Month: July 2018

Men’s Health Month

Here is something that I learned today – June is Men’s Health Month.  And, as we know, mental health is a large piece of men’s health too.

Here are some numbers from the organization Mental Health America (these numbers reflect the United States of America):

  • More than 4 times as many men as women are victims of suicide each year
  • The highest rates of suicide are in Caucasian men aged 85 and older
  • More than 6 million men are affected by depression every year
  • 90% of those diagnosed with schizophrenia by age 30 are men
  • Male suicide has been increasing since the year 2000 and is the 7th leading cause of death among men
  • Around 1 in 5 men develop alcohol dependency during their lifetime

As you can see, these are tough statistics to read.  And, if the numbers weren’t enough, there are also other considerations that may be more of an issue for men.  For a lot of them, the stigma of depression and mental illness weighs heavier than it does for women.  Men will deny they have an issue or think that they just need to “suck it up”.  As a result, men are less likely to seek help, and that can lead to negative outcomes.  No doubt this varies by culture, but overall in the United States, there tends to be the assumption that men are tougher and not allowed to show weakness or vulnerability.  Unfortunately, for a lot of people, having a mental illness is a sign of weakness in a man.  It’s a poor assumption that needs some education.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think that men have different challenges when it comes to mental health?  Is mental health for men even a consideration for most people?  My hope is that when it comes to depression and mental illness, we start to do a better job of realizing the different challenges that men may face.

We Are All In This Together

As you may suspect, sometimes being an advocate for something means you might get involved in a heated discussion or controversy.  While I don’t want to get into the specifics on here, it is sufficient to note that it is starting to happen in my corner of the world in a particular situation.  The details don’t matter.  What matters here is how we perceive ourselves and our world, and that is what I want to touch on today.

Now, I write this knowing full well that I am just as guilty of these things, but I want to call them out as a reminder to everyone.  I think we all know better, but we also need to work on doing better.  This has come up several times over the last few weeks, and it is so important for all of us to know.  When it comes to mental illness, we are all in this together.  No one is immune from being touched by mental illness.  It may not affect you today, but it could at any time.  People with mental illness are not a fringe or “out” group.  They are all of us.  In fact, I suspect we all know a lot of people that may have mental illness and we don’t even know it.

We have to start treating mental illness as a part of all of our lives.  We can’t say we want to help people but then fight to make sure they are taken care of somewhere away from where we live.  Mentally ill people are a part of us, and they should be able to live and recover around all of us too.  We are all human – it doesn’t matter what disorder or disease or symptoms you have – you are with us, and it affects all of us.  We can’t hide it away like it is something separate from our society.

My hope is that we agree we are all in this together.

Our Message

Since my last entry I was at a board retreat.  There was a lot of discussion and learning that took place, but there are several key items that really stood out for me during that day.  Today, I would like to talk about one of them.

As we all know, there is stigma associated with depression and mental illness.  What is one way to help eliminate stigma?  Talk about it, of course.  But what I heard the other day was a great reminder of a powerful way to talk about mental illness, and I think it is worth repeating here.

Basically, the key is that talking about what is going wrong and what needs to be changed surrounding depression and mental illness is not enough.  If we are going to talk about the problems, we also need to talk about the solutions.  We realize we have issues, but what are we going to do about it?  What are some suggestions or ideas?  How can we make it better?

Another piece of this is to talk about depression and mental illness as something that can lead to positive outcomes.  We know that people with mental illness can live in recovery and lead lives full of quality and meaning, but I think a lot of people don’t realize this.  People need to understand that the solutions we propose can lead to hope and recovery, and that there are positives that can come from the negatives.

These are key concepts to remember when speaking about mental illness.  This is even more important when we think that some of us are speaking for those who are unable to.  We need to name the problems, propose solutions, and spread a message of hope.  Of course this is all easier said than done, but it can go a long way in getting our voices heard.

Unified

In my last entry, I mentioned a book I had just finished that talked about using psychedelics for depression.  While there were many great ideas and theories brought out in the book, I want to touch on one in particular: the idea of a unified theory of mental illness.

In a nutshell, a unified theory of mental illness basically states that all mental illness is connected.  Each diagnosis does not stand alone, but is rather part of a spectrum or continuum of illness.  Of course, there are likely several ideas out there to help explain why people think all mental illness is connected, but the overall idea is worth pondering.  Are all mental illnesses truly connected?

If I look back on my dad’s experience, this idea makes a lot of sense to me.  As I have noted before, my dad had a clinical diagnosis of depression.  However, I know for sure there was a lot of anxiety that came with the depression.  Also, my dad described times where he heard voices and would share what they were saying, so it seems that there may have been some psychosis and/or schizophrenic symptoms occurring.  Looking back on it, I think I have subconsciously known for a long time that all of this was connected.

What do you think about a unified theory of mental illness?  Do you think it is all connected?  If this is a new concept for you, how does it make you feel?  Does it help to possibly explain what you might be experiencing?  For me, I am looking forward to seeing what else comes from this theory.  Will it help to finally explain the causes of mental illness with more certainty?  Will it help lead to better and more effective treatment options?  I am very excited to see where an idea like this will go.

Psychedelics

Today, I want to tell you about a book I just finished.  Typically, I like to actually read books, but lately I have been getting into audiobooks because I can finish books faster through this method.  Not that fast is good, but I can’t get enough of reading and always want more, so this allows me to cover more territory.

The book that I listened to is called “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence”, and it was written by Michael Pollan.  The depression part of the title caught my attention at first, but overall all it ended up being a broad look at the history, neuroscience, and hope that psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin may bring to mental illnesses such as depression.

Even as a pharmacist, I was vaguely aware of these drugs, and I have always assumed they were “bad” and illegal.  However, after hearing this book, I understand that there is a lot more to the story of psychedelics.  In fact, there is research going on today that suggests these drugs might be helpful for some of the topics mentioned in the title.  There is still a long way to go, but psychedelics have shown some promise, and may be another treatment option for depression in the future.

What do you think about this information?  Is it possible these drugs may be helpful?  Does it seem too “out there” in terms of a treatment option?  Would you consider using psychedelics such as LSD if you have depression and research indicates that it may help?  To me, this was an eye opening book, and I encourage people to at least consider taking a look at it.  It may seem ahead of its time right now, but it also might end up being an important tool for treating depression.

Disabling Depression

In my last entry, I did a general review of the Mental Health First Aid class that I took that day.  Today, I want to discuss the one item I learned that I think will profoundly stay with me as I continue to learn more about and discuss depression.

In the class, we talked about how mental illness can be disabling.  Here, disabling was defined as something that impairs your ability to work, carry out activities of daily living, or have satisfying relationships.  Working from that definition, you can start to see how mental illnesses can be just as disabling as physical ailments.  In fact, the statement that got to me was that severe depression is just as disabling as quadriplegia (quadriplegia is when all of your limbs are paralyzed).

Wow.

Severe depression is just as disabling as quadriplegia?

But it didn’t take long to realize just how true that statement is, and it blew me away.  It made me think back to my dad, who would literally lie in bed all day and hardly move at all – it was as if he were paralyzed from the neck down.  Then, once I started thinking about it, I felt awful thinking that is what my dad went through.  Of course, this has happened and is happening to others too.  Regardless of whether someone has either quadriplegia or depression, they can both cause a paralysis that is incredibly devastating and disabling.

What do you think?  Do you agree with the statement that severe depression is just as disabling as quadriplegia?  If so, does that help you to better understand depression, whether it affects you personally or as someone who cares for someone with depression?  Indeed, I think it will stick with me, and it is helpful for anyone to understand how tough depression can be.

Taking a Class

Several entries ago I discussed setting up and taking a class called Mental Health First Aid.  Today, I got to take the class, and it was a good learning experience.  The training was about 8 hours long and really targeted what you can say or do when someone is starting to become mentally ill or if there is a mental health crisis situation.  As you can imagine, there was a lot to cover.

As part of the class, there is a 100 plus page booklet that you get to keep, and I am excited to have it as a reference.  On the flip side, that amount of information plus 8 hours of class can be overwhelming, but I am glad to have the information available if and when I would need it.  Also, there is a basic approach presented, so overall just having the simple framework will help you in a lot of situations.  And ultimately, if you are facing a mental health situation, it is good to have an easy, simple framework to help you guide your actions and words.

On the whole, I am always impressed at how I can learn so much from all of these classes.  Sometimes I think I know a lot about mental illness, especially depression, and that one more class won’t add a lot to my knowledge base.  But, I am proven wrong every time.  I should know better by now, and I love to learn anyway.  However, today was another example that the more you learn about mental illness and depression the more you can empower yourself to help others.  That in turn can create a domino effect that helps to reduce stigma, spread understanding, and help us all take care of each other.  Education is indeed a powerful thing, and that is no different when it comes to depression and mental illness.

Bring the Heat

As I write this entry, we have been experiencing a considerable heat wave, especially since it is not even summer yet.  While certain precautions have to be made (such as sunscreen and drinking lots of water), I enjoy the hotter temperatures.  Of course, I really enjoy air conditioning too, so there is a balance for me.  However, if I had to choose between hotter temperatures or colder ones I would choose the hotter temps.

If you are like me and really enjoy warmth, you should consider ways to get that warmth if and when the weather outside does not align with your desired temperatures.  Adding layers of clothing and blankets can work, and there are also heating pads and blankets available.  However, there are also both dry heat and steam saunas available, and those can be very helpful.  Hot tubs are also a potential option.  For the most part I have seen dry heat saunas, steam saunas, and hot tubs at gyms, but I imagine other clinics or wellness centers have them.  If you are dealing with depression, you know that it can physically hurt too.  Heat therapy might be a way to help with physical issues but may also give you general sense of feeling better.

Of course, heat therapy is not for everyone, and there are restrictions on who can participate.  Most of the heat therapies also come with time restrictions to prevent dehydration and any serious events from occurring.  Like most other things, heat therapy has risks and benefits.  Check with a health care provider first before using saunas or hot tubs, and if you have questions about using a heating pad be sure to ask.

In my opinion, heat therapy should be a fairly straightforward option to consider.  I hope you will think about how heat therapy might be a way to help treat at least one aspect of depression.

Medium Revisited

I wanted to update everyone on how my visit to the medium went.  Overall, I can honestly say that it was a great experience.  We covered so much more than I would have ever imagined, and I am still trying to digest all of what I experienced.  I did record the session, because I knew there was no way I would remember all of the details that were discussed.  I have listened to the recording once and have taken notes, but I like the idea I can listen to it any time if I want to.

Some interesting parts of the session that are more relevant to my blog is that there was a lot of discussion about depression and mental health.  The session also had an angle on whole health and wellness, which I found to be a nice touch.  I really liked that even though it was meant to be more spiritual in nature, the session touched on other parts of my health and well-being, and there was a big emphasis on mental health, especially since that is related to my dad and his death.

Of course, it may depend on who you have a session with, but this person was great.  Not only did I feel like I learned a lot, but I ended up feeling like there was some spiritual, mental, social, and physical healing going on for me.  That might seem obvious to many people, but I was not expecting the amount of healing and peace that I ended up feeling.

Can something like this be helpful for depression?  I definitely think that is an individual choice.  However, I would recommend at least considering it.  Again, it probably depends on who you see, but a medium might end up being a helpful piece of your recovery from depression.