Be Well

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It refers to the inability of a human or animal body to respond. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and accelerated heart rate. The term "stress" was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to identify physiological responses in laboratory animals. He later broadened and popularized the concept to include the perceptions and responses of humans trying to adapt to the challenges of everyday life. In Selye's terminology, "stress" refers to the reaction of the organism, and "stressor" to the perceived threat.

Depression is a common experience. We have all felt "depressed" about a friend's cold shoulder, misunderstandings in our marriage, tussles with teenage children — sometimes we feel "down" for no reason at all. However, depression can become an illness when:

• The mood state is severe
• It lasts for 2 weeks or more and
• It interferes with our ability to function at home or at work.

Signs of a depressed mood include:

• Lowered self-esteem (or self-worth)
• Change in sleep patterns, that is, insomnia or broken sleep or excessive sleeping
• Changes in appetite or weight
• Less ability to control emotions such as pessimism, anger, guilt, irritability and anxiety
• Varying emotions throughout the day, for example, feeling worse in the morning and better as the day progresses
• Reduced capacity to experience pleasure: you can't enjoy what's happening now, nor look forward to anything with pleasure. Hobbies and interests drop off.
• Reduced pain tolerance: you are less able to tolerate aches and pains and may have a host of new ailments
• Changed sex drive: absent or reduced
• Poor concentration and memory: some people are so impaired that they think that they are going demented
• Reduced motivation: it doesn't seem worth the effort to do anything, things seem meaningless
• Lowered energy levels.

If you have such feelings and they persist for most of every day for two weeks or longer, and interfere with your ability to manage at home and at work, then you might benefit from getting an assessment by a medical professional. Having one or other of these features, by themselves, is unlikely to indicate depression, however there could be other causes which may warrant assessment.

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked With Depression

"Vitamin D deficiency is being linked with bone trouble, lower back pain, heart trouble and now depression. Linking vitamin D deficiency and depression makes a certain intuitive sense to me. Vitamin D is produced in your body when your skin is exposed to light. During winter, many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) because of lack of exposure to sunlight. It kind of makes sense to me that there would be a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression." Mark Stibich, Ph.D.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Older Adults

Over 1,200 men and women between the ages of 65 to 95 were participating in a long-term study of aging. As part of that study, they had extensive blood work done including vitamin D levels. Turned out that about 40% of the men and 57% of the women had vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression

Of all the people in the study, 169 were suffering from minor depression and 26 from major depression. On average, those suffering from depression had vitamin D levels about 14% lower that the others in the study. Now it gets a bit more complicated. The level of a hormone called parathyroid hormone was elevated in those with depression –- 5% higher in the case of minor depression and 33% higher for those with major depression. Parathyroid hormone often increases as vitamin D levels decrease.

Could Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Depression?

It could, we just don’t know for sure. It could also be true that depression causes low vitamin D levels. There could also be something more complicated going on. If vitamin D deficiency caused depression, that would be fantastic news because vitamin D deficiency is easy to treat with increased exposure to sunlight and supplementation.

Source: Witte J. G. Hoogendijk, MD, PhD; Paul Lips, MD, PhD; Miranda G. Dik, PhD; Dorly J. H. Deeg, PhD; Aartjan T. F. Beekman, MD, PhD; Brenda W. J. H. Penninx, PhD. Depression Is Associated With Decreased 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Increased Parathyroid Hormone Levels in Older Adults. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65(5):508-512.

The Human Function Curve illustrates that increased stress results in increased productivity — up to a point, after which things go rapidly downhill. However, that point or peak differs for each of us, so you need to be sensitive to the early warning symptoms and signs that suggest a stress overload is starting to push you over the hump. Such signals also differ for each of us and can be so subtle that they are often ignored until it is too late. Not infrequently, others are aware that you may be headed for trouble before you are. While everyone cannot agree on a definition of stress, all of our experimental and clinical research confirms that the sense of having little or no control is always distressful — and that's what stress is all about.

Caring for Caregivers: Compassion Fatigue

Paraphrased from an article in Acupunctute Today, by Tina Baychock

Caregivers are an overlooked segment of our population. Statistics gathered by the Family Caregiver Alliance indicate there are more than 28 million caregivers in the United States; providing more than 30 million caregiving hours per year (a staggering $306 million dollar value). Unfortunately, caregivers are not well-understood in terms of their own care needs.

Often caregivers have been providing care since childhood. They may have special attributes in regard to problem-solving or advice-giving, or knew how to “lessen the load” of others. Many of these individuals are in the helping professions. When they do not take special care of their own emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual needs, they are at risk for developing "compassion fatigue." Compassion fatigue is a syndrome where caregivers begin to experience some of the very symptoms of the clients they serve (for example, dealing with patients who have suffered extreme trauma may take an emotional toll on the caregiver). Caregivers are often self-sacrificing and emphathetic, overly identify with the suffering of others. For many different reasons, they commonly do not practice good self-care.

What are some of the benefits that Oriental medicine might offer caregivers? Acupuncture is inherently stress reducing, and has a distinctly calming effect on the central nervous system. Regular acupuncture treatment can help restore piece of mind by simply removing stress in the short term. The more consistent the treatment is given, the more cumulative the effect. Implementing the practice of calming and energizing exercises like Qigong or taiqi, acupuncture, proper nutrition, massage, promote balance and stability. One of the fundamental precepts Oriental medicine, is that the healer’s first responsibility is to themselves. Involvement in an integrated wellness program is empowering and restorative.

Oriental medicine, stress and depression

In conventional medicine, mental health is often considered separate from physical well-being. In contrast, Traditional Oriental Medicine links them; emotions and thoughts have a direct impact on physical health. Mental and physical health are equally important to wholistic health. Acupuncture has been found to improve symptoms of depression, reduce the need for drugs, and attenuate or eliminate various side effects of pharmaceuticals. An Oriental medicine practitioner may use any or all of the traditional modalities in combination, alternation, or succession in the treatment of depression:

• acupuncture
• herbal medicine
• nutritional therapy
• physical therapy (including tui na)
• exercise
• counseling
• Qigong

A 2001 UCLA study showed that acupuncture can block sympathetic nerve activity. Studies also show that there is a link between stress and physical illness. Increased blood pressure and cortisol levels, as well as lowered immune system function, result when stress begins to affect the body. Symptoms can worsen to become depression, fatigue, tension headaches, stomachaches, hypertension, migraines, ulcers, heart attacks, or colitis. For those who harbor anxiety, the stress response does not turn off and can lead to more serious health problems such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes or thyroid dysfunction. Following trauma, it can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder, which requires professional treatment.

Acupuncture and massage, as well as Tai Chi and Qigong exercises, can alleviate stress symptoms by releasing endorphins, the body's own natural painkillers, and improving the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids, which brings fresh oxygen to body tissues. This increased oxygen flow eliminates waste products from inside the body and enhances recovery from diseases. Also, Oriental medicine decreases the stress hormone cortisol, lowers blood pressure, reduces heart rate, and relaxes muscle tissue. Tai Chi and Qigong exercise teach stress management, an important aspect of keeping future stressors at bay.

Physical symptoms of stress such as tight muscles and body pain, fatigue or headache are tempting to "self-medicate." Unfortunately, trying to fix a physical symptom of stress by using caffeine or pain medication merely masks the problem, which inhibits authentic long-term healing. People who suffer a physical symptom of stress and use acupuncture and massage, have high success rates at treating their physical and emotional stress symptoms. Mental stress symptoms include poor concentration, fuzzy perception and negative self-talk. Emotional symptoms include irritability, nervousness, moodiness or hostility. With proper treatment, a healthy diet and exercise, any stress symptom can be eliminated.

Once the treatment begins to resolve the problems of stress by restoring balance and stress management practice, symptoms will diminish. Oriental medicine has been treating problems at their core for thousands of years, helping millions maintain a tranquil state of wellness.

7 Ways to Slash Stress

By Maoshing Ni, L.Ac., D.O.M., Ph.D.

Number two of Dr. Maoshing Ni's article says:

2. Manage your mood with diet and herbs

Chinese Medicine considers the liver to be the center of your emotions. To allay stress and balance your emotions, keep your liver healthy and happy:

• Every day, eat lots of green leafy vegetables, barley grass, seaweed - anything high in chlorophyll - to keep the liver in good health.
• Take 500 mg dandelion daily for a month or longer to cleanse the liver and help release built-up anger.
• Take 400 mg white peony root daily for 1 to 3 months to soothe the liver and balance your mood.
• Schisandra berry protects the liver from chemicals and calms the spirit. For emotional anxiety, take 200 mg daily for a month.

Take these herbs anytime during the day and before bed in tea or capsule form. All the herbs are available from health food stores and Eastern medicine practitioners. Many of my patients have had remarkable results with Calm-Fort Elixir, an all-natural formulation of herbs to calm your spirit.

Read the full article "7 Ways to Slash Stress" →

Black Dog Institute

The Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit, educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering specialist expertise in depression and bipolar disorder. Their excellent website offers many helpful resources: Black Dog Institute

Antidepressants do not work for many

"More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief. Why? Because the cause of depression has been oversimplified and drugs designed to treat it aim at the wrong target, according to new research from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The medications are like arrows shot at the outer rings of a bull's eye instead of the center."

Read the Northwestern University press release →