|  Lexapro is the brand name for the chemical Escitalopram, a drug classed as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Other SSRIs include Fluoxetine (Prozac), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), Paroxetine (Paxil), Citalopram (Celexa), and Sertaline (Zoloft). Lexapro is produced today by the Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck, and is marketed under the brand name Cipralex in Europe. Lexapro is basically a pure isolated form of the active isomer of Citalopram, and therefore works in the same way that the drug Celexa does. People with allergies or adverse reactions to Celexa should therefore not take Lexapro.
Like all SSRIs, Lexapro acts by increasing the amount of serotonin present in the synapses between nerve cells. Because serotonin is a mood enhancing neurotransmitter, the main use for SSRIs is as a treatment for depression. Some SSRIs, including Lexapro, have been shown effective in treating forms of anxiety disorders as well. Lexapro and other SSRIs do not add any serotonin or mood altering chemicals to your body, but rather help your body to better utilize its own natural mood stabilizing machinery. Some of the most common side effects of Lexapro include reduced appetite, reduced libido, sexual dysfunction, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, sweating, insomnia, drowsiness, fatigue, and nausea. Most users of Lexapro will experience one or more of these effects during the first months of use, but they are usually mild and fade with time. Less often, users of Lexapro may experience stomach pain, strange dreams, chest pain, blurry vision, heartburn, fever, severe headaches, muscle pains, sinus congestion, tingling sensations, tremors, vomiting, and the inability to orgasm. Continue Reading »
 You may think of depression as an adult issue, and often it is. However, children and teenagers can have problems with this as well. Life is not always easy, and even though children are often very resilient, they can have problems that are bigger than they can handle. If you notice changes in your child or your teenager, you may want to see if something bigger is going on with them. They may not have the same signs of depression that you may think of when thinking of an adult, but they can get it just as easily. If you understand some of the causes of depression in children, you can help them cope and get better.
Children and teens have different causes of depression than adults, but the underlying issues are always the same. They may feel as if they do not belong, which is more of a problem with teens than adults. Adults can feel that way, but most learn to accept who they are at some point. Teenagers and children are still struggling with identity and they can easily feel as if they are worthless if they are not fitting in what what they deem to be the popular or normal crowd of kids at school. This is one of the biggest causes of depression in teens that has been around for a very long time. Other causes of depression in both teens and younger children are things that are happening at home. If parents are fighting a lot or going through a divorce, children find a way to blame themselves for what is going on. It scares them more so than parents think, as their home is their base of security. If it seems that that security is going to go away, they are going to act out and become depressed. Parents that are experiencing marital problems need to keep this in mind and be open with their children. You do not have to give details, but children need to be reminded that they are loved by both parents and that no matter what happens, that will not change. They also need to know nothing is their fault. Other causes of depression can be present. They vary from child to child. When a child is depressed they are not themselves, much like adults act differently when suffering from depression. Children often withdraw from friends and start to do poorly in school. They may also be mean to animals and other children, and refuse to do as you tell them. This is when you need to talk with them about what may be bothering them. Teenagers may act out in different ways by hanging out with new friends, drinking, doing drugs, or cutting themselves with razors. These are all signs something is wrong and that they need help. Continue Reading »
 Zoloft is the most common brand name for the chemical Sertaline, a drug classed as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Other SSRIs include Fluoxetine (Prozac), Citalopram (Celexa), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), Paroxetine (Paxil), and Escitalopram (Lexapro). Zoloft is produced today by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, and is also marketed under the brand names Lustral, Apo-Sertal, Gladem, Serlift, Asentra, Xydep, Serlain and Stimuloton, depending on where in the world it is sold.
Similar to the other SSRIs, Zoloft acts by boosting the amount of serotonin present in the synapses between nerve cells. Because serotonin is a mood enhancing neurotransmitter, the main use for Zoloft is as a part of therapy for depression. Many SSRIs, including Zoloft, have been shown effective in treating forms of anxiety disorders as well. Just like the other SSRIs, Zoloft does not add any serotonin or mood altering chemicals to your body, but rather helps your body to better use its own natural mood stabilizing machinery. The most common side effects of Zoloft include insomnia, asthenia, tremors, confusion, reduced libido, sexual dysfunction, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, sweating, and nausea. Most users of Zoloft will experience one or more of these effects during the first months of use, but with time they often fade. More rarely, users of Zoloft may experience weight loss, mania, or hypomania. Continue Reading »
 Clinical psychology classes and pamphlets about depression will tell you that treatments for depression are widely available and that they can be highly effective. Treatments for depression include medication, counseling and other kinds of therapy. It’s often said that a combination of medication and therapy proves to be the best treatment.
Antidepressant drugs are prescribed to enhance the mood of people with depression. Most antidepressants work by slowing down the reuptake of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that travel through the neurons in our brains. When neurons are done sending neurotransmitters, they bring them back inside. Antidepressants keep neurotransmitters related to mood working longer so that mood increases. It’s important to realize that antidepressants don’t work by taking away depression. Instead, it’s more like they lift you up so that the symptoms can improve. Therapy is the other option for treating depression. Most people think of Freud and psychoanalysis, and while a form of it exists today, psychoanalysis in its original form is debunked and no longer practiced. The one element of Freud that remains is that therapy tries to get into the underlying causes of your problems. A common form of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to treat the distorted thinking of depression patients so that they can change behavior that perpetuates their depression. By meeting with a therapist on a regular basis, patients can conceptualize what they’re feeling and going through and learn to cope with it. Continue Reading »
 Anxiety attacks are some of the most feared and misunderstood medical conditions afflicting people today. Doctors and scientists don’t agree with what actually causes an anxiety attack, but it has become perfectly clear what some of the symptoms of anxiety attack are. Sadly, it is also difficult to know exactly what the right treatment is, but the first step to understanding any ailment is to see what the symptoms of anxiety attack are.
Most symptoms of anxiety attack are straightforward, while other symptoms of anxiety attack or relative or in degrees. You might not experience all of the symptoms of anxiety attack so you use own judgment and if you are still confused if your symptoms of anxiety attack mean that you do have an anxiety disorder, consult your personal physician. The most common symptoms of anxiety attack are: a pounding heart or rapid heart rate, a shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing. Some other symptoms of anxiety attack are: dizziness and headaches, muscle tensions, stomachaches or feelings of nausea, increased sweating and muscle twitching. Not all of symptoms of anxiety attack mean that you do have anxiety disorder. But if you suspect that you might you should see your doctor to get his or her expert advice. Anxiety disorder is a serious problem and has often been linked to depression. Not all people suffering from anxiety disorder suffer depression though, and medical professionals are still not clear on what the relationship between anxiety and depression and what causes either of them. What they do agree on is that if you are showing symptoms of anxiety attack, depression or anxiety disorder, you should discuss the matter with a professional. Continue Reading »
 Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the progressive loss of brain function. The areas of the brain targeted first by the disease are associated with memory, so the first observable symptoms are usually mild forms of amnesia. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of the more general condition known as dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe any progressive damage to the areas of the brain that control memory or any other cognitive function.
The earliest stages of Alzheimer’s all involve symptoms associated with memory loss. Affected individuals may have a hard time remembering what day or month it is. They may find themselves losing items more frequently than normal, forgetting recent events or confused and disoriented in familiar environments. Normally, old memories are unaffected in these earlier stages. An affected person will recognize old friends and family, but may not have any clear memory of recent interactions with them. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the affected person often begins exhibiting difficult behavior. They often become paranoid, quick to anger, overreact to minor things, suffer from hallucinations, and can even become violent. These behaviors are seen even in individuals that were shy, timid, or passive people prior to developing the disease. Someone in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s will usually begin to lose motor control and will need help dressing and performing everyday personal hygiene functions. They often also lose the ability to speak clearly, read or write. At this stage in the disease, even older memories become affected, and afflicted people may not recognize family members or life long friends at times. In the later and final stages of the disease, individuals usually have complete memory loss and will recognize no one. They will be unable to communicate, walk, participate in personal care activities, or even eat on their own. As a result, sufferers in these late stages usually are incontinent and begin to lose a lot of weight. They often spend most of their time sleeping, and frequently suffer from seizures. Alzheimer’s will eventually lead to death due to loss of brain function. Continue Reading »
 Your mom or your best friend may suffer from depression. While most people don’t like to talk about it, there is a segment of patients with depression that never talk about it and rarely seek help for it. Male depression is probably more common than you think. If you are a woman, and your husband seems to be acting differently and does not seem to be himself, perhaps you should consider that this is going on with him. Men handle depression in different ways, most refusing to accept that this is what is going on emotionally. They will just tell you that they are tired or worn out, but there could be more to it.
Men can develop depression just as easily as women, but women are often the only ones that will really talk about it. For men, they think of male depression as a sign of weakness, even though that is not what it is. They often feel that they have to be strong for their families and that there is no way something like depression can happen to them. This is why many of the cases of depression in men go untreated. Men won’t go to the doctor because they feel sad and out of sorts. Some men have trouble going when they have a physical problem too. If those men get depressed, they will probably remain that way for a while. Signs of male depression are going to be harder to pick out, but if you know someone well enough, you can pick up on the signs. Some men spend a lot more time napping and they end up sleeping longer than they normally do. This may be something you may notice more if the man in question is usually very active. They will just tell you that they are tired, which may be, but if it goes on for a while something else may be wrong – and that something may be male depression. Continue Reading »
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