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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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Generalized Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 40 million American adults. There are five major anxiety disorders; you may experience one, two or more of these conditions simultaneously.
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When Children Feel Sad After The Excitement Of The Holidays THE New Year hits many children with an emotional thud as
the excitement and fantasy of the holidays are replaced by the mundane
reality of arithmetic tests and tuna casserole. For some, it is a time
of great stress as they try to make sense of all they have done and
felt over the past few months.
"To children, Christmas is built up as a time when all sorts of
wonderful and important things will happen," said Dr. Lynn P. Rehm, a
professor of psychology at the University of Houston who studies
depression among children. "And they don't happen."
Dr. Rita P. Underberg, a child psychologist and a clinical professor of
psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said: "The
holiday is never as good as what the children see on television in the
commercials or on Christmas cards. I've been warning parents not to be
discouraged if their children regress emotionally a bit after the
holidays."
Children who become more demanding, clinging and whiny at this time of
year are usually tired or overstimulated. Their problems are almost
always solved by sleep and a return to the old pre-holiday routines at
home. But for other families, post-holiday stress is more serious.
"We know that adults tend to become more depressed after the holidays,"
said Dr. David Fassler, a child psychiatrist in Burlington, Vt., and an
instructor at the Harvard Medical School. "We see an increase in
referrals to mental health centers in January."
Children may also show bouts of sadness, either because of their own
disappointment or in response to their parents' emotions. "Depression
in children is often a reflection of depression in their parents," Dr.
Rehm said. "In one outpatient clinic where we did our research, more
than 40 percent of the children who were diagnosed as depressed had
mothers who were also depressed."
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Childhood Anxiety Disorders - Three Effective Treatments
Oct. 31, 2008)
— Treatment that combines a certain type of psychotherapy with an
antidepressant medication is most likely to help children with anxiety
disorders, but each of the treatments alone is also effective,
according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health's
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
"Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental disorders
affecting children and adolescents. Untreated anxiety can undermine a
child's success in school, jeopardize his or her relationships with
family, and inhibit social functioning," said NIMH Director Thomas R.
Insel, M.D. "This study provides strong evidence and reassurance to
parents that a well-designed, two-pronged treatment approach is the
gold standard, while a single line of treatment is still effective." 
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Talking to Children about Their School Anxiety FOR AGES: Five to 13 Most children experience some fears and anxiety as each new school year
begins. They worry they won't be able to read fast enough, and fret
that older, popular kids will think they're geeks. 
Your children
may be silent about their back-to-school fears, but that doesn't mean
they're anxiety-free. Kids may be reluctant to share with you their
thoughts of impending confusion and embarrassment. A supportive family
conversation about these feelings can be reassuring. Here are some
words to help your kids through four particularly difficult transitions.
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Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers -- in collaboration
with scientists at the University of California at San Diego and Yale
University -- have discovered perhaps the strongest evidence yet
linking variation in a particular gene with anxiety-related traits. In
the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, the team describes
finding that particular versions of a gene that affect the activity of
important neurotransmitter receptors were more common in both children
and adults assessed as being inhibited or introverted and also were
associated with increased activity of brain regions involved in
emotional processing.
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Do you fret about everything around the clock? There is help you can get.
By Kathleen Doheny
Posted 2/24/08
SUNDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Almost everyone worries about
something -- credit card debt, car repair bills, an upcoming work
review, whether your child will get into a good college. A little worry
is natural and normal.
But when you become a 24/7 fret machine, that's not normal. You may
have what doctors call generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD -- a
condition marked by worry about most aspects of life that you feel you
can't control. It can leave you feeling physically exhausted and
emotionally drained, and also frustrate loved ones who must listen to
you verbalize all that anxiety.
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Anxiety and aging
January 21, 2008 11:06 AM EST
Recently
I had coffee with a friend who is worried about her 86-year-old mother,
who lives in the Midwest. "Lately it seems like she's worried about
everything," my friend told me. "She never used to be this way. Do you
think she has an anxiety disorder?"
It's possible. Anxiety
disorders are the most common mental health disorders among older
adults. Approximately 11% of people ages 55 and over suffer from some
type of anxiety disorder. Although most anxiety disorders start in
early adulthood, they tend to last well into the later years. In
addition to enduring anxiety disorders from their youth, older adults
become increasingly susceptible to anxiety caused by illness or a
medication. That's because both illness and the need for medication
become more common with age. Yet anxiety in older adults has
received relatively little scientific attention. Most of what's known
comes from studies of young and middle-aged adults, but the findings on
anxiety medications don't all hold true for older people. Age-related
changes in the absorption and metabolism of drugs tend to make drugs
linger longer in the body, increasing the risk for harmful effects even
at doses considered safe for younger people. In addition, older adults
are more likely to be taking multiple medications for a variety of
conditions, some of which may interact with anxiety medications.
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Selective Mutism is a childhood anxiety disorder with a persistent FAILURE (not refusal) TO SPEAK in select social settings.
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Selective Mutism is a psychiatric disorder most commonly found in children, characterized by a persistent failure to speak in select settings, which continues for more than 1 month. These children understand spoken language and have the ability to speak normally. In typical cases, they speak to their parents and a few selected others. Sometimes, they do not speak to certain individuals in the home. Most are unable to speak in school, and in other major social situations. Generally, most function normally in other ways, although some may have additional disabilities. Most learn age-appropriate skills and academics. Currently, Selective Mutism, through published studies, appears to be related to severe anxiety, shyness and social anxiety. Selective Mutism may be associated to a variety of things, but the exact cause is yet unknown.
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Med reduces fear response.
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Panic attacks are very uncomfortable, but they are not dangerous. They are produced by a firing of your body’s “fight or flight” response system, also known as the sympathetic nervous system. This response is supposed to happen when you are confronted by a lion or a bear. In fact, if you were confronted by a lion or a bear, you wouldn’t even notice you were having a panic attack, because you’d be more concerned about escaping. But because your body is firing off this response when there is not a lion or a bear around, your mind jumps to the false conclusion that you must be dying or going crazy. (Most people don’t know about panic attacks, so it makes sense that they would initially make this mistake).
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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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