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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
Our DF Members
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Life after death: coping with bereavement
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Sunday, March 04, 2007
When someone close to us dies, it can sometimes feel as if we'll never get over the loss. As much as death is a part of life for everyone, it is also one of the most difficult things to cope with. But getting through grief and being able to move on with life is essential to our mental health and well-being. Fortunately, there are reasonably predictable stages of grief.
An important thing to understand is that it is necessary to grieve a loss. It's tempting to try to find ways to step around grief, but the reality is you only get to the other side of grief by walking right through the middle of it.
The three stages of grieving
"You only get to the other side of grief by walking right through the middle of it."
Even though grief is a process everyone goes through, no two people go through it exactly the same way. The way you show grief may depend on your culture, and how much grief you feel can depend on your relationship with the person who died.
Children show and feel grief differently than adults do and they may also need help to understand death. Losing a spouse can involve many practical as well as emotional upheavals. Despite the diversity of how people experience grief, there are three basic stages of grieving, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), though you may go back and forth between them for a long time:
1. Shock
Some people will say they didn't even cry when someone they loved died. In fact, they might not have cried for days or weeks after. Shock and numbness are the typical immediate responses to the death of a loved one—even when the death was prepared for (because in reality, nothing can ever completely prepare you for the death of someone close to you). People who have been through this stage describe it as going through the motions, and it's a protective stage that helps a mourner get through the intensity and the busyness of the early post-death days. The numbness can last for weeks or even months.
2. Disorganization
After the numbness comes the emotion, and it can come in many shapes and forms: exhaustion, anxiety, sadness and weepiness, moodiness, depression, loss of control, feeling withdrawn. This can, and should be a time of coming to terms not only with the loss but also with the relationship you had with the person. This can be especially difficult if there were problems that had not been resolved before the death. You may experience some of these feelings for many months, and sometimes even for years.
3. Reorganization
The loss of someone you love is not something you ever get over entirely. But eventually, there will come a day when you do recognize yourself again—when you are out with friends and realize you've had a wonderful time, or when you notice that you are appreciating day-to-day activities again.
Illustration of a journal and pen
How to help yourself
There are some ways that you can support yourself during the process of grieving:
* Take care of your health. The stress response of losing someone you love may have an impact on your immune system. Make sure to eat well, keep up with regular exercise and get plenty of sleep.
* Don't be afraid to express how you feel by talking, crying, writing. Expressing feelings helps healing.
* Reach out to family and friends. Help others understand what you need.
* Avoid making major changes, at least for the first several months.
* Be patient with yourself and with the process. It takes time but life will get better.
If you feel you need more assistance, speak with your family doctor or other health professional. You can also contact the Canadian Mental Health Association location near you.
Grieving is natural and normal. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
SOURCE:-
Date published: March 1, 2007
BulletThis article was prepared by Toronto journalist Nora Underwood and reviewed by The Canadian Mental Health Association, the Canadian Health Network Mental Health Affiliate.
(article from the Public Health Agency of Canada)
Posted by Jennifer Forbes at 10:17 PM
ennifer Forbes
Born and raised in Saskatchewan. Attended the University of Ottawa for communications and psychology. Working in marketing, public relations and health promotion. Personally affected by mental illness and now an advocate for mental health.
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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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