i i B c . C o m

What EPA Means for All Depression Sufferers

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:39:18 +0000

Supplementing with EPA is clearly beneficial to most of us, even if we are not ill. But, as we have seen from Dr Puri's research, it has particular significance for the depression sufferer. The reason for writing this article has been to let all of you who are associated with this difficult disease know about Dr Puri's breakthrough, so that you can begin to reap the benefits of his work and treat your depression with a substance that is both natural and side-effect-free. But it is also to be hoped that his natural treatment option will change the way we view depression.

Once everyone knows that the disease can be treated successfully with a natural substance that does not carry the worry of strong drugs and side effects and that protects you from future episodes of depression, perhaps many more people will come forward to ask for help in treating their depressive symptoms. The more people ask for help, the less hidden and stigmatized the disease will become. Depression could then become an illness like any of the hundreds of other easily treatable conditions from which we occasionally suffer and then recover. If this happens, then Dr Puri and his colleagues will have made a scientific breakthrough that could significantly reduce the economic, emotional and social cost of an illness that now poses such a burgeoning health threat worldwide. In fact, there has probably never been a better time for you to be depressed.

Here is a round-up of points for you to remember about the general benefits to you of natural EPA, and bow the discovery of EPA as an antidepressant has changed our understanding of the causes of depression and how it can be treated.

EPA is the first successful, scientifically tested, natural, side-effect- free treatment for depression.
You need no longer worry about the unpleasant side effects of antidepressants.
EPA can be taken in conjunction with other medication.
Aside from treating depression, EPA has many other health benefits.
Everyone call take EPA safely, with the exception of those already on anticoagulant medication.
EPA can be taken to help prevent depressive illness as well as treat it.
EPA can be taken as a general health supplement.
Diet and lifestyle have a serious impact on our health.
Learning about health is a way of protecting against disease.
Attitudes to depression are changing slowly. Soon, we hope, there will be no stigma attached to being depressed.
Surviving depression is a tough journey, but those who survive can be strengthened by their experience.

Depression is a Journey

Any illness will take its toll, but depression, because it affects us emotionally as well as physically, takes us on a difficult journey, which begins when we first experience the distressing darkness of low mood and loss of pleasure, and ends when we emerge back into the sunlight with our feelings alive and intact. You will probably feel that you are unfortunate to have suffered, or be suffering, from depression. As we have discussed, it is a taxing and debilitating disease. But try looking at it this way instead. Many of us go through life without having to question who we are or where we are going. We worry about the mortgage and the children, we focus on our jobs, but we aren't called upon to do much soul-searching.

If you have been depressed, however, you will know what it is like to be turned inwards, to be forced to shut out the practicalities of life and focus only on your feelings and anxieties. It is certainly uncomfortable and distressing while it is happening, but in many cases depression helps turn the sufferer into a more self-aware, rounded and sensitive person. We come face to face with our demons, and survive, and that, surely, is a cause for celebration. We wish you well on your journey, and hope that you will recover quickly and enjoy a future free from depressive illness.

Natural Therapies to Aid Your Recovery

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:39:40 +0000

There are various natural therapies, such as acupuncture, shiatsu massage and aromatherapy that can help and support you while you are being treated for, and during your recovery from, depression. Therapies that stimulate and release the flow of energy through the body are beneficial for many physical and emotional problems, including pain relief, weight loss, quitting smoking and insomnia. These therapies are also a great pick-me-up for when you are worn out by depression, and can be useful in conjunction with EPA supplementation as an integrated approach to help speed your recovery. If you want to find a fully qualified practitioner in these therapies, look at the back of the article for professional associations, or check out your local health centre or library.

ACUPUNCTURE

An ancient technique, this is an aspect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that is one of the most popular complementary therapies in the West, and one in which even the medical profession have faith, with some doctors now including acupuncture in an integrated approach to healing. And there have been numerous research studies which back up the efficacy of this treatment system. It works by stimulating points, known as acupoints, along the meridians, or energy channels that run through the body.

This is done by inserting fine acupuncture needles. When the acupoints are stimulated in this way, the energy paths are cleared and your body energy is unblocked and balanced. The needles are very fine, and most people either are not aware of them being inserted, or feel a mild discomfort. You may feel tired or emotional after a treatment, and often the symptoms get worse before they get better and the body rebalances. But you should feel more clear-headed, less sluggish, and your sleep and digestion should improve. You should only consider a fully qualified practitioner.

MASSAGE

A technique for releasing muscle tension, it is also a form of healing through human touch. Particularly if you are recovering from depression and feeling anxious, run-down and low in energy, a massage can bring you a great sense of relaxation and wellbeing. It should be a regular part of your health routine.

When the skin and soft tissue of the body are stimulated by touch during massage, the flow of oxygen round the body is improved, the lymph glands are stimulated to eliminate toxins such as stress hormones, the muscles are relaxed and endorphins good-mood chemicals are released.

There are many different massage techniques, but a good one to help with your recovery from depression is shiatsu, which is a full-body holistic massage. Shiatsu is based on the same principles as acupuncture, except the practitioner uses their thumbs, fingers, elbows and occasionally knees instead of needles to stimulate the acupoints along the meridian lines.

It originated in Japan, but it has roots in traditional Chinese medicine. The few seconds when an acupoint is being pressed can be quite uncomfortable, but a skilled therapist will be sensitive to your tolerance. Shiatsu is very effective in helping depression, fatigue insomnia, migraine and stress-related conditions. For the best results you will probably need to see the practitioner a number of times, and regularly if possible, so choose someone you feel completely comfortable with and make sure they are fully qualified.

AROMATHERAPY

This adds the healing properties of essential oils to the benefits of massage. We have talked about healthy oils in your diet, and the theory behind aromatherapy is that essential oils from plants can also be used on a psychological and physiological level to heal when topically applied rather than ingested. Aromatherapy is commonly used to reduce stress and tension, to balance body energy, support the immune system, and to bring about a sense of calm and wellbeing.

As well as inhaling essential oils during massage, you can also benefit from them in a scented bath, through a vaporizer or on a pillow or handkerchief. So treat yourself to a warm bath or a massage with some sweet orange, which refreshes the mind, encourages a positive outlook, and relieves tension and stress. Or try clary sage, which is effective in lifting your mood and reducing anxiety and nervous tension (not advised during pregnancy or with alcohol). Or rosewood, which relieves stress and tension. These oils, unlike the EFA-rich oils we have mentioned, are not safe to take internally as they are extremely concentrated and would prove toxic.

Spiritual Disciplines to Aid Your Recovery

When you are fully on the path to recovery, it might be worth considering taking up a technique such as yoga, t'ai chi or meditation, which offers ways in which you can strengthen your body and relax your mind, helping to reduce the stress in your life and so avoid another bout of depressive illness.

YOGA

Yoga is an ancient Eastern philosophy and system of movement which was devised to address all aspects of mind and body to encourage spiritual enlightenment. It tones, strengthens and mobilizes your body, and is a gentle way to get your system moving after the stagnation of depression. Regular practice also calms the mind and greatly enhances spiritual wellbeing. It is strongly recommended as an antidote to stress.

The most commonly practised yoga in the West is hatha yoga which uses postural movements called asanas, breath-work called pranayama, and meditation, called dyana. Learn from a qualified teacher at a yoga centre at first; don't struggle with a article or videotape. Yoga is not competitive, and you can go at your own pace.

T'AI CHI

This is one of the numerous Chinese movement systems going back thousands of years. It is a martial art and also a mind, body, spirit exercise system. The aim, as with yoga, is to make the body stronger and more flexible and at the same time free the energy pathways through the body, so that your body energy flows more freely. T'ai chi is a gentle, graceful discipline which involves a series of poses linked with fluid movements, and has been termed a 'moving meditation'. It is concerned with relaxation, balance and grounding the body.

It is excellent for dealing with stress and anxiety, and would be ideal if you are just coming out of a bout of depression for getting your body moving without strain. Find a qualified teacher, as the system involves breath work and meditation as well as a large number of different postures.

MEDITATION

Everyone can benefit from the practice, not just New Age followers, and studies have shown that regular meditation reduces stress and helps alleviate depression. It also encourages self-awareness, calms your mind and can even lower your blood pressure, so it is the perfect discipline if you want to control your levels of stress and increase your confidence after a depressive illness.

Meditation works by changing the level of brain activity from the normal alert, waking state, characterized by beta waves, to the slower, more meditative levels characterized by alpha, theta and the lowest level of brain activity, delta. By slowing your mind, but still being aware, you are able to access the vast potential of your mind, and to become detached from petty thoughts and worries. This detachment allows a perspective on yourself and your life which, over time, can help you become calm and mentally strong. This is a form of meditation known as Vipissana developed by the Tibetan Buddhists.

The technique is wonderfully simple.

• First you should understand that there IS no success or failure in any meditation, just practice. Don't judge your performance, because the first few times will probably seem useless and chaotic if you do.

Dedicate fifteen minutes of your time. It helps to get into a routine and meditate at the same time every day, perhaps in the morning before the day begins.
Find a quiet place with no phones, people or noise.
Sit comfortably on a chair, or cross-legged on the floor if you prefer. Make sure you are warm enough.
Sit straight by imagining you have a string pulling you upwards from the centre of your crown.
Re1ax your muscles both internally and externally.
Breathing through your nose, in and out, without strain or effort, close your eyes and concentrate on your breath in, and your breath out. Feel the air as it enters your body, feel it gently leaving.

That is it. Do this for ten minutes to start with, then build to twenty as it begins to come more naturally. At first you will despair as your thoughts crowd in and distract you, but the more you fight them, the more they will interrupt you. So with each thought that comes, acknowledge it briefly as if it were a performer on a stage, then say goodbye as you watch it drift across the stage and disappear. Return to your breathing. Do this with every intrusive thought, and after a while you will enjoy a sense of calm. When your ten minutes are up, open your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths.

You will find yourself refreshed. As you get more experienced, you will be able to access more and more of your inner self, and in moments of stress or panic in the outside world you will know a place where you can be still. All these therapies require commitment. You won't feel much benefit from a single session, or sporadic attendance at a class. So make sure you are enjoying your choice and not just doing it because you feel you ought to. If you stick with a particular discipline you will soon find it becomes a regular part of your life you would not be without, and is an excellent way to improve and maintain your spiritual and mental wellbeing.

Protecting Your Future

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:20:24 +0000

As we discussed earlier, depression has many triggers. Lack of EPA is certainly an important biological context, but there are also other psychological and physical triggers. There is no point in dwelling too long on the events or circumstances that set off your depression now that you have recovered, but it makes sense to be aware of what they were and to be conscious of similar situations should they occur in the future.

When you have recovered and are feeling strong again, take a background check on what might have triggered your episode by asking these questions:

1. Was there a difficult life event that occurred in the weeks or months prior to my depression?

2. Had I experienced this sort of trauma before, and if so, did it trigger depression that time too'

3. Was I under stress in other areas of my life'

4. Do I compromise my health by not looking after my general physical welfare?

5. Do I have addictive habits such as heavy drinking or drug taking?

6. Had I been ill'

7. Are there unresolved traumatic events in my childhood, such as persistent neglect or loss of a main carer?

8. Am I someone who suffers from low self-esteem?

Answer honestly, and try to pinpoint which of these triggers might have contributed to your recent depression. There might be more than one. When you have identified the contributory factor or factors, see if there are things about your lifestyle that you can change to avoid these same triggers being a problem in the future.

'Yes' to Questions 1 and 2: your depression is obviously triggered by your reaction to traumatic events. You can't avoid all trauma in your life, or in the lives of people close to you such as your children, but you can be aware that you may be especially vulnerable when faced with these events. When next you experience trauma, such as the loss of someone you love, make sure you don't repress your emotions regarding your loss. Find someone to talk to, either friend, family member or therapist, who can listen to and support you through your bereavement. If you recognize this as a trigger for past depressive episodes too, then you have to be doubly on your guard against sliding into depressive symptoms. And make sure you are fortifying your body systems with an EPA supplement.

'Yes' to Question 3: take a look at all areas of your life. Were you pushing yourself too hard and being unrealistic in your goals' were you having relationship difficulties' Had you recently been unhappy in your job? Are you someone who finds it hard to wind down' This is the time to make some changes in your stress levels and learn how to relax. Perhaps you need to take up yoga or t'ai chi, or learn meditation. Perhaps you need to spend more time at home and less at work. Perhaps you can get your family to help out more with the household chores and give you some free time. But you should also consider removing things from your life that don't work for you, such as a job you hate or a relationship that makes you unhappy.

'Yes' to Question 4: it might be time to start a regular exercise programme and stop eating all those ready meals and junk food. Don't become obsessive about your diet, just gradually replace the junk with more fruit vegetables and healthy oils.

'Yes' to Question 5: give them up! Get help if necessary. It won't be easy, but it isn't easy being depressed either.

'Yes' to Question 6: watch out for illnesses that are associated with depression.

'Yes' to Questions 7 and 8: you might consider therapy. Unresolved issues have a nasty habit of coming back to haunt you, and clearly your depression might be a result of these ghosts. It may be difficult at first, but a good therapist will only allow you to confront difficult issues when you are ready.

Keep Informed about Your Health

One of the greatest problems we face in recognizing, treating and avoiding any disease, most particularly depression, is ignorance. Many of us are just not educated about our health. At school we may study frogs and dog-fish in biology, with a passing glance at the human reproductive tract, and that is the sum total of our knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.

So we are completely ignorant about how our bodies actually work. Then if we fall ill, we entrust ourselves blindly to the overworked hands of our GP, who will barely have time to diagnose and prescribe, let alone explain the details of our problem and its treatment. Nowadays we need not be so ignorant. The Internet is an easily accessible tool to help us acquire basic information, and from there we can access organizations, support groups, specialist practitioners, drug and nutritional advances and further reading to enhance that knowledge. And we can become better informed as a way of preventing illness, not just as a means of finding the most up-to-date treatment available. Check out the Internet sources at the back of the article, and find out the latest research into depression and any other medical condition you might be suffering form, or for the latest general health news. By doing this you will be giving yourself the best chance of a healthy future.

FULL RECOVERY FROM OEPRESSION

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:41:25 +0000

There will come a wonderful time when you reach this final stage in the course of your depressive illness. You realize, at last, that you arc feeling well again, that you have got yourself back, part of the 'you' that you recognize from before the depression, and it's a great realization. But depression does change people, and the chances are that you will feel like a different person now you have successfully come through a bout of depression. Most of these changes will be positive, such as feeling stronger for having come through the ordeal, knowing yourself better as a result of confronting your demons, getting a perspective on what matters in your life, and being aware of the love and support that surround you. But there can sometimes be negative fallout from depression that needs to be addressed.

• One of the biggest problems that people who have overcome depression experience is fear of a recurrence. One man explained it this way: 'I feel fine now, but I can still see those little black gremlins lurking on the outskirts of my mind, waiting to come back and torment me again , and it terrifies me.' Once you have experienced depression, the thought of visiting that darkness again can be very worrying. However, Dr Puri's experience with his patients on EPA is that as long as they continue to take the supplement, they can keep further bouts of illness at bay. One of his patients did come off EPA, and his symptoms threatened to return, but after he went back on the high-dose supplement, they disappeared again. So if you have recently recovered from depression, continue taking your EPA supplement and you should avoid a distressing recurrence of your symptoms.

• Another problem you might encounter is loss of confidence in yourself. Depression makes you feel intensely vulnerable and plays games with your mind. During a bout of depression you can begin to question who you are and what purpose your life represents. It can begin to feel as if you don't know yourself. Even when you have recovered, you tend to re-examine what you understand about yourself No one imagines they could be a depressed person, just as no one believes they will ever be a cancer patient or a diabetic, until it happens to them. Illness is always something that happens to other people. So it is profoundly unnerving to realize that you can be vulnerable in this way, and that you can feel such extreme despair. Facing the world with this new experience and knowledge about yourself, however, call change your perspective on your life. It can mean different priorities and a fresh focus about how you live your life, and is a very positive outcome, but it can take time to feel completely at home with the changed 'you'.

• You might also sense a loss of confidence about yourself in those around you. The stigma of depression is gradually being eroded as the disease is talked of more and there is a new level of understanding about the cause and outcome. But there are still lingering pockets of prejudice, which you might be unfortunate enough to encounter. What should you do if you feel that you are being judged for merely falling victim to a disease? Obviously it depends very much on the situation. For instance, a partner night feel that they have seen a side to you that they never knew existed and that alarmed them. They might worry, like you, that you will have another attack of depression, and they might feel they can no longer rely on you. If this is the case, you can now reassure them by infonl1ing them about the disease and its optimistic prognosis in the light of EPA, and it might also help, as we suggested above, to let them know how the illness affected you. The more people understand about depression, the less they will see the symptoms as personality shortcomings. If you feel those at work have lost confidence in your abilities, and your illness is threatening your job, it is important to reassure your colleagues that you have found a treatment that will help keep you well and free from further episodes. But don't give in to prejudice. You have been ill, you have not developed a personality defect, and when you have fully recovered you should be able to do your job just as well as you did before you became ill; perhaps, with your newfound self-knowledge, even better.

• Questioning your relationships with friends and family can be one of the knock-on effects of surviving a depressive episode. While those close to you might have been bewildered and worried by your illness, you yourself might also harbor some lingering resentment about their level of support during your depression. This is understandable but remember that unless they have experienced depression themselves, they can have very little idea of what you were going through, particularly if you were unable to explain and, as a result, you shut them out. You might feel a friend deserted you, but maybe they didn't understand your strange behavior either. Clearing the air by voicing unspoken resentments is important if you are to get your relationships back on track. You don't need to make a saga out of it, just give everyone involved, including yourself, the chance to have their say. These are some of the strategies you can employ to cope with any problems you may encounter in the aftermath of your illness. There is also a very positive message to all of you who have just recovered from depression. You have survived! You have been through a taxing time, but you haw recovered and now you face the rest of your life with far greater understanding and strength.

WHEN EPA STARTS TO TAKE EFFECT

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:29:53 +0000

Within a few weeks, your depressive symptoms will begin to disappear. There will be stages of improvement, but perhaps the first thing you will notice is that you no longer feel that overwhelming despair. The day ahead may not fill you full of enthusiasm yet, but you can see a chink in the blackness. This is such a great feeling, because hope in the future is so important to our Eves it is what motivates all our actions. And now you are beginning to feel less depressed, you can employ the next level of your recovery strategies.

• Find a routine again. Routine is one of the casualties of depression. When you are depressed, your life gets completely out of kilter. This is because you become so lethargic and hopeless that you cannot face normal everyday tasks, your concentration is poor so even the tasks you do attempt take an inordinately long time to complete, or you can't complete them at all, and you are probably not sleeping properly. Your life has become chaotic, especially if you live alone. For instance, you can't sleep at night, so you get up late. You can't be bothered to do housework, so your home gradually gets messier, you have no clean clothes and you lose things you need, like keys and bills that need to be paid, and the rubbish piles up. You have no decent food in the house because you can't face your weekly shop, so you don't eat breakfast. Messages on the answer machine are mounting, but you're not in the mood to talk to friends. You forget to pay the milkman and newsagent, and the milk and paper get cancelled. You arrive at work late, hungry and looking harassed and disheveled. This chaos just confirms your feelings of low self-worth. But now you are on the mend, try and re-establish some of your normal routines. Don't push yourself to be fully functional yet, but begin to set yourself realistic goals, such as getting up at the same time every day, tidying up the worst of the clutter, making sure you eat regularly and nutritiously. If you reel you aren't coping with all this, ask a close friend to help you get some order back into your life.

• Don't rush back to work. If you have had time off work for your depression, don't think that you are ready for a full workload yet. You are still in recovery, not completely well yet, and if you rush back too soon and expect to fire on all cylinders, you will only get over-stressed and exhausted, and this will impede a quick recovery. Getting over a depressive illness takes time, and although at this stage you probably want to put every thought of depression behind you, it isn't wise to put yourself under too much pressure to do so. When you feel you are ready for work, go back, but don't immediately take on heavy commitments. Remember, if one of your colleagues took time off work for a serious medical condition such as a heart attack, you would expect him to ease back into the job in his own time. Your bout of depression deserves the same respect.

• Apply the same strategy to your social life. Socializing is supposed to be fun and relaxing, but when you have been depressed and out of the loop for a while, a room full of people may seem daunting, especially as you might be called upon to explain your absence. So for the time being, stick to close friends, and don't attempt large, stressful gatherings where you are expected to be on top form.

Be open about your health problem. Hiding depressive illness is just reinforcing and perpetuating the mistaken view that it is a condition to be ashamed of, which won't help you now, or indeed others who need access to treatment in the future. At this stage, when you have been isolated inside your depression, you need to feel part of the gang again. People always find out what has been wrong with you anyway, and you want to avoid others being embarrassed or talking behind your back when your confidence is still a little shaky. Now that you can say there is a treatment both to alleviate your depression and help prevent you from getting it in the future, it really is something you should be telling everyone about! Talk to a few of your closer colleagues at work, rather than making a public statement to the whole office. There is probably a high percentage of your friends and work colleagues who have suffered themselves, and they will be delighted that there is a successful natural alternative to antidepressant drugs. You will be surprised at how sympathetic most people will be.
Mend your fences with your family and friends. Now you are feeling better, it is perhaps time to take a good look at how those in your in mediate environment have been affected by your illness. If you have been diagnosed and treated quite quickly, this may not be a problem, but for many, as we have discussed, there can be a long period of dysfunctional depressive behavior before the symptoms lift. For instance, you might have leaned heavily on one particular friend or family member. They might be exhausted and slightly resentful about the time they have expended covering for you, especially if you have been drinking heavily. Your partner may have had to carry a double burden of keeping the family ticking over, or a work colleague may have been doing some of your job as well as their own. Maybe your children have not fully understood your illness, and need an explanation as to why you haven't been your usual supportive self. Your friends may want reassurance about why you suddenly deserted them. You don't have to apologize for your depression, but it can help to thank the people who have supported you during your difficult time, and appreciate what your illness has meant to them.

• Get your body moving. For weeks, or maybe even months, you have probably been slumped and scrunched up, feeling lethargic and unwilling to exert yourself. You may have been reluctant to face the gym, your Saturday football game, or morning swim, so your body muscles and tissue will have become pretty stagnant. Getting the oxygen flowing through your system and burning off those stress hormones will make you feel so much better and will greatly contribute to your recovery. And any weight you might have put on during your depression will begin to disappear once you become more active again. But don't overdo it and risk injury. Check our the Exercise Tips on the next article.

• Remember that recovery may not be consistent. You may feel better one day, then experience moments of hopelessness the next. This is normal and doesn't mean that your treatment isn't working. These moments will get less frequent, so take heart. It could be a few months before you really feel properly yourself again.

Exercise Tips

• Start small. Just go for a walk. If this feels aimless, then pick a place you need to get to and walk instead of taking some form of transport. Being out in the daylight alone will boost your mood.

• Try to walk quite briskly, stand tall and breathe deeply. This will give you plenty of fresh air and oxygen.

• Or find an exercise you enjoy, perhaps swimming, cycling, jogging, and start by doing it twice a week for at least twenty minutes. There is often a compulsion with people who haven't exercised for a long time to rush in and overdo it. Take your time, or you risk injury, which will not help your mood.

• Think, Move! Move about more during the day. So, for instance, walk to the next bus Tube stop, take the dog a bit further, use the stairs not the lift, don't take the car for short distances. It is so easy when you are depressed to stay slumped in one place for hours on end.

• If you are getting stiff as you get older, find a ten-minute stretching programme you can do at home, plus a brisk half-hour walk three times a week. Then you can gradually increase as your strength and stamina improve.

• Don't push yourself, this should be pleasure, not punishment.

• Buy a comfortable pair of walking shoes and carry smarter ones in your bag.

• Don't forget to drink lots of water.

WAITING FOR EPA TO WORK FOR YOU

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:07:48 +0000

There is inevitably a period after you begin treatment with EPA before the fatty acid supplement has the chance to work on your symptoms. This will probably be a matter of weeks, but during this time you will continue to feel depressed. So how can you best cope with this early stage in your recovery?

• Take charge. The chances are that you will already be feeling more positive about your condition, even if the symptoms themselves are still distressing, simply because you have accepted that you are depressed and have sought help in alleviating your illness. This means that, unless you are severely depressed, you will no longer be in that bewildered state of mind that can only ask: 'What's happening to me" You know what is happening to you, you can be confident that help is at hand and you know that the prognosis is good. If you haven't yet begun treatment with a high EPA supplement, now is the time to do so, or consult your doctor for treatment with pure ethyl-EPA.

• Seek support. This is a very important factor in your recovery. People who suffer from depression often tend to be the sort who beat themselves up about not being able to cope. This is one of the reasons why they don't seek help, they feel they should be able to manage on their own. But you can't always manage on your own, and you have to start learning to ask for help and accepting it when it's offered. So now is the time to talk through your problem with family and close friends if you have not already done so. You can admit how you have really been feeling, and enlist their support for the weeks ahead. They will be as relieved as you are that you have addressed your illness and are recovering. You can also explain that you are probably not going to be back to your normal self quite yet. This will help them to be understanding and patient.

• Admitting to suicidal thoughts. If your depression has given you thoughts of suicide now is the time to own up to them. This is not always easy to do because the thoughts are very frightening and you may feel ashamed of thinking in this way, even though it is a symptom of the illness just as a rash or a headache might be a symptom of other illnesses. But you need to protect yourself from harm until the EPA begins to alleviate this depressive symptom. Those close to you will be alarmed and can sometimes be angry if you admit to wanting to kill yourself. They can see it as the ultimate selfishness. But if you can explain these feelings in terms of a rash or a headache, they should be more understanding. Try not to spend a lot of time alone if you are feeling this way, and if you feel you cannot speak to your family or friends the Samaritans are an excellent agency for people in your situation. The counselors are trained to deal openly, non-judgmentally and, above all, anonymously with you, and will support you until you feel stronger. They are available twenty-four hours a day.

• Be kind to yourself. Now is the time for treats. If you are still working, take a week off. Allow yourself indulgences, such as a good body massage, a natural therapy, a day in the country to get some sunlight and fresh air, an afternoon nap, or merely a day sitting at home doing nothing at all, but not feeling guilty about it. If you had broken your leg you would not be expected to go jogging or mow the lawn; well, you don't have to do these things either, not yet. You will feel better soon.

• Avoid stress. Now is not the time to be entering into any stressful situation. You will still be feeling tired and run down, so don't take on too much. Don't accept a part in the local pan to, don't change jobs or move house unless you have to, and give the marathon a miss this year. It is sometimes hard not to give in to pressure put on you by others, but this is your life, and you need proper recovery time.

• Take your addictions in hand. As heavy drinking and drug abuse can often accompany depressive episodes as a means-not usually successful-of obtaining false comfort and temporarily dulling your feelings of despair, now that you are on the road to recovery it is time to take these addictions in hand. The effects of EPA are going to be compromised in the face of large quantities of toxic substances in your body. As your depression lifts, hopefully you will feel less inclined to substance abuse, but often these habits die hard. You might need help to wean yourself off alcohol or drugs. If so, Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous are both very nurturing and supportive.

• Make sure you take your EPA supplement as recommended. One of the main problems in treating depression is getting the depressed person to take their medication regularly.

This is often to do with the fact that the side effects are unpleasant, but you don't need to worry about this with EPA. However, just because it is a supplement and not a heavyweight drug does not mean you can be casual about when you take it and how much. Keeping up the recommended dose is vital to your recovery. These strategies will help you to hold on, in the weeks ahead, until your treatment begins to take effect.

Your Journey to Recovery

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:26:18 +0000

It is a great moment when scientists, who have followed their instincts with years of hard research finally come up with a real success story like that of EPA and depressive illness. Depression is one of the most talked about diseases of the modern world, not just because the number of people suffering from it is growing at such an alarming rate, nor because it is an illness that causes such a high degree of unwarranted shame and disruption to the person experiencing it, but because of the publicity surrounding the plethora of modern antidepressant drugs that have flooded the market in the last decade. Drugs that, in many cases, do help depression, but of which the public have become increasingly nervous as the extent of their potential side effects becomes clear.

EPA is about to change all this. For the first time ever, and this can hardly be overstated, we have a natural substance that successfully treats depression and which can also ensure that your depressive symptoms do not return in the future.Depression, as we have already discussed, is a complex disease, triggered by a number of contributory factors. But Dr Puri has discovered the root biochemical cause of the disease-low levels of EPA – and has shown through his and his colleagues' extensive research and clinical application that people who take this supplement in high doses can regenerate the grey matter of their brain and remove depressive symptoms.

This regeneration, which comes about from the nourishment that essential fatty acids provide for the brain cells, has also been found to be the basis for EPA's success in treating other chronic health problems diseases that hitherto have not been successfully addressed by modern medicine. All in all, the discovery of EPA is an intensely valuable contribution to helping us keep healthy both now and in the future.

Now that you understand what EPA is, how Dr Puri came to discover it as a treatment for depression, what it can do for you, and how you can gain relief from your symptoms with this natural substance, this final article offers a wider picture of the whole course, from beginning to end, that a depressive illness might take. We explain coping strategies for dealing with the effect this illness might have had on you, the sufferer, and on those close to you at work and at home, taking you through a three-stage plan for your recovery. Armed with this plan, you can progress confidently through the three stages, from waiting for EPA to work for you, to noticing the first signs of recovery, until you finally reach the last stage: full recovery.

Recovering from Your Depression

Of course, finding a successful treatment for your depression, such as EPA, is your first and most important practical consideration when you experience a depressive episode. But there are other factors in the process of depression that also need to be addressed. These factors relate to how this debilitating disease has affected your emotional and social welfare. With an ordinary illness you feel ill, consult a doctor, receive treatment, explain to those around you about your medical problem and get sympathy, then in most cases you recover quite quickly. Naturally there is an emotional cost to any illness; the realization that we are vulnerable to disease can often be unsettling, and many of us find it hard to be dependent on others, even for a short time. But out approach to the average disease is largely mechanical.

Depression is different. Seeking help, diagnosis and treatment is often delayed or, as we have seen with a large proportion of depression sufferers, absent. Added to which, recovery is not immediate, it happens in stages, and even when you have recovered, it sometimes takes a while to feel truly yourself again and to regain your confidence in life. So this particular illness can have an emotional fallout not associated with other conditions. During the course of your depression you may have alienated some of the people close to you.

This will depend on your circumstances, obviously, bur, for instance, if you have been depressed for a while without realizing it, if you have turned to alcohol or drugs to ' medicate' your distress, or if you have refused to get help even when others have suggested it, you might have a few bridges to mend now that you are recovering. But the good news is that there arc lots of strategies you can employ to ease your path through the course of recovery from your depressive episode and find your way back to health and wellbeing. Here is the three-stage recovery plan.

TREATING OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS WITH EPA

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:33:44 +0000

We have dealt with the benefits of taking an EPA supplement for everyone who is currently healthy and not suffering from any disease, and for those who are depressed. But there are others too, people currently suffering from certain medical conditions for which recent research has shown EPA to be an exciting new treatment option, who can also benefit from this supplement. These are diseases which have so far not been successfully managed with conventional medical treatments, such as schizophrenia, Huntington's disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and when treatment is offered, it is often with drugs that have problematic side effects. EPA now offers real hope for sufferers of all these conditions.

Treating Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia was, as we have mentioned, the first mental disorder to be tested with EFA supplementation, which was found to be effective. People with this condition spend a lifetime on antipsychotic drugs, which, as Alison's case study above shows, are not always successful, and also, for many sufferers, have unpleasant side effects. As a result of the difficulty in finding an adequate drug to treat their symptoms, schizophrenic patients have to be constantly monitored by a doctor to make sure their symptoms are under control. Dr Puri and his colleagues' breakthrough in the treatment of this condition with pure EPA now offers hope for thousands of sufferers and the people close to them who have been witness to this debilitating condition .

Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Another distressing and little understood disease that affects an increasing number of people in the West is CFS, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). This complex and controversial illness is characterized by a number of variable symptoms, including feelings of intense fatigue, muscle and joint pain, depression, poor concentration, disrupted sleep patterns and headaches.

There are thought to be around a quarter of a million sufferers of this condition, which mainly affects women aged between twenty-five and forty- five, in the UK alone. There is no definitive cause for CFS; possible triggers such as viruses and personal trauma have been blamed, and there seems to be a link with depression, although it is not clear which comes first, depression or CFS. Many in the medical profession have been reluctant to see the illness as anything but a psychosomatic reaction to unhappy life circumstances, and encouraged their patients to 'pull themselves together', which will sound familiar to many depression sufferers.

But Dr Puri and his colleagues at the Hammersmith Hospital did a research study on the brains of CFS sufferers, the results of which were published in 2002. They scanned the patients' brains with an MRJ scanner, using a revolutionary technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and found a clear and significant chemical abnormality in these CFS patients, which they didn't find ill the control group. So there was a real chemical marker for chronic fatigue syndrome. But what did this actually mean? Dr Puri consulted some colleagues who were experts in interpreting magnetic resonance spectroscopy. They told him that the results implied an abnormality in the phospholipid layer, the same problem that had been found in people with depression. Which meant that patients with CPS should, like depression sufferers, respond well to treatment with EPA.

Dr Puri also discovered that his other colleague, Professor Horrobin, had already done a trial testing high EPA supplementation as a treatment for CPS as far back as 1990, although the study, despite finding that the supplement successfully alleviated a wide range of symptoms in the people tested, was not given much attention at the time. Dr Puri went on to test his findings on his own patients, and here is his case study.

HELEN"S STORY

Helen is a twenty-eight-year-old lady who had suffered from depressed mood, persistent debilitating fatigue, muscle pains, extreme tiredness and generalized aches and pains for nine years, following a bout of a nasty flu-like illness which occurred while she was a student at university. At that time she was diagnosed as suffering from postviral fatigue syndrome, now more commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Her doctor was unsure how to treat her; certainly, no treatment she received made any difference to her symptoms.

She was referred to me in 2002. Having confirmed the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, I arranged for a number of special investigations to be carried out, which pointed to a specific type of essential fatty acid deficiency. In order to treat this, an essential fatty acid supplement rich in EPA was 'prescribed'.

Within three months Helen became well again for the first time in nine years. She now has much more energy, no depressive symptoms, and no muscular aches or chronic fatigue. She continues to take the high EPA nutritional supplement and continues to be well; she has suffered no adverse side effects from this.

As you can see from Dr Puri's case study, EPA is a successful treatment option for patients with CFS symptoms. As this disease has had so many problems with diagnosis and recognition, and, until now, most sufferers have had either to take drugs to treat individual symptoms, or have been left to try alternative therapies to find relief – none of which has been consistently successful – EPA is a significant and exciting breakthrough in this difficult disease.

Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ADHD is an increasing problem for children and adolescents in Western societies, and the condition, known as a hyperkinetic disorder, affects everyone associated with a child sufferer, as well as the child himself, both at home and at school. In the UK as many as 1 in every 1000 school-age children is a victim. In the US that number is much higher, at 30-50 in every 1000 children. Experts believe this is primarily a result of the high level of junk food American children consume, and we in the UK are probably not too far behind in the junk-food nightmare. ADHD is a series of behavioral problems which fall under these headings:

• Inattention. The child will be unable to concentrate or pay attention, frequently flitting from one activity to another and never finishing any of them.

Hyperactivity. The child will be restless, running and jumping around a lot, noisy and very talkative.
Impulsiveness. The child will be disinhibited with people, reckless and defiant of any rules.

The most common drug treatment for this hyperkinetic disorder is a psycho stimulant drug called Ritalin. Alarmingly, this drug has become one of the most frequently prescribed drugs for children in Western countries. There are some schools in America where children have to line up each day to receive their dose, but there are many unpleasant and worrying side effects associated with Ritalin, including sleep and appetite disturbance and stunted growth. Withdrawal symptoms, if a child has taken this drug for a long time, include depression and lethargy. Obviously it is far from ideal to dose young children with such powerful medication. Dr Puri, together with one of the world's leading experts in the field of fatty acids and disorders such as ADHD, Dr Alex Richardson, theorized that EPA might work in treating this disorder. Testing the theory in 2002 with a pilot study of an EPA-containing fatty acid supplement as treatment for dyslexic children who also suffered from ADHD, they had some astonishing results. The ADHD symptoms improved after just three months in about half the group, and it turned out, when the double-blind restrictions of the trial were removed, that this half was made up of the children who had been given the EPA-containing fatty acid supplement.

This breakthrough could have a significant effect on the thousands of children affected by a disease which has such an unfortunate impact on the sufferer's ability to learn and to integrate into society. Children who have this condition can find their whole childhood blighted by their inability to respond normally. Treatment with EPA will also mean that the affected children will not experience months or even years on drugs that potentially have such damaging side effects. And continued supplementation with EPA will prevent ADHD from returning in the future, in the same way as it does with depression. It is well worth adding a high EPA supplement to your child's diet if they show signs of this disorder. Teenagers have also been shown to benefit from taking a fish oil supplement, which appears to reduce their aggressive behavior.

Relief from Complications of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus, where the pancreas produces insufficient levels of the hormone insulin, or the body cells become unable to react to the hormone, can also benefit from EFA supplementation. This is very good news, as the incidence of type 2 diabetes is on the increase in the West, with around 3 million Britons currently suffering from the disease. One of the complications of this disorder if it goes untreated, or does not respond to treatment, is a problem with the nervous system known as peripheral neuropathy. This can mean tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes, which can progress to weakness, sharp pains or loss of feeling in the legs, resulting in ulcers if a minor injury goes unnoticed.

Fortunately, research trials have shown that the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are greatly improved by taking an EFA supplement which nourishes the nerve cells in the brain and the body.

Anyone suffering from diabetes has to be careful with their health so as to avoid the possible complications of the disease if the blood sugar is not controlled on a regular basis, which include heart disease as well as peripheral neuropathy. As essential fatty acids have been shown to benefit both these conditions, it makes sense for anyone suffering from diabetes to begin supplementing with EPA, and so help protect their long-term health. EPA has been shown to protect the healthy from developing disease, and also acts as a successful treatment option for those who are suffering from a number of chronic medical conditions.

So whatever your current health status, you can benefit by adding a high EPA supplement to your daily diet and can soon look forward to healthier skin and hail', more mobile joints, a healthier heart with less chance of heart attacks and strokes, and, if you are already ill and despairing of current medical treatment for your disease, you can begin to hope. EPA is not a miracle cure for all ills, but a substance that addresses the health of all the cells in your body at a very fundamental level, and therefore helps every system in the brain and body to function at optimum efficiency. All disease, including depression, is a malfunction in one of these systems, and if one body system is malfunctioning it can throw all the others out of kilter. EPA can help nourish those systems back

to health.

In the concluding article we take a look back at the themes of the article and how EPA has become such an important supplement in the treatment of depressive illness. We also offer a three-stage plan to support you through the different phases you may experience as you recover from depression.

Points to Remember

You don't have to be ill to gain the health benefits of EPA.
EPA is an effective treatment for many chronic medical conditions.
EPA is a natural treatment which can help you reduce your dependency on long-term medication for these chronic conditions.
EPA helps you to look good as well as feel good.
EPA can help prevent disease as well as treat it.
EFAs are important for your children's health, both inside the womb, during breast-feeding, and if your child suffers from conditions such as ADHD.
EPA support all the brain and body systems so that they can function 'with optimum efficiency.

Our long-term health is a very important goal for all 'of us. Taking EPA is one of the ways we can achieve this goal.

HEALTHY BONES AND JOINTS

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:26:24 +0000

Keeping your bones and joints healthy as you get older can be quite a problem for many people. Stiffness and joint pain from general wear and tear, aside from specific diseases such as rheumatoid or osteoarthritis, are responsible for most of the immobility that old people, and even middle-aged people, experience. And it is often the biggest problem older people face in looking after themselves. If you can't move easily it is difficult getting to the shops, you might find stairs a problem, or even just getting up in the morning. Exercise greatly benefits joint mobility, but so, it has now been discovered, does a high, daily dose of EPA.

Studies into bone and joint health, which have centred on research into rheumatoid arthritis the inflammatory disease where joints become painful, swollen and stiff have shown that omega-3 fish oil supplements, such as EPA, have considerable impact on joint health. Rheumatoid arthritis affects around one in a hundred adults, and can even occur in adolescents.

If the affected joints are weight-bearing, such as the hips, knees or ankles, the person may have trouble walking and getting about without severe pain. Eventually deformities occur in the joints. Colleagues of Dr Puri, working in Spain in 2000, found that, in this painful and debilitating disorder, the synovial fluid, which surrounds the joints, cushioning them from damage and helping to make them mobile, was deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. They also checked the blood plasma of these arthritis sufferers, and discovered it was deficient in EPA.

These findings, coupled with the knowledge of how EFAs nurture normal bone and cartilage, and the fact that fish oils and other EFAs such as GLA contain substances that reduce inflammation and reduce tissue damage, suggest that EPA or an EFA supplement such as cod liver oil or evening primrose oil might be a successful treatment for this kind of inflammatory condition.

Numerous trials have backed up this suggestion, showing that taking a high-dose EPA and OHA supplement instead of anti-inflammatory medication produces a marked reduction in symptoms of morning pain, stiffness and tenderness when the supplement had been taken for at least three months. Dr Puri has also heard anecdotal proof of this treatment success. Many of his patients have expressed relief fro m joint pain as a side effect of their depression treatment with EPA. So this supplement can reduce the need for anti-inflammatory drugs, which people with rheumatoid arthritis often take for the rest of their life, plagued by their attendant side effects.

If you are currently suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, you could help reduce the severity of your symptoms by using an EFA supplement. Genulex cream, which contains EPA and DHA, would be ideal for this. It needs to be rubbed into the joints three times daily (see resource section for details). Or take a very high dose of a fish oil supplement: experts suggest 6000 mg a day in three separate doses. You can take these supplements alongside your painkillers until the effects of the supplement kick in.

The overwhelming evidence of the research studies mentioned above adds up to a concrete reason for all of us, whatever our current state of health, to begin taking an EPA supplement daily to stay as healthy and disease-free as possible. Modern medicine, with its increasingly integrated approach to combining drugs with complementary holistic therapies such as acupuncture, is no longer just about curing an existing disease. More and more it is about taking care of our overall health and wellbeing ill order to prevent disease in the future. And EPA, with its wide-ranging health benefits, must surely be the supplement of choice for everyone.

BETTER ANTENATAL AND POSTNATAL HEALTH FOR MOTHER AND BABY

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:24:52 +0000

Women often worry about their own health and that of their unborn baby when they are pregnant. And because the baby takes vital nutrition directly from its mother while in the womb, it is an important time for women to be as healthy and well-fed as possible. All the issues surrounding reproduction, such as the baby's development in the womb, the mother's health, breast- feeding and problems with postnatal depression, have been shown to benefit from supplementation with EPA to ensure high levels of EFAs in a woman's body. Here's why:

• EFAs are vital for proper development of the brain and eyes of the growing foetus. In the last three months of pregnancy, brain and nervous system growth of the foetus is accelerated so it is essential at this time to have a good supply of EFAs in your body.

• After your baby is born, EPA supplementation is important in order to prevent postnatal depression.

• The growing baby is thought to scavenge its mother's supply of essential fatty acids to make sure of its own supply while in the womb. So during pregnancy and postnatally, you will need to replenish the stocks of EFAs that your baby has scavenged in the womb.

• If you are breast-feeding, you should maintain a high level of EFAs to enhance your baby's general health and brain development. Breast-fed babies have been shown to score, on average, eight points higher in IQ tests than bottle-fed babies.

• There is some recent research that suggests that babies who suffer Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have low levels of HUFAs in their brain. Supplementation with EFAs during pregnancy and postnatally is both safe and beneficial to your baby's development. Follow the recommendations for pregnant women on the supplement packet for optimum dosage.