Blogs - WEGO Health

Your Support is Needed: ENHANCED Act of 2009

A handful of Senators have risen to the occasion, joining forces with some of the nations most esteemed academic medical centers, and have introduced a bill to establish national centers of excellence for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorders. The bill, called the ENHANCED Act of 2009, was introduced in late October by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), George Voinovich (R-OH), Sherro… Continue

Added by Amy K on November 19, 2009 at 10:21pm — 3 Comments

Eating, drinking and overthinking - the connection of women's health coping methods

Young adults, because of their proximity to research opportunities (mostly at colleges and universities) have become study fodder more and more lately. One of the more recent studies done shows that in young women, alcohol abuse, obesity and depression are creating a "toxic triangle". Reuters' article Obesity,

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Added by Sarah on November 19, 2009 at 5:30am — 3 Comments

The Symptoms of Postpartum Depression & Anxiety in Plain Mama English

What does it feel like to have postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety? What are the symptoms? How do you know when you have it? I thought we'd have a talk today about the signs of postpartum depression and anxiety, and we'd do it in "plain mama English". We won't use words like hypomania or dysthymia or suicidality or psychomotor agitation. We will use the words we hear in our heads when we think about what the hell is happening to us ... When you read the lists below, keep in mind a few… Continue

Added by Katherine Stone on November 16, 2009 at 1:23pm — 2 Comments

Online Screening Tools for Depression and Anxiety

“Depression is among the most treatable of psychiatric illnesses. Between 80 percent and 90 percent of people with depression respond positively to treatment, and almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms. But first, depression has to be recognized.” AFSP (emphasis mine) Recognizing depression...doesn't sound like it should be so difficult, but the reality is that it can be quite a challenge, especially when you are the one suffering.… Continue

Added by Amy K on November 14, 2009 at 11:33pm — 4 Comments

Being Mindful

Have you noticed the sound of the Fall leaves crunching underfoot today? Did you experience your morning coffee, or did you simply gulp it down to get the caffeine going? Did you notice what your spouse, children or loved one was wearing today? How about in this moment...what noises do you hear, any smells in the air, how does the chair feel that you are sitting in? If you are anything like me, so much of your day might be spent in auto-pilot, going through the motions, without actually experien… Continue

Added by Amy K on November 4, 2009 at 5:47pm — 3 Comments

Caffeine, Migraine and disordered sleep - cumulative effects and Little Red Riding Hood

Do you know what caffeine actually does inside your body? inside your brain? You know that it helps you to stay awake, but did you know that the effects inside your brain is actually cumulative? Those with sleep trouble and Migraine are especially at risk. My analogy is the children's tale of Little Red Riding Hood - Adorable little red-caped girl skips thru the woods to visit dear old grandma, only to find that a nasty, hungry wolf has beat her there. The wolf dresses in grandma's clot… Continue

Added by Ellen S on October 30, 2009 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Support for Caregivers: What Do You Recommend?

Did you know that more than 50 million Americans care for a family member or friend with a chronic illness, disability or advanced age during any given year? These caregivers work tirelessly, often without pay or help from others. Their dedication to caregiving is absolutely invaluable and necessary for so many people of all ages. However, though their care is often provid… Continue

Added by amanda on October 30, 2009 at 3:24pm — 1 Comment

Why Am I Here?

As a person seeking to find her niche in life, I thought it would be interesting to share with you why I am here at WEGO Health. I have asked myself that question before...do I fit in here? Am I what they are looking for as a member of this community. I am finding that my niche isn't necessarily in one spot or area, but rather in several spots and that I do have something to contribute. My start in activism began with my involvement in a campaign for suicide prevention for the… Continue

Added by Amy K on October 26, 2009 at 3:18am — 5 Comments

Depression and Anxiety: Creating a gratitude list

As a woman, I've realized that I tie a lot of things to my personal happiness and well-being; one of those things specifically being how clean my house is. A recent discussion about the question: "

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Added by Sarah on October 23, 2009 at 6:00am — 4 Comments

Is your house causing your depression and anxiety?

Feeling blue? Take a look around you right now. Is your coffee table covered in papers and books? What about your bedroom? Is the hamper full of dirty clothes and your bed sits unmade? Have the dishes been sitting in the sink for a week now? Could you lose your child in the playroom? Ever wonder if these things are related to your emotional state? Not only do I see a personal connection with my own life, but I have seen it with my friends as well… Continue

Added by Sarah on October 19, 2009 at 4:17pm — 11 Comments

Sharing your depression & anxiety diagnoses

Janeen recently posted a great blog entry about Blogging Your Initial Diagnosis (specifically for Type I diabetes) and it got me thinking… Continue

Added by Sarah on October 14, 2009 at 4:36pm — No Comments

Depression during pregnancy

Amanda started a discussion in the pregnancy group about Depression during pregnancy. I thought this was a wonderful topic! Much has been covered about postpardem depression, but you don't hear too much about depression during pregnancy. Do you still take your medication? Will the medication hurt the baby? Will not taking the medication hurt you? Does the depression get better… Continue

Added by Janeen on October 9, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments

A Foundation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

With shows like MTV's True Life: I Have OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder is getting more and more media coverage, which, in most cases also leads to more and more research funding (ala Breast Cancer Awareness Month). A new study has shown that OCD, Tourette syndrome and even tic disorders may begin as a common bacterial throat infection (the same type of infection that… Continue

Added by Sarah on October 9, 2009 at 3:53pm — No Comments

Depression During Pregnancy

Yesterday a NYT article discussed a dilemma that affects both the pregnancy and mental health communities: should women take antidepressants while pregnant? Should women take drugs that could pose a risk to the developing fetus or struggle through the anguish and depression that could harm the baby in other ways? A few online sources I've seen say that at least 1 in 10 women suffer depre… Continue

Added by amanda on October 6, 2009 at 1:30pm — 2 Comments

Depression raising cancer death rates

An analysis recently published for the November 15, 2009 issue of Cancer has linked mental health directly to the physical health of people - especially those who deal with cancer and depression comorbidly. While it has been known for years that there is a direction relationship between all aspects of health, more and more well-known studies are being released to support those findings. Science Daily… Continue

Added by Sarah on September 20, 2009 at 2:09pm — No Comments

Do Non-Drinkers have more Health Problems than Those Who Drink?

According to this article, "teetotalers as well as heavy drinkers are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety than moderate 'tipplers.'" So basically, they say--if you completely abstain from alcohol you may have an increased likelihood for being depressed. The Norwegian and British researchers that claim they found that those who don't drink have "fewer friends than drinkers do" and that non-drink… Continue

Added by amanda on September 5, 2009 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD)

No doubt you've heard something about "internet addiction." To some, it might seem like a joke or exaggeration. But more and more people are turning to the Internet or other similar types of media in an excessive, life-altering manner. But the real question is - is IAD an addiction or more of a coping method to deal with other mental health problems? From wikipedia: "Internet addiction disorder (IAD), or,… Continue

Added by amanda on August 22, 2009 at 5:30pm — 3 Comments

Anxiety Disorders: More than Just Anxious or Nervous Energy

Over 19 million Americans have anxiety disorders. Most develop earlier in life (from childhood all the way to early adulthood). Just as depression is more than "feeling blue," anxiety disorders are different than that anxious, nervous human emotion that people feel prior to taking a test or giving a presentation. Anxiety disorders can cause such distress that it interferes with a person's ability to lead a normal life. They are slightly more common in females. In lieu of the mental… Continue

Added by amanda on August 14, 2009 at 1:02pm — 1 Comment

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Basics - What Can CBT Do For You?

You may have seen references to CBT or Cognitive Behavior Therapy around our community, heard about it on television or online, or perhaps you've experienced it yourself. Every day it seems that CBT gets more and more attention as an effective psychotherapeutic approach that "aims to influence dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and cognitions through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure." Since it has been proven effective in so many areas of the health community, I thought… Continue

Added by amanda on August 11, 2009 at 3:00pm — 6 Comments

Brain pathways, brain trauma - a new Migraine study

St. Louis University has announced it is beginning to recruit patients to investigate the connection between Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and the physical connections within the brain. As I understand the proposed study, the idea seems to be that an injury may create very minor changes in the anatomy/geography of our brains. Symptoms are widely varied but may include everything from Migraine to nausea, dizziness, newly occurring Epilepsy or even Dystoni… Continue

Added by Ellen S on August 9, 2009 at 8:30pm — 1 Comment

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All Blog Posts Tagged 'depression' (37)