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on: Friday, 29 August 2008 17:20
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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.
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Thanksgiving Depression: These Five Steps Will Help You Cope
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Home-and-Family/Holidays
Thanksgiving Depression: These Five Steps Will Help You Cope
You pull the collar of your flannel shirt about your neck to ward off the chill. Refilling your coffee cup, more out of boredom than real need, you shuffle to the window and take in the wintry scene. The leaves have by now abandoned their trees, the grass has browned and even the pavement seems harsher than just last week. The barrenness unsettles you, reminding you of the barrenness you feel within. "Well," you whisper, "Happy Thanksgiving."
Holidays are certainly meant to be joyous times of celebration. Family and friends unite, sharing both food and folly, as they renew relationships stretched thin by the passage of time. But, for many Americans, holidays are stark reminders of personal pain - gift wrapped appropriately for the present torturous season. Failed relationships, loneliness, physical or mental disabilities, and more serve to heighten the sense of isolation that is felt in the midst of the public partying.
There is no quick fix - no simple cure. But, with some realistic planning the pain associated with Thanksgiving, and other holidays, can be minimized. Try these five ideas in your quest for a more peaceful Thanksgiving this year:
1. Assess Options Early. The deadline is indeed deadly. While deadlines at times serve as positive reinforcement in our lives, holiday deadlines are absolutely brutal. The closer the time comes, the greater the pressure becomes to make a decision - ANY decision. This is no time to dilly-dally. The posture of the day here is to be proactive. This is especially important if, in fact, you may find yourself alone at Thanksgiving. By resolving this issue early you allow yourself time to set positive, personal plans into action. Do you like strolls in the park at dawn? Fabulous. Or, are you the sleep until noon and grab lunch at the bistro type? Terrific. By planning early, you'll feel a positive sense of momentum as Thanksgiving approaches.
2. Mark The Calendar. This sounds quite simple, but is actually very powerful. By marking your plans on the "Official Keeper and Organizer of Life," you are saying to yourself that you, indeed, have plans. Even if those plans include no one else, you do have plans. Go check your calendar - it's official.
It may be, it is actually, a means of playing a trick on your mind, but the impact is quite concrete. Now, instead of fretting about what to do at Thanksgiving, you have the peace of knowing that all is in order. You can relax. This also gives you a wonderful degree of freedom to simply consider other options. Now that you have plans, the importance of your considerations is much less stressful - you can take it or leave it. If you stumble upon a more enticing way to spend your day it's simply an added bonus.
3. Be Definitive With Times. Don't fall into the temptation of being careless at this stage of your planning. Be specific, even if that is not your normal bent, in each of the activities you plan for the day. Most of all, plan stingily. Allot time periods to activities that are on the shy side of what you actually expect they may require. If the stroll by the lake usually takes an hour, figure it for forty-five minutes. The two-and-a-half hour afternoon matinee? Two hours tops. The purpose in scheduling in this manner is to give yourself the opportunity to feel satisfied at the end of the day - which, like the other portions of the day, should be both thoughtfully planned and well defined. By planning in this abbreviated fashion you will not find yourself lingering over an activity that has played itself out, nor disappointed to be home early at day's end. In fact, you'll either be right on time or, happily, find the fullness of your day has caused you to run a touch late.
4. Simplify. The real purpose of simplification is to allow yourself to experience a day of freedom. Freedom, primarily, from guilt. Big, complicated plans often go awry and, especially at Thanksgiving, all things awry are most unwelcome. By consciously deciding to keep things simple you open up the realm of tripping over unexpected and delightful surprises. Did you plan to be in by six, Chinese takeout in hand? Imagine your delight when, at the Chinese restaurant, you run into an old friend who asks you to share a table. Remember - simple sets the stage for surprising.
5. Reach Out. This is, perhaps, the hardest of the steps to take. It's also, without a doubt, the most rewarding. This step, however, should be taken only in the context of simplicity expressed in step number four. Don't agonize over inviting a family of twelve complete strangers to dinner in your tiny apartment. Don't set the alarm for 4am and then scour the city for homeless people to shelter and feed. (These are both good things - but, they are simply for another time)
Rather, consider the one neighbor, or store clerk, or garbage collector you can greet on Thanksgiving. Can't think of anyone? Then, go find someone. Look for someone you recognize. Look for the sadness about their eyes, the slowness in their step, the stoop of their shoulders - the telltale signs that tell you they walk in the same shadow of loneliness that darkens your holiday cheer. When you find them, greet them warmly. Two hearts will be warmed as a result of your effort.
...There is no quick fix. Try these five steps to help take the pain out of Thanksgiving. You'll be glad you did.
Tim Anderson is a freelance writer who has a special interest in medical topics. Visit his blog at http://medicalmigrant.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Anderson
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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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