Childhood Abuse and Depression - Anxiety Lives On

It has been established that nature and nurture should not be taken as enemies or total opposites, but as two intertwined realities that function together to make up the human experience. Nature was designed for nurture.

Many recent and notable studies have documented the effects that early childhood experience can have on both the physical and chemical makeup of the brain. In particular, childhood abuse and/or neglect can permanently alter an individual's physiology. These physiological changes may lead to a greater likelihood of the person suffering from depression or anxiety later in life.

Groundbreaking results from a major study of depressed women in the US have shown that women who were abused as children have abnormally elevated hormonal responses to stress compared to women with no history of abuse. It suggests that childhood abuse is associated with persistent hyperactivity of the hormonal system associated with the stress response and this may cause greater vulnerability to psychiatric disorders in adulthood.

The study, headed by Dr. Charles Nemeroff at Emory University, looked at women diagnosed with clinical depression who had been abused as children; depressed women with no past abuse; and healthy women. Each person was given a moderately stressful experience and asked to perform simple mathematic problems aloud for a panel of stalwart non expressive judges.

Cortisol and ACTH (two hormones that play a critical role in a person's response to stress) were measured in each subject while she completed the task. It was found that the levels of these hormones were especially pronounced in women who were abused as children and who also had current depression. In fact, their ACTH response indicators were more than six times those of the healthy women.

In addition to high levels of stress hormones, other studies by the same group found that women who had been abused as children had abnormal development of the brain's hippocampus, which suggests another physical result of early abuse that could lead to permanent brain abnormalities in later life.

Other brain structures can also be affected by early abuse or neglect. While the basic unit of the brain is in place at birth, neuronal pathways for the body's reaction to different experiences are still developing.

There is a critical period of time in a child's first three years of life during which most of these pathways are formed. If a child receives primarily negative stimulation early in life, pathways for forming lasting relationships and responding to positive experiences can be stunted or destroyed. While this may be a reaction to help the child survive, it can cause permanent difficulties for the individual.

Other research shows that the brains of severely neglected children tend to be smaller than average with underdeveloped areas in the cortex. The long term implications of this are still being examined, but it shows one more way in which nurture or lack of it can affect a person's biological make-up.

The knowledge that nature and nurture are two crucial aspects to a person's health will undoubtedly prove to be a very useful tool in the research and treatment of psychiatric illness and may lead to even more effective treatments in the future.

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Thank you
Dr Leo Kady

5 Ways to quickly ease stress, depression & anxiety

Copyright 2006 Christopher Green No ceremony with this article, we are going to go directly to five quick ways to help you find relief from stress, depression and anxiety.

1 Take regular breaks from the line of fire. Hard work without regular breaks is a great way to build stress and tension. Make sure you have at least one break of 15 minutes in the morning and another in the afternoon, as well as at least 20 minutes to eat. If possible, eat food out of your workstation. Also, if you have much to deal with in your life, take a day or a weekend elsewhere, more if you can - get some respite help really. Even a day away from the line of fire allows you gain some distance from the problems and help you to collect your thoughts.

2 Regular exercises can help relieve stress, depression and anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins in the system and give a natural impulse. Will also provide you with a jump of brooding and housing problems and problems, but only if the right kind of exercises. Avoid: Exercises that allow you to brood (weight lifting, jogging, treadmills) and perform exercises that require your full concentration. Competitive as squash, tennis, badminton and the circuit sports are all excellent examples. It is important that it does not serve the exercise because although it will benefit physically, they are still stressing you mentally and stress, depression and anxiety will deepen.

3 Stop yourself beat. Self-deprecation is a huge part of stress, depression and anxiety. Everytime he beat on himself, will erode confidence and self-esteem. Not say never you're useless, useless, stupid, desperate, boring, ugly and a loser. Never convince you that other people hate them, that others find it hard to be around you and that you are better to be alone. You may never consider acceptable to say these things to other people and should be regarded as equally unacceptable say himself. These words and phrases are powerful and it hurt him. Accept that you are not perfect and do mistakes: as everyone does - and cut yourself some slack. From this day, make a pact with me never surrender auto-censura anymore. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

4. Isolation is another problem experienced by stress, depression and suffering from anxiety. OK, there will be times you want only to his own company. During these times, you can wait over and over again about the problems and events and you beat up for hours. Not good. Instead, use the isolation more positively. Occupy your mind dealing with a puzzle, a problem of logic, a crossword puzzle, read a book or make a hobby like painting, playing a musical instrument or anything else that it has an interest in. In this way, isolation helps you to grow rather than cause more pain.

5 Television, radio and newspapers can all provide a daily hit of negativity and low helps your state of mind. In general, focus on the negative side of life: crime, corruption, war, natural disaster and scandal and you can give a distorted picture of reality. Not to mention the amount of image manipulation that submitted you. Of a respite from this source of drip refusal and avoid completely for a week. You can find, as I have, that they have place in his life after that. Trust me, do not miss them.

That is five quick tips to help you combat stress, depression and anxiety. Please give them a try, will all help to increase their levels of mood very quickly.

115 Ways to reduce anxiety - overview

Mike Marcoe writes from first-hand experience in his book 115 ways to reduce anxiety, providing advice from the view of who has come the way of anxiety for a long time, undergoing therapies and comb through mountains of research. His experience has led to this self-help guide for people who are looking for ways to manage their condition in a proactive and healthy manner.

Mike has a passion for educational non-fiction and genres of self-help. He has achieved a Bachelor's degree in English and has been in the writing industry for several years performing as author, copy editor, proof reader, a guardian of the database and has also worked for a newspaper.

115 Ways to avoid the anxiety will provide readers with wise nutritional advice, herbal remedies that can relieve the symptoms of anxiety and a lot of skill improvement of positive and proactive attitude. The author offers excellent tools for peace of anxiety disorders.

News me were how dehydration plays a role in nerve disorders: something is going to be much more aware of in the future. I am totally curious about how philosophy can play a role and intend to investigate this possibility when I have more time. I am also encouraged by having confirmed that assume a variety of activities - drumming, living an active life, regularly doing meditation and breathing improves yoga, walking the dog and gardening: has been a good step in the right direction for me. I really feel that I am on the right track to seize power in my own hands to live a life free from anxiety.

There are no wasted words here. Only 88 pages, the text can be considered short and sweet. Intention of the author is for his book to attract readers to dig deep and discover what triggers your anxiety, why this happens and learn how to prevent relapse.

Individuals can benefit from this self-help guide of non-fiction, however, educators no doubt benefit in using this as a book in anxiety support groups. This book is also available in print and electronic formats to suit a variety of needs.


ISBN #: 1-59113-872-8 author: Mike Marcoe Publisher: