MyDepressionSpace.com

Americans show little tolerance for mental illness despite growing belief in genetic cause.

Well tell me something that I didn't already know and experience on a regular basis.  A  study published last week by University of Pennsylvania sociology professor Jason Schnittker shows that, while more Americans believe that mental illness has genetic causes, the nation is no more tolerant of the mentally ill than it was 10 years ago:

The study published online in the journal Social Science and Medicine uses a 2006 replication of the 1996 General Social Survey Mental Health Module to explore trends in public beliefs about mental illness in America, focusing in particular on public support for genetic arguments. Prior medical-sociology studies reveal that public beliefs about mental illness reflect the dominant mental-illness treatment, the changing nature of media portrayals of the mentally ill and the prevailing wisdom of science and medicine.

Schnittker’s study, “An Uncertain Revolution: Why the Rise of a Genetic Model of Mental Illness Has Not Increased Tolerance,” attempts to address why tolerance of the mentally ill hasn’t increased along with the rising popularity of a biomedical view of its causes. His study finds that different genetic arguments have, in fact, become more popular but have very different associations depending on the mental illness being considered.

Schnittker’s study also shows that genetic arguments are associated with recommending medical treatment but are not associated with the perceived likelihood of improvement.

According to Schnittker’s research, genetic arguments have, in fact, increased public support for medical treatment but at the same time aren’t clearly associated with improvements in overall tolerance levels. The study explores tolerance in terms of social distancing: unwillingness to live next door to a mentally ill person, have a group home for the mentally ill in the neighborhood, spend an evening socializing with a mentally ill person, work closely with such a person on the job, make friends with someone with a mental illness or have a mentally ill person marry into the family.

David Duchovony's voluntary decision to enter rehab for sex addiction: is sex addiction a disorder or indulgence?

I applaud David Duchovony's voluntary decision to enter rehab for his addiction to sex. He should  not be embarrassesd. He has a psychological mood disorder that is treatable. Some people may think a claim of sex addiction is a convenient excuse for fooling around; some may snicker that it's a "problem" more people should have. But therapists say sex addiction is a very real and destructive disorder, and that rehab serves a purpose.

On CBS's The Early Show Saturday, psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere said he's proud of Duchovny because, like most addictions, this isn't something to be proud of. In fact, it's embarrassing and, for most, a sign of being weak. Even after he gets treatment, he'll always be known for having that addiction. Dr. Gardner offered a brief overview of sexual addiction.

How widespread of a problem is it?

There are no hard numbers, since many experts debate whether sex addiction is truly a mental disease or more of a narcissistic indulgence. Many experts feelt may be part of a manic-depressive, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), or depression condition.

What's so bad about being addicted to sex?

With a sexual addiction, you become so preoccupied that everything else in your life is put on the backburner, including relationships, family, jobs, and even your health.

The first warning sign is obsession...

You become consumed by thoughts of sexual activity, to the point that sex becomes the only goal in life. Everything you do is about getting to sex and sexual satisfaction. It's all you can think about, and that's why everything else in your life starts to fall apart.

And then compulsion (lack of control)

Even when you know you shouldn't be doing it, you know you must stop - at the office, for instance, or when you're with strangers, or when you should get off the Internet because you have something else you should do - you can't, because you're on a porn site. Another example: You don't have money, but still spend on strippers or prostitutes.

Another warning sign: tolerance

This is when you need to increase the activity to achieve satisfaction, like an alcoholic who needs more and more drinks: You need more and more of the sex to feel better or even to deaden or numb feelings.

And finally, destructive behavior

The behavior could result in the collapse of a marriage, a job loss, etc. Think about the STD exposure: As with any addiction, you may practice safe sex at first, but often in a frenzy, or in serial sex, protection may take a back seat. Some sex addicts masturbate until their organs are cut or become raw. Some masochists allow themselves to be beaten to the point of serious injury.

I wish Mr. Duchovony and his entire family the very best for a successful recovery.

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David Duchovony enters rehab for addiction--to sex, a compulsive behavior but treatable mood disorder.

David Duchovony announced last night  that he was voluntarily going into rehab for sex addiction after years of denying he had a problem. Often likened to alcoholism, drug addiction ,gambling or mood disorder,  sex addiction is a form of compulsive behavior which is sending growing numbers of people into therapy but which is not formally recognized as a "diagnosable disorder" by the American Psychiatric Association.

Treatment for sex addiction usually includes psychotherapy, group meetings similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, and sometimes medications like anti-depressants whose common side-effects include a decrease in libido.

X-Files star David Duchovony has checked into rehab for sex addiction. “I have voluntarily entered a facility for the treatment of sex addiction,” Duchovony said in a statement released to People magazine. “I ask for the respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family.” It appears as though life is imitated art for Duchovony, who took home a Golden Globe award for playing an over-sexed writer on the hit tv show Californication. Duchovony has been married to actress Téa Leoni for 11 years, and they have two children together — daughter Madelaine West, 9, and son Kyd Miller, 6.

I wish him the very best for a successful rehabilitation.

Depression, obesity and gastric-bypass surgery.

Many depession patients also are obese, a potentially life threatening illness. Currently vagus nerve stimulation is under investigation for obesity.

What is gastric-by pass surgery?

Gastric bypass surgery, sometimes referred to as a “Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery” or simply as a “Roux-en-Y” (pronounced Roo-en-y), is the most common type of restrictive and malabsorptive surgical procedure.

Gastric bypass surgery permanently reduces the stomach to approximately the size of a golf ball and restricts the outlet of the stomach into the small intestine. Gastric bypass surgery also involves “bypassing” a significant portion of the small intestine. The portion of small intestine used to create the bypass is referred to as the “Roux limb.” When the length of the small intestine is reduced, the absorption of calories and nutrients is also reduced, making gastric bypass surgery both restrictive and malabsorptive.

Even when performed laparoscopically, gastric bypass surgery is very invasive and has significant risks. Mortality rates vary greatly and appear to be lowest at centers with higher surgical volumes and very experienced surgeons. Gastric bypass surgery reduces the digestive system's ability to absorb calories as well as vitamins and other micro-nutrients critical to health. Individuals who undergo gastric bypass surgery have a life-long need for nutritional supplements that may include, for example, vitamin B12 injections following surgery.

The causes and mechanisms of obesity are very complex. As with most interventions, bariatric weight loss surgery should be considered as one part of the obesity solution, complemented by increased activity and wise choices regarding diet and nutrition, as advised by each individual's medical provider. New potential treatments, such as VBLOC Therapy, are currently under investigation.

Johns Hopkins surgeon threatens to withhold VNS Therapy from epilepsy patients due to potentially lower reimbursement rates for lead replacement procedure. It is pitiful.

As most people already know,  Cyberonics  markets the Vagus Nerve Stimulation system, a pacemaker-shaped device that is implanted in the chest and sends electrical signals( via leads) to nerves in the neck. The government's Medicare program, which provides health care coverage to 44 million seniors, pays for the device when it is used to treat epilepsy. Vagus nerve stimulation therapy has improved the quality of life for many epilepsy patients.

On Wednesday The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Sercives (CMS) held a meeting regarding reducing reimbursement rates to physicians for lead replacement surgery( not the initial surgery). The surgeon is compensated quite handsomely for the implant, a 90-minute out-patient procedure.

Apparently a surgeon  from Johns Hopkins Medical said at the meeting that, if the proposed cut becomes final, he would no longer insert the VNS Therapy System in patients. In other words he would deliberately withhold a treatment that improves the quality of a patient's life. I would like to know his name and contact information. It was a pitiful and indefensible remark. If anyone knows his name, please e-mail me. This type of inexcusable behavior must be arrested as soon as possible.

We live in a wonderful world. I would recommend that this doctor re-read the Hippocratic Oath. This is my favorite part of the Oath sworn by the surgeon:

To keep the good of the patient as the highest priority. There may be other conflicting 'good purposes,' such as community welfare, conserving economic resources, supporting the criminal justice system, or simply making money for the physician or his employer that provide recurring challenges to physicians.
 

What is the priority of this surgeon from Johns Hopkins?

Natural treatments and tips for a better night's sleep.

If sleep has plunged to the bottom of your to-do list, you're not alone. Although the National Sleep Foundation recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night, the average American logs only six hours and 40 minutes. What gives? Blame crazy schedules and of course, sleeping woes. Before you rush to the drugstore to buy an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep medication, try one of the following natural sleep remedies.

"These are safer and have less side effects than OTC medications," says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of 'From Fatigued to Fantastic' and medical director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, adding that they're safe for anybody to use. Many of them not only help you fall asleep and stay asleep, but they also promote muscle relaxation.

Valerian root contains many different constituents, including essential oils that appear to contribute to the sedating properties of the herb. Central nervous system sedation is regulated by receptors in the brain known as GABA-A receptors. According to test tube studies, valerian may weakly bind to these receptors to exert a sedating action. This might explain why valerian may help some people deal with stress more effectively. Double-blind trials have found that valerian is an effective treatment for people with mild to moderately severe insomnia. Generally, valerian makes sleep more restful as well as making the transition to sleep easier, but does not tend to increase total time slept, according to these studies. Two trials have also found that a combination with lemon balm is effective in improving quality of sleep and in treating insomnia.

Sweet dreams............

Rodger Kamenetz, dream therapist, discusses of benefits of dreams and their implications for psychological benefits with Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah Winfrey Soul Series continued with a discussion of dream therapy and its use in psychotherapy with Rodger Kamentz. Rodger Kamenetz has been on a spiritual adventure since the early '90s, when his writing career took him to Dharamsala, India, to chronicle a meeting between the Dalai Lama and eight Jewish delegates. The result of that experience was Rodger's best-selling book The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India, an account of Rodger's experience in India, the similarities and differences between Jews and Buddhists and his own spiritual growth.

Rodger, the founding director of Louisiana State University's MFA program in creative writing and the founding director of the school's Jewish Studies Program, has written several other books, including Stalking Elijah, which in 1997 received the National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought. His latest book, The History of Last Night's Dream, investigates, explores and interprets dreams, and takes a closer look at how to use dreams to rediscover the soul.

Rodger is a certified dream therapist ( I didn't know there was such a thing as a certified dream therapist!)and since 2003 has been working with clients, using their dreams to lead them on "a journey of great psychological and spiritual depth." During the discussion  he cautioned not to interpret dreams, but  as he laid  out another way to meet and greet the nightly messages of human brains. Kamenetz offers a post-Jungian, semiarchetypal, image-centered view of dream meaning.

At times the interview was riveting intellectual and cultural while explaining the investigation of dreams and what they have to teach us. We discover how the age-old struggle between what we dream and how we interpret our dreams has shaped Western culture from biblical times to today. Kamenetz talked about  an eighty-seven-year-old female kabbalist in Jerusalem, a suave Tibetan Buddhist dream teacher in Copenhagen, and a crusty intuitive postman-turned-dream master in northern Vermont.

Kamenetz is clearly passionate. He fearlessly delves into this mysterious inner realm and shows us that dreams are not only intensely meaningful but that they hold essential truths about who we are. In the end, each of us has the choice to embark on this illuminating path to the soul. But one thing is certain: our dreams will never be the same again.

I thought it was pretty deep stuff, but I am for anything that can help someone out. Pleasant dreams to all. ZZZZZ.....

Stress at the office: what to do when a co-worker is stressed out?: The Wall Street Journal

I read an interesting articles in today's Wall Street Journal. The article was titled When a Co-Worker is Stressed Out. Stress can effect just about everyone's health, especially depression patients. The article made a very good observation:

Even in good times, it's not always easy to keep your cool on the job. But as the economy falters and layoffs sweep certain industries, many people are more worried than ever about job security -- in addition to fretting over the value of their homes, the cost of college and a host of other issues. Making matters worse: Stressed-out bosses and co-workers tend to pass tension on to others. Most people can handle the strain. But what do you do when you think that the person sitting next to you at work cannot?

Mental-health experts say they're seeing increasing signs of stress this year, with more people seeking professional help for mental strain brought on by financial or work issues. Since the Bear Stearns collapse last spring, calls to employee-assistance programs -- which help people with mental-health and personal problems -- have risen about 10%, according to the Employee Assistance Professionals Association.

"Work conditions can cause mental illness," says Rodney L. Lowman, a psychologist who specializes in occupational mental health and president of Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. "If we put healthy, well-adjusted people in the right foxhole with guns blaring at them, the likelihood of them experiencing depression and anxiety is very high."

Some Advice

• Never suggest that someone has a mental illness. "You always want to describe behavior, rather than label the person," says Ms. London, of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association. "So you don't want to say, 'I think you are anorexic.' You want to say, 'I am very concerned; I think you are losing a great deal of weight.'
• You don't want to say, 'I think you are an alcoholic.' You want to say, 'I am worried that every night after work you have six beers.'"

• It's perfectly fine, and can be helpful, to ask a co-worker how he's doing. But it's important not to be intrusive. "Say, 'I am sure you are experiencing a lot of stress at work; how are you coping?'" says Dr. Lowman. "It's about inviting conversation, not demanding answers."

We all know this feels.

In July, Senator Edward Kennedy returned to Washington to vote in favor of Mental Health Parity.

It should be duly noted that in July of 2008  Senator Edward Kennedy returned to Washington for the first time since his brain surgery especially to vote in favor of  this important legislation to improve health care for millions of Americans.   

Just a few days after reconvening from the July recess, the Senate joined the House in passing the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331) by a veto-proof 69-30. Less-publicized than the provision that would halt a payment cut for physicians providing treatment to Medicare patients is new equity between mental health and medical coverage.

When enacted, the bill will end a longstanding requirement that affects Medicare beneficiaries who need outpatient mental health services. Currently, they face a discriminatory 50% co-insurance for outpatient psychotherapy and services furnished by non-physician mental health professionals (20% for prescription and monitoring of medications to treat mental illness). In contrast, other outpatient health services require only a 20% co-payment.

The present outdated and unfair higher co-payment for mental health services has served as an incentive to use inpatient or institutional care instead of outpatient services. It has also led seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare to forgo needed mental health treatment.

The bill would establish mental health parity within the Medicare program, phasing in a reduction of the higher co-payment over six years, to 20% in 2014.

The passage of H.R. 6331 is a significant accomplishment and makes great strides in modernizing Medicare.

Depression and disability benefits: tips for getting the help you need.

Depression and other mood disorders can be debilitating can affect your ability to work. If you are afraid to leave your house, do not have the emotional strength to even get out of bed or suffer severe side effects from antidepressants, it is not possible to for you to work. You are entitled to receive disability benefits from Social Security. Even applying for Social Security benefits can be a daunting task for people who suffer from disabilities such as depression and epilepsy.

The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability programs are the largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities.

To apply for disability benefits for an adult, you will need to complete an application for Social Security Benefits AND an Adult Disability Report. The report collects information about your disabling condition and how it affects your ability to work. You can complete the forms online, or you may call Social Security to schedule an appointment and they will help you in person or by phone.

Here are a few important guidelines:

1. Severity: Your condition must interfere with basic work-related activities for your claim to be considered. If it does not, the SSA will find that you are not disabled. If your condition does interfere with basic work-related activities, you will be considered for benefits.
2. Is your condition found in the list of disabling conditions?
   For each of the major body systems, the SSA maintains a list of medical conditions that are so severe they automatically mean that you are disabled. If your condition is not on the list, they have to decide if it is of equal severity to a medical condition that is on the list. If it is, they will find that you are disabled.

To apply for Social Security benefits, click here to start the application process.

Good luck to all. I hope you get the benefits that you deserve.