U.S. Doctors Looking For Alternative Treatments

Across the U.S., many doctors are now studying a variety of non-medical treatments for ADHD and similar disorders. Although no definitive studies have been done about exercise and ADHD, it makes sense that exercise would help people cope with the condition. This is due in part because exercise increases the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, which helps people focus. Cognitive function is also better for one to three hours after exercise. Some researchers believe that if kids would exercise strenuously tree to five ties a day, there may be no need for medication at all. Involving kids in team sports can help in several ways. Kids will benefit from following a regular schedule and coaches who lead them through structured exercises also might help build concentration and organizational sills. Yet studies show that today's children are more sedentary than they were a generation or tow ago, which seems to have contributed to increasing childhood obesity rates. This leads to speculation that one reason for the increasing rate of ADHD is lack of exercise. New research has also shown that meditation, done twice a day for a few minutes, is an effective treatment for ADHD. Improvements include better attention and impulse control, improvement in academic performance, enhanced problem solving sills and the reduction of stress, anxiety and anger. Transcendental meditation, TM, is a specific form that helps the mind settle down to a state of what's called "restful alertness'. It is a mental technique that involves narrowing the focus of the mind in an effortless way that allows it to settle sown. Once settled, the body becomes deeply relaxed allowing you to experience profound levels of relaxation while you're awake. In one study, kids with ADHD who meditated for ten minutes twice a day had significant improvement in several areas. The children were required to simply sit in silence with closed eyes and thin about nothing more than a mantra, which could consist of a single word. There were 45-50 percent reductions in anxiety, stress and depression. They also showed improvement in organizational skills, memory, strategizing, mental flexibility, attention and impulsivity. Other studies involving TM on kids without ADHD have shown to lower blood pressure and raise IQ. For kids with ADHD, the benefits may be much greater. Across the country, some schools have already incorporated meditation into their daily routines. There is also a national TM organization that can have a speaker arranged to come to schools to talk to officials about TM.

Is Anxiety the Cause or Effect?

Experts have been asking for sometime now if the anxiety that is often associated with chronic depression a cause or effect of the illness?

New research performed on mice suggests that chronic stress may be a trigger and not a symptom of depression. These findings are in the April issue of the Journal Behavioral Neuroscience. The research team from Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Boston believes that the findings could also help improve treatments for the disorder.

It is already a known fact that those with depression tend to have higher levels of the human stress hormone called cortical, but it has never been clear if this was a cause or effect of depression. According to the new mouse study, long term exposure to cortical may actually contribute to depression.

Researchers exposed mice to twenty four hours and seventeen to eighteen doses of the rodent stress hormone corticosterone. This hormone was put in their water so that the stress of having an injection would not interfere with the results. This same method was done to a group of mice with a shorter term of exposure.

Those who had long term exposure took longer time emerging from a small dark compartment into a brightly lit open area, which is a common behavioral test of anxiety in animals. These results suggest that these mice were more fearful and less willing to explore their new environment.

Researchers also found that mice with longer exposure showed dulled reactions to being startled, which is an indication that their nervous system was overwhelmed.

New Device to Treat Depression

Billed as “a pacemaker for the brain”, a pocket watch sized device may be the newest cutting edge treatment for as many as 4 million adults whose severe depression is not relieved by psychotherapy, drugs, or even shock treatments. Since it’s FDA approval eight months ago, more than 550 Americans have had a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) implanted in their chests to activate parts of their brain. The VNS is a battery operated generator that is attached to an electrode that is then implanted in the vagus nerve in the neck. The generator than emits regular pulses of electricity that is supposed to stimulate serotonin and other brain chemicals that are believed to regulate mood. But does this new device really work? Is VNS a lifesaving treatment for chronic depression or is it an unproven and potentially harmful treatment based on flimsy science, as critics contend? The only clinical trial of this device, which is approved to treat severe epilepsy, failed to demonstrate the effectiveness in relieving depression. Due to the lack of alternatives for the severely depressed, a top DDA official overruled unanimous opposition of 20 staff members and approved this device to treat adults who failed four other alternatives

Why Be a Yogi?

I recently received this from a realtor mailing and thought you might enjoy it.

Why Be a Yogi?

Not only can yoga help you stay fit and improve your posture, but it can also relieve stress and improve your concentration. Thinking about becoming a yogi? Read on and you'll likely be convinced:

-Relieves stress: The breathing techniques, stretches, and poses used in yoga will help you cope with life's challenges both personally and professionally.

-Builds strength: Yoga will tone your body, but you will also be gaining muscle strength, improving your endurance, and sharpening your balance.

-Improves concentration: After participating in yoga for a while, you are likely to find that your attention span will increase significantly.

-Increases self-acceptance: When you pay closer attention to what your body is doing and what it is capable of doing, you will learn to stop judging yourself and you'll respect yourself more.

FDA Troubled By Hallucinations

Experts at the FDA said they are troubled after looking over reports of hallucinations experienced by those using ADHD medications. Many found it striking just how often young children described various bugs, insects, and worms, both visual and tactile, which haven't been seen elsewhere. These hallucinations are extremely rare in young children, occurred in patients taking commonly prescribed doses, and the visions usually went away after stopping the medication. One case involved a 12 year old boy with cerebral palsy who was taking Ritalin. After taking his medication one morning, he hallucinated that roaches were surrounding him. Doctors stopped the medicine and the visions went away. Unfortunately, his ADHD came back strongly. He was put back on Ritalin and the hallucinations returned immediately. Drug treatment had to be halted. The FDA believes that the visions recurrence were drug related. However, some manufacturers believed that the children had underlying psychiatric problems that emerged when their ADHD was brought under control. Other children had reported seeing snakes, spiders, bugs and jellyfish. In some cases, they felt as though the insects were crawling on them. One 7 year old girl acted and felt as if she had hit a wall after taking only her second dose of Strattera. Partly because most serious drug problems are never reported to the government, it is unclear what percentage of ADD patients experience these reactions. Some experts offer estimates of 2-5 percent.

The Key To Treating Depression

A new study funded by The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda suggests that determination is the key to treating depression. Results showed that some people who don’t initially improve with an antidepressant may do so if they try other treatments. Phase one of the study looked at how people with major depression responded to the drug Celexa. One third of them had positive results. For the others, in phase tow doctors found that an additional third became symptom free by taking an additional antidepressant and about one quarter recovered by switching to a different one. Based on these findings, researchers say patients should try an antidepressant for 6-12 weeks to see if it works. If it doesn’t, then you should try another. Sometimes people who don’t respond well to synthetic prescriptions may want to try alternative natural therapies, such as Deprex. A big plus to Deprex is that it won’t give you the bad side effects that you may experience wit prescription drugs.

Environmental Triggers of ADHD

Previous studies have determined that environmental factors such as exposure to lead, substance and alcohol abuse and smoking during pregnant, an impoverished environment, malnourished, physical abuse, traumatic brain injury and seizures may be reasons for childhood behavioral problems. Research also shows that children of tobacco users face a higher risk of ADD. One study of 2,232 5 year old twins suggested that there is a connection between affection given by the other and lower rates of the disorder in those with a low birth weight. Another study done at the University of Illinois studied hyperactive children between 5-8 years and discovered tat playing outdoors can have a big positive impact. Finally, a Temple University preliminary report found that deep pressure and strenuous exercise can soothe symptoms, such as restlessness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Another environmental trigger is violence. In a number of surveys, it's been found that violence can also be a possible factor in hyperactivity. One survey, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, found that 90 percent of children between 4 and 6 were exposed to some form of aggression that caused a traumatic stress reaction, such as nightmares, thumb-sucking or bed wetting. Also, one third have allergies, asthma or ADHD. Investigators observed that those who had one or more of these health problems were significantly more likely to have had an encounter with excessive force. Finally, a huge number of reports have linked lack of sleep with behavioral problems. One study of 229 preschoolers showed that those who snored were four times more likely to develop new or worsened symptoms of hyperactivity four years later than those who slept well.

Depression is Common For Parents

According to a new analysis based on data from the National Survey of Families and Households, parents experience higher levels of depression then adults who do not have children. A study conducted by the Florida State University also found that increased symptoms of depression don’t leave you when the kids grow up and leave. Researchers are therefore suggesting that worrying is a lifelong cost of having children. Those who exhibit more signs of depression are the ones whose children are grown and parents who don’t have custody of minor children.

Is Being A Perfectionist Pushing You To The Edge?

The drive to get things done right is making many people prone to depression,obsessive-compulsive disorders and suicidal thoughts. Negative feelings could be reduced significantly by using cognitive behavioral therapy similar to depression and anxiety treatments. These treatments helped decrease the levels of depression and obsessive compulsive behavior. But some people wonder what’s wrong with being perfect? Because being perfect will become a problem when people’s goals are not attainable. It can cause feelings of failure that can lead to these psychological problems.

PLEASE Read If You're On Adderall

I'm sure that most of you have seen a lot of stories pertaining to the terrible side effects of Adderall. This is a very powerful stimulant that you mostly hear side effect stories from children who are on it. Well, today, I couldn't believe what I heard from a wonderful person who just recently purchased Attend for her son. She is trying to win a battle against her son's doctors and teachers who are telling her that he needs to be on prescription medication; prescription medication that took the life of a child she knew. But what's even more tragic was that it wasn't the child who was on Adderall-it was his mother. When the first trial against the makers of Adderall was taking place, she was there telling her story about how she had killed her seven year old son during a psychotic episode she had because of Adderall. I know these types of stories are very rare, but it's so shocking when you do hear one. I'm not saying that everyone on Adderall is going to have a psychotic episode. What I am saying is that everyone responds differently to medications, no matter what it is. All I hope is to try to make more people aware and hope they'll take a little more time doing research, finding alternatives, if possible, and getting more than one doctors opinion. No one should die because they have ADHD.

Is Provigil Good For ADHD?

According to the panel of experts that advises the FDA, Provigil, a drug used to treat ADHD, is not safe enough to win their approval. They are most concerned about the side effects of skin rashes, which can lead to hospitalization. They have called upon the manufacturer, Cephalon, to conduct more clinical trials, believing more patients need to be studied before approval will be granted. They voted 12-1 against recommending Provigil as safe for children who have ADHD. Provigil, already approved to treat sleep disorders, is seeking to market under the name Sparlon for those with ADHD. This ADHD version, also known as modafinil, would be a smaller tablet and have a wider range of doses. Although approval was given by the FDA in October of 2005 to use for ADHD, it had concerns about rashes, mania, aggression and other possible psychiatric effects that prompted the added advice from the expert panel. Even if the wider use is approved, Sparlon will more than likely come with the strongest warning possible, which is the black box warning. This recommendation follows only one day after another FDA panel called for all ADD drugs to include new information about psychiatric and heart risks, even though the data is still unclear. Apparently some panel members are uneasy about supporting Sparlon when other treatments are available and just as effective. This is another setback for Cephalon, who faced problems with its sleep disorder drug Nuvigil and the Vivitrol alcoholism treatment it is developing along with Alkermes Inc. The FDA committee recommends that Cephalon carries out a trial of 3,000 patients to help determine the risk the drug may pose for the sometimes fatal skin disease known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, which can produce widespread blistering and rashes. During previous studies, it was found that one out of 900 children developed the disease.

Sick Building Syndrome

In a recent study, researchers found that out of more than 4,000 government employees, high job demands and the perception of poor support were more closely related to sick building symptoms than were the physical conditions of the workplace. According to these British researchers, its work related stress rather than the building conditions that are causing the problem. The cluster of symptoms includes headache, nasal congestion, and fatigue and eye irritation. These appear to occur when a person is in a particular indoor environment. Researchers have failed to find connections that were consistent between symptoms and specific physical conditions of buildings. Now there is growing evidence that job stress, especially when combined with demanding work and little autonomy, has health effects and the physical reactions to stress are similar to those that attribute to sick building syndrome. In a recent study at eh University College London Medical School; employees were surveyed about symptoms, job stress and the conditions of their work space. They even took environmental measurements of temperature, dust, humidity, airborne fungus, bacteria, and other conditions in some of the buildings. There was some evidence that heat and humidity and levels of dust and bacteria were related to the symptoms. But there was a stronger relationship between the symptoms and job stress, such as demanding work and a feeling of lack of support from superiors and co-workers. These finding suggest that the social and psychological environment of the workplace should be a consideration when employees are affected by fatigue, headaches and other symptoms that are attributed to sick building syndrome.

Can Omega Oils Calm ADHD Teens?

A recent study by English researchers found that supplements containing omega-3 and omega-6 oils, which are all found in Attend, could improve the behavior and attention span of ADHD teenagers.
Studied were twenty teens between 12 and 15, 90 percent of whom had moderate to severe ADHD. They were given supplements for three months and found that inattentiveness fell from 94 percent to 17 percent by the end of the trial. Similar results were seen for impulsivity, which lowered from 89 percent to 28 percent. The supplements effect is proposed to function by increasing blood flow, and it is also suggested to affect hormones and the immune system, which have a direct effect on brain function.

Are Your Eating Habits Affecting Your Mental Health?

Some are beginning to wonder if there’s a link between changes in your eating habits and the rise of mental health problems today. Over the past fifty years, consuming fresh produce has declined and eating more saturated fats and sugars is rising. As a result, the nation’s health is being affected and it could also be damaging to our mental health, according to a recent report. It also shows that an unbalanced diet has led to an increase in depression, schizophrenia, ADHD and Alzheimer’s disease.
The study also shows that consumption of vegetables and fish has declined by 34 and 59 percent respectively within the last 60 years. Also, only 13 percent of men and 15 percent of women eat at least five portions of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. There has also been a decrease in the omega-3 fatty acids that are found in such things as fish and nuts. A deficiency in these has been implicated in a number of mental health problems, which includes depression and hyperactivity disorders.
But the problem isn’t just how we eat, but also how our food is now produced. In many cases, due to changes in the way food is manufactured and produced, the vitamins and minerals have been reduced. Pesticides are now more widespread, and the body fat content of many animals is now higher.

The Benefits of Exercise

The word exercise may not be the most exciting word in your vocabulary, but it has a lot of benefits that you should be aware of. Participating in daily exercise not only makes us healthier, it can diminish the effects of stress on our bodies as well. How many times have you heard someone say,” The doctor says it’s due to stress”? Stress plays a major role in many diseases. To increase your immune system and decrease your stress levels, you can try daily exercise. Some of the very simple things you can do are bending, stretching, reaching, or walking. You could try a simple aerobic video. You could also so simple stretching exercises of your neck and shoulders while sitting or walk in place while watching TV. Make it a point to move more throughout the day and boost your body’s immune system so you can stay healthier in general. There are no reasons to allow stressful situations to take their toll on your health and well being.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

For many in the military, post-traumatic stress disorder is an unfortunate reality. A study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that nearly 20 percent of those returning from the Iraqi War suffer from this condition or other mental health disturbances. For the Gulf War, the rate of soldiers coming back with these conditions was just half of that. One conclusion was that perhaps the nature of the conflict and the increased risk of being redeployed were making the Iraq War more taxing for these men and women. High amounts of stress and hyper vigilance were considered normal for soldiers serving in Iraq.
Those with post-traumatic stress disorder, whoever they may be, cannot selectively release emotions. For example, letting out love would also mean letting out many other feelings, such as fear and sadness. Therefore, a person with this disorder will stop interacting with the world around them. They will basically withdraw and try to escape. They also frequently feel guilt and shame foe being alive or experiencing pleasure. For these peoples’ partners it can be quite confusing and painful. A highly anticipated reunion may crumble once he or she returns, which can take a significant toll on their relationship. So for our soldiers and their partners it becomes a cruel irony that after a long battle, their plight continues when they do finally return home. For these stories to have happy endings that they deserve, both must make their relationship a priority and bring a strong measure of understanding and compassion to the effort.

Stress Is Not Good For Your Heart

If something is stressing you out, it’s probably not good for your heart. Mental stress decreases blood flow to the heart in those who have no problems in other stress tests according to a recent study. Researchers have found that the adverse effects of mental stress are more widespread than previously recognized. The study found that there may be a stronger association between mental stress and it being a serious risk factor for death in those that already have a pre-existing heart disease, just like smoking and high cholesterol are risk factors.
Patients were monitored for heart blood flow as they performed a mentally stressful scenario. All to them had coronary artery disease. They found that 21 percent of the patients had a drop in blood flow to the heart even though they had previously done well on treadmill stress tests. This study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Could Depression Predict the Future?

Switzerland researchers analyzed information on more that 4,000 people over a period of 25 years. They found that there’s a link between childhood depression and adult asthma and obesity. Although researchers believe more study is needed, they believe that the neurobiology of depression is different during childhood than at any other time in their life.

Is There A Link Between Allergies And Depression?

In a national survey of over 3,000 U.S. adults, researchers found that women with major depression were more likely to have allergies. Also noted was that men with nervous and anxious personalities also had allergies. These findings lead to the suggestion that there is a relationship between depression or neurotic personality traits and allergies. Although past studies have linked depression and allergies, it’s not clear which one leads to the other.
One hypothesis is that those who have neurotic personalities might be prone to both depression and allergies, which is already thought of as a risk factor for depression. One study found that those with depression were 50 percent more likely to have allergies than those without. And adults with neurotic personalities were 22 percent more likely to have allergies than those without. However, analysis showed that depression and allergies were linked only among women and in contrast, men with neurotic personalities had a higher risk of allergies, but there was no connection between depression and allergies. Researchers speculate that with depression, it’s possible that the disorder contributes to allergy development by impairing the immune system. On the other hand, those that have to deal with chronic allergies may become depressed.

Is It Time To Fix The ADHD Diagnosis And Not The Child?

Ever since the term was first adopted by the American Psychiatric Association in 1987, ADHD has been a source of much debate. And as the multi-million dollar industry has grown, so to have the amount of literature that describes the fundamental flaws in logic and research, and points out that claims of a neurobiological origin has never been substantiated. For example, Ritalin is considered a class 2 drug, which is the same as cocaine. Yet most parents don’t have deep concerns about it because they are unaware of all the facts. Unfortunately parents are not being informed of the medical opinion surrounding ADHD and its validity as a diagnostic concept and the nature of the drugs that are being prescribed. There are basic procedures and medical tests to help establish a correct diagnosis, but very few children have been subjects of these tests and yet they are “medically diagnosed” without finding the source of their symptoms.
Although there has been what some call poor quality research on ADHD, the pharmaceutical industry is now generating huge profits. The differences of opinion in the medical field can be reflected by the wide range of prescription rates throughout the world. In the largest analysis study, published by the Oregon Drug Effectiveness Review Project, researchers found no evidence that supported the claims about the drugs’ safety or even the legitimacy of the diagnosis out of over 2,000 pieces of research. Some feel that to continue giving these drugs while parents aren’t being made aware of safety issues is a crime. Many parents don’t even realize that they’re giving mind altering drugs to children whose brains aren’t fully developed. Yet they do because their doctor gives them a prescription for a drug that has yet to be determined what the long term side effects may be. Will our children just become “junkies” after being on meds for years, will they die from heart complications due to medicines, or will they be properly diagnosed so they don’t have to experience side effects or possibly die?

Britain Now Raises the Health Issue of Strattera

The British are now saying that a new report links drug company Lilly’s Strattera with heart rhythm problems and seizures. This drug has already been linked to rare cases of liver damage and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. But now British authorities have associated this drug with seizures and a lengthening of time between heartbeats, which could be potentially dangerous, in what they consider a handful of more than 3.7 million people who have been using the drug since it came out in 2002. These warnings are based on an internal report that was made by the British Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which is the equivalent of the U.S. FDA. British authorities are updating the label on the medication to warn about the possible side effects. At the moment, no warnings are planned to be given to doctors and their patients taking the medicine here in the states and the U.S. label for Strattera contains no warning of seizures.

ADHD and Females

Today many researchers are complaining that even in the handbook of standard criteria for ADHD the gender base is not adequately addressed. Currently there are 3-5 boys diagnosed with ADHD for every one girl. That may be because girls with ADHD present themselves differently. They tend to be less aggressive and more likely to be very talkative. They also tend to be more depressed and more internalized than boys, who are externalized by doing such things as pushing, shoving, and running. Girls also tend to engage in sexual behavior at an earlier age than normal and face a higher risk of becoming pregnant.
In the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, one study suggests that the major symptoms of ADHD appear similar in both boys and girls, but girls are less likely to have the accompanying disruptive behaviors. This may be one reason that girls have a lower diagnosis rate. Researchers tested 140 girls with ADHD, whose average age was 11. They observed all of the typical symptoms which included inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. The most frequent symptom found was inattention. Girls with ADHD were found to also have a higher of other psychiatric disorders, such as behavioral, mood, anxiety, as well as an increased risk of drug and alcohol abuse. Rates of mood disorders were similar in both genders, but girls had a less tendency to be affected by disruptive conditions, such as oppositional defiant disorder. Girls are more cognitive in symptoms. Unlike boys, they may never by restless, hyperactive, or impulsive. And while boys tend to get more diagnosed than girls because they’re disruptive in class, girls will quietly space off and not bother anyone. Some studies have estimated that as many as half to three fourths of all girls with ADHD will go undiagnosed. Others speculate that may be one more reason girls, and women, are diagnosed with depression than are men.

Is ADHD Really A Disease?

Many children today are inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive. They often get bored easily in class, can’t sit still, always on the go, and often don’t get along with other students or their teachers. These are symptoms of an alleged disease called ADHD and a majority of these children are given such medications as Ritalin and Adderall. But is it really ADHD that doctors are treating? Or could these children be bright, normal kids that are full of energy and just bored from sitting in a classroom? Could the National President of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights be right with saying that these kids are simply smart and become hyper while waiting for slower classmates to catch up to them? After all, those who are bored tend to fidget, scratch, wiggle, stretch, and may even start looking for ways to get into trouble, especially boys. There are also other conditions that mimic the symptoms of ADHD. These include hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar, allergies, learning disabilities, problems with the thyroid, hearing or vision, mild to high lead levels in the blood, exposure to toxins, spinal problems, carbon monoxide poisoning, sleeping disorders, and about 16 or more other disorders.
Because these conditions can cause ADHD symptoms, it is almost impossible for a teacher, principal, or even a family doctor to say for certain that the child has ADHD. To be absolutely certain, a doctor would have to test and rule out these other conditions. And since parents or doctors rarely do this, than every diagnosis of ADHD is suspect to say the least. Technically, researchers have found no physical evidence of the disease or laboratory tests to prove that it actually exists. So parents, take heed when school officials tell you that your child has ADHD and wants them put on medicine so they can be more controllable at school. Why give mind altering drugs to children whose brains aren’t fully developed anyway? And just because a doctor prescribes it, doesn’t mean you have to give it to them. I would get a second opinion.

Instead of Pills, Lets Talk About Depression

In a new research study from Stanford University, they found that the number of doctor visits made by kids, ages 7-17, who were depressed, has more than doubled between 1995-2002. The first choice of therapy should be talk therapy. But unfortunately a number of children ended up getting pills instead. And the amount of prescriptions has also grown.
Researchers analyzed records of more than 1,000 doctors nationwide and found that referrals to psychotherapy for adolescents declined by 18 percent, while antidepressant prescriptions nearly tripled. The studies author believes that physicians are over medicating our youth with antidepressants and gives a little advice to parents. First, watch out for symptoms. If your child sleeps a lot, is suddenly getting poor school grades, or loses interest in such things as friends or hobbies for more than two weeks, you should talk to your doctor. Second, get the proper treatment. The first step for treatment should be talk therapy. In cases that are more severe, he/she might prescribe an antidepressant along with counseling. Finally, don’t forget to follow up. If you feel that the current treatment is not working, ask for something else. Some may need to try a different antidepressant. This would have to be under close supervision because now the only antidepressant that is currently approved for children is Prozac.

Women Over 50 Need Tools To Help Deal With Stress

You may be feeling more stress than the average person if you’re a female and over 50. The stress load might grow daily no matter how you try to cope with it. One example may be that you’re probably trying to deal with adult children, grandchildren and or aging parents. You also might have a stressful job, aging issues and health problems. And you probably aren’t thrilled with menopause creeping around the corner.
Women 50 or over can also experience pressure from money problems, such as paying your children’s college loans, and health issues that can be related to weight gain. Due to a number of these circumstances, women are now seeking counseling. Here are a few tips that may also help or that you may want to try before you feel you need counseling.
1). Don’t go it alone. It’s okay to ask a lot of people for a little help. For example, ask one daughter to check in on your mother on Mondays and Fridays, and ask another to check on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
2). To help you take control of future problems, be more demanding. Stop allowing able-bodied people to run you ragged. Tell your husband to make his own doctors’ appointment, for instance.
3). Realize you’re not 20 anymore. Look out for yourself in new creative ways. Instead of trying to keep the house spotless, steal some time to exercise.
4). Gain support for yourself by getting a girlfriend network going. Yes, you may have to listen to a lot of their problems, but friends your age will understand your pain.
Women over 50 sometimes need to give up their nice ways. Some have been taught to be nice and agreeable even at the expense of hurting themselves. Think of this age as the time to become more powerful. Insist doctors and other professionals do their job to your satisfaction. If not, then fire them and find more competent help.
Finally, don’t forget that those who are in a good mood look healthier and sexier. While you face life head on, humor keeps you from dragging others down. Making good choices about food, health, money and time issues are hard to deal with. But humor will help you keep your looks and sustain your mental well-being.

Diets and Depression

A report by the Mental Health Foundation and Sustain said that the changes in diets and methods of farming over the past five decades have played a major role in the rise in mental health problems. Less Nutritious and imbalanced diets have led to the growing numbers of those with depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, and Alzheimer's. Because industrialised farming has introduced pesticides and altered body fat composition of animals, there are large reductions in essential fats, vitamins and minerals consumed by most. According to the Mental Health Foundation and Sustain, the drop in intake of the omega-3 & 6 fatty acids has resulted in increases in depression and concentration problems. Evidence linking diet to mood and behavior has been growing. Certain complex carbohydrates as well as folic acid, fatty acids, and selenium decrease the symptoms of depression. They have also found correlations between low fish intake and high levels of depression and diets high in saturated fat and low in vitamins ad minerals may contribute to Alzheimer's. Also found in the report was that in the last 60 years, there's been a 34 percent decline in vegetable consumption and 59 percent decline in fish eaten. They say that a diet that contains an adequate amount of complex carbohydrates, essential fats, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and water will promote balanced moods and feelings.

Depression May Be Linked To Alzheimer's

A study in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry says that those who have a history of lifetime depression may also have the increased plaques and angles that are associated in the brains of those with Alzheimer's disease and may have a more rapid cognitive decline.
Previous studies have already linked the two, and both conditions are likely to affect the brain's memory related temporal lobes. Researchers compared the brains of 44 Alzheimer's patients who had a history of depression to 51 patients who did not. Those with depression problems had ore tangles and plaques than those without problems. Analysis of cognitive tests during their lifetime showed that those with Alzheimer's had a history of depression and experienced a more rapid decline into dementia that those without depression. The identification of potential mechanisms that link depression as a treatable risk factor to neuropathological changes in Alzheimer's may help lead to the development of differential intervention and prevention strategies for Alzheimer's.

Infants Withdrawal From SSRI's

In a new study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescence Medicine, concerns for regnant women taking Serotonin Re uptake Inhibitors (SSRI's) was addressed. those who too SSRI's while pregnant had babies that showed signs of withdrawal shortly after birth. It states that one third of 60 newborns whose mother's took antidepressants during pregnancy had neonatal abstinence syndromes. This is a type of withdrawal with symptoms that include high-pitched crying, tremors and disturbed sleep. Infants born with this syndrome should be monitored closely for at least 48 hours.
One fourth of women develop depression at some time in their life. The added stress of pregnancy can make matters worse and may increase the need for medication. SSRI's are the most common class of antidepressants used, but they can cross the placenta barrier and affect the fetus.
Researchers examined 120 babies born over a two year period at the Rabin Medical Center in Israel. 60 had been exposed to SSRI's and monitored for two hours after birth and at regular intervals thereafter. They found that 30 percent had neonatal abstinence syndrome. Symptoms included tremors, gastrointestinal problems, hypertonicity, which is an abnormal increase in uscle tone, sleep disturbances and high pitched cries. They also noted that eight of these babies had severe cases of symptoms. Fortunately none of the babies required treatment.
This study concerned it's authors who said that family physicians, psychiatrists and gynecologists should be more aware of this problem. And the risk to benefit ratio of SSRI treatment should be assessed. They also recommend prescribing the most minimum dose that would be effective for the mom's condition.

Stress Linked to Mortality

A new study shows that women who are exposed to high levels of financial and emotional stress are more likely to die sooner than those who have an easier life. The findings had been projected by the Statistics Canada Study, who evaluated stress levels in women between 1994 & 1995. It was their conclusion that those i the experimental group were more likely to die over the next eight years.
Psychological stress factors included feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and or worthlessness. This was an important predictor in determining the mortality of women 65 or older. Of the more than 2,400 seniors studied, when factors such as age, family circumstances, financial status, level of education, presence of long term diseases, obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption were taken into consideration, the effects of this psychological distress was significant. This study correlates with previous studies. It also shows that women are more prone to stress than men, suggesting that degenerative conditions such as cancer and heart disease could be more dangerous to women than men.

ADHD or Normal Development

The border between ADHD and normal development is not an easy line to see. Often, judgement comes from teachers, who are usually the first ones that suggest a diagnosis of ADHD in almost half of the cases. This is according to a study that was published in the Annals of Family Medicine.
Research shows that the call can be affected by the varying levels of tolerance for boys and girls who behave badly. A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics says that the questionnaires used to rate a child were subjective and subject to bias, and the decisions about inappropriate behavior in children are dependant on subjective judgements of observers.
A national survey, lasting six years, of doctors visits showed ethnic and demographic distinctions in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD by primary care physicians. They found the condition was less likely to be identified in Hispanic children than in their white or black counter parts. Also, it was more likely to be treated with medicines like Ritalin or Adderall in young ones of all backgrounds. Unfortunately, children barely three are under ADHD scrutiny. Researchers from one study found 223 children were identified as having ADHD by age 3 wit more than a quarter of them by their second birthday. Investigators reported that even though there's barely any studies of long term effects and no government approval, nearly 60 percent of the toddlers were prescribed combinations of 22 medications. Sadly, nearly half of them were given 2-6 of the drugs.

Coffee and ADHD

For those who suffer from ADHD, they may find that drinking coffee could help them be calm and help them focus. There have been no known intense medical studies to confirm this, but parents who have hyperactive children have noticed the benefits on them. the effectiveness of coffee in calming ADHD children has become great discussion among Web sites and forums.
Children with ADHD are usually given drugs like Ritalin and Strattera that increases dopamine levels in the body. Higher levels tend to calm and help overactive minds focus. Coffee can also increase dopamine without the risks associated with [prescriptions. The only side effect coffee has may be a headache from withdrawal. but they should also avoid sweetening their coffee because sugar aggravates the symptoms of ADHD.
Dozens of studies have been done and more continue to seek the health benefits of coffee consumption. One study has shown how coffee has antioxidant benefits for those who drink more than two cups daily. One study shows benefits of increased short term memory. Finally, several have shown a decreased risk for diabetes and liver and breast cancer.

7 Memory Boosters

If your memory has been less than perfect recently, don't despair. Most of us experience a mild decline usually in our 30's and 40's and up to 15 percent that are older than 65 develop Alzheimer's disease.
Right now, there's plenty you can do to ward of cognitive problems. Some believe that the key is to challenge your mind, improve your diet and be smart about supplements you take. Some can lead to a drastic improvement in memory and mental functioning. Better brain builders include 1.) Get enough sleep. Too little can impair your recollection. Aim at getting seven to nine hours each night. 2). Note smells whenever possible. Scent has the ability to trigger memory. Researchers reported that adults who were shown images along with a scent, ere better at remembering then those who didn't. 3). Researchers at the University of New Castle in the U.K. found that drinking green or black tea might inhibit certain enzymes in the brain that are associated with memory decline. 4). If lately your mind seems fuzzy, ask your doctor to check your homocysteine levels in your blood. Studies have tied high levels to memory loss. Reversing this effect could be as easy as increasing your vitamin B intake. 5). Think of your ind as a muscle. If it doesn't get regular exercise, it will get stiff and slow. Good mind strengthening games include crossword puzzles, board and card games, and even computer games like Tetris. 6). Don't forget to eat the good fats. Omega-3, which is found mostly in fish, nourish brain cells and help regulate brain chemicals. 7). Your brain also needs nutrients to function properly. You should be eating a balanced diet and taking a multivitamin. Eat vegetables that contain antioxidants. One study that found that when vitamins E and C were taken together in supplements, they had the potential to prevent Alzheimer's by fighting memory damaging free radicals in the brain.

The Right Scent Can Help

Will doing the dishes help you relax? It might. Growing evidence is showing that certain scents, even those from dish soap, can be a benefit to you. Aromatherapy does work because it works on the brain's emotional center, called the amygdala. And you may feel the effects instantaneously because the thinking part of the brain can't inhibit the effects of the scent. One doctor studied the benefits of aromatherapy to find ways to speed up recovery time for his patients and reduce anxiety. With the help of an aromatherapist, he found results using such things as lavender, chamomile or eucalyptus. Also, short term exposure is important because people stop responding to scents after a few minutes.
To relax, placing a few drops of vanilla extract on a handkerchief and keep it with you all day-use as needed. To help you recharge, peppermint, jasmine, and citrus have an effect similar o smelling salts. Even though they are pleasant, they act as mild irritants. And to help you relieve pain, the smell of a green apple will reduce the severity and duration of migraine headache pain, and has a similar effect on joint pain. It works because it seems to reduce muscle contractions, which are the main cause of migraine pain.

Adderall and "Black Box" Warnings

The makers of Adderall, Shire Pharmaceuticals, says it wants more studies done to see id there are possible adverse effects from its ADHD drug. This came after the FDA advisory panel said such drugs for ADHD should carry a black box warning.
Shire said in a statement, "While we fully support full disclosure ad adequate warning, Shire believes that the interests of physicians and patients would be better served by further study to determine whether there is, in fact, a relationship between these medicines and cardiovascular events. Obtaining this information is crucial prior to taking what would be an unprecedented action to include something in a black box that has not been supported by sufficient data."
Although the FDA doesn't have to follow the panel's recommendation, they will consider the highlighted warning by a black box, which is the most serious typed for prescription drugs. Panel members stated that because Adderall and other ADHD drugs are amphetamines or chemically similar, they can raise blood pressure which is often a precursor to severe heart problems. The FDA states that right now about 1 million adults and 2 million children get ADHD prescriptions every month.
Shire says it already carries a black box warning stating misuse may lead to sudden death or serious cardiovascular events and believe no other warning is needed. Some believe it should say use not misuse of this product can cause sudden death.

Exercise Helps Moderate Depression

Research has shown that exercise, and it's well known physical benefits, is an effective and under used treatment for mild to moderate depression. It has been proven to reduce stress, relieve anxiety, ease depression, boost self esteem and improve sleep if done on a regular basis.
Researchers at Duke University studied those suffering from depression for four months. They found that 60 percent who exercised three times a week overcame their depression with out the use of medication. Even without depression, people can get substantial mental health benefits. Even short workouts can help lower sadness, tension and anger. One reason exercise helps depression is the role it plays with the brain chemical serotonin, which regulates such things as appetite and mood. Regular exercise can alter your levels of serotonin and can lead to improved feelings of well being. Studies have also sown that those who continue to exercise have a greater chance of their depression not returning. But if symptoms are severe, you should seek professional help.

Increased Health Risks For Insomniatic Teens

Researchers at RTI International studied over 1,000 13-16 year olds and discovered almost 11 percent suffered from insomnia. Onset for this typically started at 11 years old. The study found that this appears to increase the risks of ADHD symptoms, psychiatric disorders, and other health problems. They found insomnia to be a common chronic problem among adolescents. Insomnia reduces cognitive function and performance in teens and it also increases the risk for depression and substance abuse. Adolescents require more sleep than anyone. Without it, they are at risk of serious health issues.
The study also found that girls were twice as likely as boys to develop insomnia after beginning menstruation. Also, more than half of the teens suffering from insomnia also suffer from a psychiatric disorder. For a majority of the teens, 88 percent were potential chronic sufferers. Due to the high prevalence of insomnia, it not only impacts daytime functioning, but it increases the possibility of other psychiatric disorders. Therefore, many feel that we need to rethink the needs of teens and their schedules. The treatment and prevention need to be important priorities for adolescent health.

Memory Erasing Treatments for Depression?

Reported in the journal of Science, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center reported that depressed mice become more sociable after a memory molecule was deleted from their brain. This suggests that memory erasing treatments could also cease depression in people. The molecule in a region of the brain, known as the reward pathway, was focused on. Deleting this molecule meant the mice were no longer depressed or fearful, even when conditions were set up that normally made them run and hide. After anesthetizing the mice, they injected a virus into this particular part of the brain and disabled the molecule.

ADHD Not Easy To Diagnose

Amid claims it has dangerous side effects such as abdominal pain anxiety, dizziness, psychosis, headaches, heart failure and death, thousands of children, some under six, are being wrongly labeled hyperactive and are being prescribed Ritalin. Many feel that giving these kids Ritalin is crazy because their brains aren't fully developed and they're being given a mind altering drug.
The reason for alot of this is parents being anxious,thinking they are to blame for the unruly behavior. It's not easy to diagnose ADHD because symptoms can be similar to other behavior problems. There is great concern that doctors are inaccurately diagnosing ADHD when many are just behaving as a normal part of growing up. The overprescribing of Ritalin and other ADHD medicines is leading to widespread abuse. Lack of a proper investigation by doctors and pressure from parents lead doctors to over-rely on checklists to diagnose inappropriately.

Black Box Warnings

With at least two million children and one million adults being prescribed ADHD medication every month, the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 8-7, with one absentee, in favor of a “black box” warning to be put on Ritalin and other stimulant drugs. This was after hearing about the 25 deaths, 19 of which were children, that occurred while on AHDH medicine. One committee member believes that not disclosing the uncertain risks while taking these drugs is unethical.
Although it usually does, the FDA is not required to follow recommendations given by the advisory committee. The FDA also believes that the committee just wants a more forceful, informative warning label on methylphenidates, such as Ritalin and Concerta. Since 2004, there has been black box labels on Adderall and Adderall XR, which are the same type of drugs.
Novartis, the company who has been making Ritalin since 1955, says that after reviewing fifty years of records, they’ve found no increase in cardiovascular problems among their patients. And they point out that their drug already has a caution label advising against use for those with pre-existing heart conditions.
Some believe that a black box warning will help the out of control growth of ADHD drugs. Besides the 25 deaths reported between 1999 and 2003, the council also discovered there were 54 cases of cardiovascular problems, which included heart attacks, strokes, and hypertension.
Opponents of this vote say that they’ve found fewer than one death or injury for every 1 million prescription filled. They also say that the reports don’t warrant regulatory action. They feel that the agency’s analysis only suggests a possible link between the drugs and cardiovascular problems, and they want more answers.

New Way to See Effects of Psychological Stress

Researchers have found a non-invasive way to see the effects of psychological stress in an area of the brain that is linked to anxiety and depression. These findings have important implications for how doctors treat the numerous long term health consequences of chronic stress.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI), researchers can detect increased blood flow in the prefrontal cortex of those subjected to stress. Also, the increased flow continued when the stressor was removed. This suggests the effects of stress are more persistent than once thought. This research will help pave the way to develop new strategies to help prevent or possibly correct the long term health consequences of chronic stress.

Studies To Compare Natural Supplements To Ritalin

Previous studies have shown that certain long-chain fatty acids are critical for normal brain development. Deficiencies or an imbalance of these fatty acids contribute to ADHD.
A study in January 2006 examined 30 children diagnosed with ADHD and 30 healthy children. They were all given flax oil supplements that contained 200 mg of alpha linolenic acid and 25 mg of vitamin C for two times a day for three months. A clinical psychologist analyzed their behavior before and after three months. To determine the change in fatty acids, the children’s blood cells were also analyzed before and after the tree months.
Findings concluded that after three months there was a significant increase in both EPA and DHA, which are key amino acids needed for normal brain development. Researchers found that all ADHD measures had improved after the three months. Individual problems with inattention, impulsivity and learning problems were deceasing in the post-supplementation group. All children completed the study with the supplements being taken by all with no side effects. Researchers concluded that polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements brought an improvement in educational and behavioral problems among children with developmental coordination disorder and a reduction in ADHD symptoms.
A study at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv had children putting chocolate fish oil on bread. After three months, 20 out of 30 showed a significant improvement when a psychological re-evaluation was performed. Although the research results were exciting, the doctors cautioned that his was preliminary findings and believe more research is needed.
Another study showing the benefits of fish oil was conducted on children n Durham, U.K. The study was conducted on children that were behind a year from their peers, many which had ADHD. Research results showed a dramatic improvement in speech, behavior, and reading. The fatty acid supplements used contained omega-3 and omega-6.
These studies show that there are alternatives to Ritalin. Almost 10 million Ritalin prescriptions are filled each year in the U.S. Ritalin, or methylphenidate, is a central nervous system stimulant. It has the effects of caffeine, but more potent. In the 1990’s, sales of Ritalin and similar ADHD drugs rose by more than 500 percent. Even back in 1996 the World Health Organization warned that it was being overused. According to research, long term se could cause seizures, suppress growth, cause angina, cause changes in blood pressure and causes depression.
Finally, a natural alternative to Ritalin has been tested at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center. It’s a natural oil-based alternative used to treat ADHD symptoms such as a short attention span and and inability to focus.
This research was in progress for a year and a half and commissioned on behalf of an unnamed company, who hopes to develop a product. Their goal is to come up with the right combination of oils which would effectively change the impulses going through the cell membrane. A double blind study was conducted on about 90 children, divided into three groups, who were off of their Ritalin for the summer. The children had either been taking Ritalin or were diagnosed through a computerized test called the Test of Variables Attention (TOVA). TOVA is a computerized assessment, along with teacher and parent behavior rating scales, that is a highly effective screening tool for ADD.
One group was given Canola oil. The second group was given fish oil, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and deficient in children with ADHD. And the third group was given a mixture under study. All dosages were mixed with chocolate to get the children to comply for the three month period. At the end of the three months the TOVA test was given again and results were compared. They found no change in the group who took the canola oil, a slight improvement in those taking the fish oil, and they found significant improvement in those who received the special mixture. Researchers believed that 60 percent of the children ended up in the normal TOVA range.

Link Between Depression And Coronary Heart Disease

According to a Swedish study, those between 25-50 and have depression, are at an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease later in life. Taking into account socioeconomic status and gender, the risk was the greatest for those diagnosed before 40.
Researchers examined hospital discharge records of all patients from 1987-2001. First they discovered that 44,826 cases were for depression. Next they found that 1,916 of them had developed coronary heart disease. They also found that those with depression were 1.5 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those without depression. The study showed that young to middle aged people that were hospitalized for depression had a high risk of developing coronary heart disease. They believe that those with clinical depression shouldn’t be given only short-term treatment, but that they receive maintenance therapy to help prevent a re-laps or recurrence of depression.

Parents Get Little Sleep With ADHD Kids

Recent research has revealed that many parents of hyperactive children are getting by on just a few hours of sleep a night, putting pressure on family relationships. A survey found that almost six out of ten mothers and fathers of children with ADHD had six hours of sleep a night or less. While 30 percent say they get six hours, 27 percent say they get five hours or less on average. This compared to almost half of parents with a child without ADHD who said they got at lest eight hours sleep a night. The research poll involving 100 parents of ADHD children aged 5-16, suggests that tens of thousands of parents could be struggling by on minimal sleep as they try to cope with a hyperactive child.

Exercise Out Of Depression

Each year there are millions of people who are stricken with depression. Although it may be debilitating, those who suffer may want to run, walk or even swim the problem away. Studies now show that when exercise is performed in group setting, it’s as effective as standard antidepressant medications in reducing symptoms of major depression.
Other studies have shown that even solitary exercise, not matter what the duration, can be just as effective as group activities when it comes to beating the blues. One study published five years ago found that 10 months of moderate exercise outperformed the antidepressant Zoloft in those diagnose with moderate to severe depression. A study by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas found that 30 minutes of aerobics 3-5 times a week reduced symptoms by 50 percent in young adults.
It is believed that while workouts affect brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, exercise may also cause positive changes in other areas as well. Depression is often characterized by low energy, tension, and tiredness. But exercise seems to ease that anxious but lethargic state. Although it may not be enough to relieve stress, moderate exercise, such as a 10 minute brisk walk, will result in boosting your energy. Exercise such as a 45 minute aerobic workout does effect your mood by reducing tension. It may leave you tired, but researchers say there’s something called the rebound effect an hour or so later where your energy is increased. They also point out how working out can give you a psychological boost, including better self esteem and having a greater sense of accomplishment.
Still, experts agree that it is hard for a depressed person to start exercising mostly due to lack of energy. But the key to this problem is to start small. Don’t think about a fitness center and all the machine you’ll have to learn about. Start with maybe a walk around your block. Social support, peer pressure, and family support can all be helpful, especially when getting people to maintain exercise.
Doctors say that exercise is not a substitute for drug therapy, especially for those who are severely depressed. But they also point out that about one third of depressed people won’t gain any help from medication. For those patients, exercise may be a viable alternative.

Stress Lowers The Immune System

What’s been suspected for years scientists have now confirmed-stress can make you sick. Researchers at Sydney’s Garven Institute have made the direct connection between the nervous system and the immune system. The study, published I the Journal of Experimental Medicine, explains how stress can lead to the build up of a hormone that stops the body’s ability to fight off bacteria and viruses. Australian scientists have now made the link between stress and the immune system. The impact that stress puts on the body is best observed in athletes.
The study included elite and recreational athletes over a period of five months and found that the elite athletes were more susceptible to respiratory diseases. They found that elite athletes put themselves through the physical stress of training and the emotional and psychological stress of feeling the pressure of wanting to compete and do their best.
Pressures from work and even home can cause emotional and mental stress that can be damaging as well. About one third of work absenteeism is due to illness, having a huge impact on the workforce and the employees. If the employees are always stressed or constantly under pressure, they’re more likely to get sick. Researchers warn people to minimize their stress before it becomes a problem. They suggest trying relaxation techniques such as yoga or exercise.

FDA Studies ADD Drugs

Due to sudden deaths, strokes, hypertension and heart attacks in children and adults that take medicine to treat their ADHD, a new government study on the safety of these medications has begun.
In recent years, sales of ADHD drugs have increased sharply, with adult use growing at a faster rate. This is according to a recent study done by Medco Health Solutions, which is a prescription benefit manager. Spending for these ADHD drugs has gone from 759 million in 2000 to 3.1 billion in 2004, according to IMS Health, which is a pharmaceutical information and consulting firm.
Although no additional details were immediately available, the FDA said it had received reports of serious adverse events, including death, associated with the therapeutic use of the drugs.
Health Canada pulled the drug Adderall XR off the shelves for six months last year after reports of 20 sudden deaths and 12 strokes in adults and children while using the drug. A number of these incidents involved children with structural heart defects. Health Canada concluded that there was inadequate evidence of any increased harm from Adderall XR compared to other ADHD medications. This is the same conclusion reached by the FDA based on the given data.
The U.S. regulatory agency is asking the Drug Safety and Risk Management advisory committee to study the potential cardiovascular risks of the medications. The FDA says that the few studies that have looked at long term use of ADHD drugs has provided little information on the risks. Some feel that this is comparable to the cox-2 inhibitor incident where painkillers like Bextra and Vioxx were pulled from the shelves do to evidence that they can raise the risk of heart attack or stroke.
The FDA committee will meet February 9th and 10th in Gaithersburg, MD. Some feel that the issue of treatment for ADHD has been a controversial one already. And now it will add the issue of cardiovascular risk too.
The FDA website does not identify any of the drugs by name. However, the most common ADHD drugs include Adderall XR, which is made by Shire Pharmaceuticals, and Ritalin, that is produced by Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp. The makers of Adderall had not been told about the meeting, but they still may send representatives.
The February 10th meeting will have updates on FDA actions on cox-2 medicines and a new patient, doctor and pharmacist registry program for an anti-acne drug called Accutane and it’s competitors. There are now numerous lawsuits pending in regards to the side effects of these drugs. Some of these side effects include inflammatory bowel disease and rectal bleeding, Crohns Disease, ulcerative colitis, cirrhoses, birth defects and depression-related side effects just to name a few.
The committee will also discuss the FDA’s Drug Safety Oversight Board. This is an internal government panel created almost a year ago that is supposed to monitor the FDA approved medicines once on the market. They’re also supposed to keep physicians and patients updated with important new information on risks and benefits. Some say there are concerns regarding the boards impartiality and independence, along with its relationship to the committee and the similar work it provides.

How The Brain Truly Develops

Shattering assumptions held for generations about the adolescent mind, recent brain research is fueling the battle over the mental health of teens, the rights of a parent, and the effectiveness of treatments. This research is forcing scientists to redraw the line between normal teen behavior and severe mental illness, still while questioning how does the brain truly develop.
Researchers now believe that a teens brain is not merely awash in hormones, but it is also in the middle of a overhaul. Scientists now believe that these transitions are so significant, that they may unlock the many mysteries of mental illness, including why some teens commit suicide, why some hurt their classmates and loved ones, or why some have crippling mental disorders that don’t emerge until later in life. Behavior that may seem normal in a teen, might be called pathological in a 30 year old. The question then becomes where do you draw the line? What’s typical in a teen and what’s not? Have millions of children been wrongly medicated to control their behavior?
The old way of thinking was that an adolescent’s brain was fully formed. It needed only facts, figures, and experiences to fill it to an adult mind. But at the same time many didn’t believe that young people were even capable of developing a mental illness.
But now, new research shows that a teens brain is in transition with a volatile and vulnerable composition. Scientists say that it’s not even clear that the brain is ever finished developing. They say the teens brain isn’t adult like until the early 20’s. They say that if a teenager acts young and stupid, it may be because areas that dampen impulsivity and govern rational thought are among the last to mature. Researchers believe that if a teens brain fails to reinvent itself as an adult brain, teens are vulnerable to developing mental illness.
Many now believe that several severe mental illnesses have roots in the development of the teen brain, even if symptoms aren’t seen until years or decades later. What has many concerned is the possibility that parents, teachers or others are mistaking early warning signs as typical teen behavior? Treating the disorders early could stop the worst manifestations of the disease. This would give young adults a better chance at a productive life. For example, if an adult loses a year of function due to depression, they usually get back close to where they were. But if a child loses a year, it can be very hard for him/her to catch up again in terms of development.
But the ethical issue of determining when and how to respond to adolescent warning signs could have explosive implications. Some parents fear that a child they view as normal may be incorrectly labeled as mentally ill. There is also much skepticism over whether mental illness in an adolescent can be accurately diagnosed or even treated. These doubts increase as more children are put on medication for behavior problems. Some say the system tolerates a hasty diagnoses, often by a physician who has no mental health expertise.
The stigma that accompanies mental health treatment is partly due to people who have doubts about various disorders even existing. What must be done is to elevate the status of mental health by boosting public confidence in accurately diagnosing and the efficacy of treatment. Right now family doctors and pediatricians are doing most of the diagnosing and medicating in office visits lasting only 15-30 minutes.
The field of adolescent mental health suffers from credibility. Much skepticism is from the fact that doctors have no blood tests, brain scans, or chemical analysis to base their conclusions. Psychologists still rely on interviews and observations. Parents often fear that their child might be falsely labeled. There is also fear from many that too many children are being medicated for problems such as ADD.

Depression in the Elderly

If you’re a young or middle-aged adult, you know how crippling depression an be. But for the elderly, it can be severe and more often fatal. 20 percent of America’s elderly deal with depression and other related illnesses, but only a fraction are getting the treatment they need. Unfortunately some of these deaths do occur through suicide. But many can become so debilitated by depression that they are not able to manage. Such things as hypertension or diabetes or the just might not be eating right. Doctors believe part of the problem is that it’s not treated either because patients don’t go see their doctor or the physician isn’t looking for depression or its symptoms.
Another problem facing doctors is that certain aspects of depression do become more distinctive with age. The elderly tend to have different symptoms than younger ones. A lot of people experience depression without sadness. Instead, they a complain that their food doesn’t taste good, or they’re not sleeping, or having trouble remembering things and making decisions. Because some are likely to deny he/she is depressed, memory and cognitive problems may make the person seem as if he/she has dementia. Risk factors for depression, such as psychological stress and family history, are not so important when it comes to older people who are experiencing their first episode of depression. Also caregivers and family members may thin it’s normal for older people to feel that way at that age and tend to miss the signs of depression.
Sadly, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, people age 65 and older accounted for 18 percent of all suicides in 2000. Of nearly 35 million Americans over 65, it’s estimated that 2 million have a depressive illness and 5 million may have depressive symptoms.
Now two groups of anti-depressant medications are more commonly used on the elderly; they include SSRI’S (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) such as Prozac and Paxil, and newer non-SSRI’s such as Wellbutrin and Effexor. When applying these medications, it is often done with a lower dosage and increases are done more slowly with the elderly. This is because treatment can be complicated by the fact that older people tend to have more chronic medical conditions requiring more medications. Then you run the risk of sensitivity to side effects and drug interaction.
Another option to think about is psychotherapy. Usually the depressed elderly are isolated. It’s important to get them out of the house and involved in something important. Also critical is their diet and exercise. A study published last December in the Journal of the American Medical Assoc. discovered that telephone support helped people take their medications as prescribed. After doing this for a year, 45 percent of those involved reported a reduction in depression symptoms of 50 percent or more, compared to 19 percent who weren’t in the follow-up program. Finally, it’s important to remember that depression treatment should always continue. It is highly recurrent in older people and recurrences happen sooner. So it is very important to not only get them well, but to keep them well.

Is Depression Genetic?

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have found that genes contribute more strongly in women than in men for the risk of depression. They’ve also discovered that there may be some genetic factors that operate uniquely in one sex and not in the other. In the January issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers reported that habitability of depression is approximately 42 percent in women and 29 percent in men.
Their work, together with colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden is the largest epidemiological study of depression done to date in twins. They have shown that depression is a moderately heritable disorder suggesting genetic factors are important. The research teams evaluated lifetime major depression of approximately 42,000 twins. According to research, there are two kinds of sex-effects, which are quantitative and qualitative. They say that quantitative examines whether habitability is different in males than females, and if the importance of genetic factors differs among the sexes. Qualitative sex-effects examine whether the same genes are playing a role in males and females.

Preschoolers Experiencing Mental Health Problems

Researcher Dr. Adrian Angold, from Duke University in North Carolina, found that more than one in ten preschool children may be experiencing early mental health problems that are likely to disrupt their lives. Scientists were shocked to discover large numbers of those under five meeting the criteria for mental and behavioral disorders seen in school age children, adolescents and adults. In more then 11 percent of cases, children suffered symptoms bad enough to affect their daily lives. They included ADHD, serious disruptive behavior, depression and anxiety.
By parents filling out questionnaires, psychiatrists rated 307 pre-school children. Questions were carefully designed to spot behavioral traits commonly associated with different kinds of mental illness and disability. Many were found to have a range of problems, often displaying symptoms of more than one kind of disorder. Anxiety showed itself in a number of ways, including generalized fear, phobias, and terror at being separated from parents. Children with depression showed typical symptoms of sadness, irritability, disturbed sleep ,and lack of appetite. In 11.3 percent of cases, the problems encountered were classified as “serious emotional disorders” bad enough to disrupt daily life. Older children with similar difficulties were held back at school, socially isolated and unable to forge relationships.

Females More Sensitive To Chronic Stress

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have found that in the study of rats, females might be more sensitive to chronic stress tan males. During a 15 day period, researchers studied stress response in male and female rats. They noticed markedly increased levels of the stress hormone corticosterone in the female rats compared with the males. The major steroid hormone in rats, corticosterone, is produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. In humans it’s cortisol.
The adrenal glands, along with the pituitary and hypothalamus, make up the stress axis. When an organism experiences stress, higher levels of glucocorticoids are produced to aid in survival and recovery. But prolonged high levels of this hormone can have negative effects, such as increased abdominal obesity, and decreased immune response. The study findings were presented during the annual meeting of the society of Neuroscience in Washington D.C.

Restore Your Health With Ecotherapy

If you’re stressed out with modern life, walking the dog, stroking the cat, or swimming with dolphins could be the best medicine for coping. The idea of restoring health through reconnecting with nature, known as ecotherapy, is gaining support among the mainstream medical establishment.
Ecotherapy includes helping to develop green spaces in urban areas, conservation projects, and teaching troubled children to handle small animals. Not only has the British Medical Journal found that swimming with dolphins helps people with depression, a study in Honduras has found the same. Researchers at Leicester University studied 30 patients and found that those given the opportunity to play with dolphins over a two week period reported less anxiety and depression than those who simply swam.
A more everyday type of ecotherapy is simply owning a pet. British researchers suggest pet ownership is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, lower use of medical services, and reduced risk of asthma and allergies in young children.

Stress and High Cholesterol

British researchers studied about 200 middle-aged men and women ad discovered the link between stress and cholesterol levels. All patients underwent standard tests to measure mental stress. They also measured their cholesterol. And a second cholesterol test was given three years later.
The study results showed that those who scored the highest o the stress tests experienced the greatest rise in cholesterol at the follow up exams. Overall, they were three times more likely to have clinically high cholesterol than those who scored the lowest on the stress tests. The findings held true even after researchers adjusted their results to take other factors influencing cholesterol levels into account. The stress cholesterol link was seen equally in men and women. Investigators aren’t sure how mental stress impacts cholesterol levels. But they speculate stress may be promoting the production of more cholesterol, interfering with the clearance of cholesterol from the body.

Antidepressants for Children is on the Rise

Are children being inappropriately prescribed antidepressants? The number of U.S. children and teens who were diagnosed with depression more than doubled between 1995 & 2002. The overall increase in adolescent patients is likely due to the growing awareness of depression in children, a problem that’s been historically under-diagnosed. Also the use of antidepressant drugs rose and the use of psychotherapy and/or counseling declined. The number of clinician visits by children and adolescents being seen for depression more than doubled. However, mental health counseling including psychotherapy dropped from 83 percent to 68 percent. Analysis also showed that between 42 percent and 52 percent of all adolescent patient visits involving medication did not include counseling. Antidepressants prescribed to seven to 17 year old patients rose from 47 percent in 1995-1996 to 52 percent in 2001-2002, including increases in the off-label use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’S), which accounts for 76 percent of antidepressants prescribed to adolescents in 1995-1996 and 81 percent in 2001-2002. This was reported by Stanford researchers in the December issue of Journal of Adolescent Health. The observation of the increasingly prevalent off label use of SSRI’s as well as possible inappropriate use of medications in substitution of psychotherapy/mental health counseling as first line therapy, raises concerns about physicians adherence to evidence based medicine. As drug use increased, counseling decreased. The prevalence of psychotherapy remained above 80 percent from 1995-1998, but then it dropped significantly to 54 percent in 1999-2000 before rising at 68 percent at the end of the study period. Researchers say the findings point to possible instances of inappropriate prescribing to children. While guidelines call for children to be treated with either mental health counseling or a combination of counseling and medication, the study found a trend of antidepressants replacing talk therapy. Additionally, only Prozac , which jumped 100 percent in use over an eight year period, had been specifically approved for patients younger than 18. But after 1995, other antidepressants rose with children receiving prescriptions for them on an off label basis. These trends raise concerns regarding the widespread off label use of antidepressants lacking reliable evidence of safety and efficacy for use in children and adolescents.
Study author, Dr. Jun Ma of the Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Ca., says it’s not clear why the use of antidepressants increased during the study. But she feels that it’s likely a combination of factors including widespread drug advertising, perceptions that drugs are more effective than therapy, and the fact that taking medication is more convenient than counseling. Whether or not prescription use will continue to rise is now in question. Recently, the FDA directed manufacturers of all antidepressants to place a “black box” label on their products, warning of the increased risk of suicidal behavior that has been inked to certain medications. Dr. Ma said it will be important to track how this change affects prescribing trends. Ma makes a note that the labels are not intended to scare doctors and patients away from antidepressants because they can be an important part in the treatment of depression in children. Researchers point out that Prozac, along with talk therapy, should be the first choice antidepressant for children, and only if that fails should other drugs be considered Prozac was the most commonly prescribed antidepressant, with Zoloft and Paxil close behind, which are not FDA approved for children.
Clinical guidelines from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommends that psychotherapy be used on all children and adolescents. Antidepressants, in combination with psychotherapy/mental health counseling should be prescribed to those with severe psychotherapy-resistant symptoms only. Depression affects up to 8 percent of U.S. children and is a major risk factor for suicide, which is the third leading cause of death among teens. Recently, the American Psychiatric Association reported that antidepressant use among adolescents had dropped by almost 20 percent after the FDA’s decision to put warnings on prescriptions.

Filtering Out Useless Information

Scientists at the University of Oregon say that filtering out useless information can help people increase their capacity to remember what is really important. They have demonstrated that awareness, or visual working memory, doesn’t depend on extra storage space in the brain, but on an ability to ignore what is irrelevant. Edward Vogel, head of research, says that it’s always been assumed that people with high capacity visual working memory had greater storage. But he says it’s about a neural mechanism or bouncer that controls what information gets into awareness.
These findings would overturn the accepted concept of memory capacity which was suggested that how much a person can remember depends on the amount of information crammed into the brain at one time. Some people allow themselves to be inundated with distracting data. But, on the other hand, that very defect might help to make them more imaginative. Researchers found that the brain contains its own version of the nightclub “Bouncer” who keeps out unwanted riff raff. These results are said to have broad implications that may lead to more effective ways to maximize memory, as well as improve the treatment of problems associated with ADHD and schizophrenia.

Stress Linked to Problems During Adolescence

Research conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health and Science University and at the University of Pittsburgh suggests that there’s a link between stress early in life and the increased incidence of mental health problems during adolescence.
It has been revealed that children who experience early life stresses such as abuse, neglect or loss of a parent have an increased risk of developing attachment disorders. Later, these same children show an increased incidence of manifesting some types of behavioral and emotional disorders including ADHD, conduct disorders, anxiety, depression, suicide, drug abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Genetic factors and life experiences play a role in the causes of these mental health disorders.

Feed Your Brain To Help Fight ADD

First of all, here’s just a few facts that you should now about your brain. It consumes 20 percent oxygen, 25 percent of the blood glucose in your body, and a dried out brain is 60 percent fat by weight. This means that your brain requires a high amount of oxygen, blood glucose and good quality fats to keep it running well.
Many children who have problems sitting still in school can focus and learn much better after they’ve been allowed to exercise intensely. This provides the brain with more oxygen. Also, many children who have trouble learning often eat sweetened cereal for breakfast. This does not support focus and concentration well. Try a few eggs, a high protein shake, and replacing juice with a piece of whole fruit and the dame child can often function so much better for the whole morning. Protein stabilizes blood glucose levels and provides the needed amino acids the body converts into neurotransmitter substances that allow brain cells to communicate with each other.
Next, try to avoid foods that will diminish their ability to focus and concentrate and increase their energy.. Sugar is certainly one, as are any with artificial flavors and colors.
Finally, for the past 20 years, we’ve been eating low fat or non fat foods. While that may be good for some parts of our body, it isn’t good for our brain. It significantly contributes to diminished brain function.

Serious Consequences for ADD Left Untreated

ADD’s classic symptoms include hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Left untreated, there can be serious consequences. Studies show that it can double the chances of being arrested, divorced and to have at least six jobs in a 10 year span. It has also been shown to affect self-image and can hurt on the job performance.
Considered the most effective way to treat ADHD are psycho stimulant medications along with behavioral therapy. However not only are the long term effects of medication unknown, but the most common one, Ritalin, is in the same class as cocaine and morphine. All drugs carry the potential for abuse. But now there’s no shortage of alternative treatments that can be used either in conjunction with drugs or on their own. Most alternative ADD therapies offer only anecdotal, rather than scientific evidence of success. But just because it hasn’t been in a rigorously controlled study doesn’t mean it’s worthless. Experts say that if it’s safe, you believe in it, and it’s good for you anyway, it’s worth exploring.

Pill Popping to Gain an Edge

You’ve heard of athletes popping pills to gain a competitive edge, but college students too? Today students are turning to prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin to get them through late nigt study sessions, risking potential and unknown side effects for a chance at a better grade. Some students say it’s a “super-achiever thing”.
Adderall, for example, is an amphetamine prescribed to improve focus and attention in people with ADHD. But the drugs have become popular for those looking for an occasional mental boost. Students say that caffeine will keep you awake, but Adderall will actually increase your ability to concentrate. Stimulant use varies widely. In the journal Addiction, which studied nearly 11,000 students, colleges with more competitive admission standards have the highest rates of non medical use-up to 25 percent. Nearly 7 percent had taken a stimulant without a prescription. Dr. Carol Milam, psychiatrist at the Vanderbilt University Student Health Center, says that students believe these types of medications aren’t really dangerous. Bt she warns that not only can they become addictive, bit they have other side effects that include loss of appetite, difficulty falling asleep, stomach ache and dry mouth. The manufacturer’s also warn that it’s not recommended for people with heart problems, high blood pressure, significant anxiety, or a history of drug abuse.

Reduce Your Risk of Alzhiemer's

According to an article in the Lancet Neurology, Swedish scientists have recently found that physically active people had a 60 percent lower risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease then those who were sedentary. The protective effect of exercise increased with age when most cases of Alzheimer’s, which strikes about 10 percent of Americans over 65, develop.

Schools Can't Make ADHD Kids Stay Home

On Wednesday, the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a bill baring schools from requiring hyperactive children to use drug treatments as a condition for attending classes. Backers of the bill say it’s designed to curb anecdotal but troubling reports of officials telling parents that their disruptive kids must begin treatment for ADHD if they want them to attend school. Doctors have traditionally relied on teachers to identify symptoms of ADHD. But some schools have overstepped their bounds and have coerced parents into starting children on medication.
Rep. John Kline, R-Minn. Is the bill’s main sponsor and says it’s unconscionable to make parents choose between medicating their child or not sending them to school. According to the CDC, nearly 4 million U.S. children under age 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD by 2004. Also, during the first six months of 2005, doctors wrote more than 5.6 million prescriptions for Adderall, a drug used to treat ADHD. That’s a 15 percent increase over the same period a year before. It remains unclear how often schools have tried to make medication a condition of attending class.

ADHD Drugs Not As Safe As Experts Thought

Today, nearly 4 million children take prescription drugs for ADHD, and this number seems to be climbing. Two new studies now suggest that those prescriptions aren't as safe as experts once thought.
In the first study, researchers kept track of 1,359 children on Strattera for 6-18 weeks. They reported five cases of suicidal thoughts, including one suicide attempt. This was compared with zero cases among the 851 patients who took a placebo. As a result of this study, the FDA had the manufacturer put a "black box" warning on the drug, which is the most serious alert. The experts believe that while children take this medicine, the most worriesome periods are during ther first few months of treatment and when the dosage needs to be adjusted.
In an Austrailian study, they reviewed 29 studies and found that stimulants prescribed for ADHD, such as Ritalin and Dexedrine, may stunt growth in developing kids who experience nausea as a side effect. In one study of 97 boys, they found that those who felt queasy on the medication ended up 2.6 inches shorter, on average, than those who didn't. Researchers believe one possible reason is that if appetite is suppressed, the resulting lack of proper nutrition and calories may affect growth.

Eat Well To Maintain Your Brain

Here are three simple ways that improving your diet today may protect your brain later in life.
1). Hormone therapy-Broccoli and berries are packed with plant hormones that may help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Dutch researchers found that women who ate 3 ounces of berries or 7 ounces of broccoli had 49 percent better memory scores of the 394 women in the study. Other healthy vegetables thought to fight the brain plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's include rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, carrots, and beets.
2). Have healthy drink limits-Research at the University of Wisconsin found that among 500 people with family risk factors for Alzheimer's, those who averaged one or two drinks per week scored 6 percent higher at word-list recall than those who abstained or drank less often than once a week. They suggest that healthy daily drink limits are two for men, and one for women.
3). Calorie control-Researchers at the University of Washington say excess weight may raise Alzheimer's risk by creating insulin resistance. They induced the condition in 16 people and saw 50 percent rise in levels of brain and spinal cord inflammatory chemicals and betaamyloid protein-both are suspected building blocks of Alzheimer's.

Major Depressive Disorder Linked to Other Disorders

The National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions indicated that there’s a strong relationship between major depressive disorder to alcohol use disorder, drug disorders, and other mental health conditions.
Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health reported that middle age, female gender, Native American, low income, separated, divorced, of widowed had the increased likelihood of current or lifetime major depressive disorder. Also found were elevated rates of major depression in baby boomers and in Native Americans. Asian, Hispanic, and black race-ethnicity reduced that risk.
Interviews of more than 43,000 non-institutionalized individuals 18 and older found that 5 percent experienced MDD during the 12 months preceding the survey and 13 percent experienced it at some time in their lives. It is noteworthy to point out that the highest lifetime risk is among middle-aged adults, previously held by the younger adult population during 1980 and 1990.
The onset of MDD begins between 12-16, with the mean age of onset at about 30. Women are twice as likely as men to get MDD and are more likely to receive treatment. Of all who experience MDD, nearly half wanted to die, one third considered suicide, and 9 percent attempted suicide. Among those with MDD, 14 percent abuse alcohol, 5 percent abuse drugs, 26 percent smoke, more than 37 percent have a personality disorder and more then 36 percent have at least one anxiety disorder.
These study results show that strong relationship of MDD to substance dependence and a weak relationship to substance abuse. This indicates the importance of focusing on dependence when studying the relationship of depression to substance use disorders.

Stress Can Make Kids Hurt Themselves

According to a recent survey, 1 in 4 kids hurt themselves due to stress. 875 middle school children were polled recently about how they handle stress. When stressed or upset, ¼ admitted to hurting themselves on purpose. The 9-13 year olds admitted to doing such things as banging their head against a wall or pinching themselves. With emotions being so strong, it can become overwhelming and they don’t know how to handle it. They usually blame themselves and hurt themselves as a way to tae it out on tem. Although this is not a healthy coping mechanism, it occurs in a significant percent of children. Kids who hurt themselves were also more likely than those who did not to say they lose their temper, keep their troubles to themselves, feel bad about themselves, and were less likely to try to work things out. This suggests that certain teens have a tendency toward poor coping skills and need help developing effective ways to cope with stress and manage their emotions.
Things that can stress out a teen include grades, school, homework, getting along with siblings, worries about problems at home, peer group issues, bullies, and friends.
The poll did find that they used other ways of coping, such as watching TV or playing videos. Theses ranked the highest. Teens feel that the most important thing parents can do is to talk to them about their problems. Though they usually don’t want to bring up problem to their parents, they say they would like talking about them if they were asked.