Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com
|
||
|
||
|
Information About Depression | Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com |
|
|
|
Chronic Depression: Disease or Charcter Flaw?
A major survey on depression symptoms from the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), released in july 2001, revealed adramatic degree of progress in public understanding. Yet even amid this promising trend, the survey sheds light on thedifficulties faced by millions of people striving to manage this sometimes chronic, life-long illness. The NMHA survey shows a major shift in public opinion in the last decade about the cause of depression. A majority (55 percent) ofthose polled who have never been diagnosed with depression symptoms understand depression is a disease, and not "a state of mindthat a person can snap out of." In 1991, only 38 percent recognized depression as an illness. The survey also sketches a troubling portrait of the socio-economic lives of some people with depression symptoms. Survey respondentswith depression symptoms reported higher levels of unemployment and divorce than respondents who don't have the disorder. "We set out to get a snapshot of the state of depression and its treatment," said Michael M. Faenza, president and CEO of the NMHA."The good news is that there is greater public understanding of depression and that people living with depression are finding substantialrelief by following their treatment plans. The challenging part is understanding the degree to which public perceptions impact those intreatment," said Faenza. In this year's survey, nearly one in three Americans say they believe depression symptoms is a state of mind. "Fifty-five percent understand thetruth about depression. That is good, but it is not enough," said Faenza. "You'd never hear 31 percent of the population deny that diabetesand heart disease are real. Erroneous beliefs about depression fuel stigma, bad public policies and poor personal choices by thoseliving with the illness and may impede their recovery." The survey also describes a strong correlation between clinical depression symptoms and diminished social and economic circumstancesfor families. Survey respondents with depression report greater rates of divorce and unemployment than the general public. What's more,respondents who have experienced multiple depressive episodes are even more likely to be divorced or unemployed. They also aremore likely to have lower income and educational levels.The NMHA survey, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies LLC, comprised interviews with 500 adults currently being treated fordepression, 300 primary care physicians, psychiatrists and psychologists and 800 members of the general public. Gap Between Knowledge and Behavior Survey respondents who are living with depression symptoms overwhelmingly feel that treatment, including medication, psychotherapy orboth, works. (Their average self-rated symptom severity dropped from 8.5 before treatment to 3.6 within six to 12 months after startingtreatment, using a severity scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most severe.) Yet people are finding that staying with treatment is hard work. While they seem to understand the value of long-term treatment (in fact,most respondents believe that adhering to treatment is not difficult) nearly one-third (29 percent) of people on antidepressants reportskipping doses during the week and nearly one-fourth (24 percent) have difficulty attending regular psychotherapy sessions. However,physicians and psychiatrists surveyed believe adherence is much lower than people in treatment profess. Almost 40 percent of doctorsbelieve those they treat have difficulty staying with their medication regimens (a number consistent with most studies), and half (52 percent)say those they treat have difficulty staying with their psychotherapy regimens. The survey suggests many reasons why some people don't stick with treatment. In addition to struggling with the nature and demandsof the depression symptoms, they may find the requirements of long-term vigilance overwhelming. A majority of doctors (70 percent) saythose they treat for depression symptoms might find adherence easier if they could take medication less often. But medication is not theonly issue. Though people with depression symptoms believe diet and exercise to be beneficial to long-term wellness, they neverthelessreport not adhering with these regimens either. "The survey clearly shows that the fewer episodes of depression people reported, the more likely they were to have stayed withtreatment, whatever that treatment may be," said Faenza. "Facing up to this illness and taking personal responsibility for its treatmentare vital. Yet some may not acknowledge and seek treatment for depression because of negative public attitudes and misperceptions." In fact, even as people with depression symptoms struggle with the illness itself, they also seem to be searching to determine theirbest course of treatment, how long they should stay in treatment, what they might expect from treatment and whether they will ultimatelyrecover. As a result, more people are employing a combination of techniques to get and stay well. Perceptions Diverge Public perceptions about depression symptoms often diverge significantly from the perceptions of people in treatment and maydiscourage them from seeking effective therapeutic approaches. For example, the survey results showed that the general publicranks regular exercise, a healthy diet and psychotherapy higher than medication for effectiveness in warding off future episodes ofdepression symptoms. In contrast, doctors and people in long-term treatment rate staying on medication as the most effective way toprevent a relapse, even as they seek the right mix of psychotherapy and lifestyle choices. Perceptions also diverge when it comes to understanding what treatment can deliver. Thirty-five percent of the general public believethat a person can be cured completely of depression symptoms, a belief held by only 12 percent of people in long-term treatment forthe illness. It is likely that many in this group are struggling to achieve realistic expectations for treatment because the majority of subjectsin the survey sample are in long-term treatment for multiple episodes of depression symptoms. About half of those who experience depression symptoms will never have another episode; half will. The findings suggest that peopletreated for clinical depression symptoms understand the frequently episodic nature of this common illness. More than three-quarters(76 percent) believe that they will need some type of treatment for the rest of their lives, and most understand that their treatment willcontrol, but not necessarily cure, their depression symptoms.However, even as more people come to terms with the long-term demands of depression symptoms, too many still find it difficult to make atreatment plan work for them. "The upshot is that people living with depression conduct highly individualized searches for the right mixof therapies-medical, psychological or lifestyle. The last thing they need is for stigma or public misperceptions to diminish their efforts,"said Faenza. Source : National Mental Health Association, July 11, 2001 Charles Donovan is a study patient in the investigational trial for vagus nerve stimulation and chronic depression. He testified at the FDA Panel Meeting on June 15th and is the author of the upcoming book: Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression.
MORE RESOURCES: Depression - Google News Marie Osmond's Son Laid to Rest - Sports Daily Buzz (blog)
Support Groups Improve Birth Outcomes - Ivanhoe
'Madmen, Fools' Would Scuttle a Recovery: David G. Blanchflower - BusinessWeek
Feeling Depressed or Anxious? Screen Yourself Online - U.S. News & World Report
Wall Street posts best gains since Depression - Sydney Morning Herald
A Pay Cut For Congress - kypost.com
Doctors Test Extreme Therapy For Depression - WCVB-TV
Gov: Budget failure could cause NY depression - Crain's New York Business
Study: Dementia may be triggered by depression in diabetics - Drug Store News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Learn To Take Control of Depression While depression is a growing epidemic in western society, it remains to be one of the most treatable as well. While the medical profession looks first to medication, I believe only the most severe cases require any long-term medical treatment. Eliminate The Belief That Your Illness Is Genetic Many illnesses, emotional and otherwise, are often said to be genetic in origin. When one is told that their particular problem is of a genetic nature it often leaves them feeling helpless since, to date, the idea of reversing something that is stored deep within one's structural DNA, which exists in every single cell of one's body, is considered an impossibility. Depression: 14 Universal Laws for Recovery The Law of BlueJust sort of feeling blue, kinda out of it, gets confused with being depressed. We all get the blues from time to time, and they pass. A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we move away from it, we experience fear.This fear is actually millions of years old, for it arises from the biological programming of our species. More Than You Can Handle? There's a dangerous illness afflicting women everywhere across the nation. It's linked to considerable physical and mental suffering. New Treatment for Depression to be FDA Approved by Late June With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent depression. The approval of vagus nerve stimulation will be the first ever FDA approved long-term treatment option for the four million desperate Americans( and their families) who have not had an adequate response to traditional anti-depressants. When Your Mind Develops A Mind Of Its Own We've all been there? One minute your listening intently as your mother in law tells you for the tenth time about the people she met on her recent holiday? or to the boss as he delivers a presentation on improving productivity levels (yawn!)One minute you're listening? the next you're planning the colour scheme of the new kitchen or what you're going to be eating for dinner tonight! Basically, your mind has wandered!It's called 'stream of consciousness' and it happens to us all!Our minds are designed to work like that, flowing from one thought to the next. It's the basis of intelligent human thought? of creativity? even of survival. Omega 3 EPA: Natures Very Own Anti-depressant Since Dr Malcolm Peet, a consultant psychiatrist at Sheffield swallow court hospital released his findings about the effects of Ethyl Epa and its effects on people suffering from depression and low moods, many other studies have been performed using Ethyl Epa to help treat depression and related disorders. The vast majority of the studies that have been performed consistently confirmed that Ethyl Epa, a natural substance found in omega 3 fish oil, helps relieve depression and low moods. New Treatment for Depression to be Presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting Within the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of a medical breakthrough treatment for chronic or treatment-resistant depression. This new therapy will be presented at the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting in Atlanta from May 21st-May 25th. So You've Been Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder? If you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) you are not alone. It has been estimated that over 2 million people in the United States suffer from this form of mental illness which involves episodes of both mania and depression. I'm Not Depressed; I've Just Been Having A Lousy Conversation With Myself Not long ago, I attended a mastermind group. During the meeting, one of the women went into a litany about how terrible things had been in the past few weeks and how depressed she felt as a result. Know the Signs of Depression and Improve Your Life Typical signs of depression actually show a change in the way a person has come to think about himself."I just can't get myself to do any work around the house. Turn Depression into Joy Depression is the most prevalent disease of our time. Under the guise of informing the public, both the medical profession and the media are constantly "warning" us of the dangers and probabilities of the disease most likely to terminate us. First Thing You Should Do to Get Out of Depression Depression, in psychiatry, is a symptom of mood disorder characterized by intense feelings of loss, sadness, hopelessness, failure, and rejection. The two major types of mood disorder are unipolar disorder, also called major depression, and bipolar disorder, whose sufferers are termed manic-depressive. 5 Super Effective Tips To Kill Depression Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives. We get sad when we fail in our exams, when we're rejected by the person we love, or when someone very close to us passes away. FDA Nears Completion of Review of Vagus Nerve Stimulation For Chronic Depression On June 2 at 8:00 pm ET, Reuters news service issued a press release announcing that the FDA have nearly completed final review of the conditions outlined in the February "deemed approvable" letter for VNS Therapy as a treatment for chronic depression. Cyberonics Inc. Depression After A Heart Attack There are several factors can lead to depression after heart attack. The stress of being in the hospital, the fear of another heart attack, time away from work can all contribute to feeling depressed, helpless, down and despondent. Depression - Causes and Treatments Depression has long been considered a character flaw indicative of morally weak minded individuals. However, new research clearly shows that depression has distinct biochemical roots that affect the way nerve cells work. St Johns Wort and Depression The bright yellow flower of the St Johns Wort (hypericum perforatum) with it's ray-like petals, represents the power of the sun that forces away the darkness. This already points to the anti-depressant effects of the St Johns Wort which are highly respected, even in conventional medicine. New FDA Approved Therapy for Depression: Timeline from Prescription to Procedure On July 18, 2005, the U.S.
|
|
DietRight Domain Is For Sale - $10,000 For Enquiries eMail Us © www.DietRight.biz 2010
|
|
