Depression is a crippling disorder and a frightening one for the individual and his/her family. I recently read a book, The Closet Depressionist by Robert Sisti, which clearly conveys the demons that depression can conjure up. While I wouldn’t recommend this book for casual reading or for the young, if you want a glimpse into depression, this will give it. Here is a tidbit from his poem, The Gift of Insomnia: “A beaten man, time feels still. Days are longer, crawl to my fill. Can’t eat, can’t sleep, wrinkles grow under my eyes. Daily emotional breakdowns are my demise. Fallen deeper onto this path, a life is gone.” This depicts the overwhelming sense of despair that depression can cause.

When I struggled with anxiety I heard, “Pull yourself out of it; go for a walk, you’ll feel better.” I’m sure the same is true for the depressed person. Unfortunately, depressed people, just like those suffering from anxiety, cannot will themselves well. According to the University Health Services, Tang Center, “Cinical depression is a serious illness that lasts for weeks, months and sometimes years.”

The three most common forms of depression are: major depression, dysthymia (a lesser form of depression), and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive). According to research it is has not been determined if depression has a biological component to it or the depression causes biological changes. But, either way it is treated with anti-depressants to rebalance the chemical imbalance. Anti-depressants along with some form of therapy is the standard Western medical remedy.

In Eastern medicine, specifically Chinese medicine, Dr. Henry Zhen-Hong Lee explains that depression comes from low energy in the kidneys and heart. There is also low energy and an imbalance in the neuro-transmitters. Chinese medicine attacks the root cause of the illness with acupuncture focused on the problematic organs and with individually designed herbs. This treatment increases and normalizes the low energy to the kidneys and heart and evens out the balance in the neuro-transmitters. The treatment should produce effective results within two to three months. Once the body is regulated, the acupuncture and herbs are no longer needed.

He goes on to clarify that as with any type of medicine, different practitioners have different views on causes and methods of treatments. Through years of study and practice Dr. Lee has devised his own unique understanding of this illness. When asked what his depressed patients can do at home to help themselves he advises the single most important thing to do is to avoid junk food and processed foods. Along with this, he recommends: eat healthy (natural and organic foods), do breathing exercises, and mediate. Dr. Lee is a NYS Licensed Acupuncturist and an NCCA DPL. Herbalist. He also has degrees in Eastern medicine from Traditional Chinese Medical College, and in Western medicine from the Beijing Medical College.

If you or someone you know is suffering from depression you should consult a doctor. If you’d like to learn more about depression you can visit:

University Health Services – Tang Center
http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu

The Mayo Clinic – www.mayoclinic.com/health/clinical-depression/AN01057

By: Karen Cioffi

Depression is an illness in which an alteration of brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, has occurred. Changes in the levels of these neurotransmitters have been strongly linked to one’s mood and behavior. Anti-depressants are thought to correct some of the chemical imbalances present in a depressive illness. There are various classes of anti depressant drugs. Once medication is started it is continued for at last 3-12 months or longer. Premature cessation of the medications can cause a relapse of the syndrome. Generally these medications are slowly tapered off to allow the body to make an adjustment.

There are approximately 20 anti-depressants currently available and approved for the treatment of depression. Anti-depressants are generally classified by the chemical properties of the drug. The drugs are classified as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) or Monamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs). The tricyclics and MAOIs have been around for more than 40 years and are just as effective as the newer SSRIs. However, their use has declined because of their potent side effects. However, some patients do tolerate these medications very well and in such cases, there is no reason to change the medication to the newer ones. These anti-depressant medications can be quite unpredictable, and for some unknown reason, not all individuals have the same response. There is a lot of trial and error required in selecting the best medication for an individual.

The major types of antidepressant drugs include:

-Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). These were the first drugs used to treat depression. Besides treating the depression, the medications are excellent for neuropathic pain control and inducing sleep. Because of their side effects, the use of these drugs has declined today. Side effects include dry mouth, blurred vision, increased fatigue and sleepiness, weight gain, muscle twitching (tremors), constipation, bladder problems such as urine retention, dizziness, daytime drowsiness, increased heart rate and decreased libido.

-Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are another class of older antidepressants. These drugs are most effective in people with depression who do not respond to other treatments. However, they do have some side effects which can be life threatening. Eating foods which contain cheese, beverages like wine, and medications can interact with an MAOI. For this reason these anti-depressants are now becoming history. Serious side effects may include headache, fast heart rate, chest pain, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting.

-Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the drugs of choice to treat depression. They work by altering the amount of a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Decreased libido including low sex drive or inability to have an orgasm are common but reversible side effects. Other problems include dizziness, headaches, nausea, insomnia and feeling jittery.

-Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are another newer form of antidepressant medicine. They treat depression by increasing availability of the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine. Side effects include drowsiness, blurred vision, lightheadedness, strange dreams, constipation, fever/chills, headache, increased or decreased appetite, tremor, dry mouth and nausea.

Note: Statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA, and should not be considered as professional medical advice.

By: Kathy Burns-Millyard

Depression is a stigmatized and little understood affliction, specially at work where you can became discriminated. Indeed, suffering from depression can be a serious handicap affecting the job performance of the sufferer and in this way reducing her competitiveness at work putting in danger her job position. For that reason, in this article I will share with the readers some definitions about depression, common treatments, and finally the use of brainwave entrainment as an discrete alternative for depression treatment.

The main problem of working with depression are the particular symptoms of depression. They interfere with usual work activities such as team working, communication, or goal achievement. This disorder prevents the laborer to achieve his peak performance or even worse: total paralysis at work. Common symptoms are:

- Difficult of concentration
- Difficult to remember details
- Difficult to make decisions
- Irritability and restlessness
- Persistent sad and anxious
- Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities or hobbies, including sex
- Fatigue and decreased energy
- Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
- Overeating, or appetite loss
- Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

According the National Institute of Mental Health, depression touches roughly 20 million American adults or about 10% of the U.S. population over 18 years old in a given year.

Specialists say that depression can be caused by biological, psychological, and social factors, all of them playing a role to varying degrees in causing depression. Thus, depression comes when a preexisting weakness is activated by stressful life events. The preexisting weakness can be either genetic, implied in an interaction between nature and nurture, or schematic, resulting from what one learned in childhood.

The three major depression treatments known are: psychotherapy, medication, and electroconvulsive therapy. Psychotherapy is the normal treatment for people under 18. Electroconvulsive therapy is only indicated as the last resource. Medical attention is usually given on an ambulatory basis, while treatment in a hospital is considered only if there is a significant risk to self or others. A significant number of recent studies have indicated that physical exercise has beneficial effects over depression.

Usual medications prescribed for depression are sertraline, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and citalopram. However, Many patients cease medication due to side effects and overdoses risks from the medication. To find the most effective antidepressant medicament with minimal side effects, the dosages must be adjusted, and if necessary, combined of different classes of antidepressants can be tried enlarging in this way the period of treatment.

As alternative medicine for depression disorder treatment based on drugs, Brainwave Entrainment can be used. Indeed, therapies based on brainwave entrainment help you to reduce not only the depression feelings in the short term but also the patient can reduce the dose of medicine needed to relieve depression and even avoid drugs totally in the long term if the sufferer train his brain with the therapy frequently.

The way that brainwave entrainment works to smooth depression is firstly knowing the neurological base of this ailment. From the neurological angle, depression is a brainwave lack of equilibrium. It means that depressed people tend to have an hyperactive right hemisphere (the emotional side) predominant over their left one (the logical side). This is the reason why depressed people show irrational behavior and in serious cases they commit suicide, the temperamental side of your brain dominates the logical side of your brain.

Therefore, the technology of brainwave entrainment is about brain synchronization with a source of induced brainwaves to achieve a desired mental state. These brainwaves can be generated by sounds, physical vibrations, lights, or, recently discovered, electromagnetism.

A typical depression reduction session based on sounds consist of a source of a special sound that is listened between 15 and 30 minutes on regular basis. This session helps to reduce the activity in the right hemisphere, while increasing activity in the left, giving the patient more control over himself and reducing in that way the senseless thought patterns. In other words, these sessions slow down your temperamental (right) brain while accelerates your rational (left) brain, giving the patient the discernment to return to normality. Another advantage of this kind of therapy is that is a very discrete one. You can be listening your depression session at work and nobody will realize.

To conclude, depression disorder is a problem from which nobody is free. Depression also is the worst enemy of an employee. In the present article we learnt that Brainwave Entrainment can be easily used at work to treat this disease becoming in a good complement or even an alternative to those treatments based on drugs.

By: Marcelo Honores