Being painfully shy involves a fear of being severely embarrassed in social situations. Being painfully shy does not involve physical pain but rather the fear of pain inflicted in the mind. When a person is painfully shy, they might receive a social setback and may try to deal with such situations by trying to escape social interactions and avoiding the company of others. Often times Social Anxiety or being Painfully Shy can lead to various levels of depression, often times severe.

On July 18, 2005, the FDA approved vagus nerve stimulation therapy as a treatment for chronic depression. This is the first ever FDA-approved long term treatment option for sufferers of treatment-resistant depression(TRD). Over four million Americans suffer from TRD.

I was a study patient in the investigational clinical trial of vagus nerve stimulation and depression.

It is estimated that of the 32 million people age 65 and older, 5 million suffer from depression. In fact, the rate of depression among nursing facility residents can run as high as 50%, according to some studies, with about 10 to 15% of residents suffering major depression and 25 to 35% suffering milder forms. Because societal attitudes consider it normal in the elderly, depression often goes untreated. Treatment also can be hindered because signs of depression in the elderly are often masked by other factors, such as physical infirmity, chronic pain, or dementia.

The Food and Drug Administration in late July issued a Public Health Advisory warning patients and health care providers that the agency currently is looking into a possible link between suicidality--thoughts of suicide--and the use of antide-pressants in the adult population.

Sure, you're vigilant about getting your Pap smear, exercising regularly and avoiding cigarettes and secondhand smoke. You floss, take the pill every day to protect against unwanted pregnancy and see the dermatologist when a mole looks even slightly suspicious. But are you really doing everything you can to protect your health--even your life? You may be surprised to learn about some common but frequently overlooked behaviors that are among the biggest threats to a young woman's well-being. Read on to find out the shocking reality.

If you have diabetes, you're nearly twice as likely to experience depression, studies have found. Now it turns out that the link goes both ways: f you're between the ages of 20 and 50 and you've been depressed, you're more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.