A Drug-Free Mind

Is depression just about serotonin imbalance? Acne linked to depression and suicide.

2006-11-15T22:06:00.000+13:00

24% of high school-age students had depressive symptoms, while only 12% of those without acne felt depressed.

34% of children with acne had suicidal thoughts, compared with 22% of those without.

These are the findings published today in a study by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

"There is now increasing recognition of the association of skin disease with mental health," said Peter Watson (one of the study's authors), from the University of Auckland's Adolescent Health Research Group.

There is a belief perhaps created by pharmaceuticals that all depression is an imbalance of the chemicals in the brain. And that's all it is. And that it can be addressed by just forcing your body to increase the amount of serotonin in the synapses. The reality may be different, depression and mental health is far more complicated than just serotonin levels. Diet, exercise, exposure to daylight are factors that we know can make a big difference to some depressed patients. So why so often the medication is the first measure many GPs will resource to? Is this the patient expectation, or is this the false sense of security?

It must be a FALSE sense of security, as some antidepressants have been associated with increased suicidal thoughts and not decreased.

Don't take me wrong, I am not anti-medicine. In fact I am pro-medicine. However, we have to look into what IS safe and what is NOT safe. And what DOES or DOES NOT work. Depression is a complex illness and may require integrative approach. Combining diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, counseling and acupuncture maybe a very sensible idea.

Truth about Aropax/paxil (2)?

2006-10-16T15:29:00.000+13:00

Truth about Aropax/paxil?

2006-10-16T15:08:00.000+13:00

Obesity linked to depression: fat, clever and rich = depression?

2006-07-06T16:03:00.000+12:00

People who are obese are more at risk of suffering from a psychiatric disorder.

The researchers who studied more than 9,000 people say there is a strong link between obesity and mood and anxiety disorders.

They have found that lifetime risk of depression of 20%, becomes a 28% risk in those who are
obese and among those with post-secondary education, the risk may be as
high as 44%.

People with a BMI, or body mass index, of 30 or higher, were about 25%
more likely than those with a BMI under 30 to have a mood disorder.

Common symptoms of depression include increased appetite and weight
gain and the drugs used to treat depression or anxiety
disorders can also lead to weight gain.

Prozac, Wellbutrin, Paxil, Effexor and Zoloft

2006-06-12T15:15:00.000+12:00

Antidepressants Get FDA Warning

Agency's Recommendations on Suicide Risk
Include Adults as Well as Children

By ANNA WILDE MATHEWS and SCOTT HENSLEY
Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
March 23, 2004; Page D1

The Food and Drug Administration sharply stepped up warnings about possible risks to patients taking antidepressant drugs, asking doctors, families and caregivers to watch closely for signs of increasing depression or suicidal thinking.

The FDA asked the makers of 10 major antidepressant drugs, including versions of Prozac, Wellbutrin, Paxil, Effexor and Zoloft, to place more detailed, explicit warnings on the labels for their medicines. The FDA didn't order the manufacturers to change their labels, but urged them to do so voluntarily. The new cautions would ask doctors to monitor patients for a variety of symptoms from insomnia and irritability to hostility and panic attacks that might possibly signal greater risks.

The announcement comes more than a month after an FDA advisory committee urged the agency to provide clearer warnings about possible risk of suicidal tendencies in children and adolescents taking antidepressants. Still, yesterday's development went well beyond the earlier recommendations, and included adults as well.

The most immediate result may be that doctors, particularly those who don't focus on pediatric psychiatry, become more cautious in how they prescribe antidepressants for kids and teenagers. They could start prescribing smaller doses and being slower to step up the amounts of medicine.

"People might wait until they've been in talking therapy a little bit, before trying drugs," said Richard Malone, a child psychiatrist at Drexel University College of Medicine, who was a member of the FDA advisory committee.

Millions have 'rage' disorder

2006-06-06T18:48:00.000+12:00

According to a new research 5 percent to 7 percent of americans are affected by intermittent explosive disorder. This will create a whole new market for the use of antidepressants. According to the study in united states alone there are up to 16.000.000 americans affected by it.

The study was published on monday in the June issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. It was a good quality (well funded) reasearch involving almost 10.000 adults.