Views on depression and its proper treatment
24111/05 Filed in: Health
The cover story of Time Magazine (Nov 21, 2005) Is our treatment of depression all wrong? featured a woman from Australia who was "driven to the brink of suicide by the drugs prescribed to cure her". In this article, the practice of prescribing antidepressants like candy is criticised, mainly because the information on the severity of side-effects is often withheld from the patients.
However, the assumption that drugs by themselves are a useful way of treating depression is questioned only very gingerly.
Basically, there are several basic ideas about depression going around:
First there's the assumption that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is a fact that different states of mind and emotion occur simultaneously with different chemical processes in different areas of the brain. But, it's not clear which comes first, the brain chemistry or out thought processes - and that's a very comforting thought in my opinion, because we can direct our thoughts ourselves. Changing the chemistry of the brain is probably much trickier.
Another approach on depression is voiced by many from the huge field of so-called alternative medicine: That people with bad coping mechanisms and thinking habits are much more likely to develop depression than those who are not. And - thinking patterns and your outlook on life are things you can and should choose consciously. Just think about how the assumption "I am a victim of depression, I can't do anything about it" will make you react to feeling down, blue, lethargic or simply "urgh", and then think how an outlook of "How can I get through this? What and who can help me to get through this?" would make you react.
Thought patterns or thinking habits can be un-learned. The first step to that is recognising them. One good way to un-learn is meditation (see: my former post Meditation increases happiness and helps with pain and depression). As in mediation, all thoughts are simply recognised as thoughts ("Here's another thought") without paying attention to their content, the recurring patterns of one's thinking start to emerge quite rapidly. Also, the perceived "reality" of our thoughts becomes a lot more relative, as we find that "that's just a thought" instead of the assumption "this is how it really is".
However, the assumption that drugs by themselves are a useful way of treating depression is questioned only very gingerly.
Basically, there are several basic ideas about depression going around:
First there's the assumption that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is a fact that different states of mind and emotion occur simultaneously with different chemical processes in different areas of the brain. But, it's not clear which comes first, the brain chemistry or out thought processes - and that's a very comforting thought in my opinion, because we can direct our thoughts ourselves. Changing the chemistry of the brain is probably much trickier.
Another approach on depression is voiced by many from the huge field of so-called alternative medicine: That people with bad coping mechanisms and thinking habits are much more likely to develop depression than those who are not. And - thinking patterns and your outlook on life are things you can and should choose consciously. Just think about how the assumption "I am a victim of depression, I can't do anything about it" will make you react to feeling down, blue, lethargic or simply "urgh", and then think how an outlook of "How can I get through this? What and who can help me to get through this?" would make you react.
Thought patterns or thinking habits can be un-learned. The first step to that is recognising them. One good way to un-learn is meditation (see: my former post Meditation increases happiness and helps with pain and depression). As in mediation, all thoughts are simply recognised as thoughts ("Here's another thought") without paying attention to their content, the recurring patterns of one's thinking start to emerge quite rapidly. Also, the perceived "reality" of our thoughts becomes a lot more relative, as we find that "that's just a thought" instead of the assumption "this is how it really is".
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My book's come out!
18111/05 Filed in: Recommended
Finally, after long waiting and half-forgetting about it (just kidding), I'm holding my own book in my hands! Looks totally cool, I tell you.
Now I'm a "published author", and thus an authority on everything. Go me!
Sorry if that came on a bit strong, but I am very excited and enthusiastic about it. The next entry will be boring and depressing again, and I can tell you now, it will be about -- depression. Or more accurately, about the depression article in the current TIME magazine. But that will be tomorrow, because now I will go party!
See you then!
Now I'm a "published author", and thus an authority on everything. Go me!
Sorry if that came on a bit strong, but I am very excited and enthusiastic about it. The next entry will be boring and depressing again, and I can tell you now, it will be about -- depression. Or more accurately, about the depression article in the current TIME magazine. But that will be tomorrow, because now I will go party!
See you then!
Headaches revisited: Smoking's another culprit
13111/05
From today's German Ärztezeitung (Physicians' newspaper):
Researchers on a current pain conference in Bremen discovered that smoking cessation is in some cases just as helpful as pain medication for sufferers of headaches and migraines.
That finding makes a lot of sense, as smoking does make the blood vessels constrict and lowers oxygen levels in the blood.
Now, that doesn't mean that you should start smoking so you can cease, but it is another good reason to stop tarring your lungs.
After all, you'd be saving on two fronts: No more money for cigarettes, and less for pain meds.
Researchers on a current pain conference in Bremen discovered that smoking cessation is in some cases just as helpful as pain medication for sufferers of headaches and migraines.
That finding makes a lot of sense, as smoking does make the blood vessels constrict and lowers oxygen levels in the blood.
Now, that doesn't mean that you should start smoking so you can cease, but it is another good reason to stop tarring your lungs.
After all, you'd be saving on two fronts: No more money for cigarettes, and less for pain meds.
Meditation increases happiness and helps with pain and depression
13111/05 Filed in: Health
Regular meditation is one of the most powerful tools to help us stay (or become) sane and become better people.
It is also a very helpful tool for coping with pain and overcoming depression. Read these two very good articles on wildmind.org: Meditation and Depression and on Meditation and Pain.
It is also a very helpful tool for coping with pain and overcoming depression. Read these two very good articles on wildmind.org: Meditation and Depression and on Meditation and Pain.
Accelerate wound healing with vitamins
02111/05 Filed in: Health
The repair of tissues after a burn, an injury or an operation requires the body to "work overtime", not only to regenerate the tissue itself but also to get rid of the so called "free radicals". No, those aren't members of a terrorist organisation, but they well could be, because they wreak havoc in the affected tissues.
Antioxidants like vitamin C and E assist the body in tackling these free radicals and regenerating tissues.
For optimal results, take about two and a half times as much vitamin C as vitamin E until your wound has healed.
To assist wound healing externally, you can also cut open a vitamin E gel capsule and put the oily substance directly onto the cleansed wound, scab, or sunburn. On burns, use it after cooling properly, and do use common sense: For large or serious burns, go straight to the hospital without delay.
Antioxidants like vitamin C and E assist the body in tackling these free radicals and regenerating tissues.
For optimal results, take about two and a half times as much vitamin C as vitamin E until your wound has healed.
To assist wound healing externally, you can also cut open a vitamin E gel capsule and put the oily substance directly onto the cleansed wound, scab, or sunburn. On burns, use it after cooling properly, and do use common sense: For large or serious burns, go straight to the hospital without delay.
Dr. Andrew Weil in the Time Magazine (Oct. 17, 2005)
23110/05 Filed in: Recommended
Dr. Andrew Weil is a medical doctor whom I value for his medical farsightedness and apparent integrity.
His article "Dr. Andrew Weil on living better longer", an excerpt from his newest book "Healthy Aging" is featured in the Time magazine of Oct. 17, 2005, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone interested in sound and down-to-earth advice on health and aging gracefully.
Different to most of his colleagues, Dr. Weil does not endorse the anti-aging hype, because he accepts aging and dying as the natural course of things. "The best we can do - and it is a lot - is to accept the inevitability of aging and try to adapt to it, to be in the best health we can at any age."
Dr. Weil is pretty clever when it comes to marketing his information, too, so of course, there's more information on his website www.drweilonhealthyaging.com
Different to most of his colleagues, Dr. Weil does not endorse the anti-aging hype, because he accepts aging and dying as the natural course of things. "The best we can do - and it is a lot - is to accept the inevitability of aging and try to adapt to it, to be in the best health we can at any age."
Dr. Weil is pretty clever when it comes to marketing his information, too, so of course, there's more information on his website www.drweilonhealthyaging.com
How to fall asleep when your mind is racing, part 2
05110/05 Filed in: Health
Paper and a pen can help putting a restless mind to rest, too. Write down all the stuff you don't want to forget, all the ideas you're going over in your head, and then allow yourself to forget about it for the night. After all, it'll be right there on your bedstand when you wake up again tomorrow. It's very simple but works.
How to fall asleep when your mind is racing (and your feet are cold)
04110/05 Filed in: Health
You probably know grandma's old recipe to drink a cup of warm milk with honey before going to bed. It works, especially if you don't just gulp it down, but take time to unwind: Feel the warmth of the mug in your hands and pretend that someone who cares a lot about you gave that nightcap to you.
But that isn't what this post is about...
A Chinese household remedy for a restless mind that keeps you from falling asleep is a quick hot foot bath.
It works very well too, and has less calories
And it makes your feet warm, even if they've been ice cold before – another thing that can keep you from falling asleep, and often occurs together with a racing mind.
How it works:
Put your feet and hands in a bowl of water that feels hot to you. (I like to sit on the bathtub rim for this. That way I don't have to worry about spilling water either.) If your feet are very cold, that might be just over 30 degrees, if they're fairly warm, you can go up to over 40 degrees. The water should reach to or just above your ankles. If you want to, you can increase the water temperature after a minute – a little tingling or stinging from the heat is OK.
Keep your hands and feet in the hot water until the skin starts turning pink ( 2-5 minutes), which is a sign of increased circulation. Then, dry them off, put on your favourite woollen socks and tuck yourself in. When you're back in bed, it initially might feel as if your feet are not holding the warmth, but don't worry: The circulation is kick-started, and they'll get warm from the inside in a short time.
I find it works better and quicker against cold feet than a hot water bottle: By the time the water for a hot water bottle would be warm, you're already back in bed and your feet are warm on all sides.
Why it works:
According to Chinese medicine the Shen (approximately: Spirit, mind) needs to rest in the Heart at night, like a little bird in its nest. When the Heart is agitated, the Shen can find no place to settle down. The body's Qi (energy) is concentrated in the head and the chest, which is why this state of mind is so often combined with cold extremities.
Warmth draws energy to the area where it's applied. Thus, bringing warmth to the hands and feet draws enough Qi away from the Heart that the Shen can settle for a good night's sleep. At the same time, the Qi improved circulation of hands and feet makes them warm again.
But that isn't what this post is about...
A Chinese household remedy for a restless mind that keeps you from falling asleep is a quick hot foot bath.
It works very well too, and has less calories
And it makes your feet warm, even if they've been ice cold before – another thing that can keep you from falling asleep, and often occurs together with a racing mind.How it works:
Put your feet and hands in a bowl of water that feels hot to you. (I like to sit on the bathtub rim for this. That way I don't have to worry about spilling water either.) If your feet are very cold, that might be just over 30 degrees, if they're fairly warm, you can go up to over 40 degrees. The water should reach to or just above your ankles. If you want to, you can increase the water temperature after a minute – a little tingling or stinging from the heat is OK.
Keep your hands and feet in the hot water until the skin starts turning pink ( 2-5 minutes), which is a sign of increased circulation. Then, dry them off, put on your favourite woollen socks and tuck yourself in. When you're back in bed, it initially might feel as if your feet are not holding the warmth, but don't worry: The circulation is kick-started, and they'll get warm from the inside in a short time.
I find it works better and quicker against cold feet than a hot water bottle: By the time the water for a hot water bottle would be warm, you're already back in bed and your feet are warm on all sides.
Why it works:
According to Chinese medicine the Shen (approximately: Spirit, mind) needs to rest in the Heart at night, like a little bird in its nest. When the Heart is agitated, the Shen can find no place to settle down. The body's Qi (energy) is concentrated in the head and the chest, which is why this state of mind is so often combined with cold extremities.
Warmth draws energy to the area where it's applied. Thus, bringing warmth to the hands and feet draws enough Qi away from the Heart that the Shen can settle for a good night's sleep. At the same time, the Qi improved circulation of hands and feet makes them warm again.
Bug yourself awake
29109/05 Filed in: Health
The "beetle on its back" exercise is an ideal way to revive yourself quickly and get your hands and feet warm.
It works as follows: Lie down on your back and let your arms and legs stick up into the air. Shaking them lightly, hold them up for about a minute. This peps up your circulation, because it facilitates the blood flow from the extremities to the body, thus strengthening your heart and improving capillary function.
It works as follows: Lie down on your back and let your arms and legs stick up into the air. Shaking them lightly, hold them up for about a minute. This peps up your circulation, because it facilitates the blood flow from the extremities to the body, thus strengthening your heart and improving capillary function.
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29109/05
Headaches? Check this.
08109/05 Filed in: Health
If you're prone to headaches, check this list of most common causes and see if any of that stuff applies to you. Then do something about it.
The most common culprits are:
Dehydration
Drink water. Although alcoholic beverages, coffee and black tea are liquid, too, they have dehydrating effects. You notice that because the urination frequency increases after drinking them.
Stick with water. It's good for the complexion, too.
Coffee addiction
"I can't wake up without my coffee" is the surest sign for a coffee addiction. The tiredness in the morning is actually a withdrawal symptom. The good news: Coffee addiction takes only about three days to overcome.
Sweet stuff
Soft drinks, lollies and other sweets that contain refined sugar briefly boost your blood sugar levels up and then make them plummet down, creating (sweet) food cravings, headaches and crankiness.
By the way, artificial sweeteners cause low blood sugar levels, too, because the body reacts to the sweet taste, not the calories.
Working too hard
Not taking breaks to eat a little and sitting at a computer for long periods of time without moving about is a perfect combination to build up headaches. Stop it. Get up and move around, and start scheduling proper lunch breaks right now!
Lack of oxygen
Kind of obvious: Think of the wonderful feeling you get when you open a window or step outside and take a deep breath. So do it right now and enjoy the free oxygen buzz.
Lack of Vitamin B
Vitamin B, especially Vitamin B12 is enormously important for proper nerve and brain function, and lack of Vitamin B can lead to frequent headaches.
Pain medication
One of the most common side effects of pain medication is headaches, especially if you use them a lot. Basically, it's a form of medication poisoning. In order to let your body reset and start responding normally to any form of medication, you need to get off them completely for a while.
Stress and muscle tension
High levels of stress cause tense muscles which in turn can lead to headaches. Stress can be reduced through exercise and rest, and by planning time and work and sticking to the plans.
The last two points on the list admittedly are harder to tackle than the ones before. Acupuncture can help with all of these, because it addresses the underlying energetic imbalances and can help overcome addictions.
The most common culprits are:
Dehydration
Drink water. Although alcoholic beverages, coffee and black tea are liquid, too, they have dehydrating effects. You notice that because the urination frequency increases after drinking them.
Stick with water. It's good for the complexion, too.
Coffee addiction
"I can't wake up without my coffee" is the surest sign for a coffee addiction. The tiredness in the morning is actually a withdrawal symptom. The good news: Coffee addiction takes only about three days to overcome.
Sweet stuff
Soft drinks, lollies and other sweets that contain refined sugar briefly boost your blood sugar levels up and then make them plummet down, creating (sweet) food cravings, headaches and crankiness.
By the way, artificial sweeteners cause low blood sugar levels, too, because the body reacts to the sweet taste, not the calories.
Working too hard
Not taking breaks to eat a little and sitting at a computer for long periods of time without moving about is a perfect combination to build up headaches. Stop it. Get up and move around, and start scheduling proper lunch breaks right now!
Lack of oxygen
Kind of obvious: Think of the wonderful feeling you get when you open a window or step outside and take a deep breath. So do it right now and enjoy the free oxygen buzz.
Lack of Vitamin B
Vitamin B, especially Vitamin B12 is enormously important for proper nerve and brain function, and lack of Vitamin B can lead to frequent headaches.
Pain medication
One of the most common side effects of pain medication is headaches, especially if you use them a lot. Basically, it's a form of medication poisoning. In order to let your body reset and start responding normally to any form of medication, you need to get off them completely for a while.
Stress and muscle tension
High levels of stress cause tense muscles which in turn can lead to headaches. Stress can be reduced through exercise and rest, and by planning time and work and sticking to the plans.
The last two points on the list admittedly are harder to tackle than the ones before. Acupuncture can help with all of these, because it addresses the underlying energetic imbalances and can help overcome addictions.
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01109/05