I was just wondering what aspects of the depression gave reasons for us to change. Like how was it a big part in making Canada what it is today?

Chosen Answer:

Infrastructure: Trans-Canada Highway with several routes (at the time through Ontario thanks to the Premier of the day, named Frost). There were many local infrastructure projects such as sewer, water and hydroelectric lines being built and/or installed. Telephone and telegraph were also extended to some otherwise isolated areas of the day but telephone really came later as a network.
by: spiffer1
on: 24th May 11

My mom had not have a full night sleep for a very long time. Sometime she never get any sleep or she had 15 minutes of sleep, she tried so many meds that her doctor prescribe but nothing works. My mom Insomnia is way to strong. What can my mom do about it?

Chosen Answer:

Hello..I feel for your Mom..I’ve been on almost every sleeping pill and nothing worked.She might want to try ” Alteril ” .You can buy it at Walmart it is a all natural sleep aid.It really helped me.Good Luck to your Mom.
The price of Alteril is about 15 dollars and it has 60 tablets in it.
by:
on: 22nd June 10

I just started taking effexor on Thursday for depression, anxiety, muscle pain, and migraines. Before I started taking it I would always wake up early in the morning (6 to 7 am) and not be able to fall asleep but now I also am waking up about 4 times throughout the night and having a hard time falling back asleep. My question is will this go away after the 1st couple weeks of taking this drug or will I continue having insomnia the whole time?
I have always avoided taking pills but my depression/anxiety got so bad I just lay on the couch and watch tv day from the physical pain it causes me.

Chosen Answer:

I had that too when I first started taking Effexor. After about 10 days my sleeping patterns were back to normal, and after a month the benefits of taking it far outweighed the first couple of weeks of insomnia. If you’re still sleeping badly in a couple of weeks you should see your doctor, as with any other side effects that haven’t gone away by then. God luck!
by: Rain Dogs
on: 20th February 09

What are the signs that someone has depression and not just your average “blues” that we all get at some points. Also, if an individual does have depression, is there anyway to rid themselves of it without medication/therapy. If i do have it, i want to get rid of it myself.

Chosen Answer:

You can’t just get rid of depression like that, it takes time…
by:
on: 30th November 10

When do psychiatrists prescribe it to you? What are your opinions on anti-depressants? I have mild depression (tired all the time, negative thoughts, sad, feelings of worthlessness) and just wondering what level you need to be at to need medication.

Chosen Answer:

Anti-depressants can be used at various levels. Some people experience a temporary depression (for a set period of time or due to an event in their life, etc) and need medication for a short time. Others need it for life as they have a permanent depression.

I’m wondering if you have tried things besides anti-depressants. Like participating in activities you enjoy. I know it’s hard to motivate yourself when feeling low, but it really does help. Also, being around people that make you feel good. I know it’s hard to think about doing these things when your mood is low, but sometimes you just have to force yourself.

A psychiatrist will prescribe you meds pretty quickly. After all, Dr’s get their cut of monies for it. Unfortunately most psychiatrists go straight to meds, instead of a more holistic view. Or, if you are prescribed the meds, you have to remember that they are not magic pills. You have to help yourself get better.

There is also the option of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) which is proven to work well coinciding with meds or even alone. It just takes longer alone.
Basically CBT alone is proven to work, it just takes more time to start feeling better, but you have long lasting results.
CBT and medication are the fastest way to start feeling better and have long lasting results.
Then with medication alone you will not have nearly close to the results of the above mentioned.
by: Dansa Flicka
on: 2nd October 08

I don’t want links to websites about insomnia or suggestions for different types of meds. I just want to know how other insomniacs like myself deal with it. How do you deal with your day at work/school? At the end of the day what do you do to help your body fall asleep?

Chosen Answer:

If you have real insomnia you either don’t go to sleep at all or you go to sleep for only a few hours.

I went through a period of about three months where I didn’t and couldn’t sleep at all. I am a single mom of three kids, full time college student, and could barely function. I had a difficult time concentrating on anything.
A friend of mine gave me sleeping pills to try but that only put me to sleep for about 3 hours.

Then a nurse friend gave me B-12 and calcium to take.
Once I got started on that I was able to get more sleep.
Some other friends helped take care of my kids while I could sleep some. After about two weeks my life starting getting back to normal.
by: Jenn B
on: 8th September 08

I notice that I have insomnia which is something that I have never dealt with before and it is making it hard for me to go to sleep. I have heard that Sleeping pills are bad because they make the body dependent on them later on but I feel like I have a hard time going to sleep.

Chosen Answer:

benadryl (diphenhydramine) is a great drug to help you sleep. It is sold over the counter (OTC) in most pharmacies. The best part is that it is non-habit forming, so your body will not get dependent on it.

Another drug to try is melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. Taking it medicinally can help with insomnia. Do not take melatonin if you have high blood pressure (can raise BP), diabetes (can raise blood sugar), depression (can make symptoms worse), or a seizure disorder (can potentiate seizures)

One more option could be Valerian root extract. This has been shown to help treat insomnia. Do not drink alcohol with this drug, or other CNS depressants because they could increase each others effect in the body
by:
on: 24th October 11

I am having for the first time auditory alucinations. I suffer from Psychotic Depression but I am so afraid to get Schizophrenia. What is the difference between psychotic depression and schizophrenia???

Chosen Answer:

“silkyegg…” — Do your research…SCHIZOPHRENIA and MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER – ARE *NOT* THE SAME THING…IDIOT!

This is from a doctor. The question is asked about schizoaffective & not plain schizophrenia, but I think you you will get the differences:

this info is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions that apply directly to you or your care, ask your healthcare provider(s). This may be more than you were looking for, but here goes:

What is the difference between bipolar disorder with psychotic episodes and schizoaffective disorder?

This is somewhat of a confusing distinction…
• Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by depressive episodes with manic or mixed episodes. A person with bipolar disorder can have psychotic episodes during either a manic phase or depression phase. They key here is that the mood disorder is always present, the psychosis is not.
• In schizoaffective disorder, both symptoms of mood disorder and schizophrenia are present. The patient experiences mood swings and at least 2 psychotic symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking) simultaneously – but the psychosis is the dominant feature (the mood swings may come and go). Even if the mood episode(s) clear, psychosis is still present to some degree.

What are the different types of psychoses?
• Schizophrenia
o A person must meet 3 criteria to be schizophrenic:
 Display 2 or more of the following symptoms, each present for most of the time during a one-month period:
• Delusions (bizarre/illogical thoughts”)
• Hallucinations (ex: hearing voices)
• Disorganized speech
• Grossly disorganized behavior (ex: dressing for a snowstorm in 90 degree weather) or catatonic behavior
• Negative symptoms (decline in emotional response, decline of speech or motivation)
 The above symptoms must significantly impact the person’s ability to function (maintain relationships, work, go to school, etc.)
 There must be continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least six months. This six-month period must include at least one month of symptoms
• Shchizoaffective disorder – as described above
• Schizophreniform – related to schizophrenia, with two differences:
o The total duration of the illness is at least 1 month but less than 6 months
o Significantly impaired function is not required, though it may be present as well.
• Brief psychotic episode: A person may experience psychotic symptoms that are of sudden onset, short lived, and followed by return to baseline function. Not associated with another illness, medical condition or medication/drug
• Delusional Disorder: Person does not meet the criteria for schizophrenia (though may experience tactile/olfactory hallucinations), however, experiences delusions. Delusions are typically not bizarre (jealous delusions very common), person is usually highly-functioning.
• Shared psychotic episode: Rare! Psychotic symptoms are shared between 2 individuals such as siblings/spouses.
• Important to note that various medical conditions such as alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, lyme disease, electrolyte disturbances etc. can cause psychotic symptoms. As can many medications/drugs/alchohol.

Is it possible to be manic and depressed at the same time?
• Yes, this is referred to as a “mixed” state or episode, where symptoms of depression and mania occur simultaneously.

HOPE THIS HELPS!

EDIT: Please note that if you are ever diagnosed w/schizophrenia, do to your depression you will more than likely will receive the diagnosis of schioaffective instead — the affective simply means that you some type of mood disorder along w/schizophrenia -

EDIT: “matt” you did a good job at giving characteristics of schizophrenia, however, you obviously have no idea what psychosis is: “People experiencing psychosis may report hallucinations or delusional beliefs, and may exhibit personality changes and disorganized thinking. This may be accompanied by unusual or bizarre behavior, as well as difficulty with social interaction and impairment in carrying out the activities of daily living.” SCHIZOPHRENIA & PSYCHOSIS ARE SYNONOMUS” –”COOKIE” has written a well thought out/well organized question -I HARDLY THINK SHE IS “WHACKED”!!! That being said, from my experience w/depression I would have to agree you – depression is a battle that must eventually fought internally — MEDS & THERAPY, though can be a great comfort blanket for those waiting to realize this!
by: straight forward answers!
on: 31st July 09

I have Social anxiety. My doctor prescribed Zoloft which is a depression medicine. I am just curious, how does the same medicine also treats social anxiety???

Chosen Answer:

They go hand in hand. You get anxious about something and after some time it becomes depressed over that same thing. In both cases, when the nerve ends send messages to the next nerve thru a gap, these messages don’t get there, they sort of bounce back to their origin. This is what’s called a chemical imbalance in the brain. These messages are sent via chemicals ‘jumping’ from one nerve end to the other. If they don’t get ‘absorbed’ by the second nerve, we become depressed and probably more anxious about more things in life.
by: FlowersYes
on: 11th December 09

I’m one of those people that have a really hard time dealing with stress and anxiety. How do you deal with stress and anxiety?

Chosen Answer:

Negative emotions (like sadness, stress, anger, etc.) causes your Serotonin production to be low; when your Serotonin level is low, you are more prone to getting Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, etc.

Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level.
But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There’s this strange herb called “St John’s Wort” – it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. In fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John’s Wort works like prozac. Other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc.

The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced… you have that “learned behavior” in your mind. You need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. A technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction… There are several other techniques to help cope them!
Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to….

Extracted from Source.
by: Piper G
on: 5th October 08