Consequences of delayed treatment of depression and other mental illnesses
Consequences of delayed treatment of depression and other mental illnesses Angela D. Vickers The medical community has advanced greatly in its understanding of neuroscience and biochemistry over the last decade, with a resulting increase in knowledge of successful treatment strategies for members of the population suffering from mental illnesses, including depression.The recovery rates for mental illnesses can be as high as 80 percent when early diagnosis and proper medical treatment are provided. Because the public is not educated to recognize the symptoms of these illnesses early, the illnesses often go untreated. Even worse, for many people the symptoms predictably become more severe over time, the longer they remain untreated. What the medical community has observed, and what the remainder of the community needs to be informed of, is that the sooner proper medical help is sought, the greater the likelihood that the proper treatment will restore the person to health.We have a tendency to disregard mental illness symptoms, often attributing them to being a “normal” part of life. For example, many older Americans simply attribute their not feeling well to being a “case of the blues,” or what they assume to be normal aging. But when seniors believe the reason they have lost their energy, their interest in activities, and their ability to get a good night’s sleep is based in the aging process and normal, they do not typically seek medical treatment. Such a misperception can result in delays in seeking treatment, which will then result in delays in recovery due to lack of treatment or inappropriate treatment. Time is of the essence in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses. The failure of our seniors to seek and receive appropriate psychiatric care results in a less positive prognosis, and is one major factor in the increase in geriatric alcoholism and suicides.Among the entire population, as many as 50 percent of those with a mental illness turn to self-medication. The variety of substances used for self-medication can include legal options, such as alcohol and tobacco, through and including illegal drugs. Some people abusively use prescription medications. What these chemicals have in common is elevate the dopamine levels in the brain. Increasing dopamine works like an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication for many people. Although the person feels some temporary relief, these abused substances can be expected to make things worse over time. Because the brain is not receiving proper medication, the mental illness symptoms worsen. The person may rapidly develop an addiction problem. Addiction creates additional medical and legal complications. Co-occurring disorders, that is having problems with both mental illness and substance abuse, are common.Of those abusing illegal substances due to their failure to recognize their mental illness symptoms, many lose their jobs due to the mental illness and addiction problems. After losing their employment, coupled with the increasing expenses of a growing addiction habit, some turn to crime, such as theft or prostitution. Some find themselves incarcerated as a result of the crimes, when the underlying cause of the sequence may have been an untreated mental illness. In such cases, it is not adequate to merely punish the crime. However, finding the needed integrated treatment for both problems — untreated mental illness and substance abuse — is not common.An educated bench and bar will consider the medical nature of behaviors, and seek proper treatment, structuring sentences to promote recovery and health. An educated justice system will assist with re-entry programs which afford former inmates the opportunity to maintain wellness and to become self-sufficient. This will cost our nation less than the expense of repeated incarcerations. Mental illness is not a crime. Nationally, however, many more people with mental illnesses are found in our jails and prisons than are found in our state mental hospitals and other residential treatment facilities.Mental illness is a health problem with great legal, economic, and safety issues. Tragic and dangerous, mental illnesses are the preventable causes which lead thousands of people to suicide, or murder-suicides. The World Health Organization states that suicides cause more deaths every year than homicides or war.Suicide is the third leading cause of death in America’s teens, yet we are still not teaching our students about mental illnesses. One of the saddest facts is that studies show that 95 percent of all suicides are the result of untreated, or improperly treated, depression or bipolar disorder. If students were properly educated to recognize the symptoms of such mental illnesses, particularly depression and bipolar disorder, these statistics could be altered. Medical science has documented that an 80-90 percent recovery rate can be expected when such mental illnesses are diagnosed promptly and medicated properly and faithfully.The statistics regarding the risk of suicide are staggering. The statistics on depression and bipolar combined indicate that 11percent of the population will suffer from one of these illnesses at some point during their lifetime. An estimated 15 percent of those not properly treated for depression will kill themselves. It is thought that many more attempt suicide, and fail. Even in failure, many people do great damage to their property, their careers, their bodies, and their families. This places a great economic and emotional burden on our society. With bipolar it is estimated that 20 percent of those who are not properly medicated will take their lives. Accurate public education about these illnesses and about recovery is urgently needed. Angela D. Vickers is a mental health advocate and educator, and a member of the Bar’s Quality of Life and Career Committee. She also was named the national recipient of the 2004 Clifford Beers Award of the National Mental Health Association. This column is published under the sponsorship of the Quality of Life and Career Committee. The committee’s Web site is at www.fla-lap.org/qlsm. June 1, 2005 Regular News Consequences of delayed treatment of depression and other mental illnesses
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ABC NewsBy LIBBY CATHEY, ABC News(MILWAUKEE) — Following a first night of programming focused on unity — featuring a handful of Republican speakers and former first lady Michelle Obama — Democrats continue their mostly virtual convention in Milwaukee Tuesday under the theme of “Leadership Matters” with primetime speeches from both the party’s more established leaders and its younger stars.“We’ll hear from the leaders and the experts, the veterans and the activists, all those who seek to unite and not divide, and who step up — not back down — from a fight over what’s right,” the Democratic National Convention Committee said in a news release.Tuesday evening’s program includes speeches from former President Bill Clinton, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was allotted just one minute. Some progressives view her speaking time as a slight by the establishment and a reflection of the broader disconnect between the national party and younger, more diverse voters — a gap party leaders are hoping to close heading into November.A group of 17 “rising stars” within the party — including former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb and Texas Rep. Colin Allred — are slated to deliver the night’s keynote address meant to capture the party’s “diversity of ideas and perspectives.”Former Vice President Joe Biden’s formal nomination by a pre-recorded roll call vote from all 57 states and territories is also set for Tuesday.Here is Tuesday’s lineup of speakers:Former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally YatesSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.Former Secretary of State John KerryRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Pa.Former President Bill ClintonFormer second lady Dr. Jill BidenKeynote address from former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Tennessee State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Texas, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, Nevada State Sen. Yvanna Cancela, former Ohio State Rep. Kathleen Clyde, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, Long Beach, California, Mayor Robert Garcia, Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, South Carolina State Sen. Marlon Kimpson, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Michigan State Rep. Mari Manoogian, Texas State Rep. Victoria Neave, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, Georgia State Rep. Sam Park, New Hampshire State Rep. Denny Ruprecht, and Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Randall WoodfinCopyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Double-header starts action today at Den Amstel groundTHE annual Derrick Josiah Memorial knock-out football competition involving the top eight (8) clubs from the West Demerara Football Association(WDFA)and sponsored by Stag,will kick off today at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground with three matches.The games will be preceded by the ceremonial march-past of teams.Eagles United and Young Achievers will square-off in the feature quarter final match from 21:00hrs after the first quarter final of the competition is played between home team Den Amstel and Stewartville from 19:00hrs.Police FC will play an exhibition match against Jetty to kick-off on-field action. Teams in this Stag sponsored event are battling for a top prize of $200,000; 2nd place $100,000; 3rd place $75,000; 4th place $50,000.The sponsorship was handed over to ASP Forbes Brown of the Guyana Police Force where the late Josiah served as Assistant Commissoner at the time of his passing.Stag Brand Manager,Lindon Henry made the presentation to Brown in the presence of WDFA president and vice president Orin Ferrier and Christine Schmidt,among others.Meanwhile, action will continue on Friday with the remaining quarter final matches. Pouderoyen will open against Golden Warriors at 18:00hrs,to be followed by Uitvlugt Warriors against Wales United. The respective winners will advance to the semi finals set for May 14 at the same venue.
Chief Executive Officer of Dreams FC, Kurt E.S Okraku has been sworn in as the new president of the Ghana Football Association.Kurt now fills the vacant GFA Presidential seat previously occupied by Kwesi Nyantakyi who left office in 2018 after he was implicated in the corruption exposé in Ghana football by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.Okraku led the elections from the very first to the last round. In the first round he had 44 votes.He polled 59 votes in the second round needing just one vote to win the elections.George Afriyie, who polled 40 votes in the first round improved to 43 votes but was still well behind Kurt Okraku.Nana Yaw Amponsah saw his votes tally slashed from 27 in the first round to 16 in the second.However, as delegates were voting in the third round, George Afriyie conceded, saying he was “a unifier and a team player who works for football.”In the third round, Okraku was endorsed by 93 delegates.Kurt Okraku thus becomes the 7th GFA President since 1992 and the 24th in the Association’s history.Kurt Okraku will now serve a maximum of two four-year terms in office following the adoption of the new statutes of the GFA at September’s Extraordinary CongressThe new statutes were approved with an almost unanimous endorsement from the delegates.The newly elected Executive Council members were also sworn into office with the new president of the Ghana Football Association.