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on: Saturday, 10 May 2008 15:13
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QUOTE(nofunanymore @ Jul 30 2007, 09:15 AM) *Thanks for the service you provide.
(-nofunanymore) HOPELINE 1-800-SUICIDE
 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 11th 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 Our DF Members
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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.
Gene Variants May Increase Risk Of Anxiety Disorders
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.
When Worry Consumes You
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. Anxiety and aging
Anxiety and agingJanuary 21, 2008 11:06 AM ESTRecently 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. Understanding Selective Mutism
Selective Mutism is a childhood anxiety disorder with a persistent FAILURE (not refusal) TO SPEAK in select social settings.
Selective Mutism
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.
Hormone spray could banish shyness.
Med reduces fear response.
What Exactly Is Happening to My Body during a Panic Attack
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).
What is the difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?
The terms “anxiety attack” and “panic attack” are used interchangeably in popular culture, but they have very specific and different meanings to psychiatrists, so I’d like you to know what the difference is too. It’s important to know whether you are having and anxiety attack or a panic attack because it will affect the type of treatment that you are likely to respond to (as I’ll discuss at the end of this article).
Is there a relationship between panic attacks and depression?
Well, the short answer is YES… Here are the details:
What to do when you feel a panic attack coming
There are basically two options for what to do when you feel a panic attack coming on. The first is to use a coping technique. The second is to do an exposure. And yes, I will explain what coping techniques and exposures are! But first, let’s start off with my favourite analogy:
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A Potpourri of Mental Health Articles
How to Take an Antidepressant Part 1
How to Take an Antidepressant Part 2 Ways to fight the winter blues What if one therapy could help ward off addiction, depression, stress and even Alzheimer's, all the while keeping you slim and feeling great? In the interest of fairness to one and all Dr. Paul Donohue - Highs and lows of bipolar disorder Abused Children Face Depression Risk as Adults Omega-3 for bipolar disorder - Restoring the balance Study suggests interplay of gene, stress can predict depression One of 2007’s hottest food additives will be: omega-3. Study Questions 'Off-Label' Use of Antipsychotics A sweet drink twice a day might help people beat the blues. Talking To Doctors Depression May Be World's Most Disabling Disease Did Bipolar Disorder Drive a Mother to Kill Her Child? On Oprah! Mental Health Parity News
NY Enacts Mental Parity Law Timothyslaw.org Parity On! When the Cure Is Not Worth the Cost Push for MH Parity Continues Suicide Prevention Llifeline
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Our Soldiers & Veterans
Soldier suicides in Iraq up again
Mental health care needs among recent war veterans. Signs of Military members Depression Tacoma conference on mental health care for military veterans Marine's Suicide Marked The End Of One Man's War Army Beginning to Address Better MH Issues Soldiers struggle to find Therapists US Veterans Face High Suicide Risk - Study Armys Top Official Pushes MH Overhaul Army Official Urges Mental Health Reform Angry Veterans File Lawsuit VA’s Suicide Hot Line Begins Operations The stigma of mental illness: what shall we do? Depression May Play A Bigger Role In Readjustment Than Previously Thought In Troubled Vets Serving Those We Serve edclogo
 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 Link To Us
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