Depression is a true medical illness, just like having diabetes or high blood pressure. It’s not a weakness, having the blues or something one can just snap out of. Fortunately, like most illnesses, it is treatable through medication and psychotherapy.

Common symptoms of depression include feeling sad, unhappy, irritable or frustrated; a loss of interest in things that usually bring pleasure; feeling worthless; fatigue, excessive sleeping or insomnia; indecisiveness and decreased concentration; and in some cases, thoughts of death, dying or suicide.

Many of us may briefly experience any of the above symptoms, but the person with true depression lives with these symptoms day in and day out.

Some risk factors of depression are having biological relatives who have depression or who have committed suicide and experiencing stressful events, such as the death or loss of a loved one. Women are also at risk, especially after a pregnancy. Other risk factors are serious, chronic illness and abuse of alcohol, drugs or nicotine.

In general, the most effective treatment for depression is a combination of medication and psychotherapy.

There are many types of antidepressant drugs available, and finding the right one may take some trial and error. Antidepressant drugs may take several weeks to take effect.

A patient who experiences undesired side effects should not stop taking the medication without consulting the prescribing doctor. In many cases, one must taper off the drug to avoid withdrawal.

Psychotherapy is provided by a trained and licensed professional, who can help one to understand one’s thoughts and behaviors and guide one in making effective changes. Ideally, this treatment can also provide a regained feeling of hope, happiness and control.

If someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, help is needed immediately. Here’s what needs to be done:

- Contact a family member, friend or clergy member for help.

- call a suicide hotline number. our local number is 877-663-5433.

- Seek professional consultation from a doctor or a mental health provider.

If someone you know is on the verge of, or has attempted, suicide, call 911 immediately for professional and rapid help.

Depression is not a weakness; it is a treatable illness. A doctor can help.

- Terry Hollenbeck, M.D., is an urgent-care physician at Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz in Scotts Valley. Readers can view his previous columns on his website, valleydoctor.wordpress.com, or email him at . Information in this column is not intended to replace advice from your own health care professional. for any medical concern, consult your own doctor.

Palm Springs, California (NAPSI) – Healthcare providers know that no two patients are alike-and that diseases can manifest themselves quite differently between men and women.

For example, heart attacks plague both genders, but the symptoms vary. Men having heart attacks typically report chest pain that radiates down the arm, while women may instead feel indigestion, extreme fatigue and nausea.

Women often metabolize medicines differently than men in ways that aren’t explained simply by differences in body sizes.

For example, researchers have found that women metabolize nicotine more quickly than men, so a lower-dose nicotine patch for smoking cessation may not be as effective for women.

Women are also more prone to diseases that aren’t obviously related to their sex—diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, migraines, osteoporosis and fibromyalgia. About 90 percent of Americans suffering from lupus, migraines and fibromyalgia are women.

Recognizing these differences, PhRMA recently released a report on new medicines in development, which finds that America’s biopharmaceutical research companies now have 851 medicines in the pipeline for diseases that exclusively or disproportionately affect women.

Some of the greatest strides are being made in understanding and treating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, which is two to three times more prevalent among women than men.

Currently, more than 100 medicines for autoimmune diseases are in clinical trials or awaiting Food and Drug Administration review.

Many common cancers only or predominantly affect women. Companies are currently working on 139 medicines for these cancers, such as ovarian cancer and breast cancer.

A better understanding of how women react to stress is helping researchers understand how to approach treatments for autoimmune diseases and psychiatric illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Women’s bodies, for example, react to stress by producing higher levels of cytokines, which are cells secreted by the nervous system, said Lorraine Fitzpatrick, M.D., Medicine Development Leader for GlaxoSmithKline.

Progress in understanding and treating autoimmune diseases represents “one of the great strides made recently for women’s health,” she added.

To find out more, visit youtube.com/watch?v=ppiculo5b6c. For more information on biopharmaceutical research and medicines in development, visit phrma.org/research/new-medicines.

I heard from some people and websites that Crohn's Disease symptoms can/may be eased through Marijuana use.
Is this true?
I mean, can anyone on here tell me if they do better smoking pot?

A bill legalizing medical marijuana may be passed in NJ soon and i would like it to because if marijuana eases my pain and nausea, i want it as medicine.

To Shannon W….smoking is known to WORSEN Crohn's, but interestingly, seems to have a protective benefit in ulcerative colitis (similar to Crohn's disease but known to only affect the colon). I'm not sure if it's from the smoke itself or the nicotine and other stuff in cigarettes, or both, but I just know that anyone with Crohn's is encouraged to AVOID smoking. and yes, smoking is bad for you anyway, so it's dumb to smoke just in hopes it will keep ulcerative colitis in remission or at bay.

I have mixed feelings on marijuana being legal. I definitely think it should be legal for medical use, but I'm not sure about it being legal for general use. Of course it's safer than other illegal drugs overall, but it doesn't mean it's good in every way. I don't know if the smoke from marijuana could worsen Crohn's or UC, but it sure seems to have good medical benefits for people with cancer, let alone someone with Crohn's or UC who might have pain and/or nausea.

I'm Christian too so that plays a role in how I feel about using drugs to get high on and deal with things, even if it's a legal drug. and I know you asked about using weed for medical use, but I figured I'd mention this anyway. I didn't know marijuana has been decriminalized in MA, but that's cool if so, especially for people who could really benefit from it medically. Even though a lot is known about it, I still think it should be studied more for medical use. I'm sure if it becomes legal in more places, that might be what happens eventually. but even if it's legal in a state, the federal govt. can override things and shut down places that sell marijuana for medical use, or stop doctors from giving it I'm pretty sure. but hopefully that happens less and less, since a lot of people want it for valid medical reasons, and not just to get high.

I have Crohn's and although I have never heard of marijuana helping, (well, I am sure it would with the nausea) I have heard that just plain old smoking can help. I have had 2 doctor's tell me that back in the 50's & 60's smoking cigarettes was regularlly suggested to people with stomach and bowel issues. although, now the risk of other diseases and cancers far outways the solution.

Now, I can see the positive side of using marijuana for pain management, cramping and nausea, but when I am going through a flare up, eating is the last thing I want to do. the more I eat, the more pain I get, so what would the muchies do? Maybe make the problem worse? or perhaps if there is no pain, you could eat?

Here is a link I found to the Cannabis Coalition of Crohn's & Colitis:

I've heard that eating high sugar foods or ingesting large amounts of stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, etc) can worsen symptoms of ADHD. is this true? does the theory have any grounding in scientific research?

Yes they can and the scientific basis on it is simply that stimulants like caffeine and nicotine are just that: stimulants. they increase energy and blood flow, which would exacerbate the HYPERACTIVE portion of the ADHD quite easily.

They say it does, but I don't believe it.

Getting ready for the Parkinson’s 5K Walk & Fun Run 2008Image by gebl(C)Gebl 2008

The devalue next is display good guarantee not usually for the impediment of Parkinson’s disease, though additionally alleviating of the symptoms.

It’s cheap, of march partial of the food chain, as good as display good guarantee with the diagnosis of the series of conditions in serve to Parkinson’s disease, from Depression to Alzheimer’s, as good as most others.

The devalue is informed to everybody as good as is:

Parkinson’s mildew belongs to the organisation of conditions which start rebate between cigarette smokers than in non-smokers.

Smoking is of march harmful, no the single should take it up to forestall or assuage the disease; however the specific devalue in cigarette smoking which is believed to forestall as good as additionally yield service for suffers is – Nicotine.

Nicotine in Pure Form is protected & non toxic

Nicotine private from cigarettes in the healthy state is the safe, non poisonous as good as is found in most usual dishes as good as vegetables.

Nicotine is right away display good guarantee in healing investigate in conditions of both impediment of Parkinson’s disease, as good as additionally for the lessening of the symptoms.

Nicotine & Parkinson’s Disease Research

Research has referred to which the little of the transformation difficulties gifted by Parkinson suffers have been rebate serious after smoking cigarettes, receiving nicotine resin or regulating nicotine patches.

Researchers have been wakeful for over thirty years which fewer smokers get Parkinson’s diseases than non-smokers.

The regard was initial done in the 1970′s as good as identical formula have been shown in all successive tests.

The protecting outcome is large, active smokers have the 60% rebate in risk compared with those who have never been smokers.

Nicotine is not usually display good guarantee in the surety start though additionally in alleviating the symptoms of suffers who have the mildew already.

How Nicotine can help

Researchers hold which the categorical reason underlying the protecting movement of nicotine might be the capability to enlarge the countenance of neurotrophic factors which have been well known to assistance the presence of dopaminergic neurons, as nicotine increases the series of “nicotinic” receptors in the brain.

These receptors change the prolongation as good as recover of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Parkinson’s mildew occurs when brain cells which furnish dopamine, an critical containing alkali follower die. People do not get Parkinson’s mildew until approximatley 80% to 90% of the dopamine-producing cells have been dead.

Nicotine is believed to strengthen these cells opposite repairs as good as as the effect forestall the disease. Alleviating the symptoms

Nicotine might assistance to relieve mental recall difficulties which start in the little people with Parkinson’s disease.

The series of nicotinic receptors have been decreased in the smarts of people who have Parkinson’s disease.

The nicotine in cigarette smoke, in the nicotine vegetable patch or in resin might lead to an additional kick of these superfluous nicotinic receptors as good as to illustrate assuage the symptoms.

Nicotine is accessible in rags as good as resin as good as multiform companies have looked during nicotine H2O as the protected smoothness process for organic nicotine with no combined chemicals.

Nicotine H2O is already being marketed as good as serve products have been being researched, all with the target of delivering pristine organic nicotine though damaging chemicals.

Nicotine natures consternation drug?

While nicotine has had an picture complaint due to the organisation with smoking.

There is however the lot of fad about the intensity to forestall as good as assistance with the series of healing conditions which embody not usually Parkinson’s disease, though also:

Alzheimer’s disease, Schizophrenia, obesity, basin as good as even the little cancers.

Research is during an early theatre with most conditions, though Nicotine could only be about to get open approval for the poignant illness benefits.

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