PsychSense: Sensible Psychological Solutions

I was reading about a suicide of a college student recently and when I read his friends description of his behavior it was clear that he had a major depression. I wondered if his friends did not recognize his depression or simply did not know what to do.

Some of the advice for helping a depressed friend goes something like:

• Listen
• Suggest professional help, facilitate an appointment and offer to go with the person.
• Have the person call a suicide hotline  or helpline

Although this is good advice, often with severely depressed persons these interventions are not enough.

Helping a loved one who is depressed can be very difficult. Sometimes caregivers feel helpless and unsure of what to say or do. Fear can cause helpers to be overbearing, hovering and treat the depressed person like a child. This is not particularly helpful for either the depressed person or the helper.

Here are some principles to keep in mind when someone you love is depressed.

Sunshine

I have been hearing alot about vitamin D lately.

 My doctor said I should have a blood test for Vit D levels to make sure I am not deficient.  Later that same week a physician friend of mine said her doctor put her on Vit D after a blood test showed a deficiency.   She told me she had multiple joint and muscle pains that went away with addition of the supplement.

Although currently there is a lot of hype and misinformation about Vit D we are still learning about how it effects the body, how to get it,  and if supplements work.

The Suicide rate in US soldiers in Iraq is higher then it’s been in years. According to CNN, every day, five U.S. soldiers try to kill themselves. Before the Iraq war began, that figure was less than one suicide attempt a day.

 I was thinking about this and wondering why this was so much worse then in the past. What I thought might be a contributing factor is the new military policy of extending duty time at will. This is very hard on soldiers or anyone for that matter. As we all know, you can live through almost anything when there is an end in site. However, when the end time is unsure, or can get extended or put off at any time for unknown reasons, those affected feel out of control, helpless and hopeless.

Question and Answer

Anne Writes

I am worried about my brother, he is depressed and refuses to consider going for counseling or medical care.  What Can I do to help him?

Answer from Dr. Duffy:

Question From A reader

 Dear Dr Duffy,

Where do I begin? First, a little background: I am a 23 year-old female. I have been married for 4 years to a man that is 20 years older than I. We have had two children age 3 and a newborn. We plan to have more children. They are a wonderful family.

For several years I have felt frustrated and disappointed with life, although I realize that I am extremely fortunate and very blessed. There is an emptiness inside that seems to echo louder with time and yet I cannot put a finger on what is eating away at me.

 Recently a teenage boy who jumped out of a dorm window while drunk left a local college campus and community deeply shaken. He will probably be paralyzed for the rest of his life.  After hearing about this I read a distressing study about teenage self-destructive behavior. The Child and Adolescent Self harm Study From Europe (Brunel University September 4, 2008) reveals more disturbing data about teenagers and cutting.

1.    One out of four cases is not reported and 25% had not told anyone else. How many do we not know about?

Did you know that nearly 5,000 teenagers commit suicide each year and that suicide is the third leading cause of death among those aged 15-24 ?

There has been a number of teenagers suicides in the news lately that have been connected to bullying. Many of use are worried and frustrated about the rising problems in schools with bullying and teasing. The connection between bullying and teen depression and  suicide is becoming clearer.  It has been shown that teen suicide is often related to depression that can be worsened by rejection,  isolation,  being bullied, and not fitting in. 

There is a long complicated article in the NY Times today about suicide and impulsivity that is worth a read (if you can manage it.)

“Suicide autopsy” studies can give us lots of information, but no one really knows what goes through the head of a person just before he or she dies from suicide, it may be regret as suggested by one person interviewed by the author.

There are a few comments I would like to make about the article and suicide in general that are based on my own years of experience, and thoughts. If you can’t get through the article hopefully they will still make some sense to you.