So, let me rephrase: I love Denny Crane.

Given my love for Denny Crane, and my sadness over this being the final season of Boston Legal, it was no surprise William Shatner’s name in this week’s TV Guide caught my eye. (Actually, given the blah factor of this week’s Brothers & Sisters, it was no surprise I was sitting on the couch perusing this week’s episode of TV Guide. But, I digress.) Anyway, I saw Shatner’s name in an article about a YouTube video Shatner made (what?! William Shatner has a YouTube account?! Tres cool) discussing George Takei’s failure to invite Shatner to his wedding.

Blah blah blah.

What held my attention to the article was TV Guide’s statement that, during the YouTube video, Shatner diagnosed Takei with psychosis.

Now we’re cookin’ with hot grease! William Shatner, who is clearly not a doctor, is diagnosing a former castmate with a mental disorder?

Well, not really. I jumped on YouTube and watched the video. What Shatner actually says is, “[...] there’s a psychosis there.” 37 seconds into a video that’s over four minutes long, that’s the one and only mention of psychosis.

Hmm.

Was Shatner diagnosing Takei with psychosis? I don’t think so. I think he was merely suggesting that whatever grudges Takei was holding against him suggested he had false ideas about the reality of their relationship. That Takei had perhaps saw or heard things – perceived things – that Shatner may not (or may, who knows? I’ve never been a Trekkie) have done.

So, after watching the video, it seems to me that TV Guide’s comment might have just been an attempt to fan the flames of this apparently ongoing cat fight. You be the judge:

And, if you want some legit information about psychosis, check out:

• WebMD’s definitions of psychosis.
• PsychCentral’s Schizophrenia and Psychosis
• Dr. Christopher Pelic’s podcast Psychosis: What is Psychosis?

Post from: Blisstree

Did William Shatner Diagnose George Takei With Psychosis?

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

Back in January, I notified you all of an advocacy alert regarding the Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act (S.1375) from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).

Yesterday I received another advocacy alert from the DBSA. This one was also related to postpartum depression and S.1375 (and the House’s version, H.R. 20), only this one was titled an “URGENT REQUEST.”

Why?

Well, according to the alert, it seems as if “some mistakenly believe [the legislation] is a conspiracy to push new mothers to take medication.”

Hmm…I’ve read the House version of the bill (which explains postpartum depression, highlights treatment options – “including social support, therapy, medication, and when necessary hospitalization” – and explains the need for funding and more research), and I’ve read the Senate version of the bill (which does basically the same things), and not once did I feel as if a conspiracy to pump medicine into mothers’ mouthes was underway.

In the advocacy alert, the DBSA provides its own summary of what the legislation does. According to the DBSA, the legislation aims to:

• Encourage the Department of Health and Human Services to expand the research into the causes of postpartum conditions and find treatments.
• Establish a national public awareness campaign to increase awareness and knowledge of PPD and psychosis.
• Make grants available for programs that develop and offer essential services to women with PPD.

This seems about right to me.

So why are there people who feel as if this legislation is a conspiracy to push medicine? Just because medication is mentioned? Isn’t medication mention in many mental health-related bills? Because medication is a very real part of some patients’ treatment plans, doesn’t it make sense that it would be listed as a treatment option?

I honestly don’t understand why some people think this legislation is a conspiracy.

In any event, at the bottom of the advocacy alert the DBSA provides an online form for those who want to send letters of support to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, the current presidential runners, and their representatives.

I just sent mine.

Image source and credit.

Post from: Blisstree

Postpartum Depression Legislation: Beneficial Or Conspiratorial?