Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically

July 21, 2015

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: The best ways of managing pain and depression

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically is a sure way of restoring the comforts of life for absolute happiness and life enjoyment to the fullest.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically can be a tall order for many people owing to the many life demands and challenges. But all the same we must all do something about these two conditions despite those known challenges. That is why we as professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury we are on the front in creating awareness to all people about depression and chronic pain so that people can take timely actions to defeat all the consequences that comes with late responses of these conditions. Therefore it would be very important for all of us to appreciate that depression doesn’t only affects our brains and behavior but it also affects our entire body. Doctor Akoury says that depression has been linked with other health problems like chronic pain and therefore if we have to address depression, then it would mean that we will be dealing with more than one health problem at a time which can be very difficult at times, but all the same it must be done professionally for timely treatment. Besides these it is important to note that depressive disorder or depression is a serious mental illness which can interfere with your daily activities, life and routine by impacting negatively on the quality of your life.

Pain on the other hand can also come in different kinds. The major types of pain we have include acute and chronic pain:

Acute pain – this kind of pain can be intense and short-lived, in which case we call it acute pain. Acute pain may be an indication of an injury however when the injury heals the pain usually goes away.

Chronic pain – this sensation lasts much longer than acute pain. Chronic pain can be mild or intense (severe). Therefore knowing how to deal with these conditions is very important and to get more about the approaches to take, we are going to respond to some of the questions that have been raised so that we can be up to speed with the modalities of dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically as we progress into the discussion.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: Is there a whole-life approach to treating pain and depression?

Like we had mentioned before, chronic pain and depression can affect a person’s entire life. Consequently, an ideal treatment approach addresses all the areas of your life that are affected by chronic pain and depression. Because of the connection between chronic pain and depression, it makes sense that treatments for these conditions overlap.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: How do antidepressants help both chronic pain and depression?

Because chronic pain and depression involve the same nerves and neurotransmitters, antidepressants are used to treat both chronic pain and depression. Antidepressants work on the brain to reduce the perception of pain. There is adequate evidence of the effectiveness of tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil and doxepin. However, because of side effects, their use is often limited. Newer antidepressants known as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (Cymbalta, Effexor), on the other hand, seem to work well with fewer side effects.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: How can physical activity help both chronic pain and depression?

Many people with chronic pain avoid exercise. But, if you don’t exercise, you get out of shape and have an increased risk of injury and worsened pain. Consult with a physician to design an exercise plan that’s safe and effective for you. Remember that exercise also helps in easing depression by releasing the same kind of brain chemicals that antidepressant medications release.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: Why is taking control important for healing?

Chronic pain affects your ability to live, work, and play the way you’re used to. This can change how you see yourself sometimes for the worse as you feel victimized by the pain and depression. Getting busy and taking control of your life is important. Working with a health care provider who refuses to see you as a helpless victim but sees you as a healthy person with pain is important.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: How does talk therapy help chronic pain and depression?

Research clearly shows that, for many people, certain kinds of mental training can help improve chronic pain. Like for instance, cognitive therapy is one approach. In cognitive therapy, a person learns to notice the negative “automatic thoughts” that surround the experience of chronic pain. These thoughts are often distortions of reality. Cognitive therapy can teach a person how to change these thought patterns and improve the experience of pain. Besides that cognitive therapy has also been proven as an effective treatment for depression and can reduce symptoms of anxiety in those with chronic pain.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: What’s the best way to manage chronic pain and depression?

The best way to approach managing chronic pain is to consult regularly with a pain specialist or even your family doctor to create a treatment plan. When chronic pain and depression are combined, the need to work with a doctor is even greater. When you visit your doctor’s office, tell him/her that you want to gain control over your chronic pain and depression. As you develop a plan, keep in mind that the ideal pain management plan will be multidisciplinary, which means it will address all areas of your life that are affected by the pain. Therefore empower yourself by tapping into available resources such as the American Chronic Pain Association, the American Pain Foundation, and the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. It is important that when you’ve started the treatment process, you must stay committed to the treatment plan until you feel in control of your pain and depression and can fully live your life, doing the activities you enjoy.

Finally to defeat this problem, don’t wait for too long but find a cognitive therapist near you with experience in the treatment of chronic pain. If you are in doubt then you can locate one by contacting AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center or alternatively you could settle for any of the cognitive therapists’ professional groups mentioned above.

Dealing with depression and chronic pain specifically: The best ways of managing pain and depression

Coping with chronic pain and Depression

July 21, 2015

Coping with chronic pain and Depression: Things you need to do when in pain

If coping with chronic pain and depression is giving you helpless night, then you need to seek for help immediately. Early treatment will go along way is dealing with the problem effectively.

Pain is one thing that we will always live with and we cannot just wish away. If you have not been in any kind of pain the probably you don’t know what pain is and so I will take time to briefly describe to you what pain is. According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, doctor Akoury says that medically pain could derived its meaning in relation to a sensation that hurts. It therefore means that there will be no pain without being hurt, feelings of discomfort, distress and in other times agony and this will also depends on the severity of the pain. When in pain you must be able to understand that generally pain can either be steady and constant and in such cases you may feel some aches. Besides that it might be a throbbing pain – a pulsating pain. The pain could have a pinching sensation, or a stabbing one. From the definition, we can comfortably say that it is not practically possible for one or those who suffer from chronic pain to feel stressed and depressed at times. This is no surprise, given the fact that “chronic pain” usually means pain that lasts more than three to six months. Nonetheless prolonged pain appears to set up a pathway in the nervous system that sends pain signals to the brain, even in the absence of an underlying anatomical problem. Therefore to understand the significance of pain well we are going to focus our discussion on the possibilities of coping with chronic pain and depression. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be sharing with us more about pain from a professional point of view.

Besides that it is important to appreciate that some chronic pain may be due to a diagnosable anatomical problem, such as degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis that can cause continual pain until successfully treated. More often, the chronic pain has no clear anatomical cause, as in failed back surgery syndrome or chronic back pain without an identified pain generator. In such cases, the pain is itself the disease. Yet again for some people, the stress and depression resulting from chronic pain can become consuming, and can even worsen and prolong the pain. Increased pain can, in turn, lead to increased stress and depression, creating a cycle of depression and pain that can be difficult to break. To be fairly safe from all these pains, there are certain things that we can do to prevent, manage or minimize chronic pain and depression. The following are some of the things you can do:

Coping with chronic pain and Depression: Minimizing the chances of developing chronic pain

Talking to a physician about symptoms of depression or stress, or a history of depression, while still in the acute pain phase can alert a physician to the need for consideration of both conditions in creating a treatment plan for the patient’s spine health. While one patient may demonstrate a full recovery from the initial injury, a patient who is more prone to depression and stress, shows signs of depression and/or stress, or who has a history of clinical depression may be more vulnerable to developing a chronic pain problem that persists beyond the initial acute pain complaint. An informed physician can suggest a treatment plan early on that treats the patient’s mental state as well as their physical pain, minimizing the chances of the patient developing a chronic pain problem.

It is advisable for patients to talk with their doctors if they experience any of the following common symptoms of depression that is changes in sleeping patterns, appetite and feelings of anxieties.

Remember that stress a lone can manifest itself in several ways. Therefore it is important for patients to seek their doctor’s opinion if they think or believe that they are displaying symptoms characteristic of stress-related back pain, which are similar to those of fibromyalgia: Back pain and/or neck pain, diffuse muscle aches, muscle tender points and sleep disturbance and fatigue. Besides that doctor Akoury says that chronic pain can also be exacerbated by things such as physical de-conditioning due to lack of exercise and an individual’s thoughts about the pain. Patients can help thwart their pain from developing into or minimizing chronic pain by engaging in an appropriate exercise program and practicing distraction, guided imagery and other cognitive techniques.

Coping with chronic pain and Depression: Stress triggers that can increase chronic pain

Patients can monitor how their own stress and anxiety affects their back pain by keeping a diary of when their back pain changes and what kinds of stress could be triggering the pain. This exercise can redirect a patient’s focus from the pain to the elements in their life that affect their pain. Identifying stress triggers or emotional triggers that affect the pain will give the patient the opportunity for better pain relief through avoiding or eliminating these stress triggers. Recognizing how depression and stress affect their pain can lessen anxiety by giving patients more control over their chronic pain problem.

Coping with chronic pain and Depression: Share your experience about depression

Doctor Akoury says that depression and an emotional reaction to chronic pain are normal. However many patients do not speak to their physicians about their depression because they believe that once the initial pain problem is resolved, the depression, anxiety, and stress they are feeling will go away. Nevertheless, secondary losses from a chronic pain problem, such as changes in the ability to do favorite activities, disrupted family relationships, financial stress, or the loss of a job, can continue to contribute to feelings of hopelessness and depression. Therefore talking to a physician about your feelings of depression will keep the physician better informed and better able to provide appropriate care. Remember that depression can affect the frequency and intensity of pain symptoms, and the healing process. In the meantime it is important to appreciate that getting simultaneous treatments for both the back pain and depression is healthy and will give the patient a better chance of realizing a full recovery.

Coping with chronic pain and Depression: Seek multi-disciplinary care for pain and depression

Did you know that by sharing your story with your physician about the challenges of depression, you can be creating an opportunity for a multi-disciplinary course of treatment involving both a physician and a mental health professional? This is very possible and with a team approach formula, both the pain problem and the depression are monitored simultaneously, and both doctors can communicate about how each area affects the other. It’s important for physicians to understand that changes in the physical symptoms of pain can also be related to changes in a patient’s mental state. Finally remember that even as you seek for these medications, some common treatments for pain, including opioid pain medication, can actually worsen your depressed situation. This worsening depression can then affect the physical presentation of the pain. Therefore if both physical and mental well-being is being monitored closely by medical experts, treatment and medication recommendations, including antidepressants, can be made that take both the physical pain and the emotional health of the patient into account. There are a lot more that can be done to remedy the situation. Therefore you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for more professional guidance today.

Coping with chronic pain and Depression: Things you need to do when in pain

How Cancer affects your emotional health

April 30, 2015

How Cancer affects your emotional health: Depression and cancer

How Cancer affects your emotional health is one thing you can avoid by being physically active

It is never fun to be told that you are suffering from cancer. When such news is broken to the patients, devastation, pain and anguish sets in not just to the patient but even to the relatives and loved ones. For sure most patients, families, and caregivers expresses some degree of depression, anxiety, and fear when cancer becomes part of their lives. These feelings are normal responses to this life-changing experience. We want to settle into the discussion of how cancer affects your emotional health and what you can do to help. We will be guided by the help of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where a lot of cancer preventive treatment are done. You can also be part of the many experiencing life transformation with the professionalism approach doctor Akoury is applying in the treatment of her clients.

Like I have just mention cancer is life threatening and people struggling with cancer will have the feelings expressed above which can be caused by many things, including changes in their families’ roles and even assignment at their work stations. A cancer patient is likely to feel the loss of control over life events, and bear the burden of dealing with changes in their body image. They might feel grief at the losses and changes in their lives that cancer brings. There may be fear of the eventualities like death, suffering, pain, or all the unknown elements that lie ahead. This may not be limited to the patients only but even the family members and caregivers may have these feelings too. It is possible that they will be afraid of losing their loved one. Anger of knowing that cancer is affecting their loved ones will be another concern especially with the knowledge that cancer is genetically inherited. This will in many ways cause both the patient and their loved ones frustration and stress that they are either not doing enough to help or that they have to do more at home.

In all these, it’s important to remember that people with cancer, as well as their friends and family, can feel distress about these things at any time after a cancer diagnosis, even many years after the cancer is treated. And as the cancer situation changes, they all must cope with new stressors along with the old, and their feelings often change, too. For instance, people dealing with cancer that’s spread and is making the person feel worse may have more emotional distress than those dealing with early-stage cancers.

People who have physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, or extreme tiredness (fatigue) also seem more likely to have emotional distress. Most of the time, physical symptoms can be controlled with medicines but it could take more than one try to find the right drug or combination of drugs. Doctor Akoury emphasizes that because of this, patient must keep consulting closely with their doctors and with their cancer team. This way they can help with these kinds of symptoms before you feel overwhelmed.

Take note that this link is tailored to equip you with health information that can help your families, friends, and caregivers to know what feelings and behaviors they might expect from their loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. It is also to help you understand what isn’t normal and when more needs to be done like getting outside help. Besides, it can also help you recognize when you or others need outside help. Remember that everybody is vulnerable to cancer and all these things can happen to anyone including your caregivers, friends, and family members too. Anyone affected by cancer theirs or a loved one will need help in dealing with the emotions that result.

How Cancer affects your emotional health: Depression and cancer

It’s normal to grieve over the changes that cancer brings to a person’s life. The future, which may have seemed so sure before, now becomes uncertain. Some dreams and plans may be lost forever. But if a person has been sad for a long time or is having trouble carrying out day-to-day activities, that person may have clinical depression. In fact, up to 1 in 4 people with cancer have clinical depression. The effects of clinical depression is alluded to great distress, impairs functioning, and might even make the person with cancer less able to follow their cancer treatment plan. In all these, there is still hope and the good news is that clinical depression can be treated. Therefore if you know of anyone who has symptoms of clinical depression, you can be their link to the much help they need, encourage them to get help from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. There are many ways to treat clinical depression including medicines, counseling, or a combination of both. With good and timely treatments, you can reduce your rate of suffering and improve the quality of your life.

How Cancer affects your emotional health: Symptoms of clinical depression

Loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities most of the time
Being slowed down or restless and agitated almost every day, enough for others to notice
Frequent thoughts of death or suicide (not just fear of death), suicide plans or attempts
Continues sadness, hopeless, or “empty” mood for most of the day
Extreme tiredness (fatigue) or loss of energy
Trouble focusing thoughts, remembering, or making decisions
Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless
Major weight loss (when not dieting) or weight gain
Trouble sleeping with early waking, sleeping too much, or not being able to sleep

Remember, some of these symptoms, such as weight changes, fatigue, or even forgetfulness can be caused by cancer and its treatment. However when five or more of these symptoms happen consistently daily for 2 weeks or more, or are severe enough to interfere with normal activities, it might be assign of depression. If this description fits your situation, then you need to be checked for clinical depression by a qualified health or mental health professional. If the person tries to hurt him- or herself, or has a plan to do so, get help right away.

How Cancer affects your emotional health: What to do

Promote physical activity, especially mild exercise such as daily walks.
Reassure the person that with time and treatment, he or she will start to feel better – and although changes to the treatment plan are sometimes needed, it’s important to be patient.
Help make appointments for mental health treatment, if needed.
Provide transportation for treatment, if needed.
Remember that it’s OK to feel sad and grieve over the losses that cancer has brought to their lives, and to yours.
Realize that being pessimistic and thinking everything is hopeless are symptoms of depression and should get better with treatment.
Engage the person in conversation and activities they enjoy.
Encourage the depressed person to continue treatment until symptoms improve, or to talk to the doctor about different treatment if there’s no improvement after 2 or 3 weeks.

If you suspect you may be depressed, schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.

How Cancer affects your emotional health: Depression and cancer

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer

April 30, 2015

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer: The most talk about type of cancer

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer is realistic and must be addressed timely if we have to keep the beauty and health of our loved ones breast.

Of all the cancer types, breast cancer is the one most studied more so when it comes to the psychosocial effects. It therefore goes without mention that of all the studies done, most of them are focusing on women and breast cancer. This is what the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury are going to help us understand. Remember that doctor Akoury is also the founder of this facility and ever since she has been of great help to many people across the globe. You can be among the many that have been treated and are now enjoying their lives to the fullest by seeking an audience with her today through a phone call and you will not regret it. In the meantime, let us settle into the discussion focusing on the depression in women with breast cancer.

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer: Longitudinal studies of depression in women with breast cancer

Like I had said before, this has become a great point of concern to researchers and a lot is being done in this direction. Like for instance and according to one of the prospective study where 160 women with breast cancer and were schedule for breast surgery, it was established that about 22% prevalence of depression in women who had a mastectomy for breast cancer. In relation to those with initial stages of cancer this prevalence was consistent for two years. During this period a 30% rate of anxiety in a study of 58 ambulatory women who were 5 years post treatment for breast cancer. Nonetheless women who had partial mastectomy followed by radiation had better body image but similar amount of anxiety and depression symptoms and fear of recurrence as did women who had modified radical mastectomy.

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer: Depression in breast cancer patients by surgical procedure

Of the many studies conducted, when the specialist were analyzing the various findings and in comparison with the psychological outcomes of the women undergoing different surgical procedures, it was established some low levels of depression but higher levels of anxiety in 133 ambulatory breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy after mastectomy or lumpectomy. The end result of this study shows clear evidence that in a cutoff score of 10 on HADS only two mastectomy patients were considered significantly depressed. And on the other hand if a HADS cutoff score of 8 was applied, then 6.7% were depressed. In contrast, in a study of 123 women with breast cancer, there was a clear evidence of high prevalence of depression (50% in mastectomy, 50% in lumpectomy with radiation versus 41% in lumpectomy only). These high percentages may have resulted from a use of a self-report depression scale (Center for Epidemiology Self-report Depression Scale [CES-D]) rather than a DSM-IIIR criteria-based clinical interview.

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer: Prior History of Depression in Women with Breast Cancer

Few researchers have noted the time of onset of depression or correlated patients’ history of depression with current depression or functioning. Notably, researchers reported findings on a homogenous sample of 79 women evaluated with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule and CES-D 3–7 months after their diagnosis of breast cancer. Nearly 18% of this sample had a past or current history of depression according to DSM-IIIR criteria. Women with elevated depressive symptoms had more physical symptom distress and more impaired functioning than subjects with depressive disorders and without depression.

In a cross-sectional study of 303 relatively young (mean age 46 years) women with early (stage I or II) breast cancer at 3 months after breast surgery using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire and HADS, it was again established that a past history of depression was associated with depression. It was also noted that women with few psychological symptoms and good emotional adjustment to cancer may have refused participation in this study because these women were also being recruited into an intervention study.

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer: Hormones and Depression in Women with Breast Cancer

In one of the studies involving 257 women with lymph node-negative breast cancer, 155 of who were treated with tamoxifen and 102 who were not. On the basis of clinical interview, 15% of the tamoxifen-treated group had depression compared with 3% of those not taking tamoxifen. Of the 23 women with depression, eight had mild symptoms and no change in tamoxifen dose was made, eight had significant depression requiring a dose reduction to relieve symptoms, and seven had to discontinue tamoxifen secondary to depression.

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer: Prevalence of Depression in Women with Advanced Breast Cancer

Studies evaluating the correlation of depression with disease progression in women with breast cancer have shown inconsistent results. Experts have found less depression in women with advanced breast cancer (4.5%) than in those with recurrent disease (15%). Physical disability did not relate to emotional disturbance. And yet in another study experts reported that ambulatory advanced breast cancer patients had a 20% depression prevalence in one study and 9% depression in another. Still again other studies found a 32% prevalence of depression in 22 women with local recurrence comparable with rates found with mastectomy. And in yet another research experts found a 13% prevalence of depression in advanced breast cancer patients (N = 139); increased levels of depression were found in those with lowest socioeconomic status, poorest performance status, and closer proximity to death.

In view of all these studies, researches and their findings it is becoming clearer that depression in women with breast cancer is realistically a problem that we cannot just wish away. It will take a consolidated effort from all us (medical professionals, government authorities, the general public and all interested parties) to pool together in the fight against these life threatening conditions. On her part as a medical expert, doctor Akoury made a decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. I strongly believe that you want your life to be transformed for the best of the very best. If this describes your interest, then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today and being the life transformation journey with the best in the medical practice.

Depression in Women with Breast Cancer: The most talk about type of cancer

Understanding Depression in Women in totality

February 2, 2015

Understanding Depression in Women in totality – What can be done

Understanding Depression in Women in totality is the beginning of getting lasting solutions.

In our previous article we dwelt much on the causes and effects of depression in men and in this session we want to do the same but singling out on women. We are dealing with depression because its effects are so painful to both the individuals, families and the whole society. Therefore understanding the depression in women is very paramount as it will enable women to avoid things that may make them depressed for the benefits of their general good health, skin complexion, premature aging and joyful sex life. To start with when it comes to depression, gender is very important. Remember that not only are women more susceptible to to depression than men, but the grounds of female depression alongside the patterns of symptoms are often different. Understanding the dynamics depression is attributed to various factors that contribute to it. Such factors are ranging from but are also not limited to reproductive hormones to social pressures to the female response to stress.

It is important that you are well informed of these factors as a worthy tool of defeating depression. Doctor Akoury will be helping us to understand the factors, symptoms and even effective treatment so that together women can reduce the risk of depression and keep the beautiful and glowing skin, reduce the premature aging among many other consequences accruing out of being depressed.

Understanding Depression in Women in totality: Effects, Signs and Symptoms of depression in women

Depression like any other health condition is not something to be proud of by any standard. The effects of being depressed is wide and broad in that it affects ones social life, relationships, career, self-esteem among other purposes. Statistics has it that in every eight women at least will develop depression in the course of life. Doctor Akoury suggest that if you’re suffering from some past or present guilty situations, or just feeling sad , tired and generally down in spirit, you may want to consult with your doctor because you could be suffering from a major or developing state of being depressed. This piece of information is not to trigger fear in you but to make you take prompt decisions for a better health. Remember that depression is treatable and the more informed you’re about it the better as this will make you effectively deal with the problem as it is a woman.

To be on the safe side, you need to know the symptoms of depression in women even though they are the same as those for major depression. Depressed women common complaints often include:

Depressed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
Feelings of guiltiness, hopelessness and worthlessness all the time
Recurrent suicidal thoughts or even death
Irregular sleep patterns (sleeping more or sleeping less)
Appetite and weight changes
Difficulty concentrating
Lack of energy and fatigue

Understanding Depression in Women in totality: Causes of depression in women

The intensity of women suffering from depression is always higher than that of men. Interestingly the variance is almost uniform in all racial, ethnic, and economic divides cutting across most countries globally. In view of this, different theories are attempting to explain the higher incidence of depression in women including elements like biological, psychological, and social factors.

Understanding Depression in Women in totality: Biological and hormonal causes of depression in women

Premenstrual problems – Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle can cause the familiar symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), such as bloating, irritability, fatigue, and emotional reactivity. For many women, PMS is mild. But for some women, symptoms are severe enough to disrupt their lives and a diagnosis of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is made.
Pregnancy and infertility – The many hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can contribute to depression, particularly in women already at high risk. Other issues relating to pregnancy such as miscarriage, unwanted pregnancy, and infertility can also play a role in depression.
Postpartum depression – Many new mothers experience the baby blues. This is a normal reaction that tends to subside within a few weeks. However, some women experience severe, lasting depression. This condition is known as postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is believed to be influenced, at least in part, by hormonal fluctuations.
Perimenopause and menopause – Women may be at increased risk for depression during perimenopause, the stage leading to menopause when reproductive hormones rapidly fluctuate. Women with past histories of depression are at an increased risk of depression during menopause as well.
Health problems – Chronic illness, injury, or disability can lead to depression in women, as can crash dieting or quitting smoking.

Understanding Depression in Women in totality: Psychological causes of depression in women

Concentrating on and revisiting negative feelings – Women are more likely to ruminate when they are depressed. For instance, most women would cry to release emotional tension, making effort to understand the cause of your depression by investigating from your friends about your depression. Nonetheless, this practice (rumination) in many cases acts as a facilitator of depression and occasionally even worsens the situation of depression. Yet on the other hand, men tend to distract themselves when they are depressed which is very helpful in reducing depression.
Overwhelming stress at work, school, or home – Some studies show that women are more likely than men to develop depression from stress. This is because the female physiological response to stress is different possibly because women often produce more stress hormones than men. The female sex hormone progesterone prevents the stress hormone system from turning itself off as it does in men.
Body image issues – It is important to note that in many cases the gender difference in depression originates in adolescence. Like for instance the emergence of sex differences during puberty is likely plays a role. This could be due to body dissatisfaction which increases in girls during the sexual development of puberty according to some research findings.

Understanding Depression in Women in totality: Social causes of depression in women

Just like in men, social factors also play a part in causing depression in women, along with lifestyle choices, relationships, and coping skills. These may include:

Matrimonial or correlation problems; balancing the pressures of career and home life
Family responsibilities like bringing up children, communication issues among spouse, or aging parents
Experiencing discrimination at work or not reaching important goals, losing or changing a job, retirement, or embarking on military service
Continuous financial problems
Death of a loved one or other stressful life event that leaves you feeling useless, helpless, alone, or profoundly sad

Understanding Depression in Women in totality: Treating depression in women

Like in any other treatment of depression, women suffering from depression will also receive normal type of treatment as everyone which may include psychotherapy and antidepressant therapy. Even though this may be the case there are some special treatment considerations for depression in women as will be discussed by the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. If you have any concern about the effects of depression and you need help, call doctor Akoury today and schedule for that appointment that will live you healthy and well rejuvenated all the time.

Understanding Depression in Women in totality – What can be done

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