Antidepressant Comparisons

MAOIs act by inhibiting monoamine oxidase, a complex enzyme system that metabolizes excess serotonin and epinephrine. It holds the negativity of inducing potential life-threatening problems and therefore cannot be used in patients with congestive cardiac failure or in those with a history of liver disease. It can be dangerous for those who are hypersensitive to its ingredients. It should be used only when other available Antidepressant medications fail as treatment options for depression.

TCAs act mainly by inhibiting the reuptake of both norepinephrine and serotonin. Though the type of side effects experienced by the patient due to TCAs or MAOIs are many times similar, the frequency of these side effects is much less in the case of TCAs. Thus, TCAs enjoy a better rate of acceptance by the patients.

The SSRIs act by inhibiting the serotonin reuptake and are considered the most popular, effective and safe prescription medications. Prozac, a drug of this class, has shown significant success in the treatment of depression and prevention of suicide. It exhibits less potential side effects as compared to TCAs and MAOIs, and is well tolerated.

It should be noted that these three therapeutic groups share the similarity of relieving depressive symptoms in the same period of time (1 to 4 weeks). The SSRIs, because of their benefit of safety and tolerability, enjoy the stand of first-line agents. The TCAs are much cheaper than SSRIs and are preferred by patients who are unresponsive to other Antidepressants.

The SNRIs better serve a patient of depression by aiming to keep both serotonin and norepinephrine at the right level. The drug bupropion (novel Antidepressant) is unique in its efficiency to inhibit the reuptake of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.

Symptoms of Depression: How to know if you are depressed

Studies have shown that about 20 million Americans receive some form of depression treatment on an annual basis. Twenty Million Americans! Considering how grave an illness depression is, this is a rather worrisome number. As a result recognizing the symptoms of depression as a step for depression treatment may perhaps be the first move to make.

Like any other illness, depression, characterized by insomnia, mood swings, frustration and loss of appetite amongst other things, is a disorder that starts little but left unattended to can increase in intensity. Thus all efforts should be made to attend to the symptoms of depression and for best results; this should be in its beginning stages.

Now, the symptoms of depression may be caused or aggravated by other diseases (for example, in my case it was years and years of acne and asthma as a teen and adult), stress, use of drugs, Improper diet, Loss of a job or loved ones. The list is endless friends. However, as a famous writer once said, in regards to depression here is one helpful thing to remember: “Life’s problems are like knives, which either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle: Grasp a difficulty or problem by the blade and it cuts; grasp it by the handle and you can use it constructively”

In order to not allow depression to take over your present situation and consequently hinder you from overcoming it, below are its symptoms in no specific order.

Symptoms of Depression:

1. Irritability and mood swings.
2. Hopelessness and extreme pessimism (a negative outlook on life)
3. Loss of energy, extreme fatigue and tiredness.
4. Loss of interest in hobbies, having a good appearance and even associates and loved ones.
5. Extreme feelings of helplessness and no self worth.
6. Suicidal thoughts (in extreme cases)
7. Insomnia (lack of) or excessive sleep.
8. Inexplicable weight loss or gain thereof, triggered by eating disorders.

Though not a conclusive list as characteristics vary by patient, these symptoms of depression listed above are the most common ones. If you happen to experience any of these symptoms, the first step, in my opinion and based on research will be to look within and ask why this may be occurring. Thoroughly assess your situation to see what it is that could be triggering these symptoms of depression within you. Could it be a failure at something or the loss of something or someone of importance?

If you go over the problem carefully, you would be able to target the cause and consequently solve it. Remember, the mind is the most powerful force on the earth, He who can control it can control all things my friend.

You will notice that I have made little or no mention of drugs or members of the medical fraternity. That is simply because I believe a drug-free alternative of treating depression and its symptoms will be the safest route to go. What with all the side effects of popular depression medications, why aggravate an already disturbed health with such unwanted side effects as nausea, weight gain and even sexual dysfunctions as reported in some cases.

With a drug-free approach of Positive Thinking, a carefully selected diet (yes, it matters friend) and some form of physical exercise-my personal recommendation being Yoga-you can tackle the symptoms of depression at any stage and empower yourself to lead a healthier and happier life.

Other things you can add to these three limbs are to take time to relax more, enjoy your favorite music (remember David playing for Saul in the Bible, yes music is soothing for depression friend), seek uplifting entertainment, read more self-help books, Heck, if you’re of a Christian background go to Psalms 23 or 91…they help. Seek out the company of those you know make you laugh. Or if need be, let out a good cry (don’t abuse it and you are not weak if you do, it’s part of being human.), clear the mind and empower yourself (if need be with positive affirmations repeated mentally or aloud) and tackle your problems because YOU CAN DO IT!

May Happiness be yours.

Beat the Symptoms of Your depression starting today.

Natural Ways To Treat Depression

Depression is a medical condition that affects the mind, often leaving the person suffering from it feeling hopeless, without ambition and unable to focus. Left untreated, this condition can adversely affect academic achievement, family life, friendships and careers. People tend to seek help from a mental health professional who may prescribe mood balancing drugs. Most, however; use an alternative form of medicine for a more natural treatment in tandem with drug therapy. Milder cases of depression can be treated solely with natural remedies without the need for prescription drugs.

Therapy is a great way to restore balance in your life. Seeking help from others who have similar issues will provide a support system to discuss issues, understand symptoms, and develop techniques to feel better. Often talking is very cathartic and can help alleviate stress and loneliness, which may cause feelings of depression.

Therapy that involves personal expression has been found to provide an outlet for pent-up feelings and can be a positive way to articulate deep feelings and emotion. This can take many forms. Dance is a great outlet for this as well as other movement therapies such as martial arts. Martial arts teach focus, self awareness, and control which can greatly benefit someone suffering from depression. Using art as a form of therapy is another expressive form of therapy. Whether it is sculpting or painting or any other variation of art, it’s a way to expose feelings in a tangible way.

Relaxation techniques help a person focus and gain a sense of serenity. Yoga is an ideal form of exercise that melds the body, mind, and spirit. It promotes good health, a positive self image and teaches relaxation. Meditation is also a good way to relax and unwind. It reduces the heart rate and clears the mind, allowing more focused thought. Acupuncture has grown in popularity as a means to treat depression. By using various pressure points, it is believed to enable a calming effect and promote a healthier emotional balance. Hypnosis is also popular as a means of getting to the core issues of why someone is depressed and leaving them with a sense of well being.

Certain dietary changes and supplements have been reported to be helpful in the treatment of depression. Adding fish oil, Zinc and B vitamins are found to help the body regulate chemicals that may trigger depression. Exercise is also very important. Keeping active will rejuvenate the body and keep it fit, promoting a healthier lifestyle and better self image. Working out several times per week can calm the senses and invigorate the body.

Depression does not need to be debilitating. Making a few changes to your daily routine will help promote a sense of well-being and help alleviate symptoms of depression. If you continue to have feelings of depression or have severe symptoms like suicidal thoughts, consult a health care professional immediately.

Health Resort Spas of Asia – A Mixture of Spirituality and Health

Today’s life is fast paced, hectic and very competitive making people to crave for leisure time. The leisure time away from the busy schedule is treated as an eternal time and health resort spas offer such heavenly leisure pursuit. Resort in general is a place for relaxation and recreation. The main activities of such resorts include indulging oneself with great drink, food, sports activities, lodging, shopping and entertainment. Resorts can be one of the either, one like the town which itself is a place for tourism and holidaying where most of the local activities take place, generally not run by one company, or it can be a vacation centre which is run by one company providing all the needs and wants of the vacationers during their stay. Spas are places which are believed to provide health to the people through soaking in water. The water used is a mineral water or water drawn from hot springs. Some may even include cold water for treatments. Among different spa types available like the holiday spas, destination or resort spas and trim spas – specific for weight loss regime, the health resort spas use thermal bath or balneotherapy or hydrotherapy for giving health benefits to the users.

Health resort spas are closely associated with tourism and travel. They are very popular, as business tours often involve making the much required deals while doing it completely at leisure. This is the main reason for the transition of hotels, resorts and spas into health resort spas.

Health resort spas of Asia are very famous. They are attracting people from all over the world who come for beauty and health solutions. Asian health resort spas adopt the healing wisdom of spiritual gurus and spa experts, a haven or organic and natural way of living. Some of the health resort spas are located in a tranquil, serene environment pampering the clients with a variety of massages, body treatments, health related therapies and making the experience an unforgettable one for most of them.

<b>Treatments offered by health resort spas of Asia:</b>

Health resort spas of Asia use some of the ancient holistic and spiritual healing treatments like the yoga, Reiki and Ayurveda which are meant for restoring inner calm, improving memory, balancing emotions, refreshing the body, enhancing skin complexion by exfoliation, cleaning and toning, reducing weight while strengthening the muscles and bones etc. The very famous cranial therapy is used to balance the circulation of the liquid around the brain releasing any accumulated stress by applying gentle movements on the vertebrae and skull. They also use ingredients which are available in the kitchen for natural facemasks like the papaya mask, honey mask, healing herbs, sea salt face scrub etc. Aroma therapy massage offered in these health resort spas blends essential oils to rejuvenate and relax the body. Some of the latest treatments include traditional Chinese medication, gem therapy, crystal therapy and light, color and sound filtered through the body in a steam room, using flower essences etc. They aim in revitalizing the mind, soul and the body through the above processes.

Depression: SAD Because Of Winter

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a kind of depression caused by the effect of the change of seasons as early as August or September in men and women and may be recognized by things as simple as eating or sleeping more during winter than the rest of the year.

The National Institute of Health realized about this disorder during the 1970s although it has existed for centuries. This entity realized about SAD after have asked people if they noticed they were eating and sleeping more over winter.

Experts and new research discovered that the best way to fight this disorder is to add cognitive behavior therapy or “talk therapy” to the mix of using anti-depressant drugs and light therapy, the traditional approaches to treat SAD.

SAD symptoms are not only winter blues and subtle changes in eating and sleeping but also cravings for sweets and starches, fatigue, irritability, social withdrawal and depression, changes which disappear during spring and summer.

Although there are many theories about SAD, experts highlight that production of melatonin, a sleep hormone related to depression, may increase over winter. Meanwhile, the amount of serotonin, which is a brain chemical triggered by sunlight, is thought to increase with the lack of sunlight.

As there is evidence that light intensity and temperature also may play a role in developing SAD the related depression can vary. It is also known that the percentage of people with affective disorder increases with increasing latitude, as shorter days seem to trigger symptoms.

There exist several ways to treat SAD and experts think that the first approach should be light therapy. But patients with seasonal depression may respond better to treatment when the therapy is combined with medication.

Anger Managements for Teens

As the kid comes to understand the world of being a teenager, there are many confusions and chaos, which can sometimes bring some impact to their growth. As kids make the transition, many elements can make their body and mind out of control. This may turn to anger if not guided well. Parents and teachers must educate the kids of the different transitional changes that will happen to their body.

Teens can react indifferently if they are confused. Young teens from twelve to sixteen years of age are more prone to doing things their own way because they feel that their emotions and freedom are being controlled, this results to unmanaged anger.

Teens of today’s world are more prone to pressures compared to the teens of the past. They are more exposed to violence and hostility. Other teens may come from a broken home where domestic abuse are constantly present. By the time they are starting to grow, they are exposed to things like these problems, so they tend to get out of out of control. They might have angers that can be expressed in the most antisocial form. That is why sometimes, they are required to undergo anger management.

Teens may experience frustrations that drive them to do criminal acts. The best way to revive a teen from this world is to seek help from their parents, teachers and law enforcers. They can train the teen on how to respond rationally to all these stress. They can teach the teens how to identify negative feelings and practice more mature behaviors as well.

Anger management programs can also be of great help to these suffering teens. This special program teaches them to improve their behaviors in ways that are more acceptable. The will be taught on how to think positive especially if they are from families who do not show them positive responses to stressors. From this, they can now learn how to handle difficult feelings.

Suicide is Not an Option

On December 12th, 1992, my brother committed suicide. The consequences were devestating to everyone involved. Maybe this story will help someone who is contemplating suicide to decide against it.

Suicide is not the solution that some may think it is. Problems and unresolved issues will haunt family and friends for many decades.

My nephew, who was just a baby at the time, would always ask about his uncle. He eventually learned to point up at the sky and say, “Uncle Scott”.

But the reality is that he missed out on having the benefit and support of his uncle as he grew up. And of course, there are countless interactions with family members that will be missed over the decades.

Suicide is permanent. And the effects that it has on loved ones also lasts over a life time.

My brother was only 22 years old at the time he chose to commit suicide. I was only 24.

I remember going to the viewing and seeing his lifeless body. They couldn’t quite erase all of the signs of his violent death. And that image will stick with the living for the rest of their lives.

In the end, the temporary pain someone escapes by committing suicide might be overshadowed by the pain and sadness of family and friends. That pain may continue through the decades whenever they think about it.

The missed opportunities for interaction also impedes the growth of everyone else. Countless interactions that would have occurred are all lost now.

Who knows how destiny was changed by such an event. The family that he may have had will not exist now.

The triumphs and set backs of a life will never be realized. The fulfillment of a lifetime was cut short by a decision that may have been made rashly at a moment of personal confusion or pain.

We never know who it is in our destiny to meet and interact with over a lifetime. All of those ‘plays’ of life will never be able to exist because one of the characters on the stage will not be there to fulfill his role.

So, the total sum of the tragedy is really unknown but it seems likely that over what would have amounted to decades of time, that sum must be quite high. I guess we won’t get the chance to find out.

Though I am revealing this personal family tragedy to the masses through this article, if it saves a single life, it will be worth it. Drop me a line if you ever want to talk, I would be happy to hear from you.

Natural Ways To Handle Depression And Anxiety

We live in a society infused with pharmaceuticals and drugs to treat everything from depression and sleep to anxiety and indigestion. Drug companies constantly bombard the general audiences with commercials touting new prescription drugs suitable to cure or treat just about any condition or disease. As a result, many people believe that these drugs are the only option they have to ease the symptoms of their condition. But there are alternatives. Many pharmaceutical drugs are based off of naturally occurring substances and many natural supplements have been found to improve mood and memory while decreasing stress and anxiety. ThinkStraight combines these natural supplements in order to provide a balanced and effective way to naturally treat depression and anxiety.

Millions of people are diagnosed with depression every year and even more suffer from mood fluctuations and anxiety. Not only can anxiety and stress result from the frustrations of trying to treat mood swings and depression, they can also increase the symptoms of these conditions, resulting in even greater mood variations and therefore greater stress. All of these conditions stem from variations in brain chemistry and the necessity to manage the chemicals and compounds in the brain. ThinkStraight combines natural supplements that have been proven to help memory function, brain function, increase focus, and increase the ability for the body to naturally maintain the balance of brain chemistry. By increasing the body’s ability to function at a more efficient level, ThinkStraight decreases the physical stress that promotes and enhances anxiety and depression.

Not only will ThinkStraight help the body to manage function, but, by increasing oxygen and nutrients to the brain, this supplement helps the brain work more efficiently through every task. The brain is responsible for every organ and chemical reaction in the body. The various parts of the brain regulate digestion, metabolism, sensory organs, and every other function within the human body. Most importantly, the brain is responsible for the hormones and chemicals that help us react to our environment and contains the cells necessary to recall memories. These hormones and chemicals are responsible for depression and stress relative to our environment. The ingredients in Think Straight have been proven to moderate these levels, bringing them back into balance and creating a more balanced environment within the brain, resulting in a healthier, more relaxed reaction to everyday life. Not only do these natural ingredients promote and manage brain function, they also promote the flow of nutrients to the brain. ThinkStraight helps the blood vessels increase the flow of oxygen to the brain, allowing the cellular functions in this organ to work at optimal efficiency. When the brain is working at its best, with the help of ThinkStraight, it can better regulate the feedback cycles necessary to manage bodily and brain functions. As a result, physical and mental stress is reduced and the brain is better able to manage the chemicals and reactions associated with depression and anxiety.

ThinkStraight helps individuals think straight. The natural compounds have been combined together and work in conjunction with one another to create a supplement that optimizes brain function. This reduces and balances the brain chemistry, reducing stress, anxiety and depression. With no risk of side effects, ThinkStraight can assist any individual.

Health Benefits of Spas

Spas are places where a person can get a wide range of health treatments and beauty treatments that are meant to relax and relieve the person from stress and strain. Due to extreme stress in professional life, spas have become more popular offering relaxation treatments with a bigger price tag. The word spa is derived from Latin “solus per aqua”, which means health through water. The spa concept of immersing the body of the person in water to restore and maintain health is considered to be very important to life. According to Sebastain Kneipp, father of hydrotherapy, water and herbs mixed in the right combination; can be used to cure any illness. Today’s modern life style has made people feel sick, stress and exhausted. To maintain a good balanced diet, good exercise and enough rest has become a real challenging issue for both men and women. They get stress from working all the day and get even more aggravated when doing the household chores after the day’s work.

There are different kinds of spas like the day spas where the person has to make an appointment and get treated. Resort spas are like staying in a hotel, spas on cruise ships as one of the relaxing ways, medical spas which are run by medical practitioners to treat patients, home spas for daily indulgence in homes etc. The spa treatments include facials, massages, sauna and other skin and body treatments like pedicure, manicure etc. Some spas are dedicated to particular health aspects like weight loss regime or for back pain treatment.

Latest breakthrough in spa technology involves ultrasonic waves, ozone negative ions and far infrared rays into a single portable home spa machine. This machine provides relief from stress and from common illnesses. Studies have revealed that five minutes of ultrasonic bubble treatment is equal to massage done for an hour. Like the traditional massage of applying pressure directly on the body tissues, this too applies pressure by dilating the cells and penetrating the skin. This ultrasonic home spa provides relaxation and massage to the body, cleans deeply, provides internal warming, beauty contouring etc. For an aroma hydrotherapy to be done at home, one needs to add few drops of herbal oils like the sandalwood oil, citrus oil or lavender oil to enjoy and feel the natural healing of a waterfall, forest bath or a hot spring.

Health benefits of home spas:

Apart from making the person relaxed and rejuvenated, a home spa can even benefit them health-wise too. A home spa can improve the health of a person when used with bath oils and spa salts. It improves the removal of metabolic wastes and toxins from the body. It enhances the oxygenation of the extremities and joints, blood circulation is improved. The muscles are toned with a youthful and glowing complexion. It increases the metabolic rate, enhancing the power to burn calories quickly and promotes weight loss.
It normalizes the blood pressure levels, lowers the cholesterol levels, balances acid-alkaline levels in the body, boosts immunity, improves the flow of lymph, reduces aches and pains of the muscles and joints, enhances the mood and improves the digestive system.

Recommendations For Sexual Side Effects By Antidepressants

Sexual side effects caused by antidepressants are completely recognized, but this represents a practical problem of managing to physicians. Erectile dysfunction, diminished libido and delayed/attenuated or absent orgasm (dysorgasmia or anorgasmia) are the most common sexual side effects reported because of antidepressant treatment.

However, sexual side effects caused by antidepressants are also a very challenge to clinicians, since they have to distinguish between sexual dysfunction (SD) associated with depression, treatment-emergent SD and pre-existing SD exacerbated by treatment.

Making the difference between these situations is quite important, since treatment strategies are not the same for the above mentioned SDs. Sexual dysfunction associated with depression may be treated raising the antidepressant dose, however, this would be particularly inappropriate for a treatment-emergent SD, in which case the appropriate thing is to lower the dose.

For managing appropriately antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction, experts recommend that clinicians may attempt to alleviate the sexual side effects of a drug though a reduction of the dose and/or a change to an alternative therapy that may be less likely to cause sexual side effects. These strategies are more likely to be used in patients who are not responding fully to treatment and also risk sacrificing the therapeutic benefit of treatment.

Nonpharmacologic interventions are also recommended by experts. Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral techniques employed by sex therapists are the most common, although there are no studies evaluating their success in patients taking antidepressants.

There exist a number of medications quite useful in the treatment of sexual dysfunction associated with antidepressants. Under experts’ opinion, the most common medications for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction fall into three categories:

Dopaminergic agents, such as amantadine and pramipexole.

a2-adrenergic receptor antagonists such as yohimbine.

Serotonin 5-HT2 or 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, including granisetron, nefazodone and cyproheptadine.

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