The Secret Sadness of Pregnancy With Depression

“In the last two decades, it has become widely accepted that postpartum depression, which can make mothers both inattentive and irritable, is dangerous, and many states have instituted programs to screen for it and treat it. Far less recognized is an equally troubling condition: antenatal depression, or depression suffered during pregnancy, which affects up to[…]

We Don’t Talk About Mental Illness In My Family

“We don’t talk about mental illness in my family. Rather, we wish we didn’t have to. When we do, it’s the folk sickness that twines its way through my maternal lineage like ivy. We speak of it in whispers, though everyone’s been treated for it at some point, Prozac and Zoloft and Lexapro all the[…]

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Wellness Toolbox

“The road to wellness begins with you. Below are some tools to help you communicate better with your doctor, keep track of your symptoms and moods, record the progress you’re making, and reach recovery!” Access the resources here Source: dbsalliance.org

Mindfulness Based Therapy Prevents Depression Relapse

“The first large study to compare mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)—a psychological therapy designed to change the way people think and feel about their experiences—with maintenance antidepressant medication suggests that MBCT could offer an alternative to antidepressants for preventing depression relapse. The study investigators aimed to determine whether MBCT with support to taper or discontinue antidepressant[…]

Targeting depression with deep brain stimulation

“Her plunge into suicidal darkness began at 39, after the birth of her daughter. Could it be hormonal? Her gynecologist shook her head, then told Stowe about an Emory neurologist named Helen Mayberg she had just read about, who was doing a special type of brain surgery with electrodes for treatment-resistant depression, with promising results.[…]

Parenting While Depressed: 10 Things to Remember

“Parenting is difficult enough when you feel fantastic, but when you’re struggling with depression, it can seem downright impossible. It need not be so, though. Experiencing depression doesn’t mean you can’t be an incredible, loving, smart, and effective parent … Don’t hesitate to reach out. Ask for help from your spouse or partner, friends, an extended[…]

Teens’ App Applauded For Helping Young People With Depression

“Some teenage girls are headed to the White House Monday to be recognized for an app they created. Their “Safe & Sound” smartphone app is meant to help teens struggling with depression and anxiety.” Listen to the story here Source: NPR.org, Morning Edition Image Source: NPR.org

What I Learned About Depression by Being Depressed

“It’s been a couple of months since I came out as a man suffering from depression. Perhaps it is the people I’ve chosen to surround myself with, but I have faced none of the harmful judging I’ve heard accompanies such a revelation. Conversely, there is a better than good chance people are judging me negatively[…]

R U There?

“A new counselling service harnesses the power of the text message…A person can contact Crisis Text Line without even looking at her phone. The number—741741—traces a simple, muscle-memory-friendly path down the left column of the keypad. Anyone who texts in receives an automatic response welcoming her to the service. Another provides a link to the[…]

To Treat Depression, Drugs or Therapy?

“Although the holy grail of personalized therapy — be it with psychotropic drugs or psychotherapy — has proved elusive, we’ve learned a lot recently about individual factors that might predict a better response to one type of treatment over another. Dr. Helen Mayberg, a professor of psychiatry at Emory University, recently published a study in[…]