To Write Love on Her Arms

Posting today in support of this great organization.  www.twloha.com
As a survivor of suicide, I can tell you that it is not something from which you ever fully recover.  The statistics are terrifying.

Quick Numbers

-121 million people worldwide suffer from depression. (World Health Organization)
 - 18 million of these cases are happening in the United States. (The National Institute of Mental Health)
 - Between 20% and 50% of children and teens struggling with depression have a family history of this struggle and the offspring of depressed parents are more than three times as likely to suffer from depression. (U.S. Surgeon General's Survey, 1999)
 - Depression often co-occurs with anxiety disorders and substance abuse, with 30 percent of teens with depression also developing a substance abuse problem. (NIMH)
 - 2/3 of those suffering from depression never seek treatment.
Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. (NIMH)

Treatment can make a huge difference for a person suffering from depression.  Drug therapy is an option but it angers me when general practitioners prescribe these drugs without requiring psychotherapy.  I personally believe this borders on malpractice. I hope that someday treatment for mental health issues is afforded the same protections as any other chronic condition.  Can you imagine a person with diabetes being told their insulin is limited to 20 per year?  How about a patient with emphysema being limited to a certain amount of oxygen?  The public wouldn't stand for it.

If you are reading this blog and are depressed, please seek treatment.  I can highly recommend the book "10 days to Self Esteem" by Dr. David Burns.  I just purchased Joyce Meyer's book "Power Thoughts." It appears to put a spiritual spin on cognitive therapy.  I will try to write a review when I finish the book.

In memory of my dad, who is loved and missed daily.