I’ve been fairly stressed out this week.

The state of the American economy, the housing market, health insurance (or lack thereof), my yet-to-be paid off student loans – in other words, money (or again, lack thereof) – all have me freaking out just a bit about my future and my country’s future.

I didn’t used to worry about things like this. Of course, I don’t remember a time in my life when things ever seemed this bad.

Anyone else feeling the stress? Have some suggestions for mellowing out? I’d love to hear them.

In the meantime, let’s check out what’s going on in the world of mental health.

This week at Mental Health Notes, I told you about National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month and our blogging event to raise awareness, as well as shared my two spins on the second and ninth steps. I also pointed you in the direction of an article about pharmacists’ secrets, told you where you could get free, condensed summaries of health books, asked you what you thought of electronic medical records in light of Practice Fusion’s new program, and shared a funny.

Regarding mental health advocacy, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has made it easy for us to urge Congress to get moving on Mental Health Parity, the Consumers Union shared the story of Kim, a lady who struggled to get health insurance because she dared to use the mental health coverage her former policy offered, and Mental Health American released its Fall 2008 issue of The Bell.

In the world of mental health news, Ireland campaigners believe their government is seriously lacking resources for suicide prevention strategies, researchers claim pregnant women who experience even moderate amounts of stress are putting their babies at risk for lowered intellectual development, more teens are putting their brain development at risk with a rise in oxycodone and hydrocodone abuse, and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is developing self-guided, computer-based depression treatment.

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, many of my fellow bloggers participated in our little event for National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Check out b5Media Salutes National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month to check out what they had to say!

Enjoy your Saturday (and if it’s anything like mine, i.e. rainy beyond belief, you’ll appreciate all the reading material).

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: Stress Abounds

Warning: Rant follows below, after the jump.

Back in August, I told you about the Consumers Union Cover America Tour – the campaign geared toward putting faces on the Americans who don’t have health insurance, who can’t afford their prescription medications, or who otherwise have problems finding affordable and quality health care.

During that post, I pointed out two specific stories: Tom’s story, the man who began experiencing depression from the pain and hopelessness of his health problems and high cost of health care, and Kathy’s story, the woman who compared not being able to pay for her diabetes medicine as “committing suicide slowly.”

Now, I want to point you to Kim’s story.

Kim, a drug safety advocate, shared her story with the Consumers Union when she hosted a house party for the Cover America Tour and supporters in Minneapolis during the Republican National Convention. Kim’s husband, who had no history of depression and was merely having trouble sleeping, committed suicide five weeks after his doctor gave him sample packs of antidepressants. Kim later quit her job to become a freelancer and have more time to devote to her drug safety advocacy work. 18 months later, after her COBRA period was up, Kim tried to get a private health insurance plan from the same health insurance company she’d been with for years.

She was denied.

Once the insurance company saw that she’d used the 20 allotted counselor visits from her previous policy, she was denied. Even though she explained she didn’t have a mental illness – that she used the counseling sessions for grief therapy – she was denied.

The insurance company had the audacity to tell her “mental illness starts out slow” and that she might turn into “Britney Spears.”

Kim finally found coverage with another insurance company, but she had to be able to show that she hadn’t received any psychiatric care in the two years prior to being approved.

You can read Kim’s story and watch her video online. Then, feel free to join in my rants below after the jump.

First, where does the first insurance company get off denying Kim coverage because she used the coverage they offered her? Why offer the counseling services if they were just going to punish her for using them? Was offering the counseling services in the first place just some kind of stunt so the insurance company could say, “Oh, look at us, we’re so advanced, we care about your overall health,” while all along using the coverage to make a list of policyholders who may potentially need mental health care in the future? I think so.

Second, just who the crap does the first insurance company people think they are? Giving Kim advice on the progression of mental illness? Excuse me, but I didn’t know insurance company employees were also trained medical professionals.

Third, how dare they use Britney Spears’s personal life like that.

Fourth, is it just me or does it seem like not one person in the health insurance industry has ever needed a mental health service? I mean, seriously. One in every four people during any given year meets the criteria for a mental illness. Either the three totally mentally health people out of every group of four are working at these health insurance companies, or the people at these health insurance companies who have mental health problems know some secret to mental health care the rest of us don’t.

Fifth, I am appalled – but not shocked – that Kim was basically put through a two-year test to determine whether or not she could get coverage with the other company. People don’t purchase insurance because they don’t need it; people purchase insurance because they do need it, or because they want to be prepared in the event that they need it. Why was this woman made to prove that she wouldn’t need mental health care before she purchased her policy? MONEY.

Essentially, these insurance companies are promoting stigma. If you need mental health coverage, they shun you, making you – and so many other Americans – feel as if your mental health is not something to discuss or deal with.

So, what do you think about Kim’s story?

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Want To Keep Your Health Insurance? Better Not Use Mental Health Services

Back in April, I told you about the Consumers Union Prescription for Change and its mission to “urge the FDA to require the same MedWatch 1-800 number given in print drug advertisements to also be given during television drug advertisements, as well as Web site information.”

Today, I want to introduce you to a new Consumers Union campaign, the Cover America Tour.

From the Web site:

The Cover America Tour, sponsored by Consumer Reports Health, will roam the country this summer, putting faces on the flaws in our broken health care system. At every stop, we’ll videotape Americans talking about the challenges they’ve experienced getting the affordable, high quality health care they need.

We want to make sure that politicians promoting solutions listen to your voice, not just the voices of the big money lobbyists representing the health care industry.

This campaign is interesting for all Americans, and Americans with mental health conditions are no exception. Prescription medications for mental health disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia can cost hundreds of dollars a month – a big chunk of change, especially for someone who doesn’t have adequate health insurance (another problem many Americans with mental illnesses face).

The two videos my contact at the Consumers Union recommended are:

• The one from Tom, who along with his partner buys his own health insurance but was still going to have to pay $10,000 for a hip replacement (due to arthritis) and began experiencing depression from all the pain and hopeless feelings. Tom eventually waited until he was 65 and qualified for Medicare before having the hip replacement (he and his partner, who are potters – not of the Harry variety – realized they couldn’t make and sell enough pots to cover the cost of the surgery until then). He had waited so long, his muscles had began to atrophy.
• The one from Kathy, who can’t afford her diabetes medication on her Social Security income. She lost her health insurance after her husband retired and they divorced, and even the cost of her diabetes medication at Wal-Mart is over $200 a month. Kathy likens her situation to “committing suicide slowly.”

These stories are not only heartbreaking; they’re also close to each and every one of our homes. These people are your family members, friends, and neighbors. If they’re not you today, they could be you tomorrow.

I only just became familiar with the Cover America Tour this week, but I already love this campaign. These videos give faces and voices to statistics, making it harder to keep ignoring the problem of inadequate health insurance and high health care costs.

You can check out The Route to find out if the Cover America Tour is scheduled to stop in your area, share your story online, or read the Cover America Tour Blog to stay up to date with what’s going on. You can even submit your photo and receive a free Cover America Tour tee-shirt.

So what do you think about the Cover America Tour? Do you know anyone who’s participated, or have you participated in some way?

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Cover America Tour: Americans And The High Cost Of Health Care

• If you missed Wednesday’s post about Prescription for Change, the Consumers Union petition to the FDA to make it easier for consumers to report side effects of medications, I highly recommend checking it out.
• In other drug news, the AstraZeneca Patient Assistance Programs now have a total of three “AZ & Me” prescription assistance programs (particularly interesting for those of you who take Seroquel and Seroquel XR.
• Mental Health America has issued another call to action for us. This one regards proposed cuts in Medicaid funding for rehabilitative, case management, and school administrative services – all of which include mental health services and support of “Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008″ (H.R. 5613). Of course I sent a letter to my decision makers, but I had to giggle while I was doing so because I’m positive dear old Nick Rahall is getting tired of finding emails from me! God bless him, though. He always responds via snail mail with his views on the matter and a nice thank you. Find out if your decision maker(s) are cosponsoring H.R. 5613, and send a letter of support.
• Another update from Mental Health America: “No Health Without Mental Health,” Mental Health America’s 2008 Conference in Washington, D.C. is right around the corner (June 4-7), and Mental Health America President and CEO David Shern, Ph.D. has prepared a 30-second video to invite us all!
• Why is it that when states experience budget problems, health and education services are usually the first to suffer? I honestly don’t know which is worse: increased taxes, or decreased health services and laid off state employees. At this point, I’m pretty sure I feel the latter is much worse.
• New findings regarding genes and their relationship to schizophrenia could lead to new treatment options for managing the mental illness.
• Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have stumbled upon some findings they may not only help “test” patients for depression, but may also help speed along the process of finding the best antidepressant.
• And, I’m a bit late on reporting this, but better late than never, right? The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the reauthorization of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (S. 2304) on March 9. According to the article, the bill “will help provide states and counties with the resources needed to design and implement collaborative efforts between the criminal justice and mental health systems.”

That’s all for this week, folks! If you think you have any Saturday Sanity-worthy news, send it my way before next Saturday!

Image source and credit.

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: Drugs And Government Issues

One of my mottoes has always been, “If you want something done, get up and do the damn thing.” Having that mentality is definitely one of the reasons I love grassroots movements and advocacy.

It’s also definitely one of the reasons I love passing along information about said grassroots movements and advocacy to you lovely people.

A couple of weeks after the Grab Drug Advertisements By The Pills series here at Mental Health Notes, I received an email from Consumers Union Grassroots Organizer Daniela Nunez about their recent petition to the FDA for better reporting of drug side effects. The Appropriately labeled Prescription for Change aims to urge the FDA to require the same MedWatch 1-800 number given in print drug advertisements to also be given during television drug advertisements, as well as Web site information.

Just to clarify, the MedWatch 1-800 number is the number consumers can call to report drug side effects. Congress passed legislation in 2007 requiring all print drug advertisements to include this number; however, it’s still up to the FDA to determine what kind of information (ahem, this number to report side effects) is included in television drug advertisements.

While briefing me on the current system to report side effects, Daniela explained:

Drug companies often fail to present the benefits and risks of the products they advertise, and it often isn’t until a drug is out on the market and taken by millions that we see safety problems emerge. The easier it is for consumers to report side effects, the earlier the FDA will be able to detect potential safety hazards.

The FDA’s current system for consumers to report drug side effects, called MedWatch is woefully inadequate; it’s estimated to collect only 1 to 10 percent of all adverse events – because consumers don’t know about it!

I have no problem believing that. I didn’t know about it. And believe me, given some of the side effects I’ve experienced – both while I was taking medication and while I was withdrawing from it (Cymbalta, anyone?) – I would have made good use of the number.

Damn good use.

This is a petition I think will interest many people – people who’ve experienced prescription medication side effects, people who want the FDA to make it easier to report side effects, and people who are upset they didn’t even know about this number and therefore want it better publicized, i.e. want it included in the television drug advertisements!

In addition to visiting the Prescription for Change Web site, you can find more information about this petition by checking out the Consumers Union press release and reading The Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog post Consumer Group Says TV Drug Ads Should Carry FDA’s Number.

It’s up to us to make a change.

The above photo belongs to Duchamp and is being used under this Creative Commons attribution.

Post from: Blisstree

The Consumers Union Calls For A Prescription For Change