Just when I think I’m going to have a normal week (i.e. one not bogged down with getting caught up with work and chores, but one actually spent working and “choring” at a regular pace!), a gigantic tree about 20 feet from my house decides to give up on life and take a few power and telephone lines down with it.

Fortunately, no one (and no homes) were hurt, but most of my street went without power and/or telephones for two days – which not only blows for people who, you know, want to keep the food in their refrigerators cold, but also really blows for people who work from home.

And I once again found myself scrambling to meet a deadline last night.

In any event, all’s well with the world (and electricity!) again, and here’s your Saturday dose of sanity!

This week at Mental Health Notes, Karen Lynch contributed tips on how to manage emotional distress (and gave me a much needed break!), and then I told you about a few mental health blogs I’m reading, asked you if you’re happy with your psychiatrist’s services, reminded you about the chance to have your donations to Mental Health America matched, posted my review of Surviving Ben’s Suicide, rolled out another edition of What Do You Really Want?, and shared five brain cancer resources. Oh, and I also announced the winner of Dr. David Clarke’s They Can’t Find Anything Wrong!, spread some doggy humor, and publicly announced my extreme jealousy of Nikki Katz.

Regarding mental health advocacy, along with the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, Mental Health America published their statement on the JAMA study that shows a continued high rate of suicide among youths after the “Black Box” warnings, the DBSA’s Power of Peers National Conference is right around the corner, and there’s still plenty of time to participate in NAMI’s Grading the States survey.

In the world of mental health news, it’s a big day for women. Researchers believe dialectical behavior therapy may help women who suffer from both an eating disorder and borderline personality disorder, a large study suggests women who experience extreme stress right before or during pregnancy have a higher risk of giving birth to underweight babies, researchers have reported young women who’ve experienced extreme stress have a higher risk for developing breast cancer, and another study suggests that babies born to depressed mothers have “more chaotic sleep patterns early in life.”

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, Karen Lynch of Pink Ribbon review hosted a live blogging event during Friday night’s Stand Up To Cancer event, and also featured each one of us Health & Wellness Channel bloggers, and a few others, who participated in helping to spread the word about cancer awareness. Check it out!

• Susan Watiker is Standing Up 2 Cancer
• Alicia Sparks is Standing Up 2 Cancer
• Kristen King is Standing Up 2 Cancer
• Michelle Smith is Standing Up 2 Cancer
• Ruth Schaffer is Standing Up 2 Cancer
• Scott Wharton is Standing Up 2 Cancer
• Kendra James, RN is Standing Up 2 Cancer
• Angela White is Standing Up 2 Cancer
• Marijke Durning, RN is Standing Up 2 Cancer

Enjoy your weekends!

Image: SXC and Andrew Faulkner

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: If A Tree Falls 20 Feet From Your House…

And by “one thing” I mean prescribing medication.

Aside from the cost of mental health care, one of the biggest patient complaints I’ve heard since beginning Mental Health Notes and becoming involved with NAMI is the way in which appointments with psychiatrists seem to go these days.

It’s become the norm for a patient to take a half or whole day off work to sit in a waiting room for an hour or more only to see a psychiatrist for a few minutes in order to discuss whether or not a particular medication is working, grab a new or adjusted prescription, and leave in time for another patient to take the seat before the butt warmth has had time to cool.

When did psychiatrists decide it was okay to cut their services in half? Why are psychiatrists now merely tending to “medication management” (i.e. doling out drugs and monitoring their success) and leaving the “dirty work” to psychologists, social workers, and other non-doctor mental health professionals?

Read on.

From the Reuters article Move over Freud: Psychiatrists embrace pill power:

The shift to briefer visits for medication management, reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry, appears to be linked to better psychiatric drugs and pressure from managed care companies, which offer richer financial incentives for brief office visits.

“Psychiatrists get more for three, 15-minute medication management visits than for one 45 minute psychotherapy visit,” said Dr. Ramin Mojtabai of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and formerly of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, where he did the research.

Up for a nice greedy round of money-grubbing, anyone?

Dr. Mojtabai also states that treatment from psychologists and social workers is most likely “short-term cognitive behavioral therapy” rather than the “analysis psychiatrists have traditionally offered.”

Of course, not everyone has dollar signs in their eyes.

While Dr. Mojtabai admits seeing a psychiatrist strictly for medication management and a psychologist or social worker for actual therapy “might not be as efficient” (as what? having a psychiatrist who actually knows more about you than what dosage of Zoloft you’re currently taking? and didn’t he just say the treatment from psychologists and social workers was different from what we can get from the analysis of a psychiatrist?), Dr. Eric Plakun, leader of an American Psychiatric Association committee on psychotherapy, notes that a shift in focus from psychotherapy to the biology of mental illness accounts for some of our psychiatrists’ current unwillingness to do more than drag out the prescription pad.

Plakun said in a telephone interview it is not clear if patients are getting therapy from other providers, or not at all.

“Either way, I’m worried about our patients,” he said. “Patients need the best help we can give them.”

For Plakun, that means offering a range of services, including psychotherapy, and not just medication. “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” he said.

Yes, everything does indeed start to look like a nail. If the only skills today’s psychiatrists are coming out of school with (or are willing to use) are the skills to properly medicate someone, does that mean more people than actually necessary are being medicated?

What about you? How would you describe your trips to the psychiatrist’s couch office? How happy are you with the various members of your mental illness management team?

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Is Your Psychiatrist Only Good For One Thing?

First up, let me refresh your memory regarding some of the more interesting things that went on at Mental Health Notes this week: The Lolcats paid us a visit, Boston Legal made me proud, the folks opposing the postpartum depression legislation confused me, I offered fellow American Idol Michael Johns fans some help, and, oh yeah, Mental Health Notes wants to know why you ROCK!

Next in line, I have a couple of Saturday Sanity-worthy Web sites to share with you sent in by MHN readers: Chato B. Stewart would like to announce the launch of his Web site, Mental Health Humor – and remind folks that the site is in no way meant to promote stigma. I checked it out myself, and while it seems to be in the beginning stages, I was certainly not offended and give it a Sparks Stamp of Approval. (I would also like to take this time to remind folks that, in my opinion, there is a very clear difference between mental health humor and tasteless, stigma-promoting. For example, this is mental health humor. This, however, is disgusting and promotes stigma.)

Moving right along, Hana Hasani would like to let you all know about Mamaherb, a new Web site geared toward spreading the word about natural health remedies. While browsing the site, I’ve so far found information about natural treatments for depression, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, anxiety, and narcolepsy. I’m all about using what nature gives us, so I’m happy to pass along this beautifully-designed site; however, I’d like to remind all readers that you should always consult with a medical professional before trying anything new – natural and non-natural, alike.

Now, for some scientific, research, and government-related mental health news: With more than 53,000 soldiers having been deployed to Iraq three or more times, the Army is seriously worried about the mental health effects return tours are having on our men and women in uniform – even though senior Iraq commander is telling Congress he’s “not ready to endorse any drawdowns beyond those already scheduled through July.” According to an Indiana survey, 83% of psychiatrists currently support a universal national health insurance plan. Parents with children who have ADHD and take Ritalin may be able to rest a bit easier: Researchers don’t feel Ritalin boosts the likelihood of future substance abuse.

And, finally, what’s going on around the rest of b5media’s Science & Health Channel? Well, Jul over at Veggie Chic is giving you the chance to win a copy of Gorgeously Green, Kristina over at Autism Vox shares a simply heartwarming story of sharing, and Liz over at Alzheimer’s Notes wants to remind everyone about the “All About Alzheimer’s” Carnival.

That’s all for this week’s Saturday Sanity! If you think you have some Saturday Sanity-worthy news, shoot me an email!

Image sources and credits here, here, and here.

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: Your Brain’s Weekly Smorgasbord Of Sanitylicious

Did anyone watch New Amsterdam last night? That new FOX show about the brilliant New York City homicide detective who happens to be immortal and, um, over three centuries old?

I’m in the process of becoming a devoted viewer. Now, don’t misunderstand me. Nothing can take Prison Break’s place in my heart (not even a new FOX show that also happens to feature a female doctor named Sarah – FOX hates me) – nothing. But, New Amsterdam may become a show I watch each week.

Anyway, last night’s episode was great. Murderous psychiatrists, war veterans, and falsely-accused child abusers, oh my! Not only did it feature a storyline that dealt with both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and repressed memories, but it did it all – for an hour – without a hint of stigma.

Well, any that I picked up on, anyway. I also spent the hour balancing food, phone calls, and opening the front door for a relentlessly indecisive cat.

Sure, PTSD and repressed memories aren’t exactly breeding grounds for stigma, but it was still nice to see a a well-written TV show use the themes in ways that actually made sense with the plot and managed not to make anyone feel ashamed of having a brain.

The image above is owned by Roswitha Schacht.

Post from: Blisstree

Treat Your Brain To FOX’s New Amsterdam

Back in September I posted I’m Firing My Psychiatrist. In short, the post explained the reasons I had for firing my psychiatrist. Actually, the post explained the one main reason I had for firing my psychiatrist: He assured me that I could stop taking Lamictal cold turkey without even glossing over the potential risks for seizures that accompany quitting Lamictal cold turkey.

Yesterday, reader Patrick left the following comment under that post:

This discussion of lamictal is quite educational for me. I really don’t like the person I’ve become, the edginess, being short tempered and irritable all the time but my shrink won’t even consider changing it. To get past the racing thoughts and to get some rest they have me on trazadone and xanax at bedtime. It makes for good sleep but that seems to be the only peace I get in a 24-hour period. Just changed to a new therapist (5 sessions) and am ready to give up on him. Any advice?

Yes, Patrick, I do have some advice. Read on.

When it comes to seeing a therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or any other mental health professional, five sessions may seem like a short period of time for some people, while five sessions may feel like an eternity for other people.

Several factors go into determining how long a “time period” five sessions actually feels to you, such as:

• The therapist himself and how the two of you connect. Does your therapist listen to you and consider the things you say? Or does it feel like he ignores you and follows a course of action he’s developed without your input?
• How far apart the sessions are spread out. How often do you see your therapist? Once or twice a week? Once or twice a month? If you see your therapist once or twice a week, you may feel that the two of you should be making progress after a month or two. However, if you only see your therapist once or twice a month, it may take several months before the two of you start to connect and make progress.
• How in depth the sessions go. This includes how long the sessions last and what’s covered during the sessions. For example, I find that a five- or 10-minute session is unacceptable. That’s barely enough time to get comfortable. If all five of your sessions have been short, you may not have had enough time with your therapist. (You may also want to suggest longer sessions to your therapist.) However, if all of your sessions have lasted an hour or so and you still don’t feel as if the two of you are on the same page, it may be time to speak up.

Given those factors, it’s really impossible for me to say, “Oh, five sessions, that’s long enough, if you don’t like the therapist you should fire him/her,” just as it’s impossible for me to say, “Five sessions isn’t very long at all. Stick it out.”

So, what I will say is this: If you’re truly ready to give up on your therapist, tell him. Flat out. Tell your therapist you’re ready to give up, and then explain why. This gives him an opening to fix whatever it is you feel isn’t working. Maybe your therapist doesn’t fully understand that you’re not happy with your medications. Maybe your therapist didn’t realize that the sessions were too short and not frequent enough for you.

In other words, whatever your problem is, maybe your therapist doesn’t yet realize it’s a problem.

If your therapist doesn’t work with you to try to correct the problems, or doesn’t feel that your problems are important and relevant, I’d start shopping around for a new therapist.

Think about this scenario: While walking down a flight of stairs you lose your balance, fall to the bottom of the stairs, and break your leg. You can clearly see that you’ve broken your leg. It’s a nasty break – the bone is sticking out of your skin! A friend rushes you to the hospital where a doctor tells you your leg isn’t broken. Maybe he gives you some pain medicine, but he sticks to his claim that your leg isn’t broken. Naturally, you say, “Hello?! My bone is sticking out of my leg! I can see that it’s broken!” If the doctor doesn’t look a bit closer and agree that your leg is broken, you’re going to find a new doctor, aren’t you?

Of course you are. And it’s the same with your therapist. Something was wrong, something was “broken.” You felt it. The edginess, the irritability, the short-temper – you felt it all. So, you went to a therapist. It seems as if your therapist keeps offering you a quick fix – the Trazodone and Xanax – just as the doctor in my example above offered pain medicine. While the Trazodone and Xanax may help you sleep (just as the pain medicine may help ease the pain of a broken leg), they aren’t “fixing” the problem. Your therapist needs to help you learn how to properly manage, treat, and maybe even heal whatever mental health condition you have. This may involve a different kind of medication and/or more intense therapy sessions. What it should not involve, however, is simply prescribing medication to knock you out.

The bottom line is this: You deserve a doctor who is going to listen to you and provide appropriate care. Explain to your therapist what you need – and what you’re not getting from him – and if he doesn’t take action to better help you, find someone who will.

I wish you the best of luck, Patrick!

Image source, used under this license agreement.

Post from: Blisstree

Before Calling It Quits With Your Therapist

They’re all part of this week’s Saturday Sanity!

It’s not unusual to skim through the other b5media Science & Health Channel blogs and find mental health-related discussions going on. Here are a few from this week:

• Elaine at Genetics & Health posted Happiness is down to your genes, a look at a University of Edinburgh and Queensland Institute for Medical Research study dealing with happiness being “partly determined by personality traits and that both personality and happiness are largely hereditary.”
• Marijke at Help My Hurt posted Don’t bother with aromatherapy – it won’t help your pain, which highlights a recent study suggesting aromatherapy not only doesn’t help relieve pain, but that “even distilled water showed a more positive effect than lavender” in regards to pain and stress. (Read my own comment about lavender-related fiascoes!)
• Liberty at Healthbolt posted Restful Sleep Sappers Exposed!, a look at “junk sleep” (interesting name) and a list of potential sleep-depriving culprits.

And, some Saturday Sanity from around the world:

• Jace from everyminute.org was awesome enough to let me and all Mental Health Notes readers know about this wonderful new grassroots organization that aims to fight stigma and secure research funding. I highly recommend checking it out, as well as signing the online declaration (which is cool not only because you’re making your voice heard, but also because you actually get to use your mouse to sign your name!).
• Army: Psychiatrists needed on warfronts. Includes a jaw-dropping plethora of statistics and research findings. Nothing surprising, per se, but jaw-dropping nonetheless.
• The House may have passed the Paul Wellstone Mental Health And Addiction Equality Act, but there’s still work to be done.
• Fewer Montanans locked up. Department of Corrections director Mike Ferriter “credits the state’s falling number of incarcerated citizens to a host of new programs that aim to hold felons accountable, but also help them deal with drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness and other personal issues that often lie at the root of criminal behavior.” Sure wish my home state would follow suit.
• Scientists pinpoint why some people become addicts. My favorite quote from the article? “This research helps us move away from thinking of drug dependence as a moral weakness and allows us to see it as more of a medical condition.” YAY for that!
• Anger in teenage boys tied to enlarged brain region. There are about 157 jokes I could make about that article title, but the article itself is interesting. Sample? “[Scientists in Australia and the United States] report that these boys may also be unable to control their emotions because other parts of the brain that normally control strong emotions don’t mature till the early 20s.”
• When It Comes To Emotions, Eastern And Western Cultures See Things Very Differently. This research suggests that, when trying to determine a particular person’s emotions, people of Eastern cultures tend to assess the emotions of others who happen to be near that person, too, while people of Western cultur tend to focus solely on that particular person’s emotions without using the surrounding people’s emotions as guidance.

Remember, if you have any news you think is Saturday Sanity-worthy, you can feel free to send it my way!

Stay tuned later today when Mental Health Notes wraps up the Grab Drug Advertisements by the Pills series in honor of Patient Safety Awareness Week!

Image source and owner.

Post from: Blisstree

What Do Happiness, Sleep Deprivation, And Prison Have In Commom?

We’ve hit the halfway point and it’s all downhill from here. Feeling any more educated about obsessive-compulsive disorder? Sure you are.

Now that you know the signs, symptoms, causes of, and risk factors for OCD, how do you know when it’s time to talk to a doctor? And on that note, how will a doctor even determine whether or not you have OCD?

Sometimes people mistake perfectionism for OCD, and vice-versa. Sometimes people mistake little quirks or odd habits for OCD, and vice-versa. However, if your “perfectionism” or “little quirks or odd habits” are taking over your life, i.e. interfering with your ability to function, work, sleep, have relationships, etc., it’s best to see a doctor.

Very simply put, and in my very unprofessional opinion, it’s time to see a doctor whenever the symptoms of any mental illness are affecting your life in a negative way. Given how much control OCD can claim over a person’s life, anyone who thinks s/he has OCD should schedule an appointment with a mental health professional. Period.

Doctors rely on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association when it comes to diagnosing mental illnesses. But let’s set the medical jargon aside and cut to the chase – your doctor will most likely diagnose you based on three main points:

1. You have either, or both, obsessions and compulsions that meet certain criteria (recurrent, persistent, intrusive, excessive, and, in the case of compulsions, being used as ways to alleviate stress and anxiety).
2. The obsessions and compulsions significantly interfere with your life.
3. You recognize that your obsessions and compulsions are unreasonable and excessive.

And how will your doctor come to these conclusions? By talking to you and asking questions about your obsessions and compulsions; looking for any physical symptoms/consequences of your compulsions (such as skin irritation from frequently washing your hands or bald spots from pulling your hair); and maybe even talking to your family members and friends about your behavior.

Stay tuned for information about OCD treatment and management options! And, in the meantime, feel free to share your own experiences with being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or even perhaps what you thought was obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Image credit.

Post from: Blisstree

How Will Your Doctor Diagnosis Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?