Insomnia is a chronic sleeplessness, a sleeping disorder. Insomniacs are those who are unable to close their eyes or rest their mind for more than a few minutes at a time. Insomnia is a disease which is more common in the elder masses of our society. There are few cases of insomnia which separately defines how long each kind of insomnia stays. First is ‘transient insomnia’ which last for few days or weeks by some changes in the routine, another one is ‘acute insomnia’ which yearns for a period of between three weeks to six months, ‘chronic insomnia’ hankers from months to years. The study of geriatrics and the statistics prepared by them depicts that insomnia prolongs to depression in the elderly. The statistics from the Project IMPACT, that is a study conducted at 18 primary care clinics where they compared the expert care with the usual care and 1,801 patients participated in it, who were 60 or older in age. Proper care was taken as compared to the earlier care that had been provided to patients, by letting them do what they want to, and listening them and carrying everything in a way they desire to. Special care was taken to keep them happy and relaxed and the results showed that 293 people did not have insomnia, while 207 had persistent and 1,301 had intermediate insomnia. Insomnia can be cured if proper medication is provided to them; and mostly person rely on sleeping pills, but is that is the only way? No, using natural herbs is a more protective way; recent research says cognitive behavior therapy can be more effective, traditional ways, like drinking milk before sleep and taking a warm bath, exercising regularly helps to recover soon and saves you from depression as well, by cutting its roots called ‘insomnia’. Source: Reuters Image
Not only adults; children too face depression
When we see young children and adolescents, we often forget our worries for sometime. When we grow up, we always want to go back in time and live our life as kids because we never faced problems or tensions as kids. But the situations have changed. Surveys reveal that depression is now much seen in young children and adolescents as compared to grown ups. However, the reasons are not clear as yet. Depression in young people has the same symptoms as in adults. But young children often lack the understanding of the disease they face; they usually try to look for other means to shove out their discomfort. If you have a young child at home, who appears sad, but is unable to express it in words, you must go for a doctor. The usual symptoms which indicate depression are lacking motivation and enthusiasm, fatigue, indecisiveness, no social interactions, irregular weight loss and gain, deterioration in performance, anger, sudden change in behavior patterns and mood swings. If you do suspect depression in someone around you, all you have to do is to get him or her, counseled properly. Once the reasons for depression are found, an effective treatment can be started. Parents and teachers do hold a responsibility to notice such cases and get involved for the child’s betterment. Depression is nothing but a state of mind; however, if left uncured, it can turn into a serious illness. Source: Buzzle
Depression causing retirement
An advertisement for financial assistance entices people with the prospects of retiring at the age of 45. But why would someone want to retire in his or her prime? What does the person do after retiring? According to Mental Health America, depression is among the top three workplace problems that employees face. What’s troubling is that depression seems to be affecting more and more people who are in their prime. With middle aged men and women choosing to retire early because they suffer from depression – what needs to be asked is what makes people so depressed even though they seem successful? If you’re in a high end job and seem to have everything, but yet are in an unhappy mood, be careful, you could be suffering from depression at the work place. Perhaps it is the culture of today that emphasizes individuality to the extent that people are now living in an almost ‘walkman-culture’. With each one involved only with their personal life and hardly any meaningful social interaction – depression is sure to set in. People who suffer from depression are sometimes unaware of it. Unlike earlier times when people were more in touch with family and friends, today people live fast paced lives with little or no time to share their lives with others. As a result of this there is no one to stop and find out if someone is unhappy and help them change their mood. lead researcher Jalpa Doshi said, In light of our findings, it is of concern that major depression and depressive symptoms are often unrecognized and under-treated. The burden presented by depression may be higher than we thought. The problem of retiring because one suffers from depression creates a fresh problem for people who have inadequate funds stored away for post retirement. If you are worried that you could be suffering from depression, check out the following symptoms. See your doctor* if you experience five or more of the following symptoms for more than two weeks: � Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood. � Sleeping too little, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much. � Reduced appetite and/or weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain. � Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex. � Restlessness, irritability. � Persistent physical symptoms that don’t respond to treatment (such as headaches, chronic pain or digestive disorders). � Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions. � Fatigue or loss of energy. � Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless. � Thoughts of suicide or death. As a first step, a thorough physical examination may be recommended to rule out other illnesses.
Is Stress sucking your passion?
So long as stress is confined to your workplace, its sounds a bit manageable. But the time it starts riding you even to your home, something uneven begins to crop up even among your close relations. None of us can deny the fact that sex plays a significant role in cementing a marital relation. However, sad it’s to know that due to stress the passion that is requisite to keep the love flame kindled seems to be dying a slow death with up to 15 million Britons directly facing its negative effects into their bedrooms. In other words, subsequent lack of desire in bedroom is slowly but steady digging a gulf among couples, which could pump up the already rising graph of divorce rate among Britons further. Analysis of the given situation in a wider perspective would show that not only Britons but also the people in other countries are facing similar situation, which points to quite a serious situation not only from health point of view but from psychological and social point of view as well. Therefore, it is very important to understand the gravity of the problem and work in the direction of solving it. Following words of Mark Schoen, Ph.D., director of sex education for the Sinclair Intimacy Institute, well express the importance of sex in a marital relation: A good sex life is an important part of an individual’s overall health. People who have a good sex life feel better [mentally and physically] Image Source
More than 50% of depressed students don’t seek help: US Study
Fifty percent of university students suffer from clinical anxiety with more than one in 10 suffering from clinical depression, with the percentage only rising alarmingly on college campuses. This statistics is revealed by the UK-based Mental Health Foundation. This is majorly prevailed in the western countries, with high work-pressure and insecurities rising from professionalism and cut-throat competition. To add to the crisis, more than half of these students suffering significantly from anxiety or depression do not seek help. This disappointing situation, in which mental health service is not accessed by depressed students is revealed by a Web-based survey conducted by Daniel Eisenberg, assistant professor at the University of Michigan (U-M) School of Public Health. This is, in brief, what the survey found: � Anywhere from 37 to 84 percent of students didn’t seek disorder-depending treatment. � 72 percent of students with major depression acknowledged their need for help to handle their mental health. � Overall, only about 10 percent of students surveyed are found to have received therapy. � And, only 10 percent of surveyed students are found to have taken some type of psychotropic drug. Though disappointed with the prevailing scenario, but optimistic for the future, Eisenberg said, Often college student mental health is framed as a problem on the rise. One can also think of it as a unique opportunity because college campuses offer several ways to reach students and affect their lives positively. Ah! Here is a better opportunity for students to take assistance to curb their growing depression. The University of Michigan has developed a mental health assessment instrument to be used by a US national network of counseling centers to host a ‘Depression on College Campuses’ conference annually. It has conducted a stigma reduction campaign called “Real Men, Real Depression.” To read more about it, visit here… Image
Depression increases risk of Osteoporosis in women
Depression increases risk of Osteoporosis in women:
Depression has its fallout on the physic of the depressed as signified in a series of researches. An Archive of Internal Medicine study found that women suffering from depression are more prone to bone loss from osteoporosis compared with women who are not clinically depressed. It is known that women are more prone to both depression and osteoporosis than men, with half of all women compared with only one in five men suffering from bone loss after the age of 50. Blood and urine samples revealed that depressed women had overactive immune system that produces higher level of chemicals that promote inflammation. A protein called IL-6 is chiefly responsible for triggering bone loss. The researchers found 17% had thinner bones in the femoral neck compared with only 2% of women who were not depressed. In the lumber spine area of the body, 20% of depressed women had low bone mass compared with only 9% of non-depressed women. However, a question remains to be answered that whether the high rate of osteoporosis in depressed women can be attributed to their mental condition or it is the side effect of anti-depressant drugs taken by the women who participated in the study. The US study is silent on this issue. Source:BBC Image:lifespan
One million suicides last year; who to blame?
Unfortunately, the year gone by would be known not because it brought some thing good, but what it left behind for us – the shocking figure of one million suicides with a life ending every 40 seconds followed by 20 suicidal attempts every minute. All this puts a serious question mark over humankind’s existence and putting forth question – where are we heading towards, any idea… The gravity of the problem is palpable form the very fact, which doles out shocking figure of 6,045 suicidal deaths occurred in the UK and Ireland alone in the year of 2005. No doubt, suicide rate has registered fall of over 9.5 percent over the last decade. Still, it gives nothing much worth gloating over, as it is still a leading cause of death for young adults, especially those between the ages 15 to 24. Defining suicide as one of the fast growing trends won’t be wrong, as this so-called trend of suicide is no longer restricted to a few countries, but has turned out to be a global trend, while registering a shocking boom of 60% suicide rates over the last 45 years. Experts have associated suicides with depression and failures rising mainly due to the cutthroat competition of today. Moreover, there was a time when suicide was considered just a problem of developed countries like the US where more than 30,000 suicides are committed each year and 5,000 of these are teenagers. However, in the last few years, it seems to have grasped developing nations like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand… Where suicide graph goes like this: • Bangladesh: The number of suicides increased to 984 per month during 1992-1993 • India: Occupies the second highest rate of suicides in the Region • Indonesia: The number of suicides increased from 112 in 1996 to 146 in 1998 • Sri Lanka: Deaths in the past 15 years estimated up to 106000 — twice the number due to war These evidences are enough to show that how the so-called trend of suicide is even in these developing countries. In the present scenario, it becomes very important to put a check over this so-called trend of suicide, which is possible, to some extent, however, by taking strong measures like: • Reducing access to the means of suicide • Enhancing access to mental disorder’s treatments • Training primary health care workers And above all, by teaching people the lesson of contentment because when they will learn to remain content with what they have, the graph of suicide would automatically come down. Image Source
Iraq war veterans suffering from depression
Soldiers returning home from Iraq are found to be suffering from depression during their first months at home, according to a new study. The ‘adjustment struggle‘ was more profound for the National Guard troops and reservists than it was for the active-duty soldiers. According to the study conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, about 42% of the Guard and reserves compared to 20% of active-duty soldiers needed mental health treatment in two screenings. The first testing was immediately after return from Iraq and the second after six months. Problems became more severe in the second screening with rise in interpersonal problems and difficulty in adjusting in home. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that over 88,000 returning soldiers showed signs of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, conflicts in relationship and other problems after six months. To cope with the problem the US army has created a training program called Battlemind that helps soldiers and their families to prepare for the stress of war and what signs of war to watch for. Source:yahoo news Image:ruvr
Cannabis can be used as an anti-depressant, but its over use has reverse effect
A latest study reveals that consumption of cannabis in small amount can be useful sometimes and it helps in reducing depression, but its high doses can prove to be very harmful and it can lead to the polar opposite effect. The study is handled together by McGill University & a research organization allied with the Universite de Montreal points out that cannabis in small quantities mounts the serotonin levels in the brains of lab mice. The reduction of serotonin which is a neurotransmitter that regulates the mental states of a person, results in causing depression. Anti-depression medicines do their job by raising the level of serotonin in the brain. When the amounts of cannabis were raised in the rats, the effect was explained as totally wrong way up, even upsetting. The levels of Serotonin lowered considerably. Francis Bambico, who is the author of the study, mentioned in prepared statement that — We know from anecdotal evidence that (human) smokers of marijuana experience good effects … but they also experience unwanted effects. A number of smokers feel nervousness & they also appears to be quite distressed. But its excessive amount in some conditions can result into depression raising effects, mainly if anyone of you consumes cannabis in large amounts. Depressant People utilizing cannabis as an anti-depressant is quite difficult because it is very hard to manage the quantity when they smoke it as cannabis joints. The research explains that too much consumption of cannabis by the people who have the problem of depression, have greater possibility of having psychosis. Gobbi, who is a psychiatrist by profession, mentioned that she was encouraged to carry out this study after observing a number of her patients who have the problem of depression & they used to do cannabis smoking. But its excessive consumption showed the reverse effects that completely work against the anti-depression effects. Francis Bambico mentioned that – scientists are concentrating their exploration on a new category of medicines that could raise the effects of the endo-cannabinoids — which is a natural material present in the brain and it comes out during extreme pressure or pain, devoid of the anti-depressive side effects. Cannabis shows chemical resemblance with the — endo-cannabinoids. It is quite possible to make medicines that improve endo-cannabinoids for the treatment of pain, nervousness & sadness. The study will appear on 24 Oct 2007 in the Journal of Neuroscience. Image credit Source
Depressed Kids: Time to rethink
Every blessing comes with a price and so is the whopping advancement of human civilization. Today we live in a high tech, highly sophisticated society, where we have everything at our service. Labour saving devices, electronic gadgets, and all other amenities that our ancestors could never have imagined also. So apparently we are living in a happier world. We are having a tech savvy life, that’s all right, but the price we are paying is worth more than this bit of happiness. We are losing our family life, and children are the worst sufferer. A recent survey has proved it and has created great anxiety among parents all over the world. The report revealed that children who spend too much of their times watching television or surfing Internet are greedy and unhappy. The report also says: These children argue more with their families; have a lower opinion of their parents, and lower self-esteem than other children. The problem starts as early as among the students of the primary schools but remain suppressed till they enter their teenage. When the symptoms get prominent, the entire war has been lost. UK has been flooded by terrific teenage drug addiction, drinking, and under age sex problems. Before the matter goes out of control, it is high time we find out the deep rooted cause behind this problem. The main reason is parental negligence. The lifestyle of parents has changed a lot during the years and that has seriously affected the time they share with their family. But the fundamental needs of children have not changed during these years. They still require food, shelter, and sleep. But moreover, they need an adult supervision to grow up. They need to know that there is someone caring for them while they grow up. But here we leave everything to the machines, like electronic baby sitter and in a later stage we depend on the kindergartens to help the kids grow up. But as they grow up, they need more attention and company of their parents, but parents need to rush through their daily life for earning more and more comforts for their families. And, they’re able to achieve it also, but at what cost? This parental carelessness is the prime cause of increasing child depression. But at the same time they also have no option but to rush at break neck speed. They are also confined in some new age troubles like inflation rate, high mortgages, lower quality of living, and long working hours. To survive in this corporate world, they need to follow exactly the same regime everyday, resulting to their isolation from their own family. It is observed in nuclear families today that all members live under same roof, but they are very much isolated by heart. The emotional bond that keeps a family together is vanishing rapidly. Children spend their entire day mostly gazing on TV, or playing games at game station. This is certainly not what we call a life. Sociologists all over the world have expressed deep concerns over this matter. But the solution is quite complex. We just cannot drop our lifestyle all of a sudden. At the same time, if this tendency prevails, then there will be a time when there will be no family at all. Children are having a tuff time these days in a social scenario like this and we need to take care of them. Otherwise the next generation will not be intelligent and bright enough to go forward and bring glory to our country. Source: Dailymail