Key takeaways from a recent study on antidepressants

antidepressants

The World Health Organization reports 300 million people live with depression, but less than half receive effective treatment. A recent study in the journal The Lancet has been making headlines for comparing the effectiveness of antidepressant medications — information that is often lacking for patients trying to make informed choices about their treatments. They found that all of the… Continue reading Key takeaways from a recent study on antidepressants

Getting out of bed: The “One hour rule” and other tips

Does getting out of bed in the morning ever seem like an overwhelming task? You’re not alone. PatientsLikeMe members are talking about it a lot in the mental health forum. Read on to learn what’s worked for others on difficult mornings. Give yourself no more than an hour Elyse Raffery, contributor to The Mighty, shared… Continue reading Getting out of bed: The “One hour rule” and other tips

From tomatoes to turmeric: Can foods fight inflammation?

Inflammation is a hot topic. What’s it all about? And what’s the scoop on certain diets, foods and supplements, such as turmeric, when it comes to fighting inflammation? What is inflammation? Not all inflammation is “bad.” Acute inflammation is part of the body’s natural way of defending itself from foreign substances like viruses, bacteria, cuts and splinters.… Continue reading From tomatoes to turmeric: Can foods fight inflammation?

Team of Advisors member Laura takes over the PatientsLikeMe Instagram for World Mental Health Day

In honor of World Mental Health Day, we asked PatientsLikeMe member Laura (thisdiva99) to take over our Instagram feed for the day. Laura is a professional opera singer, Massachusetts native, a member of the PatientslikeMe Team of Advisors, and is living with bipolar disorder. She gave us a glimpse into a day in her life, Check… Continue reading Team of Advisors member Laura takes over the PatientsLikeMe Instagram for World Mental Health Day

Living with depression? Grab your mat: 5-minute yoga video with Jamie from PatientsLikeMe

Studies have shown that practicing yoga can have positive effects on people with depression. So we tapped Jamie – a PatientsLikeMe research assistant who is also a certified yoga instructor – to show us some poses with mental health in mind. She put together a 5-minute, beginner-level flow that you can try at home. (As… Continue reading Living with depression? Grab your mat: 5-minute yoga video with Jamie from PatientsLikeMe

Women’s Health Week: Ginny reflects on motherhood and “the perfect storm” of epilepsy and mental health conditions

In honor of National Women’s Health Week, Team of Advisors member Ginny (Mrslinkgetter) shares what it’s like to live with multiple health conditions – including major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder and epilepsy – as well as grief following the death of her son (who also had epilepsy and major depression). On PatientsLikeMe, hundreds… Continue reading Women’s Health Week: Ginny reflects on motherhood and “the perfect storm” of epilepsy and mental health conditions

World Health Day 2017: #LetsTalk about depression and mental health

Today is World Health Day! This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) hopes to spark discussions about mental health with their campaign called “Depression: Let’s talk.” Depression affects more than 300 million people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries – but less than half of people with depression (even less… Continue reading World Health Day 2017: #LetsTalk about depression and mental health

Patients as Partners: Doug on learning about himself through others

Next up in our Partnership Principles series is Team of Advisors member Doug (ducksixty). A writer and former actor, Doug tapped into his creative side and has shared a personal essay about Steve, a neighbor with fibromyalgia who unknowingly helped him realize something about his own experience with depression. Check out his story below and… Continue reading Patients as Partners: Doug on learning about himself through others

Meet Doug from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

We’d like to introduce you to Doug, another member of your 2015-2016 Team of Advisors. Doug is an actor, teacher and writer living with major depressive disorder (MDD). He’s been tracking his health on PatientsLikeMe since 2008. Doug feels there is a lot of stigma surrounding the term “mental illness,” and shares that one of… Continue reading Meet Doug from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

PatientsLikeMe Names 2015-2016 Team of Advisors, Sets Focus on Redefining Patient Partnerships

Cambridge, MA, October 19, 2015—PatientsLikeMe has named 14 members to its patient-only 2015–2016 Team of Advisors and challenged them to work through an issue that’s central to everyone in the healthcare system: how to redefine patient partnerships. The team will be focused on rethinking what it means for patients to be partners, and on establishing… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe Names 2015-2016 Team of Advisors, Sets Focus on Redefining Patient Partnerships