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on: Monday, 01 December 2008 13:43
on: Monday, 01 December 2008 13:10
on: Monday, 01 December 2008 13:07
on: Monday, 01 December 2008 11:43
on: Monday, 01 December 2008 11:39
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QUOTE (happy days 08 @ Aug 13 2008, 11:52 PM) *
Thanks for any input, and thanks for running such a helpful website.
(happy days 08 @ Aug 13 2008, 11:52 PM)
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.
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Your Rights as a Survivor
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Your Rights as a Survivor
As a survivor of a sexual assault, you have the following rights. If at any time you feel that your rights are being violated, you can call our Rape Crisis Hotline for more information or to ask the Rape Crisis Center to advocate on your behalf.
You have the right:
To be assured of strict confidentiality.
To be treated with dignity and respect, and in a way that does not take away your power and sense of control. You have the absolute right to determine your own needs and wants, and to decide how to meet those needs and wants.
To report or to not report the assault to the police.
To receive medical and mental health services whether or not the rape is reported to the police.
To be provided with all the information you request about your legal, medical, and mental health care options.
Law enforcement, medical, and legal personnel should:
Treat you without prejudice regarding race, age, class, occupation, sexual history and sexual orientation.
Consider your claim of sexual assault legitimate regardless of the assailant's relationship to you.
Consider you as credible as a victim of any other crime.
Ask only those questions that are relevant to your court case or medical treatment and refrain from asking questions about your prior sexual experiences.
Treat your reactions to the assault as normal and adaptive, not crazy or pathological.
Your Right to an Advocate
The California Penal Code (section 679.04) states that survivors of sexual assault have a right to have "advocates present at any evidentiary, medical, or physical examination or interview by law enforcement authorities or defense attorneys." In this case, "advocates" means a sexual assault victim counselor (from the Rape Crisis Center) and at least one other support person of your choosing. When you are at the police station, in court, or at the hospital, you can ask that these advocates be called for you.
Sexual Assault Facts
Sexual assault can happen to anyone of any age, at any time, in any place. Women, men, and children of all races, classes, backgrounds, shapes, and sizes are potential victims.
It is estimated that in about 80% of rapes that occur, the victim knows the rapist. Acquaintance rape, or date rape, as it is sometimes called, is still rape. It is a crime. Although survivors commonly feel some responsibility or guilt about their rape, it is important to remember that the responsibility for rape always lies with the attacker. What happened to you is not your fault.
Marital rape is a felony in the State of California. Forced sexual activity is against the law, regardless of the victim's relationship to the attacker.
Sexual assault, by a stranger or an acquaintance, is an act of aggression and/or violence which is motivated by anger and a desire to control and humiliate another person. It is not triggered by sexual passion.
Sex offenders can be of any age, race, class, gender, occupation, or sexual orientation; many sex offenders have a criminal record of previous sexual assaults.
There is no evidence that women who are raped behaved differently from women who are not. A woman's life situation or other circumstances may place her in a vulnerable position or a woman may act in ways that society views as "asking for it," but no one asks to be sexually assaulted. Men who rape report that they are most likely to rape when they are least likely to be caught, not because of any characteristic of the woman.
Rapists accomplish their crime by causing extreme fear in their victim, either by actual physical abuse or by threat of bodily harm. The rape survivor fears for her/his life. This fear can be so powerful that it effectively destroys the survivor's resistance and will.
If you had previous "rape fantasies", that does not mean you wished for or asked for a rape to happen to you; in your fantasy, you are in control, but in a real sexual assault, you are not.
There is no right or wrong way to interact with a rapist. Only you could have known what to do in that situation. If you are reading this brochure, you survived. Whatever you did to survive the assault was the right thing to do. Thinking about what you "should have done" will not change what has happened, and it won't make you feel better. The responsibility for the attack lies with the attacker. You did nothing wrong.
"No matter what outside messages you get, you're the only person who can tell yourself what you need to do is heal. Don't give up on yourself." - from "The Courage To Heal"
What Can You Do Now?
Take Care of Yourself.
Believe in yourself. Many survivors experience feelings of guilt, shame and self-blame after a sexual assault. It is important to remember that what happened to you is not your fault, even if you know the attacker, even if you were doing something you now consider to be foolish. No one deserves to be raped. No one asks to be sexually assaulted.
Tell someone. Rape is a very personal trauma, and many survivors are reluctant to tell anyone-even a trust friend-about what has happened to them. However, having support and help around you after a sexual assault may be the most important factor in your recovery. Try to think of someone you can trust to believe you and to be there for you. And remember that trained sexual assault counselors are available to you 24 hours a day over the hotline. Do not be afraid to ask others to help you meet your needs. Make a list of phone numbers to call when you are in crisis: friends, family, the Rape Crisis Hotline. Leave the list by your phone so you can find it easily.
Take time to recover. Be patient with yourself - recovery may be difficult and takes time. Take time to re-establish your sense of balance and security before resuming your normal schedule. Consider taking a few days off work or dropping some activities so that you have more time for rest and recuperation. Try using the coping skills that you have used to get through other tough times in your life. If they don't work anymore, try to establish some new ones-in other words, do whatever you can do to stay health and feel better. Make sure you are eating and sleeping enough to stay healthy.
Stay safe.
Thinking about whether rape can happen again can be terrifying. Try to create a sense of safety in your life after the attack. If you need to have friends stay with you for a few days, don't be afraid to ask for their help. There are some ways to actively work toward keeping yourself safe in various situations. These are not things you "should have done", but things that may help you feel safer in the future.
I. Believe in your right to make decisions about what happens to your body.
2. Trust your own feelings and instincts. Listen to the "little voice" in your head that tells you when something isn't quite right.
3. Alcohol and drugs affect you. If you will be using these substances, do so in a setting where you know you are safe. Don't drink or use drugs in order to relax in an uncomfortable situation. Always stay sober enough to get yourself home.
4. When you are ready, take a self-defense class. Having the skills to defend yourself gives you power, and can make you feel more secure. Many survivors have found these classes to be a therapeutic way to release anger and feelings of fear. The Rape Crisis Center offers self-defense classes for adult and teenage women.
Decide Whether or Not to Report
Unfortunately, deciding whether or not to report a sexual assault crime to the police or other authorities is one of the first decisions you need to make. Reporting may be the last thing you want to think about in the hours after the assault, but it is important to know your options.
First of all, reporting or not reporting is a decision only you can make. If you are not sure what to think, it may help to talk to a crisis counselor on the hotline. They can explain the process in detail and support you while you work out a decision.
If you are considering reporting, be aware that the police and medical examiners can do their best investigative work in the first 72 hours after an assault occurs. If you haven't already, do not shower, bathe, or brush your teeth until you have been seen by a medical provider. If you want to change your clothes, take each item off and put it into a separate paper bag. Even if you have showered or changed your clothes or more than 72 hours has passed, you can still report the assault to the police.
A sexual assault counselor from a Rape Crisis Center can accompany you to the police station and the hospital if you so desire. You can ask the law enforcement officer or nurse examiner involved in your case to call a lawyer, or you can call a hotline. They will be there just for you - to support you and to make sure you are treated with respect and care.
Allow Yourself to React.
The emotional trauma caused by sexual assault nearly always outlasts the physical problems. Common reactions to sexual assault can include shock, confusion, fear, anxiety, feelings of powerlessness, depression, and/or anger.
Many survivors report having intense physical and emotional reactions following an attack. Some of them are listed below. You may have a different experience from other survivors; for example, some people visibly express how upset they are, and some people remain very calm and controlled. Each person's reaction is a valid response.
Physical reactions you may have:
I. sleep disturbances (nightmares, insomnia, fear of falling asleep)
II. eating pattern changes
III. physical soreness, especially gynecological pain (even after injuries are "healed")
IV. muscle tension, headaches, nausea
Emotional reactions you may have:
I. heightened fear, related or unrelated to the attack
II. mood swings, irritability
III. anxiety, confusion
IV. attempting to block thoughts or memories of the assault
V. feelings of powerlessness and dependence
VI. anger, hostility (towards rapist, the legal system, or friends and loved ones)
Explore your Support Network.
Try to use the friends and loved ones around you to get through the tough times you will have after the assault. Talking about the experience with someone you can trust can be very healing. Even if you don't feel ready to talk about the attack, it is okay to ask friends and family to spend time with you and be there for you. If you feel that you have no one to talk to, you can always call a Rape Crisis Hotline for confidential, anonymous counseling, support, and information. If your significant others want more information about how to help you or how to deal with their own feelings about what has happened, they too can call any Rape Crisis Hotline, or counseling services described below. There are publications aimed at helping significant others deal with this situation. They can obtain these publications by calling a hotline or going to any website listed below.
Seek Counselling.
Even after the initial shock has worn off and you have begun to regain control of your life, you may still be affected by the attack. You may experience feelings of isolation, guilt, shame, fear, and denial. You may have problems rebuilding your intimate or sexual relationships. You may experience disturbing flashbacks or other mental or physical symptoms. This is a normal pattern for survivors of sexual assault. This emotional aftermath is sometimes called Rape Trauma Syndrome.
A therapist or counselor trained in sexual assault treatment can help you move through your reactions to the rape, listen to your fears and anxieties, and offer you support as you regain strength and healing and put the pieces of your life back together.
Any Rape Crisis Center will offer individual counseling for you and your significant others in a confidential, safe setting. Most also offer support groups for survivors of rape and for adults molested as children.
Occasionally, they will offer workshops for significant others.
A Rape Crisis Center can also provide referrals to private therapists, victim/witness assistance programs, and other relevant social agencies.
Sexual Assault and the Law.
If you are thinking about reporting your sexual assault, you may find you have questions about the law and legal processes. For more details, or to request an advocate to accompany you through the court process, call a Rape Crisis Hotline.
Rape is a serious crime. Under law, rape is sexual intercourse accomplished under any of the following circumstances:
When it is accomplished against a person's will by means of force, violence, duress, menace, fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury, or fear of future retaliation on that person or another person.
When a person is incapable of giving legal consent because of a mental disorder or developmental or physical disability.
When a person is prevented from resisting by any intoxicating or anesthetic substance, or any controlled substance, and the attacker knows this.
When a person is unconscious of the nature of the act (asleep, unconscious or otherwise unaware) and the attacker knows this.
When a person submits under the belief that the attacker is their spouse, and the attacker has used some method of concealment to induce that belief.
When the act is accomplished under the victim's will by threatening to use the authority of a public official to incarcerate, arrest, or deport the victim or another person, and there is reason to believe the threat.
All sexual activities accomplished against your will and meeting at least one of the above conditions, including vaginal or anal penetration with a penis, finger, or object, and oral sex, are against the law.
Any degree of penetration, however slight, is enough to complete the crime of rape. Whether the attacker ejaculated or not is irrelevant to the legal definition of rape. Resistance by the victim is not a requirement.
There are many situations in which people are pressured into having sex when they don't want to. Although some of these situations may not fit the legal definition of sexual assault, being pressured into having sex is harmful to your emotional health, and sometimes to your physical health. Please make use of the Rape Crisis Center resources even if you feel you cannot call your experience a rape or sexual assault.
Once a rape suspect has been identified by the survivor and the police feel that sufficient evidence exists to proceed, the case is taken to the District Attorney's office. The D.A. will determine whether the case could be successfully prosecuted in court. If the D.A. fees that there is a good chance of convicting the suspected rapist, then the case will be continued. Otherwise, the case will be dropped. Once you have reported a rape to the police, you are no longer in charge of the direction of your case. You can refuse to cooperate with the police or the D.A., but you cannot "drop the charges" against your attacker; you are considered a witness in the case.
RESOURCES FOR SURVIVORS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS
Accompaniment:
Any counselor-advocates would be happy to accompany you to the police station, the hospital, or the court. Call your local or any of the national/international hotlines. (See below)
Individual Counseling:
Support Groups: Meet with other survivors to share your story, be empowered by others who have had an experience like yours, and create a support network.
Information and Referrals:
Call a hotline (see below for hotlines) or your local office to ask any questions you may have. Sexual assault victim counselors can provide referrals for other social service agencies and private therapists and psychiatrists.
Seek Lending Library/Publications:
To educate yourself:
http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw
National Rape Crisis Hotline (RAINN)
1-800-656-HOPE
http://www.rainn.org/
Domestic and Interntional Violence Shelters/Hotlines
http://www.brokenspirits.com/directory/
http://www.brokenspirits.com/directory/index.cfm?country=us
Rape Crisis Information Pathfinder:
http://www.ibiblio.org/rcip/
National Child Abuse Reporting Hotline:
1-800-422-4453
http://www.safenetwork.org/
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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.
Stories with a positive outlook are most welcome.
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.
Please PM Forum Admin for more information to submit your story.
Warm Regards,
~Lindsay and The Depression Forums Administration Staff
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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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