Mending Depression - Bringing Order to Your Disorder

Procrastinating, sleeping and loathing are the exercises depression makes you practice, leaving no space for productivity nor any room for joy. The drawbacks are obvious, but the solutions are obscured. After years of enduring depression, and becoming quite an athlete in the discipline, I decided to act and reverse the vicious routine. The results of my efforts surpassed the expectations I had formerly in mind, landing me in a world flooded with opportunity and motivation. What I have done is clear and simple, making it easy to replicate:
Practice mindfulness meditation - meditation enables you to achieve harmonious and objective thinking pushing the pessimism, inherent to depression, aside. As if it were not enough, frequent meditation has been associated with thickening of the grey matter and increased activity of the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region important in self-regulation.
Aerobic exercise - physical activity results in, but is not limited to, perceivable changes in bodily structure making one look more seductive to the stranger's eye. Nevertheless, the changes to which the naked eye will remain blind are more numerous and comforting - your mental stamina and focus improve, heart rate drops, blood pressure declines, mood-soothing neurotransmitters are released and, astonishingly, the neurotoxic effects depression imposes upon the brain region, implicated in cognition and memory, termed hippocampus are prevented and reversed.
Know your depression - understanding the mechanism, symptoms and dynamics of the disorder will help you change the perspective on the issue. Instead of succumbing to the symptoms and accepting them as the inevitable faith analyze your depression and trace its sources. As you find out that depression has biological causes, as any state of consciousness does, you will be able to separate yourself from the depression and distinguish it from your unadulterated personality. Elucidation of the sources and habits intrinsic to depression will bring more comfort and confidence into your daily life. Once you learn how an engine works you will become more proficient at tweaking and adjusting its performance; the same concept applies to depression. Read books, articles and texts related to depression and so become acquainted with your disorder. There is a lot of great literature covering this topic so seize it.
What to do is clear now, but bear in mind that it takes a speck of effort and patience at first to incorporate all these steps into your daily life so do not be surprised if you feel resentment at first; you will soon slide into it and enjoy the real benefits these techniques have to offer!

An useful site providing detailed information on depression and its treatment: Treating Depression
Hope this helps!
Paddy

Bipolar Disorder - Options For Treatments

There is no cure for those suffering from bipolar disorder. To make things worse, there is no "one sure" treatment or therapy that could stabilize your condition. It is a trial and error process that may take months or even years.
The two episodes of bipolar disorder will make the person either feel "high" or "low." Treatment for bipolar disorder can only be administered once the doctor identifies what may have triggered the attack. This means observing the patient for some time and in his or her absence, the person will have to write this down in a journal so this can be reviewed for analysis later on. There's that journal again. Think it's important?
The high is known as mania and here are some of the common treatments given to a patient. It is possible that the doctors will use an antipsychotic drug like benzodiazepine to quickly take control of your hostility, hyperactivity, irritability, or sleeplessness.
In some cases, mood stabilizers will also be prescribed to help control mood swings and to prevent them from happening and can even be taken by people who are at risk of committing suicide. Two of the most common around are lithium a few other anticonvulsant drugs.
Aside from medication, hospitalization may be necessary if doctors feel the patient is a threat to others or him or herself. If the situation does not improve, doctors will have no choice but to use ECT or electroconvulsive therapy.
Aside from drugs and hospitalization, there is also psychotherapy or talk therapy which enables the patient to interact with health professionals and their loved ones.
Unlike mania, depressive episodes are far more challenging and controversial. This is because the use of antidepressants may make the person experience a mania episode. In October 2004, the FDA came out saying that antidepressant drugs may increase the risk of suicidal thinking in children and teens suffering from depression.
To avoid this from happening, the doctor should carefully prescribe the dosage and then decide later on whether to increase or decrease it.
Six years ago, the American Psychiatric Association has suggested using lithium or anticonvulsant drugs like Lamictal to help patients suffering from depressive episodes. If this does not work, the doctor may recommend Zyprexa, another antipsychotic drug or something similar but tests have shown that this is only effective in varying degrees.
As a last result, the doctor may also recommend ECT or electroconvulsive therapy. Studies have shown that it has helped 75% of patients.
Again, non-drug treatments like psychotherapy can also be used to help patients experiencing depressive episodes.
The type of treatment for each patient depends on the type of bipolar disorder. If episodes are not that frequent, the best to prescribe is lithium. However if the individual experiences 4 or more mood swings in one year, then it is best to use anticonvulsant mood stabilizers.
The drugs given will not work instantly and it may take several days or weeks before they take effect. This is the reason that the doctor must observe the patient carefully together with the help of their family to determine the next course of action.
Should things workout for the better, the doctor will recommend a maintenance drug that the patient must take regularly. At times, more than one is given for best results but if things go the other way, then it is time to find a better solution.
Until such time that there is a cure of bipolar disorder, doctors and patients will have to rely on medication, psychotherapy and ECT. Given that this illness is a long-term condition, it requires lifelong treatment even when the person has not felt an episode take place after a long period of time.
Apart from the psychotherapist who is the authority figure in this matter, the patient may also seek help from psychologists, health workers, nurses and family members. The person should just keep an open mind and not lose hope because if modern medicine has been able to find cures for some illnesses, it is only a matter of time before there will also be an answer for this one.

If the medication to help control your mania doesn't work, your doctor could either increase the dosage or make you start using something else. If you are looking for the newest and effective kind of treatment for bipolar disorder that was developed in the recent years, then why not read more about it at http://bipolardisorder.bestreferenceguide.com

Schizophrenia: A Brain Disorder

What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a kind of mental disorder that makes it difficult to differentiate between the real and unreal experiences, to think rationally, to have normal emotional management and to be sociable to others. People who have this brain disorder have an altered reality perception. They may able to hear and see things that do not exist, speak in weird or unclear ways, and believe that someone is trying to hurt them, or even feel like someone is constantly watching them. However, this condition can be manageably treated and cured.
Types of schizophrenia:

• Paranoid schizophrenia
• Catatonic schizophrenia
• Disorganized schizophrenias

What causes schizophrenia?
There are several factors which cause schizophrenia:

• Genes and environment

Experts believe that this kind of mental illness has strong hereditary component. People who have family members with schizophrenia are at risk in some factors that would trigger this ailment like infection during development in the mother's womb or psychological stressful experiences.

• An abnormality within the brain

Studies show that brain abnormalities such as slight enlargement of the fluid-filled ventricles in the brain, and slightly smaller size of some areas of the brain can somehow cause schizophrenia.

• Brain chemistry

Some researchers believe that people with this type of sickness are very sensitive to a brain chemical known as dopamine, substances that allow nerve cells to transmit message to the brain. An imbalance of this chemical can affect the way how a person acts.
Signs and Symptoms of schizophrenia

• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Disorganized speech
• Confusing behavior
• Social withdrawal
• Suspiciousness
• Unsuitable crying or laughter
• Oversleeping or insomnia
• Expressionless gaze
• Reacts overly to criticism

How to treat schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia can be treated in several ways. These include:

• Antipsychotic medications
• Rehabilitation
• Individual Psychotherapy
• Family Therapy
• Self-Help groups

Unlike other ailments, there is no way to prevent schizophrenia. That is why; if you have this kind of condition, it would be best to take medication prescribed by the doctor to prevent the symptoms from coming back.

Check out some of Kimberly's great articles on Cat Nutrition. Also see Cat Health and learn more!

Environment Contributes to Schizophrenia

It is very much important to understand that whenever the researchers use the term "environment", they generally talk about a broad definition. This definition includes everything but not the genetic factors or "genes". For a common person, environment signifies the house or the surrounding area or the neighborhood. The scientists are trying to evaluate the factors which are responsible for influencing the development of schizophrenia. For the scientists, the term environment includes every aspect from chemical, hormonal, nutritional and social environment during the pregnancy period. All the factors that affect the baby in the womb of the mother are well-studied.
These factors may result in social dynamics and may also stress the baby in latter life. Generally the problems can arise from drug use, use of different vitamins, education, and virus exposure and so much more. The causes of schizophrenia are wide and quite complex. It is basically the similar as "nature vs. nurture". We call it as "genes vs. environment" in finding the environment causes of schizophrenia. Even a single mistake or problem in environment may also contribute to the development of this mental disorder. It needs a great deal of study and in-depth research.
Several studies say that a child born during the winter season (January to March) in the Northern hemisphere has over 10% higher risk of schizophrenia. On the other side, an individual born in an urban environment is at 50% risk of developing schizophrenia. Another important study says that if the mother of the child has Rubella, the child has a 500% increased risk of schizophrenia. Flu and maternal infections during pregnancy are also related to the development of this mental disorder. This point of view has been given a wider level of response. Several psychologists agree to this point of view.
When the environmental factors come along with the genetic factors, there is an increase in the risk of getting diagnosed with schizophrenia. Birth location and economics is another factor. It has been found that people who are born in poverty are at higher risk of the mental health disorders. Moreover, in the urban environments, nutritional deficits and poverty may exist. The environmental factors can not be ignored. They are of utmost importance when schizophrenia is studied. It is essential to treat this mental disorder on time to avoid any kind of violent behaviors. An expert clinical psychologist is the best man to treat the problem with perfection.

How Mania In Bipolar Patients Affects Decision Making

Bipolar illness is a disease that millions of Americans suffer in varying degrees. One of the things that many of them have in common is the effect that mania can have on their decision making.
The common theme in the lives of people who have been diagnosed with bipolar disease is the dizzying shift from depression to mania and back to depression again. While in the depression stage, those affected can get so far emotionally down on themselves that they may seriously consider, or even attempt, suicide. Conversely, when they are in the mania stage, they may feel so invulnerable and upbeat that they feel that they can do no wrong. And it is this sort of supernatural confidence that gets many of them into trouble.
The prefrontal lobe is the portion of the brain that is primarily responsible for cognitive behavior and decision making. When we are born, of course, this part of the brain is not fully developed. In fact, in the average person, it doesn't really begin to develop until sometimes in their adolescence. This, in part, helps to explain some of the erratic and unfathomable decision making on the part of children. Without a fully functioning prefrontal lobe, we cannot visualize the future impact of our actions.
In a person with bipolar, if they are in their depression phase, this part of the brain is functioning OK. However, if they are in the midst of a severe mania phase, it is as though someone shut off their prefrontal lobe with a switch. In other words, they really cannot accurately evaluate the future consequence of their actions.
This is the state of mind that could lead someone to, in a spur of the moment decision, cash in the thousands of dollars in their 401k plan to spend on a half thought out multi-level marketing plan. Or, it might lead someone to suddenly quit their accounting job and fly out to the west coast to fulfill their long held dreams of being an actor.
Being in this state of mind is like having no control switch in your brain to stop you from making impulsive decisions that could end up hurting you and your family.
So, if you have bipolar, is there any way to avoid following through on a questionable mode of action when in your mania phase?
Fortunately there is. It starts with fully realizing that you are susceptible to these kinds of emotions when experiencing mania. It also helps to learn to consciously identify when you are in the midst of a mania episode. And, lastly, let your friends and family know of the symptoms so that they can help you to put on the brakes when they recognize these symptoms in you.

To read many more articles on bipolar disorder such as teenage depression statistics and bipolar support groups, please top by our site.

Depression Treatment Can Prevent Adolescent Drug Abuse

ScienceDaily (June 4, 2012) — Treating adolescents for major depression can also reduce their chances of abusing drugs later on, a secondary benefit found in a five-year study of nearly 200 youths at 11 sites across the United States.

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See Also:

Health & Medicine

• Mental Health Research
• Children's Health
• Teen Health

Mind & Brain

• Depression
• Addiction
• Alcoholism

Living Well

Reference

• Seasonal affective disorder
• Psychopharmacology
• Antidepressant
• Delayed sleep phase syndrome

Only 10 percent of 192 adolescents whose depression receded after 12 weeks of treatment later abused drugs, compared to 25 percent of those for whom treatment did not work, according to research led by John Curry, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University.
"It turned out that whatever they responded to -- cognitive behavioral therapy, Prozac, both treatments, or a placebo -- if they did respond within 12 weeks they were less likely to develop a drug-use disorder," Curry said.
The study found no such relationship when it came to thwarting alcohol abuse, however.
The researchers followed nearly half the 439 participants from the "Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study" (TADS; 2000-2003), led by Dr. John March, chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. TADS is considered the largest sample of adolescents who had been treated for major depression.
The participants analyzed by Curry's study were ages 17-23 at the end of the five-year follow-up study and had no preexisting problems with abusing alcohol or drugs.
"Onset of Alcohol or Substance Use Disorders Following Treatment for Adolescent Depression" (2004-2008), found that marijuana was the most prevalent drug used by study participants (76 percent); other drugs included cocaine, opiates and hallucinogens.
The adolescents must have had at least five symptoms for a length of time to be diagnosed with major depression prior to treatment: depressed mood; loss of interest; disruptions in appetite, sleep or energy; poor concentration; worthlessness; and suicidal thoughts or behavior.
The researchers said that improved mood regulation due to medicine or skills learned in cognitive-behavior therapy, along with support and education that came with all of the treatments, may have played key roles in keeping the youths off drugs.
The researchers were surprised to find no differences in alcohol abuse and do not have an answer for why. Curry thinks the prevalence of alcohol use among people ages 17-23 may be a key factor.
"It does point out that alcohol use disorders are very prevalent during that particular age period and there's a need for a lot of prevention and education for college students to avoid getting into heavy drinking and then the beginnings of an alcohol disorder," Curry said. "I think that is definitely a take-home message."
Alcohol abuse also led to repeat bouts with depression for some participants, he said.
"When the teenagers got over the depression, about half of them stayed well for the whole five-year period, but almost half of them had a second episode of depression," Curry said. "And what we found out was that, for those who had both alcohol disorder and another depression, the alcohol disorder almost always came first."
Curry and co-author Susan Silva, associate professor and statistician in the Duke School of Nursing, believe more study is needed because the number of participants who developed drug or alcohol disorders was relatively small.
Also, there was no comparison group of non-depressed patients, so the researchers could not be sure that rates of subsequent drug and alcohol abuse disorders were higher than those for adolescents not treated for depression.

Living With Generalized Anxiety

All of us feel stress and anxiety in our daily lives. It's completely natural. But when anxiety is persistent and debilitating, it could be a sign of a mental illness known as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This disorder is marked by excessive worry that's caused by nothing at all. You obsess over 'what if' scenarios and your fear won't leave you alone.
Is It Normal or GAD?
There are several ways to know whether your anxiety is normal or a sign of generalized anxiety disorder:

• There is no reason for your worrying, or you worry about things that could happen but haven't already.
• Your worry is constant and never seems to leave you alone.
• You're restless, edgy and irritable. You may find yourself easily startled.
• You have physical symptoms like headaches, sweating, and nausea.
• You constantly feel like you have to go to the bathroom.
• You feel tired and drained much of the time.
• Your worry affects other areas of your life negatively.

Generalized anxiety disorder can set in at any time, but it's most likely to in childhood or adolescence. Most people who suffer from this disorder start experiencing symptoms early in life. However, it's possible for it to begin in adulthood as well. Women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from GAD, as well as those who have it in their family.
No one knows exactly what causes GAD, but it's believed that it's related to brain chemistry. Generalized anxiety disorder is closely related to other anxiety disorders such as phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Treatment starts with a diagnosis by a trained therapist. If you believe you may suffer from this disorder, talk to your doctor immediately so that you can start treatment. As a general guideline, if you've suffered from excessive worry for six straight months or more, you're at risk for the disorder.
There are therapeutic and medical treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. Medications are most often used for severe cases or those where the symptoms need to be stopped immediately. Therapy focuses on several key areas:
Understanding Your Worry. Therapists use cognitive-behavioral therapy to help you understand your worry better. You can then use the techniques they teach you to reprogram your thinking. You basically learn to dispel the irrational thoughts that are causing your anxiety.
Relaxation Techniques. You can learn relaxation techniques to stop the symptoms when you feel them coming on. These techniques allow you to calm down quickly. They're especially helpful for people who suffer from panic attacks.
Interpersonal Therapy. Group therapy is often a part of treating GAD. In group, you share experiences with others and this gives you perspective on your own thinking patterns. You also benefit from relating socially to others and receiving their support.
If you suffer from excessive anxiety and it's interfering with various areas of your life, you can get help. Talk to your doctor and start treatment as soon as possible so that you can get on with your life.

To read more about common types of mental illness visit my site http://www.mentalillnesstest.org.