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I'd like to thank everyone who has been there for me through all the laughter and the tears, but especially through the last few weeks of my son's graduation. I didn't think I'd survive the emotional roller coaster I was on.... but you guys were always there... ever supporting, every pushing, prodding, leading me on toward the light.... toward the day when I could just life my arms up in exclamation and say, "I have done it! I have done it! I have done it!" and I have... My son has graduated high school tonight... this very night... and though my eyes still well up with tears... my heart swells up with pride at the love that fills me every time I think of all of you... pushing me on toward the end goal! Praise! Collaboration! Love! And isn't THAT what the DF is all about? :nod: Thank you... and most especially, thank you to Lindsay, sarah-nicole, weeble, and caddon, for their undying support! :hearts: I couldn't do it without you! :hugs:
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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 11 th 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.
Our DF Members
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Bipolar Disorder Takes a Toll
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SEPTEMBER 1, 2006
Top News
By Catherine Arnst
Bipolar disorder, sometimes known as manic depression, affects only about 1% of U.S. workers in a given year. Yet it costs the U.S. workplace $14.1 billion annually in lost productivity, according to a Harvard Medical School study. That's almost half as much as the productivity losses attributed to major depression, even though the latter disease is six times as prevalent. The study determined that each U.S. worker with bipolar disorder averaged 65.5 lost workdays in a year, compared with 27.2 for those with depression.
It is not the manic episodes that are the problem, says Ronald Kessler, a co-author of the report and professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical. In fact, mild forms of mania in workers suffering from bipolar disorder are sometimes seen as a plus. "People with these subthreshold manias can really be very productive," he says.
Depressive episodes cause the most damage. Kessler says that on any given day, about one-third of people in the workplace who are depressed are experiencing the downside of bipolar. In addition, these bipolar-generated depressive episodes are more severe and last longer than those of workers who suffer from depression alone.
TREATMENT. Bipolar disorder, which often runs in families, is characterized by alternating episodes of mania and major depression, and it usually develops in the teens or early 20s. The mania is characterized by elation, irritability, excitability, racing thought and speech, and hyperactivity, whereas depressive episodes are characterized by sadness, withdrawal, despair, and suicidal thoughts.
Bipolar disorder is treated with a combination of behavior therapy and a number of different drugs, among them the anti-psychotics Zyprexa from Eli Lilly (LLY ) and Risperdal from Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ ) (see BusinessWeek.com, 1/6/04, \"A Cloud Over Antidepressants\").
The Harvard study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is the first to distinguish the impact on the workplace of depressive episodes caused by bipolar disorder from those attributed to major depression. Published in the September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, the study is based on a year of data collected from 3,378 employees who responded to a national survey. The productivity losses were calculated by combining days absent from work with how people felt they were functioning on the job.
MISDIAGNOSIS. The researchers discovered that some 75% of the bipolar respondents had experienced depressive episodes over the past year, and 63% also reported manic episodes. But the depressive episodes were the most persistent, lasting anywhere from 134 to 164 days, compared with 98 days for major depression.
One problem facing employers, says Kessler, is that bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed and treated as major depression. But the antidepressants used to treat depression can actually trigger a manic episode in bipolar patients.
Kessler suggested that workplace mental-health programs should first rule out bipolar disorder when treating a depressed employee. But he says further studies are needed to determine the best return on investment for employers offering evaluations and treatment programs.
SOURCE:-
Arnst is a senior writer for BusinessWeek based in New York
2000- 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
The views and opinions expressed in these comments do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Depressionforums.org BusinessWeek or the McGraw-Hill Companies.
Most recent comments:
Nickname: Jake
Review: Does this guy Grackle have any idea what the bipolar meds cost? There is no way I could afford mine without my job benefits! And then that's when I become especially mean, even my friends ask whether or not I've had them on a "bad" day.
Date reviewed: Sep 3, 2006 8:43 PM
Nickname: Missyk10
Review: First of all grackel you are the type of person who keeps bipolars in the closet because you are so ignorant. Oh geez, would you feel different if I had diabetes and refused my insulin or better yet took my insulin as prescribed by my doctor but still couldn't get my blood sugars under control? Since I was diagnosed with bipolar after many, many years of being misdiagnosed with major depression it was like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. The average time to properly diagnose bipolar is 10 years. That's right, 10 years of being improperly diagnosed and treated improperly and causing further problems with treatment only of anti depressants. The pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps isn't appropriate. And since it is a chemical imbalance within the brain should we just pop our brains out and fix it with a screwdriver? Gosh, I just hate ignorant people who won't waste the time to educate themselves. To learn about bp go to www.bipolarworld.net.
Date reviewed: Sep 3, 2006 12:13 PM
Nickname: Philip
Review: I could only feel that the medication of two companies is not enough to help those people who suffer bipolar disorder. That means that they need more companies to come out with more bipolar drugs. The two in the market are only good for preventing them from suffering from bipolar. Isn't there is a way to kill this biploar totally?
Date reviewed: Sep 3, 2006 10:24 AM
See all comments
Nickname: Rose
Review: I wish people would realize that life is difficult in itself. Why complicate things for others? Live and let live.
Date reviewed: Sep 3, 2006 3:47 AM
Nickname: jayb
Review: Of course, everyone is entitled to their own comments... but I have to say that grackle's comments really pis* me off. His/her comments make people who have this disorder sound like animals. Believe me, living with this (bipolar) is no choice. Also your comment about somehow finding a "Maybe if these manic depressive types had to go without a job and a paycheck (with no possibility of receiving Welfare benefits), they would somehow find the way to get past their disease by taking their medication and living within the parameters of the disorder" is pretty ignorant. There are plenty of people who never miss a dose of their medication(s) and suffer just as bad or worse as someone else who's stopped their's. I'm not trying to personally attack you or anything, I just really take offense to your comments.
Date reviewed: Sep 2, 2006 11:08 PM
Nickname: wendy
Review: The effects of the bipolar personality on co-workers can be very destructive and devastating. I wonder how many days are lost by those who have to contend with their depressed and emotionally distraught colleagues?
Date reviewed: Sep 2, 2006 12:26 PM
Nickname: steve
Review: As a person with this disorder I find that being self-employed is the way to go. It's true that bipolar disorder affects those in the workplace but it also goes to show that there's a lot of stress and others may not be bipolar but can have heart attacks; etc. We just react differently when stressed out. So maybe employers could be a little more sensitive. But I guess compassion isn't always lucrative. I actually feel sorry for people stuck in the rat race. That's kind of an illness in itself.
Date reviewed: Sep 2, 2006 3:23 AM
Nickname: Netsy
Review: I just had a conversation with my fiance who suffers from bipolar disorder. He told me that his boss called and wanted to check on him and see if he was okay since he knows he suffers from the condition and hasn't reported to work in the last two days. As he is fairly new on this job, I have been worried about the effects of his condition on his job. I appreciated the call from his boss. From my perspective, I think the article did a wonderful job of describing the ups and downs and the positive and negative effects of the condition in the workplace. In a corporate environment where extreme productivity is rewarded let's not forget that the employers do benefit from the up-swings on the condition. The least they can do is to be sympathetic to the down time. To the disrespectful reader who made the ridiculous comments about an employers right to "get rid of" unproductive employee- the employers right is to hire who he or she feels can adequately do the job.
Date reviewed: Sep 2, 2006 1:03 AM
Nickname: mom of 2
Review: In response to the person who seems somwhat heartless towards people with Bipolar Disorder, maybe you should walk in that person's shoes. I have several family members who have been diagnosed with this horrible disorder and it is not something anyone likes to have to deal with. It is very hard to understand and control. You can be on an array of medication and still have "good" days and "bad" days. And the comment about maybe they should have to be without a job (paycheck) and not getting benefits is just ridiculous. Explain what that would prove. People suffer from obesity, which is also characterized as a disease. Taking their food and water away isn't going to cure them. People with Bipolar Disorder, along with their medical professionals, deal with it the best way they know how. Have a little compassion.
Date reviewed: Sep 1, 2006 11:20 PM
Nickname: grackle
Review: I'm sick and tired of hearing about people with "bipolar disorder," the way the disorder pre-disposes them to not take their medication, and now, the way employers have to tolerate their mood swings and absence in the work place. The employers should have the right to get rid of an employee who is absent too much, or who causes disruption in the work place. Maybe if these manic depressive types had to go without a job and a paycheck (with no possibility of receiving Welfare benefits), they would somehow find the way to get past their disease by taking their medication and living within the parameters of the disorder. It is amazing what a growling stomach can do to force someone to take responsibility for himself!
Date reviewed: Sep 1, 2006 7:39 PM
Nickname: sahrah louise
Review: as a bipolar II sufferer, I can attest to the facts in this article. Thanks for putting this out there--there is so misinformation and stigma, it's nice to see good reporting on the topic.
Date reviewed: Sep 1, 2006 6:19 PM
Nickname: Vangie
Review: I have a special kid and I have made some few readings and I found out that some forms of behaviour problem is caused by some hidden yeast infection usually in the gut brought by stress...personally I'm on a psychiatric drug and made some food and lifestyle changes and after a while took nystatin for two weeks...and now I can tolerate coffee not like before where I get so restless...
Date reviewed: Sep 1, 2006 6:42 AM
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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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