Last week I shared my worries about Nebraska’s Safe Haven law, and the numerous children whose parents were driving them to Nebraska hospitals from all over the country. (To my understanding, Nebraska has since taken action to stop this in the form of revising the law so that only children who are 30 days or younger are eligible.)

On my original post, though, reader Neva chimed in with the point-of-view of a mother. It’s definitely worth sharing, so I’ve included it below:

I am the mother of a fourteen year-old boy who has struggled with an emotional disability for many years. His father and I divorced when he was eight and the entire thing was very difficult on him. He witnessed many horrific things in his young life and it all had a profound effect on him. Around the age of ten his behavior at home and at school was completely out of control. He was kicked out of his first school in the fourth grade, and has been kicked out of six schools since. His schools included three day treatment programs and he was kicked out of all of them. I have had him in counseling throughout the years. He has run away from home countless times and I made run away reports each time. The times that he was picked up as a run away I was called from the police station t go and pick him up. I would get him home and he would basically go in one door and out of the other. My son is about four inches taller than me and out ways me by a good fifty pounds. Needless to say I can’t physically restrain him. I have taken him to three psychological evaluations and he has been sent home with me every time. One time I said that I refused to take him home because I could not control him. I was told that department of social services would be called and his two healthy and thriving younger sisters could be taken as well. I didn’t want to give my son away, as a matter of fact I was more concerned with his well being than I was my own. His story is far from over but to make a long story short, I had to fight agencies, lawyers, and judges in order to get my son the help that he needs. I have often wondered about the parents out there who do not have my ability to take on the system? There were many times I wanted give up and countless days I couldn’t see myself facing another day with my son, and I love him. I love him the way any normal healthy mother loves her child and there wee days I wanted to throw in the towel. I think that the parents who took advantage of Nebraska’s safe haven law were making a point. This country doesn’t seem to care about mental health issues until somebody gets hurt. I hope the latest developments in Nebraska will make people think and open their eyes. The parents and children in these situations have all been victims of the system.

A mother’s love.

My heart goes out to all the family members who have trouble finding the support they need for their mentally ill or troubled children. I know how frustrating it must be. Neva’s child is fortunate to have a mother who fought so hard for help, and in the end that’s what we all must do.

Post from: Blisstree

A Mother’s Love: Sometimes The Only Hope We Have

It’s been a pretty hectic week for most of my American readers. A major national holiday and Black Friday, all in one week. Back to back, no less!

The only thing that could rival that excitement would be a brand new Saturday Sanity, right? (Well, it was worth a shot.)

As you read this, I’m most likely putting up Christmas decorations. And that is more exciting to me than any of it!

This week at Mental Health Notes, things were sad. People watched as a fellow human being committed suicide live, the numbers of children being dropped off at Nebraska hospitals are rising (Marcie at Kids Health Notes has posted an update on the revision to Nebraska’s Safe Haven Law), and there was an update to the tragic Lori Drew/Megan Meier case. Of course, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. I told you about the IAVA and Ad Council teaming up to create online communities for veterans and veterans’ family and loved ones, as well as gave you some inspirational quotes to ponder. Oh, and I pointed you in the direction of some great money-spending ideas, which, can be good or bad news, depending on how you look at it.

Regarding mental health advocacy and education, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) wants to spread the word about nominations for the Welcome Back Awards, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released it’s latest issue of a newsletter geared toward helping returning veterans, and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s (DBSA) Trauma Course for Peer Specialists is just around the corner. Chato Stewart at Mental Health Humor is offering to draw free pictures (how cool is that?!) – head on over and check out the terms and conditions. And finally, Kate McLaughlin has posted some extremely helpful information for family members and loved ones of a person with a mental illness.

In the world of mental health news, research, and studies, people with both diabetes and depression may have a harder time managing their blood sugar levels (I once read a pamphlet about how depression and diabetes interact), a panel of federal drug experts says we’re getting a bit too flippant with the antipsychotic prescriptions to children, the number of suicides among the elderly in long-term care facilities is holding steady, and the alignment of a child’s eyes could actually point to an increased risk of mental illness in later years (what?!). On a lighter note, Dr. Steven Toepfer of Kent State University has conducted some research that suggests we can be happier if we become more grateful (I so could have saved you some time, effort, and money on that one, Toepfer).

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel:

• Mark explains The Insanity of Alcohol over at A Dozen Steps.
• Mary Emma shares a personal poem of thanks at Alzheimer’s Notes.
• Angelique is holding a contest for some cute handcrafted jewelry over at Breaking the Mirror (the deadline’s tomorrow night, so hurry up!).
• Angela of Breastfeeding 1-2-3 has a ridiculously adorable baby.
• Marijke talks about laughter therapy at Cancer Commentary. (Marijke is also in the running for Best Canadian Blog with her personal blog, Marijke: Nurse Turned Writer. Give her some votes and wish her luck!)
• Scott at Health and Men points to an Swedish study dealing with stress and the physical damage it could cause you.
• Liz has posted the latest Healthbolt carnival.
• And…could it be? Is Tony back at Astronomy Buff?!

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

Lately, Nebraska is becoming an increasingly popular hot spot for parents across the nation looking to drop their kids into the care of someone else. That’s all thanks to Nebraska’s Safe Haven law.

According to an Iowa Independent article:

At last count 34 children, ranging in age from 20 months to 17 years, have been left at Nebraska hospitals under the auspices of a vaguely written “Safe Haven” law.

Nebraska isn’t the only state with a Safe Haven law, mind you – every state has one. So why are people driving from all over the country to drop their children off at Nebraska hospitals? That’s easy. The age limit in Nebraska is 18, whereas most states require children to be younger than one year old (check out this graph from the Iowa Independent).

Aside from formerly residing in urban areas and being raised in single-parent households, the one thing most of the children have in common is a need – most likely a still-present need – for mental health services. 30 out of the 34 children had received mental health care, and 11 of those children received mental health care “above an outpatient level.”

When I first started reading the Iowa Independent article, one thought popped into my head. Well, two, really. First, how do you explain to your child that you’re driving him to Nebraska and leaving him there? Second, what is stopping some of these older teenagers from saying “screw this” and hightailing it out of Dodge before their parents had a chance to take them to Nebraska?

Naturally, the first thought was the more pressing one.

Yet, as I continued reading the article, I realized that for the majority of these parents, it all probably boils down to one thing: a lack of resources and support for their children’s mental health problems.

George Estle, the executive director of Tanager Place, weighed in:

“If we would have had this same law in Iowa, the same thing would have happened here,” Estle said. “I suspect that if we really look at the kids who are being dropped off in Nebraska – particularly the adolescents – many of those will be young people who have serious emotional problems. My hunch is that parents are utterly frustrated at not being able to access services. So, they are using that law as an act of desperation because they can’t get services.”

And Carrisa Gatley, the single mother of a child with “severe mental disabilities,” said:

“We left Iowa about six years ago because there were no doctors available in our area,” she said. “Now we live in an urban area where services aren’t plentiful, but adequate. At least I know that when there is a really bad day, I’ll have someone to turn to – someone who helps us through the rough spots. Without that support, I might very well have also made the drive into Nebraska.”

Can you imagine what it must feel like for these parents? To have no where to turn but some random (and for some out-of-state) hospital? To feel as if they have to give up their children because they can’t or don’t know how else to properly treat them?

I feel so badly for them. And their children. The whole thing is so very sad and frustrating.

What do you think? Parent or not, how do you think you’d deal with the situation?

Post from: Blisstree

Nebraska’s Safe Haven Law Attracting Parents Of Mentally Ill Children

If you’re the parent of someone with a mood disorder, and you’re free tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (or 7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain, 5 p.m. Pacific, 12 a.m. Tuesday GMT), then I have news of interest for you.

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is launching an online support group for parents of people with mood disorders. You can learn more about this DBSA online support group – including its regular schedule – at DBSA Online Support Groups.

You may even find another one you’d like to attend.

Oh, and the DBSA is looking for your opinions about their online community. If you’re interested in sharing, check out the Online Community Use Survey.

For more posts related to online support groups, visit:

• Online Resources For Parents Of Children With Mental Illness
• Review These Online OCD Support Resources
• National Council Uses Second Life For Mental Health Advocacy
• Who and How to Choose Your Support Group

Imae: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Online Support Group For Parents Of People With Mood Disorders

Saturday’s just don’t have the same magic they had when I was a kid. Saturday’s used to mean no school. Sleeping in. Hanging out with friends until all hours of the night. Going to the pool, or the mall, or some other such fun place.

Now, Saturdays mean catching up on work. Getting a quick call in with a friend. Doing chores I didn’t have time to do during the week. Going grocery shopping, doing laundry, or some other such mundane task.

It’s sad when you have to plan a lazy Saturday, yes?

In any event, enjoy this week’s Saturday Sanity. And the reason for the little smiley faces above is two-fold: One, there’s a lot of good news below, so yay! Two, there’s a lot of bad news below, so you’ll need some perking up!

This week at Mental Health Notes, in addition to participating in the Health & Wellness Channel’s September theme day with 5 Tips To Keep Your Child’s Mind Healthy This School Year and telling you about all the drugs that may or may not be in your water, I ran a five-day series on becoming a mental health advocate called – unsurprisingly – The Top 5 Ways To Be A Mental Health Advocate. Don’t worry; you don’t have to dig through a week’s worth of posts to find them. I’ve provided a convenient round up for you. Oh, and I’m running a contest to win a copy of Surviving Ben’s Suicide, which ends tonight – so hurry on over and enter!

Regarding mental health advocacy, Project Helping Hands is providing mental health services to Gustav victims (and Ike victims, as well, I just found out), Mental Health America set National Parity Call-In Day in motion, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) announced the 16 finalists in the Facing Us 2008 Music Contest, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is hosting a free teleconference on Tuesday regarding the challenges providers face when treating people with mental health problems. It’s too late for me to register (I just found out about it!), but maybe if any of you reading this are participating, you’d like to take notes and share with the class, hmm?

In the world of mental health news, there’s not a lot of good. Suicide is up for soldiers and still high for teens. Parents are doing a lot more talking with school personnel and health care providers about their kids’ mental health (well, now wait – that’s a good thing), and the number of young adults who’ve abused prescription drugs is up (okay, we’re back to the bad stuff). ADHD is causing adults to have lower levels of educational and occupational attainments, IBD is causing a whole plethora of mental problems (or, at least, being connected to them), and dialysis patients with depression are more likely to die or be hospitalized within a year than those who aren’t suffering from depression. Wow, I wish there was more good news. Well, I did find some stuff I’m saving for next week.

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, we’ve all been pretty dang busy! In addition to checking out Grace Ibay’s round up of theme day posts, you may also be interested in checking out:

• Mark’s look at medications and other drugs in relation to alcohol and substance abuse.
• Kendra’s recount of her experiences during 9/11.
• Mary Emma Allen’s thoughts on caregivers lifting their spirits when they’re down.
• Angelique’s five reasons parents ignore eating disorders.
• Ruth’s report of coffee perks for women.
• Kristen’s hysterical post about guppy sex (well, it’s hysterical to me!).
• Marijke’s report on how Wii Fit has been working for her.
• Karen’s quote in a Health.com article (go Karen!).
• My guest post over at Weighting Line. (Hint: It’s dripping with sinfully superficial ways to perk up on crap days – and some good advice, too.)

Enjoy your Saturday!

Image: SXC and Aleksandra P.

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: The Good, The Bad, And The Smiley Faces

It’s that time of the month again here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel – Theme Day!

September’s theme is – appropriately – “back to school,” so I thought I’d share some tips with parents on how to help their children keep a sharp, healthy mind now that the swimming pools are drained and the book bags are full.

Tip #1: Make sure your child eats plenty of brain food. Food that’s good for our brains not only promote good brain function (and honestly, what kid couldn’t use that come test time?), but a healthy diet full of food that’s good for your brain is also good for your mental health. Check out WebMD’s Top 10 Brain Foods for Children to get ideas for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus.

Tip #2: Help your child get plenty of sleep. Exhausted minds certainly aren’t healthy minds. Even though your child may have gotten used to staying up later and sleeping in over the summer (and hey, didn’t I warn you about that back in June?), now is definitely the time to make sure he or she is getting to bed earlier in order to get up earlier and be well rested. It’s difficult to pay attention in class, make new friends, juggle homework and extra curricular activities when you’re nodding off every five minutes. Visit the National Sleep Foundation for information about the importance of sleep, tips on how to know whether your child is getting enough sleep, and ways to make sure your child is getting the best sleep possible.

Tip #3: Watch out for bullies. We all know bullies have problems of their own going on. A bully usually picks on other kids because he or she is angry, hurt, feeling neglected, abused at home, etc. It’s sad, but the only child you can immediately help is your own, so make sure you talk with your child about bullying behavior, why a bully may act the way he or she does, and how your child can appropriately respond to bullies. KidsHealth.org and SafeChild.org both offer some great information to get you started. And remember: It’s not all about fist-fights and taking your kid’s milk money anymore, so don’t forget to check out these resources to protect your children against cyberbullying.

Tip #4: Keep in touch with your child’s teachers. For the majority of the first part of every week day from now until, well, whenever your area’s school year ends, your child’s teachers will know him or her in ways you won’t. Teachers watch friendships blossom and fall apart, tests get aced or failed, and classes get attended or skipped. Form a relationship with your child’s teachers before potential problems arise so you can be informed as well as ready to jump in if your child seems to become overly stressed, anxious, sad, or even bullied. Too, check out Mental Health America’s list of warning signs that something may be wrong.

Tip #5: Talk with your child about mental health. This is kind of a no-brainer, but you must talk with your child about mental health in order for 1) your child to be educated about mental health, and 2) your child to know you’re available and ready to help should any mental health problems arise. If a child grows up in a household that represses feelings, promotes stigma, and believes depression, anxiety, and anger are for “the weak,” is it really feasible for us to expect that child to have a healthy mind? I don’t think so. There are plenty of resources out there to help you talk with your child about mental health. Get started with the SAMHSA Family Guide, Mental Health America’s Factsheet: Talking to Kids about Fear and Violence, and the UK’s NHS article on talking to children about their mental health. Oh, and if your child is a college or university student, don’t forget to check out
ULifeline: Online Mental Health Resources For College Students.

For more great theme day posts around the Health & Wellness Channel, check out the “Back-to-School Survival Guide” Grace Ibay created at Kids Health Notes to round ‘em all up!

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

5 Tips To Keep Your Child’s Mind Healthy This School Year