Articles on Depression
What is Depression?
Winston Churchill said, "If you’re going through hell, keep
going!" Winston knew a thing or too about emotional hell. He was
a long-term sufferer of what he called the “black dog” of
depression, yet he was also a high achiever and has left an indelible
stamp on world history. We remember him for his achievements, not for
his mental illness… (Read
more)
Depression
Symptoms and Treatment (1)
The most commonly diagnosed and most severe depression is called a major
depressive episode. In order to be diagnosed with major depression,
an individual must satisfy five or more of the following symptoms during
the same 2-week period, and which must also deviate from previous functioning
levels… (Read
more)
Depression Symptoms
and Treatment (2)
“Tom’s depressed because Katie’s gone away and won’t
be able to come to his party tonight”.
“I’m so depressed because I spent the whole day shopping
for a present for Kyle and I couldn’t find anything!”
Like many psychiatric terms, the word “depression” is often
used in everyday language to express a normal, everyday, human experience.
Clinical depression is, however, not a normal, everyday human experience,
yet it is surprisingly common in the community… (Read
more)
What is the best treatment
for depression?
The answer to this question is the same as the answer to “How
long is a piece of string?” The short answer is that there is
no simple answer. Every person who suffers from depression is different,
and the depression they experience is due to different causes. Therefore
there is no single, generic answer to this question… (Read
more)
Feeling bad
about taking antidepressants?
There is no question that antidepressants are over-prescribed by many
doctors. The same goes for tranquilizers. The rate of antidepressant
and tranquillizer intake in First World countries has reached alarming
proportions: clearly better education, more money, and improved lifestyles
have done little to make us happier as a species… (Read
more)
When Antidepressants
aren't the best option (1)
In Feeling bad about taking Antidepressants? we looked at dispelling
the guilt that many people feel about using these drugs. In many cases,
antidepressants are the treatment of choice. But they are not a magic
panacea. Far from it. This blog, we will look at scenarios where the
misuse of antidepressants can do more harm than good… (Read
more)
When Antidepressants
aren't the best option (2)
Antidepressants can be, quite literally, lifesavers. Yet as we saw in
When Antidepressants aren’t the best option (1), these
drugs aren’t always the best treatment for depression. Let’s
look at some scenarios where antidepressants are being prescribed inappropriately…
(Read more)
When Antidepressants
aren't the best option (3)
Antidepressants can make an enormous difference to the quality of life
of sufferers of both depression and anxiety. But as we discussed in
When Antidepressants aren’t the best option (1) and
(2), there are cases when antidepressants should not be prescribed,
or should be used in conjunction with other therapies. Let’s look
at another case study... (Read
more)
Depression, Antidepressants,
and Sex
Loss of confidence and a lack of interest in activities that you usually
enjoy are both symptoms of depression, as is a change in appetite and
sleep patterns. Another less commonly talked about side effect of depression
is a lowering of the sex drive… (Read
more)
Chocolate may make
your depression worse!
If ever there was bad news, surely this is it! Chocolate, that famous
mainstay of the sad and depressed, has recently come under suspicion
for making depression worse… (Read
more)
Antidepressants
a Cure for Cancer?
Nobody likes the thought of having to take antidepressants, but apart
from helping to alleviate severe depression, recent studies have given
users of antidepressants something to smile about at last. Preliminary
laboratory studies at the University of Birmingham Medical School have
noted that more than 50% of lymphomas (cancers of the white blood cells)
have responded favorably to the use of antidepressant medication…
(Read more)
Depression: The myth of Chemical Imbalance
Just about everyone knows that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance
in the brain. Right? Well, that’s what popular mythology has led
the man in the street to believe, but there has never been any scientific
proof for this “truism.”… (Read
more)
Depression in babies
and young infants
Could you ever imagine a tiny baby being depressed? Although hard to
believe, researchers have noted classic signs of depression in young
babies, even those under the age of six months… (Read
more)
Low birth-weight
babies at risk of adult depression
A UK study has highlighted the risks of giving birth to full-term, low
birth weight babies in a comprehensive study of over 5000 British adults.
Researchers found a direct link between low birth weight and the incidence
of depression in these babies as they reached adulthood… (Read
more)
Depression
in children and adolescents
In Depression in babies and young infants we looked at how
symptoms of depression can develop in babies as young as three months.
In today’s article, we will look at the occurrence and signs of
depression in children of elementary school age as well as the teenage
years… (Read
more)
Depression in the elderly
Depression is not an uncommon illness across the most of the lifespan
and the elderly are no exception. Sometimes elderly people visit their
doctor with a series of ailments only to be told they are not physically
ill, but are suffering from depression.… (Read
more)
Antidepressants
are anti-loneliness pills
These are the words of inspirational doctor Patch Adams, the controversial
medico who was the basis of the movie of the same name starring Robin
Williams. The real Patch Adams has little time for fame, but continues
to spread his message of love, laughter, and hope as he completes his
daily ward roads around the world… (Read
more)
More concerns with Prozac
and other SSRIs
A psychiatrist who headed at team of researchers at Columbia University
in New York City has found that young mice given Prozac grow into adult
mice who display emotional problems, chiefly depression... (Read
more)
What
would make a child depressed?
Children can suffer from depression just as adults can. But while mental
health groups around the country struggle to increase awareness of the
widespread nature of depression in adults, the equivalent illness in
children is often very much swept under the carpet... (Read
more)
Hormonal
Swings and Depression
While the symptoms of PMS are very familiar to many women, those who
have a history of anxiety and depression or who currently suffer from
anxiety and depression may notice that the changing hormonal levels
during the month bring about increased emotional problems... (Read
more)
Contraception
and Mental Illness
Contraception has given women choices about the timing and number of
children they may have. But, like any drug, contraceptives have side-effects
and we as consumers should be made aware of all of them. Including those
that involve our mental health. Today's blog tells the story of Emily...
(Read more)
Depression and Sex
In a surprising report, an Australian study has shown that women who
are depressed have more sex than women who describe themselves as "happy."
This phenomenon occurs in both single-status women and those who are
in committed long-term relationships... (Read
more)
Depression
Is Still a Stigma
Despite government educational campaigns costing millions and many famous
faces coming out of the closet to reveal that the “black dog”
has figured prominently on their lives, the stigma surrounding depression
and mental illness in general lives on... (Read
More)
Antidepressants
for Dogs: Canines Inadvertently Subjected to Myth
Regular readers of my articles will know that I have strong views on
the use of antidepressants. These drugs are marvelous lifesavers for
extremely depressed people but were never intended to be used long-term.
That is, until the pharmaceutical companies started the myth that depression
is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain... (Read
More)
The Importance
of Exercise during Depression
Depression affects such a large proportion of the population that any
helpful adjunct to traditional Western medicine is a useful tool for
the sufferer. Exercise is one such method to help alleviate the effects
of depression on both the body and the mind... (Read
More)