Interactions

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Mothers -- and Fathers -- With Depression

When I read "Legacy in Blue" [Sept. 19] I felt as though the author had been shadowing me. I found myself intertwined with all the words and examples.

Depression is furious, and still so few understand it. It is not only painful to experience, but others around you suffer as well. Today I am a mother, wife and full-time employee trying to make it all work and struggle day in and day out with just the basic need of survival.

This article was a reminder of how desperately I need to make the time for myself without feeling guilty and feeling like a failure.

Kirsten A. DeLashmutt

Fairfax

Inherited depression is not limited to women. My father suffered, as do I. When my son showed symptoms at age 8, my wife and I became proactive advocates for his mental health. He is a fine, functioning young adult now with only the normal late-adolescent conflicts that every other teen experiences. I hope that we, too, have broken a cycle of inherited depression in our family.

Dennis D. Hall

Mill City, Ore.

I wholeheartedly agree with Tracy Thompson's statement that we "give lip service" to the glory of motherhood, yet our society really does very little to support mothers -- both those working outside the home and those who stay at home. On days when I want to hide, or when I yell at my children or find myself compulsively cleaning the house, it's nice to know I'm not the only one overwhelmed by the pressure, expectations and loss of self that comes with being a mother.

Meredith Kramer Hay

Falls Church

There was one glaring omission in your article. It's fine that the book focuses on mothers, because every book needs a focus. But underlying this there is a sense that this is a self-help book. If there's anything I learned in working with the families of alcoholics, it's that the healing only takes place once they give up trying to do it by themselves and let in the support structure of people who love them.

I see no mention in your article about either the impact on spouses of this situation or the role that spouses can, must and do play in helping depression sufferers get better and, absent that, just get through the day.

I would love to see someone address the important symbiotic relationship between the depression sufferer and the spouse, etc. -- not just to describe the difficulties of being married to such a person but also coping and healing strategies.

Leo J. Vidal

Millersville

Spilled Milk Isn't Always a Small Matter

The most difficult part of having a son with a milk allergy was getting people to understand the seriousness of the condition. People "get" that a peanut allergy can be life-threatening, but they falsely assume an allergy to milk is similar to lactose intolerance.

"Got Milk Anyway?" [Sept. 19] failed to list that exposure to the allergen, milk protein, can lead to anaphylaxis (a severe, life-threatening reaction). When my son drank cow's milk, his face swelled, he had difficulty breathing, he broke out in hives and he vomited. When he came into contact with spilled milk or milk products, he developed hives at the point of skin contact.

In the graphic accompanying the article, I really wish you had done a better job emphasizing this difference between milk allergy and lactose intolerance.

Beth Gellene

Arlington

As a registered dietitian and mother of a 1-year-old, I am appalled that the American Academy of Pediatrics would recommend that parents give their children a food that makes them sick -- in any amount.

The so-called "calcium crisis" argument does not support the consumption of a food that leads to illness. Calcium is found naturally in many health-supporting foods such as nuts, seeds and leafy green vegetables. It is also added to many healthful foods, such as breakfast cereals, soy milk and orange juice.

Furthermore, whether one is lactose intolerant or not, there is absolutely no human need for the milk of a cow. This is evidenced by thousands of years of human history, as well as millions of people worldwide who shun cow's milk yet enjoy superb bone health because they exercise, are not overweight, consume little or no processed junk food, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

This recommendation makes me question the integrity of a supposedly objective organization, which is obviously selling out to Big Dairy.

Dina Aronson

Montclair, N.J.

Greens Are Not the Only Contaminants

"The Spinach Recall: Q's and A's" [Sept. 19] may mislead consumers. The article states that all of the E. coli-related outbreaks since 1995 are from contaminated lettuce or leafy greens. That's not the case, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says outbreaks have occurred from consumption of unpasteurized apple juice and milk, sprouts, salami, lettuce, contact with cattle, as well as waterborne transmission.

In addition, the statement -- without context -- that "the majority of the outbreaks were traced to products farmed in California, many in the Salinas Valley" -- could mislead readers into thinking that California farming is slipshod. But since the vast majority of all U.S. fruits and vegetables are produced in California, it is not surprising that most outbreaks originate there. For example, according to the California Agricultural Resource Directory, 76 percent of all lettuce and 74 percent of all spinach produced in this country are farmed in California.

Frances B. Smith

Adjunct Fellow

Competitive Enterprise Institute

Washington