Antidepressants 101- What You Absolutely Need To Know - By: Mansi Aggarwal

Introduction

Change in social and economical states throughout the world although has brought prosperity among the individuals of the world but at a price. It has brought both physical and mental stressors. Now people have to work harder and under mental tensions. Now the depression is prevalent everywhere at office, in transport and also at home. To relieve those stressors people are trying every type of therapy be it drugs or some exercise or some kind of psychotherapy so as to work efficiently.

What is depression?

Depression is basically a pathological change in mood. For being diagnosed as depressed medically one has to have certain well defined symptoms such as early morning awakening, decreased or increased appetite, decreased interest, sense of guilt, etc. continuously for a period of 2 weeks. From the biochemical point of view at the neuronal level it is hypothesized that there is a lack of nor adrenaline and Serotonin at the neuronal nerve endings.

Different types of antidepressants

Modern day antidepressants are classified broadly into nor adrenaline and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake intake inhibitors and the atypical ones. As stated above, the cause of depression is lack of nor adrenaline and serotonin and hence most of the antidepressants are meant to serve that purpose for e.g. some like imipramine increase the concentration of nor adrenaline and serotonin while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) like fluoxetine block the uptake and hence increase the concentration of serotonin. The atypical antidepressants like mianserin increase the release of nor adrenaline at the neuronal nerve endings cause the elevation of mood. Extreme forms of depression are associated with suicidal tendencies and they are mostly treated by electro convulsive therapy.

Uses and side effects

The antidepressants are used in major depression and also are sometimes used in enuresis of children. The side effects of the antidepressants are many like dry mouth sedation increased appetite hypotension and convulsions to name only few but the most important of them all are dependence of the patients on these medications and then the drug abuse. The electro convulsive therapy has the side effect of some impairment in memory hence it is only used in extreme cases.

Other options and their advantages

The other options available in the market are herbal medicines, cognitive psychotherapy, yoga and other alternative medicine. Most of these therapies are based on the age-old system on minimally disrupting the chemical composition of the body but at the same time relieving the subjects of their symptoms. One of the herbal medicines is St. John’s wort. Therapies like yoga and psychotherapy are gaining ground as most the drugs are having their own side effects profile but these have none. Cognitive therapy aims at altering the thought processes of the individual and has beneficial effects not only in depression but also in disorders as varied as panic attacks, bulimia, etc. From the discussion it is clear that there are a number of options available and what is best for one is not necessarily going to be the best for other and hence the therapy should be customized for individual rather than generalized.

About the Author: Mansi gupta writes about Antidepressants topics. Learn more at http://www.antidepressantguide.com .

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Battling the Blues and Winning - By Leigh Erin Connealy

Summer time is over, the kids are back in school and soon the holiday preparations will begin. But unfortunately, what should be a magical time of year, all too often signals the beginning of the winter blues for millions of Americans. And whether you suffer from a mild form of depression when it comes time to start your holiday shopping, or you go into full blown panic attacks at the mere mention of hosting Thanksgiving dinner, you are not alone. The good news is that, while the changing of the seasons is inevitable, the holiday blues don’t have to be.

Depression seems to be the catch phrase of the new millennium and the health care community is often all too quick to prescribe antidepressants as a cure to what ails you. But not all forms of depression and anxiety warrant such drastic measures. Often times, with a few changes to your diet and lifestyle, you could be looking at the world with a whole new attitude.

Understanding the Evils of Depression and Anxiety We’ve all said it at one time or another, those words that seem to sum up our angst so perfectly: I’m so depressed! But what does that mean exactly? The symptoms of depression can be characterized by many factors, ranging from irritability and insomnia to panic and the inability to enjoy life’s little pleasures. Often times we strive towards perfection in an effort to manage our feelings of despair or inadequacy, generally falling short and leaving us feeling worse than we when we began.

Many of us were raised on the old adage, Mind Over Matter, and feel that we should be able to manage our emotions on our own, that anything less would be a sign of weakness or failure. Not true! This method of thinking is outdated and most often ineffective, as the culprit in depression is generally not a weak will, but rather a reduced level of an important brain chemical called serotonin.

Serotonin is the body’s primary defense against anxiety and depression. When our serotonin levels are low, we tend to lose our natural good nature and find that life’s challenges become increasingly more daunting.

There are many reasons why your serotonin may be low, genetics often times being a key factor. Does depression seem to run in your family? Did your parents have a difficult time facing the day to day stresses that seemed so easy for others? Is there a history of alcoholism or drug abuse in your family? These are all signs that low serotonin might be present. Don’t be discouraged if this is the case, though. As you will see, genetics do not mean a life sentence of depression. There is hope.

Stress can also be a contributing factor to depression. Have you experienced elevated levels of stress over an extended period of time? Whether the stress is the result of a major tragedy in your life, like the loss of loved one or the difficulty of a bitter divorce, or the result of a lengthy or debilitating illness, the effects on your body are the same. Under attack by such stressors, your serotonin store is tapped into repeatedly which can eventually lead to total serotonin depletion, leaving you running on a perpetual state of “empty”.

Believe it or not, but the time of the year may also have a very real affect on your mood. Do you find that your mood seems to drop when the weather is cloudy, or the sun doesn’t come out for days on end? There is a biological explanation for this. Serotonin is one of the few body chemicals that are actually stimulated by light. An underexposure to light can lower your serotonin production, leaving you feeling down and depressed. And if you are already running on low levels of serotonin, something as minor as a cloudy day can serve to bring you further down.

A major contributor to depression, and the one most often overlooked, is your diet. In order for your body to produce serotonin it relies on the foods that you eat to provide the much needed amino acid, Tryptophan. Tryptophan can be found in high-protein animal-derived foods such as turkey, chicken, beef and cheese. Once ingested, your body converts the amino acid, tryptophan, into a chemical called 5-HTP (5 hydroxytriptophan) and then into the neuro-transmitter, serotonin. Without tryptophan, your body is unable to produce 5-HTP and subsequently serotonin, leading to a myriad of problems, most notably, depression.

There are four key symptoms that could indicate the presence of low levels of serotonin: Gut and Heart Problems 90% of the serotonin in your body is in your gut and when you raise your serotonin levels your digestive tension (including constipation) can often dissolve with your depression. Your heart is also partly serotonin dependant. It’s well known that low serotonin type negative moods, including fear and anger, are closely associated with heart disease.

Sleep Disturbance Many people with low serotonin levels obsess and worry instead of getting to sleep, while others tend to wake up too early in the morning.

Fibromyalgia, TMJ, Migraines Raising serotonin levels not only has a powerful muscle relaxing effect, it can also stimulate our natural pain killers, the endorphins.

Cravings for Carbs and Alcohol Ingesting carbohydrates (whether through food or alcohol) can set off body wide stress, causing your pancreas to release insulin in order to remove the excess carbs from your bloodstream and store them as fat. The insulin sweeps most of the amino acids out of your bloodstream, along with the carbs. Only one amino gets left behind-tryptophan-and it goes right into your brain, unimpeded by the other aminos that usually crowd it. Once in the brain, the tryptophan can easily convert to 5HTP and then to serotonin, elevating your mood temporarily. The downside? This source of instant euphoria most often leads to a dependency on sugary foods which can in turn lead to excess weight gain along with a myriad of other health problems.

Turning the Corner to Peace and Happiness The treatment of depression may take some time but it can be accomplished. And while your mood may not improve right away, don’t let this discourage you.

Counseling can often be an effective tool in coping with depression and anxiety. By adopting valuable problem solving skills you can begin to regain control and achieve happiness in your life. Learning to recognize and accept your feelings, even feelings of sadness, anger or fear is an important first step.

One of the most important treatments for depression is exercise. When you exercise, your body seeks out the amino acids in your bloodstream for routine muscle repair. This causes tryptophan, the only amino acid not used for muscle repair, to go straight to the brain. Once it gets there, it is quickly converted to 5HTP and then to serotonin. Exercise also increases your oxygen intake which is critical to the formation of serotonin from amino acids. The amount of exercise needed to fight depression is not much and even a small amount of exercise has been shown to enhance the powerful mood elevating substances in the brain known as endorphins. When the endorphins are elevated, our mood improves. Physical exercise is a very safe and natural antidepressant, perhaps the most effective natural antidepressant available.

The presence of food allergies is a very significant factor to consider as a cause of depression. Food allergies often times play a major role with people who suffer from depression. A simple food allergy test could reveal whether or not you are experiencing the effects of this common problem.

Hypoglycemia, the result of a dysfunctional sugar metabolism, is a common but often unrecognized cause of depression. The brain doesn’t function properly when the sugar levels in our body are low, creating symptoms such as depression, irritability, anxiety, fatigue and headaches. A dietary intervention consisting of a proper balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats could completely alleviate this problem.

Our bodies are put under a lot of stress from consuming too much alcohol and caffeine and the natural production of serotonin is inhibited by such chemicals. Alcohol is a brain depressant that disrupts the normal sleep cycles and interferes with the many brain cell processes. Individuals who are prone to feeling depressed seem to also be especially sensitive to caffeine. Drinking too much caffeine can lead to all of the common symptoms of depression. Just by cutting down on, or eliminating all together, these two addictive chemicals, you could see a dramatic difference in your mood.

Proper levels of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and B vitamins are needed to ensure the conversion of tryptophan to 5HTP to serotonin. Although it is difficult to diagnose, there is evidence that vitamin deficiency tremendously affects our health and can cause fatigue or a general lack of well being. Individuals with depression have often been found to be deficient in folic acid, B12 and B6. Also, very importantly, a deficiency in essential fatty acids (the omega 3 oils) has recently been linked to depression.

When I evaluate a patient for depression and/or anxiety, it is important that I gain a complete understanding of all of their symptoms along with their physical state of well being. There can be several physiological causes of depression, including chronic disease, low adrenal function, heavy metal toxicity, PMS, menopause, hypothyroidism and more. By determining the underlying cause of the depression and/or anxiety, the proper illness can be treated, which should subsequently ease the patient’s emotional unrest.

The drug Prozac, and medications similar to it, have become big sellers, generating over $2 billion in sales annually. However, it is doubtful that 20th century Americans have suddenly developed a Prozac deficiency. Before I place my patients on medication that could have both short and long term side effects, I begin with one of the many natural treatments that are available, such as tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine or melatonin. I do sometimes find that the use of amino acids along with a low dose of an antidepressant medication may also be beneficial to the patient.

When people are depressed, they are often times unaware that their behavior has changed. If other people have noticed a change in your outlook, consider whether or not you might be suffering from depression. If it is possible, try adjusting your diet and adding approximately 20 minutes of exercise 3 days a week to your regular routine. If your depression is too severe to be affected by these adjustments, please seek the professional help that you need to start the healing process.

Depression is a very real disease and one that can be treated with the proper assistance. Don’t be held down by the weight of its symptoms any longer than you have to be. Solutions are out there and everyone deserves to live a happy, healthy and full life. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it for the holidays.

LEIGH ERIN CONNEALY, M.D., M.P.H. received a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Texas and her M.D. from the University of Chicago. She did her postgraduate training in family practice at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
Dr. Connealy began practicing medicine in 1986. More and more of her patients started asking about alternative treatments and this prompted her to learn everything she could about nontoxic protocols. In 1992, she founded the South Coast Medical Center for New Medicine in Tustin, California, where she serves as Medical Director. Her practice is firmly based in the belief that strictly treating health problems with medications does not find the root cause of the illness. Her goal is to empower and educate individuals and their families through her treatment plans, lectures, newsletters and articles.
For more information and products visit her website at www.perfectlyhealthy.net.

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Holiday Depression - Five Easy Tips for Beating the Post-Holiday Blues - By Jeff Standridge

People have different experiences during the Holiday Season. For many it is a time of joy, peace, good will and optimistic hope for the New Year. For others it is a time of self-evaluation, to reflect on the past, or to review accomplishments and failures.

Regardless of the approach to the Holidays, for many people, this time of year results in feelings of loneliness, detachment, and sometimes depression. There are many different causes and contributors of these feelings and severe cases may even mimic clinical depression. Follow these five easy tips for getting in front of Holiday Depression:

Get your mind right – The first priority for this Holiday Season is to get in the right frame of mind. Think about what the Holidays mean to you and get a clear firm picture of the feelings you want to experience throughout the Holidays and even into the New Year.

Plan your Holiday experience – Once you know what you want to experience or leave the Holidays feeling, then plan your activities so as to create those experiences and/or feelings. For instance, if you wish to enter the New Year with feelings of gratitude & love, then plan to volunteer at a local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or youth home.

Grow your relationships – The Holidays are a time for being together. Set a goal of nurturing one or more relationships during this period. Pick out one or two “acquaintances” or friends, and make it a point to have a stronger relationship after the New Year than you have today. Do what it takes to get there.

Plan your spending – Don’t overspend for the Holidays. Many times the worst part about the Holidays is the dread of receiving the credit card bills in January. Remember, the Holidays are more about relationships than about commercialism. Resist the illusion or temptation of buying your way into the hearts of your loved ones.

Serve someone else – Nothing makes for a great Holiday experience than doing something nice for someone else. Instead of feeling pressured to buy something for every friend, co-worker, or employee, send each of them a card with a note saying “I served soup at the local soup kitchen in your honor,” or any manner of other service-oriented activities.

Dr. Jeff Standridge is co-Author of The Abundance Principle: Five Keys to Extraordinary Living (http://www.TheAbundancePrinciple.com). He can be reached at http://www.AbundantLifeProject.com, or by emailing Jeff@AbundantLifeProject.com.

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