Antidepressant Link To Heart Rhythm Abnormalities No Cause For Alarm

Antidepressant Link To Heart Rhythm Abnormalities No Cause For Alarm

Some antidepressants have been linked to a long QT, which may increase the likelihood of having a serious heart rhythm abnormality. However, as they are extremely rare, the benefits offered by antidepressant far outweigh the risks and patients should not be alarmed, says the British Heart Foundation.

American scientists demonstrated an association between the antidepressants citalopram and escitalopram and a long QT interval in some patients' ECGs (electrocardiograms). They reported their findings in the BMJ (British Medical Journal). A long QT is linked to a greater risk of serious arrhythmias (heart rhythm abnormalities).

In August 2011, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) announced that Celexa (Citalopram hydrobromide) should never be administered at doses higher than 40 mg per day, because of the risk of abnormal electrical activity in the heart, which may lead to potential fatal heart rhythm abnormalities, including Torsade de Pointes. The FDA added that doses higher than 40 mg per day do not improve depressive symptoms any better than lower doses.

Patients with existing heart conditions, as well as those who are prone to low levels of blood magnesium and potassium are especially susceptible to alterations in the heart's electrical activity (prolongation of the QT interval).

US scientists gathered and analyzed the health records of over 38,000 adults and found that nearly one fifth of all patients who had been prescribed these antidepressant and underwent an ECG had an abnormal QT interval.

Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, June Davison, said:

"Having a long QT interval can potentially increase the risk of a serious abnormal heart rhythm. However, as these abnormal rhythms are very rare, the potential benefits in treating depression would exceed the risk for most patients.

The effect of these drugs on the QT interval has been known for a while and the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued safety advice about this issue in 2011. This included recommendations about new maximum daily doses and information about when it's not advisable to prescribe the drug.

People taking these drugs shouldn't be alarmed and shouldn't stop taking their medication without speaking to their doctor. If you've got any concerns, speak to your GP or pharmacist.

The British Heart Foundation says that it is sponsoring a study at the University of Nottingham, England, that will provide a better understanding of long QT syndrome so that more effective treatments can eventually be developed.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Visit our depression section for the latest news on this subject.

Depressed or Lazy?

Anyone with a teen knows the constant battle to motivate them. The constant struggle with the laziness and un-cooperation of the teen years. As parents, we have to stay vigilante to be sure whether they are depressed or lazy.

Teenage depression rates are very high. It really is no wonder with all the added stress of hormones, peer pressure, chores, and homework along with any extra curricular activities. Add to that the fear of failure and the pressure of deciding what to do with the rest of your life.

The signs of teenage depression are actually different from adult or childhood depression. These signs often make them appear as if they have become very lazy.

Unfortunately, they may not even realize that they are depressed. The idea of needing help for it will not occur to them if they do not understand how serious an illness it is.

Most often, it is up to the adults in their lives to figure out whether they really are depressed or lazy. To do this, we must watch for and recognize the symptoms of depression in teenagers.

These signs may vary between the sexes, but there are some symptoms that are common to both male and female teens.

Signs of Depression That Are Usually Common to Both Sexes:

Excessively negative

Antisocial behavior

Retreating to their rooms constantly, or wanting to leave home

Carelessness about their appearance.

Disinterest in family get-togethers and activities.

Signs of Depression That Are Usually More Common in Males:

Unusual aggression and agitation.

Getting into trouble at school or with the law

Reckless behavior including misusing illegal substances

Signs of Depression That Are Usually More Common in Females:

Becoming sloppy in their appearance.

A new or unusual preoccupation with death or suicide.

Extreme behavior with the opposite sex (either promiscuous or isolated from them)

Some Other Signs That Might Appear:

A lower self-esteem than normal

References to suicide (in some extreme cases)

A general negative outlook on life.

Although teens are struggling to be independent, a teenager that is dealing with depression will need your help. It will likely be up to you to push them to open up about their feelings. At least enough that you can decide what type of help to offer them.

Some ideas for discovering and coping with depression in your teen

Be upfront. Tell them that you are concerned about their recent behavior. Talk about depression, make sure they understand that it is a treatable illness.

If their depression is severe, or they talk about suicide, wanting to die, etc. - seek professional help.

If your teen will not talk to you, talk with their friends or their parents. They may have opened up to them about their problems.

Suggest some one-on-one time by offering a favorite activity or outing.

Ask them straight out if there is anything they need to talk about.

Don't put on an act for them, just let them know you are concerned.

Be vigilant. Watch for signs of suicide and take extreme measures if you see them.

If they are reaching out, take the time to be there for them and listen.

The only way to be sure if your teen is depressed or lazy is to be observant. Watch carefully for changes in their behavior. Even though they are usually good at hiding depression from us, this should help you to catch it at an early stage.

Study Explores Whether Sleeping Pills Reduce Insomniac's Suicidal Thoughts

Study Explores Whether Sleeping Pills Reduce Insomniac's Suicidal Thoughts

Researchers want to know whether a sleeping pill reduces suicidal thoughts in depressed patients with insomnia.

"The more we look at it, the more it looks like insomnia by itself is a predictor of suicide so the next question becomes: Why not treat insomnia strategically as a focus of care and see if that reduces suicidal thinking," said Dr. W. Vaughn McCall, Chair of the Medical College of Georgia Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Georgia Regents University.

McCall is principal investigator on a $1.2 million National Institute of Mental Health grant to objectively assess patient response to this strategy. The study at GRU, Duke University and the University of Wisconsin is enrolling 138 adults over four years. To help ensure their safety, all participants will receive the anti-depressant fluoxetine for the eight-week trial while half will also get the sedative-hypnotic zolpidem.

It's a complex treatment conundrum that the study hopes to unravel. Some physicians are understandably concerned about giving sleeping pills to people with suicidal thoughts. "We are faced very commonly with a patient who is not sleeping, is depressed, is suicidal and the treating physician is understandably concerned about giving that patient sleeping pills," McCall said.

In fact, some sleep experts routinely condemn sleeping pills, saying the pills are potentially deadly, independent of suicide. Other people with chronic insomnia never seek professional help, trying home or natural remedies while their negative thoughts about sleep escalate. If they do seek medical care as problems mount, they may find themselves with a doctor hesitant or even adamant about hypnotics, McCall said.

If researchers can show a direct link between insomnia treatment and reduced suicidal thinking, it could help mainstream targeted drug therapy as well as non-drug approaches such as cognitive behavior therapy, a structured talk therapy that targets faulty thinking such as, 'I will never sleep again,' said McCall, who also uses this approach.  

Researchers have evidence that the intensity of insomnia correlates with the intensity of suicidal thoughts as well as a pilot study linking proactive hypnotic treatment to reduced suicidal thoughts. In fact, 31 studies have linked insomnia to suicidal thoughts, behavior or death. Still suicide risk factors and prevention often overlook insomnia, McCall said.

Acknowledging the very vulnerable population they study, there are numerous safeguards built into the research protocol such as participants only getting one week's supply of sleeping pills for the first two weeks, then getting a two-week supply if their suicidal thoughts stabilize. Additionally, they will be asked to take the drug shortly before going to bed and to allow eight hours for sleep.

Sleeping pills such as zolpidem accentuate the body's normal mechanism for sleep by targeting GABA, a neurotransmitter that essentially turns the brain's metabolism down, McCall said. Existing antidepressants don't affect GABA.  Many over-the-counter sleep aids are essentially anti-histamines; histamine is another neurotransmitter that helps keep you awake. In insomniacs, GABA tends to be underactive while histamine works overtime.

Insomnia is a symptom and about half of all cases are related to a mental disorder such as depression. About 90 percent of patients hospitalized for depression and 60 percent of those treated as outpatients also have insomnia, McCall said.  Not sleeping also can also be tied to personality, specifically hypervigilant individuals who are always "on." "They just can't relax," said McCall, who admits to at least a small case of that himself. Others have life-issues, such as divorce or illness, that can cause transient insomnia. In others, it's a long-standing problem with no obvious basis.

Patients with insomnia that persists over a year have a 30-fold increased risk of developing depression compared to the insomniac who gets treatment. "That is like the risk of cigarette smoking for cancer: it's huge," McCall said. This begs more questions about how insomnia causes depression and, if you're already depressed, how insomnia aggravates suicide risk, he said.

He notes there is a subset of depressed people, particularly young people, who sleep too much, and that older people generally have a harder time falling and staying asleep.

Wake Forest University will assist in statistical analysis for the study. Individuals with sleep apnea as severe suicidal thoughts will be excluded. Participants will be referred for outpatient management at the end of the study.

Additional

References

Citations

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our sleep / sleep disorders / insomnia section for the latest news on this subject.

Can You Conquer Depression in 5 Steps?

1. Dress to Impress... yourself

How you look affects how you feel. If you wear old, scruffy and unflattering clothes, you will not be impressed with your appearance; you, in some cases may hate the way you look. Feeling down about how you look can only lead to you feeling emotionally negative about yourself.

Imagine that you have had a make over and a great hair cut and style. You go out and buy new, beautiful and well fitted clothes that suit your figure. You get dressed and stand in front of the mirror seeing this beautiful version of yourself, how do you feel about the way you look now? If you look good, you will feel good because if you dress to impress yourself, you will feel confident, you feel beautiful and you will like yourself more. And when you like yourself, other people will naturally like you too.

2. Change the Mind, Change the Body

Your mind and body work as one. A lady walked in to my office the other day with her head hanging down, when asked what was wrong she said "I'm feeling down" Body movements and facial expressions are designed to trigger emotions, as your mussels move they trigger electrons in your mind that make you feel surprised, sad, happy, scared or any of the other emotional responses that we have hardwired in our mind. Depressed people's body language will often include; slumped shoulders, lethargic movements and head lowered down - looking towards the floor.

What is interesting is if you physically stand up, hold you head up high, make eye contact with others, you will automatically feel more confident - this is instantaneous. Even more important if you force yourself to laugh for 10 minutes everyday you will start to feel happy without knowing why.

3. The Devil in Your Head

Many people who are depressed are so because they give themselves negative self talk on a daily basis "you fail.." "Everyone will laugh at you.." this voice is limiting your expectations, a easy to use technique is to imagine that you can turn the voice into a shape. Slowly move the shape down your body, from your head to your shoulder, from your shoulder to your arm, down your arm and onto your palm. Imagine the shape falling from your palm onto your leg, down your leg onto your foot and watch the shape fall off your foot, most people at this stage get the urge to kick the shape away. For this technique to work you have to imagine seeing the shape move away, down your body. Once the shape has been kicked away ask yourself how do I feel about the voice now, and 9/10 off you will say the voice doesn't effect you anymore.

4. Want It Now and Never Get It

You hear these statements on a regular basis "I want to be a millionaire" "I want a big house" "I want to marry a beauty Man" "I want to double my salary" "I want to be happy." It is good to set yourself goals, but you have to remember that you have to work to achieve these goals. You will have good and bad days, and I would add successful people learn from their 'bad' days. Unsuccessful people want their goal now and are often unwilling to work for it. When they hit a barrier they simple give up, using this barrier as an excuse to fail.

To achieve your big goals start by chunking them down into small manageable goals - if you want to be a millionaire, the first goal should be to plan how you will make money, your second goal may be research business ideas/money making strategies, your third goal as an example maybe to research how successful millionaires became successful. As you achieve your small goals your big goals will fall into place naturally, it is also good to plan for the 'bad' days and have a strategy to deal with these not so good days.

5. Me, Me, Me

Do you always focus on yourself? Many unhappy people go into situations looking at what they can get out of it? They rarely think about completing selfless acts, helping others for free and making a contribution to others, when there is nothing in it for them. But there missing out on the big secret, because the more you help others, contributing through volunteering, offering spare change to a stranger in the supermarket who has gone over their predicted bill and has no spare change or even the old clich of helping some elderly stranger cross the road, the more you will feel good about yourself. Yes that's right when you help people unselfishly you will feel good about yourself, boosting your self esteem and image, increasing positively the view you hold of yourself.

There are many ways to help you feel more positive, to boost your self esteem and to give you the confidence to enjoy your life. These 5 simple techniques will help you get started, helping you to take control and to do something positive with your life.

Image these 5 techniques really helped you, and you became the best you could be, you achieved your goals and became successful. Imagine you were this successful version of yourself; where are you, what do you do, how do you act, who are your friends, where do you live, how much money do you have in the bank, are you married, a parent, a traveler, a business person? Imagine that this successful version of you, could look back and give the you now some advice, what advice would you give yourself?

Rehab for Depression

Sadness is the normal reaction to unfortunate events. It resolves in time and with new ways of seeing things.

Depression is an involutional melancholia: a sense of inner emptiness that has no external cause. It comes from nowhere. It simply exists and won't go away.

It is important to distinguish between sadness and depression. Sadness does not need treatment; depression does.

Doctors who fail to make this distinction will tend to prescribe antidepressants for everything. How else can we account for 31m prescriptions for Prozac and similar pharmaceutical drugs being given out each year? There may sometimes be an unthinking exchange between doctor and patient:

'I am depressed.'

'You suffer from depression. Here is an antidepressant.'

The intention on both sides is that the patient will feel better and function more effectively. Yet vast numbers of controlled studies reveal that antidepressants are only 20% more effective than placebo - dummy tablets that have no active chemical ingredient. Even so, antidepressants can lead to a dependency, they are dangerous in overdose and they can be used in suicide. Paradoxically, they may even lead to suicide by distorting reality, rather than by helping them to face it appropriately, with non-chemical support. Clinical depression, due to chemical imbalance in neuro-transmission systems in the mood centres of the brain, does not inevitably require chemical treatment. There are many alternatives.

Doctors whose training leads them to believe in pharmaceutical drugs as the solution to many of life's emotional, as well as physical, problems will tend to prescribe even more when told that an initial drug has not helped. They may increase the dose of the first antidepressant, add in another and then consider prescribing a mood-stabiliser as well. The doctor's greatest fear is that the patient will commit suicide and that he or she will be blamed for not providing the appropriate clinical treatment. This tends to be judged on what other doctors generally do. Consequently there is a solid inertia: the status quo continues and is unchallenged, regardless of the mounting evidence of serious risks associated with these drugs.

From the perspective of the patient, the sombre feeling and clouded mind make it very difficult to function effectively when faced with very real challenges such as unemployment, bereavement, inadequate housing, family problems and money worries. The doctor's suggestion is often that an antidepressant will 'take the edge off' or 'put the mind in a splint' and thereby enable the patient to be able to function more effectively and even resolve some of the issues. There is very little evidence that this is what happens in practice. It is more probable that the patient becomes dependent on the drug and the problems persist as before.

Patients will often try to lift their depressed moods on their own by using alcohol, recreational drugs, nicotine, caffeine, sugar and white flour. All these substances have mood-altering effects: they act on the mood centres of the brain. Therefore it is very easy to become habituated to them. People who have addictive natures will then become addicted to them, often to several at the same time.

Withdrawal symptoms occur when the individual tries to stop using these substances by 'going cold turkey'. These symptoms are resolved by taking more of the habit-forming drug - and so the rot sets in. Progressive decay is inevitable in physical, emotional, mental, social and every other aspect of life.

It can be argued that depression and a tendency towards addiction are the same thing. The depression exists before the use of mood-altering substances and processes. The addiction to them occurs afterwards. Some people may be born with an addictive nature. This then becomes activated by traumatic events that set up a craving for mood-alteration. Full blown addiction then occurs when the individual discovers the mood-altering properties of one substance or another - or many.

A responsible rehab will focus on helping the patient to become abstinent from all mood-altering substances and processes. Prescription medications will be used in an effective rehab only to cover short-term withdrawal symptoms. Otherwise a disastrous long-term pharmaceutical drug addiction can follow.

The centrepiece of rehab should be trauma resolution, as well as giving insight into the specific nature of addictive disease and recovery.

The appropriate on-going treatment for the underlying depression is through daily working of the Twelve Step programme, first formulated by Alcoholics Anonymous. This is at times an unpopular suggestion - but the process works and there are no damaging side-effects.

Years of misery can be set aside. Gloom and doom become features of the past, not of the present. A fresh outlook on life opens up new visions and presents new opportunities.

People who resist surrendering to a higher power than self in a spiritual (but non-religious) programme can have their previous wretchedness again - any time they want to return to it.

Current Thinking Regarding Bipolar Disorder Treatment

If you are someone who is suffering from bipolar disorder, then you probably already know how important it is that you obtain regular bipolar disorder treatment in order to keep the condition under control. There are many people who suffer from this affliction and the truth is that some of these individuals have no one to talk to when they feel really sad.

One of the treatment requirements is to get professional help as soon as possible. Just talking a health care practitioner will start the healing process. In between office visits, you should always have a good friend or someone you can talk to. Someone who can listen to you, understand you and offer you guidance. A parent can often fill this role, especially if they have also been touched by bipolar disorder.

Some of the time, the bipolar disorder will appear as a result of a very great fear. People tend to harbor deep feelings about worldly events, so if something is troubling you, it is possible that you begin to fear all things related to this event which in turn manifests itself as depression. The opposite is also true in that you may go on a heightened binge such as excessive buying or other irrational activity in order to escape from an inevitable event.

Bipolar disorder has been shown to be transmitted genetically. So if your parent had it, there is a good chance that you will develop it in your lifetime. This is probably due to the fact that the root cause of this affliction seems to be due to neurotransmitter imbalance. As this is part of everyone's makeup, it points to the genetic link just mentioned.

There are multiple factors that will make your condition better. Getting involved in some good social activity, or more than one activity will help immensely. Just having people to talk to, will keep your mind occupied and away from thoughts that might hurt you. Talk with your parents and other relatives as often as possible. The social side of life is a very important bipolar disorder treatment for those suffering with this disorder.

Find a good doctor to work with. They might offer a prescription to help the mood swings, once the diagnosis has been set. The medications will stabilize the three most common neurotransmitters that have been implicated with bipolar disorder. They are dopamine, seratonin and nor-epinephrine. In time, your bipolar disorder treatment will allow you to regain a normal life. The key to the whole regimen is acknowledging the disorder and getting help. Do it today for a better tomorrow!

Insights On Securing Your Products With Hologram Labels

Hologram labels are usually seen in certain items that are sold in the supermarket or in the department store. Although they appear like a common element of the packaging of a product, not all people know what they stand for. Most shoppers think that they are mere symbols of quality product. While that is correct, they hold more important things than that.

For business owners, these tags can affect the flow of profit that they are looking forward to. This is because they prevent the forging of branded products besides their capacity to prove brand integrity. As we all know, businesses offering great brands lose their market to fraudulent firms which produce counterfeits sold at relatively low prices. Consumers may not know that they are buying counterfeits especially when such items look exactly the same with the originals. With the use of holographic stickers, businesses can educate the consumers to look for these brand seals before they make any purchase.

The advancements in technology have made these tags mediums of security just like bar codes. However, they have a different security feature that exposes a pattern of dots once they are lifted off the products to which they are attached. This procedure helps in revealing shoppers who might have bad intentions on these products. Because of this security feature, these special tags are used by software manufacturers, passport producers, car manufacturers, credit card companies, record and film producers and credit card companies among others.

The creation of hologram labels involves varied procedures like coating, finishing and embossing. The rainbow hues seen in them once moved in different angles are produced by electric and laser beams. At a certain cost, holograms in three dimensions may also be requested for the security of your products. Such tags are difficult to be copied for falsification purposes.

Obviously, these items can only be made by expert printers. They come in certain variations and so they will cost differently too. Learn the standard price offers for these tags so that you can wisely choose a suitable service provider. Look for a service provider who can work with your budget. Never settle with the first one that you will stumble upon. Besides affordability, underscore on the credibility of your prospective service providers. This is very important as your chosen printer is responsible for the security tags for your products. You have to ensure the labels that will be assigned to your products would not be assigned to other companies' merchandise. In connection to this, ask about the use of customized sticker solution that will guarantee the uniqueness of your tags.

Lastly, a reliable printer can give you the best quotes for the production of your hologram labels. These quotes are not necessarily cheap. They are just right for the quality of the material for your stickers and the quality of the service you will receive. A reliable printer would also be honest in letting you know whether the security design you want is realizable with your budget.

Discover 6 Amazing Ways to Recognize Depression

Depression is a mental illness that is spoken about in hushed tones all over the world. This is hardly the right approach towards diagnosing and treating the illness. If you are worried that you yourself or someone you love is depressed, learning about ways to recognize depression is a very good idea. This article will help you discover 6 amazing ways to recognize depression.

1. Sudden change in weight

A lot of depressed people have reportedly lost interest in eating and food, making them susceptible to weight loss all of a sudden. Though a sudden loss of weight may be a way to diagnose depression, a sudden gain too may point in the same direction. When a person is depressed, she may use food to fill an emotional void, making her gain a lot of weight in a short span of time.

2. Do Not Ignore Physical Manifestations of Depression

Though not a lot of people are aware of this, but the truth is that depression has physical manifestations. Depressed people are prone to complain a lot about aches, pains and body troubles. This happens because a depressed mental state may result in eating disorders and avoidance of physical activity, which again may lead to a weak immune system and a resulting array of physical ailments.

3. Irritability and Anger

If someone you know is displaying a short fuse time and again, it may be more than just about having a bad day. He may be suffering from depression. Irritability and anger are symptoms of a depressive nature. Depression leads to frustration which may be expressed as irritability. Little things can act as triggers to the anger that has the power to ruin anyone's day.

4. Loss of libido

A lack of interest in anything to do with sex is another way to recognize depression. Of course, loss of libido may be attributed to a variety of factors, but depression may also be the reason. For someone in a loving relationship to withdraw from sexual contact completely may be a symptom of an illness of the mind.

5. Problems with Maintaining a Professional Attitude at the Workplace

A person who is suffering from depression may find it difficult to motivate himself to go to work every day. He may have trouble getting out of bed in the mornings and as a result is late to work almost every day. This is a symptom worth drawing a conclusion from.

6. Trouble Concentrating

Persons who are depressed may have trouble concentrating on the smallest of tasks. A mother may stop midway while packing her son's lunch for school or a salesperson may find it difficult to concentrate on arranging a bookshelf at a bookstore.

However, the most important thing to remember about depression is that it is treatable. so if you are facing some of the signs and symptoms mentioned above then it is a smart idea to seek help.

What Are The Causes Of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is also referred to as manic depression. It is a mood disorder that causes drastic changes in mood, thinking, behavior and energy. Patients will swing from the lows of depression on one extreme to the highs of mania at the other extreme. It is much more than a fleeting good or bad mood. These mood cycles can last for days or weeks or months. In addition, unlike regular mood swings, this affliction causes mood changes that are extremely intense thus interfering with one's ability to function properly. As a result of an intense swing, family life or work performance will suffer tremendously.

During the highs of mania, a person might make a rash decision such as quit a job, spend huge amounts on their credit cards, or feel rested after just two hours of sleep. During the lows of depression, that same person can feel too tired to wake up. They may also feel full of hopelessness and start self-loathing over being in debt and unemployed.

The causes of bipolar disorder are varied and many. Although the actual cause is unknown, there are several factors that are said to cause and trigger bipolar episodes:

Neurotransmitters: imbalances in chemicals that occur naturally in the brain, also called neurotransmitters, appears to be a trigger of several mood disorders.

Hormonal instability: an imbalance in hormones may also play a significant role in causing/triggering bipolar disorder.

Genetics: bipolar disorder tends to run in families. Therefore, if one member of a family has the condition, another might have the condition. Genes that are said to cause bipolar disorder are still being studied.

Environmental factors: such as stress, abuse, or other traumatic experiences can also be a trigger.

Biological differences: those who have bipolar disorder seem to have physical brain changes. It is not yet known if these changes have any significance but they may finally help to pinpoint the causes.

Miscellaneous: other possible causes of bipolar disorder include risk factors like alcohol and drug abuse, periods of severe stress, death of a friend or family member.

Research continues to try to find the exact causes of bipolar disorder. At this point in time it seems pretty clear that out of all of the aforementioned causes, an imbalance in neurotransmitters appears to be the leading cause. As such, current treatment measures include medications that enhance those transmitters which are responsible for a person's mood such as dopamine, seratonin and norepinephrine. Medications also aim to stop the breakdown and elimination of these neurotransmitters which in essence,allows them to do a more efficient job.

Say Goodbye To The Misery Of Panic Attacks With This Helpful Information

Anxiety and panic attacks are a frequent reality for many people, and they can be very scary, especially if you do not understand what is happening. This article discusses some tips for both people who experience panic attacks and for those who are trying to understand what panic attacks are.

When you begin to feel an attack coming on, you should try to dis-empower the attack. Tell yourself over and over that your attacks have never caused any harm to you and attacks have never hurt any one else. Tell yourself that it does not mean anything at all.

Get angry at your fears and tell them you won't let a attack take you down! Really tell your feelings that you are sick of them and that you really don't want them in your life! Let them know that when they leave this time you don't ever want to see them again, so goodbye!

After an attack, you will feel particularly anxious. That is why it is important that immediately after your attack you try to relax your body in several ways. You should try to implement steady breathing and full breathing to help relax your body and steady your heart beat.

When panic attacks start to be coupled with obsessive behaviors, like having to turn off a light three times to ensure that your child doesn't die, it's time to seek professional help. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder affects millions of people and can be treated, but you have to get help as the first step to the cure.

If you feel a panic attack coming on, call a friend and go out. Go for a walk through a park or have a hot herbal tea at a coffeehouse and talk out whatever is bothering you. Friends are an amazing resource for feeling better quickly and beating your panic attacks.

Consider doing something exciting when you have an attack, like rock climbing! This will put your adrenaline to good use while also showing you that you're able to do something terrifying without ending up with any negative repercussions. What a great way to show your fears that you're the boss of them, not vice versa!

Now that you've read the article, you should have a better understanding of what panic attacks are and some of the things that can be done to lessen their grip on you or someone close to you. Implement what you've learned here, and you can increase your quality of life.

Control Your Panic Attacks With These Simple Tips

Panic attacks can be a troubling and even debilitating problem. The fact is that the unpredictable nature of panic disorders can leave many people suffering for longer than which they need. Should you be fighting a panic disorder, know that there are options out there for you. This article will outline several ways that you can reclaim your life from panic.

Determine what the triggers are for your attacks. Do you have an attack every time you turn in a project at work? Do you have an attack late at night after you've seen a scary film? By figuring out situations that seem to bring these attacks on, you can learn to avoid them and hopefully the attacks too.

Panic attacks can be brought on by many traumatic events such as the death of a loved one, an injury or even severe debt. The disorder can show itself before you even know why it is happening. A trained psychologist can help you identify and deal with these issues and lessen your chances of future panic attacks.

Power is the key to anxiety. If you give your worry the power then it will rule your life. If you take back the power for yourself you can put your worries aside and live a normal life. Figure out what you're doing to let your power go and then work to get it back.

It is important for you to feel as if you can talk to the ones that you love whenever something is bothering you. Being able to talk to the people that you, love can make a big difference in the amount of panic attacks you have. A build up of stress or anxiety can trigger a panic attack at any moment and cause it's intensity to be significant.

Many people who suffer from panic attacks or panic disorder are finding relief through cognitive-behavioral therapy. In fact, studies show that as many as 80% of patients receive substantial relief from their symptoms as a result of the strategies they learn through this technique. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you understand the cause of your attacks and teaches you ways to alter or eliminate the negative behaviors and thought processes that lead to attacks.

As you can see, you can reclaim your life from the pain and chaos of panic disorders. With work and attentive care, you can learn to climb out of the pain and sadness that panic attacks bring to your day-to-day life. The above tips should be of help to you when beginning your path to a new life.

Depression Patient Information

Depression is a common illness in clinics across the country. It is often under recognized and under treated, and it can lead to complications if not treated appropriately. Patient information is essential in this disease as educated patients can quickly recognize their symptoms and seek medical attention. Depression can affect every aspect of a patient's life, so here is some information to help you recognize mood disorders and find appropriate treatment.

Diagnosing Depression

Depression is a clinical diagnosis, meaning that there are no special tests to find it. Depression is defined as having five or more symptoms (shown below) for at least two weeks. One of the symptoms must be low mood or lack of enjoyment with activities the patient used to enjoy.

Sleep disturbance (either too much or too little)

Lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities

Guilt

Lack of Energy

Decreased Ability to Concentrate

Appetite problems (either eating too much or too little)

Psychomotor Disturbance (feel like you're moving in slow motion)

Suicidal Thoughts or Intentions

Treating Depression

Treatment for depression varies depending on the severity. For depression without suicidal thoughts, the patient is given medication. The most common class of medication is SSRI's (stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor). These include brand names like Paxil, Prozac, and Celexa. Other meds, e.g. Effexor, can also be used. These medications typically take 4-6 weeks to reach full effect. In addition, counseling can be very helpful for many patients.

Depression can also be paired with other psychiatric illnesses including substance abuse and schizophrenia. In those cases, treating the other psychiatric disease helps with depression. The most common form of depression is unipolar meaning that patients only have low mood. Bipolar depression is different and involves both low and high moods. It is treated with different medications and therapy.

Complications of Depression

The most feared complication is suicide. If you have depression, your physician will ask you about suicide every time you see them. Suicidal thoughts and a plan to commit suicide are an indication for the patient to be hospitalized. Be honest with your physician about suicidal thoughts, as the consequences can obviously be large.

Many patients with depression will also try to self medicate themselves with either drugs or alcohol. This has the unfortunate effect of making the depression worse in the long run. Inform your doctor if this becomes a problem so that you can get appropriate treatment.

Patient Expectations with Depression

Unlike a sinus infection or bronchitis, depression is often a long term problem that patients learn to manage throughout their lives. It is common for depression to come and go, and many patients take daily medication for years. Expect these these highs and lows, and learn your personal warning signs for you depression. Learning your own illness will allow you to notify your doctor of changes and get treatment much faster.

Is EFT An Alternative Treatment For Depression?

According to the NHS information centre the number of prescriptions for antidepressants have increased by 28% in the last three years. So, are we turning into a nation of prescription junkies?

The cost of depression to the NHS

Depression is an illness and those suffering from depression need help but when are we going to stop relying on prescription drugs? Depression is costing the NHS 11 billion per year in prescriptions, lost earnings and care. The amount of prescriptions have risen from 34 million in 2007-08 to 43.4 million in 2010-11.

In a recent article The Independent newspaper reported that Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat MP who commissioned the research said: "Failure to tackle depression hurts us all. It makes a misery of the lives of sufferers, costs the NHS in time and medication, and hampers business by forcing some people out of work."

So is the NHS looking in the wrong place?

Could the NHS save money by addressing the fact that prescriptions are treating the symptoms rather than the cause? To some people antidepressants are a lifeline but to others who have been on them for years maybe the time is right to look elsewhere.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, said the tough economic times may have contributed to more people experiencing depression, but improved public awareness may also mean more people are seeking help.

Where else can people find help?

The 'alternative therapy for depression market' is growing. Therapies such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and Yoga are proven to provide an alternative to the prescription drug market.

One client with a history of depression had this to say about EFT:
"I did not know too much about it and didn't think it would, or indeed could, work very deeply. How wrong I was. It helped me release a lot of pain that I had been carrying (that I was aware of but couldn't access). It was quite remarkable. It was a very easily, powerful and a very healing experience. I was very impressed."

In the words of Emer O'Neill, chief executive of Depression Alliance: "These uncertain economic times are linked to an increase in the number of people with the illness."

Alternative therapies offer depression sufferers an alternative to prescription drugs. Perhaps the NHS would do well to take notice too.

Depression: Feeling More Than Just Bla'se' Fair

I have the privilege, as a healthcare provider, of meeting with women in my office everyday to discuss symptoms and concerns related to the natural aging process. The consultations that I provide can go in many directions whether it hormones, emotions, physical needs, or mental needs. I should also preface this article by saying that these women I meet with serve in every walk of life and are in every stage of life from young to old. I provide care to executives, local celebrities, healthcare providers, school teachers, stay-at-home moms, ministry wives, construction workers, and nearly any role you can imagine. After years of doing this, I can say without a doubt that no one, regardless of professional status or responsibility, is exempt from the impact of depression. Each time I do a consultation, I always touch on the issue of depression and anxiety to fully assess the reasons for various problems. The "cause" of depression is sometimes identifiable, but most often is not. For some, depression can be explained as an inherent propensity to depression due to a strong family history of the disorder; for others it's brought on by stress and emotional trauma; for others it's a slow downward decline due to unhealthy relationships and poor social networks; for others it's the consistent feelings of failure or not meeting expectations; and for others it's due to endocrine and biological shifts of the body due to some other disease state. The reality is that whatever the cause, the effects can be significant and long lasting for some women who struggle with clinical depression.

These are the hard core statistics about depression so you have an understanding of how significant this is:

- The World Health Organization identified depression as the third most important cause of disease burden worldwide in 2004, and it is estimated that, globally, depression will be the second leading cause of disability by the end of 2020.

- In the U.S., depression is the most common type of mental illness (affecting 26% of adults).

- Women experience depression two times more than men.

- Bringing the statistics "closer to home" (so to speak), I did an audit of charts that I hold in the office and realized that 88% of my clients responded "Yes! I have experienced depression". Twenty-five percent stated they had experienced it once or twice in their life. Twenty-three percent said they experienced depression once or twice a year.

- Then to bring it "really close to home", I found that depression amongst those that I happen to know are in ministry (or simply ministry wives) experienced an average age onset of depression in their early thirties. That's our YOUNG WOMEN in MINISTRY. WOW!!! The majority experienced depression at or near five to six years in their ministry career. Mentoring young women in ministry is clearly needed and critical. The first five years have a HUGE impact psychologically for those starting their journey in ministry.

What should a woman do if she has consistent feelings of depression?

Talk to your spouse, talk to your most trusted mentor or friend, and go see your doctor. One of the biggest mistakes made by well meaning people is to give someone who is crying out for help the old "it'll get better" pat of dismissal on the shoulder. That, sadly, is often what happens when someone tries to express the feelings of being in a deep bla'se' fair state. Many woman, and particularly young women, become confused that depression is a state of weakness and find themselves very vulnerable in reaching out because of the opinions and recommended antidotes of others. Or, they just soon realize that it's the "thing I dare not speak of" because of the responses of the past. If there is one thing I've learned over the years, it is to take these conversations about depression very seriously and ask the right questions to direct each woman, as an individual, toward the appropriate help. Often having an outlet to share feelings and frustrations is all that is needed (along with great studies of the Word or course), but always keep in mind that from time to time, there needs to be medical intervention.

In wrapping this up, I want to end on the power that faith holds in the battle with depression. Perhaps it's more understandable to explain the impact of a skewed perspective in this way. I once had a bathroom scale that was obviously broken and unreliable. I could step on the scale and it would display 108 pounds. That seemed great until my seven year old daughter and my spouse each stepped on it and it revealed the exact same number. The scale was obviously broken, but I think we as women want to use a faulty scale to determine our status in life. Plain and simple, you can't use society's unreliable "self-worth" scale to determine YOUR own self-worth. I always tell women not to get their hand caught in the comparison trap. It will fracture you and your spirit in a heartbeat. The scripture is clear on the fact that we are each highly favored by God. No doubt, our earthly life will bring with it trials, temptations, loss, and sometimes defeat, but God's view of us does not change and is not faulty in any way. The scripture says that He is the glory and the lifter of our heads. (Ps. 3:3) There will be times when we have to use the scripture to re-evaluate and re-calibrate our view of ourselves.

I want to tell you what God has to say about you (By the way, His scale is never broken).

Mark: we are to be believers and not doubters.
John: Christ's friend, appointed, and a recipient.
Romans: Justified, redeemed, free of guilt, and holy
Corinthians: A new creation, reconciled.
Ephesians: blessed chosen, redeemed, forgiven, God's workmanship
Timothy: saved and called
Peter: a living stone, established, chosen, royal, God's own, and a partaker.

Each of us could say that "He loves me the most!" and we would be right. I firmly believe that God is our ultimate Source and we always need to be looking to Him. I also believe that he has called and equipped pastors, leaders, mentors, and healthcare professionals to minister to others who need a helping hand and a gracious heart as they struggle through the depression. I think it's time we become sensitive to others and especially to those that are younger in ministry. Our responses and advice could mean all the difference "IN THE WORLD". Literally.

To your good health, Dr. Sonja O'Bryan

Meditation, Heart Disease and Depression

Imagine, if you would, a treatment that could reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke by nearly 50%. Imagine also that this treatment had no documented side-effects and was, after some initial training and education, able to be implemented at no cost. Would you be interested? If you suffered, or had a family history of either of these conditions, the odds are you would be. What is this treatment? The answer is simple. The answer is meditation.

Traditionally associated with spiritual practice, meditation is found within Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sufism and has has been around for thousands of years. It is even postulated that the first meditators were cavemen staring into the fire.

Meditation has long been described as a means of self-realisation and achieving states of higher consciousness but what is exciting now is that science is starting to prove what Yogis have always known to be true. Meditation is not only good for the mind and spirit, it is good for the body too.

A study released in 2009 by researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin in association with the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention in Iowa has found that very result. A group of 20 participants, all who had been diagnosed with heart disease, were divided into 2 groups and followed over 9 years. One group practiced regular meditation and the other group were given classes educating on health and exercise. The group who meditated showed a significant reduction [47%] in incidence of heart attack, stroke and death.

Another study at the University of Oregon has shown a relationship between meditation and decreasing levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue. What is particularly exciting about this study is that scans of the 45 students involved clearly demonstrated structural changes in the brains, after just 11 hours of learning and practicing a meditation technique.The connectivity between neurones, the nerve cells of the brain, in the parts of the brain that are concerned with emotions and dealing with conflict, was enhanced.

It is a sad fact that depression is a disabling condition prevalent in our society. The World Health Organisation describes depression as the world's "leading cause of disability" and predicts that depression will reach second place by 2020 in terms of contribution to the "global burden of disease'. In a National Australian survey 6% of people were found to have had a depressive disorder in the last 12 months and 10% to have had an anxiety disorder.

According to Professor Tony Jorm, Director for the Center For Mental health Research, Australian National University, "Depression costs $2.5 billion per year in absenteeism and $900 million per year in impairment at work. Treating all the depressed employees in a business is estimated to save, on average, $ 1500 - $3000 per employee."

These figures speak for themselves. Stress, depression and heart disease are not just an individual issue, they are also an economic issue. In the words of Professor Harvey Whiteford, "If you treat depression, it has an economic return for the employer, for the individual and for Australia." [The Bulletin, November 12, 2002.]

It's time we thought more expansively and preventatively. Meditation has been clinically substantiated in the management of heart disease and depression. Different practices and styles are available and once learned, it is free and completely portable.

By why wait? Take steps now to learn this simple but incredibly effective technique. You may just find it changes your life!