Research continues

There is new information about depression and anxiety coming about each day. This is great news for those suffering from these mental health issues. Advocating for young adults with these illnesses is essential. Erasing the stigma of mental health and working toward open communication and acceptance of the term is vital. There are too many individuals silently suffering when they do not have to.

 I hope this blog has provided valuable information about depression and anxiety. I also hope that if you are reading this blog and suffering from a mental illness that you take charge and reach out for help. I know the personal struggles of asking for help but the reward from receiving help and support is so much more important. Thank you all for tuning in! Stay encouraged and Be Blessed!

The Stigma

Often times we are ashamed or afraid to admit that we are currently suffering or have suffered from a mental illness. The stigma of mental illnesses has lead to many sad and misunderstood situations. Sweeping the issue under the rug is continuing to set mental health and illness back in the health world. People do not want to be labeled as the "crazy" one or "sad". The fear of being treated differently is one of the biggest challenges that the mental health world is still working to overcome.

Since there is still such a stigma on mental health issues it becomes difficult to explain to family and friends what is wrong and how you are being affected. A few ways to address this topic with family or friends are:

1. Be completely honest about your illness. Explain to your loved ones what mental health issue you are struggling with. Educating your loved ones will make understanding the illness must easier.

2. Explain how you feel. Along with educating them on the illness, describe to them how you are feeling and why this may be happening (if you have a solid reason)

3. Discuss with them your approach on having the issue resolved. Talk with your family about your treatment and explain the importance of having their love and support during this difficult time.

4. Be very specific with how they can help. Remember that the person you are speaking with about your illness may not fully understand what you are going through. In order to help yourself, explain the expectations of their support for you.

Overall, addressing your mental health issue head on is the best way to go. Hiding this from others will only prolong the situation and you may suffer from holding in your true feelings. Educate those who don't understand and lean on others to support you during this time.

Tackling Depression and Anxiety through stress management

Depression and Anxiety are illnesses that most people experience at some point in their lives. Most college students go through both during their early twenty's for many different reasons but most will say being over stressed is the number one reason. This topic and demographic are not discussed often so I have developed a strategy presentation that explains stress management and teaches some helpful techniques for anyone experiencing depression or anxiety.

Depression and African Americans

Depression and African Americans:


Depression within the African American community is viewed differently than other cultures. Most races view depression as something that can be treated and maintained with the right assistance. Most African Americans view depression as a personal weakness.



63 percent of African Americans believe that depression is a personal weakness or struggle, this is significantly higher than the overall survey average of all races of 54%. Within this culture only 31% of individuals beleive that depression is actually a health problem (NAMI, 2014)

Culture biases against mental health professionals and health care professionals in general prevent many African Americans from accessing care due to prior experiences with historical misdiagnoses, inadequate treatment and a lack of culture understanding; only 2 percent of psychiatrists, 2 percent of psychologist and 4 percent of social workers in the United States are African American (NAMI, 2014)

African Americans are also less likely to seek any form of treatment for depression than any other race. Some barriers to treatment for this race are denial, embarrassment, lack of health insurance or money, fear, or issues with the medication. Some studies suggest that African Americans metabolize some medications more slowly than Caucasian Americans, yet they often receive higher does of Psychiatric medications. This can lead to overdoes or misuse of medication.

African Americans were less likely to take any antidepressant for treatment of depression; only 34 percent would take this medication if prescribed by a doctor (NAMI, 2014).

One of the biggest issues for this minority group when it comes to treatment for mental illness is access to health care. This is cause for a major health disparity in the African American culture. Nearly 1 in 4 African Americans is uninsured, compared to 16% of the U.S. population (MHA, 2014). African Americans are more likely to use emergency services or to seek treatment from a primary care provider than from a mental health specialist due to their lack of insurance coverage.

Overall, only one-third of Americans with mental illness or a mental health problem get care. Out of this number only half are African Americans. Majority of the individuals receiving treatment or being diagnosed are Caucasian Americans (MHA, 2014).


Community Initiatives

Due to the small amount of African Americans reporting depression, it makes it difficult to form help groups or community initiatives. However the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has created a campaign to spread the word to young African Americans that it is acceptable to talk about depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems, it's called Stories That Heal. This campaign is nationwide and is working toward getting solid communication about mental illnesses and how to overcome cultural stigma that is carried in the African American culture (SAMHSA, 2014.)


Refeneces

Mental Health American (MHA). 2014. Conditions. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/depression-and-african-americans.

Nation Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI). 2014. Facts and figures. Retrieved from http://nami.org/template.cfm?section=facts_sheets1&template=/contentmanagment/contentdisplay.cfm

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 2014. Stories That Heal. Retreived from htt[://www.samhsa.gov/volume_18_Number_2/mentalillnessafricanamericans.aspx

Are you suffering?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Common statements made by individuals suffering from this disorder:

“I have trouble sleeping, I can’t remember the last time I slept 8 hours.”

“I can’t turn my brain off, I am always thinking about the next thing or worrying about what could happen.”

“I’ve been told many times I can’t relax”

“I worry about everything, even when I know there is not a problem.”

If you are thinking you say these things frequently you make have G.A.D.

People with GAD can’t seem to get rid of their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. They can’t relax, startle easily, and have difficulty concentrating. Often they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Physical symptoms that often accompany the anxiety include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes.

GAD develops slowly. It often starts during the teen years or young adulthood. Symptoms may get better or worse at different times, and often are worse during times of stress.

GAD sometimes runs in families, but no one knows for sure why some people have it while others don't. Researchers have found that several parts of the brain are involved in fear and anxiety.

Are You At Risk?

Generalized anxiety disorders affect about 3.1% American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty (NIH, 2014). The average age of onset is 31 years old.

GAD affects about 6.8 million American adults, including twice as many women as men (NIH, 2014). The disorder develops gradually and can begin at any point in the life cycle, although the years of highest risk are between childhood and middle age.

Treatments

Psychotherapy.: A type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy is especially useful for treating GAD. It teaches a person different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations that help him or her feel less anxious and worried (Adaa, 2014).

Medication: Doctors also may prescribe medication to help treat GAD. Two types of medications are commonly used to treat GAD—anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants. Anti-anxiety medications are powerful and there are different types. Many types begin working right away, but they generally should not be taken for long periods.

If you find that you can relate to this topic please reach out to your health care provider to see what steps you can take to help relieve your stress and constant worry.

Reference:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/index.shtml

http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad

Facts and Figures

The topic I have chosen to blog about is one that is very dear to me personally and affects millions of individuals every day. Mental health issues are very common these days. Considering the fast paces lifestyles that we live, it is not surprising that we all feel overwhelmed or stressed out about the things on our to-do list.
 Mental health diseases or issues range from depression, to anxiety, to multiple personality disorders. There are many mental health illnesses and even more causes. Roughly 1 in 4 adults are suffering or will suffer from a mental illness in their lifetime. Mood disorders such as bipolar disorder affect more than 20 million people. These types of disorders generally begin to affect individuals in their 30's but individuals can show signs earlier on in life. These types of disorders are generally accompanied by anxiety disorder and substance abuse.
Another mental health illness that affects many people is suicide. This topic has become increasing more common among younger children. The highest suicide rate is found to be in white males. While white males are more successful at committing suicide women attempt it more often. Suicide is a topic that I will be visiting a lot during this blog because this is the ultimate mental health illness. This illness not only affects the person but the family and friends of the individuals suffer too.

Other disorders that will be visited during my blog will include panic disorders and anxiety disorders. Between the two disorders there are more than 46 million individuals that are affected with these disorders each year.  One of the biggest mental health disorders is depression more than 50 million people report signs of depression or have feelings of being depressed often. It is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses.

Within the weeks to come, I will not only address mental illness from an educational prospective but I will have the opportunity to share my own struggles with mental health disorders, as well as introduce insight from a patient prospective in the mental health world. This prospective can be very different than many believe.  Please continue on this journey and be open minded about the information you find here.


Reference:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml
http://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/
http://www.thekimfoundation.org/html/about_mental_ill/statistics.html