In yesterday’s post for the “Top 5 Ways To Be A Mental Health Advocate,” I wrote about how you can easily become a mental health advocate when you stop yourself and others from promoting mental health stigma.

Today, let’s look at how large mental health advocacy and research organizations can help.

Number Two: Become a mental health advocate when you get involved with large mental health advocacy and research organizations.

Large mental health advocacy and research organizations really have their stuff together, and can help you stay on top of current mental health issues, find nationwide mental health resources, and even get involved with special events. Check out the following to get started:

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).
• Mental Health America, or the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) as they’re being called now.
• The National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD).
• National Anxiety Foundation (NAF)
• Best Buddies International
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP)
• The Alzheimer’s Association

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s information about mental health support groups, but in the meantime, share your thoughts here about these large organizations.

• Are you involved with or a member of any of these mental health organizations?
• What has been your experience with these groups?

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Get Involved With Mental Health Advocacy And Research Organizations

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

Now that we’ve nodded in the direction of celebrities who have bipolar disorder, let’s take a look at the illness itself so you can better understand what these famous folks are going through.

Keep in mind that this post is just an overview and by no means meant to act as a substitute for medical professional advice.

I gathered information about bipolar disorder from the same three major sources from which I gathered information for the Tell Me More About Depression: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments post: The National Alliance on Mental Illness and their section on Bipolar Disorder; the National Institute of Mental Health and their booklet about Bipolar Disorder; and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and their section on Bipolar Disorder.

So, after reading this overview of bipolar disorder, I highly recommend checking out those Web sites for more detailed information.

Read on!

Quick Facts about Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. (It’s interesting that NAMI is currently referring to bipolar disorder as “medical illness” and NIMH is referring to bipolar disorder as “brain disorder” – bipolar disorder is both, of course, but I’ll stick to the good ol’ fashioned mental illness for now.)

According to the NIMH, there can be as many as 5.7 million American adults (or 2.6 percent of the population) age 18 and older in any given year who have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops when a person is in their late teens or early 20s; however, the illness can develop at any age.

Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

There are many signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder, but for simplicity purposes they can be broken up into two categories: symptoms of mania (the highs) and symptoms of depression (the lows).

When a person with bipolar disorder is experiencing mania, he or she may:

• Experience such euphoria that he or she actually feels high.
• Have little or no need for sleep, feel an increase in energy, and even an increase in productivity and creativity.
• Have racing thoughts, talk very fast, and be easily distracted.
• Exhibit an increased sexual drive.
• Have poor judgment; make bad decisions.
• Feel as if he or she is “on top of the world,” untouchable and unstoppable, and having special powers and abilities
• Engage in substance abuse.

According to the NIMH, “A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present.”

When a person with bipolar disorder is experiencing depression, he or she may:

• Sleep and/or eat too much or too little.
• Feel extreme sadness, worthlessness, anxiety, hopelessness, guilt, helplessness, and pessimism.
• Experience a decrease in energy, desire, and interest in activities.
• Feel restless and/or irritable.
• Have trouble concentrating and making decisions.
• Experience physical pain.
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts.

According to the NIMH, “A depressive episode is diagnosed if five or more of these symptoms last most of the day, nearly every day, for a period of 2 weeks or longer.”

Different Types of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is not as cut and dry as the – ahem – media may lead you to believe. A person with bipolar disorder may have:

• Type 1 Bipolar Disorder, the most severe type of bipolar disorder when the mood swings are the most frequent and severe.
• Type 2 Bipolar Disorder, a less severe type of bipolar disorder that involves depression and hypomania more often than depression and mania.
• Cyclothymic Disorder, an even less severe type of bipolar disorder when the mood swings are quite mild.

Someone with bipolar disorder may experience:

• Hypomania, when the mania level is mild to moderate.
• Mixed states, when the mania and depression symptoms occur at the same time.
• Rapid cycling, when the episodes of mania and depression occur more frequently than the time frames given above.
• Psychosis, when the episodes of mania and depression are so severe they cause hallucinations and delusions.

See why it’s best to get a doctor’s advice? This stuff can get confusing!

Treatment Options for Bipolar Disorder

Treatment options for bipolar disorder almost always involve medications (such as lithium and anticonvulsants) and psychosocial treatments (such as psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, and family therapy). A doctor may determine that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) would be beneficial, and sometimes people with bipolar disorder opt for a more natural treatment option such as herbal and natural supplements.

Bipolar disorder is often present for a while before it’s diagnosed. If you think you suffer from bipolar disorder, contact your doctor. If you think someone you know suffers from bipolar disorder, point him or her in the direction of these resources and encourage him or her to contact a doctor. There is absolutely nothing shameful or embarrassing about dealing with mental illness, and there are effective treatment options available.

Post from: Blisstree

Tell Me More About Bipolar Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

Because we’ve already highlighted the lives of celebrities who’ve battled depression, let’s now take a look at the illness itself so you can better understand what these famous folks are going through.

Keep in mind that this post is just an overview and by no means meant to act as a substitute for medical professional advice.

Actually, I gathered information for this post from three major sources: The National Alliance on Mental Illness and their section on Major Depression; the National Institute of Mental Health and their booklet about Depression; and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and their section on Depression.

So, after reading my overview of depression, I highly recommend checking out those Web sites for more detailed information about depression.

Read on!

Quick Facts about Depression

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), depression affects 15 million American adults (5-8% of the population) during any given year.

Depression is more than just “the blues.” Actually, depression is kind of like “the blues” on acid. In other words, it’s more severe and it lasts much longer. Depression can take hold of your life, interfering with your everyday routines, ability to function normally, and your relationships with other people.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

NAMI, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) all list signs and symptoms of depression. Some of the most common depression symptoms include:

• Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, despair, emptiness, irritability, anxiety, pessimism, and/or indifference.
• Loss of interest in activities, people, and/or jobs you once enjoyed.
• Sleep and/or eating too much or too little.
• Unexplained physical pain, fatigue, decreased energy, and/or restlessness.
• Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts.

Different Types of Depression

Sometimes it’s not completely accurate to just say someone is “depressed” or has “depression,” because there are different kinds of depression, too. The NIMH gives a thorough list of the kinds of depression, as well as their symptoms, which includes:

• Major depressive disorder
• Dysthymic disorder
• Psychotic depression
• Postpartum depression
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Treatment Options for Depression

Depression can be treated with a variety of medications (such as SSRIs and SNRIs) and therapies (such as psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy). Check out NAMI’s list of medications and therapies used to treat depression, and scroll down the page for information about treatment side effects. Also take a look at the DBSA’s page Getting the Treatment You Need.

If you think you suffer from depression, contact your doctor. If you think someone you know suffers from depression, point him or her in the direction of these resources and encourage him or her to contact a doctor. There is absolutely nothing shameful or embarrassing about dealing with mental illness, and there are effective treatment options available.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Tell Me More About Depression: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments

b5media’s very own Kristina Chew, PhD – the mastermind behind Autism Vox – is going to be on Good Morning America on abc tomorrow morning!

Both Kristina and Ari Ne’eman, the president of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN), were interviewed about autism, and the director for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Tom Insel, will be in the segment as well.

Be sure to watch Kristina, Ari Ne’eman, and Tom Insel on Good Morning America tomorrow. You may just learn a thing or to about autism and mental health from three really good sources!

Do you want to tell the world why you ROCK? If you have a mental illness and are still living the life you love, head on over the the official announcement post and enter This Is Why I ROCK! today!

Post from: Blisstree

b5media’s Own Autism Expert On Good Morning America

If given the choice, would you rather win the lottery or receive a compliment?

Many of you are probably thinking, “Give me the cash!” However, according to the Japanese National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Okazaki, receiving a compliment activates the same area of your brain that’s activated when you receive cash. You may be just as thrilled – or more thrilled – to receive the compliments.

During this research, Dr. Norihiro Sadato and his team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at the brains of 19 “healthy” people during to experiments. The first involved the people playing a gambling game; the second involved evaluations and compliments from strangers.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) conducted similar research involving social status and how it affects our behavior and health.

As far as I can see, however, it appears that the money part of both of these experiments was money the participants won by gambling, playing games, etc. – not money that was given to them for a good performance. So, I’m wondering…if it came down to being complimented for “a job well done” or being given cash for “a job well done,” would we still be as excited about the compliments as we would be the cash? Because, in this instance, wouldn’t the cash be kind of the same as a compliment?

What do you think?

Image: Newscom

Chato B. Stewart is currently rockin’ out in the This Is Why I ROCK! series here at Mental Health Notes. If you have a mental illness and are still living the life you love, head on over the the official announcement post and enter!

Post from: Blisstree

Which Is Better For Your Brain: Compliments Or Money?

In addition to May being Mental Health Awareness Month (or, simply Mental Health Month, depending on where you read about it), the week of May 4-10 is Children’s Mental Health Week and it kicked off with a bang yesterday (May 4) with Childhood Depression Awareness Day.

To help you better understand children’s mental health, or – if you already have a pretty good handle on your child’s mental health – to help you stay current with the goings-on and resources for children’s mental health, I’ve compiled a list of useful Web sites, pages, and articles for you.

You can thank Liberty for this tidbit: The May 2008 issue of Parents magazine features an article about children’s mental health and, fortunately for those of us do a lot of online reading, the piece is included in the online version of the mag. What Can Be Done About the Children’s Mental Health Crisis? includes information about health insurance concerns, doctors’ responsibilities, common mental disorders children have, and some surprising statistics.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) conveniently rounds up links to their children and adolescent mental health-related resources on one Web page, which includes information about the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the Safe Schools/Healthy Schools Initiative, and the Family Guide To Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy and Drug Free.

Similarly, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides one Web page that acts as a one-stop shop for child mental health-related information. It includes links to resources dealing with various mental disorders that affect children and adolescents, mental health medications for children, and articles on coping with traumatic life events.

And, if you’re searching for children’s mental health resources and support in your area, simply google “children’s mental health [your state]“ – this may seem like no-brainer advice, but because of the number of state-specific children’s mental health organizations I ran into during my research, I felt I should pass it along.

Do you have any other resources for children’s mental health information and support? Feel free to share in the comments! And don’t forget to check out Kids Health Notes and Autism Vox for more children and/or mental health related information!

Chato B. Stewart is currently rockin’ out in the This Is Why I ROCK! series here at Mental Health Notes. If you have a mental illness and are still living the life you love, head on over the the official announcement post and enter!

Post from: Blisstree

Resources & Support For Children’s Mental Health Week

Remember a few Saturday Sanities ago when I tipped you all off on www.everyminute.org and its super cool petition-signing tool? Well, Jace Freeman from www.everyminute.org has graciously sent MHN some more detailed information about the Web site, its mission, and how you can get involved.

I’ll let him do the talking:

everyminute.org is a grassroots campaign organizing a lobbying force to advocate before Congress to accelerate mental health research to promote recovery and resilience through individual treatment plans that eliminate the need for trial and error diagnosis. Funded by a grant from the Jene and Curtis Graves Foundation, the website, http://www.everyminute.org, was started by a NAMI member that understands the effect that mental illness has on a family.

So, what is an individualized treatment plan? An individualized treatment plan eliminates trial and error diagnosis by objectively diagnosing disorders by analyzing genes and other physical factors like biomarkers in the blood. A recovery plan is then created identifying the best drugs to treat the individual’ illness itself, no longer just reducing the symptoms the individual is experiencing. When side effects can be worse than the illness, imagine a treatment plan that is specifically put together to be the best possible effective recovery option for each unique person. With the proper funding for mental health research, individualized treatment plans are within 10 years of becoming a viable method of diagnosing and treating mental illness. However, recently research has not being properly funded and a ‘chilling’ effect is now happening where less money means young researchers are abandoning the mental health research.

Where does everyminute.org come in? everyminute.org is giving voice to the millions of Americans that are sick of haphazardly trying medications to find the magic cocktail for their recovery. When a suicide is attempted every minute, the time is now to push for individualized treatment plans that offer stability and hope. According to NIMH, there are over 57 million Americans affected by mental illness personally every year. everyminute.org is the unifying coalition that will organize these individuals and their friends and family into a lobbying force that will change national priority by the sheer weight of collected signatures.

How can you help? All everyminute.org is asking for is a signature. The website has an innovative signature capture tool where advocates can physically sign the online declaration in support of mental health.

Just by word-of-mouth promotion, over 100 people have signed the Online Declaration in under two weeks as many Americans have recognized the need for the campaign.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over and sign the declaration to make your voice heard!

Image source and credit.

Post from: Blisstree

Team Up With everyminute.org And Make Your Voice Heard!