Symptoms
• Feelings of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness
• Change in sleeping patterns (sleep too much or can’t sleep)
• Lack of concentration
• Easy tasks become difficult
• No control over negative thoughts
• Change in eating habits (loss of appetite or increase in appetite)
• Irritable and short-tempered
• Thoughts of suicide
A person may not develop every symptom on the list. If the symptoms last two weeks or longer, a person has clinical depression. A person suffering from depression needs to see a doctor immediately to get his or her life back on track. A doctor can perform a test to determine whether or not a patient has depression and can recommend a therapist for treatment.
A person needs to especially seek help when thoughts of suicide arise.
After treatment, about 2/3 of people recover and are able to return to their daily lives after a few days or weeks depending on the patient.

DEPRESSION FACTS
• DEPRESSION AFFECTS 19 MILLION AMERICANS ANNUALLY
• CAN AFFECT ANYONE
• MORE COMMON IN ELDERLY PEOPLE THAN IN YOUNG PEOPLE
• CONTRIBUTES TO ½ OF ALL SUICIDES

Have you ever been affected by depression? If so, please share you inspirational story on how you overcame it.

Heart attacks are the #1 killer of both men and women. It occurs when there is a blockage in the heart, generally caused from a buildup of plaque lining the coronary artery. The blood cannot flow through the heart while there is a blockage. That means that oxygen is not getting to the heart and the heart muscle becomes damaged and then begins to die.

Causes of Heart Attacks

There are multiple causes of heart attacks.

Coronary Artery Disease is the number one cause. It is the buildup of plaque along the inner wall of the coronary artery. The plaque consists of fat and cholesterol as well as other items found in your blood.  Once the plaque builds up enough to block the blood flow, a heart attack occurs.

Another cause is a severe spasm of the coronary artery. This can occur from drug usage, emotional stress or pain and smoking cigarettes. The spasm closes up the artery and induces a heart attack.

Symptoms/Signs of a Heart Attack

Heart attacks can either come suddenly or build up slowly in a person. That is why it is important to get help immediately. Every second that a heart attack is occurring more and more of the heart muscle is being destroyed.

Chest Pain or discomfort

Shortness of breath

Pain in the arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach

Fainting

Nausea/vomiting

Cold sweats

Lightheadedness

When experiencing these symptoms, you or someone else needs to call 9-1-1 immediately to get medical attention as fast as possible.

Tips for a Healthy Heart

The best way to start preventing a heart attack is to begin eating a low fat diet. You need to increase your fruit and vegetable intake and reduce your salt intake. This eating pattern will help reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol level. It will also help you lose weight, which also benefits your heart.

Quitting smoking is also a great idea. It will not only help your heart, but your lungs as well.

Finally, take time to work out. Exercise strengthens all of your muscles, including your heart.

In what ways are you working on your heart health? Have you or someone you know survived a heart attack? If so, tell us about your/their recovery and lifestyle changes.

June 1^st is the first day of hurricane season for the Gulf and Atlantic Coast areas.  That means a few months of waiting and watching for possibly devastating tropical storms and hurricanes.  This also means a few months of added high stressors that compound our normal, everyday stresses.

Stress is feeling overwhelmed or having to deal with more than you are used to physically and emotionally. Stress speeds up your heart rate and breathing. In many situations, these symptoms can actually be helpful, allowing you to speed up your normal reactions in.

Unfortunately, stress is unhealthy when it is frequent and/or lasts too long.  Stress can affect you both emotionally and physically. Physically, stress can lead to back pain, headaches, an upset stomach and restlessness. It can lower your immune system making it difficult to remain healthy and can affect weight gain. 

Stress can also affect you emotionally. People suffering from stress can become moody, irritated and depressed, and can even lower your self-confidence.

Hurricane season does not help New Orleanians relax. That is why it is important to know the signs and symptoms of stress disorders and to learn use little tricks and tactics to help deal with added stressors.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder      

Many people don’t realize that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is actually an anxiety disorder.  People who suffer from OCD use obsessive thoughts about patterns and numbers to distract themselves from actually feeling the uncomfortable emotions surrounding stressful situations.  OCD causes people to spend hours of their day performing “rituals” that distract them from dealing with the world around them.

Some symptoms include fears and phobias such as a fear of germs, need for order and exactness, constant counting, eating foods in a specific order and constantly repeating words or phrases. 

OCD can be treated by a psychiatrist or mental disorder specialist.  The treatment process can be long and slow, but can allow many OCD sufferers to lead productive lives.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) materializes as exaggerated anxiety over normal, everyday things.  People who suffer from GAD generally can’t stop worrying about things like health, money, family and friends.  People who suffer from GAD generally are restless, irritable, constantly worry and experience headaches, nausea, trembling and insomnia.

GAD can sometimes be helped by some medications and psychological treatment.

Panic Disorder

Panic Disorder is one of the more common anxiety disorders.  Panic Disorder can usually be diagnosed by the frequent experience of panic attacks.  A panic attack occurs when the patient suddenly feels an overwhelming sense of fear.  Symptoms of a panic attack include difficulty breathing, chest pain, the fear of death, the sensation of choking, terror, dizziness, sweating and trembling.

Panic disorder can be treated by some medications and through psychological treatment.

Tips

Some helpful tips to reduce stress in your life include:

·         Figure out where the stress is coming from

·         Reduce the amount of stressors in your life

·         Find healthy ways to alleviate your stress (exercising, writing, etc…)

·         Make sure to get enough sleep

·         Be positive

·         Eat healthy, nutritious meals

These are just a few tips to help you relax during this hurricane season.

What has helped you alleviate your stress in the past?