Owen Wilson Attempts Suicide

[Ltlabner]

For some people...but certainly not all. People have different reactions to different drugs.

Which would be why I said (mostly) easily treated. Certinally there are cases where people do not respond at all to meds. Or, it takes them a long time experimenting with different drugs and dosages and time of taking the meds to get to the right combination.

And the other key, as you pointed out, is often intensive psychotherpy along with changes in diet, excersize, sleep patterns, lifestyle choices, etc.

[Razor Shines]

As to Owen, I hope he's able to obtain the treatment he needs. I also hope that this further solidifies the fact that depression does not discriminate, and that external forces have very little to do with the effect of the disease on the afflicted individual.

I would have to believe that's true, but it seems that people want to find reasons. I was watching the news last night I heard several reporters from the various tabloid magazines say that he was depressed because "he is the middle child and he's trying to cope with the success of his siblings." Really?

His older brother, Andrew, hasn't had a significant role in a movie since "Bottle Rocket" and Luke is somewhat successful, but Owen's obviously the most successful of the three. It just seemed silly to me that someone would suggest that he's depressed because of the success of his brothers and his "lack" of success.

[Ltlabner]

His older brother, Andrew, hasn't had a significant role in a movie since "Bottle Rocket" and Luke is somewhat successful, but Owen's obviously the most successful of the three. It just seemed silly to me that someone would suggest that he's depressed because of the success of his brothers and his "lack" of success.

People often confuse short-term bouts of depression caused by external factors (death of a loved one, for example) with clinical depression. Almost everybody goes through a bout of short term depression at one time or another in their lives because we all have experiences with greif/loss and one of the bodies coping mechanisims is depression. But as time passes and you get further away from the triggering event (and perhaps even a little counsling along the way) the episode passes.

But that's short term (because it's linked to a specific event) and unrelated to clinical depression casued by chemical imballences in the noggin.

[registerthis]

Which would be why I said (mostly) easily treated.

I guess it's the "easily" that I took exception to.

Even with people for whom drugs are an effective combatant of depression's effects, there are frequently side effects that make the person feel less than stellar: blunted emotions and feelings, loss of energy or appetite, narcolepsy, etc. It's not as if people begin popping pills and suddenly they're normal--which I'm sure wasn't what you were trying to say, but even in the best cases treatment of depression is not what I would necessarily consider to be "easy".

[Ltlabner]

but even in the best cases treatment of depression is not what I would necessarily consider to be "easy".

Clinical depression presents itself in many different ways from realitivley mild dysthymia to major depression to bipolar disorder. Toss on top of that post-partum depression, SAD and a host of other flavors and yes, you end up with a spectrum of outcomes for the person who suffers.

But there are a multitude of treatment options available. And now there's a wide range of drugs available and more that have fewer, if any, side effects. There's a multitude of daily choices a person can make to have *some* control over their lives (unlike, say, a brain tumor). Mental health professionals are more knoweldgeable about the disease due to greatly increased research on the topic. Also, the general perception has started move away from "they are just lazy" and "just cheer up" towards a true understanding of what is going on.

Everybody is different so yes, there are people who still struggle to cope even with medicine, therepy, excercise, diet, etc etc. But more options that ever are available and more people are tuned into dealing with the disease. There is a far better chance of living a "normal" life while dealing with depression than ever before. And there will be side effects. There are always side effects when you are treating part of the body that isn't function properally. But more and more those side effects are being reduced for a larger number of people.

Trust me, it's not like the old days where you just went in for shock therepy and were told to stop being lazy.

Treatment of depression varies broadly among individuals. The level, type, and methods of intervention vary dramatically. There are two primary modes of treatment that are typically used in conjunction; medication and psychotherapy. A significant number of recent studies have indicated that changes in lifestyle such as regular exercise and dietary supplements have beneficial effects.[3]

In most cases, one particular medication or combination of medications can provide significant change, although, in some cases, the condition does not respond well. Treatment-resistant depression warrants a full assessment, which may lead to the introduction of psychotherapy, a focus on lifestyle change, an increase of medication, or a change in medication.

Source

March 22, 2006 -- Don't give up hope, a new study suggests to people suffering with depression.

It may take 14 weeks and a change of medication, but people with major depression now have a 50-50 chance of getting better and getting well.

What about the 50% of people who don't get well? There's still hope they'll get well, too.

Source

[registerthis]

Trust me, it's not like the old days where you just went in for shock therepy and were told to stop being lazy.

You don't have to convince me of this--things have improved dramatically for depressed peoples in recent years (unless you're a scientologist). there's no doubt about that. And there are constant improvements and advances being made, as you rightfully mention, in the treatment of the disease.

But more options does not necessarily equal "easy". I've known several people who have been depressed--and as I mentioned, one person very close to me who is also bipolar. For each of these individuals, treatment options existed, but the process of finding the right "mix" of drugs and therapy was arduous and, frequently, painful.

It may seem like I'm picking nits with you here, and I'm not trying to provoke an argument...but I really don't agree with the statement that for most people, the treatment of mental illness is "easy". True, there is much less of a stigma attached to being depressed and/or mentally ill than there used to be (though it still exists in some quarters), but learning how to cope and effectively treat the illness can frequently be a difficult task.

As someone who has a loved one battling this disease, I'm very thankful that there is increased attention being paid to it, and a greater general understanding of its effects and treatment methods. A lot of lives have certainly been improved because of it.

[Ltlabner]

But more options does not necessarily equal "easy". I've known several people who have been depressed--and as I mentioned, one person very close to me who is also bipolar. For each of these individuals, treatment options existed, but the process of finding the right "mix" of drugs and therapy was arduous and, frequently, painful.

Sounds like you have someone in your life who has really suffered. Sorry to hear that. It's not only hard to suffer, but to watch someone you love suffer sucks rocks too.

Your issue was the charicterisation that treatment was easy for a lot of people. I guess my issue is the concept that living with depression is totally drudgery and a yoke that you can't escape. For some folks it is these things, and more. But for many folks it simply isn't that way. While it often takes some extra effort to simply get to the baseline of "normal" being diagnosed with depression is not a death sentence, nor banishment to a life of misery. While your experiences sound very frustrating, many people are able to find relief relativley quickly.

Let me put it this way. When I compare getting good rest and going to bed at a consistant time to say, chemotherpy or a double-by-pass, that's pretty easy. Compare consitpation and light headedness from the meds to say, having a body part amputated. Compare the pure joy [/end sarcasm] of dealing with finding a theripist and dealing with insurance to the massive financial burden that most tramatic illnesses inflict. I'm picking out specific issues so I'm not trying to say if you just do one of these things you'll feal dandy. These are just comparisons.

You are right, the search for the right combination treatments can be arduous. However, compared to the empty darkness and dispair of facing depression with zero treatment? Or compared to what a lot of other people with medical issues face? I'll take that arduous journey every day of the week.

[Puffy]

The Ny Post reports Wilson was back on heroine and cocaine. Coupled with depression, its like a molotov cocktail....

[registerthis]

Sounds like you have someone in your life who has really suffered. Sorry to hear that.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Let me put it this way. When I compare getting good rest and going to bed at a consistant time to say, chemotherpy or a double-by-pass, that's pretty easy. Compare consitpation and light headedness from the meds to say, having a body part amputated. Compare the pure joy [/end sarcasm] of dealing with finding a theripist and dealing with insurance to the massive financial burden that most tramatic illnesses inflict. I'm picking out specific issues so I'm not trying to say if you just do one of these things you'll feal dandy. These are just comparisons.

Right, and I'm not trying to downplay the difficulties of other treatments, particularly not from a physical perspective. I lost a close family member to cancer several years ago, and the last few months were just gut-wrenchingly awful. The chemo was no walk in the park either. But such afflictions aren't really comparable to mental illness, because it affects people in such a substantially different way. The drugs meant to make you better can frequently make you feel worse--not just worse physically, but worse emotionally. And that's a big distinction--physical and emotional pain are very different creatures, but the toll they exact on an individual can be just as bad. Sometimes the drugs complicate the disease, making it more severe than it was before. I knew someone who became so emotionally unbalanced after being placed on a new drug that he became suicidal and had to be hospitalized.

The other, less frequently considered consequence of emotional illness and treatment is the burden placed upon family members who must learn how to handle and appropriately respond to the individual. It's a tremendous, and frequently difficult, responsibility to shoulder, not unlike caring for a loved one who is dealing with Alzheimer's or some other terminal illness. Depending on the severity of the affliction, one could end up dealing with a spouse, parent or child who is unstable, unpredictable, seemingly possesive of multiple personalities, or even suicidal--or some combination thereof. In it's milder forms, learning how to respond to a person suffering from mental illness is rather straightforward. As it gets to be increasingly severe, however, the responsibility becomes anything but easy or simple. Some never learn how to deal with it, placing even further strain on the afflicted individual.

You are right, the search for the right combination treatments can be arduous. However, compared to the empty darkness and dispair of facing depression with zero treatment? Or compared to what a lot of other people with medical issues face? I'll take that arduous journey every day of the week.

Clearly, versus "no treatment" the treatment option is the better one. That isn't even debateable. And while I have no desire whatsoever to go through multiple rounds of chemo treatments, or go under the knife for open heart surgery, I also have no desire to spend years riding the roller coaster of multiple psychotherapeutic drug regimens, either. I've had far too much experience personally witnessing what it can do to people. Which is why I believe that when it comes to matters concerning physical and emotional health, terms such as "easy" and "better" are always relative.

[Unassisted]

While I sympathize with Owen Wilson the person and wish him well in his recovery, I think the damage control that is taking place in this story is fascinating to watch.

Films that Owen has starred in have grossed over $1 billion, and he's got 5 more projects in various stages of development. The studios have a lot riding on his image and are taking great pains to spin this story in a way that protects it. Publicists working for the studios and his agent have been deflecting all notions that what happened to Owen was a suicide attempt. I'm curious to see how this unfolds over the coming weeks and whether these attempts at a coverup actually work or just make the tabloid media more desperate to get the details of the "real story."

[Razor Shines]

While I sympathize with Owen Wilson the person and wish him well in his recovery, I think the damage control that is taking place in this story is fascinating to watch.

Films that Owen has starred in have grossed over $1 billion, and he's got 5 more projects in various stages of development. The studios have a lot riding on his image and are taking great pains to spin this story in a way that protects it. Publicists working for the studios and his agent have been deflecting all notions that what happened to Owen was a suicide attempt. I'm curious to see how this unfolds over the coming weeks and whether these attempts at a coverup actually work or just make the tabloid media more desperate to get the details of the "real story."

I know that he has a new movie set to come out Sept. 29th. And I for one have been looking forward to this for a while. I am a big fan of Wes Anderson. Is it bad that I am hoping that this doesn't push the release of that movie back? It's terrible but honestly that's one of the first things I thought about.

[Chip R]

The Ny Post reports Wilson was back on heroine and cocaine. Coupled with depression, its like a molotov cocktail....

Can't say I'm surprised but I never heard he was on those in the first place.