Divergent Thinking

Changing Education Paradigms

A strong, healthy marriage isn’t a matter of luck or romance, says Ted Futris, family life specialist for Ohio State University Extension. It takes work and compatibility.

“Some factors that contribute to a healthy relationship are static — they’re things you can’t really change,” Futris said. “Others are things that are dynamic — things that you can work on to improve your relationship.” Either way, they’re important to know for anyone who is married or is thinking of marriage, he said.

Marriage Week USA is Feb. 7-14, and Futris hopes couples will take some time during that week to improve their relationship. Futris, a founding member of the Columbus Marriage Coalition, shares 10 indicators of a good relationship:

• Fostering good communication. Happy couples talk to each other, and they listen to each other. The best communicators recognize when outside distractions or emotional states are at work to prevent good communication, and find ways to work through them when both partners are ready.
• Resolving conflict in a positive way. According to the Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, habitual avoidance of conflict is the No. 1 predictor of divorce. Strong relationships are earmarked by a couple’s ability to handle disagreements in a positive manner.
• Having realistic expectations. When people first meet, they put their best foot forward and try to mask their flaws. This is normal, but couples should realize that as time goes on, the “real” person will emerge. Relationships develop over time, but unrealistic expectations of a partner, or of a relationship, can cause undue stress.
• Paying attention to details of your partner’s life. People in strong marriages know their partner well. They know major events in their partner’s past, and they know each other’s likes, dislikes, hopes and worries. And, they keep updating this information as their partner’s world changes.
• Experiencing more positive interactions than negative ones. Some research indicates that successful marriages have five times as many positive interactions as negative ones. Giving positive responses to a partner’s bid for attention — whether it’s a question, an extended hand, or just a glance — strengthens the relationship.
• Building trust. Trust develops slowly, but it is fostered by communicating honestly and following through on promises.
• Spending time together. Sharing experiences is a good way to build a relationship. Couples who enjoy doing things together — rather than feeling obligated or forced into doing things together — have a stronger, healthier relationship.
• Shared values. Couples who start out with a wide array of shared values — who agree on what’s important in life — have a better chance at building a solid relationship.
• Shared responsibilities. Both partners have the obligation of nurturing the relationship, keeping the household running smoothly and working toward common goals. Allowing only half of the couple to bear the brunt of these responsibilities can cause resentment to build.
• Adapting to change. People and relationships change over time. That’s to be expected, not feared. Even people’s expectations of a relationship can change. Partners need to be able to talk about these changes and find ways to adapt to them.

To read on please click here

The Search for Understanding
by Janet A. Simons, Donald B. Irwin and Beverly A. Drinnien
West Publishing Company, New York, 1987

While putting together this site, I’ve approached it from the point of view of a recovering depressed person. As a result, I’ve overlooked some very important people who are suffering right along with us–our friends, family, and loved ones. This was brought to my attention not only by reader feedback, but also by my own experiences. As I’ve begun to get my depression under control, I’ve attempted to extend a hand to others. I’ve been met with reactions ranging from hope to resignation to hostility. When I’ve come upon individuals who aren’t yet ready to come to terms with their illness, I’ve been forced to walk away. This has disturbed me greatly. If it’s so painful and frustrating to not be able to help a nameless, faceless stranger, how must it feel to live day-to-day with someone who’s depressed? We depressives can be downright frustrating. We see everything in absolute terms, no gray areas. We set high standards for ourselves and when they aren’t met, we can’t accept it. We lash out at our loved ones. We’re too wrapped up in our own pain to nurture our loved ones. We may cut ourselves, eat too much, or use drugs and alcohol to take away the pain. We beat ourselves up endlessly because we think we think we’re ugly, unlovable, lazy, and worthless. I’m writing this as someone who’s been on both sides of the fence and can now appreciate the pain of both the depressed and the people who seek to help the depressed. If you care about someone who’s depressed, here are some suggestions for what you can do to help them.

1. Educate yourself. There are countless sites on the Internet where you can learn about depression, it’s symptoms, and treatment. My Depression FAQ is an excellent starting place to find answers to many common questions about depression. Learn about informed consent and the legal aspects of treatment in your state.

2. Put yourself in their shoes. Learn what depression feels like, the misconceptions about mental illness that they must deal with, and get the facts about what depression really is.

3. Take care of yourself. Feelings of depression are contagious. Periodically take some time to step back from the situation and recharge your batteries.

4. It’s okay to feel upset, angry, frustrated. These feelings are a valid response to a very trying situation. Join a support group, talk with a close friend, or see a . The important thing is vent your frustrations rather than allowing them to build up inside.

5. Be there for them. Give them a shoulder to cry on or just listen while they spill out their hearts to you. Be patient with them. Let them know that you care. Share the things you’ve learned while researching depression. Let them know it’s not their fault, that they’re not weak or worthless.

6. Remember that the depressed person’s behavior isn’t indicative of the “real” person. The depressed person has impaired social skills. They may be withdrawn and shy or sullen and angry. When the depressed person lashes out in anger, it’s because they’re actually angry with themselves and the way they feel. You just happen to be there. When your spouse or significant other doesn’t feel like having sex, don’t take it personally. Loss of sex drive is a classic symptom of depression, as well as the medications used to treat it. It doesn’t mean they don’t love you.

7. Depressed people aren’t lazy. They’re ill. Everyday activities like cleaning house, paying bills, or feeding the dog may seem overwhelming to them. You may have to take up the slack for them for awhile. Just like if they had the flu, they simply don’t feel up to it.

8. Therapy is crucial to their recovery. Help keep them on track with treatment. Help to ease their fears about treatment by letting them know that they’re not crazy.

9. Offer hope in whatever form they will accept it. This could be their faith in God, their love of their children, or anything else that makes them want to go on living. Find what works best for them and remind them of it whenever they’re not sure they can hang on any longer. If they’re suicidal, you may need to seek immediate help. There are some very valuable suicide resources on the Internet that will help you to help your loved cope with suicidal feelings as well.

10. Love them unconditionally and let me know it’s their illness you’re frustrated with, not them.

To read on please click here

Having bad days once in a while is normal, but what if you feel down in the dumps for a few weeks, or even a few months? If you have been having feelings of sadness or irritability that won’t go away, you might be experiencing depression. Depression is very common and can affect any person at any age, including teens. This guide is designed to help you understand depression better, so that you will be able to recognize the signs of depression in yourself or people who are close to you and you will know how to find help.

What is depression?

Depression is a psychological condition that affects your feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. You may have feelings of sadness or irritability, a lack of energy, trouble sleeping, feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, or unhappy thoughts about yourself or your life. You may even feel that your life is not worth living, or think about hurting yourself. Depression can also affect you physically: you can have aches and pains all over, or in specific areas such as your stomach. You may have headaches, trouble sleeping, eating, or concentrating.

Who gets depressed?

Depression affects children, teens, and adults of all ages. No one knows the exact number of teens affected by depression, but we do know that it affects a large number of teens, both male and female, from all ethnic and racial backgrounds. Sometimes it happens as a direct result of a stressful or upsetting situation, and sometimes it appears to have snuck up on you. It is important to try to understand the difference between feeling sad or “blue’” and being what is called “clinically depressed”.

What are the symptoms of clinical depression?

You may:

• Feel sad or “empty” a lot of the time-these feelings may come and go, but last for at least two weeks.
• Not feel like doing things you used to enjoy, like playing sports, hanging out with friends, or studying. It is harder to have fun than it used to be.
• Feel irritated a lot of the time (things get on your nerves more easily), or you may get angry or lose your temper more easily.
• Feel tired or have less energy, or you may be restless and edgy.
• Experience changes in your eating habits. You may eat more or less than you did before you started feeling depressed.
• Experience changes in your sleep, either sleeping a lot more or a lot less than you used to, and/or having trouble falling asleep or waking up.
• Find it harder to concentrate and make decisions.
• Not feel good about yourself or about anything you do.
• Often feel guilty about things that you do or don’t do.
• Feel that things will never get better.
• Have thoughts about not wanting to live or about hurting yourself, or you may have tried to hurt yourself.

How do I know whether I am depressed or just sad?

It is normal to feel depressed or sad sometimes. However, if you have some or all of the above symptoms most of the time for at least two weeks, you could have depression. If you are depressed, you may or may not notice changes in yourself, but usually people who are close to you will notice a change in you. Likewise, if you are close to someone who is truly depressed, you will usually notice a big change in that person’s behavior or mood.

There are no laboratory tests that can be done to prove that you are depressed, like there are for illnesses such as strep throat or diabetes. But if you think you may be depressed, it is worth talking with someone about it. A professional who is trained to understand depression, such as your health care provider or a counselor, will be able to ask the right questions to help decide if you are going through a period of sadness or whether you have depression.

What are the effects of depression?

Depression has many different and powerful effects on people who have depression and on the people around them.

Depression can:

• Make it harder to work at a job or in school.
• Make it more difficult to make and keep friends. It can also become more difficult to get along with family members.
• Affect your physical health. For example, you may feel tired or run down all the time.
• Make you feel tempted to turn to drugs, alcohol, or sex as a way to escape from your feelings.
• Make you feel extremely irritable and cause you to act out in ways that can get you into trouble, such as yelling or fighting.
• Cause you to have trouble paying attention, which can lead to car accidents and other mistakes.
• Lead to serious injury and even suicide if left untreated.

What causes depression?

No one knows for sure what causes depression. The most important thing to keep in mind is that it is not your fault if you become depressed. Most likely, depression is caused by a combination of things, some of which have to do with the chemicals in your brain and some that have to do with what’s happening in your life. Some factors that may put you at risk for depression are:

• Genetics – If other people in your family have had a depressive illness, you may have similar genes and be more likely to get depressed.
• Family problems – A major loss in your family or conflict among members of your family may cause you to feel depressed.
• Feeling badly about yourself – If you are constantly being put down, abused, or neglected, or if you are having difficulty at school or other activities, you may be more likely to feel depressed.
• Feeling alone – Feeling that you are different from others or that your friends and family don’t understand you can make you feel depressed. Some examples of people who may feel alone or isolated from others are teens whom are gay, lesbian, or bisexual, teens who have just broken up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, teens with medical problems, or teens who have a parents/family members going through a difficult time themselves.

These are just a few common examples, but there are many circumstances that can lead to feelings of depression. You may experience many of these things and yet not feel depressed. Or you may not have any of these problems but still feel depressed.

It is important to talk with someone qualified to help you if you suspect that you are depressed. A trusted adult lsuch as a parent/guardian, a teacher, guidance counselor, nurse, doctor or clergy person can help you find the right counselor.

If you ever think that you are going to hurt yourself, it is extremely important to tell someone right away and get help to keep safe: you can always go to an emergency room.

To read on please click here

We have a very interesting situation at hand. A study by Maryland University puts forth that unhappy people watch more TV. Then there is another survey that reports people find it difficult to switch from analog to digital TV, and so they end up watching TV more to relish the last few days of their favourite pass time. The world is definitely coming to an end on February 2009 for the many TV lovers in the US.

The researchers also found that people who read and socialize well are happier than those romancing the idiot box. Sociologist John Robinson is of the opinion that TV does not satisfy the need for social involvement in people. In fact, a newspaper will offer a better alternative.

But at the same time, TV viewing has come across as passive and is expected to be an escape route especially in the times of the global economic slowdown. This is so because more and more people would like to save money and save the embarassment of letting other folks know their financial status, so there will be even less socializing.

Quite a tricky spot to be in. A thing that offers short-term respite is nothing short of addiction. The choice is yours!

To read on please click here

Why Antidepressants Don’t Treat Depression

by Mark Hyman, M.D. | July 7th, 2010 | Comments (11)
topic: Health & Wellness

Here’s some depressing recent medical news: Antidepressants don’t work. What’s even more depressing is that the pharmaceutical industry and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have deliberately deceived us into believing that they DO work. As a physician, this is frightening to me. Depression is among the most common problems seen in primary-care medicine and soon will be the second leading cause of disability in this country.

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that drug companies selectively publish studies on antidepressants. They have published nearly all the studies that show benefit — but almost none of the studies that show these drugs are ineffective.

That warps our view of antidepressants, leading us to think that they do work. It has fueled the tremendous growth in the use of psychiatric medications, which are now the second leading class of drugs sold, after cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The problem is even worse than it sounds because the positive studies hardly showed benefit in the first place. For example, 40 percent of people taking a placebo (sugar pill) got better, while only 60 percent taking the actual drug had improvement in their symptoms. Looking at it another way, 80 percent of people get better with just a placebo.

That leaves us with a big problem. However, there are treatments available. Functional medicine provides a unique and effective way to treat depression and other psychological problems. I will review seven steps you can take to work through your depression without drugs. But before we get to that, let’s take a closer look at depression.

What’s in a name?

Depression is a label we give to people who have a depressed mood most of the time, have lost interest or pleasure in most activities, are fatigued, can’t sleep, have no interest in sex, feel hopeless and helpless, can’t think clearly or can’t make decisions.

But that label tells us NOTHING about the cause of those symptoms. There are dozens of causes of depression — each one needing a different approach to treatment. Depression is not one-size-fits-all, but it is very common.

Women have a 10 to 25 percent risk and men a 5 to 12 percent risk of developing severe major depression in their lifetime. One in 10 Americans takes an antidepressant. The use of these drugs has tripled in the last decade, according to a report by the federal government. In 2006, spending on antidepressants soared by 130 percent.

Just because antidepressants are popular doesn’t mean they’re helpful. Unfortunately, as we now see from this report in The New England Journal of Medicine, they don’t work and have significant side effects. Most patients taking antidepressants either don’t respond or have only partial response. In fact, success is considered just a 50 percent improvement in half of depressive symptoms. This minimal result is achieved in less than half the patients taking antidepressants. It’s only made worse by the fact that 86 percent of people taking antidepressants have one or more side effects, including sexual dysfunction, fatigue, insomnia, loss of mental abilities, nausea and weight gain.

No wonder half the people who try antidepressants quit after four months.

I want to talk to you about the reasons why doctors and patients have been deceived by the “antidepressant hoax.” Despite what we have been brainwashed to believe, depression is not a Prozac deficiency!

How we have been deceived by the antidepressant hoax

Drug companies are not forced to publish all the results of their studies. They only publish those they want to. The researchers who reported their findings in The New England Journal of Medicine took a critical look at all the studies done on antidepressants, both published and unpublished. They dug up some serious dirt …

The unpublished studies were not easy to find. The researchers had to search the FDA databases, call researchers, and hunt down hidden data under the Freedom of Information Act. What they found was stunning.

After looking at 74 studies involving 12 drugs and over 12,000 people, they discovered that 37 of 38 trials with positive results were published, while only 14 of 36 negative studies were published. Those that showed negative results were, in the words of the researchers, “published in a way that conveyed a positive outcome.”

That means the results were twisted to imply the drugs worked when they didn’t.

This isn’t just a problem with antidepressants. It’s a problem with scientific research. Some drug companies even pay or threaten scientists to not publish negative results on their drugs. So much for “evidence-based” medicine!

Most of the time, we only have the evidence that the drug companies want us to have. Both doctors and patients are deceived into putting billions of dollars into drug companies’ pockets, while leaving millions with the same health problems, but less money.

What can we do? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. But I do think functional medicine, on which my approach of UltraWellness is based, provides a more intelligent way of understanding the research. Rather than using drugs to suppress symptoms, functional medicine helps us find the true causes of problems, including depression.

I see this in so many of the patients I have treated over the years. Just as the same things that make us sick also make us fat, the same things that make us sick also make us depressed. Fix the causes of sickness — and the depression takes care of itself.

7 steps to treat depression without drugs

1. Try an anti-inflammatory elimination diet that gets rid of common food allergens. Food allergies and the resultant inflammation have been connected with depression and other mood disorders.
2. Check for hypothyroidism. This unrecognized epidemic is a leading cause of depression. Make sure to a have thorough thyroid exam if you are depressed.
3. Take vitamin D. Deficiency in this essential vitamin can lead to depression. Supplement with at least 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day.
4. Take omega-3 fats. Your brain is made of up this fat, and deficiency can lead to a host of problems. Supplement with 1,000 to 2,000 mg of purified fish oil a day.
5. Take adequate B12 (1,000 micrograms, or mcg, a day), B6 (25 mg) and folic acid (800 mcg). These vitamins are critical for metabolizing homocysteine, which can play a factor in depression.
6. Get checked for mercury. Heavy metal toxicity has been correlated with depression and other mood and neurological problems.
7. Exercise vigorously five times a week for 30 minutes. This increases levels of BDNF, a natural antidepressant in your brain.

Overcoming depression is an important step toward lifelong vibrant health. These are just of few of the easiest and most effective things you can do to treat depression. But there are even more, which you can address by simply working through the 7 Keys to UltraWellness.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.