From the first moment my wife discovered
she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even
ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have
received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than
mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started
this blog…
Every month, I’ll be highlighting breast
cancer research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites,
journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and
share them with you. Today: http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/venlafaxine-oral-route/description/drg-20067379
“Venlafaxine is used to treat depression. It is also used
to treat general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.”
It seems logical to me that anyone who has faced a
life-threatening, long-term, life-changing, potentially debilitating disease
might have something to be depressed about.
As a high school counselor who deals with students who
are under regular treatment for depression, I am familiar with the regimen of
both diagnosis and treatment of depression. I am also familiar with the stigma
of both depression and the treatment of depression.
You would think that since “Major depressive disorder is
one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. Each year about 7%
of U.S adults experience major depressive disorder” that there would be a
general acceptance that it is an issue in this society.
But among breast cancer survivors, “...who had survived
at least 2 years after a cancer diagnosis [and] were considered long-term survivors…researchers
found that depression was about 14% more common [and] anxiety was about 29%
more common in long-term survivors compared to undiagnosed people.”
Breastcancer.org characteristically does NOT recommend
drug therapies. It notes: “Research suggests there are several factors that
seem to be associated with a greater chance of good emotional health: Having a
good support network; being and staying in good physical shape; having an
excellent relationship with your doctor, [possibly] aromatherapy, guided
imagery, hypnosis, journaling, massage, meditation, yoga, tai chi...”
Yet with depression and anxiety resulting from chemical
imbalances in the brain, why does this site (one people constantly refer to),
eschew a medical rebalancing of a chemistry traumatized by both invading cells
and combative drugs?
This subject is clearly complex and fraught; so I will
leave us here for now and return later to continue what may very well be a
series of essays on this issue.
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