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on: Friday, 29 August 2008 17:20
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on: Friday, 29 August 2008 16:15
on: Friday, 29 August 2008 14:50
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Thank You!! You will never know how much this forum has helped me over the past few weeks. I have gone from suicidal tendencies to being on top of the world. I've never felt better in my life!!!! And I'm not overstating that. If I had to choose between. ADs and DF, DF would win hands down.Thanks again! Jeff
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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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Conclusions about the effects of stress
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Health News
Feb 4, 2008, 10:49
Uncontrollable, unpredictable, and constant stress has far-reaching
consequences on our physical and mental health. Stress can begin in the
womb and recur throughout life. One of the pathological (abnormal)
consequences of stress is a learned helplessness that leads to the
hopelessness and helplessness of clinical depression, but, in addition,
many illnesses, such as chronic anxiety states, high blood pressure,
heart disease, and addictive disorders, to name a few, also seem to be
influenced by chronic or overwhelming stress.
Nature, however, has provided us with wonderful processes (mechanisms)
to cope with stressors through the HPA axis and the locus
coeruleus/sympathetic nervous system. Furthermore, research has shown
us the biological processes (mechanisms) that explain what we all
intuitively know is true--which is, that too much stress, particularly
when we cannot predict it or control its recurrence, is harmful to our
health.
How can we manage stress?
If we think about the causes of stress, the nature of the stress
response, and the negative effects of some types of stress (prolonged,
unexpected, or unmanageable stress), several healthy management
strategies become clear. A first step in stress management is exercise.
You see, since the stress response prepares us to fight or flee, our
bodies are primed for action. Unfortunately, however, we usually handle
our stresses while sitting at our desk, standing at the watercooler, or
behind the wheel stuck in traffic. Exercise on a regular basis helps to
turn down the production of stress hormones and neurochemicals. Thus,
exercise can help avoid the damage to our health that prolonged stress
can cause. In fact, studies have found that exercise is a potent
antidepressant, anxiolytic (combats anxiety), and sleeping aid for many
people.
For centuries in Eastern religious traditions, the benefits of
meditation and other relaxation techniques have been well known. Now,
Western medicine and psychology have rediscovered that particular
wisdom, translated it into simple non-spiritual methods, and
scientifically verified its effectiveness. Thus, 1 or 2 20-30 minute
meditation sessions a day can have lasting beneficial effects on
health. Indeed, advanced meditators can even significantly control
their blood pressure and heart rate as well.
Elimination of drug use and no more than moderate alcohol use are key
to the successful management of stress. We know that people, when
stressed, seek these outlets, but we also know that many of these
substances sensitize (make even more responsive) the stress response.
As a result, small problems produce big surges of stress chemicals.
What's more, these attempts with drugs and alcohol to mask stress often
prevent the person from facing the problem directly. Consequently, they
are not able to develop effective ways to cope with or eliminate the
stress.
In fact, even prescription drugs for anxiety, such as diazepam
(Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), or alprazolam (Xanax), can be
counterproductive in the same way. Therefore, these medications should
only be used cautiously under the strict guidance of a physician. If,
however, stress produces a full-blown psychiatric problem, like
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), clinical depression, or anxiety
disorders, then psychotropic medications, particularly the selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are extremely useful. Examples
of SSRIs include sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), or fluoxetine
(Prozac).
We know that chronic or uninterrupted stress is very harmful. It is
important, therefore, to take breaks and decompress. Take a lunch break
and don't talk about work. Take a walk instead of a coffee break. Use
weekends to relax, and don't schedule so many events that Monday
morning will seem like a relief. Learn your stress signals. Take
regular vacations or even long weekends or mental-health days at
intervals that you have learned are right for you.
Create predictability in your work and home life as much as possible.
Structure and routine in your life can't prevent the unexpected from
happening. However, they can provide a comfortable framework from which
to respond to the unexpected. Think ahead and try to anticipate the
varieties of possibilities, good and bad, that may become realities at
work or home. Generate scenarios and response plans. You may find that
the "unexpected" really doesn't always come out of the blue. With this
kind of preparation, you can turn stress into a positive force to work
for your growth and change
Source:
www.tamilstar.com
© Copyright 1999 - 2003 by TamilStar.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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