Untreatable Online Blog

The Assessment

2009-07-10T19:34:00.005-04:00

Today was the day where I went into CMHA and had my assessment meeting done and it went a lot better than previous experiences with this type of interview. The CMHA assessment is a lot more in depth than other agencies that I have involved with and I tried to be as honest as possible. Part of the problems I have in assessment meetings is it can be difficult to describe what you are going through when it comes to mental illness. I found that I explained a lot of my situation is that it is normal to me such as suicidal ideation, thoughts of self harm, depressive thinking, anxiety and the list goes on but the nice lady doing the interview seemed to understand what I was trying to say. It is scary what someone can get use to.

Now it is a waiting game. Unfortunately with my experiences with other agencies who promised me all of the help in the world than stuck me at the bottom of a waiting list or seemed to lose my file there is a part of me that will not mentally commit to this new help resource until I am told that I am on board.

The lady asked what I would do if I found myself in a very bad place and I admitted that I would not go to the hospital nor would I call the local crisis line but would resort to the old habit of self harm to solve the situation, this is not the answer that she wanted to hear but it is the truth. Even though it has been quite some time since I have engage in self harm behavior (Nov 08) it was a little bit disheartening to hear the words come out of my mouth.

The best part about today's meeting is that I was treated like a person and not a mental disorder which means more to me than pretty much everything else. Take care

Song Of The Day - Billy Talent Rusted From The Rain

2009-07-09T21:56:00.003-04:00

Billy Talent - Rusted From The Rain

Family history key to severity of depression - Article

2009-07-09T21:38:00.003-04:00

Study: More treatment needed to avoid relapse of 4 psychiatric disorders

People with a family history of depression, anxiety and alcohol and drug dependence are not only likely to develop these conditions, but tend to suffer more seriously and need more treatment, a study has found.

In the nearly 30-year study in New Zealand, researchers tracked 981 people from the time they were three years old until they were 32, and collected data on their psychiatric conditions as well as those of their family members.

Four psychiatric disorders were studied: depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence and drug dependence, they wrote in the latest issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

While it is well-known that a positive family history increases the likelihood of an individual developing any of these four conditions, this study sought to find out how seriously they were affected, the researchers added.

The study showed participants with a positive family history had more recurrences of these conditions and they reported more disruptions caused to their lives, families, friends and work.

"Family history was associated with greater service use for all four disorders (but not significantly for anxiety disorders)," the researchers wrote.

However, family history did not appear to be linked to early onset of any of the four conditions.

"Among those with depression, anxiety disorder, alcohol dependence and drug dependence, a family history screen may help determine whose illness will recur, whose illness will cause the greatest impairment and who will be the most likely to use treatment resources," they wrote.

"Family history may identify a subgroup in need of primary or early intervention, and for whom treatments appropriate for recurrent, highly disabling disorder may be needed."

Original Article Link

Reality check: Canada's government health care system - Article

2009-07-06T20:45:00.003-04:00

For Shona Holmes, simple pleasures such as playing with her dog or walking in her plush garden are a gift.
Canadian Shona Holmes, who had a brain tumor, sought medical care in the United States.

After suffering from crushing headaches and vision problems, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor four years ago. She was told if it wasn't removed, she could go blind or even die.

"They said to me that you had a brain tumor and it was pressing on your optic chasm and that it needed to come out immediately," Holmes said.

Holmes is Canadian, but the "they" she refers to are doctors at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, where she turned after specialists in her own government-run health care system would not see her fast enough.

"My family doctor at that time tried to get me in to see an endocrinologist and a neurologist," Holmes recalled. "It was going to be four months for one specialist and six months for the other." Video Watch Holmes talk about her experience in getting treatment »

Even with the warning from U.S. doctors in hand, Holmes said she still couldn't get in to see Canadian specialists. Because the government system is the only health care option for Canadians, she says she had no choice but to have the surgery in the U.S.

Her treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona cost $100,000, and she and her husband put a second mortgage on their home and borrowed from family and friends to pay for it.

When she recounts that part of her painful story, she weeps.

"That's the stuff that I find so tragic -- having dinner with my friends and I know how much money I owe them," Holmes says, tears streaming down her face.

With the health care reform debate raging in the U.S., Republicans in Washington are seizing on Holmes' story and other accounts from Canada to warn against government involvement in the health care system.

The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, asserted several times on the Senate floor last month that a government-run health insurance option, which President Obama and Democrats want, could lead to a government-controlled health care system like Canada's. Watch McConnell talk about Canada's health care system Video

McConnell singled out Kingston General Hospital in Ontario as a prime example of what Americans should be fearful of: staggering delays in treatment.

CNN went to Kingston General and played a DVD for its chief of staff Dr. David Zelt of McConnell slamming the hospital.

Zelt insists McConnell's numbers -- an average of 340 days wait time for knee replacements, 196 days for hip replacements -- are an exaggeration.

"I find it very frustrating that someone of that stature would not really have true knowledge of the numbers he is actually quoting on things," Zelt told us, saying the average wait time for a knee replacement is actually 109 days, and a hip replacement is 91 days. Video Watch Zelt talk about Canada's health care system »

However, Zelt does concede that in Canada's system, where every Canadian citizen is covered, there are limited resources, shortages and often delays.

"In our health care system, we're looking at what we have to do to prioritize patients -- critically ill versus purely elective surgeries," Zelt said.

"I'm not going to say we don't have issues with timeliness for some things. It does happen. But again take the other side of the coin -- these patients have access. They're on somebody's waiting list if they have a problem, and I think the senator would need to look at that issue. Yes it may take time, but they will get seen."

McConnell's remarks have not only ruffled feathers with Ontario's doctors but also with government officials across the border.

Canadian Sen. Hugh Segal, whom we met up with at Kingston's picturesque waterfront, says his "fellow conservatives" to the south are dead wrong about Canada's health care system.

"The notion that we have some bureaucrat standing next to every doctor between the patient and that doctor is a complete creation, there is no truth to that at all," Segal said. Video Watch Canadian senator challenge McConnell's assertions »

"What you have is a longer life span, better outcomes and about one-third less costs. That's what you have."

What Segal, Zelt and other Canadian officials underscore is that their government-run system is driven by the value of the care and that the quantity of tests and procedures don't necessarily equal quality.

"You can have a patient from the hospital with abdominal pain as an example, and you can run him through every high-tech equipment, CT scan, MRIs -- it's unlimited," Zelt said.

"But then you have to take a step back and look at that. What's the cost of doing those types of investigations, and what's the value really added to the patient?"

Despite Shona Holmes' horror story about her inability to get timely treatment for a brain tumor, Canadian officials and doctors insist most life-threatening cases are treated quickly.

Toronto's Doug Wright can attest to that. The 40-year-old father of three young boys found out last month he has cancer -- a tumor on his leg.

But he says he never had to wait more than five days to see a specialist or get a test. And from diagnosis to surgery, it will be just over a month.

"The community medical system thought this process could not have been any better. I have not had to wait to see some of the best specialists in the country, who are renowned internationally," Wright said. Video Watch Wright talk about his treatment »

An investment adviser, Wright has the money to go to the U.S. for his care, but says there is no need.

But Wright recognizes one reason he has gotten such a rapid response from Canadian doctors is because he has cancer.

"The bad news is I didn't have to wait for anything, because you don't have to wait when it's a serious issue," he said.

Still, people can wait for months, or even years, for elective surgery.

Wright's friend Rick Hession has a heart condition that could cause a stroke, but he has a three-month wait or more for an operation to help correct it.

He says he can't exercise the way he would like to until he gets the surgery, but he's willing to wait. He calls it a small price to pay for free health coverage for all Canadians.

"I'm OK with it, and I think most people I talk to find they really are [willing to wait]," says Hession.

The reality is that despite GOP rhetoric to the contrary, no Democratic plan now on the table calls for a Canadian-like government run health care system.

But in talking to doctors, government officials and even average Canadians, they concede their system is far from perfect, but there is one statistic they are quite proud of: All Canadians have health coverage. That's 33 million people, compared with the 47 million uninsured in the U.S.

Original Article Link

The Fear Of Treatment

2009-07-05T23:24:00.004-04:00

I have written about a part of this in the past where some of us who are mentally unwell fear getting better because it is an unknown. The mental disorders or labels that I carry around with me have been on my back for quite some time and to be honest I can not remember my life without them. My day to day life is about survival and waiting for that next wave to send me down the dark hole of despair and in some peoples minds it would seem that I would want to do everything in my power to get out of this cycle but the thing is I am use to it. Suicidal thoughts are as common as the thought of what I will wear for the day and the thought of ending my life does not have any fear to it anymore (I am not suicidal). I know how to fill my day to keep myself busy and occupied which keeps my brain away from the thoughts that get me into my trouble. This is just the way my life is and it is difficult and scary to think what would happen if I woke up tomorrow a 100% cured as I would have no idea how to survive in that world.

The other part is the thought or safety net that treatment brings where you always have that reason/excuse where "If things get too bad I will just go into treatment". You would be amazed how much power the previous statement has but this is also where another fear lies. What would happen if I completed 100% of therapy, attended all of the groups and meetings but at the end nothing changed. Goose bumps are covering my body as the thought of never getting better scares the living hell out of me, what happens if I am truly untreatable. Take care

From Denial to Breakthrough: How You May Feel During Therapy - Article

2009-07-05T19:30:00.003-04:00

The typical talk-therapy session lasts 45 to 50 minutes and involves a conversation, usually with the therapist guiding the patient with skillful, probing questions. Watch what one patient says she gets out of her treatment.

Patients often say they feel worse during the beginning stages of therapy. "This occurs because our natural inclination in dealing with negative feelings is to avoid them," says William C. Sanderson, PhD, professor of psychology at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

"I've had patients tell me that they feel worse once they start looking at these personal issues so closely. It's like focusing on how your stomach feels when you're hungry. But I've had just as many patients tell me that the increased focus on and understanding of their problems makes them feel better right from the beginning."

Therapy is hard work
A lot of people are surprised to find how much work is expected of them outside of therapy sessions. You may be asked to track thoughts, do assigned reading, and make specific behavior changes. "If you don't do what I suggest outside of sessions, it's like joining the gym but never working out. There's no lasting benefit," says Sanderson.

Others are uncomfortable with silences and don't know how to fill them. "There's a concept in therapy: Talk about whatever you think about, whatever comes to mind. But that's hard to do," says Tracey Lipsig Kite, MSW, a licensed therapist in Evanston, Ill. "It doesn't have a normal frame of reference. We don't do that with other people. It's really just weird. People aren't used to it."

Projecting is normal
One unexpected byproduct of therapy is intense emotions about the therapist. In other words a patient may have past emotional attachments surface that are projected (transferred) onto the therapist. The desired outcome is to work through the transference. This means the projections are discussed in therapy and not acted out. Acting them out would foster confusion and other problems.

This is normal, says Gary Seeman, PhD, a psychologist in San Francisco. "Primitive, childlike sectors of the mind can be activated during the therapy, and these intense emotions should become grist for the mill," he says.

However, strict boundaries must be observed. Therapists are prohibited from sexual or even social relationships with a patient.

Original Article Link

Unlocked: the secrets of schizophrenia - Article

2009-07-02T09:24:00.004-04:00

Scientists have discovered a remarkable similarity between the genetic faults behind both schizophrenia and manic depression in a breakthrough that is expected to open the way to new treatments for two of the most common mental illnesses, affecting millions of people.

Previously doctors had assumed that the two conditions were quite separate. But new research shows for the first time that both have a common genetic basis that leads people to develop one or other of the two illnesses.

Three different international studies investigated the genetic basis of schizophrenia by pooling their analysis of about 15,000 patients and nearly 50,000 healthy subjects to find that thousands of tiny genetic mutations – known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) – are operating in raising the risk of developing the illness.

Each mutation on its own increased the risk of developing schizophrenia by about 0.2 per cent but collectively they were found to account for at least a third of the total risk of developing schizophrenia. The condition is known to have a strong inherited component, accounting for about 80 per cent of the total risk, but it is also influenced by upbringing and environment.

However, one of the most surprising findings to emerge from the three studies was that the same array of genetic variations in SNPs was also linked with bipolar disorder, a discovery that is at odds with the orthodoxy in psychiatry stating that the two conditions are clinically distinct, the scientists said. The findings are a milestone in the understanding of both schizophrenia and manic depression – also known as bipolar disorder – which could eventually lead to new ways of either preventing or treating conditions that cause untold human misery and cost the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds each year.

"If some of the same genetic risks underlie schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, perhaps these disorders originate from some common vulnerability in brain development," said Thomas Insel, director of the US National Institute for Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, which part-funded the studies. "Of course the big question then is how some people develop schizophrenia and others develop bipolar disorder."

Although the schizophrenia studies have so far only identified a handful of the many thousands of genetic variations implicated in the mental illness, scientists believe it represents a breakthrough that will accelerate the understanding of the condition and the development of new drugs and treatments. "This is a pretty major breakthrough for us because before today you could count on the thumb of one hand the number of common [genetic] variants that have been reliably identified for schizophrenia," said Michael O'Donovan, professor of psychiatric genetics at the Medical Research Council's neurogenetics centre in Cardiff.

"However, what we've found so far explains only a tiny fraction of the total risk of schizophrenia. Some of us were surprised to find that not only did these genes contribute to schizophrenia but they also contribute to bipolar disorder. So that really suggests that the two disorders are not really as distinct as we thought in psychiatry."

The three studies, published in the journal Nature, have been possible because of technical advances in the analysis of the genomes of patients, enabling scientists to rifle through vast amounts of DNA in order to make comparisons between patients and healthy "controls".

Eric Lander, the founding director of the Broad Institute, one of the 11 research centres of the consortium formed from laboratories in the United States, Europe and Australia, which were behind the studies, and a member of Barack Obama's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, said that the pace of research into schizophrenia was accelerating fast. "Over the past year, using techniques designed to study common DNA changes, psychiatric disease geneticists have detected more statistically compelling findings than in the previous 100 years," he said.

Some of the genetic variations associated with schizophrenia appear to occur within a region of the genome known to be involved in controlling the immune system. This might help to explain why babies born in winter and spring when influenza is rife, or to women who have had flu during pregnancy, are at slightly increased risk of developing schizophrenia in later life, the scientists said.

"Discoveries such as these are crucial for teasing out the biology of the disease and making it possible for us to begin to develop drugs targeting the underlying causes and not just the symptoms of the disease," said Kari Stefansson, the head of deCode Genetics, the Icelandic company involved in one of the three studies. "One of the reasons this study was so successful is its unprecedented size. Pooling our resources has yielded spectacular results, which is what the participants from three continents hoped for."

The study also found links to schizophrenia with DNA variations in certain genes involved in the growth of nerve cells in the brain and the production of a protein messenger molecule that helps the transmission of signals from one brain cell to another.

Schizophrenia affects one in 100 people at some time in their life. It is a chronic, long-term illness resulting in persistent delusions and hallucinations and is estimated to cost the taxpayer about £2bn a year in care and treatment. The costs to society at large – from the families of affected patients to the money spent by the criminal justice system – are thought to be at least twice as high.

Professor David St Clair, chair of mental health at the University of Aberdeen, said the global drugs bill alone for schizophrenia is £12.5bn, not to mention other huge costs such as hospital stays, lost employment and diminished quality of life. "Our findings are a real scientific breakthrough since they tell us a lot more about the nature of the genetic risk of schizophrenia than we knew as little as a year ago," he said.

"However, this is not a breakthrough that is going to change clinical practice any time soon. It will still be many years before our findings can be translated into new drug treatments. Much more work is also still required for us to piece together the overall genetic architecture of schizophrenia."

Curses of the mind

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic brain disorder that usually strikes in late adolescence or early adulthood and is marked by hallucinations and delusions. Sufferers may hear voices or believe that other people are controlling them or reading their minds. Such experiences can be terrifying and can cause fearfulness, withdrawal or extreme agitation. People with schizophrenia have reduced brain receptors for the dopamine messenger. They may not make sense when they talk, or they can appear to be perfectly fine and normal until they are asked what they are really thinking. Treatments can be effective, but most people have some residual symptoms that can stay with them for life.

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is marked by unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder often manifests itself in late adolescence or early adulthood, although it may not be diagnosed for many years. The ups and downs are different from the normal ones that everyone experiences and they can result in damaged relationships, poor performances in school and jobs and even suicide. Sometimes a person with severe episodes of mania or depression has psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions, such as believing that he or she is famous or has lots of money.

£2bn

Cost per year to British taxpayer for care and treatment.

Original Article Link

FDA: Chantix must carry mental health warning - Article

2009-07-01T13:25:00.004-04:00

FDA: Chantix must carry mental health warning
Smoking cessation drug now required to warn of depression, suicide risks

The Food and Drug Administration will require Pfizer Inc.'s smoking cessation drug Chantix to carry the agency's strongest safety warning over a series of mental health side effects, including depression and suicidal thoughts.

The new requirement is based on reports of people experiencing unusual changes in behavior, becoming depressed, or having suicidal thoughts while taking the drug.

Pfizer Inc. had already updated the drug's labeling, following the beginning of an FDA investigation into the potential side effects in 2007.

The FDA is also requiring an additional study on the drugs to determine the extent of the side effects.

Original Article Link

The Doctor Game - Article

2009-06-30T21:31:00.002-04:00

Are you worried that you may need psychological help? Or have you been diagnosed with an emotional illness and desire a second opinion? Today, getting speedy appointments isn't easy if you're concerned about mental illness. But there is a way to solve this dilemma. And what should you know about embalmed psychiatrists?

Dr. Michael Van Ameringen is co-director of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. He recently reported to the meeting of the American Psychiatric Association how the internet can be used to help people self-diagnose emotional illness. Or how the web can also suggest you're not too crazy.

His study reminded me of a psychiatry text I read in medical school. The book contained chapters about schizophrenia, manic depression and many other emotional disorders. But the last chapter was titled, "The rest of us!" It implied we are all a trifle crazy, but most of us not crazy enough to need treatment.

This university study, called MACSCREEN, is available at www.macanxiety.com. It suggests over one hundred questions to assess your emotional status. I wish I were a fly on the wall to see how many readers click on this web site!

You might wonder whether I bothered to answer the questionnaire? You bet I did, out of sheer curiosity to see how it worked. You should also know that I flunked the test by stating that I don't like snakes. This placed me in the phobia category, and MACSREEN says I need help. But I was not alone in getting an E grade.

Dr. Ameringen reported that 90 percent of respondents who took the test met the criteria for a specific problem and should seek treatment. So it's hoped that the MACSCREEN test in the future will speed up the process of getting help to those suffering from anxiety or mood disorders.

Again this study reminded me of what were once called "Ma Bell" psychiatrists in New York City. This wasn't a Big Apple gimmick. Rather, citizens of that city, who preferred to remain anonymous, could "dial-a-shrink" for help.

New Yorkers no longer had to lie on a couch. Anyone who thought they needed emotional help could call between 10a.m. and 10 p.m. All they needed was a credit card and a willingness to pay X dollars every 10 minutes.

Dr. Kathleen Habner, the project founder, reported, "Our critics say we lose important information by not being face-to-face. But people tell us their problems in the first few minutes (why not, when it's an expensive telephone call?) whereas help may take several sessions of face-to-face interviews. And by using the telephone, anonymity makes this a powerful tool."

I see some merit in both of these approaches. Mail from readers that reaches my desk often complains that face-to-face interviews with physicians are no longer what they were in the past. Time has become an expensive commodity. All too often patients leave their doctor's office without adequate explanation of their problem. That causes further needless worry.

Several years ago, a psychiatrist in Halifax wrote, with tongue in cheek, that he could help his patients should he himself suffer a devastating illness. For instance, if he lost his eyesight he could always listen to patients. Even if he lost both arms he could still dictate his notes. And if illness forced him into a wheelchair all was not lost. His secretary would be available to assist him.

But what if he died? He said this would still not be the end of assistance to his patients. He suggested that the funeral director could embalm his body and place him in a chair. Then the chair could be programmed to tilt forward every few minutes so patients would believe he was listening to them, and his nod would reassure them.

Today, rapidly changing times cause anxiety and worry. The MACSCREEN web site is one way of helping those suffering such grief. They can obtain psychological care as quickly as possible. I'm also sure that anyone who is troubled would prefer telephone help to no help at all.

But obtaining psychiatric help from an embalmed psychiatrist in a rocking chair?

Hmmm, I'll leave that decision to you.

Original Article Link

Battling Mental Illness

2009-06-28T15:21:00.004-04:00

One day you step out the front door and you take a baseball bat to the face. You retreat into your home and fix up the injuries and again try to make it out your front door but the baseball ball is still waiting. It takes awhile but you come up with a plan which is to use the back door instead but once again you take a baseball bat to the face. Again you come up with a plan and that is to don a hockey helmet but it is of no use as the baseball bat aims for a different part of your body. Eventually your brain comes to the conclusion that leaving your home is going to hurt so instead of trying to come up with a solution to get out of your house safely your mind just try to figure out how to deal with the pain.

Battling mental illness is similar to the description above and some days it seems that no matter what you do in the end you end up paying for it. The secret is to keep trying and pushing forward for when you end up refusing to leave your little world to avoid the bat is when the mental illness wins. take care

This That And The Other Thing

2009-06-27T19:08:00.007-04:00

I have been trying to stay pretty busy lately as I tend to do better when I spend the least amount of time possible in my brain. So I started up a Facebook page for this blog, Terry Untreatable, so feel free to add me as a friend or what have you.

I made it through the first half of the book Madness and the author is an amazing writer but there were just too many triggers in it so I am going to wait a while and give it a shot in a few months or so. For those of you looking for other books centered around Mental Health Pete Earley Crazy is a good read especially if you want to learn more about the history of mental health in the US and the problems with the current system. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen is a wonderful book that feels like a blog. Anyone with any other recommendations? For I am always looking for a good book. take care

The Next Stage

2009-06-25T20:25:00.004-04:00

I met with a kind lady at the Canadian Mental Health Association today to figure out what my options are regarding my current doctor situation and what else that I could be doing to promote my own recovery. By the end of the meeting the woman laid out a number of options that will help me reclaim my life and get back to where I am suppose to be. With my doctor they are willing to compose a letter saying that they will work on the areas of my life as long as the doctor keeps prescribing my medication plus having the hospital supply my Cymbalta doses. For those of you catching up Cymbalta is a medication that seems to be working for me but since it is considered to be a new med my disability plan does not cover it and there are no generics for this specific anti depressant. Anyway part of me is rather excited about the next step but there is a part of me that remembers the promises other agencies have made and failed to come through. The CMHA does have a waiting list but thankfully it is measured in weeks to months and not years like the others. I hope this program comes though, I hope I can maximize the support and services that they offer, I hope I get my life back. take care

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

When Your Shrink Gives Up On You

2009-06-23T14:57:00.003-04:00

Well it has taken four years but it looks like my "Doctor" has finally given up on me. During our monthly meeting he told me that there is nothing that I can do about my past, nothing that I do will ever change what happened so I should just forget about it and get over it. Apparently he believes that if I was more happy and outgoing than more people would like me and my life would be easier. So my goal this month is to find the mask that people agree with, basically forget everything that happened to me and just pretend my life is perfect.

Now I have to do homework this month where I am suppose to list my short term plans for the next six months, what I am going to do with my leisure time and what my positive attributes are. Turns out surviving day to day is not considered a short term plan. Sorry for this post my mind is going a million different directions at once trying to figure out what to do next

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

Sleep Or Lack Of It

2009-06-22T01:12:00.004-04:00

Well it seems that we are going through a heat spell as the temperature keeps climbing and climbing. One of the problems with anti depressants and other mental medications is it tends to push your inner thermometer up a couple of degrees so when the weather is on the very warm side you tend to spend most of your day trying to avoid heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Then my little special twist is that I am allergic to the sun or to heat and break out in these little hives that itch like crazy but thankfully no where near what they use to be. Just dump a bunch of Lanacane on it and hope the itch goes away.

Of course trying to sleep when the temperature is on the high side is not an easy task which is why I am writing this post after 1:00am even though I went to bed a couple of hours ago. The place that I moved into last year is an older building and it turns out none of the windows in the apartment are large enough to hold an air conditioner. So I have been trying to get by by covering up all the windows and using a high powered fan to keep the air moving but to be honest most of it seems like a waste of time.

Website stuff. I received an email/comment earlier today and the person was complaining about how bad my grammar is which is rather a pretty obvious statement and i tend to get the same email every few months. As for making money I am using Infolinks and Chitika right now but due to the way it is set up it is difficult to tell how each site is doing from a monetary standpoint but chances are most of the money I make (a couple bucks a day) comes from my other blog 2010 as people do not seem to click on the ads on this site no matter what they are.

K time to go try and sleep again. good night

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

Study: 'Depression Gene' Doesn't Predict the Blues - Article

2009-06-20T14:41:00.003-04:00

Are some people hardwired to get the blues? Scientists have long believed that a tendency toward melancholy runs in families, much like dimpled chins and blue eyes. But the tricky part has been figuring out which genes are involved and how strongly they are correlated with a risk for developing depression.

A new study published on June 16 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) now threatens to send researchers back to the drawing board. The meta-analysis of 14 prior studies concludes that the so-called depression gene — a variant of a serotonin-transporter gene called 5-HTTLPR — may not be associated with an elevated risk for depression, as many researchers had believed. "Knowing whether or not you have this gene is irrelevant," says the study's co-author Kathleen Merikangas, a genetic epidemiologist at the National Institute of Mental Health, who adds that future studies of genetic risk factors for depression should broaden their scope and consider the interactions of many genes rather than the actions of just one.

The discovery by Duke psychologist Avshalom Caspi of a "depression gene," which was among the first to be associated with mental illness — a notably difficult class of diseases to pin down, genetically speaking — inspired dozens of similar studies. While many researchers had suspected that 5-HTTLPR played a significant role in depression risk, Caspi was the first to establish an association by studying depressed people who had also experienced a stressful life event, such as the death of a child or sudden unemployment. What Caspi's 2003 epidemiological study, published in Science, found was that people with one or two copies of the short allele of the gene appeared to be more vulnerable to depression after a stressful event than people without the gene. Subsequent studies have looked at 5-HTTLPR's role in related conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and neuroticism — with mixed results.

But the new JAMA study, which reviewed 14 studies involving 14,250 participants on the interaction between the serotonin-transporter gene and stressful life events, found no such association with depression risk. The study goes on to caution that any potential use of 5-HTTLPR as a screening tool for depression risk would be invalid. Currently, no such test exists, although several genetic-testing companies, including 23andME and Navigenics, do use genetic markers to tell customers which antidepressant drugs they are more likely to respond to.

"My concern is that [these tests] are being marketed to the public as if there is no question about it," says Merikangas, speaking generally about direct-to-consumer genomic tests that purport to offer people any truly predictive health advice. "Some people might understand that it is not a death sentence to them, but to others who are struggling, it could lead them not to have children or get married."

Merikangas' meta-analysis has plenty of its own detractors, particularly among the scientists whose work it refutes. "This article ignores the complete body of scientific evidence," says psychologist Caspi, who sent TIME.com an e-mail appended with 22 citations of studies that support his findings. "In the past six years, extensive research in experimental neuroscience using both animals and humans has validated the original report by showing that the 5-HTTLPR short allele-carriers are excessively vulnerable to stress," he says.

"Meta-analyses can be a steamroller," says Alexandre Todorov, a genetic epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., whose 2007 peer-reviewed study was included in the JAMA piece. (While Todorov's study found an association between the gene and depression, it was based on a different variant — the long allele as opposed to the short one.) "If you have three studies and two find nothing and the third finds something significant, that does not mean that the third study is not real."

Where most genetics researchers do agree, however, is on the fact that uncovering the genetic roots of depression — and most diseases, for that matter — is a complex task. "We have about 30,000 genes, and it is hard to pick just one and analyze it," says Dr. Hans Joergen Grabe of Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald in Stralsund, Germany. Although his 2005 study also found a correlation between the 5-HTTLPR gene and depression among the unemployed, "the magnitude of the effect is very small — if the effect does really exist, it will only produce depression in very rare cases, about 5 or 10 out of 1,000." Grabe is now studying genes involved in the function of the "stress axis" of the body (the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands), since those are known to go haywire during major depression.

So what does this mean for anyone who is struggling with depression? The science of linking specific genes to the disorder is still in its infancy, so no one should worry that their genes alone doom them to a life of sorrow. And while no single treatment works for every patient, there are many — including simple physical exercise or strengthening social relationships — that can help to lift the blues.

Original Article

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

Poem For Fathers Day - If By Rudyard Kipling

2009-06-19T20:08:00.003-04:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run—
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

Madness A Bipolar Life - What I Am Reading

2009-06-18T11:10:00.006-04:00

I picked up Madness A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher at the library a few days ago and even though I am only half way through this book I would highly recommend it. One big warning though as this book is a personal account by the writer there are a ton of triggers in every form.

Amazon Description:
Hornbacher, who detailed her struggle with bulimia and anorexia in Wasted, now shares the story of her lifelong battle with mental illness, finally diagnosed as rapid cycling type 1 bipolar disorder. Even as a toddler, Hornbacher couldn't sleep at night and jabbered endlessly, trying to talk her parents into going outside to play in the dark. Other schoolchildren called her crazy. When she was just 10, she discovered alcohol was a good mood stabilizer; by age 14, she was trading sex for pills. In her late teens, her eating disorder landed her in the hospital, followed by another body obsession, cutting. An alcoholic by this point, she was alternating between mania and depression, with frequent hospitalizations. Her doctor explained that not only did the alcohol block her medications, it was up to her to control her mental illness, which would always be with her. This truth didn't sink in for a long, long time, but when it did, she had a chance for a life outside her local hospital's psychiatric unit. Hornbacher ends on a cautiously optimistic note—she knows she'll never lead a normal life, but maybe she could live with the life she does have. Although painfully self-absorbed, Hornbacher will touch a nerve with readers struggling to cope with mental illness. (Apr.)

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

An Emotional Hair Trigger, Often Misread - Article

2009-06-16T23:01:00.003-04:00

In the popular 1999 movie “Girl, Interrupted,” Winona Ryder portrays a young woman who tries to commit suicide, then spends nearly a year in a psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.

The film, based on a 1993 memoir by Susanna Kaysen, was gripping. But experts say it oversimplified this common yet poorly understood mood disorder.

Georges Han, a recovered patient now studying at the University of Minnesota for a Ph.D. in psychology, describes borderline personality disorder as “a serious psychiatric disorder involving a pervasive sense of emptiness, impulsivity, difficulty with emotions, transient stress-induced psychosis and frequent suicidal thoughts or attempts.”

Moods can change quickly and unpredictably, behaviors can be impulsive (including abuse of alcohol or drugs, reckless driving, overspending or disordered eating), and relationships with others are often unstable. Many patients injure themselves and threaten or attempt suicide to relieve their emotional pain.

People with the disorder are said to have a thin emotional skin and often behave like 2-year-olds, throwing tantrums when some innocent word, gesture, facial expression or action by others sets off an emotional storm they cannot control. The attacks can be brutal, pushing away those they care most about. Then, when the storm subsides, they typically revert to being “sweet and wonderful,” as one family member put it.

In an effort to maintain calm, families often struggle to avoid situations that can set off another outburst. They walk on eggshells, a doomed effort because it is not possible to predict what will prompt an outburst. Living with a borderline person is like traversing a minefield; you never know when an explosion will occur.

A Misleading Label

The name of the disorder was coined in the 1930s, in a misleading reference to the border between neurosis and psychosis. Experts say it has nothing to do with either condition.

Rather, affected individuals seem to be born with a quick and unduly sensitive emotional trigger. The condition appears to have both genetic and environmental underpinnings. Brain studies have indicated that the emotional center of the nervous system — the amygdala — may be overly reactive, while the part that reins in emotional reactions may be underactive.

As children, people who will develop the disorder are often “hyperreactive, hypervigilant and supersensitive,” Valerie Porr, a therapist in New York, said in an interview. Typically they receive a host of misdiagnoses and treatments that are inappropriate and ineffective.

“Some children need more than others in learning to regulate their emotions,” said Marsha M. Linehan, a psychologist at the University of Washington who devised the leading treatment for borderline disorder.

“These kids require a lot of effort to keep themselves emotionally regulated,” Dr. Linehan said in an interview. “They do best with stability. If the family situation is chaotic or the family is very uptight, teaching children to grin and bear it, that tough kids don’t cry, these children will have a lot of trouble.”

Even in a normal family, such children need extra help. Dr. Linehan told of one mother who said: “I was an ordinary mother, and my child needed a special mother. I took training and became the special mother he needed.”

Borderline personality disorder afflicts about 2 percent of the general population, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, and it is twice as common as a much better-known disorder, schizophrenia. (Other studies suggest the prevalence is as high as 6 percent.) Many borderline patients hurt themselves, and 10 percent die by suicide.

Yet as common and serious a problem as it is, Dr. Linehan said that patients often have difficulty getting the help they need — partly because therapists tend to regard borderline patients as manipulative and demanding of an inordinate amount of time and attention.

Ms. Porr, a social worker who specializes in helping families of borderline patients, said therapists with traditional analytic training often provide ineffective treatment, then experience feelings of failure and frustration. Psychotherapeutic drugs have not been effective in controlling the disorder. As a result, 70 percent of these patients drop out of traditional treatments, Ms. Porr said.

Ms. Porr tries to help families learn to handle the problem and not make it worse. She said in an interview that families need to understand why borderline patients act and react the way they do, then respond in ways that validate the patients’ feelings and help them regain and maintain emotional control.

Treatments That Can Help

Experts say that even suicidal patients are unlikely to benefit from the kind of extended hospitalization depicted in “Girl, Interrupted.” More often, a few days in the hospital should be followed by psychotherapy directed at helping them learn to live more effectively with their cognitive misinterpretations and emotional instability.

Dr. Linehan practices dialectical behavior therapy, the only therapy that has been demonstrated to be effective in a number of randomized clinical trials. She said two other approaches, called mentalization and Stepp, were also likely to be helpful.

Dialectical behavior therapy, a derivative of cognitive behavior therapy, helps patients identify thoughts, beliefs and assumptions that make their lives challenging and then learn different ways of thinking and reacting.

In effect, Dr. Linehan tells patients, “Your problem is that you don’t know how to regulate yourself, and I can teach you how.” She said thousands of therapists have been trained in dialectical behavior therapy, and many others practice it without special training.

But the value of the therapy can be thwarted if patients return to an environment that misunderstands them. Thus, Dr. Linehan said, it is important for others to recognize that people with borderline personality disorder are genuinely suffering. “They are in excruciating pain that is almost always discounted by others and attributed to bad motives,” she said.

The idea is “to validate the person’s emotional reactions, to say, ‘I understand how you feel,’ to pay attention, not to the situation, but to the emotion behind it,” Dr. Linehan said.

Alan E. Fruzzetti, a psychologist at the University of Nevada, said that families have to learn how to “soothe themselves, to realize that though the situation is awful, not to blame or be judgmental of the person but to see the person as also suffering.”

Reacting in a nonloving way magnifies the trauma tenfold, he said in an interview, adding: “You may have to leave a bad situation, but you must come back in a loving way, maybe say something like, ‘That blowout yesterday, I really want to understand your experience.’ ”

Therapists trained in dialectical behavior therapy can be located through the Web site www.behavioraltech.org.

Original Article Link

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

Anxiety Sucks

2009-06-16T15:43:00.006-04:00

Every person on the face of the planet has dealt with anxiety at least once in their life as it is a normal bodily function. Your brain recognizes something is not right and the whole tingly sensation begins as you try to figure out what to do next. Is it time to run like hell or is it time to stay and fight. The problem becomes when the anxiety button is being pushed multiple times a day to the point where the persons life is dictated.

My anxiety level is tied into control that is the fear of losing control. When I can control a situation my brain is happy but when there are elements that I am unable to control then my brain goes into hyper awareness where I am getting ready to run or fight. Unfortunately for my anxious brain there are many aspects of my life I am unable to control no matter how much I want too.

The key to treating anxiety is to figure out where it is coming from and work on the root problem. Again taking my situation my control issues stem from a childhood where I had very little control to what was taking place. I guess the belief would be when someone else was in control it hurt like hell but when I was in control my world was safe. Like most mental illness the basic belief has grown to cover many areas of my life.

There are times when I am out in public where the anxiety button is pushed and it has nothing to do with my safety but it does have to deal with the issue about control. The fear is that I am going to "snap" and when it does happen everyone in the store or whatever is going to stare and I will basically become the center of attention. Childhood lessons taught me the best way to survive is to stay in the corner and out of the limelight. K, I just contradicted myself I guess it does have to do with safety.

To wrap this up my anxiety is tied into all of my disorders at some point or another and I believe with enough therapy to allow me to figure out and put away my childhood fears and beliefs that it will eventually get me to a good recovery point. Now I am relying on medication to dull the anxiety button and although it is helpful it is not a long term solution. Take care

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

No Kidding Me Too! Upcoming Documentary

2009-06-15T20:38:00.003-04:00

This is taken from the No Kidding Me Too! Website: No Kidding, Me Too! is a nonprofit organization comprised of entertainment industry members united in an effort to educate Americans about the epidemic related to brain dis-ease in all forms. Through this enlightenment we will teach those suffering from it, and their loved ones who are victims of it, to talk about it openly. The goal is to tear this stigma out of the closet so these people will be surprised to find millions of others like themselves and say, "No Kidding, Me Too!"

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

The Challenge of Accurately Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder Article

2009-06-11T21:02:00.005-04:00

The Challenge of Accurately Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder

You’ve read up on bipolar disorder and think it may be causing your intense mood swings and problems with relationships at school or work.

But you aren’t sure. Your symptoms—or those of the spouse, child, or friend you’re worried about—also resemble those of other mental disorders, such as depression, borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Your confusion is understandable. Bipolar disorder can be difficult even for mental health professionals to diagnose, because many of the symptoms overlap with those of other mental illnesses, says S. Nassir Ghaemi, MD, the director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

Roughly half of people with bipolar disorder see at least three mental health professionals before getting a correct diagnosis, according to a 1994 survey by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (then known as the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association). According to the same survey, about one-third of those with bipolar disorder received their diagnosis more than a decade after they sought treatment.

Here are some of the symptoms and treatments for other disorders that are sometimes mistaken for—or occur alongside—bipolar.

Depression
Bipolar disorder is marked by extreme shifts in mood that can vary between deep depression and mania, an abnormally elevated mood.

About 40% of patients with bipolar disorder are initially diagnosed with major (or unipolar) depression, which does not involve mood swings or mania, Dr. Ghaemi says.

There are several reasons for the confusion. Most people with bipolar disorder experience an episode of depression before an episode of mania. Often it’s the depression that drives people to seek medical treatment. And sometimes the person has never actually experienced a manic episode when he or she seeks treatment for depression.

In addition, studies show that about half of those experiencing mania don’t realize they’re manic. “The patients often don’t have insight into their manic symptoms. They either don’t remember it, or they deny it,” Dr. Ghaemi says. To diagnose bipolar disorder, psychiatrists may enlist the assistance of family members who will share details about suspected mania or hypomania, a milder form of mania that’s much less noticeable.

Symptoms of depression include a loss of interest in normal daily activities, feeling sad or down for an extended period, feeling hopeless or worthless, crying spells for no reason, sleep problems, trouble focusing or concentrating, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, irritability, and fatigue.

People who go on to receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder are more likely to have postpartum depression, psychosis during their depression, and recurrent episodes of depression, Dr. Ghaemi says.

In addition, about 60% of those who go on to receive a diagnosis of bipolar also have some symptoms that mimic mania during their depressive episodes. This is called a “mixed” episode.

Symptoms of a “mixed” episode may include agitation, irritability, racing thoughts, hyperactivity, and anxiety. Only about 20% of those with major depression have such “mixed” episodes.

Complicating diagnosis even further, more than 40% of those with bipolar disorder experience what’s known as a mixed episode, in which the symptoms of mania and depression occur simultaneously. And studies have shown that about a quarter of those with major depression experience a form of agitation that can resemble a mixed episode.

Depression is treated with prescription talk therapy, antidepressant drugs, or both. Antidepressants may bring on a manic episode, which is why it’s critical to tell your doctor about any unusual “up” periods that might suggest a manic or hypomanic episode.

Borderline personality disorder
Like bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder is marked by a lack of emotional regulation. People with the disorder have unpredictable mood swings and self-image problems that lead to relationship difficulties.

Unlike bipolar disorder, in which episodes of mania or depression typically last for several months, borderline personality disorder is characterized by intense bouts of anger or anxiety that may last a few hours.

Symptoms of borderline personality disorder include rapid mood changes, anger, aggression, depression, anxiety, unstable relationships, distortions in self-image, aggression, impulsivity, and harming one’s self.

Since there are so many overlapping symptoms with bipolar disorder, some mental health professionals have argued that borderline personality disorder is actually a form of bipolar in which moods change unusually rapidly. Bipolar and borderline personality disorder can also coexist.

Treatment for borderline personality disorder may include psychotherapy, psychosocial treatments (such as dialectical behavior therapy), antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotic medications.

Anxiety disorders
Unlike fleeting moments of stress, anxiety disorders are chronic fears or worries that significantly impact your ability to function.

Bipolar disorder is sometimes mistaken for an anxiety disorder because anxiety, agitation, and irritability can be symptoms of both conditions. You can also have bipolar disorder and an anxiety disorder at the same time.

Anxiety disorders can take many forms, including:

* Panic disorder, or repeated episodes of sudden fear and dread
* Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or frequent, repeated thoughts leading to repetitive behavior (such as excessive hand-washing)
* Generalized anxiety disorder, or an excessive worry that lasts for months and often has physical symptoms such as headache or fatigue

Antidepressants, antianxiety drugs, cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychotherapy may be used to treat anxiety disorders.

Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that can cause psychotic reactions, including hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that aren’t there), delusions (thoughts not based in reality), paranoia (the belief that something or someone is out to “get” you), disorganized speech and thoughts, a lack of motivation, social withdrawal, and flat or blunted emotions that can mimic depression.

Since people with bipolar disorder can also experience psychosis during the early stages of the illness, it may be very difficult to tell the two diseases apart, Carlson says Gabrielle Carlson, MD, a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York.

Over time, symptoms of the two conditions tend to diverge. While bipolar psychosis is typically episodic, schizophrenic delusions become chronic.

Schizophrenia is often treated with antipsychotic medications and psychosocial treatments.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
ADHD can affect both children and adults. It’s marked by impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. However, distinguishing between ADHD and bipolar disorder is more difficult in young patients.

Symptoms of ADHD include difficulty paying attention, careless mistakes at school, becoming easily distracted, the inability to sustain attention on tasks that others easily complete, restlessness, and fidgeting. Some people, but not all, also have hyperactivity.

Because ADHD is more common in children than bipolar disorder, a child’s violent outbursts, discipline problems, and aggression are often assumed to be ADHD, Dr. Carlson says. These problems are more likely to be chronic, rather than episodic, in children with ADHD, she adds.

One key difference between the two conditions is that bipolar children tend to have explosive anger and “hair-trigger” tempers. (Children with bipolar disorder may also experience psychosis, which is not a part of ADHD.) There is little research comparing ADHD and bipolar in adults; Dr. Ghaemi says he doesn’t believe many adults have ADHD.

Prescription stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) are often prescribed for ADHD; however, they can worsen mania, so it’s important to get a correct diagnosis.

Drug and alcohol abuse
Some drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines , can mimic mania, while alcohol abuse can mimic (and even cause) depression.

About 60% of people who have bipolar disorder also have a substance abuse problem.

To differentiate, consider behavior during any periods of sobriety. If the person seemed manic, then the cause of their difficulties is probably bipolar disorder and not the drugs. If the mania is only present when a person is abusing a drug, then it’s likely the drug, not the bipolar disorder, that is to blame.

Original Article Link

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

What Not To Do When Dealing With Someone Who Is Mentally Unwell Part Two

2009-06-10T16:33:00.004-04:00

I wrote What Not To Do When Someone Is Mentally Unwell and it has proven to be a rather popular post based on the number of times viewed and the amount of times it has been stolen. Lets give part two a shot

1. Treat Mental Illness like it is a character flaw and not an actually medical disorder. The number of people who die from mental illness rivals that of most major diseases and forms of cancer yet we are pushed into the far corner of the waiting room.

2. Use Stupid Sayings. Tommorow is going to be a better day and Just do not think about it are the two I hear most often and neither one sends out happy chemicals in my brain. Tomorrow may be a better day but I have been waiting years for tomorrow to show up. As for not thinking about it well stick your arm in a fryer and don't think about the pain

3. Ignore Warning Signs. Yes the person in front of you may be using suicidal gestures to get your attention but what happens if they are not. Want a scary thought I have heard the following statement on numerous health forums and psych wards "I am going to kill myself just to prove them wrong. Using suicidal threats falls under mental problems that will get you put on a psych ward for a good reason.

4. Using One Basic Thought To Cover Everyone With The Same Disorder. I have Borderline Personality the so called leper disease of the mental health world but the differences between me and the next person with the diagnosis can vary quite a bit. Don't look at the disorder and judge what type of person they are look at the poor schmuck suffering from the disorder.

5. Believing That One Treatment Is A Cure All For Everyone. It is great that a certain treatment made you all warm and fuzzy inside but that does not mean it will have the same effect on me. I have been on multiple medications, undergone shock therapy, seen one to many incompetent therapists and have spent the last few years basically trying to cure myself and I can clearly say that the treatment of the mentally unwell is as unique as the person themselves.

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

The Problem With Medication

2009-06-09T18:55:00.004-04:00

I take a lot of medication and if the meds are not performing like they should than chances are trouble will soon be headed my way. In the morning I take 150mg of Effexor, 60mg of Cymbalta and 100mg of Seroquel. Four hours later I take another 100mg of Seroquel and four hours after that it is another 100mg of Seroquel but this time with a 35mg of Temazapam to follow it down. I have been on this combo since last November or so but my body is beginning to reject this handy combo.

In the last couple of weeks I have found it more and more difficult to leave my house early in the day. Use to be I would take the morning three meds and within half an hour I was able to go about my normal business but like I said this has changed. My brain seems to be hypersensitive until the third or so Seroquel dosage of the day when it begins to calm down. This realization hit rather hard today when I went out to do the weekly grocery shopping when the sudden urge to run like hell from the store before something bad could happen. So I left my half filled cart in the middle of the aisle and found the nearest exit.

This leads to the part that my family does not seem to get. I can not plan a couple of days in advance for I do not know where my brain is going to be that day and whether or not it will allow me to leave the house. It is an uncomfortable phone call trying to explain to someone that you are pretty damn sure if you leave your home the sky is going to fall and then trying to explain you are doing a lot better than you were a few months ago.

Back to the medication. Simple guess would be is that my body is beginning to build up a tolerance to Seroquel and the gap between bedtime and morning all of this wonderful anti psychotic basically leaves my system. So the possible solutions are (A) Set my alarm clock to wake up in the middle of the night to take a dose of Seroquel (B) Raise the morning dose to 200mg and hopefully that is enough to put my brain into the Seroquel haze. Then the question becomes what if it is not the Seroquel and it is either Effexor or Cymbalta to blame which is a whole new ball game. You have to love medication. Take care

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

Depression Raises Risk for Type 2 Diabetes - Article

2009-06-08T22:31:00.003-04:00

Study Shows Treating Depression May Help Protect Against Type 2 Diabetes

Treating depression improves insulin resistance in patients at risk for type 2 diabetes, a new study shows.

The research strongly suggests that depression is a direct risk factor for type 2 diabetes and that treating depression may protect against the disease.

The link between depression and diabetes has long been recognized, with some studies showing people with type 2 diabetes have twice the risk for depression as the general population.

But it has not been clear if lifestyle factors associated with both depression and type 2 diabetes -- such as being overweight, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise -- explain the association.

While these factors are important, the new research adds to the evidence that biological as well as lifestyle factors contribute to type 2 diabetes, researcher Julie Wagner, PhD, of the University of Connecticut Health Center, tells WebMD.

Wagner's study was presented Saturday at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in New Orleans.

"Insulin resistance is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes, and this study shows that treating depression is associated with improved insulin resistance," Wagner tells WebMD.
Depression and Diabetes

The study included 55 people considered at risk for type 2 diabetes enrolled in a diabetes-prevention program. Most of the participants obese had prediabetes.

Using a widely accepted test for depression, one in three study participants was found to be clinically depressed and about one in five of these patients was taking antidepressant drugs.

Depressed participants who were not being treated had significantly greater insulin resistance than study participants who were not depressed. But treatment for depression appeared to improve insulin sensitivity, with depressed participants on antidepressant therapy having similar insulin sensitivity to non-depressed participants.

The difference remained even after the researchers controlled for physical activity, which is protective against both insulin resistance and depression.

"Basically the depressed people on medication looked like the non-depressed people in terms of insulin sensitivity," Wagner says.
Stress Hormones and Belly Fat

The findings support a recently published analysis of more than a dozen studies suggesting that depression is a much stronger risk factor for type 2 diabetes than diabetes is for depression.

There are several theories about how depression may contribute to type 2 diabetes, but the most widely cited theory involves the stress hormone cortisol.

Cortisol is a key player in blood sugar metabolism and insulin sensitivity.

High cortisol levels are also associated with increased fat deposits around the abdomen, or belly fat, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

In short, the theory suggests, the more depressed someone is, the more cortisol they produce, which leads to more belly fat and more diabetes, says Wagner.

Depression may also influence type 2 diabetes risk by disrupting the immune system or levels of serotonin, which helps modulate metabolic function as well as mood, Wagner says.

Depression and diabetes researcher Patrick Lustman, PhD, tells WebMD that understanding how depression influences diabetes could have major implications for the management of at-risk patients.

Lustman is a professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

"When you think of interventions that target both depression and diabetes, physical activity has to be at the top of the list," he tells WebMD. "Exercise is the most powerful preventive medicine we have for type 2 diabetes, and it is arguably among the most powerful treatment for depression."

Original Article Link

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car

Could Have Been A TV Star

2009-06-06T09:14:00.004-04:00

I was asked by the people over at healthplace.com if I wanted to be interviewed on their live program regarding Borderline Personality Disorder. Even though this is a great honor I turned them down but did suggest someone else they may be interested in, Amanda Smith over at Florida Borderline Personality Disorder Association.

The reasons why I said no are pretty simple
(A) It took me almost a year before I used my real name on this blog
(B) My views on Borderline Personality Disorder have more to deal with how the disorder affects my life and not based off of medical literature.
(C) For whatever the reason it did not feel right. My brain is trained to keep me hidden in the corner not out in the open and the thought of people seeing the "real me" terrifies the hell out of me.

I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about Borderline Personality, Depression, PTSD and self harm. Although I did go to school for Social Work these subjects were very lightly touched on and when it comes to BPD I do not remember it ever coming up in class. My own Borderline Personality Diagnosis was made after I did a good amount of research and thought it fit what I was dealing with and the doctor agreed. This diagnosis did not happen years ago it took place about a month before I started Untreatable Online so November 2007 is the right date. Untreatable Online has been a great tool for me to identify problem thinking then trying to correct it and most days I feel that I have come a long way.

To be honest I keep waiting for the emails to poor in to say that what I am describing is not Borderline Personality Disorder but something else although this has not happened since the beginning of this site. My goal is not to give a scientific understanding to the disorders which follow me but to offer an honest portrayal of what is like living with concurrent mental illnesses to hopefully provide an inside view. I use the addition of articles to cover the scientific end and hopefully they are helping in the understanding of mental illness.

Anyway the online TV show is to take place this upcoming Tuesday over at healthyplace.com and everyone should check it out. Also FBPDA is a great resource and has come a long way in helping those who deal with Borderline Personality Disorder. Take care

Get Local Attention And Local Business By Placing Your URL On Your Car