Imagine going to the doctor for a little bump you feel on your body. For someone suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, they assume automatically that the bump must be cancer, and continue to obsess and worry over the bump even after the doctor has said it is normal. This is one of the uncontrollable worries produced by the disorder. The excessive worry involved with the disorder is completely disproportionate to the actual reason for worry. This worry can interfere with daily life, and can even manifest itself in dangerous physical symptoms. Although some amount of worrying and stress is normal, below I will discuss some symptoms to look for that may point to Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Again, everyone worries about health issues, money, death, family relations, work, and school issues, but someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder is overly concerned with these worries, to the point that they cloud out a basis for what is reasonable to worry about. Even more unsettling is that this disorder can manifest itself in a variety of physical symptoms. For example, people suffering form Generalized Anxiety Disorder can experience fatigue, fidgeting, headaches, prolonged upset stomach, muscle aches, unexplained pains – even restlessness and rashes. The inability to control worries is the main cause for all of these symptoms.

It is possible to develop Generalized Anxiety Disorder at any time in life, but it especially occurs in late childhood to middle adulthood; therefore, trying to live with the disorder can and will be a long-term challenge. Many times, Generalized Anxiety Disorder appears with other anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Again, many signs and symptoms include worrying an extreme amount about every day things, having trouble controlling these worries, being aware that you worry more than you should, and even having a hard time concentrating and being irritable. In the past, there has not been a very strong focus and acknowledgement of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, but there is several treatment options available today.

The first step to getting diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder is to talk to your doctor about symptoms you are experiencing. The doctor will perform an exam and make sure another problem is not causing the worries. If referred to a mental health specialist, the treatment options are psychotherapy and medication. Therapy sessions will be the most helpful form of treatment available, as they will help you release many worries. The medication will also assist with relaxation and can be very helpful in controlling Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

If the symptoms above sound like you, be sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor. There is help available.

Officially known as hypochondriasis, the condition is defined as “worry over an imagined illness with exaggeration of symptoms, no matter how insignificant, that lasts for at least six months and causes significant distress.” The condition can develop on its own, but most commonly follows generalized anxiety disorder or depression. Rather than being a joke, hypochondriasis deserves just as much concern as depression or any other anxiety disorder.

Sufferers of the disease often do not see it as harmless, and the condition can easily shift from a quirky, neurotic, and minor character trait into a dangerous obsession. Arthur Barsky of Harvard Medical School says, “Illness often becomes a central part of a hypochindriac’s identity.” For someone with hypochondriasis, believing that a disease is present is not an after thought; it occupies the mind relentlessly. Many skeptics believe that this is just a way to get attention; however, it has been proven in several studies and by many academics, that sufferers really do feel genuine distress and suffer from actual anxiety.

Many of us Google random health issues that may come up – from a sore throat, to swollen lymph nodes, to a minor stomachache. Hypochondriacs, however, can find the search results on the Internet particularly troubling, and often cannot tell the difference between sound medical advice, and the rantings of an uninformed teenager.

With the simple Google search for “swollen glands,” the first result was a forum in which a user had posted that they had a swollen gland, and it turned out to be Stage-4 lymphoma which led to the person’s ultimate demise. The posts listed under were all reactions of other users, terrified by the post and believing that they also suffered from the same condition. For a hypochondriac, this advice would convince them that they indeed had the disease to a point of unhealthy obsession. The Internet, and its medical advice, are the newest enemy of hypochondriacs.

Some symptoms of hypochondria include an obsession or intense fear about having a serious medical issue, worrying that minor symptoms mean that there is a serious issue present, seeing doctors repeatedly, frequently switching doctors due to lack of trust, continuously talking about symptoms, and most of all, thinking they have a disease after simply reading or hearing about it.

If you or a loved one start obsessively worrying over a health problem, even after being told by a doctor you are in perfect health, you may have hypochondria. At this point, the best thing you can do is not go to a family doctor, but to a mental health professional who can help you get back on the road to true health. Remember, most mental illnesses are treatable.

In an addictive relationship, one partner is self-centered and focused only on their desires, while the other partner is dependent and other-centered, willing to mirror the other partner. Below I have listed seven signs you may be in an addictive relationship.

Dishonesty. Neither of the partners say how they really feel, and they even lie about what they want on a regular basis. Communication completely drops off.

Unrealistic Expectations. Both partners truly believe that the other one will solve all of their problems with body image, self-esteem, family, and other life problems. They both believe, the more self-centered partner especially, that the right relationship will make everything better.

Instant Gratification. The self-centered partner expects the other to be there every time they feel sad, and that the partner needs to make them feel happy, almost like a drug rather than a human.

Compulsive Control. The selfless partner must act a certain way, or the self-centered partner will threaten to leave the relationship. Both partners also feel pressured to stay in the relationship, and that it is not a choice to be together.

Lack of Trust. Neither partner trusts each other to support the other when there is a problem. They also do not believe that the other person loves or trusts them, and that all feelings are not genuine. It is at this point that the partners usually acknowledge that they are in an addictive relationship, but feel obligated to stay together.

Social Isolation. Plain and simple, people in addictive relationships wish to be left alone. Family and friends are not invited into the relationship, as the partners are usually too concerned with their own problems and emotions in the addictive relationship to feel that friends are necessary or can help with the situation.

Cycle of Pain. Perhaps the biggest sign of an addictive relationship is this vicious cycle. The partners are completely trapped in a cycle of pleasure, pain, disillusionment, blaming, fighting, possibly breaking up for a short time, and then reconnection. This cycle will continue to repeat itself until one of the partners, usually the selfless one, breaks free of the relationship.

Addictive relationships are a real problem and surprisingly common. The only way to become free of an addictive relationship is to acknowledge that you are in one, explain to your partner what is going on, and then take a definitive step out of the relationship and end it for good. Although it will be tempting to get back into the relationship, remember that you will be much happier when it ends.

As a college student myself, the facts presented in the article really hit home for me. I have written about anxiety and stress in college before, so in this article I will focus on things to look for in friends that could be warning signs of suicidal thoughts, and some resources to use for more information on the issue.

Although the article is from 2008, the facts ring true now as much as ever, especially in light of all recent tragic suicides of gay teens across the country. The survey reveals that half of all college students have thought about killing themselves, and 5% of students actually try to kill themselves. The MSNBC article also references the information in the survey that tries to give an explanation for the massive figure. It points to “growing levels of distress among college students and diminishing resources to handle the consequences.” And this article was even written before the stresses of the recession began to weigh heavily on college students.

Although there is not a set, absolute list of symptoms and warning signs that someone is planning to commit suicide, doctors have negotiated this list of things to be on the lookout for in friends or family. There are the list of typical symptoms that they teach you in grade school, including: person making a will, person suddenly visiting family and friends (one last time), person buying instruments of suicide, person experiencing mood swings, and a person who exhibits a loss of interest in life.

There are many other signs to be on the lookout for including: alcohol abuse, severe agitation, major change in personality, severe anxiety, hopelessness, and a difficulty handling schoolwork and relationships.

If you start to notice any signs or symptoms in a friend, the best thing you can do at first is to simply talk to them. Many people commit suicide, because they feel like they are alone, and have no one to talk to. Simply extending the hand of friendship, and allowing that person to talk about their problems is one of the best ways to prevent suicide. If it seems like someone is imminently interested in committing suicide, the best thing you can do is tell the mental health center on your college campus.

There are many other great resources out there for college students or anyone in general who may be thinking of suicide. Some great websites are Campus Blues, Go Ask Alice!, Samaritans, Ulifeline.org, and of course, the National Suicide Hotline. College counseling centers are usually free of charge for students, and they handle situations of students thinking about suicide often. Again, always be on the lookout for signs or symptoms that a friend may need some help, whether it be from you or a trained professional.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem!

To help, I have compiled a list of smart ways to prevent this stress.

Make smart financial decisions. We have all had to learn the skill of money management the hard way. Every day, college students are bombarded with advertisements, trends, and even foods, that tempt us to break our budgets, which often is the case. The way to prevent a lot of financial stress is to simply do a little bit of financial planning, even going so far as to making a written budget. Every purchase a student makes needs to be a conscious one. Do you need the $7 salad in the university snack store, or should you use your meal plan that has already been paid for? Situations like this arise several times a day. With a little bit of planning, and a whole lot of self-control, your money will go a lot farther.

Make smart relationship decisions. One of my close freshman friends has been dealing with a person this year that constantly insults her, and starts drama at every turn. It is people like that who will push your stress level through the roof. Although it may not seem simple now, cutting negative influences like that out of your life will contribute to your happiness. And getting rid of the negativity will reduce your overall stress level. The same goes for relationships. If you are simply too busy to be able to maintain a steady relationship, do not spend a great amount of time stressing over that fact. College is a time for personal growth and academic success. Do not stress over this now; you have the rest of your life to develop long (loving) relationships.

Make smart academic decisions. At least for me, this is the area that causes the greatest amount of stress. Professors have a never-ending stream of assignments, tests, and most importantly, readings. I have an average of about 300-500 pages of reading per week. It is not humanly possible to complete this task, but developing a few tricks will relieve some of the pressure. If you prioritize the readings, skim unimportant sections, and make notes in the margins as you read, the stress of the reading will not by any means disappear, but it will be a little bit easier. In addition, work with your advisor to make sure you take classes that apply towards your degree. No need to take extra credits; those will only add to your stress level.

The most important thing to remember is to prioritize your life. You always come first, then academics, then other activities, then relationships and extraneous issues.

Here’s to a less stressful semester!

Feelings of being homesickness are ok. It is completely normal to feel homesick or even generally uncomfortable. No matter if you’re 18 or 80, a major life change is going to warrant uncomfortable feelings. Acknowledging to yourself and to your family that you are homesick is the first step in getting through it.

Stay busy and involved on campus. Go to meetings and organizational fairs, and be sure to join at least two organizations right away. This is a great way to make friends and to spruce up your resume for grad school. As long as you are busy with schoolwork and activities, you will not have time to let your mind mull over and over about how much you miss home.

Get off campus. Some kids do not go to college in the most exciting cities or towns, but no matter where you live, getting off campus is key. Go to a coffee shop in another area of the city, go to the mall and walk around, get acquainted with your local parks. Getting off campus will help you feel more comfortable in your new city, and will, again, take your mind off of homesickness.

Focus on post-college life. Never, ever forget that the single most important reason why you are even at college in the first place is to learn. And by focusing on your studies, instead of your home, it becomes easier to dream and plan for life after college. Now is the time to do all of the work. Honestly, this was the hardest thing for me to understand at first, but that will come with time. This leads to my final point:

Give it time. The first weeks, and maybe even months, will be hard. It takes time to settle into a new environment, and to adjust to a completely new life. But the beauty of the human mind is, it can adapt to a new situation, and it does if you just give it a little time. Instead of allowing yourself to give up in the first few days, try to get as settled as possible, and then make your decision at the close of the first semester. All you have to do is give it time, and you will be fine. If steps like this are not working for you, talk to your resident assistant or on-campus counselor.

Let me explain my viewpoint.

In my dorm hallway freshman year, five of the twenty people began their year involved in a long distance relationship. First, there was Gracie. Gracie had been dating the same guy since high school, and she tried to transfer the relationship over to college. He was a student at Ole Miss, and due to the distance, their relationship deteriorated faster than the speed of light. They broke up in the first week of the first semester.

Next, there was Kelsey. Kelsey had a summer fling with a man in D.C. After moving 1,500 miles away for college, she kept trying to talk to him, attempting to transfer their relationship to the friend zone. He had a meltdown that led Kelsey to tears, and they never spoke again. The typical summer fling gone wrong.

Rachel fell victim next. She was so in love with her Delaware boyfriend; however, after six shots of tequila on Bourbon St, and one cute guy later, cheating came easier than she had ever thought. She confessed to her boyfriend, and Mr. Delaware dumped her by sunset the next day.

Andrew was perhaps the saddest story. He and his girlfriend were the picture of happiness, and both as straight-laced as they come. The girlfriend moved to Boulder for college, got into drugs, and dumped Andrew. He spiraled into a deep depression, and he had suicidal thoughts. After a year of therapy, he has made a full recovery.

And then came Genevieve, the most bizarre situation. She had one boyfriend before college in Portland, and naturally, they attempted to keep dating, even if she was 2,500 miles away. Well, Genevieve met a girl, and they became the best of friends. Two weeks later, Genevieve dumped her California boyfriend, for her new friend, a girl. College helped her realized she was a lesbian.

The stresses that a long-distance relationship put on a college student are tremendous. As these stories show, keeping love alive at great distances can be difficult at best. My advice to beginning college students is to start college with a clean slate. Avoid long distance relationships in order to make the transition to your new environment easier.

Remember, if love is meant to be, it will be!

Alright, now let’s get real. Put simply, in the life of a college student, stress is trying to make time for your significant other, while writing your paper for History 101, while Facebook chatting with your friends from back home, and while simultaneously trying not to think about the other paper you have due later the next day. Even though this sounds very dramatic and seemingly like the result of procrastination and bad choices, it is an unavoidable reality for college students around the world.

Going into my third year at a major university, I am all too familiar with the stresses that plague a college student. College can be stressful for a number of reasons. As explained by ULifeline, these include:

-Greater academic demands.
-Being on your own in new environments.
-Changes in family relations.
-Financial responsibilities.
-Changes in your social life.
-Exposure to new people, ideas, and temptations.
-Discomfort with your sexual identity. (More common than you may think).
-Preparing for life after graduation (Especially troubling in the junior and senior years).

More often than not, the stressors arrive at different times and in many different forms. Stress can be dealt with in many ways, from taking a run, to taking deep breaths, to simply socializing with friends; however, in the real world, it is not so simple. College students, including myself, have a tendency to let stress build and build under the mountain of projects and tasks that need to be completed. Here are some symptoms of when it is time to start dealing with your stress:

-Changes in sleep and eating patterns.
-Increased frequency of headaches.
-Increased levels of frustration and anger. (Often taken out on scapegoats).
-Irritability.
-Recurring colds and minor illnesses.
-Being more disorganized than usual.
-Increased difficulty getting things done, or extreme procrastination.

Last fall, I felt buried underneath projects, homework, reading, and everything in between. On top of that, I felt pressure coming from extracurricular activities, friends, and a significant other. Caught up in the rush, I did not take the time to address the stress in a healthy manner. Instead, I let it build up to the point where I had a massive meltdown and felt it necessary to escape 2,000 miles away in Maine for the fall holidays.

This is the type of situation that can be avoided if precautions are taken. If you exhibit symptoms of heavy stress, take advantage of helpful resources, such as the student counseling center, your resident assistants, and campus spiritual leaders.

According to the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation, “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a complex disorder of the brain and behavior that causes severe anxiety in those affected by both obsessions and compulsions that take a lot of time and get in the way of important activities the person values.” People suffering from OCD can be obsessed with anything from cleanliness, to the weather, to sports teams, and beyond. Obsessions can range from washing your hands repeatedly, to fixating on a number and doing everything in that number.

A good example is the obsession with germs and getting sick. Someone with OCD might constantly worry about germs, and no matter what else they try to think of or do, they can’t stop thinking about the diseases that are lurking; therefore, this person might use a hand-sanitizing product several times in an hour and even go so far as to wash their hands until they bleed.

Another example is that of flying. Many people don’t like flying or get understandably nervous in the Post-9/11 world we live in; however, a person with OCD may use substances like painkillers or alcohol to get through a flight, or have a panic-attack and pass out during the flight.

OCD is characterized by a build-up of anxiety over irrational fears. Now if you are someone who enjoys being clean or does not enjoy flying, that does not mean that you have OCD. OCD is an overwhelming anxiety that gets in the way of your daily life. For example, I was having lunch with a friend at a nice café, when I noticed she sanitized her hand after each touch of the menu, tablecloth, and even straw wrapper. She ended up using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer 21 times in our hour-long meal. When I asked her what she was doing, she would say she needed to sanitize or else she would get sick.

At the first sign of an irrational fear of this magnitude, it is a clear sign to seek help. A trained therapist can only officially diagnose OCD. There are hundreds of trained professionals in all corners of the United States. The good news is that OCD does not have a stigma attached to it anymore. It is treatable with either therapy, or medication, or a combination of both. The first step is admitting that you need help.

I am proud to say that I overcame OCD through therapy and without the use of any medications. If you think you, or someone you know may be suffering from OCD, be sure to take the proper measures to get help. Life will get better!

Lisa Greenberg, a psychologist in Madison, New Jersey, offers the following suggetions:

• Empathize with the stress your teen is under.
• Admire their effort, while de-emphasizing the outcome – being able to work hard in life is much more important than a grade in a particular course.
• Ask your teen if there’s anything in particular you can do to help (not including writing their papers!)
• Offer a fun, but not over-the-top celebration to mark the end of the work and/or the year to give your teen something to look forward to.
• Remember that it is your child, and not his or her resumé, which is important.
• Hot chocolate: There is very little that can’t be improved for a teen by a loving adult appearing with hot chocolate at the right moment.

Brooke Randolph, a licensed mental health counselor in Indianapolis, Indiana, adds these hints:

• Without saying a word, parents can make sure that teens have healthy meals and snacks available to keep a stable blood sugar level and enable them to think most clearly.
• Parents may be able to gently ask questions that can help their teens prioritize their projects.
• While it may be unpopular, insisting on a bedtime to ensure that teens are well rested will help them manage stress.
• Parents can help a teen take a mental break and keep blood flowing by asking a teen to take a walk in the neighborhood with the parent.
• Parents can celebrate with their children over accomplishments and completed projects, honoring their hard work and renewing their energy for the next project.

Although you can’t make the projects and workload from the end of the school year disappear, you definitely can create a supportive and less stressful atmosphere for your teen.

Researchers in Utrecht, Netherlands, took advantage of a strike by cleaning staff at the city’s train station. Amidst the gathering trash, they asked white travelers to fill out surveys about Muslims and homosexuals. They also took note of how far the survey participants sat from a nearby man, sometimes black and sometimes white. After the strike ended, and the station was cleaned up, the researchers took another survey.  They found that when the station was a mess, the participants seemed to agree about 10% more with stereotypes — both negative and positive.

Does the study actually support the headlines? Are we breeding prejudice if we don’t keep our surroundings neat? Some mental health professionals gave me their opinions, which I’ll explore over the next few weeks.

Nancy B. Irwin, a doctor of clinical psychology, points out that Nazi Germany was an orderly place – so order does not necessarily lead to open minds. She adds: “Further, the study does not seem to account for whether the subjects looked down on blacks, or simply moved away because they were the “odd man out,” the only one that didn’t look like the others. You could run this study with different colors of jackets (100 white ones and one black one) and probably get the same conclusion, yet it would not mean that the subjects thought the black jacket was inferior in quality to the white ones.”

So, while you may have to watch your reactions to others when you’re under stress, letting clutter pile up will not make you or the people around you less tolerant. I’d like to speak for all of us who are less than neat, and ask you not to stereotype us as prejudiced.

Later, I’ll look at some of the study’s other implications, such as the rise of positive stereotyping in disorderly environments, and the relation with obsessive compulsive disorder.

Let’s take a quick look at exactly what eating disorders are. The National Institute of Mental Health sums it up: “An eating disorder is marked by extremes. It is present when a person experiences severe disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme reduction of food intake or extreme overeating, or feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or shape.”

The main types are anorexia (extreme desire to stay thin) and bulimia (binge eating followed by attempts to make up for it, like induced vomiting). The rest are known as EDNOS — eating disorders not otherwise specified. These include binge eating disorder, in which the patient doesn’t try to make up for binges, but feels excessively bad about them. Eating disorders can be treated with psychotherapy, sometimes together with medication. They often first show up during adolescence or early adulthood. They may co-exist with other mental health problems, and the patient’s abnormal eating can lead to severe physical problems.

Binge eating disorder is about as common in males as females, says NIMH. One in four children with anorexia is a boy. Sadly, though they show the same symptoms as girls, they’re less likely to have their “stereotypically female” illness recognized and treated.

Maybe one reason for this is that males don’t necessarily want to lose weight — they may want to gain weight, develop more muscle, or do anything that will make them larger, to the point of using steroids. They may have muscle dysmorphia, an obsession with being muscular, commonly known as bigorexia. That nickname says it all — even in our sedentary, information-based  society, body size is  important to a male’s self-image.

Why? Well, we’ve known for a long time how impossibly perfect media images of women affect girls’ body images. Now, maybe, the same thing is happening to boys. A 1998 study measured male action figures from a period of 30 years and concluded: “We found that the figures have grown much more muscular over time, with many contemporary figures exceeding the muscularity of even the largest human bodybuilders.”

Also troubling is NIMH’s recent finding that most teens with eating disorders don’t get treatment for their particular condition.

It can be hard to recognize an eating disorder in a man or boy, and it can be hard for them to admit to problems of this kind. But it’s something parents, teachers, and society have to be ready to deal with.

Is it really possible to spot mental illness in the DNA from your saliva? The National Institute of Mental Health says, “It’s too early for these new genome scans to give people a complete picture of their risk of mental illnesses or to diagnose them . . . Also, the genetics of mental illnesses and other common diseases are much more complex than the genetics of many of the rare, single-gene diseases. Mental illnesses appear to involve variations in many genes combined with other factors, such as stress.”

MRI scans are constantly bringing researchers more information about the brain, and how it may differ physically in persons with mental illness. However, that is the main use of MRI in mental health right now. NIMH says, “Brain scans alone cannot be used to diagnose a mental disorder.”

Self-report inventories — questionnaires the patient answers about his traits and behaviors — are used by screening programs to help people decide whether to seek mental health services. For example, mentalhealthscreening.org has inventories for depression, eating disorders, PTSD, and several other disorders. Though these tests may seem simplistic, they can be revealing. Dr. David Burns, author of Feeling Good, calls the Beck Depression Inventory “a highly sophisticated tool.” Still, they’re only the beginning — if they indicate a problem, the next step is to get a professional opinion.
Simpler, more accurate testing for mental illness is not an unreachable goal — we just haven’t reached it yet.

What is schizophrenia, and how does it cause someone to do the unthinkable? Is violence typical schizophrenic behavior?

The word means literally “splitting of the mind” in Greek, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. This causes many people (including some in the media, who should know better) to confuse it with multiple personality disorder. But the schizophrenic’s mind is not split into different identities — it’s split from reality.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, hallucinations are a symptom of schizophrenia. Most commonly, they are voices, which may order the schizophrenic person to do something (“command hallucinations”). Another symptom is delusions — false beliefs, possibly like suspect Jared Loughner’s belief that the government was brainwashing people with grammar.

Although people with schizophrenia may have command hallucinations urging them to harm others, they are not usually violent, according to NIMH. When they are, it usually takes the form of attacks on family members at home, not shooting sprees against strangers. They are at much more risk of committing suicide — in fact, about 10% of people with schizophrenia take their own lives.

Schizophrenia is treatable — often, the hard part is overcoming a person’s resistance to treatment, and helping them see that it can give them a better life.

As Dr. Thomas Insel, Director of NIMH, says, “Early intervention offers the best hope to prevent more tragedies in the future.”

It’s also important to be aware of what quitting may do to your mental state. The good news is that you won’t feel this way forever.

Nicotine withdrawal has many mental and physical effects. Smokefree.gov says symptoms include:

* Feeling down or sad
* Having trouble sleeping
* Feeling irritable, on edge, grouchy
* Having trouble thinking clearly and concentrating
* Feeling restless and jumpy
* Slower heart rate
* Feeling more hungry or gaining weight

It’s easy to see how withdrawal can be mistaken for depression. The difference is that withdrawal symptoms usually go away after one or two weeks. They’re also less severe than depression symptoms — they shouldn’t interfere with your daily life.

However, depression is still a possibility. In fact, smokers are more likely to suffer from it than non-smokers. Other risk factors are stress, medical problems, and simply being female (though some experts believe male depression is just harder to detect). It’s not clear whether smoking contributes to depression, or depressed people turn to smoking seeking relief.

If your “withdrawal” symptoms drag on too long, you should get screening for depression. A quiz is available here to help you get started.

Believe it or not, going back to smoking won’t help your depression. Treatment has a good chance, however.

You can look forward to a smoke-free year of good mental health.

Depression during the holiday season is as rough as it gets. There is really nothing anyone can do to relieve depression besides taking an effective drug because depression often takes time to really diminish.

Pristiq is the brand name for desvenlafaxine, or  O-desmethylvenlafaxine. It is an antidepressant and is developed and marketed by Weyth, a part of one of the largest pharmaceuticals and healthcare manufacturing companies in the world. Weyth is famous for manufacturing over-the-counter medicine (OTC) Robitussin and Ibuprofen.

Pristiq is most effective when treating a major depressive disorder. It is used orally. However, the drug can also be used to treat many similar depression symptoms like panic disorder, repeated episodes of anxiety, extreme apprehension, and “change of life” signs. Pristiq is usually taken only once a day but it could vary according to doctor’s order. Also, dosage is based on your medical condition and your response to the treatment. You can take this medication with food or without food, but do not crush, chew or dissolve this in water. The most essential thing  is that you need to start taking the drug at low doses and slowly increase so you can reduce side effects. It is also important to keep taking the drug when you start to feel well because sudden stops can result in side effects like mood swings, headaches, tiredness, sleep changes, and mild shocks.

It is important to consult your doctor every step of way during this drug-taking process, and it may take several weeks to fully receive the full benefit of it.

There’s also a more natural, less expensive treatment that can help — the hormone melatonin. This is secreted by the pineal gland in the brain and sets the circadian rhythm of sleep and waking. It’s for sale in capsule form in stores and online.

A study funded by the NIMH found that most symptoms of SAD were caused by the body getting “out-of-sync with the sun” in winter. Melatonin was a logical choice to try re-setting them.

It did work, researchers found, combined with light therapy — but both treatments had to happen at the right time of day.

A person’s rhythms are considered in sync when his pineal gland starts secreting melatonin about six hours before the middle of his night’s sleep. In most of the 68 SAD sufferers taking part in the study, the interval was shorter than six hours, suggesting it had been thrown off by the shortening of the days in winter. A few of the subjects had longer intervals.

All the subjects had light therapy in the mornings. The ones with longer intervals also took melatonin in the mornings. The subjects with shorter intervals took it in the afternoons.

The NIMH says this “more than doubled their improvement in depression scores”, compared to the control groups, who got a placebo or simply took melatonin at a less optimal time.

Melatonin has potential as a future treatment for SAD.

In neurofeedback, the patient is able to see or hear the frequency of his brain waves. This may be in the form of patterns on a monitor screen or a beeping sound. One experiment with children used a video game affected by the child’s brain waves. Once aware of his brain activity, the patient tries to bring it into a healthy range–thus making his behavior healthier, also.

Speaking from experience, it can also be good for kids who suffer from mood disorders but are reluctant to talk about their feelings. The high-tech aspect is appealing to them, and so is the idea that their privacy will be protected.

Neurofeedback may also be useful in treating memory and concentration, sleep problems, and balance–both physical and emotional. The therapy is non-invasive and has minimal side effects, according to NIMH. It also gives the patient a chance to play an active part in his own treatment.

Though it may not be well known yet, neurofeedback is worth exploring.

Many of you may read that last statement and say that you don’t have the time or money to do so.  However, taking time for yourself does not need to be expensive or an all-day event.  In fact, taking time for yourself can be quite easy to accomplish.  Here are a few simple ways to do this:

1. Take a walk.  Even if you have to wake up a little earlier in order to fit this into your schedule, you will benefit from both the exercise and time to think your thoughts in solitude.

2. Go to the library, alone.  The library’s a quiet place that you can visit for free.  Lose yourself among the stacks for 30 minutes.  Plus, when you leave you may have a book, cd, or dvd to enjoy at a future time.

3.  Go to bed early.  If you’re feeling tired, put aside your regular nightly chores and go to bed an hour earlier.  The extra sleep will make you feel even better in the morning.

4.  Take a hot shower.  After a long day, five minutes spent soaking under a spray of hot water can help relax your muscles, and your mind.  Don’t think about what’s left to do for that day, just enjoy the moment.

5.  Rediscover a hobby.  Whether you enjoy cooking, knitting, or hiking, set aside some time every couple weeks to pursue this passion.  Create a block of time, and make this your dedicated hobby time.

Although it seems contrary to logic, adding some time into your schedule for yourself can help you to feel less busy.  After  five minutes of quiet in a hot shower or thirty minutes alone on a walk, you will feel more relaxed. . .before you return to the hectic nature of everyday life.

For many people leaving for college is a very emotional experience; you miss your friends, your family, your home (especially home cooking!). But, some take it a lot harder than others. If there is one mistake both kids and parents can make when finally fleeing the coop for college, it is dwelling on it.

Here is my advice:

Kids: It is ok to be sad when you say goodbye and for a day and a few nights after. But the time has to come when you have to make friends. Believe it or not, there is about a two week window from the minute you arrive at school to make your first and maybe future friends. You MUST take advantage of those first two weeks when you are feeling lonely as well as others too, to meet your peers. As hard as it may be, you have to muster up the courage to walk around your floor and knock on everyone’s door and introduce yourself. You may feel unsure and out of place at first, but in reality you are doing what everyone else was too afraid to do themselves. Once you make some friends and joke about how much you miss Mom’s cooking or your queen-size bed at home, you will be like instant family and maybe even hang out that weekend. At the very least, you will know who to say hi to when you are walking down the stairs.

Parents: Do not call if you have not heard from your child in between classes… it means he/she is spreading their wings! This is the time when you have to let them live and experience life for themselves, and make their own (forgivable) mistakes. If you have raised them well, they will not do anything to disappoint you, they will only make you prouder. It is ok to check up on them or even insist on a text in the morning and a goodnight call but do not suffocate them with your intrusion or they may disappoint just to escape.

Both: if all goes according to my advice and plan, college will not be the worst thing for you or your child… it will be the best and will actually benefit your relationship and mutual understanding.

1. Work it off. Hit the gym each day (at least 5 out of 7 days a week) and get rid of the extra adrenalin that is inflaming your anxiety. Work out so hard that you are too exhausted to be anxious when you are done!

2. While at the gym (finances permitting) hire a personal trainer. Learn about the best cardio exercises that will make you sweat all of your anxiety away the fastest and keep you heart pumping fast and your mind on your breathing pattern. Also, ask your trainer about less strenuous exercises such as yoga and/or breathing and stretching exercises to release excess tension in trouble areas such as temples, lower back, shoulder blades and neck.*Tip: practice these breathing exercises before you go to sleep at night as well, to lower your heart rate and relax and clear your mind.

3. To really clear your head, entertain yourself with a television show. Reality shows are a great choice because most of the time they provide comic relief because of how unrealistic they really are. Or, simply find a favorite show and budget that into your busy schedule as YOU time. Make sure to find time for YOU at least once a day in addition to time before bed to clear your mind of anxious thoughts.

4. Get plenty of rest… so you do not have to worry about that too! Resting is actually the most relaxing thing you can do for yourself. If you have trouble sleeping because of outside distractions (like a college dorm for example) sleep with an iPod listening to nature sounds like the ocean, or classical music. An eye mask is a wise idea as well to keep your eyes from being temped from opening and checking your surroundings and becoming more anxious.

5. Always know what you are going to do the next day. If you know you have things to do the following day, have a detailed plan the night before and remember to set your alarm! Be as prepared as possible the night before a big day so you have less anxiety/stress in the morning. For example, each morning before school I would have my K-cup already in my Keurig and mug, sugar, and spoon ready to go. If I was feeling ambitious, I even put out the cereal box.

6. Be prepared for everything and be confident and know that you are ready. The more ready you feel, the more ready and less anxious you already are.

The aforementioned tips are just mere suggestions on how you can begin your journey on your road to an anxious free life. Remember, like everything else, baby steps are expected and required and it takes time. In order to feel any relief of anxiety, however, you must be willing to part with it and accept a life without anxiety.

Children with depression display many of the same symptoms as adults, but some may manifest a bit differently. Social withdrawal, for example, may be seen as having difficulty with relationships, poor communication and social isolation. Kids suffering from depression may also display what appears to be a perpetual state of boredom and lack of energy. Depressed children may also complain of frequent aches which have no apparent physical cause. If a child is very angry or hostile for no apparent reason, or displays continuous destructive – or self-destructive – behavior, he or she  may be depressed.

Anxiety disorders most often accompany or precede depression in preteens and younger children. There are three categories of such disorders: social phobia, in which the child is uncomfortable interacting with anyone but close family; generalized anxiety, in which the child is overly worried about the future; and the most common, separation anxiety, in which the child has a deep fear of being apart from family. These anxieties can cause the child to suffer from physical pain and illness due to the stress. Children in an anxious or depressed state may experience headaches, stomach problems, or diarrhea, especially on school days or before a planned social event.

Although depression at younger ages is most often rooted in anxiety disorders, a very small percentage of children are genetically predisposed to depressive episodes. Either way, if the symptoms of depression are noted, and especially if they increase, immediate help should be sought.

Puzzles stimulate the mind and can also be a useful activity for improving manual dexterity. Fitting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle can also serve to enhance hand-eye coordination. Crossword puzzles and other word games, such as Scrabble, Boggle or Pictionary, help keep the mind active, and fill-in-the-blank story games like the popular Mad Libs can keep everybody in stitches and the endorphins flowing. Releasing endorphins is your body’s way of dealing with pain and stress. Physical and emotional activity, as well as sustained laughter, are all known to stimulate endorphin production.

Playing board games, like Monopoly or Life, and card games with a group of close friends or family can be as emotionally rewarding as it is mentally challenging. Action games, like charades or Twister, are also beneficial. They allow opportunities for mobility, as well, and movement helps reduce stress. And any game undertaken with dear ones for the sake of entertainment and socialization is bound to elicit some laughter, too. This is an added perk with fringe benefits, as laughter is known to be therapeutic, and can help stabilize your mood.

Science aside, there is no doubt that stress and chronic pain and illness coexist. Living with pain is no picnic; it interferes with everyday tasks, causing life to be more stressful, overall. Particular types of chronic illness and pain cause muscle spasms, inflammation of joints and progressive physical deformity wreaking havoc on your self esteem, which is also very stressful. Stress may or may not cause such conditions, but chronic illness and pain most certainly causes stress. So how do you cope with the added stress in your life that is brought on by perpetual pain?

The secret is in creating a balance between the ways you manage your stress and your body. Start by managing your body. Staying active goes a long way toward reducing chronic pain. If you can stay active by doing things you truly enjoy, these activities benefit your mind and spirit, too. Once you are doing what you should to improve your physical condition, you can begin to focus on the mental and emotional. You create undue stress when you worry too much about things that you have no control over, like the fact that you suffer from a chronic debilitating condition. So focus on the things you can control, like fitness and nutrition, social interaction, your sense of humor, the time you spend with loved ones, etc. Learn to relax your mind and body. Take a warm bath or a brisk walk, read a book, meditate, or listen to soothing music. Whatever activities you find relaxing, try to do one or more each day. When you learn not to worry about the things in life that you cannot control, you remove their ability to control you.

There are three basic aspects to Qi Gong: breathing, physical posturing and mental focus. Each of these elements incorporates and complements the others. Proper body posture is necessary to achieve the right alignment of the meridians and direct the flow of qi. There is not one “correct” form. The goal is to attain the most comfortable complete body position for the practice of Qi Gong. Consequently, it can be performed sitting, standing, lying, or even walking.

Breathing is the single most beneficial function of the human body. It increases the circulation of oxygen in the blood, and serves to promote physical and mental relaxation. Though there are many ways to breathe, the most common form of breathing practiced in Qi Gong is referred to as abdominal diaphragmatic breathing. In this method, when breathing in “good air” the abdomen is expanded and the diaphragm drops as breath is taken in. Contracting the abdomen while exhaling forces the diaphragm upward, causing a greater amount of “bad air” to be expelled.

The part of Qi Gong called mental focusing is a quieting of the mind whereby practitioners attempt to replace a multitude of intruding thoughts and images with a single focus. There are several ways to find this focus. Breath counting is perhaps the simplest. A single inhalation and exhalation counts as one breath. Concentrating on breathing blocks out all other thought. Silent recitation of a single word is also useful. Your mind focuses on the word being repeated in your mind and outside thoughts are negated. Another effective focus method is imagery. Using your imagination to create a peaceful place or object in your mind can help you eliminate intruding thoughts. Whatever technique works best, the result must be the same: harmony of a single thought. The success level of the entire Qi Gong process depends on the level of quietness one can achieve in the mind.