Haiti, We Hear You Cry …

For those who may be struggling to cope from a distance or are having trouble dealing with the images of the Haiti earthquake aftermath, the American Psychological Association (APA) offers free resources on managing distress from afar and tips for recovering from disasters on its Psychology Help Center.

“The sheer number of lost lives, the wounded and the destruction of homes and communities as a result of the earthquake is tragic,” said APA President Carol Goodheart, Ed.D. “This is also a difficult time for those who are witnessing from a distance the loss of friends and family and the destruction of land in their native country.”

People living in the United States who have lost family and friends or are waiting for news of their loved ones are most likely to feel distress about this disaster. APA offers the following tips to help people mange any distress:

. Take a news break. Watching endless replays of footage from the disaster can make your stress even greater. Although you will want to keep informed – especially if you have loved ones in Haiti – taking a break from watching the news or social media updates can lessen your distress.

. Control what you can. There are routines in your life that you can continue, such as going to work or school and making meals. It helps to maintain these routines to give yourself a break from constantly thinking about the earthquake.

. Find a productive way to help if you can. Many organizations are providing various forms of aid to survivors. Contributing or volunteering is a positive action that can help you to make a difference.

. Keep things in perspective. While an earthquake can bring tremendous hardship and loss, remember to focus on the things that are good in your life. Persevere and trust in your ability to get through the challenging days ahead.

For additional information on managing traumatic stress in the aftermath of disasters, visit APA’s Help Center. And follow the APA Help Center on Twitter and read APA’s Mind/Body Health campaign blog, Your Mind Your Body.

Source
The American Psychological Association

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176163.php

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By Jane Elliott
Health reporter, BBC News 

Ben Davey needs to take 20 tablets of four different types each day – so it is no surprise that sometimes he forgets them.

But forgetting can have serious consequences for the 34-year-old Londoner.

Ben has epilepsy and forgetting to take his pills can cause him to have a seizure.

“For many years I have had about three fits a year,” said Ben, who has had epilepsy since puberty.

Fit increase

But when doctors changed his drug regime this year he started getting confused and his seizures increased.

“My fits increased to about 30 this year.

For me taking a tablet is such an important thing. If I could know that I had definitely done that it would be great Ben Davey

“I don’t want to give the wrong impression that the sole cause of me having a fit was my forgetting, but if I was to forget, the likelihood is I would probably have a fit.

“If I was taking the same tablets every day it would be easier not to forget, but as they were introducing one medication they were fading out another.

“I was thinking ‘I have got to take one less of this coloured one, one more of this coloured one’.”

“I would say, ‘I am going to have a shower and then take my tablet’ and then I would be on the bus and wouldn’t remember whether I had taken them and there was no knowing.”

New service

Now the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), where Ben is treated, has launched a new service to help patients manage their condition.

The service will use text messaging to remind patients to take their medication and has a facility to alert carers if they do not respond to a text saying they have taken the tablets.

There will also be a web-based patient diary where patients can record their responses to medication, seizures and any injuries sustained during them.

EPILEPSY More than 450,000 people in the UK have epilepsy (50 million people worldwide) Epilepsy is three times more common than multiple sclerosis and more than three times as common as Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy One person in 50 will develop epilepsy at some time in their life. One in 20 will have a single epileptic seizure

Anthony Linklater, epilepsy specialist nurse, said that what seemed such a simple idea had taken years to plan.

“In the past hospitals used to just give medication and send people on their way,” he said.

“This is just going one step further and as we are introducing the system we are thinking of different ideas.

“Poor adherence is the main cause of unsuccessful drug treatment.”

Pill routine

Professor John Duncan, Professor of Neurology, agreed:”Most individuals with epilepsy have to take medication regularly in order to achieve the best possible control of their seizures, but remembering to take medication can be problematic for some.

“Taking medication accurately can become quite complicated when it is adjusted as this is usually done in gradual steps over a period of time.

“We hope that the additional support provided by this service will help some people to manage their medication more effectively which could help to improve the control of their epilepsy.”

The NHNN is the first to introduce the system and already has its first few patients signed up for its year-long pilot.

Simon Wigglesworth, deputy chief executive at Epilepsy Action, said he was excited by the potential offered.

“Alerts reminding people to take their anti-epileptic drugs could be effective in ensuring they take their medication accurately and on time.

“An online patient diary could be useful in helping people monitor their epilepsy, and would be particularly valuable for doctors assessing patients with the condition.”

Ben, who plans to sign up early this year, says it will make a big difference to his life.

“The new service would be amazing,” he said.

“You know the feeling when you are just gong to work or the shops and you think, ‘Hang on, did I turn the oven off?’

“For me taking a tablet is such an important thing. If I could know that I had definitely done that it would be great.”

Source:   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8436092.stm

 

January 18, 2010

Wired has an excellent report on abuses in China’s ‘internet addiction’ boot camps in the wake of the death of a young man from a beating only hours after he was admitted to one of the facilities.

As we reported last August, after years of promoting the ‘psychiatric dangers’ of the internet, the Chinese government has started to rein in its own clinics after criticisms of its treatments (that included electroshock) and has begun to crack down on the numerous private clinics after reports of widespread abuses.

The Wired piece follows the story of Deng Senshan, the young man who was beaten to death in one of the camps, and explores how the rise of the treatment clinics have followed the increase in anxiety about young people using the internet.

The article also pulls out some of the cultural factors that drive the concept of internet addiction in China, which are quite different from those that are common in the United States.

In fact, this was discussed in a study by anthropologists Alex Golub and Kate Lingley, who noted that in America, parents typically take their children to internet addiction clinics because they don’t spend any time outside or don’t socialise, whereas in China, people take their children to Internet addiction clinics because their children are playing basketball, dating, and playing video games instead of studying.

 

Link to Wired article ‘Obsessed With the Internet: A Tale From China’.
Link to our previous report on China’s ‘net addiction’ clinics.
Link to study on cultural factors behind Chinese ‘net addiction’.

 

Source:   http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2010/01/chasing_the_digital_.html

 

Schizophrenia“A person diagnosed with schizophrenia may demonstrate auditory hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized and unusual thinking and speech; this may range from loss of train of thought and subject flow, with sentences only loosely connected in meaning, to incoherence, known as word salad, in severe cases. Social isolation commonly occurs for a variety of reasons. Impairment in social cognition is associated with schizophrenia, as are symptoms of paranoia from delusions and hallucinations, and the negative symptoms of avolition (apathy or lack of motivation). In one uncommon subtype, the person may be largely mute, remain motionless in bizarre postures, or exhibit purposeless agitation; these are signs of catatonia. No one sign is diagnostic of schizophrenia, and all can occur in other medical and psychiatric conditions.The current classification of psychoses holds that symptoms need to have been present for at least one month in a period of at least six months of disturbed functioning. A schizophrenia-like psychosis of shorter duration is termed a schizophreniform disorder.”

By John M Grohol PsyD

Schizophrenia is one of those mental disorders that many people seem to confuse with something else, such as multiple personality disorder. It’s a very simple yet very terrifying condition, characterized by usually having a combination of hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations can involve any of your five senses, but in schizophrenia, usually involves seeing or hearing things that aren’t really there (like hearing other people’s voices inside your head telling you to do something you don’t want to). Delusions are a false belief in something, such as the CIA is out to get you.

Many of us hear voices in our heads, but usually it’s our own voice acting as our conscious (”You really shouldn’t eat that second piece of cake!”). That’s not schizophrenia. And many of us believe in something that isn’t true (”Life is fair.”). That’s not schizophrenia either. The symptoms of schizophrenia need to be serious and significantly impact your daily life.

Regular contributor and author of the blog Weightless, Margarita Tartakovsky, has put together 13 myths regarding schizophrenia. Here’s the list of common myths about schizophrenia:

1. Individuals with schizophrenia all have the same symptoms.
2. People with schizophrenia are dangerous, unpredictable and out of control.
3. Schizophrenia is a character flaw.
4. Cognitive decline is a major symptom of schizophrenia.
5. There are psychotic and non-psychotic people.
6. Schizophrenia develops quickly.
7. Schizophrenia is purely genetic.
8. Schizophrenia is untreatable.
9. Sufferers need to be hospitalized.
10. People with schizophrenia can’t lead productive lives.
11. Medications make sufferers zombies.
12. Antipsychotic medications are worse than the illness itself.
13. Individuals with schizophrenia can never regain normal functioning.

Schizophrenia is usually a life-long disorder, and one that makes having what most of us would consider a “normal” life challenging. It can be done, but it requires a commitment on the part of the person with schizophrenia, often with the support of their family. While not common, it is one of the most disabling of the mental disorders — and the most misunderstood.

You can read more about these myths and the actual facts in the article, Illuminating 13 Myths of Schizophrenia.

Source:   http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/01/18/13-myths-of-schizophrenia/

January 18, 2010 | By Divya Mathur, PhD

Most individuals at some point of their life experience events that are stressful. While some people seem to crumble to the deleterious effects of stress, others sail through adverse situations. Chronic or acute stress is associated with a wide range of psychosocial disorders. So what are the factors and the possible neurobiological mechanisms associated with resilience?

Scientists have found several factors that maybe responsible for adaptive physical and psychological stress responses in individuals in the face of adversity. These adaptive responses are associated with the degree of behavioral control we have over stress. Resilience to stress is mediated by the changes that alter the functioning of the neural circuits that regulate reward, fear, emotion reactivity and social behavior.

Read More … http://brainblogger.com/2010/01/18/coping-with-trauma-lessons-from-resilient-individuals/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GNIFBrainBlogger+%28Brain+Blogger%29

 

Dear Friends, Advocates and Community Members,

Regards,
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network and the APRAIS Coalition

Allan Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D. Updated: Jan 14th 2010

Do recessions and marriage go together? Can marriages survive huge financial losses, unemployment and the loss of medical benefits?

I was recently asked if I thought the economic recession is having a negative impact on marriage? In other words, is there an increase in such things as domestic violence and the rate of divorce?

This is a more difficult question to answer than it may appear to be at first glance. The reason for the complexity is that there are many variables to take into consideration when discussing marriage. For example, is the marriage impacted by alcohol and drug abuse. Did the couple carefully save money in preparation for that “rainy day” when something bad could happen ? Are husband and wife each working and earning a living so that job loss by one could be more easily absorbed by the couple? Is it a strong marriage able to withstand not only economic recession but all the trials and tribulations of life?

Domestic Violence:

It should come as no surprise that newspapers across the nation are reporting an increase in cases of domestic violence alongside unemployment rates. The reasons for the increase are not difficult to find. With unemployment reaching ten percent and more, people are at home most of the day, in the company of their spouse and children and with much greater opportunity to drink and use drugs. Unemployment causes stress, leads to depression and  drugs and alcohol provide the fuel for an already explosive situation. This is fertile ground for domestic violence.

Marital Strength:

For those people with strong marriages in which there are agreed upon values and ways to meet life crises, weathering the storm of financial and job loss will be possible. In most probability, these are the people who had the foresight to save enough money to see themselves through a crisis for a year or more. Even if they were not able to save, the commonly shared view of life will help them form a strategy to get them get through.

One of the important features of a strong marriage relationship is the ability of two people to sit together, discuss their problems without engaging in blame and mutual incriminations and make plans for how they want to meet the crisis. In other words, husband and wife find strength in unity and do not feel alone or isolated.

However, those people with marriages marred by endless quarrelling and conflict, the economic down turn will not help their situation. Does this mean they will end in divorce? Not necessarily.

Read More …  http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=35065&cn=51

Heartbroken? Take a Tylenol. (Seriously)

by Jeff Wise

The kind of pain that you feel when you get rejected socially feels different from the hurt you feel when you break your leg or scald your hand, but neurologically speaking, they’re closely related. As researcher Naomi Eisenberger has shown, circuitry underlying both sorts of pain are found in the anterior cingulate cortex.

But if that’s the case, can a drug that dulls pain in the body have a similar effect on one’s emotions? A surprising new study suggests that the answer is yes. Psychologist C. Nathan DeWall of the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology led a team that asked 25 subjects to take either acetaminophen (aka Tylenol) or a placebo for three weeks, and then to lie in a brain scanner and play a video game that was rigged to make them feel uncomfortably ostracized. (Such games typically involve passing an electronic ball back and forth among three players, two of whom are actually a computer program and ignore the test subject after the beginning of the game.)

DeWall’s team found that the subjects who had taken the Tylenol showed less activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. According to the paper, the “findings suggest that at least temporary mitigation of social pain-related distress may be achieved by means of an over-the-counter painkiller that is normally used for physical aches and pains.”

The study was small, so the finding has to be regarded as preliminary, but if it’s true then DeWall has found something remarkable. It’s been well established that social and physical pain are linked, but before now no one had guessed the same analgesic could work for both.

Now that the possibility is out there, the idea seems eminently plausible. On the flip side of the equation, it’s long been known that hugs and kisses from a loved one help reduce the sensation of physical pain. (It’s amazing how quickly my one-year-old son stops crying after I kiss the spot where he’s bumped his head). In fact, Eisenberger published another study last year which found that even looking at the photograph of a loved one can reduce the sensation of pain. So why shouldn’t the analgesia work the other way, as well?

Now, for anyone planning to dose up on Tylenol in anticipation of social rejection, DeWall and his colleagues caution that “our findings do not constitute a call for widespread use of acetaminophen to cope with all types of personal problems. Future research is needed to verify the potential benefits of acetaminophen on reducing emotional and antisocial responses to social rejection.” They also point out that long-term use of acetaminophen can lead to liver damage.

And that really would be a pain.

Source:  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/extreme-fear/201001/heartbroken-take-tylenol-seriously

 

Adventure backpacking camps for teens with ADHD, Autism/Asperger’s, PDD

Blue Compass is a family owned & operated camp that provides fun, structured, and supportive adventure camps for kids & teens with Asperger’s, Autism, and ADHD, as well as non-diagnosed adolescents who can benefit from fun adventure experiences.

Blue Compass believes that overcoming challenges builds self-confidence. When teens with Autism, Asperger’s and ADHD lead themselves and others through a challenge, they establish an important sense of confidence and self-efficacy, perhaps for the first time.

Backpacking Summer Camps – Blue Compass offers 2 day and 7 day adventure backpacking camps.

The 2-day is a weekend adventure for adolescents ages 13-18 with ADHD, Asperger’s Disorder, and learning differences.  This is an “introduction” program for teens who can benefit from a shorter adventure experience, either due to a busy summer schedule, or because they have never been backpacking before.

Eight teens and two staff will meet in the early am on a Saturday, pack up the van, then head off into the Northern Cascade Mountains, where they will take a short but “challenging-enough” hike into one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the region.

Dates: Saturday June 26 to Sunday June 27, 2010

Cost: $375 (scholarships and financial assistance may be available – please call for more information)

The 7-day Backpacking Program is a week-long adventure for adolescents ages 13-18 with ADHD, Asperger’s Disorder, Autism, and learning differences

Eight teens and two staff will hike along the beaches of Washington state, within the bounds of the Olympic National Park. Campers will learn how to construct their own shelters, cook their own food, and pack their own packs.

Dates July 24 – July 30, 2010

Start/End Location: Seattle-Tacoma, International Airport, Seattle, Washington

Trip Location: Coast of Washington state – within the Olympic National Park

Camper/Staff Ratio: 8 campers, 3 staff

Cost: $1875 (scholarships and financial assistance may be available – please call for more information)

Many of the teens have been diagnosed with ADHD, Aspergers, or PDD, however, it is not a requirement to have a diagnosis – they encourage any teen who could benefit from a smaller, supportive peer group environment.

Goals of the Program:

1. Have a lot of fun!
2. Build self and social confidence, through accomplishing a challenging and motivating task with peers.
3. Learn and practice leadership skills
4. Work as an effective member of a team to accomplish groups goals

Backpacking, although it may not seem so, is a team effort, and it takes each individual’s sacrifice and hard work to successfully accomplish a trip such as this. That said, staff work to support teen’s strengths and tailor the program so that everyone finishes with a sense of accomplishment they can be proud of.

Contact Blue Compass at 1-866-683-6262 for more information or to register.

Source/View Video:  http://www.examiner.com/x-19093-Seattle-Special-Needs-Issues-Examiner~y2010m1d12-Blue-Compass-adventure-backpacking-campsfor-teens-with-ADHD-Aspergers-and-learning-differences

 

Tight Pockets, Tight Fists – Downturn In Profits, Upturn In Bullying – British Psychological Society

Article Date: 14 Jan 2010 – 3:00 PST

Impact Consulting Business Psychologists will host a professional forum on how organisations can manage workplace bullying on 14th January 2010 at the British Psychological Society Division of Occupational Psychology Annual Conference.

Source
British Psychological Society  

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/175985.php

One In Four Girls Aged 12-17 Were Involved In Serious Fights Or Attacks In The Past Year

Article Date: 14 Jan 2010 – 2:00 PST

A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that, in the past year, one quarter (26.7 percent) of adolescent girls participated in a serious fight at school or work, group-against-group fight, or an attack on others with the intent to inflict serious harm.

Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA)  

Source:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/175962.php

 

By John M Grohol PsyD 

Bipolar disorder can be devastating… but it doesn’t have to be.

I’m pleased to announce the introduction of Bipolar Advantage, hosted by Tom Wootton and his colleagues. I’m pleased to present this alternative view of bipolar disorder and depression, focused on how it can be used to achieveendure. Tom said it best: rather than simply

The mental health field is plagued with the bigotry of low expectations. Far too many people are talking about “changing the stigma,” while creating the worst stigma of all — the idea that we are not capable of achieving greatness. While their intentions are good, they are doing terrible harm to everyone with a mental condition and those who love and support them. This “can’t do” attitude is rampant in professionals, consumers, friends and family, and advocates.

This blog, then, will be about resetting expectations, raising the bar, and understanding how to believe in yourself once again. A diagnostic label should no longer hold you back from achieving greatness.

The mission of Tom and his colleagues is to “help people with mental conditions shift their thinking and behavior so that they can lead extraordinary lives. We are dedicated to the concept that recovery does not have to be limited to 90% of full function; true recovery means doing the hard work that brings you to 150% We strongly believe that we can turn our ‘condition’ into one that becomes an advantage instead of an ‘illness’ or a ‘disorder.’”

Check it out today: Bipolar Advantage

Source:  http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/01/14/introducing-a-new-blog-bipolar-advantage/

Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. Updated: Jan 12th 2010

If you or someone you know or love lives with Bipolar Disorder, it becomes quite clear that there is no easy way to manage it, however, knowing your triggers can help you manage your symptoms and potentially even reduce your dependence on medications.

Knowing your triggers allows you to become more intimate with any signals your mind and body may be sending that a spiral up or down is oncoming. With greater attunement to this, preventative steps can be taken to prevent the relapse. The more and more this is done the greater self confidence you will have to being able to do this in the future. The greater self confidence you have means the less anxiety you’ll have around it, which in itself will reduce imbalance.

Although bipolar disorder is often genetic, there is still often an event that sparks the spiral. In this respect, it’s important to look at what you may be doing in your life that that could be a trigger.

Here are 3 categories of potential triggers to consider:

Lifestyle:

Sleep – sleep deprivation is often a trigger into mania

Exercise – exercise can help balance us and lack of exercise may be a trigger either mania or depression.

Diet – What are you eating? Foods high in sugar or an unhealthy diet could imbalance your system and lead to the initial spiral of depression or mania.   

Life Events:

Stress – On a scale of 1 -10 how high is your stress and what are you doing to manage it? Too much stress make someone give up or drive someone into a manic state.

Menstruation  – This effects some women

Seasons – Dark days can trigger a depressive episode for many

Major Events:

Death of a loved one, divorce, birth, work stress, financial stress, moving, etc… – These are all potential causes of a spiral up or down.

Getting to know these triggers can allow you to become aware of them while they’re happening and with this awareness you may have more choice as to how to best take care of yourself. This is the very first step…awareness.

This is what I was talking about in a previous post bringing to light recent positive research suggesting Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT ) as a program that helps prevent relapse.

Do you or someone you know live with bipolar disorder? What are the triggers you notice?

Source:  http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=35045&cn=4