|
Log in
Donate To Depression Forums
Latest Forum Discussions
on: Friday, 16 May 2008 10:53
on: Friday, 16 May 2008 10:39
on: Friday, 16 May 2008 08:47
on: Friday, 16 May 2008 08:10
on: Friday, 16 May 2008 05:09
Search
Member Testimonials
UOTE(cookiecrumbs @ Jun 28 2007, 05:08 PM) *Sarah ~Thank you for being such an encouragement to everyone. I realize that as a moderator that part of your job might be to welcome and encourage, but you excel in filling that role. Of all my emotional problems, my eating disorder has been the most secretive, hidden problem in my life. For almost 34 it's been a forbidden topic with family, friends, and doctors (both therapists and physicians). This is the first place where I've felt able to share a small portion of my struggle. Thank you for being sensitive and caring as you deal with each post on this forum. It must be difficult with an eating disorder of your own to constantly be put in the role of counselor, friend, encourager, and advisor when you need all of those things in your own battle. Thank you. Your honesty and kindness is greatly appreciated. icon12.gif (-cookiecrumbs)
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
Our DF Members
|
Children aren't key to women's happiness reports study.
|
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Although they won't receive flowers or candy on Mother's Day, women who have not had children seem to be just as happy in their 50s as those who did go down the family path.
In fact the loneliest, least contented and most vulnerable women were found to be mothers who were single, divorced or widowed in middle age, according to new research.
Being healthy and having a partner gave a bigger boost to women's happiness and well-being than being mothers, with education, work and relationships with family and friends also important factors.
"Among this group of women in their 50s the childless women are very similar to the moms in terms of their psychological well-being," said Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox, a sociology professor at the University of Florida and the lead author of the study.
"That is striking given that these would have been the mothers of the baby boom, so even among that group it doesn't seem to make a big difference," she added in an interview.
The findings are based on two surveys of nearly 6,000 women aged between 51 to 61 years old that were conducted in 1992 and from 1987-1988.
"Whether you are socially integrated or have concerns about paying the bills -- those things play a more direct role in shaping psychological well-being among women in midlife," Koropeckyj-Cox added.
The research, which will be published in the International Journal of Aging and Human Development, showed that the timing of motherhood was also important to happiness.
Women who had children in their teens were more depressed and lonelier than those who had their children later.
"We confirm that early mothering seems to represent the greatest disadvantage and that is mainly linked to the economics and marital status," Koropeckyj-Cox explained.
About 35 percent of mothers who had children in their teens reported ever feeling lonely, compared to slightly more than a quarter of women who had children in their 20s.
Mothers who delayed childbirth to 25 or older were happier and less lonely or depressed than younger mothers.
Women questioned for the study would have been having children in the 1950s and 1960s when being 25 years or older was considered late. The median age for marrying at the time was about 20, according to the researchers.
"If these differences were going to matter, it would matter most among this group. A lot of literature on the baby boom era talks about just how much pressure there was on women to have children and to live domestic lives," said Koropeckyj-Cox.
"It is striking that we find so little difference," she added.
Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited.
Source: National Institute of Health MedlinePlus
|
|
 |
|
 |
Comments 
|
This Month In Pictures
Members Online
216 Users Online: 205 Guests 1 Anonymous 10 Visible: mmoose, echo78, cutehobbit, Reborn, Lindsay, smothered_hope, Gandalf_The_Grey, Coop, lifeasiknowit, JCK, |
Medical News
Andertoon
A Potpourri of Mental Health Articles
Mental Health Parity News
Suicide Prevention Llifeline
Amazon Books
Our Soldiers & Veterans
edclogo
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
|