Stress Management Blog..#Don't Be Stress #

Can you cure depression by simply going to the gym? The answer to that question might have you finally buying that club membership. According to a report published in Psychosomatic Medicine, regular (3-4 times per week) exercise may fight depression just as effectively as prescription medication (anti-depressants).


How Exercise Can Help Cure Depression

According to the research, patients who followed a modest exercise program fared as well as patients who took a particular popular anti-depressant. Almost 200 diagnosed depression sufferers followed one of three depression treatment programs: Exercise, Anti-Depressant Drug, or a Combination of Exercise and Anti-Depressant Drug. The group followed the program for a four month period and all three groups had lower depression rates at the end of the trial. However, follow-up examinations six months later on the subjects revealed that the exercise group experienced significantly lower relapse rates than the anti-depressants medication groups.


Can Depression be Cured Naturally?

Can curing depression naturally by exercise be more beneficial than anti-depressants? Many depression specialists speculate that many people thrive when knowing they are in control of their mental state by exercising. Medicated patients are often less improved because of the reliance on anti-depressants and knowing they do not control their moods. In fact, because of this research, thousands are turning to curing depression naturally without anti-depressants. As well as exercise, depression sufferers have also included: which foods to eat, which foods not to eat, what specific exercises cure depression, what herbs can be taken, and what vitamins should be considered that help cure depression.


Is the Natural Cure for You?

What would you rather have control you? A pill or yourself? If a natural cure was 100% guaranteed would you consider trying it? Barton Publishing Inc. specializes in research and education of safe, affordable natural remedies for numerous ailments including depression. Thousands of people have successfully chosen Barton Publishing Inc. to help with their illnesses because of their testimonials, reputation and 100% money-back guarantees for all of their natural remedies.
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There is little poison in every medication. However, sometimes one has to grin and bear the side effects of a drug for the greater benefit it confers. Here are some of the problems that can be caused by antidepressants – and how to deal with them:

Dry mouth is possibly the most common side effect of virtually all the antidepressants. Unless you are in heart failure, you should drink as much water as you need to quench your thirst. If necessary, chew sugarless gum to stimulate the production of saliva in your mouth. Since a dry mouth predisposes cavity formation, gum infection, and tooth loss, rinse your mouth twice a day with a fluoride preparation and see your dentist three or four times a year for oral hygiene.

Constipation is another common complication of antidepressants. It can be prevented by eating bran cereals every morning, drinking at least six 8-ounce glasses of water daily, eating salad twice a day, and exercising at least thirty minutes three or four times a week. Also, take a bulk-forming agent such as psyllium to make your stools easier to pass. But whatever you do, don’t fall into the laxative trap.

Bladder problems. If you have a large prostate, the tricyclic drugs can interfere with the flow of urine out of your bladder. If it takes you longer than five minutes to get things going after you arrive at the urinal, tell your doctor about it.

Blurred vision is a common side effect of the tricyclics. Chances are they won’t affect your distant vision, but you may have trouble reading. Most people adjust in a few weeks, but if you don’t and are apt to need these drugs for any length of time, have your glasses changed.

Dizziness is another complication of the tricyclics. This symptom worries me because it can lead to a fall and serious injury. If it persists, you’ll have to stop taking the drug. While using tricyclics, change position slowly to avoid a drop in blood pressure when going from sitting to standing, or when getting out of bed. Also, make sure you are consuming enough salt and fluids.

Drowsiness is frequently produced by virtually every antidepressant, though less so with the newer selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Most people adapt to it in time, and it is rarely a reason to quit taking the medication. However, while you are adjusting, don’t drive or operate dangerous equipment an extra cup of coffee will often perk you up.
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According to recent research by researchers, most treatments for depression, including cognitive behavioral therapy, diet and antidepressants aren't enough. The only lasting solution is the oldest of all - a supportive relationship.

Antidepressants were hailed in the 80s and 90s as the cure-all for this rapidly growing problem, particularly after the best-selling book Listening to Prozac. To make matters worse, researchers have now discovered that the real culprit in depression is probably not just insufficient levels of serotonin in the brain, which the antidepressants target, but a surfeit of the stress-related hormone, cortisol. We now also know that the brains of depressed people are not only out of balance chemically, they also tend to have a smaller hippocampus, which controls emotions and memory, and a less active frontal cortex.

Natural remedies for depression, which have the advantages of fewer side effects, aren’t the answer for everyone either. St John’s Wort is only suggested for mild depression, and many other supplements and foods can only help at best, not heal. In a calm, supportive, safe environment, the depressed person has a chance to heal, and to learn new cognitive patterns. But here’s the catch: the depressed adult will have sought out or recreated in their life many of the abusive or traumatic elements of childhood. This again is not their fault, or even the result of conscious decisions.

Psychotherapy - Depression may indicate that something isn't right with our relationships, our lifestyle or even our perceptions of ourselves. Consulting with a mental health practitioner can help sort things out in a caring setting. Studies indicate that those taking medication and participating in psychotherapy do better than those that rely only on drugs.
Exercise - Scientists have extensively studied the role of exercise in decreasing depressive symptoms. Aerobic and anaerobic exercises have both been found effective in combating depression. Walking, jogging, tennis, weightlifting, etc. are all great ways of counteracting the lethargy and helplessness of depression.

Diet - Eating a diet balanced in protein, complex carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids is important to maintaining healthy brain function.
Socialize - Depressed people tend to isolate themselves. This reinforces feelings of hopelessness. A good antidote is to get out and socialize with people you trust.
Support Groups - Being in a group helps people to verbalize their emotions, feel connected to others, and give one a new perspective. Sometimes just joining a club or civic organization is sufficient.
See a Physician or Naturopath - Depression may be caused by physical illness. If you feel depressed it is important to seek assistance from a physician or holistic medical practitioner.
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Laughter has been known to be very helpful to our bodies and this is very much so. It has been found that two hours of painless sleep is added to patients of ankylosing spondylitis who are exposed to ten minutes of comedy. These are very interesting statistics and they show clearly that laughter might actually be indeed the best medicine. Before we even look at more statistics, how do you feel when you are laughing? the feeling is hard to describe but one thing is for sure, it is a pleasurable experience which enables us to reach great heights of happiness and joy. This is the perfect recipe to eliminate stress. If you are able to laugh your way through situations, you have the ability to withstand anything making you immune against the harmful effects of stress.

Researchers have been on the front line to study exactly what happens when laughter takes place and how our immune systems are protected and made better by laughter. Two researchers from Loma Linda university in California, have published their study on how laughter affects our immune system. They are Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan and their results and conclusions were as follows. Laughing was found to reduce blood pressure, it was also found to reduce stress hormones. This will ensure that effects of stress for you will be a thing of the past for you. Laughter was also found to increase muscle flexion which ensure proper function of the muscles. Also with laughter, there was an increase in infection fighting T cells.

The discoveries were many and they will make you feel like laughing the whole day and the problem is finding a good joke. laughter helps in the production of the body's natural painkillers which are called endorphins. Also there will be production of disease fighting antibodies. When you laugh you breath in more and this improves your respiration and this is especially recommended for patients who suffer from respiratory diseases like emphysema. There are therefore more gains when it comes to laughing and even before you suffer from stress you should take it up and follow through with it and this is advise for everyone.

Some people have a problem while finding jokes to laugh at. This is totally not the case and it is an excuse that people make to justify their stress. You will find a joke that is funny to you and it might be boring to another therefore, humor tends to be a bit for individual taste but, there are jokes that serve almost everyone and the first thing you need to do is to find some comedy programs which are popular and get to experience what they might be about. There are also live comedy shows that you can attend. You can choose to go down memory lane and remember some of the things that made you crack. There is no doubt you will be smiling and that is all that is required to evade stress.
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Anyone who has ever suffered a panic attack will tell you the same verdict - its a truly terrifying experience. Unfortunately for some people, panic attacks never does go away as they keep suffering from repeated panic attacks. Hence, its important to know the steps to stopping panic attacks.

The first step to stopping panic attacks is to recognize its symptoms. A major indicator of panic attack is the sudden onset of intense fear that is totally unrelated to the situation you are in. Suddenly, you become fearful that your about to die or something terrible is about to happen.

Sometime, panic attack can have small starts. You might feel a bit shaky or nervous and your heart start to beat faster and faster. You start sweating and breathing heavily. These are all signs which can eventually lead to a full blown panic attacks. Train yourself to recognize these symptoms in order to get a decent head start in stopping panic attacks.

One of the best method to stop a panic attack is to practice deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing. Sit down (or lay down) and close your eyes. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. Focus on allowing the belly to rise easily when inhaling and fall when exhaling. The objective here is to breathe all the time with the belly (diaphragm) and not the chest.

You may experience some difficulty initially, but in the long run, you will find it MUCH easier to clam down.

Another method is to give yourself a "mental shake" to stop the symptoms. Some therapists recommend shouting "Stop" both verbally and mentally to snap yourself out from the fearful thoughts.

The third method is to calm yourself down using positive, logical statements. Always remind yourself that panic attack cannot harm you and you will always be fine. A few examples of such statements:

"Panic attack is not dangerous, its just uncomfortable. I know that I will always be fine. I will continue with I am doing."

"STOP! These thoughts are not good for me. They are not constructive at all. I will think differently."

Lastly, the most important step to stopping panic attacks is to accept it. This may sound strange but there's a reasoning behind it. Panic attack occur because your afraid of them. Your fearful of its symptoms because they make you feel awful. Thus, whenever you feel the symptoms coming, you will start to panic. By doing so, your actually adding fuel to the fire, you make panic attack happen! Don't run or hide from panic attacks. Accept it and make the decision to confront it!
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