Schizophrenia Made Me Do It: Kill My Co-Worker
Poor Kathy DeBell (pictured). She had just started work at a K-Mart, (which seems penance enough) when she was shot and killed by Anthony Law, someone she didn’t know. Now DeBell’s family is finding the incredible generosity to be sympathetic to Law.
From the Denver Channel:
“No matter what happens to him or what his motives were or what’s going on, nothing’s going to bring Kathy back, so we don’t think about it that much. We know the poor man must have been a very troubled person,” said Robert Thompson, DeBell’s stepfather.
That man is made of strong stuff.
K-Mart Shooter Has History Of Mental Illness
liz | 12:22 PM | Uncategorized
Unsurprising headline of the day
One thing you gotta say for the New York Times: They haven’t yet gotten the memo that “the kids” want shorter, snappier articles, à la Entertainment Weekly. And thank God. I’m consistently impressed by the depth of reporting the daily newspaper does, and the flexibility its writers have to churn out thousands of words on important subjects. Granted, I don’t usually read them all, but it’s nice to know they’re there in case I get especially motivated.
Here’s a piece about yet more ickiness perpetrated by big pharma—and the charities that rely on them. I’m starting to think big pharma should be a cartoon character called Big Pharma, complete with Texas hat, spurs (or syringes) on his boots and a big, meaty hands greased for bribes. Anyone out there an illustrator?
Charities Tied to Doctors Get Drug Industry Gifts
[Photo by alba because a cute girl in a cowboy hat is better than a cartoon character any day.]
liz | 10:31 AM | Uncategorized
Anyone in Michigan?
From WZZM-13:
Jenison – Police are looking for a woman from the Jenison area they say has been missing since Monday. Police say she has a “history of depression.”
Carol Becker’s family reported to the police she was missing from her Jenison home and is believed to have left between 8:20a.m. and 9:15 a.m.
Becker’s daughter Tanya Harris doesn’t believe her mother went very far.
Harris say’s, “She was undergoing ECT treatments and seemed to be a little better this weekend so the 24-hour watch of her was lifted. She only had about a quarter tank of gas and has no money, no credit cards, no ID on her, therefore, she could not have gone far.”
Carol Becker is a 58-year-old White Female, 5′3” tall, 180lbs, Brown Hair, and Blue Eyes, unknown clothing description.
She was last seen driving a 2000 Chevrolet Astro Van, Dark Blue in color, and MI registration of TEZ-777
Police say, “At this time foul play is not suspected however the incident remains under investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office through Ottawa County Central Dispatch at 1-800-249-0911 or Silent Observer at 1-800-825-0221.
Don’t know if anyone lives in her area, but it’s worth a shot.
liz | 5:35 PM | Uncategorized
True confession: Tuesday, June 27, 2006
When I think about the fact that there are Jewish Republicans, it boggles my mind and makes me sad.
liz | 5:29 PM | Uncategorized
BBI: Medicaid citizenship info: deadline July 1!
By July 1 Medicaid subscribers will have to prove their U.S. citizenship. There are so many reasons that this is a bad idea, but since it’s a reality, here’s the crap you have to know:
From the Public Affairs Office of the Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Center for Medicaid and Medicare:
Overview of New Guidance on Citizenship Documentation for Medicaid Benefits
HHS today issued guidelines for states to implement a new requirement, effective July 1, that persons applying for Medicaid document their citizenship. The new documentation requirement is outlined in Section 6036 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) and is intended to ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries are citizens without imposing undue burdens on them or the states. Recognizing the diversity of beneficiaries served by Medicaid, the guidelines provide for a range of ways that citizenship status and personal identity may be documented. If other forms of documentation cannot be obtained, documentation may be provided by a written affidavit, signed under penalty of perjury, from two citizens, one of whom cannot be related to the applicant or recipient, who have specific knowledge of a beneficiary’s citizenship status. Affidavits can only be used in rare circumstances. Additional types of documentation, such as school records, may be used for children. Current beneficiaries should not lose benefits during the period in which they are undertaking a good-faith effort to provide documentation to the state.
liz | 2:44 PM | Uncategorized
NAMI/John McManamy quiz answers
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Not too long ago, I ran a contest based on “True or False? The Top 10 Myths About Bipolar Disorder” by mental health writer/blogger John McManamy. (He didn’t write the list for NAMI specifically, but they’ve kind of co-opted it.)
For the contest, I asked which of the 10 myths are absolutely false. The answers, with McManamy’s commentary, are below:
7. Medications are all you need to combat bipolar disorder.
False. While medications are the foundation of treatment for bipolar disorder, recovery is problematic without a good lifestyle regimen (diet, exercise and sleep), effective coping skills and a support network. People with bipolar disorder also benefit from various forms of talking therapy and religious/spiritual practice.9. Lower quality of life and sluggish cognition are fair trade-offs for reducing mood symptoms.
False, big time. In the initial phase of treatment, meds overkill may be justified to bring your illness under control. But full recovery is based on improving your overall health and ability to function, not just eliminating mood symptoms. Over time, the side effects of medication tend to go away, so patience is advised. You may choose to live with minor side effects such as mild hand tremors. But if major side effects persist, you should work with your psychiatrist in adjusting doses or switching to different meds. The onus is on you to alert your psychiatrist to major side effects and to insist he or she take appropriate action.10. Once you’ve been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you can forget about leading a normal life.
False. Living with bipolar disorder is a challenge, and you may have to change your expectations, but you should never give up on living a rewarding and productive life.
The winner is Joni Soule, who guessed 1, 7 and 10. (You know what they say: Two out of three ain’t bad.) The prize is my autographed copy of Vincent Van Gogh’s letters, filled with madness of a delicious kind. Joni, where can I send the book?
liz | 11:40 AM | Uncategorized
In Memoriam: Bobby Secker
I got an email yesterday from Leigh Hopkins, whose brother Bobby (pictured) took his own life two years ago after a struggle with bipolar disorder. She wanted to share something with me that she wrote right after he died, but, she said, “I’m not a writer.” I’d say she is.
The piece she sent is below. I think it’s a beautiful tribute to someone who died too soon.
I sit on the shore of Lake Champlain, trembling. Lightening strikes Savage Island no more than a quarter of a mile from where I stand. Thick black clouds creep in from the north, thunder cracks, and a flock of seagulls scatter—their wings a startling white against the darkening skies. Experience tells me that very soon, the Champlain Islands will disappear behind a frothy white squall line, and the storm will be upon me.
During these many summers, one for each year of his life, my brother and I delighted in these storms. Even now I can see his brown eyes ablaze with a mixture of fear and excitement: “It’s coming! Look—it’s almost here!” The two of us would challenge each other, waiting on the shore until the air crackled with the smell of ozone, until the lake became an ocean, until the rain pelted our skin and the wind sent us squealing for cover.
My brother is gone.
Four months ago today, the ever-increasing storms that tormented his beautiful mind overtook him, and he took his own life.
I could lay out in detail how mental illness slowly robbed my brother of the life he was meant to live, but that would discredit him. What I know is that he lived more fully than anyone I’ve ever known. When he ate, he tasted every morsel, and groaned an appreciative “Oo-oof!” when his belly couldn’t hold another bite. When he listened, he listened with the whole of his heart, his eyes mirroring my own. When he engaged in a new project or idea, everyone around him became a part of the process, a part of the play. He created brilliant science, and devoured Rumi, Rilke and Kerouac.
He dreamt of great adventures.
After his death, his colleagues told me of his strange creative genius—of his delightful, yet bizarre queries: “What kind of fuel would you use if you were going to build a time machine?” “On a scale of one to 10, which is worse—a rotten baloney sandwich, or a sharp stick in the eye?” “How much of your life savings would you be willing to bet on a race between a sock puppet and a hamster?”
He made me laugh. He traveled at light speed, yet he couldn’t outrun his DNA.
And so it is.
Four months later, I stand frozen on the shore, hoping that somehow—through this small act of bravery—I might find myself closer to understanding the tempest that wrenched my beautiful brother from this earth. Somehow, by braving this storm, I might hope to understand the fine line between genius and madness, sun and storm, here and gone. If I stand long enough, perhaps I’ll see his brilliant blaze of a soul searing across the sky …
And with a mixture of fear and excitement, I face the world without him.
liz | 9:40 AM | Uncategorized
Phound
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I am in love with Found Magazine, which publishes scraps of paper found on city streets, abandoned Kinko’s Xerox machines, high school hallways, etc. I wrote a story once featuring Philly finds (or Phinds, ha ha).
I found this one last week in West Philly. It’s so passionate, but it was in the trash. I’m guessing Bernie and Mandy aren’t together anymore.
liz | 2:53 PM | Uncategorized
Tasty headlines for y’all
•Duncan Drops Bid for Governor: Doug Duncan drops out of the Maryland guv race to battle his depression
•Acknowledging Depression: Kay Redfield Jamison says public figures who reveal mental illness can change perceptions
•Merrill Apparently Shot Himself On the Bay: Phillip Merrill’s death is ruled a suicide
•Mental health woes rise: College students seek more mental health treatment
•Yates’ new trial will test views on mental illness: Andrea Yates goes on trial yet again. What are the implications?
•Device, not drugs, for mental illness: A California woman doing ECT tries the Vagus Nerve Stimulator.
•Program focuses on probationers’ mental health: Mental health court can be fun.
liz | 2:30 PM | Uncategorized
