Spirituality May Be Underused Tool in Treating Mental Illness

That is the title of this article I am reviewing today. "'New research suggests spirituality may offer benefits for people with mental health issues, but people may encounter barriers when reaching out for this help. Investigators from the University of Southern California School of Social Work discovered that spirituality is often an underused resource in urban communities. To resolve this shortcoming, and to cultivate spiritual resources that might have therapeutic value, associate professor Dr. Ann Marie Yamada worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LAC-DMH) to design and test a new spirituality-based treatment program. 'Stigma prevents many individuals experiencing schizophrenia or bipolar disorders from seeking spiritual or religious support from a faith-based community organization. It is difficult for some people to find a community where they feel comfortable and accepted,' said Yamada, co-author of the study with Dr. Andew Subica of the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside.'" I do not believe that you have to go to church and say you are one religion. I believe in God and the beginning of my mental illness I was more active in praying and meditation than now. I kind of shy away from letting anyone know that I believed in God because I was in the state hospital and I seen a lot of peoples illness was religion based and I did not ever want that to confuse my mental illness and religion in it.
The article goes on to say: "'These concerns may not be shared with mental health providers as they may perceive spiritual needs are not appropriate to discuss.' This stigma creates a gap when patients are unable to find spiritual support from either a health care provider or religious community. 'Within the urban community served by LAC-DMH, spirituality has been an underutilized resource. It is a great tool for addressing the health and recovery needs of the largely African-American and Latino patients served by the participating LAC-DMH agency,' Yamada said. It is essential, she noted, that investigators understand the significance of spirituality and religion in these cultures and respectfully acknowledge the philosophical differences in practices between both groups. In the program, 'The Spiritual Strategies for Psychosocial Recovery,' spirituality is used as a therapeutic tool to teach practical coping skills. 'After learning that there are few well-documented interventions that incorporate spirituality, Dr. Subica and I wanted to take the best practices already being used and add greater emphasis on coping skills that have been shown to be effective,' said Yamada.
Participants attended group therapy sessions that included breathing exercises, goal setting training, and group discussion to build both social and coping skills.'" I am Hispanic and I know that religion in our culture is what most achieve for. I just seen to many Hispanics that mixed their religion with their mental illness and I will not do that my mental illness is different that my spiritual beliefs.
The article ends: "'When people find the strength to improve their coping skills, they are more likely to adhere to their treatment plans and see themselves as active participants in their health and recovery. 'When people find the strength to improve their coping skills, they are more likely to adhere to their treatment plans and see themselves as active participants in their health and recovery,' Yamada said. Yamada hopes more innovative providers like LAC-DMH will explore the potential of spirituality-infused treatments. Many of the LAC-DMH-affiliated wellness and recovery centers already offer some type of spirituality-related activities that involve meditation, mindfulness or support groups. It’s just a matter of time, given that 80 percent of the adults sampled across California community mental health centers support integration of spirituality into mental health services, she said. The study included a small pool of participants, but early findings are promising and participants were consistently satisfied with the therapy sessions. Many patients described mood improvements and a feeling of empowerment and control over their conditions. 'I like having these tools because it helps me feel less tense,' said one woman in the program. 'During the week when we don’t have group, I can use them.' The success of the program suggests that health care providers and spiritual leaders could work together to address the needs of their communities. 'Involvement of both clinicians and religious leaders is one way to reduce the stereotypes held by both professions,' Yamada said. 'These stereotypes serve as barriers to developing mental health services that integrate spirituality effectively.' Understanding that spirituality can be a resource for many individuals, mental health providers are better equipped to offer comprehensive treatment. 'Ultimately, this intervention is about strengthening coping skills,' she said. 'Spirituality enhances personal hope through connection to a greater power that could be religious, but is fundamentally defined in whatever way has meaning to each participant.'"That fits when I am troubled I pray and it calms me down. I was also into positive thinking by Norman Vincent Peale who's positive thinking books are religious I have a lot of his books but when he died I had been donating to his church and they just started asking for to much money so I left them.  When I was at the state hospital I did not have much money and he sent me his pamphlets for  a dollar so I though when I made it I would donate to him because they helped me get through rough time including money. I could have made money no matter where I am at but the state hospital and me made a deal I stop hustling money and the would let me out of there so I stopped so I needed those pamphlets to help me cope.

Exercise Can Ease Psychosis in Young People

That is the title of this article I am reviewing today. "'Exercise has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of first-episode psychosis in young people, according to a new study at the University of Manchester in the U.K. 'This was only a pilot study, but the improvements, particularly in psychiatric symptoms, were dramatic,” said lead author and doctoral student Joseph Firth. “Personalized exercise at local leisure centers seems to be a cost-effective and successful way to help these young people recover.'  When young people are diagnosed with psychosis, the long-term prospects are typically poor with high rates of relapse, unemployment, and premature death.  Many patients also experience rapid, unwanted weight gain due to the antipsychotics they are prescribed.'"If it can help then for sure they should do it.  I walk for exercise I do not know if there is any benefit other than I do not gain weight and even lost a lot by walking.
The article goes on to say: "'Although exercise has been found to be an effective treatment for people with long-term schizophrenia, there have been no studies showing its effects on psychiatric symptoms in young adults with early psychosis, until now. For the study, the researchers recruited 31 people ages 18-35 who had been referred to local mental health centers for treatment.  With the participants help, the researchers designed personalized exercise routines which were carried out under supervision for 10 weeks at local recreation centers. 'Establishing an exercise regime for people with psychosis is likely to be much more effective when they are younger, and in the earliest stages of treatment. Getting people into a routine early on also helps set habits for life, which can make a huge difference to their long-term physical and mental health,' Firth said.'"My illness came on when I was already twenty seven.  To have it younger and go through relapses and everything would be hard and if exercise helps that would be great.  The reason I do not see any difference in me is I do not suffer from symptoms by last relapses was in 1994 because they had lowered my medicine. I am lucky in my illness because I do not have problems with my mental illness.
The article ends: "'The study participants actually exceeded the target amounts of exercise, achieving 107 minutes of vigorous exercise training each week for 10-weeks. This compares favorably with exercise programs in healthy populations as well as in schizophrenia. 'Personalizing exercise training to the activities which patients find most motivating helps them stick to their program,' said Firth.
At the end of the 10-week period, the participants completed a variety of standardized mental and physical health tests. The researchers compared their results to those of a control group of seven people being treated by mental health services without an exercise program. The findings showed that the exercise group experienced a 27 percent reduction in psychiatric symptoms on the standardized tests, much better than the control group. Their brain function also improved, and they achieved a slight reduction in body weight — going against expected weight gain from normal treatment.
'By reaching people early on, exercise can provide a healthy and empowering add-on treatment for young people with psychosis. This could massively improve their social functioning and mental health, hopefully preventing long-term disability from ever arising,' Firth said.'" I do know that when I take a day off from work the day is long and my aunt who is retired tells me the same thing so anything I believe that can improve the lives of those who suffer from this illness is great. I used to work out in the fitness center where I live there I would lift weight also.  Although now that we have new mangement they want to charge to workout I will not pay so I just walk now.

Heavy users of mental health care have substantially different patterns of health care use

That is the title of this article I am reviewing. "While a small number of people account for a disproportionately large portion of health services use, heavy users of mental health care have substantially different patterns of health care use than other heavy users of health care, according to new Canadian research. The study is one of the first to look at heavy users of mental health care specifically.While a small number of people account for a disproportionately large portion of health services use, heavy users of mental health care have substantially different patterns of health care use than other heavy users of health care, according to new research by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES).

The study published in the January issue of Health Affairs is one of the first to look at heavy users of mental health care specifically -- most studies to date have focused on all heavy users.
The study found the average cost of health services used by heavy users of mental health care was more than 30 per cent greater than for other heavy users of health care. Mental health services, including psychiatric hospitalizations and visits to a physician or a psychiatrist, made up the largest portion (about 88 per cent) of the total cost, and services not related to mental health accounted for the remaining 12 per cent."Maybe because they want us to have a primary care doctor and we need more health care because of smoking and other habits we do not  get rid of.
The article goes on to say: "Heavy users of mental health care have complex needs, and it's crucial to address their needs through an integrated, multidisciplinary approach,' says Dr. Claire de Oliveira, Scientist and Health Economist in Social and Epidemiological Research at CAMH, and lead author on the paper. Using administrative health care data collected by ICES, the researchers examined health care use by people defined as heavy users based on the costs of the services they used -- also referred to as high-cost users. The study looked at nearly one million high-cost health care users age 18 years or older in Ontario in 2012. Five per cent -- 51,457 people -- were considered to be high-cost mental health care users, defined as people for whom costs for mental health services were at least 50 per cent of their total health care costs. Understanding which services they use can point to where improvements might occur, both in the delivery of services and in individuals' wellbeing.
Different population characteristics, and high rates of hospitalization
Heavy users of mental health care were younger relative to other high-cost users, and most came from lower-income urban neighbourhoods. People age 18 to 49 made up 58 per cent of heavy users of mental health care and only 24 per cent of other high-cost users. Heavy users of mental health care also tended to be more evenly split among men and women -- 49 per cent were males and 51 per cent were females -- versus other heavy users (42 per cent males and 58 per cent females). Other high-cost users were more likely to have chronic diseases, primarily circulatory and digestive illnesses." Why the chronic diseases?  Does mental Illness cause us to get sicker than the rest of the population."
The article ends with: "About 64 per cent of heavy users of mental health care had at least one psychiatric hospitalization in 2012. More than 90 per cent had at least one visit to a doctor for mental health care and one or more visits for other health care. The researchers note that other studies have shown that people who have psychiatric hospitalizations, particularly people with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, have high rates of hospital readmission and low rates of physician visits after they are discharged from a psychiatric hospital stay. 'Our research shows that heavy users of mental health care have substantially different patterns of health care use than other high-costs health care users, representing a different patient population,' says Dr. de Oliveira. 'Their needs must be considered separately when looking to improve the quality of care for heavy users of health care in general.'
Opportunity for early prevention
As a next step, the researchers are developing a predictive model to identify mental health care users at highest risk of future hospitalization. 'If we can identify individuals at risk before they become high-cost users of mental health care, this may present an opportunity to provide earlier preventive health care and social services, such as high-support housing units,' says Dr. de Oliveira." I for one do not know why people do not take their medication and avoid the emergency rooms.  I for one would have to be dying before I would ever use the emergency room it cost to much. If people would take care of themselves there would never have to use an emergency room. 

Fish oil could help prevent mental health problems in those most at risk

That is the title of this article I am reviewing today. "The results of a small study appear to show that a three month course of daily fish oil capsules could reduce the rate of psychotic disorders in young people. Eating more fish or taking regular fish oil supplements may help prevent psychosis in those most at risk, researchers claim.  A three month course of daily fish oil capsules appeared to significantly reduce the rate of psychotic disorders in young people, an improvement that seemed to persist when doctors assessed their mental health seven years later.  But while the findings are intriguing, they come from a very small study of teenagers and young adults. The benefits must now be shown in a much larger group before doctors can make any recommendations about the use of fish oils to prevent mental health problems.  Paul Amminger at the University of Melbourne reported in 2010 that a three month course of daily fish oil capsules appeared to stave off psychotic illnesses in teenagers and young adults aged 13 to 24 deemed at high risk of developing the disorders. Seven years on, his group has now revisited 71 of the original 81 participants and shown that the protective effects seem to persist.  Writing in the journalNature Communications. the scientists report that 4 out of 41 of those who took fish oil for three months had developed psychosis in the seven years since, compared with 16 out of 40 who received a placebo capsule during the trial."If they can stave off mental illness in young people I am all for it. I take it for my eyes because I have dry eyes.  Other than that I feel no difference.
The article goes on to say: "Those on the placebo wing of the trial appeared to develop psychosis more quickly than those taking fish oils, and had an overall greater likelihood of having other psychiatric disorders, the study found. Schizophrenia is one of the most common serious mental health conditions. One in 100 people in Britain experience symptoms, such as delusions, visual or auditory hallucinations, in their lifetimes, and many continue to lead normal lives. It is most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 35. It is called a psychotic illness, and those affected sometimes cannot distinguish between their thoughts and reality.  'Schizophrenia is a major cause of disability, but early treatment has been linked to better outcomes. Our study gives hope that there may be alternatives to antipsychotic medication,' Amminger told the Guardian. He believes that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could be a stigma-free and long-term way to prevent psychosis in young people who are most at risk, with minimal side effects. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for healthy brain development and function, and a lack of them in the diet has been linked to various mental health conditions. 'Eating more fish is not only likely to be good for your physical health but also for your mental health,' Amminger said. In 2006, scientists working for the Cochrane collaboration reviewed the published research on the potential for fish oils to prevent schizophrenia and declared the results inconclusive. They went on to call for larger studies with more patients. Amminger agreed that his latest findings need to be replicated in larger groups of people before any firm guidance can be given." If they can find something without all the side effects it would be great. I also take two five hundred cinnamon capsules with breakfast that help keep my diabetes number down so I do not have to take medication.  My AC1 numbers before taking it were 5.5 now and I did not take it the whole three months are 5.4
The article ends with: "Clive Adams, co-ordinating editor of the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group at Nottingham University said the study needed to be considered alongside other published trials on the effects of omega-3 oils, but added that it was a springboard for new trials on the treatments. “The road of treatment of people with schizophrenia is paved with many good intentions and false dawns. This study is important, undertaken by leaders in the field, but it does not provide strong enough proof to really change practice,” he said." It sounds good but can they use it to make other psychotic medication?

New Approach Advised to Treat Schizophrenia

That is the title of this article I am writing about. "More than two million people in the United States have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and the treatment for most of them mainly involves strong doses of antipsychotic drugs that blunt hallucinations and delusions but can come with unbearable side effects, like severe weight gain or debilitating tremors.  Now, results of a landmark government-funded study call that approach into question. The findings, from by far the most rigorous trial to date conducted in the United States, concluded that schizophrenia patients who received a program intended to keep dosages of antipsychotic medication as low as possible and emphasize one-on-one talk therapy and family support made greater strides in recovery over the first two years of treatment than patients who got the usual drug-focused care.Its findings have already trickled out to government agencies: On Friday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published in its influential guidelines a strong endorsement of the combined-therapy approach. Mental health reform bills now being circulated in Congress “mention the study by name,” said Dr. Robert K. Heinssen, the director of services and intervention research at the National Institute of Mental Health, who oversaw the research. In 2014, Congress awarded $25 million in block grants to the states to be set aside for early-intervention mental health programs. So far, 32 states have begun using those grants to fund combined-treatment services, Dr. Heinssen said. Experts said the findings could help set a new standard of care in an area of medicine that many consider woefully inadequate: the management of so-called first episode psychosis, that first break with reality in which patients (usually people in their late teens or early 20s) become afraid and deeply suspicious. The sooner people started the combined treatment after that first episode, the better they did, the study found. The average time between the first episode and receiving medical care — for those who do get it — is currently about a year and half." I wish they would have kept my medicine low dose maybe I would not be fighting all this weight.
The article goes on to say: "'As for medications, I have had every side effect out there, from chills and shakes to lockjaw and lactation,' said a participant in the trial, Maggie, 20, who asked that her last name be omitted. She did well in the trial and is now attending nursing school. Doctors praised the study results. 'I’m very favorably impressed they were able to pull this study off so successfully, and it clearly shows the importance of early intervention,' said Dr. William T. Carpenter, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. Dr. Mary E. Olson, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, who has worked to promote approaches to psychosis that are less reliant on drugs, said the combined treatment had a lot in common with Open Dialogue, a Finnish program developed in the 1980s. 'These are zeitgeist ideas, and I think it’s thrilling that this trial got such good results,' Dr. Olson said. In the new study, doctors used the medications as part of a package of treatments and worked to keep the doses as low as possible minimizing their bad effects. The sprawling research team, led by Dr. John M. Kane, chairman of the psychiatry department at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, randomly assigned 34 community care clinics in 21 states to provide either treatment as usual, or the combined package. The team trained staff members at the selected clinics to deliver that package, and it included three elements in addition to the medication. First, help with work or school such as assistance in deciding which classes or opportunities are most appropriate, given a person’s symptoms. Second, education for family members to increase their understanding of the disorder. And finally, one-on-one talk therapy in which the person with the diagnosis learns tools to build social relationships, reduce substance use and help manage the symptoms, which include mood problems as well as hallucinations and delusions." If some one would have explained a mental illness to me when I first was ill it would have been a great help.
The article ends: "For example, some patients can learn to defuse the voices in their head — depending on the severity of the episode — by ignoring them or talking back. The team recruited 404 people with first-episode psychosis, mostly diagnosed in their late teens or 20s. About half got the combined approach and half received treatment as usual. Clinicians monitored both groups using standardized checklists that rate symptom severity and quality of life, like whether a person is working, and how well he or she is getting along with family members. The group that started on the combined treatment scored, on average, more poorly on both measures at the beginning of the trial. Over two years, both groups showed steady improvement. But by the end, those who had been in the combined program had more symptom relief, and were functioning better as well.The researchers expect to have lowered average doses in the combined program but had not yet finished analyzing that data. 'One way to think about it is, if you look at the people who did the best — those we caught earliest after their first episode — their improvement by the end was easily noticeable by friends and family,' Dr. Kane said. The gains for those in typical treatment were apparent to doctors, but much less obvious. Dr. Kenneth Duckworth, medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an advocacy group, called the findings “a game-changer for the field” in the way it combines multiple, individualized therapies, suited to the stage of the psychosis. The study, begun in 2009, almost collapsed under the weight of its ambition. The original proposal called for two parallel trials, each including hundreds of first-episode patients. But that plan was changed due in part to recruiting problems, said people familiar with the project. 'It’s been a long haul,” Dr. Heinssen added, “but it’s worth noting that it usually takes about 17 years for a new discovery to make it into clinical practice; or that’s the number people throw around. But this process only took seven years.'
Correction:
 October 23, 2015 
An article on Tuesday about a study of the treatment of first-episode schizophrenia referred incorrectly to the conclusions of the study. Though it studied a program intended to reduce medication dosages, the researchers do not yet know for sure if dosages were lowered or by how much. Therefore, the study did not conclude “that schizophrenia patients who received smaller doses of antipsychotic medication and a bigger emphasis on one-on-one talk therapy and family support made greater strides in recovery.” (The study did conclude that the alternative treatment program as a whole led to better outcomes.) The article also erroneously attributed a statement to Dr. Robert K. Heinssen, who oversaw the research. It was scientists familiar with the project — not Dr. Heinssen — who said that the study’s original proposal, calling for two nearly identical trials, was changed in part because of recruiting problems. (Dr. Heinssen said that one trial was redirected, but did not say why.) And because of an editing error, the article misidentified the institution where Dr. Heinssen is director of services and intervention research. It the National Institute of Mental Health, not the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid." I just hope there is something new that can especially with the face cramping and other side effects from the medication.

United States: Mental health care lacking in state, federal prisons

That is the title of this article I am writing about. "significant portion of state and federal prisoners are not receiving treatment for mental health conditions, according to research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. The study was published recently in the American Journal of Public Health.

Mental health disorders among prisoners have consistently exceeded rates of disorders in the general population. Twenty six percent of prisoners reported a mental health diagnosis in the study, compared to 18 percent in the general population in 2012, according to the National Institutes of Health.
State and federal courts mandate that inmates must have access to adequate health services in prison. However, that mandate usually covers only “severe or serious” mental illnesses, according to the paper.  'Individuals with untreated mental health conditions may be at higher risk for correctional rehabilitation treatment failure and future recidivism after release from prison,' said Jennifer Reingle, Ph.D., principal investigator and assistant professor in the Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health Dallas Regional campus."  That many in prison have mental health issues.  I have a mental illness and know from experience that all lot of these prisoners with mental health issues do not know they are acting out in prison.  Of course there is recidivism how can you treat someone who does not take their medication when they do not understand why.
The article goes on to say: "Data was obtained from a 2004 national sample of state and federal prisoners, which included 14,499 participants in state prisons and 3,686 in federal prisons. Participants self-reported whether they had been taking medication for a mental health condition upon entering the facility and whether they were still taking medication while in prison, marking treatment continuity.
At the time of admission, 18 percent of each sample was taking medication for a mental health condition, but only 52 percent of that subset of the population in federal prisons and 42 percent in state prisons received medication during their sentence.
Depression was the most prevalent mental health condition, reported by 20 percent of inmates, followed by mania, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
'Screening tools are not consistent across prisons and inmates could be diagnosed with different conditions or not diagnosed at all when they get transferred to a new location,' said Reingle. “A standardized mental health screening process could benefit the inmates and the prison system as a whole.”  They are not all taking medication.  They do not understand it would help them better.  It is a different atmosphere in prison than in the outside world.  You are just passing time make it go by.
The article ends with: "This study also found evidence of racial disparities in medication continuity. African American participants were 36 percent more likely than other inmates to have medication continuity in prison, regardless of their diagnosis. African Americans were also more likely to suffer from schizophrenia than Caucasians. Participants with schizophrenia were more than twice as likely to get medication in prison and have treatment continuity.
Since some mental health disorders such as schizophrenia influence behavior, those prisoners may receive medication to maintain security in the prison environment, Reingle said. Since depression does not pose a significant security risk, it’s less likely that depressed prisoners will be easily identified and treated, she added.
Previous studies suggest that former offenders who were diagnosed with a mental health condition were 70 percent more likely to return to prison, whereas in the general prison population, the rate is about 50 percent.
In the study, researchers concluded that of the participants who were taking medication for a mental health condition in prison, 61 percent used no other form of treatment. A more holistic, multidimensional approach to treatment, such as counseling or group therapy, may lead to better outcomes and lower recidivism rates in this population, said Reingle." I see at least the ones with schizophrenia are getting medication although all of them should without regard to their diagnosis.  I can see why they return what else are they going to do unless they receive help to adjust with medication and a chance to rehabilitate.

Schizophrenia: the most misunderstood mental illness?

That is the title of this article I am writing about.  “Schizophrenia affects over 220,000 people in England and is possibly the most stigmatized and misunderstood of all mental illnesses.  While mental health stigma is decreasing overall, thanks in large part to the Time to Change anti stigma campaign which we run with Mind, people with schizophrenia are still feared and demonized.  Over 60 per cent of people with mental health problems say the stigma and discrimination they face is so bad, that it’s worse than the symptoms of the illness itself.  Stigma ruins lives.  It means people end up suffering alone, afraid to tell friends, family and colleagues about what they’re going through.  This silence encourages feelings of shame and can ultimately deter people from getting help.” I would like to be judged for me, not my mental illness. Even though I am highly functioning I do not tell people I have a mental illness.  I figure life is hard enough if you tell them you have a mental illness they stop talking to you and judge how you act.

Let’s let someone else explain what happens: “Someone who knows firsthand how damaging this stigma can be is 33 year old Erica Camus, who was sacked from her job as a university lecturer, after her bosses found out about her schizophrenia diagnosis, which she’d kept hidden from them.  Erica was completely stunned.  ‘It was an awful feeling.  The dean said that if I’d been open about my illness at the start, I’d have still got the job.  But I don’t believe him.  To me, it was blatant discrimination.’  She says that since then, she’s become even more cautious about being open. ‘I’ve discussed it with lots of people who’re in a similar position, but I still don’t know what the best way is.  My strategy now is to avoid telling people unless it’s come up, although it can be very hard to keep under wraps.’”  To lose your job because you have a mental illness that you keep under control is wrong.  I believe we are just like anyone else except we have to take medication to keep us this way.
The article goes on to say: “I think part of the problem is that most people who have never experienced psychosis, find it hard to imagine what it’s like.  Most of us can relate to depression and anxiety, but a lot of us struggle to empathise with people affected by schizophrenia.  Another problem is that when schizophrenia is mentioned in the media or portrayed on screen, it’s almost always linked to violence.  We see press headlines about ‘schizo’ murders and fictional characters in film or on TV are often no better.  Too often, characters with mental illness are the sinister baddies waiting in the shadows, they’re the ones you’re supposed to be frightened of, not empathise with.  This is particularly worrying in light of research by Time to Change, which found that people develop their understanding of mental illness from films, more than any other type of media.  These skewed representations of mental illness have created a false association between schizophrenia and violence in the public imagination.  In reality, violence is not a symptom of the illness and those affected are much more likely to be the victim of a crime than the perpetrator.”  I believe there is more violence done under the influence of alcohol than schizophrenia.  I know firsthand because since I was diagnosed with schizophrenia I have not been arrested for nothing I have not even been stopped and this is a person who was always in jail for something stupid done under the influence. I would not even have gone to the state hospital if it wasn’t for alcohol. Most people do not act upon their delusions, although there are a few that do that is why all the bad media. Please read the entire story at the link it has more.

Adults with Mental Illness twice as likely to use tobacco

That is the title of this article that I am writing about.  Smoking is a hard thing to quit. “Adults with mental illness are twice as likely to use tobacco as adults without mental illness, according to a new American report.  The report found 37.8 percent of adults with mental illness smoke, compared to 17.3 percent of adults without mental illness.  Nearly one-half of adults in the study who experienced mental illness reported smoking in the last 30 days. Smoking rates are highest among those with serious mental illness, multiple disorders and substance use disorders.  Kansas adults with mental illness are twice as likely to use tobacco as adults without mental illness, according to a new report by RTI international and funded by the Kansas Health Foundation.” I never understood why it has a calming effect for people with mental illness.

When I was in my mental illness I do know that I smoked more I do not know why although I did.   In fact I train smoked cigarettes. “The smoking rate among adults with mental illness remains high despite progress made in tobacco control and the decrease of smoking among the general population.’ Said Betty Brown, research health analyst at RTI and lead author of the study.  ‘As a result, people with mental illness are at an increased risk of negative health, financial, and social outcomes associated with their tobacco use.” I quit sixteen years ago. I was a heavy smoker and probably heard this story.  My granddaughter was about to be born and my daughter who was living with her mother told her mother that she had to quit for the baby.  Instead I wanted to babysit my granddaughter and I quit instead.  I went to my doctor and he prescribed Wellbutrin.  It had so many side effects that in a month I gave up on the Wellbutrin and smoking.
I know others have a hard time quitting.  If it was not for the side effects that kept my mind off of smoking I probably would have COPD or something it was getting that bad at thirty five years old I was coughing and I was not sick. “Our findings emphasize the importance of collaboration between the mental health and tobacco control communities to provide cessation support to individuals with mental illness who use tobacco,’ Brown said. ‘To address the issue of tobacco use among those with mental illness and the challenges associated with making progress toward a solution, the Kansas Health Foundation has launched a new effort to address tobacco use among Kansans with serious mental illness through its Fellows leadership program.” I know it is hard quitting although it can be done.  I know if I would not have had so many side effects from the medication I probably could not have quit.  The money I save and also getting to have my grandkids over whenever I want is worth it.
The article ends with: “Through the years we’ve seem significant decreases in the percentage of Americans who smoke, but we’ve done very little to make strides in decreasing those rates among people with mental illness.’ said Dr. Jeff Willett, vice president for programs at the Kansas Health Foundation.  People with mental illness smoke at nearly double the rate of the general population, we see this collaborative effort being a call to action to both the mental health and tobacco control communities.”  As much as I loved to smoke I never thought I would quit. Although the time came and things had changed and I quit because something was more important and it was costing me plenty to smoke all my money not spent on groceries but cigarettes.  My parents that supported my tobacco use throughout all my years of being locked up could not understand why I did not quit before but the time was not

Inside a Mental Hospital Called Jail

That is the title of this article click on the link to read the whole story. “The largest mental health center in America is a huge compound here in Chicago, with thousands of people suffering from manias, psychoses and other disorders, all surrounded by high fences and barbed wire.  Just one thing: It’s a jail. The only way to get treatment is to be arrested.  Psychiatric disorders are the only kind of sickness that we as a society regularly respond to not with sympathy but with handcuffs and incarceration.  And as more humane and cost-effective ways of treating mental illness have been cut back, we increasingly resort to the law enforcement toolbox: jails and prisons. More than half of prisoners in the United States have a mental health problem, according to a 2006 Justice Department study.  Among female inmates, almost three-quarters have a mental disorder.” That is a drag when the only way to get treatment is to go to jail.  What about the regular inmates the ones that do not have a mental illness.  You have enough doing your time than you have to worry about someone who has a mental illness to.  When I went to jail from the state hospital no one messed with my stuff do you know why because I had a mental illness and they did not know what I would do if they stole or did anything to me yes they were frightened.

You have games in the state hospital now in jail and prisons too.  You just want to do your time and get out. “People are not officially incarcerated because of psychiatric ailments, but that’s the unintended effect. Sherriff Dart says that although some mentally ill people commit serious crimes, the great majority are brought in for offenses that flow from mental illness.  One 47-year old man I spoke to, George, (I’m not permitted to use last names for legal reasons) is bipolar, hears voices and abuses drugs and alcohol.  He said he had been arrested five times since October for petty offenses.  The current offense is criminal trespass for refusing to leave Laundromat.  The sheriff says such examples are common and asks: ‘How will we be viewed, 20, 30, 50 years from now? We’ll be looked on as the ones who locked up all the mentally ill people. It really is one of those things so rich with irony: The same society that abhorred the idea that we lock people up in mental hospitals, now we lock people up in jails.’”  They should not be there in jail for petty crimes.  It seems like there are far too many not getting the treatment on the streets that they need.
The article goes on to say: “ A few data snapshots: Nationwide in America, more than three times as many mentally ill people are housed in prisons and jails as in hospitals, according to a 2010 study by the National Sheriffs’ Association and Treatment Advocacy Center.  Mentally ill inmates are often preyed upon while incarcerated, or disciplined because of trouble following rules.  They are much more likely than other prisoners, for example, to be injured in a fight in jail, the Justice Department says. Some 40 percent of people with serious mental illnesses have been arrested at some point in their lives.  In the 1800s, Dorothea Dix led a campaign against the imprisonment of the mentally ill, leading to far-reaching reforms and the establishment of mental hospitals. Now we as a society have, in effect, returned to the 1800s. In 1955, there was one bed in a psychiatric ward for every 300 Americans; now there is one for every 3,000 Americans, the 2010 study said. So while more effective pharmacological treatments are theoretically available, they are often very difficult to access for people who are only borderline.” I am different if I ever was in trouble again I would want to go to jail if I am medicated.  I’ve been to both the state hospital and jail.  I did not like jail unmedicated but would prefer it if I was medicated.
Ending the article: “TAXPAYERS spend as much as $ 300 or $400 a day supporting patients with psychiatric disorders while they are in jail, partly because the mentally ill require medication and extra supervision and care. ‘Fiscally, this is the stupidest thing I’ve seen government do, Dart says.  It would be far cheaper, he adds, to manage the mentally ill with a case worker on the outside than to spend such sums incarcerating them.  Cook County has implemented an exemplary system for mental health support for inmates. While in jail, they often stabilize.  Then they are released, go off their medication and cycle repeats.’”  They need the stabilization out here.  When a jail becomes a mental ward we need help.

Mentally Ill Are Often Locked Up In Jails That Can’t Help

That is the title of the article I am writing about click on the link above to read the full story.  “Cook County, Ill., Sheriff Tom Dart walks the halls of his jail every day.  With 10,000 inmates, this place is a small city –except a third of the people here are mentally ill.  Dart has created some of the most innovative programs in the country to handle mentally ill inmates, hiring doctors and psychologists, and training staff.  But if you ask anyone here, even this jail is barely managing. ‘I can’t conceive of anything more ridiculously stupid by government than to do what we’re doing right now.’ Dart says.   Fifty years ago, states began shutting down asylums in favor of community mental health centers.  It was a major policy shift in mental health, allowing patients to go home and live independently.  Over the past decade, though, states have cut billions from their mental health budgets, shuttering clinics across the country.  The result is thousands of mentally ill people funneling in and out of the nation’s jails. In many cases, it has sent the mentally ill right back where they started –locked up in facilities that are ill-equipped to help them.”   For me personally I am glad that they let everyone go.  I hate the state hospital to many games.  People there are not real like they are in prison.  When I first was locked up in the county jail there were not as many homeless as there are today.  Back then the homeless came to jail in the winter to get off the streets they usually received six month sentences.  We knew who they were.

Now mentally ill are put in county jails with the regular population unless they mess up. “It’s staggering’ Elli Petacque Montgomery is the deputy director of mental health policy for the sheriff’s office.  She and her staff screen all of the inmates for mental illness.  It’s not hostile, angry men at the front of cages, bickering with jail staff and pushing each other for more elbow room that interest her.  It’s the men in the corners –men who come to jail and manage, despite the noise and commotion, to fall asleep. I’m kind of curious about this guy in the blue, ‘says Montgomery, pointing to a man sitting quietly on a bench.  Now, is he dazed because he’s on drugs or because the voices in his head are louder than what’s happening around him?’  On this morning, one inmate after another has a problem.  One man tells her he’s going to kill himself because he thinks he’s already dead.  Another guy explains that the voices tell him to hurt people.  To walk in and feel like every other person I’m interviewing [is] mentally ill on any given day, I can’t wrap my brain around it, she says. It’s staggering what we’re dealing with. Most of these men are here on minor offenses. Police have picked them up for small crimes like acting out in front of restaurants, sleeping in abandoned buildings or possessing drugs. They’re people with nowhere to go and nowhere to get medication.  Some of them will stay for a few days; some for a few weeks.  But statistically almost all of them will be back.  While these men are here, the jail’s responsibility is to keep other inmates from hurting them and them from hurting themselves.  But jail staff say what really happens deep inside this jail is a far cry from actual treatment.”  I know that from being in the county jail before I was sent to the state hospital that jail is no place to be mentally ill.  I did a lot of my time that time being in the infirmary and that being in protective custody a place I should have never been.  I had a mental illness when I was there.
The article goes on to say: “Sometimes I would even commit a crime just to make sure I would get my meds, says inmate Joseph DeRiggi.  Here, there’s a little more understanding because they know us: ‘OK, DeRiggi, we know what you’re on. You’re good.’  That’s just the way it is.  But jail is an expensive place to get medication. It costs almost $200 a night to house a mentally ill person here; health clinics cost a fraction of that.  Plus, their cases clog the courts with largely minor offenses.  That lengthens jail time for everyone.  The average stay is now eight days longer than it was a few years ago.  Adding eight days cost county taxpayers $10 million more every year.  He says he understands that money for community health centers is tight. But he says doing it this way is costing more.  Clearly, our society had determined that state-run mental hospitals were abhorrent, that my God, our society cannot tolerate this, we’re much more advanced than that, Dart says. ‘I just find the irony so thick that same society finds it OK to put the same people in jails and prisons.’ But then he shakes his head and changes his mind. ‘ I know people care, ‘ he says, pausing ‘ I don’t think they know’”  How would you know unless you at some time were locked up.  I know that people from the old days were ashamed that they broke down and had a mental illness.  I know it happen to me and one other person I knew in prison my friends were ready to stand by me.  Although I could not face them knowing that I was not strong enough to finish my time even though I was waiting on my appeal.

Walking in the Woods

This is a blog about walking and an article to relieve stress and boost your immune system.  I am always trying to get healthier and today I am going to get weighed.  I came across this article and it fits what I wanted to talk about today. “Work, home, even in the car, stress is a constant struggle for many people.  But it’s more than just exhausting and annoying.  Unmanaged stress can lead to serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.” There are a lot of things that can lead to stress.  When it becomes hard to sleep then it is a problem.

The article says: “The American lifestyle is fast-paced and productive, but can be extremely stressful.  If that stress is not addressed, our bodies and minds suffer, said Dr. Aaron Michelfelder, professor of family medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.  Our bodies need sleep to rejuvenate and if we are uptight and stressed we aren’t able to get the rest we need.  This can lead to serious physical and mental health issues, which is why it’s extremely important to wind down, both body and mind, after a stressful day.”  After a stressful day it is important to not keep being bothered by a problem or whatever else makes you stressed.  I need my sleep.  I do not have a hard time falling asleep.
The article says: “According to M|ichelfelder, one of the best ways to wind down and reconnect after a stressful day is by taking a walk.  Though any walking is good, walking in the woods or in nature has been proven to be even better at reducing stress and improving your health.  When we get to nature, our health improves. Michelfelder said.  Our stress hormones rise all day long in our bloodstream and taking even a few moments while walking to reconnect with our inner thoughts and to check in with our body will lower those damaging stress hormones.  Walking with our family or friends is also a great way to lower our blood pressure and make us happier.”  While I do not get to the woods to walk, I do walk.  If I have a problem it does make sense to walk and reason the problem out.  It feels better.
Here is an interesting fact: “Research out of Japan show that walking in the woods also may play a role in fighting cancer.  Plants emit a chemical called phytoncides that protects them from rotting and insects.  When people breathe it in, there is an increase in the level of ‘natural killer ‘cells, which are part of a person’s immune response to cancer.”  That makes person want to walk in the woods as much as they can. I walk also to lose weight and in the last two weeks I have changed my lifestyle again to better lose the pounds.  Today I get weighed and if I lost at least two pounds I will know that my lifestyle changes are working.  This is not the big test in two weeks I will have my labs taken and that is the big test to see how my blood sugar is doing and hopefully low number for diabetes. It also says: “When we walk in a forest or park, our levels of white blood cells increase and it lowers our pulse rate, blood pressure and level of stress hormone cortisol, Michelfelder said.  He also suggests reading, writing, meditating or reflecting to help calm the mind after a long day.  To help calm the body yoga and breathing exercises also are good.  If you want to wind down, stay away from electronic screens as they activate the mind.  Electronic devices stimulate brain activity and someone’s post on Facebook or a story on the evening news night might cause more stress, Michelfelder said.” I am going to have to try walking in a park as I have no woods close by. I also had been meaning to start reading again. I’m going to have to see what is out now that I would like.

Stability and Aging

When people think of disability, they usually think of someone as having a difficulty, such as managing their life or being dependent upon the government or society which is necessary for everyday living, and with the growing numbers of people who are classified as disabled, researchers feel it’s time to define new strategies which would prevent and slow down the rate of people becoming disabled. 
In the past, research has displayed that unhealthy behaviors, such as (poor diet, smoking, and lack of physical activity) have a negative effect on the health of people.  Obesity, diabetes, cancer, stroke, drug abuse leads to death and even such increases unhealthy behaviors. “There have been researchers from France and the UK whom have done studies which were to investigate relationships of unhealthy behaviors and disability for over a decade.  They studied a community of older people (65 years or older) and interviewed them about their lifestyle, smoking habits, their diet, physical activities and alcohol use.”

There were three levels of disability: (1) mobility, (2) activities of daily living and (3) basic living.  “Mobility was defined as heavy or strenuous activities that are heavy housework, walking, or climbing stairs.  Daily Living was defined as using the phone, managing medications and use of money, use of public transport, shopping, preparing meals and doing laundry.  Basic Living included bathing, dressing, toileting and eating.”  Anyone that participated in the study was considered disabled if they could not perform at least one activity without help.

PhysicalInactivity, Poor Diet And Smoking Linked To Disability In Older Population -Health News - redOrbit 

In the Mental Health system in the US, we face the world of the disabled with somewhat open hands and mind to give those who are disabled a fighting chance, not only to exist in their own space, but to become educated in caring for themselves not only before they reach and elderly age, yet while they are growing before they become elderly.  As we know most disabled people find it hard to care for themselves, through education and the Mental Health system today, we can reduce the unhealthy behaviors and unstable behaviors which have come about through Mental Illness.  Though consumers may have a disability, they are given a chance to grow resilient and understanding especially of their illness.  As unhealthy behaviors exist, these behaviors can be slowly changed as the individual becomes more independent and stable in his or her life. 

Written by Donald S

In Tune with Your Mental Health

Mental Health is described as your mental state of mind, how well you feel and how you can cope in your daily life.  I change from day to day.  One day I feel I can conquer the world, the next day I am as sluggish as a turtle.  If you have good mental health you can feel confident in yourself almost always, you are never afraid to express yourself or emotions, you have a positive outlook and relationships with others and your livelihood at home and abroad, especially at work is productive and you cope with stress, change and other uncertainties.

What takes a person such as myself or others from such positive movements, becoming unable to cope with stress or feeling “blue”?  We might have suffered some loss of a loved one or a dear friend, we might be suffering from loneliness or even still, we might have problems with a relationship.  We could even be worried about work or debts which are hard to manage, in any case we are going through a time of “bad” mental health, when we cannot cope or manage emotionally or cannot think rationally.

How to stay mentally in tune in these “bad” times is to remain resilient or to build our resilience so that we are strengthened and able to face what is difficult.  If you trust someone, talk to them about how you are feeling.  They could be friends, or family, even someone connected to the church, anyone who can give you advice which is sound and practical.  If this isn’t possible, just talking the problem through can help you to understand how you may become a better feeling person. 

We all need some kind of support, and building relationships is important in staying healthy.  Associating with people who are positive, you can build a better image of yourself and feel what it’s like to be confident and how to cope with situations which may be problematic.  If you care about people you will find they in turn will care about you and be just as supportive.  You will feel better about yourself in the long run and if you don’t have anyone to associate with or a friend, you may find that you might experience some negative feelings and if this is the case, learn and or experience something new, such as a hobby, which can build knowledge, patience and a way to share with others who share the same liking of such an activity or hobby.  This direction becomes a new challenge which has meaning for you and in your sharing has meaning for new friends who can help support you as you associate with them. 

Written by Donald S

Changing Reality Through Mental Health

In the beginning of my experience with the Mental Health system, I had many, many thoughts concerning why I was becoming a part of this new experience, what had I done that warranted my taking group therapy, and taking medications.  After many years of being a homeless person and a drug addict I slowly began to reason that someone other than my own self cared and this turned me around as to how I thought about people and how people saw me.

We read and hear about Mental Health and how it may be the new wave of modern times.  There are clients (consumers), and others outside of mental health that don’t think so, at least not many of them, yet mental illness affects millions of people every year in America; whose to judge. Most people who need mental health assistance, having become diagnosed or not, rarely receive the help they need and the reason is money and of course their own feelings of receiving mental health assistance in short, shame.

Because Mental Health has a stigma of its own coupled with its high cost, many people despair; while others become lost.  They say Mental Health these days needs a new uplifting, where there would be a newer point of view as to how people can see their lives and how their challenges can be approached.  We are all potentially under the guise of being mental health patients, we all have concerns, issues and problems we don’t care to admit to.  Our challenges may make us weak or feel imperfect and threaten our way of survival; yet when we see these are categorized and labeled as “symptoms” of mental illness, we turn and run in denial because we have lived a certain way for a certain time.

The attitudes of society about Mental Health and its culture, threatens us every day, more than the issues we are dealing with and with this, many prefer to suffer in their own way rather than to be known as suffering from a mental illness, and so many others who may be suffering from a mental illness go to extremes to obtain drugs, illicit or prescribed instead of becoming labeled, move on to live in their perfect world.

Mental health is set in motion by good will, professionalism, empathy and caretakers who treat our malignancies or disorders not knowing the feelings that are brought down upon us.  There are solutions which can help a person who suffers from a mental illness which help to maintain an emotionally healthy way of life.  It’s simple.  If we converse, we will find these conversations the necessity of our emotional well being, and that missing link can improve the early-stages of mental health care.  Conversation is constructive and has always been proven to be therapeutic to help others become empowered and to become a part of the social structure, instead of withdrawn and living a life in despair.  We become constructive through conversing about our ideas and problems and we move forward from the old reality of suffering into the new reality of acceptance and self-esteem not only of ourselves yet of the Mental Health system itself. 

Written by Donald S

Emotional Intelligence

Self confidence, sensitivity, self awareness, self control, empathy, optimism and social skills, these are all a part of the qualities we desire in ourselves and all are a part of our Emotional Intelligence.  What is Emotional Intelligence and what has it to do with our Mental Health.  Emotional Intelligence in short is the ability we have in perceiving emotions in ourselves as well as in others.  Its controlling emotions and coping with emotional situations and many people fail to manage emotions with success as we may be closed to our own emotional attitudes or we may not be able to control our own emotional selves as in acting foolishly while we are under pressure.

In the mental health field, many consumers have lost touch with their own awareness and their ability to control their emotions.  With the many people who are diagnosed especially with schizophrenia, manic depression and depression, they find it hard to control themselves, yet with treatment, these people find it remarkable that they have learned not only self control, yet have build up their confidence and self-esteem as well.  Being a mental health consumer, with a diagnosis, I have to understand my emotions can lead me astray.  I have to learn to understand another person’s emotions, facial gestures, voice and posture.  I must know when to think and what emotions are particular to thought and how to control my negative emotions, such as anger or being despondent.

 Emotional Intelligence is different than cognitive intelligence, which is the ability to reason, read, write and have logic.  You are not using the emotional parts of your brain to solve equations, to build structures or dial a phone number; the thought that emotional intelligence is a structure, which links the emotional abilities with other capabilities that includes our mental thinking abilities.

Howard Gardner in 1999 stated that “there are multiple intelligences in addition to abstract reasoning, such as musical and kinesthetic intelligence.”  He also stated there are two types of abilities that resemble emotional intelligence, (1) interpersonal intelligence (understanding the feelings and intentions of others) and (2) intrapersonal intelligence (your awareness and discrimination of your own feelings).”  In understanding my positive emotions, I would feel good about myself not only in this present time yet also I would have positive hope for the future.  The reality of the change of ideals, self-esteem, awareness, and empathy becomes such with the control of emotions and the bearing of  knowledge that I am working with such as I struggle to migrate from the negative approach to one which is more positive.

Written by Donald S.

The News & Recovery

As far as mental health in the news all I have seen is people trying to get the insanity plea.  I guess I would too if I was facing life in prison.  You can go to the state hospital and walk the grounds and see women. Eat at the cafeteria there.  What I cannot believe is what makes them think they can be found guilty by reason of insanity.  I have been to both prison and the state hospital and I know what awaits them in both places.  Although I only had small time to do at both, I was not facing life.  Although that is the sentence they give is one day to life in the state hospital.  Unless you have a high profile case like these people do, you only do at least five years before you get a second chance at society.  I also know what being insane is like.  I will not forget as I do not want to be that way again.  I now take my medication and enjoy my grandkids.  There is too much life to throw it away by committing a crime or becoming insane again.
 I’d rather be free out here taking a walk and enjoying life even if it seems hard sometimes.   The only thing I miss about the old days is my uncles.  I wish they could see how my life is now and see their grandkids.  It is more enjoyable going and watching my grandson play football.  Then just looking to get high and try and forget your troubles. I cannot wait for spring to arrive.  This winter I have not been able to walk as much and as far as I want.
Until last week I usually rented movies that are close to my apartment.  Now I am getting them as far away from my apartment as I can so I can get in my walking.  I want to lose a lot more weight this spring and summer and keep it off next winter.  My grandkids are growing up and I want to be around to see the youngest grows up.  Last week was pretty good I was able to walk for a half hour a day.  I know this winter instead of losing weight I gained a couple of pounds.  I have not weighed myself although a person knows.  Have not felt like going to the fitness center to work out just think of the cold and put it off.  
 I am taking losing weight slow and know I will lose and be at the weight I want to be in the next couple of years.  I have time out here now.  I can be a little more patient than I used to be. I am free and that is what I always wanted all those years of being locked up.  I enjoy life now and it goes on real nice. 

Emotional Strength: Handling Criticism

Have you been the kind of person who admires or envies people who accept criticism? I myself was never the kind of person to accept any kind of critical remark or feedback for that matter, even if it was truth. Even as I might sit before my own boss who might critique my work or attitude, I would begin to have negative thoughts, and then I would become defensive with rationalizations of my actions. Anger is the worst of anyone’s reactions’ to taking constructive criticism which may involve even a physical altercation.
We can go beyond the negative acceptance of criticism and identify our weaknesses and how to bolster our strengths, being able to handle criticism with calmness and doing so professionally helps to maintain not only our mental health yet also working relationships both on the job and personal.
Before you react to any sign of criticism, don’t! Just stop any reaction you are having and let yourself know you must stay calm. Know that feed back is constructive criticism which is meant to help you improve your skills and relationships and to also help you meet certain other criteria expected of you.
http://www.audreymarlene-lifecoach.com/criticism.html
Listen wisely and do not interfere with the person who is giving you this criticism. Do so without interruption. When they have completed what they have to say, let them know you have heard what they have said and let them know you are understanding what has been said and the perspectives they have shown you.
When we face Constructive Criticism we often times forget this is a learning experience about our weaknesses and we should remember that without it we do not grow or improve. Remembering that being defensive, we are closed to what’s most important to be learned and that feedback, “criticism” is not always easy to give just as well as receiving such, but it brings about change and with that comes the knowledge of becoming a better and more learned person.
Written by Donald S.

Mental Health and Diabetes

I had done some light reading on diabetes a month ago, with the intention of writing about mental health illness and its effect on people with diabetes. I had found out that depression is the main mental illness people suffer from after they have contracted diabetes or have suffered with for a long time even as they may not have known they had the diabetic illness. As I read sporadically during the weeks I finally came across a write-up in the MSN news about diabetics and stigma as well as facing shame. I had to stop and think after reading the editorial, even though it wasn’t intense to the degree of mentioning depression or suicide, it did mention amputation, facing the truth of having diabetes, poor eating habits, and not taking care of yourself. The lack of exercise was another of those foreboding mentioned aspects of the disease and it was at that point, that I began to feel somewhat ashamed of myself. I don’t exercise and I do slip into depression at particular times when thinking of what kind of good times am I missing because of the side effects and symptoms I am living with. When I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, I remembered how I felt the shame of being fat, uneducated about what was happening to me, and the lacking of exercise which was a part of my life. I looked about the room full of people who were normal, mostly healthy, and felt the stigma of carrying diabetes and my own health. I began to feel I was fat, lazy and a junk food junkie amongst my fellow employees. The depression was real at this point, and the fears grew concerning diabetes; the amputations, the risk of heart attack, being too overweight and the shut in attitude I began living because of the effects I was living with which included my mental health medications. In short I thought eventually nothing good about the illness or my mental illness and I had no one to blame; diabetes is not a “crutch”. “Even diabetics themselves can have a blame-the-victim feeling, says Theresa Garnero, a diabetes nurse educator at the Califormia Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. “Granted, if you’re not eating healthfully, and you’re not exercising like you should – and most people don’t – there should be a modicum of truth to that.
”Hidden shame of diabetes: 'I didn't speak about it' - Health - Diabetes | NBC News  after reading this editorial, I began to have a change of mind about life and death, it’s in my hands. I began to believe that the shame I was feeling was a matter of wanting someone to cry for me, pat me on my back and walk with me. I can’t change the side effects per se of my mental health medications, yet I can be strict about my diet, and even if I don’t exercise for long hours on end, I can walk and restrain myself from some of the other bad habits I have picked up on during the course of my years. Why burden yourself with the blues of something that could harm you, and why wait for someone to hold your hand, denial is our worst enemy, hope is the word we must understand to become healthier, even mentally. Written by Donald S.

Aging and Mental Health

WE ARE MOVING THE BLOG WE WILL BE POSTING TO BOTH BLOGS ALL MONTH BEFORE WE MAKE THE FINAL MOVE. HERE IS THE NEW ADDRESS CHECK IT OUT http://mhcd.org/blog Donald wrote a blog last week about premature aging in people with mental illness. We have talked about this subject before. It is a good topic and this one is more interesting because it deals with aging baby boomers and mental health. “The world is aging—and rapidly so. By 2030, there will be more than 72 million Americans over age 65, more than twice their numbers in 2000. With increasing longevity and declining birth rates in the world, the number of older individuals will exceed that of children for the first time in human history. These remarkable changes will have significant impact on practically every aspect of our lives.” People are living longer and this will have good news and bad news about the baby boomers and the talk in this blog.
They start off in the article giving us the bad news first. “The demographic changes are especially alarming in terms of mental illness. During the next two decades, we will witness and unprecedented rise in the number of older adults with psychiatric disorders, at a rate that is growing faster than that of the general population. The reasons reflect both negative and positive factors. On the negative side, several studies have suggested that the aging baby boomers have a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders than people born before World War II. Additionally, increasing numbers of older people will mean greater prevalence of late-onset mental illnesses.” They are in for a new world if they have a mental illness later in life. Also, are the doctors and everybody ready for this new wave in mental health?
The article goes on to say we are not prepared for what is to come. “Today there are about 1,700 board-certified geriatric psychiatrists in the United States—one for every 23,000 older Americans. That ratio is estimated to diminish to one geriatric psychiatrist for every 27,000 individuals 65 and older by 2030. Yet, little is being done to address this challenge. Already geriatric psychiatric services are in high demand, and specialists are in short supply.” We are not prepared for what is coming. They are not trying to meet this challenge and when they do it may be too late for the onset in mental health they are expecting. Hopefully, none of us will decline that bad. I sure hope I do not have any surprises when I get older.
Now the article gives us the good news: “…contrary to general belief, getting older is often associated with being happier, more productive, and more functional—even in older adults with mental illness. Increasing numbers of people in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s are functioning well. In fact, research suggests that although older adults commonly experience some physical and cognitive decline, life satisfaction as well as psychosocial functioning tend to improve with aging.” That is good news! Things will get better there is just going to be a lot of people with mental illness. Hopefully they do not fall apart as much in their later years than in their younger years. “Older people are not a drain on the society; they are a major asset and resource. With their experience and wisdom, they can contribute on many levels. Aging of the population should not be viewed as crisis, but rather as a transition opening up numerous opportunities.” It should not be viewed as a crisis. Maybe new answers that can help all that suffer from a mental illness. Maybe we need to give our brain a vacation here is a link to look at about that subject. We will be moving in about a month you can find our blogs here until then. This is the link to the new site http://mhcd.org/blog I hope you continue to follow us. WE ARE MOVING AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THE NEW ADDRESS IS http://mhcd.org/blog

Therapy by Computer

We all suffer through times when we are troubled by our emotions and these may be times when we look towards a mental health clinician, or maybe not. As a mental health consumer, I have often had sessions, where the therapist had written down information and during the course of the session had also relied on the computer to retrieve information and also update his notations during the many times we had met. What I have noticed as many people have noted is that there are many books to help people learn about themselves as well as the emotions they carry, and now there is computer software; software which does the same thing, help us find the grass roots to our problems and to help us understand ourselves.
There is a program which helps you record your emotions, helps you to think about emotions and records the number of times you have had the same emotions. You can resolve, review, graph, analyze and print the results to your emotional search. You label your emotions as you will, so that you may list them, you can describe events or thoughts even describe the positive events in your life. Reducing Misdiagnosis of Psychiatric Disorders It is described as a cognitive thinker, yet this program is constructed to get people to think about their feelings and the events leading and following certain episodes in their life.
Who is to gain from such computerization and psychological software? In order for the software and computer help you to make a conclusion, information must be entered. Who’s going to do this if you’re having a “bad” day, what if you don’t want to; the program is no longer useful. Your therapist may work with you with this software, if the therapist is open to the idea; then you have therapy sessions where you are relying on what the computer comprises and other printouts.
This program is free and can be ordered over the internet, yet I personally find it helpful when the human dimension of interaction can help solve the problems through experience, not just a chart listing possibilities on a computer screen.
Written by Donald S.