News and Articles on Health

S.A.D. Light Therapy did not exist until the 20th century. Up until then, most of the world’s population rose with the sun and went to bed when it set. Artificial light existed – but it was inconsistent, weak, expensive, often smelly – and its flickering was hard on the eyes. So, for the most part, except for a small segment of high society, humans followed the rhythms of light and seasons, just as animals and birds do in nature.

Nowadays, we manipulate our waking hours just as we do everything else in modern life, thanks to technology. Electric lighting makes short work of darkness, we set back our clocks to “save daylight”, and alarm clocks jolt us painfully awake, even though it’s still pitch dark outside.

However, you can’t fool your body. It’s governed not by our visual perception of light, but by melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland within our brains, responsive only to natural daylight. As daylight diminishes, more melatonin is released. We become drowsy and desirous of more rest and less activity.

But melatonin does much more than that: It controls other glandular functions in the body, including the thyroid gland. This “butterfly-shaped” gland at the base of the throat controls metabolism and energy. Meanwhile, having done its work to slow down the thyroid gland, your winter flood of melatonin is racing off to tackle your adrenal glands.

We think we have “beaten” the seasons, and the problem of too little daylight – but some people are less fortunate than others. They are particularly affected by the lack of natural light, and by being forced to adapt to an artificial rhythm.

And it’s all caused by their tiny pineal glands.

Why do some people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) during winter months – and others not?

We’ve come to realize that even with our abundance of electric lighting, artificial light is inadequate in convincing the body it’s enjoying summer light. Electric lights used in the average home do not exceed 500 lux. To put that in perspective, the stormiest summer day easily produces a steady bombardment 20 times that amount.

Once doctors and scientists realized the role that natural light plays on the pineal gland and the body’s production of melatonin, “Light Therapy” was the result. There was hope for S.A.D. sufferers at last.

This involves subjecting sufferers of S.A.D. to 5,000-10,000 lux light sources – a “lux” is a unit of measurement for light – thus suppressing the production of melatonin, which in turn does not trigger all the body’s other gland to slow down for the winter. The eyes of the patient must be exposed to this light source – in other word, he can’t have his back to it, or wear heavy, dark glasses.

This light triggers the pineal gland through the eyes. Full-spectrum, or “bright white” light is specifically indicated for periods of 3-4 hours per day, from October to April. (And it goes without saying, the person receiving light therapy should never stare directly at the lights!)

This brings us to one huge disadvantage: Anyone with photo-sensitivity, cataracts, glaucoma, retinal disorders or other eye problems should not (if you’ll pardon the pun) expose themselves to aggressive light therapy.

It’s not practical for most people to dedicate an entire morning or afternoon to light therapy; however, if one uses the correct light source, making it’s power at least 10,000 lux, recovery from S.A.D. increases dramatically. Often, this light therapy is all that is needed, to cure S.A.D. depression.

Light boxes usually cost anywhere from $200-300 – but many enterprising people have managed to make effective home units.

And besides, says Tim P.: “Making one gives me a winter hobby!”

Did you know that there are many more patients using a herbal depression remedy in Europe than in the USA? The reasons for this are not so clear although maybe herbal remedies in Europe have a longer tradition and therefore they tend to rely less on allopathic medicine than we do in the USA. I know for a fact that for treating depression in Germany, there are are thousands more prescriptions written for St. John’s Wort than for Prozac or other SSRIs and pharmacological anti depressants. This herb, also shortened to SJW, is known as ‘Nature’s Prozac’.
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Before we look at a herbal depression remedy in more detail, let us look at the self help options which can really be useful in getting out of the black hole of depression. These can be used with conventional anti depressants or with herbal remedies. But lifestyle changes will be more important in many ways because we can learn to cope with stress, anxiety and depression and in that way we are getting closer to the root cause. That makes the long term cure much more feasible.

If we opt for some sort of talk therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy, we have to be patient as the effects will not start to kick in for a few weeks. The same goes for the anti depressants and herbal treatment for depression in that we should not look for the magic pill which will lift our mood tomorrow morning!

Having green time is much more important than we think. Just by sitting in the park and taking short walk around the block can do wonders. All the studies show that green time and contact with nature can help with a multitude of mental disorders ranging from ADHD, depression and anxiety. If we can engage in any sporting activity, that is even better, because that will ensure that the endorphins (the good mood hormones) will start to kick in and their effects can actually last up to twelve hours.

As regards the herbal depression remedy, there are many options to choose from here. Kava Kava, Catnip, Bugleweed, Valerian and Chamomile have all been shown to be effective in enhancing mood and increasing feelings of well being.

Of all the herbs that are useful in treating depression, St. John’s Wort is probably the safest of all and certainly has performed the best in many clinical trials. I have built a website setting out all the natural alternatives including a lot of information on the best herbal depression remedy. Why not check it out?

If you’re suffering from a serious condition such as chronic anxiety or depression, you should see a doctor for professional help. However, if you’re just feeling a bit down and you’re looking for something to improve your mood, here are a few simple ways to do just that.

Visit a Religious Service: A study was conducted on the effect of religious services on attendees, and it found that those who went into the services feeling down actually came out in a better mood. Attending these services regularly has an even more pronounced effect. This study didn’t compare the nature of the religious services, instead looking at the results from all the different services together.

Looking at Family Photos: Take a look at some old photo albums and not only will you remember the good times of the past, but you’ll be in a better mood as well. Many of us also have hours of home video from the old days that can help put us in a better mood.

Saying “Thank You”: We’ve all heard countless times that we should count our blessings. It’s an old proverb for a reason: saying thanks helps us appreciate the good that other people do for us. And getting a smile in return is an even better mood-booster.

Clean Your Living Space: When our environments are cluttered and disorganized, we feel the same way about our lives. It can be hard to get a hold on things when you’re constantly dealing with the clutter, so do yourself a favor and straighten things out.

Get Out in the Sun: Most of us have heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. This condition affects us during the winter months when there’s little sunlight and our moods deteriorate as a result. Get as much sun as you can if you find that your moods are affected by the winter months. There are also some forms of light therapy that can be helpful if used correctly.

Exercising: It may not be what you want to hear, but exercising is always a great way to improve mood. Being active causes our bodies to produce the hormone called endorphin – the substance that’s responsible “runner’s high.” Exercising boosts our moods by causing our brains to release this pleasure hormone.

Herbal Tea: A cup of warm chamomile tea on a cold winter night can hit just the right spot, and the herbs will calm your nerves as well. Try adding some passionflower, jasmine, or lavender for a little extra boost.

The understanding of Human Functioning is very complex and due to the very nature of these very complicated combinations of different criteria; it makes it impossible for us to be compared to any “social norm”. Social norms are the basic doctrine of the psychological fraternity. We certainly have common or similar behaviour, but the critical inner feelings and reactions to different environments are all uniquely different.

It is therefore totally unrealistic to believe that we can be classified as normal or abnormal and totally impossible to determine a “social norm” scientifically. We are all uniquely different and function from different points of departure. We all have unique finger prints, DNA, looks, voices, hair, and behaviour. So which one of us are normal? Is there any scientific document that can determine a “Norm”? Is there any DNA or fingerprints which can be described as normal. Research has proven that many people have similar looks or trends but the reality is that everyone is undoubtedly uniquely different. The fact is that all of us should appreciate that uniqueness, because in that uniqueness brings very high value. Every individual is irreplaceable.

I am not attacking or trying to discredit anyone’s doctrine at all, but I am certainly committed to bring peoples attention to the fact that millions are being exploited, through very carefully designed marketing techniques and strategies. Most these techniques are being presented by the so called experts and many people except the experts advice as truth.

Be that what it may, let me now prove my case through scientifically proven evidence. The scientifically researched data below should help millions of people to stop and think and I urge every person that is taking psychotropic drugs to research the facts for themselves.

Of course people get depressed, have stages of anxiety, feel insecure, etc. However, I will present you with proven scientific facts that prove people do not have mental disorders or diseases but are experiencing part of everyday “life challenges” We are not mental when we all happen to suffer from different negative functioning criteria from time to time. Are we all infected with mental disorders or diseases? That is what Psychiatrist want us to believe. It simple is not true.

Let us start from the very beginning again by asking the following questions;

Where is the starting point or ending point when quantifying human behaviour if everyone is uniquely different?
Answer: That has become a million dollar question as the sciences prove that we are uniquely different and therefore it is not possible to create or classify a person into a segment where a “norm” can be justified scientifically.

Can any Psychotic disease be tested through any scientific test or pathological examination?
Answer: Any pathological disease is an organism that can be found through blood testing, X-Ray or scan. Not one psychotropic disease or disorder can be detected through pathological examination.

So how does one determine that a person is suffering from disorders (diseases) such as; Bipolar, Manic Depression Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, etc, etc.?
Answer: There is not a single test, X-Ray or examination that can determine any psychotic disease.
All these diseases are invented by psychiatry and all these diseases are diagnosed through the Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV. Over 370 diseases without one having any scientific background or evidence to prove such mental disorders exist.

So why are their millions of people diagnosed with these diabolical diseases or mental disorders? The mental health experts often say that people have a chemical imbalance such as serotonin or endorphins in the brain, yet there is not one single test to proof their claim. Can this be true? Absolutely!

Unlike drugs such as insulin that corrects a measurable proven imbalance in the body, the Psychotropic medications have no visible or measurable physical abnormalities to correct. One can clearly see the effect of bacterial evidence on an X-Ray, but there is no physical evidence of any psychological disorders either in the blood or any other means.

Conclusion: Without a doubt no behaviour can be described as a mental disorder or disease and the Mental Health Sciences are all about power and certainly not about science or your or my health. The drug manufacturers and psychiatric industries are bed partners and are a very powerful and a very forceful industry.

The reality is that the Psychiatric industry have millions of people around the world believing their industry is a medical science. This is simple untrue but give credit where credit is due they are the worlds best marketers.

Yes, it is true – social anxiety disorder (S.A.D.) can lead to depression. Millions of people in the world are living with severe social anxiety. If you live with S.A.D. long enough it can lead to depression. If there is something you can do to get out of the funk, then you should consider doing it. After all, is this the kind of life you really want to live? You may feel you have no other choice, but let me assure you that is not true.

I heard a very successful individual once summarize life with two sentences:

You know the part – life throws you lemons, some people make lemonade, other people cry and complain and others just crawl under the covers. It is entirely your choice. It really does come down to this: how do you want to live your life?

Social anxiety is a strong fear, shyness, and worry over being around crowds of people. Those that suffer from this illness have a real issue with being in a room filled with people. They believe these people are talking about them and the fear and worry about it just eats them up inside.

Those that suffer from social anxiety are the stereotypical wall flowers that are not mingling with and talking to people because they cannot summon the courage to do that. The belief these people have that people are talking about them is 100% accurate – in their mind. It may or may not be reality, but it is most definitely their reality.

Days, weeks or even months leading up to scheduled events have them feeling stressed and worried about what is going to happen. It is a feeling that leaves them feeling inadequate and can lead to depression. This is a habitual reaction that has been formed over many years and after that amount of time it appears to be normal to the people that suffer from S.A.D. I am here to point out possibilities and alternatives that may be much more rewarding and enriching to those dealing with this problem.

I believe social anxiety can lead to depression because the person suffering from this illness may not want to be around crowds of people, which leads to loneliness, and depression is not far off. If you constantly have the feeling that people are always talking about you, or you feel you cannot be around them, then eventually you will stay home and avoid people all together.

This isolation can make you feel like you don’t have any friends because you cannot go out and have a good time. It can even affect your job because you don’t want to mingle with your co-workers or go on business trips so you lose out on valuable opportunities and maybe even promotions. These feelings and the choices made because of them can be the beginnings of a downward spiral that is hard to get out of.

I hope this is not your path, but know that social anxiety can lead to depression, and that there are things you can do to change – if you want to.

Holistic Health Care is an expression used most of the time but its exact explanation is not known yet. Definition of Holistic Health Care may fluctuate from person to person and from source to source. It basically means dissimilar things to diverse people. Although different perceptions exist for the term holistic, yet the basic meaning of it remains the same. Due to the interdependence of different health aspects on each other, the holistic health care has been introduced. The mental health conditions of a person strongly influence the physical health. A person may be in a very unstable environment as a result of which his personal health may get affected.

The holistic health care is best described as a symptom based approach. The actions and movements of a person greatly influence the kind of physical health that he is going through. The health care deals with the analysis of the patient’s mental condition so as to make sure that he does not undergo any kind of depression or isolation. Even in the hospitals, nowadays, the holistic wellness program approach is being followed. They make sure that the hospital conditions and environment are very healthy. The gloomy environment causes the health conditions of the person to degrade. It takes into consideration the factors that indirectly but drastically affect the health of a patient.

The medication and other treatments given by the doctors prove to give the best results only when the holistic health care is applied. The people who are close to the patient makes sure that he feels happy and comfortable with the environment and other conditions. The spiritual well being of the person is also ensured by the holistic wellness program. The positive energy should exceed the levels within the patient. The positive vibes that reach the patient makes him expect the good results soon. It makes him get more positive and thoughtful. Only then can a person recover with great pace.

The holistic health care follows some of the most innovative techniques. Right from improving the environment to laying stress on positive thoughts, it makes sure that the person gets the best conditions to improve. The physical heath of the person is greatly influenced by the mental state of mind. The holistic health care takes care about his state of mind. Hence the effect of all kinds of medicines seems to prove its worth at an increased rate. The various issues discussed under the holistic health care have to be implemented with newer ideas so that the parson shows greater degree of improvement. The environment has to be very positive with the best encouragement given to the person.

Now we’ve certainly had a good look at the Physical Effects of Depression. If you remember, we had a chuckle over the paragraph entitled.

Depression Is Bad For You.

No. Really? Anyway, to re-cap very quickly. Depressives spend too much time in R.E.M. sleep, so their bodies don’t receive the repair they need. This leads to weakened immune systems which in turn leads to disease. In addition, there’s a sustained increase in stress hormones, which again suppress the immune system.

Depression, Serotonin and Pain. This, too, we looked at, noting that a lack of serotonin is mistakenly thought to be the cause of Depression. Of course, people enjoy an immediate relief from drugs because their levels of serotonin are increased which has an enormous effect on lifting the Depression.

The other point to bear in mind is that R.E.M. sleep is always suppressed by anti-depressant drugs which again lifts Depression. All that, as we saw before, is very fine and large, but these drugs are simply treating the symptoms, not the cause.

Thinking Styles For Depression.

Three points to bear in mind.

1. Unpleasant events do not necessarily cause Depression.

2. It cannot be explained away as a disease.

3. Hormones or brain chemicals are not the cause.

Having stated all this, one or more of them may be included in Depression, but it’s a great deal more than any one of them alone. Let’s have a look at the way people think, the psychological components of Depression, if you will. It’s worth noting that some of the most effective treatments have evolved from a study of this

Shared Thinking Styles For Depression.

Every depressed person thinks in remarkably similar ways. The key is to understand these styles and the pattern they form. By so doing, we take a major step in defeating Depression for good. Depression has to be fed. It must be maintained. If it fails to receive this attention, then it’ll disappear like the mists of morning.

It’s the thinking styles that feed it, that give it this maintenance. The thinking styles we refer to, of course, are those that are emotionally arousing and that encourage introspection, or our old friend, brooding.

There’s an erroneous school of thought that considers prolonged sadness the same as Depression. When something horrible happens, like a death in the family, then you’re bound to feel sad. This is a perfectly natural re-action. However, the person who does not suffer from Depression is able to see beyond that sadness. Yes, they’ll grieve, but they know deep down that there’ll be a happier tomorrow.

Not so the depressed person. To them, ‘life’s always going to be like this’.

Are you familiar with backers? These are the emotions that kick in when pain acts out. It’s the radicals that circle around our human makeup, which can create a substantial amount of consequences.

One thing to understand is that back pain and emotions go hand in hand. You may see depression, irritation, hopelessness, and various others issues surface. When each one comes about it is extremely easy to get wrapped up in a defeated thought process. However, your resolutions are sitting right in front of you.

The most important thing you can do is listen, learn, and take action. Take the time to get a better grasp of what you’re dealing with and the symptoms that may take place. Over time you will come to realize that the information you’re learning will definitely work in your favor. Plus, if you play your cards right you can utilize effective strategies that will save you tons of money.

Have you ever heard of RICE? No, we’re not talking about the San Francisco treat, but Rest, Ice Packs, Compression, and Elevation. If you can remember this you will be able to help your back condition simply by using common sense. Best of all they will be inexpensive remedies.

One of the most important things to take away from this article is that emotions can seriously take over your life. Unless of course you learn how to harness them accordingly, then it’ll be different.

The usual stages can be resolved by simply using some sort of aspirin. The only time this really doesn’t work is if you have severe aching. When you’re hurting it’s easy to see that the muscles are stressed and need a little stretching to feel a better.

The point is you need to know what you’re dealing with in order to take action. Plus, it allows you to relax. So try not to overexert your muscles or else you will have to deal with back pain more often. Stressing the muscles is pretty common when you are working with weights. If you notice a problem then you should change your actions.

If you feel sorry for yourself as opposed to taking action you have discomfiture. You have to overcome this and to do it you must stretch, relax, and rest.

These have been known to reduce inflammation and swelling, which of course is the leading cause of pain.

However, if you’re dealing with acute back conditions then you don’t want to waste your time with OTC meds. These options are only for short term relief and if you overuse them you could end up with kidney damage or develop ulcers.

Beating depression is possible naturally. There are a lot of proven methods to deal with this mental illness at home without the routine administration of prescription drugs. With 11 million Americans contracting the disease every year, the importance of finding out natural ways to treat it is fast becoming imperative. One of the best ways of fighting depression is to take natural supplements. But it is important to note here that most of these “proven” natural treatments are backed only by a coupled of insignificant studies. Following are the top 5 natural supplements which have an actual track record of curing depression.

Even when a traumatic brain injury (or TBI) is handled in the most ideal approaches, such as immediate care in a neurosurgical emergency ward, there are often a set of subsequent conditions and complications that can remain with a patient throughout the remainder of their life. Some of the problems can come directly from the injury itself, but can also be more directly related to issues that developed immediately after the injury too. For instance, pooling of blood and intracranial pressures can lead to the death of brain tissue that brings about a bevy of disorders afterward.

The most common complications are related to behavioral, emotional, and cognitive issues. While the most severe will include the patient remaining in what is known as a “persistent vegetative state” or a minimally conscious one, there are lesser but still serious issues like:

• Tremors;
• Ataxia;
• Post-traumatic seizures and Epilepsy;
• Development of Parkinson’s Disease;
• Impairment of the senses including loss of sight, hearing, or smell;
• Changes in hormonal balance that can lead to problems with the pituitary gland;
• Development of Diabetes;
• Memory loss;
• Damage to cognitive skills such as processing speed, distractibility, problems with multi-tasking and problem-solving;
• Inability to process speech; and
• A large assortment of emotional and behavioral changes of a dramatic kind.

The last on the list tends to be one of the most prevalent issues, and can often lead to a TBI patient being diagnosed with secondary conditions such as depression, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), substance abuse issues, and more. These problems, it is believed, are due to damages sustained in specific regions of the patient’s brain. For instance, a patient who has received temporal lobe damage is one prone to development of aggression disorders in the post-recovery period. On the other hand, it is the frontal lobe region that tends to create problems with childlike behavioral issues or a tendency for “dis-inhibition” to develop in the patient.

Subsequently, there is now a great deal of overall support available to the patient and any family or caregivers who are working to recover from the injury. Not only will someone who has sustained any sort of TBI require rehabilitative care, but the damages may have created radical shifts within their families too. A parent may now need more care and understanding than was ever anticipated, especially if they have developed subsequent cognitive or personality issues. This is the reason that entire families are on the receiving end of as much support and assistance as possible after someone sustains TBI.

Fatigue is a condition that every one of us feels at some point in our lives. However, there are people who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, which can really affect both your professional and personal life in a very negative way. Having this condition will prevent you from functioning normally in society as it affects you physically and mentally.

Chronic fatigue syndrome can last for years and in some cases, the symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome can begin after a viral infection. Chronic fatigue symptoms can include headaches, joint pains, depression, muscle aches, and even memory loss as well as swollen glands. This condition can also cause the inability to concentrate, recurring minor infections, and even digestive disorders.

Scientists and medical professionals believe that this illness can be caused by stress, psychological problems, social factors, and even brain chemistry.

Today, there are now complementary therapies which can give you some relief from chronic fatigue by using herbs in order to improve immunity. One such herb is the Echinacea. Siberian ginseng is also used to treat this condition by improving resistance to stress. St. John’s Wort is also used to improve the mood.

There are also a few self-help techniques that will enable you to improve your condition if you are suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. You can try eating a well-balanced diet by including plenty of vegetables in your diet as well as fruits and whole grains. It is important to limit your intake of coffee, alcohol and soft drinks as these things may aggravate your condition.

Acupuncture also worked for a lot of people when it comes to treating fatigue. Yoga is also said to help energize the body as well as other forms of exercises.

Another great technique to fight fatigue is by sleeping at the right time and at the right amount. It is recommended that you should sleep for 6 to 8 hours every night in order for you to replenish your energy. By doing so, you will feel energized when you wake up in the morning and really feel good about yourself.

You will also find that eating breakfast can help you reduce the feeling of being fatigued. Breakfast will help increase your body’s metabolism rate and it will also provide your body with the energy it needs to go through the day.

For a lot of people, they say that aromatherapy can really help with fatigue. By inhaling the relaxing scents in aromatherapy, you will eventually feel more energized and also get rid of stress that is causing you to feel fatigued.

These are the things that you can do in order for you to improve your condition. Although it may not really get rid of fatigue permanently, it will be able to improve your condition in such a way that you will have the energy to spend time for yourself and with your family after a hard day at work.

Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will know how to fight chronic fatigue syndrome and get your life back on track.