Is Your Teenager Depressed? Find Out The Four Top Causes Of Teenage Depression

Depression and teenage depression is alarmingly common than expected these days, little wonder it is called ''the common cold of mental illness''. But what causes teenage depression and indeed depression? I have described some of the top causes or triggers of teenage depression in this article;

Genetic Causes: There appears to be an inherited genetic defect believed to predispose some persons to some form of depression like manic depression and even teenage depression according to research. This implies that major depressive disorder may be partly the result of inherited factors. This genetic form of depression is called endogenous depression. This suggests that depression indeed runs in some families. Apart from this, there is also a greater tendency for identical twins to share a history of major depression than fraternal twins according to research. These points suggest a genetic cause for teenage depression.

Hormone Imbalance: Another very likely cause of teenage depression is hormonal imbalance specifically due to the malfunction of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus in the brain regulates internal functions like appetite, sexual interest and even mood. Thus, any disruption in the normal operations of the hypothalamus or hormonal imbalance due to various factors including stress might result in depression.

Environmental Factors: The following external or environmental factors can trigger the onset of depression. In general:
• A trauma ( such as experiencing a rape and the death of a loved one)
• A divorce
• The loss of a job
• Having a poor interpersonal relations
• Physical illness and
• Stress

Any of the above external factors may represent the initial stimulus that ignites your teen's internal organs particularly the hypothalamus that regulates his mood. Thus, when any of these factors are present, your teen may experience a degree of depression.

Your Teen's Diet: Your teenager's diet can also be a major cause of depression. If your teen eats ''junk food'', skip meals and even go for weeks without eating green vegetables, your teen might be very prone to depression. If he or she eats a balanced meal regularly coupled with moderation with the consumption of foods like pies, chocolate, candy and soda pop, he will be greatly relieved of depression.

I have examined four major possible causes of teenage depression which are; nutrition, environmental factors, hormone imbalance and genetic causes. If your teen is presently experiencing depression at the moment, chances are that it may have stemmed from any of the causes discussed in this article. To find out about other causes not described in this article Click Here.

Breast Cancer Signs - Subtle Evidence to Help in Pinpointing Breast Cancer

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime and early detection is critical for survival - which is why it's critical that all women be aware of possible breast cancer signs and symptoms.

Read on to learn more about associated symptoms and breast cancer signs, along with information on how to watch out for them.

Lump

The majority of breast cancer cases (80%) are diagnosed after a person finds a lump in her own breast and makes an appointment with her doctor. Identifying a lump is usually the easiest and most direct way of detecting the disease.

Most women find lumps during a routine Breast Self Exam (BSE). To learn how to give yourself a breast examination, the Komen website (an organization dedicated to supporting women with breast cancer) offers instructions online, komen.org.

Changing Breast Shape, Skin Texture or Size

A drastic change in a breast's skin texture, shape or overall size can be a clear indicator of breast cancer. Many breast cancer victims also see a dimpling or wrinkling of the skin.

Soreness and Skin Irritation

Women diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) typically experience redness, swelling, heat and pain throughout the breast and nipple. The symptom basically resembles a skin inflammation, like an allergic reaction to a product or fabric.

Paget's Disease of the Breast

Paget's disease is what is considered a secondary or complex symptom of breast cancer. Essentially, the skin of the breast and/or nipple feels and appears as though it's afflicted by eczema. The skin is flaking, itchy, irritated and red.

Loss of Appetite

Like many cancers, breast cancer patients often experience a decrease in their appetite alongside subsequent weight loss. This symptom doesn't affect all patients, but is common.

Anxiety, Stress and Depression

Unfortunately, mental and emotional symptoms aren't as documented or researched as physical indicators. However, many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer report symptoms of depression and anxiety even before their diagnosis.

Genealogy

If any of your immediate family members or several members of your extended family have been diagnosed with breast cancer, then you need to let your doctor know. You should also commit to monthly self breast exams and annual mammograms.

Diagnosing Symptoms

If you're experiencing any or all the above symptoms, then you may want to consult with your doctor. Remember, the sooner breast cancer is detected, the better your long-term prognosis. 

The American Cancer Society recommends conducting a monthly self breast exam and an annual mammogram to detect breast cancer signs like a lump or skin changes.

Ambien Depression

Ambien is the brand name of a prescription drug containing the active ingredient Zolpidem. It is a type of sedative or sleeping pill and is often prescribed as a treatment for insomnia. Due to risks associated with long term use, in particular the risk of dependency, it is only used on a short term basis for no more than a few days or so. One of the advantages of this drug is that the effects are felt almost immediately so it must be taken on an empty stomach just before going to bed.

The kind of sleep problems that Ambien can be used for include difficulty in getting to sleep, waking up very early in the morning or waking up frequently during the night. Insomnia or sleeplessness can be a symptom of depression and anyone who has difficulty in sleeping over an extended period of time, should see their doctor.

Depression can affect anyone and although no one knows what actually causes depression, there are combinations of biological, genetic, and psychological factors that are implicated, for example, chemical imbalances in the brain, a history of depression in the family, and having a pessimistic outlook on life. Some groups of people also appear to be more at risk, such as the long term sick and unemployed, the socially isolated, those in prison, anyone battling with drug or alcohol addiction and those with an existing mental health problem. So how do you know if you are suffering from depression?

Symptoms of depression

Depression is indicated if the individual has feelings of sadness or low moods along with other symptoms of depression that have lasted for more than two weeks and which are severe enough to interrupt daily routines and activities.

o Feeling tired and lethargic for most of the time

o Persistent low moods and sadness, a feeling of despondency

o Sleep disturbances, either inability to sleep or sleeping too much

o A pessimistic outlook on life

o Feeling anxious and nervous

o Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

o Frightening and irrational thoughts

o Loss of pleasure in activities and lack of interest in sex

o Avoidance of social contact and social situations

o Loss of appetite or an increased appetite and associated weight loss or weight gain

o Emotional outbursts for no apparent reason

o Irritability, agitation, restlessness

If depression is accompanied by insomnia, a doctor may prescribe a sleeping pill such as Ambien for a few days in addition to prescribing antidepressants.

Ambien (Zolpidem)

If you are prescribed Ambien, it is important to let your doctor know if you drink alcohol regularly, or are taking any other drugs, (illegal, prescribed or over the counter), as there is always the risk of drug interactions, which can result in unwanted side effects. Some drugs and substances that can interact with Ambien include:

o Caffeine

o Some antidepressants

o Fungal medications

o St John's Wort

o Bupropion

o Flumazenil

o Alcohol

o Cough medicines

o Valerian

o Other sedatives

o Some pain killers

You should also tell your doctor if you have ever suffered from liver disease, breathing difficulties, sleep apnoea, if you are pregnant, trying to conceive or are currently breastfeeding. As with any medication there can be side effects and with Zolpidem the more common ones include diarrhoea, stomach aches, headaches, strange dreams and drowsiness during the day, however, if you experience any of the following side effects you should tell you doctor immediately:

o Depressed mood

o Hallucinations

o Confusion

o Dizzy spells or fainting

o Slurred speech

o Visual disturbances

o Agitation or excitability

Other important points

Sometimes when taking Ambien, the individual can experience a type of memory loss where they basically cannot remember anything for the first few hours after taking the medication but because Ambien should always be taken at night and just before going to bed, it shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

After stopping Ambien, it is possible to have trouble sleeping but this should disappear after a couple of days.

Any sedative or sleeping pill, including Ambien, can affect mental alertness and some people will be affected more than others, so it is important not to attempt to drive or operate machinery until the individual effect on any particular person is known.

Conclusion

If you are suffering from insomnia, either as a result of an underlying depression or not, there are some things that you can do that might help you get a better night's sleep. For example, taking regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet and cutting out caffeine and other stimulants. Learning relaxation and breathing techniques will help you to relax before going to bed and will also release some of the stresses and strains of the day. If you are anxious or depressed, then it might be that some form of psychotherapy is available, which can help you change the way you think about things so that your behavior changes too and by alleviating the symptoms of anxiety or depression, sleeping patterns can improve too.

Low Testosterone

There seems to be an epidemic of low testosterone. I've been seeing more and more male patients with decreased testosterone levels, a condition known as male hypogonadism. When testosterone levels are low, men can have symptoms like erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, fatigue, depression and hot flashes. Many men, however, have very subtle symptoms or no symptoms at all. Many men with lower testosterone feel tired and depressed but don't have erectile dysfunction, so they are never checked for low testosterone.

Even if you have normal erectile function, you can still have hypogonadism. In fact, I have seen that many of my patients do not complain of erectile dysfunction, but have profound fatigue or depression which is caused by lower testosterone. When they take testosterone replacement, the symptoms tend to get better.

There are many causes for hypogonadism, and finding the cause is as important as getting treated. The hypothalamus (part of the brain) and the pituitary gland control testosterone production from by the testicles, so problems with the brain or pituitary gland can be the main source of problems.

In order to get an accurate diagnosis, doctors usually perform two rounds of testing. The first test will be to measure your testosterone level, which should be done in the morning. Testosterone levels naturally fall in the afternoon, so a level that is reported as "low" may actually be normal if it was taken in the afternoon. Pituitary hormones, LH and FSH are measured in the second round of testing to determine if the cause is central (meaning central nervous system, hypothalamus or pituitary gland) or primary (meaning testicular failure). A second morning testosterone level should also be taken to confirm the diagnosis. Other tests are also done including the hormone prolactin and ferritin, a test for excess iron. Iron overload, a condition known as hemochromatosis occurs in one in 500 men and is a common cause of lower testosterone.

Obesity and excess fat is a cause of low testosterone and is one of the main reasons why there is a growing epidemic. Excess fat produces hormones like leptin and inflammation chemicals, known as cytokines, which work to lower testosterone levels. Having diabetes is also a risk for having low testosterone, but careful studies have shown that the link is through fat, not through elevated blood sugar. Inflammation chemicals have a suppressive effect on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, muting the hormones they produce, subsequently lowering testosterone levels. Many men with declining testosterone who are overweight complain of swelling of the breasts, known as gynecomastia. The problem is that testosterone treatment can also cause breast swelling, so it can sometimes be a no win situation. However, not everyone with hypogonadism from excess weight needs to take testosterone. In fact, being healthier and losing weight can help naturally boost testosterone without the need for hormone replacement therapy.

There are many other causes of declining testosterone, including testicular failure or other testicular problems and exposure to toxic substances. Alcohol is a known toxin to the testicle. BPA, a chemical found in plastic can cause low testosterone because it is an endocrine disruptor that imitates the female hormone estrogen.

If you have symptoms of hypogonadism, see your doctor right away to get tested.

ADHD Herbal Remedies - St John's Wort

St. John's Wort (hypericum perforatum) is widely used as a natural remedy for chronic depression. Researchers believe that the herb's anti-depressant properties are due to its high levels of hypericin (a natural antibiotic) and other active components like hyperforin and flavonoids. Although St. John's Wort's active ingredients have yet to be determined, what we do know is that it can increase the production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates emotions. There are a number of studies that prove the efficacy of St John's Wort as a natural antidepressant. In fact, the British Medical Journal says that St John's Wort is as effective as pharmaceutical antidepressants and produces few or no side effects.

Although St. John's Wort is not generally used as a natural treatment for ADHD, researchers from the naturopathic college Bastyr University wanted to see if it had any positive effects on children with the disorder. Predictably, the results of the study came out negative, but the press had a field day when the results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Despite its negative results, this study is worth mentioning because it shows how science, health, money, and politics are closely interrelated. Before anything else, why would researchers want to test an herb that is rarely or never used as a natural treatment for ADHD? St John's Wort is only given to individuals with ADHD if depression is co-morbid. Another point of interest is how an obscure study by an even more obscure university ended up getting published in one of the most prestigious scientific journals, the JAMA. Not only was the study so small as to be hardly worth noticing, but it was also very poorly designed. In fact, the children who received St. John's Wort consumed an inactive form of the herb, meaning its active ingredients had been tampered with and oxidized. Finally, clinical trials that show negative results rarely get published, much less receive media attention. Why did this study become so well publicized?

The answer to this question becomes clear when you discover that the infamous Dr. Joseph Biederman was one of its authors. Dr. Biederman is a Harvard psychiatrist who published a number of studies that promoted the use of Ritalin and other medications to treat ADHD. Researchers estimate that the studies of Dr. Biederman are responsible for a 300% increase in the use of stimulant drugs by ADHD children over the last ten years. Then a Senate investigation discovered that Dr. Biederman had been receiving millions of dollars from the manufacturers of these drugs, showing that he has a financial interest in testing and endorsing ADHD medications. Why Dr. Biederman bothered to participate in this study is not known, but it is likely that he wanted to discredit the use of St. John's Wort and other herbs as natural remedies for ADHD.

So can St. John's Wort be used as a natural treatment for ADHD? Unless the individual suffers from depression along with ADHD, the answer is no. Before you give any herbal remedies to your child, ask the advice of a holistic health care practitioner.

Healing Depression With Sound

Clinical depression with its symptoms of despair, guilt, exhaustion, pain and anxiety is a debilitating condition. Severe sufferers struggle with a reason for living and some attempt suicide. Rising rates of teen suicide raises the alarm that depression is out of control and growing rapidly. It has been predicted by the World Health Organisation that by 2020 depression will be a greater threat to human health than heart disease or cancer.

Socially, this can be seen as a reaction to the current state of the world, uncertainty or pressure to perform. At a biochemical level it can be seen as an environmental and chemical crisis, causing an imbalance in brain chemistry. The effectiveness of antidepressant drugs indicates that neurochemistry is a major causal factor.

Chemistry can be changed through psychological attitude, by drug treatment, or by a gentle vibrational stimulation, to bring about balance, such as that delivered in sound therapy.

The Bridge of Sound

Can a balance in the brain be achieved naturally through sound? The brain of a depressed person is much less active than normal and this can be seen on an MRI. There is less processing than there needs to be for healthy functioning.

This would account for the feelings of lethargy, slowness and lack of excitement a depressed person feels. The part of the cortex associated with conscious emotion is over active, while the part concerned with generating action is under active. This results in the depressed person feeling a lack of motivation or inspiration to do anything, while being swamped with emotion.

It is an interesting fact that when asked to think of something sad, women generate more activity in their emotional brains than men do. This increased power of emotional imagination may make women more easily prone to depression than men.

Dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter is necessary for physical motivation and the ability to act. A lack of dopamine is seen in Parkinson's patients and accounts for their tremor and their inability to generate the desired physical activities. Sound Therapy has been found to motivate people into more activity, and has assisted people with both depression and Parkinson's , so it is possible that it helps to stimulate dopamine production. Excess dopamine on the other hand is found in hallucinogenic cases and has been implicated in Schizophrenia. Hallucinogenic drugs are thought to work by stimulating the dopamine system. There are also reports of sound Therapy helping people with schizophrenia, so it may also help regulate excess levels of dopamine and keep the right balance in the brain.

Another very important neurotransmitter is Serotonin, responsible for feelings of happiness and well being. When we look at the effects of serotonin it looks like a list of reported sound therapy benefits. Listeners report an increase of good feeling, serenity and optimism. We also know that sound therapy affects sleep. A considerable number of people have reported a decrease in chronic pain and high blood pressure. Some have reported weight loss due to reduced appetite. All this implies that sound therapy may be improving the production or absorption of serotonin. It could therefore be considered as an alternative to Prozac, which acts by enhancing serotonin levels.

In his book Cultivating a Daily Meditation, The Dalai Lama has written:

In this modern age, Western Science has much knowledge about matter, but it seems very limited concerning consciousness. Without deep knowledge of consciousness the usefulness of even full knowledge of matter is questionable.

Could it be that sound brings us to a more aware state of ourselves by holding our attention? Richard Davidson and a team of researchers found for the first time, that a short program in "mindfulness meditation" produced lasting positive changes in both the brain and the function of the immune system. The findings confirmed the researchers' assumption: the meditation group showed an increase of activation in the left side part of the frontal region. This suggests that the meditation itself produced more activity in this region of the brain. This activity is associated with lower anxiety and a more positive emotional state.

The right brain is typically more involved with negative emotions and fearful, mournful or pessimistic feelings. People who experience severe left brain strokes often react as if they have undergone a tragedy, even if they suffer mild disabilities as a result. In contrast, those that have their right brain affected by a stroke sometimes seem unaffected emotionally and remain cheerful despite serious disabling effects. Sound therapy may be achieving the same effect increasing the dominance of left brain function and taking precedence over the parts linked to negative emotions.

The Future of Sound Therapy?

Music is a miniature of the harmony of the whole universe, for the harmony of the universe is life itself, and man, being a miniature of the universe, shows harmonious and inharmonious chords in his pulsation, in the beat of his heart, in his vibration, rhythm and tone. His health or illness, his joy or discomfort, all show the music or lack of music in his life. Azrat Inayat Khan, Mysticism of Sound and Music, 1996.

People accept the calming or stimulating effects of sound and it has been absorbed in our psyche. Could we make the leap of imagining that carefully directed tones, used like lasers, forming deep contact with the patient could be used as preparation for medical treatment, surgical operations, and fine tuning or balancing of the total organism - physically, emotionally and mentally? All that the patient would need to do is simply listen.

Depression Affects Learning

Did you know that depression affects your ability to learn?

Inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, lack of drive - all this can be a result of depression disorder. The scientists only now began researching human brain and its intricacies thoroughly. We all know that depressed people lack serotonin, a brain chemical which affects their happiness.

But what we don't know is that there are two origins of depression:

- Predisposition to depression, which can be a depression gene or family history of mental illnesses.

- External triggers like grief, major trauma, stress, extreme tiredness, etc.

The first type of depression is majorly treated by antidepressants, but the second is more complex and requires a combination of depression therapy and antidepressant medication.

When we are depressed, the illness blocks supply of happy, comforting and hopeful images from our brain when we need them to go on. This is how we lose our drive. Instead depression makes us see everything in negative light and also produces anxiety, which can be at times debilitating. It also reduces our creativity.

Some of the antidepressants like Prozac for example will hinder your learning as well as it will level you; stop you from feeling and reacting more deeply. I would imagine that someone studying arts or creative design will have trouble functioning to the best of their abilities on such medications.

There is also a theory that some learning disabilities in children are caused by depression. If you think about it, it fits - lack of interest, loss of energy, mood swings, memory problems, irritability, problems with concentration... This is all textbook signs of depression.

But do not give up your learning whatever you do as the more you persist with learning the more you progress, the happier it will make you. This is like catch 22. Learning new skills especially with jobless depression will give you back your self-respect and confidence which often shrink in depression. But depression itself blocks you from doing it successfully.

What I suggest is to try coping mechanisms in depression first (you learn them in any decent depression therapy), then break your learning process into easy segments which don't make you feel overloaded and desperate.

Just remember an old Chinese proverb:

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.