Category Archives: Depression

U.S. Suicide Rates Up, Especially Among Women

22 Apr 2016

The number of suicides in the United States has been on the rise since 1999 in everyone between the ages of 10 and 74, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics looked at data on cause of death for Americans 10 and older from 1999 to 2014. They also included information on age and race from death certificates. “The increase is broad-based,” said Sally C. Curtin, a statistician at the National Center for Health Statistics and lead author of the new report, which was released Thursday. Such an increase in suicides could also make prevention efforts more difficult. “If it were just one particular group, you could say ‘that is where we need to focus,’ ” Curtin said. The report is the first since 1999 to look at suicide rates among all age groups, she said. The number of suicides increased among all racial groups except for black males, who saw an 8% decline in suicide rate from 10.5 to 9.7 per 100,000 between 1999 and 2014, respectively. The largest increases were among American Indians and Alaska Natives; in this group, the suicide rate climbed by 89% among women and 38% among men. Suicide rates among white women and white men increased by 60% and 28%, respectively.

 

Almost Half of Children Returned From Nauru Have Mental Illness

21 Apr 2016

Almost half of the asylum seeker children returned to Australia from Nauru’s detention centre – the public focus of the Let Them Stay campaign – have been diagnosed with a mental illness, the government has told parliament.

Fifty-four children returned to Australia from Nauru were part of the 267 asylum seekers and refugees who were the focus of a nationwide Let Them Stay campaign.

In answer to a February question on notice specifically about that 267 cohort, a Department of Immigration and Border Protection official has told the Senate: “as at 8 February 2016, there were 25 minors from Nauru who were in Australia with a clinically diagnosed mental health condition including depression and anxiety”.

“Additionally, there were five minors in Australia for other long-term medical issues.”

I Saw Carrie Fisher Speak About Mental Illness, Spirituality and Star Wars

20 Apr 2016

Last night, I watched Carrie Fisher receive the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from Harvard’s Humanist Hub. The event was … not what I expected. I loved it. But it was also completely bizarre. Let me take you on this journey. I found out about the event at the last minute yesterday from a friend; I had never heard about Harvard’s Humanist Hub before, but they give out this award to celebrities who’ve been open about being atheist or agnostic. Harvard’s event description made the event sound like it would be a relatively understated affair, and that Fisher would most likely discuss her own relationship with spirituality, and well as her own perspectives on mental illness and perhaps her career in Hollywood a bit. That is indeed what Carrie Fisher talked about once she took the stage, but before that point, the event was an emotional whirlwind of Star Wars fandom. As soon as I got to the Memorial Church, I saw multiple lines stretching out the front door, down the steps, and across the sidewalk. Amidst those lines, I saw a Rey cosplayer swirling a lightsaber. Meanwhile, a group of three other cosplayers–Leia, Han Solo, and Chewie–stood on the front steps, posing for pictures. All of these cosplayers were part of the 501st Legion, which is a group of professional Star Wars cosplayers who often get tapped for promotional Star Wars events. I soon saw that there were also several Storm Troopers, a Darth Vader, and many other 501st official cosplayers in attendance. There were also multiple cosplayers who weren’t there in a professional capacity, but were there simply to express their Star Warsfandom among like-minded folks. I didn’t expect any of this, because this event isn’t, y’know, an official Star Wars event. But I guess any event that Carrie Fisher does might become a Star Wars event. And it didn’t just stop at cosplay! When I got inside, I saw that the entire Harvard Pops orchestra had set up in the front of the church, with the brass section in the balcony. I could tell from their warm-up that they were going to play a Star Wars song.

Praiteike Babbar Opens Up About Drugs, Heartbreak & Depression

17 Apr 2016

I let failure get to me and I was confused if I should be an actor. In eight years whatever I had done had not worked, while other actors were doing well. I stopped listening to scripts as I was very depressed. I loved the people around me and I loved going on the sets, but I isolated myself from everything. My fears took over me. However, now I am not scared anymore.

Now that take guts, especially when you are a known personality. Here are 3 important things he revealed in his interview.

On Drugs

I turned to drugs at a very young age and at 19, I came out of rehab. All that I was going through emotionally led me to that. I was stupid and rebellious. In the last three years I wasn’t in rehab, but yes, I did do drugs. My depression, my failed relationship and losing the person that mattered to me the most (grandmom) – it all broke me. I was at a stage where I did not love myself. Depression and anger are such a bad combo, it leads to bad decisions and obnoxious behaviour. I am cleaning up all that now. I have left that life of drugs and partying behind me. Today, I am stable and sober. Sanjay Dutt had gone through a similar patch when ‘Rocky’ released and it became a huge success. He went on a sabbatical, but he came out stronger. His fans loved him so much that they gave him another chance. I want to share my story with my fans and those who love me. I want to tell them, yes, I have made mistakes but I am here to make up for it. I have turned over a new leaf. More than anything else, I am working on myself right now. I want to love myself and love my life. So no drugs, no cheating, no controversy, no trouble.

Losing His Grandmother

The whole process of losing her was terribly painful. She has given me immense love and all I wanted to do was make her proud, and make her part of my success. I couldn’t live up to it and that made me very angry. I was full of self-pity and was dogged with questions about my life. I wondered why people liked me. Was it because my mother had died? Did they feel bad for me? Maybe, they liked me for all these reasons and not because I was a good actor. All those thoughts tore me apart. After my grandmom passed away, I realised how everything in the past was pretty much my fault, and I had got it all wrong. But over time, I have made peace with myself and all those thoughts are behind me now. I only have gratitude for my parents and others around me.

Heartbreak

I didn’t know what to do with myself after I broke up with Amy. It left a void in my life. I am not so good with heartbreak. It is not like I wanted a partner, it is more like I needed one. I thought I won’t be able to survive without a partner. People around me told me that I was trying to fill a void of a female figure in my life, as I didn’t have a mother, and was raised by my grandmom who was so much older. I was scared of not being in a relationship.

How It Feels When The Person You Love Has Depression

16 Apr 2016

I used to joke that only men with depression were attracted to me. It was the only experience I’d had, every long-term boyfriend and even the short-term flings. I’d never dated anyone who hadn’t been on antidepressants, or spent time in a psychiatrist’s office. That dark, brooding, introspective type: It draws me in.

I guess having struggled with my own anxiety, and bouts of depression, I’ve always been able to empathize. Then there’s the carer aspect of my personality; I like to look after people, I like to try and fix situations, connect people to services that will help them. I’m studying to become a social worker.

I don’t want to compare my experience as a partner of someone with depression to the struggles of someone who is actually depressed. But years of loving people who could probably not love me back in the same way, it’s taught me coping techniques that I think could be helpful. I am just one of the many, many partners who’ve sat in silence with their loved one, watching them eat for the first time in two days because their brain has been a fog and their muscles hurt and their bed is the only safe space for them to hide in.

Mental Health and the Stigma Against It

15 Apr 2016

Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or persistent and major depression are the most common mental illnesses in which people who have them experience the most stigma.

A stigma is when someone views someone else in a negative way because they have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that’s thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage. Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common.

Despite this, Ferris State University RSOs such as the American Chemical Society, Student Psychology Association, Active Minds and the Pre-Pharmacy Club all came together on Thursday, April 7 to help raise awareness in regards to the stigma against mental illness.

“A great group of passionate students formed from all of these RSOs and really helped make the project great,” said Ferris American Chemical Society representative Abigail DeMaet.

Must a Mental Illness Be Revealed on a First Date?

14 Apr 2016

I have struggled with mental illness, off and on, for most of my life. It can be debilitating and has resulted in numerous hospitalizations. I also have extensive scarring on my arms from self-harm episodes. But I have a successful career and fully support myself; most people who know me have no idea that I am mentally ill. After ending a decade-long relationship, I am now thinking of dating again. My question is: At what point do I disclose my mental illness, its history and its effects? At what point do I “explain” my scars? Do I have an obligation to reveal this information on the first or second date, before any attachment forms, so that any potential partner can “opt out”?

Beverly Callard Opens Up On Depression Battle

13 Apr 2016

Beverley Callard looked at the sexy black PVC outfit in the corner of her dressing room and broke down in despair. She was feeling so low that the very idea she would have to dress up as Coronation Street barmaid Liz McDonald – let alone muster the energy to play her extrovert personality – filled her with horror. She had sunk into such a deep depression that she’d lost all her confidence. “At first no one knew I was struggling,” says Beverley, 59. “I wanted to keep it a secret. “But I was getting worse and worse each day. I was getting ready in my dressing room and I couldn’t take it any more. Liz had to be dressed up for a certain scene – she had to wear a PVC outfit. “Fear took over and I started to cry. I thought, ‘I’m not confident enough to put this on. I can’t do it’.”

Film Showing at Yale Aims to Break Stereotypes Around Mental Illness

12 Apr 2016

A film that aims to change the way communities look at mental illness will make its debut at Yale University’s Davies Auditorium at 5 p.m. April 29. Judy Murray, an East Haven resident and founder of Dignity and Advocacy Network (D.A.N.), will be presenting at the event. She lost her son to suicide in 2014 after his long battle with what doctors diagnosed as Bipolar 1 Disorder and believes he was failed by the “medical model” mental health system. “It’s the whole approach that were using that isn’t working.” Murray said. “My son, he heard voices, he had visions, he was told that he had an illness and that he would have to ignore it, suppress it.” Murray said that while her son told her he did not think or feel he was ill, being told that he was over and over made him fall into invalidating his own experience.

Boredom Can Be Dangerous For Mental Illness

11 Apr 2016

While I always recommend making time for relaxation, there’s one facet to having time on your hands that I must caution about. All too often people with mental illness are left with idle time, myself included, which can lead to trouble. Spare time means more opportunity to worry and overanalyze things that happen. This is common among anxiety sufferers, but it can be even more of a problem for people in my situation, namely people who are living with schizophrenia. Sometimes, when we have too much time on our hands, our minds go to places that are intense and scary. Troubling ideas can manifest themselves in any number of ways. Whether it’s paranoia or delusions, depression or hallucinations, our minds are all too susceptible to spiraling out of control. That’s why I think it’s important that we have something to do. I’ve talked about creative flow before. You find your flow when you engage in a creative activity that’s so engrossing you lose track of time. Creative hobbies are important because they keep us occupied and focused on something other than our worries. It can be drawing, painting, woodcarving, writing, working at an easy job or really anything that allows you to flow. For me, writing is where I find my flow. If not there, then in photography and walking or hiking. These seemingly nominal tasks are incredibly important for maintaining my stability and, while I don’t do them as often as I should, I’m well aware of what can happen when I have too much free time.