Category Archives: Mental Health

Signs of Depression and Where to Look For Help!

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First and most importantly there is NO SHAME in dealing with mental health issues. Mental health does not discriminate, it effects all races, genders and class!

Depression:

Major depression—also known as clinical depression—is a serious but common medical condition that affects gay men and lesbians at a higher rate than the general population. A number of factors may contribute to this, from living in an often homophobic society to facing family rejection to being closeted in some or all aspects of life.

Some of the symptoms of depression include:

  • Depressed mood most of the day;
  • Markedly decreased interest in activities most of the day;
  • Decrease or increase in appetite;
  • Decrease or increase in sleep;
  • Fatigue or loss of energy;
  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt; and
  • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Depression treatment usually includes a thorough evaluation, patient education, and self-help instructions, individual or group talk therapy and, when appropriate, the prescription of anti-depressant medications. Treatment should begin with a thorough evaluation to rule out an underlying medical condition or the side effect of medications as the cause of the depression symptoms

Two specific types of psychotherapy have been proven effective in treating depression: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT). Steps often recommended to help combat depression include setting realistic goals, breaking tasks into small pieces, spending time with others, being physically active, avoiding drugs and alcohol consumption, being patient about the rate of improvement, and avoiding making major life decisions.

Several different classes of prescription medication are available to treat depression. These medications are prescribed by a licensed professional after careful consultation with the individual patient. They need to be taken exactly as prescribed.

If you’re unsure where to go for help, ask your primary care physician, internist, OB/GYN or health clinic for assistance. You can also check the Yellow Pages or Internet listings under such subjects as mental health, social services, suicide prevention, hospitals or physicians.
GLMA additionally has an online referrals resource you can search immediately by clicking here. Many treatment options exist to help you find the right answers.

Additional Resources

Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists
(215) 222-2800
www.aglp.org

GayHealth.com
www.gayhealth.com

National Foundation for Depressive Illness
www.depression.org

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
(800) 826-3632
www.dbsalliance.org

American Psychiatric Association
www.psych.org

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
(888) 333-2377
www.afsp.org

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
www.samhsa.gov

Depression.com
www.depression.com

Focus on the Mental and Emotional Benefits of Exercise to Help Stick to Your Workouts

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VIA

Anyone who’s tried to stick to a workout routine knows what it’s like to have those days when you just don’t feel like it—when you feel like you haven’t gotten any results from your exercise, and you wonder why you even bother. That can be depression (or laziness, depending) talking, and a surefire way to push through that fog and get your running shoes on is to focus on how you’ll feel when you’re finished.

Even though it seems counter-intuitive, you’ll feel energized after even a short walk or workout, and the emotional benefits will make themselves known to you long before the physical ones will. Most people try to focus on inches slimmed or pounds lost—since they’ll come later, consider honing in on the emotional benefits instead to hit that need for instant gratification you may have. In addition to preparing for those depressed days by remembering how good you’ll feel, the folks at BodyHack suggest making a running schedule you’ll want to stick to as a kind of carrot to stay motivated.

The idea itself isn’t new—we’ve mentionedrewarding yourself immediately as a way to keep exercise interesting, and the idea is definitely sound—if the feeling of accomplishment and the endorphins aren’t enough to get you up and onto the treadmill or exercise bike, maybe treating yourself to something nice when you’re finished will do the trick. How do you stay motivated to work out on those down days? Share your tips in the comments below.

5 Hacks to Stick to Exercise Through Depression | BodyHack

Photo by Andrey Burmakin (Shutterstock).

Republished from http://lifehacker.com

It Might Be Harder to Recognize Signs of Depression in Men

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VIA 

Take  this very serious men, and have no shame surrounding mental health issues! Holidays can be very hard on people. You don’t have to be the tough guy that shrugs it off.

A recent study by the Department of Psychology at the University of Westminster in London has found that depression, though significantly more common in women, is much more difficult to recognize in men. Researchers presented a sample group (1,218 UK adults) with the following vignette that, in non clinical terms, describes the symptoms of depression:

“For the past two weeks, Kate/Jack has been feeling really down. S/he wakes up in the morning with a flat, heavy feeling that sticks with her/him all day. S/he isn’t enjoying things the way she normally would. In fact, nothing gives her/him pleasure…S/he finds it hard to concentrate on anything. S/he feels out of energy and out of steam. And even though Kate/Jack feels tired, when night comes s/he can’t go to sleep.”

Half of the group was given the male version of the story, while the other half was given the female version. Researchers then asked the group whether or not the character had a mental disorder, whether or not he or she should seek treatment, how difficult the treatment would be, what the character’s problem was and how sympathetic they felt towards the person.

Participants were far more likely to assume that Kate was suffering from a mental disorder than Jack, despite their stories and symptoms being the exact same. Male members of the sample group were particularly likely to dismiss Jack’s mental health problems and were less able to sympathize with his situation. They were, however, very sympathetic towards Kate.

The study presents a very interesting flip-side to a very old situation — women have long suffered from having their actions, feelings and emotions devalued and dismissed as craziness or hysteria, but perhaps men have suffered equally from not having their legitimate mental illness recognized at all. As The Atlantic‘s Lindsay Abrams puts it:

It’s been suggested that people have difficulty reconciling notions of strength and toughness with the symptoms of depression, making it more difficult for depressed men to attain understanding and acceptance for their disorder. Men even tend to experience depression differently — the disorder tends to manifest itself as physical discomfort or irritability, as opposed to women’s more emotion-based symptoms. This may be because, for men, an overabundance of “feelings” is a less culturally acceptable mode of expression.

Recognizing and addressing this double standard could do wonders for both sexes, especially those in need of or seeking treatment.

Mental Health Literacy of Depression: Gender Differences and Attitudinal Antecedents in a Representative British Sample [Plos One]
Study: We’re Less Likely to Recognize Symptoms of Depression in Men [The Atlantic]
Image via Oleg Golovnev/Shutterstock.

NFL Needs a New Mental Health Perspective: Suicide of Junior Seau

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Junior Seau’s suicide has sparked an incredible amount of debate about the mental health ramifications of being a long term football player. Gary Plummer, Seau’s former teammate, had this to say on the matter:

They said a Grade 3 concussion meant you were knocked out, and a Grade 1 meant you were seeing stars after a hit, which made me burst out in laughter. As a middle linebacker in the NFL, if you don’t have five of these [Grade 1 effects] each game, you were inactive the next game. Junior played for 20 years. That’s five concussions a game, easily. How many in his career then? That’s over 1,500 concussions. I know that’s startling, but I know it’s true. I had over 1,000 in my 15 years. I felt the effects of it. I felt depression going on throughout my divorce. Junior went through it with his divorce.

As noted the other day, Seau’s family has agreed to allow his brain to be studiedto a find link between repetitive brain injuries and depression. Via 

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Laughter Yoga: Can Happiness Heal?

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When it comes to laughter yoga, faking it ‘til you make it is just fine.

At least, that’s what Vishwa Prakash said at the start of the session that HuffPost’s health news editor Amanda Chan and I wandered into recently.

It was one of a few guidelines Prakash offered, as well as keeping our eyes locked on our fellow attendees, some 20 men and women dressed in street clothes and standing in a circle in his textile design company’s midtown Manhattan offices.

Continue reading →

Gay Men and Aging: Finding Your Purpose

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I just finished reading about the suicide of a gay therapist Bob Bergeron.  No one knows why he committed suicide—the author of the article and many of his friends are left to wonder about the reasons. But the irony left in the wake of his death is hard to ignore. He was about to publish a book on successful gay male aging and his suicide note suggests that we was struggling with the very issue he was writing about—a potentially difficult issue for many gay men as we grow older..

 

A closer consideration of gay male aging suggests why growing older might be a particularly tricky. First of all, a large component of gay male culture is focused on beauty, youth, and sexual attractiveness. Like their heterosexual counterparts, gay men respond and react sexually to visual stimuli, namely the physical appeal of their sexual partners. As a result, beauty is privileged and so are the men who have it.

Joan Collins once said that physical beauty is a gift granted in youth that is slowly taken away little by little over time. Thus, gay men who are lucky to live long enough to age must face the decline of their attractiveness. However, growing up gay in a stigmatizing society might leave them particularly ill-suited to face the challenges of this time of life.

Bob Bergeron is a case in point. According to an article in the Sunday April 1st New York Times,  Mr. Bergeron grew up nervous and awkward, poor at sports and unable to interact with other boys. If he was like a lot of other growing up gay boys, he was probably scapegoated and physically harassed. Many of us, include me, were terribly bullied as children. We were called out for being gay before we even knew who we were.  At the same time, we learned being gay was something shameful and disgusting needing to be hidden from the world, including the people closest to us. Many of my clients and research respondents who have experienced this stigmatization grow up with deep wounds and a profound sense of personally inadequacy and low self-worth. So perhaps we were vulnerable to some of the dark sides of gay male life, namely, its overemphasis on looks, youth, and sexual attractiveness at the cost of healthier and life sustaining values that can assist us as we age. MORE

Which, btw, may have nothing to do with the gym.

Personality Can Change Over Time, Study Suggests

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Just because you are a big old grouch today, it doesn’t mean you always have to be that way. Lighten up on yourself and read on:

According to a new study, grouches don’t necessarily remain grouches for the rest of their lives.

Findings published in the journal Social Indicators Research suggest that people’s personalities can change over time just as much as external factors like change in jobs or income, or marriage or divorce.

The researchers, of the University of Manchester’s School of Psychological Sciences, said that the findings indicate we can increase our well-being not just through these actual external changes, but also through changes in our personalities. Continue reading →

Trauma and Adversity in Childhood: History Need Not Be Destiny

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“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” An emotional and powerful read that my push the buttons and heart strings of some of you that may have had trauma during your childhood. It is never too late to get a get a good grip of your past and leave it there and move forward to healthy living, both body and mind.

Once again, the American Academy of Pediatrics is demonstrating its clinical leadership. Two recent, groundbreaking reports – “The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress” and “Early Childhood Adversity, Toxic Stress, and the Role of the Pediatrician: Translating Developmental Science Into Lifelong Health” – by the Academy boldly declare what has been known but too hidden from sight: Namely, that brain and emotional development is profoundly disrupted by childhood adversity and trauma.

The pediatric academy quotes Frederick Douglass who said “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Continue reading →

Former Israeli Military Trainer and Gay Porn Star Found Dead of Apparent Suicide

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This is the exact reason why I chose to start this website, to help bring awareness to topics such depression and anxiety among gay men.  A beautiful man, perfect on the outside, assumed  to have it all, dead. Little did anyone know that Dror Barak, 38, now come to find out was struggling with some major depression issues. We need to push forward and get the conversation started on the topic of mental health. We need to diminish the stigma behind mental health issues and make it okay to talk about. Roman, whose real name was Dror Barak, should still be with us today.

UPDATE: We received a note from Dror’s boyfriend Sam who confirmed the sad news and asked that people be respectful with regards to Dror’s privacy in the comments.

Sam writes:

Details are mostly personal depression issues.

His business was doing amazingly well and was expanding rapidly and he was so busy he literally could not take any more clients on himself he had to hire more trainers. So it had nothing to do with that. I only say this because he was so proud of his business and I was so proud of him for being such a hard worker and building a business with dedicated top level personal training clients.

Despite what anyone thinks Dror was a loving kind person and anyone that would comment and say he wasn’t just probably misinterpreted his shyness as meanness. He was the most gentle, loving, kind, amazing man I have ever met.

Dror Barak, 38, was found dead Saturday night of an apparent suicide. A former Israeli military trainer who achieved stardom under the name Roman Ragazzi, Barak hadn’t been active in porn since 2008. He left the industry to concentrate on a fitness company he founded.

While working as an administrative aide for the Israeli Consulate scandal Barak Barak was outed as a porn star in 2007 by the New York Post’s Page Six gossips, resulting in a minor scandal. He resigned, then later started a fitness blog as well as what some say was a legendary career in porn. His boyfriend told a gay porn blog (NSFW) that though Barak’s business was going well, he suffered from depression.

It’s rumored that male porn stars have a very high rate of suicide, and according to this list posted on a NSFW blog, there appears to be some truth to the rumor. Susannah Breslin tried to explain the reasoning for this strange phenomenon over at Salon after the suicide of porn star Stephen Hill.

[article via Out Magazine]

Receiving Therapy Through a Smart Phone App? Psychological Help Accessible Anytime, Anywhere

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This is one area where humans could never be replaced. What about eye contact, the feeling of having a safe and sacred place and building trust with another individual is am integral part of therapy. These apps are another attempt at achieving a positive outcome, in this case mental health, with outputting in the time. Two thumbs down.

HELPING HANDS One commonly used program tries to treat those who tend to fixate subconsciously on hostile faces.

Not for long, if some scientists have their way. In the past few years researchers have been testing simple video-game-like programs aimed at relieving common problems like anxiety and depression. These recent results have been encouraging enough that investigators are now delivering the programs on smartphones — therapy apps, in effect, that may soon make psychological help accessible anytime, anywhere, whether in the grocery store line, on the bus or just before a work presentation.

The prospect of a therapy icon next to Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja is stirring as much dread as hope in some quarters. “We are built as human beings to figure out our place in the world, to construct a narrative in the context of a relationship that gives meaning to our lives,” said Dr. Andrew J. Gerber, a psychiatrist at Columbia University. “I would be wary of treatments that don’t allow for that.” Continue reading →