Up and Down Time

Antipsychotic Meds Tied to Diabetes in Children

2011-11-23T08:12:00.002-07:00

A Reuters/FOX News article makes an observation that is not news to adult users of these medications, but brings up the point that this side effect may also appear in children being treated for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The usual suspects: Risperdal, known generically as risperidone, Zyprexa (olanzapine), Seroquel (quetiapine) and Abilify (aripiprazole).

The Latest Psychological Research Scandal

2011-11-16T07:16:00.002-07:00

An article in Psychology Today reports that a Danish researcher has come under fire for fabricating experimental results over a decade.

Diederik Stapel, a well-known and widely published psychologist in the Netherlands, routinely falsified data and made up entire experiments, according to an investigative committee.

But according to Benedict Carey of the New York Times, the scandal is just one in a string of embarrassments in "a field that critics and statisticians say badly needs to overhaul how it treats research results...."

While inaccurate and even fabricated findings make the field of psychology look silly, they take on potentially far more serious ramifications in forensic contexts, where the stakes can include six-figure payouts or extreme deprivations of liberty....

Study Suggests Strangers Can Spot "Kindness Gene"

2011-11-15T15:19:00.002-07:00

An AFP/Yahoo article describes how there may be a genetic component to being kind and caring.

People with a certain gene trait are known to be more kind and caring than people without it, and strangers can quickly tell the difference, according to US research published on Monday.

The variation is linked to the body's receptor gene of oxytocin, sometimes called the "love hormone" because it often manifests during sex and promotes bonding, empathy and other social behaviors.

Scientists at Oregon State University devised an experiment in which 23 couples, whose genotypes were known to researchers but not observers, were filmed.
One member of the couple was asked to tell the other about a time of suffering in his or her life. Observers were asked to watch the listener for 20 seconds, with the sound turned off.
In most cases, the observers were able to tell which of the listeners had the "kindness gene" and which ones did not, said the findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences edition of November 14.

"Our findings suggest even slight genetic variation may have tangible impact on people's behavior, and that these behavioral differences are quickly noticed by others," said lead author Aleksandr Kogan, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto.

Nine out 10 people who were judged by the neutral observers to be "least trusted" carried the A version of the gene, while six out 10 deemed "most prosocial" had the GG genotype.
People in the study were tested beforehand and found to have GG, AG or AA genotypes for the rs53576 DNA sequence of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene.
People who have two copies of the G allele are generally judged as more empathetic, trusting and loving.

Those with AG or AA genotypes tend to say they feel less positive overall, and feel less parental sensitivity. Previous research has shown they also may have a higher risk of autism.

"The oxytocin receptor gene in particular has become of great interest because a select number of studies suggest that it is related to how prosocial people view themselves," Kogan said.
"Our study asked the question of whether these differences manifest themselves in behaviors that are quickly detectable by strangers, and it turns out they did."
However, no gene trait can entirely predict a person's behavior, and more research is needed to find out how the variant affects the underlying biology of behavior.

"These are people who just may need to be coaxed out of their shells a little," said senior author Sarina Rodrigues Saturn, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University whose previous research established the genetic link to empathetic behavior.

"It may not be that we need to fix people who exhibit less social traits, but that we recognize they are overcoming a genetically influenced trait and that they may need more understanding and encouragement."

Yet Another Testimonial for TMS (Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulation)

2011-11-11T20:35:00.002-07:00

10News.com of San Diego describes how the Botkiss Center for TMS Therapy in Del Mar has been treating patients with depression by running a powerful, pulsating magnetic field along certain areas of the skull. This procedure has just been approved by the FDA and recognized as an option by the American Psychiatric Association, but since it is relatively new, insurance companies will not help pay for it. The cost can be substantial - between $7,000 and $10,000 - for the series, but if you have tried everything else without success, can afford the price, and object to the intrusive nature of ECT (electro-convulsive therapy), this may provide the relief that you are looking for. As with all other methods of treating depression, there is no guarantee of a cure, of course.

Warrior Relaxation Response Center: An Oasis in the Desert for Vets with PTSD

2011-11-10T03:50:00.003-07:00

After hearing several favorable reports and reading the article in the Colorado Springs Gazette, I decided to investigate the Warrior Relaxation Response Center for myself and was not disappointed.

Antione Johnson, who put up a large chunk of his life's savings to start the center, impressed me with his knowledge of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the most cutting-edge technologies being used to help combat veterans deal with it. The lavender-scented atmosphere and equipment are designed to induce the relaxation response when flashbacks or other symptoms of PTSD rear their ugly heads. I told him that the latest word we are putting out on the street is that PTSD is not a mental illness, but an adaptation to a real threat, and that it requires an equally powerful adaptation to negotiate the return to civilian life.

The Warrior Relaxation Response Center is located at the intersection of Circle Drive and Airport Road, at 2535 Airport Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80910, and the phone number is 719-339-6313. To hear more about this innovative approach, check out his YouTube video.

Psychologists Challenge Some Proposed Diagnoses in DSM-5

2011-11-09T22:23:00.003-07:00

Looks like the continuing series of disputes over the content of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-V) has a new wrinkle, according to an article in USA Today:

"The next edition of the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic bible will lead to millions of healthy people being labeled with a mental disorder and treated with potentially dangerous drugs, some psychologists say.

"They've drawn up an online petition urging the group to reconsider adding a number of diagnoses to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), to be published in 2013.

"Among the disorders the petition calls 'unsubstantiated and questionable' are 'apathy syndrome,' 'Internet addiction disorder' and 'parental alienation syndrome.'

"The petition, posted Oct. 22, now has more than 5,000 signatures, says David Elkins, president of the Society for Humanistic Psychology and professor emeritus at Pepperdine University...."

A Catch-22 for the Mentally Ill

2011-10-30T23:13:00.002-06:00

The Hopeworks Community blog has a provocative entry on "Psychiatric Anosognosia," a catchall explanation that can be used to nullify any observations on the part of a person diagnosed with mental illness (even though severe cases are not dysfunctional 100% of the time) and justify forced hospitalization/medication.

We are reminded of this useful observation on "confirmation bias":

“Confirmation biases contribute to overconfidence in personal beliefs and can maintain or strengthen beliefs in the face of contrary evidence. Hence they can lead to poor decisions, especially in organizational, scientific, militiary, political and social contexts.” 50 years of social psychology research clearly prove that personal blindness (confirmation bias) is a normal, regular, predictable characteristic of “normal” human beings that influence all areas of human life including “scientific” endeavors.

How Pornography Can Induce Sexual Dysfunction

2011-10-21T23:23:00.003-06:00

We only occasionally refer to Psychology Today, but there is one article that spotlights another objection to pornography in addition to the usual (i.e., moral standards, exploitation of its subjects, its addictive nature, and raising unrealistic expectations in the consumer).

"A growing number of young, healthy Internet pornography users are complaining of delayed ejaculation, inability to be turned on by real partners, and sluggish erections.

"Lots of guys, 20s or so, can't get it up anymore with a real girl, and they all relate having a serious porn/masturbation habit. Guys will never openly discuss this with friends or co-workers, for fear of getting laughed out of town. But when someone tells their story on a health forum, and there are 50-100 replies from other guys who struggle with the same thing. This is for real.

"Threads relating to this issue are springing up all over the Web on bodybuilding, medical help, and pick-up artist forums, in at least twenty countries...."

Misuse of Mental Health Terms

2011-10-21T16:56:00.002-06:00

The BBC News Magazine (U.K.) raises an excellent point: When psychological terms with scientific definitions are casually bandied about, does it contribute to our understanding of mental illness or reduce the stigma associated with the diagnosis? You know what the answer to this rhetorical question is.

"The neighbour who keeps his house tidy has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). A socially awkward colleague is autistic. The weather isn't just changeable, it's bipolar.

"Such analogies are so familiar they surely qualify as cliches. They are also inaccurate and, to many, deeply offensive.

"Campaigners are targeting what many say is an increasingly common practice - deploying the language of clinical diagnosis to describe everyday personality traits.

"Using these terms metaphorically is just a joke, not to be taken seriously, argue some. Others, however, warn that this serves to further obfuscate conditions that are widely misunderstood and stigmatised...."

Antidepressant Use Has Risen Sharply Over Past 20 Years

2011-10-19T18:22:00.003-06:00

USA Today cites a U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that chronicles the increasing use of antidepressants in the United States.

Here are some of the major points:

1. Antidepressants are the third most common prescription drug.
2. Less than one-third of people taking one antidepressant and less than half of those taking multiple antidepressants had seen a mental health professional in the past year.
3. Women are 2.5 times more likely to take antidepressants than men and 23 percent of women aged 40 to 59 take antidepressants, more than in any other age/sex group.
4. Fourteen percent of white people take antidepressants, compared with 4 percent of blacks and 3 percent of Mexican Americans. The researchers found no association between income and antidepressant use.

Cortisol Injection May Prevent PTSD

2011-10-18T08:23:00.002-06:00

MSNBC.com reports that a new study indicates that an injection of the steroid hormone cortisol within 6 hours of a traumatic event may reduce the possibility of PTSD. The sample was rather small (17 persons), but has the promise of leading to a way to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The findings suggest there may be a 'window of opportunity' immediately following a trauma during which action can be taken to prevent PTSD, said the researchers, who are now conducting a wider study.

"'One can think about it as the morning-after pill for PTSD,' said study researcher Joseph Zohar of Tel Aviv University in Israel. Doctors call such precautions that are taken after the fact, such as the contraceptive pill ingested after sex, 'secondary prevention.'"

"If the findings are confirmed, 'this will be the first time that there is secondary prevention in psychiatry,' Zohar said.

"The study will be published in the October issue of the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology."

Not All Who Hear Voices Are Mad

2011-10-11T21:56:00.001-06:00

Hearing Voices Network USA Launches Website

On September 14, 2011 (World Hearing Voices Day), the Hearing Voices Network USA launched its website at http://www.hearingvoicesusa.org. “We are joining countries across the world – including Australia, Greece, England, Wales, Denmark, the Netherlands and more – in finding a way to recognize this important date and celebrating the diversity of our human experiences,” the announcement states. It adds that World Hearing Voices Day “. . . challenges the negative attitudes towards people who hear voices and the incorrect assumption that hearing voices, in itself, is a sign of illness.”

Source: http://power2u.org

Mental Health Day

2011-10-09T22:09:00.002-06:00

OK, Monday is World Mental Health Day and PsychCentral.com would like to invite to it's blog party... Here is the Info http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mental-health-day - If you don't have a blog but still want to be part of it let me know and I'll post your story as a guest blogger. If you do post on your blog about World Mental Health Day 2011. Hat tip: Chato B. Stewart.

"The World Health Organization (WHO) designated October 10 as World Mental Health Day to help spotlight the lack of care mental disorders often receive around the world. We hope to help increase awareness of these disorders and their treatment through hosting this blog party."

It's Mental Illness Awareness Week

2011-10-04T07:19:00.002-06:00

NAMI has announced Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 2-8). This year’s theme is “changing attitudes, changing lives.”

Like National Recovery Month, Mental Illness Awareness Week chips away at destructive ideas that tell us having bipolar is something to be ashamed of or we can “just get over it” if we only had the right moral fiber.

The National Alliance for Mental Illness coordinates Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). Although activities vary from community to community, MIAW events range from art exhibits to workshops with mental health professionals, from library displays to health fairs.

The National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding on Tuesday, Oct. 4, aims to bring the discussion into faith communities.

National Depression Screening Day on Thursday, Oct. 6, an initiative of Mental Health America, also falls within this week of outreach and education.

What, Only 10 Minutes?

2011-09-24T00:16:00.002-06:00

Normally we do not report trivial news stories, but this is exceptionally trivial, so it stands out. A Canadian news source, 660News.com, has this amazing tale:

Edmonton senior sues over gum mishap
Mark Strashok Sep 23, 2011

An Edmonton senior is suing Kraft Canada for $100-thousand after getting gum stuck in her dentures.

The Edmonton Sun reports the statement of claim was filed a couple of weeks ago by Elsie Pawlow, who says the incident caused her to suffer depression.

The allegation is that Elsie bought five packages of Stride gum, but then had to dig it out of her dentures after it broke up into little pieces.

She then went into a bout of depression that lasted about 10 minutes.

The Most Successful of All Mental Disorders

2011-09-03T07:59:00.004-06:00

The Daily Mail (U.K.) has run an article, "One in 25 Bosses 'Is a Psychopath' but Hides It with Charm and Business-Speak." A better term would be "sociopath," as we do not imply that they are serial killers, but these are the people who would not lose any sleep making ruthless decisions.

Business leaders are four times more likely to be psychopaths than the general population, a study has found.

One out of every 25 company high-flyers is believed to have the mental disorder but disguises it through their high status, charm and manipulation in the workplace.

And only favourable environmental factors - such as having had a happy childhood - prevent their psychopathic tendencies turning them into serial killers.

Psychologists say today's ruthless corporate culture benefits people like Kevin Spacey's character in the recent movie Horrible Bosses, by rewarding their natural callousness and disregard of others' feelings.

The findings emerge in a survey led by New York psychologist Paul Babiak to discover how many psychopaths had infiltrated major firms....

Dr Babiak said: 'These were all individuals who were at the top of an organisation - vice-presidents, directors, CEOs - so it was actually quite a shock.'

The results revealed that psychopaths were actually poor managerial performers but were adept at climbing the corporate ladder because they could cover up their weaknesses by subtly charming superiors and subordinates.

This, said Dr Babiak, makes it almost impossible to distinguish between a genuinely talented team leader and a psychopath.

Prof Hare told Horizon: 'The higher the psychopathy, the better they looked - lots of charisma and they talk a good line.

'But if you look at their actual performance and ratings as a team player and productively, it's dismal. Looked good, performed badly....

Because we believe in presenting all sides of a story, we will mention what Dr. Helen Smith had to say at the conservative site Pajamas Media.

"I have taken a continuing education course from Robert Hare, the co-author of the book mentioned above [Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work] and in the course, he told us that it is a very dangerous thing to diagnose someone with psychopathy. We dealt in the course with adults and juveniles who were jailed for violent and other crimes. Often times, Hare and his colleagues would warn us to be very careful in our diagnosis, lest someone who was charged with a crime end up being discriminated against because of the psychopathy label if untrue. Shouldn’t his co-author, Paul Babiak, use the same good advice? Should he use a study of only 200 people to make such a generalization?..."

EDITORIAL NOTE: Dr. Helen Smith's main objection was the focus on business leaders, but sociopaths have wormed their way into positions of leadership in politics, organized crime, and the military.

A Challenge Worthy of Him

2011-08-27T20:14:00.002-06:00

The Associated Press ran a story about a brilliant 13-year-old Noah Egler, who has Asperger's syndrome. Instead of being ashamed of something that made him different from his peers, they encouraged him to assert his curiosity and challenge himself in ways that your typical school system cannot.

Although he was half the age of medical students at the summer program at the Indiana University Northwest medical school, he was not at all out of place.

Noah summed up himself with these words: "I'm technically a nerd, and I hang out with other people who are technically nerds."

His interests are quite wide-ranging, and like many other Aspies, he becomes an expert in the subjects that engage his attention. They include chemistry, mechanics, electronics, cooking, karate, and (what could possibly turn into his career) computerized prostheses, in other words, robotic limbs for amputees.

A Scientific Explanation for - Beer Goggles!

2011-08-24T14:35:00.001-06:00

io9 has the article:

It's a fairly well-known idea that people start looking better and better the more one drinks alcohol. But is there actually a scientific reasoning behind this? It might all have to do with a little something called bilateral symmetry....

...There are many different forms of symmetry, including radial, spherical, and bilateral, which is the one that humans possess. All this means is that it is possible to cut an organism in half so that one side is identical or the mirror image of the other. The different types of symmetry are determined by how many different possible ways one could create these symmetric counterparts. In humans and other organisms with bilateral symmetry, there's only one possible line of symmetry, which is known as the sagittal plane, which runs right down the vertical center of our bodies. (Obviously, we're only talking about external appearances here - our insides aren't symmetric.)

Right, so that's the quick and dirty version of what biological symmetry is. But what does that have to do with booze? Well, it's thought that we and other organisms have a strong evolutionary preference for the appearance of symmetry, and this means people who are considered attractive are often those who display a high degree of bilateral symmetry. And, as NCBI ROFL reports, researchers at London's Roehampton University hypothesized that a reduced ability to judge this symmetry brought on by the general visual impairment of alcohol might well account for the phenomenon that people seem more attractive when one is drunk. It's really that they simply seem more symmetrical - or, perhaps more accurately, less asymmetrical....

Psychologist Speaks Out Against Vets Who Use PTSD as an Excuse for Criminal Behavior

2011-08-22T22:39:00.002-06:00

Psychology Today has an article by Bret A. Moore, Psy.D., with the title "Criminal Behavior Is Not a Symptom of PTSD."

At least once a month, there seems to be a new case in the media depicting a veteran who has been convicted of a serious crime such as drug trafficking, child pornography, theft, rape, and even murder. In many of these cases, a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder is cited by the veteran's attorney as the cause of the behavior.

So, can PTSD cause criminal behavior? Yes and no. There is no doubt that PTSD can cause a person to make bad choices that lead to antisocial behaviors. Increased use of alcohol or drugs can lead to driving while intoxicated, domestic violence, and petty theft to support their drug or alcohol use. Increased physiological arousal, which causes the service member to always be on-guard, can lead to violent behavior that is out of proportion to a perceived threat. There are even cases in which combat veterans with PTSD have been found not guilty of murder when they were put in a situation, which reminded them of a previous stressful combat experience, and they felt they were defending themselves against an enemy combatant....

At this point, some of you may be considering my views as unsympathetic or even cynical. This is not the case. I have a great deal of sympathy for the hundreds of thousands of veterans with PTSD, some of which have found themselves in trouble with the law. My issue is with the numerous bogus claims by individuals who insist that PTSD caused them to download child pornography, sexually assault a female after a night at the bar, or rob a convenience store. In my opinion, it's insulting to those suffering from this disabling condition and feeds the stigma that combat veterans with PTSD are unstable, dangerous, and crazy.

Let's not make PTSD a scapegoat for crime. Instead, let's direct our efforts at better understanding this disorder and improving treatments so that veterans can lead more satisfying and rewarding lives. However, as a student of human behavior I am well aware that people are experts at finding ways to shift responsibility for their actions, particularly those actions that will bring about unwanted consequences.

North Carolina Faces a Mental Health Dilemma

2011-08-14T18:10:00.002-06:00

WCNC.com of Charlotte, NC has a gut-wrenching story of how the state of North Carolina faces a sharp reduction in federal funds because too many people with mental illness have been put up in adult care homes, which are custodial in nature and do not provide psychiatric treatment. After years of "kicking the can down the road," the state, which faces a $2.7 billion budget shortfall, lacks the money to build community-based mental health centers and inpatient facilities, adult care homes are worried about going out of business if Medicaid money is cut off, and families of mental patients are concerned that their relatives may be forced into the streets.

Study Confirms Our Gut Feeling About Narcissists

2011-08-12T07:22:00.002-06:00

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ran an article about how narcissists can smooth-talk their way to the top but are unable to live up to their high opinion of their leadership abilities.

They may be charming, confident and climb the job ladder with ease, but when they reach the top, narcissists are actually not very good at their roles.

Such people are often too self-obsessed to do their jobs properly, according to a study.

Those who love themselves and have vast self-confidence often impress others with their self-belief, dominance and authority, leading them to climb the career ladder effortlessly....

Scientists at the University of Amsterdam proved their theory by conducting an experiment involving 150 people, split into groups of three.

One of the three was randomly assigned as group leader as part of a task intended to choose a job candidate.

Information about the candidate was handed out, some to a single member, some to the entire group.

The group was told that all three members could contribute advice, but that their leader was ultimately responsible for any decisions.

The study was designed to see how narcissistic leaders could hold back information about candidates, a tactic that could result in a less skilled person given the job, thereby damaging the company.

Questionnaires given to 'employees' and 'leaders' revealed that employees hailed narcissistic leaders as the most effective.

But they were wrong....

The results are published in the journal Psychological Science.

Popular Drugs to Go Generic Soon

2011-08-10T09:29:00.003-06:00

WebMD reports:

...Within six months of a drug losing its patent, 80% of patients begin using its generic form. According to the IMS Institute’s most recent annual report, the average co-pays for generic drugs in 2010 were just over $6 as compared with nearly $24 for brand-name medications. That represents a huge potential savings for consumers....

So which drugs can you soon expect to see in generic form? Cholesterol lowering Lipitor; the anti-biotic Levaquin; Concerta, which treats symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Protonix for the treatment of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and Zyprexa, which is used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia, all go off patent this year.

In 2012, the antidepressant Lexapro; Viagra for erectile dysfunction; Plavix, which prevents blood clots; and asthma medication Singulair are just a few of those losing their patents. For a full list you can see this report from market research firm, EvaluatePharma.

Good News: Epidemic of PTSD Failed to Materialize After 9-11

2011-08-04T18:42:00.002-06:00

USA Today reports that 10 years after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington DC, the American public has proved more resilient than psychologists expected. Their assessment is tempered by the realization that not all the long-term effects of this man-made disaster are in. The article goes on to say that many variables affect the general population, including life events that predispose a person to post-traumatic stress, closeness to the scene of the terrorist attacks, emotional reaction to events, and how much of a feeling of closure one had to the news that Osama bin Laden had been cornered and killed.

"In Times of Crisis, Mentally Ill Leaders Can See What Others Can't"

2011-07-30T17:33:00.002-06:00

A professor of psychiatry writing for the Wall Street Journal holds out hope for people with depression who question their ability to lead:

When times are good and the ship of state only needs to sail straight, mentally healthy people function well as political leaders. But in times of crisis and tumult, those who are mentally abnormal, even ill, become the greatest leaders. We might call this the Inverse Law of Sanity...

When not irritably manic in his temperament, Churchill experienced recurrent severe depressive episodes, during many of which he was suicidal. Even into his later years, he would complain about his "black dog" and avoided ledges and railway platforms, for fear of an impulsive jump. "All it takes is an instant," he said.

Abraham Lincoln famously had many depressive episodes, once even needing a suicide watch, and was treated for melancholy by physicians. Mental illness has touched even saintly icons like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., both of whom made suicide attempts in adolescence and had at least three severe depressive episodes in adulthood.

Aristotle was the first to point out the link between madness and genius, including not just poets and artists but also political leaders....

An obvious place to start is with depression, which has been shown to encourage traits of both realism and empathy (though not necessarily in the same individual at the same time).

"Normal" nondepressed persons have what psychologists call "positive illusion"—that is, they possess a mildly high self-regard, a slightly inflated sense of how much they control the world around them.

Mildly depressed people, by contrast, tend to see the world more clearly, more as it is....

Cloak of Anonymity Brings Out the Dark Side of People

2011-07-24T23:10:00.002-06:00

The Guardian (U.K.) describes a phenomenon well known to bloggers and those who frequent social media. People who post on these sites anonymously will write things that they will not say to that person face-to-face.

Take the case of comedian Stewart Lee, who collected pages of anonymous comments about his TV show. Many of them, like the ones listed below, were disturbing or threatening:

"I hate Stewart Lee with a passion. He's like Ian Huntley to me." Wharto15, Twitter
"I saw him at a gig once, and even offstage he was exuding an aura of creepy molesty smugness." Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
"One man I would love to beat with a sh*t-covered cricket bat." Joycey, readytogo.net
"He's got one of those faces I just want to burn." Coxy, dontstartmeoff.com
"I hope stewart lee dies." Idrie, Youtube
"WHAT THE HELL! If i ever find you, lee, i promise i will, I WILL, kick the crap out of you." Carcrazychica, YouTube
"Stewart Lee is a cynical man, who has been able to build an entire carrer [sic] out of his own smugness. I hope the f**king chrones disease [sic] kills him." Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
"I spent the entire time thinking of how much I want to punch Stewart Lee in the face instead of laughing. He does have an incredibly punchable face, doesn't he? (I could just close my eyes, but fantasizing about punching Stewart Lee is still more fun than sitting in complete, stony silence.)" Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com

The psychologists call it "deindividuation". It's what happens when social norms are withdrawn because identities are concealed. The classic deindividuation experiment concerned American children at Halloween. Trick-or-treaters were invited to take sweets left in the hall of a house on a table on which there was also a sum of money. When children arrived singly, and not wearing masks, only 8% of them stole any of the money. When they were in larger groups, with their identities concealed by fancy dress, that number rose to 80%. The combination of a faceless crowd and personal anonymity provoked individuals into breaking rules that under "normal" circumstances they would not have considered.

Deindividuation is what happens when we get behind the wheel of a car and feel moved to scream abuse at the woman in front who is slow in turning right. It is what motivates a responsible father in a football crowd to yell crude sexual hatred at the opposition or the referee. And it's why under the cover of an alias or an avatar on a website or a blog – surrounded by virtual strangers – conventionally restrained individuals might be moved to suggest a comedian should suffer all manner of violent torture because they don't like his jokes, or his face. Digital media allow almost unlimited opportunity for wilful deindividuation. They almost require it. The implications of those liberties, of the ubiquity of anonymity and the language of the crowd, are only beginning to be felt....

Did You Know that Anorexia Is the Deadliest Psychiatric Disorder?

2011-07-23T19:52:00.002-06:00

WebMD reports that - Anorexia is the most lethal psychiatric disorder, carrying a sixfold increased risk of death -- four times the death risk from major depression.

The odds are even worse for people first diagnosed with anorexia in their 20s. They have 18 times the death risk of healthy people their age, according to an analysis of the medical literature by Jon Arcelus, MD, PhD, of the University of Leicester, England, and colleagues.

The study found anorexia to carry twice the death risk of schizophrenia and three times the death risk of bipolar disorder. Although anorexia is by far the deadliest eating disorder, death rates are also higher than normal in people with bulimia and "eating disorder not otherwise specified" (EDNOS, a common diagnosis for people with a mixture of atypical anorexia and atypical bulimia)....

EDITORIAL NOTE: Read the whole article - it has some startling statistics.

Customer Loyalty, or "Lunatic Behavior?"

2011-07-23T16:22:00.003-06:00

FOX News has an article about the lengths to which fast-food fanatics will go to score their favorite meals.

Adam Moore once drove 500 miles just to eat a burrito at a Chipotle he'd never been to. So far he has visited all 71 of their restaurants in Colorado.

Alan Klein is working on a smartphone app to help fellow enthusiasts track down the transient McRib sandwich.

John Ruck, an 82-year-old retiree in St. Petersburg, Fla., has road-tripped to 48 Chick-fil-A openings - not for the coupons but for the camaraderie. He went to his first in January 2006, while grieving his wife's recent death, and found them therapeutic.

He said he doesn't mind sleeping in parking lots because he brings a comfy chair. The only time he suffers is during the karaoke. "I've never been subjected to such torture for 52 meals," he said with a laugh.

Call it fanaticism or simply dedication, but these are the type of ultra-enthusiastic fans that every restaurant craves. Restaurant groupies have always been around, but they're more valuable at a time when the economy is forcing consumers to choose carefully when they eat out, and a few online posts can inform the opinions of thousands. While there are no known statistics on these fanatics or even agreement on who qualifies as one, restaurant chains realize that influencing a few hyper-excited fans with free food and T-shirts can sometimes be more effective — and much cheaper — than a big advertising campaign.

"You really can't buy publicity like that," said Chris Arnold, spokesman for Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., referring affectionately to "lunatic customers" who do things like dress up as burritos to score free meals at the Colorado-based chain. He adds that the company tries to cultivate "loyalty and, in extreme cases, even evangelism."

The Depressive Advantage

2011-07-21T01:02:00.005-06:00

Sure, I heard of The Bipolar Advantage, but this article in HealthCentral.com brings up the intriguing point: depression isn't all bad, if you happen to be a depressive realist.

Many psychologists and researchers have something to say about this intriguing theory. In 1988 psychologists, Shelley E. Taylor and Jonathon D. Brown, reviewed evidence that non-depressed individuals held positive illusions in three domains:

• The non-depressed view themselves in unrealistically positive terms.

• They believe that they have greater control over environmental events than is actually the case.

• They hold views of the future that are more rosy than data could justify.

In essence, this theory proposes that the typical non-depressed person uses happy illusions to maintain their self esteem and get through the day. In comparison, the individual having mild to moderate depression is reported to have a more realistic perspective of his or her image as well as in interpreting information from the external world. Some would caution to not extrapolate that all happy people are necessarily delusional nor does it mean that people with depression are not sometimes distorted in their thinking. Yet this theory does seem to give a silver lining to having what some people call a depressive personality....

EDITORIAL NOTE: As one with personal experience with depression, I frankly confess it's something I wouldn't wish on my own worst enemy. On the other hand, it has forced me to learn patience, and during my days in the intelligence field, I did not let political correctness or false optimism deter me from reflecting on the evil that man is capable of.

Beware of the Sugar Blues

2011-07-13T15:42:00.001-06:00

Therese J. Borchard wrote an article in Psych Central, "Why Sugar Is Dangerous To Depression," that provides practical guidance to avoid overdosing on sugar.

"People who suffer from depression are especially vulnerable to sugar’s evil power. I am so sensitive to white-flour, processed foods that I can practically set an alarm to for three hours after consumption, at which time I will be cursing myself for inhaling the large piece of birthday cake at the party because I am feeling so miserable. That doesn’t stop me from eating dessert at the next gathering, of course, but the awareness between sugar and mood does help me better understand some of my crashes."

How to Spot a Psychopath

2011-07-11T17:17:00.002-06:00

That's the kind of title that grabs your attention. Jon Ronson in The Guardian (U.K.) describes his encounters with a mental patient named Tony who had been diagnosed as a psychopath.

Tony said the day he arrived at the dangerous and severehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif personality disorder (DSPD) unit, he took one look at the place and realised he'd made a spectacularly bad decision. He asked to speak urgently to psychiatrists. "I'm not mentally ill," he told them. It is an awful lot harder, Tony told me, to convince people you're sane than it is to convince them you're crazy.

"When you decided to wear pinstripe to meet me," I said, "did you realise the look could go either way?"

"Yes," said Tony, "but I thought I'd take my chances. Plus most of the patients here are disgusting slobs who don't wash or change their clothes for weeks on end and I like to dress well...."

The article mentions the Robert Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R), which is used to identify psychopathic personality disorder. The test looks at 21 different traits:

Factor 1: Personality "Aggressive narcissism"

Glibness/superficial charm
Grandiose sense of self-worth
Pathological lying
Cunning/manipulative
Lack of remorse or guilt
Shallow affect (genuine emotion is short-lived and egocentric)
Callousness; lack of empathy
Failure to accept responsibility for own actions

Factor 2: Case history "Socially deviant lifestyle".

Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
Parasitic lifestyle
Poor behavioral control
Lack of realistic long-term goals
Impulsivity
Irresponsibility
Juvenile delinquency
Early behavior problems
Revocation of conditional release

Traits not correlated with either factor

Promiscuous sexual behavior
Many short-term marital relationships
Criminal versatility
Acquired behavioural sociopathy/sociological conditioning (Item 21: a newly identified trait i.e. a person relying on sociological strategies and tricks to deceive)

Today Is National PTSD Awareness Day

2011-06-27T08:41:00.001-06:00

VA's National Center for PTSD Awareness has literature available for this special day.

Shockney Announces Retirement

2011-06-23T08:08:00.002-06:00

This news item is an update to the Colorado Springs Gazette story posted to this blog on the 5th of June. Agencies that could be pursuing actions against "Doctor" Shockney were not issuing statements to the news media.

The state board, which could revoke Shockney’s license and recommend criminal prosecution, did not return calls for comment Wednesday. Citing confidentiality rules, board staff will not say if the board is investigating Shockney.

The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s office, which could prosecute Shockney for fraud, criminal impersonation and a number of other crimes, also did not return calls for comment.

Johnson & Johnson Issues Product Recall for Risperdal/Risperidone,

2011-06-18T19:40:00.002-06:00

FOX News has an article about pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson recalling 16,000 bottles of its antipsychotic Risperdal and another 24,000 bottles of a generic formulation of the medicine made by Patriot Pharmaceuticals because of a musty or moldy odor caused by a chemical called TBA. "While not considered to be toxic, TBA can generate an offensive odor and a very small number of patients have reported temporary gastrointestinal symptoms when taking other products with this odor," J&J said on Friday.

Give Therapy a Chance

2011-06-11T09:09:00.002-06:00

Studies have shown than when properly applied, psychotherapy can be as powerful as any medication, and DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) has been preaching for years that these two go hand-in-hand and should be combined with regular support group sessions.

In the WebMD article, "Top 7 Therapy Myths Debunked," Heather Hatfield addresses these widely held (but still fallacious) beliefs:

1. My childhood doesn’t matter.
2. All therapists are the same.
3. I don’t need therapy, just drugs.
4. It’s not going to work.
5. It’s too expensive.
6. It’s going to send me over the edge.
7. I don’t have time.

New Study Reveals Popularity of Bullies

2011-06-11T08:09:00.002-06:00

FYI Living ran an article that provides some insight as to why school systems have traditionally covered up for bullies by blaming their victims.

...new research suggests that most aggressive behavior in children is actually not the result of psychological or social problems, but rather a desire to maintain one’s social position in the group. In fact, new studies reveal that most bullies actually have excellent self-esteem; the higher one’s social ranking in school, the more likely he/she is to have been involved in an aggressive incident. That’s right, if it’s true that being class president is just a popularity contest, then perhaps the class president is actually the class bully.

Since the victims of bullies commonly experience depression and social anxiety, this new data supports the implementation of anti-bullying programs in schools. These programs provide students with an environment where they can openly discuss the effects of aggressive behavior and learn conflict resolution skills from adults and peers.

The study collected data from 3,772 students across 19 middle and high schools. Students were asked to name five kids who had physically or verbally abused them, as well as five kids who they had picked on. The study revealed that the desire to achieve or maintain popularity was directly proportional with aggressive behavior. In fact, the more popular a student was, the more likely he/she had been involved in an aggressive situation....

Here's the clincher: "According to a recent study involving 5th and 6th graders, it’s not the bullies who are disliked by their classmates, but the kids being bullied."

They Call It "Paris Syndrome"

2011-06-07T09:01:00.002-06:00

A BBC article describes how Japanese visitors to Paris are subject to a state of shock when they get there.

A dozen or so Japanese tourists a year have to be repatriated from the French capital, after falling prey to what's become known as "Paris syndrome".

That is what some polite Japanese tourists suffer when they discover that Parisians can be rude or the city does not meet their expectations.

The experience can apparently be too stressful for some and they suffer a psychiatric breakdown.

Around a million Japanese travel to France every year....

A PERSONAL NOTE: When I went to Paris on 2 occasions, I posed as a French-speaking Japanese tourist after hearing all those tales they tell about how Parisians treat American servicemen.

Another Reason Why We Need to Beware of Imitations

2011-06-05T05:22:00.002-06:00

This shocker of a story appeared in the Colorado Springs Gazette today:

Edwin Shockney’s 2009 book “Delusional Entitlement Disorder” describes people who increasingly expect quick payoffs without hard work and “believe that standards, rules and laws do not apply to them.”

He could be describing himself.

Shockney says he has a master’s degree in counseling and a doctorate in psychology, which give him the expertise to diagnose patients, advise government agencies and testify in almost 150 local court cases.

In reality, the Colorado Springs man quit at least three colleges. He has no bachelor’s degree and no master’s. And his doctorate came from a defunct California seminary based in a strip mall.

But through an ever-evolving string of embellishments and outright lies, Shockney has hoodwinked the Colorado professional counselors oversight board, the Catholic Church, local lawyers, police, a large defense contractor and countless patients for more than a decade.

He has gotten away with it despite repeated complaints to authorities.

And his deceptions could have serious repercussions because his court testimony has influenced dozens of child custody and criminal cases that may now warrant new trials....

EDITORIAL COMMENT: The bottom line is that psychotherapy offer a great deal of scope for quacks who take advantage of highly vulnerable people. Since they are likely to come up with strange and unsound advice with no scientific basis, they can hurt a lot of patients before the authorities yank their chain and either/or strip them of their licenses or initiate criminal proceedings.

Twelve Essential Traits of Survivors

2011-06-04T07:17:00.003-06:00

The Survivors Club, based on the Ben Sherwood book with the same title, studies the traits of resiliency that psychologists and even the military have taken an interest in. "12 Essential Traits That Make You a Survivor," provides a quick look at what they believe is the "right stuff."

"8 Signs Someone Is at Risk of Suicide"

2011-06-03T18:28:00.002-06:00

This list, from MSN.com, is a good start, but far from exhaustive. One should look for other symptoms as well: having a plan for doing oneself in, multiple suicide attempts, giving away prized possessions, a lifelong pattern of pessimism and cynicism, an unusual calm and tranquility, etc.

Recognition at Last!

2011-05-31T21:04:00.004-06:00

Chato B. Stewart, whom I met at the recently-concluded DBSA national conference in Houston, TX, has honored me with a cartoon in Mental Health Humor. In the drawing, my hair appears to be blacker, thicker, and curlier than it really is (maybe I became subject to reverse heritability from 2 great-nephews who are part African-American.:-) Yes, I claim full responsibility for the narrative that accompanied that cartoon.

Test Your Knowledge of Moods

2011-05-29T19:21:00.001-06:00

WebMD has an interactive quiz on mood disorders that could prove to be as educational to you as it was to me.

Look What I Found on Facebook!

2011-05-28T07:52:00.001-06:00

Bipolar Disorder Batesy, an insider's view of bipolar disorder, is the newest addition to our Blogroll.

Largest Colorado Delegation in Years Takes on DBSA National Conference

2011-05-24T10:58:00.013-06:00

Not less than 7 DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) members and 2 service dogs from the Colorado Springs area converged upon Houston, TX for the DBSA national conference at the Westin Galleria Hotel. Here's a narrative of what happened, compiled from assorted e-mails and eyewitness accounts:

Dated 21 May 2011: Yesterday we showed up at the Westin Galleria hotel in Houston, got the 2 women in our party settled in the hotel, picked up our registration packets, and got ready for Saturday's events.

As the Coloradan with the most experience in attending DBSA conferences, I feel obligated to share my knowledge with the others. I'm scheduled - and pumped - to give the presentation "Supporting Veteran-to-Veteran Recovery" this afternoon. It's the first in recent history to address the mental health experiences of active-duty and former military personnel. Fellow veteran Clarence Jordan, one of the keynote speakers, will be given some time to address the class before I do my thing. During the rehearsal for comedy night, we were pleased to see how much progress we had made over the months, and professional comic David Granirer once again was helpful in offering suggestions for improvement & words of encouragement. This is when I decided to stick more faithfully to my script and not give in too often to the temptation to ad-lib my way through 5 minutes of fame. George Pollard, a member of our delegation, was quite impressed by the facilitator seminar, which is very much like a summit meeting of experienced support group facilitators from all over the United States.

The host for our latest visit to Houston is David Hender, whom I have known since January, 1999. We first met during the dark days when both of us worked in the call center from hell [Cheap Tickets]. David had my back 12 years ago, and one of the ways to show my gratitude for, and confidence in him was to pay for his registration fee and ticket to the comedy show. We're staying at a comfortable house in Katy, TX which is known in some circles as "the fastest-growing city in America." This is believable, as entire neighborhoods had changed beyond recognition since my last visit to Houston.

My newest digital camera, the Nikon L120, is exceeding expectations, and I plan to give it a lot of exercise during the day, while using it as a prop during the comedy show.

A word about the Galleria: the largest shopping mall in Texas appears to be doing well, and is bustling with activity. I found no vacant store spaces, and the one that was boarded up happened to be under renovation for a new Microsoft store opening up soon. MAC Cosmetics, where one of my nieces worked while she lived in Houston, is still in business, and the skating rink continues to be a popular attraction.

21 May, Part B: The vets presentation was quite successful, and the people in a neighboring room had to close its door to block out the enthusiastic audience reception. Clarence Jordan, whom I saw face-to-face for the first time after lunch, spoke for 10 minutes before I started on my presentation, and was a big help to me. His passion, leadership skills, and command of details were evident to everyone who heard him, either in my class Saturday afternoon, or when he appeared as the final keynote speaker on Sunday morning. This conference marked the beginning of what I hope will be a long and productive friendship. Incidentally, it was quite reassuring to be able to fit in the same desert camouflage uniform I obtained 20 years ago!

Our host in the Houston area, David Hender, proved his worth enough times for me to designate him the "8th member" of the Colorado delegation, and I felt justified in paying to get him into the conference. Although he became sick and couldn't attend the comedy show, he obtained an understanding of our content by sitting through the final rehearsal.

On Saturday night David Granirer presented 8 amateur stand-up comics, including myself, to a warm and supportive audience. This comedy show has become a regular feature of DBSA conferences, and despite the predictions of a religious crackpot, the world did NOT come to an end on Saturday night! As a trained librarian, I was able to read the audience like a book (this is what librarians do), and found the people to be warm and eager to encourage our efforts. Our production was the culmination of many hours of work, either individually or as a group. David Granirer was quite patient, helpful, and professional in guiding us to develop our scripts.

Ingalill Atala, another one of the 8 amateur stand-up comics, wrote the following summary: "The roses and trophies were such a nice touch. I don’t know about anyone else but the audience was amazing and made me feel so special. Each fellow comedian was incredible and so brave to “get out of the box”. If it were not for the other 7, I could not have done it. If it were not for David and the DBSA, we could not have done it. My mother is so my mother. On Sunday she declared, 'Ingalill you need to be a Stand-Up Comedian.' Maybe now you all understand my ending."

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Yes, I could appear in a future comedy show, but would rather step aside and let someone else experience this art form. By participating in this program, you develop many of the skills that are essential to the recovery model: overcoming phobias, communicating with other people, focusing on a project from beginning to end, learning from mistakes, and working with other team members who are just as eager as you are to entertain an audience.

22 May: My 63rd birthday was noted in passing, and we mourned the death of Sadie, shown on right, one of the two therapy dogs we brought to the conference. She and her partner Smokie (a male Dachshund) served as goodwill ambassadors for service dogs and opened the eyes of many people to their value in helping out people with psychiatric disabilities. There was an outpouring of compassion and support from organizers and attendees at the conference, and at least Sadie was able to die among friends and be treated with proper dignity as arrangements were made to cremate her remains in Houston and send the ashes to Colorado.

Is Academic Psychiatry Out of Touch with Reality?

2011-05-15T23:30:00.003-06:00

John McManamy and I may be of different political persuasions, but are fighting on the same side in the never-ending struggle against our common enemy, mental illness.

In his "Knowledge Is Necessity" blog, he raises this intriguing point:

"A lot of what passes for academic psychiatry these days is performed by researchers who don’t even see patients. This explains why the DSM symptom lists are so spectacularly out of touch with clinical reality...."

1. McManamy has acquired an awesome level of knowledge as an informed layman, to where he can impress psychologists and psychiatrists at their professional conferences.
2. Rare is the psychiatrist who does therapy anymore, and this disconnect is as catastrophic as separating the mind from the body instead of treating both as an inseparable unit.
3. Divorcing research from clinical observation makes it infinitely harder for science to come up with answers, or to even ask the right questions.

Contrary to Popular Belief, Men Think About Food and Sleep More Than Sex

2011-05-09T09:45:00.002-06:00

The Daily Mail (U.K.) has published an article that debunks some widely-held assumptions.

Rumor has long had it that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

And it turns out it’s true. Men spend more time thinking about food – and sleep – than they do about sex, a study shows.

They think about all three more often than women do.

The research found that, contrary to popular wisdom, men do not think about sex every seven seconds.

In reality, it is more like once every waking hour.

The study was carried out by Professor Terri Fisher, a psychologist at the Ohio State University in the U.S....

I Feel Your Schmerz

2011-05-08T21:04:00.003-06:00

Just as the German word der Schmerz can refer to physical or mental pain, modern science has discovered that there is a definite connection between physical and intense emotional pain. A WebMD article says:

Rejection really does hurt. That’s the message of a new study that suggests physical pain and the pain of rejection may “hurt” in the same way.

Researchers found that physical pain and intense emotional pain, such as feelings of rejection after a bad breakup of a relationship, activate the same “pain” processing pathways in the brain.

"These results give new meaning to the idea that social rejection 'hurts,'" says researcher Ethan Kross, PhD of the University of Michigan, in a news release.

"On the surface, spilling a hot cup of coffee on yourself and thinking about how rejected you feel when you look at the picture of a person that you recently experienced an unwanted breakup with may seem to elicit very different types of pain,” says Kross. “But this research shows that they may be even more similar than initially thought...."

Colorado Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council (MHPAC) to Expand MIssion by Next Year

2011-05-08T14:11:00.002-06:00

The Colorado Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council (MHPAC), which is involved in soliciting input and drawing up applications for federal block grant funds, will be morphing into something quite different in the coming year. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that the FY 2012 block grant will combine substance abuse and treatment with the mental health block grant. This will entail responsibility for a much larger amount of money, and a major change in the composition of the Council. The best-case scenario: more cross-pollination between two interrelated but separate operations that should be working more closely together. On the other hand, such a major change could slow down the momentum established by the current Council, which has been operating smoothly and harmoniously for the past several years.

A Great-Books Program for People with Limited Time

2011-05-08T14:06:00.002-06:00

Brian Johnson, in an interview with Dr. David Van Nuys in Shrink Rap Radio, describes how he distilled the essence of books on philosophy, psychology, and motivational literature in a Web site called "Philosopher's Notes" (sliding scale charges for material).

David Duerson Gave His Brain to Science for a Reason

2011-05-03T07:32:00.002-06:00

CNN has an article about the late Chicago Bears safety David Duerson, who left a note requesting that his brain be studied before shooting himself in the chest.

As with other athletes exposed to repeated brain trauma, Duerson's brain showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a dementia-like brain disease.

"Dave Duerson had classic pathology of CTE and no evidence of any other disease," said Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist with the Bedford VA medical center, and co-director of the Boston University School of Medicine Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. "He had severe involvement of areas that control judgment, inhibition, impulse control, mood and memory."

CTE has been found in the brains of 14 of 15 former NFL players thus far studied at the Boston University center....

"Positive Psychology" May Not Be a Good Fit for Asians

2011-04-30T23:25:00.002-06:00

The Esperanza magazine Web site is the bearer of bad news:

Thinking happy thoughts, focusing on the good and downplaying the bad is believed to accelerate recovery from depression, bolster resilience during a crisis and improve overall mental health. But a new study by University of Washington psychologists reveals that pursuing happiness may not be beneficial across all cultures.

In a survey of college students, Asian respondents showed no relationship between positive emotions and levels of stress and depression. For European-American participants, however, the more stress and depression they felt, the fewer positive emotions they reported.

The study indicates that psychotherapies emphasizing positive emotions, which can relieve stress and depression in white populations, may not work for Asians, who make up 60 percent of the world population....

A Cartoon That Describes the Plight of the Mentally Ill

2011-04-30T22:04:00.002-06:00

It's one of those pictures that speaks volumes, by cartoonist Chato B. Stewart, whose work appears in the respected Web site Psych Central.

We Are for Real, and Taking Care of Business!

2011-04-30T16:54:00.007-06:00

Here is a summary of what the DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) Colorado state organization has been doing and/or accomplished since Feb. 1, 2010:

1. In February of 2010 we secured office space at the Pikes Peak Partnership, 1352 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80909. We also purchased liability insurance.
2. In March, 2010 we had our first meeting of the Board of Directors for the year.
3. Plans were made to begin offering the Pathways to Recovery class beginning in June 2010.
4. The Board directed the President (now called Chair) who also serves as the Executive Director, to find income sources besides donations from board members to meet agency expenses. Expenses at that time were $350 per month.
5. Janet Karnes passed on info about the Chinook Fund, which provides seed money to new nonprofits who do not have their 501 (c)3 status yet.
6. Application for a grant was made to the Chinook Fund, and a $2,000 grant was awarded in June.
7. Steve Bell, Executive Director, made a site visit to encourage and counsel with the leaders of DBSA Boulder and DBSA Longmont. Meetings were productive and led to a joint facilitator training meeting in June. As a result of the training, each chapter now has two additional facilitators for their support groups. Charles Sakai assisted.
8. First Pathways 8-week class for job-seekers is conducted. Ten enrolled, 5 graduated (attended at least 6 out of 8 sessions and completed homework). Three members of the class secured full- or part-time employment.
9. Board meeting in Alamosa, July 2010. By-Laws revised.
10. Second Class for Pathways was held in the fall of 2010. Eight enrolled, four graduated, including Doreen Daily, a resource advocate (peer specialist) with MHA-Pikes Peak Region. She is now a Pathways Facilitator. The fall class was led by Charles Sakai.
11. Steve Bell gave presentations on the nature of mood disorders to Bayaud Enterprises in Denver, the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, a psychology class at Colorado Technical University, and Newman University at the invitation of the instructors, and/or program directors.
12. Fall 2010 - preparation of tax-exempt application began in earnest in September.
13. Application for 501 (c)3 status completed and submitted on January 2, 2011. Approval and notice received from IRS six weeks later.
14. January 2011 - Third Pathways series began. Completed last week of February. As with the end of each class, a graduation luncheon or potluck was done. Doreen Daily facilitated this session and arranged for a luncheon at the Black-Eyed Pea restaurant.
15. Beginning in late January, phone calls or e-mail contacts from consumers and family members began coming in at a rate of one or two a day. Demand for new support groups outside of Colorado Springs continues to grow. Local consumers are referred to DBSA Colorado Springs chapter.
16. Meetings were held with peers from Denver and Pueblo who want to start new support groups, one in each city to begin with. This would fill the need for peers and family members looking for support groups in those communities.
17. In February 2011 George Pollard recruited Cathy Smith to do clerical and administrative work in the office once or twice a week. George will facilitate the spring Pathways class.
18. Purchased our first used computer for $50, and installed it in our office at the Pikes Peak Partnership. We are now looking for a printer, and may acquire one soon.
19. DBSA Colorado - BrainStorm Career Services now has 5 volunteers (including an Executive Director. The spring Board meeting was held on Saturday, April 30, 2010 at Pikes Peak Partnership. Steve Bell was re-elected as Chair/Executive Director, George Pollard remains as Vice Chair and volunteered to be an acting internal auditor, and Charles Sakai was elected as Secretary and board member. The current board agreed to remain until the end of this year.

GOALS FOR THE PERIOD MAY 1-DECEMBER 31, 2011

DBSA Colorado State:

1. Establish 4 new support groups outside of Colorado Springs - 2 already in the works.
2. Provide relevant information and referrals to 200 incoming contacts.
3. Conduct at least 2 leadership training workshops for existing chapters.

BrainStorm Career Services;

1. Conduct 4 Pathways to Recovery classes.
2. Assist at least 20 Pathways students in securing meaningful and sustainable employment OR getting enrolled in formal education to further their career goals. Seventy percent of these students would still be on the job or attending school after 6 months.
3. Conduct at least 3 vocational rehabilitation consultations or workshops with large employers in El Paso County [Colorado] to educate them about hiring persons with psychiatric disabilities.

Excellent Question: What Are The Benefits of Being Able to Laugh?

2011-04-20T07:10:00.003-06:00

Chato B. Stewart has been published in BP Magazine, a magazine for people with bipolar disorder, their family members and friends, and all those with a professional interest in this medical condition (such as psychologists).

Words Of The Wisdomless: Moods

"Only one person can change your mood, that person is you! You can let people lift you up, or let them knock you down. This means it is vital to pick
your friends wisely! Too bad, we can't pick our family... Well, at least, we can ignore them on Facebook!" - By Chato B. Stewart

An article on helpguide.com about "Laughter is good for your health" said how laughter relaxes the whole body. Just one good laugh a day can make a positive difference. Yes, laughter helps with stress, and many believe that laughter can also boost your immunity by... "decreases the stress hormones and increases immunity cells and infection fighting antibodies". The article went on to say that laughter antibodies help the immune cells and are necessary to fight off colds and infections and speed up recovery....

A Nice Treatment, if It Works

2011-04-17T21:46:00.002-06:00

Lately hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been touted as a treatment of choice for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain (TBI), both of which are associated with depression. Sadly, much of the findings in favor of this method have been anecdotal in nature, and it is not cheap (80 sessions at $200 apiece, for an estimated total of $16,000). The Veterans Administration published a meta-analysis of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and while it is good for carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, air or gas embolism, and a few other ailments, the jury is still out concerning how effectively it can help patients with PTSD or TBI.

Study Attributes Motive to Overuse of Consumer Credit

2011-04-15T02:43:00.002-06:00

In the Science News article, "People Who Overuse Credit Believe Products Have Unrealistic Properties," we read:

A University of Missouri researcher says people who overuse credit have very different beliefs about products than people who spend within their means. Following a new study, Marsha Richins, Myron Watkins Distinguished Professor of Marketing in the Trulaske College of Business, says many people buy products thinking that the items will make them happier and transform their lives.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to buy products," Richins said. "It becomes a problem when people expect unreasonable degrees of change in their lives from their purchases. Some people tend to ascribe almost magical properties to goods -- that buying things will make them happier, cause them to have more fun, improve their relationships -- in short, transform their lives. These beliefs are fallacious for the most part, but nonetheless can be powerful motivators for people to spend...."

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones Seeks Treatment for Bipolar II Disorder

2011-04-13T23:22:00.005-06:00

Both CNN and the Los Angeles Times have reported that Catherine Zeta-Jones, wife of Michael Douglas, checked herself in to a mental health facility for treatment.

This explanation is from the L.A. Times:

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic-depression, is typically lifelong and recurrent, David J. Miklowitz, PhD, said. Some people have their first episode in childhood, others later in life; the majority, during the teen years. Some people experience episodes every few years; others are in and out of episodes constantly.

Bipolar I is characterized by severe manias, said Miklowitz, during which people either "feel on top of the world" or irritable and angry. They sometimes feel like they have superpowers or heightened perception; their thoughts race and they're loaded with energy. Usually people with bipolar I swing between this manic state and a "flip side" of extreme depression during which they slow down, feel sad and lose interest in activities they usually enjoy (including sex). They can suffer from fatigue and insomnia, and can become suicidal.

People with bipolar II swing from severe depression to a milder and briefer manic state called hypomania. They aren't impaired to the extent that folks with bipolar I can be. "People notice a change, but it's not extreme," Miklowitz said.

Stating the Obvious About Alcoholics

2011-04-09T19:10:00.002-06:00

A Live Science report stresses a major reason why alcoholism is so difficult to treat:

Only 1.2 percent of the nation’s more than 7.4 million adults ages 21 to 64 with an untreated alcohol abuse disorder thought they could be helped by treatment, the report said.

And among those with an untreated alcohol dependence disorder, a more severe condition, only 7.8 percent recognized they needed treatment, according to the report. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are considered disorders in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

The report, released yesterday (April 7), is based on data from national surveys of 67,500 people conducted between 2006 and 2009....

Men's Health List of "100 Angriest Cities in America"

2011-03-30T08:42:00.002-06:00

The higher the number, the more steamed-up the people are likely to be.

How did we gauge rage? Statistically (and from a safe distance). We calculated the number of aggravated assaults per capita (FBI), the number of people with high blood pressure (CDC), the amount of time spent in traffic during rush hour (Texas Transportation Institute), and the number of anger-management specialists per capita (American Psychological Association).

Most PO'd
100 Detroit, MI
99 Baltimore, MD
98 St. Petersburg, FL
97 Las Vegas, NV
96 Newark, NJ
95 Charleston, WV
94 Dallas, TX
93 Houston, TX
92 Philadelphia, PA
91 Miami, FL
90 Riverside, CA
89 Memphis, TN
88 Oklahoma City, OK
87 Louisville, KY
86 Los Angeles, CA
85 Jersey City, NJ
84 Fort Worth, TX
83 Jacksonville, FL
82 Indianapolis, IN
81 Boston, MA
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4 Washington, DC
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2 Lincoln, NE
1 Burlington, VT

For more information, go to Men's Health.

Who's the Crazy One Around Here?

2011-03-13T03:05:00.003-06:00

From New Hampshire Fosters.com ran the following curious story:

A public backlash has followed the comments of a 91-year-old freshman state representative who said Thursday that funding for the mentally ill should be cut because he doesn't support state funding for "the crazy people" who should be sent to "Siberia."

State Rep. Martin Harty, R-Barrington, told Sharon Omand, a program manager at Community Partners, which provides behavioral health and developmental services for Strafford County, that he believed in eugenics and disagreed with her about the need for funds for mental health services.

"The world population has gotten too big and the world is being inherited by too many defective people," he told her....

..."New Hampshire is committed to taking care of those less fortunate and has a long history of doing so," said Republican former state Sen. George Lovejoy in a statement sent to the paper. "The goal of the new Republican majority of our legislature is to serve the voice of the people and Representative Harty does not."

Kate Messler is a special-needs student at Oyster River High School, and a player-manager for the girls' basketball team. She has been featured in Foster's for her participation in team sports.

Her mother, Patricia, said she was sickened by Harty's comments.

"The importance of groups like Community Partners and the support services within the schools are why Kate has prospered," she said. "Without them Kate would not be the person she is today."

Messler added there are no defective people.

"Everyone can make a difference whether you're able or disabled," she said. "There are no defective people in this world. No one is perfect."

UPDATE: Harty is resigning due to the "slightly unfavorable publicity" generated by his comments.

Efforts to Stop "Suicide by Cop"

2011-03-08T22:12:00.002-07:00

In this rather lengthy Miller-McCune article, Julia Dahl describes the problem facing law enforcement when confronted by mentally ill or desperate individuals seeking to end their lives in a hail of bullets. One solution that has been producing results and preventing needless shootings has been CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training, but not all police departments have embraced this technique.

Army Considers Using a New Class of Drugs for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

2011-03-06T22:38:00.002-07:00

This hot news item was mentioned by Bob Brewin in his blog, What's Brewin', dated 2 March 2011:

The Army plans to test neuroprotective drugs to treat traumatic brain injury, the service's top scientist told members of the House Armed Services Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee on Tuesday.

Dr. Marilyn Freeman, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for research and technology, told lawmakers the service plans to test the effectiveness of drugs that help prevent damage to axons, which carry electrical impulses from nerve cells.

The drugs, so the theory goes according to this video, help prevent TBI by ensuring axons don't die as a result of a brain injury.

I wish I had paid better attention in biology class.

DBSA Colorado State Now a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit!

2011-03-05T21:36:00.003-07:00

It involved some trouble and expense on our part, but the DBSA Colorado State organization has achieved 501(c)(3) status, and can now receive tax-deductible contributions. This milestone is a necessary step in our efforts to become a positive force for mental health consumers in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.

Staying Cool Under Pressure

2011-03-05T21:24:00.003-07:00

A Slate Magazine article revisits a topic addressed in books such as The Survivors Club.

"When I was researching Nerve, my new book about how people deal best with fear, pressure, and stress, I got quizzed about this constantly. Is cool-headedness born, people wanted to know, or is it made? We've been arguing about this question since the days of Socrates, but until recently, psychologists had very little hard data about how genes and experience interact to determine how we respond under stress. We now have a far more solid idea of where cool comes from, however. Poise under pressure, it turns out, does indeed have a strong genetic component—yet our poise is mostly the result of what we do to build it up throughout our lives."

Just Another Way of Saying, "Hollywood Eats Its Own"

2011-03-02T19:25:00.002-07:00

The Bookworm Room blog makes this statement about actor Charlie Sheen's ongoing meltdown:

England’s Bethlem Royal Hospital, founded in the 13th Century as [St. Mary Bethlehem] part of a convent, eventually transformed itself into the world’s first facility dedicated to the mentally ill. By the 16th Century, when it housed only the mentally ill, it was famous for the cruelty with which those patients were treated. The word “bedlam,” which describes a situation that is completely out of control, is a bastardization of the hospital’s name....

The practice of making insanity a public show changed only when people realized the indecency and immortality of laughing and staring at people who were helpless victims of their own mental illnesses. People of good will now think to themselves, “I never would sink to such a low practice.”

Apparently the American media is not made up of people of good will. For as long as I’ve been aware of him, Charlie Sheen has been a substance abuser and a loathsome individual. Now, though, it’s apparent that his vices have caught up with him and rendered him mentally ill. Reading the transcripts of his interviews his definite evidence that he has parted with reality. Normal people, even eccentric people, do not say “I am on a drug, it’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available because if you try it you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.”

In a decent world, Sheen would get the treatment he requires. In an indecent world, he’s paraded around for the media’s profit, just as the inmates at Bethlem Hospital were once paraded around for the profit of their ostensible caretakers. It’s embarrassing to watch someone sink into such complete degradation.

Some might say that Sheen wants this publicity. He’s actively seeking it, after all, as he has done for the length of his career. There’s a difference, though, between a mentally functioning person (even a low functioning person) taking appropriate steps to advance his career, and a mentally ill person treading that same path. It reminds me of the arguments the ACLU always makes about the paranoid schizophrenics on the streets of San Francisco: “They want to be there.” Yes, that’s true. They do indeed want to live on the streets, eating garbage, crawling with lice, and having suppurating wounds all over their body. But they want to live that way because they’re crazy as loons. Their desire to be dysfunctional (starving, filthy and diseased) on the streets is evidence of their insanity. A decent society, rather than saying “Great, eat garbage,” helps them out...

Stating the Obvious: Study Shows Speed Dating Rarely Works

2011-03-02T19:11:00.002-07:00

An article in DiscoveryNews.com confirms what you probably figured out on your own by now.

THE GIST

* Humans and other animals can only handle so much variety before confusion and indecision set in.
* Speed dating usually presents us with an unnatural number of choices, so people often choose the wrong mater or can't choose at all.
* The findings help to explain problems with other situations involving variety, such as long menus.

Prior research indicates non-human animals also make poor choices, or none at all, when confronted with too much variety. For people, the discovery could help to explain all sorts of transaction and social failures, from inability to select a proper home after viewing dozens to what could be called the "George Clooney effect" -- the inability of some people to fully settle down even when dating multiple attractive, wealthy and otherwise desirable partners.

Human Guinea Pigs

2011-02-28T07:45:00.002-07:00

We have to go to England to revisit a chapter in our history that many Americans are too ashamed to discuss: experimentations on people considered expendable, such as prisoners, mental patients, soldiers, blacks, and handicapped people. The Daily Mail (U.K.) has the story.

Trigger-Happy

2011-02-23T08:17:00.002-07:00

We are still harvesting the bitter fruits of an alarming trend: criminalizing actions by children that would not have caused any alarm only a few years ago.

Fox 31 (KDVR in Denver) has a video.

Arvada Police are defending the way they handled the arrest of an 11-year-old boy. The Arvada boy was arrested and hauled away in handcuffs from his home for drawing stick figures in school - something his therapist told him to do.

His parents say they understand what he did was inappropriate, but are outraged by the way Arvada Police handled the case. The parents did not want their real names used....

NEDAwareness Week 2011 (National Eating Disorders Association)

2011-02-20T17:23:00.003-07:00

NEDAwareness Week is sponsored by NEDA (National Eating Disorders Assocation). NEDAwareness Week is a collective effort of primarily volunteers, including eating disorder professionals, health care providers, students, educators, social workers, and individuals committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.

NEDA appreciates your efforts, together we can accomplish a world without eating disorders.

National Eating Disorders Association
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

New Feature of L.A. Comedy Club: Psychotherapy

2011-02-09T17:51:00.002-07:00

In the Los Angeles Times we read that Jamie Masada's Laugh Factory will be using an in-house psychologist to help the stand-up comics who perform at this venue to de-stress.

One of two clinical psychologists will be on hand four nights a week at the club to treat stand-ups; the free, no-appointment-necessary sessions will take place on a therapy couch that, appropriately enough, used to belong to Groucho Marx.

"This is serious. This is something we have to do," Masada says in a recent interview at the Sunset Boulevard club. "From Richard Jeni putting a gun in his mouth and blowing himself up [in 2007] to Greg Giraldo taking drugs and overdosing [in 2010], I just can't stand to watch all of my family, one by one [self-destruct]....

"Research shows that there is a higher degree of depression and bipolar disorder in comedians," she [Clinical psychologist Ildiko L. Tabori],says. "Laughter is a defensive mechanism. It's one of the more mature defense mechanisms, but it still masks whatever it is that's going on inside."

"Weeds" costar Kevin Nealon, who performs at the Laugh Factory, says many of his colleagues are drawn to stand-up as a form of validation. "A lot of comics, they're onstage getting attention and approval. It's one of the reasons they do stand-up," he says....

New Antidepressant Doesn't Suppress Sex Drive!

2011-01-30T23:05:00.002-07:00

Politics Daily, a subsidiary of AOL News, describes a new medication:

Here's some good news that should brighten up this cold, snowy January: The Food and Drug Administration has just approved a new antidepressant with minimal sexual side effects.

The most commonly used class of antidepressants -- called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -- has quickly risen to the top of the charts for their ability to treat depression. These include such household names as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. But there's one problem with SSRIs: Many of them cause sexual dysfunction, including problems with achieving erection, delayed orgasm and loss of libido. As a result, patients frequently abandon their medication.

The new drug, vilazodone (the name suggests it could be an atypical antidepressant like trazodone or nefazodone), was developed by the company Clinical Data and will be marketed under the brand name Viibryd. In clinical trials, it did not have a negative impact on sexual desire or function....

Exactly as You Thought: Trans-Fats and Saturated Fats Contribute to Depression

2011-01-28T05:12:00.002-07:00

Excerpts from an AFP-Yahoo.com article:

Eating foods high in trans-fats and saturated fats increases the risk of depression, according to a Spanish study published in the US Wednesday, confirming previous studies that linked "junk food" with the disease.

Researchers also showed that some products, such as olive oil, which is high in healthy omega-9 fatty acids, can fight against the risk of mental illness.

Authors of the wide-reaching study, from the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, followed and analyzed the diet and lifestyle of over 12,000 volunteers over six years.

The report, published in the online journal PLoS ONE, noted the research was performed on a European population that enjoys a relatively low intake of trans-fats -- making up only 0.4 percent "of the total energy ingested by the volunteers."

"Despite this, we observed an increase in the risk of suffering depression of nearly 50 percent," said researcher Miguel Martinez....

FDA To Consider Fate of ECT

2011-01-25T22:04:00.002-07:00

Dr. John Grohol of Psych Central has ascended the soapbox to speak out on the proposal to "... downgrade electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) devices into the Class II medical device category — that is, a medical device that carries only 'medium risk.' Like a syringe." The American Psychiatric Association appears to endorse this change in writing.

"Currently ECT devices are classified as Class III devices — high risk. Yet they have never undergone the very basic safety and efficacy the FDA requires for all Class III medical devices and medications. Why not?

"We’re told the devices were 'grandfathered' into the Class III category because they’ve been around so long...."

Another Compelling Reason Why Mental Illness Requires Our Attention

2011-01-19T10:07:00.002-07:00

Usually he writes about military and political topics, but retired Marine Thomas D. Segel has this to say on his personal blog:

"Far too many voices have been raised in pontification about the mass shooting in Arizona. I have been very reluctant to add anything to the volumes of misinformation and unqualified statements that have headlined both electronic and print media for the past week. However, having worked in the field of mental health for many years, I do feel competent to examine that area of the current debate.

"If there is any health issue that is in need of serious reform, it is how the federal government and the many states of our union address the mental health care of the entire nation. Of all forms of illness, mental health causation is perhaps the least understood or researched. Treatment of the multiple forms of mental illness is also the most under funded area of medicine...."

The Japanese Have a Word for It: "Hikikomori"

2011-01-16T14:20:00.002-07:00

Michael Zielenziger's book, Shutting Out the Sun, describes a strange social phenomenon peculiar to Japan, but not to Western nations or even other Asian countries.

"More than one million young adults shut themselves in their rooms for years as a time. These adolescents and adults, known as "hikikomori", withdraw from societies for months or years at a time, not going to class, not working, not even leaving their homes, and often not even abandoning their rooms. These recluses become wholly dependent on their mothers to feed them....

"...Hiro a 26 year old, had locked himself in his room for seven years after being ridiculed by peers in his junior high school. He described to me his life as a hikikomori. Kenji, 36 years-old, had been alone in his room for almost two decades before he agreed to meet with me. He was unwilling to come out, unable to work or go to school or even sneak off to a movie. These men rarely even talk to their mothers, who leave hot meals at the bedroom door.

"These social isolates also account for much of the domestic violence in Japan, because frustrated, isolated men beat up their parents. These men are shut down and shut out of a Japanese society that demands a harsh and confining social order even as the new global architecture of commerce and media demands more individual autonomy, more self expression and ultimately more freedom for adults to shape their own destinies."

Loughner Case Exposes Deficiencies, Says Mental Health Advocate

2011-01-12T10:25:00.002-07:00

Dr. E. Fuller Torrey wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal that reminds us that while most mentally ill people are not violent, we do have some who are walking time bombs.

These tragedies are the inevitable outcome of five decades of failed mental-health policies. During the 1960s, we began to empty the state mental hospitals but failed to put in place programs to ensure that the released patients received treatment after they left. By the 1980s, the results were evident—increasing numbers of seriously mentally ill persons among the homeless population and in the nation's jails and prisons.

Over the past three decades, things have only gotten worse. A 2007 study by the U.S. Justice Department found that 56% of state prisoners, 45% of federal prisoners, and 64% of local jail inmates suffer from mental illnesses....

Time's Top Ten List of Legal Drugs Linked to Violent Behavior

2011-01-10T21:15:00.002-07:00

Physicians and patients alike need to be alert to symptoms that can lead a person into trouble. Here's the top ten list from Time magazine:

10. Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) An antidepressant which affects both serotonin and noradrenaline, this drug is 7.9 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
9. Venlafaxine (Effexor) A drug related to Pristiq in the same class of antidepressants, both are also used to treat anxiety disorders. Effexor is 8.3 times more likely than other drugs to be related to violent behavior. (More on Time.com: Adderall May Not Make You Smarter, But It Makes You Think You Are)
8. Fluvoxamine (Luvox) An antidepressant that affects serotonin (SSRI), Luvox is 8.4 times more likely than other medications to be linked with violence
7. Triazolam (Halcion) A benzodiazepine which can be addictive, used to treat insomnia. Halcion is 8.7 times more likely to be linked with violence than other drugs, according to the study.
6) Atomoxetine (Strattera) Used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Strattera affects the neurotransmitter noradrenaline and is 9 times more likely to be linked with violence compared to the average medication.
5) Mefoquine (Lariam) A treatment for malaria, Lariam has long been linked with reports of bizarre behavior. It is 9.5 times more likely to be linked with violence than other drugs.
4) Amphetamines: (Various) Amphetamines are used to treat ADHD and affect the brain's dopamine and noradrenaline systems. They are 9.6 times more likely to be linked to violence, compared to other drugs.
3) Paroxetine (Paxil) An SSRI antidepressant, Paxil is also linked with more severe withdrawal symptoms and a greater risk of birth defects compared to other medications in that class. It is 10.3 times more likely to be linked with violence compared to other drugs. (More on Time.com: Healthland's Guide to Life 2011)
2) Fluoxetine (Prozac) The first well-known SSRI antidepressant, Prozac is 10.9 times more likely to be linked with violence in comparison with other medications.
1) Varenicline (Chantix) The anti-smoking medication Chantix affects the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which helps reduce craving for smoking. Unfortunately, it's 18 times more likely to be linked with violence compared to other drugs — by comparison, that number for Xyban is 3.9 and just 1.9 for nicotine replacement. Because Chantix is slightly superior in terms of quit rates in comparison to other drugs, it shouldn't necessarily be ruled out as an option for those trying to quit, however.

We're In This Together

2011-01-10T08:59:00.002-07:00

An article in Esperanza magazine, "Marriages Thrive Best when Depression Becomes 'Our Problem'.” states what should be obvious to every couple who is married, or at least living together as husband and wife, that chances of keeping the relationship alive are enhanced when both partners present a united front against a common enemy.

As a professional party entertainer, Phil S. of Sanbornton, New Hampshire can light up every face in the room with his comedy magic show and balloon twisting. But he can’t cheer up his wife, Cedar, when she’s experiencing a period of depression.

“It’s very hard for me when my wife is suffering and she can’t talk to me about it,” says Phil, 45....

Can You Tell Just by Looking?

2010-12-19T21:35:00.003-07:00

The New York Post ran the following story:

"NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said, 'Police responded to a 911 call of an emotionally disturbed person at the location. When police arrived, they observed the male sitting on the ledge talking erratically. Police Emergency Service officers were called, and the person was removed to the hospital for observation.'"

The "disturbed" individual, a trial lawyer named Mark Moody, is suing the city for $400,000, saying he was just taking a smoke break sitting on a window ledge, only 12 feet off the ground.

Crisis Residential Facilities Cheaper, More Effective, than Psychiatric Hospitals

2010-12-13T12:47:00.002-07:00

A Medical News Today article describes how "...the [new] study's authors found that participants in a consumer-managed crisis residential program (CRP) experienced significantly greater improvement on several interviewer-rated and self-reported psychopathology measures than did participants assigned to a locked, inpatient psychiatric facility (LIPF). They also found that service satisfaction was dramatically higher among patients at the CRP."

Now We Know: You Don't Slap a "Hysterical" Person

2010-11-24T18:31:00.002-07:00

Slate.com has an article that brings up the fact that when Mel Gibson slapped Oksana Grigorieva for being "hysterical," that was not only inappropriate, but could do more harm than good.

Is it wise to slap a hysterical person? Absolutely not. Most psychiatrists avoid the word hysteria, because it's loaded with sexist baggage from the 19th century....

Slapping was a common response to so-called hysterical episodes in the 19th century. At that time, almost all women suffering from psychological problems like hallucinations, convulsions, sleep-walking, unexplained pains, or amnesia were diagnosed with some form of "hysteria," but researchers couldn't agree on what caused it. Some blamed syphilitic parents, others pointed to imbalances in the blood, and many just thought the women were faking illness to avoid their domestic obligations....

Just in Time for Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T12:48:00.002-07:00

They say that laughter is the best medicine, but the health benefits of gratitude are quite impressive. According to this Wall Street Journal/FOX News article:

"A growing body of research suggests that maintaining an attitude of gratitude can improve psychological, emotional and physical well-being. Adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not, according to studies conducted over the past decade. They're also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections...."

Over Half of Patients with Depression Give Up

2010-11-22T22:30:00.002-07:00

Science Blog reports on a European study that reveals some depressing statistics: Out of a sample of 7,525 patients, the Catalan Institute of Health says 56% stop taking their medications within the first 4 months, less than 25% continue their treatment for more than 11 months, and only 22% complete their course of treatment.

Gene Therapy Being Explored as a Treatment for Depression

2010-11-16T14:06:00.002-07:00

A Reuters-MSNBC article describes a technique, which we are careful to mention is still in the experimental phase, offers hope for counteracting a gene (p11) that is linked to depression. We avoid using the "C-word" (cure) because depression may not have a singular cause, but anything that contributes to progress is good in our book.

Don't Tell Me What Kind of Day to Have!

2010-11-14T22:26:00.003-07:00

Barbara Ehrenreich explores the darker side of positive thinking on Wimp.com. The bottom line: beware of groupthink!

UPDATE: Dr. David Van Nuys explains the difference between positive thinking and the positive psychology movement pioneered by Martin Seligman.

Congressman Patrick Kennedy Speaks Out for Mental Health

2010-11-08T17:49:00.001-07:00

On the Today Show, Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Senator Robert Kennedy, talked about his future life's work: mobilizing public support for research and destigmatization of diseases of the brain.

New Blood Test Offers Hope of Detecting Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

2010-10-26T15:59:00.003-06:00

TBI, which affects 1.4 million Americans every year, has always been a challenge for doctors to correctly identify, as X-rays and MRIs often do not detect the damage. Now a blood test has been developed that claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90% for mild traumatic brain injury. This is such a new discovery that it may not be available everywhere, but we expect to hear more about it in the near future.

UPDATE: The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio is doing cutting-edge research on a concussion blood test that can help identify closed-head brain injuries at a fraction of the cost of a CT scan.

"A team of Cleveland Clinic researchers, led by Damir Janigro, Ph.D., are developing a blood test that can help predict the seriousness of brain injury by detecting the status of the blood-brain barrier.

"If a protein (S100B) present only in the brain appears in serum, then the BBB is breached and the patient should be further evaluated.

"If measured within four hours of the injury, the S100B test accurately predicts which head injury patients will have a traumatic abnormality on a head CT scan...."

GlaxoSmithKline to Pay $750 Million Penalty!

2010-10-26T15:45:00.002-06:00

MSNBC reports that this major pharmaceutical company is paying a high price for substandard practices at their Cidra, Puerto Rico plant (no longer in operation). One of the products of this plant was Paxil CR (extended-release antidepressant).

"It's a Lie to Think You're Not Good Enough!"

2010-09-05T18:33:00.002-06:00

Nicholas Vujicic (pronounced Voy-a-chich) has become quite a motivational speaker because he refused to let a circumstance such as being born without arms or legs stop him from making the most of his abilities. He is far from being a wimp, but his video appears on Wimp.com. You can learn more about him on his Web site, Attitude is Altitude.

Ketamine Can Be Used to Treat Depression

2010-08-21T14:05:00.004-06:00

EurekAlert reports that ketamine, also known by the nickname "Special K," is a quick and effective antidepressant that "restores connections between brain cells damaged by chronic stress." This medication for people and domestic animals, often administered intravenously, has been around since 1962. FuturePundit adds that this drug can be used to treat bipolar disorder.

When Understanding Is Not Enough

2010-08-15T09:04:00.002-06:00

Michael Bader, D.M.H. has written a column in Psychology Today entitled "We Need a Practical Psychoanalysis." Here are the first few paragraphs:

I'm a psychoanalyst. So it was with great interest that I read Daphne Merkin's New York Times Magazine article about her forty-year history of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Merkin is a terrific writer, a brave observer of her inner life, and a lively critic of the professional cultures devoted to studying and healing inner lives. She found the New York psychoanalytic culture reassuring, even if not always helpful. She says:

"...aside from the fact that the unconscious plays strange tricks and that the past stalks the present.....[there is] a certain language, a certain style of thinking that, in its capacity to reframe your life story, becomes--how should I put this?--addictive....Whether [it does] so rightly or wrongly is almost besides the point."

For decades I've heard that it doesn't matter what theory a therapist holds, what his or her formulation about the patient might be. What matters, the cliché goes, is simply the presence of an attentive relationship. Merkin's variation on this theme is that her idealization of her analysts' wisdom and the rhythms and imagery of a psychoanalytic conversation have been more comforting than anything she's been offered in the way of interpretation and insight. The process, in other words, was more important than the content or outcome.

Now, my psychoanalyst colleagues certainly don't think this is true. It's important to them -- to us -- that our very extensive training (6 - 8 years after we get our professional degrees) has given us access to a special knowledge (transference, unconscious conflict, defenses, primitive mental states, etc.) about the human psyche that is vital to the success of our treatment. Unfortunately, psychoanalysis has unwittingly colluded with the caricature that its practitioners don't really help their patients, but instead foster 40-year treatments more akin to addictions than cures. I thought that Merkin's essay hoisted us on our own petard. And this petard is a big reason why I left organized psychoanalysis....

John McManamy Dares to Ask: Why Not Wellness?

2010-08-11T14:57:00.002-06:00

In his "Knowledge Is Necessity" blog, John McManamy, with his usual wit and perceptiveness, raises the bar as to what patients with mental disorders should be asking for.

"My last three blog pieces covered the main points I gave in a grand rounds to clinicians at a psychiatric facility two years ago in Princeton. There, I was accorded the same reception as Bill Gates at an Apple convention. Really, it went almost that well...."

"One Out of Five Californians Say They Need Mental Health Care"

2010-07-29T12:10:00.002-06:00

According to the Los Angeles Times, nearly 5 million adults in California say they need help with a mental or emotional problem, and 1 million are believed to be in "severe psychological distress."

These findings are based on the 2005 California Health Interview Survey; now it is believed that more people are in distress because of the current recession.

"They Were Expendable"

2010-07-24T14:05:00.002-06:00

A New York Times-MSNBC article says that the Kreitchman PET Center, on West 168th Street in Manhattan, had to close down because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found out that this center for positron emission tomography (PET) scan research had given mental patients injected medications with unacceptable amounts of impurities.

Record Number of Army Suicides; Other Services Affected

2010-07-15T18:09:00.002-06:00

An NBC News article by Jim Miklaszewski reports that the suicide rate among active duty, Guard and Reserve troops went up 12% in June (for a monthly total of 32), despite an aggressive suicide prevention campaign.

"The problem is not isolated to the Army. In 2009, 52 Marines and 48 Sailors took their own lives in 2009, according to a report by the American Forces Press Service. Air Force officials reported 41 active-duty suicides, a 12.5 per 100,000 ratio, in 2009...."

"20 Secret Signs of Addiction"

2010-06-30T19:13:00.003-06:00

MSN.com has an article about the telltale signs of alcohol and drug abuse that should raise red flags if a family member or friend is doing the following:

Building up a tolerance
Hiding bottles around the house
Valuables disappearing
Being unreliable and secretive

Learn about these and more by reading the full article.

Free Online Book: "How to Find a Good Therapist"

2010-06-23T21:02:00.002-06:00

Psych Central has a helpful guide by Ben Butina which starts out by stating: "Therapy works. It seems like such a simple statement, but it’s taken several decades of research to confirm that most people do, in fact, benefit from therapy. Some of this research has also addressed the trickier question of how therapy works. As it turns out, the relationship between the therapist and the client plays a huge role...."

Pregnant Women Warned About Depakote

2010-06-15T20:47:00.002-06:00

Psych Central News reports this disturbing finding about the commonly-prescribed anticonvulsant, which is also used as a mood stabilizer.

Children born to women who took the epilepsy drug valproic acid (Depakote or Depakene) during the first trimester of pregnancy are much more likely to have serious births defects affecting the brain, heart and limbs, a new study finds.

The review is published in the June 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the review, researchers first looked at eight studies that included nearly 1,600 births and identified some 14 birth defects that seemed to be much more common among the children of women who took valproic acid early in pregnancy.

Researchers then took that information and analyzed data from a large European study that included nearly 4 million births and 98,000 birth defects. They found women who took valproic acid in early pregnancy had two to 12 times the risk of having a baby with one of six specific birth defects compared to women who took no epilepsy drugs. The findings were similar when birth defect rates among those taking valproic acid were compared to the rates for women who took other epilepsy drugs, leading researchers to conclude it was the valproic acid, not some other epilepsy drug, that was to blame.

NOTE: The absolute statistics are not quite as alarming: the chances of having a baby with any of these defects is less than one percent, but women in the first trimester are advised to avoid valproic acid as a precaution.

Thought for the Day, Part 4

2010-06-15T20:17:00.001-06:00

"The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions." - Alfred Adler (1870-1937)

Real Men Do Seek Out Mental Health Support

2010-06-07T21:45:00.004-06:00

This just in from American Forces Press Service:

"Twenty-eight Medal of Honor recipients recently launched the “Medal of Honor – Speak Out” campaign to encourage troops struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other health problems to take advantage of services to help them...."

UPDATE: To go directly to where the Medal of Honor warriors have recorded their statements on video, visit MedalofHonorSpeakOut.org.

Americans Prefer Antidepressants Over Talk Therapy

2010-06-06T19:11:00.004-06:00

An intriguing MSNBC-Reuters article describes how Consumer Reports conducted a survey of 1,500 readers, only to find out that 80% of patients were prescribed antidepressants, and that SSRIs (such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) were preferred over SNRIs such as Effexor [and its newer brother, Pristiq] and Cymbalta because of side effects.

NOTE: DBSA's position can be compared to a three-legged stool - we recommend that any person with a mood disorder should consult a psychiatrist for a diagnosis and prescriptions, use a therapist for discussing personal problems and working out coping strategies, and frequent support groups to be around people who understand your situation and can speak from personal experience.