Health Articles — Depression

Pain and Sugar addiction

Posted by Melissa Callaghan on

  Pain and Sugar addiction Did you know we have a system that connects our pain tolerance to the gut and sugar addiction?It is known as the endogenous opioid system.Endogenous means from internal origin and opioids act on the nervous system often used to relieve pain.Common pharmaceutical opioids include morphine, codeine, and oxycodone. The illegal drug, heroin is also an opioid.Our internal opioid system not only controls our pain but also makes us feel good and controls our natural reward feelings and addictive behaviours.We have opioid receptors in our brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract which are activated by peptides....

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Panic Attacks

Posted by Melissa Callaghan on

A sudden feeling of fear or terror that comes over like a wave without warning. The heart starts to pound fast, a feeling of not being able to breathe, and sometimes chest pains. Panic attacks are quite common and can affect up to 40% of the population at some time or another. There are several physical signs and symptoms of a panic attack which may include: - Racing heartbeat- Shortness of breath- Dizziness, feeling faint- Trembling- Muscle tension- Excessive perspiration- A feeling that the world around isn’t real- Fear of losing control- Feeling of dread or danger- Tingling sensation and...

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Feeling Lost is a hard place to be!

Posted by Melissa Callaghan on

  ____________________________________________________________________________   Life can be very confusing at times.  We often question which direction we need to go and become unsure with our purpose in life.  This can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression and feeling LOST.    It is becoming very common to feel lost with no desire to face the day.  When we experience these feelings  there is great difficulty in being happy about anything or having any type of feeling.  This is a slippery slope towards depression and can be one of the first signs.  When we feel lost it becomes very difficult to feel anything else. ...

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Energy Drinks

Posted by Melissa Callaghan on

Energy drinks are the latest craze. People are consuming them to gain energy and keep them awake. BUT!!! did you know that they are linked to anxiety and depression? AND!!! that the increase in anxiety and depression effects men more than women? This is worrying enough but when the marketing associated with these drinks is directed towards young adults the chances of developing anxiety and depression at a younger age increases dramatically. In 2009 the energy drink industry spent $15 million dollars just in Australia alone to promote their drinks. In 2014 the World Health Organisation hailed energy drinks a...

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