Saturday Sanity: Recognizing The Calm Before The Storm

I don’t know who originally talked about “the calm before a storm,” but in my 26 years of existence, I’ve found it to be all too true.

Aside from the depressing news about the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince release date, last week was a pretty good week.

This week, after spending numerous days in the hospital with a loved one who’s suffered a brain stem stroke (I’ll talk more about that tomorrow), Warner Brothers’ big surprise with Harry Potter looks peachy by comparison.

Still, I have prepared a pretty decent Saturday Sanity, all things considered.

Enjoy!

This week at Mental Health Notes, I shared two very interesting interviews: One with Dr. David Clarke, author of They Can’t Find Anything Wrong!, and another with Dee, a Cymbalta withdrawal survivor. I also shared with you one writer’s tips on how to de-stress, told you about Blog Action Day 2008, pointed out that lead is harmful to our health (in light of a recent “China’s at it again”-type hoax), and participated in this month’s Health & Wellness Channel theme day with Sunshine Can Help Your Brain Grow Big And Strong.

Regarding mental health advocacy, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has posted their latest newsletter online, and Mental Health America wants to know if you’ve saved a life today.

In the world of mental health news, researchers report that an increasing number of veterans home from Iraq and Afghanistan are turning to alcohol, Heather Yakin of the Times-Herald Record shares a heartbreaking story of conditions of New York’s Hudson Valley area adult homes, and the Los Angeles Times reports on suicidal thoughts among college students. Studies appearing in the Journal of Clinical Oncology report cancer is a risk factor for suicide, a study of close to 3,600 Americans suggests that early childhood trauma plays a role in people starting to drink at young ages, and researchers have reported on two genes that could play a role in a person’s risk for bipolar disorder in the journal Nature Genetics.

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, we bloggers were busy with August’s theme day, “Summer Fun.” You can view a round up of all entries to learn how to be your healthiest this summer!

Image: SXC