Depression is the Number One Cause of Disability in the United States
By Charles
Donovan
According to the World Health Organization, 4 of the 10 leading causes
of disability in the United States and other developed countries are
mental disorders, including major depression, bipolar disorder, and
schizophrenia. Approximately 23% of American adults each year have a
diagnosable mental disorder and as many as 5.4% of American adults have a
serious mental illness.
Depression has received increased attention recently because of the
growing recognition of itsprevalence. Once misunderstood and stigmatized,
depression now is regarded as a biological condition. Management of
depressed patients increasingly involves healthcare professionals other than
psychiatrists. To assist these healthcare professionals, this article
provides a basic description of depression and describes currently available
pharmacotherapies for treating depression, including selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Neurostimulation is the next frontier in the treatment of chronic
depression. The FDA is expected to approve vagus nerve stimulation as a
treatment for chronic depression within the next thirty days. You can learn
more about this remarkable therapy at http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com
Vagus nerve stimulation is a ninety-minute out-patient procedure
performed by a surgeon. A prescription by your psychiatrist is required. The
vagus nerve stimulator is pacemaker-like device implanted in the patient's
upper left chest. One lead wire is tunneled underneath the skin and coiled
around the left vagus nerve in the neck. It is not related to brain surgery
or shock therapy and is more effective than ECT.
Charles Donovan was a patient in the FDA investigational trial for vagus
nerve stimulation and depression. He testified to the Panel at the Advisory
Meeting on June 15th. After 25 years of chronic depression, vagus nerve
stimulation completely cured his chronic depression. The author is so
grateful and humbled by this remarkable device. He is the founder of the
http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com web site.
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