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on: Friday, 03 July 2009 18:41
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Depression & Mental Health FAQs
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 40 million
Americans living today will suffer from major depressive illness during their lives.

Seasonal affective disorder is major depression that appears in the fall or winter and goes away in spring, thought to be caused by lack of sunlight.



Postpartum depression occurs within four weeks of a women giving childbirth. Most new mothers suffer from some form of the �baby blues.� Postpartum depression, by contrast, is major depression, thought to be triggered by changes in hormonal flows associated with childbirth.

Catatonic depression is a rare form of major depression characterized by (at least two): Stupor, excessive motor activity, extreme negativism, peculiarities in voluntary movement, and repetition of other people's words or actions. - mcmanweb.com



Psychotic depression is a rare form of depression characterized by delusions or hallucinations, such as believing you are someone you are not and hearing voices.


According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 18.8 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the US population age 18 and older in a given year, have a depressive disorder.
Depression is a chronic illness that exacts a significant toll on America's health and productivity.  It affects more than 21 million American children and adults annually and is the leading cause of disability in the United States for individuals ages 15 to 44.


Lost productive time among U.S. workers due to depression is estimated to be in excess of $31 billion per year.  Depression frequently co-occurs with a variety of medical illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and chronic pain and is associated with poorer health status and prognosis.  It is also the principal cause of the 30,000 suicides in the U.S. each year.  In 2004, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, third among individuals 15-24.


According to the World Health Organization, depression is presently on track to becoming the world's second-most disabling disease (after heart disease) by the year 2020.

Depression is responsible for some $87 billion a year in lost productivity in the US (a conservative estimate), and according to Bank One, is responsible for most lost work days in its employees after pregnancy and childbirth.

Additionally, one million people worldwide die by their own hand, most as a result of a mood disorder. Finally, the linkage between depression and a host of physical illnesses makes it arguably the world's greatest killer.

Research presented at the 56th Annual Conference of the Canadian Psychiatric Association shows a marked link between bipolar disorder and migraines.

The odds of migraine in persons with bipolar disorder were 40% higher than the general population.

Data obtained from 36,984 people aged 15 and over, who screened positive for manic or depressive episodes with migraine, were compared against those who screened positive for mania but who didn�t suffer from migraines.

Amongst males, 14.9% of those with manic episodes were also diagnosed with migraines compared with 5.8% of the general population. Amongst females, 34.7% had both migraines and bipolar disorder compared with 14.7% who only had migraines.unquote.gif

While the research was skewed towards persons who were already diagnosed with bipolar disorders, what does it mean for people who suffer from migraines but who may have an undiagnosed bipolar disorder?



Migraines and headaches aren�t fully understood but the manifestations are very real and debilitating for their sufferers:

Throbbing pain
Nausea
Heightened sensitivity to light or sound
Seeing dots, wavy lines, flashing lights, or blind spots
Difficulty with speech, sensation, or movement

 


An estimated 2.1 million American adolescents have experienced major depression within the last year, according to a new comprehensive government study.  Researchers surveyed more than 67,000 young people ages 12 to 17 and found that one in 12 had suffered from serious depression in the previous year.Nearly 13 percent of girls had struggled with depression, compared to less than 5 percent of boys. Odds of depression increased with age -- just 4 percent of 12-year-olds experienced depression but that climbed to 11 percent for older teens.

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Bipolar Disorder NOS

By Lindsay

Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) is a type of Bipolar Disorder (also known as "manic-depressive illness" or "manic depression"). Like the other kinds of Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar NOS is a complex mood disorder characterized by dramatic mood swings - from hypomania/mania and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Bipolar Disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood.

Bipolar NOS is a classification for Bipolar symptoms that fit no other category. It includes: fast cycling between manic and depressive episodes; Bipolar not primary disorder but still present; Bipolar Disorder present in a Delusional Disorder, residual Schizophrenia, or other Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS); hypomanic or manic episodes with no depressive episodes.

Individuals with Bipolar Disorder often suffer from other, comorbid psychiatric conditions. In one study of 60 patients with Bipolar Disorder, 23 (38%) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for at least one personality disorder, most commonly narcissistic, borderline, antisocial, obsessive-compulsive, or avoidant disorder. The presence of these disorders may make Bipolar symptoms more intense and more difficult to treat and appears to increase the risk of suicide.

Although currently classified as separate illnesses, there is increasing interest in the psychiatric community in viewing unipolar depression, Bipolar Disorder, and anxiety disorders as part of a larger, overlapping spectrum of mental disorders. This trend is supported by findings that many individuals who are first diagnosed with unipolar depression are eventually diagnosed as actually suffering from Bipolar Disorder. One interesting study, Diagnostic conversion from depression to bipolar disorders, tracked 406 patients with major mood disorders over a 20-year period. Of 309 patients presenting with depression, 121 (39.2 percent) eventually manifested as Bipolar (24.3 percent to Bipolar Type I, 14.9 percent to Bipolar Type II). One reason for this finding may be due to improperly diagnosed Bipolar Disorder – estimates are that on average it takes 7 1/2 years before a Bipolar diagnosis is made. This growing debate over the accuracy of diagnostic classifications might seem to be purely academic except for the effect it has on treatment protocols. As antidepressant mono-therapy is the mainstay treatment for depressive, and to some degree anxiety disorders, it is typically not recommended for Bipolar Disorder without the addition of mood stabilizing medications.

Treatment
Because Bipolar Disorder involves both depression and times of overly elevated mood, it is seen as a greater challenge to treat than unipolar depression. Individuals with Bipolar Disorder typically are depressed three times longer than they experience mania or hypomania and Bipolar depression is associated with a greater risk of suicide and of impairment in work, social, or family life than mania/hypomania. Treating Bipolar Disorder can be very challenging. Traditional antidepressants are not recommended as monotherapy as they can induce switching to mania/hypomania. Instead, individuals are often treated with a mood stabilizing medication such as Lithobid etc. (Lithium Carbonate / Citrate), or Lamictal , (Lamotrigine), Topamax, etc. ; new generation atypical antipsychotic medications such as Seroquel (Quetiapine); and an antidepressant medication.
© 2000-2006 Remedyfind Inc.
Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Consult your own physician regarding the applicability of any opinions with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.

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FDA Adds Strong Warnings To Anti-Smoking Drug Labels
"The Food and Drug Administration announced (Wednesday) that it is requiring the smoking-cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban to carry the strongest type of safety warning possible to alert patients that the medications can cause serious mental health problems, including depression and suicide," the Washington Post reports (Stein, 7/1).

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A study in the July 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that postpartum depression may aggravate an already impaired sleep quality, as experiencing difficulties with sleep is a symptom of depression.




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Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced results from a Phase 3b study that found VYVANSE® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) CII demonstrated significant efficacy at 14 hours after administration during a simulated workplace environment study in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

New Goal To Get More People With Learning Disabilities Into Work, UK
People with a learning disability will be helped into paid jobs to close the employment gap, Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People and Phil Hope, Minister for Care Services pledged today. The goal is set out in the new cross-government Learning Disability Employment Strategy, published today. The strategy sets out a vision to increase the number of real jobs for people with learning disabilities with appropriate support being provided.




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Latest Anxiety / Stress News From Medical News Today.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head - Anger Increases Blood Flow
Mental stress causes carotid artery dilation and increases brain blood flow. A series of ultrasound experiments, described in BioMed Central's open access journal Cardiovascular Ultrasound, also found that this dilatory reflex was absent in people with high blood pressure.

What Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? What Is PTSD? What Causes PTSD?
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is triggered by a traumatic event - it is a kind of anxiety. The sufferer of PTSD may have experienced or seen an event that caused extreme fear, shock and/or a feeling of helplessness. Most of us experience a brief period of difficulty adjusting and coping with traumatic events. However, we gradually get better with time and healthy coping methods.




Bipolar News From Medical News Today
Latest Bipolar News From Medical News Today.

A Combination Of Common Genetic Variations Can Lead To Schizophrenia
A multi-national group of investigators, including a scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has discovered that nearly a third of the genetic basis of schizophrenia may be attributed to the cumulative actions of thousands of common genetic variants. The effects of each of these genetic changes, innocuous on its own, add up to a significant risk for developing both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder Share Many Common Genetic Variants Says International Research Consortium
A new study by a large international consortium found that many common genetic variants contribute up to a third of a person's risk of inheriting schizophrenia and many of the same DNA variations are also involved in bipolar disorder. While the study helps to explain the complexity of the genetic make up of these diseases it also suggests that developing a test to predict these diseases will take some time.




Mental Health News From Medical News Today
Latest Mental Health News From Medical News Today.

FDA Adds Strong Warnings To Anti-Smoking Drug Labels
"The Food and Drug Administration announced (Wednesday) that it is requiring the smoking-cessation drugs Chantix and Zyban to carry the strongest type of safety warning possible to alert patients that the medications can cause serious mental health problems, including depression and suicide," the Washington Post reports (Stein, 7/1).

What Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? What Is PTSD? What Causes PTSD?
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is triggered by a traumatic event - it is a kind of anxiety. The sufferer of PTSD may have experienced or seen an event that caused extreme fear, shock and/or a feeling of helplessness. Most of us experience a brief period of difficulty adjusting and coping with traumatic events. However, we gradually get better with time and healthy coping methods.




Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today
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Alzheimer's Gene Risk Higher For Those Widowed in Mid Life and Stay Without a Partner
Researchers in Sweden found that people who have the APOE Alzheimer's gene and who live alone in middle age after being widowed or separated from a life partner, are at higher risk of developing dementia. The study is the work of Dr Krister Hakannson, a research fellow at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues, and is published in the 2 July online issue of the BMJ.

Teens Influenced By Movie Characters Who Smoke, Both The Good Guys And The Bad Guys
Dartmouth researchers have determined that movie characters who smoke, regardless of whether they are "good guys" or "bad guys," influence teens to try smoking.




Schizophrenia News From Medical News Today
Latest Schizophrenia News From Medical News Today.

Study Led By Stanford Scientists Links Schizophrenia To Chromosome Region For The First Time
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have played a major role in an international effort that has shown, for the first time, that modern genetic technologies can solve the riddle of how gene variations lead to schizophrenia. Researchers at Stanford and 14 other institutions carried out a study of common DNA variations throughout the genome, and then combined forces with two independent studies to complete a pooled analysis of 27,000 individuals.

Immune System Link To Schizophrenia Identified By UCLA Collaboration
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disease, thought to be caused by the interaction of both genetic and environmental factors. Because there is no biochemical test that can identify the disorder, physicians rely upon the recognition of its symptoms - which can include auditory hallucinations and paranoia - in order to make their diagnosis.




Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today
Latest Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today.

A Link Between The Circadian Rhythm And Salt Balance
New research, conducted by Charles Wingo and his colleagues, at the University of Florida, Gainsville, suggests a link between the circadian rhythm and control of sodium (salt) levels in mice. The hormone aldosterone regulates levels of sodium in the blood and thereby helps control blood pressure.

In Postpartum Women, Poor Sleep Is Independently Associated With Depression
A study in the July 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that postpartum depression may aggravate an already impaired sleep quality, as experiencing difficulties with sleep is a symptom of depression.




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Depression & Mental Health FAQs 2
What is Clinical Depression?

Clinical depression can affect your body, mood, thoughts, and behavior. It can change your eating habits, how you feel and think about things, your ability to work and study, and how you interact with people.

Clinical depression is not a passing mood, a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed away. Clinically depressed people cannot "pull themselves together" and get better.

Depression can be successfully treated by a mental health professional or certain health care providers. With the right treatment, 80 percent of those who seek help get better. And many people begin to feel better in just a few weeks.

Depression a Big Factor in Poor Health
World Health Organization Finds Depression Often Goes Untreated
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Sept. 6, 2007 -- Depression has a greater impact on overall health than arthritis, diabetes, angina, and asthma, but it all too often goes unrecognized and untreated, a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests.
more...Depression a Big Factor in Poor Health

For Additional Information About Depression Write To:
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
 

For free brochures on depression and its treatment call:
1-800-421-4211.
or visit: http://www.nimh.nih.gov

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Depression Forums would like to hear from you!

Mental illness affects one in seventeen Americans.
We would like to invite you to share your story about your Depression, as breaking the silence will help us to break open the stigma surrounding mental health that keeps people from getting the care that continues misunderstandings about those affected by mental health disorders.

There is nothing better than to speak out, tell your story and get the word out! 
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Together, we can help ourselves and others.

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