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on: Saturday, 06 September 2008 19:33
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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
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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Getting in touch with your state Reps and Senate
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This document really helps. Print it out or go to:-
Generic letter to state officials
Congressional Inquiries
Dear
My name is ____________________ and I need your assistance in resolving my ___________ case with the Federal Government. I am a member of the Social Security Disability Coalition and information on our group and petition for reform to the US Government can be found here:
Sign the Social Security Disability Reform Petition – read the horror stories from all over the nation:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SSDC/petition.html
Social Security Disability Coalition – offering FREE knowledge and support with a focus on SSD reform:
http://groups.msn.com/SocialSecurityDisabilityCoalition
The Social Security Disability program is in serious need of reform. Here is a brief sampling of the issues I face as an applicant trying to get my benefits:
Homelessness, bankruptcy, even death due to the extraordinary wait times between the different phases of the disability claims process
Applying for state funded assistance in addition to Social Security because of the devastation caused by Social Security Disability
No healthcare coverage and 2 Year wait for Medicare benefits
SS employees being rude/insensitive to claimants
SS employees outright refusing to provide information to claimants or do not have the knowledge to do so
SS employees not returning calls
SS employees greatly lacking in knowledge of and in some cases purposely violating Social Security Policies and Federal Regulations (including Freedom of Information Act and SSD Pre-Hearing review process).
Claimants getting conflicting/erroneous information depending on whom they happen to talk to at Social Security – causing confusion for claimants and in some cases major problems including improper payments
Lack of attention or totally ignoring - medical records provided and claimants concerns by Field Officers, IME doctors and ALJ’s.
Fraud on the part of DDS/OHA offices, ALJ’s, IME’s – purposely manipulating/ignoring information provided to deny claims.
Complaints of lost files and files being purposely thrown in the trash
Complaints of having other claimants information improperly filed/mixed in where it doesn’t belong causing breach of security
Poor/little coordination of information between the different departments and phases of the disability process
Violations of Code of Federal Regulations Part 404 – Federal Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (1950-):
404.1642 Processing time standards http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1642.htm
404.1643 Performance accuracy standard http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1643.htm
NOTE: There are too many others to list here and these complaints refer to all phases of the SSD process including local SS offices, Disability Determinations, Office of Hearings and Appeals, Federal Appeals Council and the Social Security main office in MD (800 number).
Due to my deteriorating health conditions, I have now become disabled to a point where I can no longer work. Anyone could suddenly find themselves dealing with these same issues I now face, and we need your assistance to correct these problems. Nobody thinks this horrible existence could ever happen to them, but there are millions of Americans like myself, who are suffering and even dying due to this negligence. This is an urgent situation, and our lives depend on Congress doing what is proper for the disabled citizens of this country, to create the legislation, and provide the necessary funding to fix the broken and abusive Social Security Disability Program. I ask that you please provide your support and make your congressional colleagues aware of this crisis in order to make that happen.
Privacy Waiver: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 I hereby authorize ______________ and your staff to intervene on my behalf and to freely discuss any and all aspects of my situation.
Claimant Signature:__________________________________________
Claimant Name:
Address:
Daytime Phone Number:
Social Security Number:
Type of benefit involved (SSI, SSD, etc.):
Please find attached some additional information on my situation. Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
-----------------------------
SAMPLE CONGRESSIONAL LETTER INSTRUCTIONS:
Make a phone call to find out who in your Congressperson’s office handles Social Security Disability/SSI Disability issues. Speak with that person if possible and introduce yourself. Always be courteous to him/her and it does not matter if you have the same political affiliations as they do.
You can get contact info on all your elected official at:
http://www.congress.org
Fill in the blanks of the letter above to your elected official.
Make sure to fill out all contact information and sign the Privacy Waiver in the letter above.
Create an additional second page giving a brief description of your problem, medical issues and how you would like their office to help you. This should be no more than 1 page. The more clear and concise your explanation, the quicker they can process your request.
Make sure to provide the contact info for the SS office that currently has your case so that they can direct all inquiries to the correct location and/or Judge, etc
Additional documentation. If you have any documentation from Social Security that helps to explain your problem, include copies with your letter. Also include copies of eviction notices, late notices, foreclosure notices, utility bill late notices if you are requesting a dire needs expedite of your case. This additional documentation should be kept to a minimum (approximately 5 pages or less).
Once your letter has been sent, you should allow 4-6 weeks for initial processing. When a case is assigned a caseworker, you should receive a letter or phone call from that caseworker. If you don’t, call the office where the caseworker is located directly, and ask to speak to the person handling your case and request an update. Stress the urgency of your situation and the need to know the current status. Don’t call them constantly. Give them at least 1-2 weeks between calls unless they ask you to call sooner or something happens with your case that they need to know about.
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Comments 
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Depression Forums would like to hear from you!
Mental illness affects one in seventeen Americans. However, in this country alone, funding for mental health
facilities is dropping drastically and the care for the mentally disabled.
When the people who need those facilities have no where to go, they end up overcrowding emergency rooms.
Depression Forums would like to hear from you!
We would like to invite you to PM Forum Admin to share your story about your Depression or Mental Health issues 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.There is nothing better than to speak out, tell your story get the word out!
Together, we can help ourselves and others. Your stories would appear right here on DF's Portal.
Please PM Forum Admin for more information or to submit your story.
Sincerely,
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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