[Ready2Transform]

http://inhealth.cnn.com/finding-the-best-depression-treatment/testosterone-treatment-for-depression-in-men?did=t1_rss1&hpt=hp_bn16

Testosterone Treatment for Depression in Men

Question:

I've been reading mixed reports about testosterone for depression. Is it a good treatment for depressed men?

Answer:

If testosterone levels are low, a man may feel blue, tired or irritable. He may have lower sexual desire and decreased confidence. He may be mentally sluggish. In such cases, testosterone treatment may help.

Hormone production tends to fall off gradually after age 40. Only 1 in 100 men under 40 have low testosterone. By age 70, a man on average produces about half as much as he did in his 20s. But for most men, that level is still considered normal.

That's why it's hard to define what low means. Hormone levels fall in every man as he ages. After 50, this decline can contribute to depression symptoms. Drinking, being overweight and stress can make the problem worse. But if depression is severe, it's less likely to be due to low testosterone.

You may have heard the term "male menopause." That name's misleading. Men continue to make testosterone. They don't go through a sudden change the way women do with estrogen.

Your doctor will not only check testosterone. He or she will do a complete medical exam. And may suggest other tests. If the level is in the normal range, the doctor will probably not recommend this treatment.

Moreover, because of potential side effects, testosterone treatment should never be taken lightly. It is not an anti-aging pill.

Extra testosterone may increase the risk of prostate cancer. It can boost the level of "bad" cholesterol. In some cases, extra testosterone may be bad for your liver or heart. Other side effects are breast swelling, headache, rash, acne, or baldness. And just what you don't want — testosterone can sometimes make you feel worse rather than better emotionally.

Still, testosterone treatment can bring a low level up to the normal range. The prescription is often a gel or a patch placed on the skin. It can also be given in an injection every other week. Depending on the circumstances, the doctor may suggest psychotherapy or an antidepressant drug, or both.

[calamity]

Seems from all this information:  there's not going to be a magic bullet!  Our mlcers will still, have to do the work...

[Anjae]

Regarding addictive Behaviours, endorphins and its effects on the brain and person

http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/hints/addictiveb.html - ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS AND THE ADDICTIVE PROCESS

Any activity, substance, object, or behavior that has become the major focus of a person's life to the exclusion of other activities, or that has begun to harm the individual or others physically, mentally, or socially is considered an addictive behavior. A person can become addicted, dependent, or compulsively obsessed with anything.  Some researchers imply that there are similarities between physical addiction to various chemicals, such as alcohol and heroin, and psychological dependence to activities such as compulsive gambling, sex, work, running, shopping, or eating disorders. It is thought that these behavior activities may produce beta-endorphins in the brain, which makes the person feel "high."  Some experts suggest that if a person continues to engage in the activity to achieve this feeling of well-being and euphoria, he/she may get into an addictive cycle. In so doing, he/she becomes physically addicted to his/her own brain chemicals, thus leading to continuation of the behavior even though it may have negative health or social consequences. Others feel that these are just bad habits.

Most physical addictions to substances such as alcohol, heroin, or barbiturates also have a psychological component. For example, an alcoholic who has not used alcohol for years may still crave a drink. Thus some researchers feel that we need to look at both physical and psychological dependencies upon a variety of substances, activities, and behaviors as an addictive process and as addictive behaviors. They suggest that all of these behaviors have a host of commonalities that make them more similar to than different from each other and that they should not be divided into separate diseases, categories, or problems.

Common Characteristics Among Addictive Behaviors
    There are many common characteristics among the various addictive behaviors:
    1. The person becomes obsessed (constantly thinks of) the object, activity, or substance.
    2. They will seek it out, or engage in the behaivor even though it is causing harm (physical problems, poor work or study performance, problems with friends, family, fellow workers). 
    3.  The person will compulsively engage in the activity, that is, do the activity over and over even if he/she does not want to and find it difficult to stop.
    4.  Upon cessation of the activity, withdrawal symptoms often occur.  These can include irritability, craving, restlessness or depression. 
    5.  The person does not appear to have control as to when, how long, or how much he or she will continue the behavior (loss of control). (They drink 6 beers when they only wanted one, buy 8 pairs of shoes when they only needed a belt, ate the whole box of cookies, etc).
    6. He/she often denies problems resulting from his/her engagement in the behavior, even though others can see the negative effects. 
    7. Person hides the behavior after family or close friends have mentioned their concern. (hides food under beds, alcohol bottles in closets, doesn't show spouse credit card bills, etc).
    8. Many individuals with addictive behaviors report a blackout for the time they were engaging in the behavior (don't remember how much or what they bought, how much the lost gambeling, how many miles they ran on a sore foot, what they did at the party when drinking)
    9.Depression is common in individuals with addictive behaviors. That is why it is important to make an appointment with a physician to find out what is going on.
    10. Individuals with addictive behaviors often have low self esteem, feel anxious if the do not have control over their environment, and come from psychologically or physically abusive families.

[Chickpea]

Very interesting- every time I asked my h what he was thinking about, he would tell me his work.  He told me before he left, that his priority was his job and he considered the people he worked with, his family.  So there you have it.

[iamnottheenemy]

Thanks Kikki.  Going back to something I read in your thread, I found it interesting that low dopamine contributes to loss of balance, tripping, motor skills issues, etc.  My H misjudged the distance from a bar stool to the floor in May, about 6 wks prior to BD, and messed up one ankle badly enough it's still bothering him, then tripped walking down the sidewalk in July and sprained the other ankle. I've also seen the inability to focus or concentrate and clearly, the feeling of not being "in love." Self-medicating via addictions (alcohol, etc., or as Real writes, love addictions) to raise dopamine levels makes sense.

[Ready2Transform]

From https://www.facebook.com/BestBrainPossible.  Lots of good stuff there.

[toughtimes]

Yay, thanks Kikki this is ace. I will get stuck in!

TT x

[theheartknows]

Thank you for this!! had heard some of the info but found the descriptions of GABA and ephinephrine enlightening. Some new news on dopamine as well...no wonder some of us go "off"...that is quit a soup of chemicals to keep balanced!!!

[calamity]

I don't know if this is relevant or not because I haven't finished the article but...Oliver Sachs [Awakenings] in a recent New Yorker writes about his experiments with drugs.  He's a scientist & it was legal but anyway very interesting.  He was a student or graduate student when dopamine, serotonin etc were discovered. 

[theheartknows]

Yes, I read that book. All the Oliver Sach's books I have read has been fascinating. Yes, Dopamine is a two edged sword. Needs to be taken seriously. It brought his patients out of catatonic states but had some very severe side-effects and they couldn't continue taking it for great lengths of time. Very sad. Michael j Fox also talks quit a bit about the role Dopamine  plays in his Parkinson's in his book. A Lucky Guy (or something like that.)