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QUOTE(nofunanymore @ Jul 30 2007, 09:15 AM) *Thanks for the service you provide.
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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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New Year's resolutions for helping the mentally challenged
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12-14-2007 - I really never was big on New Year's resolutions. If need be I changed or altered something in my life if I possibly could, as it really does not matter what season of the year it is for me. But for mental health advocates, here are some fabulous New Year's resolutions that I have come across over the net that should be published and republished over and over again for the Mentally Challenged until we do see a positive change. ~Lindsay, Forum Super Administrator 
12-14-2007 - I really never was big on New Year's resolutions. If need be I changed or altered something in my life if I possibly could, as it really does not matter what season of the year it is for me. But for mental health advocates, here are some fabulous New Year's resolutions that I have come across over the net that should be published and republished over and over again for the Mentally Challenged until we do see a positive change. ~Lindsay, Forum Super Administrator
1. Do something for people who suffer dual-diagnosis. It is estimated that as many as half of the alcoholics and addicts out there suffer from another mental illness, the most common being depression and bipolar disorders. In order for these people to have a shot of recovery, both illnesses must be treated. A sober alcoholic is ripe for relapse if a major depression sets in. An alcoholic still out there is just fueling his depression with the booze, itself a depressant.
2. Organize support groups. There are hundreds of meetings every week in the area for alcoholics and addicts. Let's have as many for people with depression or other mental illnesses. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance has over 1,000 peer-operated support groups nationwide. Contact them. Arrange for meeting space in a church or a community center. Advertise at pharmacies, on buses, on the radio and in newspapers.
3. Educate the medical community. How many general practitioners are prescribing antidepressants without requiring a checkup within a month to find out whether the drug is even working? Here's what the FDA says about it: "Adults being treated with antidepressant medications, particularly those being treated for depression, should be watched closely for worsening of depression and for increased suicidal thinking or behavior. Close watching may be especially important early in treatment, or when the dose is changed, either increased or decreased."
4. Support one-stop shopping. A person in the throes of a major depression is not capable of making all kinds of phone calls to get help, find a doctor, find a therapist, or figure out bus routes or how to pay for meds. Partner with local hospitals, clinics, the health department and crisis lines so that sick people need only make one phone call.
5. Talk to each other. Create a listserv and invite physicians, clinicians, social workers, psychiatric nurse practitioners and substance abuse counselors to subscribe. Post meetings, interesting articles, concerns, questions and problems. It's free, it's easy and the information comes right to your e-mail address.
6. Understand men. A depressed man won't necessarily exhibit the same symptoms as a woman. Men with depression often take risks, abuse drugs or alcohol or engage in other compulsive behaviors. The National Institute for Mental Health has a campaign, Real Men, Real Depression. Get involved in this campaign. Publicize the problem and the solution.
7. Educate the legal community. I spent 12 years in courtrooms writing stories about all kinds of crimes. Here's what I saw: An incredible amount of mental illness and a tremendous amount of misunderstanding by judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and cops. The most prevalent mental illnesses I saw were alcoholism, addiction and depression. Why not send The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous to those in the legal system so they can better understand these diseases and the treatment programs to which they routinely sentence folks? I heard one judge sentence a defendant to a 10-step program. Last time I checked, there were 12 steps.
8. Encourage therapy. For many of us, drugs and lifestyle changes are not enough. The FDA and the American Psychiatric Association recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for treating depression and other mental illnesses. Yet, many physicians are content to just write a scrip. Why not partner with local psychologists, social workers and nurse practitioners to find a way to provide and encourage this invaluable treatment. Better yet, go back to resolution number 2.
9. Fight the stigma. If you can, speak up when you hear a wisecrack about whether someone with a mental illness has taken their meds. Show compassion but don't condescend. Say something when you see mental illness stereotyped on television or in the movies.
Do what you can. And have a happy new year.
SOURCE:
Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
SOURCE:
Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
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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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