Is bigotry a mental illness?
From the Washington Post:
Mental health practitioners say they regularly confront extreme forms of racism, homophobia and other prejudice in the course of therapy, and that some patients are disabled by these beliefs. As doctors increasingly weigh the effects of race and culture on mental illness, some are asking whether pathological bias ought to be an official psychiatric diagnosis.
Are there drugs one can take for prejudice? If you put it in the coffee at white supremacist meetings do they disband the group? Inquiring minds want to know.
Psychiatry Ponders Whether Extreme Bias Can Be an Illness
liz | 8:22 PM | Uncategorized
Vermont: “We will not have the crazy people! No!”
Here’s the latest on the Vermont fracas:
Vergennes officials restate objections to mental health facility [Boston.com]
Photo of Vermont snow courtesy Avendesorra via Flickr.
liz | 6:10 PM | Uncategorized
Hope: springing eternal
So many people write to me saying they feel hopeless. “I’ve tried everything,” they say. “Every drug out there.”
Thing is, medical progress, uh, progresses every day—and though we might have political and ethical objections, it’s hard to deny that pharmaceuticals do a lot of heavy lifting in that regard.
Drug company gets investment for new bipolar drug [Business Week]
liz | 5:07 PM | Uncategorized
All sides now
I don’t agree with anything anti-psychiatry groups have to say, except maybe that pharmaceutical companies can be disingenuous. But in the interest of fairness, here’s a release from the Lunatic Offensive, who I find both loony and offensive. But still:
Celebrating our 25th anniversary, we, the Lunatic Offensive, can proudly report that we are now one of the oldest groups of Human Rights activists confronting coercive psychiatry. A month ago we had a big party with over 200 friends and visitors with a celebration speech by Gert Postel, the famous postman who on several occasions proved that psychiatric knowledge is nothing other than psycho babble, because throughout his several years working in psychiatry, nobody recognized that he had never passed any medical examination. But he was nevertheless even engaged as a senior physician in a forensic unit (read more about him here. His great celebration speech is translated into English here.
liz | 5:50 PM | Uncategorized
Just Say Go
From Fayetteville (NC) Online:
RALEIGH — The Fayetteville man accused of killing a co-worker last week in the VA hospital pharmacy was being treated for bipolar disorder, an FBI agent testified in U.S. District Court on Monday.
Arthur James Charland, 42, is being held without bail on a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Linda Faye Owens, with whom he had an 11-year affair.
Charland later told agents that he needed his prescription for Effexor when they asked him whether there was anything he wanted while he remained in custody, Hedges said.
“The doctor called him bipolar, but he doesn’t like to take the medication because of its side effects,” Hedges said.
The drug is an antidepressant used to treat bipolar disorder. Common side effects include anxiety, nervousness and dizziness.
The side effects of not taking the medication? Murdering someone. So, yeah, take yer frickin’ meds, and stop whining.
liz | 3:19 PM | Uncategorized
BBI, part two: urgent!
Also from NAMI:
House-Passed Budget Legislation Would Harm Medicaid Beneficiaries With Serious Mental Illness — Bill Includes Higher Medicaid Cost Sharing — Senate Vote Could Occur Tomorrow
Early this morning, the House passed a $41.7 billion deficit reduction bill that includes reductions to a broad range of entitlement programs, including both Medicare and Medicaid. The vote was 212-206. The legislation, known as the “budget reconciliation” package now moves to the Senate which is expected to move on the legislation soon, possibly tomorrow. The vote is expected to be very close. Because of rules governing the budget reconciliation process, the package is not subject to a filibuster (i.e., be killed through unlimited debate) and can pass with only 50 votes.
Among the Senators whose votes could turn the outcome are: Norm Coleman (Minnesota), Susan Collins (Maine), Mike DeWine (Ohio), Mary Landrieu (Louisiana), Ben Nelson (Nebraska) and Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania). NAMI advocates in these states are strongly encouraged to call these Senators and urge them to oppose S 1932. All Senate offices can be reached by calling 1-866-727-4894.
liz | 2:41 PM | Uncategorized
Boring But Important (BBI)
From the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about Medicaid, below. For other NAMI news alerts, there’s more after the jump. BBI mascot pictured.
$13 Billion in Reductions for Medicare and Medicaid
The bill (S 1932) is projected to reduce spending within Medicare and Medicaid by $13 billion over the next five years. Of most concern to NAMI are changes that would allow states to impose higher cost sharing requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries — even mandatory beneficiaries eligible for SSI (Supplemental Security Income). These changes follow provisions in the House-passed bill that were recommended by the National Governors Association (NGA). These changes are projected to reduce Medicaid spending by $1.9 billion over 5 years ($10.1 billion over 10 years).
It is important to note that these savings result largely from reduced demand for services, rather than the actual increased co-payments paid by beneficiaries. In other words, most of the budget savings that occur from higher cost sharing come as a result of beneficiaries not seeking services (or being deterred from seeking treatment) — a major concern for NAMI in the case of “non-preferred” prescription drugs.
[Photo copyright Liz Spikol]
liz | 2:19 PM | Uncategorized
Feeling feigned
Two big stories today about murderers who pretended to have mental health problems—a practice that makes it difficult for veritably ill people to get appropriate consideration in the court system.
•Mafia boss Vincent Gigante dies [NY Times]
•Lionel Tate admits he was lying about his mental illness [Miami Herald]
liz | 2:08 AM | Uncategorized
Being crazy in the workplace
My hometown rag ran an article yesterday about local mental health organizations who hire people with mental illnesses as employees. The Mental Health Association of Southeastern PA’s director, Joseph Rogers, was asked how his organization functions given that 80 percent of his workforce is mentally ill. The Inquirer’s Stacy Burling, who’s an excellent reporter on mental health issues, writes:
But Rogers, who has a bipolar disorder, says all it takes to manage and work alongside people with mental illnesses is flexibility, individualization and compassion. It is an approach he thinks could make other workplaces saner. “A lot of times,” he said, “it just means creating a work environment that’s healthy for everybody.”
That’s been my experience working at Philadelphia Weekly. My bosses continue to be miraculously flexible with me regarding medication fluctuations and periodic episodes—especially vis-a-vis sleeping too late, which now happens almost every day. They know I’ll do the work, and they create an environment that allows me to do so in a way that’s best for everyone.
•Mental illness is a plus [Philadelphia Inquirer]
•Americans With Disabilities Act brochure on employment rights [U.S. Department of Labor]
liz | 6:01 PM | Uncategorized
College students struggle with mental health issues
I keep getting emails about articles from the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, a publication I’d have no knowledge of if it weren’t for the pleasures of Al Gore’s Internet. They do some good mental health reporting, like the article below about college kids and therapy.
When I tried to avail myself of the mental health services at Oberlin, where I went to college, I found myself crudely disappointed. I had had a hallucination, and was constantly depersonalized and derealized (technical terms for feeling like your life is someone else’s). I was fairly desperate for help.
My shrink there told me I had issues with my mother. Well, duh. She put her tacky polyester jacket on an empty chair and said, “Pretend that jacket is your mother. What do you want to say to her?” And all I could think of was, “Mom, where did you get that jacket? It’s horrible.” The shrink didn’t like that.
The photo here is of the Allen Art Museum at Oberlin, where I passed many peaceful hours looking at beautiful paintings. It was much more valuable than student health services, without question.
Mental health a rising college student issue [Fort Wayne News-Sentinel]
liz | 6:14 PM | Uncategorized
