OCD takes a huge toll on the body, both mentally and physically. One of the worst side effects of OCD is depression. Like the recent TV commercial says, “Depression hurts.” It may help if you notice your physical symptoms. You may get body aches, headaches or stomachaches, which you may not realize is depression-related.
Speaking of TV commercials, we have been inundated with ads for depression medications, which promise relief from this distressing, debilitating disorder. Do they really work??
Recently, I have had the pleasure of corresponding with David, who has written articles about depression and antidepressant medications. He told me that 30% of college students are on antidepressant medications, which I found to be a shockingly large amount.
I share many of his views on the topic.
Here are some of the links that he sent me:
Treatment for Depression, What we Know « Health and Life
Do Antidepressants Work as Promised? « Health and Life
I also share David's view about the side effects of certain drugs - this one especially, which David also sent...
Problems with Abilify for Depression « Health and Life
Of course, medication my be necessary for some people, but at least, know what may be involved.
Also, there are several non-prescription remedies that can really help to relieve depression, and may make prescription drugs unnecessary. I will go into these in a future blog.
Thank you, David, for your very valuable insights!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Botox May Relieve Depression!
Researcher that I am, I’m always looking for new and innovative remedies. Recently, I stumbled upon what could be one of the greatest discoveries yet - Botox may help depression. Over the past few weeks I have read many studies and articles on this topic. This is one of them:
This article was written by By Shankar Vedantam, Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, May 21, 2006
“Kathleen Delano had suffered from depression for years. Having tried psychotherapy and a number of antidepressant drugs in vain, she resigned herself to a life of suffering.
Then she tried Botox, the drug that became a rage a few years ago for smoothing out facial wrinkles.
In 2004, her physician injected five shots of the toxin into the muscles between Delano's eyebrows so that the Glenn Dale woman could no longer wrinkle her brow. Eight weeks later, according to an unusual study published this month, her depression had lifted.
"I didn't wake up the next morning and say, 'Hallelujah, I am well, I am healed,' " she said in an interview, but she noticed changes.”I found myself able to do the things I hadn't been doing. I feel I broke out of the shackles of depression to be in the mood to go out, to reconnect with people."
The pilot study of 10 patients is the first to provide empirical support for what a number of clinicians say they have noticed anecdotally: People who get their furrowed brows eliminated with Botox (botulinum toxin A) often report an improvement in mood.
Until now, the assumption was that they were just feeling better about their appearance. But the new study by local dermatologist Eric Finzi suggests that something else may be at work. Finzi found that even patients such as Delano, who were not seeking cosmetic improvement, showed a dramatic decrease in depression symptoms.
"Maybe the frown is not just an end result of the depression; maybe you need to frown in order to be depressed," Finzi said in an interview. "I don't think it has anything to do with making you look better. These patients were not coming to me for Botox; they were coming because I was offering a new treatment for depression."
Some patients in Finzi's study were receiving other treatments for depression; Finzi required that there be no change in those treatments for three months before he injected the Botox.”
Finzi agreed that the effects of Botox on depression must be investigated in a much larger study before any conclusions about a link can be established, but a growing body of work suggests that changing expressions can influence mood. People asked to smile while watching a cartoon, for instance, report it is funnier than people who are not asked to smile.
Alastair Carruthers, president-elect of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, agreed that Finzi's study provides new insight into a phenomenon clinicians have noticed.
"Anyone who has injected much Botox into the frown area has had people come in and say they can't believe how they feel better as a result," said Carruthers, clinical professor in dermatology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, in an interview. "We've not really been able to put our fingers on why. . . . We have been doing research based on appearance, but it may be due to some mood-altering effect of Botox that we don't understand."
Finzi's study was published this month in the society's journal, Dermatologic Surgery.”
I have found out that Dr. Finzi has taken out a US Patent to be the first physician to treat depression with Botox.
Of course, I will have to try it myself and let you know my results. Of note, this is by far my coolest experiment to date. If this proves true, women all over the world will jump for joy!
This article was written by By Shankar Vedantam, Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, May 21, 2006
“Kathleen Delano had suffered from depression for years. Having tried psychotherapy and a number of antidepressant drugs in vain, she resigned herself to a life of suffering.
Then she tried Botox, the drug that became a rage a few years ago for smoothing out facial wrinkles.
In 2004, her physician injected five shots of the toxin into the muscles between Delano's eyebrows so that the Glenn Dale woman could no longer wrinkle her brow. Eight weeks later, according to an unusual study published this month, her depression had lifted.
"I didn't wake up the next morning and say, 'Hallelujah, I am well, I am healed,' " she said in an interview, but she noticed changes.”I found myself able to do the things I hadn't been doing. I feel I broke out of the shackles of depression to be in the mood to go out, to reconnect with people."
The pilot study of 10 patients is the first to provide empirical support for what a number of clinicians say they have noticed anecdotally: People who get their furrowed brows eliminated with Botox (botulinum toxin A) often report an improvement in mood.
Until now, the assumption was that they were just feeling better about their appearance. But the new study by local dermatologist Eric Finzi suggests that something else may be at work. Finzi found that even patients such as Delano, who were not seeking cosmetic improvement, showed a dramatic decrease in depression symptoms.
"Maybe the frown is not just an end result of the depression; maybe you need to frown in order to be depressed," Finzi said in an interview. "I don't think it has anything to do with making you look better. These patients were not coming to me for Botox; they were coming because I was offering a new treatment for depression."
Some patients in Finzi's study were receiving other treatments for depression; Finzi required that there be no change in those treatments for three months before he injected the Botox.”
Finzi agreed that the effects of Botox on depression must be investigated in a much larger study before any conclusions about a link can be established, but a growing body of work suggests that changing expressions can influence mood. People asked to smile while watching a cartoon, for instance, report it is funnier than people who are not asked to smile.
Alastair Carruthers, president-elect of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, agreed that Finzi's study provides new insight into a phenomenon clinicians have noticed.
"Anyone who has injected much Botox into the frown area has had people come in and say they can't believe how they feel better as a result," said Carruthers, clinical professor in dermatology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, in an interview. "We've not really been able to put our fingers on why. . . . We have been doing research based on appearance, but it may be due to some mood-altering effect of Botox that we don't understand."
Finzi's study was published this month in the society's journal, Dermatologic Surgery.”
I have found out that Dr. Finzi has taken out a US Patent to be the first physician to treat depression with Botox.
Of course, I will have to try it myself and let you know my results. Of note, this is by far my coolest experiment to date. If this proves true, women all over the world will jump for joy!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
OCD & The News Can Make It Worse
Over the past several months, we have been inundated with bad news. Seems like every time I turn on the TV, someone else has passed, or some major tragedy has occurred. It has been one horrible year for news, especially in the entertainment industry. This year’s Academy Awards could use up the entire show for remembrances. My head is spinning from Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Natashia Richardson, David Carradine, The Travoltas, Ed McMahon, Walter Cronkite, Patrick Swayze - I could go on to fill up this entire page with people who have recently passed. I can’t even watch an Oxy Clean commercial without a feeling of horror. The media has saturated the airwaves with extensive coverage of all these events. This just brings home the reality right that we are mortal, and no matter how much money, fame, or riches we have, we are all the same in the end. It is a sobering realization.
Whether or not we are fans of these people is not the issue. The issue is that we cannot escape the torrent of despair that is raining down upon us. It seems to have a snowball effect. Bad news is emanating from the TV, radio, Internet, text messages, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Even my e-mail is filled with threatening chain letters saying I will be a victim of bad luck if I don’t forward it to 25 people. I delete all of them, but it’s ridiculous – I don’t need stress from e-mail. All this can become very depressing for everyone, but especially to emotionally sensitive people. Life is difficult enough at times just as it is, and besides the world news and the impact it has on society, many people have been hit hard by their own realities, and have been dealing with personal issues.
What we desperately need is a dose of good feelings. I wish that the local news would have a segment about happy things, but until it does, I will have to avoid it. I also refuse to read the horrible stories that have inundated my computer screen. Can’t someone give us a shot of hope and happiness? I wish that people would spread happy news the way they inform others about the bad things. If everyone did this, the mood of the collective consciousness would vastly improve.
I hope that everyone can find the happy things in their lives and focus on them. If you have any good news, please contact me.
Whether or not we are fans of these people is not the issue. The issue is that we cannot escape the torrent of despair that is raining down upon us. It seems to have a snowball effect. Bad news is emanating from the TV, radio, Internet, text messages, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Even my e-mail is filled with threatening chain letters saying I will be a victim of bad luck if I don’t forward it to 25 people. I delete all of them, but it’s ridiculous – I don’t need stress from e-mail. All this can become very depressing for everyone, but especially to emotionally sensitive people. Life is difficult enough at times just as it is, and besides the world news and the impact it has on society, many people have been hit hard by their own realities, and have been dealing with personal issues.
What we desperately need is a dose of good feelings. I wish that the local news would have a segment about happy things, but until it does, I will have to avoid it. I also refuse to read the horrible stories that have inundated my computer screen. Can’t someone give us a shot of hope and happiness? I wish that people would spread happy news the way they inform others about the bad things. If everyone did this, the mood of the collective consciousness would vastly improve.
I hope that everyone can find the happy things in their lives and focus on them. If you have any good news, please contact me.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
OCD and Today Is All There Is
I was sitting here and caught my mind drifting off to a September years ago when I had to go for medical tests (which eventually turned out fine, but caused me several weeks of terror, and ruined my month.) I think my mind automatically went to this scenario because it is once again September, and the cool weather triggered off this memory. I just realized that I am depressed for absolutely no good reason. A memory has done this to me.
Lately, I have been trying to catch myself from becoming immersed in negative emotions from the past, or worrying about the unknown of the future. If I think about all the time I’ve wasted due to lingering in bad memories, it may add up to years. I’ve also spend endless hours ritualizing, ruminating, worrying about the past and the future. How much of the present has been lost? Can it ever be recovered?
I must realize that the past is done and can’t be undone. I must realize the gift of the Present, the NOW. That is all there really is anyway. What’s good about that is that there is always a fresh NOW to become involved in. Right NOW is the best time in life to change the future. What we do NOW sets up the future. We can have hope, we do have choices. This applies to OCD as well as everything else.
I want to be aware of right now, and realize that it has absolutely no bearing on what was. The bad things are gone, so why relive them? I want to focus on the moment I am in. I’m trying to notice everything around me such as the sounds, the smells, and looking for happiness and beauty in whatever I am looking at. I am going to realize the abundance, not the lack.
If you are mindful, which means that you need to be vigilant of what you are thinking, and grateful for what is right now- what you do have, you won’t be so focused on what was wrong. Also, focusing on NOW takes away the worry about what may be. No more September blahs for me! I hope everyone has a fantastic September as well.
Lately, I have been trying to catch myself from becoming immersed in negative emotions from the past, or worrying about the unknown of the future. If I think about all the time I’ve wasted due to lingering in bad memories, it may add up to years. I’ve also spend endless hours ritualizing, ruminating, worrying about the past and the future. How much of the present has been lost? Can it ever be recovered?
I must realize that the past is done and can’t be undone. I must realize the gift of the Present, the NOW. That is all there really is anyway. What’s good about that is that there is always a fresh NOW to become involved in. Right NOW is the best time in life to change the future. What we do NOW sets up the future. We can have hope, we do have choices. This applies to OCD as well as everything else.
I want to be aware of right now, and realize that it has absolutely no bearing on what was. The bad things are gone, so why relive them? I want to focus on the moment I am in. I’m trying to notice everything around me such as the sounds, the smells, and looking for happiness and beauty in whatever I am looking at. I am going to realize the abundance, not the lack.
If you are mindful, which means that you need to be vigilant of what you are thinking, and grateful for what is right now- what you do have, you won’t be so focused on what was wrong. Also, focusing on NOW takes away the worry about what may be. No more September blahs for me! I hope everyone has a fantastic September as well.
Friday, August 14, 2009
OCD & Hell Is Not For Children
Last night I went to a Pat Benatar concert. After all these years, she is still smokin’ hot and can belt out a song just like she used to do. I think she is such a great, talented lady. She also had a message. She was telling a story about how she witnessed child abuse, and that it had such an effect on her that her song “Hell Is For Children,” was the result of her emotional experience.
There are many children suffering from physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse, and it is not always from their parents. Listening to her emotional rendition of that song brought me back to my grammar school days. I not only was a victim of abuse from some of my teachers, but I also witnessed kids getting hit with pointers, having their heads slammed into blackboards, and many other things, which I write about in my book. In religion class, some of the nuns threatened us with burning in hell if we didn’t obey. This triggered off many of my fears and OCD problems as a child.
Abuse comes in many forms, and parents as by no means always to blame. Children can be victims of teachers, care takers, siblings, as well as other children. Little children may be too young to be able to verbalize these atrocities. I hope that everyone can realize the signs of abuse, some of which can be; increased nervousness, sudden fears, ritualizing, drop in grades, loss of interest in activities, depression, and withdrawal from others. If we can raise awareness, we can save much suffering in this world..
Hell definitely is NOT for children. They all belong to heaven.
There are many children suffering from physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse, and it is not always from their parents. Listening to her emotional rendition of that song brought me back to my grammar school days. I not only was a victim of abuse from some of my teachers, but I also witnessed kids getting hit with pointers, having their heads slammed into blackboards, and many other things, which I write about in my book. In religion class, some of the nuns threatened us with burning in hell if we didn’t obey. This triggered off many of my fears and OCD problems as a child.
Abuse comes in many forms, and parents as by no means always to blame. Children can be victims of teachers, care takers, siblings, as well as other children. Little children may be too young to be able to verbalize these atrocities. I hope that everyone can realize the signs of abuse, some of which can be; increased nervousness, sudden fears, ritualizing, drop in grades, loss of interest in activities, depression, and withdrawal from others. If we can raise awareness, we can save much suffering in this world..
Hell definitely is NOT for children. They all belong to heaven.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
OCD and Remember To Remember
Sometimes people can get stuck in a bad pattern of thinking. Something triggers a memory; a picture, a song, a scent, just about anything, and you can be transported back through time, reliving a bad thought over and over again. Becoming immersed in bad thoughts produces bad feelings, which ruin the present. Wrong thinking can also project you into an imagined bad future.
It’s important to be aware of these negative thought patterns. It is only your past conditioning that has made you become stuck in this bad thinking pattern. Your past bad thoughts are no longer real, but your mind does not know this, and it will again become your reality. Recognizing this, and bringing your thoughts to the present moment changes your emotions. By right thinking, you can consciously carry better thoughts with you throughout the day, which will make life much more enjoyable.
In the book, The Secret, Rhonda Byrne says “Remember to remember.” If thoughts begin drifting to a bad place, catch them before they ruin your moment or your day.“Remember To Remember,” and consciously bring better scenarios into your now. Get off Auto Pilot and control your own destiny.
Also, if children were taught how to do this at an early age, they could be spared much anxiety and stress. Being conscious of negative thoughts will enable them to live much better lives.
It’s important to be aware of these negative thought patterns. It is only your past conditioning that has made you become stuck in this bad thinking pattern. Your past bad thoughts are no longer real, but your mind does not know this, and it will again become your reality. Recognizing this, and bringing your thoughts to the present moment changes your emotions. By right thinking, you can consciously carry better thoughts with you throughout the day, which will make life much more enjoyable.
In the book, The Secret, Rhonda Byrne says “Remember to remember.” If thoughts begin drifting to a bad place, catch them before they ruin your moment or your day.“Remember To Remember,” and consciously bring better scenarios into your now. Get off Auto Pilot and control your own destiny.
Also, if children were taught how to do this at an early age, they could be spared much anxiety and stress. Being conscious of negative thoughts will enable them to live much better lives.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
OCD & Did the Contaminated Lady Kill My Cat?
People with OCD are victims of automatic thoughts which have been ingrained on the mind. Years ago I fell in love with a fluffy little kitten, who I named Lambchop. I took her home immediately. She made me incredibly happy, and if you have a pet that you love deeply, you will know how I felt.
One day, a neighbor of mine was passing by, and she walked up to my stoop and we started talking and the topic tuned to animals. I told her about my new kitten and she asked to see her. I really didn't want to show Lambchop to her, but she insisted. I felt uneasy as she was petting her, but didn't say anything.
Several days later, Lambchop became very ill and eventually passed away. It was very horrible for me, and I blamed my neighbor, and she has been "contaminated" ever since. For years, if I saw her, I would become terrified that something would happen to one of my pets. I would do a ritual to protect them.
This is the nature of OCD - We have experienced anxiety in the past, and are anticipating it again. In order to avoid the disturbing emotion of anxiety, we have inadvertently created a false belief system which tells us that our rituals will protect us.
I hope that people with OCD will be able to recognize this pattern in their minds and interrupt the OCD thought and challenge it.
I'd like to know your thoughts about this - sometimes I still wonder.
One day, a neighbor of mine was passing by, and she walked up to my stoop and we started talking and the topic tuned to animals. I told her about my new kitten and she asked to see her. I really didn't want to show Lambchop to her, but she insisted. I felt uneasy as she was petting her, but didn't say anything.
Several days later, Lambchop became very ill and eventually passed away. It was very horrible for me, and I blamed my neighbor, and she has been "contaminated" ever since. For years, if I saw her, I would become terrified that something would happen to one of my pets. I would do a ritual to protect them.
This is the nature of OCD - We have experienced anxiety in the past, and are anticipating it again. In order to avoid the disturbing emotion of anxiety, we have inadvertently created a false belief system which tells us that our rituals will protect us.
I hope that people with OCD will be able to recognize this pattern in their minds and interrupt the OCD thought and challenge it.
I'd like to know your thoughts about this - sometimes I still wonder.
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