Poisoning - Its Clinical Manifestation and Management

Acute poisoning accounts for about 4-7% of admissions into major general hospitals in the world. Poisoning may be suicidal, accidental or homicidal. The high incidence of poisoning is attributed to the widespread use and free availability of insecticides, pesticides and other harmful chemicals for use in agriculture and industry. Depending upon the cost and local availability, varied substances are used.

In the order of frequency, the toxic agents include organophosphorus compounds, barbiturates, vegetable poisons, phenothiazines, corrosive acids, and several others. The precipitating factors which drive persons to commit suicide are depressive illness, financial problems, domestic conflicts, and frustration in studies, jobs or incurable illness. Among epileptics and alcoholics, the incidence of suicidal poisoning is high. Accidental poisoning is common in children. Persons engaged in the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture and in industry are liable to suffer if proper safety precautions are not adhered to.

Clinical presentation of acute poisoning: Though poisoning by many chemicals lead to characteristic clinical features, in the majority of cases, symptoms are nonspecific and may be mistaken for other acute illnesses. The common presentations are coma, acute psychosis, convulsions, gastroenteritis, circulatory collapse, or pulmonary edema. Corrosive poisons produce noticeable lesions at the points of maximum contact such as the mouth, esophagus and stomach. other poisons affect specific organs maximally, e.g, Liver damage in paracetamol poisoning, renal damage in copper sulphate poisoning, and Cardiac dysfunction in Cerebral odullum poisoning. Poisons consumed on an empty stomach are absorbed more rapidly than if taken on full stomach. Also, if taken along with alcohol, many poisons are quickly absorbed and their damaging effects are cumulative.

Diagnosis: Diagnosis is rendered easy if proper history or evidence of the material is obtained, but in many cases such help is not available. A high index of suspicion on the part of the physician is absolutely necessary for arriving at an early diagnosis in such cases. Abrupt occurrence of acute illness in a person who is in good health should suggest acute poisoning as a possibility. Smell of alcohol or kerosene, severe respiratory depression, circulatory collapse, convulsions, constricted pupil, Cardiac arrhythmia's, dystonic postures, and muscle fasciculations add support to this diagnosis. The outcome depends upon factors like:

1. The amount of poison and its mode of administration
2. Presence of food in the stomach at the time of ingestion.
3. delay in starting treatment.
4. Age,
5. General health and concurrent illness, and
6. Availability of specific antidotes.

Patients who are comatose owing to acute poisoning face the twin dangers of the toxic effects of the chemical and the grave consequences of an obstructed airway.

general management of acute poisoning: Acute poisoning is a medical emergency and is best treated in a well-equipped hospital with teams specially trained to handle such cases. Since in many cases the nature of the poison will not be evident at first, the aim of treatment is to keep the patient alive with support of vital functions and eliminate as much of the poison as possible from the body. Specific antidotes are given as soon as the nature of the poison is known.

Supportive management: Most important is to clear the airway and ensure adequate ventilation. If there is respiratory depression, stimulants like nikethemide (500 mg) should be given along with oxygen inhalation. Intermittent positive pressure respiration has to be instituted after tracheostomy or endotracheal intubation, if conservative measures fail. The patient should be turned from side to side at four hourly intervals to prevent aspiration and hypostatic Pneumonia. Frequent bronchial suction helps in preventing atelectasis and aspiration Pneumonia. Shock is managed on the usual lines. Maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance is of utmost importance in all cases. An intake-output chart should be maintained and a urine output of 1500 ml should be ensured. Replacement of electrolytes and correction of acidosis should be done with proper laboratory monitoring. Maintenance of nutrition is equally important. Diet containing 2000 calories should be given through a nasogastric tube or parenterally. Repeated examination of blood and urine help in monitoring the level of poison in blood and the amount eliminated.

Depression Linked to Food Choices - Choosing Healthier Foods to Take Away Your Blues

Have you ever ate a really nutritious meal and felt uplifted, as if the meal took away your blues? The body is intelligent and will give you signs when it is not fed properly - depression being one of those signs.

The reason you feel better when you eat the right foods is that you are getting the proper balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. You are aiding the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that send messages between the nerves and brain. For example, the chemical messenger serotonin is capable of elevating mood and self-esteem.

Someone who is depressed will often become locked into a destructive eating cycle, yet as soon as their body receives a good balance of foods, they will feel much better. The best way to break this cycle is to avoid unhealthy food and eat plenty of fresh fruit. Fruit contains sugar, so it satisfies cravings for sweets, and the body absorbs sugar so slowly that the gradual rise in your blood-sugar levels encourages a more consistent production of endorphins. This means the more fruit you eat, the longer you will feel happier.

Depression & Allergies

Food allergies can trigger depression. Allergies to food can upset levels of hormones and other key chemicals in the brain, resulting in symptoms of depression. The most common foods associated with allergies are cow's milk, chocolate, wheat-gluten, oranges, eggs, peanuts and sugar. Dietary exclusion of the offending foods can help minimize depression and increase energy levels.

Planning a Diet for Depression

Omega-3 fatty acids have a strong anti-depression effect and are primarily found in salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines, flaxseed and walnuts. Spinach and kale contain omega 3 oils. Fatty acids are essential for the brain to function properly. Eating meals regularly can help minimize mood swings that are the result of low blood sugar levels. Try eating smaller meals and a healthy snack in between. This is also a great tip for weight loss.

Drink 1/2 ounces of water per pound of body weight m-i-n-i-m-u-m in a 24-hour period. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you need a minimum of 75 ounces of water daily.

Take vitamins during breakfast, especially B vitamins which are directly linked to the nervous system and mental function. Many minerals are linked to helping depression, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and selenium.

Complex carbohydrates like brown rice are actually the best route to a healthy blood sugar level and stable mood.

Boost your serotonin with amino acids. Serotonin is made in the body and brain from an amino acid 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5-HTP), which in turn in made from another amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is in many protein rich foods such as meat, turkey, fish, beans and eggs. Balance your blood sugar. Refined sugar and refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods) is linked with depression. They supply little nutrients and use up the mood enhancing B vitamins.

Stay away from caffeine, sugar and alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and will worsen your mood. Paying attention to what you eat is the first crucial step in fighting depression. Reversing nutritional deficiencies will remove stress on the hormone system and help prevent mood swings.

Bring your body back to it's natural balance through healthy food choices.

Identifying Depression and Its Effects

With the amount of stress facing people today it is no wonder that cases of diagnosed depression are on the rise. It seems like every time you turn on the television you can find a commercial for some new type of antidepressant. From fluoxetine which is marketed by Eli Lilly and Co as Prozac to paroxetine which is sold as Paxil by GlaxoSmithKline, the market is awash with a huge number of different medications used to treat depression.

There is just one problem with this. How do you know if what you are suffering from is depression or something more serious? Knowing how to identify depression can take you a good way toward finding a suitable treatment. Keep in mind that depression varies from one person to the next. No two people will have the same set of symptoms. These can vary in number, type, and severity.

One of the most recognized signs of depression are persistent feelings of sadness or anxiousness. Many people will describe a feeling of hollowness or emptiness. Oftentimes these feelings will be accompanied by extended periods of irritability or even restlessness. People close to you may feel alienated by the sudden outbursts that can go along with such periods.

Other feelings that may accompany depression include helplessness or hopelessness as well as worthlessness. Sufferers may also have unexplainable feelings of guilt and may always seem to have a pessimistic outlook. Weight changes can be an overlooked side effect of depression.

People suffering from depression may tend to experience rapid weight loss or gain through the changes depression can have on their appetite. These appetite changes may be accompanied by increased feelings of sluggishness or fatigue. This drop in energy can take place whether or not you have experienced a weight change.

If you suffer from depression you may find yourself sleeping less and less. It is also possible that you may tend to have periods of oversleeping as well. You may feel like it is difficult to get out of bed let alone try to go through your normal routine. You may find that things that you once enjoyed, such as certain activities or hobbies, now seem to hold no interest for you.

There are some symptoms of depression that may not be recognized as such. These include issues such as chronic headaches or pain and trouble making decisions or concentrating. They can even include digestive troubles. All such issues should be reported to your health care provider so that a proper course of action can be instituted. Untreated depression can lead to a great deal of other health issues. From heart trouble to diabetes and beyond, these issues can be just as life threatening as depression itself.

Depression is a normal human condition from time to time when faced with stressful situations. The problems come in when these conditions last for extended periods of time. This leads to a long term depressive state which can be quite dangerous to your health. Never ignore these periods of depression as they can easily get out of hand. They are a serious issue and should be addressed as such. If you find yourself or a loved one is having thoughts of dying or of suicide then contact a health care provider immediately. Do not let things escalate to the point of an actual suicide attempt before you seek treatment.

Beat Depression Naturally - 4 Crucial Ways For Beating Depression at Home

Beating depression naturally has always been possible if properly followed Depression is an unstable state of mind that takes place due to several reasons. Depression can develop severe symptoms if not treated properly.This symptoms lead to fatigue, withdrawal from social activities and considerably unproductive. Some suffer from mild depression while some have to deal with a lot graver amount of it. Regardless of the fact how severe ones depression is or, is not a person often tends to seek the help of a doctor. However there are crucial ways for the treatment of depression naturally.

Four such ways can be stated as follows.

1) Exercise: Physical exercise is very much helpful in treating with depression.

Maintaining regularity of physical activities can work wonders when it comes to the curing of depression naturally. Exercise naturally creates an endorphin rush within the body which provides a person with a euphoric feeling. This feeling helps him in treating with depression absolutely naturally. Hence the term runner`s high is often used. Exercising regularly will also provide a person with the added confidence because they will naturally start looking better as a result of regular exercising. This confidence will make them feel a lot better and worth.

2) Eat Vegetables: Consumption of vegetables can be a crucial way for the natural treatment of depression. Green vegetables are often natural antidepressants Vegetables as spinach and broccoli are very useful against depression. They contain great amounts of folic acids which is also known as vitamin B9 which is a natural mood stabilizer.Eating more vegetables reduces the contents of junk food consumed by a man which are high in protein and chemicals that affect moods in a very influential way.There are a variety of other food that act as antidepressants Lists of these foods are available on the internet.

3) Plenty of sleep: Getting plenty of sleep help to keep depression away. Dearth of adequate sleep is a major cause for depression.Lac of sleep might be caused for the usage of narcotics, drugs, or the compulsion for one to stay awake for the completion of any particular task.. This will surely make a person irritable If you can detect symptoms of depression in you and if you are catching less than 8 hours of sleep then you must increase it. That will help in treating depression naturally.

4) Identification of the Source: Depression is acutely psychological most of the time. This psychological phenomenon happens due to certain things that take place in life. One must try to identify that particular source that is the root cause of depression. That can be anything, a stressful job, and actions of a loved one or a decision that has been made in the past. Identifying the source and making attempts to rectify it would lead to permanent cure of depression.

The above are four crucial ways of beating depression at home. Try it yourself if you are depressed.

Inspiring Quotes From the Popular Spiritual Author Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and motivational speaker. He is the author of "The power of Now" and "A New Earth". Eckhart faced some unusual circumstances in his early days which shaped his later life. He grew up in Germany in post World War II era, his parents got divorced when he was really young and school was not a welcoming place for him, he moved from Germany to Spain and then eventually to London in search of happiness and purpose in life. He developed his interest in Philosophy, Literature and Astronomy. Around the age of 29, Tolle underwent an inner transformation that pulled him out of his depression and anxiety. Eckhart Tolle's quotes and philosophy is changing the lives of millions around the world.

Eckhart Tolle's quotes are really helpful in understanding his philosophy of life and acquire the eternal bliss he talks about. He says "Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within." He implies that he was a rejected and sad soul for the longest time but then he realized that it's he himself who has made his soul unhappy and devoid of bliss. It's the self that is unsatisfied and miserable, once you detach your being from that self and create a happy and positive self for yourself, it changes your life forever. So it's only you who can bring the change from within and then everything will change on the outer side as well.

Tolles's books are recommended by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey because these books have what today's man need to know i.e. how to separate yourself full of unnecessary worries and lies from the truth, this moment of separation should be the purpose of all humans and is indeed life changing. One of the other inspiring Eckhart Tolle's quote is "You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!" People spend their lives thinking that there is no purpose in their lives so they can live it in any way they like or they can waste it if they want. These people at the core of their heart think that they are useless and futile to the world and society and if they live or die it doesn't make any difference in the world but Eckhart says everyone has a job to fulfill and a role in this great design or scheme of things so you should not degrade yourself and this shows how important you are for this universe.

Most of your unhappiness in life stems from the fact that you are unsatisfied and want more from life. People make relationship choices or other decisions in life which do not bring the happiness they expect so they start to complain about those choices which is unwise. First of all people should keep this in mind that decisions have consequences and Eckhart Tolle's quotes tell us that you need to work with the circumstances and make the best out of them. With this attitude you will either end up changing the present for better or you will learn to live with it by finding happiness in present. He says "Accept - then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life."

"Enlightenment is not only the end of suffering and of continuous conflict within and without, but also the end of the dreadful enslavement to incessant thinking. What an incredible liberation this is!" This Eckhart Tolle's quote highlights the importance of the liberation of one's self from the imprisonment of negative thinking, dissatisfaction and constantly nagging self. Once a person gets rid of the worries and lies that occupy his mind, he experiences an overwhelming sense of light weightiness and liberation.

There are many inspiring and life changing Eckhart Tolle's quotes which should be understood and reflected upon so they can change the world around you in a positive way that will help you in becoming a self actualized person.

Truckers and Amphetamine Abuse

Many workers are fortunate enough to have the benefit of a regular daily schedule that fits into the normal cycle of waking and sleeping. Long haul truck drivers, however, are required to be much more flexible and adaptive to the demands of clients and a particular load of goods. The physical strain of spending lengthy hours behind the wheel of a massive commercial vehicle can cause a driver to develop extreme fatigue that may not only interfere with his or her ability to make a timely delivery, but may also threaten the safety of other motorists on the roadway as drowsiness takes its toll.

Federally established regulations governing the hours that a driver can spend working and mandatory hours of rest are designed to limit this danger. Yet some drivers may not feel that these measures are sufficient to enable them to maximize their miles and wakefulness. Unfortunately, this can push a truck driver to use or abuse amphetamines or other substances. The influence of these drugs can turn an otherwise reliable commercial vehicle operator into a dangerous roadway liability.

Detecting Amphetamine Dependency or Addiction

As the owner of a small trucking company, you potentially stand to lose considerable revenue and other resources if one or more of your drivers develop an amphetamine problem. Beyond the concern that you have for your own enterprise's success and financial stability, you are also likely to be heavily invested in the health and welfare of your drivers, so it would behoove you to be aware of any of the following symptoms of amphetamine dependency of addiction in your drivers:

• Excessive sweating


• Visible shaking


• Paranoia


• Chronically failing to carry out expected duties


• Abnormal and excessive irritability


• Sleep disorders


• Depression

These symptoms are often signs that a person is suffering from amphetamine dependency and needs medical help.

Dealing With A Bipolar Disorder Patient

Family And Support

Although it is hard to realize, but a bipolar disorder does not define a person. At times it becomes hard to cope up with a person suffering from this disorder. It seems impossible to cheer up a person going through this type of depression. The relationships of a person having this condition are adversely affected over time. Living with a such person gives rise to stress, misunderstanding and confrontation. One must reckon that feelings of the person are because of illness and these feelings are beyond his/her control. A strong support group including family is most critical for a patient having this disorder. It is along term illness and small triggering factors can aggravate the symptoms of this disorder over and over again during life time. However, consistent treatment and lifestyle changes can keep the symptoms under control. Patients who realized their condition (patients usually feel like every thing is normal during the episodes of this mood disorder) and adopted defensive measures against this disorder have been living successful lives.

Prominent Symptoms

This type of mood disorder is dominantly characterized by depression episodes as compared to the mania or hypomania (high energy levels and moods). Mania or hypomania episodes of this disorder are comprised of elevated moods, high energy levels and aggressive behaviors. This condition may lead to poor decisions and destructive behavior. However, a patient going through this phase of bipolar disorder is hard to diagnose. In most cases, patients of bipolar are diagnosed during the depression episodes of this disorder. These episodes exhibit symptoms like sadness, hopelessness, lack of interest and concentration in activities, crying spells, low energy and restlessness.

Severe Bipolar Episodes

In severe cases, a patient may experience symptoms like hallucinations and delusions. Most devastating outcomes of bipolar disorder include suicidal thoughts and plans. Hospitalization and medication can relieve these symptoms to some extent in chronic cases of bipolar disorder. Family and loved ones have to be really careful, if the patients talks about death and thinks that ending up his/her is the last resort.Bipolar patients have a higher tendency of attempting suicide.

Best Practices

Learning about this type of depression helps the family to support the patient in a better way. Consistent emotional support and encouragement by the family improves the effectiveness of the treatment. Doctor usually prescribe medication for a longterm and patient's compliance is mandatory for that duration.

Patients also have to play a vital role in enhancing their quality of life. Getting involved in the treatment, healthy diet, regular exercise and enough sleeping are some of the steps to avoid the recurrence of bipolar disorder.

For further information about this disorder and different types of depression click here.

Depression Can Be Reversed With A Strong Relationship

There's only one thing worse than being in the midst of a depression. That is being in a relationship with someone who is displaying signs of depression. Watching them go through the stages of depression darkness are tough. Many relationships end as a result of this because it begins to take a toll on both individuals. One of the effects of depression is irrational thoughts. These thoughts blind the individual to the truth of what's around them. They only see the negative, not the positive, things. But depression can be reversed with a strong relationship.

Your presence in the midst of the struggle with depression carries more weight than it appears at the time. Many times the depressed person appears to push you to leave them, yet that's the last thing they really want. They want you to be there and even to help them come out of 'the hole' if you can.

The first step you can take to help them is to get some education. Begin to investigate and research their mental disorder. Try to assess the cause. They may have lost a job and are unsure of how they'll care for themselves and their family. They may be feeling like a failure and withdrawing seems easier than facing a rejecting world. They may have lost a loved one and are feeling guilty about something concerning that individual. Several things may have happened all at once leaving them feeling overwhelmed and their only coping mechanism is to turn inward. There are lots of reasons they're in a state of depression. Once it has started, it can certainly snowball even if you're in a strong relationship.

The second step is to take care of yourself, as well as your partner, in this situation. Depression can be contagious. You don't want to start exhibiting the same signs as you're seeing in your mate. If you do, don't waste any time seeing a counselor or psychologist. If both of you are in a state of depression, no one will be available to pull either of you out. When you feel yourself becoming too consumed by the overall weight of the depression of your partner, take a step back and regroup. You must preserve your own mental health if you are to be available for your mate.

The failure of previous relationships can sometimes contribute to depression. When one relationship has failed, the individual may assume that all subsequent relationships are doomed, as well. Then they begin to subconsciously do things to fulfill the prophecy of all doomed relationships. If this is your situation, you need to get some relationship counseling immediately. Seek relationship advice from trained professionals as much as you possibly can.

Lastly, and most importantly, don't give up. You have to know within yourself that you are making a difference and that you are helping them, no matter what it actually looks like. There are only a few things more powerful than what can result from the unified efforts in a strong relationship. Depression may be hard to overcome, but it can be done when the one you love depends on you. I'm a living witness depression can be reversed with a strong relationship.

Definition of Acute Depression

Depression is the word that nobody would want to hear. Millions across the world get affected by various forms every year. One of the types is known as acute depression. It is also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression. It is one of the most severe forms and less common as compared to the all other forms. The exact cause has still not been discovered. Psychological changes, biological changes, stress, loss of loved ones, physical disability, divorce and environmental changes are the common causes.

Following are the most commonly observed symptoms that will help you to distinguish between acute and other types of depression: The common symptoms are:

1. Considerable loss of interest enjoyable activities.

2. Constant sadness, anxiety or blues all the time.

3. Sleeping problems, sufferer usually exhibits Insomnia disorder. Insomnia causes difficulty to get off to sleep, early morning wake ups, less sleep than normal, disrupted sleep. In some cases symptoms of hypomania are also exhibited by the patients. Hypomania causes too much sleep than the normal sleep; sufferer finds it difficult to get out of the bed.

4. Sufferer might exhibit considerable amount of weight gain or weight loss due to poor appetite.

5. Loss of energy or fatigue is quite a common symptom.

6. Persistent feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and guilt disturb the sufferer all the time.

7. Restlessness or tiredness without any reason.

8. Sufferers find it difficult to concentrate in all sorts of things associated with them, as a result of which they find it extremely difficult to make decisions.

9. Socially inactive behavior.

10. Suicidal thoughts or suicidal attempts are quite common.

11. Physical symptoms such as headache and ache in the stomach areas are also quite common.

12. Interest in the sexual intercourse decreases to quite a large extent.

You may not notice all the symptoms in sufferers as the symptoms vary person to person. If you notice majority of these symptoms in an individual, do ask him or her to seek medical attention. Do not ignore this state; if left untreated you might be victimized with the adverse affects. It is a treatable mental disorder and various treatment methods are available. Kids may find it difficult to cope up with treatment methods. The most effective treatment methods are:

1. Antidepressants as per the prescription of specialists.

2. Psychotherapy methods, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy and interpersonal therapies are the best therapies.

3. Electroconvulsive therapy.

4. Combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants can also work in tandem to relieve you.

Beat Depression Naturally by Boosting Your Happy Hormones

If you knew there was a shark swimming next to you in the ocean, what would you do? Most people will hightail it out of the water as fast as they can back to the shore. As a matter of fact no one in their right mind is going to let a shark devour them alive! On the same token we can let food be our medicine or we can let food devour us alive. Which would you prefer?

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish, such as tuna, mackerel and salmon, remarkably reduce symptoms of depression? If you or someone you know suffers from depression, it would be a great idea to eat more of these types of fish. Sardines, oysters and flax seeds, are also high on the list of foods with substantial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. People who eat these foods three or more times a week show significant improvement in anxiety, insomnia, sadness, and suicidal thoughts.

Depression is an indication that certain hormones are out of kilter within the brain, specifically, beta-endorphins and serotonin. When our bodies lack adequate levels of seritonin and beta-endorphins, that balance out our brain chemistry, we may feel hopeless, sad, depressed, touchy to criticism, offended, crave sugar and alcohol and feel isolated and lonely - all signs of depression.

If you suddenly found out that the foods you have been eating are causing an imbalance in your brain chemistry, what would you do? Would you stop eating those foods? Refined foods are insufficient in vitamins and minerals and are like drugs to the brain, especially those people who suffer from depression, self esteem issues, and sugar imbalances. The good news is you can be in control of your health by boosting seritonin and beta-endorphin levels in your brain through a healthy eating lifestyle.

Whole grains, beans and legumes, vegetables and fruits should be incorporated into everyone's diet if they want to live a healthy and long life. If it is processed and denatured, don't eat it. It's really that simple. Let's take a look at some foods that can actually boost hormone levels in the brain.

Foods And Supplements That Boost Happy Hormones

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is found in spinach, turnip greens, garlic, cauliflower, mustard greens, celery, fish, such as tuna, salmon, cod and red snapper. Also chicken and turkey and lean beef tenderloin. Spinach should be eaten raw or either lightly steamed. Remember with any vegetable it is always best to keep it in its natural state as much as possible.

Magnesium

Magnesium levels tend to be lower in people who suffer from depressed moods. Magnesium supplements and foods with magnesium should be incorporated into the daily diet of those who suffer with sadness, anxiety and depressed thoughts. Foods high in magnesium are, halibut, tuna, bananas, dried figs, barley, buckwheat, oat bran, wheat flour, prune juice, almonds, Brazil nuts, black beans, lima beans, broccoli and cornmeal.

Whole Grains and Seeds

Whole grains that are especially good are amaranth, buckwheat, millet, brown rice, whole grain breads and cereals. Nuts and seeds are also great foods that will boost happiness levels. Walnuts are especially good for boosting serotonin. These are healthy, high-protein carbohydrates, which are critical for increasing serotonin.

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods and liquids greatly assist in digestion and assimilation of all the important nutrients you need for serotonin. Additionally, they boost the nutrients in your food by at least a hundred fold. Fermented foods manufacture essential B vitamins that help with boosting your mood. Sauerkraut is an excellent source of fermented food. In addition, an excellent fermented drink is Dong Quai, which is great for energy and mood and it decreases cravings for sugar!

Herbs

The herbal supplements St Johns Wart and Gingko Biloba are excellent natural sources for treating depression and giving the body a boost of energy at the same time. We should never fail to recognize the importance of herbal supplementation in healing certain health conditions with. Herbs work and should be used in conjunction with other helpful natural treatments.

Red Raspberry Tea

Red raspberry tea is especially good for depression and bouts of the blues. This all natural tea balances out the hormones, giving a soothing and calming affect on the body and mind. Herbal teas are good for you and should be a regular part of your diet.

Exercise

Exercise boosts serotonin level in the brain. Even gentle exercise like walking can boost your immunity and mood. Walking is one of the best activities that virtually anyone can partake in. Walk for life.

Foods That Trigger Depression

Refined sugar

If you suffer from low moods, you may have intense cravings for sugar. This is your body's way of trying to increase serotonin because eating sugar produces insulin, which gives you a temporary feeling of elation. But too much sugar overtime can eventually cause addiction to sugar, insulin resistance, hypoglycemia and alcoholism.

Alcohol

If you are trying to overcome depression you should not drink alcohol or take medications that contain alcohol. Alcohol works against the body, causing havoc within our emotions, which only exacerbate symptoms of depression.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants and pain medications are intended to mask the symptoms of depression and throw the bodies hormone system out of whack. The most important thing you can do for your health is to get to the origin of why you are depressed in the first place, so you can stop taking damaging medications. If you want to heal depression the natural way, the first place to start is in your daily diet.

Are you going to let food devour you or will you let food make you well. Having good health in body, mind, and soul is a lifestyle choice. Don't let depression, mood swings, anxiety, or low self worth keep you from enjoying life to its fullest. You can overcome depression and boost your happy hormones with food.

Looking For Manic Depression Symptoms - The Terrible Truth About Mania

Manic depression can occur in both sexes. There are various factors that you have to consider when looking for manic depression symptoms. Are you suffering from extreme feelings of sadness then happiness or vice versa? Is this preventing you from leading the life how you're used to? These are some questions you need to assess to prevent manic depression from taking over you life.

Are mood swings getting in the way of your daily activities? Is it difficult to go back to enjoying the things you loved to do before? Depression can get in the way of your work, family ties and even social life. Why prolong the agony of staying in a life like this? It's stressful to have to constantly worry how you're going to make it through the day.

How would it be for you if I told you that there is a fast and permanent method to help you break the cycle of mania and depression, so you can have your life back, would you be interested? Reading word for word, you'll soon enough discover the secret method that has helped many people over the last 10 years to fight depression, and its different forms.

Manic depression symptoms are usually associated with extreme mood swings. Also known as bipolar affective disorder, manic depression is characterized by alternating highs (mania) and lows (depression). When looking for manic depression symptoms, you need to watch out for the following:

If you're experiencing mania (the 'high' in bipolar affective disorder), you'd be having the following symptoms:

• Frequently irritable


• Flight of ideas (jumping from one idea to another with no association from the previous topic)


• Inability to focus


• High energy levels despite little sleep


• Impulsive actions and behavior (e.g. spending a lot of money; diminished sense of danger)


• Aggressive


• Euphoric (feeling of extreme happiness)


• High sex drive


• The most interesting thing about people having a manic episode is that they don't feel sick. They believe they are perfectly fine, enjoying life to the fullest. The ones who notice that something is wrong are the people who surround them.


• If you're experiencing depression (the 'low' in bipolar affective disorder), you'd have the following symptoms:


• Negative feelings, hopelessness


• 'Feeling of feeling nothing' (numbness)


• Easily tired


• Low self-confidence, worthlessness


• Social withdrawal (avoiding people)


• Suicidal thoughts/Attempting suicide


• Significant changes in weight (lost or gain)


• Sleeping problems, especially waking up in the early hours


• Persistent pain without medical causes


• Bleak outlook on present and future


• Low sex drive

Between manic and depressed episodes you can feel absolutely normal. However, this normal state of mood is very transient. You might experience one of the mood swings sooner or later. Rapid cycling or alternating manic and depressive episodes can happen if you're not in your normal state. After a depression cycle you can experience a hypo-manic interval where you have mild symptoms of mania that may last for a few days.

Live Longer And Healthier: Here's How

Living a healthy lifestyle - that's what most of us want right? People who are concerned about their health and wellbeing are smart enough to know it's only by adopting healthy habits would we be able to live our lives to the fullest. Taking the steps even baby steps towards healthier living is better than doing nothing at all. Here's how you can work on to live a longer and healthier life.

Exercise, exercise, exercise

It's true that sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest problems America is facing today. Everyone knows how important physical activity is and yet, people avoid it like plague. They make all sorts of excuses not to exercise. Some of the most common alibis include I'm too busy, I'm already thin so I don't need exercise, I don't have any space at home to exercise, I can't enroll in a gym because it's too expensive, and I'm too lazy to get off the couch.

The truth is, there's no excuse valid enough (other than medical condition) to make it all right for you to not to exercise. Even the busiest people have at least 30 minutes every day to devote to physical activity. Moderate activities like gardening, chores, and walking can be considered as moving around. You don't have to spend tons of money in a fitness center to get moving.

Physical activity can reduce risks of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, improve stability of the joints, increase flexibility and strength, maintain bone mass, prevent bone problems, and improve mood while reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Maintain a healthy diet

Exercise without proper diet is useless. You need to have a healthy diet to improve your lifestyle. This will not only improve your weight management but also improve the quality of your life as you grow old. Use these tips to make small changes in how you eat.

- Eat more fruits. Add fruits to your cereal, salads, and desserts. Instead of devouring on fat-laden desserts, try making a fruit cocktail and chill it after topping with low fat cream.

- Eat more vegetables. Whenever possible, add veggies to the dishes you're cooking. For example, top your pizza with pepper and corn, add broccoli in the pasta sauce, or insert a slice of tomato or cucumber inside your sandwich. You can also snack on vegetables sticks and low-fat dressing.

- Limit sodium, sugar and fats. Stay away from foods that are high in sodium (processed meats and canned food products), fats (meat, fried foods, and saturated oils), and sugar (pastries, cake, ice cream). Instead, go for foods that are high vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Maintain healthy habits

When it comes to healthy habits, there are four major things that you have to keep in mind. First, get adequate sleep. Second, reduce your stress levels. Third, stop smoking. And fourth, drink alcohol moderately.

Even if you have critical illness insurance and your critical illness coverage is sufficient, don't take risks. It's very good that you're prepared by having insurance coverage but you should keep in mind these tips for healthy living.

5 Herbs That Can Help Relieve Symptoms Of Depression

If you feel that you want as joyful as you should be in your emotions are getting the best of you then you might feel relieved to know that there are many herbal and natural remedies that can help alleviate your symptoms and restore you to the positive person you should be. if you are feeling symptoms of anxiety and depression, you might want to talk to your doctor first before trying any of these herbs especially if you are on other medications is sometimes it can be interactions.

Here are five herbs that may help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety:

Ginkgo Biloba
This herb is long been known as a brain contact that increases blood flow to the brain and regulates the neurotransmitters inside the brain. If you thought the effects of this herb were just folklore, think again because they were than 300 studies done on this herb which show it's beneficial effects.

Siberian Ginseng
Siberian ginseng has been a component in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries but recent studies show that taking it can significantly Improve memory as well as concentration. It is a common ingredient in many herbal remedies used for treating depression. Siberian ginseng can help balance the ephinephrine, norephinephrine, serotonin and dopamine in the brain which can help level your mood. It is also considered to be an adaptogen that can help you cope with stress.

Valerian
this powerful orb can help fill the nervous system and is considered to be one of the most effective herbs for treating anxiety and depression. The reason why it is so in successful is that it affects the production of one of the neurotransmitters that plays a key role in the physiology of anxiety.

SAM-e
clinical studies show that SAM-e has great promise and consistently relieving symptoms of depression. It works similar to the way that antidepressant drugs to as it helps to regulate the various neurotransmitters and hormones in the body. These neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, melatonin and adrenaline can have a large effect on moods. if your body does not have enough SAM-e then the process that regulates these neurotransmitters is compromised. In addition to SAM-e, not having enough the vitamins can affect this as well.

5-HTP or 5-hydroxytryptophan.
5-HTP is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between trytophan and serotonin. 5-HTP can increase serotonin levels which help regulate brain activity that has to do with the persons emotional wellness as well as their cycles of sleeping and waking.

Herbs are being used more and more by the medical community to help treat depression and anxiety and there are more studies being done every day. Scientific research shows that these natural remedies can have a powerful impact on your emotional well-being and brain function

Are Depression and Anxiety Hereditary? It Sure Looks That Way

It is not a rare case to find that a person who experienced depression, anxiety or both also have other family members experiencing the same thing. Most people rarely admit to being depressed and when someone opens up to a member of either the extended or nuclear family, they would be surprised to learn that their cousin is experiencing the same thing.

In fact, there are some families where every member experiences anxiety and depression and is very weak in experiencing happiness. These cases lead some people to think that depression and anxiety are both hereditary, because after all, it seems to be that way because every member of one's family seems to have the same experience. This idea will be brought to light by this article.

It is not rare that people who have diabetes, a hereditary medical problem, have other members who have the same medical problem, this kind of logic is what leads some of us to think that since some families have all of its members experiencing anxiety or depression, then those two might be hereditary. However, this is not supported by scientific findings because there are no genes found to be causing anxiety or depression - at least, not as of now. This means that just because it is not rare to find a family that has every member experiencing depression or anxiety could mean that depression or anxiety is hereditary. While it is concluded that depression and anxiety are not genetically inherited and thus, are only learned behaviors, it is only true for most forms of depression and anxiety. The exception to this conclusion is manic depression or the bipolar disorder, which will be one of the focal points in this article.

The bipolar disorder, which is also referred to sometimes as manic depression, is a case where a person experiences swinging of moods from depression to mania. This one is more hereditary than learned thus a person who has manic depression has very little control over this problem. A person who has bipolar disorders may at one point experience mania or the loss of control, exhibited through overspending, too much taking of risks, rage, sudden increase in sexual appetite, and other forms of losing self-control. After a few moments of being in a normal state, and in some cases, just right after the manic episode, the person may then feel depressed where he lacks motivation along with stress and insomnia.

Since bipolar disorder is a genetic defect that leads to such problems, natural solutions to anxiety and depression have almost futile potency in treating it. Treating manic depression or bipolar disorder, unlike other forms of learned depression and anxiety, requires very long period of treatment along with faithful dosages of medications. In order to achieve at least good results in treating manic depression, those who seek help either for their friends or for themselves must seek a professional who has had a very wide experience and has enough facility and personnel to assist in treating this type of disorder.

Do You Have Work Burnout: Prevention and Symptoms

Work Burnout is Dangerous to your Health!

If you are a business owner or an employee, the holidays can be overly busy times. You feel the responsibility to your customers and clients. Added personal responsibilities for extra time needed to get gifts, attend social events can make you feel like you are burning the candle at both ends. Where is the time going to come from? This added pressure can bring you to the point of burnout.

Work burnout is a common occurrence among the best and most responsible workers in all fields. It happens most frequently if you love your job and what you do. You have high standards for yourself; perhaps you are a bit of a perfectionist or an idealist. You want to provide the best service; go over and beyond what is expected to give service to others.

Burnout can sneak up on you. You may not even realize that it is work that is causing your symptoms, and think that you are feeling stress from other areas in your life. In fact, whether the cause is work or other stress, your symptoms can overlap. Burnout can even seem like depression, and often doctors will misdiagnose and mistreat work burnout. That is why it's important for you to be aware of the symptoms. If you are dealing with another stressor in your life, and you don't feel better, you can start feeling frightened and powerless about getting better.

With work burnout, as you get busier and busier trying to get more accomplished, it become almost like the syndrome of a frog in slowly increasing warm water getting boiled to death. You don't even notice until it's too late.

Symptoms of Burnout:

FATIGUE You are working like a maniac, but never seem to get caught up. Productivity declines as you increase they time you are spending to get your projects done.

SELF FORGETTING You are not taking time to do the things you once enjoyed; seeing your friends, shopping for and cooking healthy foods, reading or watching movies, etc.

UNEXPLAINABLE MISERY You are miserable but don't understand why. You may be feeling tired, but unable to get relief from sleep, if you are able to sleep! Headaches and other physical symptoms, your immune system is being compromised. If you see your doctor, (s)he may misdiagnose and treat you for depression. You are NOT depressed: you are overwhelmed from work.

EMOTIONAL REACTION Your frustration level drops, you become cynical and aggressive. Your values of service are being challenged, and you wonder why you ever thought this work was a good idea.

DISENGAGED You don't want to be with friends or people who you had enjoyed. You want to be by yourself. You push away people who want to help you. You feel an inner emptiness and loss of purpose.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL COLLAPSE Your body, being the receptacle of your negative emotions stops you from continuing on this path by ramping up the milder symptoms to full blown illness. You have passed the point where an easy fix is possible. You MUST stop and rebuild your life.

The fact is that burnout is a very common occurrence in today's economy. People are afraid if they don't do extra, their business or job will be in jeopardy. Frightened about the negative possibilities of the economy, you may be putting extra effort and time into every project and over emphasize the importance of small, otherwise meaningless details.

What can you do to prevent burnout?

It is important to realize that burnout is something that you are creating in your own life. If you work with others who are not suffering from these symptoms, it may help you to understand that there is a reason that you are experiencing burnout and they are not! You may be overworking or taking on too much responsibility. Do you have trouble saying "no"? Are you taking over and not allowing others to do their jobs because you think they may not do it as well as you? Are you a perfectionist, and don't want to share control? Are you enabling others NOT to do the work because they know that YOU will do the job if they don't? If any of these scenarios sound like you, it's time to be honest with yourself. Even if the president of the US stops working, or dies, there is someone who will take over! No one is indispensable.

You must realize that it is not up to you to take care of every one in every moment. If you own your own business, you may need to hire help, because you are trying to do too much yourself! If you are a valued employee, you can speak with your manager or boss, and explain that you are experiencing symptoms of overwork. Good employers and managers will pay attention and help prevent and alleviate burnout and workplace stress with wellness programs, better schedules and job descriptions that don't put their best employees at risk.

Caregiver burnout, work burnout and stress hurt not only an employee, but co-workers and your business clients. It also can make a dent in an employer's bottom line when losing their best workers. Employers will have to pay to rehire and retrain, not knowing if they will get another employee as overly dedicated as the one they lost! Hopefully, your boss will realize that you are an important reason the business is functioning and will help you. Good bosses will provide help for their employees to prevent this from happening. And if your boss doesn't care about helping you these issues, it may be time to start looking for another job.

The best way to prevent work burnout is to be proactive and preventative by doing self-care on a continuous daily basis.

"In an emergency, put on your own oxygen mask first, and then help others".

Cabin Attendant in everyone of the flights you've taken

Other Self care: Be proactive

Eat good food- start with breakfast, healthy snacks (protein - stay away from sugar and white carbs)

Sleep 8 hours - see my sleep hygiene suggestions

Learn to say NO - set up boundaries (see my communication program)

Take a non-coffee/ no cigarette break - Use this time as "Take a Breath break"

Drink a glass of water

Stretch out of your seat (effect of sitting too long: sitosis)

Take a walk, or exercise (park further from your regular spot)

Treat yourself like you are a potential lover you want to impress - say nice things to yourself; make romantic and delicious dinners for yourself; light candles, set the table; listen to yourself - your heart

Keep inspirational quotes around

Turn off bad news - Put on music you enjoy

Smile, relax your face. Smiling has actually been found to be part of a feedback loop that gets your body relaxed, which in turn calms your mind!

The bottom line is: It's up to you to take care of yourself. You can't take care of anyone else if you don't take care of your own needs first. So, to run an effective business, remember to take care of the person who needs it the most: You!

Depression - In Men

Male depression is just as common as female depression, but it doesn't seem so because very few men are speaking out or agreeing that they have depression. So most men with depression go undiagnosed and untreated. And this is very dangerous because people who commit suicide have been depressed and 75% - 80% of all the people who commit suicide in the U.S. are men. This sure makes you wonder if you could have reduced that number if you had just been more observant of the depression symptoms in that friend you know or loved who committed suicide.

If you're a man reading this and you think you may have symptoms of depression, go for diagnosis and start treatment immediately. Untreated depression can have devastating consequences.

Depression is nothing to be ashamed of, it's just another illness like pneumonia or any other illness that you can recover from.

Reasons Why Depression in Men go Undiagnosed

Failure to recognize the symptoms of depression

Downplaying the signs and symptoms

Not open to discussing the exhibited depression symptoms

Resisting treatment due to fear of the stigma of having depression will cause.

The Signs and Symptoms of Depression in Men

Men and women experience depression differently, reasons for this are likely because men use different ways both healthy and unhealthy to cope with their depression. And for women the difference could be due to a combination of factors such as brain chemicals, hormones and life experiences. There are some signs and symptoms common to both male and female depression such as, feeling blue or failure to get pleasure from the activities they once enjoyed, but there are symptoms almost unique to men. They include:

Depression escapist behavior - spending too much time at work or other activity such as sports

Alcohol or substance abuse

Inappropriate anger

Controlling, violent or abusive behavior

Risky behavior, like reckless driving

Infidelity or unhealthy sexual relationships

Male Depression and Suicide

Although there are more women attempting suicide than men, more men are actually successful with it, this could be because they don't talk about committing suicide as women do, they act more quickly on their suicidal thoughts and use more lethal means, such as guns.

If you're male and seriously thinking about committing suicide or you know someone who is, please get help right away. Call 911 or your local emergency number. But if you're simply feeling suicidal, try to get help for yourself by:

Reaching out to a closed friend or loved one and sharing your feelings. If your friend or loved one loves you he or she will be willing to help you without condemning you.

Make appointment with your doctor.

Talk to your doctor about your symptoms he or she will refer you to a mental health provider.

Get the Help you Need

Depression is an illness, a disease, something out of your control. So admitting that you are ill is not a sign of weakness but the first step to get you well and be yourself again. If you have depression symptoms, go see your doctor and get diagnosed now so that you can get started on a treatment. If you let it linger by downplaying your feelings, or blunt it out by drinking too much alcohol or any other escapist behavior, your symptoms will persist and even get worse. And when that happens it will make you and your loved ones miserable and turn every aspect of your life upside down. If you think you have depression, talk to your doctor now, he or she will direct you to a professional mental health provider who can advice you on the illness.

Common Causes of Teenage Depression

The causes of teenage depression are varied. While genetics play a part in some cases of depression, most teens run into additional obstacles that can cause depression or make an existing depression worse. This occurs most often because teenagers are still learning how to cope with everyday issues and problems, finding out who they are and where they fit in the world.

Teenage depression is widespread, yet each case can be as different as night and day among the teens that experience it. Depression can occur for one teenager because she doesn't have friends and doesn't feel like she fits in. Another teenager can be the most popular kid in school and still experience depression perhaps because the stress of being so popular is weighing her down. In other words, teenage depression can occur with any teenager, regardless of how popular she is. It can occur regardless of how intelligent a child is or how involved in extracurricular activities she is. It can occur because of the clothing she does or doesn't wear, it can occur because she was rejected by a boy. Likewise, a teenage boy is vulnerable to depression for similar reasons.

Some of the most common reasons for teenage depression are reasons that might astonish a parent because the reasons might appear slight to a balanced adult. But what is an ant hill to one person might be a mountain to the next, depending on life experiences that have come before the event and how those experiences have molded the person.

Peer Pressure and Stress: Peer pressure is one of the hardest obstacles to face for teenagers. Everyone wants to fit in and when they don't for whatever reason the rejection can be devastating. Stress can occur in a variety of ways and from directions no one expected. Don't add extra stress to a teenager who is already showing signs of stress. Some forms of stress come from school, such as homework, the need to fit in and the need to find someone to date.

Boyfriend/Girlfriend Issues: Dating issues are high on the list of causes for teenage depression. Rejection by a member of the opposite sex can be a horrific letdown for a teenager.

Disturbing Event: A disturbing event could be a death in the family or of another loved one. Other examples of disturbing events include drive-by shootings, school shootings, bombardment with horrific world events from the media, the death of a pet, being involved in an accident or even witnessing an accident or death.

Feelings Of Failure: This type of issue can be hard on teenagers who are constantly being subjected to school tests and sports events. If they don't do well on a test or perform as well as they, their peers, teachers, coaches and parents believe they should have, it can cause feelings of failure that can manifest into depression.

Divorce Or Separation: When a teenager comes from a broken home, their chances of falling into some type of depression is greater than for teens who hail from happy homes with two parents. At the same time, there have also been cases of children who become depressed because they feel guilty because they don't come from a broken home but their friends do. This type of guilt can also bring on a huge sense of depression.

Learning To Spot The Causes

While it is not easy to spot the causes of teenage depression, it is wise to keep a steady lookout for symptoms that might indicate a problem is brewing. Teenagers tend to keep a lot of information to themselves. They don't often understand what's going on inside their own heads and bodies, and that can be frightening. When they become frightened, they may clam up and not speak to their parents or to their friends.

Because adult issues seem so much more demanding than issues a teenager might face, parents tend to blow off their kids' issues as nothing to be concerned about. But, when a parent takes into consideration the life experiences of a teen and then balances it against the life experiences of an adult, it becomes evident that the issues of a teenager are just as heavy to the teen as the issues of an adult are to the adult. If a parent acknowledges that their child's issues are as great as their own issues, it is much easier to recognize when a child is under too much stress or is bordering on depression.

For instance, if your child's personality changes even slightly you should recognize it as a sign that something is going on. If that something is out of the norm, a watchful parent probably will begin to see a pattern develop. Patterns that point to depression should be addressed immediately with a trained professional in the medical field. While no one can be sure which forms of depression will morph into dangerous medical conditions if not taken care of, and which forms of depression disappear without help, it's best not to second-guess the situation. Don't take chances with your child's wellbeing. If an issue arises with your teenager or with a teenager you know, it's your responsibility to seek help.

Bipolar Mania Disorder - Triggers to Watch Out For

Life becomes miserable for those afflicted with bipolar mania disorder. The mood swings in such people is way beyond the normal mood swings experienced by people. The mood swings in those having bipolar disorder fluctuates between extremely low levels to depression and highs of mania or elated mood. The frequency of the mood changes will vary from one person to another. Although the exact causes for bipolar mania disorder have not yet been established, experts believe that certain personal experiences can trigger of the symptoms.

The triggers, also known as stressors that often lead to mania or depressive episodes include, using drugs or alcohol, not getting enough sleep and sudden stoppage of some medication, among others. Certain medical conditions are also known to cause these triggers. For example bipolar mania disorder is found in more numbers among those suffering from thyroid problems. In some people seasonal changes are known to trigger off the symptoms.

Even holidays to a distant land with different climatic conditions is known to trigger of the symptoms. A disagreement with close friends or family members, which leads to deep depression also ultimately leads to bipolar mania disorder in many people. Work related stress is another trigger that has been the cause of the disorder in many. In today's hectic and competitive business environment, work related stress is common and in trying to win the rat race, many people end up ruining their physical as well as their mental health.

It is important for you to recognize the triggers if you have been diagnosed with bipolar mania disorder. You can keep a small diary with you always and note down the triggers. You can also ask some of your friends or family members to pay attention to the triggers that lead to mood swings, if you are not able to keep tab on them.

Bipolar Disorder Test - Ensuring That the Illness Is Diagnosed Correctly

Bipolar disorder is a very serious ailment that affects lots of people in the United States. The ramifications of the disease go much further, with the families of the sufferers being affected badly as well. This problem is also known as manic depression. A person suffering from this disease goes through periods of elevated moods called mania followed by a period of depression. These mood swings can take place without any warning. There are also many people who show both the symptoms of mania and depression at the same time. It is important to get a bipolar disorder test done in order to find out whether the person actually suffers from this disease or from something else.

It is very common for people suffering from this disease to be misdiagnosed with ADHD especially when their manic episodes are very intense and they are hyperactive and have very high levels of energy. This can lead to severe problems because they are then offered the wrong treatment. A doctor will first carry out certain tests in order to eliminate the possibility of certain illnesses. Doctors will need to check for hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism as well as Syphilis or HIV/AIDS. A doctor will normally only administer a bipolar disorder test when these tests are completed and come out negative.

There is no physiological test that will help diagnose this disorder correctly. A bipolar test is usually administered by asking the patient a series of questions in order to eliminate the possibility of other psychological ailments being responsible for the symptoms. There are certain symptoms that are very characteristic of this disease and a good bipolar disorder test will help identify them immediately.

These tests are devised in such a manner that they extract detailed information from the patient. They are usually very easy to complete because they are couched in simple terms that are easy to understand. A person taking the test will not encounter medical jargon but will read about actual symptoms and sensations that he or she would undoubtedly have experienced.

If you get this test for yourself or someone close to you, then you should ensure that you select one of the best possible ones. This is necessary in order to get the most accurate results. You should also follow up the test with a visit to a qualified healthcare practitioner in order to be absolutely sure about the nature of the disease. You have to understand that these tests are no substitute for proper medical knowledge. Only a detailed clinical assessment will give you a correct picture regarding the ailment.

A patient suffering from bipolar disorder needs to get the right treatment as soon as the disease is diagnosed. This is extremely important because the person can injure himself or others or even commit suicide.

What Makes A Person Suffering From Depression Push Their Loved Ones Away?

It is true what they say about depression, that it affects your whole being. Depression, apparently, relates not only to your mental being, but also to your physical and social self. In like manner, depression affects not only the sufferer but also the people around him or her. People who are depressed have feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. These feelings can be very overwhelming to the point that they "push" anyone who tries to get close to them. If you happen to be at the opposite end, this can be very painful for you. More frequently than not, people who suffer from depression do not really realize that while they are hurting inside they also hurt the people they love in the process. But there are ways of dealing with depression so that it doesn't reach to the point when relationships with loved ones are affected. Here are some tips that can help you help your loved one overcome depression:

1. Don't let your loved one push you away. It may be necessary to give him or her time and space, but don't make your presence overwhelming. Don't talk too much. Be more of a listening ear than a gabbing tongue. In many cases, silence speaks volumes of words. Just be there and be ready with your hand he/she can hold to.


2. Try to get to the bottom of your friend's depression. There are various reasons why one gets depressed and for many of these reasons are practical solutions. If financial difficulties are causing your friend to get depressed, here are some ways you can be of help:
   
   
   1. Get your friend to list down all her creditors and the amount owed to each and every one of them.
   
   
   2. Encourage your friend to have his/her loans consolidated. Loan or debt consolidation can reduce the interest rates, and it will be easier for your friend to manage his/her debts with just one person or company to deal with every month.
   
   
   3. Help your friend to control his/her expenses. Get your friend to make a list of monthly expenses. Many of these expenses (such as Friday nights dinner, weekend trips, cable, etc) may not be necessary at all so get his/her to get it off the list at least for the meantime.
   
   
   4. Ask your friend pay for purchases in cash instead of relying on credit cards. With cash payments, your friend will not be tempted to buy anything he/she cannot afford for the time being.
   
   
   5. Help your friend to find work opportunities online. Getting a part-time job online can help your friend deal with his/her financial trouble.
3. Go out with your friend. If heartbreak is the reason for your friend's depression, get him/her out of his/her nutshell, not necessarily to date other people but to realize that he/she is not the only one in the world.


4. Encourage healthy eating. I've personally seen profiles of people who are depressed for one reason or another, and for most of them, turning on to "comfort" foods is second nature. But you should know that the effects of these comfort foods never last long. Worse, they can make one look bloated because of too much salt content that tends to draw water inside. Encourage healthy eating habits and wise food choices that include vegetables and fruits.

Normally, depression lasts but just a few days. If your friend appears to be withdrawn for a much longer period of time or exhibits signs and symptoms that affect his/her state of mind and general well being, get him/her to seek professional help. He/she may already require psychotherapy and antidepressants to control the problem.

Mental Nursing Assessment

Mental nursing assessment is required to know about the emotional feelings of the patient. It also measures the cognitive functioning of the patient. The nurse will ask questions and do the examination for finding the mental health of the patient. The nurse will evaluate the patient by assessing the mood, memory, behavior, reasoning, ability and thinking of the patient so that he/she will know how far the patient can express him/herself. Sometimes, the mental assessment also requires lab tests like urine tests or blood tests. Mental nursing assessment should be performed by a registered nurse, psychiatrist, social worker, doctor or psychologist.

Mental nursing assessment is done by checking the mental related problems like depression, anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia and depression. For performing nursing assessment, the nurses should have good experience in the field of pharmacology and mental illness. During mental assessment, the nurses will try to understand how well the patients can respond or adjust with the difficulties. The nurse should interview the patient which may consist of physical examination as well as verbal or written tests. During the interview with the patient, the nurse should pay attention to the details on how the patient behaves while asking questions.

The mood changes of the patient will be measured and noted by the nurse in the nursing assessment. Mental nursing assessment may consist of a physical examination and the doctor will go through the past medical history of the patient and the prescription medicines taken by the patient. The nurse will test the balance, reflexes and senses like touch, smell, sight, taste and hearing of the patient to know whether there is any kind of abnormalities in the behavior and mental health of the patient. The mental assessment tests also include lab tests of urine or blood sample also. Computed tomography, electroencephalogram and MRI are done in case of any suspected problem in the nervous system. Toxicology screening, thyroid function tests and electrolyte levels are performed to find out other problems.

Mental nursing assessment also include written or verbal test in which the patient should answer questions loudly or by writing the answers on the paper. The answers of the patient is scored and rated by the nurse. Most of the questionnaires consists of about 20-30 questions which are in Yes or No format. Most of the questions are addressing specific problems such as the cognitive function of the individual. The assessment also measure how well the patient can carry out day-to-day activities like eating, drinking, shopping, banking or dressing. More extensive tests are performed in case of extreme cases. It also measures the ability to act on crisis situations. The types of depressions also are evaluated to know the extent of the illness so that accurate treatment can be provided.

Mood Disorders and Orthomolecular Medicine

In any given 1-year period, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from depression.

1. Major depression is the leading cause of disability. The indirect and direct costs of mood disorder illnesses totals over 43 billion dollars a year. Depression and related mood disorders rank behind high blood pressure as the most common reason people visit their doctors.

Most individuals who consult their medical doctor for mood disorders are placed on prescription medications.

And in fact as many as 10% of the U.S. population has taken one of these medications. Prescription antidepressants sales reached a total of 37 billion in sales in 2003, which came out to $9 million more than was spent on treatments for the heart, arteries and blood pressure.

2. The largest growth spurt in antidepressant use has been among preschoolers, ages 2-4.

3. In 2003 over one million American children were taking an antidepressant medication.
4. However, several studies show that between 19-70% of those taking antidepressant medications do just as well by taking a placebo or sugar pill.

5. These studies help explain why most individuals may initially benefit from taking an antidepressant drug only to find that the positive affects soon wear off. Some may switch from one antidepressant drug to another. And while patients are attempting to correct their mood disorders with prescription dugs that may or may not be more effective than a sugar pill, all of these drugs have potential, sometimes serious, side effects.

Prozac has been associated with over 1,734 suicide deaths and over 28,000 adverse reactions.6
Prescription antidepressants can cause depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal tendencies, tremors or involuntary muscle spasms, and senility. Yes, prescription antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs can and do cause depression and anxiety.

7. Those suffering from anxiety are commonly prescribed one of the benzodiazepine (tranquilizer) medications, Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin or others.

National surveys show that 5.6 million adults over the age of 65 are now taking tranquilizers.

8. These medications are associated with numerous unwanted side effects including poor sleep, seizures, mania, depression, suicide, ringing in the ears, amnesia, dizziness, anxiety, disorientation, low blood pressure, nausea, fluid retention, tremors, sexual dysfunction (decreased desire and performance), weakness, somnolence (prolonged drowsiness or a trance-like condition that may continue for a number of days), and headaches.

9. Over 73,000 older adults experience drug-induced tardive dyskinesia (tremors or uncontrollable shakes). For many, these tremors are permanent.

10. Orthomolecular Medicine

Fortunately for those looking for a safer, often times more effective way to beat mood disorders, a group of progressive minded physicians helped pioneer a new way of treating mental disorders, known as orthomolecular medicine.

In 1968, two time Nobel Prize-winner Linus Pauling, Ph.D., originated the term "orthomolecular" to describe an approach to medicine that uses naturally occurring substances normally present in the body. "Ortho" means correct or normal, and orthomolecular physicians recognize that in many cases of physiological and psychological disorders health can be reestablished by properly correcting, or normalizing, the balance of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other similar substances within the body. And unlike drug therapy, which attempts to cover-up the symptoms associated with a mood disorder, orthomolecular medicine seeks to find and correct the cause of the illness.

Where do the neurotransmitters come from?
Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that help relay electrical messages from one nerve cell to another. Neurotransmitters are produced from the amino acids in the foods we eat. Amino acids join together in different patterns to form a protein. Eating a protein rich food allows us to replenish our ongoing demand for the essential amino acids. Half of the amino acids are essential. This means our bodies can't manufacture them and we must get them from the foods we eat (protein). Certain amino acids along with certain B vitamins and minerals produce the neurotransmitters. The amino acid tryptophan turns into serotonin. The amino acid phenylalanine turns into epinephrine. Amino acids are the raw nutrients needed to manufacture the neurotransmitters, which regulate our moods.

What do neurotransmitters do?
Neurotransmitters help regulate pain, reduce anxiety, promote happiness, initiate deep sleep, boost energy, and mental clarity.
The neurotransmitters that cause excitatory reactions are known as catecholamines. Catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline) are derived from the amino acid phenylalanine.
Inhibitory or relaxing neurotransmitters include serotonin and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). The neurotransmitter serotonin is produced from the amino acid tryptophan. GABA is produced from the amino aid glutamine.

Amino Acid Replacement Therapy
The most popular antidepressant drugs are known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI's). SSRI's including the drugs Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, and Zoloft are supposed to help the brain re-uptake the serotonin it produces. It is analogous to using a gasoline additive to help your car get more mileage out of the gasoline in your tank.
Unfortunately, many of the individuals who suffer from mood disorders, don't have any serotonin in their brains to re-uptake. A gasoline additive poured into an empty gasoline tank doesn't help much, if at all.
No one is born with a Prozac deficiency. However, people can develop a serotonin deficiency. Orthomolecular medicine uses amino acid replacement therapy to correct serotonin and other neurotransmitter deficiencies. I've found this approach to be just as effective (if not more so) than prescription antidepressant medications.
I've found very few problems with mixing amino acids with prescription anti-depressants. In fact, ninety percent of my patient's are initially on prescription antidepressants when I first start them on amino acid replacement therapy.
Over the years I've used various questionnaires or tests to determine which amino acids needed to be recommended. I've been using the questionnaire below and have found it provides a quick and accurate assessment tool to diagnose a person's brain chemistry.

Brain Function Questionnaire

The "S" Group
If three or more of these descriptions apply to your present feelings, you are probably part of the "S" group:
o It's hard for you to go to sleep.
o You can't stay asleep.
o You often find yourself irritable.
o Your emotions often lack rationality.
o You occasionally experience unexplained tears.
o Noise bothers you more than it used to; it seems louder than normal.
o You flare up at others more easily than you used to; you experience unprovoked anger.
o You feel depressed much of the time.
o You find you are more susceptible to pain.
o You prefer to be left alone.
Serotonin is a hypothalamus neurotransmitter necessary for sleep. A lack of serotonin causes difficulty in getting to sleep as well as staying asleep. It is often this lack of sleep that causes the symptoms mentioned above.
Serotonin levels can easily be raised by supplementing with the essential amino acid L-tryptophan, but dietary supplements of L-tryptophan are banned in the United States.
However, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP), a form of tryptophan, is available over-the-counter and works extremely well for most patients. Patients should start with 50mg. of 5HTP, 30 minutes before bed. They should take on an empty stomach along with 4 oz. of grape juice. They may need to increase this dose, up to 300 mg. per night. Individuals who don't have trouble sleeping at night but do have other symptoms of the "S" group might want to take 100 mg. of 5HTP three times daily, with food. 5HTP doesn't usually cause drowsiness when taken with food.

The "G" Group
If three or more of these descriptions apply to your present feelings, you are probably part of the "G" group:
o You often feel anxious for no reason.
o You sometimes feel "free-floating" anxiety.
o You frequently feel "edgy," and it's difficult to relax.
o You often feel a "knot" in your stomach.
o Falling asleep is sometimes difficult.
o It's hard to turn your mind off when you want to relax.
o You occasionally experience feelings of panic for no reason.
o You often use alcohol or other sedatives to calm down.
The "G" group symptoms are from the absence of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is an important neurotransmitter involved in
regulating mood and mental clarity. Tranquilizers (benzodiazepines) used to treat anxiety and panic disorders work by increasing GABA.
GABA is made from the amino acid glutamine. Glutamine passes across the blood-brain barrier and helps provide the fuel needed for proper brain function.
A deficiency in L-glutamine can result in foggy thinking, anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
Usually only a small dose of GABA is needed, 500-1,000 mg. twice daily. Some individuals may need to take it three-four times a day. Like most amino acids, GABA needs to be taken on an empty stomach.

The "D" Group
If three or more of these descriptions apply to your present feelings, you are probably part of the "D" group:
o You lack pleasure in life.
o You feel there are no real rewards in life.
o You have unexplained lack of concern for others, even loved ones.
o You experience decreased parental feelings.
o Life seems less "colorful" or "flavorful."
o Things that used to be fun aren't any longer enjoyable.
o You have become a less spiritual or socially concerned person.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with the enjoyment of life: food, arts, nature, your family, friends, hobbies, and other pleasures. Cocaine's (and chocolate's) popularity stems from the fact that it causes very high levels of dopamine to be released in a sudden rush.
A dopamine deficiency can lead to a condition known as anhedonia. Anhedonia is the lack of ability to feel any pleasure or remorse in life. Brain fatigue, confusion, and lethargy are all by-products of low dopamine.
The brain cells that manufacture dopamine use the amino acid L-phenylalanine as a raw material. Like most cells in the hypothalamus, they have the ability to produce four-five times their usual output if larger quantities of the raw materials are made available through nutritional supplementation.
Start your patients with 1,000 mg. of L-phenylalanine one-two times daily on an empty stomach. If they don't seem to notice any benefits, keep increasing the dose, up to 4,000 mg. twice a day. If they experience a rapid heart beat, agitation, or hyperactivity, have them reduce or stop taking L-phenylalanine.

The "N" Group
If three or more of these descriptions apply to your present feelings, you are probably part of the "N" group:
o You suffer from a lack of energy.
o You often find it difficult to "get going."
o You suffer from decreased drive.
o You often start projects and then don't finish them.
o You frequently feel a need to sleep or "hibernate."
o You feel depressed a good deal of the time.
o You occasionally feel paranoid.
o Your survival seems threatened.
o You are bored a great deal of the time.

The neurotransmitter norepinephrine, when released in the brain, causes feelings of arousal, energy, and drive. On the other hand, a short supply of it will cause feelings of a lack of ambition, drive, and/or energy. A deficiency can even cause depression, paranoia, and feelings of apathy.
Norepinephrine is also used to initiate the flow of adrenaline when you are under psychological stress. The production of norepinephrine in the hypothalamus is a 2-step process. The amino acid L-phenylalanine is first converted into tyrosine. Tyrosine is then converted into norepinephrine. Tyrosine, then, can be supplemented to increase norepinephrine (and dopamine). But too much tyrosine can cause headaches, so I usually recommend L-phenylalanine replacement first.

1. Robins LN, Regier DA (Eds). Psychiatric Disorders in America, The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study, 1990; New York: The Free Press.
2. Beth Hawkins, A Pill is not Enough, City Pages.com
Vol 25 issue 1225 Minneapolis MN.
3. JAMA February 23, 2000;283:1025-1030,1059-1060
4. Drug report barred by FDA
Scientist links antidepressants to suicide in kids
Rob Waters, Special to The Chronicle
Sunday, February 1, 2004
5. Joan-Ramone Laporte and Albert Figueras, "Placebo Effects in Psychiatry," Lancet 334 (1993):1206-8.
6. Death and near death attributed to Prozac, Citizens Commission on Human Rights.
7. Whittle TJ, Wiland Richard, The story behind Prozac the killer drug, Freedom Magazine, 6331 Hollywood BLVD., suite 1200 Los Angeles, CA 90028. 7. Monthly Prescribing Reference Haymarket Media Publication Nov 2005, New York NY.
8. Sidney Wolfe, Larry Sasich, and Rose-Ellen Hope, Worst Pills Best Pills.
Pocket Books New York, NY 1999 pg179.
9. Sidney Wolfe, Larry Sasich, and Rose-Ellen Hope, Worst Pills Best Pills.
Pocket Books New York, NY 1999 pg11.
10. Sidney Wolfe, Larry Sasich, and Rose-Ellen Hope, Worst Pills Best Pills.
Pocket Books New York, NY 1999.

Depression Symptoms According to Types of Depression

Here you can find some common Depression Symptoms which will help you to understand the basic symptoms of depression in initial stage. The person always feels sad and lonely, start avoiding friends and family. You can observe the unusual change in behavior like feeling stressed out or tired all the time and also go through pains and acne in neck shoulder, leg, head etc. Usually there is a change in weight may be gain or loss in weight and concentration. One becomes weak which results in poor work performance and difficulty in making decisions. Many a times there is a change in menstrual cycle of women.

Gather the information about the symptoms according to the type of depression of an individual. People suffering with depression and anxiety feel that they are in danger or bad things will happen to them or to their close ones. They become paranoid and live in constant fear. They develop negative thinking.

Apart from some of these common symptoms people suffering from depression can have dry mouth, fatigues and faint. Many a times they shiver, have a fast heart beat, muscle aches, sweat and usually have cold and moist hands.

People suffering with major depression could show up some of these types of depression symptoms such as low energy, low mood and also loss their interest in their favorite activities. They have trouble in sleeping like they can wake up early in the morning or wake up in night repeatedly. You can also observe that people suffering with major depression start feeling guilty, loss confidence and self-esteem. It is hard for them to concentrate on their work and therefore their performance drops. They think about suicide or can attempt to do so.

Bipolar depression is another type which could be defined as mood swing and fluctuation in mood of a person. Bipolar depression has two phases one is manic and other one is depressive disorder. Both of these phases have different symptoms. Each one have its own symptoms and signs such as a person suffering from manic can show symptoms like he has increased energy, becomes aggressive and irritable, speaks faster than he used to, have increased sexual drive, restlessness, unable to stick to decisions and lose self-confidence.

Just as people suffering with depressive disorder have a feeling of hopeless and worthlessness, they either have over sleep or can face problems in sleep. They even become physically ill and lose interest in activities. They can even attempt suicide.

Most of the time women get depressed in pregnancy which is known as postpartum depression. It extends after depression also may be for a year after delivery. You can observe the depression symptoms like they lack in energy, loses appetite, a sudden increase or decrease in weight, continuous crying and anxiety and a lot of mood swing can also be noticed. They become paranoid about themselves and baby feeling someone will harm their baby or something bad will happen.

If you notice some of these symptoms in you, then you need a doctor or psychiatrist. They will help you to understand the situation and improve your thinking and behavior with the help of medication, psychotherapies, antidepressants, depression natural remedy and acupuncture.

Insights On Securing Your Products With Hologram Labels

Hologram labels are usually seen in certain items that are sold in the supermarket or in the department store. Although they appear like a common element of the packaging of a product, not all people know what they stand for. Most shoppers think that they are mere symbols of quality product. While that is correct, they hold more important things than that.

For business owners, these tags can affect the flow of profit that they are looking forward to. This is because they prevent the forging of branded products besides their capacity to prove brand integrity. As we all know, businesses offering great brands lose their market to fraudulent firms which produce counterfeits sold at relatively low prices. Consumers may not know that they are buying counterfeits especially when such items look exactly the same with the originals. With the use of holographic stickers, businesses can educate the consumers to look for these brand seals before they make any purchase.

The advancements in technology have made these tags mediums of security just like bar codes. However, they have a different security feature that exposes a pattern of dots once they are lifted off the products to which they are attached. This procedure helps in revealing shoppers who might have bad intentions on these products. Because of this security feature, these special tags are used by software manufacturers, passport producers, car manufacturers, credit card companies, record and film producers and credit card companies among others.

The creation of hologram labels involves varied procedures like coating, finishing and embossing. The rainbow hues seen in them once moved in different angles are produced by electric and laser beams. At a certain cost, holograms in three dimensions may also be requested for the security of your products. Such tags are difficult to be copied for falsification purposes.

Obviously, these items can only be made by expert printers. They come in certain variations and so they will cost differently too. Learn the standard price offers for these tags so that you can wisely choose a suitable service provider. Look for a service provider who can work with your budget. Never settle with the first one that you will stumble upon. Besides affordability, underscore on the credibility of your prospective service providers. This is very important as your chosen printer is responsible for the security tags for your products. You have to ensure the labels that will be assigned to your products would not be assigned to other companies' merchandise. In connection to this, ask about the use of customized sticker solution that will guarantee the uniqueness of your tags.

Lastly, a reliable printer can give you the best quotes for the production of your hologram labels. These quotes are not necessarily cheap. They are just right for the quality of the material for your stickers and the quality of the service you will receive. A reliable printer would also be honest in letting you know whether the security design you want is realizable with your budget.

Profile of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

What are some common things one would see in people who've survived sexual abuse? While there is no definite or uniform profile of a victim of child sexual abuse, there are many indicators that a person is a survivor. Finding out if an adult or grown up is a victim of sexual abuse during his/her childhood is very difficult since most indicators may already have been overcome. But by looking at an adolescent or teenage respondent, the signs of abuse are very fresh and obvious:

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety and severe feelings of pressure are tangible manifestations of prior sexual abuse. Young adolescents and teens do not have the ability to recover fast from their sexual abuse experience during childhood. As a result, they tend to show behavioral tendencies like being hyper vigilant and paranoid. They will frequently think that anyone they meet will abuse or exploit them. As soon as they begin to be indulged in this kind of personality, their entire life is greatly affected. Although they may have survived the abuse, eliminating the memories of it is still a long road to recovery.

Depression

Depression is another sign one would see from a child sexual abuse survivor. It is primarily a lasting imprint of the trauma experienced by the victim. The signs of depression can be shown immediately after the abuse. They can be seen in the behavior and habits like health disorders caused by lack of sleep and food/nutrient intake, alcohol and drug abuse, suicidal tendencies, and isolation.

While an average person is depressed due to usual problems like work and family issues, a child sexual abuse survivor may be a hundred fold more depressed. He/she does not care about the emotional and health consequences of what he/she is doing, as long as he exhibits the symptoms of depression.

Substance and Alcohol Addiction

Adolescent survivors of sexual abuse learn to cope up with the trauma in either good or bad way. In good ways, they allow themselves to be helped through counseling and therapy sessions. As soon as they subject themselves into those methods, they successfully regain control of their future. Unfortunately though, only a few take this road. Many survivors of child sexual abuse turn to alcohol and drug abuse by the time they reach adolescent or teenage years.

The primary reason for it is to provide at least a temporary relief from the pain and trauma they have been suffering from the day they were abused. They also use drugs to momentarily forget the haunting memories of the experience. But then again, succumbing to drugs and alcohol addiction does nothing good to them. In fact, their lives are further ruined by it.

Abnormal and Inappropriate Sexual Behavior and Orientation

There's a great chance that child abuse survivors will become sexually aggressive themselves. Although there are a few who may abuse children as well, there is no scientific or psychological evidence linking future sexually abusive tendencies and prior sexual abuse experience.

Nevertheless, survivors may well be over with what they have suffered before, but this doesn't also mean that they aren't capable of doing the same. Or at least, most adolescent or teen survivors may act a bit stranger sexually, for instance, becoming more interested in engaging in it than other teens of the same age or perhaps experiment with sex more often.

In general, there are various signs one can see in order to know if someone is a victim or survivor of child sexual abuse. However, we should as well put in mind that not all survivors manifest negative consequences. Others are willing enough to tell and share their experience with other victims in order to show to them their recovery and how they were able to cope with the traumatic experience.

Bipolar I Disorder and Bipolar II Disorder - Eliminating Mood Swings

Bipolar disorder or manic depression is characterized by an alternation of mood and reactions in individuals who are gradually losing their conscience. They have feelings of grandiosity. They are possessed by an exaggerated energy that leads them to intense activity. After a certain period of time, they are immersed in profound depression. This condition was given the clinical name bipolar because the state of euphoria and depression are at the polar ends of the human range of emotions.

In severe cases, individuals affected by bipolar disorder experience delusions or hallucinations. Their mental disorder acquires the characteristics of a psychosis because they become out of touch with reality.

Bipolar I disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings, from mania (an exaggerated enthusiasm or euphoria) to depression (deep sadness and despair).

Bipolar II disorder is characterized by episodes of hypomania, which generate reactions not as enthusiastic as in cases of bipolar I disorder. Bipolar II disorder generates medium depression, in alternation with hypomanic episodes.

Cyclothymic disorder describes mood swings that are less intense than in cases of bipolar I or II disorder.

In order to eliminate the mood swings that cause abnormal behavior, bipolar individuals must follow dream therapy. The unconscious mind that produces our dreams is a perfect natural doctor. It analyzes the content of the dreamers' psyche and their lives in the dream images. Thus, by translating the meaning of their dreams according to the scientific method, manic depressed or bipolar individuals can understand how to fight against their mental disorder.

The unconscious psychotherapy is based on showing to all dreamers all the mistakes they make for being influenced by their anti-conscience. The anti-conscience is our primitive and wild personality, which is extremely violent, immoral, and cruel. When it invades the human side of our conscience it generates mental illnesses or disorders and abnormal behavior.

All mental disorders begin with the influence of the anti-conscience into our human conscience. However, its poisonous action has different effects on each person. Everything depends on their psychological make-up and on the situations they experience in their lives.

Introverted psychological types are closer to insanity because they are more connected to their internal ego than to what is happening in the real world. This is why they tend to become bipolar. Extroverted psychological types are not more balanced than introverted ones, but they manage to overcome their existential problems through material compensations.

Extroverted psychological types usually suffer from mental illnesses that are not recognized by the superficial mindset of our materialistic civilization, like neurosis. Introverted psychological types usually fall into their anti-conscience's traps because they are more interested in their personal opinion than in the general opinion.

The anti-conscience penetrates the human conscience of all human beings by imposing its absurd thoughts and feelings. However, it pretends to belong to the human conscience. Thus, we cannot recognize its intervention, unless we study the lessons given by the unconscious mind in our dreams.

Even though extroverted psychological types become victims of the anti-conscience's absurdity many times, they don't trust their personal judgment as much as introverted psychological types. Introverted psychological types tend to follow the crazy thoughts and feelings imposed by the anti-conscience for believing that they are 'their own thoughts and feelings', without suspecting that this content is primitive. The unconscious psychotherapy helps them separate the primitive and poisonous content that belongs to the anti-conscience from the content of their human side.

All dream images contain important messages that eliminate the negative influence of the dreamers' anti-conscience. Through dream therapy, they learn how to stop following the absurdity imposed by their anti-conscience; thus, eliminating the mood swings it generates. This is how they manage to tame their wild nature and acquire more consciousness. They are then able to build a sensible, sensitive, and self-confident personality.