Depression (Clinical)

[arkain101]

Even if you fix parts of your brain. If a person continues to call themself worthless, ugly, loser, and all other kinds of things of which they truly believe, they wont find happiness, even if they dont have the clouded filter of depression. There is I think partly in most cases a mind processing problem.

[Chacmool]

the volume of various brain structures is reduced in long-term sufferers of depression. Among these is the hippocampus, a part of the limbic system (involved in emotion and memory). This finding is consistent with animal data suggesting that chronic oversecretion of cortisol, as occurs in many depressed individuals, can destroy hippocampal cells.1

 

Positron emission tomography (PET) has shown that patients with major depression compared with normal persons show different patterns of activity in several limbic and cortical brain areas.

Whaaa! My brain is shrinking! ;) Thanks for yet another fascinating article, Michaelangelica.

 

It is disturbing to learn that the oversecretion of cortisol can destroy cells in the hippocampus. Apparently my adrenal burnout is also caused by this oversecrection. It just goes to show how closely depression is linked to various other conditions, and that it's not only an imaginary illness.

 

The article also comments about the compelling link between depression and epilepsy. Two of my four medications for depression are actually anticonvulsants, and I dare say they have more of an effect (on me at least) than the regular antidepressants. It is also interesting to note that the new suggested therapy - vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) - has until now been used to treat epilepsy.

[Michaelangelica]

Whaaa! My brain is shrinking! ;) Thanks for yet another fascinating article, Michaelangelica.

 

It is disturbing to learn that the oversecretion of cortisol can destroy cells in the hippocampus. Apparently my adrenal burnout is also caused by this oversecrection. It just goes to show how closely depression is linked to various other conditions, and that it's not only an imaginary illness.

Here is another

I have been talking to someone on the web about Coeliac disease.

I came accross the fact that high cortisol secretion (as found in depressed people) marsks the diagnostic test for coeliac disease. (http://.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov?entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db ) That may not be right link I am copying it from a page I printed)

Result? coeliac disease goes undiagnosed.

She was talking to me about a new fecal test for coeliac anti-bodies (http://www.enterolab.com/) so my overactive brain googled some odd words and ended up with the following article. (Coeliac disease is even more under-diagnosed than depression)

"genetically suseptable " is Irish and Jewish genes

http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=555756

 

Background

Coeliac disease in adolescents has been associated with an increased prevalence of depressive and disruptive behavioural disorders, particularly in the phase before diet treatment. We studied the possible effects of a gluten-free diet on psychiatric symptoms, on hormonal status (prolactin, thyroidal function) and on large neutral amino acid serum concentrations in adolescents with coeliac disease commencing a gluten-free diet.

 

Methods

Nine adolescents with celiac disease, aged 12 to 16 years, were assessed using the semi-structured K-SADS-Present and Lifetime Diagnostic interview and several symptom scales. Seven of them were followed at 1 to 2, 3, and 6 months on a gluten-free diet.

 

Results

Adolescent coeliac disease patients with depression had significantly lower pre-diet tryptophan/ competing amino-acid (CAA) ratios and free tryptophan concentrations, and significantly higher biopsy morning prolactin levels compared to those without depression. A significant decrease in psychiatric symptoms was found at 3 months on a gluten-free diet compared to patients' baseline condition, coinciding with significantly decreased coeliac disease activity and prolactin levels and with a significant increase in serum concentrations of CAAs.

 

Conclusion

Although our results of the amino acid analysis and prolactin levels in adolescents are only preliminary, they give support to previous findings on patients with coeliac disease, suggesting that serotonergic dysfunction due to impaired availability of tryptophan may play a role in vulnerability to depressive and behavioural disorders also among adolescents with untreated coeliac disease.

 

http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=555756

 

Background

 

Coeliac disease is an under-diagnosed autoimmune type of gastrointestinal disorder resulting from gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. Non-specific symptoms such as fatigue and dyspepsia are common, but the disease may also be clinically silent. Diagnosis is based on small-bowel biopsy, and a permanent gluten-free diet is the essential treatment. Undetected or neglected, coeliac disease is associated with serious complications. [1-3] Depressive symptoms [4,5] and disorders [6] are common among adult patients with coeliac disease, and depressive and disruptive behavioural disorders are highly common also among adolescents, particularly in the phase before diet treatment [7]. Recently 73% of patients with untreated coeliac disease – but only 7% of patients adhering to a gluten-free diet – were reported to have cerebral blood flow abnormalities similar to those among patients with depressive disorders [8].

 

Improvement in state anxiety [5], in behavioural symptoms [9], and in depressive disorders [6,10] may occur after the start of a standard gluten-free diet, and after a vitamin B-6-supplemented gluten-free diet [11]. In some cases, however, the more serious depressive episodes have appeared following the commencement of a gluten-free diet [6]. Mechanisms involved have remained unclear. Some studies have suggested the possibility of impaired availability of tryptophan and disturbances in central serotonergic function as playing a role [9,12]. In parallel with this, a significant increase in major serotonin and dopamine metabolite concentrations in the brain has been reported after one year on a gluten-free diet [13].

 

The present work is a preliminary prospective psychiatric follow-up study of adolescents with newly diagnosed coeliac disease measuring psychiatric symptoms, hormonal status (prolactin, thyroidal function), and large neutral amino acid (LNAA) serum concentrations repeatedly after their commencement of a gluten-free diet, testing the hypothesis that the treatment of coeliac disease may increase the availability of tryptophan and alleviate psychiatric symptoms.

[Chacmool]

I apologize Chacmool...last thing I'd want to do is be hurtful

No worries, Racoon!

Its a perturbing thing really. But one I refuse to believe to be an impedence to living life! :)

It might be the chemicals in your brain, and it might be your attitude..Its entirely over-diagnosed here in the United States, but of course there are real cases

Yes, I'll admit that attitude plays a part sometimes, but the illness is mainly rooted in chemical reactions in the brain. And unfortunately this can greatly impede one's quality of life! When I'm at my most depressed, I can barely function as a human being. While I remain determined to lead the best life possible, I certainly won't get anywhere without my medication.

One thing I DO know for sure! :D Exercise alleviates the symptoms! and helps regulate brain chemicals.

Thats my recommendation. Get Active! :) Motion creates Emotion!

 

Start an exercise program. Exercise releases the Endorphins in your brain that make you feel "Good!"

Great advice! Exercise is indeed very beneficial. On the very bad days I can't even lift my arm to reach for my water bottle, but I'm aware that I need to at least try to keep on moving. And some encouragement always helps!

[Michaelangelica]

Some new anti-depression treatments make some wealthier/happier?

http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_10006155.shtml

 

Mr. Hazan, who said he was surveying all the companies he follows for potential backdating issues, focused on Cyberonics options that were granted at a special board meeting on the evening of June 15, 2004. That was only hours after a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended that the agency approve Cyberonics's request to market its implantable nerve stimulator as a treatment for severe chronic depression.

 

Mr. Cummins received options on 150,000 shares at an exercise price of $19.58, the closing price the day before the F.D.A. panel's recommendation. The chief medical officer, Dr. Richard L. Rudolph, and the vice president for regulatory affairs, Alan D. Totah, who played pivotal roles in winning the panel's backing, each received options on 10,000 shares at that price.

 

The shares soared when trading resumed the next day, June 16, closing at $34.81, as investors bet that Cyberonics might soon be selling a new approach to treating the most severe forms of depression, a condition that affects millions of Americans annually.

 

"The board acted on an event before investors were able to do so," Mr. Hazan said yesterday in an interview. "It's a perfect example of an abusive option. Options are supposed to be an incentive to align executives' interests with shareholders. This was just a reward."

[Michaelangelica]

Another interesting article!

Popular topic among journalists this.

I wonder why?

 

I have cut out the reference to ECT as you don't need it.

It is medieval barbarism at its best.

 

Non-drug treatments for depression show promise

http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2006/06/13/news/lake_life/lakelife03.txt

By Grace MacDowell

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 3:11 PM EDT

 

Depression is not always caused by serotonin insufficiency.

 

Some researchers have explored the role that omega-3 fatty acids play in overall brain function. One of the more important results has linked omega-3 insufficiency with depression.

 

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids, found in flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil (the plant sources) and in fish. According to an article by Gordon Parker, M.D., and five of his colleagues in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry, the plant sources have what scientists refer to as “parent omega-3” or alpha-linolenic acid. This form can be converted within the body to the more biologically active forms of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but it is not done very efficiently. On the other hand, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are already in the EPA and DHA forms.

 

What researchers have not yet identified is which omega-3 fatty acid to use. The argument may be unnecessary, as fish oil is the preferred method of supplementation. How much of it to use, and in what ratio to omega-6 fatty acids it should be used, are also unanswered research questions. Researchers also do not know if an omega-3 #) standard antidepressant treatment would be superior to either alone.

 

A second treatment is exercise. Multiple research psychologists have explored this option. The benefits come about slowly, taking several weeks of consistent, half-hour per day, six days per week sessions before becoming noticeable or reliable. Although there is some suggestion that the release of endorphins during exercise is the main factor, the results last much longer #- as much as a full day or more #- once the routine is well established. In fact, the results are comparable to the standard depression treatments of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication.

[Michaelangelica]

Thanks for your last post michael

Here is another intersting article on teen suicide:-

 

Suicide-Risk Tests for Teens Debated

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/15/AR2006061501984.html

By Shankar Vedantam

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, June 16, 2006; Page A03

 

A growing number of U.S. schools are screening teenagers for suicidal tendencies or signs of mental illness, triggering a debate between those who seek to reduce the toll of youthful suicides and others who say the tests are unreliable and intrude on family privacy.

 

The trend is being aggressively promoted by those who say screening can reduce the tragedy of the more than 1,700 suicides committed by children and adolescents each year in the United States. Many of the most passionate supporters have lost children to suicide -- among them Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), whose son Garrett died in 2003.

 

One screening program, TeenScreen, developed by Columbia University, has been administered to more than 150,000 children in 42 states and the District. The state of New York plans to start screening 400,000 children a year, and the federal government is directing tens of millions of dollars to expand screening nationwide.

 

Use of the psychological evaluations is growing even though there is little hard evidence that they prevent suicides. A panel of government experts concluded two years ago that the evidence to justify suicide screening was weak and that such programs, although well intentioned, had potential adverse consequences.

[Michaelangelica]

OK

You can all go and get your own google alert after this

http://www.physorg.com/news69682774.html

Rabies virus shares this protection strategy with other viruses of its class; in Ebola, measles and Borna virus similar complexes of RNA and nucleoproteins have been found.

 

“This means that our results do not only have implications for the design of new drugs against rabies, but they suggest new therapeutic approaches in a variety of diseases, some of which are much more threatening than rabies. On a different note, the conservation of the nucleoprotein system also leaves room for evolutionary speculations about common ancestors and primordial infectious units of RNA viruses,” Weissenhorn concludes.

[celtfaery]

Chacmool,

I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I have been there, and it is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is--you're really not crazy and your brain's chemicals need a little fine tuning ;) . The bad news is, you have a mental illness. Not such a bad thing really. With proper treatment, you will begin to live and enjoy again. Another upside...there is an amazing correlation between affective disorders and genius and creativity. I suppose there is a real basis for the eccentric professor :D ! Seriously though, I have been living with this for years and if you want any info or just someone to commiserate with, I'd be happy to help. BTW, we're not mentally ill, we're mentally interesting :evil: !!!!

Shannon

[Michaelangelica]

Read this in conjuction with the "milk" thread

 

J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2005 May;40(5):561-5.

 

Malabsorption of carbohydrates and depression in children and adolescents.

 

Varea V, de Carpi JM, Puig C, Alda JA, Camacho E, Ormazabal A, Artuch R, Gomez L.

 

Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain. [email protected]

 

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown an association between sugar malabsorption and depressive symptoms in adult women. Incompletely absorbed sugars may form nonabsorbable complexes with tryptophan, an amino acid precursor of serotonin, decreasing its availability. As serotonin is the most important neurotransmitter involved in depressive disorders, its depletion could lead to the onset of depression. METHODS: The authors' aim was to study the possible association between malabsorption of sugars (lactose and fructose) and depressive symptoms in adolescent patients of Spanish origin. The authors studied two groups of patients. Group G included 14 patients previously diagnosed with sugar intolerance. In these, the authors assessed depressive symptoms. Group P consisted of seven patients suffering from major depression. In these, the authors performed functional sugar absorption tests. The authors studied the metabolic pathway of tryptophan in both groups. RESULTS: In the group with sugar malabsorption, there was a 28.5% prevalence of depressive symptoms that was higher than expected in our population. In the group with depression, the authors found a higher than expected prevalence of sugar intolerance (71.42% versus 15% in controls).

 

CONCLUSIONS: The unexpected prevalences obtained for the groups studied suggest that there may be an association between sugar intolerance and depressive symptoms during adolescence.

 

PMID: 15861016 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15861016&dopt=Abstract

[CerebralEcstasy]

MA, I would like to thank you for posting some of these articles for us to read here.

 

My mother, although deceased now, used to suffer from clinical depression, which was later rediagnosed as bi-polar disorder.

 

In a lot of ways her life was totally taken over by these illnesses and she suffered without ever really achieving a non-depressed state.

 

Research such as this makes me happy *smiles* since I know that those in a similar situation have more hope than ever,for a future that doesn't include this debilitating illness.

 

For those of you who have said, mind over matter yadda yadda, I agree to a certain extent. However, there are those with chemical imbalances that just aren't affected by the regular means of improving depression - such as diet, exercise and positive thought.

 

If you haven't lived with this, or with someone who has suffered with this, you might not realize how very difficult it is to assign a method in which to treat these patients, as the treatment varies from person to person. Some respond better than others, while others spiral downward even further.

 

What we can do though, is be a positive force in these people's lives. Help them to feel that they are valuable to us, and that they really do have someone to turn to when they aren't capable of going on any longer.

 

I am still appalled at the stigma that is attached to mental illnesses of any sort. It happens every day. People with real physical illnesses are pushed aside by the medical community, on the basis that they have a mental illness.

 

Those of us within the medical profession need to be aware of these prejudices, and ensure that we aren't subscribing to them. Otherwise we may miss something that causes that patient their life.

[Michaelangelica]

MA, I would like to thank you for posting some of these articles for us to read here.

 

My mother, although deceased now, used to suffer from clinical depression, which was later rediagnosed as bi-polar disorder.

 

In a lot of ways her life was totally taken over by these illnesses and she suffered without ever really achieving a non-depressed state.

 

What we can do though, is be a positive force in these people's lives. Help them to feel that they are valuable to us, and that they really do have someone to turn to when they aren't capable of going on any longer.

 

I am still appalled at the stigma that is attached to mental illnesses of any sort. It happens every day. People with real physical illnesses are pushed aside by the medical community, on the basis that they have a mental illness.

 

Those of us within the medical profession need to be aware of these prejudices, and ensure that we aren't subscribing to them.

 

Thank you, I agree.

You can see even here that clinically depressed people still get the "pull you self up by the bootlaces approach". Mental illness is so mis-understood. There is so much prejudice.

What I have tried to do in the articles I have posted is show that there can be many real causes for depression, genetic sugar (Lactose fructose) intolerance merely the latest of many. Many of these unusual causes are not checked out by the medicos and Prozac is immediately prescribed.

 

Thank you to all those who have shared their personal stories. It is hard to do this but very important for people to see that this is a very real and debilitating disease, not just for the patient, but for the family as well.

 

I believe much alcoholism can be laid at the door of depression.

 

I did come accross a good article on bi-polar -a slightly different manifestation of clinical depression - and I will try to find it and post it.

 

Thanks for the feedback

--

Michael

[Michaelangelica]

Sorry i can't find the excellent article I had on bi-polar

But this on the appaling state of mis- and under-diagnosis should shock everone.

Inappropriate treatment due to misdiagnosis can have a harmful effect on patients and potentially makes the illness harder to treat; antidepressants alone have been shown to induce mania or hypomania (a mild form of mania) in some patients with bipolar depression.

 

Furthermore, people with untreated bipolar disorder can experience a greater frequency of manic and depressive episodes, causing significant disruption in their personal and professional lives.

 

Many experts say people with bipolar disorder can face up to ten years of coping with symptoms before getting an accurate diagnosis but all agree that for people suffering from depression it is essential they talk to their doctors about other experiences and symptoms over their lifetime.

 

It seems it is only too common for many patients with bipolar disorder to receive an incorrect diagnosis, meaning years are lost to an illness that can be successfully managed when correctly diagnosed and treated.

 

The researchers believe the predictors identified in their study may help physicians and patients identify depression associated with bipolar disorder rather than unipolar mood disorder.

 

People with bipolar disorder have extreme shifts in thoughts, energy, mood, and behavior.

 

Inappropriate treatment due to misdiagnosis could have a harmful effect on patients potentially making the illness harder to treat.

When left untreated, bipolar disorder can worsen and patients can experience a greater frequency of "highs" and "lows."

 

The research was presented this week at an annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Toronto, Canada.

 

For more information on bipolar disorder and to download the assessment tool derived from the study, go to http://www.sayhowyoufeel.com/ , a web site sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline.

[Michaelangelica]

Another cause of Depression is Sleep Disorders

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/14850332.htm

 

Daytime exhaustion is a classic symptom of sleep apnea, and obesity is a common clue. Extra weight can cause apnea by applying excess pressure on the airway during sleep.

 

Some sleep-disorder patients are misdiagnosed with depression and given antidepressant drugs that actually worsen their condition.

[Chacmool]

Chacmool,

I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I have been there, and it is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is--you're really not crazy and your brain's chemicals need a little fine tuning ;) . The bad news is, you have a mental illness. Not such a bad thing really. With proper treatment, you will begin to live and enjoy again. Another upside...there is an amazing correlation between affective disorders and genius and creativity. I suppose there is a real basis for the eccentric professor :) ! Seriously though, I have been living with this for years and if you want any info or just someone to commiserate with, I'd be happy to help. BTW, we're not mentally ill, we're mentally interesting :) !!!!

Shannon

Mentally interesting - I like that! :hihi: Thanks celtfaery!

 

It's quite a challenge to balance the brain chemicals that cause bipolar disorder, but medication has most definitely made a positive difference for me. I've lived with depression for so long now that I'm actually more scared of the manic phases. :)

[celtfaery]

Chacmool,

I know. My doc put me on antidepressants (with long standing mood stabilizers), and wow! Did you know you can hear your eyelids blink? :cup: Seriously, recognizing early signs of mania is key to helping manage your illness. DH actually enjoys my manias, he doesn't see anything wrong with being up at 3 am and shampooing carpets. I wasn't diagnosed with BP until about 7 years ago. I had however, been treated for depression since I was about 8. The best advice I can give is to be totally honest with your doc about what works and what doesn't. I hope things are going well.

Shannon

[HydrogenBond]

Years before the endless variety of disorders, syndromes, etc., depression was simply anger turned inward. The cure was simple. Uncle Al suggested it. Find an outlet so one can release anger, even if one does it in a psycho-drama type way. This is cheaper than drugs and less harmful to the liver. Depression often makes one feel powerless and fearful while the anger is an expression of power and risk.

 

When I was young I was a chronic depressive. It wasn't bi-polar because it only was a mono-pole of depression. I learned to adapt to it. Once I found creative outlets, the depression became a blessing in disquise. It is now a period of psychic pregnancy when things gestate and organize in the unconscious mind. When it ends new ideas appear. These can lead to manic states. Nowadays I am too rational to be manic for very long, unless I am just playing my emotional instrument for fun. Many disorders have a silver lining if they are viewed in a positive way.