5 New theories on the cause of depression

Depression is a complex illness. The root cause of depression is still a mystery but there are theories that could be possible that explain why and how this illness occurs. These are some of the new possible theories:

1. Faulty brain wiring.When experts scanned the brains of depressed people, they discovered that the frontal lobes of the brain, the part associated with higher cognitive processes, displayed lower activity levels than those in nondepressed patients.
Other brain imaging reveals breakdown in normal patterns of emotional processing that impedes the ability of depressed patients to suppress negative emotional states. High levels of activity in the amygdala part of the brain, the fear center, persisted despite cognitive efforts to retrain the thoughts.
Depression, then, involves a problem in the wiring pattern in the brain: not a single brain activity pattern, but by a brain activity pattern that is unique to each person.
2. Brain atrophy.Depression can be associated with the loss of volume in parts of the brain, namely the hippocampus, which belongs to the limbic system (the emotional center of the brain), and is important in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory. The more severe the depression, the greater the loss of brain volume.
The atrophy affects the brain’s frontal lobes, as well, especially the prefrontal cortex, which regulates the emotional centers of the brain. Finally, depression appears to inhibit the birth of new brain cells, or neurogenesis. For this reason, Peter Kramer, M.D. believes that depression is the “most devastating disease known to mankind.”
3. Hormonal imbalances.The endocrine system may also play a role in depression. Some studies have indicated a default in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the region that manages the body’s response to stress. When a person is in distress, the hypothalamus produces corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and other substances that stimulate the pituitary gland to release stress hormones that send a flight-or-fight response. Chronic activation of the HPA can contribute to depression.
4. Genetics.There are many genetic variations than can increase a person’s vulnerability to depression and other mood disorders, although some of these variations have yet to be identified. Scientists have identified a gene that may be linked to bipolar disorder, and experts have also found a common genetic mutation associated with a person developing clinical depression when faced with traumatic events in his or her life. A study on twins showed that if one twin developed depression, the other twin also suffered from depression in 46 percent of identical twins, compared with 20 percent of fraternal twins.
5. Brain inflammation.In his bestseller, Grain Brain, renowned neurologist David Perlmutter, M.D. explains that the cornerstone of all degenerative conditions — including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder — is inflammation, and the most prominent stimulators of inflammation in our diet are gluten and sugar. We get into trouble because we can’t feel the inflammation in our brain like we can in other parts of the body, so we rarely link a kind of food we eat with our mood. Perlmutter points out that study after study demonstrates that people who suffer from mood disorders also tend to be gluten-sensitive and vice versa: depression is found in as many as 52 percent of gluten-sensitive individuals.

*none of this is in my own words besides the introduction, I posted this simply to refer back to in case my group decides to use some of this information in our documentary*

Source

all this information was taken from:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/10/29/5-new-theories-on-the-cause-of-depression/

The Cost of Not Caring

I read an article posted on the USA Today website that was very insightful and gave me plenty of ideas for my documentary film. It was titled “The cost of Not Caring” and as the title suggests, it was about how society just doesn’t care about people with mental illnesses and the price society has to pay. There were a lot of surprising statistics such as, more than half a million of Americans who have a mental illness have nowhere to go and often land in jails, the emergency room, or the streets. Due to insurance pressures, states have been reducing hospital beds for decades. “Tight budgets during the recession forced some of the most devastating cuts in recent memory”, says Robert Glover, executive director of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. $5 billion in mental health services was cut from 2009 to 2012 by states. The country eliminated nearly 10% of public psychiatric hospital beds in the same period. All these cuts result in people with mental illnesses getting no care at all. according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 40% of adults with a  severe mental illness received no treatment in 2011. This includes people with schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder. This article focuses on the human and financial costs that the country pays for not caring about the 10 million Americans with serious mental illness. "The way we pay for mental health today is the most expensive way possible,” Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, says. "We don't provide support early, so we end up paying for lifelong support.” "This is a disease, just like cancer,” Candie Dalton, who’s son suffers from schizophrenia, says. "It's just as devastating. But you don't get the support. You don't get people saying, 'Oh, your child is in the hospital. Can I come over with a casserole?" About 2 million people with mental illness go to jail every year, according to a 2013 study in Psychiatric Services in Advance. People have ignored the fact that there are people that have mental illnesses and we have definitely paid the price.

Source:
http://www.usatoday.com/longform/news/nation/2014/05/12/mental-health-system-crisis/7746535/

Depression and anxiety

Depression and Anxiety are prevalent among College students. The typical age of onset for many mental health conditions is between 18 to 24 years old. 

According to Jerald Kay, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department Psychiatry at the Wright State University School of Medicine, In the past 15 years, depression has doubled and suicide tripled. A survey from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) suggested that universities and colleges also have seen an increase in students seeking services for anxiety disorders. There are various contributing factors during college that explain these statistics. “students deal with a unique amount of stressors. They experience many firsts, including new lifestyle, friends, roommates, exposure to new cultures and alternate ways of thinking.” said Courtney Knowles, executive director of The JED Foundation. Students struggle when they can’t manage these firsts. “If students do not feel adequate or prepared to cope with the new environment of a college campus, they could easily become susceptible to depression and anxiety,” said Harrison Davis, Ph.D. 

Identity is also influenced, students often feel disoriented and feel a loss of their sense of self, contributing to symptoms of depression and anxiety, because the familiar people they grew up knowing are no longer there to reinforce the identity these students have created for themselves. This loss of sense of self and lack of confidence can lead students to make poor choices especially with alcohol and drugs.  According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 45 percent of college students binge drink and nearly 21 percent abuse prescription or illegal drugs.  The most significant barrier preventing a student from seeking help is stigma that comes with depression and anxiety. According to a 2006 study, students cited embarrassment as the number one reason someone wouldn’t seek help. Depression shouldn’t be treated as something that isn’t as important as a physical illness. Mental illnesses can eventually lead to physical illnesses which is why people should get treated early. The first step is realizing you have a problem.

Source:
Tartakovsky, M. (2008). Depression and Anxiety Among College Students. Psych Central. Retrieved on October 20, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-and-anxiety-among-college-students/0001425
Picture from:
http://blogs.longwood.edu/jillian44/files/2013/10/defeatdenial.jpeg

The UK Counseling Center

The UK Counseling Center offers many services that aid in the wellbeing of students & faculty. Group Therapy, one of the major services offered at the UK counseling Center, is offered to students at no expense. The counseling center offers several different therapy groups including: 

• USO Group
• Anxiety ACTion Group
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy Group
• Decide Your Future Group
• Graduate Student Support Group
• Mindfulness Support Group
• Social Confidence Group

and many more workshops…

But why is Group Therapy important? Group therapy helps patients realize that he/she is not alone & is often times more enriching than individual therapy. People in support groups also develop social skills to help them relate to others. Members of the group may be going through the same thing or they may bring up an issue that may strike a chord with someone; this allows them to support each other and give advice or suggest ways of dealing with whatever there issue is. Some people feel that in the group environment, others serve as “mirrors”. In other words, you see yourself in others and this allows you to recognize and change what you want to modify about yourself. Aside from that, Feeling uncomfortable when you first join a group is completely normally. However, this usually changes as people open up and you realize that there are others in the same situation as you.

Sources:

http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Counseling/group.html

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/anxiety-support-group

Suicide and its misconceptions

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1 million people die each year from suicide. According to Medical News Today, suicide the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. The reason for an individual suicide is complex but is most times a choice that is somehow preferable to another set of dreaded circumstances, it is not a pointless or random act. Blinded by feelings of self-loathing, hopelessness, and isolation, a suicidal person can't see any way of finding relief except through death. People with high standards and expectations are especially vulnerable to ideas of suicide when progress toward these goals is suddenly foiled. People of many ethnic backgrounds suffer from depression and succumb to suicide. Suicide Prevention starts with recognizing the warning signs and taking them serious.

Warning signs of suicide:

•   talking about suicide

•   seeking out lethal means

•   preoccupation with death

•   no hope for the future

•   self-loafing, self hatred

•   giving away prized possessions

•   withdrawing from others

•   self destructive behavior

•   suddens sense of calm

•   displaying extreme mood swings

•   sleeping too much or too little

Misconceptions of suicide:

FALSE: People who talk about suicide won’t really do it

TRUE: Almost everyone who attempts/commits suicide has given some clue or warning.

FALSE: Anyone who tries to kill him/herself must be crazy

TRUE: Most suicidal people are not psychotic or insane

FALSE: if a person is determined to kill him/herself, nothing is going to stop them

TRUE: Even the most severely depressed person has mixed feelings about death. Most suicidal people do not want death; they want the pain to stop

FALSE: People who commit suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help

TRUE: Studies show that suicide victims have shown that more than half had soughs medical help 6 months prior to their deaths

FALSE: Talking about suicide may give someone ideas

TRUE: The opposite is true, bringing up the subject of suicide and discussing it openly is one of the most helpful things you can do.

Sources:

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-helping-someone-who-is-suicidal.htm

 

Sexual Assault on campus

Sexual assault and harassment are an ongoing problem in college campus’s across the nation, but not many people realize this. It is estimated that the percentage of sexual assault victimization among women in higher education institutions is roughly around 20% to 25% over the course of their college career. In a survey of 1,000 female students conducted in 2004 at the University of Kentucky, it was found that 36% had been victims of stalking, physical or sexual assault. These numbered have decreased in recent years due to programs such as Green Dot, advocating the prevention of violence and harassment among men and women. According to a recent article posted on the Washington Post, the number of federal investigations into how colleges handle sexual violence reports has jumped 50% in the last 6 months; this is due to the higher number of colleges reporting sexual assaults. This suggests that more victims are coming forward. Seeing higher numbers in annual crime reports for sexual violence means the campus is “breaking the culture of silence”, said Alison Kiss, executive director of the Clery Center for Security on Campus. The Obama administration has also taken action by announcing the publication of the final rule implementing changes made to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act by the VAWA. "These new rules require institutions to ensure that students and employees have vital information about crime on campus and the services and protections available to victims if a crime does occur, which will be significant assets in addressing the growing problem of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on our nations’s campuses.” said Anre Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Some suggested tips for preventing sexual assault at parties include:

• stick with your friends
• hold on to you drink & if its ever out of sight get a new one
• don’t share drinks
• make sure you always have a ride home or someone to walk with that is sober
• always keep your cellphone charged and on you
• trust your instincts

Source:

Kingkade, Tyler. "Colleges Are Reporting More Sexual Assaults, And That's A Great Sign." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

A Good Documentary

There are many things that, combined, make a documentary good. Unfortunately, many filmmakers make the mistake of not doing these “things” which leaves the viewer drooling or falling asleep. One major mistake I can point out is the abundance of information they cram into the film. You can’t just name off a bunch of facts or statistics and expect your audience to stay interested; People will lose interest quickly! I’ve seen many documentaries, some highly entertaining, some not so much, but after watching so many I’ve noticed specific things that always draw me into a documentary film. Off the top of my head, some of the things that draw me into a doc film are: The visual quality, the soundtrack, Facts/evidence, the main people in the film (their presentation) and most importantly a thought provoking ending. I feel like the thought provoking ending is the icing on the cake. Documentary films that leave the viewer thinking or questioning certain matters are my favorite. There are other things that make a documentary good of course, but I feel that those are the most important. 

Image from: http://angelkissesmaternity.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8354bfcda69e20120a6caec98970b-pi

Bright Idea

In the beginning process of writing my proposal I had a hard time forming my thoughts because I had no experience whatsoever writing one. I had no idea what I wanted to do research over; I didn’t even know where to begin. It actually took me over 2 days to decide what I wanted to research! After strenuous hours of research, I came across what became my current topic, The Henry Clay Estate. I chose The Henry Clay Estate, known as ashland, not only because of it’s beauty, but also because of the plethora of history there was over it. This made the process a lot easier. It was surprising because I hadn’t known that this historic site was in Lexington until I stumbled upon it while researching The Mary Todd House; The Mary Todd House was one of my choices before I decided on choosing Ashland as my topic.  I felt that The M.T. House lacked historical depth and it just didn’t seem as intriguing as Ashland; However, there was a connection between the two. Choosing a topic is usually the hardest part for me so it was a relief that I found one that I stuck with.

Image from: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/vintage-bright-idea-scott-norris.html

Mary Todd Lincoln

                                                                  Mary Todd Lincoln

The Mary Todd Lincoln House has been around since around 1803; Before it became a home it was an inn and a tavern.  However, I want to focus on Mary Todd herself, not the building. Mary Todd Lincoln, born in Lexington, KY, is another important figure in the history of Kentucky in the early 1800's. Mary Todd is recognized for marrying Abraham Lincoln in 1842, becoming the first lady of the 16th president of the United States. Her father, Robert Todd, was one of the wealthier and more prominent men in the town. Lexington, during this time, was compared to Philadelphia and Boston in its wealth and sophistication (mlthouse). This gave Mary the opportunity and advantage to socialize with her father’s influential and political guests, the most prominent being Henry Clay, leader of the young Whig party. Clay was a family friend and resided less than 2 miles away from the Todd’s (mtl house). He once promised Mary she would be among his first guests in Washington should he become president. Unfortunately, Clay never became president. Mary Todd, however, would eventually live in Washington with her husband.

Mary Todd (pictured above) was the first person that came to mind when I was thinking of something that connected to my proposal paper topic. I already had slight background information over it because After researching it, it became one of my choices for my proposal. I was stuck between choosing this or The Henry Clay Estate (Ashland); I ended up choosing the latter because it was simply more appealing to my interests. 

Aside from that, One of the questions I have is: Why did the Todd family decide to settle in Lexington?

Works Cited:

"History." Mtlhouse.org. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://www.mtlhouse.org/history.html>.

"Mary Todd Lincoln Quotes." Rogerjnorton.com. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln90.html>.