The Dangers Of Alcohol

As an addiction specialist, I see patients abusing substances of all kinds. Today I’d like to talk about alcohol. It is so ingrained and accepted in our society. Pop culture would have you believe that you can’t have any fun or lead a fulfilling life without alcohol. During nearly every commercial break on television, there is an advertisement for alcohol, full of smiling people having the time of their lives like they’re on a permanent vacation. As a matter of fact, as I write this, I have a television on in the background, and there was just a commercial for a Mexican beer. It was a fiesta, with women in bright costumes dancing around and people cheering and cheersing with cold cervezas. The message: you’re clearly missing out if your life doesn’t resemble the lives of these people, but if you drink their beer, your life can be as awesome as theirs.  

Fermented grain, fruit juice and honey have been used to make alcohol for thousands of years. Even early Greek writings warned of the perils of alcohol. In our modern world, the dangers of alcohol are well studied and well known. Despite this fact, alcohol is the most common drug used and abused by people. Here are some sobering facts and figures: an estimated 15 million Americans suffer from alcoholism, and nearly 90,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. 40% of all car accident deaths in the United States involve alcohol, claiming approximately 10,000 lives a year. According to the Institute of Alcohol Studies, consuming larger amounts of alcohol can cause more than 60 different health issues and hundreds of physical conditions.

Day in and day out, I witness the ravages of alcoholism, and it’s not pretty. Alcohol in any amount affects every part of a person, inside and out. It’s just a matter of degrees. 

What are these effects? Let’s start with the outward appearance. While drinking moderately may not have immediate disadvantages, over time you’ll start to notice them- especially when you look in the mirror. Drinking alcohol dehydrates you, which makes hair follicles dry and brittle and more likely to cause hair to fall out. What hair you have will look crispy with split ends. Heavy alcohol use can lead to permanent damage to the health of your hair. It can also cause hormonal issues like increased estrogen, which can cause problems with hair growth and loss, particularly in men.   

Drinking too much also dehydrates and deprives the skin of vital vitamins and nutrients. Instead of being soft and hydrated, your skin will begin to look cracked and wrinkled. This will leave others thinking you may be older than you actually are. Excess alcohol also alters blood flow to the skin, leaving an unhealthy appearance for days.Alcohol can also cause your face to look pale, bloated and puffy.Sometimes the blood vessels on your face burst and the capillaries break, causing a chapped look. Not only can your face become red, but the tiny blood vessels in your eyes become irritated and rupture, causing bloodshot eyes. Not cute. 

Over time, drinking heavily can have other, more permanent, detrimental effects on your skin. Rosacea, a skin disorder that starts with a tendency to blush and flush easily is linked to alcohol consumption. Continued alcohol consumption can eventually lead to a condition called rhinophyma, a facial disfigurment that is a subtype of rosacea, where large, red, pus-filled bumps develop on the face, commonly on the cheeks, chin, and especially the nose, where it can cause severe bulbous distortion. If you have rosacea, I strongly urge that you google rhinophyma and that you don’t drink. 

Let’s not forget that alcohol is fattening, high in empty calories. A couple of gin and tonics and a pint of beer equal about the same calories as a big fast food burger. You might be surprised to find out what the junk food calorie equivalents are for your favorite drinks. Alcohol also bloats your stomach. “Beer belly” is real people, but not only caused by beer. And then there’s cellulite; many believe the toxins in alcohol contribute to its build up. 

A less often discussed result of drinking heavily is B.O. Yes, the bad odor emanating from the body after a long night of drinking is directly related to the alcohol seeping from it. According to the Institute of Alcohol Studies, over 10 percent of alcohol consumed leaves the body unused through your sweat, breath, and urine. While pretty much everyone can smell it, non-drinkers are generally especially susceptible to the odor. And it is gross. Keep that in mind the next time you wake up after a bender. Your body odor could leave a lasting impression.

Let’s move from external effects of alcohol and go inside the body, starting with the brain. Obviously, when you’re drunk, your brain is impaired. There is loss of inhibitions, confused or abnormal thinking, and poor decision-making. But I want you to understand the chronic effects of alcohol on the brain and cognition, the long term effects. So, how does alcohol impact cognitive ability? Clearly, the impact is directly related to the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed. 

Occasional and moderate drinkers:
– Memory impairment
– Blackout
– Recklessness
– Impaired decision-making

Heavy and/or chronic drinkers:
– Diminished gray matter in the brain
– Inability to think abstractly
– Loss of visuospatial abilities

-Memory loss

-Loss of attention span

In general, heavy alcohol use causes the brain to shrink. Any alcohol use causes clouded thinking, slow thought process or delays in cognition. If you drink at night – even two drinks – the next day, your thoughts aren’t as fluid, you’re not as clear, you’re not as creative. Alcohol use changes behavior. You may develop psychological issues,  personality issues. It is well established in the mental health field that alcohol consumption can exacerbate underlying mental health disorders. People become more irritable, anxious, and depressed when they drink. So why do it? People use it as a coping skill. It lowers inhibitions, gives “liquid courage” and allows us to do things we wouldn’t normally do. Some people use it to keep a job they hate, or to stay in a miserable marriage. It numbs pain, it’s an escape hatch for the psyche. It becomes a solution to a problem, or a way to mask the problem. Just as we are all different, the way alcohol affects us all differently. 

The following factors have been shown to influence how alcohol impacts a person’s brain functioning over time:
-The volume a person drinks
-How often a person drinks
-The age at which drinking began
-The number of years a person has been drinking
-The person’s sex, age, and genetic factors
-Whether the person’s family has a history of alcoholism
-Whether the person was exposed to alcohol as a fetus
-The person’s general health 

One of the biggest problems with alcohol that I see is trauma, people getting hurt. When you drink alcohol, your decision making is impaired. The brain that usually protects you is suddenly impaired, so you fall, you fight, you drive a car recklessly, and your coordination is off. You’re going to fall or make a bad decision and get hurt. So many accidents and deaths are attributed to alcohol. It’s especially disturbing because they’re preventable.

There is no bodily system that alcohol does not affect. What are other physical dangers of alcohol? Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver, and breast. The common thing that everyone understands is liver damage with alcohol. It causes fatty liver and cirrhosis of the liver which eventually kills you. There are a host of digestive problems with alcohol consumption: peptic ulcers, bleeding ulcers, diarrhea, pancreatic cysts/disease/failure. Alcohol can lead to diabetes, a compromised immune system, lung infections, stroke, and heart disease. It can be associated with memory issues, learning disorders, and neurological problems, where you have numbness in your arms and legs, lack of coordination, and slurred speech.   

Alcohol plays a role in other issues as well. Family problems, legal problems, and social problems. One of the biggest concerns with drinking frequently is (or should be) dependency, becoming an alcoholic. Right now, I’m sure almost 100% of you are thinking ‘I‘d never become an alcoholic.’ There’s a television show called Intervention that documents the trials, tribulations, lifestyles, and consequences of alcoholics and drug addicts. None of them planned on becoming alcoholics back when they drank socially or just had a few drinks at night. The great news is that if you never make alcohol a part of your life, guess what? You’ll NEVER have to be an alcoholic or deal with all of the issues that come with it. I can’t stress enough how strongly you should take this to heart. 

By now I’m certain that you understand the ravages and damages of alcohol use and abuse. But the dangers are minimized and we’re desensitized to it by pop culture; it’s so ubiquitous that we accept it as a part of life. If you tell someone that you don’t drink, they look at you like you have three heads. It is ingrained in every aspect of our society in terms of weddings, funerals, bars, restaurants, hotels, public events, private events, and clubs.  

Have you ever noticed how glorified alcohol is? They put it in these beautiful bottles. I admire alcohol bottles. The artistry and sculpture of the bottles…they’re just beautiful. They look like there must be something very good inside, so you want to find out. When you go to a restaurant, the first question is always, “Would you like a drink?”  Now, children’s birthday parties even serve drinks to the adults. If it’s so safe, why don’t we serve it to children? It’s because we know it’s poison, we know it’s dangerous, but it’s minimized. It’s socially acceptable. I’m not for prohibition; I think there is a place for alcohol in our society, but it shouldn’t be so glorified and so easily accessible. We need to acknowledge it’s dangers and be more restrictive with it. Take all-you-can drink mimosa or bloody mary brunches or happy hours for example, where drinks are two-for-one. These things encourage drunkenness, and then people leave with alcohol-induced poor decision skills and car keys in hand. These sorts of events need to be seriously restricted. There should be no event where we encourage people to get drunk. We should not condone its overuse or extoll its virtues. 

With all of that said, how does an individual stop drinking alcohol? It’s a simple theory. You make a decision to stop, and then you stop. There is no other way. If you’re not in control of stopping, then who is? I’ve spent more than thirty years medically detoxing and working with people with alcohol and drug addictions, and I assure you that there is no other way to stop other than the person making the decision to stop and living with it. I’m not saying it is easy, especially with alcohol all around us in grocery stores, restaurants, on television, on billboards…it is everywhere. But it can be done. I see it every day, people living fulfilling lives without alcohol. If you want to be one of those people living without alcohol, make an appointment. I can help you. I talk more about this in my books, A Chance to Change and Tales from the Couch, both available on Amazon.

Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive disorder

Attention Deficit Disorder

ADD, Attention Defecit Disorder is a chronic condition marked by issues with attention. It is most often seen in childhood, but can persist into adulthood, and there are 3 million US cases per year. Due to it’s high prevalence, I want to take the opportunity to discuss the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of ADD.   

ADD has a sister disorder called ADHD, Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder. What’s the difference between them? It’s pretty simple. ADHD includes the symptom of physical hyperactivity or excessive restlessness. That’s what the “H” is for. In ADD, the symptom of hyperactivity is absent. 

What are the hallmarks of this disorder?  Basically, it is a disorder of concentration, marked by problems concentrating and the inability to stay on task. These individuals are easily distracted and readily bored. They move from project to project without finishing and start projects without all of the appropriate tools needed to complete them. This all leaves them very anxious. In cases of ADHD, they are also impulsive, intrusive, disruptive, and hyperactive, often constantly fidgeting. 

What percent on the population are we dealing with here?  Roughly 20% of boys and 11% of girls have some type of attention deficit disorder. 

What are the causes of attention deficit disorder? While we don’t know exactly, there are several suspects. Maternal use of alcohol or cocaine while in utero is an extremely common finding. Brain infections when pregnant or during early childhood, head trauma, and any birth defects that affect child development are also suspected. Exposure to enviromental toxins and pesticides are suspect. Excessive video games alter brain chemistry, as does a diet of processed foods and sugar, and these are also suspected causes for attention deficit disorder. I would say the number one cause of ADD is most likely genetic, inherited from mother or father. 

What is the result of having attention deficit disorder? How does it affect one’s life? It results in having problems fitting into the academic world or the job world. People with attention deficit disorder don’t fit into a regimented or organized educational or work environment. They can be very intelligent and productive people, but they don’t fit into what we would consider the stereotypical or standard type of academic setting or work setting. Also, due to their impulsivity and their disorderly conduct, they can wind up getting in trouble in school and in trouble with the law. They can be unsuccessful at work, not because they aren’t smart enough, but because they cannot stay focused. In terms of lifestyle, they also have a much higher rate of obesity. This is likely due to lack of impulse control, causing them to overeat. They have problems in relationships, and their divorce rates are much higher. Their propensity toward domestic violence may also be higher. They may also be more prone to Alzheimer’s disease. Because of all of these failures and shortcomings in the stereotypical organized worlds of education and career, they have much lower self-esteem. There are studies that report that up to 52% of people with attention deficit disorder have drug or alcohol problems. 

So how can we help these people? How do we treat these illnesses? The number one treatment is behavioral training with a mental health professional. The gist of that is educating them to focus on one thing at a time. They are not able to handle instructions with multiple levels at once, but they can focus on one thing at a time and have success with that. Pharmacologically, ADD and ADHD are generally treated with amphetamine stimulants. Some antidepressantants may also benefit people with attention deficit disorder. Essentially, a combination of behavioral therapies, special education programs and medications show the most promise in the treatment of attention deficit disorder. But a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD isn’t all future doom and gloom. Eventually, people find their niche in the world and can become successful. The actor Ryan Gosling takes medication for his ADD and says that it may take him longer to read his scrips than other actors, but he manages to get the job done. Uber successful comedian Howie Mandel has successfully done just about all there is to do in Hollywood. I have met a lot of CEO’s with ADD, and they function well because they have people around them to take care of all the boring mundane tasks, giving them the chance to think freely and create business opportunities. They are creative and capable people. They are another example of why you can’t judge a book by it’s cover…you can’t assume that someone with a psych diagnosis will never make it in the world. Ask Richard Branson. I think he’s done pretty well for himself in the corporate world despite his ADD. Justin Bieber has ADHD and has managed to record a few hit songs. Olympian Michael Phelps has ADD, depression and anxiety, and that hasn’t stopped him.These are some examples of people that have adapted and overcome their diagnoses rather than be labeled by them. If you have ADD or any psych diagnosis, I’d suggest you follow their lead. 

For more patient stories, check out my book Tales from the Couch, on Amazon.com.  

Depression…What can you do to help yourself?

Let’s talk about depression. First, understand that like most things in life, depression is a spectrum; it is not black and white. Some people have situational depression or very mild depression and do really well with therapy and making some simple life changes. Others might need medication to assist them. Some unfortunately suffer from major depression and find it hard to cope with life.

Handling Clinical Depression Symptoms

Individuals often speak of feeling depressed. Indeed, it is common to feel periodic sadness due to life’s
disappointments. Clinical depression, on the other hand, is quite different from those times when we experience
unhappiness or despair.

Clinical depression is a serious disease caused by a brain disorder, and its effects on the individual’s ability
to perform in daily situations is profound. The condition can impact moods, thoughts, habits, and physical
wellness.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression strikes about 17 million American adults
every year. This is more than the amount of cases related to cancer, AIDS, or coronary heart disease. What makes
it even worse is that an estimated 15 percent of people dealing with depression ends in suicide.

Dealing with depression could appear like a daunting task. Some people don’t even comprehend the real nature of
the disease. “Many people still believe that depression is a character defect, or caused by bad parenting”, says
Mary Rappaport, a spokeswoman for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. It needs to be noted that taking
care of depression does not merely involve willpower. It requires proper medical attention.

The good news is that depression is treatable. In fact, among the initial steps of taking care of depression,
consists of making use of either of the two major treatment options available; medication or therapy. First, a
proper medical diagnosis must be obtained before one can go on with dealing with depression.

When identifying and dealing with depression, it is necessary to keep in mind that that there are three primary
classifications of the condition. These are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar depression (otherwise known
as manic depression).

The symptoms for each category of depression can differ, depending upon the person. And there are numerous
factors that serve to increase the risk of depression. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the following are the typical symptoms of depression as noted in the DSM-IV:
depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities, changes in appetite or weight,
interrupted sleeping patterns, slowed or restless movements, fatigue, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness
or extreme guilt, difficulty thinking, focusing, or making decisions, and even recurrent thoughts of death or
suicide.

Antidepressant medicines are often prescribed as a step in dealing with depression. These medicines, such as
tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, work by
modifying particular chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin. This leads to improved symptoms of depression,
and can assist in taking care of depression.

Alternatively, persons dealing with severe depressive episodes may not be responsive to medication alone. In
order to offer long term relief, psychiatric therapy is required.

Managing A Depressive Disorder

At some point in our lives we might experience depression. Depression is described as a feeling of unhappiness,
dissatisfaction, loneliness, or having negative thoughts towards oneself or to other people. Nonetheless, if the
feelings become overwhelming and continue to appear, which can substantially impact your health and your
everyday routine, immediate care and attention needs to be sought.

In fact, the level of depression that every person experiences might range from mild, moderate, to serious,
depending upon the symptoms related with each condition and the degree the condition disrupts everyday
activities. Managing depression is also, like the level of depression, different from one person to another.
Some individuals might realize the condition to be really disabling, and that they cannot seem to overcome it,
while others manage to undergo effective treatment. It is very difficult to comprehend exactly how extreme the
feelings of a depression sufferer.

We may be able to understand if we know what the possible causes are, and the symptoms of the depression.
Dealing with depression might not be as easy as you think, but, we can offer help to depressive individuals by
letting them know that we always have an ear to listen to their problems. Loss of something or somebody
essential. Loss of control over your own life or things around you.

Most likely, the person who feels this, in some way, senses that nothing can be done to alter the undesirable
events in life, and that handling depression is an impossible job. I should state this one is a great factor why
an individual feels depressed in the first place, as a negative attitude can cause self-defeat.

Here are some of the typical symptoms of depression, mostly grumbled by depression victims. A person with
depression might feel a strong sense of unhappiness, anxiety, guilt, anger, hopelessness, mood swings, and
helplessness.

An individual having depression might commonly sleep too much or too little, experience loss of hunger or
overeating, constipation, irregular monthly period, lose interest in sex, and experience weight loss or gain.

Considering that a depressive person deals with down feelings, crying without reason can occur. Also, withdrawal
from other people or the world in general, irritability, loss of interest in activities, and loss of interest in
physical appearance, no set objectives, and resorting to abuse via drugs and alcohol are simply some of the
things you’ll notice with a depressive person.

Clinical Depression, Mood Disorder Symptoms

Depression is a mood disorder that manipulates every part of daily life. The illness impacts all sectors of the
population in each socio-economic group, from kids, adults, and the elderly. This frustrating illness controls
the mind, behavior, body, emotional state, and can even conclude the ability to maintain relationships. Clinical
depression is a medical finding, and is different from the common connotation of being depressed. According to
the DSM-IV-TR criterion for identifying a major depressive disorder or clinical depression, two aspects need to
be present, which is depressed mood or anhedonia.

It is satisfactory to have either of these clinical depression symptoms in combination with five other clinical
depression signs over a two-week period, which includes; mental or physical fatigue and loss of energy feelings
of guilt, hopelessness, stress and anxiety, fear, or helplessness, decreased amount of interest or enjoyment in
all, or almost all, day-to-day activities practically every day, changing appetite and visible weight-loss or
gain, psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day, feelings of overwhelming sadness, or the seeming
inability to feel emotion.

Other symptoms include difficulty concentrating or making decisions, or a generalized slowing of cognition
consisting of memory, disrupted sleeping patterns such as excessive sleep or hypersomia, insomnia, or loss of
REM sleep. Repeated thoughts of death, not simply the fear of dying, but persistent suicide ideation with a
specific plan, or a specific plan of committing suicide or suicide attempt.

Various other clinical depression symptoms sometimes reported but not usually taken into account in medical
diagnosis consist of inattention to personal hygiene, fear of going mad, decrease in self-esteem, change in
perception of time, sensitivity to noise, physical pains and aches with the belief that these may be indications
of a severe illness.

Clinical depression symptoms in youngsters are not as apparent as in grownups. Some of the signs that children
may reveal are irritability, loss of appetite, learning or memory problems where none existed in the past, sleep
problems such as reoccurring nightmares, and substantial behavioral changes such as social isolation,
aggression, and withdrawal.

An additional indicator could be the excessive use of alcohol or drugs, where depressed teenagers are at a
particular risk of further critssical behavior such as eating disorders and self-harm.

Among the most extensively used instruments for measuring the extent of depression is the Beck Depression
Inventory, which has twenty-one multiple-choice questions. For people who have not experienced clinical
depression, either personally or by regular exposure to individuals who struggle with it is hard for them to
comprehend the emotional impact and seriousness. It could be similar to as having the blues or feeling down.

Sorts of Depression Medicine

There are a bunch of different sorts of depression medicines which are now available for the treatment of
depression. More recent depression medicines have become accessible that are safer and more effective than the
older depression medicines, and have fewer adverse effects. It is essential to take note though, that all types
of depression medicines, even the newest and most well-known, present specific risks, and can still trigger
unpleasant negative effects. It is smart to educate oneself in order to find suitable alternatives such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI).

These sorts of depression medicines are the newest and most popular, and works by increasing the levels of a
mood-related neurotransmitter called serotonin, in the brain. These medications normally present a lesser risk
of side effects than other types of depression medications, but it does not imply that they are completely safe
or free of negative effects.

The most difficult adverse effects caused by SSRI depression medications are sexual dysfunction and weight gain.
It is not unusual for men taking this medication to end up being nearly impotent, and females to gain thirty
pounds. A lot of people look to natural options to prescription depression medicine in order to eliminate these
nasty negative effects. The first SSRI medicine introduced in the United States in 1988 was Prozac (fluoxetine),
since then, numerous SSRI medications have been released, including Paxil (paroxetine), Lexapro (escitalopram),
Luvox (fluvoxamine), Celexa (citalopram), Zoloft (sertraline) and Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA).

These types of depression medicines are the older group, and due to the fact that they can cause adverse effects
such as constipation, dry mouth, bladder issues, blurred vision, sexual dysfunction, drowsiness, and
lightheadedness. They are no longer frequently prescribed, and have fallen out of favor. Some TCAs consist of
Tofranil (imipramine), Anafranil (clomipramine), Elavil (amitriptyline) and Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI).
These depression medications are currently the rarest sorts of depression medications, due to the fact that they
pose serious safety risks, can cause extreme side effects, and require a restricted diet plan.

Because of the expensive cost and negative effects of depression medicines, people in the United States are
increasingly more turning to natural depression medicines. Nonetheless, numerous natural supplements are of poor
quality, and do not work as well as prescription medicine. Some high-quality natural depression supplements do
exist though, and the best natural depression supplements include ingredients that have actually been proven to
work as well as depression medication, but with fewer side effects.

In a natural antidepressant medication called Amoryn, the major ingredient is hyperforin, which is an effective
treatment for anxiety and depression. Scientific research reveals that it eases depression as successfully as a
great deal of prescription medicine, but the good thing is, it has fewer negative effects.

Treatments for Depression

Among the most common mental issues impacting almost everyone, whether on a personal basis or through a family
member dealing with the condition, depression is an illness identified by bouts of melancholia, despair, or
feeling emotionally down in such a way that disrupts the normal functioning of a person. Individuals with
depression might experience problems with work, social and family adjustment. If left without treatment,
depression can be a strong risk factor for suicide.

Luckily, therapies for depression are offered, and the majority of them work in dealing with the condition,
along with its symptoms. The treatments for depression are likewise extremely varied, so to list them all here
would be almost impossible. Suffice to say, that therapies for depression are generally divided into two
significant classifications; medications and therapy. Some individuals with depression respond to therapy
better, while others can go on normally with their lives by routinely taking antidepressant medicine.
Nonetheless, there are also others that can only respond to treatment after taking antidepressants. Hence, the
two methods of treatment for depression may be utilized alternatively or in combination with some health
specialists, depending on the individual response of the patient.

The first thing to remember about depression medicines is that they do not treat depression. Just as aspirin can
lower a fever but without clearing up the infection that causes it, antidepressants only help control the
symptoms, but do not treat the condition itself.

Furthermore, depression medications do not produce the same effect in everybody. Some individuals might
experience side effects, and factors such as age, sex, body size, body chemistry, and so on, can impact exactly
how the drug works on a patient. Many people do however respond well to antidepressants as treatment for
depression. How long the person should take antidepressants depends upon the kind and severity of the
depression.

A different approach to providing treatment for depression is therapy. Therapy is where the depressed individual
is given support in lots of different ways, consisting of supportive counseling, cognitive therapy, and
problem-solving therapy.

This sort of intervention helps alleviate the pain of depression. Among the most common symptoms of depression
is the sensation of hopelessness that a depressed individual experiences. The function of supportive therapy is
to directly address this feeling of hopelessness and despair.

All pessimistic ideas, unrealistic expectations, and overly critical self-evaluations that create depression are
taken care of in this phase of intervention. The key right here is to help the depressed individual recognize
which life problems are important and which are minor. In understanding this, the individual can now develop
more positive life goals.

Depression may be created because of certain troublesome areas in an individual’s life. The purpose of problem-
solving therapy is to directly address these crucial areas that create considerable stress.

Major Depression

Each year, about 9.9 American adults deal with it. That is roughly five percent of the overall adult population,
give or take a few. Extreme depression is unlike the normal feelings of sadness, loss, or passing mood states
that many people have.

The condition is more persistent, and because of that persistence, it might significantly disrupt your thoughts,
habits, mood, activity, and even physical health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), extreme
depression is set to become the second leading cause of disability in the world, after heart disease. The onset
of severe depression might be gradual, so the symptoms are not obvious right away.

Nonetheless, a few of the indications to keep an eye out for to identify whether you are suffering from severe
depression or not consist of the following: persistently sad state of mind or high irritability,
marked shifts in regular routines, consisting of sleep and appetite. Noticable changes in energy such as
frequently low energy practically daily. Feelings of being slowed down or agitation such as loss of interest in
previously pleasant activities. Relentless sensations of shame, unimportance, hopelessness, and emptiness may
also occur.

Other symptoms that are brought on by depression are reoccurring ideas of death or suicide, consistent physical
signs like headaches, intestinal disorders, and persistent pain without any known cause, and do not respond to
therapy. If you experience a number of of these symptoms of major depression, and they happen at the same time
for approximately longer than two weeks, and in such a way that they interfere with normal functioning, then do
not think twice to ask for expert treatment.

The reasons for severe depression are different, and the events that led to the development of the condition,
are in some cases too numerous to determine a single one as the clear-cut cause. There are typically lots of
aspects involved such as physical, biological, and even environmental aspects that all play a role.

According to scientific research, however, extreme depression is mainly a brain disorder. The problem could be
traced back to three chemicals or neurotransmitters, which function as messengers that transfer electric signals
between brain cells. These are norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.

A person suffering from major depression often exhibits a chemical imbalance between these three
neurotransmitters, thus, producing a clinical state where depression takes place. In order to make up for the
imbalance, antidepressant drugs are introduced. These drugs work by increasing the availability of
neurotransmitters, or by changing the level of sensitivity of the receptors for these chemical messengers.

It is not enough however, to deal with major depression with psychotherapeutic drugs alone. Some individuals may
respond better to cognitive therapy, wherein they are given assistance in managing the problem areas of their
lives that add to depression. Additionally, individuals with severe depression may react to treatment
incorporating both approaches of medication and therapy.

Teenager Depression

Everyone feels down at some time. It’s common to feel sad. If you are feeling sad most of the time, and the
feeling is starting to impact your grades, relationships, and your behavior in many ways, then the issue might
be more than just the blues. It might be teen depression, a major health problem that approximately four out of
a hundred teenagers suffer with each year.

The signs of depression are many, so there is typically no hard and fast guideline to identifying all the
symptoms of teen depression. However, the most vital thing to keep in mind is that there are typically two sorts
of teen depression.

Under the first kind, you will discover two other sorts of depression which differ only in their intensity, as
major depression or clinical depression (severe) and dysthymia or chronic depression (moderate, but lasts for a
longer period).

The second type of teen depression is referred to as bipolar depression, the depressive state of manic-
depressive disorder, a condition wherein the subject suffers periodic bouts of mania or elevated mood and
depression, where the subject is commonly too low in energy that he would not have the ability to move. It would
take a health specialist to distinguish the sort of teen depression.

It is a good idea that you speak with expert assistance when you see any of the following indications of teen
depression. Consistent feelings of sadness or crying a lot for no evident reason is an indication of teen
depression. Consistent feelings of guilt, once again, for no actual reason and the feeling like you are no good
or are worthless are also indications.

Symptoms of depression can include loss of confidence or low self-esteem, you feel as though life is
meaningless, and that absolutely nothing good will ever come out of it. You constantly appear to be tired, and
you do not feel like doing things that you used to take pleasure in a lot, like music, sports, being with pals,
or going out. Most of the time, you simply want to be left alone.

Other symptons consist of you continually getting sidetracked and you can’t seem to focus. You likewise forget
things, or you do things without any recollection of doing them. Little things make you lose your temper. You
get aggravated very easily, or you overreact. Your sleep pattern changes. Either you sleep more or you sleep
less, or you cannot seem to fall asleep or remain asleep. You get up too early most mornings, and have problems
falling back to sleep.

Insomnia (inadequate sleep) or hyposomnia (too much sleep) sets in. Your eating routines likewise change. You
have lost your appetite or you eat a lot more. Weight gain or weight-loss is extreme. You think about death, or
feel like you are dying, or you have thoughts committing suicide, whether or not you have the energy to actually
harm yourself.

Signs of Depression

A very typical condition, depression is believed by numerous professionals to be the leading cause of disability
in the world. In the United States alone, studies show that 17 % of the population will experience the symptoms
of depression eventually in their lives. Currently, there is an estimated 19 million people experiencing
depression in the United States. Additionally, research shows that females are more vulnerable to struggle with
the symptoms of depression than males.

Often classed as a mental condition, depression is as much an illness of the body as it is of the mind. You
cannot wish it away and you can not simply snap out of it. Neither is it a sign of weak character. The good news
about depression is that virtually everyone experiencing the symptoms of depression can be helped with
appropriate therapy. That is why it is essential to identify the signs and symptoms of depression as early as
possible in order to prevent the condition from worsening.

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, has developed a list of the primary signs and symptoms of
depression. The following symptoms can be seen on the list; persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or
emptiness, feelings of hopelessness, despair, and pessimism, feelings of shame, worthlessness, and helplessness,
loss of interest, even in basic pleasures such as hobbies or activities that were once enjoyed, consisting of
sex, decreased energy, tiredness, being slowed down, difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions,
sleeplessness, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping, appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight
gain, thoughts of death or suicide, suicide efforts, restlessness, irritability, consistent physical symptoms
that do not respond to therapy, such as headaches, intestinal disorders, and chronic pain.

If you have any of these symptoms of depression, and have been struggling with them for a number of weeks, and
to a degree that they have actually hindered or impacted your life, have a talk with your doctor. She or he can
help you find out whether you are dealing with depression or not, and then help you create a treatment and
recovery strategy.

The symptoms of depression can differ from person to person. In addition, an individual’s response to various
medicines may also vary. That is why it is rather possible that you may have to check out a number of different
drugs in order to find out which one works best for you.

Your physician can recommend you some anti-depressant medicines. These drugs are relatively quick-acting, so you
may begin to feel better after just a few weeks of taking them. Nonetheless, unless your physician says so, do
not stop taking the drugs. It might be that you are only experiencing the initial impact of the drugs, but the
complete results have yet to take place.

Signs of Depression in Children

If depression is considered a severe condition to adults, exactly how would you think about depression in kids?
Actually, depression in kids is the same as in adults with just a few exceptions. Therefore, this only suggests
one thing, depression in children must be given immediate attention and care, particularly if they can’t make
out the precise words to express their condition. This is why you have to always keep a closer look on the
possible indicators of depression in children in order for you to take specific action about the problem.

To say that children have clinical depression, they need to have five of the 9 most common symptoms of
depression, which can cause disturbance of their functioning or behavior, for a duration of at least two weeks.
Below is a list of some of the symptoms that could be possible signs of depression in children. These signs may
be helpful to you if you sense your youngster or some children you know are dealing with depression.

Irritable mood most of the day, virtually everyday, having problems sleeping or sleeping too much practically
daily, tiredness or loss of energy, decreased ability to think or concentrate, significant loss of appetite
causing loss or gain of weight, loss of interest in things once enjoyed, restlessness, or slowness.

Various other physical symptoms, such as serious headaches, which may not be really common, have actually been
experienced by children for at least once a month. There are actually many other warning signs of depression in
children that you need to know and be aware of. Early indicators of depression in children can easily be missed,
due to the fact that it is typically associated with various other behaviors. Abrupt changes in behavior,
aggressiveness, angry or agitated behavior, increased interest in risk-taking, lower self-confidence, resulting
in withdrawal from other people.

When you hear young people discussing hurting themselves, or even suicide, don’t let it go by. In case you have
no idea, hurting one’s self or suicide is not new to depressive individuals. They have the tendency to commit
suicide because of the many aspects such as feelings of unimportance, unhappiness, helplessness, and many more.
Anyhow, none of the signs of depression in kids should be taken lightly. As soon as indicators of depression in
youngsters are observed, see to it to talk to your child and have him or her talk about what they are feeling.

It’s no use to comfort your kid, so don’t try and seek professional assistance immediately, as physicians are
the only ones who can identify depression. Fortunately, depression is treatable, and can be treated only with
psychotherapy and medicine. Except for depression, you and the whole family, and good friends can still show
your support to other emotional and physical difficulties of your children.

Depression

Victims of depression describe it as a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. In truth, lots of
people diagnosed with depression have perpetual spells of apathy, where they feel like they have no energy to do
anything, or they can’t concentrate. Others might experience sensations of irritation, although there seems to
be no reason for feeling so.

The symptoms of depression vary from person to person. So, occasionally, it is challenging to diagnose. However,
if you have been feeling down for more than two weeks already, and these emotions are starting to interfere with
your life, it is time for you to see a physician who specializes in mood disorders to identify if you have what
they call clinical depression.

It has been observed that people who have gone through depression have the tendency to experience another
episode sooner or later. It is possible that you have one episode today, and the next few weeks, and then you
experience some of the symptoms once again before the next full-blown episode. If you learn to spot these very
early causes or symptoms, then you might be able to keep the depression from worsening.

Working with your doctor can help you learn how to manage depression. There are lots of medications used to
treat this mood disorder, and you may need to try a few different ones to discover which works best for you. In
addition to that, your doctor may also suggest a specialist for you, and suggest that you make a couple of
lifestyle changes.

Whatever medication you select in the end, always the initial step to improving and remaining better is taking
your medicine precisely as prescribed by your physicians. It might also help if you remember the following
treatment tips.

It takes some time for anti-depressants to work, so do not be impatient. Some antidepressants may start to make
you feel much better in just a few weeks. Nonetheless, the full anti-depressant impact of the drug might not be
seen until the passage of numerous weeks.

Even if you feel much better, keep taking your anti-depressant for as long as your physician tells you to. Your
doctor may suggest that you continue using the anti-depressant in order to help lower your chances of becoming
depressed once again.

There are some individuals who only become depressed once. However, there are others who have actually been
depressed before, or have a number of risk factors, in which case, they might need long-term treatment with
medicine.

Keeping the News in Perspective

Dr. Mark Agresti discusses the importance of keeping the news in perspective. By doing so, one allows themselves to minimize the impact that negative news can have.

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist, Psychiatrist

Call (561) 842-9550 or email: info@206.189.200.158 Dr. Agresti today to get psychiatric help.

How to Ready Your Child for School

Dr. Mark Agresti discusses ways to help get your child prepared for their return to school. Everyday stresses can be reduced by taking certain actions in preparing your child and yourself in easing back into the school-year.

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist, Psychiatrist

Call (561) 842-9550 or email: info@206.189.200.158 Dr. Agresti today to get psychiatric help.

Depression – Part 6 – Medical Treatment

Dr. Mark Agresti discusses the medical treatment options to help those suffering from depression.

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist, Psychiatrist

Call (561) 842-9550 or email: info@206.189.200.158 Dr. Agresti today to get psychiatric help today.

Depression – Part 5 – Treatment of Depression

Dr. Mark Agresti talks about the treatment options available for depression.

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist, Psychiatrist

Call (561) 842-9550 or email: info@206.189.200.158 Dr. Agresti today to get psychiatric help.

Depression – Part 4 – How to Diagnose

Dr. Mark Agresti discusses ways of diagnosing depression and why it is important to get a proper diagnosis.

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist, Psychiatrist

Call (561) 842-9550 or email: info@206.189.200.158 Dr. Agresti today to get psychiatric help.

Depression – Part 3 – Causes of Depression

Dr. Mark Agresti talks about the different causes of depression.

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist, Psychiatrist

Call (561) 842-9550 or email: info@206.189.200.158 Dr. Agresti today to get psychiatric help.

Depression – Part 2 – Symptoms of Depression

Dr. Mark Agresti Discusses the many different symptoms of depression.

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist, Psychiatrist

Call (561) 842-9550 or email: info@206.189.200.158 Dr. Agresti today to get psychiatric help.