Invisible.Desease

As a young girl of 10, Marilyn Shuler developed polio; a virus which has been virtually eliminated in the United States. However, in the 1940s and '50s, when Marilyn was a girl; polio was an epidemic, affecting thousands of children every summer. Polio was the AIDS of its day, with fear and misunderstanding about contagion. Not only was the disease physically crippling and potentially fatal, but it also carried a tremendous social stigma; mostly because it was associated with poverty.

The stigma was compounded by the forced quarantining of the entire family for three weeks once polio was diagnosed in any member of the household.
The social isolation gave Marilyn empathy with others who; because of the color of their skin, their religion, or other disabilities; were also seen in an unfair way.

"I couldn't go to school because of the stairs; I couldn't climb them.” The lowest point, she says, was when she fell in a class and the teacher refused to help her up.

"If I'm on a scooter, having a hard time, people are courteous because it's very obvious I need help. But I wonder what it would be like if I had a mental disability? I could have walked in, feeling like committing suicide, and no one would know because it's so hidden. It isn't as easy to be of assistance."

So many of us suffer from an ‘invisible disability’. The people around us would be happy to help us but they can’t see the thoughts of suicide that run constantly thru our minds. Those that have been told that such things are happening to others just can’t believe people could think those kind thoughts. Many of us suffer from the ‘polio’ of our day. It is our duty to educate both ourselves and those around us.


http://australianscreen.com.au/titles/homes-for-crippled-children/clip3/

http://microbiology.columbia.edu/PICO/Chapters/History.html

My Life - My Joy

I married a sweet, innocent girl 39 years ago and she married depression. She has stood by me these many, many years. She’s been my comfort and the rock I've clung to for almost as long as I can remember. I would gladly lay down my life for her

She has never read my blog so she will never see this. I have a few friends out there and I want them to know how I feel about my life partner. She’s the reason I want to live. I love her

I'LL GO TO MY GRAVE LOVING YOU
(written by Don Reid)
The Statler Brothers - 1975


I'll go to my grave
Loving you
I'd give all I've saved
Loving you
And when I live again
Even then, it won't end
For I'll go to my grave
Loving you

Oh to stay this way forever
There's nothing I wouldn't give
I'll prove to you daily what a man really is

I'll lay down my life
Loving you
I'd work day & night
Loving you
And when God calls us both above
Honey you'll know that you've been loved
For I'll go to my grave
Loving you
I love you Sherry

The Healing Pulse

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is a treatment for certain types of major depression. VNS uses an implanted stimulator that sends electric impulses to the left vagus nerve in the neck thru a lead wire implanted under the skin.

VNS Therapy has been shown to significantly enhance the quality of life. Benefits include increased energy, improved relationships with friends and family members, and better ability to function at work and in daily activities. VNS Therapy has been shown to succeed when other antidepressant treatments have not worked or have stopped working. The effectiveness of VNS Therapy improves over time and lasts long term.

VNS Therapy is delivered by a small device that is implanted in the left chest, just under the skin much like a pacemaker. From there, electrical leads are connected through a second incision to the left vagus nerve in the neck. This whole procedure takes about an hour. It's typically done as an outpatient basis.
VNS delivers a small amount of electrical current to the left vagus nerve. The electrical impulses are thought to desynchronize the abnormal electrical brain activity.

http://www.mcchildrenshospital.net/programs-and-specialties/neurosciences/epilepsy-center/vagus-nerve-stimulation
http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/gesu_03/gesu_03_00474.html
http://www.articlealley.com/article_165537_17.html

The Very Idea

I was going to write about suicidal ideation but my wife said what I wrote was too morbid. She also said it might give others an excuse too do something that can not be undone. I'd appreciate some feedback. Should I or would I do damage to others? If there's a chance I might hurt someone, I won't do it.

The Lighter Side

I just want to lighten the mood a bit. I've been getting depressed writing this blog. I saw something like this on Nether Region of Earth ll
I've been keeping a list of my own for some time now. If you're my age...60 going on 16 you may find some humor in this list. I hope so. Have fun

I Remember:

1. "Only The Shadow Knows"
2. 15 Cent McDonald Hamburgers
3. 25 Cent A Gallon Gasoline
4. 45 Rpm Records
5. 5 Cent Packs Of Baseball Cards - With A Pink Slab Of Bubble Gum
6. 78 Rpm Records!
7. A Seam In Women’s Hose
8. Alaska And Hawaii Becoming States
9. American Bandstand
10. Armstrong Stepping Onto The Moon
11. Baseball Cards In The Spokes Of A Bicycle
12. Blackjack, Clove, Tutti-Frutti And Teaberry Chewing Gum
13. Pop Bottle Openers
14. Burning Our Trash In The Back Yard
15. Candy Cigarettes
16. Charles Atlas Course,
17. Cigar Bands For Rings
18. Clotheslines
19. Coffee Shops With Tableside Jukeboxes
20. Cooties
21. Cork Pop Guns
22. Duck-Tail Hair
23. Erector Sets
24. Flat Tops,
25. Fly Paper,
26. Going Steady
27. Green Stamps
28. Having A Weapon In School Meant Being Caught With A Slingshot
29. Hi-Fi's
30. Hula Hoops first came out
31. Home Milk Delivery In Glass Bottles With Cardboard Stoppers
32. Home-Made Ice Cream
33. Howdy Doody,
34. Hula Hoops
35. Indian Burn
36. James Dean
37. Lincoln Logs
38. Lost In Space
39. Loud Mufflers
40. Metal Ice Cube Trays With Levers
41. Moon Hubcaps
42. My Three Sons
43. Newsreels Before The Movie
44. Oly-Oly-Axen-Free Free Free
45. One Bathroom Homes
46. Our First TV Set
47. P F Fliers
48. Party Lines
49. Pedal Pushers
50. Penny Candy
51. Penny Loafers
52. Window Air Conditioners
53. Petticoats
54. Rin Tin Tin
55. Roller-Skate Keys
56. Rotary Dial Telephones
57. Roy Rogers
58. Sadie Hawkin’s Dance
59. Sock Hops,
60. Soda Pop Machines That Dispensed Glass Bottles
61. Stick Shifts
62. Studebakers
63. Swamp Coolers
64. 'Swats' In School
65. Steel Taps On Your Shoes
66. Telephone Numbers With A Word Prefix...(Raymond 4-6011).
67. The Hit Parade
68. The Kennedy Assassination
69. The Nelsons
70. The Outhouse At Grandma’s
71. The Worst Embarrassment Was Being Picked Last For A Team
72. Walking To School In The Rain
73. Washtub Wringers
74. Wax Coke-Shaped Bottles With Colored Sugar Water Inside

Visual Depression

I found this while surfing the web. I can't read the author's name but I find his/her work moving.

Alive Outside - Dead Inside

As you can see: I have a lot of dead-looking trees on my site. They are called Bristlecone Pines and are the oldest trees (oldest living things) in the world. They appear to be dead but are very much alive.
History books generally point to 2550 B.C. as the approximate date when the pyramid of Giza was under construction
To help you realize just how old today's Bristlecones are, some of theses ancient trees were taking root when the pyramids were being built.
One of the oldest still alive, called Methuselah, has been dated at 4,775 years. Methuselah was some 3,000 years old when Jesus walked the earth.
They appear dead on the outside but are alive on the inside. A depressed person is just the opposite. We appear to be quite alive on the outside but are dead within.

The Tragedy of Depression

I have decided to take the seven symptoms of depression 'mixed states' that I suffered 'and still feel', and write about them. I'm not going to 'teach' depression but I'm going to 'talk' depression. Some of you will be offended and I apologize in advance for that but I feel the the only way to:
1 obtain the catharsis I need
2 give someone who suffers like me some help
3 enable 'normal' people to understand that depression is a real disease and we can't help the way we feel
When I build up the courage

The Loneliness of Depression

1. Agitation - emotional state of excitement or restlessness
2. Anxiety - painful or uneasiness of mind
3. Fatigue - weariness from bodily or mental exertion
4. Guilt - a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense,
wrong real or imagined
5. Irritability - easily irritated or annoyed; readily excited to
impatience or anger.
6. Suicidal ideation - thoughts about suicide, which may be as
detailed as a formulated plan, without the suicidal act itself
7. Rage - violent anger….a fit of violent anger

Agitation
I just can’t sit still.
I leave my office and go down to the assembly line. My hands sweat. Sweat runs down my sides. Everything is going okay…. except my leadman John is piling up way too many rejects. I’m going to have to pull someone off the line and have them repair the pumps on downtime. That will come right out of my budget and I have to account for every penny. I turn to Karen at the sub-assembly bench.
“Can I have a cigarette?”
‘I thought you quit smoking.”
“Just one…..come on Karen.”
“Okay but you were up to a pack a day and I thought you were doing so good”
“Just this one, okay?”
“That’s what you said an hour ago.”
“Come on…..just one more”
The nicotine hits my system and I feel a bit of respite.
Karen looks at me.
“Everything is going smooth Darrel; you don’t have anything to worry about.”
How does she know? Can she feel the terror I feel? How can she tell that I’m screaming inside? Can she really see my fear?
“Darrel, its okay.”
I turn and walk away before I break down and cry in front of her. I know she can see into my soul and that frightens me even more. I’ve got to get away from Karen lest all the fear come gushing out.
From ten feet away I glance back at her to see a quizzical/hurt look on her face. She knows and cares but I can’t let myself break the shell. My shell protects me.
My shell.

Desired Things

"Desiderata"

(Latin for "desired things") is an inspirational prose poem about attaining happiness in life. It was first copyrighted in 1927 by Max Ehrmann.

Some of you may not have read it. Please do…and find what peace there may be in the words of this now immortal poem.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

And remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender,

Be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others -

Even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons - they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter,

For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career -

However humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,

For the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is.

Many persons strive for high ideals,

And everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially do not feign affection, neither be cynical about love.

For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

It is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the council of the years,

Gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune,

But do not distress yourself with imaginings -

Many fears are borne of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe.

No less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

In the noisy confusion of life,

Keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

It is still a beautiful world.

Be careful. Strive to be happy.

http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm

Transmitters & Receptors

1. A neuron sends a transmitter across the synapse (gap
between neurons) and
2. The next neuron receives it thru a receptor on its surface. When
a matching neurotransmitter and receptor come into contact with each
other, the neurotransmitter locks into the receptor.
3. The receptor then becomes activated.
4. When there are no neurotransmitter molecules around to unlock
the receptors, the receptors remain in a closed or inactive state
5. Free floating neurotransmitters are taken back up by the neuron
that originally released them. This is called reuptake.

SSRIs inhibit (or reduce) the action of reuptake so that there is more serotonin in the synapse

It has been found that there is an association between depression and three
main neurotransmitters:
1. Serotonin,
2. Norepinephrine
3. Dopamine

These three neurotransmitters function within the brain and regulate
emotions
1. Reactions to stress
2. Physical drives of
a. sleep
b. appetite
c. sexuality.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cdhb.govt.nz/totara/images/brain.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cdhb.govt.nz/totara/brain.htm&h=498&w=492&sz=51&tbnid=dUlWfxcKiTC8DM::&tbnh=130&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bof%2Bneurotransmitter&hl=en&usg=__xKshuJswgiNm1VWVvPaGxmRBHzk=&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image&cd=1

http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/morris5/medialib/psychplace/synapse/intro.html

Types of Depression

The reason many people do not seek help for depression is that they simply do not recognize the symptoms. Listed below are eleven more types of depression. Let me know if I’ve missed any and I’ll be glad to include them.

1) Major Depressive Disorder See below

2) Dysthymic Disorder See below

3) Manic Depression See below

4) Mixed States See below

5) Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – A type of depressive disorder which is characterized by episodes of major depression which reoccur at a specific time of the year (e.g. fall, winter). In the past two years, depressive periods occur at least two times without any episodes that occur at a different time.

6) Post Partum Depression – Major depressive episode that occurs after having a baby. Depressive symptoms usually begin within four weeks of giving birth and can vary in intensity and duration.

7) Atypical Depression (Sub-type of Major Depression or Dysthymia) - Characterized by a temporary improvement in mood in reaction to positive events and two (or more) of the following:
• Increase or decrease in appetite
• Over sleeping
• Heavy feeling in arms or legs
• Long standing pattern of sensitivity to rejection

8) Chronic Depression – Major depressive episode that lasts for at least two years.

9) Double Depression – Someone who has Dysthymia (chronic mild depression) and also experiences a major depressive episode (more severe depressive symptoms lasting at least two weeks).

10) Endogenous Depression – Endogenous means from within the body. This type of depression is defined as feeling depressed for no apparent reason.

11) Situational Depression or Reactive Depression (also known as Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood) – Depressive symptoms developing in response to a specific stressful situation or event (e.g. job loss, relationship ending). These symptoms occur within 3 months of the stressor and lasts no longer than 6 months after the stressor (or its consequences) has ended. Depression symptoms cause significant distress or impairs usual functioning (e.g. relationships, work, school) and do not meet the criteria for major depressive disorder.

12) Agitated Depression – Kind of major depressive disorder which is characterized by agitation such as physical and emotional restlessness, irritability and insomnia, which is the opposite of many depressed individuals who have low energy and feel slowed down physically and mentally.

13) Psychotic Depression – Major depressive episode with psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations (e.g. hearing voices), delusions (false beliefs).

14) Melancholic Depression (Sub-type of Major Depressive Disorder) - Main features of this kind of depression include either a loss of pleasure in virtually all activities or mood does not temporarily improve in response to a positive event. Also, three (or more) of the following are present:
• Depressed mood that has a distinct quality (e.g. different from
feeling depressed when grieving)
• Depression is consistently worse in the morning
• Waking up earlier than usual (at least 2 hours)
• Noticeable excessive movement or slowing down
• Significant decrease in appetite or weight loss
• Feeling excessive or inappropriate guilt

15) Catatonic Depression -
(Sub-type of Major Depressive Disorder) – This type of depression is
characterized by at least two of the following:
• Loss of voluntary movement and inability to react to one's environment
• Excessive movement (purposeless and not in response to one's environment)
• Extreme resistance to instructions/suggestions or unable/unwilling to speak
• Odd or inappropriate voluntary movements or postures (e.g.
repetitive movements, bizarre mannerisms or facial expressions)
• Involuntarily repeating someone’s words or movements in a meaningless way

http://www.depression-help-resource.com/types-of-depression.htm
http://www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/_misc/complete_tables.htm
http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/depression_types.html

Symtoms of Depression

1. Agitation
2. Anxiety
3. Fatigue
4. Guilt
5. Impulsiveness
6. Irritability
7. Suicidal ideation
8. Panic
9. Paranoia
10. Pressured speech
11. Rage

Aside from
• Pressured Speech (rapid, loud and difficult-to-interrupt speech)
-- I don’t talk loud or fast (well maybe when Sherry and I are having
a ‘discussion’. During times such as these I find she understands
me better if I just ‘speak a little louder’) lol
• Paranoia
-- For some reason I’ve always just assumed everybody liked me – not
everybody, I guess, but that’s their problem
• Panic
-- Anxious? yes but panic? nah

I look at that list of eight horrible, terrible traits I know that was me. It’s hard to believe that was really me.
What I find puzzling is that most people in the ‘depression blog’ seem to be in pretty good spirits. Is it that blogging is therapeutic or are folks not really able to blog ‘unless’ their depression is under control?
I will continue to explore now that I can kind of (I hope forever) look at depression objectively.

Personal Depression

After over 30 years of doctors, psychiatrists, and therapists I was diagnosed with Mixed States. I was put on Lithium, Equatro, and Thyroid. It took about 3 months but almost miraculously I actually began to feel better. It was as though I were tentatively finding my way out of a long dark tunnel. At first the light was so intense that I really couldn’t bear it. I retreated back into the tunnel where I was ‘comfortable’.
After seeing improvement then retreat, my wife almost threw up her hands, but I guess she figured she had so much invested that she may as well hang in there a little longer.
I’ve been on my new medications for about one and a half years. I’m not completely out of the tunnel though. My doctor still has to tweak my meds by changing dosages and adding things like folic acid and Co Enzyme Q-10.
The biggest problem I face now is how do I overcome the personal quirks that depression has forced on me over the last 30 years?
For example; my temperament is that of an easy-going, fun-loving person, but the rage in my depression has driven my wife away from me. When she would isolate, then, of course, I would too. How do I change this emotionless shell I’ve built around myself? I’m trying to be the man God meant me to be but I just don’t know how to change. Can anybody help me? I just need some advice.

Test For Depression

Here's a real short test that will confirm what you already know. It's linked to the National Institute of Mental Health which has some very good stuff

http://www.med.nyu.edu/psych/screens/depres.html

Personal Depression

I wander thru the darkened corridors of my mind. Ominous clouds roil above me. Lightening races across a leaden sky, followed by the voice of an angry God.
I place my hand against the wall. It comes away wet and cold.
I press on. Others have told me there is a place of warmth and beauty; a place that is always rich and bright.
Ahead I see a doorway. Hope gives rise to urgency. I hurry forward
and turn the corner only to see a canyon deep and dark. I drop to my knees as my soul cries bitter tears.
I raise my face to heaven and cry, “Why me Lord? Why me?”

Types of Depression

There are several different types of depression. They are distinguished by the length and severity of symptoms. Most of these are found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), an American Psychiatric Association publication which describes psychiatric disorders.


1) Major Depressive Disorder (296.02-.36) (also known as Major Depression, Clinical Depression) – A major depressive episode occurs with symptoms that last for most of the day, nearly every day for at least two weeks. A symptom must either be
1) Depressed mood or
2) A noticeable decrease in interest or pleasure in most activities.
3) At least four additional symptoms are present:
• decrease or increase in eating
• difficulty sleeping or increase in sleeping
• fatigue or loss of energy
• feeling worthless or excessively guilty
• difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• repeatedly thinking about death or suicide, trying to attempt suicide or having a specific plan to commit suicide
• excessive movement or slowing down associated with mental tension (observed by others)

2) Dysthymic Disorder (300.40) (or also referred to as Chronic) – Nearly constant depressed mood for at least 2 years accompanied by at least two of the following:
• decrease or increase in eating
• difficulty sleeping or increase in sleeping
• fatigue or loss of energy
• feeling worthless or excessively guilty
• difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• feeling hopeless
Symptoms do not occur for more than two months at a time. Generally, this type has persistent but less severe depressive symptoms than Major Depression.

3) Manic Depression (296.20-36) (now known as Bipolar Disorder) – This kind of depression includes periods of mania and depression. Cycling between these two states can be rapid or only mania can be present. A manic episode consists of a persistent elevated or irritable mood that is extreme, which lasts for at least one week. At least three (four if only irritable mood) other features are also present:
• Inflated self-esteem or self-importance
• Decreased need for sleep
• More talkative than usual or compelled to keep talking
• Experiencing racing thoughts or ideas
• Easily distracted
• Increase in goal-oriented activity (social, work, school, sexual)
• Excessive involvement in potentially risky pleasurable behavior (e.g. over spending, careless sexual activity, unwise business investments)
Symptoms can be severe enough to warrant hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others or may include hallucinations, delusions.

4) Mixed States (296.06-.80) is a condition during which symptoms of mania or hypomania (lower than mania) and symptoms of depression occur simultaneously. During a mixed episode, the person may experience
• Impulsiveness
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Flights of ideas
• Suicidal thoughts
• Guilt
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Changes in appetite
These are common during depressive episodes. Mixed episodes can be incredibly distressing to the individual. It can lead to panic attacks, substance abuse, and suicide.

As mentioned earlier, I suffer from Mixed States. I manifest everyone of the symptoms. When I get a little more courage, I’ll share some of my experiences.

http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/dsm4a.html
http://www.depression-help-resource.com/types-of-depression.htm

Symtoms of Depression

Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It's more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. If you are one of the more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life.

To meet criteria for depression, five or more of these symptoms must be present for more than 2 weeks:

• Ongoing sad, anxious or empty feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Feeling irritable or restless
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies that were once
enjoyable, including sex
• Feeling tired all the time
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, or difficulty
making decisions
• Not able to go to sleep or stay asleep (insomnia); may wake in the
middle of the night, or sleep all the time
• Overeating or loss of appetite
• Thoughts of suicide or making suicide attempts
• Ongoing aches and pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that
do not go away.


This website contains a great tutorial that is well worth watching

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/depression/htm/_no_50_no_0.htm




http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-easy-to-read.shtml
http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Depression/definition.asp
http://www.indepression.com/

Hope For Depression

Hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem

Hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem has been a part of London since 1247, first as a priory for the sisters and brothers of the Order of the Star of Bethlehem. In 1330 it is mentioned as a hospital, and it admitted the mentally ill from 1377 though by1403 there were only nine inmates.

Early sixteenth century maps show Bethlehem as a courtyard with a few stone buildings, a church and a garden. Conditions were consistently dreadful, and the care amounted to little more than restraint. There were 31 patients and the noise was "so hideous, so great; that they are more able to drive a man that hath his wits rather out of them"'. Violent or dangerous patients were manacled and chained to the floor or wall. Some were allowed to leave, and licensed to beg. In 1598 an inspection showed neglect; the cesspool badly needed emptying, and the kitchen drains needed replacing. There were 20 patients there, one of whom had been there in excess of 25 years.

Between 1728 and 1852, Bethlehem's physicians all came from the Monro family -- James, John, Thomas and Edward Thomas They brought in a few therapeutic innovations -- cold and hot baths for instance -- but Bethlehem’s mainstays were the familiar purgatives (induced diarrhea) and emetics (induced vomiting), with a routine spring bloodletting using leeches, and manacles for the troublesome.
When Bethlehem was visited in 1814 by Edward Wakefield, he was shocked on encountering one patient.

James Norris:
A stout iron ring was riveted round his neck, from which a short chain passed through a ring made to slide upwards and downwards on an upright massive iron bar, more than six feet high, inserted into the wall. Round his body a strong iron bar about 12 inches wide was riveted; on each side of the bar was a ring; which was fashioned to and enclosed each of his arms, pinioned them close to his sides.
James Norris had been thus immobilized for twelve years.

Bethlehem Hospital became famous and infamous for the brutal ill-treatment meted out to the insane. In the 18th century people used to go there to see the lunatics. For a penny one could peer into their cells, view the freaks of the "show of Bethlehem" and laugh at their antics, generally of a sexual nature or violent fights. Entry was free on the first Tuesday of the month. Visitors were permitted to bring long sticks with which to poke and enrage the inmates. In 1814, there were 96,000 such visits, approximately 260 per day.
Let me tell a story that very well may have taken place in the 19th century
A man has a beloved son who often throws himself to the ground writhing and foaming at the mouth. The man takes his son to the local priest hoping against hope that something could be done. Didn’t Jesus Himself cast demons from a boy in a similar situation?

The priest prayers for days and performs exorcisms to no available.
The man, sadly, turns to Bethlehem as the only place to shelter his son.
The young man, perhaps named James Norris, spends the next twelve years as described above; sitting in his own feces with nothing to look forward to but the weekly visits of the town-folk with the their sticks and their jeers.
Today we have medications that allow epileptics to lead relativity normal lives. We know so much more about brain chemicals that James Norris would never have had to suffer as he did.

In a few years the average person will realize that depression is not “the blues” or just plain old “laziness” but a chemical imbalance that can be corrected
The name of the hospital was later shortened to “Bedlam”. Bedlam now means a place, scene, or state of uproar and confusion.

http://instruct.uwo.ca/english/234e/site/bckgrnds/maps/lndnmpbedlam.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=3EEOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA29&lpg=PA29&dq=st+mary+bethlehem+hospital&source=web&ots=gTc9iMfXh1&sig=G-HZBAFCOewAOa0ewtphOWLkRj4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result

What to Say to a Depressed Person

REMEMBER – YOU CAN”T FIX DEPRESSION!!

1. "I love you!"
2. "I care"
3. "You're not alone in this"
4. "I'm not going to leave/abandon you"
5. "Do you want a hug?"
6. "I love you (if you mean it)."
7. "It will pass, we can ride it out together."
8. "When all this is over, I'll still be here (if you mean it) and so will you."
9. "Let me hold your hand and listen while you cry."
10. "All I want to do do is give you a hug and a shoulder to cry on.."
11. "Hey, you're not crazy!"
12. "God does not play dice with the universe." --A. Einstein
13. "We are not on earth to see through one another, but to see one
another through" –
14. "If the human brain were simple enough to understand, we'd be too simple
to understand it." --a co-developer of Prozac, quoted from "Listening
to Prozac"
15. "You have so many extraordinary gifts; how can you expect to live
an ordinary life?"
16. "I understand your pain and I empathize."
17. "I'm sorry you're in so much pain. I am not going to leave you.
I am going to take care of myself so you don't need to worry that your
pain might
hurt me."
18. "I listen to you talk about it, and I can't imagine what it's like for you.
I just can't imagine how hard it must be."
19. "I can't really fully understand what you are feeling, but I can offer
my compassion."
20. "You are important to me."
21. "If you need a friend..... (and mean it)"