According to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration or NSRC, a few herbal supplements including saffron, SAMe and St. John’s Wort may be effective for mild to moderate depression. In some cases, they were as effective as antidepressant medications for patients with only mild symptoms of depression. Depression can be a serious illness and patients with…
Postpartum depression rarely results in the mother harming her baby, according to leading experts including Louise Haimowitz. Despite several high profile cases in the last few years, infanticide is very rare in cases of postpartum depression. Up to 80 percent of women have the “baby blues” for a few weeks after birth, when a woman’s…
Larry King’s wife, Shawn Southwick King, apparently attempted suicide last week. According to the police report, Southwick left notes regarding where she wished to be buried and was found with empty pill bottles for multiple prescription medications: Compro, Prometrium, Clonazepam, Ambien, Klonopin, Subutex, Cymbalta and Lyrica. An examination of this list reveals multiple drugs with…
In the newest “Behind the Music” special airing on VH1 Sunday, Christina Aguilera opens up about her secret battle against depression. She says that in her darkest moments she has found creative inspiration but that sad feelings are “always right below the surface”. “I do battle with depression. It’s something that is always right below…
Gradually tapering antidepressants prevents recurrence of depression better than abruptly stopping the drugs, according to a new study. When antidepressants are gradually withdrawn, the patient is less likely to experience panic attacks or a recurrence of depression. “The benefit of gradual discontinuation appeared to be greater with the older [antidepressants, rather] than the newer ones,…
The demise of a depressed 31-year-old woman who climbed over the balustrade at the Leaning Tower of Pisa and jumped to her death underscores a growing problem worldwide. The World Health Organization predicts that depression will become the second-leading cause of death by 2020, unless immediate steps are taken to improve treatment and increase awareness,…
A study published this month in the American Journal of Public Health gives more evidence that depression can lead to more weight gain. There have been several reports showing the connection from a stress hormone called cortisol to both depression and stomach fat. This study aimed to see if the depression was causing the abdominal weight gain…
For many people suffering depression, there is new hope with the latest treatment for depression – rTMS. That stands for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, a new non-invasive device that has been FDA approved in the treatment of depression that has not responded well to drug therapy. The device sends focused, magnetic pulses into the part…
Psychologists have long known that depressed people often complain of physical pain that seems out of proportion to their actual physical ailments. What was not known was whether the depression led them to exaggerate, whether their unusual pain added to the depression, or whether depression actually increased the pain they felt. A study reported in…
Middle-aged men have another reason to seek help for major depression, after a recent study links major depression with urinary incontinence in men. The study also showed that men with major depression were more likely to have hypertension, as compared to men with no mood disorder. The study was conducted by researcher Alayne D. Markland…