Learn how the brain works, and how to recognize the symptoms of depression.
Shedding Light On Seasonal Affective Disorder
(BlackDoctor.org) -- With daylight-saving time behind us, and the dark days of winter just ahead, our bodies must shift to accommodate this seasonal change. For many of us, this shift doesn't work so well and we need a little extra help.
Have you ever noticed that at this time of year you're more lethargic, have a harder time waking up, have low energy, or feel a little down? You might have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Other symptoms of SAD are: social withdrawal; appetite changes; a
(BlackDoctor.org) -- Dysthymia is the medical term for a chronic type of depression in which a person's moods are regularly low. According to the American Psychiatric Association, many African Americans experience low-grade depression, referred to as dysthymia. After more than 250 years of enslavement, prejudice and discrimination, it seems that dysthymia has become hard-wired in our generations. It typically is reflected in low-grade sadness, anger, hostility, aggression, self-hatred, hopelessness and
(BlackDoctor.org) -- Depression and heart attack. One would think that there is no direct link between the two, but according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, as many as one out of three heart attack survivors report feeling depressed in the days and months after their episode. While there's no direct evidence that identifying depression can reduce your risk of cardiac death, the data shows that depressed people are often sicker post-heart attack and have a greater risk of cardiac death
(BlackDoctor.org) -- Anyone can have clinical depression. However, cultural background plays a large role in how the symptoms of depression are reported and interpreted, and consequently, if and how clinical depression is recognized and treated. But clinical depression is never normal and should not be accepted as a normal part of life for any African American regardless of age or life situation. Clinical depression is a serious medical illness affecting more than 19 million American adults each