Sunday, December 30, 2007

Women and Mental Health Research
Mental illnesses affect women and men differently. Some disorders are more common in women, and some express themselves with different symptoms. Scientists are only now beginning to tease apart the contribution of various biological and psychosocial factors to mental health and mental illness in both women and men. In addition, researchers are currently studying the special problems of treatment for serious mental illness during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Research on women's health has grown substantially in the last 20 years. Today's studies are helping to clarify the risk and protective factors for mental disorders in women and to improve women's mental health treatment outcome.
Depressive Disorders
In the U.S., nearly twice as many women (12.0 percent) as men (6.6 percent) are affected by a depressive disorder each year.1 These figures translate to 12.4 million women and 6.4 million men. Depressive disorders include major depression, dysthymic disorder (a less severe but more chronic form of depression), and bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness). Major depression is the leading cause of disease burden among females ages 5 and older worldwide.
Depressive disorders raise the risk for suicide. Although men are four times more likely than women to die by suicide, women report attempting suicide about two to three times as often as men. Self-inflicted injury, including suicide, ranks 9th out of the 10 leading causes of disease burden for females ages 5 and older worldwide.

Research shows that before adolescence and late in life, females and males experience depression at about the same frequency. Because the gender difference in depression is not seen until after puberty and decreases after menopause, scientists hypothesize that hormonal factors are involved in women's greater vulnerability. Stress due to psychosocial factors, such as multiple roles in the home and at work and the increased likelihood of women to be poor, at risk for violence and abuse, and raising children alone, also plays a role in the development of depression.

While many women report some history of premenstrual mood changes and physical symptoms, an estimated 3 to 4 percent suffer severe symptoms that significantly interfere with work and social functioning. This impairing form of premenstrual syndrome, also called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), appears to be an abnormal response to normal hormone changes. Researchers are studying what makes some women susceptible to PMDD, including differences in hormone sensitivity, history of other mood disorders, and individual differences in the function of brain chemical messenger systems. Antidepressant medications known to work via serotonin circuits are effective in relieving the premenstrual symptoms. Women with susceptibility to depression may be more vulnerable to the mood-shifting effects of hormones.

Postpartum depression is a serious disorder where the hormonal changes following childbirth combined with psychosocial stresses such as sleep deprivation may disable some women with an apparent underlying vulnerability. NIMH research is evaluating the use of antidepressant medication and psychosocial interventions following delivery to prevent postpartum depression in women with a history of this disorder.
NIMH researchers recently found that women who suffer depression as they enter the early stages of menopause (perimenopause) may find estrogen to be an alternative to traditional antidepressants. The efficacy of the female hormone was comparable to that usually reported with antidepressants in the first controlled study of its direct effects on mood in perimenopausal women meeting standardized criteria for depression.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders, which include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder, affect an estimated 13.3 percent of Americans ages 18 to 54 in a given year, or about 19.1 million adults in this age group. Women outnumber men in each illness category except for OCD and social phobia, in which both sexes have an equal likelihood of being affected.

Results from an NIMH-supported survey showed that female risk of developing PTSD following trauma is twice that of males. PTSD is characterized by persistent symptoms of fear that occur after experiencing events such as rape or other criminal assault, war, child abuse, natural disasters, or serious accidents. Nightmares, flashbacks, numbing of emotions, depression and feeling angry, irritable, or distracted and being easily startled are common. Females also are more likely to develop long-term PTSD than males and have higher rates of co-occurring medical and psychiatric problems than males with the disorder.
Eating Disorders
Females comprise the vast majority of people with an eating disorder?anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder. In their lifetime, an estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia and an estimated 1.1 to 4.2 percent suffer from bulimia. An estimated 2 to 5 percent experience binge-eating disorder in a 6-month period. Eating disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior; rather, they are real, treatable illnesses. In addition, eating disorders often co-occur with depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders, and also cause serious physical health problems. Eating disorders call for a comprehensive treatment plan involving medical care and monitoring, psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, and medication management. Studies are investigating the causes of eating disorders and effectiveness of treatments.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is the most chronic and disabling of the mental disorders, affecting about 1 percent of women and men worldwide. In the U.S., an estimated 2.2 million adults ages 18 and older, about half of them women, have schizophrenia. The illness typically appears earlier in men, usually in their late teens or early 20s, than in women, who are generally affected in their 20s or early 30s. In addition, women may have more depressive symptoms, paranoia, and auditory hallucinations than men and tend to respond better to typical antipsychotic medications. A significant proportion of women with schizophrenia experience increased symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum.

Alzheimer's Disease
The main risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), a dementing brain disorder that leads to the loss of mental and physical functioning and eventually to death, is increased age. Studies have shown that while the number of new cases of AD is similar in older adult women and men, the total number of existing cases is somewhat higher among women. Possible explanations include that AD may progress more slowly in women than in men; that women with AD may survive longer than men with AD; and that men, in general, do not live as long as women and die of other causes before AD has a chance to develop. Research is being conducted to find ways to prevent the onset of AD and to slow its progression.

Caregivers of a person with AD are usually family members. Often wives and daughters. The chronic stress often associated with the care-giving role can contribute to mental health problems; indeed, caregivers are much more likely to suffer from depression than the average person is. Since women in general are at greater risk for depression than men are, female caregivers of people with AD may be particularly vulnerable to depression.

Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike Litman Show!

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With Much Love,
Arthur Buchanan

President/CEO
Out of Darkness & Into the Light
43 Oakwood Ave. Suite 1012
Huron Ohio, 44839
567-219-0994 (cell)

www.out-of-darkness.com
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What are Botox Injections and Are They For You?
Everybody wants to look beautiful and forever young but as we grow older, loss of the skin's softness is expected resulting in wrinkles and signs of aging. One way to slow down this visible aging process is through cosmetic therapies and injections. Currently there are a lot of products in the market that promise you a younger and attractive appearance.
Every day we watch a lot of advertisements of cosmetic treatments, which give assurance of their products. Mostly what we expect from these products is that they will remove our wrinkles and folds that look unattractive. Among these products most popular are collagen, Restylane and Botox injections. These injections have their own applications and characteristics. Let's focus our attention on Botox in this article.
The botulinum toxin has been known for centuries but it has been appreciated recently with the discovery of Botox. Botox was introduced thirty years ago. Earlier it was injected into the muscles surrounding the eyes of those patients who were suffering from crossed eyes.
Botox (Botulinum a toxin) injection is a method to recover your smooth and soft look. Botox injection is a FDA (Food and Drug Association) approved treatment. It is a purified protein, which is derived from bacterium clostridium botullinum, a toxin that can also cause food poisoning. Botox is a simple and speedy treatment. According to ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) Botox is the fastest growing treatment for wrinkles.
Wrinkles originate with the over usage of facial muscles. Botox is injected into targeted muscle with a fine needle. Botox simply inactivates the muscles that produce wrinkles. Botox blocks the release of acetylcholine chemical, which transmits nerve signals to contract the muscle. So, it is a mechanism of muscle inactivation. This process weakens the muscles that produce frown lines. With Botox these lines are smoothed out and become almost invisible within a week.
Botox mainly targets crows feet, frown lines, laugh lines and forehead lines. It is injected in small doses. It is a fast therapy. Botox has been used for years in treating a variety of patients. Botox injection can also be used for migraine headaches. It also can decrease sweating on palms, under arms and at the hairline.
It is advised to the Botox-injected patients that they adhere to a few guidelines and implications before and after the treatment if they want optimal results. After the injection, ice can be applied to the targeted area that will reduce any swelling and discomfort. Injection procedure takes only about ten minutes and after that patients can return to their routine life without delay. Do not massage the treated area as this may cause bruising. Botox cannot be used during pregnancy, breastfeeding or on neurology patients.
If too much toxin is injected or if it is injected at a wrong place in the body, a droopy eyelid muscle may result that lasts for a week or more. Botox effects last for 3-6 months and it causes minimal pain. Definitely this product is good for those people who want to change their look and want a wrinkle free, smooth and clear appearance with out full blown surgery.
Brought to you by Laser Dental Center in Orange County.
Visit Laser Dental Center for botox injections, other skincare services, and laser dental procedures. We also host a health directory for other health and medical resources.


Blood Circulation Problems and a River in Drought, Similar Causes and Effects!
What possible similarities could there be between blood circulation problems, and a river in times of drought? Quite a few in fact!
Have you ever spent any time observing a river system during a long drought? If you have you'll have noticed the health of the river system is poor compared to times of normal rainfall. During normal conditions a river is "Alive"; the water flow is healthy; the plant life and fish within the river are healthy and active; and the birdlife that live off the river are plenty. Compare this to a river in severe drought time; water flow ceases and only small pools of water remain; water life such as fish and insects are few and less active than normal; Birds that live off the river system are fewer; water plants die and are replaced by slime, silt and algae, and the river lacks the feel of vibrant energy that it would otherwise exude.

Now what does this have to do with blood circulation problems I hear you ask? Plenty in-fact. A river system dies to an extent during drought because there is a lack of water to flow through it to clear away debris, keep the river pathways open, and supply oxygen into the system; in effect it has a blood circulation problem, but in this case the "blood" is water, which is the lifeblood of a river system.

While your body may not have a shortage of blood volume like a river in drought as such, it does suffer blood circulation problems for the same reasons, as the flow of blood in most people rarely gets fast enough to clear the debris (byproducts from your body processes and diet), keep the pathways open (in our case smaller blood vessels), and feed a healthy oxygen supply to the cells of the body.
Without regular surges of blood flow to perform these tasks, our circulatory system starts to:
Silt up - In our case the silt takes the form of fatty deposits or plaque on the walls of the blood vessels. This is known as PVD (Peripheral Vascular Disease) or (Peripheral Artery Disease) depending on the type of blood vessel.
Reduced ability to keep the pathways (small blood vessels) open. In this case blood supply to the extremities recedes gradually over time. As the smaller blood vessels close off more, the resting blood pressure increases because the same volume of blood exists within a smaller network of blood vessels. Smoking has the effect of further constricting blood vessels adding to the problem.
The system as a whole becomes less capable of supplying adequate oxygen supply to the cells under the stress of any infrequent short bursts of activity.
One of the main reasons blood circulation problems develop is because the majority of people are relatively inactive and so there is rarely a high demand on the blood supply system; this leads to the smaller blood vessels closing off or becoming less efficient. The body adjusts its circulatory system in response to the demands placed on it; with the demands of an inactive person being low for the majority of the time the system has no need to develop an efficient blood supply system. Add to the sedentary lifestyle the popularity of high fat, and high cholesterol eating habits that introduce more pollutants to a circulatory system which is already inefficient and unable to handle these pollutants effectively, it is no wonder that blood circulation problems and all the associated health risks are at such high levels.
Indications of blood circulation problems are:
Cold feet or hands
Cramping, pain, or fatigue in the legs and feet
Tired or aching legs
Pins and needles in the feet
Swelling in the lower legs
The Good News
The good news about blood circulation problems is that it can be reversed and improved by doing the exact opposite to the things that caused the problem in the first place. Firstly, start doing some regular activity such as a short walk every day. At the start of every week increase the distance or amount of time that you walk, this will kick start the training response in the body and the circulatory system will slowly adjust to the new higher demand and become more efficient. After a while your walks should have increased to a point that you are receiving a good training effect and sufficient enough to begin reversing your blood circulation problems.
To further improve your blood circulation problems it is also important to make some dietary changes to reduce your cholesterol and fat intake. Also drink more water to help the circulatory system eliminate waste products. Add this to your walking routine and after a while you should notice some pleasant improvements to your blood circulation problems. There are also several extremely effective natural herbal supplements that can greatly improve blood circulation problems; however it is important to start getting active as a first step. Give your blood river a regular surge in flow through exercise and you'll clear out and strengthen your circulatory system and put your blood circulation problems behind you.

© 2006 Colin L Wolfenden

Colin L Wolfenden is webmaster for
http://www.my-resource.com and
http://www.impressiveebooks.com