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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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Service Animals Help Children with Mental Health Problems
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Service animals are used in a variety of manners. Kellie, a seven pound maltichon, helps her six year old human friend who lives with bipolar illness manage her day.
Boca Raton, FL, November 27, 2007 --(PR.com)-- A dog in the grocery store? Who would do such a thing? Well, it happens in Boca Raton every weekend.
Just like any other family, Brett and Nikki Woller are at the community grocery store doing the weekly shopping just about every weekend. They, like other families have their two children along with them. But, unlike other families they also bring along the family dog.
"A lot of people stare at us; regular people just don’t understand it,” says Nikki Woller, who is also a pediatric clinical social worker in the community. So, why would they bring the dog to the store?
Kellie is a psychiatric service animal in training. She is a white, fluffy, seven pound maltichon. She belongs to the Woller’s six year old little girl who lives with bipolar illness. Kellie goes everywhere with Allison to help intervene when Allison is feeling stressed out or emotional.
“There is a definite emotional difference in Allison when she has the dog with her and when she does not, it is really unbelievable” says Brett Woller.
Brett and Nikki are heavily involved in the mental health community. Nikki treats chronic mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, depression, behavioral disturbances and anxiety in adults and in children. Brett runs the Boca Raton Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance meetings. They are committed to helping others recover from their emotional illnesses. Service animals are just one way that they have chosen to do that.
Service animals are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. They are not considered pets. They are allowed access to all public places that their human counterparts are allowed, even the grocery store.
“We have had our local health inspector called three times about Kellie being in the store,” says Woller. “The manager of the store where we do our shopping is so kind about it, he really deals with a lot of complaints when were in the store.”
While the use of service animals for psychiatric use is up and coming, the possibilities are endless. These dogs are used for anxiety relief, mania detection, depression, environmental assessment for psychosis, tactile stimulation and in children, they can also be used to help improve self esteem and communication.
“Allison went several years without speaking to people, now when she is stopped about her dog, she makes eye contact with others and is able to answer their questions. It is a huge difference” says Nikki, “ An incredible one.”
Selection of your dog is important. Not every dog is suited for service work. They have to have a wonderful temperment, be healthy, and a suitable match for the person that they are assisting. Training is important, and can be done at home but most people use the assistance of a local dog trainer to get started.
"There is a lot of responsibility that goes along with having a service animal, says Nikki, but we see the pay off in our little girl. "
For more information about this topic or the Woller's contact Nikki Woller at 561-706-1004 or by email at nikkiwoller @ aol.com
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Contact Information
Nikki Woller, LCSW, CFLE
561-706-1004
nikkiwoller@aol.com
www.perctr.com
For more information about this topic or the Woller's contact Nikki Woller at 561-706-1004 or by email at nikkiwoller @ aol.com
###
Contact Information
Nikki Woller, LCSW, CFLE
561-706-1004
nikkiwoller@aol.com
www.perctr.com
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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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