YOUR HEALTH: Stimulate your depression
Treatments include counseling, medications, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS, to stimulate the mood-regulating parts of the brain.
"Not all patients respond to the medication or to the neuromodulation," explained Dr. Francisco Romo-Nava, a physician scientist at the University of Cincinnati's Lindner Center of HOPE.
Dr. Romo-Nava and his colleagues are studying a new way to treat mental health disorders.
The neuroscientists are testing a device that delivers stimulation to a patient's spine.
Dr. Romo-Nava says the stimulation will improve the feedback in the central nervous system that is sometimes disrupted when a person has a psychiatric disorder.
For now, patients undergo spinal stimulation for 20 minutes, three times a week, for eight weeks.
"The kind of stimulation that we use is very well tolerated," he explained.
"The most frequent description is like a tingling sensation
Researchers say this stimulation therapy could be the first step to developing better treatment for some patients.
Dr. Romo-Nava was granted a patent for the stimulation method that utilizes transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
He says his research team is trying to determine how often, and how long, patients should undergo the stimulation for the best results.
Between 80% and 90% of people with depression respond well to treatment, and almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms.
A new form of magnetic brain stimulation relieved symptoms of severe depression in 90% of participants in a study conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
The researchers are conducting a larger, double-blinded trial in which half the participants are receiving fake treatment and are optimistic it will prove to be similarly effective in treating people whose condition hasn't improved with medication, talk therapy, or other forms of electromagnetic stimulation.
Depression And You: How To Deal With It
Misery loves company. That's a pretty reasonable psychological analysis of sadness. What they don't add to the proverb is that misery is compounded by loneliness. Within this article you can find information on how to cure loneliness, and while it's no guarantee of a better life, it'll definitely provide some techniques to living a happier, more social lifestyle.
It is important to remember that no one is perfect. Many people who suffer from depression started the downward spiral because of thinking that just because they do not always do or say the right thing, there is something wrong with them. Focus on the qualities about yourself that you and everyone else admires. Yes, focus on your good points and use these to form a positive opinion of your overall self. This simple step can help you on the road to recovery.
Cut out refined and unrefined sugars that leave you with a sugar crash. Compared with complex carbohydrates, these simple sugars are absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream. This causes an energy burst from the quick inflow of carbohydrates, but results in fatigue and then depression shortly thereafter.
For those suffering from depression, try to practice relaxation techniques. If you use these techniques everyday, you may find your depression symptoms reduced and in general, you will feel more relaxed. You could practice yoga, meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation. Have a friend do these things with you.
If you suffer from depression, it is important to acquire interests and activities to keep your mind stimulated. Taking part in activities is crucial for mental health, as it increases self-esteem and helps to keep your mind off of negative thoughts and emotions. All depressed people should attempt to take up a hobby that gives them joy.
If you are a parent, and you start to feel a bout of depression more info coming on try to find a way for your children to not be around you. If they are older, you can leave them home alone, but if they are younger children, you should have a close friend on standby to watch them.
Depression is a deep well, and it springs from various sources for each individual; uncover what is the underlying cause of your own struggle with it. Once you have a basic understanding of what is causing your depression, you should have the ability to cope with hard times better.
Sadness is a normal emotion that comes along with difficult situations, but clinical depression is usually created by a chemical imbalance. Ask a professional for advice on your situation.
Although having a boyfriend or girlfriend may seem like the answer to all of your depression problems, it is not. It is very possible to have a healthy relationship even when you are depressed but you should not look at the relationship itself as the key or solution to your problems.
A great tip for anyone battling depression is to build an encouraging, supportive social structure. Try to be warm and positive toward those you encounter and work on involving others in the things you enjoy. By doing this, you will be able to avoid dwelling on feelings of sadness, which will lessen the sensation of helplessness that you may have experienced in the past.
One way to ward off depression is to give you a positive social life. Put effort into taking an interest in others and showing genuine warmth. This is a positive step. Then, if your depression creeps up, tell the people you are close to, what you are struggling with. This will help you not dwell too much on yourself.
It is important for people who suffer from Depression to re-examine their priorities and adjust their expectations. Depressed people often falsely believe that they cannot be happy in life without certain things, such as material possessions, higher wealth and income, or a certain romantic partner. Changing negative thinking patterns and learning acceptance is a great way to improve quality of life.
When you depression is getting the best of you, think of how much worse it can be. There are people in the world who are homeless or without food. Thinking of how worse your situation can be will make you grateful for what you have, thus reducing your depression symptoms.
Hopefully, these tips have provided you with some very valuable information, as well as given you a way to organize all of the thoughts and information you may have already had on treating depression. Keeping these tips in mind when you start seeking treatment can help you and your loved ones live a healthier, happier existence.