"Health Articles"

Life, by general consensus, is a complicated affair that can be tackled in as many ways as there are people. It is possible to cruise by it without worrying too much, blatantly ignoring aspects and factors that can cause abrupt changes in one’s life. On the other extreme, it is also possible to experience such levels of stress and anxiety that one is unable to find security only in certain areas of personal comfort. For others, life gets to them and they simply lose touch with reality itself, their mental imploding. Yet, all of the approaches that people have come up with to cope with life tend to be rooted firmly in stress.

The fact is, stress is a prevalent and natural component of life. Even during simpler, more idyllic times, there was always a certain level of pressure that people had to deal with. The triggers that cause states of extreme duress differ from person to person, mainly because people have different levels of tolerance for it. Some may find a certain level of pressure to be absolutely intolerable, while others would be able to get through it relatively unscathed. Perspective and perception, in this particular case, appears to be the key factor in determining how much stress a person can handle. However, regardless of how one views the pressures that modern life piles up on a person, it still has to be dealt with somehow.

Complete avoidance of it is not the answer. Abandoning duty and ignoring things that cause stress would inevitably be a bad move. Stress, in smaller and more controlled amounts, can be used as a personal signal. It can act as a reminder that something needs to be done and certain situations need immediate attention, which can help someone in assessing his immediate and long-term priorities. So long as the cause of the problem is approached properly and the person doesn’t let the problem blow itself out of proper context, then a bit of pressure is not necessarily a negative thing.

However, allowing the pressures of life to get to you is just as bad as simply ignoring them altogether. The human mind, while clearly a fine example of finely-tuned machinery, has limitations. Having too many things to do and not having enough time to do them can sometimes be seen as an example of poor time management, but for some people, having “too little time” means exactly that. Taking in too many tasks and attempting to multi-task beyond one’s mental ability to coordinate can lead to rapid burn-out for some people, and irreparable insanity in others. It is people and situations like these that give stress the “entirely negative” reputation that it has, with people taking the whole thing entirely out of proportion.

In the end, stress is very similar to fear. Both are taken by modern society and culture in highly negative light, but both are components of the human psyche that are as integral to being human as love and happiness. Both can effectively cripple someone and prevent them from living, but only if the person allows that to happen. Both of the above need not be feared, so long as the person is capable of recognizing that moderate amounts can be used in a positive manner. Stress and fear, in and of themselves, are not positive, but like anger, can be used to point someone in the right direction.

Depression takes on many forms, which is one of the reasons it is so hard to diagnosis someone with this condition. One form of depression is called atypical depression. If you have this condition you may find yourself wanting to sleep all the time and overeating is a big problem. Many people become overweight with this condition because of these two symptoms combined. Your body may feel numb all over and many say they feel paralyzed and have no desire to do anything. Atypical depression is a major type of depression that can interfere and even ruin a person’s life.

This type of depression normally starts to affect a person very early in life when they are young. It is hard to know someone has atypical depression because of what is called mood reactivity. This means that they can feel good sometimes and very sad at others. For example, when something good happens they seem normal and happy just like everyone else around them. However, later they are depressed, sad and lonely again very quickly. Another symptom of this condition is when a person’s arms and legs feel too heavy for their body and they hurt and feel tired all over.

It is believed that if left untreated atypical depression can cause more future problems than any other form of depression. Since all you want to do is sleep and eat its hard to gain any self respect or have any relationships professionally or personally. You tend to avoid people at all cost for fear of being rejected or humiliated. Atypical depression affects women more than men. Seventy percent of the people that have been diagnosed with this condition are women. If left untreated it can lead to other medical conditions that include panic attacks, avoidant personality disorders and social phobias.

It is very important that you tell your doctor exactly how you feel. It is the only way that he can diagnose you correctly. If you leave out anything such as wanting to sleep a lot, then you may be diagnosed with the typical type of depression instead of atypical depression. Even though the same treatment can be used for both types of depression it is important to know for sure which type you have to get the right combination of medications. If you think you may be suffering from atypical depression see your doctor as soon as possible. You can live a happy normal life once you realize why you feel the way you do and you get the right kind of help for this condition.

More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of alternative healing and medicine, as such the industry is huge and grows not only in the range of products and services, but also the number of clients and practitioners.
For many, the idea of alternative treatments are still a little “happy clappy” (and to be honest, some of them are for me too!) I have doubts about the authenticity of not only the treatments available, but also some of the practitioners licensed in those areas.
So, when, after a major operation my life took on a new twist, I found myself examining the ideas about “what else is out there.” The fact that we seem so heavily influenced by doctors in white coats who seem to have a god-like influence over our ability to get better or worse, suddenly did not seem quite so appealing.
For me, the answer came in the form of hypnosis. I wanted to learn how to improve myself in many different areas of my life and I wanted it to be easy! I thought about going to see a hypnotherapist, but to be honest the idea terrified me, as at that stage, I didn’t understand how it actually worked or what would happen. I guess you could say that I had heard a lot of the nonsense about what could go wrong and was feeling somewhat confused. So I decided to learn more about it, as much as I possibly could. Very soon this lead to me training in the field and setting up my own practice in which I could help others.
As I said earlier, alternative medicine is a big industry, and hypnotherapy is no exception. There are a lot of us around, offering a varying degree of excellent service. I think that one of the biggest challenges that a hypnotherapist faces in their role is getting to grips with the idea of using their boundless imagination- some of us are just more in tune with it than others. Some have linguistic challenges, and sometime your mind just goes blank!
That’s why, as a trainer of hypnosis and NLP, I have set up my website as not only a means of selling and advertising the accredited trainings that my company offers, but also as a resource for other NLPers and Hypnotherapists.
We have a wealth of free hypnotherapy scripts available on our website, and also some hypnosis scripts that you need to pay for. There are also advise e-books that can be purchased on the site, and if you too are a hypnotherapist selling your hypnosis scripts, we will happily add your scripts to our site and take a commission for any sales that you make. Just visit the site to begin your scripts collection so that you are ready to help your clients take on any problems that they have.

Depression (also called depressive illness or clinical depression) is a common condition, affecting up to 20% of the adult population in their life times. Many go untreated. Of those that do seek help, the GP is usually the first port of call. He or she will assess the severity of the symptoms and recommend the appropriate course of treatment.

Depression is commonly ranked in terms of severity – mild, moderate or severe. Severe cases are relatively rare and will usually be referred on to the local psychiatric teams. Mild and moderate cases common and will normally be treated by the GP, at least initially. Failure to improve in these cases may precipitate referral to specialist care for advice and treatment.

The treatments available for mild and moderate cases of depression fall into two main categories – drug treatments and “talking” treatments. GP’s commonly prescribe medications in the first instance. The reasons for this will be discussed towards the end of this article.

Antidepressant medications were first discovered (by chance) in the 1950’s and 60’s. Medications designed to be used for very different (physical) conditions were found to be effective in depressed patients. These first antidepressants, such as Amitryptilene and Imipramine, are called the Tri-Cyclic Antidepressants or TCAs (named after their chemical structure). Trials have shown them to be about 70% effective in relieving the symptoms of depression. The effect is not immediate, typically taking 4 to 6 weeks. This effectiveness is to be compared to the placebo tablets used in the trials. Placebos are non-active tablets given to patients to correct for the positive “psychological” effect of taking any tablet, whether the tablet is effective or not. The placebos (e.g. a sugar coated pill) are typically effective in 50% of cases! It is also worth noting that observation studies of depressed people show that around half improve “spontaneously” (i.e. without any treatment at all) after a short period.

So the TCAs are more effective than placebo’s. If you gave a TCA to ten depressed people, around seven would be improved after six weeks; giving a sugar pill to the same number, around five will be improved after the same time period.
Unfortunately, TCAs have significant side effects. Patients commonly feel sedated, put on weight, suffer dry mouth and constipation, and have slowed reflexes. Importantly, TCAs are very dangerous in overdose – a significant consideration in those patients who feel suicidal.

Over the ensuing decades, pharmaceutical companies in the area of antidepressants have conducted much research, and many new drugs have appeared on the market. The main focus has been on producing “cleaner” drugs, drugs that are effective but do not possess all the side effects of the TCAs. This has largely been a success. The newer drugs, such as the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) e.g. fluoxetine (Prozac), do indeed have less side effects. This appears due to their method of action – SSRIs effect only 1 or 2 of the brains neurotransmitters, the older drugs can affect 3 or 4. And they seem to be as effective as the TCAs – but they are not more effective. It is one of these newer antidepressants that GP’s typically prescribe for their patients. These drugs are amongst the most widely prescribed medications in the West.

But what of those who don’t improve – the 30% who don’t get better? Or those who suffer severe side effects? The GP may change the dose of the drug, or switch to an alternative drug, or refer the patient on to the psychiatric services. Other patients may not want to take medications for their psychological or emotional difficulties at all.

This group of patients would seem well served by the “talking therapies” such as counselling, psychotherapy, CBT and NLP. In mild and moderate cases of depression they seem at least as effective as antidepressants, and without the side effects. Further, through these therapies, patients are encouraged to examine their problems and difficulties in detail, allowing them to actively participate in their resolution rather than simply taking a tablet every day. Ideally this leads to the patient acquiring strategies and ways of coping with difficulties in their lives that will enable them to not only resolve these difficulties in the present but also prevent their re - occurrence in the future. Effective talking therapies have the potential to remove patients from recurrent cycles of depression. The drug treatments are effective for only as long as they are taken – potentially a lifetime.

Given that talking therapies are an effective treatment for depression and their lack of unpleasant side effects, why aren’t they offered more often by the GP? A big consideration here is cost – antidepressants are undoubtedly cheaper than employing a therapist. Secondly, it is quicker and easier for the GP to write a prescription for an antidepressant than it is to think and consider which therapy may best help the patient. Finally, there is huge economic interest in the prescribing of these medications. Pharmaceutical companies make huge sums of money from these drugs. They spend a considerable sum (more than they actually spend on researching and developing the drugs!) on advertising and promoting their particular brands to the medical profession. The GP is under both time and economic constraint, and a tablet billed as a “wonder cure” can be very appealing.

None of this is the fault of the GP. The NHS has well publicised money problems, and decisions about which treatments are cost-effective are constantly being made (the pharmaceutical industry lobbies these decision makers also). The result is the situation as it stands – drugs are prescribed, other therapies aren’t. This isn’t a situation exclusive to mental health – back pain and other injuries are typically treated with painkillers, when physiotherapy or a similar treatment may well be better for the patient.

Talking treatments for depression are generally not available on the NHS or, if they are, there is likely to be a lengthy waiting list. This is a result of economic decisions, not a shortage of trained practitioners. One has only to look in the phone book to see numerous highly qualified and experienced therapists ready to help. Unfortunately, the NHS’s priorities lie elsewhere.

In its lay use, the term “depression” is used to convey a whole range of emotional and psychological states – unhappiness, low mood, misery, apathy etc. Indeed, many use the term interchangeably with any and all of these words. The psychiatric profession uses the term “depression” in a more specific way. To differentiate the lay and psychiatric use, it may be useful to use the term “clinical depression” to denote the condition recognised by psychiatrists. This differentiation is significant for several reasons. To be “depressed” at times is to be human; to be “clinically depressed” is (to the psychiatrist) to be mentally unwell. It is for the clinically depressed that doctors and psychiatrists prescribe medication. Finally, it is on clinically depressed patients that these medications are trialled to determine efficacy.

To determine if a patient is clinically depressed, the psychiatrist will interview them face to face. Typically this interview lasts somewhere in the region of one hour (for an initial assessment – follow up interviews tend to be shorter). The majority of this interview will focus on the patient’s current symptoms (see below), the remaining time being used to look for so-called “risk factors” for clinical depression. Thus they will ask a number of questions covering areas such as the patients childhood, time at school, family life, occupational history, physical medical history, alcohol and other drug use, past psychological and emotional difficulties, and the patients current social situation (occupation, relationships etc). In addition, whilst talking with the patient, the psychiatrist will also be conducting a “mental state examination”. That is, they will be observing the language and behaviour of the patient (the tone, volume and speed of their speech, their dress and demeanour, the presence of any abnormal facial or bodily movements etc).

The diagnosis of “clinical depression” will be made on the basis of the patient’s current psychological and emotional symptoms – relevant symptoms are listed below.

1. Low or depressed mood.
2. Lowered energy levels and increased tiredness.
3. Lack of interest in and pleasure from usual activities (“apathy”).

Symptoms 1-3 are usually present in all cases of clinical depression. Other symptoms that are also frequently found include:

4. Lack of concentration.
5. Sleep disturbance (typically waking early in the morning).
6. Low self-confidence.
7. Hopelessness about the future.
8. Reduced appetite, often with associated weight loss.
9. Thoughts of suicide.
10. Feelings of guilt.

The symptoms will usually be present for at least two weeks for the diagnosis to be made. It is to be noted that these symptoms are typical of a depressive episode but are not exclusive. Some clinically depressed patients suffer from agitation and an inability to sit still, others will sleep excessively. Furthermore, the psychiatrist will often grade the diagnosis (mild/moderate/severe) depending on symptom severity.

The treatment prescribed for a clinically depressed patient will depend on their particular symptoms, their general health, their personal preferences and other factors. Typically, severe cases will be prescribed medication and will be monitored closely - some may require hospitalisation, particularly if suicidal. Moderate and mild cases are usually offered antidepressant medication and/or possibly some form of “talking therapy” (if it is available).

There is a wealth of information concerning antidepressants available from GP surgeries, mental health units, pharmacies, books and the Internet. As such, I will not discuss them further, save to say that they’re not everyone’s choice of treatment.

Many patients prefer the “talking therapies”. Such therapies vary enormously in their scope and intensity. The traditional psychotherapies (e.g. psychodynamic psychotherapy) can require a patient to attend weekly sessions for many years. Others, such as relationship or bereavement counselling, are less formal and much briefer (e.g. weekly sessions for six weeks). The last decade has seen a growing interest in the so-called “cognitive therapies” such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). These modern therapies have good evidence of effectiveness when compared to the older style talking treatments, and treatment periods are shorter. However, they are not “magical cures” and require significant effort and contribution from the patient – a case of “you get out what you put in”. Once the patient has mastered the techniques explained in the sessions they will be able to use them throughout their life, hopefully preventing any recurrence of their symptoms.

Millions of women suffer from the hormonal imbalances of PMS and menopause. These imbalances cause physiological effects of heavy, irregular bleeding, sleeplessness, cramping, mood swings, hot flashes and depression, and countless other symptoms that inhibit a woman’s ability to function normally under fluctuating hormones. Most women have sought the help of over the counter drugs and prescription medication in order to alleviate these symptoms, putting themselves at risk for potential serious side effects from synthesized drugs. Interest in natural remedies has grown over recent years and more and more women are turning to plant-based products to regulate hormones and relieve symptoms of menopause and PMS. A combination of the most effective natural remedies for these symptoms gives women optimal relief without synthetic drugs or hormones.

Recent decades have proven that synthetic hormones and medications can prove more dangerous than beneficial. Every year popular medications and over the counter drugs are pulled from the shelves due to health risks and hormone replacement therapy has proven to cause severe health risks such as heart attacks and cancer. But women continue to search for relief from the symptoms of menopause and PMS. Many of these women have gone on and off hormonal therapy and medications, constantly searching for relief from hormonal symptoms as well as release from the side effects of prescription medications. Millions of women suffer from these side effects but, until lately, have had no other alternative to traditional synthesized medicine.

Thanks to the increase in interest of natural remedies, more and more doctors and scientists have discovered the beneficial results from patients using herbal and natural remedies. Dr. Kalyami Kumar OB/GYN began seeing severe health side effects from patients using hormone replacement therapy and began studying the benefits of some of these natural herbs. As a result, she discovered that a specific combination of black cohosh, red clover, wild yam, and soy provided women with the relief they so desperately needed without the dangerous side effects of traditional treatment.

A synergistic blend of these ingredients helps create hormone balances within the body and provide symptomatic relief for problems commonly associated with menopause and PMS. Estrogen, one of the major hormones associated with PMS and menopause, can cause severe cramping and bleeding when in excess. Balanced supplements, like those found in Estrosym, are designed to balance out the estrogen dominance with natural ingredients. For example, black cohosh binds to estrogen receptors and makes the body believe it is receiving and creating estrogen, providing an opportunity for the body’s own hormones to come into better balance. But, in order to maintain proper levels of progesterone and estrogen, women must incorporate wild yam, a supplement containing molecules that convert to progesterone and counteract the estrogen dominance in the blood. Wild yam also produces a calming effect, settling the moods of women while balancing the hormones associated with moodiness and anxiety. By balancing the hormones naturally, supplements provide relief from the bleeding, cramping, hot flashes and mood swings so commonly associated with hormone fluctuations.

Menopause and PMS cause stress and anxiety even without imbalanced hormones. Normal and abnormal fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone cause both physical and psychological stress, eventually resulting in both bodily and emotional discomfort. Dr. Kumar has created a means by which women can alleviate both the hormonal fluctuations and the symptoms commonly associated with these imbalances. A synergistic blend of supplements relieves heavy bleeding, cramping, hot flashes, moodiness, depression, sleeplessness, and even promotes bone health and collagen synthesis.