Conquering Depression

Is Ice Cream the great antidepressant that we all have been waiting for. My father and Grandfather manufactured milk and ice cream for years, I bet they would be surprised to learn that they were in the medical profession.

New research published in the journal Nature Neuroscience this month doesn’t go so far as to say that ice cream is an antidepressant but it does say that a brain chemical called ghrelin that encourages the eating of ice cream could be.

There has long been a relationship between depression and comfort food, although a lot of the relationship is caused by the drugs the doctors prescribe. The tricyclic antidepressants especially have along history of patient weight gain and even some of the newer ones like Remeron have the same problem.

A lot of the research on this brain chemical called ghrelin, which has been shown to cause experimental rats to eat more and consequentially gain more weight. So they came up with an experimental drug to give the rats that combats the ghrelin and eliminates the hunger pangs and the weight gain.

I guess that all this research will lead somewhere but like usual they are trying to cure a symptom instead of trying to cure the depression.

Anyway the jury is still out on this cure but lets weight and see if ice cream is the great antidepressant.

Sources:
ABC News October 20, 2008

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The food and drug Administration approved Neuronetics Inc.’s NeuroStar therapy specifically for patients who have had no success what-so-ever from their first Anti-depressant. The theory behind this move is that they believe it’s better to try this approach than to try pill after pill.

This is the first non-invasive treatment brain simulator to be used to treat depression. The treatment beams magnetic impulses through the brain and skull, this triggers small magnetic charges which cause the brain cells to fire.

 There seams to be a lot confusion as to wether the treatment works or not. The National Institute of Health is doing there own research to confirm or deny the results. There study should be done some time after the first of the year.

If this proves true it would sure be a blessing to those who’s only recourse, as they see it, is invasive surgery on the brain which has always left a lot to be desired.

Sources:
ABC News October 20, 2008

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When holiday seasons quickly approach, you may find that you are preparing meals, wrapping presents, getting the house prepared for guest, trimming the tree and more. Holiday seasons used to be something that would feel like it would last forever now everything is so rushed that it feels like the seasons come and go so quickly. For some people, Christmas is not so memorable and they may become depressed and feel sad and alone.

Learning to deal with depression during the holiday season is very important for everyone. We all become over-stressed and the feeling of being overwhelmed can easily creep in and may ruin the entire holiday season with sadness. Use some meditation methods to learn to control stress.

If depression has become severe or you feel like you cannot gain control you may need to see your medical professional for treatment. There are some things that you can do at home to prevent depression during the holiday seasons in order to prevent yourself from becoming depressed. Holidays are special and for that reason you want to be able to enjoy every minute of it.

There are several reasons you might feel depressed and sad during the holidays; loss of a loved one, little or no money, the coldness, snow or rain, and more. Because the holiday’s makes you think back to a childhood moment around that time of year you may feel happy or sad if it is a sad memory. Depression is more common today than what it was years ago. That is because today doctors are more aware of the symptoms of depression and they also have more treatments available for those who suffer from depression. When someone experiences depression they may feel tired all the time, unable to participate in anything, overwhelmed with guilt for some reason, can cry at anything, and more. Because symptoms of depression are so common, it may also be mistaken for another disorder with similar symptoms.

To avoid becoming depressed during the holiday seasons you may want to try these tips that will encourage and inspire you.

* Bake cakes and cookies to give to a nursing home or a neighbor next door. Giving warms the heart and puts a smile on your face.

* Sing Christmas carols to get into the holiday mood.

* Visit friends or family. Make this something that you do every holiday season. You can visit one person a day or over a weekend, which ever fits into your schedule. Before you leave, give your friends or family a hug. Our bodies respond to a hug in a positive way and sometimes that is all we need to feel happy.

What ever you do during the holiday seasons, remember to stay positive. It’s okay to think about the past as long as you don’t let it get you down. Making sure that you have a positive attitude will rub off and have a positive affect on everyone’s holiday season. Because the holidays are filled with mixed emotion it will be nice to end the holiday season with a smile on your face.

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You can increase your happiness by limiting your choices seams almost unAmerican or uncivilized. As a society every add you see express the idea that the more choices we have the more freedom we have and of course the happier we become.

After watching the video at the bottom of this article I began thinking about an experience I had two weeks ago. Out pool liner had deteriorated to the point of no more procrastination. It needed to be replaced Now! Got a couple of estimates, chose the company I would use and then he gives me this whole catalog of liner choices.

My wife in her infinite wisdom said the choice was all mine. I thought and stressed for two days trying to make the best choice. I had got so caught up in making the perfect choice that I had completely forgot that the salesman had told me that the best choices were on page one and I could get the heaver liner for the price of the lighter. There were two choices on page one I liked one the other thumbs down.

The point I’m trying to make is this, If I had been given just the two choices in the beginning I could of made the decession in an instant. So in this case more choices led to a couple of days of mild stress trying to pick to “Perfect” liner.

I think if you watch the video you’ll find the Psychologist Barry Schwartz has made some surprising observation in his study on “freedom of choice”. He concludes that a multitude of choices leads not to more happiness but rather just the opposite increasing dissatisfaction.

Watch the video and tell us what you think.

[Recorded in Oxford, UK July 2005 Duration:19:48]

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If your life is not going the way that you want it to, it might be really tempting to stop and let the imperfections slide.  After all, no one has a perfect life, right?  The truth of the matter is that while no one has a perfect life, you’ll find that yours can get a lot better!  Do you have habits or destructive thought patterns that are holding you back?  Have you noticed that there are some real problems that keep coming up again and again in your life?  If this is the case, you will find that self-improvement is something that you want to pursue and that it is really not nearly as distant as you might think it is.

When you are looking to improve yourself, you will find that it all starts with change, namely a change in your environment.  Remember that we are, at least to some degree, the product of the world that we live in.  Because we all live on Earth, we are all subject to Earth’s gravitational pull, and because you live the way that you do, there is a good chance that something there is influencing you on the way that you live.  Our environments cue us when it comes to our taking action, and if the actions that you are taking are not the ones that are conducive to living a good life, take a look at the cues and learn and what you can do to get rid of them.

The next important step is to learn new kinds of behavior.  Maybe the problems that you have been experiencing all have to do with engaging in a certain kind of behavior that you know is wrong or that is harmful to you in the long run.  After you have learned that this behavior is wrong, the key is to change it.  This is of course, easier said than done, but at the end of the day, you might find that it is quite straightforward.  When you are looking to make sure that you stop an old destructive behavior, take a look at replacing it with some sort of positive behavior.

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Finally, when you are looking to make sure that you are going to get rid of your negative behavior forever, you will find to get started is to work on controlling these behaviors.  For instance, say that you are trying to give up smoking.  While there are many ways to do this, you may find that you can limit your smoking to a certain circumstance, or a certain location.  If you are someone who is constantly getting worried, you may only wish to really allow yourself to engage in worry in a specific location.  Over time, this will have the effect of making you associate that location with the act and when you are not in that location, you will disregard the destructive act as well.

In many cases, the things we live with are excusable and not serious, but if you really want to turn your life around, it is important to look at the changes that you can make.  Remember that you are the one that is in control and take the time to really consider what goals you have always wanted to attain!

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