Health news blog

Masked depression refers to depression that is hidden behind physical complaints for which no organic cause can be found. The physician’s tendency is usually to dismiss these patients as hypochondriacs or to label them as anxious and prescribe minor tranquilizers to calm them down or stimulants to pep them up and get them out of the office as quickly as possible. Masked depression (also known as depressive equivalent, latent depression, hidden depression, overlooked depression, or disguised depression) is potentially one of the most frustrating and therefore serious of mental disorders for the patient, since if not diagnosed correctly and treated properly, the patient is likely to “doctor hop” for years, trying the patience of one physician after another. As Freud himself noted, physical complaints can dominate the clinical picture and lead one to believe that the disorder is strictly physical rather than emotional. In these instances, a succession of M.D.s may never address the patient’s despair. In the worst case, the patient will give up and commit suicide.

Since the underlying illness is depression, Prozac, like other antidepressants, can often be used effectively, although little research has been done on Prozac’s effect on masked depression per se. Because the new antidepressants (of which Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Effexor are examples) have fewer side effects, it is most likely that patients with masked depression will be responsive to these drugs as they have been to the older antidepressants. The critical issue is to make the correct diagnosis of depression, since it is hidden to the patient and often the doctor fails to detect it as well and attempts to treat it as a medical condition.

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About 3% to 4% of the population experiences major depression. Manic depression occurs in another 1% or 2%, and another 5% of the population suffers from one of the other forms of depression, including dysthymia, chronic treatment-resistant depression, and depression secondary to medical or other psychiatric disorders. All told, about 10% of the population is afflicted by depression in one form or another, with women about two to five times more likely than men to be affected. Manic depression, however, afflicts men and women equally.

In a usual depression, most people tend to lose weight and have difficulty sleeping, whereas the distinctive feature of atypical depression is that patients tend to gain weight and to sleep more than is normal. They also tend to be extremely anxious, histrionic, sensitive to rejection, and strongly reactive to environmental factors. Major depression typically does not have these latter symptoms.

The symptoms of atypical depression have traditionally responded best to Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, but studies now suggest that Prozac and probably other SSRIs may also be effective in treating this disorder.

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The difference is basically one of degree. The DSM-IV defines hypomania as “a distinct period of

sustained elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout four days.” Mania is a longer, more intense version of the same thing. The manic mood is not just elevated but “abnormally and persistently elevated,” and it lasts at least one week—twice as long as a hypomanic episode.

In addition, a person in a manic or hypomanic state would be expected to have at least three of the following symptoms:

o excessive self-esteem or grandiosity

o reduced need for sleep

o excessive talkativeness, telephoning, spending

o extremely rapid flight of thoughts along with the feeling that the mind is racing

o inability to concentrate, easily distracted

o increase in social or work-oriented activities, often with a sixty- to eighty-hour work week

o poor judgment, as indicated by misguided business decisions, sprees of uncontrolled spending, or an increase in sexual indiscretions.

Again, the difference between mania and hypomania is one of degree. While both states might be described using terms such as those listed, hypomania can simply seem like a more productive, active period, whereas a full-blown manic attack seriously impairs functioning and often requires hospitalization. Manic people are out of control: they can hurt themselves and others. But those who are hypomanic can also exercise poor judgment. Some patients make excursions from a pleasurable (or sometimes irritable) hypomania to a shockingly destructive mania, affecting everyone and everything around them.

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Since the male-menopause has become a recognizable and diagnosable crisis condition many inaccurate theories and judgements have been circulated under the guise of being fact, each sounding like professional judgement from the pages of a medical textbook. This may not matter with simple ailments where a little embroidery improves the seriousness of tone and the quality of sympathy, but with the male-menopause all the myths do is increase misunderstandings and make less sense of what is potentially a serious matter.

Most popular myths centre on a man’s sex life — or, more precisely, the apparent lack of it.

This may sound chauvinistic but many of the myths are probably put about by women. Not, one suspects, however, because of feminist need to establish equality but because to many women the term male-menopause conjures up visions of impotence and leads them to hope and expect men to have a similar sort of climacteric to theirs. After all if a woman has one why not a man too?

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Even though the lymphatic vessels are much longer than all the red blood vessels together, our knowledge of the white bloodstream is still very limited. The lymphatic vessels, which are much finer than those of the red bloodstream, are distributed throughout the entire body. In contrast with the blood, the lymph flows only in one direction and the fluid is returned to the bloodstream after its task is completed. The body can be divided schematically into four parts in the form of a cross, starting at the navel. Each of these four fields more or less corresponds to a lymphatic network, with a centre located at the right and left side of the groin area and in each of the armpit regions. Smaller centres are also located below the lower jaw, at the right and left side. Leading to these centres, the lymph glands form little nodes, which reach their maximum size in the centre itself.

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If you buy the sauerkraut in a health food store instead of making if yourself, presuming it was made with very little salt, sprinkle a teaspoonful of one of the two powders over the sauerkraut, mix it well and let it stand for another day before eating it raw. Even though this quick method of making a calcium preparation is not quite as effective as the first method, the result is still better than proprietary calcium tablets. Incidentally, you can also mix a pinch of eggshell or oyster shell powder into salad dressings if you prepare these with lemon juice. The citric acid will dissolve some of the natural calcium in the shells, making the mineral more easily assimilate

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Furthermore, it is of great importance to influence the patient psychologically. The glandular functions must be in good order, and this depends a great deal on his state of mind.

It is also important to stimulate the skin. Give the body a daily brush massage and afterwards apply a good skin oil containing natural herbal ingredients that stimulate the function of the skin.

That good bowel movement is necessary should go without saying. Indeed, proper functioning of the bowels and the kidneys is essential for the cure of practically any disease.

Lung patients who take this simple advice to heart will benefit greatly from their rest cures and will surprise their doctors by their speedy recovery. Always remember that it is important to try and rectify deficiencies and weaknesses anywhere in the body and not just one organ. It is then understandable why recovery is faster than usual.

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Bronchial asthma is different from nervous asthma in that it is mainly triggered by certain climatic conditions. A change in environment generally brings about the desired cure. Living by the sea, where the air contains iodine, usually has a positive effect and asthma attacks will often disappear. High altitude often proves to be equally beneficial. An elevation of 900 m (2,800 feet) generally suffices, although sometimes an elevation of 1,000-1,400 m (3,600-4,500 feet) may be necessary to overcome the problem. The third alternative is the hot, dry air of the desert, which in many cases has helped to relieve asthmatic discomfort.

It is also possible that the spasms are caused by pollen in the air. This ’seasonal asthma’ is similar to hay fever, which also results from sensitivity to pollen, an allergic reaction. If your domestic situation permits you to move to a different climatic zone you should do so, since a change of climate, together with the appropriate natural remedies, can lead to an eventual cure of bronchial asthma. Although a patient may be able to find suitable employment in an area where the climate would be more suitable, he may find it difficult to uproot himself from familiar surroundings and leave relatives and friends for a strange place, or his own family may be reluctant to move. It would, however, be a great pity if the patient could not receive the necessary support to move to a climate where he would find relief from his ailment.

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The way I see it, the ideal eating plan is like a lighthouse, a beacon upon which to set your sights. If you can, I urge you to adhere to the full plan. But do not be too hard on yourself if, in spite of your best efforts, you cannot. For, if you make an honest, continuing effort to eat correctly, if you keep your beacon clearly in view, and you take Chitosan regularly, you will be taking a major step down the road toward keeping your fat intake low, your fiber consumption sufficient, and your cholesterol under
control.

As Leo Burnett, the great advertising agent, used to say, “If you reach for the stars, you may not touch one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.”
A Word About Water: Drinking plenty of water is an integral part of any healthy eating plan. But it is essential when you take Chitosan. In fact, this may be the only rule in this whole book that you should never violate. The reason is that, if you eat a lot of Chitosan and do not drink sufficient water, you may find that you are becoming quite constipated. If this is a situation which becomes extreme (which is very unlikely), you should just cut down on Chitosan.

Otherwise, a little constipation is merely annoying. But it should be avoided if possible. And 8 glasses of water a day, in addition to the other benefits it brings, should solve the constipation problem completely.

Be reasonable. We were all born with different bodies. Most of us will never be fashion-model slim, and we can ruin our health trying to be. Even with the regular ingestion of Chitosan, we may not achieve what we desire if that desire is unreasonable. For our bodies are wondrous machines that struggle against being abused.

So, unlike everything you have tried or heard before, I say be very careful when it comes to restricting your eating too much. It’s not good for you, and it won’t work. Don’t get me wrong

I’m all for avoiding the pitfalls of obesity. I believe that maintaining a normal weight is crucial to good health. Still, I tell my patients that I’d rather see them carry a few extra pounds than resort to starving themselves or engaging in unhealthy eating practices. Up to now, this has been something of a dilemma: You want to control what you’re eating to some degree (by staying away from too much fat, sugar, salt; eating more vegetables and fruits; etc.) yet you don’t want to over control and wind up with a diet you cannot live with, or even with an eating disorder. So how can you walk the line?

Well, in addition to Chitosan, which is obviously your first line of defense, here are a number of other reasonable strategies.

First, only eat when you’re hungry. In particular, if you feel hungry between regular scheduled mealtimes, make sure it’s truly hunger that you feel—not boredom, a twinge in your stomach, or an unmet emotional need. When you first feel that you’re hungry between meals, wait ten minutes. Many times we confuse a brief pang with true hunger. If you’re still hungry ten minutes later, munch a little from your Chitosan bag. Then, if you’re still hungry or if you truly crave an occasional high-fat treat, take your Chitosan and eat it! Always listen to your body’s signals. If you’re especially hungry one day, go ahead and eat larger portions.

The same principle applies to your meals. By using your secret weapon when you need it, you can afford to eat that extra portion you really want. That way, you’ll be able to stay with a healthful eating program. On the other hand, if you’re not very hungry one day, eat smaller portions of lighter foods. But do make sure you always get the minimum recommended number of servings each day. You must have your three meals and two snacks, even if you’re not feeling very hungry and they are quite small. By all means, take smaller portions if that’s appropriate, but do eat. Your body needs the nutrients.

Second, realize that weight loss is not a race—the point is to keep moving in the direction of your ideal body weight. Even if you feel the urgent need to lose weight quickly, there is only so much you can do. And slowly losing weight is much better for your health. Your body is more likely to adjust to the new weight and you’re more likely to adopt gradually but permanently the new eating habits so that your weight will continue to decline until it gets to your ideal weight. That’s where it will stabilize. As long as you keep taking your Chitosan—and a little extra if you occasionally overindulge—there is no need to regain the weight you have lost—ever.

Eating disorders are, of course, a curse that comes with too much emphasis on losing weight fast, too many crash diets, and too much worship at the altar of unnecessary thinness. At their worst, true eating disorders destroy healthy living and can even lead to death. But they usually begin gradually, and the best time to deal with them is when they are just starting.

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