Mom’s Blog

Depression is a condition that can easily be misunderstood since all of us have some periods of feeling sad. Depression is generally episodic in nature and comes and goes in phases. There are stretches of perfectly normal behavior that alternate with periods of gloominess. Sometimes an ailment as simple as a viral fever can cause certain symptoms to appear that may seem like depression.

Some behaviors that may indicate depression are as follows:

* A depressive mood that continues for more than two weeks
* Persistent symptoms like self loathing, low self-esteem, insomnia or too much sleep
* Gloominess that hampers daily functioning
* If similar symptoms surface, professional help should be sought for treating depression.

The treatment of depression requires a continuous and long term regimen of antidepressants and similar medications. Antidepressants are drugs that fight depression. They work by trying to increase the supply of neurotransmitters, like dopamine, that are essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system. Antidepressants remove depressive feelings by elevating spirits and general mood.

The two major types of antidepressants are

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Posted on January 4th, 2009 by Dee
Filed under: Anxiety, Depression | 1 Comment »

Often when people are experiencing insomnia they are quick to grab an over the counter medication in the hopes of remedying the problem. These medications can have more negative effects than anything else.

Therefore, many turn to herbal remedies and attempt to battle their insomnia in a more natural fashion. There are several herbal choices that can be extremely beneficial in treating insomnia.

Many of the herbal remedies that are on the market today actually mirror some prescription drugs minus the sometimes complicated and unpleasant side effects. For example, many use St. John Wort for anxiety rather than going on some other drug like Zoloft, Paxil, or Prozac.

The leaves of the catnip plant are known to cause sedation in humans. The only problem with this approach is that there is no designated dose to take, however it is safe for humans to consume.

Because of the problem with accurate doses, it is not a good idea for small children to use it and also it should not be used by women who are pregnant.

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Posted on December 25th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Adult Sleep Disorders, Child Sleep Disorders | 1 Comment »

Studies show that women are more commonly susceptible to sleep disorders as compared to men. Hormonal imbalance is the chief factor that causes sleep disorders in women. Other than that are psychosocial and emotional factors such as stress, illness, unhealthy lifestyle, and uncomfortable sleeping environment.

Pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome and menopausal stages are inevitable experiences all women have to go through and these are reasons enough why experts agree that every woman would get any kind of sleep disorder at least once in her life.

Amongst all known sleep disorders, insomnia is said to be the most prevalent especially in young adults who are experiencing bouts of premenstrual syndrome. Insomnia is a sleeping disturbance characterized by the inability to fall asleep and sustain it, waking up earlier than what the body needs, and the difficulty to go back to sleep once already awakened.

Aside from the fluctuation of hormonal levels during PMS, another thing that causes insomnia is anxiety, or worse, depression. Maintaining good sleeping habits and a well-balanced lifestyle is the key to prevent and cure insomnia. For worse case scenarios, therapeutic programs are usually prescribed.

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Posted on December 14th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Adult Sleep Disorders, Women's Health | No Comments »

We all know what it’s like to be afraid of social interaction.  The first time we ask a boy or girl out, a big speech at school, our first piano recital.  Being afraid of being embarrassed in public is normal.  However, for people with social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, this is part of everyday life.

Many people with social phobia are simply labeled shy, but the disorder is much more serious.  Social anxiety disorder is an overwhelming and paralyzing fear of interacting with, or sometimes just being in front of, other people.  Those affected feel like they are constantly being watched and judged, and live in fear of doing something that will make them look bad or embarrass them.  While we all worry about these things at times, for those with social anxiety, the fear is constant and often paralyzing.

For some people, social phobia simply causes them to act shyly and avoid being noticed.  They will often not speak up, not raise their hand, and simply do things to avoid attention.  For others, they may actually do things to avoid social interaction completely.  If not treated, people with severe social phobias may shut themselves off from the world.

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Posted on December 2nd, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Anxiety, Depression | No Comments »

We all feel the effects of stress as we go through our day. Most of us understand the value of managing stress effectively. The trouble for most is in knowing how to go about managing stress. Perhaps some of the best-known stress reducing tools is being able to understand what causes the stress in our life, being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress, and learning techniques to bring relief from the stress.

Stress management professionals will advise participants and students in the many seminars they put on to learn relaxation techniques and breathing exercised designed to relax your mind, body and emotions so that you can more effectively deal with the cause of your stress.

Managing stress requires understanding the causes of stress as well as the signs and symptoms of stress. We can encounter stress when we become ill, when we experience financial hardship, when we lose a relationship or lose a family member among other reasons. We can experience stress as a result of feeling guilty over a bad deed, when we have low self-esteem, or when we are in mortal danger. There are lots of hidden reasons for being stressed out when it comes to lifestyle such as when you move, become sexually active, go through puberty, get married or divorced, become pregnant for the first time or enter into retirement. Individuals who are born with physical, mental or emotional challenges are also exposed to stress throughout their lives.

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Posted on November 17th, 2008 by Dee
Filed under: Adult Stress, Relaxation | No Comments »