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on: Wednesday, 20 August 2008 10:35
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QUOTE (crunch87 @ Mar 7 2008, 06:58 AM) *
Hi Hopey! I love DF too! hearts.gif
(crunch87 )
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.
Our DF Members
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NAMI StigmaBuster alert
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www.nami.org/stigma
Contact: smarch@nami.org
**Crumbs: Swept Away?**
ABC-TV's Crumbs hasn't been seen since the last episode aired on February 7. The network is not saying whether the show has been cancelled or whether new episodes may still pop up later in the season. Stigma, however, had largely been eliminated by the last two episodes. We'll keep monitoring.
**Offensive Action Figure**
Archie McPhee & Co. in Seattle is the online retailer of an offensive action figure produced by Accoutrements, also in Seattle. The company's toys, gifts, and novelties "made by Magic Pixies" are described as having "a sense of humor that is distinctively our own."
One of the company's latest products is an "Obsessive Compulsive Action Figure" (http://www.mcphee.com/items/11561.html) that includes a surgical mask and sanitary towelette. The back of the package includes an "Are You Obsessive-Compulsive?" test that lists criteria such as "You carry a bottle of spray bleach in your briefcase" and "You wash your hands after taking a shower."
For persons who score 10 points on the test, the package recommends they seek help at the Web site of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation (http://www.ocfoundation.org) . The referral was printed without the Foundation's permission. They have protested the action figure, but have received no reply to date.
Let's support them by letting the "Magic Pixies" know how offensive the action figure is. Please contact both Accoutrements and the Archie McPhee & Co. to reinforce the protest:
* The US Surgeon General has warned that the trivialization of mental illness perpetuates stigma, contributing to a barrier that discourages people from seeking help when they need it. On average, eight years pass from the onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and getting treatment.
* OCD is no joke. It is an illness often compounded by major depression that can lead to suicide. The action figure is not educational. It is flippant and misleading. It violates social responsibility.
* It is unconscionable to imply that any mental health organization would support or be affiliated with a product of this nature.
Archie McPhee & Co.
P.O. Box 30852
Seattle, WA 98113
425/349-3009 (order line)
425/349-5188 (fax)
mcphee@mcphee.com
Accoutrements
P.O. Box 30811
Seattle, WA 98113
800/886-2221 (order line)
425/349-3838 (customer service and sales)
425/349-5188 (fax)
info@accoutrements.com
**Voice Award Nominations**
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking nominations for its second annual Voice Awards. Awards are given in two categories.
Entertainment
The first is for producers and writers in the entertainment industry (film, television, or radio) who have offered respectful depiction of people with mental illnesses, and whose productions were released in 2005. The deadline for nominations in this category is Friday, April 7, 2006. For more detailed information, see the Voice Awards Web site. (http://www.allmentalhealth.samhsa.gov/voiceawards/nomination.html)
Consumers
The second award category is for consumers who have personally demonstrated that recovery is possible; participated in efforts to reduce discrimination and stigma; and made a positive impact on their community, workplace, or school. The deadline for nominations is Friday, April 21, 2006. Nominations can be sent to voiceawards@vancomm.com. See the Voice Awards Web site (http://www.allmentalhealth.samhsa.gov/voiceawards/nomination.html) for more information.
Videos of last year's Voice Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, featuring actors Maurice Benard and Mariette Hartley and others, are online on SAMHSA's ADS Center Web site. (http://www.adscenter.org/2005VoiceAwards.htm) It is best viewed with Windows Media Player.
Stella March, National Coordinator
NAMI StigmaBusters
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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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