In January 2015, I wrote about HCV and
Depression. Since that time, I have thought a lot about the link
between depression and hepatitis C. There does seem to be a pretty
strong link between the two. Add on to that just having a chronic
disease, such as hepatitis C, it is not surprising that many people
with hepatitis C are depressed.
If you think about it there are
many additional issues that increase the level of anxiety and
depression that people with hepatitis C are now facing even more than
before:
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Will I be approved for the new medications by my insurance company?
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Will I be approved for treatment through a patient assistance program?
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Will I be able to afford the co-pays?
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Will the treatment work?
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What if I am not cured?
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What does my future hold?
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Will I be able to work?
There are also people,
unfortunately, who have just given up and believe they have no choice
at all—no insurance, no physician, no future.
The list of uncertainties could go on and on and on.
I’m bringing this up because I
just recently ran across an article that startled me because it
discussed Baby Boomers (without HCV) and the increased risk of
suicide—Baby Boomers are at the highest risk for suicide and the risk
increases as a Baby Boomer ages. Additionally, the suicide rates
were much higher in men than in women—In 2013, 78% of the 41,149
suicides in the U.S. were among men.
Note: Among Baby Boomer’s with HCV more than 2/3 are men.
Remember, depression is an
illness that is treatable. There are resources at the end of this
article and a link to the original article published in January 2015.
I hope that people with HCV and
their caregivers will be on the look-out for the signs of anxiety,
depression and suicidal behavior to offer support. Be sure to get
professional help as needed.
Resources
Source:
Baby boomers are killing themselves at an alarming rate, raising question: Why?
http://hcvadvocate.org/news/newsLetter/2015/advocate0815.html#5Labels: Depression, depression resources