• Their list of alleged health benefits are legendary.
• Heart disease prevention
• Digestive system
• Brain function
• Joint care
• Skin and hair health
• vision

The list goes on. The is a substantial body of evidence for some of these health boosting claims, particularly in the area of heart disease. Omega-3 is beneficial for those who have no history of heart disease, as well as those who are at risk or recovering from a heart attack.

What has been  less well documented and more questioned is the effect on the brain and cognitive functioning. But recent research is giving more credence to this too. And more relevantly here, scientists are beginning to link some psychological conditions with lowered levels of omega-3.

Some people who tend to suffer from depression  have been found to be deficient. Some scientists believe that other conditions may benefit form a boost in omega-3. A new study will look into whether it can prevent the development of bipolar disorder in children.

A recent Austrian study showed that fish oil supplements seemed to prevent teens and young adults at-risk for developing schizophrenia from the onset of full blown psychosis.

There have been many anecdotal reports from people who feel that their mood, memory and concentration have improved. These have been looked on with a degree of skepticism in the past but are beginning to look more realistic now.

I know that since my own bout of depression a couple of years ago, my memory has been considerably worse than it used to be. I mean, to the extent of not being able to recall the names of people that I work with.

I have found a source for what I believe is the best omega-3 supplement available and I will be trying it out over the next few months.

My wife has MS and other sufferers have reported improvements in balance and cognitive function. She will also be doing her own trial to see if she notices any benefit.

I should point out that some authorities still believe that we can get enough omega-3 from our diet, without resorting to supplements. My response would be that with the levels of obesity going through the roof, we are not that great at taking care of our diet.

Give me the supplements.

There is a good free guide to buying omega-3 supplements. You can download it HERE.

There is clearly a strong correlation between the two conditions, but the question for scientists is, does one cause the other. But there is no simple answer to it. Migraine, depression and insomnia, a problem that is associated with both conditions, all have a common denominator. All linked to deficiency of  neurotransmitters in the brain.

It is now believed that while migraine and depression have similar neurobiology, their exact causes are different. For a long time, it was thought that depression suffered by migraineurs was due to the impact that migraine had on their quality of life. This theory of a psychological link is now being abandoned in favour of the idea of a common biological mechanism.

This coexistence of the two conditions can lead to problems when attempting to treat them by the use of medication. There is a risk of interaction between the drugs used in each case. In 2oo6, the FDA flagged up one potential conflict. That being the mixing of SSRIs or SNRIs, both used in the treatment of depression and mood disorders, with Triptans for migraine relief. The possible result of mixing these drugs is a condition called Serotonin Synrome.

The action of both types of drug is to increase the amount of serotonin available in the bloodstream. Too much serotonin causes serotonin syndrome. Some of the symptoms are, increase pulse rate and body temperature, rapid blood pressure changes, stomach upsets and even hallucinations. In extreme cases, there may be no choice but to take both medications at the same time, but this would be a last resort and done under close medical supervision.

I have to declare a personal bias. I am strongly averse to taking any drug if I can avoid it. I did try to deal with depression without medication at first, but in the end, I bowed to medical opinion and used SSRIs. Even then, I made sure that I came off them again as soon as possible. I have also experienced migraine, though not at the same time. In that case, I do believe that there are many better, safer, natural alternatives to medication.

There is another connection between migraine and depression and that is stress. A high level of stress over a long period of time can eventually tip over into depression. And stress is thought to be one of the main triggers of attacks in migraine sufferers. Relaxation techniques such as meditation can be very beneficial in both cases. Diet also plays an important role in both conditions.

If you or someone you know, suffers from migraine, you can read more information about natural migraine remedies at Migraine Support.

Many factors lead to depression. Depression can be brought on by biological, emotional, environmental and physical factors. The genetic link cannot be ignored as well. Family history plays a major role in many diseases that are passed on down the line. It is not just family history but family life in general. The stress of everyday life can be brutal. For some there is a constant struggle to survive from week to week. Even success and fitting into society can be the problem for others. Abuse such as sexual, physical or even emotional can overload people with anxiety. The list isn’t a short one. 

In the early stages depression is often hard to diagnose. It’s hard to see the symptoms even if a loved one suffers from this illness. Everyone fights some mild distress once in awhile. It’s not uncommon. The affects of depression go much deeper. It’s already too late for early detection when the symptoms interfere with life. Loneliness and general disgust with life are common for depression sufferers. That is why they must find depression help quickly before everything goes out of control. Signs of hope in their lives are gone. Simple daily enjoyments and even sleeping are affected. This is when treatment is critical. 

Depression treatment involves giving people back their hope and positive outlook on life. Psychotherapy often accomplishes this. This treatment can take months or years to bring about positive results but it is effective. The medical professional also has the option of prescribing anti-depressants like Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celex, or Luvox. These drugs are effective but they are accompanied by many side effects as well. Fortunately, there are other safer ways to overcome depression. There are also natural herbs that have been proven clinically to bring about positive results in treating depression as well. There are also many depression support groups geared towards working with depressed individuals. If you or someone you love are feeling the affects of depression please consult a medical professional immediately.

Clinical Depression can and will touch almost every element of your day to day life.  The illness can affect your thought pattern and leave you confused.  Your will is no longer your own as this condition affects your very behaviors and moods.  Your life might go topsy-turvey thanks to eating and sleeping problems.  You may find that the ability to concentrate, to focus on work, is gone.  Clinical Depression will specifically affect your ability to deal with those around you.  You will find that you often do not feel like yourself. 

As mentioned earlier Clinical Depression is not a personal defect.  It won’t go away simply by wishing it gone.  This is not an illness that will be cured through self- control or self-treatment.  Medical treatment that persists for weeks or even years is required.  You could even lose control and attempt suicide. It may seem that you know why you are depressed.  But the factors that cause it can be quite complex.  Typically, it is a group of factors that lead to Clinical Depression.  Factors such as your environment or even your DNA are important. 

Biological issues such as chemical imbalances can lead to Clinical Depression.  Stress might also cause this illness.  Rather you are under stress at school or work it can have an alarming affect on your body and psychological condition .  Financial worries like how you will pay your bills can certainly have a disastrous effect on your system.  It’s well known that alcoholics and drug addicts often contract Clinical Depression. A medical professional can help if either you or a loved one display symptoms of this illness.

Anxiety Depression can occur when a person engages in various multi-tasking activities and they also tend to over extend their brains, up to the point when it plainly needs some time for physical relaxation. A lot of busy people who cannot fathom the idea of relaxing and taking time off from work, as well as their worries, can actually start having nervous breakdowns, anxiety depression and all sorts of mental illnesses.

Anxiety depression is characterized by erratic behavior from the person who is suffering from it, this is usually due to certain stress triggers that may cause a person undue jitters and stress. Also, a lot of people who tend to get easily nervous over stressful activities are actually prone to having anxiety depression. Anxiety depression can be difficult to deal with, however, it is best to do so in the early stages and in order to do this a person should begin by calming down and breathing slowly, both of which will work to lesson any negative effects.

To successfully treat this type of mental illness, a person will need to be completely honest with themselves first and then find a highly recommended psychiatrist that is qualified to diagnose you correctly and then prescribe the best treatment that will improve your health. There are many different levels or categories of depression:

Bipolar or Manic depression is usually characterized by a person having sudden extreme mood changes or intense dramatic changes from and elated ’high’ to a depressing ’low’ mental state, in just a matter of a few minutes, days or weeks.

Postpartum depression – characterized by a prolonged sadness or a feeling of emptiness by a new mother after the physical stresses of having a newborn, and many new moms can feel happy one minute and sad the next.

Dysthimia is a mood disorder that falls within the depression spectrum, it is considered a chronic depression, but with less severity than a major depression and this disorder tends to be a chronic, long-lasting illness.

Cyclothemia – is a mental disorder consider to be like a milder form of bipolar II disorder consisting of recurrent mood disturbances between hypomania and Dysthimia mood.

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as ’winter depression’; which is a mood disorder whose sufferers experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms usually in the winter and often or less in the Summer.

However, the most common form of depression people experience is; Anxiety Depression, and it is exemplified by being in the mind set given to undue stress, fear or worry about situations. Anxiety, a supposedly normal behavior that will actually help a person adjust more to a certain stressful activity, like first date jitters or a grueling exam the following day. In this way, anxiety will help you get mentally prepared to face more challenging situations that are not usually a part of your daily routine. Anxiety depression is the opposite, and should not be easily dismissed as a “case of the nerves”; anxiety depression is in actuality an illness that can be caused from the biological makeup of an individual, or in other words, a hereditary illness.

You should also know, that there are different types of anxiety depression and they each have different symptoms. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate; this excessive worry often interferes with daily functioning, as individuals suffering GAD typically anticipate disaster, and are overly concerned about everyday matters such as health issues, money, family problems, friend problems or work difficulties. They can even be anxious even when there’s no apparent reason that calls for them to behave in such a way. People suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder actually shows a lot of symptoms, from lack of sleep, to being unable to relax, getting tired easily, cannot concentrate on what they’re doing and even suffering from depression. Treatment involves a therapist working with the patient to understand how thoughts and feelings influence behavior and change negative thought patterns that lead to the patient’s anxiety, replacing them with positive, more realistic ones.

Consult a reputable cognitive behavior therapist who’ll help give the individual the therapy that he or she needs to help him or her loosen up, also prescribed medicines are sort of a must to help these individuals battle anxiety attacks, then help to calm them down and relax.

There are many different types of depression.  Many of the labels are similar in meaning. There is mental depression, medical depression, clinical depression and manic depression.  Late stages of the disease are called severe depression.  Many things cause depression.  One of these is simple biology, brain chemistry issues.  Depression can also be caused genetically from your family history.  If your grandfather and father suffered bouts with depression than you may be at risk to suffer it as well.

Common factors can lead to different types of depression.  Substance abuse often leads to depression.  Both alcoholics and drug abusers can contract depression.  In many cases the loss of a loved one has shown an enhanced possibility of depression.  Mental depression historically has a stigma associated with it.  Before being classified as a disease it was thought to be a defect in character.  There was very little treatment offered.  Every stage of depression has its ill affects.  Therefore treatment requires early detection.

When depression becomes severe depression then medical care is a must.  At this stage suicide is often the result.  The opportunities for help have passed because the cries for help haven’t been heard.   Treatments include a combination of talk therapy and prescription drugs.  Also available are support groups that can help.  You can also find many natural herbal medications that have been proven effective in clinical studies.  There are options available to those who suffer from all types of depression.  If lingering signs of depression exist then please seek help.