If you - or someone you know - are having thoughts about suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Calls are connected to a certified crisis center nearest the caller's location. Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you - or someone you know - are having thoughts about suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Calls are connected to a certified crisis center nearest the caller's location. Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Depression Forums - A Depression & Mental Health Social Community Support Group
Posted By SunshineRayy On Monday, 22 April 2013 19:05 I feel like as a community and as people we can all relate to this: Plato said, "Be kind, for e... Read More
Posted By Trace On Monday, 07 January 2013 06:01 Time for a new thread, last few from the last one. Oops let the last one get too long due to holiday... Read More
Posted By mjtf On Tuesday, 21 May 2013 10:26 Hi everyone, so happy to have found this site. I am feeling very alone and have so much stress ... Read More
Posted By itstrevor On Wednesday, 05 September 2012 07:53 I would like to start this thread for everyone to share their experiences with anhedonia (emotional ... Read More
Posted By abyssal On Monday, 05 December 2011 22:39 Depression, by its very nature, involves emotions we would rather not have. We have to deal with the... Read More
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, as well as striving to obtain quality medical care for mental health patients, as it is no different from any other medical illness.
05/09/2013 Which means, in my experience, that it is still, to some extent at least, alcohol awareness month. Many people who suffer with undiagnosed depression or anxiety reach for alcohol or drugs to calm their nerves or relieve them of emotional pain. In other words, they self-medicate. Rather than seek out some help in managing depression, anxiety or chronic resentment, they seek their own solution -- a solution which, while it works pretty well for a while, eventually complicates the issues and leads to more pain. It's the same sort of premise as having access to your own morphine drip: You administer your own dose whenever you begin to feel pain.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Many people can get rid of temporary pain by having a couple of drinks and calming down in the evening, say, or by knocking back some "liquid courage" before facing a social event. For some, there's no more to it than this, and their use of alcohol remains fairly benign. But for another group, a group that is larger than any one cares to admit, the solution slips into a dependency, and the dependency slips into an addiction. Slowly, this group becomes trapped in their own solution. Not only can they not quite face an evening without some "help," but their own healthy coping strategies begin to atrophy through lack of use. And as they increasingly depend more and more on a substance to change their mood, their relationship with that substance comes to have a life of its own. Pretty soon you aren't really sure who you are talking to at dinner: Is it the person you remember or that person "under the influence"? Is it the "booze talking" expansively, angrily, or overly confidently, or is it them?
The connection between alcohol/drugs and mental health is not made enough and cannot be made too often. Once a using pattern begins, often innocently enough, it can come to have a life of its own. No longer is the person downing a drink -- now the drink is downing the person.
Published By Lindsay, 2013-05-12 22:48:21 Read More...
My husband and I recently went to a “marriage conference” attended by (and highly recommended by) some of our friends. One would think that a relationship-focused conference would be something that most men would avoid at all costs, equating it to sitting for seven straight hours in a women’s clothing store while their wife tries on outfit after outfit, asking “do I look fat in this?”
Yet the atmosphere at this event, the Love & Respect Live Conference, was something the likes of which I’ve never experienced. As the primary speaker, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, spoke, the men in the audience laughed out loud, nodded their heads and visibly appeared moved. According to my husband, Eggerichs was expressing concepts that uncannily described what matters most to men in a relationship. The thing is - men being men - most don’t actually know what they most deeply need from a woman (other than the obvious!) and would not be able to describe or articulate it.
Published By Lindsay, 2013-04-27 16:13:45 Read More...
Despite these factors, girls with ADHD remain at significant psychosocial risk into adulthood.
By E. Mark Mahone, PhD | October 3, 2012
Childhood ADHD is a major public health problem, with prevalence estimated to be over 5 million children in the US alone. Of particular concern is the recent increase in diagnosis of the disorder. In 2011, the CDC estimated that nearly 9% of children in the US (1 of 11 children between the ages of 5 and 17) have ADHD; the diagnosis is made in approximately twice as many boys as girls.1 Moreover, ADHD rarely exists alone. In most children with ADHD (75% to 80%), a second (or even third) psychiatric disorder develops at some point in their lives.
Published By Lindsay, 2013-04-21 19:20:08 Read More...
Spring has sprung, at least for most of us, which means sundresses, seersucker and boozy croquet parties on the front lawn. Goodbye happy lamp, hello mimosa.
But it’s not just champagne that’s lifting our spirits and banishing the wintertime blues. According to Google (and a team of researchers from the University of Southern California, Harvard and Johns Hopkins) mental illnesses — such as obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and anorexia — are far more seasonal than we think.
The epidemiologists, led by John Ayers, combed through every Google search performed in the United States and Australia between 2006 and 2010, looking for queries like “symptoms of” and “medications for” OCD, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar, depression, anorexia, bulimia and schizophrenia.
Published By Lindsay, 2013-04-22 13:13:21 Read More...
April 21, 2013
Psychiatric medications are among the most frequently-prescribed medications in this country and throughout the world. One in 10 Americans takes an anti-depressant. Yet despite the incessant barrage of multi-media drug promotions, you may not have the answers to the questions you most want answered.
I asked more than a dozen expert psychiatric colleagues, and myself, the questions they most frequently receive about psychiatric medications from people who take them or their families. Here are a dozen of those many questions; the responses are mine.
Published By Lindsay, 2013-04-21 18:31:21 Read More...
Annmarie Timmins, age 9 (left), with her brother on vacation in Franconia Notch.
After the Monitor’s mental health series, “In Crisis,” was published last week, I got one reaction more than any other: Readers were surprised, some unconvinced, that 26 percent of New Hampshire’s residents have a mental health disorder.
The statistic appeared in the second story of the series and came from a 2010 study by the Concord-based New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies. The percentage includes a range of diagnoses, from major depression to anxiety problems to bipolar disorder.
“Didn’t 26 percent seem high?” a caller asked me last week.
Not to me. But I’m one of the 26 percent.
I have been hospitalized twice for “suicidal ideation,” most recently for eight days in 2009 with a diagnosis of “major depressive order and anxiety disorder,” according to my records. I take four medications a day and have my counselor’s name and number in my emergency contacts on my cell phone.
This will be news to most of the people who know me, family members included. That’s because with lots of help from my husband, a lot of exercise (one of my therapies) and medication, I’m able to keep my depression and breakdowns private.
So, I understand the reaction to the 26 percent.
Published By Forum Admin, 2013-04-08 21:23:50 Read More...
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Member Testimonials
Prudence Jane, on 08 November 2011 - 03:29 PM, said:
I was posting on the forum of the REVIVRE organization (literally means "rebirth" in French), an organization that helps people who struggle with bipolar, anxiety and depression disorders in Montreal, Canada. There was a thread about other forums that us members we're on and someone mentionned Depression Forums. I was curious, I checked it out, thought it was great and decided to create myself an account. And I've been posting here ever since :) Voila! ;) (Prudence Jane)
If someone has cancer, heart disease or certain other physical ailments, we have compassion for them. But there is one illness that often elicits shame, not compassion. It is silenced in many families and that silence can add to the burden of those who have it: Mental Illness.
Think about it. If someone in your family suffers from depression, anxiety disorders, bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia, do you share that information as easily as you do other health conditions? Over the centuries, our society has conditioned us to feel as if mental health issues are something to hide – a character flaw.
When we feed into that stereotype, we may inadvertently send a signal to friends and family with mental illness, that they would be judged, unloved or shunned. Research shows that the causes of mental illness are usually a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.
It is not the fault of the person with the mental illness.
Brittany Snow and Jason Ritter which premiered on
Lifetime Television on April 20. (Photo: Lifetime Television)
By Katrina Gay, NAMI Director of Communications
In April, Lifetime Television premiered Call Me Crazy, a series of interconnected short films that deal with the subject of mental illness. Through five short stories named after each title character—Lucy, Eddie, Allison, Grace and Maggie—powerful relationships built on hope and triumph give viewers a new understanding of what happens when a loved one struggles with mental illness.
The two-hour movie event aired on television on Sat., April 20. NAMI attended the premiere on April 16 in Los Angeles and was honored by the network for its work on behalf of individuals and families affected by mental illness. In addition, Lifetime presented NAMI with a generous contribution and a public service announcement titled It’s Time. The PSA features testimonials by many of the film’s talent, including Brittany Snow, Jennifer Hudson, Octavia Spencer, Ernie Hudson, Jean Smart, Melissa Leo and others, who all joined together to urge action and support for NAMI.
Other stars associated with the film included Jennifer Anniston, who served as one of the film’s executive producers, and Ashley Judd, who directed Maggie.
Months after retiring from professional sports, Olympic medallist Clara Hughes talks about her brush with depression and the Bell Let's Talk campaign.
Clara Hughes: ‘I want to erase the stigma’ of mental health issues
Months after retiring from professional sports, Olympic medallist Clara Hughes talks about her brush with depression and the Bell Let's Talk campaign.
Ex-Olympian Clara Hughes says engaging youth on mental health is key to removing stigma.
By:Niamh ScallanNews reporter, Published on Tue Feb 12 2013
“Sport that consumed me for over two decades . . . is now gone. Now it’s just me. No pressure, no expectations, no need to be fast, good, strong or to even improve. Yet I can’t let go of this idea that I always need to be more than I am. And it is eating me alive.”— Clara Hughes, in a January 2013 blog post
Clara Hughes knew the transition wouldn’t be easy, but little prepared her for life after professional sport.
The majority of her time once consumed by gruelling training regimens, the six-time Olympic medallist in cycling and speed skating found herself struggling late last year — at a time she would usually begin winter training — when she began to realize that her life was no longer geared toward the next big race.
“Life in permanent off-season,” she called it in her poignant January blog post, which chronicled some of the mental and emotional difficulties she’s faced since completing her final race at the 2012 London Games.
NEW YORK — Throughout life, even shortly before death, the brain can remodel itself, responding to a person's experiences. This phenomenon, known as neuroplasticity, offers a powerful tool to improve well-being, experts say.
"We now have evidence that engaging in pure mental training can induce changes not just in the function of the brain, but in the brain's structure itself," Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told an audience at the New York Academy of Sciences on Feb. 6.
The brain's plasticity does change over time, Davidson pointed out. For instance, young children have an easier time learning a second language or a musical instrument, he said.
Exercise for the mind
The idea of training the brain is not a radical one, said Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist at the University Miami and another panelist for the discussion.
"How many of you think engaging in certain kinds of physical activity will change the way the body works? Our cultural understanding now is that specific types of activity can alter the body in noticeable ways," Jha said, adding that this cultural understanding may be shifting to incorporate the mind as well. [10 Easy Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp]
Respect and intimacy are the foundation on which loving relationships are built. Without such safety and connection, there can be no trust; without trust, we lose the ability to be playful, spontaneous, and joyful The following are common issues in relationships that, if unaddressed, can kill love and happiness. For each relationship-ruining issue below, I explain what it is, why it is a problem, why we do it, and what we can do instead to heal and repair this issue. When people have the courage to look at these patterns, admit their own contribution, and are willing to change and put their relationships first, even the most difficult relationship problems can be healed.
(1) Lack of Trust
Definition
Inability to trust our partners may take many forms, including feeling that they are being dishonest or hiding something from us, not trusting them to be reliable and consistent, and available when we need them, fearing they may take advantage of us, not trusting their values as human beings, or not feeling safe to express who we really are in our relationships.
Feb. 6, 2013 — Abusive bosses who target employees with ridicule, public criticism, and the silent treatment not only have a detrimental effect on the employees they bully, but they negatively impact the work environment for the co-workers of those employees who suffer from "second-hand" or vicarious abusive supervision, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.
In the first ever study to investigate vicarious supervisory abuse, Paul Harvey, associate professor of organizational behavior at UNH, and his research colleagues Kenneth Harris and Raina Harris from Indiana University Southeast and Melissa Cast from New Mexico State University find that vicarious supervisory abuse is associated with job frustration, abuse of other coworkers, and a lack of perceived organizational support beyond the effects of the abusive supervisor.
Optimal treatment of sleep apnea in patients with prediabetes improves blood sugar (glucose) levels and thus can reduce cardiometabolic risk, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference May 17-22, 2013 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
Depression News From Medical News Today Monday, 20 May 2013 22:00
In 2008 researchers from the University of Southern Denmark showed that the drug thioridazine, which has previously been used to treat schizophrenia, is also a powerful weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as staphylococci (Staphylococcus aureus)...
Schizophrenia News From Medical News Today Monday, 20 May 2013 21:00
A new review finds cancer survivors suffer a diverse and complex set of impairments, affecting virtually every organ system. Writing in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Julie Silver, M.D...
Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today Monday, 20 May 2013 21:00
Chronic trauma can inflict lasting damage to brain regions associated with fear and anxiety. Previous imaging studies of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have shown that these brain regions can over-or under-react in response to stressful tasks, such as recalling a traumatic event or reacting to a photo of a threatening face...
Anxiety / Stress News From Medical News Today Monday, 20 May 2013 21:00
Boys who are diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are twice as likely to become obese in adulthood than those who did not have the condition when they were young, a new long-term study has shown...
ADHD News From Medical News Today Monday, 20 May 2013 21:00
Among intensive care unit patients receiving acute ventilatory support for respiratory failure, use of patient-preferred music resulted in greater reduction in anxiety and sedation frequency and intensity compared with usual care, according to a study published online by JAMA...
Anxiety / Stress News From Medical News Today Monday, 20 May 2013 08:00
Patients with treatment-resistant major depression saw dramatic improvement in their illness after treatment with ketamine, an anesthetic, according to the largest ketamine clinical trial to-date led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai...
Depression News From Medical News Today Sunday, 19 May 2013 22:00
Northwestern University scientists have shown a gene involved in neurodegenerative disease also plays a critical role in the proper function of the circadian clock. In a study of the common fruit fly, the researchers found the gene, called Ataxin-2, keeps the clock responsible for sleeping and waking on a 24-hour rhythm...
Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today Sunday, 19 May 2013 21:00
Frontiers in Endocrinology Differential roles of orexin receptors in the regulation of sleep/wakefulness Takeshi Sakurai, the lead author on the 1998 article that first described orexin, here reviews the latest research on orexin and its role in regulating sleep and wakefulness...
Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia News From Medical News Today Sunday, 19 May 2013 21:00
Why do so many sports players and athletes choose to wear the color red when they compete? A new study to be published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests that it may have to do with their testosterone levels...
Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today Sunday, 19 May 2013 21:00
Whether we're listening to Bach or the blues, our brains are wired to make music-color connections depending on how the melodies make us feel, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. For instance, Mozart's jaunty Flute Concerto No...
Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today Sunday, 19 May 2013 22:00
The relationship between the heritable risk for schizophrenia and low intelligence (IQ) has not been clear. Schizophrenia is commonly associated with cognitive impairments that may cause functional disability. There are clues that reduced IQ may be linked to the risk for developing schizophrenia. For example, reduced cognitive ability may precede the onset of schizophrenia symptoms...
Schizophrenia News From Medical News Today Sunday, 19 May 2013 21:00
