Reflection on Depression

Update on a father's journey

See a father's journey for updates on the progress of Guy Fessenden, who is running cross country to raise money for NARSAD (National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression -- although NARSAD funds research into a lot of different disorders, not just schizophrenia and depression) in honor of his daughter who suffers from schizophrenia and depression.

Guy is now in Arizona (after starting in Georgia). He runs a marathon a day and has "only" 650 miles to go, after already running 2,000.  On his website you can donate to NARSAD.

Donate before the year ends :)

I've been working on some good posts for later in the week, but first I need to get through a project at work on Monday.  In the meantime here's a link to my favorite mental health research charity, NARSAD (National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression) -- donate before the year ends!

I've also been posting infrequently because my routine is out of whack. Ever since my Thanksgiving trip back to N.C. I've lacked the discipline and energy to jump back into work and push through the first three weeks of December like a freight train (got to bill four weeks of time in only three!).  I need to get some exercise and, hopefully, some better sleep. Then it's a California Christmas!

Scholarships for people with mental illness

Last week I was helping a pro bono client find $500 in scholarship funds to pay for books when he begins community college next semester.  While looking for available scholarships I came across the following list of scholarships for people with mental illness.  Although the amounts offered are modest ($500-1000), they cover the cost of tuition and books at most community colleges or public trade schools. 

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More later on my TMS consultation from earlier this week . . . I learned a lot but I've decided to hold off on the treatment for now since I'm already doing so well.  The Dr. had some useful insights into the nature of my illness, and confirmed much of what I suspected about the chronicity and severity of it, but he also seemed optimistic that my recent recovery and the efficacy of medications in suppressing my symptoms means I may be able to nip future episodes in the bud fairly quickly. He also stressed the importance of treating episodes as quickly as possible in order to avoid the neurotoxic effects of severe depression on the brain.  

We also talked about the latest research on the possible teratogenic (causing birth defects) effects of various medications, and the ways that pregnant women can balance the risks to their babies and themselves either by avoiding certain drugs during the first trimester and then working them back in, or by undergoing non-pharmacological treatments like TMS during pregnancy. (We were only talking about it because he has special knowledge in the area . . . not because I'm thinking of having a baby anytime soon!).

Pepsi grant contest -- support awareness of youth depression and bipolar disorder

Pepsi is holding a contest to select one of several charitable projects to receive a $250,000 grant. One of the proposals is a campaign to raise awareness of childhood depression and bipolar disorders. Educating parents and children about these disorders is important because research indicates that children who receive early intervention have a much better lifetime prognosis.

Go here to vote:  Pepsi grant contest.  (You have to provide an email address, but I provided my designated spam account and selected not to receive promotions from Pepsi).

2010 NARSAD "Productive Lives" Award Winners

I received a newsletter from NARSAD today announcing their 2010 "Productive Lives" Award Winners.  Two of the three winners are outstanding academics.  The third is a well-known journalist and writer.  I was excited to see that I've read books by each. 

Of the books, my favorites were Elyn Sach's The Center Cannot Hold (about her life with schizophrenia) and Kay Jameson's An Unquiet Mind (about her bipolar disorder).  Andrew Soloman's The Noonday Demon is a much thicker, much more encyclopedia-like book.  It's not the best for light bedside reading. I conquered it years ago, when I had much, much more free time.

Surprisingly, the one I related to the most was Elyn Sach's memoir about schizophrenia.  It's partly because, after my last episode, I can actually comprehend what it's like to have such bizzare thougths.  I think it's also because I had a hard time connecting to Kay Jameson's positive regard for mania. She admits to liking the manic part of her disorder, while I don't like any part of my illness.

2010 ‘Productive Lives’ Award Winners
NARSAD Recognizes Three Individuals Who Demonstrate Recovery is Possible
 
NARSAD is proud to recognize three extraordinary individuals with 2010 Productive Lives Awards. They are being recognized for their lifelong struggle and tremendous success in overcoming the staggering odds those living with mental illness face to become highly accomplished and fully contributing individuals in both the professional and personal realms.

Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., is the Dalio Family Professor in Mood Disorders and professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center. The broader public knows Dr. Jamison through her writings. Her best-known book, An Unquiet Mind, chronicles her own devastating, near-fatal experiences with manic depression. 
 
Elyn Saks is a distinguished legal scholar and professor, Ph.D. in psychoanalytic science, best-selling author and recipient of a 2009 MacArthur Foundation “genius” award. In her book, The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness, she relates her 30-year struggle with schizophrenia. Dr. Saks is the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Law School. 
 
Andrew Solomon is a lecturer in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and a Fellow at Berkeley College at Yale University. He is also an award-winning novelist, journalist, critic and essayist, who has written on subjects ranging from art and travel, to psychology and Proust. He is most well known for his book, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, which was honored with the National Book Award in 2001. An exhaustively researched survey of the history and science of depression, he recounts his own intensely personal and lifelong struggle with depression.

'One in a Million' Mental Health Campaign

A friend of mine had a really great idea--to create a place where you can help battle stigma by sharing your 'coming out' story of mental illness. The goal is to get one million people to share their experiences. Until that goal is reached your name remains anonymous. Only once one million people have shared their story will the campaign reveal the identities of those who contributed.

To join:  

One in a Million

Of mice and men

Is it good to be a mouse?  Possibly, if you have cancer or an anxiety disorder.  CNN published an article today discussing the scientific breakthroughs made in studies with mice. From cancer vaccines to treatments for depression, mice are usually the first to benefit from our medical advances. (Of course, they're also the first to suffer in the name of science). 

Mice studies are particularly useful for studying mental and emotional disorders in humans. Unlike some medical conditions, mental health disorders are well modeled in mice. Since they share an amygdala and frontal cortex with humans (both implicated in anxiety and depression) scientists can gain insight from mouse behavior into our behavior.

Unfortunately, translating medical treatments from mice to humans is not always straightforward. It can take 10-15 years for a drug to get from rodents to the pharmacy. You can help speed up the process by contributing to NARSAD, the leading brain and behavior research charity in the U.S.

Yesterday I received a NARSAD newsletter detailing research into deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression.  It's now being tested in humans with depression, and may be approved by the FDA in just a few years. (Forgive me for the shameless plug for NARSAD, I'm just especially excited because this is a new treatment for the most intractable cases of depression that could be approved soon!).

Help us follow in the footsteps of mice :). 

My Project Happiness Podcast!

 

Check out my podcast for Project Happiness here! Project Happiness is an organization that teaches emotional wellness techniques to school-age children. It's a really great organization doing very important work!

In the podcast I talk about my experience with adolescent depression and what parents can do if their child exhibits signs of the disorder. I'm a bit embarrassed to have my squeaky voice broadcast on the internet, but I guess it's for a good cause :).  

NARSAD's Healthy Minds Across America event

I attended two great lectures today at UCSF as part of NARSAD's Healthy Minds Across America lecture series. The first was about the link between depression and dementia in older adults. The audience seemed really into it, probably because most were senior citizens (retirees are usually overrepresented at lectures--I guess they have the time. I hope I'm still learning at that age!). 

The second lecture was about the link between stress and depression. This is a topic I've already covered in some detail in college and graduate school classes, so it wasn't as novel. However, I was interested to see that researchers are looking more and more at the link between depression and stress-induced inflammation caused by cytokines, rather than depression and cortisol levels (which is where much of the depression/stress research has been done in the past). It's an interesting new avenue of study that could explain why depression is associated with certain diseases that cause chronic inflammation.

Because I had to catch a train back to Palo Alto for a five o'clock appointment, I missed the third lecture on animal models of social learning in children, but it looked pretty interesting. All three of the researchers presenting were recipients of NARSAD grants.  

NARSAD (National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression) is the leading charity that funds research on mental health disorders. Through it's fundraising, it sponsors some of the best and brightest researchers around the world who are studying these illnesses. Because a private trust covers its overhead expenses, NARSAD guarantees that 100% of donations go directly to research.

To learn more about NARSAD, see if a Healthy Mind Across America lecture is coming to your area, or donate, go to http://www.narsad.org.