Doctor Bob Jones Healthy Care Site

Archive for the ‘Depression’ Category

Up until recently, there were four choices for persons with Depression. These were:

1. Do nothing, suffer and hope it’ll get better with time. This is the sad choice of many, and it doesn’t work. They most often get worse.

2. Put them on one of the huge advertised array of drugs, and then put them on other drugs hoping to solve the side effects as they show up. This is known as the drug “side effect chain”. (My ex-wife once ended up taking six different drugs in this way, and the end effect was that she got worse instead of better – a not uncommon result)

3. Pay exorbitant amounts of money for EEG Biofeedback (Neurofeedback) training. This has been the best solution up to now. The overall success rate (with good and bad clinicians) is considered to be about 85%. But, the cost of 60 (recommended) half hour sessions with a “professional” at $4500 to over $10,000 is above the ability of most mid and low income families.

4. Try various allergy clinics to try to find the allergy/sensitivity responsible, and also do all the various tests for mineral toxicity (mercury, copper, arsenic, cadmium, etc. This is also pretty expensive, with the very best system (End Point Titration) costing upwards of $10,000. (For more info on EPT, see www.Alternate-Health.com/allergy.html).

Now, there’s another choice. I invented a new method of changing brain wave amplitude (up or down) that is similar to EEG BF, but is inexpensive enough to give mid and low income families a choice besides expensive and dangerous drugs. It’s audio messaging used mostly during sleep. Instead of changing behavior as is “usual” with this technique, it does the same thing that EEG biofeedback (Neurofeedback) does, i.e. it raises the SMR brain wave (12-14 cycles per second – Hz), while lowering the Theta brain wave (4-8 Hz) at the same time.

For those who aren’t familiar with EEG BF, this is the most effective brain training mechanism that best solves this particular brain problem. (It also solves ADHD, insomnia, IBS, epilepsy, and even many cases of schizophrenia. There is substantial proof of this effectiveness of EEG BF, and a summary of professional papers can be found at:
).

In my former practice as an Orthomolecular Psychologist, I had used auditory messaging with good success, and in 2004, I realized that it should be possible to use this technique to do the same thing that was done by the expensive EEG BF units and a computer. Instead of going thru the conscious mind of the “trainee” to affect the unconscious, why not go directly to the unconscious mind?

After more than two years, three clinical trials, and extensive testing utilizing volunteers who paid for the right to participate, I proved the following:

1. The Bate Auditory Brainwave Training (Patent Pending) Is very similar to EEG BF and accomplishes the same “basic brain training” with these following minor differences:

a. It compares with one night sleep being almost equivalent to one half hour session. 9-10 weeks of sleep showed approximately the same improvement in ADHD diagnosed persons as 60 half hour sessions in a clinic. (Yes, it takes a long time to be effective, with either method – there really isn’t any “magic pill”, in spite of what the drug companies say in their ads.

b. There is more possibility of a Hawthorne Effect in this training than in EEG BF training. For more info on this Effect see:.

In the last test, this possible effect was discussed beforehand and warned about, and while it occurred in a few cases, it did not deter any of the volunteers, as it had done in earlier testing. (This is NOT a dangerous “side effect” such as can be caused by all drugs! It can cause minor discomfort in a few individuals for only a day or so at worst.)

c. Motivation is no longer a huge factor as it is in EEG BF. Both the parents
and the child have to motivated to continue long weeks of training, and if the training is stopped before an end point, some, or most, of the gain is lost.

2. This system costs under $200, and that is a one-time fee only. It can be used for as long as it takes. (With Autistic children, it can take up to 200 EEG BF sessions). The system is composed of two basic CD’s. The first is the actual Audio Training program, playable on any CD player, boom box, etc. The second CD is a computer disk that has several other programs useful as adjuncts to this training. This includes a free allergy/sensitivity test, a free bottle of amino acid supplement that has a calming effect, and several articles on alternate health therapies that have been shown to be of help for all types of brain problems.
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Depression is an illness and needs to be acknowledged as such. It is not a reason to be ashamed. The reason so many people fail to seek help for their depression is that they are ashamed. Unfortunately, this is one of the feelings associated with depression anyway and makes the illness difficult to acknowledge.

If you are constantly feeling particularly low, well-meaning friends might tell you to “snap out of it” or even start to get irritated by your mood. Your depression will feed off this negativity and you start to wonder why you can’t just “snap out of it”. You then start to feel that there’s something wrong with you because it should be so easy and it’s just “not right” that you feel so bad all the time. Well, it’s not right and there is something wrong with you. You have a medical condition and you deserve treatment in the same way as any other patient. If you had a cold for six months would you ignore it and hope it would pass? No, you would dose yourself up with anything you could find and maybe see a doctor to find out if there’s an underlying reason for it to last so long.

Depression is sadness that lasts too long. Everyone is sad at some point in their lives but depression is more than that. It is a feeling that you can’t bring yourself up from the bottom. In the end you give up trying. People start to avoid you. You feel worse. You need to find external help to treat the problem in the same way as you would if you had a long-lasting cold. You could try herbal remedies – there are some in your pharmacy – or you could see your doctor. There may be an underlying physical cause for your depression.

If your doctor cannot help you they may refer you for counselling. Don’t be embarrassed to go for counselling but do make sure you are comfortable with your counsellor. If not, try another one. Counselling should not be discounted because you don’t feel comfortable with your first choice of practitioner. In everyday life you will naturally find that you get on with some people and clash with others. You cannot afford to have a personality clash with your counsellor. On the other hand you must be sure that it is a personality clash and not just that you don’t agree with what they are saying. A general rule is to go with your instincts. If you like the person and seemed to get on well in the first couple of sessions then stick with it because they might just have touched on the root cause of your problem. Read the rest of this entry »

Some people have a difficult time in managing their depression. Sometimes, their depression and fears can get best of them. As a result, here is a short list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their depression.

I was told by a counselor that one of the ways to manage depression is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make your fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, your afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you, however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available and just because you don’t get this job promotion doesn’t mean that you will never get one. In addition, people change jobs all the time, and you always have that option of going elsewhere if you are unhappy at your present location.

Some people get depressed and have a difficult time getting out of bed in the mornings. When this happens, a person should take a deep breathe and try to find something to do to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. Doing something will get your mind off of the problem and give you confidence to do other things.

Sometimes, we can get depressed over a task that we will have to perform in the near future. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you and your team have to play in the championship volleyball game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind. Imagine that your playing in front of a large audience. By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation. Read the rest of this entry »

I have recently made a very startling discovery which has helped me to stop spiralling into bouts of depression. In this article, I write about this discovery which I hope will help other people to lead much happier lives, free from anxiety and stress.

I am the type of person who can easily let things get on top of me. If I am rushed about here there and everywhere by my family or friends, I am often left feeling very drained and exhausted. I am sure this is the same for many people but the way it affects me over the next twenty-four hours is somewhat different. I seem to lose all of my energy and this then can easily lead me into thinking in a very negative way, often ending with me becoming quite depressed.

For whatever reason this depression can stay and in a way haunt my life for quite a few days. I begin to worry about the future, start to think that I am a failure, start to become paranoid about what other people think of me and basically become scared to leave my own house.

I have spoken to my family and especially my parents about this issue. They have advised me to seek help from a doctor. I must say that even though this would be good advice for most people, I feel that I am the kind of person who could become easily hooked and dependant on any tablets that would be described. I certainly do not want an addiction to add to my problems.
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