Guest guest Posted September 5, 2001 Report Share Posted September 5, 2001 Just posting about one of those " women's health issues " things *Smile* Chris (list mom) Turkish Rose Items To Delight http://www.alittleolfactory.com ~~~~~~~~ Depression in Women http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/depression/19998 Author: John McManamy Published on: July 20, 1999 " Most of the suffering that women endure, and by extension their families, is unnecessary. " It's an issue that NOW won't seem to touch with a ten-foot pole. Perhaps it's beyond their jurisdiction. Maybe it's a matter of wait and see. Then again, perhaps they are afraid of the firestorm it will touch off. We are talking about depression, which women suffer in far greater numbers than men. First and foremost it's a health issue, but the political ramifications may have women caught in a cruel double-bind, where to speak out is to invite a reaction that begs them being wrongly perceived as the weaker sex. Already we are talking about the number one health problem in females, affecting one in five over the course of a lifetime, double the number in males. Of those, at least half will suffer a second episode. In addition to classical depression, women are also subject to specific types related to their ability to bear children, such as post-partum depression and depression brought on by PMS. With the onset of puberty, women begin suffering far more than boys, which carries over into adulthood and peaks at perimenopause, the transition into menopause. Thereafter, the numbers gradually recede back to the levels of men. As to why women fall victim more, no one really knows. The most obvious explanation is that maybe they do not suffer so much as speak out and get help. But this hypothesis has been knocked down by studies that show depression rampant in females across a wide variety of cultures, regardless of their status. The real reason may have to do with the various roles women are forced to play in society, and the stresses and strains and abuses they are exposed to. This social view, though, competes with a biological model that promises to reveal down to the last amino acid the true underpinnings of our thoughts and moods: For starters, the relation between depression and reproductive functions point to the ebb and flow of the the hormones estrogen and progesterone as the main culprits, but neurological studies suggest matters are not all that simple. In research conducted by the NIMH, PET scan readings revealed that women engaged eight times more of the brain's total area when thinking sad thoughts. And a McGill University study discovered that men's brains produce 53 percent more serotonin than women (serotonin being the neurotransmitter that is targeted by Prozac and other drugs). One can imagine the political whirlwind this kind of research is bound to reap, especially keeping in mind the enormous strides scientists are still making. It is one thing to acknowledge that our bodies are different, but what will be the consequences of knowing that we have different brains, as well, especially if those in women are shown to be more vulnerable? Just imagine the response from the Gordon Liddys of this world. Several years ago, a book published by a right-wing think tank purported to " scientifically " demonstrate by virtue of IQ scores that African-Americans were inferior in intelligence to Caucasians and Asians. No doubt, some ideological crackpot somewhere, armed with mounds of neurological data, is busy sharpening his pencil. Sure, eventually that person and his ideas will be ridiculed out of existence, just like the author of that racist book, but not until he has left behind the type of lingering suspicions that should have died with the passing of Queen Victoria. So, rather than draw attention to their so-called vulnerabilities, will woman choose to suffer in silence, instead? Without doubt, that is already the case: Few depressed women actually seek out a psychiatrist when symptoms first manifest. Typically they arrive at the office of a primary care physician complaining of physical symptoms. According to an article in Medscape, health care professionals miss at least one half of those with depression in primary care, even when symptoms are severe. In all, fewer than one third of depressed women get any help. Perhaps things would be different if women were to rally around depression and embrace it as a woman's issue, with the same kind of attention they give to breast cancer. Suppose, for example, that for every public announcement about breast self-exams and mammograms there was one about depressive awareness. Depression is treatable, after all. Most of the suffering that women endure, and by extension their families, is unnecessary. One should print that out in Pearl Harbor type and plaster it across every health clinic, communty center, and school in the country. On May 7, 1999 Tipper Gore, who then served as the President's main advisor on mental health, wrote an article in USA Today in which she revealed her own personal bout of depression back in 1991, for which she was treated: " You can't just will your way out of that, " she wrote, " or pray your way out of that or pull yourself up by the bootstraps out of that. You really have to go and get help. " " The Washington Post " the next day cynically observed that her disclosure was a campaign ploy. Citing various political experts, they interpreted Mrs Gore's going public as the type of damage control a candidate engages in once it's apparent a skeleton is about to pop out of the closet. Such is the stigma of depression. On June 2, the former Second Lady related her bout with depression on Oprah to an appreciative audience, and a few days later hosted a White House Conference on Mental Health. Thank you, Mrs Gore. May other women take up your cause and make their vulnerabilities known, and the hell with what men may think. See Newsweek for an article on neurological research. (link at site) See Medscape for a scholarly article on gender differences, and Medscape again for an article on the role hormones play. (link at site) See also the excellent article at Mental Health Net. (link at site) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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