Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Goodbye to a Friend and Advocate



NAMI Montana friends and family. I am sorry to announce the death of our dear friend and fellow advocate Carol Waller. Carol lived with Bipolar Disorder and was a strong advocate for effective treatment for mental illness. It's an honor to have worked with her as NAMI Montana's volunteer Senior Specialist.

I'd like to share with you an article that Carol wrote about this time last year so her wisdom will continue to live on.

Thank you for all of your work Carol. Rest in peace, but please keep praying for us. It's a tough fight and we can still use your help.

matt


Dear Readers:

My name is Carol Waller. I fall into the Senior Citizen category according to the census figures. I live independently and drive my own car. I live a fairly active life and get along pretty well. But the most important thing I can tell you about myself is that I have a mental illness; depression and anxiety, and I am concerned over other people who might be in the same age range. And possibly they have mental illness, such as depression, and may not even be aware of it!



First let me give you some statistics. Montana has the highest rate of suicide in our nation! From the Census 2000, senior citizens, 65 years of age and older account for over 10% of the total population, with the numbers rising each year as the “Baby Boomers” come into their golden years. Now consider the fact that about one out of ten people in this age group suffers from some sort of mental illness, most of which is some type of depression. Of this number, two will make a suicide attempt, half of which succeed. When you consider all of this data, it seems that depression and the elderly are not taken as seriously as it might need to be.



Why do so many seniors with depression go untreated? I have often wondered that as I have been treating my own depression since my early 20’s. One reason is very obvious to me and that is the stigma that still hangs over mental illness. I grew up in a time when a person with a mental illness was classified as “crazy” and often shunned and rarely understood. Today it is not quite as bad, but still the stigma exists and can be the cause of denial in order to appear to be “normal”. Today it is also viewed as a disease by most educated people and it can be treated and you can live a fairly normal life. But still there is a stigma attached that can keep people from getting the help that they need.



So how can you tell if a person is suffering from depression? Most people have periods of sadness in their lives which is normal and different from depression. I have listed some of the signs which seem to indicate some degree of depression is present.



Of course the obvious sign is sadness: like after a death or loss of a loved one, but one that does not go away in a reasonable length of time. Usually a person suffers mild forms of depression at times like this about two times in their lifetime. A more serious depression can develop from this with other signs present.



One of the obvious signs of depression is disruption of sleep patterns. Either there is excessive sleep, not wanting to get up and start their days. The other is insomnia, where the person has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Personally, I had trouble with both, wanting to sleep during the daytime and then not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep. Either way usually there is no feeling of being rested.



Appetite is another thing that is affected. Either there is over eating or no appetite. I fall into the no appetite group. But in either case there is very little enjoyment of the food.



Decision making becomes very hard and at time impossible. This causes frustration and the feeling of not being up to “snuff”.



There is a loss of energy and movements may become slower and harder to make. Another loss is that of interest. Things that have excited or pleased the person in the past loose their attraction.



Low self esteem is a common problem with depression. There are memories of losses or failures and the depressed person takes the blame and feels as though they are not “good enough” or guilty of something.



As the depression episode continues there is a feeling of hopelessness; that no matter how temporary a situation may be in reality, the feeling that it will never get better hangs on. This leaves the person with no incentive for living or motivation for changing the things that depress the person.



People who observed the depressed individual apply labels which are untrue but appear to be valid, like being lazy or stupid or changed to the point that they are so ill they are useless.
This is usually followed by the thoughts of suicide. If you are thinking in these terms or have friends or family talking or thinking in terms of this being the end, do not take it lightly! This is a serious situation and needs medical attention as soon as possible. This is a case for medical attention such as a personal physician, psychiatrist or even the emergency room.



I can tell you that the road back from the brink is a hard one! Many times it is one step forward and two steps back. But this road of ups and downs is well worth the trouble. Remember, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary situation. Recovery is an arduous journey but it is possible.



This journey usually involves medication which may alleviate some of the symptoms, psychotherapy of some sort, group activities, the love of family and friends and understanding. For more information on this topic, I suggest you contact the NAMI, MT at 443-7871, and Center for Mental Health at 443-7151, the Crisis Line at 443-5353, Warm Line at 1-877-688-3377, or your personal physicians. If it is a case of emergency, you will probably get the quickest results with 911.



It is my hope that I have provided my senior friends with some understanding of this disease, this mental illness, called depression and that the statistics do not continue to grow at such an alarming rate. This does not have to be the end, but rather a beginning of recovery.



Thank you for your interest and time.

Sincerely,
Carol Waller