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crappy hour
Posts Tagged “
Depression
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crappy hour
duh studies
"Nerd Girls" Learn To Abandon Risky Sex, Cutting For "Empowerment," Education, And I Am Really Happy For Them
For some reason I just read a story called Self-Cutting Linked To Risky Teen Sex. Okay, so I hate myself for actually reading such a story, since I was really only reading it for the purpose of reveling in how much I hate myself, which is fairly easy since I can't even get it up to make a joke along the lines of "Oh! Cutters and their bareback sex! What'll they take up next, coke and bulimia?" (You see the problem.) But no, I even went and bothered figuring out who we can thank for this breakthrough. Some research center underwritten by the toy industry, apparently. And here I am, trying to carve a post out of this crap when I would rather find a knife. Wouldn't it be cool if vibrators had fold out knives for cutters? Cool, but also scary, obviously? And the worst part is I'm reading about this cool new class of empowered "Nerdettes" that supposedly exists, and embraces its differences and enrolls in engineering classes, obligatory Tina Fey reference even though Tina Fey has fuckall to do with engineering but okay. More »
Oldies But Goodies
Check out this vintage Anacin ad, which promises "a special 'mood-lifter' or energizer" to go with your aspirin. That depression-reducing agent? Caffeine. Why pay a therapist when the two things you use to cure hangovers will also cure the depression that caused you to drink in the first place? (Click the picture to read the ad in all its glory). [Modern Mechanix]
Church & Chong
It seems like almost every major religion in the world burns incense during religious practices and it turns out there may be a reason: it gets you totally stoned. Well, sort of. A chemical given off from burning frankincense can alleviate anxiety and depression, or, in the words of one doctor, it can "make you feel warm and tingly all over!" Right, well, we'll say this: Religion + "warm and tingly" is not an image we have any interest in further contemplating. [Science Daily]
leftovers
Justine Henin Retires • Basket-Weaving Brings Women Together
Justine Henin, the # 1-ranked tennis player in the world, is retiring at 25. The battling Belgian is going out on top! • In other sports news, Kashmiri girls are beginning to play soccer more and more. An under-19 tournament will be held in Kargil next month. • A new study has shown that obese adults are twice as likely to suffer from depression (among other mental illnesses) as adults of normal weight. • Nutritionists have found that dairy intake does not necessarily promote weight loss, despite what certain marketing messages would like to have us believe. .• Chemicals called pyrethrins, found in pet shampoos and insecticides, may cause autism in unborn and very young children. • Rwandan women are weaving "peace" baskets to be sold at Macy's; one of the weavers, Iphigenia Mukantabana, a Tutsi, works alongside Epiphania Mukanyndwi, a Hutu — whose husband helped kill Iphigenia's entire family. • A new dating site called RocknRollDating.com pairs people off by musical preference. • The makers of "the original fitness skirt," SkirtSports, are sponsoring the SkirtChaser Race Series in which women wearing skirts are chased by men. • Women working in hard sciences find that it still has an "old boys club" atmosphere, according to a new report from the National Science Foundation. Fifty-two percent drop out of these fields between ages 35 and 40.
girls, interrupted
More Than One In Ten Teen Girls Will Suffer From Depression
Almost 13% of teenage girls have experienced a bout of serious depression in the past year, according to a new federal study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. There is a marked difference among genders when it comes to depression, Reuters reports, as only 4.6% of boys reported a major depressive episode in the past 12 months (though the disparity might be because this survey was self-reported, and lots of boys are unwilling to admit their unhappiness). For the purposes of the survey, a "major depressive episode" is defined as "two weeks or longer of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure, and at least four other symptoms such as problems with sleep, energy, concentration or self-image." More »
what it feels like for a girl
Are Men Less Likely To Be Depressed Because They Don't Even Know What It Is?
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has announced that while 18 million Americans experience depression every year, one in eight women get depressed, which is twice the rate of depression in men. Twice the rate. In addition, depression hits minorities the most: Middle-aged Hispanic women have the highest rate, then middle-aged African-American women. Young Asian-American women have the second highest rate of suicide among those ages 15 to 24. There are many reasons that women are more likely to experience depression: In addition to genetic factors, brain chemistry issues, and psychosocial losses or changes, there are things that women have to deal with that men usually do not. "Some experiences are unique to women," Dr. Ken Duckworth of the NAMI says, "including post-partum changes, infertility and hormonal fluctuations throughout their lives." But one has to wonder: Do men even realize what depression is? More »
Prozac Nations
According to a new study from Down Under, men are more likely to discriminate against the depressed than women are. The research, conducted at Australian National University and the University of Melbourne, showed that along with men, less educated people and migrants were more likely to attach a "stigma" to depression, according to Reuters. The stigma of depression is so strong for some of the Australian population that 20% would "refuse" to work with someone they knew was depressed. These statistics are...depressing. [Reuters]
Loose Lips
Gwyneth Paltrow is speaking out about her postpartum depression. You start to feel sympathy for her, but then you read things like this: "She suspects her depression stemmed from scaling back on her usual pre-baby treatments like acupuncture." • Here's a sneak peak at Christian Siriano on Ugly Betty. Cute! [Us, People]
fetal positions
Forget Boner-Killing Bloody Vaginas: Childbirth Can Make Men Mentally-Ill
"Why Men Should NEVER Be At The Birth Of Their Child" blares the headline in today's Daily Mail. But if you assume that the accompanying story immediately launches into an appeal for a return to "modesty" and warnings about how witnessing childbirth can kill a man's libido, you'd be wrong. (That crops up in the third part of the piece!) Nope, Reason No. 1 that men should be banished to birthing ward waiting areas is that their pregnant partners can't multitask. "A labouring woman needs to be protected against any stimulation of the thinking part of her brain - the neocortex - for labour to proceed with any degree of ease," writes Ob/Gyn Michel Odent, who is said to have presided over some 50,000 births. "A woman in labour needs to be in a private world where she doesn't have to think or talk. Yet, motivated by a desire to 'share the experience', the man asks questions and offers words of reassurance and advice." The other bad thing about inviting big boys in the birthing room? Witnessing such a thing can make them mentally-ill. More »
Will the impending recession be bad for our vaginas? According to bestselling author and Oprah regular Michele Weiner Davis, a man's self-esteem can affect his sex drive, and downsizing companies can mean downsized weens. "With the economy being what it is, companies are being downsized and men are losing their jobs. Women really do not understand the full impact it has on men's self-esteem when they are let go from their positions. Obviously the last thing they would be interested in is making love." [Time]
jezenomics
Tiffany Sales Could Save The Economy, But It's Probably Too Late For "Gross National Happiness"
Do you spend a lot of time thinking about the Gross Domestic Product? You might be tempted to say "no," and scroll down hoping for the next picture of Shiloh Jolie-PItt, but the fact is that you will probably vote in November, and probably for the candidate you most trust to stave off this "recession" and the definition of recession is two consecutive quarters of a contraction in the Gross Domestic Product, which is to say, the aggregate sum of all the goods and services purchased in America, and that is why I am here to tell you that the Gross Domestic Product is kind of a fraud. I say this because I have been watching CNBC, the business news network, for the past several hours and in the midst of a financial crisis that is supposed to be shaking American capitalism at its foundation they have spent a preposterously inordinate amount of time on an unexpectedly positive earnings forecast from Tiffany.More »
fucked up
Not Having Sex? You Must Be Happy!
Depressed women — whether single or in a relationship — have a third more sex than happier women, or so says a new study from Australia. According to Dr. Sabura Allen, women suffering from mild to moderate depression not only have sex more frequently, but are more likely to engage in casual sex and have a larger variety of sexual experiences. Allen hypothesizes that these women are looking for closeness and security through sex. Bullshit! By saying that happier women don't have sex that often, the study implies that women not seeking frequent sexual satisfaction are the norm. It also assumes that women only go after sex on a consistent basis because they are searching for something beyond simply having a good time, thereby supporting outdated stereotypes about women and sexuality. I can say here and now that by boning as much as I am physically able to, the only void I'm trying to fill is the one between my legs. More »
born rich
Should Depressed Little Rich Girl Just Give It Up And Go On Prozac Already?
Hey guys, you can get out the machetes! It's a poor little rich girl, and she's writing in to a British advice column because she thinks her trust fund ruined her life. "I think it's good for me to be employed but... there is no motivation for me to stick anything out," Francesca writes the Telegraph's Lesley Garner. Francesca is 26, rich, depressed, disillusioned, dilletantish, and anxiety-plagued, but she doesn't want to go on antidepressants because she doesn't "want to surrender ownership of my emotions to some pharmaceutical company." (And isn't that just the bitch that is capitalism? It's much more fun to usher a pharmaceutical company to colossal riches on the backs of popular mood-altering drugs and sugar substitutes...but how to cope once you not only have access to all that dough and all you can think to look at it was, "Wow, that was a really worthwhile endeavor for society, amassing a multibillion dollar fortune convincing 30 million Americans they need depression meds for the rest of their lives." Whatevs.) More »
prozac nations
In Post-Industrial Society, Women Are Either "Princess Crazy" Or Her Handmaidens
How many times has a dude accused you of being "crazy" when you think you're being perfectly rational? Well there's a new book out by Paris-born writer Lisa Appignanesi, Mad, Bad and Sad: A History of Women and the Mind Doctors from 1800, which argues that women's so-called madness has been gerrymandered by shifting definitions that often equate craziness and "feminine" behavior. In a review of Mad, Bad and Sad, Telegraph scribe Melanie McGrath says that, "Our current expectations to be made, as one advocate of Prozac puts it, 'better than well', along with ever-expanding definitions of what constitutes mental illness, have served to turn us all, if not into Princesses of Crazy then into her handmaidens." More »
Shocking yet true, body mass index isn't always the best indicator of a person's physical and mental health. But know what is? Asking a person if he or she thinks she should weigh less. The desire to drop pounds due to "social constructs that surround ideal body types", it turns out, is a pretty good indicator of compromised health, reports a study coming out of Columbia University. Says Peter Muennig, assistant professor of Health Policy and Management, "Younger persons, Whites, and women are disproportionately affected by negative body image concerns, and these groups unduly suffer from BMI-associated morbidity and mortality." [Science Daily]
Good news and bad news! Sales of boxed macaroni and cheese are up, reports UPI. Good news because, yum, mac and cheese is delicious comfort food, whether it is authentic or from a box. The bad news? This may be a clear indication that this country is headed toward financial ruin and we're trying to soothe our souls with pasty carbs. Kraft introduced mac and cheese in 1937 — the era known as The Great Depression. Related: So. Hungry. Right. Now. [UPI]
foreign affairs
