Where can one seek help for depression?

A complete physical and psychological diagnostic evaluation by professionals will help the depressed person decide the type of treatment that might be best for him or her. However, if the situation is urgent because a suicide seems possible, taking the patient to the emergency room is the appropriate course of action. If the patient makes a suicide gesture or attempt, a 911 call is warranted. The patient might not realize how much help he or she needs. In fact, he or she might feel undeserving of help because of the negativity and helplessness that is a part of depressive illness.

THE NEW RULES OF KIDS’ FITNESS

When an NBA star talks, kids listen. That’s why more than 250 kids at a New Orleans school were hanging on Tyson Chandler’s every word. But Chandler, the 7′1″ center for the NBA Hornets, wasn’t giving the standard “I always dreamed of playing pro ball” spiel. He was talking two-wheelers with the students of Andrew H. Wilson Charter School during his visit with them as part of the Men’s Health FitSchools’ fight against childhood obesity.

“When I was growing up, my first love wasn’t basketball,” Chandler revealed to the surprised audience. “It was bike riding.” And that, he explained, cultivated his passion for physical activity, which ultimately helped him thrive at hoops. (Along with a tremendous growth spurt, of course.)

YOUR ULTIMATE BRAIN-POWER WORKOUT

The road to a fit mind isn’t paved in crossword puzzles alone. In fact, walking that road can also give your gray matter a boost, according to top researchers. “Exercise is as close to a magic bullet as brain fitness gets,” says John Medina, PhD, director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning at Seattle Pacific University. Physical activity bathes neural tissue in oxygen-rich blood, increasing the production of chemicals that improve memory, attention, and problem-solving.

Fatigue - Part 3

How is the cause of fatigue diagnosed?

The key to finding the cause of fatigue in a patient is the care the health care practitioner takes in compiling a medical history. It is important to ask questions not only about the loss of energy but also about other potential problems that the patient may be experiencing such as shortness of breath, sleep patterns, hair loss, color of the stools, or any of the myriad of questions that might provide information as to what organ system may be involved.

Fatigue - Part 2

What causes fatigue?

There are numerous potential causes of fatigue as a major complaint. They range from those that cause poor blood supply to the body's tissues to illnesses that affect metabolism, from infections and inflammatory diseases to those that cause sleep disturbances. Fatigue is a common side effect of many medications. While numerous patients with psychological conditions often complain of fatigue (physical and mental), there are also a group of patients where the cause of fatigue is never diagnosed.

Fatigue - Part 1

Fatigue introduction

Fatigue can be described as the lack of energy and motivation (both physical and mental). This is different than drowsiness, a term that describes the need to sleep. Often a person complains of feeling tired and it is up to the health care professional to distinguish between fatigue and drowsiness, though both can occur at the same time. Aside from drowsiness, other symptoms can be confused with fatigue includingshortness of breath with activity and muscle weakness. Again, all these symptoms can occur at the same time. Also, fatigue can be a normal response to physical and mental activity; in most normal individuals it is quickly relieved (usually in hours to about a day, depending on the intensity of the activity) by reducing the activity.