Many people experience depression at some point in life. On the whole, women are about 50% more likely to have symptoms than men. This is most likely due in part to the significant hormonal changes women experience. Men do get this illness, but they often do not seek out treatment. Instead, they show their state of mind through anger and hostility. Men are 25% more likely to commit suicide than are women. The elderly are another population that often become despondent and who are, as a group, less likely to get help for it.

This is a real illness, not just a state of mind or something that someone can think themselves out of. There are several causes, including genetics, trauma history, physical illness (such as not making enough thyroid hormone), certain medications, chronic pain and grief.

Depression is a mood disorder in which signals are not passed between neurons normally. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that are in charge of passing the signals between neurons. Neurotransmitter signals may be too weak or there may not be enough of a particular neurotransmitter, similar to a phone line with a bad connection.

Symptoms include lack of energy, inability to sleep or sleeping too much, restlessness, weight loss or weight gain of more than 5% in one month, intrusive thoughts of suicide and death, guilt and feeling worthless and hopeless, general irritability, inability to concentrate, loss of enjoyment of favorite activities, self-imposed isolation, physical pain, headaches or even digestive upset that does not respond to any treatment. Any of these symptoms lasting more than two weeks is cause to see a doctor.

Some common forms of the illness include childhood and postpartum depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Children can be depressed and may not be able to tell you in words what they are feeling. Children most often express what they are feeling through their behavior. Be attentive to any changes in the behavior or your children. Postpartum depression occurs in the first year after giving birth. This manifestation of the illness can be very debilitating and guilt producing. The woman may feel that because she just had this wonderful child she should not be feeling the way she does. This is just not true. She needs to get help. Bipolar is characterized by extreme periods of extremely sad, hopeless moods and mania. It tends to run in families. Seasonal affective disorder most often occurs in people living in northern latitudes with short winter days and long nights.

Depression is treatable. Cognitive behavior therapy or psychotherapy in combination with medications is a more successful treatment than therapy or medication alone. Eating well and exercising, taking time to relax and regenerate and listening to your body can help ease symptoms and possibly even prevent the illness. Stress management and reduction techniques, such as visualization, meditation and yoga practice are other ways to help manage symptoms. Light therapy is often the treatment method of choice for seasonal affective disorder.

If you think you or someone you know is suffering from this illness and it has been going on for more than two weeks, seek the attention of a doctor. Depression is a real illness that can sometimes be fatal. Remember that it is not your fault. It is a chemical malfunction in the brain that you have no more control over than a diabetic has control over their own insulin production. Remember that depression is a very treatable illness and that there is no reason to suffer in silence.

Depression is a real illness. It’s not just a state of mind or something that you can think yourself out of. If you want to know more about the challenges, remedies and self depression tests, visit us at http://www.SelfDepression.com

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All this is easily recoverable with Drug free depression therapy.

You must feel that cures for depression are availble. Many people do not recognize depression as a disease, but it is. And like most diseases, there are ways to cure them. But what cures depression? Here are five things that can help you break the cycle of depression.

One of the most common treatments adapted by doctors to Beat Depression Anxiety is to prescribe anti-depressants. Anti-depressants are known to soothe your nerves and beat anxiety by offering instant relaxation. Drugs are a way of tricking your body to be happy. But what you really want, is to actually be happy. Also, many depressed people do not respond to antidepressant medication, and need to look at alternative solutions

Although anxiety and depression are two separate clinical diagnoses, they often occur simultaneously in people. Depression may be short-term or long-term, and can be mild to completely debilitating, resulting in a suicide attempt. But, depression in most people simply manifests itself in a sense of overwhelming sadness, pointlessness, or sluggishness. A desire to do nothing but sit around, to not enjoy anything, to not sleep well or eat properly these are all signs.

Anxiety can be caused by external stress such as with the family or a job, but it can also be caused by being in enclosed places, being with other people, or related to certain phobias. Anxiety can hit a person in an instant, when they feel as if the walls are closing in on them, or they can live in a constant, low-level state of anxiety, anxiousness about something that they cannot identify.

There are Natural Remedies such as Home study programs that can help to overcome Depression and Anxiety you do not need medication to recover from this help in hand.

The thing to remember when seeking anxiety and depression treatment is that there are many ways to deal with these problems, and what works for one person may not work for another so be patient and keep trying until you find one that works.

To Learn More About Depression Therapy and naturall cures for depression visit http://www.treatdepressionathome.com

What Is Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible disease of the brain that affects somebody memory and additional abilities. How Common Is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is the common form of dementia in people age sixty-five and over. Across 5.2 million Americans are approximated to have Alzheimer’s illness. By 2050 this number is expected to reach eleven to sixteen million (Alzheimer’s Association, 2009).

How the Brain Changes With Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive illness, meaning that it gets worse and a lot of functions are lost as many time passes.

A few studies advise that Alzheimer’s disease may start attacking the brain long before symptoms are present.

The illness first attempts the remembering center of the brain, which causes people with AD to become more mindless. As the disease progresses somebody may also begin to have additional problems, such problems with thinking and walking.

Alzheimer’s disease is NOT a Normal Part of Aging.
Despite what a few people recollect, acquiring Alzheimer’s illness isn’t a normal part of aging. However, it’s true that people are more likely to develop AD as they grow older.

There’s no more cure for AD, but there are multiple treatments that can slow down the progression of the illness. Investigators trust that an individual who’s diagnosed with AD at age sixty five may live an average of 8-10 years (Alzheimer’s disease Research, 2009).

More about Causes and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Causes, risk elements, and symptoms of Alzheimer’s are somewhat different from extra forms of dementia.
*Causes of Alzheimer’s disease.
*Brain transfers in Alzheimer’s disease.
*Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Several about Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer.
Approaches to diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease are same to extra forms of dementia. See the

links below to read more.
*Diagnosing Dementia.
*Treating Dementia.
*Grownups with the following symptoms:
*Increasing forgetfulness.
*Difficulty recollecting people’s names, spelling
words, or expressing ideas.
*Adults who wish to work at the following:
*Creativity.
*Memory skills.
*Communication skills.
*Slowing the mental effects of aging.

How can you keep your brain healthy?
In order to maintain your physical health, you’ve to
(1) Exercise on a regular basis.
(2) Eat healthy.
(3) Sleep well.
In like manner, in order to keep your mind healthy, you require to
(1) Exercise your mind regularly,
(2) Eat healthy.
(3) Sleep well.

As an adult, you are responsible for your personal diet and sleep on a regular base. This book is exclusively planned to help you get used to also coaching your brain daily.
Simple calculations really work.
While browsing through this workbook, you may have noticed it consists only of easy calculations.
A few of you may be marveling how come a grownup, which’s intellectually active at work and at house, would need to do such primary school-level math.
Through my research I found that easy calculations activate the mind a lot of effectively than whatever extra activity.

I as well discovered that the better way to activate the biggest regions of the mind was to solve these calculations quickly. I.e. why I’ve created the easy to solve problems you see in this workbook to help you Train your mind.

Calculation and oral reading exercises are the optimum coaching methods according to the newest brain research.My newest research proved that reading aloud, solving easy calculations, and writing activate the mind most effectively.
Brain training encouraged the power to remember by 20 percent.

My research team carried out research with grade school students. We counted how several words they could memorize within two minutes and found that, on average, they could memorize 8.3 words (the equivalent figure for adults is 12.2).

When we conducted the same exam after a 2 minute calculation exercise, the average word counting remembers added to 9.8 and after 2 minutes of studying out loud the average raised to 10.1.

Our results show that these exercises encouraged the kid’s ability to remember by more than 20 percent.
The computation and reading loudly practices acted a warm up for educates allowing them to perform best on the word memorization exams. Simple calculation and oral reading practices alleviated symptoms of dementia.

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Not too often the connection is made between heart disease and mental health. What is your brain made of?
Because the brain is made out of good fat and bad fat causes bad heart disease. The question is there a connection?

Over 50% of your mind is created of good fat. 20 percent of this good fat comes from EPA and DHA. Remember EPA and DHA comes from,

Omega-3 fatty acids
*Eating fish
*Borage oil
*Primrose oil
*Parilla oil
*NOK oil

I’ve crossed all these oils in other articles exclude NKO Krill Oil. This oil is the new kid on the block. It comes from Antarctic krill, a crustacean got in the Antarctic waters. It provides EPA and DHA like borage oil do but its chemical structure is phospholipids. Phospholipids are easier for your cells to absorb than borage oil’s EPA and DHA, which is in the form of tryglycerides.

The essential fatty acids offer the chemical molecules to make Phospholipids. These phospholipids collect jointly to form a protective barrier around each cell in your body.

If the fatty acids are in phospholipids form, your body is capable to apply them faster and more efficiently.

This is what makes NOK oil a lot of bio-available advanced oil than borage or primrose oil.

If you’re deficient in the essential fatty acids, you’ll be more susceptible to these terms:

Alzheimer’s disease

Anxiety and body stress
*Heart disease
*Attention deficit disorder
*Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
*Bipolar disorder
*Chronic fatigue syndrome
*Depression
*Learning disorders
*Memory impairment
*Parkinson’s disease
*Schizophrenia

Making Your Brain Work like It Should.

Your brain requires a good every day provide of the essential fatty acid omega-3. It also uses omega-6 and AA (Arachidonic acid). So this means taking a fine dose of NKO oil is a necessary every day function for keeping your brain from shrinking.

Alzheimer’s disease

Doctors trust that if everybody lived to be over 120 years, they’d go down with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a disease that once you have it all you can do at this time is to slow it is progression using certain does drugs and nutrients.

Before your brain begins to deteriorated to where it contains nodules of toxins, excess oxidation due to free radicals, and weaken and narrowing blood vessels, it might be a fine idea to begin feeding it the food it takes.

DHA is in order for Alzheimer’s disease. When DHA is deficient in your diet, you can expect to have amnesia and become depressed as you age.

Lecithin is also in order since it services to offer choline, a precursor to the memory neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It also offers the chemicals to create RNA.

Heart disease is close related to Alzheimer’s because the heart must be strong sufficiency to pump plenty of blood into the brain and the arteries must open enough to circulate enough blood through with the brain and end to end your body.

Even if you do not come down with Alzheimer’s or your family story doesn’t support it, most of us are eligible for dementia. Dementia is also attributed to deterioration of brain cells and backup tissue. One of the causes of dementia is a diet that’s been deficient in the essential fatty acids.

Here are my recommendations for supplementing with the all important fatty acids:
*Eat more good fish, at least once a week and occasionally twice a week.
*Eat less fat and especially saturated fat. A good number for day to day fat intake is 15-20% of your overall calories.
*Take regular, flax seed oil and olive oil for the omega-3 and omega-6 oils.
*Take a day to day supplementation of NKO or Borage oil which supplies EPA and DHA.

There’s risky for the development of psychoactive substance dependency. Dependence is characterized by deterioration of the normal capabilities of behavioral, functional and physiological. There can be a solid desire by the ingestion of drugs despite minus consequences.
The developing of tolerance and back down statuses of physical dependency happens with the indiscriminate use. Drug addiction interferes with general wellness and family obligations. Effective mental health is essential for the effective functioning of an individual in society.

Abuse of psychoactive substances can be effectively tackled done the development and periodic assessment of treatment services. Disorders associated with alcohol are present in about 77 million people global.

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Depression is a common ailment but when it becomes a true illness, it can be debilitating and even dangerous. It is common to feel “down” at times. Any time we lose a job or maybe a parent or other loved one, there is reason to have feelings of depression. But when we learn to fight depression, those sad emotions should pass within a few days and dissolve into happier feelings.

True depression is an actual illness and most people cannot fight it off nor will it away. Therapy is called for when one is unable to fight depression and it continues to hang on like a cloak of darkness.

Handling depression and sad feelings requires understanding why we feel as we do. Knowing why we feel low or unhappy is the first step in climbing out of that deep dark abyss that is depression. Take the time to identify what made you feel so sad and take steps to get past the problem.

Start to fight this problem by working out a wellness check list for yourself, as it can prove an effective method of fighting off those sad feelings. A check list should include what makes you feel sad or low. Write down these things as you encounter them throughout your day. Some typical examples of things many people find make them sad include:

Gaining weight. If you find you are gaining weight it can often be dealt with by dieting or exercise so try walking more each day, perhaps at lunch time. That way you will eat less and burn more calories at the same time.

Pain such as back problems or constant head aches. Pain is a depressant that sometimes requires medication like Acetaminophen or Aspirin. Often taking a brisk walk can give people a feeling of exhilaration as they not only get their mind off their ills but are taking in more oxygen as their rate of breathing picks up while exercising.

Loss of a loved one, loss of a job, or an impending divorce will often trigger depression. Sometimes the only remedy to fight depression can be found in time. When you lose someone you care very deeply for, that is a difficult feeling to cope with and popping pills is not the answer. You should take time to grieve and mourn your loss, but after a week or so you must try to put other, more pleasant thoughts in your mind and you will soon feel lifted from that darkness we know as depression.

The ability to fight depression comes with knowing we have a problem and finding effective methods of dealing with it. Making up your own wellness check list is a simple task. It can be a simple two sided list with one side containing a list of what triggers sadness in you and the other side to be filled in with ways to combat the first side. When you encounter a method that works for you, write that down and use it often. Try the exercise and deep breathing exercises as they are commonly effective methods to fight depression.

Find effective ways to fight depression and emerge a winner on our site http://www.fight-your-depression.com/. Our blog http://www.fight-your-depression.com/ provides informative articles and essential tips to combat depression.

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People today are facing a lot of stress during their work and their day-to-day life. There is too much work and not much time for relaxation. The weekend, which is generally reserved for rest, is used for catching up with the household chores and children’s work. Hence, there is no relaxation here either. Vacations are costly, and hence far and in between. The result is that the stress gets accumulated and this triggers depression.

Meditation And Positive Thinking – The Best Tools Against Depression

Maybe there is not sufficient time for relaxation during weekend or during the day. However, as the saying goes, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” You can set aside just 10 minutes in the morning, in the night or whenever else during the day to meditate. Meditation techniques of yoga have been found to be extremely effective. However, just 10 minutes of total shut down time, wherever you are, in the office or at home, can work wonders.

I have a very close friend who has an excellent way of re-charging her energy. She takes a 10 minutes nap when she feels tired or attacked by depression. She gets up without any alarm or anyone prodding her, in exactly 10 minutes and she is as good as new. Her mind is fresh, she is fresh and everything looks great again. She calls these naps, ‘power naps’ and I am inclined to believe these are just that.

This is not meditation really, but it is a form of relaxation; a form of total shut down where your body and mind say together, ‘Enough is enough – let us start from the beginning!’ This is the best way to beat depression. Without regular total shut downs, our system gets too stressed and becomes vulnerable.

It is extremely important today to stop and relax. True enough, the importance of this requirement is inversely proportional with the time we have for it. Hence, we are prone for mental breakdowns and we are ill equipped to handle major emergencies and crises that life hands over. The mind is so stressed with day-to-day demands that any additional pressure can cause massive damage.

This is why people should learn and let go once in a while; cleanse their minds and detoxify their bodies so they can handle their hectic lives again. It does not matter how difficult your life is and how demanding your job, if you manage to relax periodically and “recharge your batteries” you will be able to face the world with full confidence and buoyancy and you will finally be able to beat depression.

Eddie Lamb publishes an abundance of information on a range of topical subjects. You’ll find a host of useful articles about Depression listed on our site map at http://www.SelfDepression.com.

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Posttraumatic stress disorder (commonly referred to by its acronym, PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event which results in psychological trauma.

This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one’s own or someone else’s physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual’s psychological defenses.
Have you lived through a scary or dangerous event? Do you’ve a few of the following problems?

*Feeling like the event is happening again.
*Trouble sleeping or nightmares.
*Not feeling about people.
*Becoming easy angered.
*Feeling guilty because other people died when you lived.

If so, you might have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Events that might cause PTSD include rape, physical abuse, an airplane or car smash, war or others.

For almost people, PTSD starts about 3 months later the event. However, some of the times signs of PTSD show up years after.

PTSD can happen to anybody, even kids. And, know this you’re not alone. 5.2 million Americans have PTSD.

If you’ve PTSD, you often have nightmares or scary ideas about the experience you went through. You try to stay away from anything that reminds you of your experience.

You may feel angry and unable to believe or care about others.

You may forever get on the lookout for danger. You can feel very upset when something occurs suddenly or without warning.

The symptoms of PTSD fall into 3 broad types: re-living, avoidance and increased arousal.

1. Symptoms of re-living include flashbacks, nightmares, and extreme emotional and physical reactions to reminders of the event.

Emotional reactions can include feeling shamed, extreme fear of harm, and numbing of emotions. Physical reactions can include uncontrollable shaking, chills or heart palpitations, and tension headaches.

2. Symptoms of avoidance include staying away from actions, places, ideas, or feelings related to the trauma or feeling detached or estranged from others.

3. Symptoms of raised arousal include being overly alert or easily started, difficulty sleeping, irritability or outbursts of anger, and lack of concentration.

The National Institute of Mental Health conducts and backs up research on reactions to national crises and traumatic events.

This research includes the reactions of people following the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers; the Oklahoma City bombing; wars and violence in the middle East; and disasters such earthquakes, tornados, fires, floods, and hurricanes, including the 2005 Gulf Coast storms.

There are a lot of different responses to crisis.
Almost all survivors have intense feelings after a traumatic event just recover from the trauma; other people have several difficulty recovering specially those who have had old traumatic experiences, who are faced up with ongoing stress, or who lack support from friends and family, will want further help.

There are a lot of things you are able to do to cope with traumatic events.

*Understand that your symptoms may be normal, specially right later the trauma.
*Keep to your common routine.
*Take the time to resolve daily conflicts so they don’t add to your stress.
*Don’t shy away from positions, people and places that remind you of the trauma.
*Find ways to relax and be kind to yourself.
*Turn to family, friends, and clergy person for support, and discourse your experiences and feelings with them.
*Participate in leisure and recreational activities.
*Recognize that you can’t control everything.
*Recognize the need for trained help, and call a local mental health center.

Past traumatic experiences can have a profound impact on the sum of anxiety that we regularly feel. Kids who grew up in extremely abusive environments often grow up to very anxious adults.

Veterans of war a lot of times come back with a heightened level of anxiety. And also, survivors of major disasters are prone to severe anxiety disorders.

About half of those with PTSD recover within 3 months without treatment. Some of the times symptoms don’t go away on their own or they last for more than 3 months.

This may occur because of the severity of the event, direct exposure to the traumatic event, serious mindedness of the threat to life, the number of times an event happened, a story of past trauma, and psychological problems before the event.

Whenever this is the case, you may need to consider looking for professional help if your symptoms affect your relationship with your family and friends, or affect your job.

Post traumatic stress is the result of some hazard happened in life like car accident, rape and any such event which has caused severe psychological distress.

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Depression and suicide are two topics which are at the centre of much debate on account of the growing number of children and teens who face these every day. The number of children succumbing to depression and the spate of suicides that are seen has led many people to rethink the education and the support system provided to today’s children and teens. As a parent, the idea that your child is dealing with depression can be unfathomable. The idea that your child might have to cope with suicidal thoughts seems all the more unthinkable. However, the reality is that there are too many youngsters facing these two problems and the two are inexorably linked. Getting the child to open up can be the trickiest part and it is sadly not uncommon for parents of suicidal children to have no idea that their child faced such thoughts.

One cannot simply blame the parents and expect them to know the details of their child’s thoughts. Most children are skilled at hiding their emotions from their parents and they often display only the most subtle signs of depression. Children are prone to depression for a variety of reasons which often revolve around anxiety, loneliness and lack of acceptability. To an adult, the idea that children face depression over such seemingly insignificant issues can be puzzling. However, the world of a child is very different and the need to be accepted is one of their foremost needs. The cruelty of other children and adults can have a deep and lasting impact on their psyche. Some children may have bipolar depression or some other disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder which could lead to such a drastic step.

Helping the child cope with such thought and such feelings of depression not only involves identifying the problem but also determining on the right course of treatment. Children are very susceptible to influence and are often depressed due to seemingly minor issues. A cutting comment from a loved one can ensure a depressed state weeks later. This is why parents and loved ones have to be extremely careful in their dealings with children. Opening communication may require the help of a counselor and the extent of the depression would determine the kind of treatment necessary. This may involve family counseling and could include the need for medical intervention. Building a support and safety net would be of utmost importance for your child and letting them know, verbally and through action, that you support them is as important as supporting them.

Kevin Pederson, authors web content for http://www.diethealthclub.com a complete online resource featuring diet, health and fitness. This article is focused on helping you plan for new year resolutions for healthy diet plans

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Summary: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a high level of worry and stress. Nothing specific triggers it. Women suffer more from it more than men.

Let’s get one thing straight. Everyone experiences stress. This life is hard; you don’t have to live many years to figure that out. You are guaranteed to feel a certain level of anxiety throughout your life; there is simply no way to completely avoid it. You need to be concerned if your worry is a chronic problem. If you are constantly worrying and stressed then you could have what is called the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

The GAD is a chronic, high level of anxiety that is not linked to anything specific.

The General Anxiety Disorder Symptoms are;

Constant worry: You are constantly worrying about the mistakes you made in the past and the problems you think you will face in the future. Many people worry about something that never happens. You worry about small matters in areas such as; family, finances, work and personal illness. Your worry is bad enough that you worry about how much you worry. Your worrying becomes a worry to you.

Decisions: You dread making decisions. You agonize over your decisions endlessly.

Irritability and edginess: Stress in general causes strong emotional responses. If you are under a great deal of stress you are more likely to lose control. If there is anything that can destroy love and unity at home or in a marriage it is out of control anger.

There is a philosophy out there that says if you are angry let it out. Freud believed in getting anger out of your system but he was wrong in this respect. That is not good advice. Most psychologists today believe different, they believe that acting out your aggression especially in a violent manner results in more anger and aggression.

If you think about it logically it absolutely makes sense. If you start yelling at someone at the top of your lungs what do you think they will do? Most normal people will yell back. You have just created a whirlwind of contention. It will require great effort to make it up.

When you start to feel your insides burn up with anger, it is time to force yourself to pause and come to yourself. Try your best to separate yourself from the situation and look at it from a third party. This is much easier said than done.

Another way to explain this is take an 8.5 x 11-inch piece of paper and put it directly up against your face and have it touch your nose. You have peripheral vision but not much. This is what it is like when your anger has the best of you. You don’t see other options but to act out your anger. Now take the piece of paper and pull it away from your face. Your peripheral vision expands representing more options than lashing out.

Physical Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

1. Trembling
2. Muscle tension
3. Diarrhea
4. Dizziness
5. Faintness
6. Sweating
7. Heart Palpitations
8. Difficulty sleeping

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a gradual process. Females tend to have it more than males.

Why this knowledge is important to you is because this disorder causes stress as was touched on a little already. It is important to understand what stress can do to you. Stress is both bad and good. The good aspects of stress are a topic for another article.

Learned helplessness is a form of stress that can lead to depression. Learned helplessness is a condition where you think all is lost and you simply give up which is behavioral disengagement. Quitting or giving up does not relieve the stress it actually causes more stress. There is nothing about giving up on something that is uplifting or ennobling.

Conclusion: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a disorder of chronic worry that causes unhealthy stress. Severe amounts of stress can lead to depression. Physical symptoms are also associated with this disorder.

Bret Bradshaw owns the website www.mindbodyandmoney.com concerning self-help/self-development and operating a business from home.

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If winter makes you eat too much pasta, sleep late, take daily naps, yell at everyone around you and feel like hiding from the world, you might have SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder turns up about this time every year. SAD usually starts when the days get shorter in October or November and turns into pervasive fatigue by late December and January. Anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate and weight gain round out the symptoms that strike people who live at some distance north or south of the equator.

It was called “the winter blues” before it became a recognized disorder in the 1980s. Now, medical and mental health professionals recognize it as very real depression, sometimes accompanied by decreased sexual interest, hopelessness, social withdrawal and even suicidal thoughts. Though children can have SAD, it usually begins to occur in our 20s and appears every year in fall and winter, especially in people who have a relative with clinical depression, bipolar disorder or alcoholism. More women get SAD than men. A few, rare people experience a type of SAD with opposite symptoms during summer months.

Is there a cure, besides waiting for spring? No, but there is treatment, the most common being light therapy or phototherapy. Ordinary light bulbs won’t do the job; the light must mimic sunlight. Don’t be fooled by fake claims. Medically developed light boxes are safe and work with daily use. They deliver 10,000 lux (normal room light measures from 50 to 300 lux), contain a UV filter or screen, and are certified electrically safe. If your doctor prescribes one for treatment of SAD symptoms, some insurance plans even help to pay for them.

Some women say they use tanning beds to combat SAD, but this is a bad idea because tanning beds have been proven so harmful to health and they don’t really work. Here’s why:

1. They offer neither the kind of light nor the delivery method that is useful for light therapy.
2. The UV rays in tanning beds cause harm including increased risk for skin cancer, decreased immunity to disease, and premature aging.
3. For light therapy to work, it must reach the eyes at an angle like that of the sun. Eyes covered with cotton or sunglasses in a tanning bed cannot receive the useful treatment.
4. The spectrum of light from a tanning bed is not the most effective in decreasing SAD symptoms.

White light, usually from fluorescent bulbs, is considered to be the safest. Avoid UV rays and always check with your ophthalmologist if you have any concerns about the condition of your retina or have other vision problems that might be harmed by incorrect exposure to bright light. LED lights are being used in some of the newer light boxes, but the retina is highly sensitive to blue light, which could have harmful long-term side effects. It’s best to consult with your doctor before investing hundreds of dollars in a light box.

Even though light therapy is the generally accepted treatment, doctors don’t really know why it works or how effective it really is. To reduce SAD symptoms, light boxes must be used every day. Some professionals recommend at least 30 minutes twice a day throughout the fall and winter. Once SAD appears, it returns each year.

Doctors think SAD might be caused by changes in the way the body reacts to light and its own biological rhythms. Everyone has a natural biological clock, called “circadian rhythm.” The decreased light during winter months can confuse your internal clock, and causes your brain to produce different chemicals. Medications that produce serotonin (the body’s mood elevator chemical) and melatonin (the body’s calm or sleep inducer) have both been used with some success to adjust these rhythms and chemistry to help reduce the symptoms of SAD. Anti-depressants also reduce symptoms for some people.

Another approach focuses on changing attitudes, behaviors and routines that may contribute to the SAD symptoms. Opening your blinds to increase the amount of light in your house or going for walks in the middle of the day can help mild cases. Regular exercise is a proven mood elevator and also helps you deal more effectively with stress, prevent seasonal weight gain and generally feel better about yourself.

Other proven mood elevators, especially laughter, can also help. If you are wallowing in SAD, go see a funny movie, treat yourself to a comedy club outing or just force yourself to socialize with entertaining friends.

Traditional mind-body relaxation techniques may also alleviate SAD symptoms. These include Yoga, meditation, guided imagery, Tai Chi, acupuncture, and massage. Herbal treatments and dietary adjustments might help some people. St. John’s Wort has shown to increase light sensitivity and reduce mild symptoms of depression, as have Omega 3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, flaxseed oil, walnuts and coldwater fish.

Recently, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was tested in a small group of people diagnosed with SAD. Some of these people were given CBT alone and others were given CBT with light therapy. A third group was given only light therapy: three hours over a six-week period. Early results show CBT may have more long-term positive effects than light therapy. The CBT focused on changing attitudes and behaviors, acquired through years of dealing with SAD, which may contribute to the severity of symptoms.

Of course, people who can afford it often take a winter Caribbean cruise or vacation in a southern state with a tropical climate. Snowbirds increase by the thousands every year for a reason. Some studies show that as many as half a million people in the United States alone suffer from SAD.

The most important thing to keep in mind is: If you have seasonal depression, you can do something about it. Consult with your doctor before investing money in something you saw on TV. But if you have SAD symptoms, and especially if they are causing you severe disabling depression, get help before SAD harms your career, relationships and your physical health.

Nancy D. O’Reilly, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist who founded WomenSpeak.com http://www.womenspeak.com, based on a decade of research about women’s issues and concerns. A member of the American Psychological Association, she wrote “Timeless Women Speak” now available as age-decade chapters.

Though many people don’t realize this, most people suffer from some degree of depression. Whether it is brought about by the death of a loved one, unresolved stress, child birth or some other form of emotional distress, being depressed doesn’t mean that there’s something mentally wrong with you- it simply means that you are suffering through something that you can’t handle on your own.

Dealing with depression isn’t always a complicated matter; every person is different and each person reacts in their own way. When it comes to losing a loved one, the individual’s ability to cope and how the death of their loved one occurred can play a part in how depressed one can get. For example, if a person loses a parent that has been suffering from terminal illness for a long time, the consequent sadness may me intermingled with a bit of relief. As such, the person feels gloomy for a little while, but comes out of it in a short amount of time on their own, once the negative feelings have been resolved and the grieving process complete.

Other times, dealing with depression isn’t as simple. Some situations can severely affect a person to a point that they require professional help to resolve the emotional fallout. Post-partum depression is an example. After giving birth to a baby, some women find themselves feeling an overwhelming sadness that just won’t go away. Known as post-partum depression, this melancholy can invade all aspects of the mother’s life, causing adverse effects in her marriage, friendships and relationship with her child(ren). Unlike the loss of a loved one, where we personally understand where the emotional upset came from, a woman with post-partum depression has no idea why she feels the way she does.

Sometimes the reason for the negative feelings seems so small that a person feels silly seeking help, or it seems so big that one feels resolution is hopeless. Other times, the reason for the emotional upheaval is unknown- which makes dealing with depression even harder. Again, we are all individuals equipped with our own abilities, strengths and weaknesses- so no matter our perception of our situation, the reality is that it can be overcome.

The good news is that no matter why a person feels the way they do, there’s no need to continue suffering. Because the forces causing a person to be depressed can vary from one end of the spectrum to the other, there isn’t a one size fits all course of treatment. Between medications, support groups and professional counseling, there are methods available that were designed to help with every issue- big or small.

If you are suffering from depression or feel someone you know is depressed, visit http://healinside.com fro more information on how to get help.

Distributed by http://www.ContentCrooner.com

A 2003 study revealed that approximately 19 million people in the United States alone had suffered from depression at one time or another. Since then, these disturbing numbers have continued to increase. However, fewer than twenty percent of those people ever received a confirmed diagnosis or sought proper treatment.

Depression has a huge impact on people’s lives. It is the number one reason people miss work or perform at low levels. If not confirmed and treated, it can lead to serious consequences, including suicide. While advancements have been made to educate the public about this debilitating disease, much more work is needed.

Recently, though, we have seen new and more effective treatments that go beyond the commonly prescribed drugs by treating more than just the symptoms of depression. The public deserves to know all the possible options for getting better and leading a healthy, happy life. One of the most hope inspiring of these therapies is neurofeedback.

As more and more research stuides the effects of neurofeedback on depression, we can see that this appears to be a highly effective manner of preventing some or all of the symptoms of depression. Neurofeedback has also been very successful in controlling depression for people who have already been diagnosed. The most important first step for anyone with symptoms of depression is to see a mental health professional so a firm diagnosis can be made.

While every person has occasional times of feeling down or blue, that should not be mistaken for depression. The symptoms that go along with depression include an abiding sense of despair and hopelessness. People who live with depression have initial indicators that should be recognized as signs of someone at serious risk, which include:

- No interest in friends, family, hobbies, or work.
- Staying in the house, having no interest in getting out.
- Feeling overwhelmed by everything.
- Problems with sleep – too much or too little.
- Difficulty with concentration, finding easy tasks too difficult to complete.
- Becoming frequently short tempered.
- Having little or no appetite.
- Ongoing negative thoughts, to include thoughts of revenge and suicide.

As you can see, depression is a serious matter, one that ultimately has cost many people their lives. If you notice signs of depression in yourself or someone you care about, take action. Often, doctors will prescribe medication to bring the intensity down but we now see neurofeedback being added to the mix of available help.

Neurofeedback therapy works by training the individual to identify triggers so bouts of depression and the intensity of depression can be controlled. When neurofeedback is used in the treatment of depression, it identifies the brainwaves that are in operation when the patient is in a depressed state, as well as the triggers that cause the brainwaves to function at a less than optimal level. In many cases, depression is the result of another problem, which could be chronic pain, injury, or a distressing life event such divorce or the death of a loved one. Learning what the underlying cause of depression is becomes a vital part of successful treatment and therapy.

Neurofeedback is very effective in helping with conditions or disorders that are closely related to stress. The outcome of studies using neurofeedback for depression is highly optimistic, which is a good reason for people with depression to feel more hopeful for the future.

For more information about Neurofeedback, go to http://www.NeurofeedbackBook.com Dr. Clare Albright is a psychologist (CA License PSY11660) and a Neurofeedback practitioner and can be reached at (949)454-0996