Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
I'm worried about my brother
I haven't seen him in a while and haven't talked to him a lot lately, but from what my mom says, my younger brother is going through a severe depression of some sort. He says he doesn't feel depressed or sad, but he has no motivation and no real will to live. He told me yesterday that he has so much "crap" in his head that he can't think straight. He said he realizes something is wrong, but he doesn't know what and he doesn't understand why that "crap" is in his head. Even his coworkers have been telling him that he seems distracted and preoccupied with something all the time.He had an accident during work two days ago where he hurt his feet bad. He jumped off something he thought wasn't bad to jump off, but apparently it was a much longer jump/fall than he realized, and he basically landed on his feet. He told me yesterday that he didn't know what he was thinking when he took the jump. He obviously was distracted enough that he didn't realize that it was a bad idea. He may not be able to work for a while now while his feet heal up.
His depression or whatever you want to call it is now dangerous because if he's preoccupied enough to have an accident, who knows what may happen.
When we were growing up, our father made us feel like mental illness was a horrible thing, and he wouldn't let us get help for depression. I still feel like asking for help is a weakness, but I have been able to ignore that because I knew I had no choice. But my brother still seems to feel embarrassed about needing help. I spent a while on the phone yesterday trying to tell him that if he needs to go to a therapist or a doctor for medicine that it's nothing to be ashamed about and he shouldn't feel embarrassed.
I guess it is a good thing though that he realizes that "crap" shouldn't be in his head. He knows something is wrong, so that's good. I just hope we can convince him to get help before it's too late.
Project 365 - photos 130 - 136 (plus some info about my crappy week)
This week is a crappy week. I had a horrible night at work Wednesday night, and the work stress/anxiety led me to really bad thoughts of self-harm and suicide. My boyfriend was able to calm me down over the phone after work. Then yesterday was also a crappy day. I found out that my younger brother had an accident on his job and injured his feet. He refused to go to a hospital, so we don't know exactly what he did to them, but they're supposedly really swollen and it hurts for him to walk much. He may end up having to take time off from work until they heal up. I hope he didn't fracture something. Also yesterday, I found out really bad news about my older brother and his wife. They've been trying to have a baby for a while. She's 40 and past her prime baby-making days, so we all knew that she'd have some problems getting pregnant. Finally I guess she got pregnant. They found out a few weeks ago, but they hadn't told us yet. Well before they even got to celebrate being pregnant, she had a miscarriage. They're taking it really hard, which they should. My mom is also taking it really hard because she lost a grandchild before she even knew she would have had a grandchild. She's the only one of her siblings that doesn't have grandchildren yet, and the possibilities of her having any are pretty bleak.
Anyways.... onto the photos....
This first one is a quote I really loved from "More" magazine this month. It was from an interview with Sharon Stone. The quote really rang true to my life.
I found these big LOVE blocks at a clothing store/home decor store during a mystery shopping assignment.
I bought this wooden cross the other day at the neighborhood thrift store. I actually took this photo at 3 a.m. in the dead of night in my backyard. It's crazy that the flash worked so well. I have this plan to buy all sorts of old wooden crosses and make artwork with them modeled after crosses I saw at a recent arts festival.
You'll recognize the heart/spring in this photo from the "L" block from the photo above. When I posted this photo on Facebook, my boyfriend made this comment: "with the spring connected to the heart it implies that love is resilient, and can bounce back even when it gets knocked around." I love how philosophical he can get sometimes. He puts all sorts of intelligent thought into what I do
Nothing really special to say about this next photo other than I loved the clouds. Partly cloudy days make me happy.
The building in this photo houses the mental health treatment center that I checked myself into for a while back in 2008. Every time I drive by there I remember how helpful the treatment was. The people I met there (doctors, counselors, and other patients) together saved my life. I credit them all and that place with helping me finally decide to split up with my abusive exhusband. This time I drove by there was this bird sitting so pretty on the power line so I had to snap a photo.
This last photo is from last night. After the crappy day I had (finding out about my sister-in-law's miscarriage and my brother's accident), my boyfriend wanted to cheer me up so he took me to Pops 66, which is a diner/gas station along Route 66 for a date. (click here if you want to learn more about Pops 66.) I had never been there before, and it was so awesome. They have hundreds of weird sodas from around the world, and three walls are totally covered with the bottles. This photo was taken upwards from our diner table. We bought 6 sodas to bring home (ok well I bought 5, and he just got one). I got two "gross" ones... one was a yellow colored soda called "Kitty piddle," and the other was pink and called "Dog drool." I also got a "Love Potion # 69" soda, which is supposed to be an "arousing soda." Then I got an apple soda and a black cherry one. He got a cherry cola from some other country. Overall, it was a great date and cheered me up a lot.
Anyways.... onto the photos....
This first one is a quote I really loved from "More" magazine this month. It was from an interview with Sharon Stone. The quote really rang true to my life.
I found these big LOVE blocks at a clothing store/home decor store during a mystery shopping assignment.
I bought this wooden cross the other day at the neighborhood thrift store. I actually took this photo at 3 a.m. in the dead of night in my backyard. It's crazy that the flash worked so well. I have this plan to buy all sorts of old wooden crosses and make artwork with them modeled after crosses I saw at a recent arts festival.
You'll recognize the heart/spring in this photo from the "L" block from the photo above. When I posted this photo on Facebook, my boyfriend made this comment: "with the spring connected to the heart it implies that love is resilient, and can bounce back even when it gets knocked around." I love how philosophical he can get sometimes. He puts all sorts of intelligent thought into what I do
Nothing really special to say about this next photo other than I loved the clouds. Partly cloudy days make me happy.
The building in this photo houses the mental health treatment center that I checked myself into for a while back in 2008. Every time I drive by there I remember how helpful the treatment was. The people I met there (doctors, counselors, and other patients) together saved my life. I credit them all and that place with helping me finally decide to split up with my abusive exhusband. This time I drove by there was this bird sitting so pretty on the power line so I had to snap a photo.
This last photo is from last night. After the crappy day I had (finding out about my sister-in-law's miscarriage and my brother's accident), my boyfriend wanted to cheer me up so he took me to Pops 66, which is a diner/gas station along Route 66 for a date. (click here if you want to learn more about Pops 66.) I had never been there before, and it was so awesome. They have hundreds of weird sodas from around the world, and three walls are totally covered with the bottles. This photo was taken upwards from our diner table. We bought 6 sodas to bring home (ok well I bought 5, and he just got one). I got two "gross" ones... one was a yellow colored soda called "Kitty piddle," and the other was pink and called "Dog drool." I also got a "Love Potion # 69" soda, which is supposed to be an "arousing soda." Then I got an apple soda and a black cherry one. He got a cherry cola from some other country. Overall, it was a great date and cheered me up a lot.
Allergies Might Trigger Depression
By HealthDay
Allergy season may not mean just the inevitable coughing, sneezing and itching, it could also significantly darken your mood.
Researchers reported that finding at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in New Orleans this week.
"Depression is a very common disorder and allergies are even more common," said study author Dr. Partam Manalai, in the department of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Allergies make one more prone to worsening mood, cognition and quality of life."
A large peak in pollen particles floating in the air occurs in the spring, with a smaller peak in the fall. This coincides with a worldwide spike in suicides every spring and a lower peak in the fall.
To explore this relationship, Manalai and his colleagues recruited 100 volunteers from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., who had major depression. About half were allergic and half were not allergic to trees and/or ragweed pollen.
Volunteers were evaluated during both high-pollen season and low-pollen season, and also had levels of their IgE antibodies (a measure of sensitivity to allergens) measured.
This is believed to be the first study to link actual IgE measurements with depression scores.
"Patients with mood disorders who were allergic to an aeroallergen experienced a worsening in mood when they were exposed to the allergen," Manalai said. "Patients who have both of these disorders might be more vulnerable to depression in peak pollen season," he suggested.
"Treating those conditions might prevent them from having a depressive episode during high-pollen season," Manalai added.
The findings might also help tease out how much of the depression associated with allergy is psychological and how much is biological. With that knowledge in hand, researchers may be able to find new therapies, Manalai said.
Manalai and his co-authors believe there is a biological underpinning to the phenomenon, though it's not clear at this point if the allergy is driving the depression or the other way around.
Certainly the findings make sense to Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, a sinus specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, author of Sinus Relief Now and a sinus sufferer himself.
"Think about it. If your allergies are acting up and you can't breathe, you're not sleeping right, you're feeling run down, you're just miserable and start getting depressed because it feels like someone has a 100-pound bag of potatoes on your back," he said. "It's not like a cold -- in two days it's gone. You're stuck with it for months and those with year-round allergies are stuck with it year-round."
Allergy season may not mean just the inevitable coughing, sneezing and itching, it could also significantly darken your mood.
Researchers reported that finding at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in New Orleans this week.
"Depression is a very common disorder and allergies are even more common," said study author Dr. Partam Manalai, in the department of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Allergies make one more prone to worsening mood, cognition and quality of life."
A large peak in pollen particles floating in the air occurs in the spring, with a smaller peak in the fall. This coincides with a worldwide spike in suicides every spring and a lower peak in the fall.
To explore this relationship, Manalai and his colleagues recruited 100 volunteers from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., who had major depression. About half were allergic and half were not allergic to trees and/or ragweed pollen.
Volunteers were evaluated during both high-pollen season and low-pollen season, and also had levels of their IgE antibodies (a measure of sensitivity to allergens) measured.
This is believed to be the first study to link actual IgE measurements with depression scores.
"Patients with mood disorders who were allergic to an aeroallergen experienced a worsening in mood when they were exposed to the allergen," Manalai said. "Patients who have both of these disorders might be more vulnerable to depression in peak pollen season," he suggested.
"Treating those conditions might prevent them from having a depressive episode during high-pollen season," Manalai added.
The findings might also help tease out how much of the depression associated with allergy is psychological and how much is biological. With that knowledge in hand, researchers may be able to find new therapies, Manalai said.
Manalai and his co-authors believe there is a biological underpinning to the phenomenon, though it's not clear at this point if the allergy is driving the depression or the other way around.
Certainly the findings make sense to Dr. Jordan S. Josephson, a sinus specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, author of Sinus Relief Now and a sinus sufferer himself.
"Think about it. If your allergies are acting up and you can't breathe, you're not sleeping right, you're feeling run down, you're just miserable and start getting depressed because it feels like someone has a 100-pound bag of potatoes on your back," he said. "It's not like a cold -- in two days it's gone. You're stuck with it for months and those with year-round allergies are stuck with it year-round."
Anxiety disorders may boost heart attack risk
By Reuters
Adding to evidence that mental health conditions may affect heart health, a new study finds that veterans with anxiety disorders have an increased risk of heart attack.
Using medical records from nearly 97,000 U.S. veterans, researchers found that those with any of several anxiety disorders had a higher risk of suffering a heart attack over the next seven years than vets without the mental health conditions.
The findings, reported in the American Heart Journal, build on evidence linking mental health to heart health.
A number of studies have found that people with clinical depression show a higher-than-average risk of heart disease. Less research, however, has focused on anxiety disorders. And because many people with clinical anxiety also suffer from depression, it has been unclear whether anxiety itself is strongly related to heart health.
In the new study, researchers found that several anxiety disorders -- including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder and more generalized anxiety -- were linked to heart attack risk independently of depression.
The findings show only an association between anxiety and heart attack, and do not prove cause-and-effect.
Moreover, there were only small absolute differences in heart attack rates between study participants with and without anxiety, according to the report.
Among veterans with generalized anxiety disorder, for example, 5.2 percent suffered a heart attack during the seven-year study period; that compared with 4.9 percent among vets without the disorder.
Similarly, heart attack rates among study participants with other anxiety disorders -- including PTSD, panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder -- all hovered around 5 percent.
But when the researchers accounted for a number of other factors related to heart attack risk, people with anxiety disorders were anywhere from 25 percent to 43 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those with no anxiety disorders.
Those factors included age, smoking, drinking habits and conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
As for why clinical anxiety is related to heart attack, depression symptoms may play a role, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Jeffrey F. Scherrer of the St. Louis VA Medical Center.
They found, similar to past studies, that veterans with clinical depression had a higher heart attack risk than their non-depressed counterparts. And among veterans with depression, the association between anxiety disorders and heart attack risk was weaker.
That, Scherrer and his colleagues say, suggests that depression partly accounts for the link between anxiety disorders and heart attack.
Experts suspect that depression may affect heart disease risk through direct physiological effects. Research suggests, for example, that depression boosts the activity of platelets, cells that promote blood clotting. Depression may also have effects on the immune system or the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which help regulate the heart's response to everyday stresses.
Depression may also affect heart health in indirect ways. People with depression may, for instance, be less likely to exercise or eat well, or to stick with treatments for heart risk factors like high blood pressure.
Anxiety may affect the heart through at least some of those same pathways.
None of the veterans in this study had a known history of heart problems at the outset. Currently, the American Heart Association (AHA) does not recognize depression or anxiety as established risk factors for developing heart disease, Scherrer and his colleagues point out.
Since 2008, however, the AHA has recommended that people with existing heart disease be screened for depression, based on evidence tying depression to a poorer prognosis in heart patients.
Research has not yet shown whether treating depression and anxiety can lower the risk of developing heart disease, or improve the prognosis of people who already have it. More studies, Scherrer and his colleagues write, are needed to answer that question.
SOURCE: http://www.ahjonline.com/article/S0002-8703(10)00177-8/abstract American Heart Journal, May 2010.
Adding to evidence that mental health conditions may affect heart health, a new study finds that veterans with anxiety disorders have an increased risk of heart attack.
Using medical records from nearly 97,000 U.S. veterans, researchers found that those with any of several anxiety disorders had a higher risk of suffering a heart attack over the next seven years than vets without the mental health conditions.
The findings, reported in the American Heart Journal, build on evidence linking mental health to heart health.
A number of studies have found that people with clinical depression show a higher-than-average risk of heart disease. Less research, however, has focused on anxiety disorders. And because many people with clinical anxiety also suffer from depression, it has been unclear whether anxiety itself is strongly related to heart health.
In the new study, researchers found that several anxiety disorders -- including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder and more generalized anxiety -- were linked to heart attack risk independently of depression.
The findings show only an association between anxiety and heart attack, and do not prove cause-and-effect.
Moreover, there were only small absolute differences in heart attack rates between study participants with and without anxiety, according to the report.
Among veterans with generalized anxiety disorder, for example, 5.2 percent suffered a heart attack during the seven-year study period; that compared with 4.9 percent among vets without the disorder.
Similarly, heart attack rates among study participants with other anxiety disorders -- including PTSD, panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder -- all hovered around 5 percent.
But when the researchers accounted for a number of other factors related to heart attack risk, people with anxiety disorders were anywhere from 25 percent to 43 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those with no anxiety disorders.
Those factors included age, smoking, drinking habits and conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
As for why clinical anxiety is related to heart attack, depression symptoms may play a role, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Jeffrey F. Scherrer of the St. Louis VA Medical Center.
They found, similar to past studies, that veterans with clinical depression had a higher heart attack risk than their non-depressed counterparts. And among veterans with depression, the association between anxiety disorders and heart attack risk was weaker.
That, Scherrer and his colleagues say, suggests that depression partly accounts for the link between anxiety disorders and heart attack.
Experts suspect that depression may affect heart disease risk through direct physiological effects. Research suggests, for example, that depression boosts the activity of platelets, cells that promote blood clotting. Depression may also have effects on the immune system or the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which help regulate the heart's response to everyday stresses.
Depression may also affect heart health in indirect ways. People with depression may, for instance, be less likely to exercise or eat well, or to stick with treatments for heart risk factors like high blood pressure.
Anxiety may affect the heart through at least some of those same pathways.
None of the veterans in this study had a known history of heart problems at the outset. Currently, the American Heart Association (AHA) does not recognize depression or anxiety as established risk factors for developing heart disease, Scherrer and his colleagues point out.
Since 2008, however, the AHA has recommended that people with existing heart disease be screened for depression, based on evidence tying depression to a poorer prognosis in heart patients.
Research has not yet shown whether treating depression and anxiety can lower the risk of developing heart disease, or improve the prognosis of people who already have it. More studies, Scherrer and his colleagues write, are needed to answer that question.
SOURCE: http://www.ahjonline.com/article/S0002-8703(10)00177-8/abstract American Heart Journal, May 2010.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
OK maybe Xanax XR isn't so bad....
I decided to experiment a little with the Xanax XR before going to the doctor to say it was making me sick. I had been taking it before bed because with the regular Xanax that always helped me sleep. Well Thursday I decided to take it in the morning instead. I felt nauseous for a couple hours after taking it but that went away and I wasn't tired all day. So I took it in the morning yesterday and today, and I've felt so very much better. I'm still not sure it's helping my anxiety yet, but it's at least not making me sick now.
Project 365 - photos 127-129
The other night my dogs must have decided to gang up on me. They sat and both stared at me for about 15 minutes. They normally won't sit anywhere near each other, so that in itself was weird, but they both kept staring at me. I couldn't figure out why. They had water and food and didn't want to go outside. It's freaky enough when one of the dogs stare at me for some unknown reason, but it's really creepy when they both do it at the same time.
Yesterday I got really excited when I found this boot figurine at the thrift store around the corner. I have a large collection now of shoe figurines. I randomly find them at thrift stores every once in a while. They're all from the same company, which puts out new "lines" of shoes each year. This one is my favorite so far. I'd totally wear boots like this if it was a real boot and I wasn't so conservative when it comes to shoes. It actually has little fake diamonds wrapped around the boot, which is really cute.
This morning I was outside mowing my front lawn when I noticed something odd. I have this big bush in the front yard that I always trim before it grows much because it hangs over into the driveway, which annoys me. Well I've been lazy lately and it grew pretty out of hand. Well today I discovered it's not just some "bush." It's actually a blackberry tree. I can now eat fresh homegrown blackberries. I had no clue until today. I'm really excited.
Yesterday I got really excited when I found this boot figurine at the thrift store around the corner. I have a large collection now of shoe figurines. I randomly find them at thrift stores every once in a while. They're all from the same company, which puts out new "lines" of shoes each year. This one is my favorite so far. I'd totally wear boots like this if it was a real boot and I wasn't so conservative when it comes to shoes. It actually has little fake diamonds wrapped around the boot, which is really cute.
This morning I was outside mowing my front lawn when I noticed something odd. I have this big bush in the front yard that I always trim before it grows much because it hangs over into the driveway, which annoys me. Well I've been lazy lately and it grew pretty out of hand. Well today I discovered it's not just some "bush." It's actually a blackberry tree. I can now eat fresh homegrown blackberries. I had no clue until today. I'm really excited.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Project 365 - photos 125-126 ... The voices
In this month's issue of Cosmo, there's a cover story with the singer Pink. I've talked several times on the blog about how I really relate to her and that I think she may be borderline. Well one of the questions in the interview increased how much I relate to her. She says she has voices in her head that don't like her.
Along the same line, I composed the next photo about my own voices in my head. The flies symbolize all the crap that zooms around in my mind all the time.
Along the same line, I composed the next photo about my own voices in my head. The flies symbolize all the crap that zooms around in my mind all the time.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Under The Covers Meme
Under The Covers Meme (Read it and sleep)1. Name 2 things you have done under the covers in the last week.
Sleeping and just laying there staring at the ceiling
2. Do you know what a woobie is? Do you have a special one?
Um, no clue what that is
3. What prompts you to pull the covers over your head and hide from the world?
Life itself
4. Firm or soft?
Well... that depends on what exactly you're talking about.... I'm going to go out on a limb and say firm
5. Silk or flannel?
I'm cotton all the way
6. Lights on or off?
Off
7. Fan or no air?
Fan, but only for the constant noise
8. Completely dark or nite light?
Completely dark
9. Windows open or shut
Shut
10. Sweet dreams or nightmares?
Who in their right mind would say nightmares????
11. PJ's or……
I wear a tshirt and underwear normally
12. Set bedtime?
I normally drag myself to bed between 3 and 4 a.m.
13. What do sheep count when they can't sleep?
People
14. What does your alarm clock sound like?
I don't ever set it enough to really know an adequate explanation of the sound
15. White noise or music
Fan
16. TV or IPod?
Neither
17. Can you recall a pleasant dream you'd like to share?
I normally only remember the nightmares or the sexual dreams
18. Under the covers or outside the covers
Under
19. Insomniac or sleep angel?
Very much insomniac
20. What is your favorite sleep aid for those tossin' and turnin' nights?
I'm on Sonata for sleeping
21. Morning person or night person
I'm an afternoon person
22. Bedtime snack?
Tortillas with melted cheese
23. Hot or cold room
Cold
24. Bedtime ritual?
Nothing unusual
25. Twin, Queen, King, Bunk or Futon
King
26. Socks or naked feet
Naked
27. Bedroom door locked or unlocked?
Open and unlocked
28. Tent or hotel room
Hotel
29. If you could be bored to sleep, what would bore you?
CNN
30. Prayers or mantra?
Prayers
31. What was the worst nightmare you ever had?
Getting chased down, tortured, and killed by my exhusband
32. Please share any ideas on how to stop a person from snoring. I'm all ears.
Suffocate them with a pillow ...
33. If one purely pleasant thought could ensure fast and sound deep sleep for you every night, what would your one thought be?
Feeling fully loved by someone worthy of my love
34. How many hours do you normally sleep?
4-6
35. Thunderstorms or quiet starry night?
Either is cool in its own way
36. Warm bath or hot shower?
Hot shower
37. What is the craziest thing that ever happened in your bed?
My exhusband slitting my wrist
38. Name a song you could fall asleep to.
I can't really fall asleep to music
39. Who last told you a bedtime story?
My boyfriend jokingly told me one
Monday, May 17, 2010
Project 365 - photo 124 ... medications
With all the problems I'm having with the Xanax XR right now, I can't quit thinking that maybe the medicines are causing more problems than they're fixing. I really support the use of medicine for mental illness ... if it works correctly and doesn't make you feel worse. There are Effexor XR, generic Sonata for sleep, and generic Xanax XR in the photo.
Kids' Psychological Problems Have Long-Term Effects
By HealthDay
Children who experience psychological disorders such as depression and substance abuse appear to be headed for a financially depressed adulthood, new research suggests.
Those who experience mental health difficulties as youngsters are less likely to get married or maximize their educational opportunities, and they are also likely to see their lifetime income diminished by as much as 20 percent, the study authors found.
The research, released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of Social Science & Medicine, is the first of its kind, the authors noted.
"This study shows childhood psychological disorders can cause significant long-lasting harm and can have far-reaching impact on individuals over their lifetimes," study author James P. Smith, corporate chair of economics at the non-profit RAND Corp., said in a news release.
The research team's observations were gleaned from general data and a 2007 survey gathered by a large ongoing study that tracked 5,000 American families for four decades.
The study included siblings from the same family, which permitted a comparative look at brothers and/or sisters with and without psychological problems during childhood.
The study revealed that 6 percent of the participants had coped with psychological problems as children. Four percent said they experienced depression, and 2 percent abused alcohol or drugs. Another 2 percent said they had dealt with other psychological issues.
Those with a history of psychological difficulty while young earned an average of more than $10,000 less per year as adults compared with their trouble-free siblings.
Extrapolating on this figure, the authors suggested that if one assumes that one out of 20 adults has suffered from some form of psychological difficulty when young, then the cost across the lifetime of all Americans is more than $2.1 trillion.
Those with a troubled childhood were found to be both 11 percent less likely to marry and a half-year behind the curve in total schooling, the researchers found.
The authors suggested that recurring mental issues could explain their findings, given that more than one-third of children with psychological problems go on to have adult issues as well.
"Not all of the people who have psychological problems during childhood will carry these problems into adulthood. But they are 10 to 20 times more likely than others to have these shortfalls during adulthood," Smith said.
"Our findings illustrate what the enormous potential might be of identifying and treating these problems early in life," he added.
Children who experience psychological disorders such as depression and substance abuse appear to be headed for a financially depressed adulthood, new research suggests.
Those who experience mental health difficulties as youngsters are less likely to get married or maximize their educational opportunities, and they are also likely to see their lifetime income diminished by as much as 20 percent, the study authors found.
The research, released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of Social Science & Medicine, is the first of its kind, the authors noted.
"This study shows childhood psychological disorders can cause significant long-lasting harm and can have far-reaching impact on individuals over their lifetimes," study author James P. Smith, corporate chair of economics at the non-profit RAND Corp., said in a news release.
The research team's observations were gleaned from general data and a 2007 survey gathered by a large ongoing study that tracked 5,000 American families for four decades.
The study included siblings from the same family, which permitted a comparative look at brothers and/or sisters with and without psychological problems during childhood.
The study revealed that 6 percent of the participants had coped with psychological problems as children. Four percent said they experienced depression, and 2 percent abused alcohol or drugs. Another 2 percent said they had dealt with other psychological issues.
Those with a history of psychological difficulty while young earned an average of more than $10,000 less per year as adults compared with their trouble-free siblings.
Extrapolating on this figure, the authors suggested that if one assumes that one out of 20 adults has suffered from some form of psychological difficulty when young, then the cost across the lifetime of all Americans is more than $2.1 trillion.
Those with a troubled childhood were found to be both 11 percent less likely to marry and a half-year behind the curve in total schooling, the researchers found.
The authors suggested that recurring mental issues could explain their findings, given that more than one-third of children with psychological problems go on to have adult issues as well.
"Not all of the people who have psychological problems during childhood will carry these problems into adulthood. But they are 10 to 20 times more likely than others to have these shortfalls during adulthood," Smith said.
"Our findings illustrate what the enormous potential might be of identifying and treating these problems early in life," he added.
Internet Use Makes Us Happier, Says Mental-Health Study
By TIME
When it comes to mental health, the Internet gets a bad rap. There are countless studies that suggest regular access to the Internet is linked to stress, anxiety and addiction. But before you stop tweeting and toss out your iPhone, it turns out that spending time on the Web could actually be making you happier.
A May 12 report by British researchers from the U.K.'s Chartered Institute of IT (known as BCS) have found a link between Internet access and well-being. But some benefit more than others from tapping into the information superhighway, including those with lower incomes or fewer qualifications, people living in the developing world and, perhaps most surprisingly, women.
Overall, the study found that access to the Internet leads people to feel better about their lives. "Put simply, people with IT access are more satisfied with life even when taking account of income," said Michael Willmott, the social scientist who authored the study, at a press conference. "Our analysis suggests that IT has an enabling and empowering role in people's lives, by increasing their sense of freedom and control, which has a positive impact on well-being or happiness."
Few studies have been done on how Web access directly affects happiness. So researchers from the Trajectory Partnership, a U.K.-based think tank that carried out the study on behalf of the BCS, analyzed data from 35,000 people across the globe who took part in the World Values Survey from 2005 to 2007. Looking at a number of social and economic factors that determine happiness - including gender, age, income and education - the survey showed that Internet use empowers people by increasing their feelings of security, personal freedom and influence.
"The results ... are very plausible," says Carol Graham, chair in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and author of Happiness Around the World. "If you introduce a technology [in the developing world], whether it is the Internet or the cell phone, that allows people to reduce their very high [constraints] of getting through daily life, it has a tremendous well-being affect."
The survey showed that the correlation between Internet access and happiness does not appear to increase with age, meaning it's not just kids who get something out of surfing the Web. "Whether young or old, we're all social beings, we all have a need for the things IT access facilitates," Paul Flatters, a partner at the Trajectory Partnership, told reporters.
But the researchers weren't expecting to discover that women gain so much from technology, given that it's such a male-dominated industry. Although the report didn't explore why women reap more happiness from Internet access than men do, the report hypothesizes that because women tend to be at the center of their family's social network, the Web is a tool to help them keep their home lives organized. According to the Brookings Institution's Graham, while the findings may surprise initially, they do make sense. "Particularly the [results on] gender and lesser developing countries, if you consider that women in many of these contexts are either isolated or repressed in a way," she says. "IT gives them communication with the outside world, access to networks and so on. Friendships are very important to well-being as well, and one can imagine e-mail and IT being a good way to maintain those, particularly in contexts where telephones and transport are far from ideal or reliable."
The Trajectory Partnership says that the survey's results have motivated them to go further in trying to answer the question of why some people benefit from Web access more than others. "We hope to establish why this works and in particular how is it working with women and disempowered groups," says social scientist Willmott.
With burgeoning interest in finding ways to measure progress beyond GDP - Bhutan has its index for gross national happiness and the U.N. produces a Human Development Report each year - countries could use future studies like this one to help form government policy. The BCS hopes its report will play an important role in shaping how the technology industry develops its products and works toward bridging the digital divide. "The more we can make technology work for humankind, the better," says Willmott.
What are you thinking?
This week's meme is called "What are you thinking"? For each scenario, give your interpretation of what the person may have been thinking.1. The person with 40 items in the 12 items or less line.
They're thinking that no one else will notice their 28 extra items
2. The driver who is smoking and talking on a cell phone while driving.
He's thinking he's Superman and can do everything
3. The father with 8 children and a TV show who cheats on his wife...over and over again...
Repeat answer to #2
4. Facebook and their security features.
They're thinking "money money money" and nothing else
5. Heidi Montag
Who the hell cares what she was thinking?
6. People who attempt to sell Viagra via spam comments.
They're also thinking "money money money"
7. Those wonderful shoppers who catch up on their phone calls while shopping.
They think no one can hear them talk about their one-night stand last night and the horrible diarrhea this morning
8. People who find themselves on the People of Walmart website.
They're thinking "I'm a redneck and I'm damn proud of my cottage cheese thighs and visible bra"
9. People who just can be stupid....
Frankly, they're probably just not thinking
10. People with multiple-multiple piercings.
They think they look cool when they don't
11. Blog Stalkers
"I love this blog, but I don't care to leave a comment"
12. In-laws who are controlling or bossy.
They think they're the shit
13. People who use or wear items and then attempt to return them.
Obviously they think they're going to get away with it
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Project 365, photo 123 ... HAILSTORM
As if I didn't already have enough anxiety, there was a bad storm today which left damage to the roof of my house. It hailed so much that it looked like it snowed. Some of the hail was up to softball size. Every house on my street had some sort of damage. I was pretty lucky because I didn't have all my windows busted out or uprooted trees. Here's a look at some of the hail and fallen leaves in my backyard.
Project 365, photos 117-123
Random love photo...
On May 5th, my company announced a bunch of layoffs due to the poor economy. It was a really bad day. One of the people laid off was my best friend at the office. "Fuck me" seemed appropriate for the day.
This is Pearlz showing off how I've felt lately...
This is Oreo at 3 a.m. one night getting annoyed at me because I hadn't went to bed yet due to insomnia related to the new medicine...
Another random love photo ...
On May 5th, my company announced a bunch of layoffs due to the poor economy. It was a really bad day. One of the people laid off was my best friend at the office. "Fuck me" seemed appropriate for the day.
This is Pearlz showing off how I've felt lately...
This is Oreo at 3 a.m. one night getting annoyed at me because I hadn't went to bed yet due to insomnia related to the new medicine...
Another random love photo ...
I saw this two-heart metal design on a building as my boyfriend and I were out on a date. I loved the design for some reason.
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