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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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chicagotribune.com
After the first drink, you want that 'rush' again.
Sheryl, 55, a court reporter in the north suburbs, seemed to have the
American dream: "a decent life—two healthy kids, a nice husband, a
two-car garage, what you're supposed to have," she said. "Only
something was wrong. I was in my late 30s and miserable."
She began to drink—not daily but three or four times a week. And once
she had the first drink, "that was the end of it. I'd continue to drink
for the rest of the day or evening," she said. "[After] you take that
first drink, you want to replicate that rush, but it doesn't come. ...
I wanted to get to that point [again], where it first goes into your
blood and you have that calm, relaxed feeling."
Sheryl said she continued to function, cooking dinner for her family
and fulfilling social obligations, though her friends could tell she'd
been imbibing because she became unusually chatty. She typically drank
vodka and wine; toward "the end," whiskey and beer, although she hated
both. She would feel hung over and shaky the next morning—and full of
remorse. "You're so ashamed of yourself. This is not like your life's
dream."
"The end" came on the eve of Rosh Hashana, one of the holiest days in
the Jewish tradition, after about 12 years of using alcohol. Her
husband came home from work that Friday for a holiday dinner, and she
had been drinking. "Fear is what made me call a therapist Monday
morning; I was afraid that my husband would take my kids away."
Sheryl suffers from alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, a disease
affecting almost 4 percent of the U.S. population and more than 9
percent of those ages 18 through 29, according to the National
Institutes of Health.
Alcoholism is a "brain disease," according to Dr. Seth Eisenberg, who
specializes in addiction psychiatry at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
It's a chronic disease seen as a "complex biological, medical,
behavioral and psychological array." For some, it has genetic
underpinnings; for others, it results from social and environmental
dynamics. Scientists have yet to tease apart the relationships among
those factors.
Characterized by a craving to drink, losing control once drinking
starts, withdrawal symptoms and tolerance (meaning you need to drink
more and more to feel the same effect), the disease cannot be cured.
But it can be treated.
Abstinence generally is the best medicine, and "there are many pathways
to recovery," Eisenberg said. They include professional treatment in a
hospital or non-hospital facility, outpatient treatment and/or mutual
aid, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Prescription medication to curb
cravings or discourage drinking by making one feel sick when the drug
is mixed with alcohol can help too.
Often patients need to be treated for other co-occurring mental health
issues, including bipolar disorder, anxiety or depression. True
recovery takes a long-term, holistic approach that addresses issues
with work, family, health and spirituality, in addition to drinking,
Eisenberg said.
Sheryl's therapist suggested she contact Alcoholics Anonymous. She has
been attending meetings for 12 years and, she said, hasn't had a drink
in all that time. The group has taught her coping skills; she has her
self-respect and self-esteem back, and her marriage, going on 34 years,
is "better than ever."
People can indeed change their lives, Eisenberg said. "The notion that
you go into treatment for 28 days and you're cured is naive, and it
sets people up for failure. ... The more flexible you are in trying to
address needs, the more likely you're going to find something that will
help."
Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune
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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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