By: Juliet Cohen
Depression can take its toll not only on the individual but also their family and friends. Figures indicate that depression affects at least 17 million Americans annually; which is actually more than the number of people affected by ailments like AIDS and cancer. At least 15 percent of those affected by chronic depression commit suicide. Also women are more prone to depression than men. Each individual has his or her own way of dealing with depression. This choice is left to the individual, unless there is a medical need for immediate intervention.
By: Juliet Cohen
Anorexia nervosa is one type of eating disorder. Anorexia does not harm everybody the same way. For example, evidence suggests that the results of the disease in adolescents may differ from those in adults. It usually starts in the teenage years. Anorexia is more than just a problem with food. Most people with anorexia are female. It is characterized by low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Individuals with anorexia often control body weight by voluntary starvation, purging, vomiting, excessive exercise, or other weight control measures, such as diet pills or diuretic drugs. Anorexia is a life-threatening condition that can put a serious strain on many of the body’s organs and physiological resources. For many individuals with anorexia, the destructive cycle begins with the pressure to be thin and attractive. A poor self-image compounds the problem.
By: Linda Liszka
Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disorder characterized by chronic achy muscular pain and joint pain as well. The pain from this disorder is usually described as burning, throbbing, shooting, and stabbing. The pain and stiffness is often greater in the morning, and may also be accompanied by chronic headaches, strange sensations in the skin, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and TMJ. Other symptoms often experienced by people with fibromyalgia include PMS, painful periods, anxiety, palpitations, memory impairment, irritable bladder, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, dizziness, and impaired coordination. Depression is frequently a part of the picture also.The most distinctive feature of fibromyalgia, however, is the existence of certain tender points – nine pairs of specific spots where muscles are abnormally tender to the touch.