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on: Saturday, 07 November 2009 18:44
on: Saturday, 07 November 2009 14:42
on: Saturday, 07 November 2009 13:42
on: Saturday, 07 November 2009 12:58
on: Saturday, 07 November 2009 12:03
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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.
Think you can help?
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as Psychology, graphic/web design, journalism,
public relations, IT, (Web Geeks Needed!) or fund raising? We
need your assistance volunteering for DF. We're
always looking for additional forum and chat moderators
as well, keeping DF the safe haven it has always been for our
members.
If you're interested, this would be a wonderful
way of giving back to DF.
Contact Forum Admin for more details.
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Newsletter Articles
Pages from Old Portal
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New Breakthrough Could Be Why Some
Antidepressants Do Not Work For YouStressful Life Events Are a Major Cause of Depression
What causes depression has been
oversimplified, resulting in drugs that treat stress but not
necessarily depression, according to a new research.
October 27, 2009 2:58 PM PDT -- Depression researcher Eva Redei presented research at the Neuroscience 2009 conference in Chicago this week that calls into question two tenets of depression science:
that stressful life events are a major cause of depression, and that an
imbalance in neurotransmitters triggers depressive symptoms.
For decades, drugs have been developed around these beliefs, leading
to antidepressant medications that are actually designed to relieve
stress. But stress-related genes have almost no overlap with
depression-related genes, reports Redei, the David Lawrence Stein
professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. (Full disclosure: Northwestern is my alma mater.)
That means those antidepressants work if you're stressed, but not necessarily if you're depressed.
"This is a huge study and statistically powerful," Redei says. "This
research opens up new routes to develop new antidepressants that may be
more effective. There hasn't been an antidepressant based on a novel
concept in 20 years."
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Involve the kids, Save On School Lunches
TV cooking guru Rachael Ray knows the secret to making cheap, healthy lunches your kids will like. "Give
them ownership by involving them in the process," Ray said." It's an
opportunity to let the kids be the boss." When grocery shopping, for
example, ask them to pick out the fruits, vegetables or whole grain
breads they like best. Let them pick a treat, too, so it doesn't seem
like a chore. Or ask them to choose and make a recipe for a pasta or
tuna salad they'd like to try. |
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Vaccinating Kids Against Childhood Diseases and the
H1N1 (Swine Flu) 
If you’re a public health officer, the argument for vaccinating kids against childhood diseases is basic. “The natural reservoir for vaccine-preventable diseases is humans.
Everyone who gets one of these diseases gets it from someone else — not
from a chair or an animal,” said Mark Netherda, deputy public health
officer for Sonoma County. “So one very good reason to vaccinate the
population is to protect each other.”
But for some parents, the argument isn’t basic at all; they feel the vaccines do more harm than good. By
California law, children start getting vaccinated when they’re infants,
as young as two months. But it’s when they first enter school that
someone besides the parents, the kids and their doctors really pays
attention. The school immunization law requires that in order to start
school, students must be up to date on their immunizations for polio,
diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps,
rubella, hepatitis, varicella (chicken pox) and other diseases. The
H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine isn’t on that list, although public health
officials will be advising it for school-age children once the vaccine
is available this fall. |
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Depression Forums Back-To-School Pointers For Parents
August 23, 2009
Getting a new school year off to a good start can positively influence
a student’s attitude, confidence and performance both academically and
socially.
The transition from “vacation” to school days can be difficult for both
students and parents. Even students who are eager to return to class
must adjust to greater levels of activity, structure, academics and for
some, additional social pressures associated with school life. The
degree of adjustment will differ with each student, but parents can
help their children, and the rest of the family, manage the increased
pace of life and responsibilities by planning ahead, being realistic,
and maintaining a positive attitude. Below are a few suggestions to
help ease the transition and promote a successful school experience.
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Mental Health And Back to School  Being mentally fit will help prepare children for the year and stresses ahead according to local experts.
When
the new school year starts, there’s no doubt things can get a little
hectic for you and your children. Going into new classrooms, learning
new subjects and meeting dozens of new people is somewhat stressful,
especially in just a few days time frame. At this crucial time, some
children can become overwhelmed with the changes. When coupled with
other factors, it can have a tremendous effect on a student’s
well being. To ensure that your children are getting the most out of
their day at school and at home, it’s just as important that they be
mentally fit as it is they be physically fit.
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What Effects Does Postpartum Depression Have On The Baby? While it is fairly obvious that postpartum depression can hinder a
mother’s ability to take care of her newborn, a new study looks at how
the disorder can affect infant development.
Israeli researchers studied three infant outcomes — social engagement,
fear regulation, and physiological stress reactivity — in a group of
100 mother-infant pairs at nine months postpartum. These three infant
outcomes are considered foundations of social-emotional growth and are
associated with the infant’s ability to manage physiological stress and
regulate negative emotions.
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Psychotropic and Antidepressant Use Has Significantly Doubled In the US MONDAY,
Aug. 3 -- Antidepressant use among U.S. residents
almost doubled between 1996 and 2005, along with a concurrent rise in
the use of other psychotropic medications, a new report shows.
The increase seemed to span virtually all demographic groups.
"Over 10 percent of people over the age of 6 were receiving
anti-depression medication. That strikes me as significant," said study
author Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia
University/New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City. |
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DF Gives You Answers - Treating Anxiety --
Avoiding Dependence on Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, and Other Anti-anxiety Drugs
Benzodiazepines—such as Xanax
(alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), and Valium (diazepam)—are
effective for alleviating anxiety, but they are also powerful drugs
with serious side effects. Among the most dangerous is the development
of both physical and psychological dependency. In fact, more than one
third of people taking benzodiazepines for anxiety for more than one
month become dependent on them.
Because of this high risk, the prescribing
physician should monitor patients closely, and patients considering
these anti-anxiety drugs should understand both the possible side
effects and the precautions to take to avoid developing dependence.
Two classes of antidepressant drugs—selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclics—have become the
first line of treatment for anxiety disorders in many people. Serotonin
and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and tetracyclics are also used
to treat anxiety disorders. These drugs are not habit forming and are
indicated when a person with anxiety is also depressed.
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Inside Lineman's Helmet, Doubts and Depression
PHILADELPHIA — May 14, 2009 - As reporters gathered earlier this month, Shawn Andrews, a two-time Eagles Pro Bowl offensive lineman who has battled depression,
was told that he seemed again to be his familiar cheery self. He did
seem playful. He wore a rust-colored cockscomb haircut. And he stood in
front of a locker that contained a football-shaped likeness of
SpongeBob SquarePants, along with a photograph of his young son,
JaShawn. But he did not fully agree with the upbeat assessment.
“There’s some good and bad in there,” Andrews, 26, said of himself.
“If you know the song ‘Tears of a Clown,’ that would kind of describe
my past a little bit up to now.”
He almost began to sing before catching himself.
Later, in an interview May 3 at the Eagles’ minicamp, the 6-foot-5,
330-pound Andrews did something that athletes almost never do —
especially offensive linemen in the N.F.L.
who are shielded by helmets, pads and a macho culture that discourages
any acknowledgment of vulnerability. He spoke at length about his
struggles with depression, which he revealed last summer after holding
out from training camp.
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As Work Stress Rises, So May Depression
But whether jobs trigger psychological woes or vice versa is unclear, expert says
A stressful work environment
brought on by lack of team spirit increases worker depression and the
odds that employees will turn to antidepressants for relief, a new
study finds.
Given the current recession, the workplace has become even more
stressful with people afraid of losing their jobs and uncertain about
their economic future, one expert says.
"The U.S. work environment right now is far more tenuous and toxic
than in recent history," said Josh Klapow, an associate professor of
health-care organization and policy at the University of Alabama at
Birmingham, who had no role in the study. "With layoffs and downsizing,
the opportunities for increased stress, negativity and pressure have
all greatly increased."
But even in the best of times, the study found, workplace environment can take a psychological toll on workers.
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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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Mental illness affects one in seventeen Americans.
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