Tag: mental health

100 Million Texts from People in Crisis: What Have We Learned?
On Election Night 2016, Crisis Text Line received four times their average volume. The biggest surge came from people concerned about issues including LGBTQ+, sexual assault, and immigration.

Crisis Text Line, which is like the Suicide Hotline but with texting, recently processed its 100 millionth text. All the data they’ve recorded from the texting sessions since launching in 2013 has now been compiled into what they’re calling the biggest mental health data set ever collected. There are different ways of accessing the data including a visualization tool that allows users to see which issues are the biggest in which state (plus Puerto Rico), which issues co-occur with others, and when they occur (day of week and time of day). Plus, they made word clouds for each key issue such as anxiety, eating disorders, and self-harm, and paired them with example texts.

I’m so nervous it’s making me nauseous

The Crisis Text Line is a free 24-hour texting service powered by volunteers who are trained to help texters process and get through any personal psychological crisis. It’s about much more than suicide; people are encouraged to text when they feel at a loss about their relationships, school problems, substance use, LGBTQ+ issues, or “health concerns.” To access the service, you just send a text to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S.A.

It’s no secret that younger generations prefer texting to talking on the phone. Sending a text, as opposed to making a call and actually speaking to someone, can take a lot of pressure off of someone who is already upset, so it’s not surprising that Crisis Text Line has grown so rapidly, especially among young people who make up the majority of the texters (75 percent are under age 25). In addition to providing a much-needed service, the company is dedicated to collecting and reporting data from the texts in order to help communities across the country better understand mental health and hopefully aid in the prevention of future crises and suicides.

The Data

There’s a lot of data to pore through with the Crisis Trends tool alone, but there are some key trends that stand out. The most common issue people contact the Crisis Text Line about is depression/sadness, followed by relationships. The number one state for depression is Montana. Looking at the timeline, you can see that depression/sadness calls weren’t always the most common, but there was a big jump in December 2017. It was certainly a volatile month, but it’s unclear why this trend has continued — depression calls peaked at over 35 percent in February 2019.

I’ve got recurring feelings of worthlessness, despair, and overwhelming sense of I can’t stop was [sic] going on in my head… Why can’t I be happy?!

For most issues, texters are more likely to contact the line at night. Which day of the week people reach out depends on the issue. Not surprisingly, depression calls dip on Friday and Saturday, increase on Sunday, and peak on Monday.

Substance use-related texts most often come from North Dakota. States like New York and California, where you might expect more drug use due to having large metropolitan areas, are low on the list. However, this type of text is also one of the least common to Crisis Text Line, hovering between 1.5 and 2 percent.

Ashley Womble, Head of Communications at Crisis Text Line, was able to offer more insight into drug use-related texts:
- People are more likely to text about substance use between 4-10 a.m. than texters with other issues.
- Mondays are the most common days for conversations about substance misuse.
- We see an increase in texters about substance misuse during the summer, from June to September.
- For all ages, the most common additional issues mentioned in conversations about substance abuse are, in order: Depression/sadness, relationships, suicide, anxiety/stress, and isolation/loneliness.
- For texters 24 and under, the most common issues mentioned in conversations about substance abuse are, in order: Depression/sadness, suicide, relationships, anxiety/stress, and school.
- Within the last seven days, Xanax and Ativan are on our trending topics list, meaning that many more people are using that word in texts than on average.
The word clouds provide some interesting insights as well. One of the most commonly used words across the board is “people,” which makes sense since the most common topic that comes up in addition to any of the main conversation topics is “relationships.” Some words you would expect to come up in substance use-related conversations are in there, such as “drugs” and “need” and “take” and “hard.” The word “cut” is also present, suggesting possible overlap between substance abuse and self-harm, though “cut” could also refer to cutting the dose of a drug or mixing in other ingredients.

I feel like going to buy them…just need anyone to talk to.

“Mom” is also a very common word across the word clouds, but not “dad.”

Crisis Text Line also published their own list of “100 Things We Learned From Our First 100M Messages,” which is full of fascinating tidbits. The season with the most texts about suicidal ideation? Surprisingly, spring. Others are a bit more expected, such as the fact that texters over 65 are the most likely group to contact the line about bereavement.

What Have We Learned?

Looking at the data brings up more questions than answers. Why is bullying such a big problem in the Dakotas? Why is Hawaii at the top of the list for every type of abuse? Why is there so much self-harm in the northern states and not in the southern?

It’s important to keep in mind that the data only keeps track of how many people are contacting Crisis Text Line about each issue, not necessarily how many people are actually experiencing it. Therefore, each bit of data warrants the question: “Is this a big problem in this state, or are people just more willing to reach out for help about the problem here?” Looking at additional statistics from other sources, we can make some educated guesses.

For example, Crisis Trends shows that they get the most texts about suicide from Montana. In 2016, suicide rates were highest in the country in Montana. We can therefore conclude that an aggressive campaign addressing suicide in this state is a good idea.

I don’t want to live anymore…

It’s also understandable that anxiety and stress texts went up across the nation shortly before November 2016 and have stayed up. Looking at data from Election Day, it’s pretty clear what happened there.

“During the November 2016 election night, we were swamped with 4X our average volume,” says Crisis Text Line. “The biggest surge we saw came from issues including LGBTQ+, sexual assault, and immigration.”

Turning Information Into Action

Through its Open Data Collaboration program, Crisis Text Line provided data to researchers at MIT, Purdue University, Yale, Columbia University, and elsewhere. Analyses have been published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, PubMed, and the MIT Media Lab.

After analysis comes action. The great thing about the map function of Crisis Trends is that it shows exactly where specific targeted mental health campaigns should be directed. We need anxiety/stress relief in the Northeast. We need addiction treatment programs all down the Rocky Mountain area, plus Vermont and New Hampshire. Send bullying intervention advocates to the Dakotas and West Virginia. Figure out what’s up with the abuse problem in Hawaii. People are lonely in Florida and Puerto Rico, send them friends.

Also, while texters access the service from every part of the country, statistics show that a significant number are poor and from rural areas. Nineteen percent of texters are from the ten percent lowest-income zip codes; Fourteen percent are Latinx. And though only 1.6 percent of the U.S. population is Native American, they make up six percent of texters to the crisis line. Mental health resources are usually concentrated in big cities and services are more available to people with money or good insurance. More than anything, we need more and easier access to mental health services in rural and low-income areas and marginalized communities.

Hopefully, the big number of 100 million texts in six years combined with the visualization of the data will help inspire both individuals and governments to take action. Mental health in the U.S. has been declining, with rates of suicide, addiction, and PTSD reaching new highs. Part of the blame lies in our society continuing to treat mental health conditions as less important than physical health. Having a comfortable way to talk to a trained person is a good start, but it’s up to our leaders to fund the additional resources that we need, and it’s up to the rest of us to motivate them to do so.

View the original article at thefix.com
8 May 2019
Burger King Serves Unhappy Meals for Mental Health Awareness Month

The fast food chain wants to serve customers with meals for every mood with its “Real Meals.”

Burger King is serving up Real Meals for Mental Health Awareness Month, giving customers who aren’t happy to eat something that better matches their head space. The meals are almost certainly a dig at McDonalds’ Happy Meals, which Burger King seems to believe do not accurately reflect the human condition.

Instead, the May meal lineup includes a red Pissed meal, a sad Blue meal, a teal Salty meal, a purple YAAAS meal, and a black DGAF meal.

“With the pervasive nature of social media, there is so much pressure to appear happy and perfect,” the company said in a press release. “With Real Meals, the Burger King brand celebrates being yourself and feeling however you want to feel.”

Burger King is undertaking the stunt in partnership with a non-profit organization called Mental Health America.

For those hoping that each meal reflects the mood labeled on the box, there’s bad news: they’re all the same on the inside. Each meal comes with a Whopper, fries and a drink. They also aren’t on the menu everywhere, only in Austin, Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles and New York.

The campaign also includes television spots that feature people experiencing a range of emotions and the hashtag #FeelYourWay. At the end of the roughly two-minute advertisement, the campaign’s motto splashes across the screen: “No one is happy all the time, and that’s OK.”

Some Twitter users found the whole campaign a bit tone-deaf, particularly in equating emotions like YAAAS to real mental health threats such as depression.

“wow thank you for raising awareness about ‘yasss,’ it claims too many lives every year,” wrote one Twitter user.

“Just punched a hole in my wall thinking about all the money I could have saved last year by just having Burger King instead of having to go to the psychiatric hospital,” posted another.

Some felt that the campaign’s slogans and wrappers did not treat such a complex and harmful problem with due sensitivity.

Burger King is no stranger to socio-political publicity stunts. When the Trump administration moved to end net neutrality, the fast food chain made a “social experiment” video that featured a Whopper “fast lane” to demonstrate the injustice of being able to pay for Internet speed.

View the original article at thefix.com

6 May 2019
Virgin Islands Struggle With Mental Health Crisis After 2017 Hurricanes

The children of the U.S. Virgin Islands were deeply affected by the trauma of surviving two massive hurricanes.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are still struggling to recover from the two devastating hurricanes that hit them along with Puerto Rico and the Southeastern continental U.S. in 2017, according to a report by NPR.

While they slowly rebuild their island’s infrastructure, schools, homes and businesses, the population is also dealing with a mental health crisis fueled by the stress of disrupted government services, lost jobs and severely damaged homes.

Children appear to be having a particularly difficult time. The hurricanes damaged many of the island’s school buildings, forcing them to resort to two four-hour school sessions each school day in order to house and continue education for the kids with half the classrooms.

This change appears to have severely disrupted the typical education process for the children of the Virgin Islands, resulting in behavioral problems and widespread mental health issues. The educational disruption comes on top of the initial trauma of surviving two Category 5 hurricanes.

“We see… regression in behaviors, especially with our little ones who had been potty-trained, reverted to using diapers,” says mental health counselor Vincentia Paul-Constantin. “We see a lot of frustration, cognitive impairment, hopelessness and despair” among older children, she added.

Researchers have found that 60 percent of adults on the island now suffer from depressive symptoms and/or PTSD, as well as 40 percent of children. According to the report, over 20 percent of students in grades 7-12 reported suicidal thoughts and 1 in 12 had attempted suicide.

According to Virgin Islands educators, the past two years have seen a large spike in children acting up in the classroom and an increase in defiant behavior. This has continued even after the schools finally returned to their normal schedule in October 2018.

“They show up in defiance, actual defiance to authority. We have children who are sleeping in the middle of the day,” said Cancryn Junior High School Principal Lisa Ford. “You try to wake them up, they become angry. And maybe that’s what we’re seeing — a lot of anger and defiance.”

The culture on the U.S. Virgin Islands places a lot of shame on mental illness, making people reluctant to seek help. At the same time, there were already very few mental health professionals available. The local government only employed one full-time and one part-time psychiatrist for the entire island, and they and private mental health professionals have reportedly been overwhelmed by a new demand for care.

To help combat this problem, Governor Albert Bryan recently declared a mental health state of emergency in order to expedite the recruitment of psychological experts.

“This is a kind of ‘cry in the dark’ kind of community,” Bryan told NPR. “A lot of that is driven by the stigma. You wouldn’t ostracize somebody who had high blood pressure. Why would you ostracize somebody who has some kind of personality disorder?”

View the original article at thefix.com

2 May 2019
How to Manage Depression: 6 Simple Reminders

Treat yourself with gentleness and forgiveness. With every negative thought about yourself, throw in a dose of self-love. Self-compassion can reduce the severity of depression and anxiety.

Depression is not easy.

If depression is new to you, or coming back after a long absence, you need to give yourself time and patience to adjust to new ways of being. I’ve had depression most of my life, but I am learning to live differently than I once expected myself to. Even though it may feel strange and uncomfortable, try to be kind to yourself and give yourself space to take things slowly.

1. Dealing with Fatigue

I can see it begin to creep up on me. Depression, self-consciousness, low self-esteem, loneliness, tiptoeing towards me. I’m cornered and I don’t see an exit plan. At the moment, I’m still using fancy footwork to confuse and tire out those demons. Behind me, on the other side of the wall, is joy. I want to turn to that entirely, but a wall separates us. It’s exhausting.

A feeling of deep tiring sorrow is just one possible symptom you may experience with depression. For me, fatigue is a debilitating part of my daily life. It’s constant and powerful. Even when everything else is good on a particular day and my symptoms are minimal and I feel joyful, I will still be tired. My heavy fatigue makes everything more difficult to do.

Part of practicing self-care is that I don’t fight the fatigue; I accept it and adapt. Instead of trying to force myself to do what my body cannot, I adjust my tasks and expectations of myself to better suit my abilities.

2. Occupy Your Time

And now I’m stuck here, me and depression. I can’t look directly at it. But it senses my weakness and fear. My defenses are down. I want to go on the attack and Charlie’s Angels my way out of here. But fear keeps that thought bubbling just below the surface, it remains ideation and not action. I turn every which way, eyes darting here and there. Nothing stays in focus longer than a few seconds.

To deal with the short attention span, I find it helpful to occupy myself with a variety of distractions. Find things to do that can take up your time, whether that’s sleeping a bit more or watching television or playing a game on your phone. Maybe pick up a book, or work on something with your hands. Music can be very soothing. There are times when I’m experiencing sensory overload and have to stop completely, but usually even then if it has the right tempo and volume and no words, music can help.

3. Breathe

Depression is growing bigger, having eaten Alice’s fantasies. It’s the demon in Spirited Away, gluttonous for pain. Now my head hurts and I can’t remember what I did in the past to get out of this corner. I sink to the floor, close my eyes and take several deliberate breaths. In and out, focusing only on that breath. When I open my eyes, I can see a sinister troll cackling behind Depression.

Depression’s troll tells me that I don’t know who the girl smiling in my photos is. That the joyful image I sometimes portray isn’t me. Depression tells me, “You don’t know where that joy is, what a facade. What a phony getup.”

When the anxiety that often accompanies depression rushes in, what helps me (even when it helps only a little) is to take a few seconds to just remember how to breathe. In and out, deep and slow. If I can close my eyes for those few seconds, even better; thinking just about the breath. Sometimes it helps a lot, sometimes it provides only those few seconds of relief; either way, it presses pause on everything else and lets my body relax for a moment.

4. Accept Yourself

When I get closer, not to examine but because I am no longer running away from it, I can see my depression for what it really is. It looks ridiculous, rubbing its hands together like a cartoon villain. I push myself up off the ground and walk up to Depression. I want to make it cower in terror, but when I stand up it shrinks down and the costume falls to the floor in a heap. I can see the air pump in the back that was blowing it up to such a size. Then I notice the heart of the facade is not a demon or a monster. It’s a sad little girl who looks just like me, maybe she is me. Her armor has been taken away and she is vulnerable. She looks at me with fear.

I swear one of the most common inspirational phrases in a Pinterest black hole is “Let it go.” When it comes to depression, I don’t know if letting go is as useful of a strategy as acceptance. They’re distinct routes to finding contentment. Moving on from a painful feeling or experience requires the ability to process memories and have healthy emotional control. Letting go implies that you can “get over it” and move forward. Someone who has depression cannot just “let it go.” Depression is a diagnosable medical condition. It affects many more aspects of life than just emotional. Some symptoms can severely impact quality of life.

Acceptance, on the other hand, is a powerful tool that people with depression can actually use. My negative feelings are recognized and the sad thoughts that come in are not to be trusted as the whole truth, they’re just there because I have this condition. Acceptance takes away some of depression’s power. Resisting depression is exhausting and doesn’t make it disappear. But practicing acceptance changes the lens through which we see our depression, making it more manageable.

5. Practice Self-Compassion

Should I destroy her, now that I’ve emerged the victor? No, I won’t do that. She needs love. I don’t embrace her in a hug, not yet, but I do walk up to her and bend down to her height. I want to tell her something, but no words come, so I just give her a small kind smile. We will get to know each other. She will see that everything will be okay, and I will see pain at its correct size, not in its monstrous manifestations.

Be compassionate with yourself. Without self-compassion we can spiral so quickly and we only prolong our own suffering. Self-compassion is a continual process that can be started over at any moment. It simply means being nice to yourself. Treat yourself with gentleness and forgiveness. With every negative thought about yourself, throw in a dose of self-love (even when you don’t believe it). Dis-identify from your thoughts.

Self-compassion can reduce the severity of anxiety disorders, depression, and improve success rates of sobriety. Researchers have found that self-compassion lowers how harshly we judge and criticize ourselves. Mindfulness inspired the notion that self-compassion may be an effective therapeutic tool and self-compassion is like a stepping stone for practicing mindfulness. This is critical for people who blame themselves for their own suffering, since a lack of self-compassion perpetuates an unhealthy cycle of self-hate and aversion to treatment (i.e.; why get treatment when you don’t think you deserve it?).

6. Love Yourself and Your Depression

This isn’t some emo quote on MySpace, it’s a simple piece of advice that can bring around positive results. Loving your depression doesn’t mean you love feeling this way, but it means you accept your current reality and are willing to feel it. Feel what you feel. Accept what you feel. Love yourself and your feelings. I know firsthand the changes that can come when you stop fighting yourself and start loving yourself, in all your manifestations.

Please share your tips for dealing with depression in the comments.

View the original article at thefix.com

1 May 2019
Stopping Psych Meds as a Form of Self-Sabotage

It’s impossible to explain to someone who’s never had suicidal thoughts what it feels like to be in a space where the only option you think you have to end your suffering is death.

“See…it’s not that bad.” My friend was responding to a text with an image of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. It was the first road trip my husband and I took after moving to Houston. My friend was right, the Alamo wasn’t bad; but having to move back to the States after living in the UK for three years sucked. In all fairness, we were given a choice, and I was the one who pushed for Houston over New York. I wasn’t ready to return to the crowds and chaos of Manhattan, and due to the nature of my husband’s work, Houston made logistical sense.

“We’ll only be there for a year,” my husband assured me on our last night in London. “It’ll go by so fast.” I wanted to believe him, but I wasn’t ready to.

Taking a “Break” from Psychiatric Medication

There’s much planning and reflecting involved in making a big move and my biggest concern was managing my anxiety and depression medication. Not only did I need to make sure I had enough to last me a few months once I got back to the States, but I also needed to sort out insurance and find a new doctor.

But I kept avoiding these tasks.

Once we were settled in Houston, every time I thought about the process of meeting a new doctor and running down the lengthy list of addicts and alcoholics in my family, describing my abusive childhood and my almost successful suicide attempt while remembering all of the medications I’d tried in vain, my brain flatlined. What I needed to do to ensure my mental health suddenly felt impossible. Instead of asking for help, which felt like a herculean task, I assuaged my anxiety by deciding to let my prescriptions run out. Besides, after five years on medication, my body could use a break, and despite clear evidence to the contrary, I felt stable enough to handle any anxiety or depression that could pop up in the future. However, at the time I neglected to give any credit to the role my medication played in supporting my relative calm and stability.

As the months passed in Houston, I started to notice subtle dips in my mood, but each time I’d dismiss it as being part of my monthly PMS package or something that could easily be fixed with a long walk or a quick afternoon nap. But about six months in, I found it exhausting to even think about putting on my sneakers. My occasional mood swings turned into full on sobbing sessions and instead of experiencing PMS one or two weeks every month, it slowly became four and then five until I lost track of when my last cycle ended and the new one began.

Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Ideation

My deepening depression wasn’t the only issue. One sunny Saturday afternoon, my husband and I took a road trip to Austin. As I was driving us home, I became increasingly anxious. The roads were dark, I couldn’t see beyond the headlights, and my mind began to spin. Mid-panic attack, my husband convinced me to pull over so he could take the wheel. I was so angry at myself for not being able to handle something as simple and routine as driving.

The more I struggled, the more I believed there was just something wrong with me and as a result, my medication or lack thereof never came to mind. I’d spiraled so quickly down a black hole that it didn’t even occur to me to ask for help, although it was becoming undeniably clear that I desperately needed it.

It’s impossible to explain to someone who’s never had suicidal thoughts what it feels like to be in a space where the only option you think you have to end your suffering is death. There’s no way to put into words the void that enters your mind when you no longer feel the pain, but it continues to seep into every second of your life. And there’s no making sense of the relief you quietly experience when death, something you may have once feared, suddenly becomes your very own golden ticket. Sadly, during the year I lived in Houston, off medication, I reached this low.

Finally, my husband sat me down and gently asked if I’d stopped taking my meds. At that moment I surrendered. In a freak moment of clarity, I knew what I had to do – I needed to find a doctor. We were getting ready to move back to New York in a few weeks, but before I left Houston, I got on the phone and scheduled an appointment.

Why Did I Stop Taking My Meds?

At our first meeting, I jumped through all of the usual hoops, getting my new doctor up to speed on my background and mental health history. I dove into the details about my alcoholic mother and father, the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse I sustained as a kid and was completely honest about the suicidal thoughts that had been roaring inside my head. And of course, I told her I’d stopped taking my medication.

“When did you decide to stop taking your meds?” the doctor asked.

I answered hesitantly, “um…about a year ago.” I was embarrassed by the choice I’d made, and I kept my fingers crossed that she wouldn’t ask me why.

“Why?” she asked.

“Honestly I don’t really know,” I told her. “I had insurance…I had everything I needed to find a doctor here in the States. I just didn’t do it.”

“So, when you needed your medication the most, you stopped taking it?” she gently asked.

“I don’t understand.”

“You sabotaged yourself, Dawn,” she explained, leaning back in her chair. “As I understand it, living in Houston was rough for you, and you stopped using the one tool you had to help yourself get through it,” she said. “It’s self-sabotage.”

Self-Care

I’ve been back on my meds for two years now, and while I still occasionally get snagged with depression or get overly anxious about a work deadline, for the most part my life has become manageable again. I added therapy back into my mental health regimen about a year ago, and that too has helped tremendously.

Now, without hesitation, I give my meds the credit they deserve. As it turns out, they’ve done more than balance out the chemicals swirling around in my head; in their absence I eventually discovered one of the many tricks I use to get in my own way, especially when I appear to be making progress. Today, taking medication isn’t something I have to do, it’s something I choose to do because I know it’s right for me. Instead of self-sabotage, I choose self-care, health, and stability.

View the original article at thefix.com

25 April 2019
Doctors Put Woman In Deep Coma To Treat Her Depression And It Worked

The woman said she noticed a significant difference after the second treatment.

People suffering from severe depression oftentimes don’t feel like they care if they live or die. That’s the state that Heather B. Armstrong was in when she agreed to participate in an experimental depression treatment that induced a deep coma to try to reset the brain and treat her depression.

“If it means I don’t have to feel this way through the rest of my life, let’s maybe do it?” Armstrong said of the treatment in an interview with The New York Post.

The treatment mimics brain death by inducing a deep coma for 15 minutes at a time over 10 sessions. This “burst suppression” essentially shuts down the brain’s neurological communications before starting them back up, resetting neurological functions that may contribute to symptoms of depression. Doctors who help anesthetize patients call the deep sedations “the abyss.”

Armstrong wrote about her experience in a new book, The Valedictorian of Being Dead: The True Story of Dying Ten Times to Live.

“Quieting is a polite way of saying ‘taking down to zero,’” Armstrong writes.

Although the thought of the treatment was terrifying—doctors used the anesthetic propofol to sedate Armstrong and the opioid fentanyl to help her cope with headaches induced by the process—Armstrong quickly saw results.

“It was after the second treatment when I suddenly realized, ‘Oh, I showered without even thinking about it!’ After the third treatment… I started doing my hair and wearing cleaner clothes,” she said.

Halfway through the treatment cycle, “I was sitting outside watching my kids playing, and I actually felt happy,” she said.

Armstrong wasn’t alone in her success. She was one of 10 people who took part in a study run by the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute. Of those, six people experienced significant relief from their depression symptoms.

Doctors believe the treatment works in a similar way to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) by targeting the brain’s neural networks. However, the treatment appears to avoid common complications of ECT, including memory loss.

Researcher Dr. Brian J. Mickey said in the afterword of Armstrong’s book. “This study… could be the beginning of something new, but the true benefits of Propofol for treatment-resistant depression remain unknown. Much work still needs to be done.”

It has now been two years since Armstrong underwent the treatments, and she says that her depression symptoms have stayed at bay. By undergoing brain death again and again, she has rediscovered life.

“I’m better than ever,” she said.

View the original article at thefix.com

24 April 2019
"I Want You to Want to Live": Jody Betty's Viral Love Letter to People Contemplating Suicide
“I know the things I want to hear when I am suicidal and I think that if my words can reach even one person in their moment of crisis, then sharing my pain was worth it.”

Trigger Warning: The following story discusses attempted suicide and links to potentially triggering articles. Proceed with caution. If you feel you are at risk and need help, skip the story and get help now.

Options include: Calling the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-TALK (8255), calling 911, and calling a friend or family member to stay with you until emergency medical personnel arrive to help you.

“Dear You,
If you are reading this there is a small piece of you that wants to hold on…”

Jody Betty wants you to live. Even more, Betty wants you to want to live. But perhaps most importantly, she wants you to know that every day she fights to live herself.

Betty is the author of “I Want You to Want to Live,” an essay with over 15,000 likes on The Mighty. The piece, she says, is one of the most referenced links in online searches that connect people who are contemplating suicide to her. No matter how depressed someone may be when they reach out to her, she says, the very act of reaching out tells her that at least a small part of them is still fighting to hold on. Betty describes the response to her essay over the past few years as “astounding.” She is grateful to serve as a resource when needed.

The Toronto-based 47-year-old writer, who is currently on disability due to mental health issues, first attempted suicide at the tender age of eight, and shares that she has lived with suicidal ideation for most of her life. Today, Betty is a source of hope and inspiration for those trying to fight their way out of the dark. She’s a mental health and suicide awareness and prevention advocate who wears her heart on her sleeve, putting both the good and the bad days out there in her writing on her Twitter feed, because she knows that it’s the shared experience and empathy that helps people find meaning and connection, and possibly the sustenance or hope they need to make it through another day.

“I will remind you that although I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, I will be by your side to find out…”

“Living with suicidal ideation most of my life has been incredibly hard. It is a constant battle in your mind to find reasons and hope to keep going, to keep fighting when you have a brain that is literally attacking you, convincing you that there is no more hope. It becomes emotionally and physically exhausting,” Betty says. “I wanted people to hear from someone actually suicidal, not someone who has been trained to deal with suicidal people. I have people who just need to be truly listened to in a safe environment, so that is why I leave my Twitter DM open for anyone in need.”

Being open and honest about the state of her mental health sometimes includes sharing the very suicidal ideations that have plagued her since she was a child with her social media followers. The motivation for this is twofold: letting people know that they are not alone in what may be their darkest hour and battling the stigma still so heavily associated with mental illness.

“You are incredibly strong. I won’t ever tell you that you are being dramatic and don’t really want to die…”

“I firmly believe that talking about it lets other people know they are not alone in their feelings and that their feelings are valid, and in moments of crisis, knowing we are not alone is crucial,” Betty explains, adding that the stigma surrounding mental health is “real, hurtful, and harmful.” “It’s an illness. The brain, just like any other organ, can get sick.”

We tend to judge what we don’t understand, which is exactly why it’s so difficult to shatter the prejudice and stigma surrounding mental health and the topic of suicide, says Betty,

“People generally do not seek out information on something they are not personally touched by in some way. You likely would not read up on cancer if it in no way touched your life, and the same applies for mental health,” she says.

According to the most recent statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates are still on the rise, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2016, the CDC’s Vital Signs reports, nearly 45,000 Americans ages 10 and older died by suicide.

“Suicide is a leading cause of death for Americans – and it’s a tragedy for families and communities across the country,” said CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat, M.D. in the release. “From individuals and communities to employers and healthcare professionals, everyone can play a role in efforts to help save lives and reverse this troubling rise in suicide.”

Betty is doing her part, she says, by sharing her story of hope and healing.

The CDC and Association for Suicide Prevention advise that anyone can help prevent suicide by taking such steps as learning how to identify the warning signs, how to appropriately respond to those at risk, and contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Betty acknowledges that these steps are not to be ignored. Sometimes, though, the key to getting through to someone contemplating suicide is being able to practice empathy instead of sympathy.

“I don’t know you, but I do care because I can empathize with your pain; I feel it myself.”

“I find sometimes the crisis lines seem very scripted, and often don’t say the right things simply because they have never been there,” Betty says. “They can sympathize but not empathize… and there is a big difference. I wrote [I Want You to Want to Live] from the heart. I know the things I want to hear when I am suicidal and I think that if my words can reach even one person in their moment of crisis, then sharing my pain was worth it.”

Betty’s grateful when her words reach people in need at the right time.

“The hardest thing to do is reach out your hand and ask for help but once you do, you would be shocked at the number of people who reach back.”

Read “I Want You to Want to Live” by Jody Betty and follow her on Twitter.

If you or someone you know may be at risk for suicide, immediately seek help. You are not alone.

Options include:
- Calling the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Calling 911
- Calling a friend or family member to stay with you until emergency medical personnel arrive to help you.
View the original article at thefix.com
23 April 2019
Can Anti-Inflammatory Meds Help With Depression?

Previous research has shown that inflammation can increase risk of depression and make antidepressants less effective.

Anti-inflammatory medications designed to treat conditions like arthritis can help alleviate depression symptoms, according to recent research conducted in Denmark.

The research looked at 36 studies conducted around the globe, covering nearly 10,000 patients who had depression.

“Our study shows that a combination of anti-inflammatory medicine, which is what arthritis medicine is, and antidepressants can have an additional beneficial effect on patients with a depression,” said researcher Ole Köhler-Forsberg. “The effect was also present when anti-inflammatory medicine was compared with a placebo in patients with a physical disease and depressive symptoms.”

Köhler-Forsberg said that the findings could help improve care for people with depression, many of whom do not experience relief by using depression medications alone.

“This definitely bolsters our chances of being able to provide personalized treatment for individual patients in the longer term. Of course we always have to weigh the effects against the potential side-effects of the anti-inflammatory drugs,” he said. “We still need to clarify which patients will benefit from the medicine and the size of the doses they will require. The findings are interesting, but patients should consult their doctor before initiating additional treatment.”

Previous research has shown that inflammation can increase risk of depression and make antidepressants less effective.

“Crosstalk between inflammatory pathways and neurocircuits in the brain can lead to behavioural responses, such as avoidance and alarm, that are likely to have provided early humans with an evolutionary advantage in their interactions with pathogens and predators,” authors of one study wrote. “However, in modern times, such interactions between inflammation and the brain appear to drive the development of depression and may contribute to non-responsiveness to current antidepressant therapies.”

Michael Eriksen Benros, research director at the Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, said that the new study is important because it shows significant improvements for people with depression.

“What’s persuasive is that we’ve found that several of the anti-inflammatory drugs have what can be characterized as a medium to a large effect on depression and depressive symptoms, in particular because the results build on almost 10,000 people who have participated in the placebo-controlled studies with anti-inflammatory treatment,” he said.

“The results from the meta-analysis are particularly promising not only because of an effect of the anti-inflammatory medicine on its own but also due to the supplementary effect when the anti-inflammatory medicine is given simultaneously with the antidepressants that are used today.”

View the original article at thefix.com

12 April 2019
Can Poor Mental Health Reduce Life Expectancy As Much As Diabetes, Smoking?

Experts were surprised with the findings of a new report on healthy communities.

A new report says that poor mental health can have as strong an impact on life expectancy as diabetes, smoking and even a lack of physical activity.

These new findings are part of the Healthiest Communities rankings by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation.

The rankings examined almost 3,000 different communities across 81 different health-related spectrums, like nutrition, housing and education, CNBC reports.

According to Aetna Foundation President Garth Graham, the link between people’s perception of their own mental health and life expectancy being almost as strong as the link between smoking and diabetes and life expectancy was surprising.

“I at first wanted us to double check,” said Graham, according to CNBC.

In 2018, the link between mental health and life expectancy was not as apparent as it was in 2019, Graham says.

“We often think about health as the four hours we spend in a doctor’s office a year, but health is about so much more than that,” Graham said.

Of the top communities in the Mental Health subcategory, the report states, 16 of the top 100 were in Nebraska. Nebraska sees 26 deaths related to suicide, alcohol-related disease and drug overdoses per 100,000. The only state with fewer deaths per 100,000 is New York, at 25.

Of the nearly 3,000 communities involved in the report, Douglas County, Colorado was reported the healthiest community in the country. Colorado as a whole performed well, with seven communities making the top 20 results. In those seven communities, CNBC reports, nearly all adults reported exercising, which has been known to improve mental health.

Nancy VanDeMark of Mental Health Colorado says that the connection between mental health and life expectancy makes sense, since last year’s CDC data pointed to increased opioid overdoses and suicides—also referred to as “deaths of despair”—negatively affecting life expectancy.

VanDeMark adds that it is vital for people to be screened for mental health issues, just as they are for physical health.

“We have a screening site on our website so people can go in and complete a number of screenings to see if they’re high risk for some sort of mental health or substance use concern,” said VanDeMark.

Colorado resident Kristin Gibowicz says that monitoring her mental health is something she keeps at the forefront of her life. “Just getting out, breathing fresh air and slowing your mind down a little bit, putting your phone down disconnecting,” Gibowicz said.

Also worth noting is that among the top communities in the Mental Health subcategory specifically, the report states 16 of the top 100 were in Nebraska.

Nebraska sees 26 deaths related to suicide, alcohol-related disease and drug overdoses per 100,000. The only state with fewer deaths per 100,000 is New York, at 25.

In addition to Douglas County in Colorado, other communities in the top 10 overall include Los Alamos County, New Mexico; Falls Church, Virginia; Loudoun County, Virginia; Broomfield County, Colorado; Teton County, Wyoming; Hamilton County, Indiana; Carver County, Minnesota; Delaware County, Ohio; and Howard County, Maryland.

View the original article at thefix.com

2 April 2019
Cigna Behavioral Health Rehab Coverage for Addiction and Mental Illness

Behavioral health is a term that encompasses all types of mental illness, behavioral disorders and substance use disorders, or addictions. Rehab is an important treatment option for anyone struggling with one of these types of conditions, because it provides long-term, focused and individualized care. Cigna behavioral health rehab coverage is important to consider for anyone who needs this kind of treatment.

What Counts as Behavioral Health?

Medical terms can be confusing, especially when sorting through diagnoses, treatment options and insurance coverage. Behavioral health can refer to mental illnesses, like depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia and many others. Some childhood conditions are also a part of behavioral health, like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

Behavioral health most often refers to addiction. More formally known as substance use disorder, addiction is a behavioral and mental health condition that is characterized by out-of-control use of drugs or alcohol. While misusing substances is a choice, being addicted is not. Professional and medical treatment is necessary to help individuals overcome this disease and to be firmly in recovery with a lower risk of relapse.

Does Cigna Cover Substance Abuse Treatment?

The degree of coverage depends on individual plans, but yes, Cigna does cover treatment for substance use disorders. Some of the types of services covered are rehab for drugs or alcohol, detoxification and outpatient counseling.

Cigna also offers insurance holders important behavioral health and addiction resources. The free education series provides information about recognizing the signs of addiction as well as advice and helpful tips for both patients in rehabs and their families.

Patients with Cigna health insurance will need to find out if they meet the criteria to have rehab and other types of treatment for substance use covered. It is important for each individual to understand their plans, to know what the requirements are for coverage and to find out what any out-of-pocket costs might be.

Understanding Cigna Behavioral Health Rehab Coverage

The type of coverage a patient has for behavioral health and addiction depends on the plan purchased. It is important to understand coverage when making decisions about treatment. There are many factors to consider, including deductible amounts, whether or not treatment needs be with an in-network provider, whether coverage includes inpatient or outpatient services, if there is any coverage for after care services, and prescription drug costs and coverage.

Individuals should verify coverage and Cigna substance abuse policy before making a choice about treatment. There may be costs that have to be covered out of pocket, depending on individual plans and polices and the treatment chosen.

Cigna In-Network Providers vs. Out-of-Network Providers

One of the most important considerations to make when choosing treatment for addiction is between in- and out-of-network providers. Whether or not a patient needs to get treatment from an in-network provider depends on individual Cigna plans.

For instance, an EPO, or exclusive provider organization, is a type of insurance that requires patients only see treatment providers in the network. A PPO, or preferred provider organization, allows for treatment from providers outside of the network, but costs to the patient may be higher.

It is usually less expensive for the patient to choose treatment through an in-network provider. However, it is worth contacting Cigna to find out what is allowed and what extra costs would be. Sometimes an out-of-network rehab or therapist is the best option for a patient.

Types of Behavioral Health Treatment Covered by Cigna

Cigna substance abuse coverage includes two main types of treatment: inpatient and outpatient care. Outpatient treatment can be as simple as attending 12-step programs and support groups. However, for most people struggling with addiction, this is not enough.

Outpatient care provided by professionals is therapy or addiction counseling. Patients in outpatient treatment may have one or more sessions per week, but they don’t live in a rehab facility. They live at home and are generally able to continue with normal activities, like work and school, while going through treatment.

Inpatient treatment for addiction is also known as residential treatment or rehab. This type of care includes a stay for a month or a few months in a facility that provides 24-hour supervision and daily treatment. Inpatient treatment is best for people who have no safe place to live while getting treatment or who don’t feel confident in being able to stay sober while at home.

Both types of treatment offer one-on-one therapy for learning how to live without alcohol or drugs. Residential care, however, provides much more. Patients in rehab usually have access to medical care, alternative therapies, and family and group therapies. They benefit from a whole team of professionals with different types of behavioral health expertise.

Coverage for Aftercare Services

Aftercare is an important part of addiction treatment, and much of it is covered by Cigna insurance plans. For patients going through residential treatment, aftercare may include outpatient therapy sessions, support group attendance, check-ins back at the residential facility, job and vocational training and medical care.

This kind of ongoing treatment is important, because it provides patients with a smoother transition from the intensity of residential care to life back at home with little or no supervision. Aftercare helps to reduce the incidence of relapse and to minimize the need for additional inpatient treatment in the future.

Some of the types of aftercare that are likely to be at least partially covered by Cigna plans are outpatientsessions with Cigna therapists and potentially with out-of-network providers, prescription drugs and medication-assisted addiction treatment, and the costs of staying in a sober living house.

Cigna Mental Health Coverage

Mental health is typically included in coverage for behavioral health services. In fact, many patients have co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The most effective treatment addresses all of the behavioral health needs of an individual. It is important to get a diagnosis that uncovers any substance use disorder or mental illness and to choose treatment services accordingly.

Cigna mental health criteria for coverage are having a diagnosis of a mental illness from a professional and recommended treatment plan. Patients who have been diagnosed are entitled to coverage for appropriate care. Like substance use disorders, this care may include residential treatment if necessary or outpatient therapy.

Types of Behavioral Health Services Cigna May Not Cover

Even with the highest level of Cigna behavioral health rehab coverage, there are some services that are not likely to be paid for by the insurance company. These will be out-of-pocket expense for the patients. Luxury rehab facilities, for instance, are probably not covered for any patient. A private room at a treatment center is also considered a luxury expense that is not typically covered.

The insurance plan will also not cover any medications that can be purchased over the counter. Many types of alternative or complementary services may also not be covered—things like yoga classes, music and art therapy, or massage.

Some of these services and treatments not covered can be beneficial. Patients should find out by contacting Cigna if coverage will be included before committing to them. Those who want to continue with services that are not covered must be prepared to pay the costs.

Finding the Best Behavioral Health Treatment

While Cigna behavioral health rehab coverage should not be the only consideration when choosing the best treatment, it should be an important one. Patients should start with in-network providers and look for a facility or therapist that is experienced and appropriate for the type of care needed. They can ask for references from previous patients and visit facilities to have a tour and to speak with staff before making a final choice.

The treatment a patient gets for addiction or mental illness is crucial to recovery and long-term wellness. It is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Each individual must choose the treatment that feels best and most comfortable but that also meets their needs and makes sense within a Cigna insurance plan and coverage level.

Using Cigna Insurance for Behavioral Health Care

In order to make the best use of Cigna insurance for getting needed treatment for addiction and other behavioral health issues, have a firm understanding of coverage. Patients should check with Cigna to confirm coverage and out-of-pocket costs. They also need to go over insurance plans with the treatment provider. These steps are important to take before committing to any treatment plan.

Most patients will not need a referral from Cigna to get treatment, but pre-authorization may be needed. Insurance holders will also need to cover any remaining deductible costs and copays associated with treatment.

Getting behavioral health treatment is so important and too often overlooked. Insurance holders have an ally with Cigna. This insurance company provides coverage options that work with most people’s needs and income levels. Working with Cigna is a crucial part of getting the best care that is also affordable.

View the original article at thefix.com

1 April 2019