Information and facts on Depression

 

Depression effects over 11 million people in the United States alone. It is more likely in women then men. Depression is a whole body health problem. 50% of the time depression occurred with one of the persons parents. Depression maybe caused by: stress, anxiety, tension, bad or traumatic experience, brain chemical imbalances, thyroid problems, upset stomach, headache, nutritional problems, poor diet, over consumption of sugar, allergies - especially food allergies.

Depression is an illness that affects the whole human body, nervous system, moods, thoughts, and behavior. It affects the way you eat, sleep, and even how you feel about yourself. It affects the way you react to and think about the people and things in your life. Symptoms can last for weeks, months, or even years. There are many kinds of depression, with variations in symptoms, their severity, and how long they last. People with depression normally withdraw and hide from the world. They lose interest in things around them and find it difficult experiencing pleasure. Symptoms of depression include chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances like insomnia or sleeping too much, appetite changes, headaches, backaches, digestive proplems, restlessness, stress, irritability, quickness to anger, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies, and feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. It is common for a sufferer of depression to think of death and consider suicide. Things appear dark and time seems to pass very very slowly. A person with depression may be chronically angry and irritable, sad and despairing, or display little or no emotion at all. Sometimes they try to "sleep off" depression, or do nothing but sit or lie around.

The two major classifications of depressive disorders are unipolar and bipolar. 

Unipolar disorders are characterized by depressive episodes that most often recur at least several times in the course of a person's life. Bipolar disorders usually begin as depression, but as they progress, they involve alternating episodes of depression and mania. As a result, bipolar depression is commonly known as manic depression. This section focuses primarily on various types of unipolar depression. The causes of depression are not fully understood, but they are probably many and varied. Depression may be triggered by tension, stress, a traumatic life event, chemical imbalances in the brain, thyroid disorders, upset stomach, headache, nutritional deficiencies, poor diet, the consumption of sugar, mononucleosis, lack of exercise, endometriosis, any serious physical disorder, or allergies.

One of the most common causes of depression is food allergies. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is another common cause of depression. Heredity is a significant factor in this disorder. In up to 50% of people suffering from recurrent episodes of depression, one or both of the parents also experienced depression. Whatever the factors that trigger it, depression begins with a disturbance in the part of the brain that governs moods. Most people can handle everyday stresses; their bodies readjust to these pressures. When stress is too great for a person and his or her adjustment mechanism is unresponsive, depression may be triggered. Perhaps the most common type of depression is a chronic low-grade depression called dysthymia. This condition involves long-term and/or recurring depressive symptoms that are not necessarily disabling but keep a person from functioning normally and interfere with social interactions and enjoyment of life. Research has found that this type of depression often results from (unconscious) negative thinking habits.

Double depression is a variation of dysthymia in which a person with chronic, low-grade depression periodically experiences major depressive episodes, then returns to his or her "normal," mildly depressed state. Some people become more depressed in the winter months, when the days are shorter and darker. This type of disorder is known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Women are more likely to suffer from SAD than men are. People who suffer this type of depression in the winter months lose their energy, suffer anxiety attacks, gain weight as a result of craving the wrong foods, sleep too much, and have a reduced sex drive. Many people get depressed around the December holidays; while most of them probably just have the "holiday blues," some of them may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder.

Suicides seem to be highest during this time of year. Some researchers believe that depression can be "caught," like a cold or the flu. In his book, "Contagious Emotions: Staying Well When Your Loved One Is Depressed" (Pocket Books, 1993), Dr. Ronald M. Podell says that in a marriage, if one partner is chronically depressed, both probably will be. Researchers have found that some people are powerful mood transmitters and others are mood receivers. Mood transmitters can control the mood of a family or group of coworkers just by being in the room. Mood receivers are very susceptible to the changing moods of those around them. This subconscious interaction is most dangerous when the mood transmitter is exhibiting depression through constant moodiness, anger, anxiety, or sadness; they can then "give" a case of depression to others. 

Depression affects over 11 million Americans each year and is increasing. Women get it twice as much as men. This health problem is the focus of a considerable amount of research, and as we learn more about this disease in all its complexity, maybe we will not use the name depression and diagnose people according to their specific chemical imbalances. Foods greatly influence the human brain's behavior. It is believed that a poor diet and nutrition, especially snacking on junk foods all the time, is a major cause of depression. The levels of neurotransmitters which are brain chemicals neurotransmitters, that regulate our behavior, are controlled by what we eat, and neurotransmitters are closely related to mood.

The neurotransmitters most commonly associated with mood include: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. When the brain produces serotonin, tension is reduced. When it produces dopamine or norepinephrine, the person tends to think and act more quickly and are normally more alert. At the neurochemical and physiological level, neurotransmitters are very important. These substances carry impulses between nerve cells. The substance that processes the neurotransmitter called serotonin is the amino acid tryptophan. The consumption of tryptophan increases the amount of serotonin made by the brain. Thus, eating complex carbohydrates, which raise the level of tryptophan in the brain and cause an increasing serotonin production, with a calming effect. High protein foods will promote the production of dopamine and norepinephrine, which both promote alertness in people.

All information presented on these web pages is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or to administer to any physical ailments.
In all matters related to your health please contact a qualified, licensed Medical Consultant or Doctor.