jim henson

Therese Borchard writes a thought-provoking article on her blog, Beyond Blue entitled Are Puritans Behind the War on Antidepressants?  Borchard suffers from depression and has written three books on the subject.  She is also the associate editor at Psych Central where she also blogs.

Her premise here is that our country's Puritan heritage has caused us to look askance at psych meds, believing that we should "tough it out."  Underneath this belief, she says, is the idea that the depressed person is at fault and must endure God's punishment.  This attitude, of course, can be part of and fuel the depression itself--not the best way to kick it.

Christ spoke against the blame-the-victim mentality when he told the disciples regarding the man born blind that it was neither his sin nor his parents' that caused the man's blindness.  Nevertheless, this dangerous misconception continues in many religious circles even today.

Borchard points out that most of the anti-medication claims are either "groundless or simplistic".  I'll add that this tendency lends itself beautifully to most media articles on the subject.  People read (and write) in attention-grabbing headlines and fail to point out the scientific nuances in these studies that should color treatment decisions.

This article is an essential read for anyone who is touched by depression--their own or someone else's.

The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive is a documentary by Stephen Fry, one-time comedy partner of Hugh Laurie (lately the star of House.)  Fry talks with both American and English sufferers of bipolarity about the effect of their illness and examines his own history and his current symptoms to decide whether or not he should resume treatment.

He discusses the (apparently American) trend to diagnose this disease rather early and muses about the link between his own creativity and mania.

In part 2, he searches for the answer to his apparently worsening symptoms by talking to people such as American actor Richard Dreyfus, who has been on lithium since the 1970's.  When he goes through a depressive episode during filming, he talks openly about it rather than his usual coping mechanism of hiding in his house and searches out a family whose grown daughter had resisted medication and hospitalization because of the fear of stigma.

He faces his fear of ECT and psychiatric hospitals by researching both and speaks to a doctor who keeps her symptoms at bay through diet and a lower stress lifestyle.  Another woman maps her moods.

Fry also takes us through one of his rather manic moods where he shops with a therapist along to rein him in. Then he meets with a young lady whose depression and its effects are making her feel suicidal.

While some portions of this documentary are difficult to watch, it is a well done, in-depth look at the illness and its treatments.

Today is PTSD awareness day.  Millions of people in the United States develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder every year.  Anyone who is a witness to trauma can develop PTSD.

Historically, PTSD was known by various names.  Called "Soldier's heart" in the American Civil War, it was known as "Shell Shock" in World War I and "Combat Fatigue" in World War II.

Symptoms include depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, flashbacks and nightmares, feeling detached, experiencing restricted emotional affect and a sense of a foreshortened future.  The person also may suffer from difficulty sleeping, be hypervigilant, angry and have an exaggerated startle response.

Children with PTSD may lose a recently acquired developmental skill such as potty training.

Any traumatic event may trigger PTSD in anyone, even if others similarly exposed do not go on to develop it.

The most effective treatment for PTSD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sometimes coupled with SSRI medication.

For more information on PTSD visit http://www.ptsd.va.gov.

I wanted to call attention to a very helpful post by an internet friend, Lisa Graas about the spiritual needs of those suffering from mental illness.  Lisa suffers from depression and has outlined a very helpful means to emotional wellness.

She suggests offering up one's sufferings for others.  These graces, she says, are important not to waste.  It also gets us out of our own heads, something I had not thought of before.  It does not matter if you don't have anyone or anything specific in mind to offer up your sufferings for.  God will use them regardless.  You can always offer them for others who suffer from mental illnesses.

Lisa suggests a devotion to Saint Dymphna, something that is close to my heart.  She mentions St. Dymphna Shrines both in the United States and abroad, to visit.

Something else she talks about that I have also found crucial is the development of virtue.  I recently posted about how helpful Totus Tuus Ministries have been to me in that regard.  Overcoming one's shortcomings and avoiding their repetition reminds me very much of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.  We must squarely face how we have hurt others and make amends when possible.