|
|
Alternative Approaches to Pain Relief
Pain. The great leveler. The rich feel it. So do the poor, the happy, the sad, tall, and short. And, of course, article writers, too. It’s therefore not surprising to note that since the dawn of time, humans have attempted to discover ways to...
Depression Kills
We hear reports around the globe of the many souls that suffer
depression, because of overwhelming stress. With wars, poverty,
and violence going on around us is it any wonder that depression
is an issue? Statistics has proven that depression...
The Five Worst Date Places
TERMS OF REPRINT You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included and you follow these rules: *Email distribution of this article MUST be opt-in email only. *If you post...
The Yin and Yang of the Healthy Individual
The Chinese believe our bodies are complete halves, one side
being the passive and the other being the aggressive, and it
only through the successful union of the halves, that we have
the healthy whole.
Western medicine has so far, not...
Your guide to Ginger Root
For thousands of years ginger root has been used for medicinal purposes. One of the primary uses has been the treatment of stomach problems such as indigestion, gas, bloating, and stomach cramps. The origins of ginger root can be traced back to...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depression: Nothing to Sneeze At
How common is depression? So common that it is thought of as the common cold of mental illnesses. However, this is not to understate the severity of depression which is one of the leading indicators of suicide. By some estimates depression costs the country a staggering $43 billion dollars a year in costs resulting from medicine, hospitalization, lost work days and reduced productivity. One in six of us will experience a major depressive episode in our lives and 15 million Americans are suffering from depression at any given time.
What causes depression? There are a great many possible causes for depression. Frequently, depression is caused by an organic (chemical) or physiological cause. Possible organic causes include food allergies, heavy metals, prescription drugs, illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. Depression can also be caused by preexisting physical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, chronic pain, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, and nutritional deficiencies.
How do you know if you have depression? Depression can be broken into at least two categories major depression also called unipolar depression or mild depression, which is also referred to as dysthmia.
Major depression is determined by therapists to be present when a person has five of the following symptoms: Poor appetite accompanied by weight loss, or increased appetite accompanies by weight gain; insomnia or excessive sleep; hyperactivity; loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities or decrease in sexual drive; loss of energy including feelings of fatigue; feelings of worthlessness; reduction in one’s ability to think or concentrate; recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
Some symptoms of mild depression can be similar to those of major depression. Therapists will diagnose a person as having mild depression if at least three of the following symptoms for at least two years: low self-esteem or lack of self-confidence; pessimism; hopelessness or despair; lack of interest in ordinary pleasures and activities; withdrawal from social activities; fatigue or lethargy; guilt or ruminating about the past; irritability or excessive anger; lessened productivity; difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
How does western medicine treat depression? A number of drugs have been developed by western medicine for the purpose of treating depression. These drugs include tricyclic antidepressants (Amoxapine, Amitriptyline, Trazodone and Mirtazapine), polycyclic antidepressants (Imiparamine, Desipramine or Protriptyline), or most commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Fluoxetine, Nefazodone, Sertraline or Parozetine). Other drugs such as Venlafaxine which increases serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain and Bupropion which increases catecholamine reuptake are also used for depression. Most drugs are prescribed to increase chemicals in the brain that are low in people who are depressed.
What are the natural remedies for depression? Natural medicine
practitioners frequently prescribe botanical medicines for depression. The best researched of the botanical medicine for treating depression is St. John’s Wort. The studies done to date have shown that St. John’s Wort is just as effective as anti-depressants for treating mild depression and that patients report greater satisfaction and fewer side effects then with anti-depressants. Ginkgo bilboa has also proven effective for treating depression in both human and animal studies. Exactly how Ginkgo bilboa works to treat depression is not known; however, the most likely reasons are that it impacts serotonin levels and that it is a powerful antioxidant.
Homeopathic medication that is frequently used for depression includes Anacardium, Arsenicum album, Aurum metallicum, Calcarea carbonica, Ignatia, Natrum muriaticum, Pulsatilla, Staphysagria, and Sulfur. The exact remedy is chosen by matching a person’s individual symptoms with the remedy.
Counseling is frequently employed in the treatment of depression. Of the counseling techniques available, one of the most useful for treating depression is Cognitive therapy. In this type of counseling the counselor works with the patient to restructure the thought patterns of the individual. Important in treating depression are how the person thinks about such issues as failure, mistakes, and personal deficiencies.
Other natural therapies may treat hormonal imbalances including hypothyroidism, and adrenal functions. Treating these and other hormonal imbalances can clear up depression. More information on these conditions can be found on other pages of this site.
Can you prevent depression? Self-care is highly important in warding off and preventing reoccurrence of depression. Important factors include diet, lifestyle and nutritional supplements.
Lifestyle changes may be in order. People suffering from depression should decrease, or better yet discontinue, alcohol consumption as alcohol is a depressant drug. They should begin or increase exercise to increase levels of endorphins. And, they may want to discontinue or reduce intake of caffeine.
Diet changes should include an increase in fruits, vegetables, grains and raw nuts and seeds all of which are fiber-rich. Avoid any foods which are triggering allergies.
Some supplements to consider include folic acid and vitamin B12 (800 mg /day each) which are frequently deficient in people with depression; vitamin B6 (50 - 100 mg / day) which is essential for the brain to make serotonin, and omega-3 oils which are important in the composition of nerve cell membranes.
Natural medicine offers many ways to deal with the possible underlying organic and physiological conditions of depression. Consulting a healthcare professional is always recommended as they can assess your condition and create an individualized treatment plan.
About the Author
David Westbrook writes for such fine websites as http://www.healthcraz.com and http://www.automedicine.com
|
|
|
|
|
National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health |
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Library of Medicine offers access to health information for consumer, patient, and physicians ... |
www.nlm.nih.gov |
  |
Health and Medical Information produced by doctors - MedicineNet.com |
Doctor-produced health and medical information written for you to make informed decisions about your health concerns. |
www.medicinenet.com |
  |
Medicine in the Yahoo! Directory |
Collection of sites for health professionals, with sections on specific disciplines, organizations, continuing education, conferences, publications, ... |
dir.yahoo.com |
  |
MedlinePlus Health Information from the National Library of Medicine |
Health information from the National Library of Medicine. Easy access to Medline and Health topics, medical dictionaries, directories and publications. |
medlineplus.gov |
  |
Medicine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Medicine is a branch of health science and the sector of public life ... The practice of medicine combines both science as the evidence base and art in the ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
  |
Journal Home - Nature Medicine |
Nature Medicine has a vacancy for a Locum Assistant Editor for six months. The position involves working in all aspects of the editorial process, ... |
www.nature.com |
  |
The New England Journal of Medicine: Research & Review Articles on ... |
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is a weekly general medical journal that publishes new medical research findings, review articles, and editorial ... |
content.nejm.org |
  |
eMedicine Clinical Knowledge Base |
eMedicine features up-to-date, searchable, peer-reviewed medical journals, online physician reference textbooks, and a full-text article database in 62 ... |
www.emedicine.com |
  |
Open Directory - Health: Medicine |
the entire directory, only in Health/Medicine. Top: Health: Medicine (11429). Description · Medical Specialties (4888); Surgery (2265) ... |
dmoz.org |
  |
the www virtual library biosciences medicine |
www.ohsu.edu/cliniweb/wwwvl/ - Similar pages |
|
  |
Medicine - home |
Bimonthly journal covering the latest results in clinical investigation relevant to hospital and office practice. |
www.md-journal.com |
  |
Institute of Medicine |
The Institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health. |
www.iom.edu |
  |
ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News |
Medical Research News. Health news on everything from cancer to nutrition. Full-text, images, updated daily. |
www.sciencedaily.com |
  |
Google Directory - Health > Medicine |
Search only in Medicine Search the Web. Medicine. Health > Medicine, Go to Directory Home. Categories. Alternative Medicine (6308) Basic Sciences (66) ... |
www.google.com |
  |
the world wide web virtual library biosciences medicine |
www.mcb.harvard.edu/biopages/medicine.html - Similar pages |
|
  |
PLoS Medicine - A Peer-Reviewed Open-Access Journal |
PLoS Medicine is a peer-reviewed, international, open-access journal published ... Every issue of PLoS Medicine contains a selection of readers' responses. ... |
medicine.plosjournals.org |
  |
Medicine On-Line - Medicine Online -The International Medical Journal |
Medicine Online - independent and peer reviewed journal published by Priory Medical Journals - priory.com. |
www.priory.com |
  |
Entrez PubMed |
PubMed is a service of the US National Library of Medicine that includes over 16 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for ... |
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov |
  |
Stanford University School of Medicine |
Home Page of the Stanford University School of Medicine. |
med.stanford.edu |
  |
Medicine OnLine |
Meds.com offers medical information and education on cancer (lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, leukemia) and HIV / AIDS for patients, ... |
www.meds.com |
  |
|