Cure for Anxiety in Major Depressive Disorder: Important Things to Note

Anxiety plays a major role in the development, treatment and final management of Major Depressive Disorder. As a result of this, it is common to find that many patients having Major Depressive Disorder almost invariably require that a good cure for anxiety be administered early enough in the course of the treatment. Apart from this, there are several important things that one needs to know when using anti depressant drugs and natural supplements to cure anxiety in patients with Major Depressive Disorder.

Careful Use Of Anti Depressants

The first thing to note is that anti depressant medications should be used with care. This is so because of a number of reasons. For instance, it has been found out that the effectiveness of these drugs depends on whether or not they are used early enough at the onset of the condition. In fact, delayed use of anti depressant medication in the case of severe Major Depressive Disorder reduces their efficiency. Also, before using anti depressant drugs, one should consider the history of the patient in terms whether there is a history of having harmful side effects when using similar drugs. However, use of natural supplements such as alpranax can be used a good cure for anxiety in Major Depressive Disorder patients without the fear of possible side effects.

Need for Psychotherapy

The second important thing to note when taking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder is that it may be necessary to incorporate psychotherapy in the course of treatment. This is so because many patients experiencing mild levels of Major Depressive Disorder also have interpersonal problems which need psychotherapy in addition to the remedy chosen for the condition. Such an approach that combines psychotherapy with anti depressant drugs or supplements such as alpranax works effectively as a cure for anxiety in patients who have mild levels of Major Depressive Disorder.

Need For Repetition

Thirdly, the method of treatment selected can be repeated in subsequent periods. This is a common phenomenon in the case of patients who fail to adhere to the treatment regime because of a number of possible reasons. For instance, individuals who have also been found to have problems with alcohol and other substances tend to fail to follow the treatment plan. In such a case, however, it is important that the repetition be done to minimise the side effects of the drugs.

Recurrence of Symptoms

The last important thing to note about treatment of patients with Major Depressive Disorder concerns the possibility of recurrence of symptoms of the disease. Since the disease occurs in episodes, some patients may experience further episodes even if they are undergoing medication. This is why the need to continue treatment during the continuation and maintenance phases of the treatment is necessary. Depending on the choice of treatment chosen and the severity of the condition, repeated use of the medication is necessary to ensure that a complete cure for anxiety and other symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder is achieved.

It is very important that these things be taken into account when administering medication to individuals with Major Depressive Disorder. This is because they determine whether an effective cure for anxiety is attained or not.

How to Treat Depression Disorders?

Many of us feel anxious, sad, low or depressed at some point of time or other. But depression disorder (also commonly known as clinical depression) is a kind of mental state where a person feels depressed mostly all throughout the day. A person suffering from this disorder, quite often suffers from anxiety disorder too and vice versa. They need medical or expert help to get over it because it’s a form of illness.

There can be many reasons for depression disorders. Losing a loved one, losing a job, substance or alcohol abuse, long illness and genetics are just a few of them. If left untreated this depression disorder can have very severe consequences.

Symptoms of depression disorder

• Feeling depressed or sad and low all day for weeks at a stretch.

• Losing interest in day to day normal work life, feeling lethargic, fatigued and non – motivated all the time.

• Irritability and restlessness for very trivial reasons

• Either losing weight drastically (without dieting) or gaining sudden weight.

• Insomnia ( sleeplessness at night) or hypersomnia (too much sleeping)

• Lessened ability to concentrate on anything or think about anything. 

• Having anxiety attacks and getting panicked.

• Having suicidal feelings

Treatments for depression and anxiety

There is no exact way of treating anxiety or depression as every person reacts to the treatment in a different way. So the best way out is to stay as knowledgeable as possible about the treatment choices.

Psychotherapy - It is the term used for a treatment where depression or anxiety is treated by talking to a therapist.  There are several forms of effective therapies like cognitive behaviour therapy, exposure therapy, and interpersonal therapy. 

Medication- A huge number of antidepressants and medications are available in the market to treat depression and anxiety disorders. But it is not easy to find the right medication because every medication has its own effects and side effects. You need to consult a doctor or an expert before taking any form of medication for depression disorder.

Herbal treatment - there are many natural remedies and herbal treatments for anxiety and depression that often provides the same results as medications. Some of the tried and tested herbs that have been confirmed to work are Passionflower, Kava, Valerian, St. John’s wort, Magnolia bark, Skullcap and lemon balm.

Lifestyle changes – a simple yet a very powerful way to treat depression and anxiety. A number of studies have shown that eating right and exercising can help to reduce depression. Also the intake of alcohol, too much of caffeine and sugar aggravates depression and anxiety so patients of depression need to stay away from all the above.

Yoga - Yoga makes a person feel relaxed. It trains to breathe in a particular manner that makes the body and mind feel calmer. The yoga-asana or postures when done under a trained person helps to soothe the nervous system and thus helps the mind to feel relaxed and free.

Meditation – Studies have shown that people who practice meditation as a treatment for depression gain positive results. Mediation helps to bring a sense of peace and calmness to the mind and body. It relieves the body from stress and thus brings down the blood pressure and palpitation rate and relaxes the mind.

One needs to eat right, think positive, and lead a healthy lifestyle to get over the feelings of anxiety and depression. But in extreme cases genuine medical help is needed.

Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms

There are different levels of depression disorders and no two people are likely to suffer from the same exact symptoms. Women seem to suffer depression disorders at an approximate ratio of 2:1 compared to men. Doctors estimate that of those who suffer minor or major depressive disorder symptoms, approximately half will seek some form of treatment. Of these people, 80 percent will find relief from their symptoms with the right type of treatment.

How Bad Can it Get?

• Depression is one of the more common yet unusual mental disorders as it can range in severity from a mild case of the "blues", to clinical depression. For the person who reaches this stage of depression disorders, the most common symptoms can include extended feelings of despair and hopelessness, ones that no matter what you do will not go away. 

• If you suffer from major depression disorders, you may find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Major or clinical depression can make it hard to do your job or study for school. You may find it hard to eat, relax, or sleep. Life can seem to have no meaning to it and in time you will start to retreat from your normal life, leaving friends and family behind. 

• Many people will only suffer from major depression disorders once in their lives, however a large number may find themselves revisiting this place in their lives numerous times over the years. In many instances this level of depression can be hereditary, but in others there may be no family history of depression disorders of any kind.

Who Is Likely to Suffer From Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms?

According to the latest information available from the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 7 percent of the US population suffers from some level of major depression disorders. This is based on those over the age of 18, the report goes on to say that as much as 20 to 25 percent of the population is likely to suffer from at least one episode of major depressive disorders at some point in their lives. These depression disorders can affect people of any age from childhood to seniors, but often goes undiagnosed and as such is left untreated.

Who Is More at Risk, Men or Women?

Studies such as those conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health indicate women are far more at risk of depression disorders than men. This is due to issues such as hormones during puberty, pregnancy, menstrual cycles, miscarriages, and the onset of menopause. Other contributing factors include but are not limited to the stress of trying to balance work and raising a family, taking care of parents as they age, and being a single parent.

What about Men?

While women seem to feel relatively comfortable seeking help for the depression disorders, men are far more reluctant to seek help for major depressive disorder symptoms. Often the only real symptoms men seem to exhibit include excessive anger or irritability, or substance abuse including alcohol and drugs. Most will turn to the latter as a way of hiding the fact they are suffering from depression disorders. Because of this, the incidence of violent behavior, including both homicide and suicide in men tends to be higher.

Treating the Symptoms of a Major Depressive Disorder

Once depression disorders have been diagnosed, there are a range of treatment options available. Many doctors have begun looking more at using natural herbal or botanical therapies combined with several different forms of mind and body exercises such as breathing exercises and meditation combined with natural anti-depressants as they offer excellent relief without the risk of the nasty side effects most pharmaceutical anti-depressants have.

If you think you may be suffering from one of the various levels of depressive disorders, seek help as soon as possible. With the right treatment, you will soon regain control of your life and be able to enjoy your world again.

Herbs for Anxiety

There are many traditional herbal remedies that are made from herbs, shrubs and tree barks. They have been used for treatment of anxiety for centuries around the world. Herbal medicines are so beneficial because they can be supplemented with other anxiety management or treatment strategies.

Anxiety medications actually suppresses anxiety and the brain too much making it dull making it much harder for the patient to learn to cope with stress, while as herbs for anxiety and other natural remedies keep the mind alert so the patient is able to control prevalent anxiety symptoms.

Some of the known herbs for anxiety treatment include Chamomile, Kava, Valerian root, Phellodendron bark, Passionflower and St. John's Wort. Alpranax contains several of these herbs as part of its ingredients so in this article we will focus on discussing the herbs contained in alpranax.

Passion flower

Passion flower is known by its botanical name (Passiflora incarnata) or by another name passion vines. Alpranax contains this herb for anxiety and insomnia treatment. A study on the herb showed that passionflower is comparable to benzodiazepine drugs. It boosted improvement in the patient’s job performance and he showed less drowsiness signs when he was treated using passionflower as compared to the drug mexazolam. However, neither of the side effects was statistically significant. Some notable side effects of passionflower may include nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and rapid heartbeat.

St. John's Wort

St John’s Wort is referred by its botanical name as (Hypericum perforatum). This herb is also referred to as a herb for anxiety because it is an effective mood lifter. It is not specifically designed for anxiety, but it works very effective in fighting depression, which in most cases comes as a co morbid with anxiety symptoms. It is also known to treat diarrhea, gastroenteritis, viral infections of the lungs, chest and genitals among other valuable uses.

This herb is used also to treat mild depression in children and adolescents because it has similar effect as standard antidepressants but with fewer side-effects. In but just one study, St John's Wort was not found to be effective to patients suffering from dysthymia which is a less severe but more chronic variety of depression. It is worthy to note that alpranax contains extracts of this herb.

Valerian root

Valerian which is scientifically known as (Valeriana officinalis, Valerianaceae) is a hardy perennial flowering plant that has sweetly scented pink or white flowers that blossom in the summer months. Valerian root is classified as a herb for anxiety because it is an incredibly effective sedative. Primarily, it is used as a sleeping aid, but its sedative qualities very are effective at soothing muscles and reducing physical and mental tension so that the patient can relax easily.

It can also be used to possibly relieve uterine cramps, bronchial spasms and persistent coughs. It is worthy to note that alpranax contains this herb’s extracts which interacts with the body's GABA-A receptor, which has a mildly sedative effect. In addition it interferes with the brain's reuptake of adenosine A1, which diminishes muscle tension and many of the other physical manifestations of anxiety.

Sometimes, valerian is added to bathing water in aromatherapy to help with restlessness and sleeping disorders. In the manufacturing industry extracts of this herb for anxiety and its oil are made from valerian and are used as flavoring in foods and beverages.

Treating the Signs of Clinical Depression

While you might be feeling down or sad, would you recognize the signs of clinical depression? Most of us have days when we simply feel blue, this is quite normal. However, when the days drag into weeks or months, it might be time for you to seek help including a number of different depression and anxiety cures.

While these are in essence two different emotional disorders, they not only share many similar symptoms, many of the different anxiety cures can be used to treat clinical depression. This is true whether you are looking at pharmaceutical, psychological or natural anxiety cures.

Similar Symptoms

Both clinical depression and anxiety can manifest many of the same signs, among these are feelings of sadness or hopelessness, the desire to withdraw from society, sleep disorders, changes in appetite, and sudden loss of interest in things which were once favorable. As such many of the different anxiety cures include the same anti-depressants used to treat those who have been diagnosed with clinical depression.

One of the most noticeable differences between the two disorders is that the person with an anxiety disorder tends to worry and fear certain situations, both of which are conditions which can easily be treated with a range of anxiety cures. Those with clinical depression tend to be sullen and withdrawn, but they also worry about everything and everyone around them, thus many anxiety cures can have a pronounced positive effect.

Inability to Enjoy a Normal Life

• Whether a person has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or is showing signs of clinical depression, one of the symptoms they both seem to share is the inability to enjoy a "normal" life. In both cases they tend to withdraw into themselves, shutting out the rest of the world. Anxiety cures include anti-depressants which are intended to help the person feel better about themselves.

• This is the all-important first step in helping those suffering from both clinical depression and from an anxiety disorder overcome their lack of self-esteem. Many mental health doctors labor under the impression that both conditions are the result not only of environmental input, but of a chemical imbalance within the brain. This might help to explain why they use depression and anxiety cures on an interchangeable basis. It might also to a certain extent explain why the results of such treatments vary in their levels of success.

Switching to Natural Anxiety Cures

In the past few years much has been said with reference to using more natural depression and anxiety cures. This is slowly catching on in many circles as more evidence comes to light regarding the side effects and lack of long term success when using the drugs currently being used as depression and anxiety cures.

The majority of these natural depression and anxiety cures are based on Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicine techniques which have been used for thousands of years. Some involve the use of mind and body exercises such as meditation, which is a key ingredient in both forms of medicine. Others use Tai Chi, which is a Chinese martial art consisting of breathing exercises, meditation, and the practice of dozens of movements, which are made up of hundreds of slow paced individual steps designed to be very relaxing. Holistic or naturopathic doctors often use a number of herbal and botanical supplements as depression and anxiety cures. Among these are kava root, St. John's Wort, passionflower, and 5 HTTP, all of which have long been known to provide significant levels of relief. The majority of these are known to have few or no side effects as compared to pharmaceutical drugs.