Depression, Part II

Pariah – A Personal Story of Treatment
by George A. Miu

In my last post, I wrote about how I feel depression is a human calculation that needs to be resolved. Unfortunately, modern society is ill-equipped to handle the rigorous arithmetic that this human calculation entails. In my own experience with depression, the greater vast majority of my friends harped on and on about how my “Trigger” was trivial and therefore not a legitimate cause of my internal commotion. Expressions such as “drama queen”, “attention seeker” and “nobody cares” circulated, which (one can imagine) did not sit particularly well with me. That was okay, I told myself. All of my friends are mere products of a system that disregards depression, and most were not suited to hypothesize about its causes and symptoms.

A month into the whole fiasco, and people began to avoid me. Soon enough, nobody would listen to my litany of concerns, except for a couple of homeless chaps that roamed the nearby intersections. Driven to desperation, I acted in the only way that I thought would yield improvement – I went into therapy.

For weeks, my therapist and I painstakingly combed through my past and present, scoping out the minutest details in an over-arching process of learning and understanding. Medication was brought up, but not directly recommended by any of the involved parties, and I was not inclined to ask for it, despite its elevated chances of success. My task, as I saw it, was to gain the skills necessary to combat depression in the future, and to undo the effects of the initial trauma that had kept me at its precipice for so long.

Improvement, as a goal, will only ever come gradually. There are no “a-ha” moments, no simple instances of the mind reversing its condition instantaneously. For a while, depression may even get worse during treatment. The only thing that matters is that your vision of the future is corrected, and you are capable of living life as you once did. To me, counseling and force of will were natural solutions, while medication was artificial.

Most importantly, nobody can beat depression without help; some may suppress it for a while, but it invariably returns. I won my mental war because help came at the right moment, from the right people and in all the right ways, not because I am somehow special.

A year later, I have made progress on all fronts – academic, professional, social, emotional – to beyond pre-depression levels. By all accounts, I’m doing better than ever. Still, most of my old friends never came back. Society considers any affliction of the mind to be highly embarrassing. Thus, individuals do not fully understand depression. Consequently, people laugh at it. What they do not know is that therapy helps the multiple aspects of the individual – addresses far more than just their depression. Hence, people emerge from the darkness with abilities they did not previously possess. This is the ultimate vindictive reward of a post-depression life: you, the “drama queen” or “attention seeker”, get the last laugh.

Depression, Part I

A Word on Depression: The Rocky Road to Closure
by George A. Miu

Depression. It emerges from the depths of the mind, latching on to our memories and eventually infesting our present with an outlook that is pessimistic and skewed, never truly permitting us to operate with the efficiency we had always taken for granted.

As depression is becoming more and more prevalent, we have a whole host of doctors, professors and distinguished misters who tell us that the problem evolves from chemical imbalances in the brain. Being a veteran of the mental war that is depression, I find that I disagree with this assessment. If depression was, indeed, a chemical anomaly with no external causes, its rates would never rise or dip beyond a negligible point – namely, the percentage of brains in which the aforementioned anomaly is likely.

My experiences indicate otherwise, at least insofar as I am able to decipher them. Depression is first and foremost a disorder that must be associated with sentiment, as opposed to concrete physiological function. The order runs thus:

One. Genesis: We are traumatized.

Two. Dormancy: We live with the trauma that has not been fully processed.

Three. Trigger: We undergo an experience in which we realize that we are affected deeply by the initial trauma.

Four. Depression: We spiral downwards because we automatically identify all situations in which the previous trauma, as well as the “Trigger”, obstruct us from operating.

Okay. So I’m no psychologist. I know next to nothing about the intricacies of the brain. But I know well enough that a suspended brain can never be in a state of depression, no matter what its chemical composition tells us about it. For the disorder to occur, sentiment is requisite. Yes – there are chemical imbalances that are observed in individuals suffering from depression; these are natural side-effects of sentiment, not primary causes. I did not become depressed because my brain went gaga, but rather because I met my “Trigger”. Only then did my mind go haywire.

I urge all readers who are depressed: Do not look at your condition as a medical calculation to be solved. Look at it as a human calculation that needs to be resolved. Don’t regard yourself as a finite-combination puzzle. Instead, seek out closure so that you can learn to live with your perception of the past, your understanding of the present and your vision for the future. Then, decide on a reasonable way to treat it – more on this in Part II, I promise.

On a closing note, I would like to reason as to why I believe that counseling is necessary for depression treatment, while medication is not. Consider this analogy: sufficient pain medication for a ruptured appendix will cure all symptomatic elements therein. It will make even the most agonized human being believe they will be okay. But it does not eliminate the origin of the potentially-lethal condition. Similarly, medication may cure the chemical imbalance and shift the overall outlook towards the more positive end of the spectrum. Yet, it fails to address the reason it happened in the first-place: an intrinsic dissatisfaction. Of course, medication may be recommended, or even necessary, given the precise nature and gravity of depression. Nevertheless, careful introspection is the only way that a natural catharsis can come into existence.

Part II is on its way tomorrow.

Nutrition and Obesity in the U.S.

Nutrition and Obesity in the U.S.
by Neal R. Karski

Today, millions of people in the United States face the issues of choosing proper nutrition and obesity. Although the nation has recently embellished the “Stay Fit” and “Eat Healthy” propaganda, there has not been significant or visible progress toward improving or eliminating the status of the “World’s Fattest Nation”. But there have been some changes that took effect in the lives of Americans, such as: gym or fitness participation, straying away from certain types of foods, going organic, or simply cooking in a domestic setting rather than putting one’s stomach to a test of a fast food joint or a restaurant.

On my current trip to Europe, I have made a certain observation: out of the hundreds, or thousands, of people that I have come to notice with my own bare eyes, only two women have seemed to possess any kind of excess weight. Moreover, only older men [who have most likely given up their pensions of alcohol] carried larger frames, but did not have any major problems with being obese.

Now, my analyses – take it or leave it…

The United States largely depend on the consumer business provided to large corporations. The consumerism requires corporations in the food industry to produce at a faster and more efficient pace. Fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s and Burger King, etc, are not concerned about their client’s health; rather they are designed to volume-sell their products to generate large profits. Many animals that are raised for meat purposes are genetically induced with hormones and steroids, and they are grown at rapid rates without regard for their positive nutritional value [which often sufficiently lacks]. We frequently see others, who struggle with problems of excess fat, cholesterol and carbohydrates, yet even more frequently the eating habits are not altered and people give up on their bodies, therefore throwing away their changes of leading a healthier lifestyle.

People, on a general platform, need to be more educated about their bodies (metabolism, liver condition, cholesterol level, weight, etc.) and possess greater knowledge of the food they consume (nutrition facts, effect on the body). This notion is significantly neglected, i.e. parents do not teach or inform their children of health hazards associated with certain eating patterns or types of nutrition. Our food choices have a huge impact on our immune system and the way our bodies function, and we’re clearly not fully aware of the numbers of diseases and deficiencies that are caused by our diets. Sometimes, I advise, it’s better to ponder for a second “Should I eat this, or should I not?” or “How will this affect my body?” or “Maybe I should research the nutritional value of this or that food?”

The above-mentioned statement is much easier to accomplish, when the food we consume comes from home-made meals that we, ourselves, are capable of preparing and analyzing [given that we put the effort and time to do so].

God Bless.

Portrayal: Nutrition as Necessity, Obesity as Inevitability
by George A. Miu

Food is implicated in a strange duality in most modern cultures – it is simultaneously necessary for life, enabling people to partake in their quotidian activities, and potentially damaging, or even fatal. The distinction between the mentioned dual halves revolves around the quantity in which the food is consumed. Millions of famished people worldwide are noted to be lethargic and discombobulated as a result of a lack of nutrition, while ever-increasing numbers of First-World inhabitants are observed to suffer from the very same symptoms due to obesity.

The problems causing widespread starvation are well-documented, as they have existed since the onset of civilization. Proposed solutions are also being acted upon, at least to some degree. Meanwhile, nobody knows quite how to tackle the concept of getting people to eat less or eat more healthily while we are all surrounded by so many tempting treats that, over time, are liable to cause us grief.

Let’s be blunt about this – everyone wants to know why Europeans and Americans are becoming fatter. Personally, I point out two major factors – convenience and a mentality that stresses instant gratification.

Virtually every one of us reading this blog can count their blessings tonight, for we all live in a society in which one can find food if one are hungry. This has also caused a lot of low-quality, low-nutritional value junk to be placed out on the market; as with anything, it found a niche, which has spread. Why? Because junk food is easy to get, fairly cheap, and fast (hence the American term “fast-food”). Since we live busy lives in places that emphasize the importance of productivity, we are occasionally left with no choice but to indulge in this. If we do it enough times, especially with a sketchy metabolism, BOOM, one packs the pounds.

Furthermore, an ever-increasing proportion of people simply desire something tasty and immediate, without having to toil over the process of cooking. Subsequently, many are pushed to the dangerous precipice beyond which lies the chasm of fast-food, the above problem, all over again. Lastly, all of the variety of chips and chocolates (which are calorie-packed), designed to take the edge off the hunger, are abused beyond their means in order to instantly gratify the stomach to the fullest extent.

Combining these two factors, along with other miscellaneous ones, I am sure, yield the predicament in which society now finds itself. Fixing, it obviously requires some kind of paradigm shift of which I am not certain that humanity is capable; that is why obesity, and all of its associated side-effects, are categorized under inevitability banner.

Doctors in Our Society: Life Savers or Businessmen?

Doctors in Our Society: Life Savers or Businessmen?
by Neal R. Karski

Thus we arrive at the subjects of health care, medicine, doctors, health insurance, etc. In the United States, at current times, the above stated are very significant issues, politically and socially. With the continuing health care debate and political quarrels regarding who should get what in a justified manner, contemporary doctors are now pressured into making important choices. And not only will the health care professional ponder about the income he or she makes, but the moral and ethical decisions that are carried out.

The medical field, which requires a lot of schooling, experience and responsibility, is now much more competitive and the room for error is even smaller. Many more college students are taking on the challenge of extensive curriculums to “become doctors, obtain Ph.D.’s and acquire pre-fixes”. This said, plenty of doctors are forced to take measures they’re not accustomed to, to develop relationships with their patients (think customer loyalty) or simply seek excessive treatments and repetitive office appointments to culminate as much revenue as possible. Just take a second to think about it yourself… sounds familiar?

I will now attempt to distinguish between the two of types of doctors, briefly and to the best of my mental abilities.

The Life Savers

I’ve once had my doctor cook up a three month prescription for one of my medications to prevent re-occurring charges for trivial 15-minute “maintenance” appointments. This showed me that instead of re-scheduling me monthly and adding on the bill, the doctor was rather more concerned about my well being, not the cash outflow from my pocket. I’ve had many experiences with doctors, both positive and negative, and I was able to pinpoint the differences between the ones who truly cared about fulfilling the rightful duties of their professions, and those who were solely after their self-interest. The Life Savers are doctors who know and understand the pain their patients go through… and are inspired by their ethics and goals to cure and treat the illnesses that those patients are faced with. They are the heroes of our society, who regardless of patients possessing low or high quality insurance; strive to help out of satisfaction for making others’ lives better. The money comes in regardless, from a plethora of sources, when the number of patients is consistent and the doctors retain high ratings and positive review scores. The Life Savers are doctors that can be characterized as trustworthy, reliable and communicate intently to foster a healthy relationship with their patients.

The Businessmen

Doctors… or money-making, money-hungry machines? Take your pick. The competitive industry, as I said before, has forced the doctors to look more closely at their financial pools and expunge more costs out of their patients. But not all of the doctors did so, just the Businessmen who decided their revenues from the medical profession are the top priority over their patients’ complex cases of illnesses, diseases and injuries. The Businessmen will use trickery and persistence to ensure the patient returns to their office as frequent as possible, on the pretense that the follow-up appointments are necessary regardless of the patient’s condition. They are at times entangled in the corporate scandals, bureaucratic conspiracies and may be involved in contingent agreements with hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers, who pay them “commission”. These Businessmen are not doctors; they’re vultures that are waiting for patients and illnesses to arrive at their doorstep and bring them yet another treasure chest of material value, not a human being’s joy of being healthy.

My advice: Next time that one should pick a doctor or continue to see one, there is much room for prior analysis and research to pick the right one.

God Bless Friends

Doctors in America – Honorable Healers or Harbingers of Hoaxes?
by George A. Miu

There is no grandiose secretive veil surrounding the fact that an “MD” suffix is equivalent to a comfortable financial life in the United States, where a six-figure salary is all-but-guaranteed. Nowadays, it seems like all of the obstacles that an aspiring doctor must overcome are mere necessary sacrifices in the hunt for riches and prestige. This mindset is tearing our nation apart and has the potential to cause harm to a great deal of people.

Nevertheless, there are many devoted health professionals out there, whose career choice had nothing to do with money, and who ought to be praised by the rest of us. Sadly, the practice of putting on a humane face, declaring an undying love for medicine, and laughing all the way to the bank, is an increasingly common one. At least this is how masses of “pre-med” undergrads, situated in colleges all over creation, regard the status quo.

This is folly! Besides the obvious risks involved in terms of medical competency, we are gradually inching towards ushering in a generation of doctors who lack the devotion and selflessness that their forefathers took for granted, even if the expertise is intact.

Suppose that ObamaCare, the insurance “overhaul” that has just been passed in congress, saves the government money, as we are being led to believe; this necessarily entails that medical professionals pocket less. In that case, I smell an exodus, which will result in shortages of doctors the likes of which have never been seen in first world countries.

On the other hand, suppose that Obama et comp are wrong, and that the new system will actually bankrupt America. Consequently, doctors will be rolling around in money, but the profession will lose the luster that attracts so many honest people towards it. This will, of course, result in shortages of doctors the likes which have never been seen … well you get the point.

I am certain that there are scores of fine doctors out there, who are being overworked and under-appreciated. By making the process of education so mercenary, we are opening the door for opportunists, glory-seekers and greedy-types, who have no business being in the industry, and who go against the philosophy instilled by the honest individuals I have just praised. The harbingers of hoaxes are well on their way to overrunning the honest healers, and transforming one of the most crucial professions in society into a financial game. No civilized society must allow this to come to pass.

So, I encourage all of us to take action and plead with one another so that we may stop propagating megalomaniacal doctor-stereotypes, in which we fantasize of easy money in exchange for little work and much glory. I ask medical schools to reduce the classroom requirements (but not too drastically) in favor of extended volunteer time in clinical settings, and not laboratories. Finally, I ask all who are involved in the process of guiding individuals towards medical school to be more discerning in their assessments of who is truly enamored with the profession, and who is doing it for ulterior motives. The signs will always be there for those who seek them out. Drop the algorithm, and bring back the human elements in the admissions processes. Then, maybe we’ll even be healthy enough to give ourselves a pat on the back when we’re older.