Saw this reported a couple of days ago - BBC News is reporting on a study of more than 50,000 US nurses that links women drinking 2 or more cups of coffee a day are less likely to get depressed.
It was a 10-year study that ran from 1996-2006, and was conducted by a team from Harvard Medical School. Some of the findings: women who drank 2-3 cups per day had a 15% decreased risk of developing depression. 4 or more cups a day cut the risk by 20%.
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15059266
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Some Thoughts on Stigma Related to Depression & Other Mental Health Issues
I like Michael Landsberg's way with words when it comes to depression and mental illness. If you've been reading my blog, this might just apply to you:
"So if as you read this, you're thinking, I have no idea what any of that feels like, then you're blessed. Have you ever thought, man, am I lucky not to be mentally ill? Likely not, because we seldom celebrate our normality. I'm the same. I don't celebrate having two arms and two legs but an amputee would suggest I should.
But in your mental health arrogance do not ever think for a second you can understand...."
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375694
Man I wish I could write like that....but I digress....
Today's entry will be about stigma. In a self-admitted pure case of plagiarism, I'm going to use the following definitions lifted straight from the paper "Stigma research and anti-stigma programs: From the point of view of people who live with stigma and discrimination everyday." by Barbara Everett, PhD. (http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/page/research-papers-reports):
"Stigma and discrimination defined
As a brief review of what, specifically, we're talking about..
Stigma is defined as negative, disrespectful and untrue judgments about you based on what people think they know about you - and your situation.
In contrast, discrimination involves negative and disrespectful actions against you.
Self-stigma occurs when you begin to believe the negative opinions about you and start to think that you deserve to be called names and denied opportunities.
Stigma and discrimination by association involves negative judgments about - and disrespectful actions against - family members, caregivers and mental health professionals."
Clear as mud? I hope so...
Personally, I can't speak to the last three just yet. Hopefully I never will. I can however, speak to stigma.
Like I alluded to in my first blog post, I personally know people who think that I'm using my depression as an excuse for some poor decisions that I made. Not entirely surprising since just under half of Canadians think that a mental disorder is just an excuse for poor behaviour. (http://www.thefsagroup.com/CMHA/pdfLib/StigmaandDiscriminationFactSheet.pdf) Guess that means there's just more out there that are keeping their opinions to themselves. Kinda sad, though, when you consider that about 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental disorder during their lifetime - that works out to something on the order of 6.5 MILLION people.
If someone has an opinion, you can't really argue with them. It's an opinion. Hopefully it's based on fact - real fact, not just what the person assumes to be a fact - see how nicely this fits in with stigma?
So how do you combat ill-informed opinions? I guess you try to educate, but I know that's going to be an uphill battle. That's why I'm starting with friends and family. Hopefully they'll be most receptive to the information that's out there. I know I can't change someone's opinion - they have to change it for themselves....I've seen some of the comments that people have made on other blogs related to depression:
http://www.torontomike.com/2010/03/the_stigma_of_mental_illness_a.html
The guy with the screen name "MAC" is a perfect example. Without knowing his background, one's first response is incredulousness (is that even a word?). But he's expressing his opinion, so there's no arguing with him.
Ok, getting back to stigma....
Here's some fun stigma facts from Everett's paper: "some research...expos[es] the paradox that those who are the most educated about mental illness, mental health professionals, can hold the same or even more stigmatizing beliefs than the general public"
I looked at the one article they cite from the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine (http://www.mejfm.com/journal/Sep05/Change_in_Medical_Students.htm). One of their findings: final year students felt more indifferent and less compassion when they saw a pyschiatric patient. Later in their conclusion, they state: "For many mentally ill persons stigma has emerged to be a 'second illness'"
Ok, here's a few fun facts from the Mood Disorder Society of Canada's Quick Facts: Mental Illness & Addiction in Canada (3rd Ed)
http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/documents/Media%20Room/Quick%20Facts%203rd%20Edition%20Eng%20Nov%2012%2009.pdf
Stay tuned...more to come...
Same Bat Time
Same Bat Station!
"So if as you read this, you're thinking, I have no idea what any of that feels like, then you're blessed. Have you ever thought, man, am I lucky not to be mentally ill? Likely not, because we seldom celebrate our normality. I'm the same. I don't celebrate having two arms and two legs but an amputee would suggest I should.
But in your mental health arrogance do not ever think for a second you can understand...."
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375694
Man I wish I could write like that....but I digress....
Today's entry will be about stigma. In a self-admitted pure case of plagiarism, I'm going to use the following definitions lifted straight from the paper "Stigma research and anti-stigma programs: From the point of view of people who live with stigma and discrimination everyday." by Barbara Everett, PhD. (http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/page/research-papers-reports):
"Stigma and discrimination defined
As a brief review of what, specifically, we're talking about..
Stigma is defined as negative, disrespectful and untrue judgments about you based on what people think they know about you - and your situation.
In contrast, discrimination involves negative and disrespectful actions against you.
Self-stigma occurs when you begin to believe the negative opinions about you and start to think that you deserve to be called names and denied opportunities.
Stigma and discrimination by association involves negative judgments about - and disrespectful actions against - family members, caregivers and mental health professionals."
Clear as mud? I hope so...
Personally, I can't speak to the last three just yet. Hopefully I never will. I can however, speak to stigma.
Like I alluded to in my first blog post, I personally know people who think that I'm using my depression as an excuse for some poor decisions that I made. Not entirely surprising since just under half of Canadians think that a mental disorder is just an excuse for poor behaviour. (http://www.thefsagroup.com/CMHA/pdfLib/StigmaandDiscriminationFactSheet.pdf) Guess that means there's just more out there that are keeping their opinions to themselves. Kinda sad, though, when you consider that about 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental disorder during their lifetime - that works out to something on the order of 6.5 MILLION people.
If someone has an opinion, you can't really argue with them. It's an opinion. Hopefully it's based on fact - real fact, not just what the person assumes to be a fact - see how nicely this fits in with stigma?
So how do you combat ill-informed opinions? I guess you try to educate, but I know that's going to be an uphill battle. That's why I'm starting with friends and family. Hopefully they'll be most receptive to the information that's out there. I know I can't change someone's opinion - they have to change it for themselves....I've seen some of the comments that people have made on other blogs related to depression:
http://www.torontomike.com/2010/03/the_stigma_of_mental_illness_a.html
The guy with the screen name "MAC" is a perfect example. Without knowing his background, one's first response is incredulousness (is that even a word?). But he's expressing his opinion, so there's no arguing with him.
Ok, getting back to stigma....
Here's some fun stigma facts from Everett's paper: "some research...expos[es] the paradox that those who are the most educated about mental illness, mental health professionals, can hold the same or even more stigmatizing beliefs than the general public"
I looked at the one article they cite from the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine (http://www.mejfm.com/journal/Sep05/Change_in_Medical_Students.htm). One of their findings: final year students felt more indifferent and less compassion when they saw a pyschiatric patient. Later in their conclusion, they state: "For many mentally ill persons stigma has emerged to be a 'second illness'"
Ok, here's a few fun facts from the Mood Disorder Society of Canada's Quick Facts: Mental Illness & Addiction in Canada (3rd Ed)
http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/documents/Media%20Room/Quick%20Facts%203rd%20Edition%20Eng%20Nov%2012%2009.pdf
- Perception of Canadians that agree chronic depression is a disability: 67%
- Attitude toward people with disabilities:
- Physical disability: Most comfortable
- Depression: Least comfortable
- The percentage of 556 United Kingdom respondents who reported either they or a family member had experienced stigma as a result of mental illness: 70%
- Percentage of pyschiatrists surveyed by the Michigan Pyschiatric Society who said they would treat themselves in secrecy rather than have mental illness recorded on their medical chart: 50%
Stay tuned...more to come...
Same Bat Time
Same Bat Station!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Going Public About Depression
Going public about depression is a big step. In the links that follow are some good stories about depression and going public. The Toronto Mike story on stigma was really good, and it led me to tracking down Dani Stover's story. Dani's a radio producer that used to work in Toronto, now she's in Peterborough:
http://www.torontomike.com/2010/03/the_stigma_of_mental_illness_a.html
http://www.canadianthinker.com/2009/05/dani_stover_is_a_friend.html
Someone you may be a little more familiar with is Clara Hughes. She's battled depression for a while too. She's the spokesperson for Bell's Let's Talk campaign (http://letstalk.bell.ca/). Here's just one of the many articles that tell her story:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/story/2011/02/06/sp-hughes-q-a.html
I've mentioned Michael Landsberg, before, and if you've been reading this, you've probably checked out the links, so I'm not going to repeat them. But sometimes if you're suffering from depression, it's too hard to deal with, and that's when tragedy strikes. Two of the more prominent examples are Wade Belak and Daron Richardson. I'm sure you've heard about Belak - he was one of 3 NHL players to pass away this summer in a very short time:
http://www.torontomike.com/2011/09/suffering_in_silence_wade_bela.html
But, unless you really follow hockey, you might not know who Daron Richardson was. She was the daughter of former NHL player and current Ottawa Senators assistant coach Luke Richardson. She took her own life last November. She was 14. I can't imagine what it was like for the Richardson family to go through that, and my heart went out to them as soon as I heard the news. I can, on a certain level, relate to Daron - when my life fell apart last year, ending it all seemed like a pretty attractive option. I have two girls - one's 9 and the other's going to be 7. Daron's story scared the hell out of me...I'm the second generation in my family that has suffered from depression, and I'm terrified my girls will be the third.
That's why I wear a purple D.I.F.D. bracelet...for only $20 you get 4 of them. Purple was Daron's favourite colour. I can't bring Daron Richardson back (or anyone for that matter) but the whole point of Do It For Daron is to transform youth mental health. I'm doing it for my daughters and all the other kids out there, so that hopefully me & other families don't have to go through that devastation. When my girls are older, and the bracelets will stay on their wrists, I'll explain who Daron was and why depression is an important subject to me, especially as it affects them.
For more information:
http://www.doitfordaron.com/
http://www.torontomike.com/2010/03/the_stigma_of_mental_illness_a.html
http://www.canadianthinker.com/2009/05/dani_stover_is_a_friend.html
Someone you may be a little more familiar with is Clara Hughes. She's battled depression for a while too. She's the spokesperson for Bell's Let's Talk campaign (http://letstalk.bell.ca/). Here's just one of the many articles that tell her story:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/story/2011/02/06/sp-hughes-q-a.html
I've mentioned Michael Landsberg, before, and if you've been reading this, you've probably checked out the links, so I'm not going to repeat them. But sometimes if you're suffering from depression, it's too hard to deal with, and that's when tragedy strikes. Two of the more prominent examples are Wade Belak and Daron Richardson. I'm sure you've heard about Belak - he was one of 3 NHL players to pass away this summer in a very short time:
http://www.torontomike.com/2011/09/suffering_in_silence_wade_bela.html
But, unless you really follow hockey, you might not know who Daron Richardson was. She was the daughter of former NHL player and current Ottawa Senators assistant coach Luke Richardson. She took her own life last November. She was 14. I can't imagine what it was like for the Richardson family to go through that, and my heart went out to them as soon as I heard the news. I can, on a certain level, relate to Daron - when my life fell apart last year, ending it all seemed like a pretty attractive option. I have two girls - one's 9 and the other's going to be 7. Daron's story scared the hell out of me...I'm the second generation in my family that has suffered from depression, and I'm terrified my girls will be the third.
That's why I wear a purple D.I.F.D. bracelet...for only $20 you get 4 of them. Purple was Daron's favourite colour. I can't bring Daron Richardson back (or anyone for that matter) but the whole point of Do It For Daron is to transform youth mental health. I'm doing it for my daughters and all the other kids out there, so that hopefully me & other families don't have to go through that devastation. When my girls are older, and the bracelets will stay on their wrists, I'll explain who Daron was and why depression is an important subject to me, especially as it affects them.
For more information:
http://www.doitfordaron.com/
More fun depression stuff......
So, because the whole point of this blog was to help educate, here's some fun stuff that I've come across and want to share:
One thing that's pretty common from the research I've done, is that a lot of people who present symptoms of depression are reluctant to seek help. Part of this, from experience, is that they think something is wrong with them. After months and months of feeling severely depressed I went to my doctor. I told him flat out I thought I was depressed and wanted him to run all the medical tests to rule out things like thyroid problems, low blood levels of B vitamins, etc. Long story short, if I heard back from him, something was wrong with me. If I didn't I should talk to someone. Never heard back. So to my dismay, I figured I was losing my mind. I was in a pretty bad state to begin with - I'd been put on probation at work because, unbeknownst to anyone, the depression was affecting my work performance. So hearing (or rather not hearing) that something was wrong with me drove me even deeper into depression.
Michael Landsberg from TSN's Off The Record has been battling depression for over 10 years. He wants to make a difference for others, and so do I. He observes in an interview with the Toronto Star back on April 1, 2010, "The biggest problem with depression is that people tend to blame themselves for it. You would never hide from somebody that you'd just got back to work after an appendectomy. Nobody's going to think that's your fault or a sign of weakness."
And he's right. But a lot of us who are, or have been, depressed, think otherwise. At the time I went to the doctor, I thought something was wrong with me. There was, but it wasn't anything I had actual control over. You can't just "wish yourself better" or I'd have done it a long time ago. So would everyone who suffers from depression.
Here's a scary statistic/thought - in a 2008 study 2/3 of people with depression were undiagnosed in primary care settings...now who does that sound like? (Depression symptomatology and diagnosis: discordance between patients and physicians in primary care settings, Ani et al http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2296/9/1) Granted, it's a US study, but still.... Warning: It's a real research article, so take the route I did and skim it :) So's this Canadian one, but reaches pretty much the same conclusion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2173927/
So here's a bit of advice...if you, or a loved one, goes to a doctor who doesn't seem to take your complaints seriously - shop around. Several disastrous months later...I did. And guess what? I started my road to recovery. But more on that later...I want you to come back.
"This is Dr. Frasier Crane wishing you all good mental health."
One thing that's pretty common from the research I've done, is that a lot of people who present symptoms of depression are reluctant to seek help. Part of this, from experience, is that they think something is wrong with them. After months and months of feeling severely depressed I went to my doctor. I told him flat out I thought I was depressed and wanted him to run all the medical tests to rule out things like thyroid problems, low blood levels of B vitamins, etc. Long story short, if I heard back from him, something was wrong with me. If I didn't I should talk to someone. Never heard back. So to my dismay, I figured I was losing my mind. I was in a pretty bad state to begin with - I'd been put on probation at work because, unbeknownst to anyone, the depression was affecting my work performance. So hearing (or rather not hearing) that something was wrong with me drove me even deeper into depression.
Michael Landsberg from TSN's Off The Record has been battling depression for over 10 years. He wants to make a difference for others, and so do I. He observes in an interview with the Toronto Star back on April 1, 2010, "The biggest problem with depression is that people tend to blame themselves for it. You would never hide from somebody that you'd just got back to work after an appendectomy. Nobody's going to think that's your fault or a sign of weakness."
And he's right. But a lot of us who are, or have been, depressed, think otherwise. At the time I went to the doctor, I thought something was wrong with me. There was, but it wasn't anything I had actual control over. You can't just "wish yourself better" or I'd have done it a long time ago. So would everyone who suffers from depression.
Here's a scary statistic/thought - in a 2008 study 2/3 of people with depression were undiagnosed in primary care settings...now who does that sound like? (Depression symptomatology and diagnosis: discordance between patients and physicians in primary care settings, Ani et al http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2296/9/1) Granted, it's a US study, but still.... Warning: It's a real research article, so take the route I did and skim it :) So's this Canadian one, but reaches pretty much the same conclusion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2173927/
So here's a bit of advice...if you, or a loved one, goes to a doctor who doesn't seem to take your complaints seriously - shop around. Several disastrous months later...I did. And guess what? I started my road to recovery. But more on that later...I want you to come back.
"This is Dr. Frasier Crane wishing you all good mental health."
Thursday, September 22, 2011
My First Post.....Where will this go?
Depression.
Lots of stigma associated with that word. It's unwarranted. Depression is a recognized medical condition.
You wouldn't be afraid to talk about a cancer diagnosis, but not a lot of people will talk about depression. A poll done by the Canadian Mental Health Association in 2008 found that 72% of Canadians would tell a friend about a cancer diagnosis in the family vs 50% for a mental illness. Same poll says 46% of respondents think that the term "mental illness" is used as an excuse for bad behaviour. (http://letstalk.bell.ca/) From personal experience, there are people that were once very close to me who think I used my being depressed as an excuse for some poor decisions that I made. I hope they never have to experience depression first-hand.
Do you even really know what depression is?
Quite simply, it's a mental illness.
A more in-depth explanation comes courtesy of Wikipedia - "Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical wellbeing. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless. They may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, or problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions; and may contemplate or attempt suicide." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_(mood)
I personally like the take Michael Landsberg has on it in an article he wrote regarding the suicide of his friend Wade Belak: "We can't see depression. We can't biopsy it. Blood tests don't show it. Neither do x-rays....depression is a disease. It's not an issue or a demon, although it may act as one." (www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375694)
I suffered from depression. I'm beating it. But there's a good chance I'll have another bout of it....I don't have the stats handy right now, but it's a better than average possibility.
The whole point in writing this blog is to help educate some friends and family, and possibly even some complete strangers. And it helps me be pro-active, as your friendly, neighbourhood anti-depression crusader. ;)
Stay tuned...more to come!
Lots of stigma associated with that word. It's unwarranted. Depression is a recognized medical condition.
You wouldn't be afraid to talk about a cancer diagnosis, but not a lot of people will talk about depression. A poll done by the Canadian Mental Health Association in 2008 found that 72% of Canadians would tell a friend about a cancer diagnosis in the family vs 50% for a mental illness. Same poll says 46% of respondents think that the term "mental illness" is used as an excuse for bad behaviour. (http://letstalk.bell.ca/) From personal experience, there are people that were once very close to me who think I used my being depressed as an excuse for some poor decisions that I made. I hope they never have to experience depression first-hand.
Do you even really know what depression is?
Quite simply, it's a mental illness.
A more in-depth explanation comes courtesy of Wikipedia - "Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical wellbeing. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless. They may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, or problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions; and may contemplate or attempt suicide." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_(mood)
I personally like the take Michael Landsberg has on it in an article he wrote regarding the suicide of his friend Wade Belak: "We can't see depression. We can't biopsy it. Blood tests don't show it. Neither do x-rays....depression is a disease. It's not an issue or a demon, although it may act as one." (www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375694)
I suffered from depression. I'm beating it. But there's a good chance I'll have another bout of it....I don't have the stats handy right now, but it's a better than average possibility.
The whole point in writing this blog is to help educate some friends and family, and possibly even some complete strangers. And it helps me be pro-active, as your friendly, neighbourhood anti-depression crusader. ;)
Stay tuned...more to come!
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