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Antidepressants are “anti-loneliness” pills

These are the words of inspirational doctor Patch Adams, the controversial medico who was the basis of the movie of the same name starring Robin Williams. The real Patch Adams has little time for fame, but continues to spread his message of love, laughter, and hope as he completes his daily ward roads around the world. Back in the 70s, Patch Adams worked in a free clinic and saw first hand how ill-equipped many doctors were at being actual healers. He noticed many were detached, clinical, and made little or no meaningful contact with the patients they dealt with. He … Continue reading →

When Antidepressants aren’t the best option (1)

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In Feeling bad about taking Antidepressants? we looked at dispelling the guilt that many people feel about using these drugs. In many cases, antidepressants are the treatment of choice. But they are not a magic panacea. Far from it. This blog, we will look at scenarios where the misuse of antidepressants can do more harm than good. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) gives clear outlines regarding a diagnosis for depression, which were previously discussed in the article Depression: Symptoms and Treatment. When a person satisfies the criteria for depression, antidepressants are often prescribed. In particular, if … Continue reading →

Online Mental Health Support Groups: Are They Useful?

These days pretty much every condition known to man has an online support group. There is really no better support than talking to people who understand and live your condition, whether it be diabetes, stroke or some form of mental illness. There are many online support groups for a range of mental disorders including depression, the anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and panic disorder to name a few. While the concept of joining a group such as these is an excellent one, again, as with selecting a therapist, one needs to be a bit choosy. Online mental health groups can provide daily … Continue reading →

I Need Things to Change So I Can Get Better!

This is a common catch-cry among clients I counsel; in fact we all say it to some extent. Clients often want a variety of things to change: their husbands to give them more attention, wives to be more understanding, children to be more appreciative, people to get well, finances to improve, even people to die! But the truth is we can’t change other people, we can really only change ourselves and our attitude to others or the situation we are in. And this is where a lot of people in therapy get stuck. They want other people to change. Sure, … Continue reading →

The Stigma of Being a Mental Health Patient

As if it isn’t bad enough to be besieged by depression, bipolar disorder or any number of conditions that may land you in a medical facility for a period of time, there is the added stigma you as a patient may receive from family members, neighbors, acquaintances, even your work colleagues. While the majority of hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from mental and emotional complaints, the topic is still generally not talked about and many people are reluctant to admit to suffering from a mental disorder of some description. However, when the relevant condition deteriorates such that the … Continue reading →

The Power of the Mind: “Expensive” Isn’t Always Better

If you ever had any doubts about the way your beliefs shape your experience of life, well, doubt no more! The following study undertaken by the Californian Institute of Technology gives us an insight into just how powerful our beliefs really are. So powerful that they will contravene common sense, and cause us to act and feel in ways that do not reflect reality. Researchers presented subjects with five identical red wines and told them that the wines varied in price from a cheap $5 a bottle to a more expensive $90 a bottle. In reality, the wine was $35 … Continue reading →

Telling People about your Mental Illness

Whether we suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, an eating disorder or one of the many anxiety disorders, there comes a time when decisions have to be made as to who and what to tell about your condition. Sometimes that decision is taken away from us, as when we suffer a psychotic episode, a suicide attempt, or our eating disorder has become obvious even to the most casual observer. I am often asked by clients how they should go about telling people about their illness and who they should tell. It can be quite a challenge to tell others about … Continue reading →

Depression Is Still a Stigma

Despite government educational campaigns costing millions and many famous faces coming out of the closet to reveal that the “black dog” has figured prominently on their lives, the stigma surrounding depression and mental illness in general lives on. In a recent Australian survey published in the journal Biomed Central, it was found that 20%, or one in five people, said they would not work with someone suffering from depression. This is despite the fact that depression alone affects a significant proportion of the population. The survey was conducted by Professor Kathy Griffith and Professor Helen Christiansen of the Australian National … Continue reading →

More on Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

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In our last article on this topic, we looked at the reasons why ECT is used rather than conventional antidepressant medications only. Principally utilized as a last port of call when other medication and modalities have repeatedly failed, ECT is still mired in controversy. While it is and has been a definite lifesaver for many sufferers of deep depression, the technique does not enjoy a high popularity rating. One of the principal reasons for this is that, despite the length of time the method has been in use, coupled with numerous refinelments in techniques, there are several serious side effects. … Continue reading →

What is Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)?

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Most of us have heard of the term ECT, or electroconvulsive therapy, via TV shows or perhaps through the classic movie one flew over the Cuckoo’s nest. However unless you or a family member have undergone ECT, it is likely that most people know very little about this dramatic and controversial treatment. The effects of electroconvulsive therapy were discovered by accident in the early 20th century. Unfortunately its history is mired by considerable abuse of this technique in its early years. It is now deemed as a safe and reasonably effective treatment for very severe depression by the American psychiatric … Continue reading →