All three blogs have been retired by b5media in their redesign and new direction. Instead, they now have portals and the Blisstree.com portal is for life and health issues. Although I don’t write those three blogs any more, I was asked if I’d stay and write in their general health section. I agreed because although I enjoyed writing those blogs, I was limited to issues regarding pain, pregnancy, and cancer. This gives me an opportunity to write about other interesting health issues too.

What I will miss is the regulars who read my blogs and I hope that they’ll follow me here. My blogs weren’t the only ones retired and some remained, so this new format really gives you the chance to see what else is available to you. I have a confession to make. I rarely looked around the other channels because they were a matter of “out of sight, out of mind.” But since Blisstree launched, I’ve been clicking on other blogs and thinking, “hey, this is really interesting.” So, maybe you will now too.

In the meantime, don’t forget that I have my Montreal on the Cheap blog (a part of the new Cities on the Cheap network). I also own and write Seniors Support and my own site, Marijke: Nurse Turned Writer. You’re all more than welcome to come over and have a visit.

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Image: Marijke Vroomen-Durning

Post from: Blisstree

Help My Hurt, Womb Within & Cancer Comm.

Aside from suffering a would-be job disappointment, I had a pretty productive week. I got a good bit of work done, caught up with some snail mail, finally found the perfect collar for Chopper, hung flyers for our next NAMI meeting and ensured it would be announced on the news, in the paper, and in two local radio stations’ community events, and managed to prepare a pretty decent Saturday Sanity for you all!

This week at Mental Health Notes, I passed along announcements regarding The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act and a new online self-help treatment program for bipolar disorder, shared my review of Elyn Saks’s memoir The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness, answered a reader’s question about the mental health side effects of quitting smoking, asked you whether or not mental health is going to play a role in how you vote in November, guest posted at Lively Women about the top five mental health concerns for women, and contributed to the Health & Wellness Channel’s theme day for July by providing you with five questions you can ask your doctor about prescription medications.

In the world of mental health news, the recent suicide of a Navy veteran at a Spokan, Washington VA hospital (which brings this year’s count of suicides at that hospital to six) is raising questions about how PTSD patients are being treated. Some researchers have examined a link between energy drinks and college students who engage in risky behavior, while other researchers think having family meals together may decrease the risk of teen substance abuse. And, Elizabeth Klerman of Brigham and Women’s Hospital & Harvard Medical School comments on why older people seem to need less sleep.

Regarding mental health advocacy, I couldn’t find much that I didn’t already talk about this week, but I did learn that the Indianapolis-based Community Health Network is allowing patients to create pages similar to MySpace pages, which I think is pretty neat.

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, there are, as usual, a few contests going on. Marijke at Womb Within is holding a giveaway for a copy of The Baby Emergency Handbook. And, Kendra hosted our monthly theme day for July! Head on over to A Hearty Life to check out a round up of posts about independence.

And so ends another edition of Saturday Sanity. If you’d like something featured in next week’s edition, shoot me an email with “Saturday Sanity” in the subject line.

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: From Book Reviews To Energy Drinks

My bookmarks and email inbox have been bursting at the seams this week, just waiting to get into Saturday Sanity for all you fine people! Now that the day has arrived, it’s clear to me there is so much Saturday Sanity-worthy news, I’d best break it up so as not to take up 3/4 of the front page, ha!

So, read on for what’s been going on at Mental Health Notes, in the world of mental health news and advocacy, and throughout the b5media Health & Wellness Channel!

Here at Mental Health Notes, I shared military grief and support resources in honor of Memorial Day and highlighted online OCD support resources; invited you to take The Happiness Quiz, play The Recovery Cup board game, get your groove on at YouLicense.com, and laugh it up with Chato B. Stewart and his new mental health cartoon; pointed you in the direction of some life tips from Mark Twain; published the May edition of What Do You Really Want?; shared some thoughts on the recently declared haunted Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum; and passed along a Greenpeace report regarding video game consoles and learning, memory, and behavioral problems.

Oh, and the most exciting news of all: The spotlight is on a new rocker – Air!

In mental health advocacy news, Mental Health America is urging us to ask our representatives to vote for a delay on harmful and ill-advised Medicaid regulations. Mental Health America was also noted for its “Inaugural Promotion and Prevention Summit to Advance New Strategies.” The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) highlights Amber Main, a NAMI Virginia member who was featured on MTV’s “True Life: I Have Schizophrenia.” Dave at Dare To Dream wants to share thoughts and a video about neuroanatomist Jill Bolt Taylor’s self-discovery after suffering a stroke.

In regular ol’ mental health news and research, Kathleen Kingsbury tackles the debate of employees’ physical and mental health being considered equally important in TIME’s Tallying Mental Illness’ Costs. Norma Perez, a psychologist with a Texas medical facility for veterans post-traumatic stress disorder program, had the nerve to ask her staff members to stop diagnosing veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder due to “compensation seeking veterans.” Earthquake survivors in China are struggling with trauma, and according to Pauline Tam of The Ottawa Citizen Canada is lagging behind in mental health spending. Depression is in the spotlight for post-stroke patients and kidney transplant patients, and Canadian researchers now say people with dementia who take antipsychotic drugs have three times the risk of developing health problems or dying than people with dementia who don’t take antipsychotics.

And, in b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel news, Marijke Durning of Help My Hurt and Womb Within explains bone marrow transplants and becoming a donor, and Angelique at Breaking the Mirror – who is apparently a fellow Lolcats fan – shares a bit of comic relief and Cancer Commentary’s Gloria Gamat tells us about Stand Up To Cancer. Liz Lewis at Healthbolt shares some vintage drug ads, and, sadly, Jul leaves Veggie Chic and the b5media family.

Oh, I could end this week’s Saturday Sanity without letting you know about all the giveaways going on within the Health & Wellness Channel! Gabrielle Sedor is being an awfully generous soul and giving away copies of the “Learn to Create a Healthy Home!” CD at Daily Tomorrow and Fertility Blend for Women vitamins at Fertility Notes. Not to be outdone, Grace Ibay at Kids Health Notes is giving away oodles of health food treats and snacks.

Whoo! I didn’t think I’d ever get that all out. Remember, if you have any Saturday Sanity news, shoot me an email with “Saturday Sanity” in the subject line.

Image: Newscom

Air 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

Saturday Sanity: Putting A Bee In Your Bonnet

I don’t have any babies of my own (unless you count Miss Penny Lane and Chopper – which, I totally do, so I guess I should say I don’t have any two-legged babies of my own), so I don’t really know what it’s like to carry a human being in my body for nine months.

Much less what to do with it once it arrives.

I imagine pregnancy can be a pretty busy, exciting, and stressful time, especially if you’ve never been pregnant before. This is only one of the 9,456,274 reasons I’m putting it off until I’m 30. I honestly can handle no more busyness, excitement, and/or stress right now.

However, if you can – and especially if you already are – it’s my pleasure to announce b5media’s newest blog, Womb Within!

b5media’s own Marijke Durning of Help My Hurt is the author of Womb Within, and I have full faith the blog will be packed with helpful news, information, and tips about pregnancy.

Head on over and welcome her!

Image: Newscom

Remember! You have until May 31, 2008 to enter the Mental Health Notes Birthday Giveaway, and forever to join the This Is Why I ROCK! series!

Post from: Blisstree

Welcome A New Pregnancy Resource To The b5media Family!