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on: Friday, 05 December 2008 05:22
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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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Depression Forums Welcome's you!
Our mission is to create an atmosphere that is both supportive and informative in a caring, safe environment for our members to talk to their peers about depression, anxiety, mood disorders, medications, therapy and recovery.
Our vision is to advance the public awareness of mental health issues so as to eliminate the stigma that surrounds depression and mood disorders through education and advocacy, not to forget to strive to obtain the equality for mental health care coverage as it is no different from any other medical illness.
Newsworthy
ScienceDaily (Nov. 11, 2006)
— People who get scared when they experience a pounding heart, sweaty
palms or dizziness -- even if the cause is something as mundane as
stress, exercise or caffeine -- are more likely to develop a clinical
case of anxiety or panic disorder, according to a Florida State
University researcher in Tallahassee, Fla. 
While other researchers have proposed a connection between this
so-called "anxiety sensitivity" and a range of anxiety problems, the
study by FSU psychology professors N. Brad Schmidt and Jon Maner and
University of Vermont Professor Michael Zvolensky provides the first
evidence that anxiety sensitivity is a risk factor in the development
of anxiety disorders. The study will be published in the December issue
of the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
by Forum Admin, 2008-11-15 12:00:00 More...
Acting Up is Not “Acting-Out”
By Dr George Simon, PhD | 21 October 2008
True “acting-out” is an
outward manifestation of an emotional conflict that can’t be
consciously recognized by an individual. Acting-up is NOT acting-out.
by Forum Admin, 2008-11-22 12:30:00 More...The Comorbity Between Depression And Pain
ScienceDaily (Nov. 5, 2008)
— The brains of individuals with major depressive disorder appear to
react more strongly when anticipating pain and also display altered
functioning of the neural network that modifies pain sensitivity,
according to a new report. 
"Chronic pain and depression are common and often overlapping
syndromes," the authors write as background information in the article.
Recurring or chronic pain occurs in more than 75 percent of patients
with depression, and between 30 percent and 60 percent of patients with
chronic pain report symptoms of depression "Understanding the
neurobiological basis of this relationship is important because the
presence of comorbid pain contributes significantly to poorer outcomes
and increased cost of treatment in major depressive disorder."
by Forum Admin, 2008-11-15 11:30:00 More...
The
holiday season brings forth great memories of holiday seasons past.
Each year we want to recreate those holiday memories, and make our
holiday season a memorable one. In the process, we can sometimes get
overwhelmed and lose focus of the true purpose of the holiday season.
In order to keep focus of the holiday season and avoid feeling
overwhelmed, consider making a checklist to keep track of your dreams
and goals for this holiday season. This checklist will help you to keep
your holiday focus without losing yours.
by Lindsay, 2008-11-02 17:30:00 More... Medications are not always indicated for the treatment of depression
and depend, in part, on patient choice and severity of depression as
well. If you and your provider decide that medication is needed to
treat your depression it is important for you to do your part in
achieving success.  - Take your depression medication exactly as prescribed.
- Do not stop any depression medication unless
directed to do so by your provider. When some depression medications
are discontinued, abruptly worsening depression, anxiety and flu-like
symptoms can occur. These are not life-threatening but can be quite
uncomfortable if they occur. This is more likely with medications that
have a shorter half-life like Paxil and Effexor but can happen with
others as well.
by Lindsay, 2008-11-15 14:00:00 More...
Weighing the Risks: The Coming Of Age On Antidepressants
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D. “I’ve grown up on medication,” my patient Julie told me recently. “I don’t have a sense of who I really am without it.”
At 31, she had been on one antidepressant or another nearly
continuously since she was 14. There was little question that she had
very serious depression and had survived several suicide attempts . In fact, she credited the medication with saving her life.
But now she was raising an equally fundamental question: how the
drugs might have affected her psychological development and core
identity. It was not an issue I had seriously considered before. Most of my
patients, who are adults, developed their psychiatric problems after
they had a pretty clear idea of who they were as individuals. During
treatment, most of them could tell me whether they were back to their
normal baseline. by Lindsay, 2008-11-15 13:30:00 More... Thank You, Depression Forums!
Most of you, in fact maybe all of you, will not remember me. It’s been
nearly two years since I last posted here. I believe that’s long past
due for an update to the people who helped me so much, even though they
didn’t even know me!
I’m 19 years old now, still young and very happy to be back on track
with my life. It’s hard for me to write about the past two years of my
life, because even now I have a hard time accepting that I wasn’t to
blame. I’ll start where I left off. The last time I posted, I was on my
way to my aunts house after being kicked out of my house and losing my
baby. In the year and a half following that, I experienced a downward
spiral of abuse, self-hate, addiction, and severe destructive
relationships. Happily, I’m not here to talk about those things, I’m here to thank you
all, because without the people here who sent me such kind mails,
thought about me in my hardest hour, or simply listened, I really don’t
think I would have made it to where I stand today.When I finally went to a real counselor last year, I heard time and time again that the first step towards healing is to accept yourself as someone who deserves to be alive. This is what I struggled with the most in my journey towards healing.by helpless_broken, 2008-09-23 10:00:00 More...
Recent Articles
Desperate Housewives: A Thanksgiving Turkey
***********************
NAMI StigmaBuster Alert
***********************
ABC's Desperate Housewives is currently running a plotline in which a mysterious
stranger, "Dave Williams" (played by Neal McDonough), moves into the neighborhood,
after marrying one of the characters.
Another character learns that Dave has been released from a "center for the
criminally insane." His psychiatrist arrives to confront him. Dave kills the
psychiatrist and sets a fire in a nightclub to cover up the crime. He rescues others
from the fire and is seen as a hero.
Medications are not always indicated for the treatment of depression
and depend, in part, on patient choice and severity of depression as
well. If you and your provider decide that medication is needed to
treat your depression it is important for you to do your part in
achieving success. - Take your depression medication exactly as prescribed.
- Do not stop any depression medication unless
directed to do so by your provider. When some depression medications
are discontinued, abruptly worsening depression, anxiety and flu-like
symptoms can occur. These are not life-threatening but can be quite
uncomfortable if they occur. This is more likely with medications that
have a shorter half-life like Paxil and Effexor but can happen with
others as well.
- By Lindsay
- Published 11/15/2008
- Med News Articles , Meds
Weighing the Risks: The Coming Of Age On Antidepressants
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D. “I’ve grown up on medication,” my patient Julie told me recently. “I don’t have a sense of who I really am without it.”
At 31, she had been on one antidepressant or another nearly
continuously since she was 14. There was little question that she had
very serious depression and had survived several suicide attempts . In fact, she credited the medication with saving her life.
But now she was raising an equally fundamental question: how the
drugs might have affected her psychological development and core
identity. It was not an issue I had seriously considered before. Most of my
patients, who are adults, developed their psychiatric problems after
they had a pretty clear idea of who they were as individuals. During
treatment, most of them could tell me whether they were back to their
normal baseline.
Fibromyalgia Pain at NightDo you toss and turn at night because of fibromyalgia pain or
discomfort?
"People with fibromyalgia tend to have very disturbed sleep," says
Doris Cope, MD, director of Pain Management at the University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine. "Even if they sleep 10 hours a night, they still feel
fatigued, don't feel rested."
Research shows that with fibromyalgia, there is an automatic arousal in the
brain during sleep. Frequent disruptions prevent the important restorative
processes from occurring. Growth hormone is mostly produced during sleep.
Without restorative sleep and the surge of growth hormone, muscles don’t heal
and neurotransmitters (like the mood chemical serotonin) are not replenished.
The lack of a good night’s sleep makes people with fibromyalgia wake up feeling
tired and fatigued.
The result: The body can't recuperate from the day's stresses -- all of
which overwhelms the system, creating a great sensitivity to pain. Widespread
pain, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and memory difficulties are
all symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Insomnia takes many forms -- trouble falling asleep, waking up often during
the night, having trouble going back to sleep, and waking up too early in the
morning. Smoothing out those sleep problems -- and helping people get the deep
sleep their bodies need -- helps fibromyalgia pain improve significantly,
research shows.
Medications can help enhance sleep and relieve pain. But doctors also
advocate lifestyle changes to help sleep come naturally.
The Comorbity Between Depression And Pain
ScienceDaily (Nov. 5, 2008)
— The brains of individuals with major depressive disorder appear to
react more strongly when anticipating pain and also display altered
functioning of the neural network that modifies pain sensitivity,
according to a new report.
"Chronic pain and depression are common and often overlapping
syndromes," the authors write as background information in the article.
Recurring or chronic pain occurs in more than 75 percent of patients
with depression, and between 30 percent and 60 percent of patients with
chronic pain report symptoms of depression "Understanding the
neurobiological basis of this relationship is important because the
presence of comorbid pain contributes significantly to poorer outcomes
and increased cost of treatment in major depressive disorder."
Seasons
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Live Person Question
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Depression Forums would like to hear from you!
Depression Forums would like to hear from you!
Mental illness affects one in seventeen Americans.
We
would like to invite you to share your story about
your Depression, as breaking the silence will help us to break open the
stigma surrounding mental health that keeps people from getting the
care that continues misunderstandings about those affected by mental
health disorders.
Stories with a positive outlook are most welcome.
There is nothing better than to speak out, tell your story and get the word out!
There is hope!
Together, we can help ourselves and others.
Please PM Forum Admin for more information to submit your story.
Warm Regards,
~Lindsay and The Depression Forums Administration Staff
This Month In Pictures
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Medical News
Andertoon
A Potpourri of Mental Health Articles
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Suicide Prevention Llifeline
Amazon Books
Our Soldiers & Veterans
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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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Att: Mental Health Professionals
Take advantage of
this excellent opportunity
to promote your practice, research, career
and
expertise.
Depression Forums, Incorporated is now starting a
Therapists Directory so that we will offer to our members
access to a searchable database of Mental Health
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