Prodromal Depression

The schizophrenic prodrome, when psychotic symptoms first begin to emerge, is a common time for many patients to develop depression. Throughout this period, which may last for weeks or years, schizophrenics gradually lose their abilities to relate to others and function in everyday activities. Good students begin to fail in school, outgoing people become withdrawn and creative individuals often lose their inspiration. Confused at this sudden, pervasive disability and often shunned by friends and family, many prodromal schizophrenics become increasingly depressed.

During Illness

After the prodrome has progressed, and especially after the first psychotic episode, the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as social withdrawal, anhedonia and lack of motivation, overlap with depressive symptoms. Some researchers say that a disordered mood is really a manifestation of schizophrenia. Either way, according to the meta-research statistics, schizophrenics actually have the highest suicide rate of the mentally ill, with seven out of 10 attempting suicide at some point in life. In fact, the most common time for schizophrenics to attempt suicide is in the first years after being diagnosed.

Schizophrenia presents many challenges that can contribute to depression in patients. For example, physical or emotional abandonment by family and friends is common as they feel that the individual no longer seems like his or her old self. Getting and keeping a job or making new friends can also be difficult due to cognitive problems and drug side effects.

Lifestyle Factors

The negative symptoms of schizophrenia, including lethargy, disorganization and lack of motivation, can make a healthy lifestyle difficult to maintain. Paranoia and poor executive function can make an exercise routine almost impossible, especially in public. Meanwhile, healthy meals can be challenging or impossible to organize and prepare on a regular basis. Ultimately, the lack of exercise and poor nutrition can worsen negative and positive schizophrenia symptoms and put schizophrenics at higher risk of becoming and staying depressed.

Antipsychotic Drugs and Depression

Typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs reduce delusions and hallucinations to varying degrees, but they do this by muting the action of the brain’s dopamine, which is heavily involved in motivation and pleasure. At the same time, the drugs don’t improve disorganized thinking. Not only do many schizophrenics still suffer from hallucinations and delusions while taking these medications, but they also are less able to think clearly or enjoy anything. In addition, the drugs cause some patients to sleep for more than 12 hours a day. All these factors can cause or worsen depression for those with schizophrenia.

Schizoaffective Disorder

Patients who have schizophrenia along with depression are sometimes diagnosed as having schizoaffective disorder instead of schizophrenia. However, the diagnosis depends on the opinions of the treating doctor and the working definitions of each disorder. While the line between the two disorders is blurred, the choice of one or the other may change the course of treatment for better or worse depending on the patient. Depression may be ignored in some patients and over-treated in others.

Historical Considerations

Early on, when Emil Kraepelin and Eugen Bleuler made their mark in the history of schizophrenia, they noted that the vast majority of patients were depressed. They considered depressive symptoms to be a core symptom of schizophrenia, and Kraepelin divided schizophrenia into a number of depressive subtypes. It was only later that psychiatrists essentially slashed depression from the list of schizophrenia symptoms. For example, some researchers claimed that schizophrenia caused a loss of ego and made depression impossible as a result.

Today, depression is still clearly linked to schizophrenia. However, researchers vary on how they define schizophrenia with depression. Some psychiatrists discard depressive symptoms as negative schizophrenia symptoms, many use the term schizoaffective, and others use the label of “psychotic depression.” Regardless of the label, schizophrenics face many challenges that make depression more likely to occur, and a major force is the pervasive idea that schizophrenics never recover from their illness. In reality, studies have actually shown that many schizophrenics do make a partial or full recovery at some point. Some never become psychotic again after one episode, some only have a few episodes and others recover later in life. If this were more widely discussed, more schizophrenics might feel better prepared to withstand their symptoms with hope for the future.

To learn more, please visit SchizLife.com.

The post The Link Between Depression and Schizophrenia appeared first on Embracing Depression.

Up to 40% of people with heart failure grapple with depression. The combination often leads to poor health outcomes. One study found seriously depressed people with heart failure were more than twice as likely to die or be hospitalized over the course of a year compared to other people with heart failure who weren’t depressed.

“Whenever patients are more depressed, their motivation goes down. Their ability to keep up with their doctors’ recommendations goes down.

Their ability to get out and do basic physical activities like walking goes down,” as does their health, says David A. Friedman, MD, chief of Heart Failure Services at North Shore-LIJ Plainview Hospital in New York. “It’s a vicious cycle.”

“This [study] … shows a non-drug way to try to improve patients’ mood and motivation. That’s the best thing you can do,” says Friedman, who was not involved in the research….More at Exercise May Fight Depression in Heart Failure

While no exercise plan should be undertaken by those who have suffered from heart failure unless under a doctor’s guidance,  it isn’t uncommon for a doctor to recommend a program of mild to moderate exercise.  This can not only do wonders for your physical health, it can also be beneficial to your mental health as well.

Simple exercises can boost up your health level. Exercise can help a person in so many ways – mentally and physically.

Yoga Can Fight Depression During Pregnancy http://t.co/X7278kt2

— ObsGyne (OBS-GYNE ) (@ObsGyne) Tue Aug 14 2012

The post Heart Failure Can Trigger Depression But Can Be Defeated Through A Good Exercise appeared first on Embracing Depression.

If you have dealt with depression or anxiety attacks in the past, or suffer from either condition now, you know just how crippling these conditions can be to your life. Both leave you with physical and emotional pain which can be extremely difficult to treat. If you have visited your doctor in regards to either condition, chances are you were written up a prescription for a pill to solve the problem, but do be wary of the side effects: not only can you be putting your health further in jeopardy, but these prescription medicines are often very addictive and hard to break free from in the future. So just what is the best anxiety and depression treatment then?

Why Do I Have Anxiety and Depression?

The best place to start when trying to cure depression and anxiety is to get to the root of the problem. You most likely have opened up a magazine, or seen on the television, that anxiety and depression are both caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. The chemical that is most often referred to is serotonin, which is theorized to regulate the extent or intensity of our moods. The only problem with this theory, however, is that there are no tests out there that can measure the exact amount of serotonin in the brain.

If you have ever used an antidepressant to try and help with your depression, you may have noticed that their purpose is to augment the amount of serotonin that is in your brain. Though these often do work quite well in the short term, this does not in fact verify that the cause for your anxiety or depression is due to a lack of this chemical. In fact, more recent studies suggest that a chemical imbalance is not necessarily the cause of your depression!

When considering taking a pill to cure your anxiety or depression, take into consideration the numerous negative side effects that it has on the body. As mentioned previously, perhaps the worst side effect of all is the addictive nature of the drugs – users often build a dependency on the drug, which in fact worsens their condition. Some develop other negative reactions that lead to problematic body conditions. Soon before you know it, you may be taking a prescription to counteract the side effects of the first prescription, and then a third prescription to counteract the side effects of the second prescription, and so forth….More at Anxiety and Depression Treatment – Effective Ways to Get This …

Anxiety and depression can badly affects a person’s mental state as well as physical well-being.   To help reduce the impact of these on your health it’s important to manage these conditions as effectively as possible.  Your medical health professional can assist you and help you in your quest.  He or she will provide you with various tips, techniques, drugs and/or therapy that best suits your personal situation.  The most important thing is to get help sooner rather than later as the conditions can grow in severity if left untreated.

A therapy technique that claims to help relieve some of the affects of anxiety and depression

Have anxiety or depression, exercise often seems like the last thing you want to do.Exercise can make a big difference. http://t.co/dACi68K3

— LorettaPhillips (Loretta Ann Phillips) (@LorettaPhillips) Thu Aug 9 2012

The post Managing Anxiety & Depression In An Effective Way appeared first on Embracing Depression.

Many health insurance companies make you jump through hoops to get treatment for mental health issues, and some don’t provide coverage at all. If you do get treatment, co-pays for prescription medications can be quite high. Those without insurance coverage may find it impossible to afford a doctor’s care as well as name-brand prescription medications like Zoloft, Paxil, Cymbalta or Celexa.

Without access to care – either because insurance doesn’t cover it or a qualified physician isn’t available – people run the risk of negative effects of untreated depression. Untreated depression increases the chance drug or alcohol abuse, and it can also negatively impact your relationships with others, create problems at work, make you more susceptible to disease and even result in suicide.

Symptoms of Depression

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression include:

•    Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions.
•    Fatigue and decreased energy.
•    Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness.
•    Feelings of hopelessness.
•    Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping.
•    Irritability, restlessness.
•    Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex.
•    Overeating or appetite loss.
•    Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease with treatment.
•    Persistent sad, anxious or empty feelings.
•    Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts.

Clinical Research is Changing Mental Healthcare

Because many people find it difficult to get affordable treatment that works, some are turning to clinical studies of depression offered by major university academic centers or specialized physician groups.

Taking part in a depression study is one way to get access to mental healthcare if you don’t have insurance or if you have difficulty navigating your insurance provider’s requirements for referrals and justification. What’s more, you may even get compensated in return.

For example, FG Global recently recruited for a nationwide depression study that paid participants $800. People in 20 states took part. Other clinical research studies are posted regularly on www.fgglobal.com.

Plus, by participating in clinical research studies related to depression, you may help find better treatments to others. With the prevalence of so many clinical research studies that deal with depression and mental health, there’s no reason someone has to go without the care they need.

Related Articles

Symptoms of Depression

The post Clinical Depression Studies – A New Way To Get Treatment? appeared first on Embracing Depression.

Accumulating fat around the belly has long been linked to metabolic syndrome, a collection of problems that include high blood pressure, CHOLESTEROL and blood glucose. Recently, metabolic syndrome was linked to a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia later in life. Now depression has been added to the list of ailments linked to excessive belly fat, and losing weight through dieting doesn’t seem to reverse the problem.

“Weight gain is the major contributor to metabolic syndrome and depression, but we also observed that in many people who are obese, losing weight is not enough to reduce the symptoms of depression,” said An Pan, a nutritionist at the Harvard School of Public Health and one of the authors of the study, which appears in a recent issue of Diabetes Care. “In fact, losing weight by dieting may actually increase Stress and depressive symptoms.”

A better approach, he says, would involve more exercise, which helps the body burn some of the deep fat packed around abdominal organs – the cause of the large belly often carried by people with metabolic syndrome. He encourages those wanting to lose weight to eat a healthy diet and participate in physical activity. Pan also recommends psychiatric counseling for people who are depressed.

The paper found evidence of a vicious cycle – metabolic syndrome contributes to depression, and depression contributes to metabolic syndrome, apparently by causing people to overeat….More at Excess Belly Fat Linked to Depression « FeelGood Natural Health …

While metabolism could be the root cause of depression, the condition could be caused by other issues as well.  Having said that, for a variety of health reasons anyone with a large amount of belly fat would benefit from a diet to lose belly fat.

Get to know more about fats and how it brings positive and negative issues to your health and body.

How yoga could decrease prenatal depression http://t.co/4ubL0mGz

— HuffPostParents (HuffPost Parents) (@HuffPostParents) Tue Aug 14 2012

The post Tummy Fats Can Lead To a Depressive State appeared first on Embracing Depression.

Stardom and money doesn’t insulate celebrities from the effect of mental illness and depression.   Many of them struggle with it just like us ‘every day’ people.

Celebrity breakdowns date back as early as the 1940s, when aviator Howard Hughes found himself struggling to cope with obsessive-compulsive disorder and a painkiller addiction that eventually claimed his life. Since technology has advanced to the point of letting us share gossip in a blink, meltdowns now are much more public. Now, we can have camera queens like Brittany Spears who live on in head-shaving infamy– sweet, sweet, digitally-immortalized infamy.

From: Best Masters In Counseling

Here is a look at some notable celebrities and their mental illnesses.

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Famous People with Depression

The post Famous People Who Have Depression and Mental Disorders appeared first on Embracing Depression.

New research into depression is of interest for depression in teens too.

 A messenger called GATA1

A research team at Yale University has discovered that depressed people have a few genes that happen to show troubled activity.

These genes ought to regulate brain synapses.  In depressed people, it so happens that these genes can’t do their job properly because of a malfunctioning factor.

This factor is precisely a transcription factor.  It’s a protein that acts like a messenger.  It transmits the orders of the genes to our internal protein factory.

In our case, a messenger called GATA1 fails to transmit properly the orders of five genes which are responsible for regulating brain synapses.

Actually, GATA1 works inversely.  If it’s too active it will depress the information flow from these five genes to the protein factory.  If it’s insufficiently active it may cause excessive synaptic activity.

Why would depressed brains be shrinking?

In depressed brains GATA1 seems to be too active.  Less synaptic connections are formed, and this results in a loss of brain mass.  Depression, in teens, is shrinking their brains.

Is this GATA1 a cause of depression?  If you are born with a malfunctioning GATA1, are you destined to be depressed?

There is no scientific finding that links depression to genetics.  Professor Steve Jones of London University, a renowned geneticist, points out that we don’t understand much about the genetics of simpler things like eye colour or ear shape.  To talk about the genetics of depression is nonsense.

There has been much research into genetics and mental disorders.  You can read the book ‘The Gene Illusion’ by Jay Joseph.  There you can learn about this research and about how much of it was unscientific and self-serving.

Unfortunately, there are still people who want to use science for destructive purposes.  The insane idea of eugenics was based on this kind of research, among other things.

So, what is GATA1 about?  It’s about the effects of depression and how it’s possible to alleviate them using drugs.  It isn’t about fixing causes.

The very usage of drugs to treat depression is depressive

Drugs are life-saving when a depressed teenager shows significant symptoms of depression.  They should be used only when there is a real risk of suicide.

In any other case, the use of drugs to treat psychological problems is more of a problem than a solution.

Drugs seem to be good at helping you regain your productivity in a very short time.

If you are productive again, our profoundly sick society is satisfied, and you are required to be satisfied too.  Or, at least, to fake it.

The real causes of your depression don’t matter.  The society we have created, and that we obey, doesn’t care about our depression as long as it can get rid of its effects by pushing some drugs down our throats.

The mountain and the molehill

Who cares about the molehill when there is a mountain out there to deal with?  Only those who don’t see the mountain, of course.

They belong to two categories: those who deny seeing the mountain, and those who really don’t see it.

The mountain is the depressive nature of our civilization.  I mean Western civilization.  Mahatma Gandhi used to say that, actually, there isn’t such a thing.

Drugs and genetics as alibi

Drugs and genetics studies risk being used as alibis for not facing the real problem of the profound sickness of our Western culture.

What to say to our depressed teenagers?  That they have to change society in order for them to be happy?

No, this isn’t needed.  As already suggested by Erich Fromm, we have only to disobey society, refusing to take for granted its claimed sanity.

How can it have happened?

How can it have happened that human beings, who have the power of knowing themselves, turn to science, and genetics in particular, to be told who they are?

Human beings discovered their power of knowing themselves thousands of years ago.

I don’t know how this has happened.  I know that it’s difficult for anyone to know themselves if, at the same time, they are coercively moulded to be something different.

Depressed teenagers would like to be allowed to know themselves and to see themselves accepted for who they are.  Instead, they have to endure the shock of being forced to become something that they aren’t.

Many will simply forget about being themselves and will become one more instance of the self-less cog which is intended to be slotted into the production-and-consumption machine.

Others will get depressed.  They unconsciously say to themselves: “Why should I become a cog?  I’m not a cog!”

At the same time they see that nobody around them wants to care about their question.  How depressing!

Next time we know of a depressed teenager, let’s listen.  Being still relatively unconditioned, they see something we don’t.

And next time we see teenagers on their way to becoming well-adjusted members of society, let’s not rejoice at it.  Let’s say instead: “Sorry for that!”

If society is sick it’s not our fault, and to search for someone to blame is a waste of time.

Depressed teenagers only want to have acknowledged the right to see their true selves respected.  Shall we try and do this?

Denny Dew is the author of the website Depression Teens Help.  Visit it to learn more about depression in teenagers and its symptoms, causes and treatments.  

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Is Depression Genetic?

Depression in College Students

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The post Depression in Teens: Does it Shrink Their Brains? appeared first on Embracing Depression.

For example, many people may be unaware of just how widespread the effects of mental illness are. Mental illness affects people from all walks of life regardless of age, gender or class bracket. Take a minute to educate yourself about the real facts and statistics about mental illness; the truth might really surprise you.

Source: Best Mental Health Degrees

The post Latest Facts about Mental Health Disorders appeared first on Embracing Depression.

Depression in college students if left untreated and in a worst case scenario, can lead to death. Statistics show that suicide among college students ages 20-24 is the second leading cause of death.  44% of American college students shared that they felt depressed. However, it is still alarming that two-third of the young people do not speak or acknowledge their mental health issues. Based on the American Psychological Association, there is an increase of 10% among the college students who take psychiatric medication.

Given the statistics, it is important to know as much as possible about college depression  to help save lives. Read on to learn what may have caused it, how to spot symptoms of college depression and how to treat it as well as other important facts on the issue.

Popular Causes of College Depression

Depression can manifest in many various forms and it can also come out from different life instances. Here are just a few factors that can contribute to college depression:

• Pressured from new found responsibilities.  Young adults may feel overwhelmed by the fact that they have to juggle their academics with financial and personal relationships and more.
• Rise of mental health conditions. According to “Psych Central”, it is among the young people from the ages of 18-24 that begin to start mental health conditions. This statistic was given out on August 2008.
• Feelings. Many students feel embarrassed to talk about their concerns and issues with their friends. This is one of the reasons why depression cannot be treated or identified right away. In August 2006, another article of “Psych Central” shared that only about 23% felt comfortable with sharing their concerns with friends.

Symptoms of College Depression

Symptoms of depression vary from person to person. Some do not know that they have depression because they think that their feelings or mental state comes from another source.  However, there are general signs that can be watched out for. Listed below are some symptoms, and if these symptoms are observed to last more than two weeks, it is vital to seek help in a timely manner.

• Tiredness or fatigue.
• Disinterest in things that usually motivated a person.
• Irregular sleeping patterns.
• Loneliness or wanting to withdraw from social groups, friends, and family.
• Feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness, and anger.

Importance of Seeking Help

As mentioned above, if left untreated, college depression can lead to serious consequences up to and including suicide. Those struggling with it should visit a doctor to be assessed and wait to be given a recommendation on treatment. Here are some common treatments that can be done for this mental condition:

1. Prescription Drugs: These are the most commonly given prescription of doctors. Among the drugs recommended for one to take are antidepressants and anti-psychotic drugs. Prescription drugs cannot solve the condition on its own as doctors’ pair this up along with another treatment.
2. Psychotherapy: These are forms of therapy which usually are matched with another kind of treatment. One of the common forms of therapy is the cognitive behavioral way which helps a patient practice putting positive thoughts over his negative ones.
3. Alternative therapies: There is a debate on the effectiveness of this kind of treatment. One should be aware that they need to consult their doctor if this is a treatment they believe they should pursue. Instances like some herbs may not be a suitable mix with prescribed drugs needs to be taken into consideration. Natural remedies contain intake of some herbs while physical remedies could refer to exercises like yoga.

Role of Family Members and Friends

In preparation for and during college, close relationships should continually be established and strengthened. In this way it is easier to catch symptoms. If a family member or friend thinks that someone may be battling college depression, encourage a visit to the doctor’s office right away for treatment. Be on alert to also see that symptoms decrease during treatment. If any disturbing behavior arises or it seems to worsen, call for help right away.

The post Depression in College Students appeared first on Embracing Depression.

People who have problems with substance misuse often have other mental health challenges. Depression is a commonly co-occurring psychological condition among individuals with substance use problems.

Although it has yet to be determined if substance use precedes depressive reoccurrence or depressive symptoms precede substance relapse, it is well known that these co-occurring conditions (COD) are more treatment resistant and result in poorer outcomes than having one condition alone.

Research suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective approach for reducing depressive symptoms. Therefore, Sarah B. Hunter of the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California, theorized that addressing depressive symptoms as part of a substance use treatment plan could minimize negative moods, which would reduce the need for negative coping strategies such as substance use.

Compared the outcome to that of 159 individuals receiving usual care. The team assessed the participants at treatment conclusion, 3 months and 6 months posttreatment….More at Reducing Substance Use by Reducing Depression « PDResources

While more research is needed it doesn’t seem like a real stretch to assume that giving up drugs and alcohol or reducing the intake of these will be of benefit.

Here is a video that would help you out in getting rid of such depression. This session corrects a hemispheric asymmetry that is common in clinically depressed individuals.

#PrenatalYoga is making headlines again! This time for reducing #depression in #pregnant women! http://t.co/kmGQxDiO http://t.co/0OKfPSWx

— BabyMed (BabyMed.com) (@BabyMed) Tue Aug 14 2012

The post Minimizing Substance Abuse Can Help Ease a Depressive State appeared first on Embracing Depression.