Supplement your CR-increased mental health

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Supplement your CR-increased mental health:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_rogers/20040511.html

JUNE ROGERS:

How to keep a good mood going

CBC News Viewpoint | May 11, 2004

While having my hair cut last week by my handsome young Italian

stylist, one of his colleagues came over to say hello. He told me

that he looked forward to seeing me because I was always in a good

mood (who wouldn't be around two hunky guys?). I, of course, was

flattered. But it made me think: am I always so perky?

The answer, of course, is no. I have my down days, to be sure, but on

the whole, I can honestly say I am a happy person. In light of the

fact that last week was Canadian Mental Health Week, I wondered what

contributed to my sense of well-being.

I don't have all the answers. But at the Canadian Mental Health

Association's website, I found a stress test that asks some very

probing questions. It's a real eye-opener.

Here's one: Do you do everything yourself? In the past, I would have

answered yes. When I was younger, my mother hammered into our heads

that we were to be self-sufficient. Never ask for help, she warned.

If I had a problem, I was to tough it out on my own.

Thankfully, that's no longer the case. Whenever I have big work

projects, I have learned to ask my husband to pick up the slack at

home. He'll cook and wash the dishes, make the bed, whatever needs

doing. With work, I have learned how to ask my colleagues to pitch in

to finish up a project.

It was difficult at first to admit I needed help, but I found that it

was easier than enduring the burnout that inevitably occurred when I

tried to do it all myself. I reach out now more than ever - and not

just to my husband and co-workers. My close friends are invaluable to

my mental health.

They help me see that there are many options available. If I sit

alone, stewing, I have difficulty finding my way out of the maze. But

a simple chat over a cup of tea, or a well-timed phone call can often

pull me out of my sense of isolation and frustration.

The next question on the stress test was: Do you blow up easily?

Honestly? Yes. But not as often as I used to. In my 20s, I became

enraged if I was kept waiting - in the grocery or bank line, on the

phone, in traffic. Now, I see those times as an opportunity to take a

few moments for myself. I look around me. The other day in the long,

long bank lineup, there was the cutest little baby in her stroller,

smiling. She kept me entertained - and in a good mood.

Here's another: Do you fail to build relaxation into your day? Not

anymore. Now, I make sure I get outside and walk every day. Sometimes

it's just for 10 minutes. But it makes all the difference in the

world to me and my outlook on life. Getting my blood circulating

increases my energy levels and I feel stronger and able to tackle a

work project or emotional obstacle.

Singing is also a great way for me to unwind. My voice teacher has

taught me how to breathe into my diaphragm, which initiates the

body's own relaxation response. When I drive now, I crank up the

radio and bellow (with the windows up, of course). Traffic jams? Who

cares?

Meditation calms me, too, especially when I wake up at 3 a.m. and

have squirrelly thoughts running around in my mind. Did I pay my

credit card bill? Did I forget to send my brother a birthday card?

Through meditation, I have learned to let go of those nattering

thoughts and put myself back to sleep.

The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that one in five are

affected by mental illness - that's 20 per cent of the population.

Some 12 per cent experience anxiety on a regular basis. But a

whopping 49 per cent of Canadians never see their doctors about their

mental-health problems. I encourage all those who may be feeling

isolated to reach out and ask for help from their doctors, family,

friends, communities or religious leaders. There is a way out.

[Guest guest]

Just today I was thinking about the relationship between CR

practitioners and mental health.

Being somewhat analytical, I thought that if you plotted Quality of

Life (QOL) vs. Desire for Longevity (DOL), DOL would increase as QOL

increased.

QOL is probably different for every individual, but it has at least

three important components: 1) Physical comfort (good health, absence

of pain), 2) Social environment (good friends, supportive family,

pleasant coworkers) 3) Material comfort (ability to afford good

housing, nice toys)

While these three components may be compared for different people,

there is a hidden aspect behind each one which of them that depends

on the mental attitude of each individual: The prospects for

improvement. This is the proverbial dilemma of whether the glass is

half full or half empty. If we feel that improvement is possible in

any of these components, our current misery is much more tolerable.

A person who feels boxed into an stressful and hopeless situation

with no prospect for improvement (low QOL) may not wish to live long

(low DOL) and this is the cause of most suicides, whether the reason

is physical pain, bad relationships, or money problems. A

successful, adaptable person who sees the positive side of things

(high QOL) will want to enjoy life longer (high DOL).

How does this relate to CR? Try this quasi-syllogism:

CR practitioners have a high Desire for Longevity.

People with a high Desire for Longevity have a good Quality of Life,

(otherwise they would not want to live long).

Therefore, CR practitioners have a good Quality of Life (or a

positive outlook on their prospects).

A. Zamora

[Guest guest]

The URL:

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/86/99123.htm

The article:

Supplement SAM-e Helps Beat Depression

Adding Supplement Relieves Symptoms When Antidepressant Fails

By Charlene Laino

WebMD Medical News Reviewed By , MD

May 5, 2004 -- (New York City) -- For about half of the 18 million

Americans diagnosed with major depression each year, standard

medications fail to relieve feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and

irritability. But a new study suggests that the dietary supplement

SAM-e can help boost the effects of antidepressants, helping

patients when their regular treatments fail.

In a study of 30 men and women with major depression, nearly half

went into remission when SAM-e was added to standard treatment with

antidepressants called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake

inhibitors, which include Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and

Zoloft.

" SAM-e enhanced the effects of the treatment for people who were

having little or no response to SSRIs, " researcher Alpert,

MD, PhD, associate director of the Depression Clinical and Research

Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, tells WebMD.

Plus, the supplement is associated with fewer side effects, such as

weight gain and sexual dysfunction, than conventional

antidepressants, Alpert says.

Works on Brain Chemicals

SAM-e is a molecule that naturally occurs in the cells of our body.

As we age, our bodies produce less SAM-e, so some researchers have

suggested that replacing it with a supplement can beat clinical

depression.

" We're really not sure exactly how it works, " Alpert says. But since

it's involved in a number of metabolic pathways, including the

neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine that are out of whack in

people with depression, it would stand to reason that it could help

depression.

Alpert notes that there is indirect evidence from animal studies

that SAM-e works by driving the brain chemicals serotonin and

dopamine. " But even if it didn't, I wouldn't care, " he says. " No one

really knows how conventional antidepressants work either. "

Depression, Anxiety Both Improved

The new study, presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the

American Psychiatric Association, included 30 patients who continued

to suffer from symptoms of major depression despite being on SSRI

therapy.

When SAM-e was added to their usual medication, half of the patients

improved and 43% went into remission, Alpert reports. " These are

quite strong responses and remission rates for a population that

failed traditional therapy. "

Improvement was seen after just one week of treatment, he says. And

much to his surprise, anxiety also got better.

There were no serious side effects, Alpert says, although about half

of the patients suffered constipation " that responded to the usual

measures, " and about 13% suffered headaches.

Further Study Needed

Stabinsky, MD, director of psychiatry at the Hudson Valley VA

Healthcare System in Castle Point, N.Y., and moderator of the

session, says she thinks SAM-e is worthy of further study.

" It looks like it may open new doors for some people with

depression, " she tells WebMD.

But at this point, she says, " I would not use it on patients until

there's more evidence of effectiveness and safety. "

Alpert agrees. The next step, he says, is a larger, longer study,

already funded by the National Institutes of Health, in which half

the patients will get the supplement and the rest a placebo.

" If that trial confirms these results, SAM-e will probably become an

integral part of our armamentarium against depression, " he says.

SOURCES: American Psychiatric Association 157th Annual Meeting, New

York, May 1- 6, 2004. Alpert, MD, PhD, associate director,

Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General

hospital, Boston. Stabinsky, MD, director of psychiatry,

Hudson Valley VA Health Care System, Castle Point, N.Y.

[Guest guest]

Dear and the rest of the group,

How do you obtain SAM-e? I have used prozac and now its generic version. sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. Thank you.

Sincerely,