Roy was bright in studies, hard working, jovial guy. He had scored well in all his six semesters.

The incidence of suicide was hushed up.

How depression began?
Coping up with seventh semester studies was unusually difficult for Roy. Anxiety mounted. He dreaded his seventh semester exams. To his surprise he cleared it with flying colors. Eighth semester was grueling. Despite anxiety, he managed to attend all lectures and practicals; missed none. Roy did not appear for his 8th semester exams along with his classmates. His class of 2004 appeared for the 8th semester, then moved on to complete Inplant Training Program, submitted their thesis and as successful graduates they started getting jobs.
Changes that happen in depression
Roy is depressed and sitting at home for last six months. He did not leave home, became withdrawn, cocooned in his bedroom. As clouds of gloom engulfed Roy he appeared grim. He hardly spoke and people thought he was thinking too much.

He sat, mostly lied, on bed alone and when awake toyed with his mobile phone. He had stopped taking or making calls.

Roy has immense difficulty getting up before noon. When Mom howls he gets up for lunch.

How relatives treat depression
Dad coaxes Roy to get out of home. “Go meet your friends. You will feel better.”
His buddy Balan took him to a movie one evening and Roy stayed with Balan that night. The whole night two friends were chatting. Roy felt better.

Every well wisher was keen to pull him out of his blues.
Suggestions of people.

Different people suggested different remedies, things that had worked for themselves, for who has not gone through low phase some time or the other in life.

Roy’s uncle came from Coorg. He showed Roy the anulom vilom. This is pranayam, breathing exercise of Yoga. He attested, “I always feel fresh when I do breathing exercise. You know breathing has direct influence on mind and vice-versa. Do it just for 30 minutes in the morning.” Roy did not bother to tell him that there are no mornings in his life, for he wakes after noon. His girl friend always bubbling with excitement said, “Come lets do this short, part time course to learn German Language.”

Rohan sat with him overnight and told him several ways of earning on internet and have fun doing it.

Joy even invited him in his exclusive branded showroom at the mall. “Just sit here be with me. You will be a help. If you get bored, go watch a movie, there are five screens in this multiplex mall.”

If neighbors/relatives ask what to tell the neighbors if they ask

Relatives advice
Roy was told several times, “Keep your mind engaged”. Read books, join gymn. play cricket, do some course, go out, help

Social stigma a big challenge
When people asked mom’s tactful reply is “My son is busy. Now he is doing advanced studies.”

Gist of all suggestions
were based on “Empty mind is a devil’s workshop”. “Keep your mind engaged.”

What happened to Roy
Roy worsened. otherwise neat, He skipped his bath.

Why did Roy’s parents not go to correct place to ger
Going to Psychiatrist is like saying, “My son is ‘mad’”.
Important Question:
Would you prefer suicide or a treatment from qualified psychiatrists?

There is DEFINITE difference between what people understand by the word ‘depression’. [1] and therefore shower all sorts of advice except the most specific and definitive remedy – going to psychiatrist[2].

Medical Depression is Phoenix Disorder
It is important to know the difference between ‘depression’ as lay people understand and the ‘depression’ that can kill the patient, a serious major medical disorder, which has definite medical treatment that almost always brings 100% recovery, almost like miracle, hence labeled in my book as the “Phoenix disorder”.

[1]discouragement, despondency, dejection
[2]
clinical depression–noun
Psychiatry. a depression so severe as to be considered abnormal, either because of no obvious environmental causes, or because the reaction to unfortunate life circumstances is more intense or prolonged than would generally be expected.
Source:
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009

Sexual Activity and Organic Brain Syndrome
Old age is not a contraindication for sexual activity.

Sexual Activity in people with Organic Brain Syndrome depends upon the physical disease underneath the symptom picture and the recovery from that disease.
Symptoms
Symptoms can differ based on the disease. In general, organic brain syndromes cause:

1. Agitation
2. Confusion
3. Long-term loss of brain function (dementia)
4. Severe, short-term loss of brain function (delirium)

Differential Diagnosis
Other conditions that may be related to organic brain syndrome include:

1. Depression
2. Neurosis
3. Psychosis

Questions
Is Organic Brain Syndrome a disease?
Is Organic Brain Syndrome a Psychiatric Disease? Answer: No. It is a physical disease. It can mimic depression, neurosis, psychosis = psychiatric disorders.

What are the symptoms of organic brain syndrome?
Are you uncertain about the exact disorder?

Have you been wrongly diagnosed as OBS?

Alternative Names of Organic Brain Syndrome
OBS; Organic mental disorder (OMS); Chronic organic brain syndrome
Definition
Organic brain syndrome (OBS) is a general term that refers to diseases (usually not psychiatric disorders) that cause decreased mental function.
Causes
OBS is common in the elderly. It is not a part of the normal aging process, however.
OBS is not a separate disease, but is a general term used to describe physical conditions that can cause mental changes.

Disorders associated with OBS include:

1. Brain injury caused by trauma
2. Bleeding into the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage)
3. Bleeding into the space around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage)
4. Blood clot causing pressure on brain (chronic subdural hematoma)
5. Concussion
6. Breathing conditions
7. Low oxygen in the body (hypoxia)
8. High carbon dioxide levels in the body (hypercapnia)
9. Cardiovascular disorders
10. Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias)
11. Brain injury due to high blood pressure (hypertensive brain injury)
12. Dementia due to many strokes (multi-infarct dementia)
13. Heart infections (endocarditis, myocarditis)
14. Stroke
15. Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
16. Degenerative disorders
17. Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease
18. Diffuse Lewy Body disease
19. Huntington’s disease
20. Multiple sclerosis
21. Normal pressure hydrocephalus
22. Parkinson’s disease
23. Pick’s disease
24. Senile dementia, Alzheimer’s type
25. Dementia due to metabolic causes
26. Drug and alcohol-related conditions
27. Alcohol withdrawal state
28. Intoxication, drug abuse, or alcohol use
29. Long-term effects of alcohol, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
30. Withdrawal from drugs (especially sedative-hypnotics and corticosteroids)
31. Infections
    • Any sudden onset (acute) or long-term (chronic) infection
    • Blood poisoning (septicemia)
    • Swelling of the brain (encephalitis)
    • Swelling of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis)
    • Other medical disorders
    • Cancer
    • Kidney disease
    • Liver disease
    • Thyroid disease (high or low)
    • Vitamin deficiency (B12 and others)

Exams and Tests
Tests depend on the disorder, but may include:

• Blood tests
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Head CT scan
• Head MRI

Treatment
Treatment depends on the disorder. Many of the disorders have mainly supportive care to assist the person in areas where brain function is lost.

Medications may be needed to reduce aggressive behaviors that can occur with some of the conditions.

Outlook (Prognosis)
See the specific disorder. Some disorders are short-term and treatable, but many are long-term or get worse over time.

Possible Complications
People with OBS often lose the ability to interact with others or function on their own.

Source:
Update Date: 2/13/2008
Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy & Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/infectiousdiseases/Organic-brain-syndrome.htm

Definitions

Further reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_brain_syndrome

http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/infectiousdiseases/Parkinsons-disease.htm

http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001401.htm

http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/infectiousdiseases/Multi-infarct-dementia.htm

1. Hypomania
2. Mania
3. Depression

Incidence:
Bipolar disorder has been estimated to affect more than 5 million Americans—about 3 out of every 100 adults. It affects all cultures and ethnic groups equally.
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Kay Redfield Jamison is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who profiled her own bipolar disorder in her 1995 memoir
An Unquiet Mind,^[11] and argued for a connection between bipolar disorder and artistic creativity in her 1993 book, Touched with Fire.^[12]

Bipolar Disorder

Also called: Manic-depressive illness
Bipolar disorder is a condition in which people experience abnormally elevated (manic or hypomanic) and abnormally depressed states for a period of time in a way that interferes with functioning.GO TO BOTTOM

HYPOMANIA

People with Bipolar Disorder have times when they feel on top of the world. The person is bubbling with zest [Abnormally elevated mood] . This is the high phase of mood, called hypomania.

Such a person with hypomania has increased sex drive and may engage in inappropriate, promiscuous sex because of loss of inhibition and heightened self confidence.

In hypomania person is gregarious, indiscriminately talks lot jumping over different topics, spends a lot of money irrationally. Such a person sleeps less, has novel ideas, plans for grandiose activities.
The severe form of hypomania is mania. All people with Bipolar Disorder do not have Mania.
They may have one to three episodes of hypomania and the rest of the time they are in Depression. There may be chunks of days when they are normal.
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MANIA

When the person shows severe agitation, anger, irrelevant talk, false beliefs contrary to facts [DELUSIONS], actually sees someone who does not exist (HALLUCINATION) the person is in Mania. This person can be unmanageable and if not promptly diagnosed and treated requires physical restraint or chemical restraint (person is doped).
MIXED EPISODES is when features of both mania and depression are present at the same time.
RAPID CYCLING is when depression and mania rapidly alternate.
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DEPRESSION

When the same person becomes asocial, diffident, deplete of energy, (OPPOSITE OF HYPOMANIA) the person is in a phase called Depression, which has same features as Endogenous Depression.

In fact, a person may be diagnosed initially as having Endogenous Depression or Anxiety with Depression until features of Bipolar Disorder surface.GO TO BOTTOM

The Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS) was developed by Ronald Pies, MD and was later refined and tested by S. Nassir Ghaemi, MD, MPH and colleagues. The BSDS arose from Pies’s experience as a psychopharmacology consultant, where he was frequently called on to manage cases of “treatment-resistant depression.” There are 19 question items and 2 sections on the English version of the BSDS. The scale was validated in its original version and demonstrated a high sensitivity.
The disorder has been subdivided into
bipolar I,
bipolar II,
cyclothymia, and
other types, based on the nature and severity of mood episodes experienced; the range is often described as the bipolar spectrum.GO TO BOTTOM

Get Help Here: Organizations in USA

1. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill

   http://www.nami.org

   Colonial Place Three 2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300
   Arlington, VA 22201-3042
   800-950-6264

2. National Mental Health Association

   http://www.nmha.org

   800-969-NMHA (800-969-6642)

3. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

   http://www.dbsalliance.org/

   730 N. Franklin St., Suite 501
   Chicago, IL 60610-7204
   800-826-3632

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1
Safety Study of Sodium Divalproate in Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents (ADOKOT)
This study has been completed.
First Received: December 29, 2005 Last Updated: September 24, 2008
History of Changes
Sponsored by:
Sanofi-Aventis
Information provided by:
Sanofi-Aventis
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT00271258

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00271258

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2
Na Divalproate patent
Process for the preparation of sodium divalproate – Patent 6667420
3
familydoctor.org
4
National Institute of Mental Health — Bipolar Disorder
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
Management of Bipolar Disorder by KS Griswold, M.D., M.P.H. and LF Pessar, M.D. (American Family Physician September 15, 2000, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000915/1343.html)
Reviewed/Updated: 11/06
Created: 09/00 Copyright © 2000-2009
4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder
5
Psychiatric Times. Clinically Useful Psychiatric Scales: Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale,
Accessed on March 9, 2009.
6
Ghaemi N. Sensitivity and specificity of a new bipolar spectrum diagnostic scale. J Affect Disord. 2005;84:273-277.

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11.Jamison, Kay Redfield (1995). An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness. New York: Knopf.. ISBN 0-330-34651-2.
12.
Jamison, Kay Redfield (1996). Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. New York: The Free Press: Macmillian, Inc.. ISBN 0-684-83183-X.

In experimental studies with rats, the research team at the University of Iowa found that salt deprived rats show disinterest (as though depressed) in pleasurable activity and remarkably regain interest on giving required salt.
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Experiment OBSERVATION
The research team found, “Things that normally would be pleasurable for rats didn’t elicit the same degree of relish.”
Give the rats salt again and “they’re all happy,” Johnson says.
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Experiment INFERENCE
According to Kim Alan Johnson Ph.D, Professor of Psychology , Integrative Physiology, and Pharmacology the research, “leads us to believe that a salt deficit and the craving associated with it can induce one of the key symptoms associated with depression.”

Fatigue, depression, antidepressant, tiredness Check Now with Health-meter ©

Pros = THINK
Doctor’s should note that craving for salt by individuals who are forbidden to eat excess salt may be nature’s call saying, “I need the salt to feel good.”

Cons = BEWARE
Doctor’s have known the relation of salt and cardiovascular function.
The extra salt that is consumed through canned food and junk food is proven to be harmful.

The worldwide average for salt intake per individual is about 10 grams per day, which is greater than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended intake by about 4 grams, and may exceed what the body actually needs by more than 8 grams.

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TAKE HOME MESSAGE
Salt is related to brain functions, especially where interest and disinterest is processed.
This is not evidence saying the extra salt that we consume in canned food is good.
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LINKS
[1] Alan Johnson
[2] Journal of Physiology and Behavior
[3] National Geographic News
Titled:
Is Salt Nature’s Antidepressant?
By:
Helen Fields
for National Geographic News
Date:
March 17, 2009
Date accessed:
March 20, 2009
© 1996-2008 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.

[4]
Title Salt May Be a
Natural Antidepressant
AOL news
By: AOL
posted: 13 HOURS 9 MINUTES AGO
comments: 31
filed under: Health News
Accessed March 20, 2009
2009 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved.
2009-03-11 12:49:14
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[5]elsevier.com

Findings detailed in the journal Physiology and Behavior.
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stronger immune system
prevention of cancer of prostrate
prevention of hypertrophy of heart
reduced risk of heart attack
reduced risk of stroke
reduced rate of endometriosis
longer life
helps recover from depression
feeling good oxytocin
pain relief
sleep inhancer
exercise
tension relief