Depression Caretakers, Being Productive, Bipolar Disorder Myths
James Bishop is becoming one of my favorite mental health bloggers, and that’s not just because he displays the picture of a (smiling?) camel on his “about” page. James consistently writes quality articles on depression and bipolar disorder, and is working on a “health diary” software program to help people track their moods and health. Read more
Child Abuse and Neglect: Another Casualty of War
We’ve been hearing about soldiers suffering from mental health conditions (depression, PTSD) as a result of war deployment. This week’s Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article on the incidence of child abuse and neglect in families with enlisted soldiers who were deployed for combat.
Almost two thousand families of enlisted soldiers with at least 1 combat deployment between 2001-2004 were studied. Researchers found that the rate of neglecting children by soldier parents were higher during times of deployment (and therefore associated parental stress) than during times of non-deployment while the raet of physical child abuse was lower. On the other hand, the rate of mistreating children by female civilian spouses was four times as great (neglect) and twice as great (physical abuse) when their husbands were deployed. Read more
Grief, Daffodils, and Self-Esteem
One of the reasons why I enjoy TherapyDoc’s writings is because she tells stories that bring issues like depression and therapy at a human level. In Can You Cry Too Many Tears?, TherapyDoc begins by describing a tradition that is steeped in tears and the process of grieving in the Jewish culture. She then considers the delicate balance between crying as a natural and normal process, and crying continuously as a sign that someone needs help. Along the theme of grieving, Laura Young shares with permission an article titled “Grief Sucks” by Patrick Weiland, whose sister was murdered last August. Read more