Newsworthy Articles
Will I Ever
Be Happy?
An
estimated of eight million Americans suffer from a condition
known as dysthymia, a chronic low-grade depression. What causes dysthymia? Some researchers believe all depressions are biologically based and possibly caused by a deficiency of
neurotransmitters or brain hormones such as serotonin. This research led to the popularity of such antidepressant medications as Prozac, which balance the supply of naturally produced neurotransmitters
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A surprising new health tip:
When you're angry, let it show
Before her divorce, Jane, a 52-year-old
attorney, had a hard time dealing with an emotionally abusive
husband who badgered their son and verbally attacked her. Sure,
she was angry at her ex, but when researchers asked her about
her experiences, she never once used the term "angry"
to describe her feelings. Ditto when detailing
a difficult situation at work. "Frequently I will say:
'It upsets me that I can't express this without the depth of
my emotion showing,' " she says. "I try to kind of
temper my reactions."
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Depression
As many of us know, depression is common during menopause
First the bad news: As many as 25 percent of all Americans will
suffer from depression this year. And depression impairs people's
ability to function more than any other disease except heart
disease.
Now the good news: Depression is one of the most treatable illnesses
known. Drug therapy and psychotherapy can help victims of depression
feel better, become more productive and improve their relationships.
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Study: Healthy
lifestyle Cuts Heart Risk More Than 80 Percent in Women
ATLANTA (CNN) -- The guidelines are familiar: Eating right,
exercising and not smoking can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Now research shows those benefits can be dramatic for women.
"I was
surprised the magnitude was so large -- over 80 percent reduction
in risk," said study leader Dr. Meir Stampfer of Harvard
University and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston.
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Anxiety
"Last night I slept for eight hours but I still feel tired."
"I worry constantly; I'm so self-critical it's ridiculous."
"I get these headaches, my stomach hurts; right now I can
feel something weird in my lower back..."
Sound familiar? Exhaustion, the jitters, the inability
to concentrate, a queasy stomach--most of us feel some symptoms
of anxiety in a world that grows more complex and unpredictable
by the minute. For the most part, anxiety is situational.
Your heart pounds before you give a speech. You're nauseous
when your wedding plans go awry.
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Self-Criticism
Some of us believe that if we relish success or enjoy it, something terrible will happen. "I've always thought that when something good happens, something bad is around the corner," confides one woman. For her, self criticism becomes a means to an end rather than a result of anything negative that happens in her life. It's protective. It's her way of saying, "I'm already suffering as anyone can see; I get no joy out of my life, so there's no need to hit me again with bad news, thank you." But the costs for the illusion that you are warding off evil through self-criticism are enormous.
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Hypnosis-No Hocus Pocus
When you hear the word hypnosis, does it conjure up night club performers making audience volunteers cluck like chickens? Visions of zombies from the Night of the Living Dead? Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, in the current climate of American health care with its new focus on the connection between the mind and the body, medical professionals across the board are turning to hypnotic technique to treat everything from stress to asthma.
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Compulsive Self Reliance
Are You the Only Person You Depend On?
Picture this:
You're swamped at your desk when an assistant hired two weeks ago offers to help. You:
a) Gladly hand him two projects off your desk with a sigh of relief
b) Think, "By the time I show him how to do this, I could finish it myself" and politely turn down his offer of assistance
c) Say no. You don't want the buzz around the office to say you don't have this project under control.
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Mindfulness
Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., in Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, writes:
"If you could train your mind to let go of other desires,
returning to them when the actual moment has come to do the bills
and make the phone call, you would be able to experience peace
of mind. The road to peace of mind is through a practice called
mindfulness."
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Top Blood Pressure Measurement More Important
Than Bottom, Researchers Say
(CNN) -- The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has issued a new health advisory for diagnosing and treating high blood pressure.
For years, doctors thought the top number in a blood pressure reading was the less important measurement, and that it was normal for this number to rise with age. But now, NHLBI says the opposite is true.
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Endometrial Ablation
Over the past decade, a technique has been developed that can reduce or stop your periods without a hysterectomy. This surgery can be done in women who have flooding either with or without fibroid tumors.
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Study Finds: Hormone Therapy Fails
to Slow Heart Disease in Older Women
LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Hormone-replacement therapy, widely believed to be an effective treatment for heart ailments in older women, does not appreciably slow progression of cardiac
disease, reseachers at Wake Forest University have found.
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The AMA reports the combination of Estrogen & progestin increases risk of breast cancer
ATLANTA (CNN) -- Women taking a combination of the hormones estrogen and progestin have a greater risk of breast cancer than women using estrogen alone, according to a study reported by the American Medical Association.
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Phytoestrogens: An Exciting
Alternative
"Phytoestrogen" seems to be the new buzz word these days when discussions turn to menopause and alternatives to hormone replacement therapy, but what are phytoestrogens and how do they affect us? Phytoestrogens are a group of compounds found in plants that influence our own estrogen activity. They can either act as a weak estrogen, or provide precursors to substances that affect our estrogen activity. To understand how phytoestrogens work, it is important to understand a little about how our hormones work in general.
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Vitamin "E" Is Golden Capsule
Author and columnist Jean Carper calls Vitamin E "this golden capsule" and says new benefits from Vitamin E intake are being shown for "better functioning brains, immune systems and hearts." Writing in USA Weekend, Carper said research also shows "possible prevention of gallstones and cataracts and treatment of asthma and male infertility." "And hear this," she wrote. "The death rate from all causes was 34% lower in older people taking Vitamin E supplements, according to National Institute of Aging research."
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