Depression now leading cause of ill-health, disability globally – WHO

Ahead of the World Health Day (WHD) 2017 on Friday, April 7, 2017, depression has been identified as the leading cause of ill-health and disability worldwide with more than 300 million people now living with condition, an increase of more than 18 per cent between 2005 and 2015.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in its latest estimates released over the weekend said lack of support for people with mental disorders, coupled with a fear of stigma, prevent many from accessing the treatment they need to live healthy, productive lives.

WHO also identified strong links between depression and other non-communicable disorders and diseases. It noted that depression increases the risk of substance use disorders and diseases such as diabetes and heart disease; the opposite is also true, meaning that people with these other conditions have a higher risk of depression.

According to the health organisation, depression is also an important risk factor for suicide, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year. It said increased investment is also needed because in many countries, there is no, or very little support available for people with mental health disorders.

Depression is a common mental illness characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that people normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for 14 days or longer.

In addition, people with depression normally have several of the following: a loss of energy; a change in appetite; sleeping more or less; anxiety; reduced concentration; indecisiveness; restlessness; feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness; and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

The high point in WHO’s year-long campaign, WHD, is “Depression: Let’s talk”. The overall goal of the campaign is that more people with depression, everywhere in the world, both seek and get help.

WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, said: “These new figures are a wake-up call for all countries to re-think their approaches to mental health and to treat it with the urgency that it deserves.”

Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO, Dr. Shekhar Saxena, said one of the first steps is to address issues around prejudice and discrimination.

“The continuing stigma associated with mental illness was the reason why we decided to name our campaign depression: Let’s talk, “For someone living with depression, talking to a person they trust is often the first step towards treatment and recovery. A better understanding of depression and how it can be treated, while essential, is just the beginning. What needs to follow is sustained scale-up of mental health services accessible to everyone, even the most remote populations in the world,” Saxena said.

 

Source: The Guardian

Kid Cudi Checks Himself Into Rehab for Depression and Suicidal Thoughts

Rapper Kid Cudi in an emotional post to his fans on Facebook Tuesday night, said he has checked himself into a treatment facility for “depression and suicidal urges.” He wrote:

Its been difficult for me to find the words to what Im about to share with you because I feel ashamed. Ashamed to be a leader and hero to so many while admitting I’ve been living a lie. It took me a while to get to this place of commitment, but it is something I have to do for myself, my family, my best friend/daughter and all of you, my fans.

Yesterday I checked myself into rehab for depression and suicidal urges.

I am not at peace. I haven’t been since you’ve known me. If I didn’t come here, I wouldve done something to myself. I simply am a damaged human swimming in a pool of emotions everyday of my life. Theres a ragin violent storm inside of my heart at all times. Idk what peace feels like. Idk how to relax. My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it. I cant make new friends because of it. I dont trust anyone because of it and Im tired of being held back in my life. I deserve to have peace. I deserve to be happy and smiling. Why not me? I guess I give so much of myself to others I forgot that I need to show myself some love too. I think I never really knew how. Im scared, im sad, I feel like I let a lot of people down and again, Im sorry. Its time I fix me. Im nervous but ima get through this.


I wont be around to promote much, but the good folks at Republic and my manager Dennis will inform you about upcoming releases. The music videos, album release date etc. The album is still on the way. Promise. I wanted to square away all the business before I got here so I could focus on my recovery. 

If all goes well ill be out in time for Complexcon and ill be lookin forward to seeing you all there for high fives and hugs.

Love and light to everyone who has love for me and I am sorry if I let anyone down. I really am sorry. Ill be back, stronger, better. Reborn. I feel like shit, I feel so ashamed. Im sorry.

I love you,

Scott Mescudi

 

Scientists Discover Human Genes Associated With Depression

Scientists said on Friday in London that they have found human genes that are probably associated with the development of depression, giving hopes of new treatment of the disease.

Researchers analyzed that the study used self-report data of 307,354 respondents to questionnaires, including 75,607 who reported to have been diagnosed of depression at some point in their lives.

Ashley Winslow, the co-author of the study, said that during the findings they tried to find any single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or any irregularities at specific points in the genome that are shared by the depressive subjects only.

“A total of 17 such independent SNPs from 15 regions have been found.

Winslow assured that the result could be used to identify people who are at risk of depression long before they actually get one and may lead to novel ways to treat the disease.

“We’ve been dominated by decades of dogma about how we treat depression.

“The hope is this can lead to a novel understanding of the disease,” he said.

The study was conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and 23andMe, a California-based genomics and biotechnology company.

Credit: NAN

Rosecollette I. Uzomba: Breaking From Emotional Depression; The Tale Of A Survivor

“I knew I was slipping when months ago, I considered stuff I wouldn’t even give a second thought. I went through a crisis that saw me spiraling down in fast motion. I made decisions that at the time seemed imperturbable. No one in my family or amongst my friends knew what I was going through at the time. I was strong on the outside but inside a ravaging fire was carting my soul away. I smiled, laughed, went for social gatherings, attended church services and was supposedly pretty normal. I knew I had to talk to someone, I knew I had to take a breather but each time I tried I went back deeper. Spoke to a friend once or twice but he clearly didn’t get the message because really I couldn’t even communicate what I was going through. I felt like I was on this high and I could just let the moment carry me as I voyaged to a world of oblivion.

Count down to two weeks ago, the walls came crashing in me and felt I was going to die of emotional and psychological suffocation. I knew I had to talk to someone. Someone I could trust, someone who knew who I was. I made one of the most important decisions of my life. I wasn’t prepared for the effect the decision would have on me. I thought I was messed up, but I was screwed. I have never been one to get depressed all my life but I didn’t just get depressed, I became suicidal. Wow! Yeah I didn’t believe it myself. I battled the strong urge of doing bodily harm to myself so it could divert my mind away from the pain and hurt I was experiencing. Saving grace was a dear long friend who never left my side. He reminded me who I was, convinced me I could be better and most of all love me even when I felt like the worst person on earth.

And then it happened, like a thunder bolt I was jolted to a celestial realization that I mustn’t stay down. Waves of strong emotions overtook me, I prayed and I wept my heart out. First I had to believe God still loves me and secondly I had to forgive myself. I looked in the mirror and said to me, “You are better than this shit. Don’t stay down, you can win this”. I had the redemption I sought for and I had never felt better. Still a work in progress but I am certain I will get there one day at a time”.

You see the world is not an easy place for weak people. You are going to mess up real bad, you are going to be mud splashed, ridiculed, cheated on, abused, and many other things but these things don’t define you. What defines you is how you handle these situations. You either let it break you until you are down and out or you break through it and claim victory. I keep saying this; people are going through so much that you have no idea of. It’s a crazy world out there.

Whoever you are, whatever you might be going through, don’t stay down. It’s going to get rough, tough decisions would be made, your heart will break into a thousand pieces, you would hate the image of you in the mirror, you would cry yourself to sleep, but don’t stop there. Break through it. When you realize that you deserve better, that would be a stepping stone to the best decisions of your life. Don’t care a tad what others think about you, what you have done or are passing through might be terrible and you feel like the worst person. People have done and gone through worse. Nobody is perfect, we slip now and then, and that’s life. The greatest defeat would be giving up on you. You can be better. Failure is temporal, giving up is permanent. Don’t let that be you.

Views expressed are solely that of author and does not represent views of www.omojuwa.com nor its associates

Father Executes Whole Family, Then Himself After Googling Depression & How To Slit Human Throats

A father has stabbed his wife and two daughters to death after researching how to cut someone’s throat – then lived with their bodies for a weekend before hanging himself, an inquest has heard.

The bodies of Jitendra Lad, 49, his wife, Dukshaben Lad, 44, and their daughters, Trisha, 19, and Nisha, 16, were discovered at their home in Clayton, Bradford, last October – days after celebrating Diwali as a family.

Mr Lad was found hanged and the three other members of the ‘model’ family had all been stabbed in their beds with a knife, in what a coroner described as a ‘scene of unimaginable horror’.

Bradford Coroner’s Court heard that Mrs Lad, also known as Daksha, and her two daughters were probably killed in the early hours of Saturday October 25.

But Mr Lad was seen by a number of people later the same weekend and probably killed himself on the Monday afternoon, two days later, the court heard.

The hearing was told how Mr Lad had no medical history of mental illness and relatives and friends said they appeared to be a normal, loving family.

But Detective Sergeant Duncan Jackson told the hearing in Bradford how Mr Lad had accessed the internet on his phone in the weeks before his death to research depression and, just days before the tragedy, he searched ‘how to cut someone’s throat and executions’.

The hearing also heard that Mr Lad had been stressed at work as an IT manager, and was concerned he had been overpromoted.

Det Sgt Jackson however told the court about an incident in Ibiza in August 2014 when the family was on holiday.

He said a woman, Lee Cartwright, told officers about a conversation she had with Mr Lad by a swimming pool in which he said he ‘disliked his current job and wanted to do something better’.

She said he went on to say how he was ‘dreading turning 50’, said he did not like Bradford and wanted to live abroad but had a duty of care to his mother.

According to the police officer, ‘Mrs Cartwright was left with the impression Jitendra was unhappy with his life’.

Source: Dailymail