I am absolutely in shock and deeply saddened... We are still in London and so I thought I would get up early before Andy and Blake woke up to quickly post a few photos of some of the amazing meals we have been enjoying over here---but since I have been totally tuned out from the media, internet, TV, etc. since we arrived on Saturday, I havent been keeping up much with the outside world. So when I turned on my computer this morning the first thing that popped up on MSN news about the beloved actor, Robin Williams, was a total shock. Reading that Robin Williams has died at the age of 63 from an apparent suicide gave me the same pit in my stomach that I have gotten since August 2003 anytime I hear someone has lost their life to suicide. The MSN article stated that the actor had suffered severe depression lately along with years of substance abuse. Of course I did not know Robin Williams personally, but hearing that he took his own life really struck a sad and sorrowful chord with me as less than 2-weeks ago marks the 11th year of losing a dear friend of mine, AJ Cotsalas, also to suicide. Like me, AJ had multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that can change your brain in a way that causes severe depression--- even in the absence of other classic MS symptoms. In fact, the lifetime risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) in persons with MS is estimated to be 50% (Goldman Consensus Group, 2005), which is a much higher rate of depression than for other degenerative conditions. On a personal note, one of my earliest symptoms of MS was depression---and it was a major factor in why I decided to not take the disease-modifying MS medications from the beginning (the side-effects of the disease-modifying interferon medications I was offered back in 1998 were severe depression.) Sadly, about one month before AJ took his life in 2003 he was switched to a new MS drug (Rebif), which had a known side effect of suicidal ideation. I am bringing attention to all of this because depression is very real--it is not something you can just snap out of. And suicides really do happen. I am not going to try and play doctor and since Andy is still asleep he is not able to weigh in here at the moment, but we have talked about this subject extensively and we would just urge anyone who suffers from depression to make sure you are very upfront with your doctor about it ---I know there still seems to be a stigma associated with depression, but there really should be no more of a stigma with depression than there is for having a headache or any other medical condition. Sadly, statistics show about half of all cases of depression go undiagnosed and untreated, yet depression is the most treatable form of mental illness. It is also the most common form and affects millions of people worldwide. If you or someone you love has MS and suffers from depression, it is very important that you be aware of the side-effects of some of the powerful disease-modifying interferon medications and talk to your neurologist if you notice a worsening of your mood. Of course MS medications are not the only ones that can affect mood (even over-the-counter antihistamines or medications used to treat acne, such as Accutane) have been linked to depression. Also, from a lifestyle standpoint there are many things that can be done to help with mood (and they certainly wont hurt!) ----including following a nutrient-dense and anti-inflammatory diet (especially with adequate amounts of EPA/ DHA--at least 2,000 mg a day if you have a tendency toward mood disorders, Vitamin D, and the B-vitamins, especially B6 and folic acid.) You can get an overview of what an anti-inflammatory diet might look like with our Clean Cuisine food pyramid HERE: cleancuisineandmore/clean-cuisine-defined/ Also, exercise, acupuncture and many other lifestyle factors that are modifiable have been shown to help. But most important is to not ignore depression. For now, I will say a prayer for Robin Williams and his family, as well as for my friend AJ and his family and I will post the London food photos later.... ivy
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 09:18:21 +0000
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