Depression Treatment News and Methods
Ricky Hatton goes into rehab amid cocaine allegations
Ricky Hatton has been called before the British Boxing Board of Control amid suggestions that he could be stripped of his promoter’s licence after allegations that he took cocaine.
Hatton, who was accused last weekend of taking “industrial quantities” of the drug on a night out in Manchester, has checked into a rehabilitation facility, with his spokesman, Max Clifford, revealing the boxer had been suffering from depression.
“His father has already been talking to the specialists over the last few weeks,” Clifford said. “He and others have been increasingly concerned about his depression and his drinking.
“He met with the specialist today and he was told that his depression is severe depression and that he has a drink problem. The drugs are quite recent.”
Mr Clifford said he was not yet sure how much time Hatton would spend in rehab or even if he would spend the night at the facility in an undisclosed location.
His treatment plan will be worked out around other commitments, but the specialists are confident he can make a full recovery.
“The problem is depression and the drink has been a problem for some time,” Mr Clifford said. “From everything they’ve said, the drugs are a far more recent thing and very much superficial alongside the drink and depression.
“They are very confident if he does what they tell him with the treatment, therapy and advice, he can sort himself out. And he will do what they tell him.”
To add to Hatton’s problems, Charles Giles, chairman of the board of control, said yesterday that the board wished to see him “at the earliest opportunity and discuss the issues raised in the press accounts with him”.
Elsewhere, Carl Froch may withdraw from his semi-final with Arthur Abraham in the Super Sixes Classic
super-middleweight tournament on Oct 2, because of a back injury.
Acupuncture a way out of depression
English.news.cn 2010-09-09 21:22:03
by Xinhua writers Li Huizi, Gu Ye
NANJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Chinese medical experts say Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), especially acupuncture, can help prevent suicide on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day, which falls on Friday.
Du Wendong, president of the Institute of Psychology of the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, said no suicide cases had happened in his university since 1985 when the school began to use TCM in students’ mental crisis intervention.
According to TCM psychological theories, mental disorders can be cured through “coordination of yin and yang and treatment of both mind and body.”
Chen Qing, Du’s student, suffered from chronic diarrhea and was ill-tempered. She often clashed with classmates. After talking with Chen, Du realized that Chen suffered from depression due to study stress. Chen often told him she wanted to commit suicide.
TCM showed that Chen’s diarrhea was caused by psychological disorders and her short temper was generated by “liver-yang hyperactivity,” a TCM term indicating headache, dizziness and red eyes.
After applying some prescription, acupuncture and massage therapy, Chen’s depression faded.
Du said such “mental crisis intervention” had helped prevent more than 160 suicide cases since 1985, and the school’s psychological center had offered consultation to about 80,000 people.
Those who suffered serious depression or anxiety disorders would receive further treatment in the Nanjing Neurological Hospital, he said.
Chen Mingkang, who had been treated in the hospital, said the side-effects of anti-depression drugs were “scary” and caused insomnia, but it was gradually relieved after applying acupuncture, and his depression had not recurred for years.
The hospital said more than 500 patients had benefited from such combined treatment of acupuncture and drugs.
Zhang Ning, the hospital’s vice president who specializes in treating mental disorders, said TCM-based treatment was more efficient than taking anti-depression drugs, and would improve sleeping.
He also said the recurrence rate was low and the side-effects few, both important factors when assessing depression treatment.
Young people’s psychological problems have caused concern in China as experts found a high correlation between suicide and mental illness — out of 287,000 people who committed suicide each year, 63 percent suffered mental disorders, according to research conducted by the government-funded Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center.
Zhang Chun, head of the Nanjing Psychological Crisis Intervention Center, said most people did not seek help before they committed suicide and he suggested depression sufferers try the TCM-based treatment.
The treatment has also been promoted in the United States, France, Germany, Portugal, Singapore and some other countries by foreign students studying TCM in Nanjing, he said.Editor: Tang Danlu