Depression Rescue

by Al Short

Many women enter into menopause at different times of their life. Some experience a few of the symptoms while others can have more.

Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling is most likely the most common sensation but, Irregular heart beat, irritability, mood swings, sudden tears, difficulty sleeping, irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, phantom periods, shorter cycles and longer cycles often occur.

One of the most troubling symptoms is Loss of libido. However it is not limited to a drop in desire but also a dry vagina, crashing fatigue, anxiety, feelings of dread, apprehension, depression, difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion,  memory lapses, incontinence upon sneezing, or laughing.

Women have also report having Itchy, crawly skin aching, sore joints, muscles, breast tenderness, headaches, gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence,  nausea,  bloating, increase in allergies weight gain, hair loss, but with an increase in facial hair. Many have experienced dizziness, light-headedness, tingling in the extremities, gum problems, increased bleeding, burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor.

One of the biggest problems of menopause is Osteoporosis (porous bones).

A select few have noticed changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier. Tinnitus: ringing in ears, ‘whooshing,’ buzzing etc.   Reason For Symptoms

Hot flashes are due to the hypothalamic response to declining ovarian estrogen production. The declining estrogen state induces hypophysiotropic neurons in the arcuate nucleas of the hypothalamus to release gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in a pulsatile fashion, which in turn stimulates release of luteinizing hormone (LH). Extremely high pulses of LH occur during the period of declining estrogen production. The LH has vasodilatory effects, which leads to flushing. Loss of libido for some women the loss is so great that they actually find sex repulsive, in much the same way as they felt before puberty. What hormones give, loss of hormones can take away. Aching sore joints may include such problems as carpal tunnel syndrome. Depression different from other depression, the inability to cope is overwhelming. There is a feeling of loss of self. Hormone therapy ameliorates the depression dramatically. Weight gain often around the waist and thighs, resulting in ‘the disappearing waistline’. Tingling in extremities can also be a symptom of B-12 deficiency, diabetes, alterations in the flexibility of blood vessels, or a depletion of potassium or calcium  Tinnitus is one of those physical conditions that seems to manifest in some women at the same time as menopause. It can be associated with health conditions such as hypothyroidism and heart disease, and is a known side-effect of many medications, including aspirin (salicylates) and Prozac.

SOME OF THE  SYMPTOMS MAY ALSO BE SIGNS OF THE FOLLOWING: *hypothyroidism *diabetes *depression with another etiology other medical conditions

About the Author
Al Short: WorldClassNutrition is a leader in discout nutrition supplements with the largest selection of diet pills, creatine products, protein powders, and bodybuilding supplements.  Find more information on the products you are searching for at http://www.worldclassnutrition.com .  If interested in Femestra go to http://www.femestra.com .
Copyright © 2009 Al Short

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Tags: depression, menopause, osteoporosis

Before he started losing his hearing, Steve was an outgoing young man with a promising life ahead of him. He had several close friends he enjoyed spending time with, he visited with family regularly and cherished spending time with his nieces and nephews. His career and social life was also thriving. Steve was an IT specialist in line for a promotion, he was active in his community, and participated in charitable events throughout the year – but this all changed as Steve’s hearing deteriorated.

During this gradual hearing loss, which eventually left Steve partially deaf in both ears, Steve started sleeping more than usual. He began to lose weight because he lost his appetite. Steve became restless and irritable, which impacted his personal relationships as well as his career. He began to experience chronic headaches, which made him more irritated. Although Steve’s hearing loss was not the only thing responsible for his reduced quality of life, his hearing loss was a  primary factor because it added to his depression.

Although Steve suffered from hearing loss at a relatively early age, many older adults endure hearing loss which is often accompanied by depression. In one study conducted by the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, 15% of participants over the age of 65 reported feelings of depression. These feelings are often linked to health concerns which include the onset of hearing loss.

Depression is a disease which affects many people each year. Symptoms such as feeling sad, fatigue, loss of appetite, irritability and even chronic health problems such as headaches or GI issues are just some of the indications of depression. It is not uncommon for depression or even aggression to accompany hearing loss at any age. This is because those suffering from hearing loss tend to feel overwhelmed and helpless. Also, they do not know how to cope with their hearing loss and may even be resistant to devices such as hearing aids.

Fortunately there are steps you can take to combat depression  accompanying hearing loss. These steps include accepting the condition, joining support groups, using Learning and Communication Enhancement (LACE), and consulting with a medical professional about getting digital hearing aids.

The first step to overcoming depression associated with hearing loss is to learn to accept the condition. This is critical because it will help you become more proactive in healing yourself. Although you might not be able to reverse your hearing loss, you can take steps to avoid feeling helpless. Simply defining the problem and learning about alternatives for communicating will help you realize all hope is not lost. You can still live a full life even with a hearing loss.

The best way to overcome depression related to hearing loss is with hearing aids.  The technology available in today’s hearing aids enables them to perform better than ever before.  And they are so small, no one will even know your wearing one!

Joining support groups can also be very beneficial. Meeting with others who share similar obstacles can help you feel empowered. It’s so helpful just to be able to talk about your feelings with others who truly understand the problem. Your friends and family may try to be supportive but unless they are also dealing with a hearing loss they cannot fully understand how hearing loss really affects your life.

Listening and communication enhancement (LACE) was developed by leading audiologists at the University of California at San Francisco to improve listening and communication skills in those who are suffering from hearing loss. LACE is an interactive computerized training program designed to assist those suffering from hearing loss by helping them to adapt strategies for compensating when their current level of hearing is inadequate. This program has been shown to increase the listening and communication skills of users by 40%. A program like this can really help you cope better with your hearing loss , especially when used in conjunction with a hearing aid.  When you regain your life through better hearing it can really help lessen feelings of depression.

Finally, if you’re still battling depression it may be a good idea to consult a medical professional for treatment for depression. It is important to remember depression is a disease and it will not go away on its own. A medical professional can assess your symptoms to help you to combat depression and get back to enjoying life.

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Hearing Loss can be devestating and extremely depressing.  This is where the professionals at AidRight Hearing Aids can help.  Make an investment in your hearing today by calling us 877-777-1710 or visit our website at http://www.aidright.com

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Tags: depression, hearing loss, LACE, Learning and Communication Enhancement

By Alan B. Densky

Congestive heart failure, or CHF, is among the most commonly found chronic health problems in America. Nearly five million people suffer from this condition, and half a million others are diagnosed with it every year. This illness may be mild, or it may become quite severe and impair normal life.

People with CHF undergo many deviations from their usual daily routines. They must take medications to relieve fluid accumulation and to lessen the exertion of their heart tissue. Several of these cause anxiety and fatigue. These medications may also hinder physical intimacy with a spouse or significant other.

One other problem that people with this disease encounter is the requirement for major dietary adjustments. Many must quit eating red meat, avoid foods with a lot of fats or salt, or limit the amount of liquids they consume every day. These people are instructed to diet and exercise to stay as healthy as they can.

The truth is, however, persons with congestive heart failure do not have as much energy for physical activity as before. Rather, they must stand by while friends and relatives play tennis, run, or work out. This causes isolation and inadequacy. Moreover, many victims grieve losing of physical health and wellness.

The majority of individuals who experience this but are not yet of retirement age also have to quit working. As well as creating financial stress and depression, this can increase feelings of separation and seclusion. They are completely alone. Rather than of bantering with the worker at the neighboring workspace, they watch the television while everyone else continues living.

Occasionally, patients take anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications to manage these issues. Others opt for counseling or group treatment to help them with meeting belongingness needs and working through the mourning induced through their freshly restricted lifestyles.

A better method of dealing with this type of depression, however, has gained recent attention and achieved almost instant popularity among patients who have trialed it. Additionally, unlike medications or counseling therapies, this technique is quite economical. People can learn to use it without experiencing additional financial hardship.

This technique, which utilizes a combination of Ericksonian hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), assists individuals to begin to become calm and seek harmony and tranquility in the midst of daily life. These therapies teach individuals to acknowledge the new limitations of life with CHF while guiding them to continue living life to the fullest extent that they are able. Even depressed moods that result from drugs can be easily lessened with the proper use of the methods utilized by hypnosis and NLP. Two of these strategies are anchoring and the Flash.

Ericksonian Hypnosis is often known as conversational hypnosis. It includes methods for supplying post-hypnotic suggestions embedded in a discussion or figure of speech. The benefit of this technique is that it eliminates the resistance to directly suggested actions that is almost always included in the use of more traditional forms of hypnotherapy.

With anchoring, hypnotherapists and NLP Practitioners instruct clients to concentrate on positive thoughts and memories where they felt calm and in control. As the individual is progressively absorbed by these recollections, they are able to re-experience those positive feelings. The client then learns to make a physical anchor for these emotions by touching two fingers in contact with one another. The subconscious mind makes a connection between the actual touch of these two fingers, and the positive emotions. Later, upon encountering an anxiety-producing or upsetting moment, an anchor is elicited by touching together the two fingers, re-creating feelings of peace and calm.

The Flash technique is also quite helpful to people who are struggling to conquer depression. This approach programs the brain to automatically utilize the destructive thoughts that are creating anxiety and depression, as triggers for beneficial perspectives that stimulate calm and happiness. Over time, people soon find themselves almost unable to think negative thoughts!

Summary: People with congestive heart failure often experience depression because of grieving over loss of their physical health and well-being. Other components that sometimes help cause depression include medicines and money worries. Both Ericksonian Hypnosis and NLP provide superior strategies for assisting individuals to cope with depression without being forced to spend huge amounts of time and money.

Alan B. Densky, CH is a certified hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner. He’s helped thousands of clients since 1978. He offers CDs for [http://www.neuro-vision.us/Products/DepressionTreatmentHypnosisCD.htm]hypnotic therapy for depression. Visit his Neuro-VISION self-hypnosis website for the hypnosis article index, or watch his free videos on hypnosis. http://www.neuro-vision.us/

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Tags: Clinical Depression, depressed, depression, depression symptoms, manic depression, symptoms of depressio

By Mary Betz

Migraine triggers and other causes of headaches can come from many sources. So often we are looking for just one thing that causes migraines and headaches when in reality it is a combination of many factors. The most frequent cause of headaches in general is stress, but all too often mood plays a large role.

Quite frankly, until you are able to recognize and accept this, you might not have much success in getting these headaches under control. The effects of lifestyle on headaches cannot be underestimated.

Depression and anxiety can greatly affect your headache profile and are recognized by headache experts as a migraine trigger. Now wait!! Before you dismiss the idea, up to 85% of all chronic pain sufferers have depression and/or anxiety to SOME degree. It’s almost like the chicken and the egg, which came first?

Pain and depression impact each other; the more pain, the more depressed you feel and then that makes the pain worse. If you have a headache, doesn’t crying or being upset make it worse? This is the anxiety fueling the headache. Along the same vein, if you have headaches or migraines on a regular basis, are missing school, work and family outings, you are bound to feel a bit depressed.

Too many times this is one of the most difficult concepts for people to get their minds to accept; that they may have some degree of depression which makes the pain more chronic and more severe. Don’t be too hard on yourself! The receptors and pathways for headache are similar and sometime the same as anxiety receptors in the brain.  Without getting in to a medical lecture when they are all firing off you have a headache and are anxious. One basically fuels the other.

Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Headaches

Just like treating the headache itself, it is important to realize that treating mood is multi-factorial. Counseling with a good psychologist is invaluable. The rule of thumb when getting counseling is to give it at least three visits to see if you and the counselor “mesh” so to speak. Not all patient/provider relationships are perfect.

Counseling will allow you to dump some of the stress, in addition to learning how to develop good coping skills for future life stressors. Try too, to develop a good social structure. Even if you can’t participate in activities that your friends may do (sports), you can still invite people to your place for a get together once a month or so.  Regular human social contact is a form of support and can help stave off depression.  In fact, more than 6 million women experience depression each year in the USA.

Many people disregard the recommendation to take medication for mood in the presence of headaches.  So many times people make this mistake and think there is something wrong with them if they accept the fact that they are anxious or depressed. Even MILD depression can make headaches worse. Many of todays medications can treat BOTH mood and headaches.

SSRI’s: This group of drugs are seratonin re-uptake inhibitors (what??). Seratonin is one of the natural “happy drugs” in the brain, but is taken up by nerve endings and recycled, so to speak. By slowing this process, you have more of it in the way you need it and feel happier. Side effects include weight gain, odd dreaming, mild episodic vertigo and rarely some of them can cause headaches to be worse. Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, Prozac and Paxil are all in this class. Paxil and Lexapro are excellent if you have more anxiety. If you are over the age of 60, you may need to start at a lower dose than normal.

TCA’S: Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) are an older class of drugs that are NOT first line for depression. I mention them here because they are used in the treatment of headaches and can reduce headache pain.

CYMBALTA: Cymbalta is a drug that functions with two effects. Part of the drug is an SSRI but most of the drug functions on another pathway called norepinephrine. The end result is another brain chemical is boosted and you feel happier. It also has and effect of calming back pain in some patients.

Treatment of [http://www.headache-adviser.com/migraine-triggers.html]depression that is fueled by migraine involves treating not only the migraine but the also the mood. Until both sides of the problem are addressed, progress may be slow.

Mary K. Betz, MS RPA-C is a practicing Physician Assistant in neurology who specializes in headache medicine. For more information visit http://www.headache-adviser.com

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Tags: chronic pain, depression, headache, migraine, mood disorder

By Julia Sorensen

There are many depression treatments and the type of treatment required will depend on the extent of the depression. Medication is the most common type of treatment that is given to a patient that is suffering from major depression. The use of antidepressants has been proven to be very effective. However, medication does not often help all by itself. A form of therapy is often necessary. The effectiveness of the medications with therapy is not known because of the inadequate time that is given to patients to recover from their depression. Every patient will require a time frame that is unique to them and their illness. It is impossible to predict how long it will take for a patient to recover from their illness.

Psychotherapies can help a patient gain some insight into the problems that they are experiencing and offer some solutions to those problems. This is accomplished through talking with a trained therapist. These types of treatment for depression can help someone who has suffered from a long-term depression. It will help learn coping skills to deal with the problems that occur in daily life. It is important for the depressed person to be patient with their treatment. It will take time to get to the root of the depression and find a suitable treatment. There may be a combination of medications that will work well for a patient or sometimes just one medication is all that is necessary. Psychotherapy and medication used in combination can also be very effective in the treatment of depression.

It is important that the patient not discontinue any medications on his or her own. While they are not addictive there could be some unpleasant side effects when the medication is stopped suddenly. One of the most common side effects is a returning of the depression symptoms. When a depressed person begins to feel better they may believe that they can successfully stop taking the medication and still feel well, however, this could cause them a great many problems.

Keep those around you who are supportive. It is very important that the depressed patient have a good solid support system to help them through their difficult time. Family members and friends can give a great deal of emotional support for their depressed loved one. They can also report to the therapist any times that the patient stops medications or is having a relapse of their depression symptoms.

For more free resources, visit http://www.thecbtcoach.com Julia Sorensen is the author of “Overcoming Loss Stories and Activities to Help Children Transform Grief and Loss” Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers:

Order at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Loss-Activities-Transform-Childrens/dp/1843106469/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211472762&sr=8-1

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Tags: bereavement, cbt, depression, depressive symptoms, grief, loss, major depression, moodiness, sad