Major Depressive Episode
Published April 24, 2024 | 
Is it Depression
Everyone is sad or “gets the blues” from time to time. That’s part of the human condition. But major depressive disorder goes far beyond “feeling down.” It’s characterized by one or more depressive episodes, during which the following symptoms are present:
a persistent sad or “empty” mood. Continue reading
Causes of Depression
Published April 24, 2024 | Factors Influencing Depression
Do you wonder why some people but not others suffer from major depression? Are genetics, biology, environment, or social factors responsible for depression? Or does a combination of these factors play a role?
We Could Do Without This Inheritance
Genetics does seem to influence the development of depression. According to the American Psychiatric Association, major depressive disorders are 1.5 to three times more common in people whose parents have the same disorders. However, research has not yet revealed a specific Continue reading
Female Biology and Depression
Published April 24, 2024 | Women and Depression
If you’ve ever thought that more women than men seem to suffer from depression, you’re right. Statistics show that women are about twice as likely as men to become depressed. For women, the lifetime risk of depression is about 25%, compared with 12% for men. And certain subgroups of women may be especially likely to have a depressive episode. Continue reading
Women and Depressive Episodes
Published April 24, 2024 | More Than Just Being Sad
If you’ve ever been diagnosed with depression or know someone who has, you realize it’s more than being unable to get over a sad mood. Depression is a psychological disorder, which can have a severe impact not only on your mood, mind, and behavior, but on your body. There are many possible causes of depression, including genetics, biology, and environmental and social factors. The following are symptoms of major depression:
a persistent sad or “empty” mood. Continue reading
Caring For Your Mental Health
Published April 24, 2024 | WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD “HEALTH,” the majority of us immediately think of our physical health. We may work to stay physically healthy, by eating right, exercising, and visiting our health care provider regularly.
Unfortunately, we’re less likely to make a conscious effort to care for our mental health. This may be because for centuries words like “crazy,” “mad,” “disturbed,” “whacked,” or “screwed-in-the head” have been used to stigmatize sectors of the population: mentally ill people have been feared, scorned, or just “put away”-and we don’t want to be like them or even talk about mental illness. Continue reading
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Published April 24, 2024 | Risk factors are elements which have been proven to contribute independently to the development of heart problems. Only by learning about risk factors can you realistically determine your individual risk profile.
Traditionally, risk factors have been divided into two group: those which are considered changeable and those which are not. Even though you can not change your age or family’s medical history, there are many ways of minimizing your risk of heart disease by eliminating or minimizing other risk factors such as sedentary lifestyle and being overweight. You can decide which changes will bring you closer to your goal of preventing heart disease. Even though you can not change your age or family’s medical history, there are many ways of minimizing your risk of heart disease by reducing or minimizing other risk factors such as sedentary lifestyle and overweight. Continue reading
Environment and Emotions as Triggers
Published April 24, 2024 | Headache Triggers Around Us
You’ve been overwhelmed with a new project at work, you’re chauffeuring the kids to and from school and activities, your spouse is away on a business trip, and an ear infection woke the baby — and you — several times last night. Now it’s Friday afternoon. You glance away from your computer screen for a moment and there they are: the pulsating squiggles that signal a migraine will start soon. Or if you’re not a migraine sufferer, perhaps you feel the dull ache of a tension-type headache starting behind your eyes. Continue reading
Migraine and Female Hormones
Published April 24, 2024 | “Migraine is most frequent in women between the ages of 35 and 45.The peak female to male incidence ratio of 3.3 occurs between the ages of 40 and 45 years.”
How Hormone Levels Affect Women’s Migraine
Migraine can strike people of either sex, but it is more common in women. Eighteen percent of women experience migraine, compared with 6% of men. Continue reading