Have a sister? Then chances are you had it easier during teen years according to a recent study in the August issue of Journal of Family Psychology. Researchers found having a sister meant having a confidante, it protected against delinquency and depression. Having a brother isn't a bad thing, it just guarantee this type of intimacy, Padilla-Walker noted.
Birth order and age between siblings didn't matter or make a difference statistically in this study.
   I have found this to be true in families in my clinical experience well. One of the questions I ask during the interview is how close are you to your brothers and sisters? Why? Was their normal rivalry or was there definite favoritism that caused divisions in the family. This is a fascinating and bothersome topic to me. I have been on both side, both the favored one and the hated one for no reason on my part, I should add. This is case with many of my clients as well who report who such unfair, cruel behavior I wonder why we don't test parents before releasing the children to them at the hospital at birth. On the supporting side of supportive family, having one buffers the hardest life experiences from disability to death of loved ones, to mental illness and physical disabilities.
Truly having a caring family member period is a huge blessing. Everyone of my clients has commented at least once in session-"Who's going to care when I die or I fail? So and so", naming a sibling and 95% its a sister. So call your sister tonight or email and tell how much you appreciate her love in your life. Till next time, Dr Lily out.

Scientists report Mediterranean diet in fish, nuts, vegetables, fights depression, reasons are unclear. This diet also helps fight asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. This was published in Archives of General Psychiatry Journal. This is good news. I will always try to find additional things you can do to decrease risk or actual mental conditions/illnesses.

Mitrochondrial dysunction plays a role in recurring mood  disorders and might explain why most treated patients have relapses according to leading investigator in psychiatry and psychopharmacology. This is a top story in the Clinical Psychiatry News, a psychiatry research journal, the October 2009 edition. Patients with mitochondrial disease such as certain forms of Parkinson's might be at increased risk for depressive disorders. Richard Shelton MD noted Lithium and valproate interact with mitochondria. Some mitochondria targeted anti-oxidants in drug development may be useful for bipolar disorder. "We can say with reasonable confidence that bipolar disorder is condition of mitochondrial dysfunction".
Two common nutritional supplements sold on Internet and in health food stores are mitochondrial modulators that might help patients with depressive disorders. Dr. Shelton recommends are N-acetly cysteine (NAC) at a dose of 2g per day and acetyl-l-carnitinne (AL-CAR) at a dose of 500mg twice a day. His patients have benefited but this evidence is anecdotal. He considered CoQ10 at 300 mg per day, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) at 600 mg twice a day, and creatine monohydrate at 3-5 g per day. ALA has been studied with clinical trials, none with unipolar or bipolar disorders.
Many people use SAMe or S-aenoslymethionine, in major depressive disorder, but Dr. Shelton discouraged its use. SAMe helps form glutathione, and homocysteine. Research shows a relationship between an accumulation of homocysteine and increased cardiovascular disease.