Nicole, I was in shock by your article and it is OBVIOUS that you know VERY LITTLE about asthma. You actually said, "because asthma is generally associated with depression." This is LUDICROUS and COMPLETELY FALSE. I was diagnosed with asthma when I was THREE YEARS OLD. My aunt had given us a kitten when I was a three-year-old toddler and very soon after, my eyes became horribly itchy, red and swollen and I began sneezing out of control and had a very runny nose. Within a short time after that, I began having difficulty breathing. This is asthma triggered by an allergic reaction. As an adult who has suffered from asthma all my life, I find this article disgustingly ill-informed and ignorant. I'm sorry Nicole, but when I was three years old and had an asthma attack as the direct result of exposure to a cat, I HIGHLY DOUBT this was brought on by DEPRESSION as you suggest. I read your "qualifications" and you are sadly not even qualified to be writing an article meant to be authoritative. Even if you did have the proper qualifications, you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. I do not agree with conventional medicine's treatment of only the symptoms of asthma using toxic pharmaceuticals, however, asthma is NOT the result of "depression" and it CANNOT be fixed with positive thinking. (I do feel, however, that asthma may be caused by improper diet and from lack of breast feeding). You have asthma confused with something called ANXIETY DISORDER (PANIC ATTACKS, hyperventilating, etc.) A panic attack is NOT the same thing as an ASTHMA attack. People who have suffered from a panic attack have NO IDEA what it is like to have an asthma attack where your windpipe spasms, SWELLS UP and allow only a small airway (plus produces mucous). It is like DROWNING. This does not happen with a panic attack - that is purely ANXIETY. This is VERY DANGEROUS information you are giving out since I have almost DIED on many occasions in my childhood after being exposed to cats, dogs or horses. Many people do in fact DIE of asthma every year, and I can assure you, you will not die of asphyxiation from DEPRESSION. I am now in my early 30's and have been suffering from severe asthma all my life and I KNOW what I am talking about, you do NOT. You need to educate yourself before you publish such potentially DANGEROUS information and SHAME on this website for allowing someone as ill-informed as yourself to act as some kind of authoritative source here.