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QUOTE (Battousai @ Nov 23 2007, 07:45 AM) *Thank you guys for responding, your kind words helped me out more than you know. I didn't relapse smile.gif I just ended up watching episodes of "Naruto" (anime cartoon) until I went to sleep at like 6am. Today I was extremely thankful I didn't relapse and that I have outlets like this site to turn to.Thanks again smile.gif
(Battousai)
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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
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Menopause may raise risk of depression.
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By EMILY WALKER
WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- The hormonal change a woman faces during menopause doubles her risk for developing clinical depression, new research suggests, but the risk may be lessened by the use of hormone-replacement therapies.
The findings in the Archives of General Psychiatry run counter to a commonly held notion: The stress some middle-aged women experience, such as the death of a parent, divorce, moving or changing jobs, spurs the onset of depression in those who had never had the disease.
Instead, it could be the hormonal fluctuations and a lack of estrogen that can make women entering menopause -- called the perimenopausal phase -- up to twice as likely to have depression as premenopausal women. Such fluctuations also trigger common menopausal symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes and mood swings.
"(Depression in menopause) needs to be taken seriously," said Dr. Lee Cohen, associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and the lead study author of one of the observational trials. "It shouldn't be attributed to 'going through the change' ... if untreated, it can have serious consequences."
For years, depressive symptoms leading up to menopause were considered "part of the territory" of menopause, he said.
Clinical depression affects about 10 to 14 million people annually, and women are more than twice as likely to develop the condition, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Most of the women who enter menopause each year do not have depression or depressive symptoms, but for those who do, the new research lends validity to their sometimes debilitating illness -- much as recent studies and news coverage have brought attention to post-partum depression. However, these studies are observational, and more research is needed to make stronger conclusions.
Cohen's study followed nearly 500 women before menopause and for three years after menopause. Among women who experienced blood vessel issues -- such as hot flashes -- the risk of developing depression increased. Both estrogen and serotonin play a role in the brain's ability to control body temperature and regulate reproductive hormones, the study authors said. If those hormonal levels dip and peak, mood changes can occur.
The study also found women taking hormone replacements experienced milder depressive symptoms than those who did -- not surprising, Cohen said, given the well-established anti-depressive benefit of estrogen. Still, taking hormone-replacement therapies comes with its own set of risks, including cardiovascular and blood clot troubles, so women need to discuss the pros and cons of beginning hormone therapy with their physicians, Cohen said.
Many women choose natural supplements to combat symptoms such as hot flashes, a waning libido and depressive symptoms. However, herbal supplements do not need to undergo the controlled trials required of Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs; no credible studies have shown herbal supplements to work, said Cohen.
After adjusting for negative life events -- divorce, death of a loved one -- Cohen found the connection between menopause and depression remained. However, experiencing major life stressors while going through menopause can lower a woman's quality of life, which may also lead to depression, Cohen said.
"It's almost a perfect storm. You may have a confluence of factors that increase your risk further for developing major depression," he said.
A second study, published alongside Cohen's in the Archives of General Psychiatry, reached a similar conclusion. It discovered women on the cusp of menopause were 2.5 times more likely to be depressed than premenopausal women. Neither study determined whether the depression risk extends past menopause, but Cohen said his research team is applying for a grant to continue follow-up with the women in his study.
Dr. Ellen Freeman, of the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine in Philadelphia and lead author of the second study, said both studies lend credence to women who may face symptoms of depression such as persistent sadness, hopelessness and loss of interest in hobbies and activities while transitioning to menopause.
"If they feel down and depressed, that's valid. They're not crazy," Freeman
said. "It's worth talking to their doctor about and getting medical treatment."
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
SOURCE: Science Daily
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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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