Obesity Linked with Mood and Anxiety Disorders

July 3, 2006

Panic Attack - Obesity Linked with Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Results of an NIMH-funded study show that nearly one out of four cases of obesity is associated with a mood or anxiety disorder, but the causal relationship and complex interplay between the two is still unclear. The study is based on data compiled from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a nationally representative, face-to-face household survey of 9,282 U.S. adults, conducted in 2001-2003. It was published in the July 3, 2006, issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

The results appear to support what other studies have found—that obesity, which is on the rise in the United States, is associated with increasing rates of major depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder and other disorders. However, in contrast to other studies, this study found no significant differences in the rates between men and women. In addition, it found that obesity was associated with a 25 percent lower lifetime risk of having a substance abuse disorder. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or more.

Social and cultural factors appear to influence the obesity connection with mood and anxiety disorders, according to the study. The association appeared to be strongest among non-Hispanic whites who are age 29 and younger, and college educated.

The causal relationship between obesity and mood and anxiety disorders continues to be debated and studied. Both likely contribute to the other, but they may be linked through a common environmental or biological factor as well. Lead author Gregory Simon, MD of the Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, Wash., suggests further study into how the two conditions intersect.

Other study authors are Michael Von Korff ScD, of the Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative; Kathleen Saunders JD, of the Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative; Diana L. Miglioretti PhD, of the Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative and the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine; Paul K. Crane MD, MPH, of the University of Washington School of Medicine; Gerald van Belle PhD, of the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine; and Ronald C. Kessler PhD, of Harvard Medical School.

Simon GE, von Korff M, Saunders K, Miglioretti DL, Crane PK, van Belle G, Kessler R. Association Between Obesity and Psychiatric Disorders in the U.S. Adult Population. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2006. 63: 824-830.

Panic Attack

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Panic Disorder, A Real Illness

Panic Disorder, A Real Illness
Does This Sound Like You?

Do you have sudden bursts of fear for no reason?

Do you feel awful when they happen?

Check the statements that apply to you during these sudden bursts of fear.

• I have chest pains or a racing heart.


• I have a hard time breathing.


• I have a choking feeling.


• I feel dizzy.


• I sweat a lot.


• I have stomach problems or feel like I need to throw up.


• I shake, tremble, or tingle.


• I feel out of control.


• I feel unreal.


• I am afraid I am dying or going crazy.

If you put a check in the box next to some of these
problems, you may have Panic Disorder.

Panic disorder is a real illness that needs
to be treated.

It's not your fault if you have this illness, and you don't have to suffer.

1. What is panic disorder?

Panic disorder is a real illness. It can be treated with medicine or therapy.

If you have panic disorder, you feel suddenly terrified for no
reason. These frequent bursts of terror are called panic attacks.
During a panic attack, you also have scary physical feelings like
a fast heartbeat, trouble breathing, or dizziness.

Panic attacks can happen at any time and any place without warning.
They often happen in grocery stores, malls, crowds, or while traveling.

You may live in constant fear of another attack and may stay
away from places where you have had an attack. For some people, fear
takes over their lives and they are unable to leave their homes.

Panic attacks don't last long, but they are so scary they feel like
they go on forever.

2. When does panic disorder start and how
long does it last?

It usually starts when people are young adults, around 18 to 24 years old.
Sometimes it starts when a person is under a lot of stress, for example after
the death of a loved one or after having a baby.

Anyone can have panic disorder, but more women than men have the illness.
It sometimes runs in families. Panic disorder can last for a few months or for
many years.

3. Am I the only person with this illness?

No. You are not alone. In any year, 2.4 million Americans
have panic disorder.

4. What can I do to help myself?

Talk to your doctor about your fear and panic
attacks.
Tell your doctor if the panic attacks keep you from doing
everyday things and living your life. You may want to show
your doctor this booklet. It can help you explain how
you feel. Ask your doctor for a checkup to make sure you
don't have some other illness.

Ask your doctor if he or she has helped other
people with panic disorder. Special training helps doctors
treat people with panic disorder. If your doctor doesn't have
special training, ask for the name of a doctor or counselor who does.

Get more information. Call 1-866-615-6464 to have free
information mailed to you.

You can feel better.

5. What can a doctor or counselor do to
help me?

The doctor may give you medicine. Medicine usually helps people with panic
disorder feel better after a few weeks. Talking to a specially trained doctor or
counselor who can teach you ways to cope with your panic attacks helps many
people with panic disorder. This is called "therapy."

Therapy will help you feel less afraid and anxious.

Here is one person's story:

"One day, without any warning or reason, I felt terrified. I
was so afraid, I thought I was going to die. My heart was pounding
and my head was spinning. I would get these feelings every couple
of weeks. I thought I was losing my mind.

"The more attacks I had, the more afraid I got. I was always living in fear.
I didn't know when I might have another attack. I became so afraid that
I didn't want to leave my house or other safe places.

"My friend saw how afraid I was and told me to call my doctor for
help. My doctor told me I have panic disorder. My doctor gave me
medicine that helps me feel less afraid. I've also been working with a
counselor learning ways to cope with my fear. I had to work hard, but
after a few months of medicine and therapy, I'm starting to feel like
myself again."

Remember - you can get help now:

Talk to your doctor about your fear and panic attacks.

Call 1-866-615-6464. It is a free call.
You will get free information about panic disorder
mailed to you.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is part of the
Federal government. NIMH conducts medical research to find new and better ways
to prevent and treat mental illnesses. NIMH also provides free information
about mental illnesses.

To get free information about other mental illnesses, write to

NIMH at:

National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard
Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663

Phone: 301-443-5413 or
1-866-615-NIMH (6464) toll-free
TTY: 301-443-8431
TTY: 866-415-8051
FAX: 301-443-4279

E-mail: nimhinfo@nih.gov
Web site: http://www.nimh.nih.gov

You can also find free NIMH information online at:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov

For information on panic disorders, go to
MedLinePlus®, a service of the U.S. National Library of
Medicine and the National Institutes of Health at the following website:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/panicdisorder.html

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health,anxious, heart palpitation, agoraphobia, phobias

Does Size Really Matter?

The subject of penis size is the topic of so much discussion and concern that I wanted to include this article about anxiety related to the issue. The author describes the vicious cycle of worrying about size which can actually make it smaller: ". . . the real joke is that the more anxious one becomes about penis size, the more it is likely to shrink."

Give a man six inches and he'll want a …

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health,anxious, heart palpitation, agoraphobia, phobias

Raising Superkids? Parents Show Stress

Poll Shows Many Parents Are Anxious About Their Children's Academic Success

By Denise Mann WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD on Thursday, August 10, 2006

Aug. 10, 2006 (New York City) -- Today's parents are stressed out about their children's academic success and believe starting early is the key to achievement, according to a new poll.

In fact, 54% of parents of children aged 2 to 5 said they had anxiety about their child's academic performance and 38% felt that their child was in competition with other kids. The new findings come from a telephone poll of about 1,000 parents of children aged 2 to 11 conducted in July 2006 by the National Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) in New York City, and the Public Broadcast Service (PBS) Parents.

More than 90% of all parents polled said that they believe that starting early to prepare their children for academic success is key. When the findings were broken down by income status, low-income families had significantly greater concerns about education and were three times more likely to think that they are not as able to help their child prepare for school as their richer counterparts.

Read the full article here

Panic
Anxiety

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

Don't Tell Me About Your Childhood

To many of us, this isn't really 'news' but I suppose there are a lot of folks that still retain the old stigma about working with a therapist or a counselor. Hopefully, some of you will use some of the information in this article as a stepping stone to seeking help if you haven't already.
=========================================

COGNITIVE THERAPY

The Bay Area embraces a 'here and now' approach to psychotherapy with surprising results

by Suzanne Leigh, as published in The San Francisco Chronicle

It used to be that seeing a psychotherapist involved delving deep into the

past: Our narcissistic mothers and controlling fathers came under microscopic
scrutiny as we grappled with gaining insight into our tarnished lives. Under
the therapist's prolonged probing we chewed over our "stuff" and "baggage" and
family "dysfunction" and relationship "co-dependency." And the next week we
came back for more.

But that scenario has gradually shifted. Many psychiatrists and
psychologists in the Bay Area no longer encourage patients to languish in the
past. Instead they propel them into the here and now with a powerful tool:
cognitive therapy.

Read the complete article:
COGNITIVE THERAPY / Don't Tell Me About Your Childhood / The Bay Area embraces a 'here and now' approach to psychotherapy with surprising results

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

The cure for anxiety disorders remains elusive

THOUGHT CONTROL -- By LEIGH WOOSLEY
World Scene Writer
7/27/2006 - The cure for anxiety disorders remains elusive

Editor's note: This is the last of five articles looking at the complex problem of anxiety disorders, the most prevalent mental health disease in America.

A cure for anxiety disorders does not exist. It's not like a headache, easily treated with an aspirin. What might temper one person's anxiety won't always do so for someone else. Treatment is oftentimes guesswork, a juggling act of medication, psychotherapy or both.

Read complete article

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health

Even Forbes Is Writing About It

When even a mainstream publication like Forbes, which has nothing to do with health, is putting out information about a subject, you know that the topic is effecting a large portion of our population. Here is part of that article:

Health Tip: Recognizing a Panic Attack 08.02.06, 12:00 AM ET(HealthDay News) -- Panic disorder can be triggered by serious stress or milestones in a person's life, like getting married or having a first child. Panic disorder is characterized by individual panic attacks -- sudden bouts of intense fear.
Read the full article:

Health Tip: Recognizing a Panic Attack - Forbes.com

technorati tags: panic, disorder, anxiety, attack, mental, health