|
Log in
Donate To Depression Forums
Latest Forum Discussions
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 23:26
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 23:14
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 20:12
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 18:54
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 18:32
Search
Current Poll
Find A Therapist
HOPELINE 1-800-SUICIDE
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.
Think you can help?
Do you have expertise in a particular area such as Psychology, graphic/web design, journalism, public relations, IT, (Web Geeks Needed!) or fund raising? We need your assistance volunteering for DF. We're always looking for additional forum and chat moderators as well, keeping DF the safe haven it has always been for our members. If you're interested, this would be a wonderful way of giving back to DF. Contact Forum Admin for more details.
|
I still have my moments, but I have candle-lit those dark depths now - I’m A new man
|
I still have my moments, but I have
candle-lit those dark depths now- I’m A new man I
registered to Depression Forums in 2006 but only posted there at my
worst times. When I went through my worst episode I realised I should
be here for life. Depression and anxiety are things which may stay with
you for life, and I see it as checking in and managing it to make your
life better. Depression Forums teaches you that there are other
people who are going through similar things, and sharing your input
with them is a vital tool in order to understand the illness. I now
log into Depression Forums frequently to help the people out who are going
through similar things all the time, and also to see if there’s
anything which I could do to improve my own life. Helping others with
what I could was a baby step towards recovery, no matter how much of an
impact you feel it will make. Posting in the “water cooler”, an
off-topic forum in DF, was another baby step I made in order to feel some
positive energy by conversing with others. Together, over time, those
baby steps combined to make a gigantic stride into a sunnier place for
which I conquered.
I have had anxiety and depression
pretty much all my life. I didn’t have an easy childhood, with many
allergies and deficiencies. Of course all the kids at school felt I was
a freak, and abnormal and my free time became gradually more avoidant
of human contact. I spent many years of my life dreading what was going
to happen at school the next day, feeling humiliated and broken. Then
over the space of a few months, at age thirteen, my anxiety turned into
what I would call a strange combination of self-harm and obsessive
compulsive disorder. I would feel the need to seriously hurt myself all
the time and until I did this my mind would echo the same compulsion
until I acted on it. There were times I was so scared I would tape my
hands or handcuff myself to the bed so I couldn’t use my hands. This
meant I hid all of my precious belongings away so I couldn’t touch them
or damage them. It was nothing short of terrifying being scared of
yourself, unable to run away or hide, with all your distractions taken
away in fear you’d break them.
Of course after feeling like
this for a long time, this lead to me feeling deeply depressed and
anxious, and I was sent to a child support unit. I was able to converse
with people here in a way in which I wasn’t ridiculed or made to feel
abnormal. Slowly but surely I recovered and went back into a support
school at which point I felt mildly confident in my ability to live
some sort of a life, no matter how restricting or terrifying at the
worst of times.
I believe years of this wired my brain to
think down as opposed to up. Throughout college I had periods of
depression and anxiety but always tried to convince myself everyone
felt the same in life.
The illness has continued throughout
the years but came to a head when I searched for full-time work. I
would often turn up to work with one hours sleep, zombified and bereft
of enthusiasm or drive. I lost jobs because of it. And of course the
fear of hurting myself sent my anxiety levels skywards. When I went to
see my doctor he gave me some anti-depressants. Things began to pick
up. Whilst the meds definitely did wonders for my depression, physical
anxiety symptoms increased and it took years to diagnose. When I
tapered off the anti-depressants, with no anxiety for weeks, one day I
woke up to a darker, bleaker world in which everything felt washed
away. Gradually, the harmful thoughts returned, worse than ever.
After
trying more anti-depressants, I developed some adverse effects from
months of trial and error, making me feel worse rather than better. I
couldn’t breathe properly for weeks, sometimes lying on the floor in a
burnt mess, wondering whether there was even a point to ring for the
emergency services. At other times I had painful feelings in my
stomach, indigestion, severe burning skin and lack of breath. During
the times I wasn’t like this, Depression Forums was where I posted.
In
the coldest December, my self-harm thoughts were sky high and hit a
peak when I acted upon one of them. Fifteen years after I had first
felt it, this was the only time I had succeeded. The chronic pain,
anxiety, and misery from it took me to the darkest depths. I can only
describe this feeling to be the darkest of all – in danger of myself,
my own worst enemy, unable to run. Which lead to darker thoughts
involving the word beginning with S and ending with E.
I just
forgot about my job and realised I was fighting for survival here. Many
doctors and hospital appointments later, I realised that the hard work
was all mine and I continued posting on Depression Forums. If I could
be a part of the world again, someday - I would be happy. Finally, an
anti-depressant named Amitriptyline was helping me sleep. I was on a
high dose and it took a long time to work, I would say three months.
The side-effects were bad – I love playing guitar and I felt my fingers
were numb. But with the will to get back in the world I just ignored
it, I could live without one of my loves, if it meant I was out of the
black hole. Months later I noticed my hands were fully functional,
giving me optimism that the bad situations can change.
13 years of hell – and how I’m now a new man
Now I
have been back at work for an entire year, and until last week hadn’t
seen a doctor for eleven months. My doctor could not believe the person
who walked into his room last week. “You look like a new man” were his
words. I’ve even lowered the dose of my meds just in case I am too
happy. To great success I was promoted to senior status in my role and
I can almost afford a house now. My colleagues really helped me out by
being supportive, I found faith in people - and my managers were
supporting me all the way. Whilst work can be stressful, life has never
been better! I have learnt about what makes people happy, and what I
can do to make my life more enjoyable - like grooming or having your hair done, clothes and general image.
I have learned distraction techniques to distract my attention away
from the dark thoughts at the worst of times. I have learned that
people can give you positive energy just by you showing an interest in
them, even saying something as discrete as “hi” and giving a smile.
These are all things you and I can do. They are not a quick fix, but
all these things together go towards your recovery. I am getting
involved in things I never thought I would be. I groom myself and treat
myself like any man should, I have an interest in clothes, can play
piano now as well. And my guitar playing has never been better! All
these things are building confidence which for this person was once so
low he never left the house.
I still have my moments, but I have
candle-lit those dark depths now, accepting that one day those flames
may extinguish, knowing I can light them again. I have come
full-circle, I am fully recovered and enjoying what I have in life
right now, this feeling called happiness.
|
|
 |
|
 |
Spread The Word
Comments 
|
This Month In Pictures
Members Online
Medical News
A Potpourri of Mental Health Articles
Mental Health Parity News
Suicide Prevention Llifeline
Our Soldiers & Veterans
Andertoon
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
Link To Us
Please use the image below and the code provided to link back to us
Advertisement
Depression Forums would like to hear from you!
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! There is hope! Together, we can help ourselves and others. Warm Regards, ~Lindsay and The Depression Forums Administration Staff
Att: Mental Health Professionals
Take advantage of
this excellent opportunity
to promote your practice, research, career
and
expertise.
Depression Forums, Incorporated is now starting a
Therapists Directory so that we will offer to our members
access to a searchable database of Mental Health
Professionals and facilities Nationwide dedicated to
providing treatment services and support for
those with mental health disorders.
List your individual or group practice in
Depressionforums.org's
Therapist's Directory
and help prospective clients and referral
sources learn more about you and the services you offer.
Communicate in detail your unique credentials and expertise.
Contact Forum Admin.
Write For Us!
If you would like to volunteer to write for our DF blog as to what is going on @ depressionforums.org, then just go ahead and get in touch with us by PMing Forum Admin and we’ll get back to you at the earliest.
edclogo
|