The Cure for Depression « Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil.

Another in a series about depression, religion, and society. In this case, it's a reflection about depression and Islam:

The Cure for Depression « Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil.: "Any Muslim who makes a dua and his dua does not contain a request for anything sinful or anything regarding the severance of family ties, Allah grants him one of three things most assuredly, namely,

1. ) What he has asked is granted immediately, or
2. ) What he has asked is saved for him as a treasure in the Aakhirah, or
3. ) Allah wards away some calamity from him in lieu of the object asked for.”

In other words, if we ask for something in prayer, the answer is one of three things:

1. Yes
   
2. Not now
   
3. Not this

Is depression a social illness?

A recurring theme among social commentators, particularly those on the left, is that much of the mental illness is the product of a toxicity in modern (American) culture.

Toxic Culture: losing the battle of the mind: "The WHO predicts that depression will become one of the most common disabling disorders in the world by 2020, second only to heart disease (it has already reached the number one spot for women). Pretty soon, Mexicans and other immigrants won’t have to come to North America to be exposed to toxic culture, USA. It will come to them. Culture is, after all, America’s greatest export."

I'm not sure about this. In fact, I'm sure that I don't agree that our culture, and the way that individuals interact with it, isn't the sole cause of mental illness. Nevertheless, it's good to look around and ponder these factors that probably contribute to our mental health (or lack thereof).

Addenda:

• Make some changes in the way you live, and those other depression factors will still be present but will no longer be operative.
• One more: it seems that depression is also a product of the modern Muslim world: Depression, it seems, has become synonymous with living in a society overrun with innumerable problems.
• The politics of depression from the Daily Kos
  

If exercise was the cure, this guy'd be out of a job.

I get really annoyed with professionals who are careless with the language surrounding depression. For example, in this article, we're told that, "Exercise is the easiest and least expensive cure for depression." If that was so, I'd have closed the doors on this blog a long time ago. I don't dispute that exercise is helpful, whether you're depressed or not, but it's hardly a cure. It may relieve symptoms for a while, but often it's only for those few minutes that you're exercising. Relief from any source is welcome. Let's not, however, conflate relief with cure. Folks with Ph. D. after their names ought to know better.

Previously unknown side-effect of ECT

Vt. hospitals bring back ECT therapy to treat depression: Times Argus Online: "McKay said after one of his patients who was immobilized by depression received ECT, he started playing the bagpipes."

Depressed and I don't smell so good. Or well.

A recent report indicates that women who are depressed have a diminished sense of smell. As a result, they may use too much perfume. The study, which reported on female subjects, links autoimmune diseases such as lupus with depression.

This doesn't explain, yet, about guys who use too much aftershave or Deodorant in a Drum^®.

The wonderful world of prescription insurance

A month ago, I increased the dosage of Emsam from 6mg/24hrs to 9mg/24hrs. When I picked up the first prescription, there was no co-payment; the cost of the drug was fully covered. Today I went to the pharmacy for the refill and learned that the co-payment was/is $125. (The medications full price is $540 or so.) My psychiatrist had been concerned that the medication wouldn't be covered and that he'd have to write a lengthy justification for the prescription. After the first successful order, it didn't seem as though we'd have a problem. Apparently, we do.

I expect to be on the phone for quite a while on Monday morning. Even though I don't always think clearly because of the depression, I still have a pretty good brain. There are lots of folks who have a lot less money and whose mental illness(es) have done much more damage; they have many fewer options when dealing with something as weird as this.

Paging Dr. Obvious ...

HBNS: Alcoholics With Depression Less Likely to Stay Sober