Neuromodulation Is Now The Mainstream Therapy For Chronic Depression
August 31, 2010
The cover of the March 7, 2005 issue of Business Week titled REWIRING THE HUMAN BODY, describes how neuromodulation brings new hope to the four million desperate patients in the United States who suffer from the debilitating disease of chronic or treatment-resistant depression.
The neuromodulation industry is just in its infancy and could double over the next several years as doctors are thrilled by this vision of the body electric. Why these implantable devices work are a bit of a mystery, but the potential upside is great. Unlike most antidepressants, these implants produce few side effects and are aimed at patients that currently have no alternative therapies that adequately treat their depression.
Cyberonics Inc., the manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator, was listed as the leading company in the field of neuromodulation. The vagus nerve stimulator has been used to treat pharmaco-resistant epilepsy since 1997, now the FDA has approved the identical procedure to treat depression. This is wonderful news for the millions of desperate patients( and their families) who have been endlessly searching for an answer to their incurable disease.
Cure Against Depression and Low Self Confidence
July 26, 2010
Depression strikes most of us and it can make us paralysed. It is essential that we do not let it get too much influence on our lives.
Cure against depression Practise this cure on a day off.
* Have a healthy and balanced breakfast in your dressing gown. * Take a warm shower or sauna. * Rub your skin with body lotion and your feet with foot creme. * Put on some comfortable clothes. * Go for a long walk. * When you come back home, make yourself a cup of hot tea on St. John’s Wort, rosemary or lavender. * Make yourself comfortable in your favourite armchair. * Read a good book or magazine. * Listen to your favourite music. (It should be cheerful) * Make sure you are warm. Slippers and a blanket may come handy. * Be sure to have fresh air in the room. Take some deep breaths to fill your lungs.
Great self confidence can be learned
You can learn how to be confident about who you are and what you can do. You can learn how to tolerate uncertainty and be confident with not knowing what is going to happen.
Stress and Depression are Killing Us!
June 17, 2010
A short generation ago, families could set their watch by the time the father got home from work each day. My dad always walked through the front door at precisely 6 PM and supper was served at 6:10. We’d all sit around the table discussing the events of the day and then go out on the street to spend time with the neighbors when the kitchen chores were done.
On hot summer nights my parents would sit on the veranda with a cool soft drink and spray the kids with a hose as we darted about the front lawn. Life was simple then ? but not anymore!
Who among us has not felt a little betrayed by George Jetson’s vision of what the future was ’supposed’ to be? We all know the Jetsons was just a cartoon but it did entice us into believing the workday of the future would only be a few hours, sitting in a comfy chair, pushing a couple buttons, while the lovely-wife got even lovelier, spending most of her time at the beauty salon. He lied to us!
What?s Causing My Depression and Fatigue?
May 5, 2010
Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Depression are absolutely systemic in our society today. Recent studies done by the AMA and CMA purport one in four people in North America are suffering from some form of chronic fatigue or depression and it’s expected eight out of ten of us will experience similar afflictions in our lifetime. But numbers like these don’t speak to the cause and only tell half the story.
In June of this year, my new book entitled, "Until You’ve Walked the Path" hit the bookstores. In it, I chronicle my own real life battle and recovery from CFS [Chronic Fatigue Syndrome]. I am pleased to say that from the responses I’ve received, the book has touched many people in a positive way, both those suffering from the disease, as well as caregivers, looking for new ways to aid the afflicted.
In conversations about CFS, the one question I am asked the most is, "What’s causing My [their] chronic depression and fatigue?" Followed by, "Is it just stress?"
How Do You Know if You Have Manic-Depression
March 31, 2010
Nancy was doing very well until about two years ago when Phil, her boyfriend of 9 years, broke-up with her. It was a difficult moment for her especially after she learned that Phil eventually married her cousin. Since then, Nancy had deteriorated. One evening, she was involved in a motor vehicular accident because she was driving fast and recklessly in a quiet suburban neighborhood.
During interrogation, the cops noted that Nancy was talking rapidly and nobody could interrupt her. Also, she was making jokes and laughing so loud. She further indicated to them that she was on her way to meet the President and his top officials about her invention that could cure the oil crunch. She eventually ended up in the emergency room where she was diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder after intensive evaluation.
Bipolar disorder or manic-depression is manifested by highs and lows. When a patient like Nancy is on the manic side, there is a persistent feeling of euphoria or irritability associated with lack of need for sleep, excessive energy, agitation, fast and loud speech, increase in goal-directed activities such as spending sprees and establishing businesses with no appropriate plan, and hypersexuality.
Depression: Escape Your Mental Prison
February 20, 2010
There is an illness all around me in modern society that seems to be spreading like the Black Plague once did in Europe so long ago. It’s called depression, have you heard of it? Has it affected you? The more I look, the more I see it in so many people in my life, including myself. Depression sucks. It’s a real drag, and I mean real drag. It is different from the feelings of unhappiness that all humans have to deal with in their lives. It is being in a solitary prison where you are the only one who can see the walls; you are the jailor, the guard, and the prisoner all rolled into one. Sounds like fun huh? Well, we better become more aware of it because there are certain aspects of contemporary life that are causing more and more souls to lock themselves up, some believing that they have no hope of ever finding the key out.
Do You Think You Have Depression?
January 14, 2010
Do you have days where nothing can make you happy? You are not alone. I ignored my depressive thoughts about life for years. Unfortunately I didn’t do anything to fix my situation until they became so dehabilitating that I had no choice.
Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. In a given year, an estimated 22.1% of Americans aged 18 and older (about 1 in 5 adults) suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. According to the 1998 United States Census population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people! In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders, with major depression being the leading cause of disability.
It is estimated that depression alone will occur in approximately 18.8 million American adults, or about 9.5% of the United States population aged 18 or above. If you are a woman, you are twice as likely than a man (12% vs. 6.6%) to be affected by depression each year.
Aromatherapy and Depression
December 5, 2009
When artiste Leslie Cheung committed suicide, he left behind a trail of speculations amidst sighs of regret. News of his "depression" arose. The realisation that even a superstar could be plagued by such problems abruptly heightened the "suffering index" of ordinary folks. Incessant natural disasters, bleak economic outlook, fear of unemployment, adolescent worries about schoolwork?these pressures from life make "depression" one of the most serious civilised diseases of this century.
"Insomnia" is also a common problem faced by people living in modern society. According to a survey conducted by the American National Sleep Foundation, three in every four women aged between 30 to 60 years are suffering from "insomnia". "Insomnia" has already become an epidemic disease for females. The Shanghai Chinese Medical Hospital has been conducting surveys on epidemic diseases since 1996 and results indicate that 15% of Shanghai residents have serious insomnia symptoms.
These figures are concrete proof that there is a huge market demand for products that relieve stress and insomnia. The beneficial effects of aromatherapy in soothing emotions and enhancing sleep quality have long been deep-rooted in the minds of ordinary folks and have been proven in numerous clinical literatures. These constitute an important reason for the active development of "psycho aromatherapy" products, as undertaken by Yangsen Biotechnology Institute in close collaboration with Bel’Air.
FDA Deems Vagus Nerve Therapy Approvable as a Treatment for Depression
October 28, 2009
On February 3, 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator (Cyberonics, Inc.) that it had deemed its VNS Therapy System approvable as a long-term adjunctive treatment for patients over the age of 18 with chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression in a major depressive episode that has not responded to at least four adequate antidepressant treatments. In the approvable letter received today by Cyberonics, FDA indicated that final approval was conditional on final labeling, final protocols for a post-approval dosing optimization study and patient registry.
This is an extraordinary announcement and major step for the four million Americans suffering from chronic or treatment-resistant depression towards providing an FDA-approved, informatively labeled, long-term treatment option specifically for their lifelong and life-threatening illness.
The FDA is reviewing the final labeling, which includes the Physician’s and Patient’s Manuals, and expects to complete that review in a timely manner. When all of the FDA’s conditions have been satisfied, the Company plans a formal launch in conjunction with the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in May.
You need to be your own best advocate and educate yourself about how this remarkable FDA approved therapy can change your life. Learn more at www.VagusNerveStimulator.com
Depression: What It Is and What You Can Do About It
September 18, 2009
There are three basic ways to treat depression: psychotherapy, self-help, and medication. Many people respond best to a combination of two or more methods.
Psychotherapy: Exploring one’s beliefs and ways of thinking, and learning new ways of thinking and behaving, with the guidance of a professional. Self-help: Exploring one’s beliefs and ways of thinking on one’s own. Medication: Altering one’s brain chemistry by taking antidepressant medication.
A physician may recommend medication when four conditions exist:
The patient’s depression is severe.
The patient has suffered at least two previous depressive episodes.
There is a family history of depression.
The patient asks for medication only and refuses psychotherapy.
There are four types of antidepressant medication available today:
? Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
? Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
? Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
? Structurally unrelated compounds
The TCAs and MAOIs have been used for decades. The SSRIs (such as Prozac) and structurally unrelated compounds are newer and are being prescribed more and more frequently. They have fewer and less pronounced side effects than the TCAs and MAOIs.
Treatment without Medicine
