http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/index.html en-us © 2007 Medletter Associates, LLC. All rights reserved. customerservice@johnshopkinshealthalerts.com webmaster@iproduction.com Wed, 14 May 2008 14:18:32 CDT Wed, 14 May 2008 14:18:32 CDT IPS - www.iproduction.com Johns Hopkins shares four strategies for managing panic attacks so they frighten you less, are less intense, and occur less frequently.It comes on suddenly, without warning. Your heart races and pounds in your chest, you sweat, you feel short of breath, dizzy, sick to your stomach, faint even. You fear you're having a heart attack or maybe losing your mind. You have a distinct feeling of unreality and, perhaps, a desire to run away and… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/1965-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Do you worry excessively? Johns Hopkins provides nine strategies to help you take control of your anxiety.We live in anxious times, full of bad news. We worry about our families, our country, our basic health and safety. But while a little bit of worry can be a good thing -- it can steer us away from taking unreasonable risks, for instance -- free-floating anxiety can be paralyzing, unproductive, and self-defeating. If you think… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/1156-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS This Depression and Anxiety Glossary is excerpted from The Johns Hopkins White Papers: Depression and Anxiety. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/922-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Scientists are beginning to understand the connection between brain atrophy, neurogenesis, and depression. How does this affect our understanding of the role of antidepressant medication? Johns Hopkins doctors explain …What happens within the brain when a person is depressed? Our concept of that is rapidly shifting, thanks to work in brain imaging and molecular medicine. … http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/851-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Is the cure worse than the disease? Johns Hopkins psychiatrist Dr. Karen L. Swartz discusses the risks and benefits of SSRIs.Call it the pill paradox: Some 20 years ago, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) burst onto the scene, lauded for their ability to treat depression. Today, however, some studies have linked SSRIs to an increased incidence of suicidal thoughts and behavior, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the midst of an extensive… http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/850-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Over the past 20 years, cognitive-behavioral therapy has become increasingly popular for the treatment of depression. Like standard cognitive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the idea that mood problems stem from irrational thoughts and that identifying and changing these distorted thought patterns can improve emotional symptoms. In cognitive-behavioral therapy, this theory is combined with the principles of behavioral therapy, which is aimed primarily at modifying specific problematic or unwanted behaviors. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/379-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Bipolar disorder is characterized by alternating periods of major depression and mania. In rare case, mania—episodes of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood—can occur on its own.For people with bipolar disorder, an accurate diagnosis is important to ensure appropriatetreatment. But making an accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder can be difficult. People http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/244-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is marked by recurrent, repetitive thoughts (obsessions), behaviors (compulsions), or both that a person recognizes as unreasonable, unnecessary, or foolish yet are intrusive and cannot be resisted. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder do not necessarily have both obsessions and compulsions, but either one often interferes with day-to-day activities and relationships with others. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/234-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS The hallmarks of a phobia are persistent, irrational fears and avoidance of the specific things (for example, animals, heights, or closed spaces) or activities that induce these fears. The diagnosis of a phobic disorder is made only when the phobia significantly impairs the individual's social or occupational functioning. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/231-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Sex and satisfaction with one's sex life are important parts of the lives of most adults. But having a satisfying sex life may be a challenge for some of the 12 to 18 million Americans who take antidepressants.While sexual dysfunction is a frequent symptom of depression itself and successful treatment might eliminate it, antidepressants may exacerbate sexual dysfunction or even http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/130-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS Benzodiazepines—such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), and Valium (diazepam)—are effective for alleviating anxiety, but they are also powerful drugs with serious side effects. Among the most dangerous is the development of both physical and psychological dependency. In fact, more than one third of people taking benzodiazepines for anxiety for more than one month become dependent on them. http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/depression_anxiety/59-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS