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on: Friday, 20 November 2009 18:54
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 18:32
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 18:28
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 17:49
on: Friday, 20 November 2009 14:23
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Current Poll

How do you react to holiday stress?

Does the Holiday Season Stress You Out or Make You Happy?

  Yes. The end of the year holidays stress me out.


 Nope. I love holiday season.


 The holidays do a little bit of both.


 What stress? I live for this time of year.


 Love the season, can't stand the in-laws.


 The kids get hyper -- I get annoyed.


 Panic sets in as the days count down.


 I get depressed, moody, and cranky.


 I'm already stressing, and the holidays haven't even begun....


 Expenses (the cost of gifts, parties, etc.)


How do you react to holiday stress?

 Eat too much


 Don't exercise


 Isolate myself


 Spend too much money



16 Total Votes
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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 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

 


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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Psychotherapy
Various articles relating to Psychotherapy
(Page 1 of 2)   
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Do I Have Anxiety?

By Lindsay
Q. What is wrong with me?  I have what I think are anxiety problems.
About five years ago, I was diagnosed with ADD. I never experienced any sort of trauma, that I can remember. I get this horrible feeling and it builds up, until I start crying uncontrollably and hyperventilating. I’m also abnormally shy. I feel that same sort of anxiety when I have to talk to people, even people I’ve known for a long time. I don’t usually look people in the eye when I speak. I feel very nervous about a lot of things, and I’m tired of making any mistakes, big or small, and people’s reactions to them. Please tell me, is it possible that I have some sort of disorder?

By Lindsay
Q:
I raised my children as a single mom. I did the best I could, but I’m sure I made a lot of mistakes. I feel I have made up for those mistakes in the past several years. I am always there for my children.

My daughter is now 30 years old with two kids. She is separated and living on her own. She is hateful, stressed, depressed, angry. She yells at her small children constantly. She blames me for all that went wrong in her life and treats me terribly. I have been dealing with this for years, but it is getting worse.

My daughter has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder . They put her on Wellbutrin several weeks ago. I am worried because she is drinking while taking this medication. She gets out of control with her anger. I don’t know what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

A:

Children need to feel safe and loved. So, to the best of your ability, the more support you can offer them, the better.



By Lindsay
"My Husband Does Not think Depression Is A Big Deal"

   by By Diana L. Walcutt, Ph.D.
 

                      
               Sept. 21, 2009 -- Q.  I am having trouble letting the past go and forgiving. My husband got addicted to pain pills and did a lot of hurtful stuff to me during that time. Now I can not trust him and feel hurt about what he has done to me. He goes on like nothing has happened and put it all behind him.

I am not sure if i need to seek a professional to talk to and if that will help me. I do not have the money now to do so. I am on Effexor for the depression part and for the most part it is working.
I also feel that I may be bipolar but am ashamed to say anything to my doctor. Nor to my husband because he does not think depression is a big deal. He just tells me to get over stuff and move on. I just do not know how. I feel I am in a stuck in a bubble all by myself. I really need help.


By Forum Admin


By Diana L. Walcutt, Ph.D.

Jul 2 2009 -  I am a 25 year old female that cant seem to be happy with anything. My brother passed suddenly a year ago and that sort of triggered a total collapse. I have been to an in-patient week long therapy rehab, which helped while i was there but soon after i got out i started feeling hopeless again.

I have totally changed my life; i stopped bartending and started school again. Im doing well in school, i have a wonderful boyfriend, and a great support group but every waking second I hate my life. I dont understand the point, i dont enjoy anything.

By Lindsay
Q.   I need help. I’m 16 years old and I am falling apart. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, ptsd, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. My parents won’t bring me to a therapist anymore and I can’t go to my phyciatrist because we don’t have to money. My parents won’t listen to me when I say I have a problem. I don’t want to die but I black out and hurt myself a lot and it just keeps getting worse. I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself next time something bad happens.

I won’t even get out of bed anymore unless my boyfriend wants me to go somewhere but my problems have been affecting him so greatly lately that I just feel guilty when I’m with him. I try to be happy, I do but there’s this voice in my head and it just tells me everything that’s wrong with me and tell’s me that I’m worthless and that I’d be better off dead.


By Forum Admin

Living With Depression 

 A personal exploration of mood disorders.


This month I took yet another nosedive into the jagged canyons of depression and agitation. I am able to describe the descent quite well.

 

By Lindsay
Patient Asks If They Should Stop Taking

Their Medication

Q. After years of being treated for bipolar i may have been misdiagnosed. I’ve been taking lithium for bipolar disorder for over 7 years and for the last 5 years have been on the lowest possible dose that when i get my levels taken it shows a barely theraputic level. From about 15yrs old to 17yrs old i suffered with depression and social anxiety with no manic episodes whatsover. I was taking Zolaft and Busbar but not religously at all. i would skip and than over medicate myself while taking drugs and alchohal. During that time i had 1 major manic episode that landed me in the hospital. Since then I’ve been on lithium which the depression subsided after a year or so and I never had a manic episode again. my doctor says he would like to try and wean me off. He believes my original diagnosis of bipolar disorder may have been mistaken for a mild mood disorder. I was both happy and extremely frightened by his report. I would say the past 5 years of my life I’ve never felt more emotionally stable and happy. However; what if my doctor is wrong and i fall back into a major depression or have an episode? I went through a lot of pain and treatment until i finally got things right. Basically my question is what is the success rate when a patient with bipolar disorder is taken off of their meds via instruction and monitring of their doctor? Any feedback would be more then appreciated as this is one of the hardest decisions i am facing in my life.

A. I do not fully understand why your doctor wants you to come off the medication when you seem to want to stay on it. You said that for the last five years of your life you have “never felt more stable and happy.” There may be other factors involved in why your doctor wants to wean you off of the medication that you did not report in this letter.


By Barry Middleton

'RECESSION DEPRESSION'

Coping with troubling times

Published: Saturday, February 28, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.

As a mental health professional, I am seeing more and more patients who are suffering from what I call "recession depression."

There is no doubt that in recent weeks a new element has appeared in the mental health field. People are worried about the recession, losing value in homes and stocks and losing their jobs. The stress is new, but the tools needed to cope are not.

Acceptance of circumstances which are beyond our control, an organized wellness program, and positive thinking habits are still the best defense against depression.

Here are a few coping tips that will help:

  • Learn the basics of positive thinking or cognitive management. Our own thoughts are a powerful tool for calming and self-soothing.
  • Create a budget that allows you to spend less money than you earn. Get some help with this if necessary; don't tell yourself it can't be done.

By Lindsay

Can I Seek Mental Health Treatment While


In Military?


Q.  I am 21 year old US Air Force member, and I suspect that i have bipolar disorder. However I am unable to get treatment or a diagnosis because a mental illness would classify me as unfit for duty. Also after I get out I plan on getting a job in law enforcement, another career that mental illnesses are a no go. I wanted to know if there was a way to get treatment without getting this on recor, maybe an all natral treament of somthing along those linesso that I can continue with my career goals but still have some relief from the symptoms of said disorder.

A. Are you certain that if you attend mental health treatment it would be reported? Can you say with certainty that getting treatment bars you from a future career in law enforcement? Before you conclude that you cannot seek traditional mental health treatments, I’d recommend verifying whether these assertions are true.


By Lindsay

Asian Culture and Depression

By Kristina Randle, LCSW
February 2, 2009


Q.   Hi, I’m sixteen years old and living as an expatriate in Hong Kong Ever since I was about 12, I’ve been falling in and out of phases where I’d get really down and stop eating, and used to depend my emotional well being upon a boy.
Yet now, I’m scared because I know I’m getting too sad to function, and I can’t pull myself together. I don’t have an appetite, I never do my homework anymore, I can’t even wake up in the morning and feel like socializing with my friends is impossible. Its as if I’m trying to float in the middle of the sea, when its just so much easier to sink and die.
 

(Page 1 of 2)   
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This Month In Pictures
Members Online
Medical News
Depression News From Medical News Today
Latest Depression News From Medical News Today.

A Risk Factor In Childhood Asthma Symptoms May Be Mother's Depression
Asthma symptoms can worsen in children with depressed mothers, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center published online in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

Telephone-Delivered Care For Treating Depression After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Appears To Improve Outcomes
Patients who received telephone-delivered collaborative care for treatment of depression after coronary artery bypass graft surgery reported greater improvement in measures of quality of life, physical functioning and mood than patients who received usual care, according to a study in the November 18 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because of its presentation at an American Heart Association scientific conference.




ADHD News From Medical News Today
Latest ADHD News From Medical News Today.

Shire Reports Analysis Examining Emotional Lability In Children With ADHD Taking Vyvanse
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced findings from a post hoc analysis examining emotional lability from Phase 3 study data with Vyvanse®. In this study, Vyvanse demonstrated significant improvement in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms as measured by the ADHD Rating Scale IV (ADHD-RS IV) and Connors' Parent Rating Scale-Revised Short (CPRS-RS) in children with ADHD aged 6 to 12 years.

Queen's And Yale Researchers Win Award For Study That Links Health And Education
Queen's University researcher Steven Lehrer has won a prestigious international award in recognition of his contributions to health economics. A professor in Queen's School of Policy Studies and Department of Economics, Dr. Lehrer shares the RAND Corporation's Victor R. Fuchs Research Award with Jason Fletcher of Yale University.




Anxiety / Stress News From Medical News Today
Latest Anxiety / Stress News From Medical News Today.

People With Type D Personalities Experience More Health Problems
People who experience a lot of negative emotions and do not express these experience more health problems, says Dutch researcher Aline Pelle. She discovered that heart failure patients with a negative outlook reported their complaints to a physician or nurse far less often. The personality of the partner can also exert a considerable influence on these patients. Aline Pelle investigated patients with a so-called type D personality.

Easing Needle Anxiety
Needle! For some people, the word-almost as much as the sight of one sliding into skin-is enough for people to cringe, cry, even swoon if they're standing in line waiting for one. Experts believe fear of needles may be preventing people from rolling up their sleeves for the H1N1 vaccination.




Bipolar News From Medical News Today
Latest Bipolar News From Medical News Today.

New Certified Reference Materials Offer Greater Certainty In Monitoring 3 Therapeutic Medications
To help bring greater certainty to the measurement of medication levels in a patient's bloodstream for three drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is releasing new certified reference materials (CRMs).

Mood Dysfunction Improved In Gene Knockout Mice
Removing the PKCI/HINT1 gene from mice has an anti-depressant-like and anxiolytic-like effect. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience applied a battery of behavioral tests to the PKCI/HINT1 knockout animals, concluding that the deleted gene may have an important role in mood regulation.




Mental Health News From Medical News Today
Latest Mental Health News From Medical News Today.

Innovative Therapy That Offers New Hope For Borderline Personality Disorder
Patients coping with the chaos and misery of Borderline Personality Disorder now have reason for strong confidence in making major life changes through a new treatment, Schema Therapy. For the first time, three major outcome studies have shown that many patients with Borderline Personality Disorder can achieve full recovery across the complete range of symptoms.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd Withdraws Its Application For An Extension Of Indication For Abilify (aripiprazole), Europe
The European Medicines Agency has been formally notified by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd of its decision to withdraw its application for an extension of indication for the centrally authorised medicine Abilify (aripiprazole) tablets, orodispersible tablets and oral solution. Abilify was expected to be used in the treatment of major depressive episodes, as adjunctive therapy, in patients who have had an inadequate response to previous treatment with antidepressants.




Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today
Latest Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today.

Mathematical Abilities Examined In Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits, but mathematical ability seems particularly damaged. Little is known about the brain structures related to mathematical deficits in children with FASD. A new study that used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the relationship between mathematical skills and brain white matter structure in children with FASD supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical tasks.

Innovative Therapy That Offers New Hope For Borderline Personality Disorder
Patients coping with the chaos and misery of Borderline Personality Disorder now have reason for strong confidence in making major life changes through a new treatment, Schema Therapy. For the first time, three major outcome studies have shown that many patients with Borderline Personality Disorder can achieve full recovery across the complete range of symptoms.




Schizophrenia News From Medical News Today
Latest Schizophrenia News From Medical News Today.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd Withdraws Its Application For An Extension Of Indication For Abilify (aripiprazole), Europe
The European Medicines Agency has been formally notified by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd of its decision to withdraw its application for an extension of indication for the centrally authorised medicine Abilify (aripiprazole) tablets, orodispersible tablets and oral solution. Abilify was expected to be used in the treatment of major depressive episodes, as adjunctive therapy, in patients who have had an inadequate response to previous treatment with antidepressants.

Metabolic Effects Significantly Lower With INVEGA(R) Compared To Olanzapine
New data from a 6-month open label randomised controlled trial show INVEGA® (paliperidone ER) is associated with significantly less metabolic effects compared to oral olanzapine in people with schizophrenia, while demonstrating comparable efficacy.1 The results were presented at the 15th Biennial Winter Workshop in Psychoses in Barcelona, Spain.




Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today
Latest Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today.

Baby's Sleep Position Is The Major Factor In 'Flat-Headedness'
A baby's sleep position is the best predictor of a misshapen skull condition known as deformational plagiocephaly - or the development of flat spots on an infant's head - according to findings reported by Arizona State University scientists in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Night Beat, Overtime And A Disrupted Sleep Pattern Can Harm Officers' Health
A police officer who works the night shift, typically from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., already is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a good "night's" sleep. Add frequent overtime to that schedule, and an officer may be climbing into bed as the sun comes up, setting the stage for short and unrestful slumber. A new study published in the current issue of Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health (vol. 64, No.




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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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