Monday, August 18, 2008

Marcus Trescothick speaks of battle with depression

Cricket star Mark Trescothick has spoken about suffering from depression and how it ended his England career.

The opening batsman, 32, described the bouts of homesickness, sleeplessness and anxiety which forced him to fly home during Test series against India in February 2006 and from Australia in November of the same year.

Trescothick, who remains England's 11th best run scorer, with an average of 43.75, said: "I would not have wished my illness on my worst enemy ... Depression is not the same as feeling down or fed up. People might say 'I'm a bit depressed today,' but true depression is quite different."

In his autobiography, Coming Back to Me, he describes how he saw Indian beggars who made him think about his wife Hayley and new daughter Ellie and triggered the breakdown.

"My mind was pulling itself apart. What was happening at home? Was Hayley OK? Was Ellie all right?"

Earlier this year Trescothick was found slumped in a corner of a shop at Heathrow, unable to board a plane to join his Somerset team-mates for a pre-season tour of Dubai. He announced his retirement from international cricket a few days later.

His GP diagnosed him with depression. The batsman has now returned to county cricket, helping Somerset close in on the Division Two championship. He said that while he has not cured his depression he has built up strategies to help him cope.




source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Posted by Tom at 06:06:08 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, August 11, 2008

Best Cure For Depression

Thousands of people suffer from depression every year ranging from mild occasional bouts of depression to long term, more serious clinical depression. What then can those who suffer from depression do to find relief and what is the best cure for depression?

Actually, the answer is, there is no "best cure for depression" since depression is a very personalized thing the best cure for depression is going to depend on the person and what is causing the depression in the first place.

Consider some of these examples.

Stress in the work place can take a toll on you both physically and mentally. Job stress due to conflicts between co-workers or your boss or the stress caused by simply being in the wrong job for you that you hate and that is contrary to your own nature can cause sleeplessness, physical problems such as high blood pressure, and result in depression. In a case such as this, the best cure for depression is learning ways in which to cope with the stress and switching to a new job or new career.

In some cases, people have trouble sleeping and the lack of proper rest can make you feel run down, get irritable and experience mild depression. Using aromatic bath salts or an aromatherapy spray can help you relax and get to sleep. Yes, it could be your best cure for depression in a case such as this.

If your depression is stemming from a physical conditions, such as being over weight or the hormone changes associated with menopause. In cases such as this, your best cure for depression is going to be to speak with you health care provider to discuss treatment options, changes in diet, new exercise, or natural hormonal supplements that can address the physical conditions that are causing the depression. The same can be said for depression caused by a chemical imbalance. The best cure of depression may be to change medications or to try a new one; this is something that you need to work closely with your health care provider to determine.

Some cases of depression may require therapy, lifestyle changes, acquiring new skills, or medical intervention. The truth is that the only real "best cure for depression" is getting to know yourself and understanding what the underlying cause of the depression is; keeping in mind that depression is often a symptom of something else. When you understand your own depression and what makes it, and you, unique from everyone else then you will be on the road to finding your own best cure for depression.


Source : http://ezinearticles.com
Posted by Tom at 07:15:55 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Monday, July 28, 2008

Brain electrodes tackle severe depression

Severely depressed patients who do not respond to conventional therapy may be helped by deep brain stimulation (DBS), according to the most-extensive study to date of the experimental procedure.

In a clinical trial in Toronto, Canada, 12 out of 20 patients who had stimulating electrodes placed in a brain area called the subcallosal cingulated gyrus showed significant improvement in their depression, with seven of them going into full remission.



source : http://www.nature.com
Posted by Tom at 05:37:28 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Culture And Depression - New Data May Help Doctors More Accurately Diagnose Patients

The expectation that East-Asian people emphasize physical symptoms of depression (e.g. headaches, poor appetite or aches/pains in the body) is widely acknowledged, yet the few available empirical studies report mixed data on this issue. A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) debunks this cultural myth, and offers clinicians valuable insight to into cultural context when assessing a patient, leading to more accurate diagnosis.

Lead by CAMH Clinical Research Director Dr. R. Michael Bagby, in collaboration with Dr. Andrew Ryder, Concordia University, Steven Heine, University of British Columbia and a number of collaborators from Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, People's Republic of China, this study recruited more than 200 participants, half from an outpatient clinic in China, and half from a clinical research department outpatient clinic at CAMH, and tested two central hypotheses: 1. East-Asian participants will emphasize somatic or physical symptoms of depression more than North American participants, and 2. North American participants would emphasize psychological symptoms of depression (e.g. report feeling sad, crying spells, or a loss of self-confidence) more than East-Asian participants. Dr. Bagby and his team also wanted to examine the role stigma and alexithymia (difficulty using words to describe emotions) play in how each culture presented and expressed depression symptoms.

This rigorous work is one of only a few studies to address these questions with a direct cross-cultural comparison of clinical patients. Also, it is the only study to use three assessment tools (spontaneous report of problems during unstructured discussion with doctor; clinician-rated symptoms in a structured clinical interview; and a symptom rating scale in questionnaire form) translated into both English and Chinese (Mandarin) and modified to address cross-cultural differences.

As Dr. Bagby explains, "the onset of depression triggers a biological response that takes place within a specific social context, resulting in a cascade of somatic and psychological experiences that are interpreted through a particular cultural lens. Careful translation and adaptation of our assessment tools helped us clarify if different approaches lead to different symptom profiles and conclusions about patients."

Overall, the data demonstrate a consistently greater level of psychological symptom reporting in the North American sample, regardless of assessment tool. This suggests a tendency for Western cultures to emphasize psychological symptoms of depression (psychologization), rather than a tendency for those from East-Asian cultures to emphasize physical symptoms (somatization).

East-Asian participants did report a significantly higher level of somatic symptoms when reporting through the spontaneous interview and structured clinical interview. Also, these participants reported higher levels of stigma and alexithymia. A refined examination of this link revealed that the observed cross-cultural differences in somatic symptom scores relates, in part, to cultural differences in internally versus externally oriented thinking. This suggests that people who do not frequently focus on their internal emotional state are more likely to notice somatic symptoms.

While this data may help clinicians be more aware of how culture can impact how people talk about their illness, this data does not constitute a norm for depression worldwide. More work should be done to understand the interaction of biology, culture and individual differences in predicting variations in how people present symptoms of depression.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world's leading research centres in the area of addiction and mental health. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues.

CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.

source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
Posted by Tom at 07:24:47 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Depression Ups Risk Of Complications Following Heart Attack

People who suffer from severe depression following a heart attack might be more likely to experience cardiac complications while hospitalized, according to a new study.


Lead author Jeff Huffman, M.D., and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School said,"There is good evidence that if a person has depression after a heart attack, they are more likely to die from cardiac causes in the following months and years. But it can not studied yet whether depression impacts cardiac outcomes immediately after a heart attack-the time we see the most complications."


There are 129 patients included in the study at Massachusetts General Hospital. Within 72 hours of having a heart attack, each participant underwent an interview to determine if he or she suffered from depression or not. 17 of the original group members had a diagnosis of major depression lasting for at least two weeks.


Major depression was a significant predictor of heart rhythm problems, congestive heart failure or a second heart attack.


Huffman added,"The results suggest that physicians should be especially mindful of treating depression in patients with cardiac risk factors, and also suggest close in-hospital monitoring of heart attack patients with major depression given this increased risk for complications."


David Bush, M.D., associate professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Heart Institute said,"Surprising thing is that differences in outcomes were seen in a relatively short time and the new observation is that risk for these bad outcomes start while patients are still in the hospital".

Posted by Tom at 05:01:09 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Friday, June 20, 2008

Households stressed over rising costs

According to a study, in London, about 790,000 households have been facing stress and depression problems trying to keep up with their mortgage payments and rents. The cost of housing forced many people to spend less on food and about 213,000 took out loans.

This news is just like a Breaking Point, in which 373,000 families spend more than 50% of their income on housing. People are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure that they pay their rent or mortgage, but due to the effects of stress or depression, having to sell possessions or deprive the kids of treats can be making family life very shocked and upset.

In the study, 80,000 have missed a rent or mortgage payment and near 740,000 households spend less on food and about 400,000 sold possessions to pay for home and   has urged the government to complete its target of building three million new homes by 2020, and provide 45,000 social rented homes every year by 2011.

Posted by Tom at 02:37:48 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Postpartum depression

It is nothing but the depression occurs after the pregnancy is called Postpartum depression. It makes the women feel restless, anxious, fatigued and worthless. Some new moms worry they will hurt themselves or their babies. It is caused by changes occurred in hormones and can run in families. Women with severe premenstrual syndrome are more likely to suffer from it.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a condition that describes a range of Physical and emotional changes that many mothers can have after having a baby. PPD can be treated with medication and counseling. If you think you have suffer from PPD than talk to your family doctor or health-care that provide you right away.

There are three types of PPD women can have after giving birth:

1. The so called “baby blue” happens in many women in the days right after childbirth. A new mother can have sudden mood swings, such as feeling very happy and then feeling sad.She may cry for no reason and can feel impatient, restless, irritable, lonely and sad. The baby blue may last only a few hours or as long as one to two weeks after delivery.


2. Postpartum depression (PPD) can happen a few days or even months after child birth. PPD can happen after the birth of any child, not just the first child. A women can have feelings similar to the baby blues- sadness, despair, anxiety, irritability- but she feels them much more strongly than she would with the baby blues. PPD often keeps a woman from doing the things she needs to do every day. When a woman’s ability to function is affected, this is a sure that she needs health care.


3. Postpartum psychosis is a very serious mental illness that can affect new mothers. This illness can happen quickly, often within the first three months after childbirth. Women can lose touch with reality, often having auditory hallucinations (seeing things that aren’t actually happening, like a person talking) and delusions (seeing things differently from what they are). Other symptoms include insomnia (not being able to sleep), feeling agitated and angry and strange feelings and behaviors. Women who have postpartum psychosis need treatment right away and almost always need medication. Sometimes women are put into the hospital because they are at risk for hurting themselves or someone else.


Postpartum Depression

Almost every person may know what postpartum depression is, but for the sake of people who do not know about it here is the definition. Postpartum depression is the state which related to the pregnancy of the women, generally it is caused by changes occur in the hormones.

The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something you might not expect- depression.
Many new moms experience the baby blues – a mild, short – lived depression – for a few days or weeks after childbirth. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, about 10 percent of new moms experience postpartum depression – a more severe from of depression that can develop within the first six months after giving birth.

Postpartum depression affects 10-15% of women any time from a month to a year after childbirth. Women with postpartum depression may feel restless, anxious, fatigued and worthless. They may also have sleep difficulties and undergo unexplained weight loss or gain. Some new moms worry they will hurt themselves or their babies. Unlike the “baby blues” postpartum depression does not go away quickly. Very rarely, new moms develop something even more serious. They may stop eating, have trouble sleeping and became frantic or paranoid. Women with this condition usually need to be hospitalized.

Researchers aren’t sure what causes postpartum depression, but think that the dramatic shifts in hormone levels during pregnancy and immediately afterward may result in chemical change that can create ongoing stress and contribution to depression. The new mom’s responsibility for the baby, the household and her work duties upon returning after maternity leave may affect her risk of getting postpartum depression.

Researchers think that changes in women hormone levels during and after pregnancy may lead to postpartum depression. Researchers are making progress in understanding how changing hormone levels and other factors affect the brain after childbirth. They hope o develop better medications for treating postpartum depression b targeting the chemical pathways they’re uncovering.

Posted by Tom at 01:02:13 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Saturday, April 12, 2008

What Causes Depression?

Depression is frequently preceded by set-backs in life, such as relationship or financial difficulties, problems at work or medical illness. All the people react to loss with a sense of disappointment which in its impact can vary from mild to disabling. An inherited tendency towards depression is a major factor in determining how depressed a person will become following a loss.


Benefit from depression maintenance therapy

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among elderly patients who have recovered from an episode of major depression, maintenance treatment with antidepressant drugs is superior to placebo in preserving the improvements in health-related quality of life, according to a recent report.

"Depression is one of the major causes of decline in the health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) of elderly persons," write Dr. Alexandre Y. Dombrovski and colleagues, in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The researchers, from University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, examined the effectiveness of antidepressant maintenance therapy with paroxetine and interpersonal psychotherapy in retaining the gains in HR-QOL achieved during initial short-term treatment in patients 70 years or older with depression.

A total of 195 patients were initially treated with paroxetine (Paxil) and underwent interpersonal psychotherapy for depression; 116 of them responded and entered the maintenance treatment phase.
Posted by Tom at 07:35:14 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Depression in Women

Depression is very serious disease and becoming common between people. This is due to the stress and tension in the life a person. With all the updated and ongoing research it has been found that depression is more common in women than in men but the reason is still unclear. It has also been stated that 15% women in their lifetime take antidepressant.

The most common belief between women is that, they think that they can overcome depression on their own. They may not understand the low risk with the medical treatment and further more they think they are intelligent enough so going to the psychologist or counselor will be of no use but a waste. Some side effects can be seen during the treatment of depression like drowsiness, insomnia and agitation, but serious effects are not. Counseling or medical therapy or both can help and are extremely effective in the safe treatment of men and women.

The symptoms that can identify depression in women are:

-    Social Isolation
-    Loss of interest in usual activities
-    Loss of energy
-    Problem in Concentrating
-    Weight Loss or Weight Gain
-    Feeling sad or crying a lot.

As soon as these symptoms are identified the patient should report to the doctor and explain everything. These symptoms may act as warning signs for depression. Every patient has the right to accurate information of any disease; same is the case with depression. The patient should be told about the side effects and the time period that would take to lessen the side effects (with continued treatment). The patient must give appropriate and updated report to the doctor about the recovery of depression and status of the side effects. Time period for the recovery of depression is not specific and depends on the symptoms also, but it can be within 1 month to 1 year to come completely out of depression. It should be taken care that visit to the doctor is regular.

So medication or psychotherapist or the combination of both is the way to get proper relief from the depression. Women suffering from depression must do things by enrich they can enhance their quality of life and the time they spent with their family. Proper treatment of depression can accomplish this goal in an effective manner.

Posted by Tom at 03:37:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Psychotic Depression

We all know that Depression is related to mental health of a human mind, and they are various types of depression that are present like manic depression, major depression, psychotic depression. Here we are about to discuss the psychotic depression, what is it, what are its symptoms, how to cure it etc.

Psychotic Depression is the most severe depression among all. The patient or the sufferer suffering from psychotic depression often faces or experience the moments of hallucination and delusion. The patient starts seeing images or sounds that even does not exist in real. The patient is sometimes convinced that he/she is guilty for the acts or crime that he/she might not be responsible for.  

Some of the symptoms that can interpret depression is weight loss and constipation. The patient suffering from psychotic depression feels him as worthless, hopeless, which in turn develops the chance for committing suicide. People with this problem become very much frustrated and get angry very fast. Such person may not identify their illness, which causes them to a high risk because of negligence of proper meal and hygiene. The common symptoms for this are:

-    suicidal thoughts
-    attempts for suicidal
-    hallucination of sounds and images
-    frustration
-    aggression
-    agitation

The patient who is suffering from psychotic depression needs extra attention and a proper treatment. An improper treatment can lead to worsen the situation as it is a serious case. There are various options for treatment these days like advice on phone or online therapy so that the person can even deal with his personal difficulties. If a person is able to identify this mental disorder it would be better that the person goes to the professional and meets him personally. Depending on the situation it would be beneficial tat the patient is admitted to a hospital were he can get proper attention, and the doctor as well can see the responses to the treatment.

As this problem is serious so they should be treated properly and no embarrassment or hesitation should come in between the treatment. All the things are confidential between the patient and the doctor, so to make the patient comfortable about the matter and let him come out of the stress. The early the treatment the better the cure would be. So ensure proper treatment and professional doctor.

Posted by Tom at 05:43:04 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |
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