Beyond Blue: September 2007 Archives

Last week I introduced you to Dr. Ken Duckworth, the medical director for the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), whom I interviewed as part of a blogger conference call hosted by Revolution Health.

Since I couldn’t cover the entire interview in one "How Do You Move Beyond Blue?" post, I have stretched it out over two weeks (because many of you told me you wanted to read the rest).

You can go to the podcast of the interview and listen to it yourself.

But I’ve transcribed the second part for all of you who like to read it better. For a longer bio on Dr. Duckworth, go to the first "How Do You Move Beyond Blue?" segment (by clicking here).

Here’s Part 2 of the interview (especially interesting for Beyond Blue readers, I think, is our discussion of spirituality and faith, and the integration of them with mental health ... the last question):

Thanks to readers Sandy Slaga and Larry Parker for bringing this AP story, "Study: Treating Depression Is Good for Business" to my attention.

Here's the gist:

Investing in depressed employees -- quickly getting them treatment and even offering telephone psychotherapy -- can cut absenteeism while improving workers' health, a study suggests.

Many employers view mental health coverage as a financial black hole, but the study shows that spending money on depression is a smart business move, said researcher Dr. Philip Wang. Wang works for the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the study.

Employees who got the aggressive intervention worked on average about two weeks more during the yearlong study than those who got the usual care -- advice to see their doctor or seek a mental health specialist.

Also, more workers in the intervention group were still employed by year's end -- 93 percent vs. 88 percent -- savings that helped employers avoid hiring and training costs, the researchers said.

To read the entire article, click here.

For a week or so, I’ve been pondering the following question by reader JCH:

I have also been married for a little over a year. My husband knew on our third or fourth date about my depression and saw it evidenced over our two-year dating relationship. When he proposed I specifically asked if he knew what he was getting into. He said he did but I think he lied. He does not get it. He questions my salvation. He thinks my depressive episodes are selfish. He looks at my easy life and his really hard life (background) and sees that he is able to have hope and I have none and does not think that I am trying hard enough.

I have no doubt that it is hard for him. Really.

I read your blog and others posts and have done searches about marriage and depression and wonder at the patience of other husbands. What helped them "get" it? how did they switch from frustration to patience and kindness? He wants to "hold me accountable" so that my depression does not become a crutch. nice idea but when I am in my darkest places I need love not lectures. I told him that was my counselors job and he dismissed that idea too.

I am drowning and the person who I count on to be my safety net just thinks that I should swim harder.

James at "Finding Optimism" is devoting several posts to this specific topic because of all of your feedback to his great post "12 Ways to Care for Someone with Depression" and "Things to Say to Someone with Depression." His wife, Anna, has written some excellent pieces that I am sure will help the mates of us bipolars and depressives. This is the type of stuff reader JCH (who asked the question on my previous post) might want to print out and hand to her husband. Good job James and Anna! Thank you!

Here is the first post in the series, called "The Depression Dialogue":

Anna's second post is entitled "Know the Enemy," and is as excellent as her first, "The Depression Dialogue":

Know the enemy. Sounds awful, doesn’t it? But I’m talking about the illness, not the person who is sick. When that dawned on me, that the illness is the enemy, I started to have more control over my anger and resentment. Why? Because I had something I could fight, and yet still love my husband James. I’m not saying that he isn’t responsible for his behavior; but I could now explain it, or most of it, by his illness.

Our third child was born in 2003 just as things were at their worst. James had left another job, he had a go at crashing his car, and our other kids were showing signs of distress. I had to think about leaving him for a while to protect myself and the kids emotionally. I felt alone, scared for our future and worried sick.

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