I want to give these women a place to go when they don’t feel so brave….and maybe not even so patriotic.”

What? A military wife not feeling patriotic? Isn’t that near blasphemy?

Smiley says it’s not only common, it’s realistic. “Not many spouses feel like belting the Star Spangled Banner as they watch the ship leave with tears in their eyes,” says Smiley. “It’s natural to feel resentful and sad at this time. And yet, many spouses feel pressure to maintain a strong, proud, can-do attitude.”

Smiley believes this pressure contributes to many spouses’ experiences with Depression during a deployment. In a recent installment of her syndicated column (also by the name of Shore Duty), which is published weekly in 7 different publications, Smiley shared her own personal experience with Depression during her husband’s first two deployments.

She wrote: “Why is it so hard for us to talk about things like [Depression? Why do military spouses in particular feel the need to hide it? I think it stems from many things. First, we are taught to be strong and to put on a can-do attitude right from the start. Then, when our spouses deploy, we’re often advised, ‘don’t bother him with problems back home.’ But mostly, I think, we hide it because we fear being labeled a military wife failure.”

“This column was definitely the most difficult to write,” confesses Smiley. “It’s not easy to bare your soul to a few million readers and strangers. But I’m glad I did it, and the response has made it all worth it.”

Every day, hundreds of military spouses go to Smiley’s Shore Duty site for encouragement and a realistic dose of what life in the military is really like. She hopes that with the exposure of her own struggle with Depression, wives who visit the site will feel encouraged….and relieved.

“There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re ‘the only one,’” says Smiley. “But what’s worse than that? Feeling like you’re the only one AND everyone else is doing fantastic! It’s nice to know that others have ‘been there, done that.’”

“And trust me,” she says, “I have!”

For information about antidepressant drug list, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantdruglist/

“FIGHTING THE DEPRESSION DEMON” VALDA WELLS’ AUDIOBOOK NOW AVAILABLE

2007-07-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Valda Wells, inprint4all
valda@panix.com
Purchase: Fighting the Depression Demon audiobook
www.Drive2Learn.com
(self-help category)
No Kill Date

“FIGHTING THE DEPRESSION DEMON”
VALDA WELLS’ AUDIOBOOK NOW AVAILABLE

New York City, September 3, 2002 —Valda Wells is one of the pioneer authors in an exciting new series of audiobooks, currently available on CDs, that is geared to making use of your captive presence in traffic jams while commuting, thus turning your potential frustration and rage into a successful learning and self-improvement experience. Ms Wells’ CD (like each one in the series) is priced at $4.95 – which includes a companion interactive website so you need not take any notes while driving.

Ms Wells is the author of the script and the website, but the voice you’ll hear is that of Don Wescott. He is one of the highly experienced professional narrators who have recorded these audiobooks so that the presentations will be of consistently top quality.

You’ll discover, while stuck in traffic, the causes of your depression and ways to get rid of them by following the easy step-by-step techniques presented. In the context of several specific situations – not having enough money, the loss of your job, the loss of a person or pet, and feeling unloved – you’ll learn ways to beat your depression and actually turn those situations around at the same time. You can influence and even sometimes control what happens to you. You’ll learn how YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

The website not only “takes notes” for you so you can safely drive, it adds lots more information plus the opportunity to ask questions and get answers, and it will be added to and updated regularly. You can use it as a study guide and workbook. You will find that the techniques given can be applied to almost any challenge or problem you may face – not just to depression. Valda Wells’ first rave review is from Drive2Learn itself: “We here at Drive2Learn absolutely love this CD. It is superbly written...”

Valda Wells, a partner in inprint4all, will be at the Southern Book Festival at the Nonetheless Press exhibit and will have her CDs there. Ms Wells’ partner, Donald McKay will have the first copies of his new book, Domo 17, there also.

Ordering FIGHTING THE DEPRESSION DEMON is easy. It is listed in the “Self-Help” category. But, take a look at all the titles that are available, or will be soon, and see what special bargains exist. Go to the website: www.Drive2Learn.com and follow the links and instructions. They accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express. Shipping is by USPS, First Class, unless you are in a greater hurry!

To order FIGHTING THE DEPRESSION DEMON: www.Drive2Learn.com
Special Offer: Buy 4 audiobooks (any titles), $4.95 each, and get a 5th one free
First Time Buyers also receive a free CD: “All About Drive2Learn”
Contact Valda Wells: valda@panix.com

For information about antidepressant drug facts, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantdrugfacts/

New MySelfHelp.com Symptom Selector Feature Helps Subscribers with Symptoms of Depression

2007-07-19T13:12:00.000-04:00

December 17 2003--MySelfHelp.com has implemented a new Symptom Selector section in its Defeating Depression program that provides immediate help for subscribers experiencing difficulty with specific symptoms.

“Each person who suffers from depression experiences his or her own unique set of symptoms,” said Richard Bedrosian, Ph.D., president of MySelfHelp.com. “Moreover, depression often goes hand in hand with other mental health problems, such as anxiety disorders, addictions, and eating disorders. As a result, each person may need to focus on different symptoms and issues in order to begin to feel better.”

While many subscribers work through the Defeating Depression program based on a predetermined path outlined in the program tutorial or by the subscriber’s therapist, the Symptom Selector provides an alternative method of addressing and relieving symptoms that are causing a great deal of difficulty for the subscriber.

Symptoms covered in this section include painful emotions (such as sadness, irritability, anger, etc.); problems with sleep, appetite, or eating; problems with energy, boredom, or motivation; loss of sexual interest; difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions; and problems with self-confidence or self-esteem.

About MySelfHelp.com

As the world’s premier site for online self-help resources, MySelfHelp.com consists of a growing family of highly interactive, easy-to-use programs featuring user-customizable exercises, tools, and resources designed to speed recovery and promote well being.

In addition to the existing Defeating Depression and Stop Binge Eating programs, MySelfHelp.com has a number of other programs in development. These include Hope for HIV and Depression, Como Derrotar a la Depresión (Latino Depression Program), Take Control of Bulimia, Grief: Moving Ahead, Overcoming Guilt and Shame Issues, and Battling Substance Abuse. MySelfHelp.com is also developing a program for Consumers, under the direction of Consumerism Expert Susan Wornick of ABC, Channel 5. Healthcare professionals and individuals who would like to be notified when new programs are available can go to the MySelfHelp.com website and click on the New Product Releases button.

MySelfHelp.com is funded and supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and staffed by a team of highly experienced and reputable health care professionals and other experts who are devoted to helping people improve the quality of their lives.

For information about antidepressant drug comparison, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantdrugcomparison/

The Secret to a Happy Life

2007-07-18T14:12:00.000-04:00

There seems to be an epidemic these days of depression. Everyone I talk to, it is experiencing some degree of depression. As I wonder about the cause of this twenty-first century
phenomenon, I think of my great grandmother who raised my dad in the back woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan during the Great Depression.

She had a hard life raising twelve children and two grandchildren, seeing two die as toddlers as well as two as adults with cancer. She supported her sick husband who was twenty-two years older than she was. She struggled through the great depression, yet (according to those who knew her best) she was never depressed a day in her life! Why? Maybe because she was too busy just surviving to stop and think about feeling sad.

She came to this country from Holland as a child. She married at the age of 13. Her parents went back to Holland without telling their children. She fed her family by raising animals and a large garden, in addition to taking in boarders and caring for the elderly and sick. She sold her homebaked goods and ran the local post office. She entertained traveling preachers and live-in teachers.
She cooked on a woodstove in a house that was so cold the water in the tea
kettle would freeze during the night if she didn't get up and stoke the fire.
She could see the snow outside through the cracks in the walls. She had no
phone, no electricity, no running water, no shower, bathtub or indoor toilet!
There was no television to watch as she relaxed in the evenings. In fact, she didn't relax in the evenings. That's when she sewed the family's clothes. To listen to the radio, her family had to walk half a mile to the nearest neighbor's house. She was up
before anyone else in the morning and she was the last to go to bed at night.

Her children were the only ones in school who had real meat to eat and didn't have to take lard sandwiches in their lunches. Her kids had shoes to wear when the neighbors didn't, but they put cardboard inside those shoes to cover the holes in the soles. Though they lived in a tar paper shack, they were better off than most of the folks they knew. When beggars came to grandma's door, she
would always give them a meal and a dime, though a dime was a lot of money in
those days. She and her children rarely took baths. To do so, they had to pump
the water from the well, heat it on the stove, and fill the metal tub in the
kitchen by the fire. They never went to a doctor when they got sick. They
couldn't afford such a luxury. And in those days, there was not a whole lot
that doctors could do for them anyway. (Modern medicine has come a long way in
the last 70 years). This may sound like a story from Laura Ingalls Wilder books about the 1800's, but I'm talking about the 1930's!

My great grandma and her family rarely drove the 13 miles into town because gas was
too expensive and they couldn't all fit into the car anyway. When they did
go to town, they had to change flat tires every few miles and in the winter
they froze with no heat in the car and frequently got stuck in the snow even
though they had put chains on the tires. As a newlywed, when my
grandmother moved to her new home with her new husband, she packed all her
belongings into a horse-drawn wagon. As they drove away from her parents' home,
she said "I forgot to bring a broom." Her husband replied, "The house we'll be
living in has a dirt floor, so you won't need a broom."

This was my grandmother's life. How many of us could live like that and still
be happy? Maybe part of the reason she could be happy was that she did not have the high expectations that we have these days. She expected to lose children to death. She expected to have to work hard and not have much to show for it. She accepted whatever happened and kept going, taking each day as it came. Maybe our problem is that we cannot accept hardship when it comes because we expect our lives to be better and easier than they sometimes are.

When I compare my life to my great grandmothers, I realize that we are very fortunate to have all the good things we enjoy in our
lives. Let's count our blessings and be thankful!

During this joyous season, when we celebrate the fact that God loved us each so
much that He was willing to give up his only son to die in our place, we can be
very thankful for THAT and for many many other blessings.

Question of the Day: How many blessings can you count in your life that you
are grateful for?

Marsha Jordan, Director
HUGS AND HOPE FOUNDATION
A ministry designed to share God's Word
and His love with families of critically ill children
http://www.hugsandhope.com

Join Us! Together we can make a difference

Marsha is a disabled grandma who lives in northern Wisconsin with her husband and toy poodle, Louie. She founded a nonprofit organization to help sick children called The Hugs and Hope Club. She enjoys collecting antiques and having fun with her grandson

For information about discontinuing antidepressants,visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantdiscontinue/

Recovering from ADD/ADHD, Stroke, and Depression Without Drugs

2007-07-17T07:35:00.000-04:00

March 31, 2004 -- Neurofeedback has been used successfully to improve brain function after brain injury, stroke, and in ADD/ADHD and depression for more than 15 years. Neurofeedback is a scientific technique for measuring and modifying brain performance that has moved into the clinical setting to provide fast and lasting relief. Tune in to the show “On the Path to Health, Your Mind Is Key” at 5:00 PM PST on Thursday, April 1, 2004 through the website www.MindIsKey.com to hear the discussion: “Retraining the Brain: Neurofeedback for ADD/ADHD, Brain Injuries, Stroke, Depression, and other Biological Brain Disorders” with Corydon Hammond, Ph.D.

Neurofeedback is a special kind of biofeedback using an electro-encephalograph (EEG) to display the brain’s functioning. This information is presented to the patient graphically in real time to allow the person to learn to control the brain more effectively.
In the case of ADD/ADHD, the person has limited ability to concentrate. On an EEG, the brain waves are similar to those of a normal person who is daydreaming. To train such a person, a variation of a computer game is created, where the motion of an object, such as an airplane, is controlled by brain waves. The patient sits in front a monitor, “flying” the plane to avoid obstacles and the ground. The patient is learning to control the brain waves that provide concentration while having fun. The result is that the patient learns to concentrate the attention where it will do the most good.

In the case of depression, there are characteristic brain wave patterns. With neurofeedback, those patterns can be replaced by ones characteristic of normal mental behavior without drugs and without talk therapy.

Cory Hammond is the immediate Past President of the International Society for Neuronal Regulation (ISNR), the Past President and a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and the past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the ASCH Education and Research Foundation. He is a full Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and a Psychologist at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Dr. Hammond has published 57 journal articles or reviews, 40 chapters, numerous sections in books, and 8 books, including a leading textbook, Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions & Metaphors.

Many common problems in our society are the result of poor performance of the brain. Dr. Corydon Hammond will discuss how neurofeedback can be used to re-train the brain to function normally in many situations on the webcast talk show “On the Path to Health, Your Mind Is Key”.

For additional information about ISNR, see www.isnr.org.

Recordings of previous shows can be heard at the website, www.MindIsKey.com. A wide range of topics are available, such as the successful resolution of allergies, asthma, and a remarkable, non-drug treatment for AIDS and hepatitis.

About Your Mind Is Key
The company Your Mind Is Key is dedicated to the idea that knowledge and behavior work together to provide health. The treatments provided by Your Mind Is Key help a person to release compulsions and become free of fears and angers that weaken the body and lead to behaviors that adversely impact health.

Contact Information:
Horace Simmons
Your Mind Is Key
310-493-0017
http://www.MindIsKey.com

For information on antidepressant dangers, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantdangers/

MySelfHelp.com Introduces Revolutionary Online Program for Depression: Interactive Self-Help Program Available 24 Hours a Day

2007-07-16T08:56:00.000-04:00

November 19, 2003 Northborough, MA-- After almost eight years in development, the MySelfHelp.com Defeating Depression program is now available to the public. Defeating Depression – the latest product in MySelfHelp.com’s family of interactive, online self-help programs – joins the Stop Binge Eating program, which was introduced in July.

Depression is a complex disorder, one that is influenced by numerous factors and manifests itself in very different ways in different individuals. The Defeating Depression program provides information, tools, and exercises that address the wide range of symptoms and issues that are associated with depression. The exercises in the program enable subscribers to overcome misconceptions about depression, identify and change distorted thoughts and beliefs; interrupt negative cycles of thinking and behavior, utilize self-monitoring and behavioral exercises, work on guilt and shame issues, improve self esteem, learn a variety of self-soothing techniques; create and implement a recovery plan; and prevent a relapse. The program is updated on a daily basis to provide subscribers with the latest information, new and enhanced products, and user feedback.

“Our programs are designed to improve the effectiveness of clinical therapy by providing accurate, supporting medical information, exercises, and learning activities,” said Richard Bedrosian, Ph.D., president and founder of MySelfHelp.com. “These programs establish a sense of community among subscribers while ensuring privacy and confidentiality by allowing subscribers to remain anonymous.”

Research Shows Computer-based Programs Enhance Treatment
and Speed Recovery for Depression and Related Illnesses

The prevalence of managed care and major cost-cutting measures adopted by insurance companies pose tremendous challenges to healthcare professionals trying to provide effective, ongoing treatment for patients suffering from mental illness. With limited coverage for therapy sessions and outpatient and inpatient treatment, however, patients do not always receive the level or continuum of care required to effectively treat these disorders.

More and more evidence is accumulating that the use of self-help tools, and particularly computer-assisted programs, can help to improve the outcome of treatments for mental health problems. The use of interactive self-help programs positively reinforces treatment goals by providing continuous support in between sessions – thus hastening recovery.

Interactive programs can offer more powerful learning experiences than self-help books, and they can produce attitude change that in turn can trigger improved treatment outcomes. MySelfHelp.com has conducted research which examines the impact of interactive self-help programs. A controlled study performed in 2001 by F. Antonio Pradas, Ph.D., concluded that self-help computer-based programs were preferred over self-help books. The interactivity and ability to customize programs were better received and rated as more effective by participants in the study.

These types of findings prompted Richard Bedrosian, Ph.D., to develop online Internet-based programs for people suffering from depression, eating disorders, and related illnesses. Bedrosian spent nearly eight years researching and developing these programs with the help of a network of mental health professionals. In addition to maintaining his clinical practice and teaching at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Bedrosian founded MySelfHelp.com, the first company to develop online, interactive, self-help programs for people suffering from depression, eating disorders, and related illnesses. The programs are funded and supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). To date, MySelfHelp.com has received over $1.8 million in research grants and contracts from NIMH. Most recently, the company also received a grant from the National Institute on Aging to develop a self-help program for bereavement.

In addition to the studies already completed, MySelfHelp.com is in the midst of conducting an outcome study which examines whether use of the Defeating Depression enhances outcomes for people who are receiving “treatment as usual” for depression. A similar study will be done with the Spanish-language version of the depression program, currently under development.

Other Online Programs on the Horizon

In addition to the Defeating Depression and Stop Binge Eating programs, MySelfHelp.com has a number of other programs in development. These include Hope for HIV and Depression, Como Derrotar a la Depresión (Latino Depression Program), Beating Bulimia, Grief: Moving Ahead, Overcoming Guilt and Shame Issues, and Battling Substance Abuse. MySelfHelp.com is also developing a program for Consumers, under the direction of Consumerism Expert Susan Wornick of ABC, Channel 5. Healthcare professionals and individuals who would like to be notified when new programs are available can go to the MySelfHelp.com website and click on the New Product Releases button.
Free Self-Help Newsletter

MySelfHelp.com also offers a free online self-help newsletter which includes inspirational stories, self-help tips, useful information, and advice. Anyone interested in subscribing can go to MySelfHelp.com and sign up, or send an email to info@MySelfHelp.com and request a newsletter. As a public service, the company also provides up-to-date research articles on their public website, along with links to other mental health-related sites.

About MySelfHelp.com

As the world’s premier site for online self-help resources, MySelfHelp.com consists of a growing family of highly interactive, easy-to-use programs featuring user-customizable exercises, tools, and resources designed to speed recovery and promote well being.

MySelfHelp.com is funded and supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and staffed by a team of highly experienced and reputable health care professionals and other experts who are devoted to helping people improve the quality of their lives.

For information about comparing antidepressants, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantcomparison/

DEPRESSION BECOMES YOU

2007-07-15T13:13:00.000-04:00

DEPRESSION BECOMES YOU

Have you ever overheard people talking about couples that have been married for a very long time? One of things often said is how a couple will begin to look alike over time. How and why do you think this occurs?

This phenomenon parallels a tea bag being steeped in clear water. After a while the water takes on the color and characteristics of the contents of the tea bag.

This is what happens with couples. They are both, at the same time, the "clear water" AND the tea bag -- Each saturating the other with ideas, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, food choices and so forth. After a while there is a melting pot effect where they each more resemble the other, and this is so powerful that couples eventually begin to look alike. Powerful, eh?

Now, having a relationship with depression can be scarily the same. The depression tea bag will steep itself deeply in your life at least one time. Normally you will be able to take out the depression tea bag by adding new coping skills and continually diluting the mixture back to its original quality. "Clear water" is who you really are at your core. You have a base set of qualities that make up both your personality and what is most important in your life. It's your essence!

We all know that some teas are stronger than others. The depression tea bag is a strong, biggie-sized tea bag! It can powerfully impact your life, saturating you completely until you forget who you are. Depression becomes you!

When this happens you take on all the characteristics of depression, leaving much of who you are behind. How you walk will reflect depression. Your tone will reflect depression. Your moods will reflect depression. Your posture will mirror depression and so on.

It's been said that some people look at life through rose- colored lenses. When you become chronically depressed you look at life through ash-colored lenses. It taints how you see everything in your life.

To lend an example... I walked out into the waiting room to greet a new client. I extended my hand and introduced myself. The gentleman replied with, "Hello, I'm Mr. Depression!" In all fairness, he said this in a funny manner. We each had a chuckle, but it gave me automatic insight into how deeply depression had sunk into this young man. We'll call him John.

By the end of our initial session I was talking with John about how is life might be different if (listen closely here) he was a man "under attack from depression" vs. a man who "is depression." Do you see the incredible difference here?

If I AM DEPRESSION... if that's who I am, how in the world can I change WHO I AM? John immediately saw how he had over-identified with depression. He had lost his identity. This took about two years. His insight was a huge first step in putting distance between himself and depression.

In later sessions we had some fun. I had him create a name for the depression problem. Then he completed a biography statement of the depression problem, including traits, goals, dominant feelings etc. In a following session he brought a picture to represent the depression problem, introduced the problem to me by name and taught me about the problem using the mini-biography form I had given him.

This added great distance between him and depression. We didn't stop there. His next task was to complete an exercise in re-acquainting himself with who he was at his core (outside of depression).

This was a powerful exercise having to do with death and what was most important to him as he imagined that he was in his final days here on Earth. Although a painful exercise, it is a direct path to the heart, making it very powerful.

And once you strip away all the clutter in your life, the heart holds the truth about what is most dear to you --

Your CLEAR WATER!

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW is an author, university faculty member, success coach and veteran psychotherapist whose passion is guiding others to their own success in life. For weekly doses of the webs HOTTEST success tips, sign up for Dave's powerful “Feeling Great!” ezine at www.Overcoming-Depression.com \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

For information about antidepressant combinations, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantcombinations/

TOXINS LINKED TO DEPRESSION

2007-07-14T16:56:00.000-04:00

Depression is a growing problem across America. Some reports state that 17.5 million Americans suffer from depression and the statistics on teen depression are even more sobering.

According to one Surgeon General’s report one in ten children may have a serious emotional problem People with severe depression have a reported suicide rate as high as 15%, making it potentially the number one cause of suicide in the United States.

Americans end up spending billions of dollars on ineffectual and harmful pharmaceuticals to handle depression. Researchers are finding evidence that the cause may be the increasing chemical build-up in our bodies.

The University Pathology Consortium, a not-for-profit academic consortium founded and owned by medical school departments of 6 leading Universities including Stanford, recently attributed some of the symptoms of depression to the effects of medication, drug abuse and exposure to toxins.

“Environmental toxins have increased so much over the last 50 years and are now found in everything from grit on the ground to the make up a woman uses to powder her nose,” says Dr Harry Wong, the Director of Alternative Medicine at the Physicians Plus Medical Group in the San Francisco Bay area.

“Pesticides, toxic mold and harsh chemicals have all become prevalent in our country and toxic chemicals are used in our homes.”

Dr. Wong and his colleagues follow the latest research and treat their patients complaining of depression by looking for underlying reasons, like toxic overload in the system. Even common pesticides used in homes and lawns are now being shown to accelerate aging of the immune and nervous system resulting in serious health problems years after exposure.

“We often see patients who have feelings of depression and one of the first things we suspect is an environmental influence.”

Wong recommends a program based on the book Clear Body, Clear Mind by L. Ron Hubbard, which covers his extensive research into the effects of toxic build up on physical and mental conditions.

“Clear Body, Clear Mind” outlines a simple and effective program to purify the body of past build up of toxins and chemicals. While the book makes o medical claims it outlines a simple yet effective procedure to reduce the toxic build up in the body Over 250 000 people worldwide have completed the program based on the book.

“We routinely see a marked improvement in our patients who do this program,” says Dr Wong. “They think more clearly, have more energy and they are definitely happier.”

Ends.

Sally Falkow is a freelance writer who specializes in alternative health care issues.

www.falkowinc.com
sally@falkowinc.com

For information about antidepressant brain mechanism, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantbrainmechanism/

Treatment of Major Depression

2007-07-13T10:08:00.000-04:00

September 19, 2004 -- The first and most critical decision the therapist must make is whether to hospitalize a patient with major depression, or to attempt outpatient treatment. Clear indications for hospitalization are: (1) risk of suicide or homicide, (2) grossly reduced ability to care for food, shelter, and clothing, and (3) the need for medical diagnostic procedures. A patient with mild to moderate depression may be safely treated in the office if the therapist evaluates the patient frequently. The patient's support system should be strengthened and involved in treatment whenever possible.

Antidepressants
Studies have show that antidepressant therapy for major depression can dramatically reduce suicide rates and hospitalization rates. Unfortunately, very few suicide victims receive antidepressants in adequate doses, and - even worse - most receive no treatment for depression whatsoever.

One of the biggest problems with antidepressant therapy is that most patients don't stay on their antidepressant medication long enough for it to be effective. A recent study found that only 25% of patients started on antidepressants by their family physician stayed on it longer than one month. Antidepressant therapy usually takes 2-4 weeks before any significant improvement appears (and 2-6 months before maximal improvement appears).

First Line Antidepressants
The SSRI antidepressants, escitalopram (Lexapro), Fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox), or sertraline (Zoloft), are considered excellent choices as the patient's first antidepressant because of their low incidence of side-effects (especially weight gain) and their low lethality if taken in an overdose. All SSRI antidepressants are equally effective.

Because many patients with major depression also suffer with intense anxiety, your doctor may also give you Fluvoxamine (Luvox) or lorazepam (Ativan) to reduce anxiety in mixed anxiety-depression.

Both Fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil) tend to be stimulating (elevate your mood); thus patients with mixed anxiety-depression can often dramatically benefit from the addition of clonazepam (Klonopin) to the Fluoxetine (Prozac) or paroxetine (Paxil) therapy.

Keep in mind, prescribing the right antidepressant is not an exact science. It may take some experimentation on the part of the doctor (make sure you're seeing a psychiatrist, a specialist in psychiatric medications) to find the right antidepressant and right dosage for you. Do not give up if everything doesn't come together right away.

SSRI antidepressants should be taken for 6 to 12 months. Antidepressant therapy should not be withdrawn before there have been 4 to 5 symptom-free months. Withdrawal from antidepressant therapy should be gradual. Never discontinue taking your medication without telling your doctor first. Suddenly stopping your medication could produce severe withdrawl symptoms and unwanted psychological effects, including a return of major depression.

Psychotherapy
In general, psychiatrists agree that severely depressed patients do best with a combination of antidepressant medications and psychotherapy. Medications relieve the symptoms of depression quickly, while psychotherapy can help the patient deal with the illness, easing some of the potential stresses that can trigger or exacerbate the illness.

Dynamic Psychotherapy
Dynamic Psychotherapy is based on the premise that human behavior is determined by one's past experience (particularly in childhood), genetic endowment and current life events. It recognizes the significant effects of emotions, unconscious conflicts and drives on human behavior.

Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy is based on the theory that disturbed social and personal relationships can cause or precipitate depression. The illness, in turn, may make these relationships more problematic. IPT helps the patient understand his or her illness and how depression and interpersonal issues are related.

There is some evidence in controlled studies that IPT as a single agent is effective in reducing symptoms in acutely depressed patients of mild to moderate severity.

The National Institute of Mental Health studied interpersonal therapy as one of the most promising types of psychotherapy. Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is a short-term psychotherapy, normally consisting of 12 to 16 weekly sessions. It was developed specifically for the treatment of major depression, and focuses on correcting current social dysfunction. Unlike psychoanalytic psychotherapy, it does not address unconscious phenomena, such as defense mechanisms or internal conflicts. Instead, interpersonal therapy focuses primarily on the "here-and-now" factors that directly interfere with social relationships.

Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy involves activity scheduling, self-control therapy, social skills training, and problem solving. Behavior therapy has been reported to be effective in the acute treatment of patients with mild to moderately severe depressions, especially when combined with pharmacotherapy.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
The cognitive approach to psychotherapy maintains that irrational beliefs and distorted attitudes toward the self, the environment and the future, perpetuate depressive affects and that these may be reversed through CBT.

There is some evidence that cognitive therapy reduces depressive symptoms during the acute phase of less severe forms of depression.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
ECT is primarily used for severely depressed patients who have not responded to antidepressant medicines, and who frequently have psychotic features, acute suicidality, or food refusal. It can also be used for patients who are severely depressed and have other chronic general medical illnesses which make taking antipsychotic medications difficult. Changes in the way ECT is delivered have made ECT a better tolerated treatment.
Importance of Continuation of Treatment

There is a period of time following the relief of symptoms during which discontinuation of the treatment would likely result in relapse. The NIMH Depression Collaboration Research Program found that four months of treatment with medication or cognitive behavioral and interpersonal psychotherapy is insufficient for most depressed patients to fully recover and enjoy lasting remission. Their 18-month follow-up after a course of treatment found relapses of between 33 and 50 percent of those initially responding to a short-term treatment.

The current available data on continuation of treatment indicate that patients treated for a first episode of uncomplicated depression who exhibit a satisfactory response to an antidepressant should continue to receive a full therapeutic dose of that medication for at least 6-12 months after achieving full remission. The first eight weeks after symptom resolution is a period of particularly high vulnerability to relapse. Patients with recurrent depression, dysthymia or other complicating features may require a more extended course of treatment.

In a 1998 article, in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry, entitled "Discontinuing Antidepressant Treatment in Major Depression, the authors concluded:

"The benefits of long-term antidepressant treatment in major depression and the risks of discontinuing medication at various times after clinical recovery from acute depression are not as well defined. Computerized searching found 27 studies with data on depression risk over time including a total of 3037 depressive patients treated for 5.78 (0-48) months and then followed for 16.6 (5-66) months with antidepressants continued or discontinued. Compared with patients whose antidepressants were discontinued, those with continued treatment showed much lower relapse rates (1.85 vs. 6.24%/month), longer time to 50% relapse (48.0 vs. 14.2 months), and lower 12-month relapse risk (19.5 vs. 44.8%) (all p < 0.001). However, longer prior treatment did not yield lower postdiscontinuation relapse risk, and differences in relapses off versus on antidepressants fell markedly with longer follow-up. Contrary to prediction, gradual discontinuation (dose-tapering or use of long-acting agents) did not yield lower relapse rates. Relapse risk was not associated with diagnostic criteria. More previous illness (particularly three or more prior episodes or a chronic course) was strongly associated with higher relapse risk after discontinuation of antidepressants but had no effect on response to continued treatment; patients with infrequent prior illness showed only minor relapse differences between drug and placebo treatment.

Refractory Depression
Refractory depression occurs in as many as 10 to 30 percent of depressive episodes, affecting nearly a million patients. Katherine A. Phillips, M.D. (a 1992 NARSAD Young Investigator) has found that failure to provide adequate doses of medication for sufficient periods of time is perhaps the most common cause of apparent treatment resistance. Once the clinician has determined that a patient is truly treatment-refractory, many treatment approaches can be tried.

Phillips recommends the following treatment strategies for refractory depression:
1. Augmentation with lithium, and perhaps other agents like liothyronine (T3 or L-triiodothyronine) (Cytomel). Trazodone may be worth trying either alone or in combination with Fluoxetine or tricyclics if other approaches have failed.
2. Combining antidepressants - supplementing the SSRI antidepressant with a tricyclic antidepressant. Several studies have shown a good response when Fluoxetine is added to tricyclics and when tricyclics are added to Fluoxetine. It is important to monitor tricyclic levels because Fluoxetine can raise tricyclic levels by 4- to 11- fold and thereby cause tricyclic toxicity.
3. Switching antidepressants - stop the first SSRI antidepressant gradually (over one week), then substitute another SSRI antidepressant or SNRI antidepressant (Effexor). Fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), or venlafaxine (Effexor) often are effective for Fluoxetine or paroxetine nonresponders (and visa versa).

Lexapro http://www.dental.am/drugstore/lexapro.php
Prozac http://www.dental.am/drugstore/prozac.php
Paxil http://www.dental.am/drugstore/paxil.php
Zoloft http://www.dental.am/drugstore/zoloft.php
Fluoxetine http://www.dental.am/drugstore/fluoxetine.php

source: http://www.dental.am/articles_more.php?id=3087_0_2_0_M

www.Dental.am - Top Health News consumer Web site offering health and medical information, news and self-improvement and disease management tools.

For information about antidepressant addiction, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/antidepressantaddiction/

Depressed? Wise Woman Ways Offer a Helping Hand

2007-07-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

Winter time is depression time for many women. Susun Weed gives Wise Woman wisdom on how to deal when depression strikes!
Winter time is depression time for many women. Perhaps it is harder to look at the bright side when days are short, perhaps the holidays and family demands take their toll on us. Of course, depression can also be triggered by lack of thyroid hormone and by use of steroids, high blood pressure drugs, and ERT/HRT.

But most often the cause of depression is the belief (valid or not) that nothing you do makes any difference. Victimization and poverty lock women into depression. More than one-third of all American women have been victims of sexual or physical abuse; and women make up more than two-thirds of all Americans who live below poverty level. Yet our culture frowns on women who express their anger. No wonder depression is a woman's issue.

"Look here," Grandmother Growth motions to you as she spreads her story blanket at your feet. "See how depression is deeply woven with anger and grief. When our need for reliable, joyous intimacy is frustrated, and expression of our frustration would endanger us, depression comes and protects us. When there is no way to deal effectively with situations that enrage us, depression comes and helps us quiet our violent impulses.

"Depression is not an easy companion on your journey, but she knows much about life. In her bundle, she carries the anger you have carefully frozen with frigid blasts of fear and kept nourished with your pain. She carries your wholeness. She carries your ability to go beyond the pain, your ability to allow your rage to move you into health. She carries your wholeness. Will you let her teach you?"

Wise Woman remedies don't seek to eliminate our feelings, or turn "negative" ones into "positive" ones, but to help us incorporate all of our feelings into our wholeness/health/holiness.

* Welcome the dark. Cherish the deepness. Give yourself over to a day or two of doing nothing. Then, get up, no matter how bad you feel. Set a goal for the day and meet it. Smile - it releases brain chemicals that make you feel good. Smile no matter what. Do it as an exercise. Hate it while you do it. But SMILE!

* Homeopathic remedies include Arum metallicum, for women with frequent thoughts of suicide who feel cut off from love and joy; and Sepia, for women who are disinterested in everything, angry at family and friends, and just want to be left alone.

* It's more than idle chatter that depression comes with gray skies and happiness with sunny ones. For emotional health (and strong bones) get 15 minutes of sunlight on your uncovered eyelids (outside, no glasses, no contacts) daily. If you can't get out (or if the sun doesn't cooperate), wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual. (You can stay in bed, but keep those eyes open.)

* Sing the blues; dance ‘em too. Women have depended on songs and dances to carry them out of depression for centuries. Dance therapy is more effective than talk therapy for reaching and healing traumatic experiences. Even a single session may have a dramatic effect.

* Find your rage and write it down. Get a massage and let the anger move out of the muscles. Volunteer to help change something you are upset about, even a small thing.

* St. Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) lives in very sunny locations and blooms at summer solstice. I call it bottled sunshine. A dropperful of the bright red tincture taken 1-3 times daily has helped many women relieve SAD (seasonal affective disorder), move through grief, ease the physical pain of depression, and walk on the sunny side! CAUTION: Hypericum in capsules is not as effective and can cause unwanted side effects.

* Oatstraw infusion (not tea, tincture, or capsules) has been an ally for depressed women since earliest times. Gentle Avena nourishes the nerves and helps you remember why life is worth living.

To make an infusion: Brew one ounce by weight of dried herb (that's a cup by volume) in a quart jar filled to the top with boiling water. Steep for at least four hours, then strain and refrigerate your infusion. Drink as many cups a day as you wish. Or make an oatstraw bath by adding two quarts of infusion to your bath water.

* Garden sage (Salvia) is an ancient ally for emotionally-distressed women. In some societies, only crones were allowed to drink the brew made from the nubbly leaves (at least partly because it delays menses and dries up breast milk). Make an infusion (see oatstraw); drink by mixing a few spoonfuls of the dense brew into hot water or warm milk; add honey to taste. The undiluted infusion keeps for weeks refrigerated.

* Behavioral and interpersonal therapies are as effective as drugs in relieving depression. Not only that, two-thirds of those who simply read about therapy improve significantly.

* Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, especially soon after awakening, has been shown to help women whose depression is resistant to all treatments, including drugs.

* Sleep less. If you are a woman who overproduces a normal depression-causing substance which accompanies sleep you will feel depressed and often find it difficult to wake up. Sleeping more will only compound the problem. Instead, stay up all night once a week. If you can't cope with no sleep, even mild sleep deprivation (such as sleeping five hours or less for two nights in a row) dramatically decreases depressive symptoms in some people.

* Low levels of calcium, zinc, and B vitamins are associated with depression. Get more by eating more cheese and yogurt, more garlic and mushrooms, more whole grains and beans.

* Lack of vitamin B12 doubles the risk of severe depression for older women. This critical nutrient, found only in animal products, is destroyed by tofu and soy beverage. Drink real milk, eat real cheese, eat meat at least occasionally and watch your mood improve :)

* 1600 mg of SAM-e (A-adenosylmethionine) relieved the symptoms of moderate depression as well as imipramine, but no better than Hypericum (St. J's wort). CAUTION: Of the brands tested by Consumer Reports, only Natrol, Nature Made, TwinLab, and GNC passed all tests.

* Avoid hormone replacement - ERT/HRT - if you're depressed; it's strongly associated with an increase in suicide attempts.

* Women who used to take lithium say they have gradually switched over to skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). A dose of infusion is one cup/250 ml or more per day; of fresh plant tincture is 5-8 drops twice a day; of the dried plant tincture is a dropperful/1 ml several times a day. CAUTION: Skullcap can make you sleepy.

* For women whose depression resists all other therapies, electro-convulsive treatments (ECT), previously known as shock treatments, have been updated with special care taken to minimize harm. The women I spoke with who were using ECT told me it was incredibly effective, and the side-effects, including severe memory loss, acceptable to them. From doing nothing, to ECT, the range of remedies available to depressed women is enormous. To help you choose wisely, these effective, simple Wise Woman remedies are in order of safety: the safest remedies first, and the most dangerous ones last.

This is a shortened version of the depression section in New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, available through www.ashtreepublishing.com or your favorite bookseller.

If you liked this article you will want to visit Susun Weed online at www.susunweed.com

About the Author

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health.

For information about anorexia and bulemia antidepressant, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/anorexiaandbulemiaantidepressant/

Facing Your Brain - Taking Control

2007-07-10T17:52:00.000-04:00

Charleston S.C., June 7, 2003 -- If you or someone you know or love suffers from depression, withdrawal or mental mbalance
the best way to beat any problem is to learn what it is, what it does and how to use that knowledge to overcome it.

Learn what memories are, what type of mental processing you have and how to use that knowledge to help yourself.

By examining the synapse, drugs that effect the synapse and what the drugs are really doing results in learning how to recover from withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping synaptic based medication.

Learn about the dynamic system of the brain and how you know that you know.

Facing Your Brain - Taking Control is published at http://www.enticypress.com .

For information about alternative treatments for depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/alternativetreatmentsfordepression/

Obese, Diabetic and Chronic Pain Patient Discovers Vitamin Which Eliminated His Depression and Anxiety - My Story

2007-07-09T11:11:00.000-04:00

September 6, 2004 -- Michael Hansen, 50, an obese diabetic who suffered major injuries from an auto accident years ago, has had chronic pain everyday. The pain was so severe he had to quit working 3 years ago. Depression and even anxiety were a daily battle. Michael started thinking about suicide in the last few months. The pain was wearing him down and he couldn't think or focus.

Michael had been selling vitamins online, but he had not yet ordered them for his own consumption. So, out of desperation, he ordered a bottle and tried them. The vitamins were ordered from the internet. The site is located at:

http://www.worlds-best-vitamins.com.

The vitamin is relatively new and the name of the product is, "The Greatest Vitamin In The World". Michael was amazed to discover by that evening, his depression and anxiety had disappeared. It has been several days and the depression or anxiety have not returned.

"I now believe that my depression was caused by some sort of nutritional deficiency. My body must have really needed those vitamins." Michael said.

It just goes to show that if you sell something, you should try the product.

"Needless to say, I am sold on the quality of this product and I am proud to be a distributor, Michael said."

"I'm not promising they will do the same for you, I am just telling my story and how I benefited from them."

The result was so startling I felt I had to tell others about it. I realized I was not eating right and being diabetic, I suppose that my moods were negatively impacted by improper diet and nutrition.

For information about agitated depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/agitateddepression/

Depression After Delivery (DAD) is a nonprofit, national postpartum depression education/support organization

2007-07-08T11:25:00.000-04:00

July 12, 2004, Raritan, NJ—The organization known as D.A.D. is asking for help.

Depression After Delivery Inc., a national nonprofit providing support, education, and referral to families at risk during ante- and postpartum depression and related illnesses, is seeking to strengthen partnerships and collaborations so as to reach its 20th anniversary next year and beyond.

Since its founding in 1985 by Nancy Berchtold, a Pennsylvania woman who experienced postpartum complications, it has helped thousands of families with ante- and postpartum depression/psychosis (PPD) that, if unrecognized or inadequately treated, can result in tragic outcomes.

D.A.D. offers a toll-free line, 1-800-944-4PPD, for families and professionals to obtain information. It offers parent packs with national volunteer phone support network and support group listings, a national professional referral registry, professional pack with screening tools as well as publications and an educational video.

D.A.D. first received attention more than a decade ago on the Phil Donahue show. Since then its volunteer board members have appeared on Geraldo, Oprah, Oxegen, Lifetime and other outlets as well as served as sources in Newsweek, Chicago Sun-Times, Parent, American Baby, and other publications. Its board members have authored books, journal articles, op-ed pieces, and other educational materials on the subject and served as expert legal consultants.

D.A.D. responds to more than 5,000 information/referral requests a year and has a family membership of more than 500. Its Web site, www.depressionafterdelivery.com, is an information clearinghouse for families and caregivers alike and receives more than 50,000 visitors a year.

Funding woes
Two years ago, two pharmaceutical companies provided $75,000 for fundraising seed money. D.A.D. paid $60,000 of those funds to a Florida fund development firm, which raised no funds. Currently the organization is seeking collaborative partnerships in order to survive, says Donna Cangialosi, the organization's only paid staff and part-time administrator. "We've invested so much in this organization it would be a shame to simply lock the door and walk away," she said.

Parents say the organization's mission is imperative. Katherine Stone, a D.A.D. member who wrote a personal account of postpartum depression in the June 7, 2004 Newsweek, agrees. "D.A.D. serves women all over the country by serving to provide sorely needed information on the various postpartum disorders that exist," says Stone of Fayetteville, Ga.

"When I went to see a therapist in desperate need of help, she told me about Depression After Delivery and thought I might find comfort with this group. I think it is an extremely important organization, and that every psychiatrist and obstetrician's office ought to know about it. The idea that D.A.D. might go away because of lack of funding is simply unacceptable."

D.A.D. president Joyce Venis says the organization's mission is unique because it directly serves families. "I am greatly saddened by D.A.D.'s current situation," said Venis, a health care practitioner in Princeton, N.J. "Having been with the organization for almost forever, I know its importance. It is so difficult to have trusted supposed professionals to raise funds for us who failed to do so. The money invested is a great loss, but even more so is the faith we put in these people. It is unconscionable for those of us who truly care."

Serving a great need
Testimonials on D.A.D.'s Web site, newsletter and news articles attest to the countless families who, through adequate education, support and treatment, experience positive outcomes. In worst cases severe PPD can be deadly—resulting in suicides and/or infanticides that shake society's soul.

In 2001, for example, five Chicago-area women reportedly committed suicide from postpartum depression/psychosis. One D.A.D. member, Carol Blocker, has led the fight to recognize the deadly consequences of the illness. Her daughter, Melanie Stokes, was a pharmaceutical sales manager and wife of a surgeon who leapt to her death three months after the birth of her first child. The Melanie Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act, introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill) (HR 846/S 450), has bipartisan support and awaits a full hearing that would help fund essential care and preventative/screening measures. If passed, the Mental Health Parity Act, introduced by the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), could also help families in postpartum crises.

Up to 80 percent of new mothers experience the "baby blues," a mild mood disorder that includes crying and feeling low and lasts a few days or weeks. Some 10 to 15 percent experience a mild to severe clinical depression, which may include insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, fears/obsessive behaviors, thoughts about hurting the baby/self or inability to care for self/baby. One or two in 1,000 new moms experience psychosis, a break from reality and a medical emergency.

For more information or to donate to the organization, visit www.depressionafterdelivery.com or contact Cangialosi at 1-800-944-4PPD.
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Sidebar: Postpartum Help for Fathers

Postpartum depression and related illness were recognized as a unique biological phenomenon in birth mothers as early as 400 A.D. by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, however, today's fathers and adoptive or foster parents can also be at risk.

The June 14, 2004 issue of Medical News Today reported that StatsCan Canadian Community Health Survey on Mental Health and Well Being found that men can also be vulnerable to depression during an exhaustive or stressful transition to parenthood. The article calls men's mental health in general a "sleeper issue" that is just beginning to receive attention (www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=9475). In addition, fathers, may have a need for support and information when their partners are undergoing PPD.

Depression After Delivery Inc. is a national nonprofit organization providing support, education, and referral to families at risk during ante- and postpartum depression and related illness. It offers a special web page for fathers at www.depressionafterdelivery.com. Fathers can request an info pack at 1-800-944-4PPD that includes a national volunteer phone network of fathers, mothers and others.

Fathers can find additional support at the Web site www.postpartumdads.org.
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Editor's note: For more information:
Donna Cangialosi, Administrator Depression After Delivery
908-541-9712; dadorg@earthlink.net
Joyce Venis, RNC, DAD President, 609-683-1000 or other board member through Cangialosi
Carol Blocker, Stokes Foundation, 312-225-1310
Katherine Stone, stonecallis@msn.com

For information about the age group of clinical depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/agegroupofclinicaldepression/

Depression – Cairns groundbreaking talk on using food for mood.

2007-07-07T11:58:00.000-04:00

April 5 2004--In an address to the Cairns Mental Health Association on March 23rd professional health writer and speaker Andrew Cavanagh explained the scientific basis for a comprehensive diet and lifestyle protocol to reverse depression.

Andrew Cavanagh writes a weekly health feature for regional newspapers called Health Watch. He is a member of the Australasian Medical Writers Association.

Mr Cavanagh is also the author of "From depression to glorious health in six steps", "One hour to glorious health and permanent weight loss" (both available for free download at www.glorioushealth.cjb.net) and a free eighteen part online course "Reversing all chronic disease" available by sending a blank email to glorioushealth@freeautobot.com.

The book "From depression to glorious health" outlines a comprehensive step by step approach using diet and lifestyle changes as the major therapies to reverse depression.

"Each of these approaches has good scientific or clinical evidence. Each has effectively treated patients with depression in the past.

"More exciting though is the combination of therapies. Often improving many key areas like diet, sleep, exercise and emotional health is far more effective than a single therapy.

"Recent studies have supported the idea of multiple therapies to treat depression. Like most diseases, several factors cause depression. So it makes sense to use several different therapies in your efforts to reverse depression.

"The book From depression to glorious health (free download at www.glorioushealth.cjb.net) outlines all the major areas of health including diet, exercise, sleep, hygiene and emotional health and describes how they relate to depression.

"More important the book is full of simple instructions and practical tips to improve these areas in your life."

Mr Cavanagh is now embarking on a speaking tour of Australia beginning in Sydney in late May. He is speaking to clubs, groups, associations and the increasingly health conscious corporate market.

"Several studies have found depression costs business more in lost productivity than any other disease. The costs average out at approximately A$772 every year for every employee in a company.

"A company with 150 employees could be losing over $100,000 every year to depression.

"The solution can be quite simple. We have enough knowledge now to formulate a diet and lifestyle approach anyone can use."

For a limited time you can download a free copy of From depression to glorious health at www.glorioushealth.cjb.net.

For the breakthrough free diet and lifestyle course reversing all chronic disease and guaranteeing weight loss - 18 Free information packed lessons by email - send a blank email to glorioushealth@freeautobot.com.

To book Andrew Cavanagh for his Food 4 Mood talk for organizations or Healthy people make healthy profits seminar – turn your huge hidden health costs into huge healthy profits, email Andrew Cavanagh's office: andrewcavanagh1@bigpond.com.au He will be in Sydney after May 20th, 2004. Dates are limited.

For information about adolescent depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/adolescentdepression/

Postpartum Depression

2007-07-06T11:04:00.000-04:00

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
by Rexanne Mancini

The case against Andrea Yates, accused of drowning her five young children, is disturbing and horrible. Despite what you may think of Andrea Yates or the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of her children, her postpartum depression (PPD) defense will either serve to enlighten more people to the devastating affects of PPD or throw the study of this very real mental illness into the dark ages. While many doctors and psychologists have made great strides in understanding PPD and helping its victims, these same doctors and mental health professionals worry that bad publicity and ridicule could destroy PPD’s credibility and their efforts at gaining more funding and study of this disease.

For some women, PPD can be a nightmare. While her family and friends expect her to be joyous and elated over the birth of her child, a woman can be sinking into the darkest corners of despair, unable to cope with an infant, the biological changes surging through her body and the severe depression overwhelming her brain. As joyously anticipated as the birth of her baby was, a postpartum woman can become riddled with severe anxiety over her ability to care for her newborn, her self-esteem can plummet and her brain’s chemical changes can produce intolerable levels of panic. This is no one’s “fault.” It is a condition that can strike even the ordinarily soundest individual.

PPD is classified as a mental illness. Only a non-professional would categorize it as a character flaw or weakness. PPD is real, at times to the point of severe psychosis and should be treated as soon as the new mother begins to feel any mental or emotional changes that could affect her ability to care for her newborn. Even though some women will refuse to believe PPD is happening to them, her family, friends and especially her husband must be alert to the possibility of this condition. While you, I and most women we know might have breezed through the first year after the birth of our children with only occasional surges of panic or moments of near collapse, a significant percentage of women suffer more serious PPD. Only one percent succumb to actual psychosis leading to the tragic harm or death of babies and sometimes themselves. The greatest threat is denial of their symptoms.

Early identification and treatment of PPD are the keys to successful therapy. If you or a new mother you know is suffering from even the slightest feelings of depression, anxiety or inadequacy, seek immediate help. The birth doctor will be able to identify the severity of symptoms and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Copyright – 2002 – Rexanne Mancini

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com – http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne’s Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For information about ADHD and depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/adhdanddepression/

PROVEN NEW APPROACH HELPS PEOPLE IMMOBILIZED BY DEPRESSION ENJOY THEIR LIVES AGAIN

2007-07-05T10:26:00.000-04:00

PROVEN NEW APPROACH HELPS PEOPLE IMMOBILIZED BY DEPRESSION ENJOY THEIR LIVES AGAIN

PHOENIX RISING: 12 GOLDEN KEYS TO UNLOCK YOUR DEPRESSION provides an innovative 12-step recovery program that's said to be "The Best Book Ever Written on Depression!"

About 10% of the US population is depressed at any given moment. Depression affects the way an individual thinks, feels, and interacts with others and robs the sufferer from normal everyday pleasures.

Many people suffering from depression will not seek help. They feel helpless and hopeless. Friends and family members often cannot even begin to understand what a depressed individual is actually going through.

Anthony J. Schwarz, the author of Phoenix Rising:12 Golden Keys to Unlock Your Depression (ISBN 0-9708747-0-7) was one of those individuals suffering from depression. It was a form of depression known as Bi-polar, a form of depression that is followed by episodes of mania, or "drug-less" highs. Tony spent years studying, tracking and recording his own mental roller coaster ride so he could better describe to other sufferers and their families what it would take to rise out of severe depression. After years of research, experimenting with various medications and involvement with many self-help groups, Tony took control of his own life by developing and applying the "12 Golden Keys". His legacy is a gift to those in need of help

Written in easy-to-understand terms, Phoenix Rising provides valuable insights that not only helps the sufferer, but also helps friends and family learn more by hearing first hand the conflict, guilt, and helplessness one with depression experiences. But by combining spiritual principles with the 12-step model for chemical dependency (first founded by Alcoholics Anonymous) and merging these practices with holistic health habits, the book introduces the reader to a unique and fresh new approach to dealing with depression.

The reader also learns about what to change (eating, exercise, and attitude) and what not to change (religious beliefs, significant relationships, and jobs). The book is written in simple, non-technical terms from a depressive s viewpoint and promises to be a first of its kind.

After reading Phoenix Rising, reader Bill Butler's response was "it is wonderful to have someone who has been there to talk to me as opposed to examining my depression like I m a rat in a cage. Very refreshing."

Media Questions Call for review copies, media kits, interview and additional information. Call us at 877-594-9076

Ordering information: You may obtain this new 184-page book from bookstores as well as directly from the publisher for $15.95 plus $4.50 for shipping and handling. Just call our ordering department at 888-934-7755. Or visit our website: http://www.tpgpub.com. Satisfaction is guaranteed.

Phoenix Rising: 12 Golden Keys to Unlock Your Depression by Anthony J. Schwarz. New release, softcover, 6 x 9, 184 pages, four-color cover. ISBN 0-9708747-0-7, $15.95.

For information about acupuncture and depresson, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/acupunctureanddepression/

Depression and Disability, the Real Reality

2007-07-04T12:07:00.000-04:00

New York - New York, USA February 27, 2004 Calgary - AB, Canada -- For those of us that have been hit by a disability we understand the loss of freedom, the loss of independence, the loss of what we use to do and the reality of what we can do now. For most of us it causes a depression second to nothing we have ever experienced.

There seems to be a stigma attached to someone with a disability. Llano Gorman knows this far to well. Mr Gorman had a major accident when he was thirty years old. He was on a ladder, the ladder broke he crashed down breaking his tibia, fibula causing a spiral fracture and blowing out his ankle. Gorman at that time had an active family life with three great kids (all below the age of ten) and an understanding wife. This accident caused depression not just in him but his whole family. Gorman puts it this way … "you never think this could ever happen to you, in a split second your life changes. You find out who you are, and what you are made of."

Some of the depression came from having to walk with a cane. Gorman was an accomplished athlete, Football, Soccer, Archery, and even Martial Arts. He wanted his kids to be in that world. This tore him apart. Due to the injury, Gorman's right ankle has been fused and he walks with the aid of a special support in his boot. He didn't want to use a cane, but his doctor warned him of the consequences.
"My doctor said hip surgery would be next if I didn't start using a cane," Gorman recalls. "Walking unaided when a cane is medically warranted can prolong an injury, and in some cases, make the injury worse."

In the mist of all the depression, the pain and the loss, Gorman came up with an idea that would help his family and himself. It would even make him feel that he was helping others deal with their injury. Llano hated using his cane because it was so... Medical. He saw an instant opportunity. He set up a Web site, CanesCanada.com ™, and began sourcing, importing and selling a wide variety of canes and walking sticks. And don't simply think of a cane as a wooden stick with a crook for a handle. He has sticks that convert to Fishing Rods, Pool Que, Elegant Silver Canes, Canes with stones. You name it.. he just might have it.

Llano still has his times of Depression, however he has regained his life. He is moving forward. His Company is now two years old and he thinks it just might make a profit next year. If you wish to visit with him you can find him on the net www.canescanada.com or you can phone him toll free at 1-866-217-8091. One of his favourite sayings is "Walk with a Smile, and Walk with Style.™" His family is growing up and things are moving along. Far better than when he almost took his life.

Depression and Disability is a reality, however we can all learn a lesson. Helping others can help you take your eyes off of your disability and your depression. It will also make you some great new friends and help you regain your dignity and your life.

For information about Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Depression, visit
http://yourdepressioninfo.com/3aciddepressionfattyomega/

Are You Depressed?

2007-07-03T17:53:00.000-04:00

New look at causes of depression in women. New ideas for solutions.
Q: Why are women more depressed than men? A: Because they have to live with men.

It's an old joke in the battle of the sexes, but women do get diagnosed with depression more than men do.

Depression is reaching epidemic proportions, in the US and elsewhere. Are more women depressed than men? Or are women just more likely to seek treatment, while men "act out" the depression with anti-social behavior, alcohol and drugs?

New research by Turham Canli, Stanford University, suggests that estrogen may play a role in predisposing to depression.

He showed photographs to men and women, some of them emotionally neutral objects (a fire hydrant) and others emotionally disturbing (severed hand). Three weeks later when he retested the subjects, the women were 15% more likely to remember the disturbing pictures.

Brain scans were done by fMRI which shows the actual activity of the brain as emotions are processed. It appears that women store both the memory and the emotion linked with it in the same parts of the brain. Men, on the other hand, while they use the same brain regions, store the memory in one area, and the emotion in another.

At the same time, environmental factors also play a role. Men are taught to stuff it down and be "manly," while girls are expected to be "more emotional," expressing their feelings openly.

The researchers leaped from this female way of remembering to depression. If that makes sense to you, learning emotional intelligence and optimism might help. Thirty years of research shows that optimists achieve more, are better motivated, have elevated mood and well-being, and perform better, and it can be learned. Learning how to "manage" those emotions that are stored with the memory would seem to indicated!

About the Author

Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here.

For information about depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com.

5 Tips to Reduce Depression

2007-07-02T15:10:00.000-04:00

Living With Depression

2007-07-01T09:55:00.000-04:00

Andrea Yates shocked the nation when she admitted to systematically drowning her five children in their Texas home. This 36-year-old mother had previously been diagnosed with depression and consequently was prescribed antidepressants. Depression is an ancient and prevalent mental condition that has been referenced throughout history in song, poetry and literature. In a depressed state one feels hopeless and experiences an overwhelming sense of despair. Depression immobilizes a person; they lack both the desire and the energy to carry on their usual activities. It afflicts men and women, rich and poor, young and old alike.

According to the November 1993 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, more than one hundred million people throughout the world suffer from depression. Each year, more people seek relief from this disabling mental condition than any medical disease, including the common cold. In 1990 the cost of depression exceeded $43 billion in the United States alone. The economic toll is staggering and includes medical treatment, lost work-time, and depression-related suicide.

Why are some people more susceptible to depression than others? Hippocrates, the father of medicine, theorized that we are born into one of four primary temperament styles and that each style has it's own unique outlook on life; Choleric (aggressive), Sanguine (emotional), Phlegmatic (passive) and Melancholy (analytical). Of these four styles, the introverted Melancholy is the most perfection driven and depression prone. The analytical Melancholy influence gives one tremendous attention to detail but it can also create stress, anxiety and depression. In fact the term melancholy has become synonymous with depression. People with the Melancholy temperament style are by their very nature sensitive, judgmental, and critical. This temperament style becomes depressed primarily due to the fact that they fail to reach their own incredibly high standards. This depression often leads to either suicide and or violence against others.

We each have a personal responsibility for taking control over our thoughts. Thoughts are highly creative and they lead to action. Our thoughts create our emotions and our emotions determine our mental state. Perhaps the most practical suggestion I can give people with the Melancholy temperament style for dealing with depression is to guard against the tendency to engage in destructive, negative self-talk. If you consistently obsess on thoughts of self-criticism, you are automatically setting yourself up for depression. Because of your Melancholy nature you need to keep your drive for perfection in balance. Remember to keep your standards and expectations of yourself and others realistic. Set short-term goals and review them frequently. I have never met anyone that was depressed who was actively goal setting. In my opinion, depression is not a mental illness or disease as some might argue, but rather a choice of mental state. No person, condition or circumstance can make you feel depressed without your permission. President Abraham Lincoln was certainly no stranger to depression. Abe came to the conclusion that man is about as happy as he makes his mind up to be!

John Boe, based in Monterey, CA, helps companies recruit, train and motivate top-quality people. To view his online Video Demo or to have John Boe speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call (831) 375-3668.

For information about depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com

Depression Series (Part 3): What to Do with Those Antidepressant Side Effects?

2007-06-29T14:06:00.000-04:00

Maria's depression was difficult to treat. As you can recall, various medications had been tried to no avail. But after several months of treatment, Maria has eventually become stable on a combination of two antidepressants.

She's now able to do her usual activities and is motivated to go back to work — something she has struggled to do for a while. Despite her improvement, antidepressant side effects have emerged and are bothersome. Maria begins to consider discontinuing her medications prematurely.

Antidepressant side effects are real and negatively affect patient's compliance. Many patients like Maria consider stopping the medication even at the risk of relapse because of distressing side effects.

How do you deal with some of the common antidepressant side effects?

Insomnia

Some antidepressants e.g. SSRIs (serotonin-reuptake inhibitor) are highly stimulating that they cause insomnia when taken in the afternoon or at bedtime. Take this type of medication in the morning. Discuss with your physician the use of a sedating medication such as trazodone or sedative-hypnotic drug along with the antidepressant. If you want to take only one pill, talk to your doctor about switching to a sedating antidepressant such as mirtazapine.

Moreover, sleep hygiene should be practiced. Avoid naps and intake of caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda in the afternoon and evening. Involve in regular exercise and physical activities during the day. Moreover, use the bedroom only for sleep and sex and not for recreational activities.

Weight gain

Regular exercise is weight gain's antidote. If no medical contraindication, you may consider jogging, walking, or swimming. To reduce some excess and unwanted fat, keep yourself busy with physical and recreational activities.

How about diet? Diet has always been a part of any weight control regimen. Monitor your carbohydrate intake. Ice cream, chocolates, and other high-caloric foods should be reduced. If none of the above works, talk to your doctor about switching pills.

Sexual dysfunction

Sexual dysfunction happens too often but is rarely asked or discussed in the clinic. Some physicians and patients feel embarrassed about this subject. When you have concerns, be open to your physician. Discuss the possibility of switching medication to an antidepressant (such as bupropion or mirtazapine) that doesn't significantly impair sexual functioning. Also, talk to your doctor about adding another drug such as bupropion, yohimbine, or even mirtazapine to counteract the sexual side effect.

How do you know if the sexual dysfunction is from the pill rather than from depression? If the dysfunction persists despite successful remission of depression, then you should consider other causes such as drug-induced dysfunction or other medical causes e.g. diabetes.

Dry mouth

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA e.g. amitriptyline) are notorious for causing dry mouth. Why? These drugs have distressing anticholinergic side effects. Avoid this type of drugs. If TCA is still considered, talk about the use of desipramine or nortriptyline. Compared to other TCAs, these two drugs have less anticholinergic effects.

Moreover, try ice chips. Frequent sips of water should also help. To avoid dental cavities, try sugarless candy or sugar-free gum.

Constipation

Like dry mouth, constipation is usually caused by TCAs. To prevent it from happening, drink enough water and eat high fiber foods such as vegetables and fruits. Consider stool softeners if the above interventions fail. If possible, avoid TCAs.

Nausea and vomiting

Patience is the key in dealing with these side effects. Frequently, patients develop tolerance within two weeks. Take the medication with food. If ineffective, talk to your doctor about possibly reducing the dose of your medication or trying antacid or bismuth salicylate (Pepto-Bismol)

Memory lapses

If given permission by your doctor, try to reduce the dose. Also, discuss with your physician about switching antidepressant (especially if dose reduction doesn't alleviate your concern) and avoiding drugs with anticholinergic side effects.

Moreover, don't mix the antidepressant with alcohol. The alcohol-drug interaction can only worsen the memory and cognitive functioning. While on psychotropic drugs, be careful driving and using mechanized equipment.

Dizziness

While still in bed, sit up for 30 seconds, then stand up for another 30 seconds while holding a rail, a table, or a chair before walking. Take the medication at bedtime. Some people use support hose with success.

Agitation or anxiety

Some people benefit from a brief use of benzodiazepine such as lorazepam. Breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation should also help.

In general, some side effects such as gastrointestinal upset and insomnia may resolve in a few days. Patience is the key. However, be on guard. When they occur, address them promptly. I'm not however suggesting that you should be your own doctor.

Collaborating with your doctor is an effective way to cope with mental illness and medication problems. Treatment options such as the need to switch or reduce medications should be discussed in an open and accepting manner.

Copyright © 2003. All rights reserved. Dr. Michael G. Rayel – author (First Aid to Mental Illness–Finalist, Reader's Preference Choice Award 2002), speaker, workshop leader, and psychiatrist. Through the CARE approach, Dr. Rayel helps individuals recognize the early signs of mental illness and provide early intervention. To receive free newsletter, visit www.drrayel.com. His books are available at major online bookstores

For information about depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com.

The Healing Power of Celebrity? SurvivorList.net Offers a New Twist on Therapy for Manic Depression

2007-06-28T11:33:00.000-04:00

Depression: An Online Christian Answer Part I

2007-06-27T08:24:00.000-04:00

Explains how specific symptoms of depression can be reduced through Bible based concepts and specific techniques. Offers a uniquely powerful solution in Christ.
According to the National Institute of Health clinical depression frequently includes: Sadness, anxiety, or "empty" feelings, Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed, including sex, Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism, Feelings of helplessness, guilt, and worthlessness, Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts. Source: National Institute of Health Publication No. 97-4266 and 99-3561 as found online at the online "All About Depression" site. (http://www.allaboutdepression.com/)

The full list of depression symptoms includes several more physical aspects. This article, however, focuses on the thoughts and feelings aspects of depression.

While the symptoms can be very serious, occasionally contributing to suicide, there is hope and not just in a therapist's office. While good therapy from a skilled counselor or psychologist can have a great impact, not every one can afford it. Also, for people who believe in a Biblical worldview, it can be difficult to find a therapist who enhances rather than detracts from such faith. However, learning the truth about how God sees us and what He desires for us, can flood even the most isolated, empty, black lives with the brilliant vibrant life giving holy energy of God!

The Bible states "Then said Jesus... If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32 KJV In the case of depression this truth can lift burdens so big that just crawling under them has become impossible!

Let's go through each symptom and see how God's truth can bring freedom to each one.

Negative and pessimistic thoughts are probably the most commonly recognized effect of depression. With those, life can seem nothing more than a tortuous threatening ordeal that must be endured, if possible. Failure isn't just an occasional disappointment; it becomes a basic expectation of everything in life. "I can never do anything right!" becomes the nearly constant slogan for our lives. Hopelessness becomes a way of life. There is no way out and going through simply means existing in our own private hell for an even longer eternity. And the "I'll never get anything good in life. It just can't happen to me." feeling becomes strong enough to make us forget the few good things that happen with us.

Underlying the constant negative pessimistic thoughts is a basic sense of hopelessness. This is most clearly seen in thoughts like these. "Things are bad and they are going to get worse. It is hopeless to try to change things, can't happen."

However, God offers us hope for a true solution to all problems forever. He offers us perfection for eternity with a taste of it right here and now!

Part of that hope springs from His deep desire for us to be happy. His first priority, of course, is our eternal salvation and life. With that, even if we have "hell on earth" we always have an eternity of the truest and fullest infinite happiness. However, God strongly desires joy, peace, prosperity and happiness for us right now. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you." Jeremiah 29:11,12 KJV Even though there are times the only way we can learn the lessons and be shaped for heaven is through pain, it lasts just long enough to accomplish what is needed. "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5 KJV

God, in the deepest part of His being, wants to make us happy, joyful, and vibrantly alive! After all that is the way He created us to live originally. It gives Him pleasure to see us joyful! It is only the results of our willful sin that have introduced fear, loneliness, despair, and an empty void of purposelessness.

God's desire for our happiness is incredible hope because he has the power, all the power that has ever existed or will exist, to make it happen! While the negative thoughts of depression are exaggerated beyond reality, there is definitely truth in the knowledge that we cannot do everything ourselves. We are just not smart enough, rich enough, strong enough or any other enough you can think of. On our own we are limited, and we often want and need what we can't get for ourselves. But choosing life in God blows all limits away. God's power is infinite and He longs to use it to benefit us, to give us a bright future and a joyous life. With God, we are not limited by our abilities, time, money or even death. "...verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:20-21 KJV A future far greater and more pleasing than we can imagine is guaranteed to us for eternity and available to us now if we will place God above ALL else. "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:31-33 KJV But God wants to give us way more than we deserve, much more than just the minimum needed to survive, He wants to give us proportionate to HIS infinite universal wealth! "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 KJV

A sense of worthlessness , like their life is pointless, a valueless waste of space is also common. At other times we can simply feel worth less than just about everyone else, just never quite good enough but of still some small value.

The true reality is that God values us above ALL else, even His life. He so passionately desires to live with us that one third of the God head died just to give us the option of choosing to live with Him. Without any assurance of our acceptance, because the choice is still ours, Christ endured torture, humiliation, and an agonizing death to have just the possibility of spending eternity with you and me. For the last 6000 years, God's time, attention, and infinitely loving efforts have been focused on us, His rebellious, selfish, self willed, distrusting, unfaithful, and unappreciative wayward children. It only makes sense that if any being, God or human, invested that much time, energy, heartache, and effort into you or me they have placed a huge value on us. In God's case, the very life of His own Son, for you… and me. For a more detailed explanation of our incredible God given value see: "Our Infinite Immortal Value" (http://home.earthlink.net/~srbaerg/Our%20Infinite%20Immortal%20Valuehtml.htm)

See "Depression: An Online Christian Answer Part II" for the role of Guilt, Forgiveness, and Loss of Interest in depression and a solution!

About the Author

Steven Baerg is 34 years old. He holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work and is currently pursuing a master's degree in preparation for working as a counselor. He is married to a wonderful and supportive wife and has a dog named Bailey. He relies on God's power and help for inspiration and maintaining a proper focus in life.

For information about depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com.

Major Depression and Manic-Depression — Any difference?

2007-06-26T11:39:00.000-04:00

Countless number of patients and their family members have asked me about manic–depression and major depression. "Is there any difference?" "Are they one and the same?" "Is the treatment the same?" And so on. Each time I encounter a chorus of questions like these, I am enthused to provide answers.

You know why? Because the difference between these two disorders is enormous. The difference does not lie on clinical presentation alone. The treatment of these two disorders is significantly distinct.

Let me begin by describing major depression (officially called major depressive disorder). Major depression is a primary psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of either a depressed mood or lack of interest to do usual activities occurring on a daily basis for at least two weeks. Just like other disorders, this illness has associated features such as impairment in energy, appetite, sleep, concentration, and desire to have sex.

In addition, patients afflicted with this disorder also suffer from feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. Tearfulness or crying episodes and irritability are not uncommon. If left untreated, patients get worse. They become socially withdrawn and can't go to work. Moreover, about 15% of depressed patients become suicidal and occasionally, homicidal. Other patients develop psychosis—hearing voices (hallucinations) or having false beliefs (delusions) that people are out to get them.

What about manic-depression or bipolar disorder?

Manic-depression is a type of primary psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of major depression (as described above) and episodes of mania that last for at least a week. When mania is present, patients show signs opposite of clinical depression. During the episode, patients show significant euphoria or extreme irritability. In addition, patients become talkative and loud.

Moreover, this type of patients doesn't need a lot of sleep. At night, they are very busy making phone calls, cleaning the house, and starting new projects. Despite apparent lack of sleep, they are still very energetic in the morning — ready to establish new business endeavors. Because they believe that they have special powers, they involve in unreasonable business deals and unrealistic personal projects.

They also become hypersexual — wanting to have sex several times a day. One–night stands can happen resulting in marital conflict. Like depressed patients, manic patients develop delusions (false beliefs). I know a manic patient who thinks that he is the "Chosen One." Another patient claims that the President of USA and the Prime Minister of Canada ask for her advice.

So the big difference between the two is the presence of mania. This manic episode has treatment implications. In fact the treatment of these disorders is completely different. While major depression needs antidepressant, manic-depression requires a mood stabilizer such as lithium and valproic acid. Recently, new antipsychotics, for example risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine, have been shown to be effective for acute mania.

In general, giving an antidepressant to manic–depressed patients can make their condition worse because this medication can precipitate a switch to manic episode. Although there are some exceptions to the rule (extreme depression, lack of response to mood stabilizers, among others), it is preferable to avoid antidepressants among bipolar patients.

When considering the use of antidepressant in a depressed bipolar patient, clinicians should combine the medication with a mood stabilizer and should use an antidepressant (e.g. bupropion) that has a low tendency to cause a switch to mania.

Copyright©2004. All rights reserved. Dr. Michael G. Rayel – author (First Aid to Mental Illness–Finalist, Reader's Preference Choice Award 2002), speaker, workshop leader, and psychiatrist. Dr. Rayel pioneers the CARE Approach as first aid for mental health. To receive free newsletter, visit www.drrayel.com. His books are available at major online bookstores.

For information about depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com.

Are you depressed?

2007-06-25T09:14:00.000-04:00

Are you depressed? I have been for many years.

Find out what the signs and symptoms of different types of depression are.

Explore methods of coping with and curing depression.

Most of all, DO SOMETHING. It doesn't matter much what it is, but you can't just sit around and expect to get better.

For information about depression, visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com/