Depression Tips

Anti Depression Treatment

Anti depression should be the route to follow after you are diagnosed with depression. Besides sing anti-depressants, exercise and other medicines and therapies have been proven to be effective. Meditation and yoga are one of the best ways to combat depression and follow the path to recovery or anti depression.

Many people have started turning to natural remedies for to overcome depression because many hers and minerals have shown healing abilities. Another reason for adopting natural remedies is the side effects of chemical medication and even symptoms like nausea, dizziness, headaches etc. The medicines might even result in uncontrolled weight gain that can lead to depressing you even more. So before starting with any anti depression drug we should check the Internet about it side effects and any addictive properties.

The best way to fight depression is the natural way going for natural remedies like herbs, exercise, meditation, yoga or even counseling. Herbs like St. John’s Wart has proven itself over the years to be ones of the best ways to fight depression. It has proven to be as effective as any pharmaceutical drug and has almost no side effects. Another factor supporting its use is that it costs just a fraction of what the other medicines cost. It can also be used as an antiseptic, an anti-inflammatory drug and even as medicinal tea. Its effectiveness has also been proven by scientific analysis and many new uses are still being discovered.

Another drug, which is an effective anti depressant, is the gingko, derived from a tree. It is very effective in recovering memory loss and age related problems. It also helps improve blood circulation to the brain resulting in improved mental health and thus less depression.

Saffron has also been proven to be effective against depression. But it should only be considered for mild cases.

Depression can also be treated by regular exercise and meditation as both these activities make us feel good about our surroundings and ourselves. The best policy is to be happy with what god sends our way and have very few expectations, as inflated expectations are one of the prime causes of depression.

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Add comment July 31st, 2007

Anti Depression Medication

Depression can be easily cured with anti depression medicines. Though a bit costly, a person’s mental health should not be compromised at the cost of money. Though, finding and antidepressant drug is not an easy task because all people have different reasons for depression and so the medication varies from person to person. It can’t be said with assurance that how effective a particular medicine will be on a person. Besides medication other treatments that can be used to cure depression include psychotherapy, integrated therapy, electro convulsion therapy and the therapy with light .Behavior talk and interpersonal talk are another field which are proving to be effective in treating depression.

Before starting with any anti depressant medication one should consult a reputed doctor and find the nature of the depression like clinical depression or maniac depression. You should make sure that the medication you are going to take is the best suited to your kind of depression. The most effective are the ones that are of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors then the ones that are tricyclics. The other popular variant is the monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs. Some of them need to be taken with water while some of them need to be chewed. Depending on the severity of depression the doctor might mix up a few medicines The dosage also should be lowered or increased depending upon the need and keeping the side effects as low as possible. One of the most common side effects is nausea and dizziness while in some cases the person might even start to gain weight. Some other side effects can be a dry mouth feeling thirsty almost all the time, have a constipation problem most of the times and having problem digesting food. Blurred vision is another side effect which might occur when you stop taking the medication or you might even feel headaches on changing the dosage of the medicines. A person might also start feeling like an insomniac.

So people need to educate themselves before starting with the medication, and besides taking medication we should try and follow a regular exercise and meditation routine. The best part is that people are becoming more aware of the problem and starting to treat it as soon as possible.

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Add comment July 24th, 2007

Know the Signs of Child Abuse

A 5 year old boy’s body covered with cigarette burns, an emergency hysterectomy performed on a six-year-old girl after being raped, a teenage suicide after years of sexual abuse. These are the extreme cases. For every known case of child abuse, many more children suffer in silence. Child abuse is not a “rare disease”. It’s escalating day by day. In fact the subject matter of child abuse and neglect frustrates many health professionals because they do not know the best way to assess the abuse and/or intercede. There are 15 incidences of abuse and neglect for every 1,000 children under 18 nationwide. This translates into more than one million abuse and neglect victims reported each year.

Child abuse is harm or susceptible harm to a child’s health or welfare which can occur through non-accidental physical or mental injury; sexual abuse or attempted sexual abuse; sexual exploitation or attempted sexual exploitation. Unfortunately, the more subtle forms of child abuse such as neglect and emotional abuse can be even more traumatizing than violent physical abuse. Child abusers inflict physical, sexual, and emotional trauma on defenseless children every day. The scars can be unfathomable and long-lasting. It can happen in all cultural, ethnic, and income groups. Maltreatment may cause serious injury to the child and may even result in death.

Child Abuse - Warning signs

Child maltreatment includes emotional abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, and non-accidental physical injury. The possibility of abuse should be investigated if a child shows a number of these symptoms, or any of them to a marked degree:

Emotional Abuse includes parental expectations which result in aggressive, excessive, or unreasonable demands upon children which are beyond their capabilities. Examples might include the kind of constant teasing that belittles a child or verbal attacks. Sometimes emotional abuse is not what a parent does, but what a parent doesn’t do, such as failure to provide the understanding and nurture necessary for a child’s healthy psychological growth and development. Some examples of emotional abuse are Intimidation, Belittling or shaming, Lack of affection and warmth, Habitual blaming, Ignoring or rejecting, Extreme punishment etc.

Some signs of Emotional child abuse

• Physical, mental and emotional development lags
• Apathy, depression, speech disorders
• Hostility.
• Difficulty concentrating.

Physical Neglect is the withholding of, or failure to provide a child with, the basic necessities of life: clothing, food, medical care, education, attention to hygiene, or adequate supervision.

Some signs of child neglect:

• Clothing unsuited to the weather.
• Being dirty or unbathed.
• Extreme hunger.
• Apparent lack of supervision.

Sexual Abuse is the exploitation of a child for the sexual gratification of an adult. It may range from exhibitionism and fondling to intercourse and the use of children in pornographic materials.

Some signs of sexual child abuse:

• Inappropriate interest in or knowledge of sexual acts.
• Seductiveness.
• Avoidance of things related to sexuality, or rejection of own genitals or body.
• Either over compliance or excessive aggression.
• Fear of a particular person or family member.

Non-accidental Physical Injury may include severe beatings, burns, human bites, broken bones, strangulation, shaking, or serious internal injuri

Some signs of physical child abuse:

• Burn, bite marks, cuts, bruises, or welts in the shape of an object.
• Resistance to going home.
• Fear of adults.

Suspected Abuse

Many people fear that reporting child abuse or neglect will destroy a family. The truth, however, is that getting help can protect children from further harm and assist the family in facing and overcoming its problems. We can all help end child abuse by becoming aware of the signs and reporting suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. It’s probably best to consider the array of factors which deny children the feeling of being loved or deny children basic physical necessities. You can call child protective services to discuss the appropriateness of referrals if you’re not sure.

The best way to determine if a child has been abused is to listen to them. Talk to your children patiently. Show compassion & love towards them. Discuss child abuse, drugs, sex, school, and their interests. Remember that if a child tells you that maltreatment are happening, say: “I believe you.”, “I will help you in any way that I can.”, “You are not at fault.”, “We cannot keep this a secret - we need to get help.” Let them know you will be there for them if and when they need to talk to someone.

With this firm determination that by knowing the traumatic effects of child abuse each one of us must take vow to stop this misdemeanor act as soon as possible and ready for the new HUMAN REVOLUTION.

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Add comment July 17th, 2007

Mothers’ Antidepressants May Lead to Abnormalities in Newborn

A newborn’s risk of exhibiting drug withdrawal symptoms and respiratory abnormalities appears to increase with prenatal exposure to certain antidepressants, according to two new studies.

Before prescribing this type of medication to pregnant women, the doctors are urged by researchers to carefully consider these findings. The risk of a respiratory disorder in pregnant women is increased by the use of SSRI antidepressants. The respiratory disorder includes persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) in the newborn by 600%. This was the finding of a new retrospective study, and it included 377 women whose infants had the disorder.

Pharmacotherapy for depression is often necessary during pregnancy. The information available about use of the newer antidepressants in pregnant women is limited by trial design and lack of long-term follow-up of exposed infants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are not generally thought to be major teratogens. Some recent studies, however, have suggested that paroxetine may be associated with a small increase in risk of congenital abnormalities, particularly cardiac defects. Data on the effect of SSRIs on the incidence of preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, and fetal death are conflicting. Third-trimester exposure to newer antidepressants, including SSRIs and serotonin-nor epinephrine reuptake inhibitors (e.g., venlafaxine), has been associated with a poor neonatal adaptation syndrome. In addition, SSRI use may be associated with an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. Preliminary evidence suggests that SSRI exposure in utero does not have significant long-term effects on cognition or behavior. Based on limited information, mirtazapine, bupropion, and venlafaxine do not appear to be major teratogens. Little or no information is available on duloxetine.

Treatment options for depression include psychotherapy, bright-light therapy, antidepressant drugs, and electroconvulsive therapy.[2] The optimal treatment for depression during pregnancy varies from woman to woman, but pharmacotherapy is often necessary.[2] A study of 201 women with a history of major depressive disorder before pregnancy found that 68% of those who discontinued treatment relapsed during pregnancy compared with 26% of those who continued treatment.[4] Affected women and their clinicians may be concerned about the effects of drug treatment on the fetus and the neonate.

Prenatal exposure to certain antidepressants appears to increase a newborn’s risk of exhibiting drug withdrawal symptoms and respiratory abnormalities, according to two new studies. Researchers behind the studies urge doctors to carefully consider these findings before prescribing this type of medication to pregnant women.

The use of SSRI antidepressants in pregnant women increased the risk of a respiratory disorder – persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) – in the newborn by 600%. This was the finding of a new retrospective study which included 377 women whose infants had the disorder.

SSRIs, or selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors, work by increasing the availability of the chemical messenger serotonin in the body.

Mothers of infants with PPHN were interviewed by Christina Chambers at the University of California, San Diego, US, and colleagues to determine how many of them used SSRIs during pregnancy. The team then compared this with the use of SSRIs among mothers of healthy babies.

Balance of care

But medical experts estimate that 10% to 15% of women of reproductive age suffer from major depressive disorders. And many of these doctors stress that pregnant women should receive treatment for depression, even if that means taking SSRIs. “They’re so many issues that are involved,” says Chambers. “The risks and benefits have to be weighed. There are risks without [the antidepressants] as well.”

A study that recently appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that women with major depression can suffer a recurrence of their condition if they stop taking their medication during pregnancy

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Add comment July 10th, 2007

Obesity and Depression

Adolescents who suffer from depression are at a greater risk of becoming obese and staying obese, according to a new study.

Adult obesity has been associated with depression, especially in women. Previous research has also suggested a link between depression in young people and higher body mass index. Until now researchers had not been able to answer the question of whether depression leads to obesity or obesity causes depression. Researchers from Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati looked at whether depression predicts the development and persistence of obesity.

The study used information collected from more than 9,300 adolescents in grades 7 through 12. The students answered questions about their health and were re-interviewed one year later. Researchers calculated each participant’s body mass index from the students’ self-reported height and weight. Parents also answered questions about household income, parental education and parental obesity.

Researchers report at the beginning of the study about 13 percent of the adolescents were considered overweight, almost 10 percent were obese, and 8.5 percent suffered from depression. After one year, close to 80 percent of the obese adolescents remained obese. Researchers report the participants who suffered from depression were more likely to be obese at the follow-up time.

This was true even when investigators took into account age, race, gender, parental obesity, number of parents in the home, and family socioeconomic status. However, participants who were obese at the beginning of the study were not more likely to be depressed after one year.

The study finds depressed adolescents are at an increased risk for developing and staying obese during the adolescent years. Researchers say it is important to understand the connection between obesity and depression in order to help prevent and treat both of these problems.

Obese children also missed four days of school a month, compared to less than a day for kids of average weight. “The potential ramifications are huge,” says Schwimmer, who believes the low quality of life among overweight kids hinges on their medical problems–they are physically unable to take part in many activities–as well as on how other children treat them.

The best thing parents can do is to treat obesity as a health issue, not a problem of appearance, and to accurately record their child’s height and weight. He urges parents, physicians and psychologists to press insurance companies to cover behavioral therapy for obesity.

It’s also important to recognize that obesity isn’t necessarily caused by overeating. Says Elizabeth Goodman, M.D., of Brandeis University: “There are different types of depression and different types of obesity. It’s easy to say that it’s all behavioral. That makes it sound like there’s a choice; I’m not sure that it is.”

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Add comment July 3rd, 2007