Misery Around The Web


Filed Under Round-ups | Dec 15, MST 1:16 pm

 
The American College of Physicians recently released guidelines for treating depression, and it hasn’t gone down well with psychiatrists.

Newsweek reports that the rate of suicides among young black men went up 83% over the eighties and early nineties.

Recent research shows that people are better at spotting fake smiles after they’ve been rejected. More proof that the worse you feel, the more realistic your world view.

New York magazine reports that urban loneliness might be a myth, according to researchers. It’s long been assumed that people in cities are lonelier than people living in more rural environments,  but this assumption of urban alienation may not hold under closer inspection.

Coronary heart disease and depression are a deadly combo, and a recent study suggests that this deadliness is tied to behavioral changes in those afflicted by the pair. Being depressed causes people to stop taking care of themselves, which increases their chance of dying.

In a study of 102 female and 50 male African Americans teenagers, researchers found that mothers who played mental games increased the presence of depressive symptoms in their daughters. The boys showed no changes in wellbeing.

Personal Stories and Interviews, a round-up


Filed Under Personal Stories, Round-ups | Dec 1, MST 11:05 am

 
Unfortunately, suicide is a far too common occurence in our own society. In this story from the village of Lisbellaw, a man who lost his brother to suicide discusses how it’s affected his family.

Andrea Hammit tests out the Foresight institutes five-a-day mood boost plan.  Her verdict? Small changes can have a big impact on the quality of your life.

Joe Donovan an ex-marine and computer programmer who has hit several rough patches in his life. Despite his complicated medical history and his bouts with depression, he still looks at the world through optimistic eyes.

The Dr. Jim Marshall Farms Foundation was born from the good doctor’s own experiences fighting depression and suicidal thoughts. He opened an 84 acre farm that is dedicated to helping people overcome their own fight with depression.

Andy McNab shares some devastating stories about soldiers with PTSD. Many of them committed suicide, some are in prison, all of them are coping with demons.

The talented musician Juliana Hatfield discusses her battle with anorexia and depression .  She put it rather well — a heart that hurts is a heart that works.

Finally, Sharp Brains interviews  Prof. Robert Emmons, otherwise known as Father Gratitude.  Like his name suggests, he studies positive psychology. The work he’s done studying the practice of gratitude is astounding. This interview is worth reading, since if you practice the advice he gives, you’re almost guaranteed to change your life. Of all the exercises I’ve covered on this blog,  his gratitude journal is the one that I’ve made a daily habit.

Dealing with Depression, A few personal stories


Filed Under Personal Stories, Round-ups | Oct 29, MDT 12:13 pm

 
When you’re suffering through a depression, you often find yourself cut off from the rest of the world. It’s difficult to relate to people who don’t understand what you’re going through. For this reason,  it’s important to seek out and learn from the experiences of people who have gone through similar trials as yours — otherwise, you risk becoming increasingly alienated from society.  The more you understand how common your problems are, the more confident you’ll feel that they can be overcome.

Today, I’d like to point you towards the stories of people who’ve struggled with mental health problems. These individuals have seen the pit of despair and lived to talk about it.  Some have overcome their problems,  others are simply managing them.

Stories of Depression

Gayathri Ramprasad, spent a decade tackling suicidal thoughts, hospital visits, and electro-shock therapy before she found peace and became an international advocate for mental health.

The story of Y. Euny Hong doesn’t end on as positive a note as Ramprasad’s. Her struggles with being bipolar were complicated by the fact that her husband was also bipolar. Their marriage didn’t last.

Over in Afghanistan,  Sher Mohammed has been chained to a tree for a month as part of a treatment for his illness.  His story provides an example of how culture filters the way we approach mental health. The more we appreciate this fact, the more flexibility we’ll have when dealing with mental illness.

In Vietnam, Mai Huong Day Psychiatric Hospital is the only hospital in the country to provide outpatient psychiatric care. Their doctors struggle with the lack of awareness that people have of mental illness, a problem that also exists in the West. Some issues seem to be universal.

Students at the University of California, San Francisco share their own struggles with depression during a panel titled “Living With Depression“.   A recurring theme during the panel was how important it was for people to come forward about their problem. Living with depression is easier if you don’t try to tackle it all by yourself.

The british TV personality Fern Britton discusses her struggles with post-partum depression. Her story highlights how people from all walks of life can fall victim to mental illness.

Next comes the story of Nicola Leggat.  She’s a talented singer living with bipolar disorder. She’s come a long way since her early manic episodes, where she felt disconnected from the world. Her story is one of triumph over adversity, of moving forward and wresting control over her life away from her condition.

Finally, we hit on the story of Lynn Johnson, who fell into a deep depression after the death of her daughter. This depression spiralled out of control, until Johnson was left homeless.  She turned to professionals for help, and managed to build a new life for herself.

One of the recurring themes from all these stories, the good ones and the bad ones, is that recovery came after turning to other people for help. That’s not to say that it’s impossible to pull yoursef out of your misery, but you are more likely to succeed with a helping hand.