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FINDING lately that you are too blue
to get out of bed, let alone get dressed and go to work?
How about food? Eating more or less? What about sleep--too much or too
little? Does the slightest provocation trigger tsunami-like mood swings?
And do the unflinching demands of daily life, such as showering, cooking
and cleaning, seem like insurmountable tasks? Have any of these symptoms
persisted for weeks on end?
If you've answered yes to any combination of the above questions, you
may be experiencing some form of depression and should seek professional
help, mental health experts say.
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You are not alone, especially if you are an African-American woman.
Clinical depression is a serious medical illness that has a 15 percent
chance of affecting a person during his or her lifetime. That figure is
perhaps as high as 25 percent for women, according to the Diagnostic
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the reference guide for mental
health professionals.
Higher rates of clinical depression among women may be linked to stress
from work, family responsibilities, the roles and expectations of women
and increased rates of sexual abuse and poverty, researchers say. Other
factors such as diet, hormones, genetics and other biological
differences (premenstrual syndrome, childbirth, infertility and
menopause) also are thought to play a role in depressive illnesses.
But despite the huge toll mental disorders exact on the lives of its
sufferers, only a small percentage of Black women who suffer from
depression and other ailments receive any treatment.
Shame, embarrassment, fear of being labeled
"crazy," the disparity in health care, and lack of insurance coverage
are just a few of the reasons many African-American women do not seek
professional help for mental health issues. But failure to seek
treatment for any form of mental illness can result in a recurrence of
the disease--yes, it is a disease--and a litany of other troubles,
including hospitalization, substance abuse, economic woes, isolation,
and ultimately suicide.
"True, there was a time--happily, a time past--when mental illness was
used as an excuse to shackle those of us who listened to a different
drummer," writes, M.D., M.P.H., in Saving Our Last Nerves:
The Black Woman's Path to Mental Health. "The result was that many Black
women are afraid of the mental health care industry, and buckling under
pressures we could have handled if we'd had a little help ..."
In some cases, women do not realize that they are experiencing symptoms
of mental illness. Some visit the doctor, complaining of headaches, back
pain and other ailments. Others go to church, thinking that their
spirituality needs rebuilding. Indeed, church can help, but mental
health experts say that church and spirituality are not a cure-all.
Mental health experts such as James E. Savage Jr., Ph.D., president of
the Association of Black Psychologists, are working hard to educate
African-Americans about the importance of seeking help.
"We are trying to debunk the myths and remove the stigma surrounding
mental health that prevents us from receiving good mental health
services," says Dr. president of the Institute for Life
Enrichment, an outpatient mental health clinic with several offices in
the Washington, D.C.-area. "We need to inform the community that they
have rights to certain [mental health] treatments."
Besides depression, other forms of mental illness include psychotic
disorders such as schizophrenia, which is diagnosed when a person has
two or more of these symptoms for more than a month: delusions,
hallucinations, extreme paranoia and disorganized speech. Further, a
person suffering from the disease may experience disorganized or
catatonic behavior, lack feeling and lose ability to function at work.
"The voices and delusions are frightening," writes Dr. the
author. "The rate of suicide for people with schizophrenia approaches
that of those with depression."
If you, or someone you know, are suffering from symptoms of mental
illness, it is important to seek help. If you don't know where to begin,
start with your primary care physician or your pastor; both can refer
you to a mental health professional.
Crying spells, alone or in public spaces--especially when you are trying
to have fun--may be a sign of depression, or the result of a panic
disorder. Consult a mental health professional if you experience such
emotional swings.
HERE ARE BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME COMMON FORMS OF MENTAL AILMENTS THAT
OFTEN AFFECT BLACK WOMEN:
* BIPOLAR DISORDER, OR MANIC-DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS, is marked by periods of
major depression and periods of mania, according to the National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Symptoms of mania include abnormal
highs accompanied by at least three of the following symptoms: overly
inflated self-esteem, racing thoughts, distractibility, increased
talkativeness, decreased need for sleep, physical agitation, and
excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have high potential
for painful consequences.
* POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION was thrust into the media spotlight recently
when Tom Cruise criticized Brooke Shields for taking medication to treat
the condition. And few can forget the story of Andrea Yates, who had a
previous history of postpartum depression and admitted to the drowning
deaths of her five children in 2001. The disorder is characterized by
depressive symptoms that begin within four weeks and up to a year after
birth. The condition causes a mother to experience sadness, bouts of
crying, moodiness, loss of interest in activities she once enjoyed, and
she displays little interest in the baby. The mother may be overwhelmed
by feelings of shame and guilt, suffer from sleep and appetite
disturbances, as well as marital discord, says Helen M.D.,
a board certified psychiatrist in the Chicago area who specializes in
women's mood disorders.
"Many mothers remain silent about what they're going through out of fear
that they may be perceived as a 'bad mother,'" says Dr. "In fact, they are suffering on the inside, hanging on by a thread and yet
are told: 'Snap out of it! Those feelings will pass.' But failing to
seek treatment increases the risk of future episodes of depression."
Postpartum depression, Dr. says, is different from what is
commonly called "the baby blues," a bout of sadness that affects up to
90 percent of all new mothers after childbirth.
* PANIC DISORDER is diagnosed when a person experiences recurrent panic
attacks, at least one of which leads to at least a month of increased
anxiety or avoidant behavior, according to NAMI. Diagnosis comes after a
person experiences at least four of the following symptoms during a
panic attack: sweating, choking or smothering sensations, racing heart,
labored breathing, trembling, chest pains, faintness, numbness, nausea,
disorientation, and feelings of losing one's mind, dying or losing
control. Panic attacks typically last about 10 minutes, but may be a few
minutes shorter or longer.
"These are all things that can be treated," Dr. says
of the range of mental illnesses. "We want people to know that they do
not have to live with these symptoms."
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