Yes!
If you don’t mind a laugh at the expense of Big Pharma, then a post by Vaughan at Mind Hacks is worth a look.
Havitol has my vote. “The first and only treatment for Dysphoric Social Attention Consumption Deficit Anxiety Disorder. When more is not enough.”
As for any blockbuster drug, Havitol has it’s own website, complete with online store and merchandise. On another site a very satisfied customer gives her testimony.
Read more at Mind Hacks.
In the 2007 volume of the Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry there is a study titled “Quality of Life Among Bipolar Disorder Patients Misdiagnosed With Major Depressive Disorder”. A mouthful, I know.
The study hits on some home truths for me. After being diagnosed with depression by my family doctor, I spent two or three years trying different anti-depressants without success. It was an awful period of my life. My doctor labelled me “treatment resistant” and explained that the medicines were “pooping out”.
After persevering for far too long I decided to see a psychiatrist. Not more than a few minutes into my first appointment with him, he said that “poop-out” doesn’t really exist. What appears to be “poop-out”, he explained, is more likely the result of incorrect diagnosis and inappropriate treatment. He was on the mark. His diagnosis of my illness was bipolar disorder not depression, and I enjoyed a significant improvement in health following appropriate changes to my medications.
The conclusion of the study is that people with bipolar disorder that are misdiagnosed as having major depression have a poorer quality of life than those with correctly diagnosed major depression or bipolar disorder. This makes sense to me. If the diagnosis is wrong then the treatment can be ineffective, or even counterproductive. Over time a person’s frustration and sense of hopelessness will only increase as the prospects for getting better appear to be vanishing.
It’s an important fact that bipolar disorder is hard to diagnose. The average length of time from onset to correct diagnosis is over 10 years and perhaps as high as 15. It was more than 10 years for me, and it never occurred to me once that I had bipolar. That is, until after diagnosis when my wife and I scrutinised my past behavior. Hypomania, which is more common than mania, can be hard to detect, especially if you aren’t on the lookout for it.
What to look out for? The symptoms of hypomania are many and varied, but some of the common ones are racing thoughts, a reduced need for sleep, increased energy, inflated self esteem, lack of concentration, an excessive sense of well-being and reckless behaviour. I have experienced all of these. Often the person with hypomania will enjoy their symptoms, as will their partners when they renovate the house while everyone is asleep. Unfortunately what goes up tends to come back down, and in my experience hypomania can spiral out of control and end badly.
The conclusion to this? If you are suffering from severe depression, but you aren’t making progress with your treatment, then it may be worth your while to have a second opinion. You might also think about whether you’ve had exuberant periods in your life as well as depression.
Research from the NIH shows that over 19 million Americans are suffering from depression. Keeping a pet is a good way to remove the loneliness and separation.
Research from Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) has demonstrated that up to 17% of dogs in the U.S. are suffering from separation anxiety.
What?
That’s nearly one in every five dogs in your street, burdened with a debilitating mental disorder. Or two dogs for every person in your street who has depression. Now that’s an impressive market.
Where there’s a problem the forces of supply and demand will find a solution, and this is the void into which Lilly stepped with its anti-depressant drug Reconcile (or Prozac by any other name). As a first foray into pet-pharmaceuticals, Reconcile followed hot on the heels of Pfizer’s diet drug Slentrol launched earlier in the year.
Lilly’s companion-animal division is now poring through the molecules in its library of compounds, looking for other streams of income from this undeveloped market.
Some quotes that I’ve read:
“Dogs affected may bark, chew household items, or urinate in inappropriate locations when left alone”.
“Anxiety may cause the dog to engage in inappropriate behavior, such as destruction, excess vocalization and inappropriate elimination.”
Our kids do the same if we neglect them for long enough.
‘My animal is a member of the family, and I am willing to pay the cost of drugs that were developed for humans.’
So what is your view? Is a dog more likely to need an SSRI or a long walk and some love and attention?
For a more thought-provoking post:
http://www.furiousseasons.com
http://ahrp.blogspot.com
http://www.cbc.ca/ (scroll down to “Pet Prozac”)
For lots of airbrushed dogs on the Lilly pet site:
http://www.lillypet.com/
I expect they would prefer some ecotherapy (first exercise post) to meet their emotional and physical needs, and provide a ready supply of trees.
Glad to hear from you again Rachel. Cheers.
I don’t own a dog so am not qualified to comment from personal experience. I do have friends with dogs, and some of them have gotten prescriptions for their dogs’ anxiety, including behaviors like repetitive licking that would prevent wound healing.
I have to agree with the previous comments: many of our pets’ “problems” today are directly caused by absent owners who shut their animals up in tiny confines for long periods at a time.
Depression is really a catch-all phrase for a broad spectrum of mood disorders. No two people suffering from depression will experience exactly the same symptoms and they won’t respond in exactly the same way to treatments. It is also a catch-all phrase used to describe different levels of severity in illness, and biological as well as non-biological disorders. This complicates its treatment enormously.
It is important to remember, when working through a resource list like this, that some things may work for you and others may not – a treatment for depression should start with professional help. Irrespective of this, it’s important to be involved in learning about your illness, including the treatments available. It seems that those who actively participate in their treatments have the most success in maintaining good health. Good luck!
THE BIG PICTURE
Large Website Resources
National Institute of Mental Health
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Medline Plus
MayoClinic.com
Blackdog Institute
Comprehensive PDF publications
National Institute of Mental Health
Mental Health Foundation – Dealing with Depression
HereToHelp – Depression Toolkit
Understanding Major Depression and Recovery
PDF Fact Sheets
Mind (National Association for Mental Health)
National Institute of Mental Health
SANE Australia
Black Dog Institute
Beyond Blue
Staying Well Plans
National Mental Health Information Center – Self-Help Guide
SANE Australia – Mental Illness and Keeping Well
Black Dog Institute – Ways of Staying Well
Sarah Russell – “Staying well with bipolar disorder”
(5th article from the top. Very applicable to depression.)
EVERYDAY LIFE
Exercise
MayoClinic.com – Depression and Exercise
Better Health – Depression and Exercise
MIND – The Mind Guide to Physical Activity
Mental Health Foundation UK – Up and Running!
Food
Mental Health Foundation – Healthy Eating and Depression
MIND – The Mind Guide to Food and Mood
MyPyramid.gov – Healthy Diet Plan
Stress Management and Relaxation
MIND – The Mind Guide to Managing Stress
MIND – The Mind Guide to Relaxation
Families for Depression Awareness – Coping With Stress
Sleep
HelpGuide – Tips for a Good Night Sleep
National Sleep Foundation – All About Sleep
TRUSTED BOOKS (links to Amazon)
Dealing with Depression: A Commonsense Guide to Mood Disorders
The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook
A Lifelong Journey: Staying Well With Manic Depression/bipolar Disorder
Loving Someone With Bipolar Disorder
PHYSICAL TREATMENTS
Medicines
National Alliance on Mental Illness – Information on Specific Medicines
Drug Digest – Information on Specific Medicines
National Institute of Mental Health – Detailed Information on Types of Medicines
Beyond Blue – Brief Introduction to Types of Medicines
MayoClinic – Brief but Helpful video on Understanding Antidepressants
Electroconvulsive therapy
MayoClinic.com Overview
MayoClinic.com Video
infrapsych
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
MayoClinic.com – VNS: A New Depression Treatment Option
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
National Alliance on Mental Illness – TMS
MayoClinic.com – TMS: An experimental depression treatment
PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS
Overview
APA – How Psychotherapy Helps People Recover From Depression
APA – How to Find Help Through Psychotherapy
Mental Health Foundation – We Need to Talk PDF
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
National Alliance on Mental Illness – About CBT Treatments
National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists
MoodGym program – free online CBT course
Living Life to the Full – free online CBT course
liveandworkwell.com – Steps to Change: free online CBT course
ALTERNATIVE, COMPLEMENTARY AND SELF-HELP TREATMENTS
Overview
Healthy Place
National Mental Health Information Center
New Hope – Natural Remedies for Depression
Introduction to Dietary Supplements
Bibliotherapy
Holistic Online – Bibliotherapy
Omega-3
Medline Plus
Black Dog Institute – The Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids as a Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
(Online presentation also applicable to unipolar depression)
Vitamin B6
National Institute of Health – Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet
Medline Plus
Vitamin B12
National Institute of Health – Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet
Medline Plus
SAMe
Drug Digest – Article on SAM-e
DHEA
Medline Plus – DHEA Overview
MedPage Today – DHEA Effective for Midlife-Onset Depression
Ginkgo Biloba
Medline Plus – Ginkgo Overview
NCCAM – Herbs at a Glance: Ginkgo
St John’s Wort
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine – St John’s Wort
Drug Digest – St John’s Wort
Light therapy
MayoClinic – Seasonal Affective Disorder
PsychEducation.org – Light Therapies for Depression
Yoga
Better Health Channel – General Article on Yoga
The MIND Guide to Yoga
Aromatherapy
Holistic Online – Depression Remedies
Wavelengths Natural Therapy – How to use Aromatherapy for Depression
depression-guide.com – Depression and Aromatherapy
Massage therapy
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Medline Massage Therapy Interactive Tutorials
Spirituality
Mental Health Foundation – The Impact of Spirituality on Mental Health
Creative Therapies
American Art Therapy Association
American Music Therapy Association
American Dance Therapy Association
Acupuncture
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Acupuncture.com – Depression and the Five Elements
Meditation and Relaxation
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
MayoClinic online meditation video
MayoClinic Relaxation Techniques
Progressive Relaxation, Guided Imagery and Autogenic Relaxation
Calming.org
McMaster University – Relaxation: Physical and Mental
Ecotherapy
Mind (National Association for Mental Health)
Keep this list expanding! If you have another resource that you’d like to share please add it in the comments.
[...] Original post by james [...]
Another informative and excellent post on your blog. I hope many of my patients read english.
Thanks walter
P.S. made a link on my blog
Nice Post.
It also pays at such times to speak your mind out. There are 6 Billion of us around with each one having 2 problems ( see 12billion.com ) . That makes it 12 Billion problems at any given time.
[...] Bishop presents 94 Great Resources on Treating Depression posted at Finding Optimism, saying, “This is a huge collection of online resources centered [...]
SAVED BY GRACE
About 3 years ago I dropped into a black hole – four months of absolute terror. I wanted to end my life, but somehow [Holy Spirit], I reached out to a friend who took me to hospital. I had three visits [hospital] in four months – I actually thought I was in hell. I imagine I was going through some sort of metamorphosis [mental, physical & spiritual]. I had been seeing a therapist [1994] on a regular basis, up until this point in time. I actually thought I would be locked away – but the hospital staff was very supportive [I had no control over my process]. I was released from hospital 16th September 2004, but my fear, pain & shame had only subsided a little. I remember this particular morning waking up [home] & my process would start up again [fear, pain, & shame]. No one could help me, not even my therapist [I was terrified]. I asked Jesus Christ to have mercy on me & forgive me my sins. Slowly, all my fear has dissipated & I believe Jesus delivered me from my “psychological prison.†I am a practicing Catholic & the Holy Spirit is my friend & strength; every day since then has been a joy & blessing. I deserve to go to hell for the life I have led, but Jesus through His sacrifice on the cross, delivered me from my inequities. John 3: 8, John 15: 26, are verses I can relate to, organically. He’s a real person who is with me all the time. I have so much joy & peace in my life, today, after a childhood spent in orphanages . God LOVES me so much. Fear, pain, & shame, are no longer my constant companions. I just wanted to share my experience with you [Luke 8: 16 – 17].
PEACE BE WITH YOU
MICKY
[...] 94 Great Resources for Treating Depression has links to, yes, 94 organizations treating different aspects of depression, from the American Psychological Association to the National Sleep Foundation and alternative therapies, with workbooks, free online CBT, recipes, and more. The list is compiled at the great new blog Finding Optimism. Among the positive views is the entry 12 Best Things About Being Mentally Ill. Check it out. Time. I now spend more time on things that are important to me. Example – I have great relationships with my kids. Time with them is invaluable. Unfortunately most Dads don’t spend more than a few minutes a day giving their kids undivided attention. Depression is a good wake-up call. [...]
[...] http://www.findingoptimism.com/sleep-relaxation/ 94-great-resources-for-treating-depression/ [...]
Great site, quite inclusive. I’ve added a link to your blog at my blog, ‘maryland social worker nunetter’. May I suggest another resource? The web site, ‘familydoctor.org’ has excellent information on the mind,body spirit connection. nunbetter
I have found that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy is quite helpful, where the depression has been chronic, as opposed to due to a life event. There’s some information on my website, DonaldFleck.com, and I welcome comments and questions. Research info is at PubMed.com, under MBCT, and there is a general website called MBCT.
Sincerely, D Fleck DCSW
Wow, what a list of helpful resources!
I found optimism by the help of optimistic friends. I surrounding myself with those who were encouraging and supportive. I honestly had to say ‘goodbye’ to someone who was not a good influence.
Besides surrounding myself with the right people, I paid attention to my lifestyle – diet and exercise and positive thinking as well as supplements like Omega 3s.
Cheers!
Chris –
Here is where I *think* we agree – psychiatry is *clearly* no science. Nobody can tell you exactly how these drugs work. There is no blood test for depression.
My concern with the arguments here are that you’ve reduced this argument to one like anemia and iron deficiency. You are tired, a blood test shows you are anemic, the doctor finds out why, you take iron supplements and fix it. Cured.
There is no such phenomenon as “too little serotonin” – it doesn’t work that way. This is simply a vastly oversimplified explanation for lay people who’s only understanding is “too little/too much/more is good”.
There are multiple types of receptors for serotonin. Serotonin is involved is much more than mood regulation. Different circuits in the brain utilize chemical mechanisms of communication in different ways. This is why I say “complex” – it is *incredibly* complex – I’m not an organic chemist, nor a neurologist or any other ‘ist’ qualified to give a lengthy dissertation on chemical systems of transmission and feedback in the brain. But come on – clearly you can see this much is true.
The fact that serotonin is involved in the regulation of mood is inferred from the changes seen when this chemical is manipulated in the brain. Much of our knowledge in science is made by inference.
We probably agree that this over-simplification has led to convincing a public that all their ills can be solved with medication. Clearly that is not the case. Insurance companies don’t want to pay for lengthy (an often unsuccessful) therapy. Pharmaceutical companies like to sell drugs. No secrets there.
Serotonin isn’t the only chemical involved – dopamine, nor epinephrine, epinephrine, GABA – all play huge roles. Add to the fact there are multiple types of receptors and that these chemicals and receptors are utilized in different ways and for different reasons in different people and yes, the chemistry is INCREDIBLY COMPLEX.
In a more self-centered vein I consider myself a “real” sufferer. This in contrast to someone in a period of soul-searching who seeks a remedy in a pill.
All of this is not to say I think ‘chemical imbalance’ is bunk. Is the change in chemistry a result of environment, bad behavior, bad habits, overbearing mothers or genetics. I don’t know.
What I *can* tell you is that medication has been the cornerstone of managing this ‘phenomenon’ for me. I hate taking medicine. Side effects? You better believe it. Medicine has even hurt me at one point by pushing me into a manic phase. Medicine alone does not work. I had to completely change my life. I had to stop drinking and using other drugs. I had to develop a different philosophy. I had to change jobs and surround myself with people that were congruent with my new direction. However, the meds remain a key. Without them I am erratic, suicidal and cannot function.
You make the comparison to alcohol. I’ve been there too. In fact, finding a way to address the underlying issues I was *medicating* with the alcohol allowed me to put it, and other drugs down an maintain strict sobriety for the past six years. It was a psychoactive drug called Depakote that allowed me to do that.
You just can’t over-simplify this. Between comments like ‘the true solutions to emotional and psychological problems just can’t be found in a test tube’ – and a drug company’s promotion of the idea that these issues can be solved with a pill is a reality: – and that is that these medications can be an invaluable *part* of successful treatment.
To say anything less is grossly insulting and does an incredible disservice to those in need.
[...] medical resources on the internet as well medical articles of relevance; Here he identifies a useful resource for depression on the internet; The limits of fMRI; A review of a paper on surgical complications [...]
Another very informative site that I did not see listed is http://www.dbsalliance.org (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance)
I was officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder in August 2006, and I had my husband go with me to the DBSA National Conference that same year (just a few months after my diagnosis). Going to that conference was what helped my husband to realize that bipolar disorder and depression were REAL illnesses and not excuses.
This website has a wealth of information for those with mental illnesses, as well as for those who are supporting or caring for those with mental illness. I hope you find it worthwhile.
My Woes
Firstly, I’ll give you a bit of background.
When my life caved in some years ago, a concerned friend told my wife that I probably had depression. Not long after that, my friend’s diagnosis was confirmed by our family doctor. While admitting that he was lacking in experience, he prescribed one of the older SSRIs, because he “hadn’t tried that one in a while”. He was an excellent, wonderful, gentle, nice doctor, but mental health was a weakness.
Over the next 2 years while under his care I tried a succession of anti-depressants, but with little success. It became apparent that I was “treatment resistant” and the anti-depressants were “pooping out”. I held out little hope for an effective treatment.
Around this time I read a journal article written by a well-known and respected Australian psychiatrist. I was impressed by the article, and there were snippets of information that seemed relevant to my illness. Not backward in being forward, my wife promptly made an appointment to see him, for a treatment review.
Being diagnosed as having bipolar was somewhat of a relief. He told me that I wasn’t treatment resistant, and that he doesn’t believe in “poop out” at all. My treatment just wasn’t suitable for my condition in the first place. (As an aside he noted that the anti-depressant I was taking was prescribed at way below “a therapeutic level”.)
Receiving the correct diagnosis is not a cure-all for getting well, but it certainly is a start. It took me another 2 years of trial and error to find a treatment that was “satisfactory”, I guess. I’d say it’s about 80% to 90% right (so non-medical stay-well strategies play an important part).
Enough about me…but keep in mind that my experience is fairly common.
Should you seek a second opinion?
Seeking a second opinion, or a specialist opinion, for a proposed treatment is very common. It is not an insult to your doctor, and they are very unlikely to receive it in that way. It is normal so don’t feel uneasy.
It makes sense to have a second opinion if you’ve been receiving treatment and you don’t think you’re getting any better. Just be sure to consider whether it’s because the treatment plan is not effective or because you’re not following the treatment plan designed for you.
Another reason to seek a second opinion is if you aren’t comfortable or are dissatisfied with your current health provider.
What do I stand to gain from seeking another opinion?
Here are some clear benefits:
Any cons?
There are benefits with staying with your original health provider and not chopping and changing if you have a long relationship with them and they know your medical history well.
Once you have settled on a treatment make sure that the person treating you gives you a timeframe over which you can expect to see improvements so that you have realistic expectations.
The Finding Optimism blog is written by a sufferer of mental illness, not a medical practitioner. Information in the blog is of a general nature and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The advice of a qualified health professional should be sought for any questions regarding a medical condition.
© 2009 Finding Optimism. All Rights Reserved.
tg 13 Jun 2008 @ 8:40 pm
I believe this is true. I was diagnosed about two years ago with Bipolar II (in addition to anxiety disorders). This information has explained much of my life and the symptoms I have struggled with since age 7. (I am over 30 now). Bipolar II is much more complicated to diagnose and treat than just a depressive episode. It has been wonderful to FINALLY find an effective medication combo and a good Christian psychologist who specializes in mood disorders who is helping me move beyond survival mode to actually enjoying life on a regular basis, which I had never expected. The good news is that Bipolar II is highly treatable, & the earlier it is diagnosed, the greater the potential for vastly improved quality of life.
Rick L 14 Jun 2008 @ 7:43 am
I just found this little bit of info, since I set google to find these things about BP II for me… I have struggled with bipolar II symptoms most of my life, & my sister, who is a Christian psych nurse practitioner, finally helped me diagnose correctly. No wonder the antidepressants actually made me WORSE and MORE discouraged… Over 50 years old, I’d like to be able to help many other people with this and similar conditions… God has been with me the whole time through the awful struggles in my life. So, let’s go forward from here.
Wellness Writer 8 Jul 2008 @ 1:24 am
I’m glad you finally got the right diagnosis. Actually, antidepressants do “poop out.” There’s a medical term for it; I just can’t remember it. But, after three years of working, Zoloft “pooped out” for me. And I was also labeled medication resistant because none of the standard bipolar medication worked. However, I believe that atypical bipolar II was not the right diagnosis for me; and my illness was actually clinical depression. Alas…
chato 12 Jul 2008 @ 2:17 am
lol, fire burner just sent me a message you left, I hope you will still come by the site.. well the good thing is I got to see your site… great work.
Chato
http://mentalhealthhumor.today.com
claudia 21 Jul 2008 @ 9:03 am
I don’t think I’m bipolar, it’s mostly anxiety that I suffer from.
I’m also to scared to get any more diagnoses, I know it sounds stupid, but I don’t like admitting I have problems… Does that make any sense?
Adam 1 Oct 2008 @ 6:09 pm
On the subject of meds pooping out. I’ve read somewhere about this and then experienced it myself.
First though: as soon as your family doctor or internist mentions depression, look for a good psychiatrist. Internists are not trained well enough in this area to prescribe you proper medications in proper doses and to properly identify your problem. Depression may be are result of something else that needs to be taken care of first. Meds have to be started slowly, in small doses and progress, side effects must be monitored. You need to see the doctor at minimum once a month and discuss it. Anyway, what I’m getting at is this: most internists, and some psychiatrists too, will start with some latest and greatest medications. As it turns out many people 30years or older do not have a very good reaction or non at all to the newest meds. For example, Lexapro did nothing for me for over a year. Yes, I made the mistake of not seeing a specialist and having my internist prescribe me drugs. I showed a great response though to good old Prozac! Within weeks I started feeling better. At first it was combined with small doses of Klonopin (“painkiller” for anxiety and tension) which immediately, overnight lowered the tension and anxiety so Prozac had easier time kicking in. Klonopin was slowly phased out over a period of months and I’m still making a progress.
Claudia, I lived in denial too: “oh. I’m just stressed or overworked”. Then I thought I was just depressed and everyone is depressed these days, but it turned out the underlying problem was severe, chronic anxiety related to some events in the past and certain fears, one of them being kind of perfectionist I was always worried about not doing things right. Admitting that you have a problem is the first step towards recovery. See a good specialist and start proper therapy.
Cheers!
Adam