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Our 16-year-old daughter needs to be on Antidepressants and we need advice?

  • Posted on January 2, 2010 at 8:27 am

Our 16-year-old daughter is severely depressed she is currently seeing a therapist and this next week she finally has an appointment with a psychiatrist. (it takes weeks to get a new patient appt.) They are going to put her on an antidepressant. Before we go I would like to have as much information about these drugs and teens as possible. Which ones seem to work the best, what kind of side effects can we expect, how long before she begins to feel better and any other advice you may have to offer on this. I really appreciate all the information you may have to share with me.

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Methods of Quitting Smoking

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 7:56 pm

Methods of Quitting Smoking can be many and varied. It is easier to say this than achieve itNeverthelesss it can be accomplished The one thing that has to be remembered in all of this is what it is exactly that is being given up

Smoking cessation (or quitting smoking) is the action leading towards the discontinuation of the consumption of a smoked substance, mainly tobacco, but it may encompass cannabis and other substances as well.

As has been mentioned there are a number of methods that have been used to help smokers give up but in all cases there has to be a deep desire to actually give up before to be brutally frank there is much likelihood of any success. OK so having got that out of the way, what exactly are the range of methods available to help the smoker give up this habit?

Methods of quitting smoking include straight withdrawal with all the expected and anticipated side effects such as “Cold Turkey” which funnily is the method by which at least 80-90% of all smokers use to give up. A wide variety of other methods are used to help smokers give up and these range from various aspects of spiritualism to antidepressants and rug therapy.

If it is at all possible then let’s try and put together some sort of compiled list of methods and techniques used to help Smokers kick their habit.

We start with the most obvious and that is the one that was discussed earlier and that is just stopping straight.

Alongside this is the usage of “Cold Turkey” but with the additional bonus of some counselling support. After this we have the usage of nicotine support patches for perhaps a periods of up to eight weeks to enable a more gradual withdrawal of side effects to take place. Next we find the usage of limited antidepressants such as bupropion. Alongside this is the usage of the nicotine receptor agonist varenicline (chantix) which is a prescription drug that can be used to alleviate some of the withdrawal symptoms. After this we have noticed an increase in the use of injection therapy whereby the user is given an injection which primes the immune system to produce antibodies which attach themselves to the nicotine and thereby prevent it from reaching the brain. There has also been a rise though not necessarily a successful one of the usage of Hypnotherapy.

Alongside the rise in the more mainstream medical treatments there has also been a considerable uptake in the usage of more fringe therapies such as self help and “spiritual influences”. Do any of them work? Yes and no has to be the honest answer but the real clincher in all of this possibly has to be the will power of the person or persons involved. If they want it to happen then there is an increased chance that the therapy or treatment will be successful.

Please read carefully. As with all things medical, consider your options carefully.

It is essential to remind the reader of this. You should always check advice independently. Your professional advisor should be contacted and his or her advice sought.

The reason for our recommendation to seek independent advice is as follows. With matters like these it is always prudent, in these litigious times, to get independent advice that should confirm your initial belief.

Steve Morgan regularly writes about Health issues and more on the above can be found at Methods of Quitting Smoking or http://methodsofquittingsmoking.com

Article Source: Methods of Quitting Smoking

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How To Interpret Depression Signs

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 7:36 pm

There is no cure for depression! Did you know that when depressed people take antidepressants these will only work completely in about 35% of cases? That means there are a lot of people who will only get partial relief and that the condition will linger on for years. That figure compares very unfavourably with the effect of a placebo which relieves signs of depression in about 20%. Another figure which is quite shocking is that about 5% of cases have a worsening of symptoms when they are on these depression meds. Experts are now looking at changes in lifestyle which can make a positive impact on depression but will certainly not cure the condition. How can we interpret depression signs and realise that we may have a problem or that a loved one may be depressed?

It seems that genetics, chemical imbalances in the brain and the environment all play a role in the cause of depression but nobody is quite sure. Signs of depression will be noticed when they persist for quite a long period and we are certainly talking about a period of two weeks to a month here. We might also notice that the depression signs seem to be preventing us from functioning at work or at home like we used to.

Depression signs are evident when there is a loss of energy to do things and a lack of concentration too. There may be a problems with indigestion and or problems with eating which can manifest itself in a loss of appetite or an increase in appetite for no apparent reason. Add to that weepiness (usually present in women) and a loss of interest in any sexual activity. Other depression signs which are even more alarming are talk of suicide or constantly thinking about death in an obsessive way. There may be a tendency to self mutilate which could be a precursor of suicide. If only some of these are present, we should seek medical help and also have other conditions ruled out which could and sometimes do have similar symptoms.

We now know that depression is such a common disorder that there is less stigma attached to it nowadays, fortunately. Experts tell us that Americans are ten times more likely to suffer from a depressive disorder of some sort than our grandparents were, sixty years ago. These disorders can range from bipolar to SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

Once signs of depression have been spotted and diagnosis has been carried out, we can start thinking about treatment. Antidepressants are one choice but as we have seen above, there is no guarantee that they will work and some people favour herbal remedies such as St. John’s Wort and the Passion Flower which have much fewer side effects and will be more effective than the antidepressants in some patients.

Want to learn how to treat depression naturally ? Robert Locke has written extensively on Mental Health for many years.

Article Source: How To Interpret Depression Signs

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