Useful Links

Check out these links for more information:

2017 US Statistics:
Major Depression is the most common mental disorder in the US.
An estimated 73.1 million people had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.
7.1% of adults over 18, 13.1% for ages 18-25
National Institute of Mental Health

Depression is on the rise worldwide at 18% in 10 years (2005-2015) as reported by the World Health Organization. "Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide."

RESOURCES:

Standard questionnaire for depression screening.

Mental Health America has this modern site for mental health screening.

Here is a great article about the causes of depression.

PSYweb is a great source to learn more about depression and other mental illness.

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is a great organization whose mission is to advance research on treating mental illness and improve the lives of those who suffer.

COOL MENTAL HEALTH BLOGS:

If you have OCD, this is a great blog.

Comments

Depression SWOT Analysis

One of my special talents (no big head here just historical evidence) is translating and adopting seemingly unrelated concepts to solve problems. This is the context for sharing how I used a traditional business tool SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to assess and plot a path out of depression. First off, using business tools for mental health is a great thing because it allows for taking the illness into a more pragmatic framework than traditional therapy approaches. Secondly, business concepts are known to many so there is an innate comfort in relating to them. Third, using a tool that is not psychological in nature may help put more emphasis on problem solving than illness identification. What I mean by this is a different viewpoint that focuses on current practices and options moving forward. So lets begin. SWOT is a staple of competitive analysis tools in business. You can read a good writeup here: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm My adoptio

Depression with Bidirectional Illnesses

Depression with Bidirectional Illnesses I've said this before... depression doesn't walk alone in most cases. The importance of this cannot be emphasized enough because the coexistence of conditions often lead to worsening conditions. The constant exposure/experience of the simultaneous illnesses often end up in competition for attention which feed the cycle and make things worse for both (or multiple conditions). While I cannot list all combinations in this post, I'd like to illustrate the point with some common occurrences. Depression and Insomnia It has been proven by research that insomnia is a huge risk factor for depression as well as a consequence of depression. This is not hard to understand. In layman terms, those of us who don't get enough sleep often experience lack of energy, memory problems, and a host of other symptoms that make normal functioning of body and mind difficult on a daily basis. The frustration with not being able to do all the thing

Depression - 4 Daily Essentials

After almost a year of searching for, testing and developing practices to eliminate depression, I've come up with the most essential 4 that has the greatest impact. I'll keep this really simple. 1. Start the morning right (5-minutes) State out loud: I am the maker of my good day Make a list of 3 positive things you a thankful in your life Make a daily to-do list of 3 items (must, optional, just for me) Commit to make the day count for you (learn something, feel progress) 2. Reset when unwanted thoughts, events, whatever happens Make a list of 5-minute activities (water plants, load dish washer, sort laundry, send a message to a friend, walk around the block, window shop online for something specific, have a cup of tea, meditate, listen to a song/talk/audio book, etc.) Whenever you sense the onset of a downward feeling (usually a gut or heart squeeze) nip it immediately by doing one of the items from your list 3. Take a 15-minute 'me time' Create a playlist of meditation

Depression Road

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