Stigma of Depression

By Carol Kivler

What state of mind would allow a Mother to put her children in the car with her and drive off a pier?  A state of mind consumed by a debilitating illness that does not see economic status, educational background, culture, or race—the illness is depression.

The shocking story of LaShanda Armstrong drowning her children in the Hudson River is yet another grim reminder of what can happen when depression is left untreated.
The overwhelming perception of Mrs. Armstrong’s actions is construed as selfishness, attention getting, or punishing.  I know differently.  Why?  Because I, too, had the exact plan to put my family in the car and drive off a bridge. Two Mothers who came from a place of loving concerns.  Our concerns were, who would take care of our children, and who could ever love them as much as we do?   We had no choice other than to take our children with us.  But in the end there were two extremely different outcomes--one ending in the death of three innocent children with their mother; one ending in hospitalization, treatment, and survival for the other Mother and her three children.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in four women will experience severe depression at some point in life.  Only about one-fifth of all women who suffer from depression seek treatment.  Yet, 80 percent of those seeking treatment recover.

If 80 percent recover, why then are women still struggling in silence and not seeking treatment?  Stigma.  Stigma is still the major obstacle to awareness and understanding of depression.  What causes stigma?  Ignorance and lack of acceptance, preconceived notions, fear, and folklore as well as other people’s skewed opinions and use of labels. Often these elements can shut one down and leave one less likely to seek treatment.

The general population still views depression as a character flaw, laziness, a call for attention.  Depression is an illness that affects the body, mood, and thoughts.  An illness of desperation and hopelessness, an illness that impacts every waking moment, an illness that robs your ability to engage in life, and an illness that cannot be ignored.

With this tragic event still fresh in our minds, there is no better time to educate, support, and advocate for an open dialogue around depression than now.  Today, we each have the responsibility to lift the clouds of shame and guilt while crushing the stigma surrounding depression.  We have the opportunity to encourage our loved ones, friends, and colleagues to seek treatment while replacing judgment with understanding.  Together we can save future families from the devastating outcome the Armstrong family is now experiencing.

Carol Kivler, MS, CSP, speaker, author of Will I Ever Be the Same Again? and the founder of Courageous Recovery, works to raise awareness, instill hope, and combat stigma surrounding mental health diagnoses and treatments. 

Doctor Guilt?

Brent admired the chimpanzee he sketched at the zoo. He regarded the animal as contemplative. He was unaware that similar animals in the wilds of Africa were the source of a virus that would lead to his death from AIDS. Brent became infected with HIV from the medicine he infused to treat his hemophilia. At six months of age, his parents were alarmed when they discovered bruises on his chest which led to the discovery of hemophilia. From that moment forward, he received frequent intravenous infusions of concentrate to treat recurrent bleeding episodes. Infusions of the medicine relieved pain and suffering from bleeding. His life seemed normal. Unexpectedly, Brent's life changed after the discovery of HIV contamination of the medicine. The medicine was manufactured from the plasma of paid blood donors. Unbeknownst to Brent, the plasma was polluted with HIV. The SIV in chimpanzees changed to become HIV in humans. But the chimpanzees were not the cause of the transfer of SIV in animals to HIV in humans. The change from SIV in animals to HIV in humans was the result of human activity. The change came about with the production of the hepatitis B vaccine. Who was responsible for the pollution of the hemophilia medicine with HIV and hepatitis viruses? Was Brent's death preventable?

More than 10,000 persons who received concentrate to treat hemophilia became infected with HIV in the United States. Nearly half died. Author and medical doctor Everett Lovrien tells the story of Brent as well as other victims of tainted medicine. "Why didn't the drug companies who produced the medicine eliminate hepatitis viruses?" he asks. "Were the doctors too complacent, the sharpness of their judgment blunted by financial support by the drug companies...?"

After finishing medical school, Everett Winslow Lovrien, MD completed specialty training in pediatrics and the new field of medicine, medical genetics. For twenty-eight years, he was on staff at a clinic that supervised the medical care of a genetic disorder, hemophilia. This book is based upon his experiences. Now retired, he lives in Oregon.

13 tax deductions

Here are 13 legitimate tax deductions that you can use to reduce your tax liability suggested by Don Pendleton, asset protection expert.


1. Make charitable donations to a organization ro cause that you have a commitment to.

2. Buy an automobile.  You can borrow money to buy the autombile.  The deuction in 2011 is $3000 for a small vehicle. A vehcile over 6000 pounds can be bought under section 179 and has greater deductions.

3. Use up flexible spending accounts like health savings accounts.

4. Purchase equipment for your business.

5. Deduct gambling losses from winnings.  Gains are offset by losses.

6. Buy business assets like toner, supplies to reduce any income.

7. Open up and fund an IRA. You have until April 15, 2012.

8. Hire family members a reasonable salary to do work for the corporation. If they are on your board of directors, you can pay for them to come to a board meeting.

9. Pay discretionary business expenses early such as pre-paying insurance.

10. Pay mortgage early so January and February mortgage is deductible in December.

11. Offset capital gains with losses. Sell stocks that are losing money.

12. Utilize residential energy tax credits  for windows and insulation.

13. Prepay state income taxes in December.

91-year-old sets Guinness record

If you’ve ever wondered about the benefits of yoga you need to look no further than astoundingly fit 91-year-young Bernice Bates. Bernie – as her students call her - has taught yoga for 50 years and continues to do so even today in her retirement community making her the Guinness World Records certified Oldest Yoga Instructor in the world. Amazingly, Bernie is nearly as flexible as she was in her 40’s and has absolutely no medical issues.

Her record was announced on Guinness World Records Day, which resulted in over 300,000 people participating in record breaking events around the world!