Thursday, March 27, 2008

Two Anxiety Depression Symptoms You Should Look Out For And Take Care Of

Anxiety is a feeling that almost everyone experiences at some
point or the other. It is just an uneasy feeling, which keeps
nagging in the mind. When the level of anxiety exceeds certain
limits, it poses a problem to the individual concerned. Anxiety
depression symptoms are the traits in a person's behavior that
indicate a potential problem due to anxiety. Two of such
symptoms are discussed below.

INSOMNIA

This is a psychological disorder that is related to the sleep
pattern of a victim. Anxiety depression is among the possible
causes that can result in this affliction. The victim finds it
difficult to sleep and loss of sleep results in tiredness,
memory lapses and increase in the victim's irritability. In the
case of Insomnia due to anxiety depression, the lack of sleep
can be directly attributed to a persistent unease in the
victim's mind that prevents the mind from relaxing into sleep.

Insomnia can be the effect of other causes too, but in the
event of an individual displaying symptoms of insomnia combined
with some other symptoms of Anxiety Depression, such as
inexplicable tiredness, shortness of breath, concentration
lapses etc. it is strongly recommended that the victim undertake
an anxiety disorder self test. In case the victim is not
inclined to follow that course, he/she may be subjected to an
anxiety disorder test which psychologists provide.

DEPERSONALIZATION/DEREALIZATION

Depersonalization is a feeling of unreality and being detached
from your self and your experiences. Derealization is a feeling
of isolation from one's surroundings. These are a common set of
symptoms displayed by most victims of anxiety depression. The
mind is indulged in a separate thought process of worry, which
causes their activities to be uncoordinated and gives them a
feeling of surrealism. This may often lead them to question
their own sanity.

This symptom usually indicates a high severity of depression
due to anxiety disorders and requires prompt remedial action. It
will be manifested with some physical symptoms of depression
such as diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, palpitations and
frequent urination.

There is a range of treatments for anxiety disorders available.
These primarily deal with self-help, counseling, and medication
among others. Based on diagnosis and the precise nature of the
affliction, a remedy from among the following can be prescribed.

1. Hypnotherapy for anxiety

2. Counseling sessions with psychologists

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

4. Tranquilizers, pacifying drugs

5. Natural anxiety cures that include self-help, vacationing
etc.

The two symptoms that have been dealt with here are among the
most easily detected manifestations of anxiety depression.
Anxiety itself may also be a symptom for some other mental
disorders such as drug or alcohol addiction, phobias and
reactionary disorders. Physical disorders, like thyroid may also
give rise to this condition. So, it is strongly recommended that
any individual who displays symptoms of anxiety depression, get
diagnosed by a physician and see a psychologist as well.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only.
The information in this article is not a substitute for specific
medical advice. It is highly recommended you seek a physician
for medical advisement.

About The Author: If you need more information on anxiety
depression symptoms please visit
http://www.betteranxietyremedies.com, a popular web site filled
with information on medical and natural anxiety cures.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

The Miracle Solution To Depression

Prozac is a drug that everyone has at least heard of. Years ago
it was one of the only known drugs to treat depression and any
other behavioral disorder such as Obsessive compulsive Disorder,
Bulimia and even panic disorders. Most commonly though it is
used for depression and some forms of bipolar disorder.

Years ago, sufferers of depression were always the subject of a
lot of debate. No one wanted to admit that it was a real disease
and was could be caused by a chemical imbalance. For this reason
sufferers of depression never got help because it was viewed as
a weakness or an inability to cope with the everyday struggles
of life. Now doctors and critics of depression admit that it is
a real illness and can also be a recurring illness.

Prozac which is one of the world's most commonly prescribed
antidepressant has been around in the US since about 1987. The
reason why Prozac works so well is its ability to help correct
the chemical imbalance of serotonin. This is why Prozac is part
of the class of drugs called SSRIs or Selective Serotonin
Reuptake Inhibitors. Studies have shown that when the brain
produces too little serotonin, this affects mood regulation and
is more than likely a cause of depression.

Take caution though that when you begin taking Prozac do not
expect a miracle result right away. Sometimes it takes several
weeks to begin to feel the full benefit of Prozac. It is these
first few weeks that are crucial to remember to keep taking
Prozac. Some people will get discourage and think the Prozac is
not working and stop taking it. To feel the full effect of
Prozac is should be taken for at least a month.

Once a patient has been on it for a month, the next step is to
continue to take it for a few months after the symptoms of
depression have gone away. Prozac is not a cure for depression
and unfortunately there is a high risk always a 50% chance of
relapsing into depression. With each relapse, the chance of a
subsisquiently relapse increases. The mistake most patients make
with Prozac is that they begin to feel so normal that they
believe they are cured and stop taking Prozac before they
should. This usually brings on a relapse and the cycle returns.
Most doctors will recommend that Prozac be taken for at least a
year. Usually after that time, patients will meet with their
doctors to determine how to keep their depression at bay. Some
doctors might recommend continuing with Prozac while others
might recommend another form of therapy that does not require
medication.

Remember though that Prozac is not a cure for depression. The
only way it would cure depression is if a patient planned to be
on it for the rest of their lives and no doctor would want that.

Today's society is much more accepting of depression and Prozac
than they were nearly twenty years ago. There is no longer a
reason to hide or feel ashamed if one was prescribed Prozac.
Depression is a real problem and Prozac can really help it.

About The Author: Check out Online Drug Source's Prozac
information page at
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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

What Is Attacking Anxiety Depression?

Attacking anxiety depression is unfortunately another problem
that sufferers of anxiety disorders might also have to deal
with. This isn't to say that all people who suffer from one form
of anxiety disorders or another will suffer from depression,
merely that if you suffer from constant anxiety attacks there's
a good chance that you might also suffer from depression.

This is by no means a given and don't take it as such; it's
merely a statement of fact. Attacking anxiety depression need
not be a necessary course of action for you, but if you find
yourself unable to cope with the many stresses that your anxiety
attacks brings upon you, then you might just find yourself
fighting depression alongside your anxiety.

Generally speaking though anxiety depression comes through over
a course of time and comes in so gradually that you're probably
unaware of it until some time has passed. If you let your
anxiety attacks become a controlling factor in your life and
don't seek help, then as your anxiety attacks become worse so
too will your anxiety depression progress.

The helpless feelings you get with your anxiety attacks, the
sheer inability and frustration of not being able to control
your reactions can alone bring on anxiety depression. This
coupled with the debilitating fear that takes hold of you can
sometimes lead to severe depression, which can in turn
contribute to increased anxiety attacks and so on in a vicious
cycle. So really, attacking anxiety depression head-on is the
best thing that you can do to help yourself break out of this
cycle and there are many ways that you can do this.

The easiest and most sought after method for attacking anxiety
depression is in the form of medications. Your doctor can help
you with that one, but chances are that if you're already taking
medication for your anxiety you'll be taking an anti-depressant
medication as well. The reason for this being that the drugs
available to treat anxiety are also the same drugs used to treat
depression as well. So if you still feel depressed talk with
your doctor about changing your medication for one better suited
to you.

Another great method for attacking anxiety depression comes in
the form of a qualified therapist. Along with treating your
anxiety disorders through therapeutic methods a therapist can
also help to alleviate your symptoms of depression, sometimes
helping you to perhaps eradicate it altogether. Don't
underestimate the power of talking.

There are also many alternative and natural methods you can use
in attacking anxiety depression and these run the gamut from the
use of herbs in your daily life to the use of such alternative
treatments such as Ayurveda or Acupuncture.

Many or all these methods might not work for you but your best
recourse in attacking anxiety depression lies in trying until
you find the right method for you. Just remember to get
qualified medical help when you try out any new treatment
method.

About The Author: Author's sites: http://www.easyhomeremedy.com
, http://www.myanxietyguide.com ,
http://www.home-remedies-for-heartburn.com

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Eliminate Stress With This Easy Stress-Buster Technique

All of us live in a fast paced world. The latter part of
the 20th Century brought with it fast food, fast cars and
fast living. Now that we have entered the 21st Century
things are getting even faster. In our jobs we are expected
to get better results faster. We are expected to learn
faster, perform faster and quickly beat the competition.
Well with all this speed and tension comes the inevitable
strain that it puts on the mind and body. Stress is the
result of this strain and tension!

So in this fast paced world that we now live in how can we
learn to eliminate stress?

Well, in order to eliminate stress we should first have a
thorough understanding of what stress is and where it
originates. If you look up the dictionary a typical
definition will explain stress as "a force exerted when one
body presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to
compress or twist another body." When you experience stress
in your life I am sure you will agree that it often feels
as though an external force is pressing against you.
Certain sayings sum this up such as "feeling heavy with
guilt", "feeling the pressure", "it feels like a ton weight
has been lifted off me" etc.

Stress and the pressure we feel behind it can exert, what
feels like, a very real physical force. So where does this
force come from? What is generating this stress? Is it the
events in our lives or just our perception of them and our
reaction to them?

Most stress finds its root in unwanted harassing thoughts
and negative emotions. These thoughts and emotions cause
imbalance within the mind. This eventually causes an
imbalance in the body which will probably lead to illness
or at least a shortened life span!

Do you know that scientific studies have found that the
mind does not know the difference between a real event and
an imagined one? When they hooked-up athletes to
sophisticated monitoring systems they found that the same
neurons in the brain fired when a person imagined an event
as did when they actually did it. Similarly the muscles of
the body responded as though they were actually performing
the event!

So when we redefine stress we can give a clearer definition
of it as - a state of heightened emotional and mental
imbalance caused by internal or external forces in one's
life whether real or imagined.

So what external forces can possibly be responsible for
causing the emotional and mental imbalance in one's life?
Well this question may appear to be almost impossible to
answer in one sentence because there can be numerous causes
of stress. These causes range from pressure at work to a
possibly life-altering dramatic event. However, regardless
of the actual event itself when we study the cause of
stress closely enough we always come to the same root
cause. Stress is caused when we wish circumstances,
situations, people or things to be different from the way
they are.

Stress always occurs when you want things to be different
from the way they are but they just remain the same. Let's
go back to our dictionary definition - 'a force exerted
when one body presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or
tends to compress or twist another body.' This is exactly
what is happening to you. When you want things to be
different but they just stay the same, you experience
stress because it is as if the situation is pushing against
you. You use your force of 'will', by wanting it to change,
and thus exert force on the situation but it resists and
pushes back. In such situations it is your desire that
becomes compressed or twisted. Basically your stress has
its root in your desire to change things that cannot be
changed!

Do not get me wrong, I am a great believer in achieving the
seemingly impossible. I know that by setting goals and
through determination, persistence and a positive mental
attitude we are all capable of achieving great things.
However, some things cannot be changed, for example the
past! It is when we want to change things that are
impossible to change, or when we are not experiencing the
changes we want, we experience stress!

So, if stress lies in the desire to change things then to
remove stress all you need to do is remove the desire. This
does not mean giving-up on your goals. Nor does it mean
never attaining your desires. It means releasing the
grasping, clawing, lusting from the desire. When you do
this not only will you feel less stressful but you will be
in a more receptive productive state to acquire what you
want. It does, however, mean giving up the desire to change
things that cannot be changed!

Fortunately, a way of eliminating such desires was
developed known as 'releasing'. This is a technique which
is highly effective but little known in the western world.
Let's once again return to our refined definition of stress
to see how we can use it to 'release' stress instantly in
any situation. Our refined definition of stress states that
it is "a state of heightened emotional and mental imbalance
caused by internal or external forces in one's life". We
now know that it is you're wanting to change this external
force that is causing the stress so a better definition
would leave out the "external" bit of the sentence. The
definition of stress becomes this - a state of heightened
emotional and mental imbalance caused by internal forces!

So how do we use this knowledge to eliminate it?

Well let's do a little experiment to get you used to this.
Pick a time when you were slightly uptight, agitated or
annoyed. Stop whatever you are doing to complete this quick
exercise. It will only take a moment and once you have the
hang of it you can do it on the spot and with little effort
while you are doing other things. But for now, while you
are learning it, give it your full attention. Once you have
the annoyance in mind ask yourself the following question -
"what do I want to be different in this
situation/person/event and what would I like to change
about it?" By doing this you are identifying your thoughts
behind the annoyance. After you have identified your wants
behind your annoyance ask yourself the following question -
"how does that make me feel?" By doing this you are
identifying the emotions that are driving the wants behind
the annoyance. Now for that moment stop suppressing the
emotions and allow yourself to fully feel them. Allow them
to come up and be fully expressed in your body. You will
find when you do this the emotions reach a height and then
start to fade away. This is you naturally 'releasing' the
emotion. Once it is gone it is gone for good!

Here is an example of how to use this. You are at work and
your boss wants you to get all your work finished by 5 o'
clock. However, you are well aware that this is an
impossible task yet you feel the mounting pressure to
succeed at the task and try to get it done. You then find
yourself rushing around doing ten things at all at once
while you experience more and more stress caused by your
impending deadline. So, you ask yourself the first
stress-buster question - "what do I want to be different in
this situation/person/event?" Let's say the answer that
comes to mind is something like, "I want my boss to stop
putting me under pressure". You have just identified some
of your thoughts and desires behind the stress.

Next you ask yourself the second stress-buster question -
"how does that make me feel?" You may answer, "I feel
frustrated!" You have now identified one of the emotions
behind your thoughts and desires about the situation. Then
you proceed to the last stress-busting step and for the
moment you stop suppressing that emotion and allow yourself
to fully feel it. You delve into the feeling and allow your
body to experience it fully. You may even imagine it is as
a spent force escaping through your stomach, chest, neck,
face or wherever you are feeling it in your body.

You can use this approach several times, as it only takes a
few seconds to do. Within a few moments you will start to
feel your stress completely fade. Keep asking the questions
as there may be several reasons behind your stress or you
may need to release a particularly deep-seated emotion a
few times before it is gone.

Do not let the simplicity of this technique fool you, it is
highly effective. Try it; you may just be surprised at the
results! If you wish to know more read the full review of
this stress releasing technique by following the link below.

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Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Natural Stress and Anxiety Relief

All of us experience stress and anxiety in our lives. We
are all familiar with the sources of stress and anxiety.
They include financial concerns, work deadlines, providing
for our children, countless tasks to do and errands to run,
heavy traffic, relationships with co-workers, family
relationships, and the list goes on. The irony is that the
responses of our physical bodies that are designed to
protect us can turn against us when stress and anxiety is
without relief or prolonged. Under stress, our heart rate
and blood pressure increase to provide our brains with more
blood flow for oxygen and nutrients. Our blood sugar
increases to provide us with more energy as we would need
in a crisis. Our blood is routed away from our intestines
in order to provide energy for the large muscles in our
arms and legs for fight or flight. If the source of our
stress and anxiety subsides after a brief period of time,
our bodies return these functions to their normal process.
If the source of our stress and anxiety remains constant
then our physical responses become harmful to our health.
We begin to experience insomnia, joint and muscle
inflammation and pain, fatigue, hypertension, perhaps heart
constriction, indigestion, higher cholesterol levels,
impotence, either lack of or excess appetite resulting in
weight loss or weight gain, weakened immune system making
us vulnerable to colds and flu, and so on. Emotionally we
experience feelings of irritability, impatience, lack of
sexual interest, lack of concentration, depression,
restlessness, excessive alertness and reaction to normal
external stimuli, or feelings of being constantly
overwhelmed and helpless.

Our bodies need time to recover from being in crisis mode
due to stress and anxiety in order to restore normal
physical balance and functioning. We need a break from and
relief from the stress and anxiety in order to maintain our
health. Some of us have had experience with prescription,
synthetic drugs to ease anxiety and stress, but have
suffered the potentially harmful and discomforting side
effects which, ironically added to our feelings of stress
and anxiety. Fortunately, many of us have discovered
substances provide by nature that our bodies readily absorb
and utilize to deal with stress and anxiety without the
possible harmful side effects of prescription, synthetic
drugs.

When dealing with stress and anxiety, our bodies need a
proper balance of vitamins and minerals that can be
obtained in multivitamin formulas some of which are
specially created to provide extra stress protection with
calcium, potassium, magnesium, a full spectrum of B
vitamins and pantothenic acid.

Essential fatty acids provide us with Omega 3 and Omega 6
which help balance blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and
provide our neurotransmitters in our brain to function
quickly and efficiently. Essential fatty acids help reduce
joint and muscle inflammation and fatigue, and enhances the
functions of our respiratory and intestinal digestive
system providing our muscles organs, and brains with the
oxygen and nutrients needed to deal with stress and
anxiety. Flaxseed oil with lignans and fish oils which have
been filtered to remove heavy metals can provide us with
the essential fatty acids that we need for dealing with
stress and anxiety.

GABA i.e. Gamma-aminobutyric Acid, which is an amino acid,
effects the neuro-receptors in our brain. This helps us
deal with stress and anxiety by lowering over-reaction to
potentially stress causing stimuli and enables us to be
detached in an emotionally healthy way providing us with
the calmness and poise we need to deal efficiently and
effectively with what we are presented.

Herbs e.g. skull cap and passion flower can help us relax
and receive the rest and sleep that we need. L-tyrosine is
an essential amino acid often used to treat insomnia,
depression and anxiety as well as helping to control
appetite and elevate our mood. Melatonin and herbal
formulas are available to us to provide the restful,
restoring sleep we need in order to deal with anxiety and
stress.

Aromatherapy which is the use of aromas from plant
essential oils can be added to our baths, used in massage
oils, or released into our living space with aromatherapy
candles. As we inhale these aromas, they quickly reach our
brain and help provide us with feelings of calm and
relaxation. The aromatherapy essential oils that are most
effective in easing stress and anxiety are bergamot,
cypress, geranium, jasmine neroli, rose, sandalwood and
ylang-ylang. Lavender is the most popular essential oil
used to provide us with a feeling of calm and well being.

These are just a few of the all natural substances and
formulas available to us to help keep our bodies healthy as
we experience the stress and anxiety that accompanies our
too often hectic and prolonged stressful life experiences.
Other all natural formulas that increase the functioning of
our brains in the areas of attention, concentration and
performance are also available to us. Our bodies need
extra help in dealing with stress and anxiety. Cognitively
and emotionally we need breaks and periods of rest and
release from stress and anxiety. The safest, non-addictive
way to obtain the help we need for dealing with stress and
anxiety is with all natural health care products that do
not present the possibility of harmful side effects that
actually increase stress and anxiety.

About the Author:

Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all
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Monday, March 03, 2008

Adolescent Depression

The pressures of modern living are also having a detrimental
effect on our adolescent youth. Take a look at the following
statistics and be amazed.

Figures never lie and they are perhaps the best means to
highlight certain facts and when they are brought to the notice
of the general public leave a lasting impression. It is
important to gain the attention of all who want to learn about
what the statistics are saying. There are no doubts that
statistics are nothing more and nothing less than concrete
concepts that have the power to sway even the most skeptical of
minds, and it will even show the young generation the true
picture with respect to adolescent depression.

Twenty Percent Of Teenagers Are Sufferers

The first thing that will make you sit up and take notice about
statistics pertaining to adolescent depression is the news that
nearly a fifth of the teenage population in the US has
experienced a form of clinical depression, even before having
gained full adulthood.

Not only that, but there are about ten to fifteen percents of
teenagers that have shown symptoms of adolescent depression and
another five percent of the teenage population will have
suffered from significant depression.

Secondly, another alarming aspect to adolescent depression is
the fact that there is not much social acceptance when it
concerns teenagers with such a condition, and what's worse is
the fact that as many as eight percent of teenagers will have
experienced the re-occurrence of depression at least once a
year. This is alarming because only a mere five percent of the
national population suffer from depression.

When a person suffers a bout of adolescent depression it will
generally last for about eight months and teenagers are also at
risk that the subsequent attack of adolescent depression will
strike them within a mere two years and the chances of this
happening are about twenty to forty percent, and there is also a
seventy percent chance that they will experience another attack
of adolescent depression before they have even reached full
adulthood.

Thirdly, another feature of adolescent depression is that quite
a few teenagers will suffer from attacks of seasonal depression.
This form of depression is most likely to strike during the
wintertime, it is also found in places where the altitude is on
the high side. Even the weather can play a significant part in
the onset of seasonal depression, which means that teenagers
also need to be aware of these external effects on the state of
mind..

Fourthly, other figures related to adolescent depression reveal
that dysthymia or a mild form of depression that lasts for a
long time will affect about two percent of teenagers and a like
percentage of teenagers are also likely to suffer from bipolar
depression when they grow older. In fact, it is thought that as
many as fifteen percent of teenagers that have suffered from
major depression will later on be at risk of developing bipolar
depression.

Thus, it is safe to say that adolescent depression will affect
teenagers no matter their social background, income level,
gender as well as race or even their achievements and that
adolescent depression is very common mental health problem
affecting teenagers in the US.

About The Author: Authors Biography: Paul Courtney contributes
articles to various publications pertaining to Alternative
Medicine, Herbal Medicine and is the main contributor to
http://www.depressionadvisory.com