Back before we headed to the polls, I shared with you an email I received regarding now President-elect Barack Obama’s stance on mental health parity.

Well, now I’ve received an email from Mental Health America urging me to send an electronic postcard to Obama to urge him to keep healthcare reform a top priority during his first year in office.

From the email:

As he prepares to take office, President-elect Barack Obama faces many pressing issues. And some will urge him to defer efforts to achieve healthcare reform, suggesting that it will be too costly, too difficult, or not a sufficiently high priority. Click the link to send the digital postcard to President-elect Obama and tell him that you want him to make healthcare reform a top priority in 2009.

Naturally, I did. And I’m passing it along so that all of you can do the same! Simply visit Mental Health America’s page Send a Postcard to President-elect Obama, enter your info, and click “send.”

So easy.

Do it now.

Post from: Blisstree

Send An Email To Barack Obama: Keep Healthcare Reform A Priority

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

When Wendy Aron decided to spend her fortieth birthday in her therapist’s office, it was merely because she wanted to get in some quality time with the woman she viewed as her “closest ally” (or, because she was remembering how she’d wanted to commit suicide by jumping off the Y in the Hollywood sign when she lived in Los Angeles); what she got, however, was one hell of a swift kick in the pants when her therapist of over 10 years told her she may move across the country.

After the initial panic subsided (and her plan to get herself committed to the psychiatric hospital she’d stayed at in her 20s failed – her admitting psychiatrist choked to his death on a chicken bone the night before admittance), Aron embarked on a year-long journey of support-group and self-improvement class hopping – a year the writer relives in her memoir Hide & Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears and Found Happiness.

Hide & Seek came with a press release that promised it was to be one “hilarious memoir.” To me, the situations Aron finds herself in (or, rather, places herself in) are where the real humor is. Too, although the book wasn’t written as if it were compiled of a collection of the writer’s diaries, reading it did feel like I was reading a long, continuous journal entry – and I enjoyed that.

Admittedly, there were times during the book when I just wanted to yank a knot in Aron’s tail (I can only take so much of someone feeling sorry for herself), but I suppose, at times, that’s the kind of reaction you can expect to have after you “get to know” someone who continually beats herself up. (Aron’s attitude is just as unforgiving when it comes to some of the folks she meets in her groups and classes.)

However, throughout the year Aron really does make an earnest attempt to be kinder to herself, gain a more positive perspective of her life, and get a grip on her depression. Actually, from self-esteem and learned optimism classes to depression and weight-loss support groups, Aron makes many earnest attempts. The woman even gives speed dating a go.

Aron sums up the “moral” of her tale in one paragraph near the end of the book’s final chapter:

“And then it occurred to me that it was all a matter of perception. It wasn’t what happened to me that was the problem; it was strictly how I viewed these things and what importance I gave them. There was always an opportunity to feel gratitude if I reframed certain events. And feeling gratitude, I have learned, was the first real step toward happiness.”

This realization helped Aron change her perspective of all the “negatives” in her life (her neighbors, her job, her family relationships), including herself. And, given that paragraph, I would recommend this book to anyone who is currently struggling with finding happiness due to his or her own perceptions about life. Aron devotes an entire book to self-discovery through discovering others, aiming to show readers that you really only have it as bad as you think you have it – that, if you pause and look at the situation in a different light or even through the eyes of another, you may realize life’s not so bad after all.

To learn more about Wendy Aron, Hide & Seek, and how you can confess your own neurotic behaviors, visit www.wendyaron.com. And don’t forget to check out her links page, where she provides links to various mental health websites.

Image: Amazon

Post from: Blisstree

Book Review: Hide & Seek

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!

In case you haven’t heard, Lori Drew – the 49-year-old woman who played some role in creating a fake MySpace page to harass 13-year-old Megan Meier (harassment that eventually ended when the “fake” MySpace user told Meier the world would be a better place without her, and the already depressed Meier committed suicide) – was not convicted of felony charges related to the case. She was instead convicted of three misdemeanor charges of accessing a computer without authorization.

I don’t even know what that means. I mean, was the woman not using her own computer? Apparently it had something to do with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Again, that’s why I’m not a lawyer.

Anyway, for each misdemeanor she could get a year in prison and have to pay a $100,000-fine.

I don’t know anything about a sentencing date (or if she’s already been sentenced) – nothing I’ve read has indicated anything, so, feel free to update me if you know.

In the meantime, now that the conviction process is over, what do you think? Did Lori Drew get off easy, or was her conviction fair? Or, do you feel like her attorney, who isn’t satisfied with the jury’s decision and feels no charges should have been brought forth at all?

Converse!

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Update: What Do You Think Of Lori Drew’s Misdemeanor Convictions?

With the economy in the state it’s in, many Americans might feel as if they have little to be thankful for. Folks are foreclosing on their homes left and right, the automotive industry is itching to get its own serving of bailout funds, and sure, gas prices are down, but who has the money to do any serious holiday shopping?

However, being thankful goes deeper than just real estate, automobiles, and money.

Whether before or after your bellies are full, take time today to munch on these thought-provoking thanksgiving- and Thanksgiving Day-related quotes and poems.

“The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” – H.U. Westermayer

“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.” – Edward Sandford Martin

“We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning.” – Albert Barnes

“Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings.” – J. Robert Moskin

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie

“Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” – W.T. Purkiser

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy

“It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast.” – W.J. Cameron

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.” – Cicero

“When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?” – George Canning

“Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.” – A.W. Tozer

“Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in.” – Phillips Brooks

“It is delightfully easy to thank God for the grace we ourselves have received, but it requires great grace to thank God always for the grace given to others.” – James Smith

“Heap high the board with plenteous cheer and gather to the feast,
And toast the sturdy Pilgrim band whose courage never ceased.”
- Alice W. Brotherton

“Dear Lord; we beg but one boon more:
Peace in the hearts of all men living,
peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving.”
- Joseph Auslander

Happy Thanksgiving!

Post from: Blisstree

Happy Thanksgiving: Food For Thought

I recently found out the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Ad Council partnered together to launch that PSA to inform veterans about – and encourage them to join – Community of Veterans. Community of Veterans aims to provide an online community for veterans where they can support each other during the aftermath of war.

According to the site, Community of Veterans is:

[...] designed as a resource to our nation’s newest Veterans. Comprising less than 1 percent of the population, Veterans face a myriad of challenges while feeling isolated and cut off from those to whom they can best relate – other Veterans. While addressing a range of topics, this site is ultimately a point of connection where Veterans are helping Veterans.

I’m told this online community is the first ever of its kind, and I’m honestly surprised it didn’t happen sooner.

Later this month, the IAVA is also launching Support Your Vet, which will act much the same way as Community of Veterans, but for the families and friends of veterans.

I think these are both fantastic ideas, and I sincerely hope our veterans, and their family members and loved ones, will greatly benefit from interacting with and finding support from others who know what they’re going through.

If you’re an Iraq or Afghanistan veteran, or know someone who is, check out these communities and spread the word!

In the meantime, visit these posts for more veteran-related information:

• Get In On The Discussion: Veterans And PTSD
• Help Veterans Obtain Mental Health Resources
• Grief And Support Resources For Military Widows, Family Members, and Loved Ones
• Help Ease The Mental Burden Of An American Veteran
• Do You Need To Be Brainless To Survive The Military?
• American Troops’ Mental Health

Post from: Blisstree

IAVA And The Ad Council Partner Up To Help Veterans

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

Like many others, I’m not exactly shocked Biggs decided to allow others to watch his suicide. Given the popularity of (and the content seen on) sites like MySpace and Facebook – not to mention blogs, webcams, and instant messengers – it’s pretty safe to say we are a culture that feels it’s OK to share very private details about ourselves to random strangers via the Internet.

I’m more shocked at how people actually watched this live suicide. More than shocked, I’m disturbed and appalled. Given that the camera rolled for 12 hours, I’m bothered by how long it took for people to contact the authorities and how long it took for authorities to get there.

Suicide is not entertainment. It’s not something that deserves only a quick “OMG!” or “LOL.” Most of all, suicide is not a joke. I don’t care if you’ve heard someone cry “wolf” a hundred times, if you’re within earshot of a hundred and one, you’d better tell someone. Even if you think the person is threatening suicide for attention or as a joke, it’s better to feel as if you’re overreacting than to feel guilty for not acting at all.

My heart goes out to Biggs’s family members and loved ones.

For more suicide resources here at Mental Health Notes, check out:

• Suicide Warning Signs: In Light Of Deborah Jeane Palfrey
• Tell Me More About Suicide: Risks, Warning Signs, and Resources
• “Every Minute, A Suicide Is Attempted In The United States”

Post from: Blisstree

Hey Voyeurs: Suicide Is Not Entertainment

It seems like just a few Saturday Sanities ago I was talking about how warm and sunny it was outside; now, we’re covered in snow. We have been all week. I still don’t have a winter coat (I didn’t have one last year, either – I can be very serious about my procrastination) and Chopper doesn’t understand why we don’t go outside 9,375 times a day anymore.

Anyway…

This week at Mental Health Notes, I talked about a new study about the television viewing habits of unhappy people, commented on two legal situations involving mental health issues (the older Tammy Lewis case, and the newer Elgin Mental Health Center case), shared my thoughts on the Facing Us 2008 Music Contest winners, provided some epilepsy and mental health resources (thanks, Cleveland Clinic!), and turned to the loldogs for some depression humor.

Regarding mental health advocacy and education, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s (DBSA) eUpdate for November 2008 is up (lots of good stuff in there!), Beliefnet has announced the 10 nominees for the Most Inspiring Person of the Year 2008 Award and they’re ready for you to cast your vote, Dr. Brent provided a basic rundown of seasonal effective disorder (SAD) over at Care2.com, the Revolution Health Group offers nine ideas for natural ways to treat depression, and Rick Robinson explains Post Election Stress Syndrome (ha).

In the world of mental health news, research, and studies, after a study that included nearly 5,700 American adults researchers believe people in chronic pain are at a higher risk for committing suicide, researchers who studied both American and Japanese teenagers believe violent video games may contribute to increased aggression over time (um, hello?), and some researchers are toying with a new treatment for OCD (one that may have adverse side effects, apparently).

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel:

• Mark helps us understand how we can turn negatives into positives at A Dozen Steps.
• Mary Emma has a plethora of Alzheimer’s resources for National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month listed over at Alzheimer’s Notes.
• Kristina tells us about ADHD medications not causing genetic damage in children at Autism Vox.
• Susan of Grounded Fitness wants to know how yoga and meditation has changed your life.
• Scott’s talking about Gulf War Syndrome over at Health and Men.

Now, whether you’ve got snow or not, go outside and enjoy the day!

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: Is It Too Early To Build Snowmen?