Dealing with the Pain of Depression

We keep writing about pain such as joint pain, stomach pain, chest pain, foot pain, headaches, etc. But one of the worst types of pain isn’t a pain that you can measure, like you can measure on that level. It’s the pain of depression. One out of six people suffer from depression at some point in their life and when they have the problems, they feel as if their world is collapsing around them. You see depression is like someone has taken a dark curtain and put it in front of your eyes. Dealing with depression can be very difficult and we have to do all we can to help those who suffer.

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Eating More Chocolate Is Associated with Higher Depression Scores

Eating more chocolate is associated with higher depression scores.  Researchers assessed the mood of 931 participants who were not taking antidepressants using a standard depression scale.  They then correlated the results from those with a food survey.  Those who scored very highly, reflecting probable major depression, reported consuming more than twice as much chocolate as those who were negative for depression.  The findings were similar between women and men.  The researchers speculate that depression may stimulate cravings for chocolate as a form of self-medication.  Animal studies suggest that chocolate may have positive mood benefits, however, they cannot rule out the possibility that chocolate actually contributes to the depressed mood, or that both cravings and depressed mood are caused by a third, underlying factor.  The report is in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Can Drinking Coffee Help Fight Skin Cancer?

Can coffee help fight skin cancer?  The Journal of the National Cancer Institute recently took a look at the effects of caffeine intake. What they found is that people who drink coffee on a regular basis, four or more cups a day, had a 20% lower risk for developing the deadliest form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, than those who drank less coffee.  The same did not hold true for decaffeinated coffee drinkers.  Malignant melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the United States and the leading cause of skin cancer deaths.  Coffee has been the subject of medical research quite a bit. In the past, researchers have found associations between coffee and protection against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, depression, and diabetes.

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Holiday Advertisements and Depression

One thing doctors hate about this time of year, for their patients’ sake, is the fact that there are so many advertisements showing people celebrating and being happy. If you’re not in that situation, and how many of us are, that you’re constantly celebrating, you tend to feel down. You suffer from feelings of depression. Here’s a major belief; you need to realize that a lot of the advertisements that are done at this time of year are done to sell product. They don’t necessarily mean that this is reality. You have to be very careful and not get carried away.

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Getting Help for Depression

Depression is a problem that affects many people. In fact, one out of eight people will suffer from serious depression at some point in their life. The thing about depression that’s important is that it can’t be ignored. It’s something that needs be treated. There are medications available, as well as therapy. One of the most important things to do in situations of depression is to recognize the problem and not be afraid to talk about it. Many people don’t take the time; they’re embarrassed. They think they have a psychiatric issue. But you can’t fall into that trap. You need help.

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Allergies May Be Linked to Depression

There is disturbing news from the University of Maryland.  Researchers have found that seasonal allergies might be associated with mood disorders, including depression.  We've long recognized the association between seasonal allergies and fatigue.  The latest report echoes what scientists found in 1999.  Back then, a study of 7,000 patients found people with hay fever were twice as likely to be diagnosed with major depression.  Why’s this the case?  Well, the latest theory is very technical.  According to researchers at the Association of Allergies and Scientific Analysis of Allergies, chemicals called cytokines are released in the nose during an allergic reaction.  This activates a chemical called indolamine 2, 3-dioxygenase that slows down serotonin production.  It's a chemical in the brain that is linked to depression. 

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Helping Kids with Teen Angst

It is called teen angst and there is no doubt that teenagers have a lot more stress, or at least what they perceive as stress.  But if you look at the reality, it is a tough time to be a teenager.  There are many issues that teenagers face that really have to be dealt with psychologically.  Communication with parents can be key.  It's difficult as a parent, but if you can try to communicate with your teenager, you're going to help them through many of these times.  Teens are searching for your guidance.

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Addressing Depression in Women

Depression is a problem that affects men and women, but one of the issues with depression in women is that many women don't necessarily get the treatment they should.  They talk about it, but they may not talk about it to the level or the degree that it demands.  If you're a woman and you feel depressed, take time to express your feelings.  Don't be intimidated.  Understand that health is physical health as well as mental health and you can't just ignore problems when they occur.  If you feel you're suffering from depression, you should do everything you can to try to get that attention.

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A Look at Bipolar Disorder

It is called bipolar illness and the bipolar means up and down.  That's clearly what happens.  When people are bipolar, they can go from severe depression to incredible exuberance and exhilaration.  It is the movement back and forth that can cause problems and perhaps be extremely dangerous.  When people are really up, they feel like they're all powerful, but when they go down, they can be totally depressed.  One of the problems is if you have someone who is depressed and they rapidly gain energy, sometimes they act on it and they can cause harm to themselves. 

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Dealing with Pain Can Cause Fatigue

Fatigue is a major health issue and it is not really a cause of pain, but it can be the result of pain. If you experience a great deal of pain, it can actually cause fatigue; it can cause you to be tired, depressed, emotionally upset. It’s very important that when we are dealing with pain, we do what we can to try to minimize and understand it so we don’t get caught in that cycle.

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Research on Serotonin and Depression

We have known for quite some time that depression and serotonin pathways in the brain are connected in some way. Many of our treatments for depression are based on serotonin and its metabolism in the body. How depression and serotonin may be linked? Well, according to information in the journal Science, interactions between a brain protein and a serotonin receptor seem to have a relationship with depression as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug addiction, anxiety, aggression and sleep disorders. Now, without getting too technical, there are aspects of the finding that are very important. The true value might come from the fact that as we learn more about serotonin, we will be able to attack it more specifically. Remember, we use a lot of serotonin-based drugs. We understand how they work and we can definitely put them in position where they can make a difference for people.

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Eating More Chocolate Is Associated with Higher Depression Scores

Eating more chocolate is associated with higher depression scores.  Researchers assessed the mood of 931 participants who were not taking antidepressants using a standard depression scale.  They then correlated the results from those with a food survey.  Those who scored very highly, reflecting probable major depression, reported consuming more than twice as much chocolate as those who were negative for depression.  The findings were similar between women and men.  The researchers speculate that depression may stimulate cravings for chocolate as a form of self-medication.  Animal studies suggest that chocolate may have positive mood benefits, however, they cannot rule out the possibility that chocolate actually contributes to the depressed mood, or that both cravings and depressed mood are caused by a third, underlying factor.  The report is in the Archive of Internal Medicine.

We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Unexplained Weight Loss in Teens

When you see an unexplained weight loss in a teenager you have to think about several things. First of all, you look at their mood. Are they depressed? Are they eating properly? Secondly, is it an intentional thing they’re not telling you about? Are they on a diet? Do they feel they’re overweight and they want to lose weight? Discuss it with them. Beyond that, you have to start thinking about other illnesses. Are there problems associated with it? One other thing…sometimes children go through growth spurts. They may not lose weight, but it looks like they lost weight because they’ve grown up so fast. You’ll also often find that in boys during adolescence.

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Depressed Adults Are Likely to Also Be Smokers

More than 40% of U.S. adults who have depression are also smokers, meaning people need help with both if they want to quit.  According to a U.S. Government survey published, it says that more than half of middle-aged men with depression were also smokers, while half of women under 40 who were depressed also smoked.  About 7% of U.S. adults had depression in the years 2005 through 2012.  Globally, tobacco kills about 5 million people a year and according to the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it's a big deal.  On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than non-smokers.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cigarette smoking is responsible for about one in five deaths annually, or about 440,000 deaths per year.

We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Eating More Chocolate Is Associated with Higher Depression Scores

Eating more chocolate is associated with higher depression scores.  Researchers assessed the mood of 931 participants who were not taking antidepressants using a standard depression scale.  They then correlated the results from those with a food survey.  Those who scored very highly, reflecting probable major depression, reported consuming more than twice as much chocolate as those who were negative for depression.  The findings were similar between women and men.  The researchers speculate that depression may stimulate cravings for chocolate as a form of self-medication.  Animal studies suggest that chocolate may have positive mood benefits, however, they cannot rule out the possibility that chocolate actually contributes to the depressed mood, or that both cravings and depressed mood are caused by a third, underlying factor.  The report is in the Archives of Internal Medicine.   

We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is known as a functional condition.  It's one of these physical conditions that' are very difficult to detect or prove by laboratory tests or by one procedure.  It's diagnosed based on the history or story that a patient tells about what is happening.  Essentially, fibromyalgia is a set of symptoms that happen together.  People are feeling muscle tightness and there are certain tender points.  Your doctor can examine you to see the problem.  Fibromyalgia also affects your sleep and it's often linked with depression.  The key thing to know about fibromyalgia is that the symptoms are quite vague and your physician needs to work with you to see if this truly is the issue.  There are treatments, including antidepressants that can be quite helpful.  There is a bigger lesson from fibromyalgia.  If you have something that is bothering you, don't be afraid to see your doctor.  There could be surprising answers.

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Depression During Pregnancy

Both postpartum depression and the baby blues can occur in the mother after she delivers, and many in the medical and non-medical communities are aware of this. But fewer are aware of depression during pregnancy, a problem that can go untreated. The reason it’s not recognized is that some of the obvious symptoms of depression, like tiredness, trouble sleeping, emotional changes and weight gain may occur with pregnancy. One in twenty women experience depression while pregnant.

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Ups and Downs of Bipolar Disorder

It is called bipolar illness and the bipolar means up and down.  That's clearly what happens.  When people are bipolar, they can go from severe depression to incredible exuberance and exhilaration.  It is the movement back and forth that can cause problems and perhaps be extremely dangerous.  When people are really up, they feel like they're all powerful, but when they go down, they can be totally depressed.  One of the problems is if you have someone who is depressed and they rapidly gain energy, sometimes they act on it and they can cause harm to themselves.   

We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com. 

  

A Fascinating Study of Baby Cradling and Maternal Stress

A British study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry suggests that mothers who cradled their baby on the right side may be struggling with extreme stress. The study suggests that baby cradling habits may indicate whether the stress could become increasingly hard to handle and lead to depression. As many as ten percent of new mothers develop postpartum depression. Identifying warning signs could potentially help health care providers identify mothers who might be prone to emotional difficulties. The majority of mothers prefer to cradle their baby on the left side.

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Are You Surprised That Depression Is Identified As A Risk Factor For Heart Disease?

There are many risk factors for a person developing heart disease, and we suspected that you probably know most of them, but, far and away, cigarette smoking is the one thing we can control to reduce our risk of developing heart problems.  There are other risk factors like not exercising enough and eating a high-fat diet.  Those with a strong family history of heart problems are at an increased risk too. But here is one thing you may not have thought about, but evidence-based medicine says it's a major issue.  People who suffer from depression are at a greater risk of heart problems down the line. The bottom line is to seek medical attention if you think you are depressed. 

We always appreciate your comments. 

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