Dealing with 14 million...

We are approaching the holidays and the high season for when individuals consider suicide as an option. We must begin to ask ourselves now, "How will this upcoming year be different?" Dr. Philip Janicak estimates that 14 million people experience major depression annually. Of those individuals, half will be diagnosed with depression and of those treatment may benefit only 50 percent of that group. I've known way too many that fall within the first 7 million that do not even receive a diagnosis and think they can either sleep their condition off, handle it themselves or just accept themselves as being perpetually lazy. Many fail to make the connection that ninety percent of all people who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death.

The Politics of Will
It simply shocks me to my core to think that we are in the 21st century and no one really knows what is specifically happening in the brain to cause depression, and even sadder still that we still do not really know why psychiatric treatments work. The finding of psychiatric treatments is, as depicted in the linked Washington Post article, like clearing up (a soon to be extinct) analog signal by hitting the TV on the side; we don't know why it helps, but it sure allows us to have a clearer picture once again. If this is the case, then the real truth is that this is a matter of political will. It's simply not sexy enough to talk about mental health and get votes.

Should we have to wait for the 14 million to exponentially propagate and be self-reflective enough to embrace this issue so we can have a significant, representative voting block?

Until Then, Here's a Bump To Clear Your Head
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a growing noninvasive therapy technique being used to treat significant, chronic psychiatric and neurological disorders. It sounds pretty hi-tech but the roots of the technique can be found in good ole' 19th century electromagnetic theory, which explains the inter-relatedness between electricity and magnetism. In essence, the neurons or nerve cells in our brain (like joy, sadness or love) act as electrochemical agents that transmit chemical signals. If you have epilepsy or have fainted then you know how your brain is a powerful mass of electric currents. TMS generates a magnetic field that stimulates your neurons over time to alter or change how they function. Thereby, bringing back your magnetic personality (the pun was, totally, intended).

If TMS is something you might consider trying out for you or someone you love, it is recommended you check out NeuroStar's website, inform yourself on the matter, and as always, speak with an unbiased and un-compromised mental health professional to find out more.

The Afterw@rd

Disclaimer: The Afterw@rd's purpose in sharing about medical treatments is not to endorse, but rather inform of what's going on in this field of mental health and suicide. Should someone choose to pursue this option, they do so out of their own free will, and The Afterw@rd bears no liability.