Depression (Clinical)

[PsyCho]

HappytheStripper

[InfiniteNow]

HappytheStripper

Thanks. As you can see, it's best to have data in the "QUOTE=___ " field.

 

 

I need to have a good read of that Borna virus R/V; however I suspect it'll be like many of the psyc illnesses.. Multifactorial, with many roads leading to the same place. By the time it occurs infective causation is academic really, treatment is the key.

So, Borna virus. Could be caused by all manner of things, so best to focus on treatment instead of cause? Can you elaborate? While treatment is one of the necessary approaches, I would presume that localizing cause could potentially make enormous headway into prevention.

 

 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Didn't Robert Smith say that? :confused:

[gribbon]

So far no one has mentioned the effects that certain dietary supplements provide. The following dietary supplements are largely still undergoing experimentation.

 

Try looking at

 

Clinical depression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Here they are:

 

5-HTP (S-adenosyl methionine (trade name is SAMe/ SAM-e) Chemical

 

DHEA

 

Seretonin

 

Magnesium

 

Hypericum perforatum

 

Zinc

 

Ginkgo biloba

 

Eleutherococcus senticosus

 

Biotin

 

Vitamin B12

 

The amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine

 

****************************************************

 

Also, there are other forms of therapy other than tablets, which although mostly still in experimentation, have shown themselves to be good so far. Vagus nerve stimulation has been used since 1997 to control seizures in epileptic patients and has been used in cases of TRD. A VNS Therapy device is implanted in a patient's chest with wires that connect it to the vagus nerve, which it stimulates to reach the part of the brain that controls moods, administering controlled electrical currents to the vagus nerve at regular intervals.

 

Furthermore, Electroconvulsive therapylectroconvulsive therapy/ electroshock treatment,which uses short jabs of a controlled current of electricity into the brain to cause a quick seizure while the patient is under general anesthesia, has shown promise. Fortunately, this has some pretty harmless side effects, unlike the catastrophic effects some other trment can have, for it has only been reported to cuase short-term memory loss, disorientation, and headache are very common side effects. I don’t know about you guys, but this seems to me to be a lot better than many other treatments, as it also gives a quick response.

 

Certain sites I looked at said that there were controversies surrounding this whole isssue, but most of them were just talking about how patients were paranoid of this treatment, mainly because of its portrayal in movies as a “torture”.

 

Wikipedia seems to support this idea as well.

 

Clinical depression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Another similair, but this time experimental type of treatment is deep brain stimulation, which involves implanting electrodes in part of the brain. Look at this link formore details:

 

Deep brain stimulation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[gribbon]

I hate people with bipolar and depression. Those people are idiots. They can't deal with putting anger outside toward others, and they can't correctly punish their own person. These people need to be locked up. Otherwise, they need to go into the military so they can figure out what to do with anger, regret, and depression. Or just get bent on destroying the world. Some people are sissies.

 

It's easy to think like this, because the common view is that we have a complete control over our behaviour. But I suggest you look into thsi topic before making hurtful and upsetting comments, because you will soon see that this isn't the case.

 

Furthermore, it is definetely true that mental instability usually breeds creation. (As one person mentioned earlier). Note on how many of the worlds' most famous artists, musicians, actors, philosophers and even a few scientists had mental instability. These people aren't to be hated. They need rehabilitation and treatment, and then they can excel....

[Michaelangelica]

 

Hypericum perforatum

is a good anti-depressant. it was originally a soldiers wound herb so has bactericidal and perhaps virocidal effects. We have discovered that some schizophrenia medicines work because they are virocidal. STW may be the same. I would be inclined to take the whole herb as a tea (often sold in Greek groceries). I would not mix it with conventional anti-depressants.

 

Llemon balm is also said to 'gladen the heart'. Again perhaps because of its anti-viral effects

Zinc

 

Ginkgo biloba

 

Eleutherococcus senticosus

Good for the immune system and blood supply to the brain and other organs. A good immune system will help repel viral attacks. poor blood supply can result in heart and head problems, lethargy, and impotence. all things to make you feel depressed. Ginseng also boosts testosterone

Biotin

 

Vitamin B12

Important for the mylin sheath around nerves.

The amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine

? Don't know. Some people cannot cope with phenylalanine

 

****************************************************

 

Vagus nerve stimulation has been used since 1997 to control seizures in epileptic patients and has been used in cases of TRD. A VNS

I am very leary of the research I have seen. The best proponents of it are the ones selling it.

 

Furthermore, Electroconvulsive therapylectroconvulsive therapy/ electroshock treatment,which uses short jabs of a controlled current of electricity into the brain to cause a quick seizure while the patient is under general anesthesia

It is a barbaric procedure of last resort. I have helped administer it. It is a gross and unpredictable therapy It is one above drilling a hole in your head and twiddling in the brain with a scalpel. The depiction in "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" is accurate. It can also be used as punishment for patients who have broken the "rules" in medieval public mental hospitals. Psychiatrists love it because it is dramatic and heaps better than Freud

 

Wikipedia seems to support this idea as well.

Probably written by a psychiatrist

 

Clinical depression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Another similair, but this time experimental type of treatment is deep brain stimulation, which involves implanting electrodes in part of the brain. Look at this link formore details:

 

Deep brain stimulation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Don't know much about this

[Michaelangelica]

Psychology news blog @ http://www.iqte.st/ » Blog Archive » Evolutionary psychology - The genesis of its own acceptance

As the theoretical debate continues, some researchers are developing evolution-based therapies.

 

The backdrop to therapeutic lifestyle change, or TLC, is an increase in depressive illness since World War II, Ilardi says. “There’s increasing evidence that we were never designed for our sedentary, socially isolated, indoor, sleep-deprived, frenzied, poorly nourished lifestyle,” he says.

 

Ilardi combines group therapy sessions with a set of lifestyle changes, each of which has proven effective against depression: aerobic exercise; ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids; light; positive social interaction; substituting activity for rumination; and increased sleep. The goal is for patients to live more like their Paleolithic ancestors.

 

The results of the 14-week regimen so far have been encouraging. In an ongoing study of 79 patients, with two-thirds assigned to his therapy and the rest to a control group treated mainly with antidepressant medication or traditional psychotherapy, Ilardi reports a 74% favorable response, compared with 16% for the controls.

 

[J. Hartwell]

THIS BORNA VIRUS-DEPRESSION RESEARCH IS RIGHT! I WAS HIT BY A NASTY VIRUS THAT HAS REALLY CREATED A HORRIBLE DEPRESSION, APATHY, SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL, AS WELL AS GREAT FATIGUE.

 

IF IT IS THE BORNA VIRUS, THEN IT HAS TOTALLY CHANGED MY PERSONALITY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER IT IS BORNA, OR SOME OTHER VIRUS, BUT I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THE VIRUS-DEPRESSION LINK!

 

HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME, BLOW BY BLOW:

 

 

A few years ago I contracted a virus that started, innocently enough, with a sore throat. Being in excellent health, I thought nothing of it. Several weeks later, however, my throat had not cleared up, and the infection was spreading down my wind pipe.

 

A month later, it spread further. My nose and sinuses started to get infected, producing heavy, thick mucus. Even today, years later, I am still on nose mucus overload - it won't stop coming out! My lungs then became a little infected, with a mild cough, and my stomach started aching a little, making bubbling sounds now and then, and producing a bit of gas.

 

Then my gums began to get attacked, my gum line receded, exposing previously covered areas of my teeth. Lots of plaque started getting deposited on my teeth as well.

 

Soon after, "pins and needles" sensations started to appear all over body, especially in my legs, but also in my arms, hands and torso. I guessed these prickly twinges were in my muscles, but I was not sure exactly. In any case, it seemed that the virus was spreading throughout my body.

 

Then some very strange mental symptoms began. This started out with a weird feeling, which I can only describe as a 'social phobia', which left me feeling shy, tense and uncomfortable with friends, and on any social occasions. Emotionally, I felt frail and weak, and I found myself avoiding social contact more and more because of this. I was quite fearless in any environment, and bit by bit, I began staying home in preference to meeting people.

 

Next, a very profound apathy and mental laziness developed. The apathy was towards all sorts of tasks and activities. My normal "can do" attitude was replaced by a "I can't be bothered" feeling, which is totally out of character, as I am normally a pro-active and highly organized person. How can a virus produce such powerful psychological changes?

 

Powerful physical and mental fatigue were also taking hold, making me need more and more rest and sleep. I began to find myself dropping off to sleep at odd times.

 

I also got some panic attacks, confusion, and mental decline.

 

My doctor seems to think that this infection will eventually go away, but I see no evidence of that myself. I assume it is a virus infection, because my doctor did a bacterial swab on my throat, and this showed nothing. I don't think it is a standard infectious or tropical disease, because I was also tested for all of these by a specialist.

 

This virus is fairly contagious. It slowly spread to all the people in the apartment where I live within a year, and to various friends as well.

 

The symptoms vary slightly in different people. Sometimes the virus infection starts with stomach sickness and diarrhea initially, rather than with a sore throat. There is not always this chronic, mucus-producing nasal infection in everyone. The social phobia and apathy are very common, it seems, as is the lingering sore throat and profound tiredness. The worse thing is that whatever symptoms are present remain constant and chronic even after years. They do not seem to get better. It's tragic!

 

I hope this helps anyone else who has experienced similar symptoms.

[Michaelangelica]

J hartwell

IF IT IS THE BORNA VIRUS, THEN IT HAS TOTALLY CHANGED MY PERSONALITY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER IT IS BORNA, OR SOME OTHER VIRUS, BUT I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THE VIRUS-DEPRESSION LINK!

Have you tried or used any anti-viral medicines or herbs?

 

 

This was a depressing report !

News in Science - Happy genes give us a lift - 22/02/2007

Myers likens feelings of wellbeing to our cholesterol levels.

 

"Both are genetically influenced and moderately stable, yet also influenced by our lifestyles," he says.

 

Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of California at Riverside and associate editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology, agrees we only have so much control over our own level of happiness.

 

"Approximately one-third of our happiness is likely unmodifiable and genetically determined," she says.

 

"One-third is influenced by major life transitions and events, like marriage or job loss, and one-third is influenced by daily or momentary events, such as stress at work this week, the weather and daily uplifts."

[Michaelangelica]

This is more hopeful

Borna Virus Linked to Mental Illness

 

July 9, 2001, 6:35PM

Psychiatric study connects animal disease, mental illness

By SALLY SQUIRES

 

Reprinted from the Washington Post

Copyright 2001 Washington Post

 

What if mental illness is catching?

 

Although it sounds far-fetched and remains controversial, this theory got another boost from a study published in a recent issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry. Using a new diagnostic tool to screen blood for a pathogen known as the Borna virus, a team of German researchers from major academic institutions found that it infects up to 30 percent of healthy people and up to 100 percent of people with severe mood disorders.

 

Borna disease is common in horses, where it can cause encephalitis. It's also been known to strike birds, cows, sheep, cats and dogs, producing behavior changes that are eerily similar to depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders in humans.

although they caution

"The fact that you find evidence of an infection in one population or another does not allow you to conclude that there is a causal relationship," said W. Ian Lipkin, professor of neurology at the University of California, Irvine, and head of a lab that unraveled the Borna disease virus genome. In other words, Lipkin said, scientists still can't tell which comes first: the infection or the mental disorder. (Various mental illnesses can suppress the immune system and make individuals more vulnerable to certain microbes.)

Borna Virus Linked to Mental Illness

This looks like a good resource for the mentally ill and their families

Newsletters

[J. Hartwell]

There is some stuff I read that suggests Borna virus replication is slowed by decreasing tissue acidity. I am going to experiment with this, tos ee if it improves my mood.

 

Sodium Bicarbonate is the usual tissue acidity lowering medication. However, I read that Sodium Bicarbonate decreases body acidity, but increases brain and CNS acidity. It is recommended that you use a medication called Carbicarb to lower acidity, as this lowers both brain and body acidity.

 

If apathy and depression is due to Borna infection within the brain, then we want to make sure we stop it replicating there, and Sodium Bicarbonate increases brain acidity, so it will not help to stop replication there.

 

As for Amandadine, I have read recent stuff that says it has little antiviral effect against Borna.

 

There must be other anitvirals out there though.

[Michaelangelica]

There is some stuff I read that suggests Borna virus replication is slowed by decreasing tissue acidity.

 

There must be other anitvirals out there though.

Try apple cider vinegar for more alkalinity? A few dessert-spoonfuls a day?

 

Smoothies of fresh Lemon Balm (Mellisa officinalis) would be my best bet for an anti-viral. You would need to grow several large pots/clumps but it is easy to grow (mint family) I have no idea of dosage however, though you could not overdose it is very safe.

I suspect St. John's Wort is anti-viral, though I have not researched it. You would do best taking it as a tea (Greek shops often sell it- Hypericum perforatum). It does seem to potentiate the effect of ant-depressants if you are on them, so be careful mixing the two

 

See hypography "Anti -viral plants site" too; although many are a bit esoteric you may be able to find them in Chinatown or specialty herb shops or from herbalists as tinctures.

http://hypography.com/forums/medical-science/8124-anti-viral-plants.html?highlight=anti-viral+plants

 

Let me know how you go

[Michaelangelica]

Thanks to maikeru for this one

(see Alzheimer's thread)

WIKI

Effects of stress and BDNF's link in depression

 

Exposure to stress and the stress hormone corticosterone has been shown to decrease the expression of BDNF in rats, and leads to an eventual atrophy of the hippocampus if exposure is persistent.

Similar atrophy has been shown to take place in humans suffering from chronic depression.

In addition, rats bred to be heterozygous for BDNF, therefore reducing its expression, have been observed to exhibit similar hippocampal atrophy, suggesting that an etiological link between the development of depressive illness and regulation of BDNF exists.

 

On the other hand, the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate [1], voluntary exercise, caloric restriction, intellectual stimulation, and various treatments for depression (such as antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy) strongly increase expression of BDNF in the brain, and have been shown to protect against this atrophy.

Does anyone know much about glutamate or the glutamatic system?

[J. Hartwell]

Thanks for that idea. In fact I have tried Lemon Balm (a teaspoon of some dried herb I bought), and it does create a happier mood within an hour or so. Perhaps fresh Lemon Balm would be bettter still. Whether the effect is from its antiviral powers, or from it ability to improve brain chemistry, I don't know, but both effects are useful, I guess.

 

 

Try apple cider vinegar for more alkalinity? A few dessert-spoonfuls a day?

 

Smoothies of fresh Lemon Balm (Mellisa officinalis) would be my best bet for an anti-viral. You would need to grow several large pots/clumps but it is easy to grow (mint family) I have no idea of dosage however, though you could not overdose it is very safe.

I

 

Let me know how you go

[Michaelangelica]

Thanks for that idea. In fact I have tried Lemon Balm (a teaspoon of some dried herb I bought), and it does create a happier mood within an hour or so. Perhaps fresh Lemon Balm would be bettter still. Whether the effect is from its antiviral powers, or from it ability to improve brain chemistry, I don't know, but both effects are useful, I guess.

That's good to know

 

St. John's Wort is ant-viral, as I suspected

 

It is a proclaimed weed in much of rural Australia

 

Hypericum perforatum

E BOMBARDELLI, P MORAZZONI - Fitoterapia(Milano), 1995 - cat.inist.fr

Hypericum perforatum. ... H. perforatum is a medicinal plant which has been known

in traditional medicine as anti-inflammatory and healing agent. ...

Cited by 71 - Related Articles - Web Search - BL Direct

 

In Vitro Binding Studies with Two Hypericum Perforatum Extracts-Hyperforin, Hypericin and Biapigenin … - group of 5 »

M Gobbi, M Moia, L Pirona, P Morazzoni, T Mennini - Pharmacopsychiatry, 2001 - thieme-connect.com

... The importance of light in the anti-HIV effect of ... Antiviral Res 1993; 20: 173-178

15 Kask A ... K. Extracts and constituents of hypericum perforatum inhibit the ...

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... growth, had a moderate effect (51% antiviral activity) in ... that the methanol extract

fractions of Hypericum perforatum L. had a potent anti-HCMV action on ...

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... St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.): a review of its ... Documented pharmacological

activities, including antidepressant, antiviral, and antibacterial effects ...

Cited by 99 - Related Articles - Web Search - BL Direct

[Pyrotex]

Walking is one of the best things depressed people can do.

 

Crankers!!! Here I am in a wheelchair, feeling depressed, and I can't even get up and walk it off. Damn, that's depressing!

 

:lol:

[Chacmool]

On a more serious note, I'm going through a severe depressive phase at the moment (I'm bipolar). I have suicidal thoughts all the time, and I'm unable to go to work. Hopefully the chemicals in my brain settle down soon. ;)

[Michaelangelica]

On a more serious note, I'm going through a severe depressive phase at the moment (I'm bipolar). I have suicidal thoughts all the time, and I'm unable to go to work. Hopefully the chemicals in my brain settle down soon. ;)

Hope you are getting professional help.

"No man is an Island " - J. Donne

You probably need a specialist who deals a lot with bi-polar, at it needs to be treated differently from Clinical depression