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on: Friday, 08 August 2008 13:52
on: Friday, 08 August 2008 13:46
on: Friday, 08 August 2008 13:13
on: Friday, 08 August 2008 12:57
on: Friday, 08 August 2008 12:43
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QUOTE (bluefinger @ Jul 13 2008, 03:22 AM) *
numbers six on seven on that list are great and are quite easy ti achieve on this site. i'd urge everyone to look through the forums and find someone that they can offer support or advice to. it will hopefully make the recipient feel better and helping someone (even someone you don't know) can lift your spirit.
Great list Lindsay
(bluefinger)
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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.
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A New Hope for Depression
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From: The Stamford Advocate, Stamford, Conn.
Date: July 17, 2007
Jul. 17--Claire Kolff's depression began about 18 years ago. Since then, this married mother of three has tried talk therapy, about 20 different medications, myriad drug combinations and two rounds of electroconvulsive therapy, but her feelings of hopelessness continued.
Her diagnosis: Treatment-resistant depression. While TRD has no widely accepted definition, psychiatrists often characterize it as long-term chronic or recurrent depression that is unresponsive to various antidepressant treatments.
"Depression for me is like being in a very deep hole and not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel," says the 60-year-old Fairfield resident, interviewed recently in the Stamford office of her psychiatrist, Dr. Justin O. Schechter. In March 2006, Kolff's persistent depression was treated with a new therapy that soon brought positive results.
With Schechter's recommendation, she was approved as a candidate for VNS (vagus nerve stimulation) Therapy. During an outpatient procedure, a neurosurgeon implanted a small pacemaker-like device in Kolff's chest. It is an FDA-approved, battery-operated mechanism that intermittently emits mild electrical impulses to her brain through the neck's vagus nerve.
Considered the body's information super highway, the vagus nerve links to the brain and other major organs. Although it's not clear how the device helps ease depression, Schechter says what is known is that VNS Therapy "can provide electrical impulses in a safe, controlled way, and that can have a positive effect on mood."
Once Kolff's surgical wound healed a few weeks after surgery, Schechter turned on and programmed the device to set the amount of electrical stimulation to her brain.
Month by month, her spirits slowly began lifting. Kolff now cooks and goes food shopping, once impossible chores. "There was a time I couldn't do it. I would just sort of freak out in the (supermarket) aisles."
She was often unable to shower and get dressed, and spent a lot of time in bed as her kids were growing up. Her children were cared for by her husband and other caretakers. She had suicidal thoughts, although she never acted on them. Her despondency caused her to miss a daughter's high school graduation.
Although she is still on six medications prescribed by Schechter and continues talk therapy sessions with a psychologist, Kolff says VNS Therapy has brought her a new lease on life. "I have my (down) moments, don't we all? e But I am a lot happier e my family is happier e I never feel as bad as the way I used to."
Schechter calls patients' response to this therapy "good day, bad day. It's very nonlinear. You want to gradually move into the direction where you have one bad day and six good days. It's a jagged curve that gradually moves in a more positive direction."
The intensity of electrical stimulation can be adjusted by Schechter as needed, depending on how Kolff is feeling. In time, he hopes to pare down her medication.
While not everyone experiences side effects from VNS Therapy, Kolff gets a temporary hoarseness when the electrical stimulation occurs while she is talking.
VNS Therapy is manufactured by Houston-based Cyberonics Inc. and was first approved by the FDA in 1997 as an adjunctive therapy to control seizures in treatment-resistant epileptic patients older than 12. Studies showed improvement in the moods of these patients after VNS. In January 2005, VNS received FDA approval for continuing or recurring depression in patients 18 and older who do not sufficiently respond to four or more antidepressant treatments.
"Unfortunately, there's sort of a kindling effect you have with depression," Schechter explains. "The more episodes you have, the more likely you are to have subsequent episodes." With each episode, the possibility of improvement is reduced. Individuals resistant to treatment are at greater risk of becoming even more resistant. This is why it is important to diagnose and treat depression early.
Since its FDA approval for treatment-resistant depression, VNS Therapy has been shown in numerous studies to produce significant improvement in 50 percent of patients undergoing this treatment, says Cyberonics Chief Executive Officer Dan Moore. And one of six patients, he adds, will become depression free.
"e Of the patients who responded to VNS Therapy, either early or later in treatment, the majority continued to experience significant clinical benefit for up to 24 months. VNS Therapy is the first and only treatment for TRD to demonstrate such long-term improvements."
To be eligible for the device, individuals must be recommended by their psychiatrists. Because the adjunctive treatment is relatively new for TRD, Schechter says patients require multiple layers of approval for medical insurance coverage. It took Kolff five months to be approved. Her medical procedure and related services totaled ,000 and were fully covered by insurance. Schechter believes approval will get easier as increased numbers of patients seek this specialized therapy.
"It's not your traditional type of treatment where you go in and get fixed quickly," he says. "One has to be pretty courageous about doing this. It requires courage, persistence, patience and working closely with your doctors. Claire is great in being willing to do that. It's a long-term commitment."
Source: Highbeam Research
Copyright (c) 2007, The Stamford Advocate, Conn.
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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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