Article Date: 11 Dec 2009 – 0:00 PST

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are challenging long-held beliefs that human beings are wired to be selfish. In a wide range of studies, social scientists are amassing a growing body of evidence to show we are evolving to become more compassionate and collaborative in our quest to survive and thrive.

In contrast to “every man for himself” interpretations of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychologist and author of “Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life,” and his fellow social scientists are building the case that humans are successful as a species precisely because of our nurturing, altruistic and compassionate traits.

They call it “survival of the kindest.”

“Because of our very vulnerable offspring, the fundamental task for human survival and gene replication is to take care of others,” said Keltner, co-director of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. “Human beings have survived as a species because we have evolved the capacities to care for those in need and to cooperate. As Darwin long ago surmised, sympathy is our strongest instinct.” 

Read in Full:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173601.php

 

The American Psychiatric Association has announced that it has put back the publication of the forthcoming ‘DSM 5’ revision of the influential diagnostic manual of mental disorders back one year to May 2013.

The press release, available online as a pdf, notes:

“Extending the timeline will allow more time for public review, field trials and revisions,” said APA President Alan Schatzberg, M.D. “The APA is committed to developing a manual that is based on the best science available and useful to clinicians and researchers.”

pdf of APA press release on DSM 5 delay (via @DrDavidBallard).

 

Read in Full:   http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2009/12/publication_of_new_d.html

HEADLINES

 

“Canadian Press Release: Seven-year-old N.S. Boy who went missing has died, Health officials say”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/canadian_press_release_sevenyearold_ns_boy_who_went_mis.htm

 

“Runman: CBC Interviews – Autism Search & Rescue, Challenges & Strategies”:

http://therunman.blogspot.com/2009/12/cbc-interviews-autism-search-rescue.html

 

“Boston police search for missing autistic teen”:

http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2009/12/09/Boston-Police-search-for/1260412121.html

 

“Man died of multiple stab wounds”:

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/4774494.Man_died_of_multiple_stab_wounds/

 

“Parents pay tribute to murder victim Kevin Fielding”:

http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/burynews/4785095.Family_pay_tribute_to_murder_victim_Kevin_Fielding/?ref=rss

 

“Park victim lured to her death”:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/8402787.stm

 

“Man denies murder of girl, 18, stabbed to death in Burnley park”:

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/4783818.Man_denies_murder_of_girl__18__stabbed_to_death_in_Burnley_park/?ref=rss

 

“Florist drowned her disabled daughter in the bath by accident before throwing the girl and herself into a lake, inquest is told”:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234242/Florist-drowned-disabled-daughter-bath-accident-throwing-girl-lake-inquest-told.html?ITO=1490&referrer=yahoo

 

“Deputies searching for missing Marion County boy”:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-marion-missing-latimore-20091127,0,11568.story

 

“Autistic boy, 9, found dead in Ocala”:

http://www.wesh.com/news/21739403/detail.html

 

“2 kids found dead in separate drownings”:

http://www.bradenton.com/331/story/1880604.html

 

“Man left disfigured after mistaken identity attack”:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/09/2766673.htm?site=idx-nt

 

“Kids seized in raid on Llanelli home”:

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/southwalesnews/Kids-seized-raid-home/article-1576370-detail/article.html

 

“Former teacher’s court hearing postponed”:

http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_25a8a55c-e13c-11de-9189-001cc4c002e0.html

 

Canada “Advocates want institutions shuttered”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/canada_advocates_want_institutions_shuttered.htm

 

“Care of disabled a ‘national disgrace’, report finds”:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/care-of-disabled-a-national-disgrace-report-finds/story-e6frg6nf-1225806349487

 

“Autistic people ignored in Care Quality Commission Report on Adult Social Care”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/autistic_people_ignored_in_care_quality_commission_report_on.htm

 

“NJ looks to expand services for those on the autism spectrum”:

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20091206/UPDATES01/91206003/NJ+looks+to+expands+services+for+those+with+autism

 

“Gary McKinnon Updates: New hope on extradition”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/gary_mckinnon_updates_new_hope_on_extradition.htm

 

Butterflies “MP Dan Norris talks to autism families”:

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/educationplus/home/MP-Dan-Norris-s-talk-autism-families/article-1572956-detail/article.html

 

Communication Matters “Half a million lottery win for Communication charity”:

http://www.communitynewswire.press.net/article.jsp?id=6341818

 

“AUTREAT Call for Proposals”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/autreat_call_for_proposals.htm

 

“Anger as council drags heels over autistic boy”:

http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/content/redbridge/recorder/news/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=newsIlford&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsilford&itemid=WeED04%20Dec%202009%2012%3A20%3A06%3A360

HEALTH & RESEARCH

 

“Vaccinate your children to protect them from measles … According to the U.S.-based Measles Initiative about 164,000 died from measles in 2008 down from 733,000 in 2000.”:

http://www.thelatestnews.in/vaccinate-your-children-to-protect-them-from-measles/22967.html

 

“Four autism treatments that worry physicians”:

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-autism-side7-2009dec07,0,7708120.story

 

“Carnegie Mellon scientists discover first evidence of brain rewiring in children”:

http://www.sciencecentric.com/news/article.php?q=09121002-carnegie-mellon-scientists-discover-first-evidence-brain-rewiring-children

 

“UB Physiologist wins “Concept Award” to study GI mutation related to autism”:

http://www.buffalo.edu/news/10693

 

BJP “Association between extreme autistic traits and intellectual disability: insights …”:

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/195/6/531

 

“Nurses welcome new strategy for mental health”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/nurses_welcome_new_strategy_for_mental_health.htm

 

“Mental Health from Young Minds to Grey Matters, Australia”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/mental_health_from_young_minds_to_grey_matters_australia.htm

 

“Likely cause of drug-resistant epilepsy revealed”:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8385790.stm

“New insights on comorbidities and other considerations for Epilepsy treatment”:

http://www.sunherald.com/457/story/1787939.html

 

“Autism and schizophrenia linked to faults in same genes”:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=f9f7616d-edf9-49b5-9576-4000892c9c83

 

“Avatar’s gaze illuminates social brain”:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18236-avatars-gaze-illuminates-social-brain.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

 

“Abstract: Empirically supported psychological treatments for Adult Acute Stress Disorder”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/abstract_empirically_supported_psychological_treatments_for.htm

 

“Scrambled brain connections linked to Generalized Anxiety Disorder”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/scrambled_brain_connections_linked_to_generalized_anxiety_di.htm

 

“Anxiety: Caffeine is not a remedy for intoxication”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/anxiety_caffeine_is_not_a_remedy_for_intoxication.htm

 

“Latest on Depression: Includes New Treatment for Secondary Teachers, Seniors at Risk, Teen Insecurity, Boosting Happiness, Physician Depression & More …”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/latest_on_depression_includes_treatment_for_secondaryteache.htm

 

“It’s a Wonderful Life” – CBT for Depression”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/its_a_wonderful_life__cbt_for_depression.htm

 

“Bright ideas for beating the Winter Blues”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/bright_ideas_for_treating_the_winter_blues.htm

 

“PTSD: New Techniques To Assess PTSD, Smaller Brain Linked To PTSD Risk, Military Children Face Challenges & Children’s PTSD”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/ptsd_new_techniques_to_assess_ptsd_smaller_brain_linked_to.htm

 

“OCD, Phobias Etc: Brain Power ~ New techniques in brain surgery mix hope with risk”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/ocd_phobias_etcnytimes__brain_power_new_techniques_in_br.htm

 

“Holiday Anxiety and OCD Exposed”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/holiday_anxiety_and_ocd_exposed.htm

 

“BPS Research Digest: The Special Issue Spotter”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/bps_research_digest_the_special_issue_spotter_4.htm

 

“Loneliness can be contagious”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/loneliness_can_be_contagious.htm

 

“Fuel vapour heightens aggression, likely aggravates road rage/New discoveries about the experience of anger”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/fuel_vapor_heightens_aggression_likely_aggravates_road_rage.htm

 

“Research explores the therapeutic benefits of pets”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/research_explores_the_therapeutic_benefits_of_pets.htm

 

“Happiness: What’s It Going To Take To Make You Happy?”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/happiness_whats_it_going_to_take_to_make_you_happy.htm

 

Nurse-Family Partnership”Agency goal: Get mom, child off to a good start”:

http://www.timesleader.com/features/Agency_goal__Get_mom___child_off_to_a_good_start_12-02-2009.html

 

“Prescribing medical marijuana to kids … Debate is raging over the use of medicinal marijuana to treat childhood ADHD and autism”:

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/103325/Prescribing_marijuana_to_kids

 

“Sleep: Dreamlike Thoughts During Sleepwalking, Sleep Terror Etc”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/sleep_dreamlike_thoughts_during_sleepwalking_sleep_terror_.htm

 

“Relationships: Female Friends, Supporting Divorced Families, Apologizing To A Woman, Personality, Do Opposites Attract?, Marital Satisfaction Etc”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/relationships_female_friends_supporting_divorced_families.htm

 

“For low-income families with special needs kids, where you live matters”:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091204145707.htm

 

“How Other People’s Unspoken Expectations Control Us”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/how_other_peoples_unspoken_expectations_control_us.htm

 

“Get Healthy Tri-State: The opposite sex’s brain: What you need to know”:

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x456827252/The-opposite-sexs-brain-What-you-need-to-know

 

“Virtual Hospital”:

http://www.uihealthcare.com/vh/

EDUCATION

 

“Autistic child beaten, dog tied and thrown into isolation cell at middle school”:

http://www.examiner.com/x-4959-Special-Education-Examiner~y2009m12d10-Autistic-child-beaten-dog-tied-and-thrown-into-isolation-cell-at-middle-school

 

“Outlaw child abuse in schools”:

http://us.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/12/08/miller.mcmorrisrodgers.childabuse.legislation/index.html

 

“Secluding students under fire”:

http://www.freep.com/article/20091210/NEWS06/912100485/1322/Secluding-students-under-fire

 

Communication “Assistive Technologies eSchool News: Five Key Trends in Assistive Technology/Talking Head Baldi Now An iPhone App”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/assistive_technologies_eschool_news_five_key_trends_in_assi.htm

 

“Teachers as students”:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/10/autism

 

“Parents concerned at vale of Berkeley College closure threat demand answers”:

http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/4768321.Parents_concerned_at_school_closure_threat_demand_answers_at_meeting/?ref=rss

 

“Mountain View Voice: Parents worry over cuts to special ed assistants”:

http://www.mv-voice.com/news/show_story.php?id=2230

 

“Navan mother’s bid to secure a school place for daughter”:

http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/navan/articles/2009/12/03/3993245-navan-mothers-bid-to-secure-a-school-place-for-daughter/

 

“SEN pupils made to travel far afield”:

http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Health/972667/SEN-pupils-made-travel-far-afield/

 

“School gets the royal seal of approval”:

http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/bedsonsunday-news/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=466701

 

“Aldermen clear way for school”:

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/53839.html

 

“Filey School chosen for specialist status”:

http://www.fileymercury.co.uk/news/Filey-School-chosen-for-specialist.5883341.jp

 

Peer Mentoring Improves Social Skills “Peer tutoring program helps Idaho students connect”:

http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1058224.html

 

“Living and learning with disabilities … The challenges and joys of teaching children with special needs is something faced by all public school systems in New Hampshire.”:

http://nhbr.com/news/458244-196/living–and-learning–with-disabilities.html

 

“Student group Making waves Montreal receives prestigious award”:

http://media.www.mcgilltribune.com/media/storage/paper234/news/2009/12/01/News/Student.Group.Making.Waves.Montreal.Receives.Prestigious.Award-3842201.shtml

 

“JCTC course gives students with Down syndrome a taste of college life”:

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20091129/FEATURES/911290302/1010/JCTC+course+gives+students+with+Down+syndrome+a+taste+of+college+life

 

Archived “Educational Disabilities: A Brief Overview”:

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/special_education/117337

 

“Belgrave Primary School has a new £36,000 sensory garden”:

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Learning-blossom-sensory-garden/article-1575184-detail/article.html

 

“Children learn with therapy dog(includes video)”:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8378569.stm

 

Kingsbury Elementary School “All aboard the Polar Express”:

http://www.theitem.com/article/20091209/ITNEWS01/712099826/-1/itnews

EMPLOYMENT

 

“Autism seen as asset, not liability, in some jobs”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/autism_seen_as_asset_not_liability_in_some_jobs.htm

 

“National prize for autistic students … A PROJECT which provides work opportunities for young people with autism has received a national award.

Perfect Pots, which is run by students at the Holbrook Centre for Autism, has been given a prestigious social enterprise award for the Best Social Enterprise in a School.”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/employment_opportunities_national_prize_for_autistic_studen.htm

 

“Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne backs autistic adults’ work fight”:

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4768259.MP_backs_autistic_adults____work_fight/?ref=rss

 

Penelope Trunk “Asperger’s at Work”:

http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/12/01/aspergers-at-work-why-i-need-a-sick-day-to-register-my-car/

 

“Out-of-state jobs tear families apart … For the first few months, their 8-year-old boy cried nearly every Sunday night when Gary left. Their 6-year-old son, diagnosed with autism, has had behavior problems. “He holds it together at school, but when he gets home he lets me have it,” Jill said.”:

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/business/national/story/948563.html

 

“Creative Support Ltd”:

http://www.creativesupport.co.uk/

“Autelligent Laboratories

We believe all people have a contribution to make and deserve an opportunity to be productive.

With your caring and excellent help, we are creating jobs for the 40 million people worldwide who are diagnosed with Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Today less than one in five of us are currently employed. We are motivated and competent and we deserve equal employment. Help make this a reality.

Autelligent Laboratories is dedicated to creating a space where autistic software engineers can more than contribute, we can excel.”:

http://www.autlabs.com/

 

Luxury Quality Scented Candles “Humbolt Candles – Autism & Disability Employment Company”:

http://www.humboldtcandles.com/index.html

 

“Auties.org”:
Individuality, Diversity, Equality, Achievement

Auties..org is an Aspie & Autie friendly site for all people on the Autistic Spectrum who are ready to dare reach out to occupation and employment, open the doors to the community and market their abilities directly to the public and for those interested in supporting these pioneers.

http://www.auties.org/

 

“Prospects”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=473&a=2348

 

“AutismJobs”:
Linking job seekers with vacancies in work related to autism, Aspergers and ASDs

http://www.autismjobs.org/?section=00010009

 

“Current job vacancies within the NAS”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=170

 

For further employment information, please view”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/employment_on_the_autism_spectrum.htm

GENERAL/HUMAN INTEREST

 

“Autistic children carry their care issues into adulthood”:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bal-to.hs.autism07dec07,0,3134215.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+baltimoresun%2Fentertainment%2Frss2+%28Live%21%29

 

“Santas turn streets of Sydney red … off through the streets of Sydney they went to raise money for a charity called Variety which works for children with special needs.”:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20091129/tod-santas-turn-streets-of-sydney-red-870a197.html

 

“Lego UK employees raise money for autism”:

http://www.examiner.com/x-9121-Orange-County-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2009m11d28-Lego-UK-employees-raise-money-for-autism

CHRISTMAS

“Guide helps autistic children and families cope with Christmas”:

http://www.communitynewswire.press.net/article.jsp?id=6352665

 

“Survival Hints for Making it Through the Holiday Season/Christmas and ASD”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/survival_hints_for_making_it_through_the_holiday_seasonchri.htm

 

“NAS: ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/nas_tis_the_season_to_be_jolly.htm

 

“Holiday Shopping Tips, Christmas Stress Management, Why Holidays Don’t Have To Be “Happy”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/holiday_shopping_tips_christmas_stress_management_why_holi.htm

REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia

Autism Society of Serbia
Milan and Jelena Markovic
Generala Horvatovica 26, Beograd 11000
SERBIA
Tel: 381-11-444-30-64
Email: autism@beotel.yu
Website: http://www.beotel.yu/~autism/

Belgrade, Serbian Capital

Autism Society of Serbia, Parent’s Association
Gundulicev Venac 40
Belgrade 11000
SERBIA
Tel: +381 11 3391051
Fax: +381 11 3391051
e-mail: autismpr@eunet.yu

Црквa Св. Пeткe у Београду Saint Petka’s Chapel – Kalemegdan (Belgrade)

Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association ~ Making It Happen: a community where everyone, regardless of background or disability, feels welcome, included and supported

“Attitudes Towards People With Disability”

Currently, Serbia has approximately 800,000 people with disability who are fighting for their rights and equal opportunity in Serbian society. Economic sanctions imposed on the Serbian government by the USA and European Union had negative effects on funding, treatment and support for people with disability in Serbia.

Current Serbian legislation states that people with disability have the same rights as other people in the community. In reality, however, this is not followed. For instance, people with disability have difficulty using public transport and accessing appropriate services or public buildings, such as hospitals, churches and post or police offices.

http://www.mdaa.org.au/publications/ethnicity/serbian/general.html

Mountain house on Divcibare, Serbia(Ideal mountain for first time skiers)

World Vision “Serbia’s Institutionalized Children With Disabilities In Desperate Need”

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/wvmeero/d9f603139b4e057af92279e887494e35.htm

 

MDRI “Mental Disability Rights International: Disability Rights Are Human Rights”:

http://www.mdri.org/serbia_abuse.html

Countess Ljubica’s Residence (Konak kneginje Ljubice) in Belgrade was built between 1829 and 1831 by Hadži-Nikola Živković, one of the first modern architects in Serbia. The residence was built on order by count MiloÅ¡ Obrenović for his wife Ljubica and their sons Milan and Mihailo. It is to this day saved as the most representative city house from the first half of 19th century. Architecturally it contains oriental attributes, the so called Serbian-balkan style, but with elements of classicism decoration which announce the future influence from the west on domestic architecture in the first years of rebuilding the Serbian state.
Since the Prince of Serbia came to power the building was used as the lyceum, court of cassation, appellate court, art museum, church museum, house of the elderly, department for the protection of the monuments of culture of Serbia and nowadays it is the part of the Museum of Belgrade and is used as an exhibition space. Permanent exhibit includes original furniture made in oriental balkanic style and many other styles of that time (Classicism, Biedermeier and Neo-baroque).

“UN Enable: Rights & Dignity of Persons with Disabilities”:

http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=313

More Than A Spark of Genius
Nikola Tesla(10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) An inventor, electrical engineer, and scientist.
Inventions: a telephone repeater, rotating magnetic field principle, polyphase alternating-current system, induction motor, alternating-current power transmission, Tesla coil transformer, wireless communication, radio, fluorescent lights, and more than 700 other patents.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla

“UN Enable: Latest Developments”:

http://www.un.org/disabilities/latest.asp?navid=26&pid=169

Ada Ciganlija is a river island, artificially turned into a peninsula, in the Sava River’s course through central Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is also the colloquially used name for the adjoining artificial Sava Lake and its beach.

Humanitarian Assistance “USAID Disability & Development: Mainstreaming Inclusiveness for Disabled Workers & Youth”:

http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/disability/serbia.html

ZLATIBOR is a mountain of exquisite beauty. It has pleasant and mild climate, large clearings, exuberant pastures intersected with mountains with mountain streams and pine trees – which this mountain is known for. It’s average height is about 1000m above sea level. Mountain and sea gulfs encountered here tend to hasten the curing and the recovering from a large number of lung and heart illnesses, especially from illnesses of the thyroid and anaemia.

“FENIX ~ Association of People with Disabilities”:

http://www.fenix-pirot.org/eng/news.htm

Pannonian Sea of Green, Serbia

“Map of Serbia”:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/maps/map_country_serbia.html

The Drina is a river in the Balkan Peninsula. It is a 346 kilometer (215 mi)-long tributary of the Sava River, and it forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Its name is derived from the Latin name of the river, Drinus. The Drina is a very fast river with cold and greenish water, which is from the limestone which constitutes a major part of the area in which the river carved its bed. The largest impact the river has had in culture probably is the novel “Na Drini ćuprija” (The Bridge on the Drina) by the Yugoslav Nobel Prize for literature laureate, Ivo Andrić; the book is about the building of a bridge near ViÅ¡egrad by the Ottomans in the 16th century.

“History of Serbia”:

http://www.serbiatouristguide.com/live/About_Serbia/History_of_Serbia

A City Square in Belgrade, one of the oldest cities of Europe, with a continuous documented history of 7,000 years

“Serbia Facts, Information & History”:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_serbia.html

Kalemegdan is the core and the oldest section of the urban area of Belgrade and for centuries the city population was concentrated only within the walls of the fortress, thus the history of the fortress, until most recent history, equals the history of Belgrade itself (see: Timeline of Belgrade history). First settlement was founded in the 3rd century BC by the Celtic tribe of Scordisci. The city-fortress was later conquered by the Romans, became known as Singidunum and became a part of “the military frontier”, where the Roman Empire bordered “barbaric Central Europe”. Singidunum was defended by the Roman legion IV Flaviae which built a fortified camp on a hill at the confluence of the rivers the Danube and the Sava. City’s history is long and complicated, more about Kalemegdan and Singidunum can be read on wikipedia. After almost two millennia of continuous sieges, battles and conquests the fortress is today known as the Kalemegdan fortress. The name Kalemegdan derives from two Turkish words, kale (fortress) and megdan (battleground) (literally, “battlefield fortress”).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalemegdan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singidunum

“Discover Music of Serbia”:

http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/country/content.country/serbia___montenegro_879

“Camelot” ~ Kalemegdan Fortress

“Yugoslavia Name Change No Surprise to Geographers”:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/02/0214_030214_yugoslavia.html

Serbian National Costume

“Montenegro Splits From Serbia, Redrawing Europe’s Map”:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/060522-montenegro.html

Traditional Serbian Dress and Bagpipe

“Serbs Face the Future”:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/07/serbs/carroll-text

Belgrade View

“Serbia News”:

http://www.topix.net/world/serbia

Snowing in Belgrade

“Serbia Travel Guide”:

http://www.serbiacity.eu/serbia

ADD/ADHD

 

“New technology makes ADHD diagnosis more precise”:

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2009/12/04/r_qrsbyr5ytrwwndruriuzza/index.xml

 

“Antipsychotic drugs and kids”:

http://macondaily.com/news.asp?id=26580

 

“Should my child with ADHD be medicated?”:

http://www.examiner.com/x-28829-Toronto-Parenting-Issues-Examiner~y2009m12d3-Should-my-child-with-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-be-medicated?cid=channel-rss-Family_and_Parenting

 

“Medical marijuana prescribed to kids with ADHD … And not everyone is happy about it.”:

http://www.propeller.com/story/2009/11/25/medical-marijuana-prescribed-to-kids-with-adhd/

 

“Abstract: Retrospective Reports of Childhood Trauma in Adults with ADHD”:

http://www.citeulike.org/user/jaymefrey/article/6235920

 

“Does your child have ADHD?”:

http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/does-your-child-have-adhd–425384.html?

 

“Top Ten ADHD articles on Associated Content”:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2445152/top_ten_adhd_articles_on_associated.html

 

ADHD & OCD(Includes Video 2: 20) “Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me,’ by Howie Mandel and Josh Young”:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/heres-deal-touch-howie-mandel-josh-young/story?id=9206685

 

ADRES “Adverse Drug Reaction Electronic System(Adverse Drug Reactions Website)”- This website provides patients, doctors, and other medical professionals with a comprehensive examination of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), side effects, and other safety information for both prescription and over-the-counter medications.. Our goal is to allow users of our website make informed decisions when taking (patients) or prescribing (doctors) drugs. We are providing unmatched information and analysis tools.

http://www.adverse-drug-reaction.net/

 

“adders.org”:
Our objective is to promote awareness to AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and to provide information and as much free practical help as we can to those affected by the condition, both adults and children, their families in the UK and around the World via this website.

http://www.adders.org/

 

“ADDISS” The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service…

http://www.addiss.co.uk/index.html

 

“ADDA”:

http://www.add.org/index.html

 

“hi2u ADHD Pages”:

http://www..adhd..org.uk/

 

“CHADD”:

http://www.chadd.org/am/CustomPages/home/CHADD_Home.htm?CFID=2282059&CFTOKEN=38105335&jsessionid=f2303343221169802693562

SPORT

 

2009 Sportsman of the Year “Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics Founder, Sportsman pick”:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/magazine/specials/sportsman/2009/11/24/roberts.sportsman/index.html?eref=si_mostpopular

 

“Small waves create ripples that last a lifetime”:

http://reporter.mcgill.ca/2009/11/small-waves-create-ripples-that-last-a-lifetime/

 

“10-kilometre runs”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1816

 

“Trek to Everest Base Camp- 5-21 November 2010”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2354

 

“Trek Snowdon – Date TBA”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2524

 

“Trek the Sahara – 5-25 March 2010 or 29 Oct-8 Nov 2010”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2542

 

“Trek the Inca Trail – 22-31 May 2010”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1863

 

“Trek Mount Kilimanjaro – 29 Sept-10 Oct 2010”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2200

 

“Trek the Great Wall of China – 9-18 Oct 2010”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2356

 

“Trek to Everest Base Camp – 5-21 November 2010”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2354

 

“Cycle Cuba – 14-22 March 2010”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2357

 

“London to Paris 2010 – 5-8 June”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2407

 

“L’Etape du Tour 2010 – 18 July 2010”

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2404

 

“Sky Diving – All Year Round”:

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1726

MUSIC

 

“When Gary Numan met Little Boots”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/when_gary_numan_met_little_boots.htm

 

“They’re friends electric”:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2009/1209/1224260346913.html

 

“The AutisMusic Project”:

http://www.autismusic.com/

ART

 

Teen Mural Art “Autistic boy’s drawings lead to art show”:

http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_ed875ec6-dfa0-11de-bfca-001cc4c03286.html

 

Nathan Taulbee “Program aids disabled students … As a fifth grader, Nathan Taulbee had seen his classmates shine time after time, but he failed to make it into the spotlight. Teachers seemed to care more about what he couldn’t do as an autistic student than what he could do as an artistic one.”:

http://www.wkuherald.com/2009/12/04/program-aids-disabled-students/

 

“Local artists featured on holiday cards”:

http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Local+artists+featured+holiday+cards/2296538/story.html

 

This year’s NAS Christmas Cards are now on sale. There’s a selection of cards, two of which are designed by our competition winners. For fans of Thomas and Friends, there’s also a festive Thomas card. For more information, visit http://www.autism.org.uk/christmascards

 

GLIMPSE – the talents of the autism community

They are painters, sculptors and photographers; poets and storytellers; musicians and creators of amazing video games. They are kids, teens and adults. Last year, a new online publication arose to celebrate the talents of autistic individuals and other developmental disabilities: GLIMPSE, offered by ICDL (The Interdisciplinary Council of Developmental and Learning Disorders). In late 2008, Volume 2 of GLIMPSE was released, and was expanded into a print book and notecards. The works are serious, humourous, deeply personal and illuminating. See it for yourself, share it with others, submit your own/your child’s work for inclusion in Volume 3, to release later this year. Find information and ordering details at www.icdl.com

 

“ARTROOM ………where under 17s can make and display art online”:

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artroom/index.php

MOVIES/ENTERTAINMENT

 

“Drama schools must do more to attract disabled students”:

The Don’t Play Me, Pay Me campaign has been initiated by Nicky Clark, an actress whose daughter, Lizzy, has Asperger’s Syndrome and recently appeared in the BBC children’s drama Dustbin Baby.

http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/26525/drama-schools-must-do-more-to-attract

 

“Pupils film a tale of Tam … The film, which has already won an award, will be shown at 11:15am along with 1945 romance I Know Where I’m Goin!”:

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/entertainment/Pupils-film-a-tale-of.5866893.jp

 

“The best of modern brother casting”:

http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/412844_film31193977.html?source=rss

 

“Forrest Gump boat to be cut in two for Planet Hollywood”:

http://blog.taragana.com/e/2009/12/07/forrest-gump-boat-to-be-cut-in-two-for-planet-hollywood-67377/

 

“Actors for Autism”:
http://www.actorsforautism.com/

BOOKS

 

Robert Schrum “Autistic poet shares his work”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/robert_schrum_autistic_poet_shares_his_work.htm

 

“An interview with writer T.O. Daria, author of Dasha’s Journal”:

http://www.examiner.com/x-10560-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2009m12d9-An-interview-with-writer-TO-Daria-author-of-Dashas-Journal?cid=channel-rss-Family_and_Parenting

 

“Cognitive Daily: What Makes A Good Writer, And What Motivates Them”:

http://aspie-editorial.blog-city.com/cognitive_daily_what_makes_a_good_writer_and_what_motivate.htm

 

“Effective Communication: A Workbook for Social Care Workers”

Author: Suzan Collins

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843109273

 

“Safeguarding Adults: A Workbook for Social Care Workers”

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843109280

 

“Adults on the Autism Spectrum Leave the Nest: Achieving Supported Independence”

Author: Nancy Perry

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843109044

 

“Challenging the Gifted Child: An Open Approach to Working with Advanced Young Readers”

Author: Margaret Stevens

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843105701

 

“Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Practical Resource of Play Ideas for Parents and Carers”:

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843106081

 

“The Myriad Gifts of Asperger’s Syndrome”

Author: John M. Ortiz

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843108832

 

“Breaking Free from OCD: A CBT Guide for Young People and Their Families”

Authors: Jo Derisley, Isobel Heyman, Sarah Robinson and Cynthia Turner

Illustrated by Lisa Jo Robinson

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843105749

 

“Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism and Related Disorders: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Teachers” 2^nd Edition

Author: Maria Wheeler

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781932565492

 

Shortlisted Nasen Awards 2008 ~ Teaching and Learning Pupil Book Award

“Planning to Learn: Creating and Using a Personal Planner with Young People on the Autism Spectrum”

Authors: Keely Harper-Hill and Stephanie Lord

http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book/9781843105619

MOVIE

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Pernassus” Rated 12A

Official Site[Includes Trailer]: http://www.doctorparnassus.com/

 

Consensus: Terry Gilliam remains as indulgent as ever, but The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus represents a return to the intoxicatingly imaginative, darkly beautiful power of his earlier work, with fine performances to match all the visual spectacle.

http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/1190561-imaginarium_of_doctor_parnassus/

VIDEO GAME

“A Boy And His Blob” 7+ (Wii)

A Boy and His Blob is a 2D puzzle platformer. The protagonist feeds the blob jelly beans in order to transform him into one of fifteen different objects that can be used to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boy-His-Blob-Wii/dp/B002IC0G34/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1260040437&sr=1-1

 

“A Boy and his Blob Interview”:

http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/a_boy_and_his_blob_-_interview_14921.html

 

“BloomingKids offers autsm/PDD special needs software at recession discount of 20% off for holiday season”:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/12/prweb3289384.htm

 

“New device gets a better grip on gaming”:

http://www.livescience.com/technology/091204-bts-switchblade.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Livesciencecom+%28LiveScience.com+Science+Headline+Feed%29

 

“Xbox 360: Top 5 Christmas Games”:

http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/blog/article/7053/

 

“Nintendo Wii: Top 5 Christmas Games”:

http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/blog/article/7191/

 

“PlayStation 3: Top 5 Christmas Games”:

http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/blog/article/7240/

 

“Nintendo DS: Top 5 Christmas Games”:

http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/blog/article/7276/

 

“5 Games that could spoil Christmas”:

http://uk.videogames.games.yahoo.com/blog/article/7088/

TECH

“Can’t Find The Words? Google With A Photo Instead”

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18251-cant-find-the-words-google-with-a-photo-instead.html

 

“Top 10 Gadgets of 2009”

http://uk.yearinreview.yahoo.com/2009/blog/6

 

“The 100 Essential Websites”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/09/best-websites-internet?CMP=AFCYAH

PHYSICS & MATH

“The World’s Smallest Snowman”(Gallery)

In a bid to create festive cheer, scientists at the National Physical Laboratory have created the world’s smallest snowman and other micro-delights …

http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/worlds-smallest-snowman

 

Take Care,

Julie

 

 

We quickly sense how others view us and play up to these expectations.

A good exercise for learning about yourself is to think about how other people might view you in different ways. Consider how your family, your work colleagues or your partner think of you.

Now here’s an interesting question: to what extent do you play up to these expectations about how they view you?

This idea that other people’s expectations about us directly affect how we behave was examined in a classic social psychology study carried out by Dr Mark Snyder from the University of Minnesota and colleagues (Snyder et al., 1977). They had a hunch that people automatically sense how others view them and immediately start exhibiting the expected behaviours.

Feeling the attraction

To test this in the context of interpersonal attraction they had male students hold conversations with female students they’d just met through microphones and headsets. One of the quickest ways that people who’ve just met stereotype each other is by appearance. People automatically assume others who are more attractive are also more sociable, humorous, intelligent and so on.

So to manipulate this, just before the conversation, along with biographical information about the person they were going to meet, the men were given a photograph. Half were shown a photograph of a woman who had been rated for attractiveness as an 8 out of 10 and half were given a photo of a woman rated as a 2 out of 10.

Then the men talked to the women but without seeing them so they didn’t know they weren’t actually talking to the woman in the picture. Half expected to be talking to the attractive woman, half to the unattractive woman. The question is, would the women pick up on this fact and unconsciously fit into the stereotype they had been randomly assigned. By doing it this way the experimenters could rule out the influence of individual personalities and focus on the effect of expectations.

When independent observers listened to the tapes of the conversation they found that when women were talking to men who thought they were very attractive, the women exhibited more of the behaviours stereotypically associated with attractive people: they talked more animatedly and seemed to be enjoying the chat more. What was happening was that the women conformed to the stereotype the men projected on them. So people really do sense how they are viewed by others and change their behaviour to match this expectation.

Now this experiment just happened to be carried out by manipulating the stereotype of attractiveness but the same rule applies to many different areas of life. Think of any of the standard stereotypes about class, race and nationality. Each of these create expectations in other people’s minds, expectations that are difficult for us to avoid playing up to.

Read More …  http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/12/how-other-peoples-expectations-control-us.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PsychologyBlog+%28PsyBlog%29

 

By Charles H. Elliott, Ph.D.
December 8, 2009

You’re going to see lots of blogs on this topic in the next few weeks. However, we recommend getting a jump on these issues early.

Do you suffer from depression, anxiety, or obsessive compulsive disorder? If so, the holidays may cause you to crash. You could find that panic attacks that had been dormant, reemerge. Or compulsions to clean, count, or arrange things uptick to the point you barely have time to do anything else. Sadness may deepen and you’re not sure why. For that matter, even if you don’t have some type of depression or anxiety disorder, the holidays sometimes create considerable stress and anxiety. Why? Consider these possibilities:

• The stress of choosing gifts for people who are impossible to buy for
• The stress of deciding how much to spend in an seriously impaired economic climate
• The stress of seeing family that bring up painful issues from childhood (one of our favorite cartoons depicts a banner stretching across a huge ballroom declaring something like “Conference of Functional Families” with a single person standing alone in the room reading the sign)
• The stress of attempting to prepare a fancy holiday feast, wanting everything to be “perfect”
• The stress of being around overly critical family members
• The pressure to feign pleasure and joy over receiving an unwanted gift
• The stress of wondering if you’ll lose your job after the first of the year
• Dealing with unpredictable, inclement weather
• Finding the time to shop, cook, clean, send cards, write blogs about the holidays, and plan travel
• Dealing with the crushing crowds at shopping malls, airports, highways, and grocery stores
• Disappointment in reviewing the previous year
• Grief that bubbles up from previous losses of loved ones

With all these issues, it’s not surprising that many people experience what’s known as the Holiday Blues. The Holiday Blues entail sadness, grief, misery, and anxiety associated with the list above. By contrast, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) usually begins a little before the holidays as the days shorten and continues unabated until spring.

If your problems with anxiety, ocd, or depression impair your ability to get through the day, seek help right away. At the same time, we have a few tips:

Read More …  http://blogs.psychcentral.com/anxiety/2009/12/holiday-anxiety-and-ocd/

 

Researchers Use New Techniques To Assess PTSD

Article Date: 09 Dec 2009 – 1:00 PST

Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) frequently experience high rates of PTSD along with symptoms of depression and pain. However, little is known about why these symptoms occur together or the most effective treatments that can be used to alleviate them. One approach that may yield new insights is to search for biomarkers — indicators of a biological state that can be easily and reliably measured in people with an illness — to see if their presence or absence can predict symptoms that an individual will experience and identify optimal treatment strategies.

Dr. Christine Marx and her team at Duke University and the Durham VA Medical Center sought to determine if there are biomarkers associated with PTSD symptoms. They hypothesized that veterans who have PTSD (and who often experience depression and pain symptoms) show changes in neurosteroids, which are brain chemicals thought to play a key role in responsiveness to stress.

Read in Full:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173331.php

Smaller brain linked to soldiers’ PTSD risk

By Crystal Phend, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today

Some combat veterans’ difficulty returning to civilian life may be in part connected to smaller brain volume, researchers found.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after fighting in a war zone was strongly linked to smaller cortical volumes in four areas of the brain involved in identifying objects and words and putting them in context, according to a study led by Steven H. Woodward, PhD, of the National Center for PTSD at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California.

More…

© 2004-2009 MedPage Today, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Children’s PTSD linked to poor hippocampus function

By Erin Digitale – Stanford School of Medicine

Psychological trauma leaves a trail of damage in a child’s brain, say scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Their new study gives the first direct evidence that children with symptoms of post-traumatic stress suffer poor function of the hippocampus, a brain structure that stores and retrieves memories. The research helps explain why traumatized children behave as they do and could improve treatments for these kids.

“The brain doesn’t divide between biology and psychology,” said Packard Children’s child psychiatrist Victor Carrion, MD, the primary author of the new research. “We can use the knowledge we get from understanding brain function to improve the psychology of the individual and vice versa.”

Extreme stressors such as experiencing abuse or witnessing violence can make children isolate themselves from family and friends, feel disconnected from reality, experience intrusive thoughts about the trauma and struggle in school. “Post-traumatic stress is not only about the traumatic memories; it really affects daily living,” said Carrion, who is an associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the School of Medicine and director of Stanford’s early life stress research program. The research was published online in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

The findings could be an important step toward better monitoring of PTSD treatments, which include psychotherapy techniques such as teaching relaxation exercises, helping children to construct a cohesive story about the traumatic event and helping them learn to cope with reminders of the trauma. Right now, psychologists assess such treatments by looking for improvements in symptoms, but that’s a problem because the symptoms can fluctuate from day to day. “That method has the disadvantage that we don’t know what’s happening at the neural level,” Carrion said.

To observe how kids’ brains work after trauma, Carrion’s team used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare 16 young people who had PTSD symptoms with a control group of 11 normal youths. The scientists scanned the brains of the 10- to 17-year-old subjects during a simple test of verbal memory. Subjects read a list of words, then saw a similar list with new words added, and were asked which terms were present on the original list.

The hippocampus worked equally well in stressed and control subjects when the word list was first introduced. However, subjects with PTSD symptoms made more errors on the recall part of the test and showed less hippocampus activity than control subjects doing the same task.

Subjects with the worst hippocampus function were also most likely to experience a specific set of PTSD symptoms: Such impairment of the hippocampus was strongly correlated with “avoidance and numbing” symptoms of PTSD, including difficulty remembering the trauma, feeling cut off from others and lack of emotion.

Parents and other caregivers may find the new discoveries useful as they tend to traumatized children, Carrion said, particularly when children respond to trauma by withdrawing from people who are trying to help. Parents may sometimes misinterpret this behavior as a child’s attempt to retaliate, when it actually represents an overload of the brain’s normal mechanism for handling fear. “When parents understand that PTSD is real, they don’t take it as personally,” he said. “They become more available to their kids. That’s good because the kids need them.”

In the future, physicians and scientists may be able to use fMRI scans of the hippocampus to identify children who are at high risk of PTSD after mass catastrophes, added Carrion, who has consulted on response teams for natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the February 2009 wildfires in southeastern Australia. However, larger studies of brain activity in pediatric PTSD are still needed to give a more detailed understanding of the disorder.

It’s already clear that untreated PTSD can interfere with a child’s normal brain development and increase the risk of other psychiatric conditions such as depression and substance abuse, Carrion concluded. “Early intervention is critical for children with post-traumatic stress,” he said.

The research was funded by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health; NARSAD, previously known as the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression; the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; and the Aloha Foundation. 

Carrión VG, Haas BW, Garrett A, et al. Reduced Hippocampal Activity in Youth with Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: An fMRI Study. J Pediatr Psychol. 2009 Dec;doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsp112   [Abstract]

Military Children Face More Emotional Challenges As Parental Deployments Grow Longer, Study Finds

Article Date: 09 Dec 2009 – 0:00 PST

Children in military families may suffer from more emotional and behavioral difficulties when compared to other American youths, with older children and girls struggling the most when a parent is deployed overseas, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Researchers found that having a parent deployed for a longer period of time and having a non-deployed parent who has struggled with emotional problems were important factors associated with whether military children would struggle themselves, according to the study published online by the journal Pediatrics. 

The findings are from a RAND survey that examined the wartime well-being of 1,500 children from military families from across the nation, surveying both the children and a non-deployed parent or other caregiver.

“Our study suggests that children of deployed service members face emotional and behavioral challenges,” said Anita Chandra, the study’s lead author and a behavioral scientist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “While this finding may seem intuitive, our study begins to shed more light on the nature of the problem. Much more work is needed to better understand these challenges and to improve ways to support children throughout the deployment cycle.”

The RAND study is the largest to date that explores how the children of military members are faring academically, socially and emotionally during an extended period of wartime. The project was commissioned by the National Military Family Association, an independent nonprofit group that provides support and services to military families. 

Read Article in Full:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173307.php

 

 

Article Date: 09 Dec 2009 – 3:00 PST

Responding to the launch of the cross-government strategy on mental health and wellbeing, New Horizons, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), welcomed the breadth of vision contained in the strategy. He said:

“Organisations and people often shy away from dealing with mental health issues, however this strategy makes it everybody’s business. Bringing mental health and wellbeing into the mainstream is the right thing to do and will help thousands of people each year. This historic and ambitious announcement means that all government initiatives, whether it is building new homes or employing school nurses, must pay attention to the consequences for mental wellbeing. Not only is there a human cost if we do not get this right, but there is an unacceptable cost to the public as well.

“Nurses are often at the forefront in preventing mental health problems, and they can help to reduce the stigma which is sadly still associated with these conditions. We look forward to working with the Government to see initiatives introduced which can improve mental health across the board.”

Source
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173397.php

 

by Stanton Peele

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is an instructional film on healing depression

As the holiday season is upon us, now is a good time to consider cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression. Ironically, the all-time Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, presents the fundamental elements in CBT.

CBT is the new buzzword for psychotherapy – as Freudian psychoanalysis once was. Every therapist now claims to use it (if they aren’t psychiatrists who rely strictly on drug therapy).  But most are just paying lip service to the treatment.

Before turning to Capra’s genius, let me first answer the question: “Haven’t antidepressants (ADs) revolutionized, solved really, the problem of depression?”

No, they haven’t. Here are three points to ponder. (1) As all medical providers will tell you, symptoms of depression persist for the large majority of AD recipients. (2) Clinical trials involving psychoactive placebos find negligible added benefits for ADs versus those produced by the placebos. (3) Head-to-head comparisons of CBT and AD yield equivalent initial results, but far less relapse from CBT.

The lower relapse rate for CBT occurs because it teaches people specific techniques to employ in their lives which they retain, while withdrawal from ADs is often traumatic.

What makes CBT so deceptive is that it is a prescription for common sense. CBT tells people to schedule – and force themselves to remain involved in – work, play, social activities. It also teaches them to practice simple cognitive prophylactia – as demonstrated in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

When people commit suicide, we often mourn that they had so many positives in their lives which they ignored in favor of some recent bad events. These traumas, or fears more often, dominate depressed people’s thinking and become intolerably dire in their minds. Of course, if they waited for events to cycle through, they would find their problems are often less severe than they originally feared, and that they can be readily solved.

Meanwhile, if people weather the storm, they refocus on their positives: family, simple pleasures, past accomplishments, friends they may have forgotten, and so on.

Read Article in Full:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/addiction-in-society/200912/its-wonderful-life-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-depression

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on December 8, 2009

A new study sets straight the common belief that caffeine can be used to reverse the effects of alcohol intoxication.

In fact, the effect of caffeine may be counterproductive as a cup of coffee may make it harder for people to realize they’re drunk.

Moreover, the increasingly popular caffeinated “alcohol-energy” drinks don’t neutralize alcohol intoxication.

The animal-based study is reported in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

“The myth about coffee’s sobering powers is particularly important to debunk because the co-use of caffeine and alcohol could actually lead to poor decisions with disastrous outcomes,” said co-author Thomas Gould, PhD, of Temple University.

“People who have consumed only alcohol, who feel tired and intoxicated, may be more likely to acknowledge that they are drunk,” he added.

“Conversely, people who have consumed both alcohol and caffeine may feel awake and competent enough to handle potentially harmful situations, such as driving while intoxicated or placing themselves in dangerous social situations.”

In the laboratory, caffeine made mice more alert but did not reverse the learning problems caused by alcohol, including their ability to avoid things they should have known could hurt them, according to the study.

Scientists gave groups of young adult mice various doses, both separately and together, of caffeine and of ethanol (pure alcohol) at levels known to induce intoxication. The doses of caffeine were the equivalent of one up to six or eight cups of coffee for humans. Control mice were given saline solution.

Gould and co-author Danielle Gulick, PhD, then tested three key aspects of behavior: the ability to learn which part of a maze to avoid after exposure to a bright light or loud sound; anxiety, reflected by time spent exploring the maze’s open areas; and general locomotion.

Ethanol, as expected, increased locomotion and reduced anxiety and learning in proportion to the dose given. In other words, intoxicated animals were more relaxed and moved around more but learned significantly less well than control mice to avoid the part of the maze with the unpleasant stimuli.

By itself, caffeine increased anxiety and reduced both learning and locomotion. Compared to the control animals, mice given caffeine were significantly more inhibited, less mobile and less savvy about avoiding the unpleasant stimuli.

Read Article in Full: http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/12/08/caffeine-is-not-a-remedy-for-intoxication/10041.html

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