Depression Information



LifeHealthInsurance.ca

The Patients Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression


INTRODUCTION

Everybody has a story. My story is the one I know best and can write about. It is not a memoir of chemical dependency or self-abuse. Those subjects have been written about many times. This is a story of my winning battle against depression and the vagus nerve stimulation treatment that saved my life by bringing me Out of the Black Hole. And, this is the first book to be published about winning the battle with a medical implant procedure called VNS Therapy?.


Personally, I don't believe the stigma associated with depression has changed one bit in the past century, so I was apprehensive about sharing my story. After all, I had spent the majority of my life hiding my depression from family, friends, and business associates--and now I was writing a tell-all book.


I wrote the main part of this book as if I were having a conversation with my closest friend who was looking for guidance with his or her debilitating chronic depression. I discuss the misery I experienced, the seemingly unending search for answers, the vagus nerve implant procedure itself, and my subsequent recovery from the grip of depression. The last part, the appendices, contains technical information about depression; the VNS Therapy System?; and Cyberonics, the manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator.
I hope my journey and the treatment I chose helps readers with their depression treatment plans; especially when they consider whether or not to undergo vagus nerve stimulation therapy. When I decided to participate in the investigational trial there wasn't any information available to me. I just signed an eleven-page consent agreement and hoped for the best.


On June 15, 2004, the FDA's Medical Device Advisory Panel recommended approval of vagus nerve stimulation as an adjunctive long-term treatment for chronic depression. Cyberonics, the manufacturer of the VNS Therapy System?, is in the process of providing the FDA additional information required for the FDA to render a final decision consistent with the Panel's recommendation. Currently VNS Therapy for the treatment of chronic depression is available in Canada and Europe.


I also wrote Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression for the loved ones of people who suffer from depression. When a patient reaches the severe, chronic level of this disease, often it is their family members who are making the medical decisions. At the other extreme, the family members may be in the dark about what is going on between the doctor and the patient, or they don't trust the information that they're receiving from their loved ones. One thing is for certain, the lack of knowledge about this disease and not knowing the best way to help and interact with the suffering loved one complicates everything.
.


I have been fortunate throughout my life because I have always had access to the best medical care available (for any illness), and I have a close and supportive family. I don't know how people survive severe depression if they don't have access to good doctors, the latest pharmaceutical drugs, psychologists, psychiatrists, and a strong support group. Many depressed patients have none of the above, yet they still endure. Their stories, in many ways, are more remarkable than mine.


Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote a book titledIt Takes a Village. It's about how we can shape our society into the kind of village that enables children to grow into able, caring, resilient adults; physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. If my family wrote a similar book about the past ten years of my life, it would be titled It Took Heaven and Earth. So, I've also written this book for them. Let's get started.


Visit www.VagusNerveStimulator.com for more information on the book.

Charles Donovan was a patient in the clinical trial for the investigation of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic depression.


MORE RESOURCES:

Intiman Theatre dusts off Depression-era 'Paradise Lost' — which speaks ...
Seattle Times
Intiman Theatre revives Clifford Odets' Depression-era "Paradise Lost" — and it couldn't be more timely. By Misha Berson Elise Karolina Hunt as Libby and ...

and more »


BBC News

GPs call for better treatment for depression sufferers
BBC News
Some 65% of doctors say they can "rarely" offer psychological therapy to depression sufferers within two months of referral, ...
GPs demand end to therapy delays for mentally ill childrenThe Guardian

all 4 news articles »


Melbourne fullback Billy Slater allegedly taunts Newcastle forward Cory ...
Herald Sun
Paterson was diagnosed with depression last year and missed a number of NRL games due to the illness. He reacted angrily to Slater's taunt, ...
Sorry Slater sledges PatersonSydney Morning Herald

all 5 news articles »


DailyFill.com

Angelina Jolie suffered from postpartum depression
Celebrities With Diseases
Angelina Jolie was said to be on the verge of postpartum depression after the birth of her twins, Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon, in September 2008. ...
How Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt survived postpartum depressionEntertainment and Showbiz!

all 46 news articles »


Depression-era art show was really one for the ages
Bloomington Pantagraph
... aesthetically and financially, of Bloomington, which like the country as a whole found itself mired in the decade-long Great Depression. ...



The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com

Ashley Fox: For Eagles, Shawn Andrews wasn't worth the trouble
Philadelphia Inquirer
But in 2008, Andrews skipped training camp, and later announced he was suffering from clinical depression. He played in the first two games in 2008, ...
Eagles cut former Pro Bowl OL Shawn AndrewsUSA Today
Les Bowen: Eagles break ties with Shawn AndrewsPhiladelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Eagles release Shawn AndrewsESPN
msnbc.com -ProFootballTalk -Delaware County Daily Times
all 148 news articles »


Unrealized educational dreams don't spell depression among adults
SINDH TODAY
Unrealized Educational Expectations and Symptoms of Depression,' was published in the American Sociological Review. (ANI)

and more »


WCU book review: Seek opportunities in a slow economy
Asheville Citizen-Times
Fortunately, the so-called “Great Recession” didn't turn into a second Great Depression. Some people have already popped the champagne corks to celebrate ...
Top performing SD companies weather stormy seasSan Diego Union Tribune

all 2 news articles »


Annette John-Hall: A prescription for depression: Openness | Philadelphia ...
Philadelphia Inquirer
These days, John and Patricia Gallagher can't talk enough about the depression and suicide that imploded their family. ...

and more »


Washington Post

(FED) Preserving a Central Role for Community Banking
Forex Hound
Communities all over America are trying to cope with the economic consequences of the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression--high ...
Bernanke Says Large Bank Bailouts 'Unconscionable,' Must EndBusinessWeek
Judges: Fed must release bailout loan recordsAustin American-Statesman

all 522 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006