News and Articles on Health. Medical research topics.

Want some ways to feel motivated and maintain good emotional health? There are many steps you can take to control mood swings, normalize sleep patterns and promote emotional wellness. The good news is that this can be achieved without the use of traditional medications, which can carry serious side effects.

Improving emotional health and increasing motivation is a matter of balancing brain function. There are a number of substances in the brain, including neurotransmitters like serotonin and hormones which affect emotional well being. Of course, your feelings are not all about brain function, but proper brain chemistry has a lot to do with concentration, memory, mental alertness and natural motivation.

An imbalance in brain chemistry can lead to mood swings, irritability, feelings of despair and disruption of sleeping and eating patterns. In order to restore mental well being, it is necessary to ensure that all of the important substances are present in the right amounts within your body. Doing so is one of the most important ways to feel motivated, focused and confident.

While prescription medications can help to lessen symptoms of emotional impairment, they also carry serious side effects and can be extremely addictive. They also only provide a temporary fix as they do nothing to improve overall health. Only by maintaining good overall health can you be insured of optimal brain function, resulting in natural motivation and emotional stability.

So how do you take a more complete approach toward emotional well being? The answer can be found in natural remedies. Based on centuries old healing principles which use herbs and other plant based ingredients to balance brain chemistry naturally, natural remedies are one of the most effective ways to feel motivated and positive. And because they are completely natural, they carry no serious side effects.

Used as one part of a multi-pronged approach to living healthy which includes a balanced diet, proper exercise and plenty of sleep, these remedies take a whole spectrum approach to healing, meaning that they promote overall good health while supporting healthy brain function. With herbs such as St. John’s Wort and Passion flower, known for their ability to control mood swings, and provide natural motivation as well as soothe agitated nerves, these remedies provide the most complete form of healing possible. They are one of the most effective ways to feel motivated without taking drugs.

The effectiveness of natural remedies can be further enhanced by making various lifestyle choices which can improve overall health and boost natural motivation. Including serotonin rich foods in your diet, eliminating alcohol, drugs and smoking, all of which adversely affect brain chemistry, and getting the proper amount of exercise and sleep can all be invaluable to maintaining good emotional health.

Manic depression is better known as bipolar depression and is characterized by dramatic mood swings. This is a major affective disorder and one that will need treatment with antidepressants and therapy.

The facts about manic depression are:

• Dramatic mood swings
• Insomnia
• Hallucinations
• Psychosis
• Paranoia
• Rage
• Grandiose delusions

Bipolar disorder is a genetic disorder, which can be mild depression and mood swings or extreme symptoms. This can cause distortion of perception and social function impairment that can run in families.

This is a depression condition that can occur between the ages of 15 and 24 lasting throughout the lifetime of the patient. Older adults over the age of 65 can also be diagnosed with manic depression.

The symptoms of manic depression that other family members can take note of are:

• Sudden weight loss
• Sudden weight gain
• Fatigue
• Difficulty with concentration
• Feelings of guilt
• Worthlessness
• Hopelessness
• Insomnia
• Persistent sadness
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Thoughts of suicide

There are several types of bipolar disorders the physician can diagnose the patient with depending on the symptoms. These can be:

Cyclothymia: This is mild form of manic depression or bipolar disorder, which includes hypomania. The highs and lows are not as severe or disruptive as other types of bipolar disorders.

This type of bipolar disorder I diagnosis includes difficulties in relationships, in employment and school. There can be manic episodes, which can be severe or personally dangerous.

This type of depression is not as severe as bipolar disorder I. Bipolar II elevated mood or irritability. This type of manic depression the patient is usually able to carry on with their normal routine. The symptoms of depression can last longer than the periods of hypomania.

Bipolar rapid cycling disorder: This is a type of bipolar disorders that has what is considered rapid mood swings. This means the patient has at least four mood swings within a twelve month period. There are patients that have these shifts in mood swings much faster, occurring within hours.

There is scientific research that has determined that people with bipolar disorder appear to have physical changes in the brain chemistry. There is also evidence of differences in neurotransmitters, with an imbalance in these chemicals that plays a role in manic and other types of depression Symptoms. Other data shows this can be an inherited trait, when a parent has been diagnosed with this condition. Hormones can also play a pivotal role in bipolar depression and a stressful environment can be a factor in manic depression.

This is a condition that must be treated with antidepressant medication and combined with therapy to decrease the symptoms, including suicidal thoughts that can be a part of the symptoms and mood swings. Manic depression like other types of depression cannot be seen with x-rays or blood tests, which means keeping records of the symptoms is one of the easiest ways to help being diagnosed.

viagra in canada – at www.canadianpharmacynorx.com

Anxiety and depression are often confused as the same thing but they are not; these are two different conditions that might exhibit similar symptoms. Anxiety is often characterized with heightened or amplified emotions such as fear, panic and worries where the reasons to behave in such a manner is not warranted. Depression is more of a medical concern that is both mental and physical; it is characterized by pessimistic sense of worthlessness and personal inadequacy.

Anyhow, clinical psychologists have said that those identified as having depression but also show symptoms of anxiety have very serious conditions. Some diagnosis and research have shown that the condition is recognized as mixed depression anxiety disorders.

Mixed depression anxiety manifestation:

Anxious depression, known as mixed depression-anxiety often have more serious signs compared to either anxiety or depression occurring separately. When both disorders overlap, it may take longer to treat because the condition makes the patient more resistant to treatment. In any case, tendencies to commit suicide are more common with individuals diagnosed with combination of these symptoms than those who are suffering from depressions alone. Those who suffer from these conditions show both signs of low energy and depression; they also feel worthless, and may sometimes cry for reasons unknown. They do have problems with concentration; and they may gain or lose weight unintentionally. Other signs include: panic attacks, fear, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, muscle tensions and other related conditions.

Researchers have revealed that mixed depression anxiety disorder is more common with individuals with low income, those who are unemployed, minorities, and uneducated. Hereditary factors of depression is also being looked at by clinicians as some people who suffer from these conditions have family members who also exhibit similar symptoms. Co-morbidity is increased with more severity levels in females as suppose to men as demonstrated by statistics.

Mixed depression anxiety healing:

National Institutes of Health (NIH) is now studying how these conditions respond to drug treatment. According to the depression anxiety scale, elderly people with anxious depression are less responsive to treatment and are more likely to discontinue the treatment.

Anxious depression cure differs based on how severe the condition is. Those who have severe depression and mild anxiety disorder are often treated with depression related medications like antidepressants. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and psychotherapy are normal depression treatments, which can be used also to treat mixed depression anxiety disorders.

Initial support for patients with anxious depression is also recommended. Often psychologists will advice family members to attend support group meetings and discussions, to help the entire family fully understand what is going on. The doctor may also ask the patient to make some lifestyle changes such as getting involved in more social activates.g. social interactions, running, walking and other types of exercises.

Depression anxiety is dangerous and serious condition that can happen to anybody who has financial or personal difficulties; both personally and financially. If you find yourself struggling with any of the troubling signs related with any of these conditions, please talk to your physician as soon as possible.

Depression is the most treatable of all mental illnesses, and with a few simple daily lifestyle choices, you can beat depression.

First, to beat depression acceptance is critical. Learn the symptoms, and understand that these negative thoughts and feelings is the depression speaking for you. Understand that you must make changes, and seek help. Depression is not a weakness; depressions afflicts millions of Americans every year, and is a common illness and if you face your disease, seek treatment you can beat it.

Second, seek help. This can be difficult at times, expensive too, but even a simple examination by your doctor can rule out physical abnormalities that could be causing or contributing to your depression. Your physician can also refer you to a psychiatrist. However, get the examination; many treatable illnesses can cause depression.

One you have determined that there are no physical ailments contributing to depression, then to beat depression you have to change how you feel. This may require antidepressants, depending on the severity of the depression, and the symptoms. Even with antidepressants, I believe to beat depression some form of cognitive therapy is necessary. Cognitive therapy is nothing more than changing how you think, to change how you feel.

Distortions in thinking are what cause depression. These distortions are broken down into 10 categories.

All or Nothing Thinking – Seeing things in black and white, perfection or failure

Over-generalization – Negative event triggers belief one in endless pattern of failure

Mental Filter: One focuses and dwells on a negative detail until everything looks dark

Disqualifying the Positive – The person does not count the positive – only the negative

Jumping to Conclusions – One anticipates negative results without basis in fact

Magnification or Minimization – Magnifying mistakes, while minimizing successes

Emotional Reasoning – Person assumes that negative feelings reflects reality

Should Statements – Constantly using “shoulds” and ‘”should nots” for motivation

Labeling and Mislabeling – One mistake leads to thoughts of being failure, loser, etc.

Personalization – Feeling you’re cause of negative event when had no role.

You might see these patterns of thinking, and a revelation has struck. Knowing is half the battle now on to the real fight. You have to replace the negative patterns of thinking with positive ones to beat depression. How do you do that?

A professional can help with cognitive therapy, but there are many practical tips to beat depression naturally.

Talk to yourself positively, keep doing it even when the depression hits you the worse. Keep telling yourself that these feelings won’t last. Say aloud that you enjoy life everyday; make a mantra that you can repeat of positive thoughts and experiences to counter the negative thoughts. Fight them with positive thoughts. Maybe even visualize picking up the negative thought and kicking it out of your mind before replacing it with a positive thought, but just keep believing, and saying, and thinking that the day will come when you’ll feel better.

Laugh, laugh and laugh, watch a show that makes you laugh, ride a roller coaster if that makes you laugh, write funny articles, draw funny pictures, but laugh. Laughter is one of the best prescriptions you can give yourself to beat depression.

Volunteer, the simple act of giving will make you feel better. In addition, it will get you out in public with people.

Exercise, take a walk, try yoga, swim or go for a bike ride, but exercise. The chemical reactions that occur within your brain are instant antidepressants and will give you a boost immediately. If your walking outdoors the sun will also help beat depression.

In conclusion, you can beat depression with the proper knowledge and help, from the medical community, your friends and family and most importantly yourself.

S.A.D. Light Therapy did not exist until the 20th century. Up until then, most of the world’s population rose with the sun and went to bed when it set. Artificial light existed – but it was inconsistent, weak, expensive, often smelly – and its flickering was hard on the eyes. So, for the most part, except for a small segment of high society, humans followed the rhythms of light and seasons, just as animals and birds do in nature.

Nowadays, we manipulate our waking hours just as we do everything else in modern life, thanks to technology. Electric lighting makes short work of darkness, we set back our clocks to “save daylight”, and alarm clocks jolt us painfully awake, even though it’s still pitch dark outside.

However, you can’t fool your body. It’s governed not by our visual perception of light, but by melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland within our brains, responsive only to natural daylight. As daylight diminishes, more melatonin is released. We become drowsy and desirous of more rest and less activity.

But melatonin does much more than that: It controls other glandular functions in the body, including the thyroid gland. This “butterfly-shaped” gland at the base of the throat controls metabolism and energy. Meanwhile, having done its work to slow down the thyroid gland, your winter flood of melatonin is racing off to tackle your adrenal glands.

We think we have “beaten” the seasons, and the problem of too little daylight – but some people are less fortunate than others. They are particularly affected by the lack of natural light, and by being forced to adapt to an artificial rhythm.

And it’s all caused by their tiny pineal glands.

Why do some people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) during winter months – and others not?

We’ve come to realize that even with our abundance of electric lighting, artificial light is inadequate in convincing the body it’s enjoying summer light. Electric lights used in the average home do not exceed 500 lux. To put that in perspective, the stormiest summer day easily produces a steady bombardment 20 times that amount.

Once doctors and scientists realized the role that natural light plays on the pineal gland and the body’s production of melatonin, “Light Therapy” was the result. There was hope for S.A.D. sufferers at last.

This involves subjecting sufferers of S.A.D. to 5,000-10,000 lux light sources – a “lux” is a unit of measurement for light – thus suppressing the production of melatonin, which in turn does not trigger all the body’s other gland to slow down for the winter. The eyes of the patient must be exposed to this light source – in other word, he can’t have his back to it, or wear heavy, dark glasses.

This light triggers the pineal gland through the eyes. Full-spectrum, or “bright white” light is specifically indicated for periods of 3-4 hours per day, from October to April. (And it goes without saying, the person receiving light therapy should never stare directly at the lights!)

This brings us to one huge disadvantage: Anyone with photo-sensitivity, cataracts, glaucoma, retinal disorders or other eye problems should not (if you’ll pardon the pun) expose themselves to aggressive light therapy.

It’s not practical for most people to dedicate an entire morning or afternoon to light therapy; however, if one uses the correct light source, making it’s power at least 10,000 lux, recovery from S.A.D. increases dramatically. Often, this light therapy is all that is needed, to cure S.A.D. depression.

Light boxes usually cost anywhere from $200-300 – but many enterprising people have managed to make effective home units.

And besides, says Tim P.: “Making one gives me a winter hobby!”

Finding out where to get depression information can be very important when one considers that if depression is left untreated, it can often lead to suicide. The suicide figures show very clearly that over half these deaths are connected with a chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease and of course mental illness.

There are situations when you know a loved one is depressed and yet you do not know where or who to turn to. Many people in a relationship feel like abandoning their loved one because they themselves cannot cope. They feel burdened with all the responsibilities and they sometimes feel that they themselves are an obstacle. There are many difficult decisions to make so where do you find the best depression information?

Thee are many depression forums on the Internet and just by joining one or two of these, you can get great information. If you are depressed yourself, it is wonderful sounding board and a useful source for help. There is also a good sense of community here and members are not afraid to show solidarity and affection. That is the wonderful thing about the Internet although the virtual nature of friendship is scorned but it really does have a great social function.

There are many medical and psychological websites where you can find all the actual depression information about what this mental condition is, its symptoms and of course the various treatment options. There is one word of warning though. Some of these websites are nothing more than blatant advertising for pharmacological treatment for depression such as antidepressants. At the other end of the spectrum, you will have herbalists and natural medicine experts telling you on their sites that there is nothing better than a herbal remedy!

So, there is a great wealth of depression information but it is very hard to find unbiased facts. Usually the major medical authorities will have websites and their views are usually fairly unbiased although they tend to diminish the natural and herbal remedies too much. This is because it is hard to get accurate clinical data. Sometimes, the drug companies will actually pay for research which will seek to discredit the herbal and homeopathic remedies. It is sensible to be aware of these facts when on the hunt for depression information.

Did you know that there are many more patients using a herbal depression remedy in Europe than in the USA? The reasons for this are not so clear although maybe herbal remedies in Europe have a longer tradition and therefore they tend to rely less on allopathic medicine than we do in the USA. I know for a fact that for treating depression in Germany, there are are thousands more prescriptions written for St. John’s Wort than for Prozac or other SSRIs and pharmacological anti depressants. This herb, also shortened to SJW, is known as ‘Nature’s Prozac’.

Before we look at a herbal depression remedy in more detail, let us look at the self help options which can really be useful in getting out of the black hole of depression. These can be used with conventional anti depressants or with herbal remedies. But lifestyle changes will be more important in many ways because we can learn to cope with stress, anxiety and depression and in that way we are getting closer to the root cause. That makes the long term cure much more feasible.

If we opt for some sort of talk therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy, we have to be patient as the effects will not start to kick in for a few weeks. The same goes for the anti depressants and herbal treatment for depression in that we should not look for the magic pill which will lift our mood tomorrow morning!

Having green time is much more important than we think. Just by sitting in the park and taking short walk around the block can do wonders. All the studies show that green time and contact with nature can help with a multitude of mental disorders ranging from ADHD, depression and anxiety. If we can engage in any sporting activity, that is even better, because that will ensure that the endorphins (the good mood hormones) will start to kick in and their effects can actually last up to twelve hours.

As regards the herbal depression remedy, there are many options to choose from here. Kava Kava, Catnip, Bugleweed, Valerian and Chamomile have all been shown to be effective in enhancing mood and increasing feelings of well being.

Of all the herbs that are useful in treating depression, St. John’s Wort is probably the safest of all and certainly has performed the best in many clinical trials. I have built a website setting out all the natural alternatives including a lot of information on the best herbal depression remedy. Why not check it out?

If you’re suffering from a serious condition such as chronic anxiety or depression, you should see a doctor for professional help. However, if you’re just feeling a bit down and you’re looking for something to improve your mood, here are a few simple ways to do just that.

Visit a Religious Service: A study was conducted on the effect of religious services on attendees, and it found that those who went into the services feeling down actually came out in a better mood. Attending these services regularly has an even more pronounced effect. This study didn’t compare the nature of the religious services, instead looking at the results from all the different services together.

Looking at Family Photos: Take a look at some old photo albums and not only will you remember the good times of the past, but you’ll be in a better mood as well. Many of us also have hours of home video from the old days that can help put us in a better mood.

Saying “Thank You”: We’ve all heard countless times that we should count our blessings. It’s an old proverb for a reason: saying thanks helps us appreciate the good that other people do for us. And getting a smile in return is an even better mood-booster.

Clean Your Living Space: When our environments are cluttered and disorganized, we feel the same way about our lives. It can be hard to get a hold on things when you’re constantly dealing with the clutter, so do yourself a favor and straighten things out.

Get Out in the Sun: Most of us have heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. This condition affects us during the winter months when there’s little sunlight and our moods deteriorate as a result. Get as much sun as you can if you find that your moods are affected by the winter months. There are also some forms of light therapy that can be helpful if used correctly.

Exercising: It may not be what you want to hear, but exercising is always a great way to improve mood. Being active causes our bodies to produce the hormone called endorphin – the substance that’s responsible “runner’s high.” Exercising boosts our moods by causing our brains to release this pleasure hormone.

Herbal Tea: A cup of warm chamomile tea on a cold winter night can hit just the right spot, and the herbs will calm your nerves as well. Try adding some passionflower, jasmine, or lavender for a little extra boost.

Stress, anxiety and anger and such similar emotions are common to everyone in the world. But sometimes such emotions outlast their ephemeral stay, much to the agony of the individual. Such emotions if present in the extremes can easily disrupt normal life functions and give rise to despair and emptiness, which just won’t do away. Such circumstances if prevalent over a period of day or weeks, could directly lead to severe depression.

Depression, as we know, is already a leading cause of suicides among teens. These teens reach a stage when their sadness, anger or the so called “blues” exceed their temporary status and lead the individual towards a state of hopelessness. A negative attitude towards life takes over them and the will to do almost anything is lost somewhere in between, thus seriously denting the psyche of the individual. In teenagers, hormones and sleep cycles show dramatic changes during adolescence and such factors have an adverse effect especially on teenage girls, who are particularly prone to depression. As much as 20% of all teens experience mild to severe depression and sadly a few of them receive proper counseling to overcome this phase.

Before anything, the patient should be subjected to immediate counseling, so as to know the root cause of the problem. Anti-depressant medication too is an option which is chosen by almost everyone suffering from depression. Though the effects of these medications are immediate but if the patient is taken off anti-depressants at a premature stage, then it might lead to further complications. Also if the medications usage is stopped abruptly, it could lead to other side-effects life nausea, diarrhea, agitation, insomnia, and headache.

In such cases the patient could also apply self-help activities in his routine to overcome depression; some of which are:

• Eat healthy foods and giving your body appropriate rest.
• Being expressive about your feelings in general
• By setting realistic and achievable goals for yourself
• Making efforts to be in someone’s company and participate in activities that make you feel better

An alternate way that could provide an amazing remedy for depression can be Ayurveda. This method of treatment along with a healthy lifestyle could lead to better benefits as compared to any other form of treatment. Ayurvedic herbs like Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Cardamom (Elattaria cardamomum), Guggulu (Commiphora wightii) and Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi) have proven to be highly effective at combating depression. But one of the most effective remedies for depression is provided by another superb ayurvedic supplement, DeprsnCare. It brings calmness to the mind and helps the body’s natural autonomic nervous system to be restored with alkaline and acidic balance. Recommended as a natural medium to long term treatment combined with exercise and a diet of fresh fruits, juices and vegetables, DepresnCare is an all-natural way to ease yourself out of all your depression troubles.

Trust Ayurveda to treat your depression and put your life back on track through its all-natural healing powers.

The best depression treatment has been the center of debate for some time now. While most of the medical community leans toward the use of traditional medications, patients and their families, unhappy with the serious side effects and addictive nature of these medications, have been looking for other answers. Now, there are other methods of treatment available that offer great promise.

The best treatment for depression relies on addressing the health of the brain and nervous system. Without focusing on this underlying cause, treatment will not be completely successful. The malfunction of neurotransmitters leads to emotional imbalance and feelings of dread and unhappiness can result. The key to restoring equilibrium, then, is re-establishing proper neurotransmitters.

Standard anti-depressants focus solely on the surface symptoms of the condition, providing a quick fix and enabling patients to function normally, but stopping short of a long term solution. These medications can also carry serious side effects and the possibility of becoming addictive, making them less than the best depression treatment.

A far more hopeful alternative is the use of natural remedies. Developed by clinical psychologists and drawing on centuries old homeopathic methods, these products represent the best treatment for depression as they offer a whole system approach, targeting both surface symptoms and their cause.

Combining a variety of herbs and other plant based ingredients, including St. John’s Wort and Passion flower, natural remedies provide the ability to balance moods, calm nerves and improve the emotional state. And because they are entirely organic, they carry no side effects at all, making them the best depression treatment for patients of any age.

What makes these products so effective is their ability to work with the body’s own defenses to provide thorough and long lasting results. It is a theory homeopaths have traded on for years, establishing wellness by treating the body as a whole rather than focusing on one particular area. This approach offers the best treatment for depression currently available.

Of course, even a natural remedy will only be truly successful if it is implemented as part of an overall approach to treatment. The best depression treatment can include a variety of methods, including behavior therapy, stress reduction and lifestyle changes. Everything from practicing yoga to ensuring that you eat a balanced diet can have a very real effect on mental well being. Together, all these methods represent the best possible course of treatment.

In order to treat depression thoroughly, it is necessary to consider the health of the whole body. If depression symptoms are a problem for you, consult your doctor and together you can decide on the best course of treatment. Remember to consider all of your options and don’t forget to include natural remedies. Nature’s healing can be the best treatment of all!
Lois Lane is a passionate advocate of natural remedies for health and well being, whether for humans or their pets alike. As an ardent researcher, she presents the best information she learns and introduces people to natural products that may assist them in living a fuller, more vibrant life.

Beating depression is possible naturally. There are a lot of proven methods to deal with this mental illness at home without the routine administration of prescription drugs. With 11 million Americans contracting the disease every year, the importance of finding out natural ways to treat it is fast becoming imperative. One of the best ways of fighting depression is to take natural supplements. But it is important to note here that most of these “proven” natural treatments are backed only by a coupled of insignificant studies. Following are the top 5 natural supplements which have an actual track record of curing depression.

St John’s Wort: This herb has strong evidence of being as effective as certain anti-depressants in curing the illness with a lot less side effects than the latter. If you are depressed, this should actually be your first choice when you are in the process of picking out a supplement. A dosage of 600- 900 mg daily should be administered in the initial phase of treatment and later it can be increased to 900-1800 mg daily according to the requirement. This supplement will start showing its efficacy after about 3 weeks of therapy.

SAM-e: This natural supplement also is a powerful anti-depressant. In fact its results will start showing not after weeks, but only in days of starting therapy. The normal dose of this supplement for the treatment of depression is 800-1600 mg daily. This supplement is extremely popular in spite of its steep price.

5-HTP: This natural supplement is an amino acid that is known to be a natural depression cure. It increases the production of serotonin, a chemical in the brain which boosts a person’s mood. It also specifically targets the symptoms of low levels of serotonin such as change is sleep pattern and feeling down without a reason. Sometimes this supplement acts as a natural weight loss enhancer for depressed people who are overweight.

Gingko Biloba: This natural herbal supplement is an excellent way of getting relief from depressive episodes. It is especially helpful in elderly patients. This powerful antioxidant and anti-depressant increases the flow of blood in the body and the brain. The improved circulation is known to not only boost the mood, but also promote cardiovascular health, improve memory and reduce the symptoms of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Siberian Ginseng: This is another natural supplement which cures depression. It works by balancing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, epinephrine, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. It also helps the body to adjust to physical stress in daily life too. This herb also promotes abstract thought, improve memory and strengthen the immune system to.

Taking an active initiative is treating depression is the best way to deal with it. A lot of people have benefited from the use of these natural supplements in beating their depression. If you or a loved one is depressed, try any one of these and see the difference in yourself.