Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps.  Sadness is a normal reaction to life’s struggles, setbacks, and disappointments. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time. People with a depressive disease cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. Depression is melancholy, sadness or a mood of despair, lingering for a long time that limits a child’s ability to function normally. Sometimes a stressful life event triggers depression. Other times depression seems to occur spontaneously with no identifiable specific cause. Depression is much more than grieving or a bout of the blues. Depression may occur only once in a person’s life. Often, however, it occurs as repeated episodes over a lifetime, with periods free of depression in between. Or it may be a chronic condition, requiring ongoing treatment over a lifetime.

Depression is not grieving. Certain medical conditions or medications can cause depression or symptoms that look like depression. People suffering from depression often show distorted thinking. People of all ages and races suffer from depression. Depression is more common in adults than in children, but it does occur in children. When children are depressed, their symptoms might be different from adults. For example, rather than showing sadness or crying, some children behave badly or show a lot of anger. They may be more cranky than usual, become picky about food,
or may show a lack of interest in their usual activities. Being reckless or taking unnecessary risks (eg. driving fast or dangerously). Increased irritability and frustration. More sensitivity to minor personal criticisms. Depression can cause or exacerbate many physical symptoms, including headaches, backaches, diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain, and aching joints. Older adults tend to complain more about the physical rather than the emotional symptoms of depression, and so their mood disorder often goes unrecognized.

Depression may be indicated if an adolescent experiences an unusual degree of the symptoms. Most people will experience some of these symptoms from time to time, but in order for it to be considered major depression; you should be experiencing at least 5 of these symptoms, continuously, for at least 2 weeks. Inability to experience pleasure. Nothing seems to interest you anymore, including former hobbies, social activities. Sleeping too much or having problems sleeping can be a sign you’re depressed. Waking in the middle of the night or early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep are typical. Changes in appetite (decreased appetite most common) often signaled by rapid weight gain or loss. “Keyed up,” unable to sit still, anxious, restless or sluggish, slow speech and body movements, lack of responsiveness. Low self esteem is common with depression. Depression can also cause a wide variety of physical complaints, such as gastrointestinal problems (indigestion, constipation or diarrhea), headache and backache. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety.

Migraine is a neurological disease. A migraine is a very painful type of headache. In some cases, these painful headaches are preceded or accompanied by a sensory warning sign (aura), such as flashes of light, blind spots or tingling in your arm or leg. More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraine, with women being affected three times more often than men.  This vascular headache is most commonly experienced between the ages of 15 and 55, and 70% to 80% of sufferers have a family history of migraine. Migraine is the second most common type of headache syndrome in the United States. Tension headaches are the most common. Migraines most commonly are found in women, with a 3:1 female-to-male ratio. In childhood, however, migraines are more common in boys than in girls. More than 80% of patients who develop migraines will have a first attack by age 30. Migraines continue through the patient’s 30s and 40s. Less than half of all migraine sufferers. Migraine is often misdiagnosed as sinus headache or tension-type headache. Migraines’ secondary characteristics are inconsistent. Triggers precipitating a particular episode of migraine vary widely. The efficacy of the simplest treatment, applying warmth or coolness to the affected area of the head, varies between persons, sometimes worsening the migraine. A particular migraine rescue drug may sometimes work and sometimes not work in the same patient.

Migraine pain is caused by vasodilation in the cranial blood vessels (expansion of the blood vessels), while headache pain is caused by vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels). Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision.  Migraines are classified as either “with aura” or “without aura.” An aura is a group of neurological symptoms, usually vision disturbances that serve as warning sign. Patients who get auras typically see a flash of brightly colored or blinking lights shortly before the headache p
ain begins. However, most people with migraines do not have such warning signs. Migraines often begin in adolescence, and are rare after age 60. Eighty percent of migraine sufferers experience “migraine without aura. Some of the symptoms associated with migraine headaches, such as nausea (80%), vomiting (50%), yawning, irritability, hypotension, and hyperactivity, can be associated with dopamine receptor activation. Dopamine receptor hypersensitivity has been shown experimentally with dopamine agonists such as apomorphine, bromocriptine, and pergolide. Dopamine antagonists, such as metoclopramide (Reglan), haloperidol (Haldol), and prochlorperazine (Compazine), have been shown clinically to treat migraine headaches effectively.

There is no specific cure for migraine headaches. Many factors may contribute to the occurrence of migraine attacks.  They are known as trigger factors and may include diet, sleep, activity, psychological issues as well as many other factors. The goal is to prevent symptoms by avoiding or altering triggers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are helpful for early and mild headache. NSAIDs include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and others. A recent study concluded that a combination of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine could effectively relieve symptoms for many migraine patients. Migraine-specific medications and analgesia are the keys of ED care. Triptans are a mid-line treatment suitable for many migraineurs with typical migraines. They may not work for atypical or unusually severe migraines, transformed migraines, or status (continuous) migraines.Rest in a darkened, quiet room is helpful. Alternative treatments are aimed at prevention of migraine. Migraine headaches are often linked with food allergies or intolerances. Identification and elimination of the offending food or foods can decrease the frequency of migraines and/or alleviate these headaches altogether. Herbal therapy with feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium) may lessen the frequency of attacks. Some patients find cool compresses to painful areas helpful.

What
is 5-Htp?

5
Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is
so-called natural alternative to traditional antidepressants, used to treat
unipolar depression and dysthymia. It is an amino acid that is an intermediate
step between tryptophan and the mandatory brain chemical serotonin. The human
body manufactures 5 htp from a natural amino acid called
“L-Tryptophan”, which is found naturally in dietry proteins as 5 HTP and
is not present in significant amounts in a typical diet.

Benefits:

Depression
and anxiety are caused by the decreased level of serotonin in our brain, people
who are suffering from fibromyalgia often have low serotonin levels in there
blood, serotonin level may increase in these cases by the use of 5-HTP
supplements. 5 HTP may also cure abnormal serotonin function in blood vessels,
which is the main cause of migraine headaches. It is also found beneficial in
Insomnia which is caused by tryptophan deficiency.

In Insomnia:

It is the
intermediate precursor of serotonin. Good results have shown by 5-Htp in
promoting & maintaining sleep in normal people and those who are suffering
from insomnia as well. It is also found beneficial in increasing the quality of
sleep.

In Alleviates Migraines and
Fibromyalgia Pain:

Migraine
sufferers experience periods of abnormally high activity of MAO (Monoamine
oxidase) as indicated by latest medical research. MAO is the enzyme which is
found to be the cause of serotonin split up. This is proved by the presence of Serotonin
Metabolites in the urine of migraine suffers during migraine attacks. 5-Htp is
not only found to be beneficial in relieving migraine pain but the frequency
and severity of migraine headaches are also reduced.

5 Htp Dosage:

Take 1
Vcaps daily, preferably on an empty stomach at bedtime.

5 Htp Precautions:

5 Htp
should only be used under supervision of a physician especially in the
following cases as increased level of serotonin may be harmful:

1. Cardiovascular diseases
2. Extremely elderly persons
3. People who are suffering from
   Parkinsons disease
4. Lung disease
5. Chronic Alcoholism
6. Liver Disease
7. Parasitic infection
8. Aids
9. Allergies

Conclusion:

Although
research questions are answered by a large number of studies but few are
trustworthy. These substances may help in alleviating depression. Further
studies are required to confirm 5-Htp safety before it can be widely
recommended. It is also not clear how 5 htp helps in Eosinophilia-Myalgia
Syndrome. Alternative antidepressants exist which have proven to be effective
and safe while the usefulness of 5 htp is still limited.

Stress can take a catastrophic toll on the mind and body.  Here are some
stress managementtechniques that will help to improve the quality of your life.

      Autogenic training; calming yourself down through words by using the power of suggestion. This simple but effective technique can be self-taught and can help you achieve a very deep state of relaxation.

      Cognitive therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy; your thoughts directly affect the production of hormones that cause stress. A cognitive therapist can help you recognise and curtail irrational thought processes, and approach your problems in a calm, collected manner.

      Progressive relaxation; gently tense and then relax muscle groups one by one, and feel the tension leave your body when you loosen your muscles.     

      Ground yourself. Turn off your cell phone and computer, ban yourself from going out and watching television, and confine yourself to your room. Read a book, take a long bath, listen to music, or just catch up on sleep. 

      A healthy body equals a healthy mind. Being in shape can directly help relieve stress. So, exercise and eat well-balanced meals.

style=”" times=”" new=”" roman=”" ;=”" font-style:=”" font-variant:=”" font-weight:=”" font-size:=”" 7pt;=”" line-height:=”" normal;=”" font-size-adjust:=”" none;=”" font-stretch:=”" normal;”=”">      Find humour in your life, hang out with people who make you laugh, watch comedies instead of soaps. Laughter lowers blood pressure and reduces hypertension.

      Do yogaor tai chi, meditate, or get a massage.

      Get it off your chest. Talk to someone about your problems. If you are a private person, write down your feelings in a stress journal.

      Surround yourself with soothing sounds and aromas. Listen to music that brings you peace; hum along. Light scented candles or get a bowl of potpourri with fragrances like rosemary or lavender. 

      Grab forty winks. Sometimes small problems are magnified because you are tired and this can lead to stress. A 15 to 20 minute nap can do wonders. 

Most stress is self-induced. Most of us think too much and worry about everything. Just give yourself a break from time to time. Life is short and you owe it to yourself to enjoy it.

If you want to get an idea of what psychotherapy
s all about, watch an episode of the television series The Sopranos.
Tony Soprano is a mafia don in New Jersey who is in talk therapy with
Dr. Jennifer Melfi. He has panic attacks, loses consciousness, and has
slipped into a depression. All of this seems irrational to him, but he
can’t help it. He has some hidden agenda lying just outside his
awareness that is controlling his feelings and behavior. He doesn’t
believe in therapy at the start, convinced he cannot talk about himself
and that it won’t help anyway. He resists, evading Dr. Melfi’s
questions, withdrawing, and even walking out. But eventually he is
intrigued.

Aspects of his unconscious experience expressed in his dreams and in
the triggers of his panic attacks come together. For Tony, ducks and
their babies stir up a deep-seated dread having to do with his tortured
relationship with his malevolent mother. He begins to have some
conscious awareness of what is really bothering him in his depths. And
he begins to feel better. This is what psychotherapy is about – an
exploration of one’s internal world, conscious and unconscious, played
out in the relationship between the patient and the therapist, designed
to alleviate pain and suffering.

Psychotherapy is a conversation, a two-person enterprise in which both
participants contribute to an evolving relationship. The therapist’s
task is to create a safe atmosphere in which the patient can open up
and express feelings he may have repressed his entire life. She
analyzes his defenses against these feelings – his joking, forgetting,
intellectualizing, rationalizing, denying, avoiding, and withdrawing
into silence. And she offers ways of understanding his experience,
leading him toward self-awareness.

The patient’s task is to open up as much as possible, say whatever
comes to mind, note whether the therapist’s attempts to understand him
click at a gut level, and tell her the reactions he has to what she
offers. Together they uncover the meaning of the patient’s words and
deeds. Therapy sessions are emotionally rich and alive, full of moments
of tenderness, closeness and intimacy, anger and hostility, silence and
withdrawal, dead ends and moments of insight and even epiphany.

One of the ways in which therapy works has to do with the concept of
transference. Freud discovered transference when his female patients
regularly fell in love with him. He came to understand that patients
experience their therapists like important figures from their infancy
and childhood, unconsciously transferring intense feelings and needs
onto the therapist for satisfaction. In this way, the patient relives
and masters unresolved conflicts or developmental steps from childhood,
so that he can progress in life with greater freedom and security.
Furthermore, old relational scripts developed in early life are
unconsciously repeated in the therapeutic relationship and are
relinquished in favor of more adaptive ways of relating.

The process is often heated and painful, but endlessly rewarding. Symptoms, inhibitions, relationship problems,
feelings of hopelessness or futility or purposelessness or despair, all
improve or disappear as a result of treatment. Therapy is not an
intellectual exercise. It is not advice. And it is not a quick fix. But
given sufficient time, intensive psychotherapy can transform your
personality and your life, allowing you the freedom to be yourself.