2013-05-25T00:44:08-04:00 Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=jamie-lewis Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Jamie Lewis Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1414589 2012-04-10T09:59:00-04:00 2012-06-10T05:12:01-04:00

Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lewis/
Windass told BBC Late Kick Off that he found his ordeal embarrassing and was concerned that people would think he was weak.

Why does this continue to be an issue amongst people who are 'in the club'?

It's not Windass' fault, but the fact that he felt this way is a continuing reminder that this supposed 'mental health friendly' world we live in is in fact, not. I, and many mental health advocates like me, work hard at alleviating this stigma and yet there are still people who consider it a weakness.

"The hardest thing is to admit you are depressed," he said. And this is true; it took me years to admit to myself that I was depressed.

In fact, the reason it took me so long to admit it was because I didn't understand it. That's exactly the reason I write these blogs, so people understand depression and mental health.

He continued: "There are a lot of people out there who are depressed and they don't want to come out because of the shame -and that was my concern. I thought: 'I can't come out. What would people think of me?' I'd be weak.

"I thought I was fine and that I could overcome it."

This frame of mind is ever-present in people who are overcoming or attempting to overcome depression.

It is directly relatable to a story my mother tells about when I first started taking antidepressants aged 17. People would ask her why she allowed her son to take long-term prescription drugs and she would calmly reply: "If he had a physical illness, I would ensure he was cured as quickly as possible.

"If his arm was dropping off, I would seek medical advice. He is heavily debilitated with depression, so I sought medical advice - who am I to disagree with a doctor?"

The people asking her didn't know what they were talking about. They made a snap decision based entirely on their misconceptions.

And why were they wrongly spouting their ignorance? Because they don't understand mental health.

Like Windass did when he didn't understand it whilst he was worried about announcing his depression and like I did when I refused to believe I fell into that category.

Let's get educated, people.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1338625 2012-03-13T19:00:00-04:00 2012-05-13T05:12:02-04:00

Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lewis/
The stigma and fear involved when someone mentions schizophrenia in this country, and indeed, around the world is shocking. Let's not forget that people suffering with schizophrenia are human beings. Let's not forget that they are suffering with a serious mental health condition - of which most are living capably.

With only a Google search, I began interacting with people who have a multitude of mental health illnesses and this will be the first in a series of interviews.

Ben was diagnosed with schizophrenia back in 2008; in talking to me he was called an "attention whore" by voices in his mind and is concerned someone will read this interview and "watch his brain feed".

The 22-year-old from Willoughby, Ohio, is clearly an intellectual man, his diction is near-perfect and his descriptive language is first class.

"My schizophrenia is like a broadcast," he explains. "Imagine going to a website like twitch.tv and watching somebody play a video game. They show what game they're playing and they talk over it."

"In terms of what I believe it is - aside from a chemical imbalance - is that someone, at some point in the future or in some religious form, is watching me live my life through my eyes and through my mind."

Public Misconception

Ben is not dangerous, nor is he what some people might imagine he would be based on preconceptions taken from films. He hears voices which damage his self-esteem, motivation and determination.

That's the condition these people dealing with.

"On TV, it's a sea of whispering voices that slowly drive somebody to murder. Or, it's a voice they trust that guides them to murder someone."

"Most people think schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder are the same thing. Films and television shows which depict a character suffering from schizophrenia being tormented into killing loved ones isn't exactly how it works.

"Something TV shows get right is that the voices play on your insecurities. I think that's because you're dwelling on them and you form a second thought process dedicated to it. It's like a sticky note of your paranoia.

"I'm not saying the voices can't be convincing at times, but I know right from wrong."

Violence is often falsely correlated with schizophrenia and as a result many people consider those diagnosed to be extremely volatile. However, a recent study shows that only one person with a serious mental health problem committed a violent crime per every 14 million people per year. Yet a recent poll by Rethink shows that 44% of people expect someone with a serious mental health problem to be violent.

Paul Jenkins, CEO of Rethink Mental Illness asks the public to consider the statistics when making these assumptions: "When talking about violence and severe mental illness, it's important to remember that these incidents are extremely rare. Every one of us knows someone who has a mental illness.

Jenkins added: "The vast majority of people with a mental illness live ordinary lives and are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators."

It claimed that 5.3% of the general population had committed at least one violent crime. Of the schizophrenics they spoke to only 8.5% had one violent offence.

The figure only rose to 13.2% when it included those who regularly take recreational drugs.
This can be excused when you consider the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB) reported that 69% of people arrested for violent crimes in the late 90s were tested positive for at least one illicit drug.

Logic

On bad days, any mental health sufferer can fail to see logic and give in to the pressures of their illness but to Ben this means something entirely different.

"We're making developments in brain scan technology, but right now, it's nowhere useable in a streaming sense," he said.

"I know scientists at Berkeley have technology that lets us view movies we've seen from our brain, but they're not up to 'watch your own dream' level yet"

"This is on the building blocks now, but in my mind, this technology is real and it's in use unjustly."

In hope of further explanation, I asked him what talking to a journalist about his condition felt like: "It feels weird," he replied.

"I feel like a guinea pig for all this brain scanning technology, so I've always thought about how those 'scientists' got my name in the first place. Maybe they got it through this interview. Maybe randomly.

"I don't mind people who are alive now asking about schizophrenia. They're curious and they have questions they want answers to. We all do.

"However, I don't support some curious scientist in the future watching a schizophrenics
mind to learn about the disease."

Ben admits he's "spoiled" on the idea that people are tuned in to his thoughts and toys with the idea that these people could be scientists of some description using mind-reading technology from the future.

Ben's motivation for speaking to me was entirely pure, I felt as though he did sincerely want to help sufferers who might be reading this article.

"Personally, I think I'm going to help people understand what schizophrenia is, so that's all that matters.

Schizophrenics are notoriously troubled by commitment; they often struggle to settle in to a regular working cycle. Ben is no different and told me he quit his most recent job, not because he was unable or lazy but because he was concerned he was creating a negative working environment.

"I quit because of my job because of paranoia. Not only that, but I quit during my shift. I thought I was making people really uncomfortable. Like I had a bad aura or something."

Voices

Not all diagnosed schizophrenics hear voices, the American Psychiatric Association require two of the following symptoms for at least one month to label someone with an official diagnosis:
Delusions; Hallucinations (auditory or visual); disorganised speech; grossly disorganised behaviour; negative symptoms, which consist of: lack of emotional response; decline in speech; decline in motivation.

I was desperate to know more about the voices Ben heard, what did they say? Are they hostile? Encouraging? Manipulating?

"They've been all of the above at times. I've been berated, praised, mocked, defended and a lot of other things.

"I think my emotions just fill in the blanks and bring out whatever I'm sub-consciously thinking. I guess the easiest way I could answer the "what do they say" question is with this: Whatever emotion I'm currently feeling, the voices are the opposite."

Stigma

Mental health in general brings with it a stigma, but conditions like depression and anxiety hold nowhere near the negative press schizophrenia receives.

I asked Ben what he thinks people might think of him and his condition, his reply was inspiring.
"They probably think I'm crazy or that they have to step on eggshells around me. They probably would view or think of someone differently if they had schizophrenia.

"The average age to get schizophrenia is 18, and that's when I noticed I had it. Before then, I was a regular, everyday normal guy.

"Four years later, I'd still say the same thing. I just have another quirk to add to the list. We all have them, and it fuels how we view the world. Regular people can have a lot of things wrong with them and still be regular.

"I like to think about it like this: Everyone is weird. If you're not weird, that's weird, so, you're weird no matter what you do.

"We all have circumstances growing up. Before schizophrenia, I was depressed and overweight. Now, I'm skinnier and I'm not as depressed. If I can give any advice in the world, it's keep on keeping on. That's been my mantra for a while now."]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1289110 2012-02-23T19:00:00-05:00 2012-04-24T05:12:02-04:00

Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lewis/ 60 Minutes.

The prestigious medical school's Director of Placebo Studies has apparently run out of other drugs to look at under a microscope and taken a swipe at antidepressants.

There has been plenty of - often shouty - debate as to whether these drugs work, mixed in with the odd 'governmental mind control' conspiracy theory but why is this area of the industry targeted? Why not other prescription drugs? Or even recreational drugs?

Always our beloved antidepressants.

Kirsh has been studying placebos for 36 years and says mere sugar pills can treat irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers and Parkinson's disease - and now he says they've been curing all manner of mental health illnesses for years.

When pushed for a direct answer from a CBS reporter, Lesley Stahl, he said: "The difference between the effect of a placebo and the effect of an antidepressant is minimal for most people."

"They'd have almost as large an effect and whatever difference there would be would be clinically insignificant."

Stahl bites back at the professor: "But people are getting better taking antidepressants. I know them."

"People get better when they take the drug. But it's not the chemical ingredients of the drug that are making them better. It's largely the placebo effect," Kirsh says.

Michael Thase of the University of Pennsylvania says that his research found that antidepressants help up to 14% of people who are 'moderately depressed'. Those statistics increase drastically for those who are considered 'severely depressed'.

Thase added: "I wish our antidepressants were stronger. I hope we have better ones in the future."

"But that 14% advantage over and above the placebo is for a condition that afflicts millions of people, that represents hundreds of thousands of people who are better parents, who are better workers, who are happier and who are less likely to take their life."

Although Thase and Kirsh disagree, the fact that some placebo effect exists, especially in the less severe cases, remains untouched - but to what degree?

In the UK, we had a complete overhaul of the way these drugs were prescribed as the NHS commissioned its own review of clinical trials.

The NHS discovered that for 'mild to moderate depression', these drugs have little or no effect on the patient - did you know this? I didn't.

Whilst I knew that how effective the drug was depended on the severity of the depression, I didn't know that the NHS did not now prescribe to those deemed to have 'mild symptoms'.

Does nobody else see a major flaw in Kirsh's idea? Kirsh - and many, many before him - are attempting to enlighten the antidepressant taking population.

They want us to 'understand' that our SSRIs, our SNRIs, our MAOIs and our Tricyclic antidepressants are in fact useless and that they only work because we feel so strongly that they're medical miracles.

Well don't you see? Call me a conspirator, but this looks reasonably obvious - if Kirsh were to be correct, and we suddenly saw the light, wouldn't our medication stop working instantly?

If we did view them as placebos, then the placebo effect would cease to exist and we would all fall back into depression.

Surely, even if all antidepressants are only 2% effective and 98% placebo, the worst thing we can do is prove it.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1276520 2012-02-14T12:27:51-05:00 2012-04-15T05:12:01-04:00

Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lewis/
I'm not just a depression writer; I'm a mental health writer and I think it's time we tackled a wider variety of subjects on this blog.

Bi-polar, schizophrenia, self-harm and personality disorders will all be dealt with at some point - what I need you to do is come forward and talk to me about it. I'm openly looking for people to be interviewed to be featured in one of these blog posts; my email is at the bottom.

Today I want to talk about OCD. It's often overlooked as a mental health disorder and considered by many as a "little tick" or just something people do.

However, OCD really can affect lives and it becomes a serious problem when it stops the sufferer from doing what they would usually would.

Mind find it easier to explain the condition by breaking it into two sections; obsessive and compulsive: "Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, ideas or urges that repeatedly appear in your mind; for example, thinking that you have been contaminated by dirt and germs, or worrying that you haven't turned off the oven."

"Compulsions are repetitive activities that you feel you have to do. This could be something like repeatedly checking a door to make sure it is locked or washing your hands a set number of times."

Having sat in on a number of CBT sessions for OCD after being wrongly-diagnosed with a strange form of the illness - religiously over-thinking, later diagnosed as a form of social anxiety - I began to see what was happening to these people's lives.

I spent an entire day each week with three other people who were all consistently obsessed with washing their hands, I was forced to start confiscating dry hand gel and rubber gloves - yes, rubber gloves.

These three women were so obsessed with their cleanliness that they couldn't function properly without washing their hands, face, body, arms - anything.

This doesn't sound like a great problem initially, we could all be a little cleaner - what would be the harm? One girl's hands were red raw, it caused her pain to touch anyone, to drive, anything.

One woman refused to touch any wall outside a toilet, the outside door or anything at all that wasn't a certain distance from the lavs - she sprayed her shoes with anti-bacterial cleanser after exiting.

These are extreme cases, and I consider them to be reasonably rare, but how do you help this? How do you cure OCD?

The technique that the CBT therapists used was to go the extra mile, to do something beyond normal.

She explained that if seven out of 10 were normal on a completely fictional cleanliness-scale and people with OCD were acting at a level of 11 then you had to do something which you considered a two or a three.

Within hours, grown women were crying as they swirled their fingers around toilet bowls, went to the toilet without washing their hands and ate biscuits and refrained from using hand gel all day.

While this option is probably the least attractive option for any sufferer, it produces results, all three of the women are considerably better than they were and living decent lives. They are no longer halted by an obsession.

It can be hard to motivate yourself to do something you really aren't comfortable with, especially in cases like this where you are faced with the ultimate discomfort. But if you're serious about giving up your obsessive behaviour - and if it's having a direct impact on your life - then seriously consider it.

I've spoken mostly about cleanliness and OCD, but we can't forget that there are all sorts of different obsessions that sufferers have. Flicking light switches, saying certain things at certain points, doing things a number of times.

You can contact me by emailing me at j.lewis@ibtimes.co.uk if you want someone to talk to or if you want to feature in one of my posts, please get in touch.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1208558 2012-01-16T08:59:36-05:00 2012-03-17T05:12:01-04:00

Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lewis/
Before today, I'd never heard of it despite spending the past eight years with a series of mental health problems. Once I looked into its origins, for articles I was writing for work, I discovered that it was probably the crudest name for a day... ever.

The day originates from a marketing scheme from a PR company, Porter Novelli, who worked on behalf of Sky Travel and wanted to sell more holidays. I can see it now: "The media are telling me I'm supposed to be depressed - I better book a cruise."

The company enforced this with the findings and 'official equation' of Cliff Arnall who used to work part-time at the University of Cardiff before they hastily distanced themselves from him following publication of the report.

This 'mathematical' equation uses the following factors: time since Christmas, time since failing New Year's resolutions, low motivational levels, and a feeling of taking action.

For those who are interested in how you give 'low motivational levels' and 'a feeling of taking action' a numeric value, you'll have to ask Arnall directly. He didn't tell us in the release.

Dr Ben Goldacre, a columnist at the Guardian, reported that the release came pre-written to a number of notable psycho-academics who were offered money by Porter Novelli to put their name on it. He also said Arnall is "probably the most prodigious of all producers of bogus 'equations'."

Dr Goldacre also claimed that Arnall had doubled his money on signing a similar deal with Walls ice cream makers, for whom he found the happiest day in the year - apparently mid-June.

After slamming the report, the equation and Arnall himself in an earlier article, Dr. Goldacre received an email for the faux-equation-inventor saying: "Further to your mentioning my name in conjunction with 'Walls' I just received a cheque from them. Cheers and season's greetings, Cliff Arnall."

Mental health charities have been quick to distance themselves from this report, after speaking with both Mind and the Mental Health Foundation (who laughed when I mentioned 'Blue Monday') I found neither of them to be supportive of the day.

Head of Research, Dr Eva Chyhlarova from the Mental Health Foundation, said: "It has been suggested that today is the most depressing day of the year and it has consequentially been dubbed "Blue Monday". There is no scientific evidence to suggest that today is the most depressing day of the year.

She said that any feeling of low mood through the winter months can be attributed to SAD: "About one in 100 people in the UK will be affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a form of depression."

The fact is that people get depressed the whole year round, and just because some bloke with an overdue phone bill and a degree in psychology said this is it, doesn't make it so.

Mind's CEO Paul Farmer reiterated this, telling me: "There is nothing to suggest that one day in particular carries an increased risk of people feeling blue or depressed, but there are certain things that may make you feel down at this time of year, such as post-Christmas financial strains, short daylight hours and the cold weather leading to reduced levels of outdoor exercise."]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1181003 2012-01-03T10:28:58-05:00 2012-03-04T05:12:01-05:00

Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lewis/
In my case, I've found that after a particularly liver-busting night, I can be especially susceptible to a hangover-induced bout of depression. Although I've been aware of this for a few years, my family are starting to notice it and after a quick Google, I found forums where users debated whether depression could become more intense with age - really?

It's commonly accepted that we aren't the friendliest of characters after a night out on the razz, but can the cognitive hangover effects be amplified by clinical depression?

The drinking culture in journalism is no secret and everyone knows that old school hacks traditionally drink a lot. The new generation of journalists don't want this to be a forgotten tradition and are more than happy for a midweek booze up. There isn't a day that goes by in my newsroom where at least one member of the editorial staff isn't hungover.

My personal approach to this is to use diversionary tactics. If I drink during the week, I'm at work by 8am and by the time lunch comes around I'm ravenous, by 5pm, I'm fine. By remembering the rules to overcoming bouts of depression it can be much easier to alleviate most of the problem: being mindful that it's just a phase and remembering that it is a condition; it doesn't directly represent how you feel.

The Royal College of Psychologists claim to know there is a connection between alcohol and depression, they've reported that self-harm and suicide are much more common in those with both depression and alcohol problems. It is apparent that these people fall into two categories; those who drink too much which leads to them feeling depressed and those who drink to relieve anxiety or depression.

In their report, they discuss how drinking excessively could be a cause for depression and anxiety. They do however note that their study is only including those with serious alcoholism.

Although I've never drank alcohol because I was depressed, I have - like most people - felt in need of a quick drink. They also suggest that smoking tobacco and using drugs could contribute to ill-feelings and although I don't use recreational drugs, my smoking does increase during these periods.

So what does that mean for the rest of us who just enjoy a good beer?

The correlation between an average drinker and mental health illnesses isn't hugely documented, on researching this blog, I found it difficult to find any information at all. I would love to hear your own personal stories though, email me at j.lewis@ibtimes.co.uk and let me know your thoughts on drinking with depression.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1140702 2011-12-10T11:05:37-05:00 2012-02-09T05:12:02-05:00

Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lewis/
For those of you who don't know my story or how I came to be a journalist, the Cornish media have documented it recently, and you can find it here. The long and short of it: I moved to Cornwall with my partner to study journalism, moved back to Essex recently to work.

I pen this blog post in the grip of the tendrils that I spoke of in my last post and I question my ability to write a legible article, but I consider telling the world about these experiences therapeutic.

The woman I lost is probably the most special person I've ever known. She has been there for me since the very beginning and has coached me through some of the toughest patches in my life. Being a journalist and coping with depression will be a completely new walk for me now that my emotional rock has disintegrated.

When we first moved, I was still finding anti-depressants that were right for me, chopping and changing such drugs can be distressing at best. She would always listen to me, understand when I was upset and help me to her best ability. She was absolutely magnificent and I'll never forget that hospitality which must have been exceedingly difficult to deal with.

There's no doubt in my mind that I would've returned home from Cornwall in the months following my move if she hadn't moved her entire life to be with me so that I could pursue a career. Back then I couldn't keep my mental health under control and the way I knew that she was the one for me was that she could pull me out of any dark hole.

How do I intend to cope with this new kettle of fish? I have no idea. I've never had to be in this situation without someone so close to confide in. I haven't had to deal with depression without having someone nearby who could make me feel better within minutes, for a very long time.

Sometimes, remembering some depression coping mechanisms that I laid out in my last post can be tough - almost impossible. It's hard when the answer we seek remains hidden behind the question. I will be sure to be mindful of the fact that eventually, I will be OK.

Remember to let your feelings out - bottling your emotions up will only increase the pressure you're putting on yourself. Don't be too proud to accept help - if there are people there for you, (parents, friends, etc) let them help you, it's likely that being in the depths of depression you will try and turn down offers of help without meaning it, make sure you are aware of what would make you feel better.

This article isn't a message to her or a cry for help - in fact I doubt she'll read this. What it is, is an invitation to anybody who struggles with depression to talk to me as little or as much as you like. My Twitter is at the bottom of this page and I'd be more than happy to speak to you. You could also email me at j.lewis@ibtimes.co.uk.

Remember, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, despite depression telling you the world has ended.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1125279 2011-12-02T08:47:11-05:00 2012-02-01T05:12:01-05:00

Jamie Lewis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lewis/
Outside influences that surround all of our lives that some can simply brush off, can often feel at times like permanent weights hooked into the flesh of those that suffer with depression. It's those outside influences that seem to be able to tip your metaphorical tap dancing tightrope walker one way or the other.

These influences can be anything, from a slight glitch in your home life which in normal circumstances could be powered through, to a mishap in the work place and range in severity from minor to crippling. The amount of time it lasts can be anything from an hour to a day; the trick, is knowing it won't last any longer than a day, because usually, it doesn't.

Rushden and Diamonds' keeper Dale Roberts and German international Robert Enke both took their own lives after publicly suffering with depression. This prompted the Professional Footballers' Association to send 4000 leaflets to players who may be dealing with their illness in silence.

Tragically, it took the death of the outfield footballer with the largest number of Premier League appearances Gary Speed, to push the PFA to expand its leaflet distribution to former players too.

Staying with depression in football, Gordon Taylor, Chief Executive of the PFA, summed it up perfectly: "Mental problems have to be treated with understanding."

"We want to do all we can to try to avoid another tragedy. We have decided to widen the booklet's circulation and let people know there is a support system out there for them," he said, giving further indication that awareness is on the rise.

If anything positive can come of the tragic deaths of those footballers, it's that people who may have little or no knowledge on the subject can finally begin to understand the depth of depression and the extent to which it can push people.

Although a huge number of men and women are gripped in the tendrils of depression - up to 4% of men and 5% of women according to Samaritans - it can still be a social faux pas for some. A factor of embarrassment can force people to suffer in silence, which in today's society shouldn't be occurring as regularly as it does.

Just hours before I was set to leave the newsroom to cover the November 30 protests, I found myself barely able to talk to any of my colleagues following an argument with my partner. An argument that should have been resolved in hours, if not minutes and it ended with devastating results. I couldn't think straight, I felt unwell, I didn't want to talk to anybody, I didn't want to report on the strikes, I didn't want to be anywhere near responsibility - but I got through it.

By the time I made it to Chancery Lane, I was fine. To be mindful of what is actually happening and to force yourself to look outside of the box that depression squeezes you into and realise it for what it is, is arguably as effective as prescribed medication.

I cope exceedingly well - these days, anyway - with my illness but I know it doesn't take a lot to lose the balance and send me in to a tunnel vision episode of depression: there's nothing to the left or right, I have to grit my teeth and bear it until I'm out.

It takes time to be proactively mindful of these coping mechanisms, I was diagnosed four years ago and was fortunate enough to have a relative that had been there before - I was lucky. It's still a huge problem for me, but I cope by telling myself that the black cloud lingering above my head will pass hopefully sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately for you, if you are a sufferer, nobody outside of our exclusive club comprehends what you're experiencing - some may even question the existence of your problem. Fortunately, it is something you learn to live with in time and in my case, a normal life can certainly ensue. ]]>