What do a wake, a funeral, a dog who seems to have developed irritable bowel syndrome, a depleted bank account, and a would-be fistfight in a Wal-Mart parking lot all have in common?

Why, they all worked together to make up my week, of course.

(Don’t worry, I wasn’t involved in the scuffle. I just happened to be strolling up the aisle when Wal-Mart’s parking lot almost turned into a boxing ring.)

Fortunately for today’s Sunday Sanity (yes, Sunday – I was running errands yesterday and our servers were undergoing maintenance last night, so, no posting for me!), the world of mental health news and events has been just as eventful (though not quite as depressing) as my week.

This week at Mental Health Notes, I offered you resources for learning more about brain stem strokes, told you about NAMI’s call for survey participants and the DBSA’s plethora of mental health podcasts, and updated you on my boyfriend’s Wentworth Miller’s (and his fans’) success with a donation to UNICEF. It was also a big week for books, as I finally posted my review of Bruce Goldstein’s Puppy Chow Is Better Than Prozac and started a contest for a copy of Dr. David Clarke’s They Can’t Find Anything Wrong!

Regarding mental health advocacy, Mental Health America released “Get Connected” on Campus to offer college students stay connected and manage stress, and gives us information about the Democratic and Republican platforms on mental health and substance abuse issues, while the National Alliance on Mental Illness offers tips on how to manage hot weather while taking medication.

In the world of mental health news, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have discovered (with mice) the need to create new brain cells for exercise or antidepressants to be effective in reducing depression, a study published in a recent online issue of Neurology shows that older people’s mental skills begin to decline before death even without the presence of dementia, and researchers from the University of Michigan Depression Center and their nationwide colleagues have found gender differences regarding the effectiveness of antidepressants. Cherry Hospital of Goldsboro, North Carolina will soon be under investigation after the recent death of a patient who was left unattended in a chair for 22 hours and died choking on his medication, Dr. Raj Sherman of Canada is taking on mental health stigma, and in Australia a man who loses one of his cabins and “lost an income” to the arson of a mentally ill homeless man feels the Mental Health Court’s decision to detain the man at a mental health facility is a “cop out.”

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, Kristina at Autism Vox talks about the shocking case of a video on YouTube of an autistic boy getting beaten up, Kendra at A Hearty Life muses on the mental strength a marathon runner must have, and Liz at Alzheimer’s Notes shares a video about a family dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease. The gals at Healthbolt are holding a giveaway for the Food Matters Documentary DVD, Scott at Health and Men talks about how badly America’s healthcare needs help, and Grace at Kids Health Notes gives a few tips on how to help your kids get back to school stress free. Karen at Pink Ribbon Review is up for the Best Health Blog for the Blogger’s Choice Awards, Angelique at Breaking the Mirror celebrates her 23rd “ana-versary,” and, sadly, Marijke at Help My Hurt explores a different kind of hurt when she said goodbye to her beloved greyhound Dee.

That’s all for this week, folks! There are some pretty interesting news bits in there – some I will probably address further later this week – but in the meantime feel free to discuss them in the comments!

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Sunday Sanity: Front Row Seats At The New Wal-Mart Boxing Ring

Plenty of things happened this week for which I’m thankful. I talked to two of my favorite editors, spent some much needed time with a loved one, realized there was more money in the bank than I thought, and helped someone find a job.

Chopper even found her favorite ball – one that’s been lost for almost two weeks – which means I can stop relying on those tennis ball-type toys that she demolishes in five minutes.

However, I was also reminded once again that money tends to make the world go ’round, which seems to be the only reason the release date for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been pushed back from it’s original November 2008 date to SUMMER 2009.

WHAT?!

Ah, well. It can’t all be peaches and cream.

Luckily, I recovered enough from my shock to round up a seriously plump Saturday Sanity for you folks – enjoy!

This week at Mental Health Notes, there were plenty of resources to pass along, like those for parents of children with mental illness, everyminute.org’s PSA and new site features, free online sessions for people with PTSD and other mental illnesses, and ULifeline for college and university students. NAMI wants the opinions of people who are between 18 and 24 for their new social networking site, while Jane shared her experiences with the Amen Clinics, Erin shared a paper on postpartum depression in China and America, Jason shared pictures from his tour of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, and SAMHSA is sharing tons of mental health freebies. Of course, I shared, too: One of my favorite commercials and an A.S.S. Award.

Regarding mental health advocacy, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is offering continuing education credits for peer specialists who register for a one-day course covering “Peer Specialist Ethics and Boundaries” and “Peer-Led Wellness Strategies” at the DBSA 2008 National Conference, “The Power of Peers.” The DBSA also wants input on how you think they can improve their online community. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has information up about their fourth annual “Unmasking Mental Illness” Gala, which is in October this year and is still too pricey for my bank account. Mental Health America has announced their “Jammin’ Away the Blues” events which will begin in the fall of 2008. Protesters from special needs and disability groups are upset with new movie release “Tropic Thunder,” and Timothy Shriver, the chairman of Special Olympics, speaks out in a special CNN article. (Thanks to Kristen for this heads up!)

In the world of mental health news, Beth Baker tackles the controversy around “brain games” in The Washington Post’s Is It Really Smart to Teach Old Brains New Tricks? (you can get some more background on this at OpenEducation.net Explores The Importance Of Brain Exercises), and a recent Reuters Health article reports that people with PTSD have an increased risk of dying early from heart disease. Researchers presented information at Thursday’s annual American Psychological Association meeting regarding stress, anxiety, and worse and lingering allergy attacks, and University of Texas at Austin biologists have developed a model for Angelman syndrome.

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, Mark at A Dozen Steps shares AA resources in the UK, the ladies at Alzheimer’s Notes want to remind you about their “All About Alzheimer’s” carnival, and Susan at Grounded Fitness is giving up coffee to improve her meditation and gain a more focused mind (whereas I would chew coffee gum if they made it). Liz at Healthbolt tells us about the part of our brains that makes us feel like someone’s following us and Kristen at Lively Woman has a very justifiable rant at the recent treatment of two little girls at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.

Plus, Kendra at Diabetes Notes is holding a contest (the prize of which is a cookbook of your choice!) and Marijke at Help My Hurt is doing a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card!

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: I Will Note Let You Ruin My Week, Warner Brothers