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

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients

April 29, 2015

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients: Depression and Cancer

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients is the concern of everybody. Even the medics are victims of the two health conditions

The impact of depression in cancer patients has of late been receiving much attention. This is because of the health risks that are involved when the two conditions marry together in an individuals’ life. It is no wonder that depression is actually seen as the psychiatric syndrome that has received the most attention in persons struggling with cancer. Nonetheless the study of depression has equally had a host of challenges due to the symptoms that associates with it on a broad spectrum that ranges from sadness to major effective disorder. The prevalence of depression in cancer patients is further put to test because of the changes in moods are often very difficult to evaluate more so when the patients in question is also receiving treatment of cancer and continuous threats of stress, fatigue and the pain they experience.

Doctor Akoury agrees that even though many research groups have assessed depression in cancer patients for several decades in the past, the reported prevalence varies significantly because of varying conceptualizations of depression, and in fact the definition of depression is not standard and different principles use for the definition of depression. Some of the differences may include the methodological approaches to the measurement of depression, and even the different populations studied. Depression is highly associated with oropharyngeal, pancreatic, breast, and lung cancers. A less high prevalence of depression is reported in patients with other cancers, such as colon, gynecological, and lymphoma. In this discussion we are going to make certain reviews on the prevalence of depression in cancer patients even as we desire to get the perfect links between the two health conditions.

Depression affects 121 million people and is among the leading causes of disability worldwide. If not treated in time depression can lead to personal suffering and increased mortality. Although the prevalence of depression varies considerably globally, the most common symptoms of depression may include:

Depressed mood
Insomnia and
Fatigue

Looking at gender, women are the most vulnerable to be depressed than men. Even though the available estimates shows that major depression are common with people in their late twenties, research findings puts children also at risk where in every ten children, one will have periodic feelings of sadness. This has been seen as one of the greatest indicators of depression says doctor Dalal Akoury. Experts also put the prevalence of depression in pre-pubertal children ranges from 1% to 3% and from 3% to 9% in adolescents; however, the lifetime prevalence through adolescence is estimated to be as high as 20%. Although there is no difference in the prevalence rate between sexes before puberty, females are at higher risk after puberty. Depression in children negatively affects a child’s development and often manifests as behavioral problems or somatic complaints.

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients: The Coexistence of Depression

Depression is not alone ranger and it is commonly coexisting with other syndromes and symptoms, like for instance the anxiety disorders posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and pain. The National Comorbidity Survey data show that in a 12-month period, 51% of patients with major depressive disorders are diagnosed with an additional anxiety disorder. Patients with comorbid depression and anxiety disorders experience more severe symptoms, have a longer time to recovery, use more healthcare resources, and have poorer outcome than do those with a single disorder.

The symptoms of depression and personal suffering resulting from this disorder have been well described. The complex biological underpinnings result from disturbances in neurotransmitters and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis dis-regulation. The last two decades have produced exciting science and advances in the understanding of the neurobiology and pathophysiology of depression. Electro-physiologic studies, neuroimaging techniques i.e., magnetic resonance imaging; computed tomography; single photon emission computed tomography; positron emission tomography; functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological studies are providing information about the neuroanatomical substrate of depression as we are learning more about how systemic disease effects vulnerability to depression.

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients: Early Studies of Depression in Cancer Patients

When a significant number of mental health professionals began working in oncology settings, they asked oncologists to describe their perceptions of the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in cancer patients. They were able to find common responses ranging from “everyone is depressed which is very true because they have cancer” to “no one is depressed; these are just normal people” and likely were a reflection of the respondent’s mood and coping style.

One of the first efforts in psycho-oncology was to obtain objective data on the type and frequency of psychological problems in cancer patients. Using criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Third Edition (DSM-III) classification of psychiatric disorders, the Psychosocial Collaborative Oncology Group determined the psychiatric disorders in 215 randomly selected hospitalized and ambulatory adult cancer patients in three cancer centers by structured clinical interview. Although 53% of the patients evaluated were adjusting normally to stress, the remainder (47%) had clinically apparently psychiatric disorders. Of this 47% with psychiatric disorders, more than two-thirds had adjustment disorders with depressed or anxious mood, 13% had a major depression, 8% had an organic mental disorder, 7% had a personality disorder and 4% had a preexisting anxiety disorder. The authors concluded that nearly 90% of the psychiatric disorders observed were reactions to or manifestations of disease or treatment. Personality and anxiety disorders can complicate cancer treatment and were described as antecedent to the cancer diagnosis. The finding of 4% anxiety disorders was far below what would have been expected in the general population.

Thirty-nine percent of those who received a psychiatric diagnosis experienced significant pain. In contrast, only 19% of patients who did not receive a psychiatric diagnosis had significant pain. The psychiatric diagnosis of the patients with pain was predominately adjustment disorder with depressed or mixed mood (69%), but of note, 15% of patients with significant pain had symptoms of a major depression. Finally in whichever way you look at depression and cancer, these two conditions put together in an individual’s live can be very dangerous. We must therefore do all within our reach to keep distance from all these complications. One of the most important things you must keep in mind is the consistent consultation with the experts for professional advice. Doctor Akoury and her team of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will handle your situation with great confidentiality and most importantly offer you lasting solutions professionally. Your health should come first and therefore, schedule for that appointment today.

The Prevalence of Depression in Cancer Patients: Depression and Cancer

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression

April 5, 2015

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Exposing the Health complication they represent

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression is very evident with various kinds of addiction like heroin and other drugs

It is without any doubt that all drug users and not necessarily heroin addicts are all suffering from depression and addiction. These two elements are of the same characteristic when it comes to substance abuse. Our focus in this article is going to be looking at the relationship between heroin abuse and depression. This drug heroin is a very powerful opiate capable of making alterations to the user’s brain chemistry and thereby causing mood changes, suicidal behavior, psychological dependence and addiction. It is currently estimated that up to half of all opiate users have at one time experienced depression in their lives. Anyone suffering from any kind of addiction heroin included will be going through what is known as dual diagnosis should it be discovered that they are also suffering from depression. With this condition, doctor Akoury says that chances of long term recovery would be very slim.

From her over two decades of experience doctor Akoury says that not unless the user is treated for both conditions, it is likely that he or she will relapse soon after rehab. It is important to note that in numerous instances, majority of depressed heroin user fail to get treatment. Nonetheless, according to findings from the clinical studies depression and substance abuse are treated simultaneously and when this is done, the depressive symptoms often improve. This has further been confirmed by Biological Psychiatry registering that opiate addicts who go through residential rehab or methadone maintenance treatment have significant improvement in their depression.

Therefore the key to treating heroin abuse and depression successfully is to identify both conditions early in the recovery process. Intensive neuropsychological assessment can reveal the signs of co-occurring psychiatric disorders like depression. Once mental illness has been identified, treatment must address both depression and heroin addiction to be successful.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: How Heroin Affects the Psyche

You must have known that heroin is a synthetic drug produced from morphine, a potent analgesic that comes from the opium poppy. Heroin exerts its effects by binding with receptor cells in the brain that respond to opiates. When injected, snorted or smoked heroin can converts into morphine in the brain, where it slows down neurological activity and induces a state of sedation.

For many users, a heroin high produces a rush of euphoria and a sense of profound relaxation. But the National Alliance on Mental Illness states that in people with psychiatric disorders, the side effects of heroin are more likely to be negative. For someone with depression, heroin may seem like an antidote to hopelessness, sadness and guilt.

The psychosocial effects of heroin can also contribute to depression. Heroin is highly debilitating, and users often experience job loss, relationship conflicts, legal problems and financial troubles.

The physical consequences of heroin use including respiratory illness, blood-borne diseases, muscular weakness and vascular damage can also cause severe emotional distress.

Because the brain adjusts quickly to the effects of heroin, physical and psychological dependence develop rapidly. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that nearly one-fourth (23 percent) of individuals who use heroin will eventually reach the point of addiction. Once addiction sets in, use of the drug becomes compulsive and uncontrollable in spite of the devastating effects of abuse. All of these factors can intensify feelings of hopelessness, despair and self-loathing: the hallmarks of depression.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Factors Associated with Depression

Uncovering the causes of depression is one of the most challenging aspects of recovery for heroin users. Depression is much more than a low mood. It is a incapacitating mental illness that can lead to isolation, job loss, broken relationships, poor physical health and an increased risk of suicide. Depression can arise from a number of sources, including:

Genetic factors
Imbalances in brain chemistry
A stressful social environment
Psychological trauma
Physical disability
Drug or alcohol abuse

Treating a Dual Diagnosis of heroin addiction and depression is especially difficult if the individual is still under the influence of the drug. Many of the symptoms of opiate addiction fatigue, self-isolation, poor concentration and weight loss can resemble the symptoms of major depressive disorder.

According to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence followed 615 heroin users in various stages of treatment or non-treatment. In the study it was established that a quarter of the subjects were currently experiencing a major depressive episode. While about twenty-six percent of the individuals in treatment had a lifetime history of depression and 16 percent of those who weren’t in treatment had been depressed. In the treatment group, a significant number of clients were also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Others were living with a life-altering physical disability. In many of these cases, heroin was used as a maladaptive way to numb physical or psychological pain.

In long-term heroin users, it can be nearly impossible to determine whether depression led to addiction or the other way round. A comprehensive treatment plan must give equal attention to both conditions.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Depression and Heroin Withdrawal

In the journey to recovery among many addicts, relapse is often very common among many heroin users who try to quit this highly addictive drug. The unpleasant side effects of heroin withdrawal can drive even the most determined individuals back to the drug. Heroin withdrawal usually isn’t life-threatening, however, heavy users may have dangerous seizures if they try to quit without medical supervision.

Finally physical symptoms of heroin withdrawal can feel like a severe case of the flu, but for many users, the psychological side effects are even harder to tolerate. In the first few days, weeks or even months after quitting heroin, users may feel extremely depressed. Once the brain comes to rely on the euphoric rush of a heroin high, the pleasures of everyday life may seem meaningless in comparison. A condition called anhedonia, or lack of pleasure, often develops in recovering heroin addicts. One of the primary goals of treatment is to help the addict find peace, hope and joy in a drug-free life.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Exposing the Health complication they represent

Addressing the Psychological Stress and Cancer Problems

March 10, 2015

Addressing the Psychological Stress and Cancer Problems: What you dint know about the two complications

Addressing the Psychological Stress and Cancer Problems is very important. The chronic nature of cancer can be very devastating to patients

Psychological stress refer to how people feel when they are challenged mentally, physically, or emotionally by life pressures a round them. Practically it may be normal and in order to experience some psychological stress periodically, however if this experience is extended over a long period of time, it may result in the development of certain health complications. We appreciate that normal psychological stress will always be here with us, but we are equally concern with the consistency of psychological stress and cancer complications, that is why we want to take time in addressing the psychological stress and cancer problems in this article. We are going to be relying heavily on the experience of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Doctor Akoury has been in this practice for more than two decades and she explains that “stress can be caused both by daily responsibilities and routine events, as well as by more unusual events, such as a trauma or illness in oneself or a close family member”. When people feel that they are unable to manage or control changes caused by cancer or normal life activities, they are in distress. Distress has become increasingly recognized as a factor that can reduce the quality of life of cancer patients. There is even some evidence that extreme distress is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Clinical guidelines are available to help doctors and nurses assess levels of distress and help patients manage it.

The purpose of this article is to provide you with some of the general introduction to the stress that people may experience as they cope with cancer. Nonetheless you can get more detailed information about specific psychological conditions related to stress on call to AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Therefore you can schedule for that appointment today and be the first to know from the experts.

Addressing the Psychological Stress and Cancer Problems: Reactions of the body during stress

The body reacts to all the physical, mental, or emotional pressure by discharging stress hormones like as epinephrine and norepinephrine.
These hormones in turn increases blood pressure, speed up heart rate, and raise blood sugar levels.
These changes help a person act with greater strength and speed to escape a perceived threat.

Besides these reactions experts have also established that people who experience intense and long-term stress can have digestive problems, fertility problems, urinary problems, and a weakened immune system. However people who experience chronic stress are also more prone to viral infections such as the flu or common cold and to have headaches, sleep trouble, depression, and anxiety.

Addressing the Psychological Stress and Cancer Problems: Effects of psychological stress on cancer

Even though stress is associated with several health complications, there is no clear scientific evidence that it can cause cancer. Nonetheless some studies have pointed out an association between various psychological factors as an increased risk of developing cancer. Such risk could be explained in the following ways.

If one is under the influence of stress he is likely to entertain certain behaviors like smoking, overeating or drinking alcohol actions which increase a person’s risk for cancer. Or genetically if you have in your lineage one who had suffered from cancer, then you may have a higher risk suffering from the same because of a shared inherited risk factor and not because of the stress induced by the family member’s diagnosis.

Addressing the Psychological Stress and Cancer Problems: Effects of psychological stress on Cancer survivors

People who have cancer may find the physical, emotional, and social effects of the disease to be stressful. Those who attempt to manage their stress with risky behaviors such as smoking or drinking alcohol or who become more sedentary may have a poorer quality of life after cancer treatment. In contrast, people who are able to use effective coping strategies to deal with stress, such as relaxation and stress management techniques, have been shown to have lower levels of depression, anxiety, and symptoms related to the cancer and its treatment. However, there is no evidence that successful management of psychological stress improves cancer survival.

According to a study conducted in women with triple-negative breast cancer who had gone through neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment, when they were asked about their use of beta blockers, which are medications that interfere with certain stress hormones, before and during chemotherapy. Those who had used beta blockers registered a better chance of surviving their cancer treatment without a relapse than women who did not use. And in relation to their overall survival no much difference was reported. It must be noted that even though there is no strong evidence that stress directly affects cancer outcomes, some statistics suggest that patients can develop a sense of helplessness or hopelessness when stress becomes overwhelming. A lot more needs to be done for this to be clear however this response has been strongly associated with higher rates of death of many cancer patients. Probably this could be as a result that those who feel helpless or hopeless normally don’t seek for treatment when they become ill. In other words they give up prematurely on or fail to adhere to potentially helpful therapy and engage in risky behaviors such as drug use or do not maintain a healthy lifestyle, resulting in premature death.

Addressing the Psychological Stress and Cancer Problems: Educating people who have cancer on how to cope with psychological stress

One of the primary objectives of the formation of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is to create awareness about various health conditions. At this facility, we believe that emotional and social support is very instrumental in giving patients hope and encouragement of coping with psychological stress. Such support impacts positively in reducing the levels of depression, anxiety, diseases and treatment solutions related to symptoms among patients. The following guidelines can be very helpful:

Training in relaxation, meditation or stress management
Counseling or talk therapy
Cancer education sessions
Social support in a group setting
Medications for depression or anxiety
Exercise

Finally it may not be possible for us to document everything in the article, and therefore we want to have a working relationship with you in the fight of kicking out disease out of our societies. We would therefore make an appeal to anyone reading this right now to make that very important appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and doctor Dalal Akoury will not only take you through what you’re missing, but also to offer your real time treatment solutions you desperately needs right now.

Addressing the Psychological Stress and Cancer Problems: What you dint know about the two complications

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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