Category Archives: Depression

Seroquel for Bipolar Disorder

Posted by on May 4, 2012 No comments

Bipolar disorder is a psychological condition occurring very commonly across the world. This condition is also called manic depression. It is characterized by repeated bouts of depression and frequent mood swings along with one or more episodes of mania. It is a type of mood disorder and is the fifth leading cause of disability worldwide.

Manic Depressive

Seroquel for Bipolar Disorder

Types of bipolar disorders:

Episodes of bipolar disorders can be grouped into rapid or mixed cycling. Bipolar disorders are also categorized into bipolar disorder type I and bipolar disorder type II. The classification is based on the frequency and the intensity of the mood swings.

Causes and risk factors of Bipolar disorders:

It is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of bipolar disorders. However, it has been observed that many people suffering from bipolar disorders usually have a history of other mental health problems and substance abuse. Males are more prone to this condition than females. The incidence of bipolar disorders is higher in blacks than in whites. This disorder arises due to complex interactions between genetic, psychological and environmental factors. Stress is also one of the leading causes of bipolar disorders.

Common signs and symptoms of bipolar disorders:

Patients suffering from bipolar disorders have experienced at least one episode of mania. The common signs and symptoms of bipolar disorders include irritable moods alternating with elevated moods and tormenting thoughts.

Patients often have a rapid or pressurized speech and have a tendency to talk excessively. They also suffer from grandiose beliefs. They believe themselves to have super powers. They often change topics fast while interacting with others. They jump from one topic to the other in an irrelevant manner. They also suffer from poor judgment and impulsivity.  Due to these symptoms, the personal and professional life of a patient is adversely affected. Use of efficient drugs like Seroquel can be highly beneficial for patients suffering from these symptoms. This medicine helps in controlling the symptoms of bipolar disorders and can give a new lease of life to the patient.

Diagnosis of bipolar disorders:

A comprehensive familial and medical background of the patient can help in the diagnosis of this condition. The typical symptoms of this condition and the history of episodes of mania should point to this disorder.

Treatment of bipolar disorders:

Patients suffering from bipolar disorders can get relief from this condition by using efficient antidepressant drugs like Seroquel. This drug contains Quetiapine that is highly effective in managing several psychological disorders including depression and schizophrenia. Seroquel helps in treating bipolar disorders by acting on the chemicals in the brain that are responsible for the unpleasant symptoms occurring in this condition. Treatment of bipolar disorder in patients above the age of 10 years can be done efficiently with the help of Seroquel. Acute bouts of mania occurring in this condition can also be controlled by using Seroquel. Seroquel for bipolar disorder should be taken in a dose of 100 mg, on the first day of the treatment. The dose should be increased gradually to 400 mg per day by the fourth day of the treatment. This dose should be administered in 2 equally divided doses. Along with this, some other measures like counseling, yoga, meditation, family education and rehabilitation can help in achieving better and longer lasting results.

Mel Gibson: Manic Depressive Episodes

Posted by on July 25, 2011 4 comments

In 2010, Mel Gibson was the celebrity name that made scandalous headlines in media all over the world when his coarse behavior towards his ex-girlfriend was caught on tape just when their custody battle was making the rounds on TV and print media. Mel’s statements to his ex-girl friend were circulated in all forms of media and that left many to wonder about his emotions getting the better of him. Lots of people are still unaware of the fact that Mel has lived a life full of battle with manic depression. The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Mel in 2002 as saying, “I have had some really good highs, but some really worse lows. I discovered recently that I am manic depressive”.

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson suffers from manic depression

It’s well known that Mel has alcoholism problem too. Mel got arrested on DUI charges in 2006, when he targeted a sheriff with a verbal attack and made some anti-Semitic comments. Later on, Popcrunch quoted the star in his public apology, “When I was arrested, I acted totally out of control and said despicable things that I don’t believe to be true. I apologize for everything that I said and to anyone who I have offended. I am deeply ashamed for what happened”.

There are a lot of other Hollywood heavy weights that have battled bipolar disorder and manic depressive episodes like Mel Gibson. Manic depressive episodes have bothered few prominent figures including Ben Stiller, Robert Pattinson, Catherine Zeta Jones, Elvis Presley and even the rapper DMX.

Manic Depressive Episodes

Manic depressive episodes which are characteristics of bipolar mood disorder are the episodes that show one or more incidents of abnormally elevated mood, cognition or energy levels termed as mania. Often, these are marked with one or more episodes of depression and sometimes mixed state in which features of both mania and depression are observed in a single episode. In many cases, these episodes get separated by a normal state, however, in some individuals, the manic and depressive episodes keep appearing rapidly, which is called as rapid cycling. Severe manic episodes are often coupled with incidents of delusions and hallucinations. The problem has been categorized into bipolar I, II and cyclothymia based on the severity of episodes.

Lifetime prevalence of bipolar disorder is estimated to be seen in approximately 1% of the cases. The onset of the symptoms is usually observed in young adulthood or late adolescence. Diagnosis is done on the basis of observed behavior and self reported experiences of the person. Abnormal episodes are often associated with turmoil and distress and increased risk for suicidal tendency during depression state. Even though in some cases, manic depression has been a long lasting and devastating condition, in most of the cases it has been associated with creativity and positive achievements. Researchers strongly believe that creativity and manic depression or bipolar disorder is often linked.

Both environmental and genetic factors can trigger manic depression. Psychiatric medications are prescribed to treat Bipolar disorder. However, the most interesting fact to be noticed is psychotherapy with regular medications can do wonders to the person suffering. In most of the stable cases, psychotherapy has played a significant role. However the person needs involuntary commitment into a rehab if the episodes of mania and depression are extreme.

If any of your near and dear ones are suffering from manic depression, try to learn about the disorder and work on eradicating the social stigma associated with the disease. Educate patient’s immediate family members about the disease. You can certainly get your loved one out of this problem with regular medicines and therapy.

New Father Depression

Posted by on July 8, 2011 5 comments

What is New Father Depression?

Several men suffer from disturbed mental health and bouts of anxiety after the delivery of their baby. This has been quite common among females since ages, as the mother undergoes a lot of hormonal, physical and emotional changes during this period and the arrival of a baby in the family brings a lot of responsibilities to the mother. However, this phenomenon has become quite common among men as well, in the recent past. Several cases of new fathers suffering from depression and an imbalanced state of mind have been reported in the recent past.

new father depression

New Dad's Depression

 

The experience of having your own child in your arms for the first time is a moment of mixed emotions, which is very difficult to explain in words. Several of the men must be remembering that moment in the life when they held their baby for the first time in their hands. It is a moment of joy, pride and a lot of excitement. However, once this initial period of excitement is over, the time comes to face reality.

It definitely takes some time for the routine of the baby to settle. It can take a few weeks or even a few years. This affects the routine of the mother and father, which they were following for a really long time. They may have to stay awake for several nights, as the baby may take his or her own time to decide when to sleep. Things can go from bad to worse, with the baby screaming most of the time, constant attention required by the baby and baby’s activities clashing with that of the mother and father. In spite of all the exhaustion and sleeplessness, the parents have to continue with their other responsibilities like performing well at their work place, doing the routine household shopping and taking care of other members of the family.

This can result in fights and tension among the parents and there is a high risk of them going into depression. The peak time for this depression can be between 3 months to 6 months after the birth of the baby.

How to cope up with new father depression?

mental health of the father

Mental Health of The New Father

It is important for the father to know that he is not the only one suffering from this. It is estimated that more than 2700 fathers suffer from postpartum depression in the US, everyday!The way to overcome this is to face upto reality. A lot of help can be provided to fathers-to-be during the gestational period itself. An understanding of the responsibilities before they come knocking on the door, can help the new fathers to accept the new challenges without getting too panicky and anxious. A good counseling session before the delivery of the child can help the fathers to understand the upcoming problems in a better way. It helps them in being mentally and emotionally prepared at the time of the arrival of the new baby. Not only this, they can act as a strong pillar of support to the new mothers who are also prone to postpartum depression.

This issue has to be dealt with seriously, as the disturbed mental health of the father can have a damaging effect on the child for several years. Hence, new fathers suffering from depression should be treated with proper counseling and mild antidepressant drugs. All the new fathers and fathers-to-be are advised to consult their doctors for counseling and medication too, if required. It is very important for these fathers to get over their own depressive thoughts so that they can take care of the baby and shape their future in a better way.

Overwork and Stress

Posted by on July 1, 2011 3 comments

Being healthy and being overworked cannot go together. The simple reason being if you are overworked you are bound to sacrifice your health and if you are maintaining your health properly would indicate that you are not overworking

main-causes-of-stress-overwork

main-causes-of-stress-overwork

but giving due importance to your work and health balance. People get carried away with daily work and achieving targets at the office to such an extent that they simply ignore the dangers of overworking day in and day out. It is only when some health related issue pops up that a compulsory halt is taken. It is the auto-reaction of the body for a necessary cessation of all overwork and relaxation time for the tired and overworked physical and mental faculties.

For employees to put in their best performance the ideal work time period would be 40 hours per week. However, the work hours actually put in are much higher. This overworking is detrimental to both the employee and the quality of output. This is so because after working for a certain period, a break is necessary. If working is continued without break then the quality of work suffers since the worker is too tired to put in his best. Hence, overworking becomes disadvantageous to both the employee and the employer.

However, there are people who pride themselves in working for long hours without proper rest and sleep. They also take satisfaction in meeting deadlines by sacrificing their rest and leisure time. Though such people are fine in putting unhealthy hours working but this affects them physically, emotionally and family life takes a beating. The divorce rate for such workaholics is quite high especially if the partner is also busy with some occupation.

When the mind keeps on ignoring the distress signals being sent by the body for urgent need for relaxation, then nature has its own ways of handling such situations. The brain downs the shutters and refuses to work leading to mental fatigue. This is a very strong indication by the body to its owner to take immediate remedial measures to re-energize the body by taking a break and relaxing till you feel comfortable to start work again. But the types, for whom overworking becomes a way of life, go in for stimulants like coffee/caffeine, energy drinks, sodas, sugary snacks, etc. This ultimately leads to a nervous breakdown.

Workaholics can also result in addiction to overworking to the point where the person exults in working over time and gets a sense of satisfaction but with ensuing exhaustion. Such people may also harbor some wrong notions that overworking may get them recognition and may also feel that only overworking will make them valuable to the company.

Intense exhaustion sets in when a constant demand is placed to the body to perform for long lengths of time without rest. Adrenaline is pumped by the body to meet the demands and then cools down once the task is completed. These upheavals in the body due to stress can lead to sleepiness during the day, sleeplessness during the night, resorting to comfort foods for immediate relaxation, etc. This chain of events may lead to obesity, eventually resulting physical exhaustion as well.

Tips on how to avoid overworking and manage stress:

  • Avoid over commitment
  • Recognize your limits
  • Learn to say no
  • Try not to control others
  • Take regular breaks
  • Drink water at regular intervals
  • Take a walk to relax
  • Tackle one task at a time
  • Do not fall prey to distractions
  • Stay focused on the task at hand
  • Exercise regularly
  • Eat a balanced diet
  • Limit alcohol intake
  • Think positive

    • A Mental Problem with Serious Implications

    Posted by on June 14, 2011 3 comments

    Depression is a recurrent illness which has been affecting people worldwide. It is not like any other illness where the problem manifests itself in some visible form which makes the affected person aware that there is a problem. Depression normally silently creeps up making subtle changes in the behavior of the person which initially are put down to temporary mood changes. Even the affected person cannot recognize the footfalls of depression. But, gradually the days get filled more and more by unhappiness, despair, sadness and melancholy. Normal everyday activities, which were done with happiness and satisfaction not too long ago, suddenly become monotonous and become a source of sadness. Since there are no outward physical problems which can be noticed and rectified, the depression symptoms are normally first noticed by the people who are in immediate contact with the affected person. If the symptoms are noticed early by someone knowledgeable, then it is a stroke of luck for the affected since corrective measures can immediately be taken. However, if the situation drags on, then it can become quite serious by the time it dawns that it is a mental illness of dangerous potential.

    Types of Depression and its Symptoms:

    Major Depression:

    This is a state of mind where hopelessness, sadness, grief and misery take hold of the thoughts of the affected person. When the mind is cluttered with such pessimism then it affects all other activities like working, social life, eating, sleeping, etc. Activities which were once considered a source of joy become a burden. There is loss of interest in sex and appetite decreases. There is a feeling of guilt, worthlessness, pessimism, social withdrawal, etc.

    This debilitating mental state has its effect on the health of the affected. There is unusual fatigue, irregular sleep, unexplained restlessness, irritability, trouble concentrating, digestive problems, headaches, etc.

    Dysthymia:

    This type of depression is a less severe type but lasts longer than other types of depression. It is less severe in the sense that it does not disable but prevents the person from feeling fine and slows down the pace of work. People with dysthymia, sometimes also get affected by major depression.

    Manic Depression (bipolar disorder):


    Symptoms:

    • Feeling of elation
    • Irrational anger or irritability
    • Significant sleep deprivation
    • Talking rapidly at high pitch
    • Thoughts and speech becoming illogical
    • High sex drive
    • Increase in energy
    • Unsuitable social behavior
    • Faulty judgment

     

    This disorder normally affects judgment, thinking and social conduct which causes problems and embarrassment like random or unsafe sexual escapades or ill-advised business decisions, which may be taken by a person affected by manic episodes.

    Causes of Depression:

    • Hereditary
    • Stressful environment
    • Chronic illness
    • Serious loss
    • Financial problems
    • Difficult relationships
    • Undesirable changes in life patterns
    • Psychological factors
    • Discrimination
    • Unemployment
    • Lack of income source
    • Divorce
    • Economic problems
    • Emotional abuse
    • Physical abuse
    • Sexual abuse
    • Alcohol abuse
    • Drug abuse

    Medications which can help ward off depression:

    It has been found that when a person is in depression the levels of certain chemicals in the brain decrease. Medications which increase the levels of these chemicals are used to treat depression.

    SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. During depression this chemical takes a dip. When the amount of serotonin increases due to the medication, the feel good factor takes over from the feel sad factor thereby providing relief from depression.

    Help for depression can also be sought from the following:

    • Psychiatrics
    • Psychologists
    • Family doctor
    • Mental health counselors
    • Community mental-heath centers
    • Health maintenance organizations
    • Hospital psychiatry departments
    • Private clinics
    • Community groups
    • Employee assistance programs