Moved...

I've had a better experience with typepad as I've used their free trial in the past and am ready to make a move. Visit my blog at the new address: http://deepintro.typepad.com/depression_introspection/ Please update any feeds you may have. I'll only post here to occasionally link to my new blog.

Nerves and New Orleans

I promised myself I wouldn't write entries on the past but I'd already had the following typed up and I can't just let it sit and rot: I haven’t heard much about it but a device called the vagus nerve stimulator was approved by the FDA in 2005 for “chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder.” It was previously approved for epilepsy treatment only. The VNS generator is implanted under the skin from the chest to the neck, around the vagus nerve that connects the brain with major organs. VNS is only recommended for people who cannot use medications due to side effects or receive no relief from mental illness. The New York Times has a stunning piece on Katrina’s latest legacy in New Orleans: unprecedented post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and suicide in the city. The article is a grim reminder that while the world has moved past Katrina, New Orleans has not. I’m sure the same could be said for Mississippi, which gets considerably less attention.

Prioritizing tasks

Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. - Anonymous Being the perfectionist that I am, I put more time and effort into this blog than I probably should. (Although you may not see it.) Sitting to my right, I have this folder filled with massive documents about anti-depressants and such that I promised myself I'd look at, no matter what. Doesn't even matter if the subject matter is outdated by a few weeks because I think people deserve to know what's going on. But I've taken on more for this project than I've failed to realize. And that's what my blog is about. Being introspective enough to see that I'm being way too perfectionistic about this. I think it's better that I update 3 times a week with what little I have to say than sporadically with hefty posts. So here I go... tossing anything that is too outdated or that I don't want to really read. It's better for me to write about things that I can relate to, to give a better and more insightful perspective than something that is so generalized a press release says all there needs to be said. I'm also considering a linkage roundup for Fridays. It might help to me get on track with a schedule. In one of my favorite books, Time Management from the Inside Out, author Julie Morgenstern advises taskers to "delay, diminish, delegate, delete." Delay: Some tasks don't need to be done immediately or right away. In fact, Morgenstern points out that when people come to you with a task, it doesn't need to be done immediately; it's just that they remembered at that very moment and decided to tell you. I'm still having troubling deciding which tasks should be delayed because I like to get everything done in one day! (which never happens) Diminish: This is a tough one for my perfectionistic side. Diminishing tasks basically means cutting corners on projects. Morgenstern asserts that things don't always need to be perfect for each task you do. If you're willing to sacrifice perfection on one project for another you deem more important, that's diminishing a task, which in the end, will save you precious time. Delegate: I'm also bad at this one too because I have a "for it to get done right, I have to do it myself" mentality. (i.e. I abhor when people move my things around because then I don't know where it's been placed when I'm looking for it; usually the person who moved it to begin with doesn't remember either). Delegation, however, is a great time saver - especially for managers. Delegating is giving something to someone else to do. A good way to figure out if you can delegate a task is to ask yourself, "Can someone else do this?" If the answer is yes, find a way to delegate the task. In the end, even if you have to succumb to your perfectionistic side and clean the task up a bit, it'll still save you time than if you'd done the whole thing yourself. Delete: There are tasks you want to get to, but you don't NEED to do. Delete those. For example, I have this terrible problem with painful gas buildup in my stomach. I wrote on my "to do" list: Buy Beano. Um, why? It's been on my to-do list for the past 3 weeks to a month. If I haven't bought Beano last month, I probably won't need it this month and therefore, may not need it next month. It needs to go. What I've got (Pepto Bismol) does the trick just fine. There are things you'd like to get to, but you haven't GOTTEN to. Delete the task for now. You can always add it again later. Small lessons in time managment have helped me with my procrastinating and perfectionistic ways because it helps me prioritize tasks in such a way that staves off panic attacks and mental breakdowns. When you know what you've got to do and you've got a schedule to do it, you don't need to be depressed! (Not about time management anyway.)

Postpartum depression

About 10 to 15 percent of women experience its symptoms after childbirth. For some, it goes away. For others, it gets worse. Doctors can’t pinpoint an exact cause but they guess it’s stress genetics hormone fluctuations PPD Stats: Low-income women are at greater risk for PPD Financial stress increases the risk of PPD while decreased access to healthcare lowers the chance of detection PPD is prevalent among Hispanic women on Medicaid Journal of Women’s Health) Half of women who show signs of PPD never seek treatment While 50-60 percent of new moms get “baby blues” within 2 weeks of a delivery, it can get better on its own. PPD affects 8-15 percent of mothers worldwide and can develop into something serious. It can begin anytime within 6 months after giving birth. PPD symptoms: loss of interest in hobbies and normal activities frequent crying appetite loss lack of motivation difficulty sleeping potential inability to bond with child possibly harming herself or her child (severe) PPD treatment: medication counseling both PPD increased risks: previous PPD depression unrelated to pregnancy severe PMS marriage difficulties lack of support from loved ones stressful events occurring before or after birth women younger than 17 single mothers without other adults around divorced women

Bipolar Disorder

I’ve overlooked important pieces of depression. Depression isn’t just what doctors classify as MDD, major depressive disorder. Depression can come in a variety of forms such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and bipolar (manic) depression (aka bi-p D). For many years, especially as a teen, I misclassified myself as bipolar even though I never received an official “bipolar” diagnosis. Here’s what you need to know: WHAT: “Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, is characterized by mood swings so severe that a person’s relationships, occupation, and overall ability to function can be severely compromised.” SYMPTOMS: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms include: a pendulum swing from euphoria to sadness, depression or anger — but with temperate periods in between. Other signs of bipolar disorder include insomnia or sleeping too much, drastic weight loss or gain, difficulty concentrating, anxiousness, and suicidal thoughts. TREATMENT: Bi-p D can be controlled with prescription medications, often lithium, to minimized the emotional swings. Being a 16-year-old girl in high school, I had emotional swings all the time. It’s a wonder I misdiagnosed myself. Take a quiz to see if you have bipolar disorder and discuss it with your doctor at your convenience.