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NIMH Announces Move Away From DSM Categories

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:04:51 +0000

Earlier this month, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) announced that it would be "re-orienting its research away from DSM categories."

According to the director of the NIMH, Dr. Thomas Insel, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) - which is a handbook used by clinicians when making diagnoses of conditions such as depression - lacks validity. "Unlike our definitions of ischemic heart disease, lymphoma, or AIDS," said Dr. Insel, "the DSM diagnoses are based on a consensus about clusters of clinical symptoms, not any objective laboratory measure."

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National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:50 +0000

Childhood depression is a topic very close to my heart, and, given that National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is coming up on May 9th this year, I thought I would speak a bit about my experiences.

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April Showers Bring May Suicides?

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:17:45 +0000

According to the Priory Group, a seasonal variability in suicide rates exists worldwide, with more suicides occurring in the warm, sunny days of spring and early summer than any other time of the year. In the northern hemisphere, May and June and are peak months for suicide, while the southern hemisphere sees a peak in the month of November.

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FAQ: What Is a Nervous Breakdown?

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:04:44 +0000

A. Nervous breakdown is not a term that the medical community uses. Historically people have been embarrassed by mental illness and the term nervous breakdown is a euphemism that has been used for any acute mental illness, whether it's depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or other illness. It's less embarrassing to say Uncle Joe had a nervous breakdown, for example, than to say he attempted suicide or became psychotic and had to be hospitalized.

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Are You Depressed?

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 11:44:31 +0000

Do you think you may be depressed? Although a screening test cannot be used to diagnosed you with clinical depression, it can help you learn whether you have depression symptoms and should seek further evaluation from a doctor. Our screening tests are free, simple to use and can be taken right now in the privacy of your own home.

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You Are What You Think?

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:36:32 +0000

In an article entitled "You Are What You Think" I wrote about a form of psychotherapy called cognitive therapy. The premise of cognitive therapy is that our thoughts are quite powerful and if we habitually think in a negative way our mood will follow our thoughts causing feelings of depression. Defeating depression thus becomes a matter of recognizing these faulty thoughts and replacing them with more truthful, positive thoughts.

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Forum: Niacin and Depression?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:50:03 +0000

Bellaclarke recently posted on the forum:

Hi, I've been treated for depression for 12 years with various different antidepressants. At best, they make me feel numb. Also, I experienced side effects from every single type I've taken. I've reached my breaking point and don't feel like antidepressants are the answer any more. I've recently done a significant amount of research into high doses of niacin as an alternative to traditional pills. This week I started taking 1000mg of non-flush niacin.

Has anyone on here every taken it?

What doses did you take?

Did it work?

Did you take flush or non-flush niacin?

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Poll: Do You Experience Sexual Side Effects Due to Your Antidepressant?

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:54 +0000

Published reports about how common sexual side-effects are vary quite a bit, probably because many patients are shy about such a personal topic. How common are they really? Voting in our poll does not reveal your identity to anyone. Please join us in creating an honest assessment of just how common sexual side-effects are. Any type of sexual difficulty that you developed as a direct result of taking an antidepressant that can't be accounted for otherwise by other drugs, illness or the depression itself would count. Symptoms that you might have experienced would include low libido, difficulty with orgasm, erectile dysfunction, decreased vaginal lubrication or ejaculatory difficulties.

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Hypothyroidism and Depression

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:00:42 +0000

If you've been feeling tired and depressed you may think you have depression, but did you know that hypothyroidism can mimic the symptoms of depression? This disease, in which the thyroid gland fails to produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormone, can cause symptoms similar to depression, such as tiredness, sleepiness, slowed speech, apathy and a loss of interest in persona relationships. Before seeking treatment for depression, it is a good idea to visit your family doctor for a checkup. He can perform tests for hypothyroidism as well as other medical illnesses which may present with symptoms similar to depression.

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How Do You Find Credible Health Information Online?

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:26:22 +0000

One of the things I love about the Internet is that you can find information about anything and everything under the sun. Need to know how late your local bank is open? It's there. Looking for an antique sock knitting machine. That's probably there too.

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