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Rosie, Thanks But...
Rosie O'Donnell has done a great service for everyone with depression, a psychiatric disorder that literally and figuratively kills people by taking away their will, their joy and, sometimes, their life. But I'm concerned that along with the wonderful information and encouragement she provided on "The View," she gave some misleading information too.
People watching the show are going to be influenced by Rosie's celebrity and that can be a very good thing, but not when she makes statements that, to my understanding, don't have any scientific basis.
I watched the clips of Rosie swinging upside down, which is part of her daily regime to maintain her mental health. As I watched, I heard her say that doing this would "release the serotonin," or words to that effect. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter (brain chemical in plain language) involved in depression. My concern is that the statement is without any scientific support and swinging upside down like that could provoke a stroke in people who never knew they were at risk for one. So, while it may have provoked a lot of much-needed talk about depression and its treatments, this one "treatment" I feel can be dangerous.
Rosie, please take note of my concern and thanks for your help with helping others realize how effective treatment can be for depression.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: depression, serotonin, Rosie O'Donnell, The View, health-and-wellness
People watching the show are going to be influenced by Rosie's celebrity and that can be a very good thing, but not when she makes statements that, to my understanding, don't have any scientific basis.
I watched the clips of Rosie swinging upside down, which is part of her daily regime to maintain her mental health. As I watched, I heard her say that doing this would "release the serotonin," or words to that effect. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter (brain chemical in plain language) involved in depression. My concern is that the statement is without any scientific support and swinging upside down like that could provoke a stroke in people who never knew they were at risk for one. So, while it may have provoked a lot of much-needed talk about depression and its treatments, this one "treatment" I feel can be dangerous.
Rosie, please take note of my concern and thanks for your help with helping others realize how effective treatment can be for depression.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: depression, serotonin, Rosie O'Donnell, The View, health-and-wellness
Labels: depression, health-and-wellness
