What is Depression?

Depression symptoms vary from person to person. Some say depressions feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. Some people feel like they have no energy, can't concentrate. Some people feel irritable for no reason. If you are feeling upset or sad for more than two weeks and its interfering with your daily life, you could be clinically depressed. Talk to a physician to find out.

Anybody who has gone through one episode of depression will have another one. Feelings of depression can go on for many weeks before developing a full-blown episode of depression. Learning symptoms and what triggers it early will help keep depression from worsening.

Treating depression is important because it affects you, your family, your job, and your life. People harm themselves because they think the feeling will never change, but it can. Depression is a treatable illness.

Working with your doctor, you can learn to manage depression. Change won't come overnight, but with the right treatment, you can control your depression and not let it control you.

If you feel like you might be depressed, take this DEPRESSION QUESTIONNAIRE

Resources:
Learn about, find and rate community mental health centers
Learn about, find and rate psychiatric hospitals
Find and rate mental health providers
National suicide prevention lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Is Internet Addiction a Mental Health Disorder?

It's easy to lose a few hours a day to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or World of Warcraft. But do you think it's possible for a person become addicted to the internet?

Signs seem to suggest it's possible. Recently, a residential treatment center for internet addiction opened in the Seattle area. The center says its the first in the US. And several countries-like China, South Korea and Taiwan, take internet addiction very seriously and already have these types of centers available.

However, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) does not currently consider internet addiction as a separate mental health disorder. And there is a debate on whether internet addiction should be listed as a separate illness in it's next edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", due out in 2012.

Why is this important? Because, this manual plays a part in determining which mental illnesses get covered by insurance. Since internet addiction is not currently listed as a separate illness in the manual, treatment for internet addiction is generally not covered by insurance. The fee for the new treatment center is $14,000--a fee a lot of people may not be able to afford, even if they need the help.

Some experts say internet addiction is just a symptom of other mental illness, like depression and anxiety disorders.

What do you think? Does internet addiction exist? Should it be classified as a separate mental health illness? Share your thoughts.

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Warning Signs the Economy is Taking a Toll on Your Health

The bad economy may be taking a toll on your emotional and physical health

According the United States Department of Health and Human Services, here are some warning signs that your financial problems may be adversely affecting your emotional or mental well being:

• Persistent Sadness/Crying
• Excessive Anxiety
• Lack of Sleep/Constant Fatigue
• Excessive Irritability/Anger
• Increased drinking
• Illicit drug use, including misuse of medications
• Difficulty paying attention or staying focused
• Apathy - not caring about things that are usually important to you
• Not being able to function as well at work, school or home

They also offer some coping techniques for you to try to get through stressful periods.

And if you need additional help, don't be afraid to seek it. Talk to your physician, a mental health provider, community mental health center, spiritual leader, school counselor, etc. These people can help you get through the rough times.

If you are in need of immediate help, seek your nearest emergency room or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Source: SAMHSA


*Information on WhereToFindCare.com is for informational purposes only. Always seek medical advice from your physician. In cases of emergency, seek care from an emergency health care provider.

Coping Techniques For Hard Economic Times

Many people are finding it difficult to cope during these hard economic times.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services suggests using these coping techniques:

• Trying to keep things in perspective - recognize the good aspects of life and retain hope for the future.
• Strengthening connections with family and friends who can provide important emotional support.
• Engaging in activities such as physical exercise, sports or hobbies that can relieve stress and anxiety.
• Developing new employment skills that can provide a practical and highly effective means of coping and directly address financial difficulties.

And if you need additional help, don't be afraid to seek it. Talk to your physician, a mental health provider, community mental health center, spiritual leader, school counselor, etc. These people can help you get through the rough times.

If you are in need of immediate help, seek your nearest emergency room or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Source: SAMHSA


*Information on WhereToFindCare.com is for informational purposes only. Always seek medical advice from your physician. In cases of emergency, seek care from an emergency health care provider.

Foreclosures and Your Mental Health

More news on how the bad economy is hurting your health.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine questioned 250 homeowners going through foreclosure in Philadelphia and found that 47 percent showed symptoms of depression, with 37 percent exhibiting signs of major depression.

More health facts from the study:
Borrowers facing foreclosure were more likely to forgo filling prescriptions and nearly 60 percent reported that they had skipped or delayed meals.

And unfortunately, these numbers may get worse. Nearly 2 million homeowners are expected to lose their homes to foreclosure this year, according to some economists.

Other links of interest
Free/Low Cost Clinics
Community Mental Health Centers
Mental Health Providers

Source: Miami Herald

Exercise can Boost your Mood for 12 Hours

Exercise is good for the body and for the mind. According to a new study, that feel-good effect obtained from exercise lasts longer than previously assumed.

"Moderate intensity aerobic exercise improves mood immediately and those improvements can last up to 12 hours," concluded study lead researcher Dr. Jeremy Sibold, assistant professor of rehabilitation and movement science at the University of Vermont, Burlington.

Experts believe that exercise's mood-boosting effects are partly due to a rise in levels of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters, such as endorphins, in the brain. While many have known for awhile that exercise boosts your spirits, it wasn't previously known how long that feel-good effect lasts.

The findings point yet again to exercise as a cheap, easily accessible tool against blue moods and even depression, Sibold said. "I think that's really important for the general public to know -- depression is so widespread."


2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Individuals should discuss an exercise program with their physicians.

(Source: MedlinePlus)

40% of Returning Veterans need Mental Health Care

A new study shows that more than 40% of US soldiers from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars seen by VA hospitals are suffering from mental health disorders or psychosocial behavioral problems.

Data was collected on 289,328 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who sought health care at VA medical centers from 2002 to 2008.

106,726 of the returning veterans received mental health care. That's approximately 37 percent. 62,929 vets were diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) and 50,432 were diagnosed with depression.

"When the definition is expanded to include diagnoses of mental health disorders or psychosocial behavioral problems such as homelessness, or both, 43 percent of these veterans received these diagnoses" said lead researcher Dr. Karen Seal.

Findings from the study
1. 22% of veterans were diagnosed with PTSD
2. 17% of veterans were diagnosed with depression
3. 7% of veterans were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder
4. 3% of veterans were diagnosed with drug use disorder
5. 29% of veterans with mental health problems were diagnosed with 2 of the above disorders
6. 33% of veterans with mental health problems were diagnosed with 3 of the above disorders
7. Most mental health diagnoses were not made in the first year that a veteran entered the VA health-care system, but several years after.


Mark Kaplan, a professor of community health at the School of Community Health at Portland State University in Oregon, noted that the study only covers vets who have received care at the VA, but there are many more with serious mental health problems that are either seeking care privately or not at all, he said.



(Source: MedlinePlus)

Build Your Emotional Health by Reflecting on Positive Moments

Take time to enjoy the positive things that happen in your daily life. According to a new study, doing this will build your overall satisfaction and help you cope with the tough times.

Many times people get wrap up in work, daily problems, thinking of the past or the future, that they forget to appreciate the present. Take time to appreciate the small positive moments, whether it be planting new flowers, watching a movie with your children, or watching the sunset.

If you focus on the small positive moments, those moments let positive emotion blossom. Doing this builds resources that help us rebound from adversity, stress, and ward off depression.

(Source: Medline Plus)