Question: Is something like yoga better for a person who battles with depression or something like aerobics classes better, assuming you could only pick one to do?

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thank you for your post.  I will do my best to try to answer your question.

Good for you for trying to find a way to decrease your depression.  Yoga and aerobics are both great forms of exercise that have different benefits.  Yoga is good for taking deep breaths and helping you to stay in the present moment (mindfulness).  I personally recommend yoga for people struggling with anxiety, but there are skills anyone can benefit from.  Aerobic exercise is great for staying active and both will help get your endorphins going which is a natural antidepressant.  Before starting with either practice, I would recommend you see a medical doctor to make sure it is safe physically for you to pursue.  Seeing an individual therapist would also be a great addition to address the underlying issues that are a part of your depression.

I wish you the best of luck.  If you are in the Los Angeles area, I would be happy to help you further: www.drlanichin.com.

Question: hello doc! I am 18 years old and studying in college. for the past several months I am feeling depressed and definitely depressed maybe because of this college life. That when i'm alone I'm thinking about my problems but when i'm with the crowd I just show them that I am happy eventhough I'm not. I don't know what to do and I don't know how to tell about this to my parents because they're expecting too much from me that if maybe i'll tell them i'll disappoint them. Sometimes, I'm thinking about suicidal but I know that it is not the best solution. Right now, I am lazy to go to school and I can't sleep early always. Can you please help me? Hope you could answer.

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thank you for your post.  It sounds like you're going through a tough time.  Going to college can be a fun time full of new adventures and experiences while also isolating and overwhelming.  It seems like you know you're needing help with the feelings that are coming up for you.  I would recommend you check in with your college counseling center.  They usually offer free or very low fee services to college students just like you.  Additionally, talking to your parents might help.  They may have gone through something similar when they were growing up, but you won't be able to get their help if you don't tell them what's going on.  If you have a good relationship with them, it might be a good idea to utilize their support.  If you don't feel comfortable, maybe talking to a friend or other family member would help.

Hope my response is helpful.  Good luck.

Question: I am not a happy person. How do I know if I need therapy or not?

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thanks for your post.  You haven't given me a lot of information to work with, but I'll do my best to answer your question. 

When people come to see me for treatment, they do the best when they're ready for treatment.  When people come because their parent, sibling, partner, or friend wants them to come they usually drop out.  It's important for you to think about why you want to come to therapy, what "feeling better" means to you and how committed do you feel to getting better.  If you are on the fence about getting better or being engaged in treatment, it will not work out.  It might be helpful for you to call some therapists in your area and have a phone consultation about their approach to therapy and how they feel they might be able to help you.  This would give you a better idea if you're ready for treatment or not.  If you're in the Los Angeles area, I would be happy to speak with you about this: www.drlanichin.com

Good luck.

Question: My mom spends hours a day on forums about grief and depression since my dad died 8 months ago. I am glad she has this social support that she finds comforting but I am a little worried that she is spending too much time and that it is now actually preventing her from moving forward. If she is online on these sites for 6 to 8 hours a day should I be very concerned. She is retired.

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thanks for your post.  My condolences for your loss.  Your mother is lucky to have you on her side.

I understand you are concerned because your mother has been spending a lot of time online in forums about grief and depression.  It sounds like she has been having a tough time adjusting to the loss of your father.  What do you think she could be doing if she wasn't spending so much time online? Could you help her get reacquainted with hobbies and/or interests she had before the loss?  Sometimes people don't know what to do after they've loss their partner because many of the hobbies/interests remind them too much of their loved one.  Could this be the case for your mother?  Also, does your mother have a social support system?  If she has friends, maybe you could reach out to them to invite her to lunch, see a movie, etc. 

Again, your mother is very lucky to have you on her side.  Good luck to the both of you.

Question: Helloe Ive read the page about depression but Im not sure this facility treats it. Im looking for something in Orange country to treat my severe panic disorder and depression. It s gotten so bad that ive turn to prescription drugs and alcdhohol to try and stop the noise in my head. a couple weeks ago i took two ml of morphine an a handfull of ativan. . Im still here but I dont feel anybetter, Danielle Hill

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thanks for your post.  It sounds like you're going through a tough time.  Given your drug/alcohol use, I would highly recommend that you immediately find a mental health professional to help you.  If you google psychologist or therapist and your zip code, you will find some someone local that can help you.

Again, I would strongly recommend you find someone today to help you.  If you cannot find someone using google, you could also go to your nearest emergency room or hospital to get some help.  Your use of drugs and alcohol is very dangerous and you need to get help immediately.

Good luck.

Question: My son has depression. He is on Paxil but he is finding some of the side effects troublesome. Do you recommend taking omega 3 supplements as well as taking medication? From what I understand a diet low in omega 3 can cause some people to get depressed so probably a diet high in omega 3s might do the opposite. Are there any other natural supplements that might be effective. He tried St. John’s Wort but he said that it didn’t seem to help him very much.

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thank you for your post.  Your son is lucky to have you helping him through his struggle.

I've had several patients report that taking an Omega 3 has helped to decrease their depression.  However, I would like to caution your son about using both Paxil and the supplement.  There are interaction effects that can take place which could decrease the effectiveness of the medication.  As a result, it is crucial that you keep his psychiatrist or general practitioner in the loop about anything your son is taking in addition to the Paxil.  If your son is finding the side effects of the Paxil to be too much, you can certainly ask his psychiatrist or general practitioner to try another medication.  Since everyone's body can potentially react to the different medications in different ways, sometimes it is necessary to try different medications to see which one is the most effective and/or has the least number of side effects.  Again, inform your son's psychiatrist or general practitioner about what's going on.  A different medication could be the answer, but it is important to inform them about what else your son is taking.  Also keep in mind that many medications take about a month for the body to get used to them, so it is typical to have a variety of side effects when the medication is getting introduced.  Good luck to you and your son.

Question: Is it true that depressed people dream far more than non depressed people and this is something that tires out the brain and perpetuates the problem? I just read this and it makes a lot of sense to me because my wife often complains about how her dreams make her tired and she has been dealing with depression for years. If it is true is there anything she can do to let her mind rest a bit more while she is sleeping?

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thank you for your post.  Your wife is lucky to have you on her side.

In general, I've found that most people dream every night.  The individual difference that varies from person to person is their ability to remember the dream.  Often people remember dreams when they are ready to remember.  Our unconscious processes are quite advanced and work very hard to keep us from being aware of certain issues.  Keeping that in mind, one of the most common symptoms of depression is feeling tired or unmotivated to perform certain tasks.  So it is difficult to say that because your wife remembers her dreams, she is tired.  The relationship between dreaming and feeling tired is likely a correlational relationship, not a causal one.  This is something that can be better sorted out in therapy where a therapist can sit with your wife and talk about the dreams she is having to look for relevant themes, symbols, and other unconscious messages she may be receiving.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, I would be happy to help: www.drlanichin.com.  If you are not, I would recommend you google psychologist and whatever geographic area you're in.  Once she is able to decipher some of these dreams, her symptoms of depression have a high likelihood of decreasing.

Good luck to both of you.

Question: I have read more and more reports that seem to indicate that Ketamine helps people with major depression and that it can work almost instantly. My sister has life-threatening depression and nothing has worked for her. She has attempted suicide twice in the past and she is in a bad place right now. I know this sounds extreme but that’s really where we are with this. Do you know if anyone is offering Ketamine treatment yet? I would not like to see her do this without a psychiatrist’s supervision.

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thanks for your post.  It sounds like you're concerned for your sister.  She's lucky to have someone like you on her side. 

First of all, I want to clarify that ketamine was found to immediately lower levels of depression, but this is not a long term solution.  From my understanding, the use of ketamine for now has been approved as an alternative to an inpatient program.  For example, if someone attempted suicide and ended up in the ER where they were also diagnosed with severe depression; instead of sending him/her to an inpatient ward that could cost upwards from $1000 per night, ketamine could be used to get the patient to a functioning level.  At a later time, outpatient psychotherapy would then be required.  So from my understanding, ketamine can be used to stabilize a patient...not treat them on a long term basis for depression.  With that in mind, there are no facilities that I know of that utilize a ketamine treatment yet.  I don't think there ever will be.  Additionally, this is a fairly new finding...barely out of clinical trials.  This means there hasn't been a real evaluation as to how this will affect patients who have utilized this treatment 5, 10 or even 15 years down the road.  This is a crucial factor to consider.

Hope this answers your question.  Good luck to you.

Question: I think I have dysthmia (sp?). I just haven’t felt really happy or really like myself for a long time, but it’s came on so gradually that I guess I never really noticed when I started to feel DEPRESSED. I guess I am ready to go see a doctor but I am sure he is just going to give me some drugs. Do you think I should try St. John’s Wort first? Is there any reason why I should not do this?

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thanks for your post.  It sounds like you're going through a tough time.  I'll do my best to help you better understand what some treatment options could look like.

First of all, over the counter remedies like St. John's Wart have been shown to help some people with depression as well as anxiety.  It's difficult to say if these remedies will help you because there hasn't been enough research done yet.  So what might be really effective for one person could be completely useless to another.  With my current clients, I don't discourage the use of herbal remedies.  If a client finds it effective in addition to therapy, then I definitely want them to do what makes them feel better.  However, I cannot vouch for any herbal remedies on their own.

Secondly, I'm curious about your assumption that your doctor will give you drugs.  Not every General Practitioner will recommend medication.  Even if they do, you ultimately make the decision on what your treatment will look like.  Many of my clients (about 90% of my caseload) DO NOT take any medications, nor would I suggest that they need it.  I'm not against it, but many people feel better after active engagement in therapy.  With that said, if you are in the Los Angeles area, I would be more than happy to see you and try to understand the causes of your depression (www.drlanichin.com).  If you are not in the Los Angeles area, I would recommend you do a google search for local therapists.  You could also ask your friends or family if they have seen someone they liked.  Again, you do not need to take medication if you don't want to.  A good therapist will listen to you and your concerns and try to accommodate your needs into treatment.  Good luck.

Question: I am 17 and I live with my aunt and uncle because my mother committed suicide when I as 4 and because my father left after I was born. From what my Uncle and aunt say it sounds like he had mental illness also like manic depression or something like that. He was also an alcoholic. If both my parents had depression or manic depression what % chance do I have to also get depression or manic depression? According to my aunt, my mom was fine until she turned about 20 so I am getting worried that in a few years I am going to end up like them.

Dr. Lani Chin Says...:

Thanks for your post.  My condolences to you for your multiple losses.  Research on the heredity of depression within families shows that
some individuals are more likely to develop the illness than others. If
you have a parent or sibling that has had major depression, you may be
1.5 to 3 times more likely to develop the condition than those who do
not have a close relative with the condition. You would also have a
higher chance of developing bipolar disorder.  Keep in mind, this is not a guarantee that you will develop the disorder.

Bipolar disorder has a strong genetic influence. Of those with
bipolar disorder, approximately 50% of them have a parent with a history
of clinical depression. When a mother or father has bipolar disorder,
their child will have a 25% chance of developing some type of clinical
depression. If both parents have bipolar disorder, the chance of their
child also developing bipolar disorder is between 50% and 75%. Brothers
and sisters of those with bipolar disorder may be 8 to 18 times more
likely to develop bipolar disorder, and 2 to 10 times more likely to
develop major depressive disorder than others with no such siblings.

Again, these figures are based on statistics that show people who have family members diagnosed with either disorder have a higher likelihood of developing it themselves.  It is not a guarantee.  It could be beneficial for you to seek therapy to process the feelings that might come up for you around fearing that you might "end up" like your parents.  Having a strong social network is one of the best things to help.  Good luck to you.