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Pregnancy is a time of many changes not only for your body, but also for your mind. Your mood can swing from sunny to dark, and you'll probably start worrying more than usual. And no matter how much you're looking forward to your baby's arrival, you just might find yourself feeling depressed. By some estimates, depression strikes one in five women during pregnancy. If you're feeling down during ...

When a mother-to-be looks forward to life with a newborn, she might envision a scene out of a Hallmark card, the new parents bathed in a rosy glow, smiling lovingly down at their baby. And there will be those times, of course: The birth of a child is a time that most parents look back on as a high point in life. But for many women, the period after giving birth can be an unexpected low time. An a...

A heart attack, like any other brush with death, can unleash intense waves of emotion. Many survivors feel scared and nervous, even though they're grateful to be alive. And unfortunately, many also slip into depression. Though feeling bleak may seem like a perfectly natural reaction to heart trouble, depression shouldn't be taken lightly. Left untreated, the condition can sap a heart patient's str...

Is there a connection between diabetes and depression? Does diabetes cause depression? Or, does depression cause diabetes? Experts aren't sure, but they are certain about one thing: there is a link. In fact, up to 30 percent of people with diabetes also suffer from depression. This may come as little surprise to you if you're diabetic, since constantly watching your diet and checking your blood s...

If you have diabetes, you've already been through your share of ups and downs. Some days, you may feel like you're in complete control of your disease and your life. Other days, you may feel like the disease is calling the shots. At these times, simply checking your blood sugar or counting your carbohydrates can seem like a monumental task. Don't be surprised when you have an off day. It happens ...

We all have times when we feel euphoric or despondent. A death in the family can cause profound sadness. Winning a sports competition can lead to elation. But some people have dramatic shifts in mood that can take them by surprise. Through no fault of their own, their brains can shift from deep depression to unsettling highs. This condition used to be called manic depression, but now it's known a...

Shirley Beeman's mother used to get drunk and beat her daughter with a wooden spoon, even throwing her through the wall on several occasions. When she was just a toddler, a teenage cousin began molesting her, and years later an uncle took over where the cousin left off. Today, Beeman* has confronted her childhood abuse and discusses it quite openly. Talking about the past and dealing with it, she ...

What is brief therapy? Brief therapy, also called solution-oriented therapy, is based on the idea that most people don't have to spend years on an analyst's couch to solve their emotional problems. The method was developed in the late 1960s by a group of psychotherapists who challenged conventional beliefs about how much self-knowledge you need in order to change. They suggested that treatment sh...

It was spring of 1999, and Joshua Watson, a sixth-grader at Alvarado Intermediate School in Alvarado, Texas, had an unsettling decision to make -- whether to accept a five-day in-school suspension or be struck three times with a paddle. His offense: earning his 10th demerit point for forgetting to bring pencils to class. Joshua was getting good grades and didn't want to fall behind. So, with the c...

At a recent family reunion in Atlanta, Janis Sellers* learned something unusual. Sitting around the table at Christmas with several relatives, the topic somehow shifted to depression. "It turned out that all four of my female cousins on my mom's side were taking antidepressants, and so were their mothers," recalls Sellers, who had been treated for depression herself. "I always knew that depression...

How can I tell if I'm depressed? It's normal to feel a little down every once in a while. But depression is a condition that can go on for weeks or months with no end in sight. Depression makes it hard to go about your normal activities and get through the day. It makes you think there's no more joy in life. Depressive disorders affect the way you eat, sleep, and think. Depressed people can't sna...

When a person has asthma, a bout of depression or anxiety can trigger attacks and make the disease much harder to manage, according to recent research. Studies have found that asthmatic children suffering from psychological distress need higher doses of medication and spend more time in the hospital than other children with asthma. "When I see patients who are having severe attacks, I always ask t...

Can depression and anxiety help cause hypertension? You don't need to measure your blood pressure to know that a heated argument or a walk down a dark alley can send that pressure soaring. Your pounding heart and flushed face say it all. Stress can temporarily boost blood pressure: For instance, some people have short-term hikes in blood pressure when they visit a doctor's office. Fortunately, th...

How does depression affect cancer patients? For cancer patients, depression means much more than just a dark mood. The illness, which strikes about up to 25 percent of all cancer patients (compared with about 7 percent of the general public), can sap a person's immune system, weakening the body's ability to cope with disease. Patients fighting both depression and cancer feel distressed, tend to ha...

In 1994, Kurt Cobain took his life at the age of 27. Like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and other rock stars who died young before him, Cobain has achieved a youthful immortality in which his memory endures as symbol more than man. As the reluctant poster child for Seattle's early-'90s grunge rock explosion, Cobain never adjusted to his enormous fame as leader of the band Nirvana. His ...

Can omega-3 fatty acids stabilize mood and combat depression? We all have fat on the brain. Amazingly enough, more than half of the brain's dry weight comes from fat. Some of these fats are the key building blocks of cell membranes and play essential roles in the brain's function. Omega-3 fatty acids, for example, help form cell membranes, keep those membranes flexible, and regulate the flow of ...

What's the link between depression and heart disease? Depression and loneliness put a terrible strain on the heart, and not just in the emotional sense: Psychological distress can turn a survivor of heart disease into a victim. Consider the words of physician Dean Ornish in his book Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy. "Among heart patients, depression is as g...

From secretaries to CEOs, workers face an epidemic of depression. At any given time, almost 7 percent of adults suffer from this disease, a fact that explains a lot of empty desks and unpunched time cards. Every year, depression causes 200 million lost days of work, and it is the leading cause of disability in the United States for 15- to 44-year-olds. In a way, everyone pays the bill. In fact, wo...

Everyone feels sad and blue once in a while, but depression is a gloom that lasts for weeks or months. It saps the life out of you and often leaves you feeling as if the world is empty and bleak. You're probably depressed if for two weeks or longer you're overwhelmed by feelings of sadness, anxiety, or worthlessness; lose interest in normal activities such as eating, making love, and seeing friend...

There may come a time in your life in which the days go by in a monotonous blur. None of the activities that you used to enjoy so much give you any pleasure; nothing excites you; no one makes your pulse race. You feel listless and empty, although plagued by a vague anxiety and dread. Family members may accuse you of being irritable and snapping at them for no reason, and it's true that at present ...

Even psychologists get the blues. As James Pennebaker's marriage started to flounder, the noted therapist sunk into a massive depression. After a month of misery, he turned to a trusted source of comfort: his typewriter. Each afternoon, he pounded out his thoughts about his failing marriage and other crucial issues, from sex to death. He didn't realize it at the time, but the words on those pages ...

"Last week I was really into black, but now I'm having a blue phase -- I must be schizophrenic." If you or someone close to you has schizophrenia, you know that this casual misuse of the term is both hurtful and wildly off the mark. Schizophrenia doesn't cause fashion indecision or multiple personalities. Schizophrenia is a form of psychosis that causes people to lose touch with reality and withdr...

SAM-e (pronounced "sammy") is short for S-adenosylmethionine and has become a big seller in the supplement industry. The compound supposedly eases the symptoms of both depression and osteoarthritis, a combination punch that no prescription drug can match. Even if you've never swallowed a SAM-e supplement, the compound is hard at work in your body. SAM-e, which forms naturally when the amino acid m...

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? For millions of Americans with winter depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, sunlight streaming through the window after months of gray skies is more than a sign of spring. It means that the depression that has lingered during the dark winter months will also lift. People with the disorder may soon feel energetic again, perhaps inspired and involved. In t...

We all learn something about ourselves in difficult times. For some, the lesson is reassuring: Even in the worst-case scenario -- whether it's losing a job in hard economic times, mourning the death of a loved one, or coping with a debilitating illness -- certain people manage to maintain their emotional balance. Instead of slipping into despair, they remain optimistic and focused enough to look ...

Albert Patterson arrived in Vietnam on his 21st birthday, an eager young man fairly bursting with ideals. For his tour of duty in the late 1960's, the U.S. war veteran was showered with medals of honor. "I was doing my duty for my country as an American," recalls Patterson. Yet, when the soldier returned to his hometown in Northern California after a year in the Vietnam war, he came back a changed...

For all of his advantages, there was a moment when actor Kirk Douglas was so despondent after suffering a stroke that he opened a drawer, grabbed the pistol he had used in the film Gunfight at the OK Corral, and put the gun in his mouth. But he accidentally knocked the barrel against his teeth. The pain made him laugh at himself long enough to reconsider pulling the trigger. In the years followin...

It was just another Monday morning, the beginning of a normal school week, when 15-year-old Charles Andrew Williams whipped out a .22-caliber revolver in the bathroom of his high school in Santee, California, and unleashed a barrage of fire at the students around him. By the time police responded, two of the troubled teen's classmates were killed and 13 wounded in the ensuing melee. Tragically, th...

Does someone close to you constantly insult you or humiliate you? Do you feel like you're always walking on eggshells in an effort to keep that person from blowing up at you? Are you starting to believe the accusations that person levels at you? If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you may be a victim of verbal abuse. This form of abuse, though it may not leave the easily discernib...

In the words of psychiatrist David Burns, MD, people who are depressed are often masters of illusion. Their pessimistic outlook -- and some unconscious tricks of the mind -- can turn triumphs into setbacks, and setbacks into personal failings. Those of us prone to depression may be successful and accomplished, but we're often plagued by negative thoughts about ourselves and our future. This thinki...

For many of us, learning how to understand and handle our feelings is a lifelong task. For depressed people, however, recognizing and experiencing emotions is essential to recovery. According to psychotherapist Richard O'Connor, PhD, this is the very starting point for overcoming and preventing depression. Some people are afraid of emotions because they fear they will be overwhelmed, even consumed...

Every year at his family's Christmas party, Peter Sheras' relatives would drive him to distraction. There was the overbearing aunt who habitually "smooched me or pounded on my arm." At the end of the party, he was exhausted and stressed from trying to evade her. Finally, after years of this cat-and-mouse game, Sheras, a psychologist, found a way to cope with the stress of dealing with obnoxious re...

Alexandra Kennedy always knew the day would come when her son, Taylor, would leave for college and an independent life. She was sure she would be prepared. After all, as a marriage and family therapist in Santa Cruz, California, Kennedy specializes in grief counseling. Having counseled countless other parents through this passage, she expected her training would shield her from many of the conflic...

Stress can be annoying, aggravating, and maddening. But more than anything else, it can be depressing. Talk to a person who has fallen into the first major depression of her life, and the conversation will often turn toward a recent upheaval, perhaps a death in the family, a lost job, or a divorce. Sometimes depression can strike without a particular trigger. But stress that accompanies a severe ...

Many people equate "domestic violence" with an angry husband hitting his wife. In reality, that's only one possible scene. Although women are much more likely to be victims of domestic violence, it's not so uncommon for wives to hit husbands, boyfriends to hit or verbally abuse girlfriends, girlfriends to hit or abuse boyfriends. There's more than one way for a relationship to turn violent or abus...

Despite the talk about the "stages of grief," there's no real guide to mourning. Each person reacts to loss in his or her own way. Still, there is one universal component of grief: Almost every loss, no matter how expected, will be accompanied by stress and disorientation. In the words of a report from the National Mental Health Association, "The loss of a loved one is life's most stressful event....

When Pamela Kragen* was going through menopause, she remembers a woman who became so enraged that she ripped the phone out of the wall. The woman happened to be Kragen herself. At times, menopause transformed Kragen into another persona entirely -- one that reminded her of a woman whose multiple personalities could not be controlled. "Normally, I may fly off the handle once or twice a year. But ...

Lost love. It's difficult to think of great literature without this enduring theme. Would, for example, Emily Bronte's Heathcliff and his passion for Cathy have captured our imaginations if they had lived happily ever after in Wuthering Heights? And would Romeo and Juliet have been as memorable if they had quietly married with the blessing of their families? Unfortunately, what makes for great...

If you've felt sad and listless for any length of time, you're not alone. About 7 percent of adult Americans suffer from depression in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Depression can be brought on by biochemistry as well as the loss of a loved one, unemployment, or even a bout of ill health. Although research has shown time and again how our feelings can affect...

You get the news Wednesday morning. A colleague has just experienced a death in her family. What should you do or say? What is the correct etiquette in the workplace, and what can you do to ease the pain and transition for your fellow worker? You might send a card or say something to express sympathy. Try to avoid platitudes. It will be better received if you sincerely express your concern or, bet...

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric problems among older people, but it's not a natural or inescapable part of aging. Seniors don't become "grumpy" or "crotchety" (to name two stereotypical descriptions) simply because they've grown older. They may be clinically depressed -- which may be misinterpreted by others, and by the depressed individuals themselves. Friends, family, and even d...

Anger is a signal, and one worth listening to. -- Psychologist Harriet Goldhor Lerner, in The Dance of Anger Anger is a perfectly normal, healthy emotion -- and a warning that we should pay attention to. It can indicate that we're being harmed, that our needs aren't being met, and that we're compromising too much of our own values in a relationship. It may mean that our rights are being trampled o...

Doctors once believed that the body and mind were completely separate, a belief that has gone the way of the 8-track tape player. There's no longer any question that chronic negative moods and emotions can encourage disease or that positive thoughts can speed healing. See how much you know about the mind-body connection. 1. A 13-year study of 1,500 people found what remarkable connection between...

A diagnosis of depression shouldn't feel like a life sentence. Doctors and mental health professionals have more tools than ever to help: Antidepressant drugs can lift your mood, and counseling or psychological therapy can help you understand what's responsible for your dark thoughts -- and how to get rid of them. Equally important, such treatment can help renew your love of life and encourage a m...

For a disease that strikes nearly 19 million Americans every year, depression remains remarkably hidden from view. Although its sufferers have included Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jessica Lange, and Mike Wallace, to name a few, people still tend to hide depression from their doctors, from their spouses, even from themselves. As a result, millions never get the treatment they nee...

What is 5-HTP? Short for 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, 5-HTP is a natural stepping-stone between a nutrient in our food and a crucial compound in our brains. Specifically, it's a substance that links the amino acid tryptophan to the chemical messenger serotonin. Tryptophan, which our bodies can't make but we do get from many foods, quickly turns to 5-HTP in the brain. 5-HTP, in turn, rapidly becomes ser...

Can children suffer from depression? Decades ago when baby boomers were still children, parents might have dismissed very real signs of depression as sulkiness or chronic moodiness. Today, doctors know that depression can affect even young children, and sometimes it can follow them throughout their lives. Roughly 7 percent of all children are depressed, studies show, including 2 percent of child...

Can exercise really fight depression? A gym membership and a new pair of walking shoes aren't magic bullets against depression, but there's no doubt that your mood is closely tied to your exercise habits. Many studies have found that people who exercise regularly tend to be less anxious and depressed than people who rarely work out. Exercise programs have been shown to help improve the moods of he...

To this day, Debra Johnston doesn't know how her son became a target. "Jeffrey was popular," she says. "He was admired." An honor student at Trafalgar Middle School, in Cape Coral, Florida, Jeffrey worked as an office aide and even led a group of students in designing their own computer game. So maybe it was jealousy that prompted the barrage of malicious e-mail messages and Web site postings abou...