PMS and IBS

PMS + IBS =Misery

A PERIOD OF RETREAT – For some women, the beginning of a period can signify not just headaches and cramps but also hourly trips to the loo. Experts believe the hormonal shift that triggers bleeding is probably responsible for the bout of busy bowels.
Before a period, a woman’s body pumps out prostaglandins-hormone like chemicals that make smooth muscles (like those in the uterus) contact. That prostaglandin spike is great for sloughing off uterine tissue, but not so fun when it contracts the intestines and causes symptoms similar to irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). One solution is the pelvic exercises that are typically prescribed for pregnant women. If they does not work, pop an ibuprofen as directed the day before your period (when prostaglandin levels start to peak). The painkiller will help keep levels low- and temper the side effects. Also helpful: Less stress, caffeine, and alcohol, and more healthy food and exercise.

Related Links: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder PDD
Depression in Women
Postpartum depression

Additional Serious Health Hazards of Depression

One study of ten thousands met and women over sixty five with blood pressure readings higher than 160/95 found that over a three-year period, the ones with symptoms of depression suffered strokes at almost three times the rate of their hypertensive but un-depressed peers. Depressed patients recovering from a hip fracture and from pneumonia and other infections had more difficulty regaining functions like walking. Other research suggests that up to one third of Alzheimer’s patients become clinically depressed at some point in the course of this illness. Doctors, and families, too, often take a fatalistic approach to Alzheimer’s and do nothing about the depression, even though some of the afflicted will make small but significant improvements when treated for it.
Psychiatrists who specialize in treating cancer patients say that mush the same problems arise there as well. Doctors fail to prescribe an antidepressant because they think, “If I had that illness I had feel dreary, too.” Often, cancer-related problems, such as pain, are prominent provokers of depression –another major reason some patients adopt adopt what physicians think of as a “rational” approach to suicide.

What to Do About Antidepressants If You Are Nursing

There is no evidence to support fears that taking an antidepressant while nursing I harmful to the infant. Dr. Cynthia Neill Epperson of Yale University is one of the many researchers who have put this to the test. She recruited infants of depressed mothers, some breast-fed and others not, and then measured the level of antidepressant (in her work, Zoloft, which targets   serotonin) and of serotonin in the infants’ blood. Reporting on her work, Epperson states that she detected no Zoloft in their bloodstreams and that there was no change in the level of serotonin in most of the infants. She concluded, with the scientist’s reserve, that “it does not appear that the administration of Zoloft in breast-feeding women is likely to have a physiologic effect on their children.”
 Many depressed women derive much-needed joy from breast-feeding and become even more upset when deprived of the opportunity. Physicians who still caution against combining antidepressants with feeding except when the illness is severe recommend substituting a bottle once or twice a day to further reduce any possible risk. As always with depression, each sufferer should take into consideration all the known facts and with the of her doctor   make an informed decision. What is right for one person may be wrong for another.

Kudos for Meditation

Meditation, which originated in India, had an almost twenty-five-hundred-year run as a physical and mental health booster and then was stopped dead by modern medicine. Until, that is about thirty years ago when DR. Herbert Benson coined the term “relaxation response.” Since then it has been gaining ground. In 1998 Congress gave the NIMH $10 million to expand a network of mind-body research centers and provide training for health workers in a variety of meditative approaches.
The purpose of meditation, one popular version of which is called “mindfulness,” is to open the mind to sensations and thoughts and temporarily tune out everyday life. Not only does this induce calm, it also can bring about specific, quantifiable changes in the body. Most who consistently practice meditation feel different and better afterward, but a least five people now have provided specific proof that something beneficial has in deed happened.
In a 1999 study conducted by a Harvard team of researchers, five accomplished meditators spent about forty minutes in an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine, started at a dot on a computer screen, thought up random list of animals, and mediated. The resulting pictures of their brains showed that the regions that process positive emotions and influence cardio-respiratory function were most active during the meditation.

Check out more about alternative therapy.

Benefits of Exercise for Depression

Stroke patients who participate in a therapeutic exercise program can see a reduction in depression.
Depression is common in stroke patients. Earlier studies have discovered that physical exercise can help depressed patients, but the benefits of exercise on stroke patients are unknown.
During a study, the exercise program consisted of a progressive, structured, three-month regimen that targeted strength, balance, endurance and arm function.
After 3 months, depressive symptoms persisted in 14% of patients in the exercise group and 35.6% in the usual care group. After 9 months, the rates of depressive symptoms were 7.5% in the exercise group and 25% in the usual care group.

Domestic Violence Causes Depression in Adolescent

According to a study, teenagers who witness domestic violence between their parents are considerably more likely to suffer from symptoms of depression.
In the study of adolescents in the Philippines, almost half of all young people reported witnessing parental domestic violence.
The researchers studied data from 2,051 young men and women aged 17 to 19. They discovered that one in 10 of the male adolescents and one in 5 of the female adolescents had contemplated suicide occasionally or most of the time in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.
Young women reported the most depressive symptoms when they recalled that a parent needed medical attention as a result of domestic violence. Young men reported the most symptoms when they recalled mutual violence between their parents.

Depression in Senior Citizens

Senior citizens who suffer from mild depression are 5 times more likely to develop clinical depression within a year compared to those who had no symptoms.
A study at the University of Rochester found that lots of senior citizens struggle silently with depressed feelings, which in turn affect their physical conditions.
The study showed that depressive feelings in the elderly can grow worse if left unchecked.
Sadness about a medical condition or a loved one’s death is normal. But it becomes a serious problem when a person no longer leaves the house, does not groom himself or eat properly, or has thoughts of suicide.
The best place to notice the early signs of depression in senior citizens is in the primary care doctor’s office, where a physician can ask questions about a person’s attitude toward life and how the person is taking care of himself.

The laughter side of Life

Learn to see the lighter side of life
A sense of humor is learned, not inherited and you can sharpen your wits if you really want to, no matter what your age, sex or circumstance in life, is. Here are some of his tips for lightening up.
Be a good listener: most people are so self-absorbed they don’t pay full attention to what’s happening around them or even what’s being said for them. That’s half the trouble. Because humor is about life’s subtleties. A keen listener keeps his ear to the ground, is alert to nuances, changes in tone and actually hears what is being said.
Result: the more you hear, the wider your horizons will be and the bigger your stock of anecdotes.
Cultivate an atmosphere of humor and laughter at home
Make it a habit to daily regale your family with some thing funny that happened in the office, on your way home, or just recall something good from the past. This in turn forces you to start noticing the unusual things in a day.
Seek the right company if you don’t laugh as much as you used to and want to correct the situation, try to associate with humorous, fun loving people and avoid the downers. If you are a loner, turn to books on satire or watch comedy serials or movies, to keep your humour muscles vigorous. It’s okay even if they’re the slapstick kind.
Learn to laugh at yourself or you’ll end up handing over the job to others. Most people are unable to laugh at themselves because of their own insecurities and fears, we are afraid of looking foolish or incompetent in the eyes of others. It is important to realize that we all make mistakes and when we do, a good laugh makes the mistake seem trivial and more human.
Go back to lighthearted childhood favorites.
Watch the cartoon network once in while or just make a collage of the funniest jokes or snippets you came across, and put them up on display on the fridge or the bulletin board.
These can serve as daily reminders to laugh.
Use humor to neutralize conflicts sometimes self deprecatory humor can help lighten things up instantly. 

http://www.depression-guide.com/positive-thinking.htm
http://www.depression-guide.com/depression-self-help.htm 

To connect with people in discussing or vent off your feelings visit Depression Forums

Pep up – in an Instant – By Laugh Therapy

LAUGH THERAPY: Feeling sluggish or perhaps a little down in the dumps? We have just the cure for what may be ailing you- something to put a little spring in your step. As a matter of fact, this easy-to-get, no-cost prescription is all around you- its laughter and putting on a happy act. 

Laughter is serious business. It is scientifically proven that humor, laughter and playing happy can have dramatic health benefits. In fact, it is an essential, and often overlooked, part of holistic health.
Endorphins are the morphine within; and the pharmacy is open 24/7.
When you laugh, you breathe deep, sit up straight, and exercise the mind and body. It’s a great work out, and sets the stage for improved communication, creativity and productivity. 

People with a happier chemistry are happier people and, believe it or not, we can manufacture that chemistry from our inner cellular pharmacy. By learning to act as if you are happy, healthy and vital, even when you don’t feel that way, you can change your body’s chemistry and begin to feel the way you act. Here’s how. 

– Stand in front of the mirror and let out a 15-second belly laugh. Not just giggles, an all-out, laugh so hard that your belly shakes. You may feel ridiculous, but do it anyway.
As the saying goes- lead the body and the mind will follow. We can’t always wait until we feel happy. Sometimes we need to laugh, boost our endorphins and then feel happy. Do this three times a day for at least 15 seconds. 

– Maintain a posture that is up, out and forward. If you feel your shoulders hunched forward, your face in a pout and your breathing slow and heavy, try to shake it off literally. Try “j-arming” or jogging in place while moving your arms. Pretend to conduct the music on the radio. The silliness factor alone should be enough to beat the blues, at least for a while. Just as theater performers use techniques for the stage, you can get into the performance for a longer lifetime and act your way into happiness. Eventually it becomes a real habit. 

– Wear or surround yourself with bright colors 

– Turn on some up beat music with a catchy toe-tapping tune 

You can check out more therapies here: http://www.depression-guide.com/depression-therapy.htm 

To connect with other people in discussing depression or vent your feelings, why not join our SUPPORT FORUM – A supportive message board for discussing all aspects of depression.Â