Treating Depression

Depression is a complex issue, with many causes, degrees of severity, and treatment methods. Choosing a treatment will depend largely on the cause and severity. Most people experience some sort of depression at some time in their lives, whether as “baby blues,” “winter blues,” or part of a grieving process. In milder cases treatments entail any of a number of natural ways to treat the depression, but in more serious cases the sufferer requires medical attention.

Mild and occasional depression is often relieved through natural methods. One way is through relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation which are particular helpful when stress is a factor. Exercise is another way to combat depression; in fact any form of activity can be helpful as it focuses the mind on something besides the depression. Some natural herbs available that may help are St. Johns Wart, Kava Kava, and Valerian. Techniques such as aromatherapy, acupuncture, and massage therapy are all natural ways to deal with depression.

Chronic depression can be caused by ongoing issues that are likewise treatable with natural remedies. Sometimes chronic depression is caused by nutritional issues. Being deficient in omega 3 fatty acids, for example, has been linked to depression so simply taking a supplement or increasing consumption of foods that contain omega 3 can do wonders. Depression is also found to be a symptom of some disorders. One example of this is celiac disease in which gluten is not processed properly in the body. A person can likewise have gluten intolerance without actually having celiac disease. Reducing or removing gluten from the diet may be all that is needed.

A sedentary lifestyle and a diet that is low in nutrients and fiber are detrimental to the brain which needs nutrition and activity to work properly and depression can be the result. Get moving and get eating right and depression can be avoided or alleviated.

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When Ringing is Not Music to Your Ears

Tinnitus is the medical term for the condition of ringing in the ears. This condition is a symptom of a number of possible disorders thus medical attention should be obtained. Tinnitus can range from an occasional barely noticeable ringing to a constant loud ringing that interferes with everyday tasks and even sleeping.

Tinnitus can be the result of Meniere’s disease which can lead to hearing loss and/or balance issues due to excess fluid in the ear. Tinnitus can also be a caused by an ear infection, exposure to loud sounds, neck or head injuries, some medications, otosclerosis or cardiovascular problems.

Once the cause is determined by your doctor, they can recommend a possible treatment. Some treatments include a cleaning of the ear if excess ear wax is contributing to the problem. Medications and sometimes surgery are used for other problems within the ear. Medications that take care of the cause can cure the tinnitus or at least lessen the severity.

Another tactic in dealing with living with disabling levels of tinnitus is to use equipment that produces noise that distracts the patient from the ringing sound of the tinnitus. White noise has been found to be effective in this manner, and some patients report that playing a radio during the night that is set on the static in between stations has been effective for getting to sleep.

Since tinnitus is sometimes the result of poor blood circulation, steps to improve circulation can be an effective treatment. Yoga and other stress relievers are also sometimes effective with the added benefit of aiding other disorders or disabilities the patient may have.

Don’t just consider it part of growing older. One of the most important reasons for talking to your doctor if you experience tinnitus is that it can be an early warning symptom of underlying medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, cardiovascular problems and anemia.

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The Secrets of Fragile X Syndrome

Since Fragile X Syndrome can affect different individuals within the same family in a wide range of symptoms, unless there is at least one member with a profoundly obvious disability, this genetic condition can actually go entirely unnoticed.
All of the genetic conditions are related in the fact that they are all caused by one common gene known as the FMR1 gene. Since often the males tend to have more disabling and visible effects of this genetic condition, a family with only girls may not be diagnosed until later in life when difficulties in childbearing becomes an issue.

The most common complication of a condition with the FMR1 gene is known as Fragile X Syndrome and can be defined by a mental impairment. However, whether or not that impairment is severe enough to merit further testing is often the reason why many live for years with this condition, some indeed forever, without knowing that this genetic disorder has affected them

Physical Symptoms of Fragile X Syndrome

Although these can vary as well, the most profound physical symptoms are most often seen in males with the same symptoms greatly reduced but present in females as well.

-The main physical features can include long faces and prominent ears. The ears can often be larger, wider and longer than is average and may actually protrude more noticeably away from the head.
-Larger head circumference in breadth and length
-Macroorchidism or enlarged testicles

Behavioral Characteristics

Behavioral symptoms can of course vary but are most commonly displayed as:

-Sweet and affectionate personalities
-Strong desire for social interactions
-Great sense of humor
-Impulsive and easily distracted
-Short attention spans
-Difficulty staying focused on tasks

There is a blood test available to test for this genetic condition. If you suspect a family member may have this genetic condition, be prepared to have all members of your family tested.

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Children with General Anxiety Disorder

Children, like adults, can be subject to anxiety disorders, especially if it is a trait that runs in other immediate family members. Signs of general anxiety disorder can present in children just as it does in adults. However, some of the signs can be startling to adults who see them which can sometimes lead to an misdiagnosis, or an equally as harmful over diagnosis.

Signs that a child may be suffering from a general anxiety disorder can be:

-Excessive Anxiety
-Restlessness
-Sleep Disturbance
-Muscle Tension
-Fatigue
-Difficulty Concentrating

Successful Treatment

Successful treatment for this disorder begins at home with family and loved ones who can extend compassion and understanding. Some therapies for children with general anxiety disorder can include learning to recognize the underlying symptoms of the anxiety. They can be taught to effectively ‘coach’ themselves through the more difficult times with positive self talk. They can also carry away coping skills for dealing with high anxiety triggers and situations.

It can be crucial for parents and siblings to take part in the home side continuation of therapy by helping direct the child suffering from this disorder through one or more series of coping strategies. This can greatly reduce the anxiety and isolation that some children will feel. Knowing other family members are readily available to help them cope can be an astounding positive with lasting effects.

Continuing Positive Outlook

It is of utmost importance to retain a continued positive outlook in the diagnosis and treatment of general anxiety disorder in children. Staying up to date on treatments and keeping an open mind on all aspects of medicinal and behavioral modification will enable your child to also retain a positive outlook on their own continued treatment as well as remain mentally and emotionally prepared for all aspects of future possibilities

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Living with a BiPolar Family Member

Living with a Bi Polar family member can often be a difficult learning process. Whether the family member is a spouse or a child, watching their personal struggles can often be painful and frustrating as well. Learning some ways to keep the focus on a mentally healthy surrounding for a loved one can be very important.

Improve General Knowledge

It is very important to do some research on some of the signs, symptoms and triggers for bipolar episodes. This can help you to recognize the signs of an impending melt down and in the very least be prepared with all of the available stress relieving exercises you may have learned from researching.

Do Not Personalize

Try to understand the ups and downs of this mental disorder and do not allow any personal affronts to really get to you. Unfortunately, one of the aspects of mania episodes is that the person suffering can sometimes act out verbally, and potentially even physically.

Do Not Make Assumptions

If you have preconceived ideas of what mental illness are and no real concrete evidence or education, try not to let any biased ideas effect how you deal with and help out a bi polar loved one.

Encourage Social Behavior

One aspect of bipolar disorder can be a slow withdrawal from social activities, or even a refusal to share emotions and feelings. Be sure an individual suffering from this disorder knows they have someone to talk to about anything at anytime.

Attending counseling and having an unlimited amount of patience may also be
something that can help everyone involved along the road to acceptance, understanding and hopefully a sense of recovery when family, friends and loved ones know the roads a person with bipolar disorder has to travel. Understanding is the truly the key to providing a healthy atmosphere for your friend or loved one.

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Postpartum Depression Has No Face

Any mother can be affected by this mental disorder. A first time mother is no more susceptible to suffering from the symptoms of postpartum depression than a mother giving birth to her fourth child. The most important thing to understand is there is no shame, no fault and no cause to feel guilty or a bad mother because of feelings for emotions that are difficult to understand.

Postpartum depression is actually a medical condition that can occur within the first few months after giving birth and extend indefinitely if not treated. Due to hormonal and biochemical changes that happen in the body, a person’s usual behavior can be drastically altered.

Symptoms to Look For

There is a very long list of signs and symptoms to look for in a person you may fear is suffering from postpartum depression. Some of them can include:

-Reduced energy
-Insomnia or erratic sleeping patterns
-Frequent weeping
-Difficulty with daily task
-Reduced appetite
-Feelings of hopelessness
-Unusual anger or anxiety
-Memory loss
-The urge to escape from the baby or your family
-houghts of suicide

If you or person you love is suffering from noticeable degrees of any of the listed symptoms, the most important thing to do is tell someone immediately. Often the signs and symptoms left unchecked can actually cause the signs and symptoms to become extreme in nature. Escalated symptoms such as paranoia, confusion and even hallucinations.

Is There Help Available?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes. It is of utmost importance to remember that at this time accepting help, sharing responsibilities and letting others around you know of your up’s and downs are the most important responsibilities that you have as a parent. Be sure to speak your medical professional about these issues before inactivity allows for a tragic mistake.

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Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 10: Ed Edmondson (C) sh...
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When the brain is injured due to physical trauma is referred to as a traumatic brain injury. In general, there are two types of traumatic brain injuries that can occur.

Closed Head Injuries

Close head injuries are recognized as damage to the brain with an intact skull. Injuries such as these are sustained as the brain is bounced around in the head during a time off trauma. And these entries can come from high impact accidents, automobile or motorcycle wrecks or even from a seemingly minor fall. Additionally, a person to receive a traumatic brain injury of being too close to the source of shock wave or explosion.

Open Head Injuries

There is a large variety of situations that can cause open head injuries. Being stabbed, shot at or in the path of debris from an explosion. Open head injuries are not only dangerous from the damage caused to the brain, but also susceptible to an infection dangerously close to the brain.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries

A mild traumatic brain injury is commonly referred to as a concussion and is also the most often seen form of traumatic brain injuries. A person with a concussion may or may not lose consciousness. A mild traumatic brain injury can also cause longer lasting symptoms such as:

-Confusion
-Blurred vision
-Ringing in the ears
-Altered sleep patterns
-Headaches
-Unusual and unpleasant taste in the mouth

It is important to remember with traumatic brain injuries that the best line of defense is constant and consistent treatments to help alleviate some of the more stressful symptoms. It is also of the utmost importance that any injury sustained to the head receive immediate attention.

With many advances in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries, even those with the most severe injuries can live relatively normal lives.

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Recognizing the signs of OCD in Children

OCD is an anxiety disorder that many children and adults suffer from. Many people think of someone with OCD as the person who washes their hands all the time, but it goes much deeper than that. A child with OCD will usually be constantly worrying about something, and try to control this anxiety by behaving a certain way over and over again.

The behaviors associated with OCD can often be so time consuming that it is difficult to function normally in everyday life. Because they are so consuming it is important to learn the early signs so they can get help.

Some of the most common characteristics of a child with OCD are a intense fear of dirt, and a fear of contamination. They may also show a need for symmetry and order. A child with OCD may become anxious if certain tasks are not performed in the same way every time they are done. Other common signs of OCD are rituals. These can pertain to grooming, brushing their teeth, and hand washing. Rituals can also be checking, and rechecking appliances to make sure they are turned off, or checking a door over and over again to make sure that it is locked.

It can sometimes be difficult to see the signs of OCD because suffers tend to become very adept at hiding the behaviors. A parent often needs to recognize certain behaviors as signs of a problem. If a child hands are chapped from to much washing, or papers from school that have holes in them from an eraser they may be suffering from anxiety. Other signs may be a constant fear of illness, or an excessive amount of time spent getting ready for bed, and getting ready for school.

If you see any of these signs it is important to call their doctor and have your child screened for OCD.

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Facts About Learning Disorders

Although they often are lumped is together, there are actually three different types of learning disorders. Those disorders are:

-Mathematics disorder
-Writing disorders
-Reading disorders

Although these disorders are most often associated with children or teens during their school years, learning disorders commonly follow individuals to through their entire lives.

Additionally, there can be other signs directly associated with learning disorders. They can be:

-Lack of focus
-Reduced socialization
-Difficulty concentrating
-Quickly frustrated
-Obvious frustration
-Lack of confidence in abilities

Double Diagnosis

Learning disorders can also be one part of a double diagnoses. It is directly associated as well with such issues as:

-Attention deficit disorder
-Depression
-Conduct disorder
-General anxiety disorder
-Autism

Although learning disabilities and disorders affect females and males, in the U. S., far more males than females are diagnosed.

Diagnosing Learning Disorders

Although standard testing is available in most educational institutions in the United States, generalized group or individual testing is not accurate or thorough enough to diagnose a learning disability properly. Detailed psychological testing should be individually administered to any child who is suspected to have a learning disability.

Most learning disabilities can be treated and managed within the child’s school system through specialized educational methods. Additionally, children and teens who suffer from these disorders seemed to gain great benefit from individual tutoring that can help to focus on their main or most difficult learning problem.

However, children and teens who are given a dual diagnoses may require additional therapies, treatments, educational methods and even medications. Children who are prescribed medications are always required to maintain a close relationship with the prescribing Physician.

If someone you know is seeking treatment the best place to start is a conversation with your general practitioner. They can refer you and your child to the best sources available in your area.

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What is Sensory Integration Disorder

Does your child do things that just don’t seem to make sense? Do they seem to take risks above and beyond what the other kids are doing, or are constantly crashing their bodies into things? Have you noticed that when they are walking down the hall they need to run their hand along the wall or brush their bodies against it? Do you find that they will only wear certain clothes, or they won’t wear anything unless the tags are cut out?

If you find your child showing any of these behaviors they may be suffering from Sensory Integration Disorder, also known as Sensory Processing Disorder. This is a disorder used to describe the difficulty that some children have with sensory integration. A child with this disorder has a hard time organizing sensory information for their brain to use.

The basic idea of Sensory Processing Disorder is that the brain can not process the information received from the bodies five basic senses. A normal brain will combine the information brought in from the senses and then form a picture based on this so the person can act accordingly. A person with SI does not have this ability.

Some of the symptoms shown by SI kids are similar to those with autism and Aspergers syndrome. They may have an acute awareness of things that are going on in the background around them, or flap their hands repeatedly. They may also have an unusually high activity level, or a very low activity level. Another very common symptom is a hard time with transitions.

The ideas and theories behind Sensory Processing Disorder have been around for almost 40 years, and although it is not widely recognized by all medical professionals, it is a very real disorder for those who are suffering from it.

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