tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41192376723839308482024-03-12T18:03:44.455-04:00Healthy Minds. Healthy Lives.Raising awareness. Improving understanding.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-43970919163965900552015-09-08T12:10:00.000-04:002015-09-08T12:11:59.444-04:00The Healthy Minds Blog has moved. <h3>
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<br /><br />Please see us at the newly revamped APA web site at </h3>
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<a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs">www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs</a>.</h3>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-12902793032988847482015-08-19T10:29:00.001-04:002015-08-25T11:23:32.060-04:00Expanding Use of Technology for Mental Health<br />
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More than half of people with mental illness are not receiving the care they need, but technology is offering those in need more ways to access mental health help. While using technology is not new, it is rapidly changing and expanding. A June 2015 World Health Organization report notes that 6 six percent of all mobile health apps relate to mental health. <br />
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A look at a few examples of the ways technology is improving mental health care: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzubpQ0ipqr9PdbPhapDjPEwaKMsUc4JpdeBJ5T8YELutZbEPeonbosN-M60Zd2e2FvUVYdtMC0HeFADVjG5v5jkz3J1Ref6dmr1DDebgsT40f0DEm_WtTyWvuEGLn3GDyhvvRk0fMiIM/s1600/shutterstock_226951840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzubpQ0ipqr9PdbPhapDjPEwaKMsUc4JpdeBJ5T8YELutZbEPeonbosN-M60Zd2e2FvUVYdtMC0HeFADVjG5v5jkz3J1Ref6dmr1DDebgsT40f0DEm_WtTyWvuEGLn3GDyhvvRk0fMiIM/s200/shutterstock_226951840.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Assess/ Track Symptoms</b><br />
Technology is being used to help individuals and their physicians track depression symptoms. For example, one app helps monitor mental health by tracking in real time responses to depression screening questions. Many emergency rooms are now using remote access to psychiatrists to provide psychiatric services that would not otherwise have been available.<br />
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<b>Access to Therapy Remotely</b><br />
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and other talk therapies are increasingly being provided remotely. A recent study looking at computer and Internet based CBT found it to be a promising treatment for youth with depression and anxiety.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV26AN_sqMADCJ8i2ogfok1ts8lBZqkudz2iv9CfzqEdy2wPWGlAkbNGGdpDeIYp2bYv34be_AoZSh9155ZgBIxk-4ywhYZjerAK9jC-mqzbfyaLIvkHXeceHBWScoA5Xrpe7H1QNF9X8T/s1600/love+is+louder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV26AN_sqMADCJ8i2ogfok1ts8lBZqkudz2iv9CfzqEdy2wPWGlAkbNGGdpDeIYp2bYv34be_AoZSh9155ZgBIxk-4ywhYZjerAK9jC-mqzbfyaLIvkHXeceHBWScoA5Xrpe7H1QNF9X8T/s320/love+is+louder.JPG" width="320" /></a><b>Connect</b><br />
Technology allows people to connect to others for sharing, understanding, support and community. For example, the Love is Louder campaign, a collaboration of The Jed Foundation, MTV and Brittany Snow, has hundreds of thousands of participants in its efforts to address issues such as bullying, discrimination, loneliness and depression. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has developed a support app, NAMIAir (Anonymous, Inspiring, and Relatable), for people looking to connect and talk about mental health. It is designed for use by individuals with mental illines and their families and allows people to share experiences and receive encouragement.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FJeyFCjYLOCwnI8eiiTO_G8tD8tUVCnRzX3PAJ1HtGOT4i2r8E7deDB1pNh-KKzqFSZfmTlB-dL2i6GygQUUR66fgfICi-BmA7ovI6rgxMtucmEdGsB2Vvdqt-ONwrSYGxNpmNg_f5nh/s1600/namiair.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FJeyFCjYLOCwnI8eiiTO_G8tD8tUVCnRzX3PAJ1HtGOT4i2r8E7deDB1pNh-KKzqFSZfmTlB-dL2i6GygQUUR66fgfICi-BmA7ovI6rgxMtucmEdGsB2Vvdqt-ONwrSYGxNpmNg_f5nh/s200/namiair.jpeg" width="112" /></a><br />
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<b>Communicate</b><br />
Numerous apps are available to help people who have difficulty with communication, such as many people with autism, to express themselves. The apps are changing the lives of many children and adults with autism.<br />
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But experts offer a word of caution when considering using technology to aid in mental health. One recent review of smartphone uses for mental health concluded that “mobile apps for mental health have the potential to be effective in reducing depression, anxiety, stress and possibly substance use.” However, the authors caution that few have been tested and found effective and they call for further research and possibly regulation.(1) Another group of researchers looking at smartphone apps for anxiety concluded that the apps can be useful for self-help and can complement existing treatment. However, they also cautioned that patients should be wary about security, privacy, and effectiveness.(2)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">References</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(1) Donker T, Petrie K, Proudfoot J, et al. Smartphones for Smarter Delivery of Mental Health Programs: A Systematic Review</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(2) Chan S, Torous J, Misra S, et al. Smartphone apps for anxiety: A Review of Commercially Available Apps Using a Heuristic Review Framework. Poster presentation at Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, 2015.</span><br />
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By Deborah Cohen, Senior Writer, APA<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-56308788337742300462015-08-14T06:45:00.001-04:002015-08-19T11:43:56.623-04:00Celebrating the Progress and Promise of the ADA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7vhIhc4SZRNQLR06COu0wc0nxG3anL_jltjACXGYmQO8j5Svpa9M_buuRfmJtqN6VCH8gzM5Hlcv35jAOEkPWLWOEnfYQ4l6cTRnpz11JKWJP9z2npw4GtKDS0KVCAs7CCHYUnt3vkAZ/s1600/25th_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7vhIhc4SZRNQLR06COu0wc0nxG3anL_jltjACXGYmQO8j5Svpa9M_buuRfmJtqN6VCH8gzM5Hlcv35jAOEkPWLWOEnfYQ4l6cTRnpz11JKWJP9z2npw4GtKDS0KVCAs7CCHYUnt3vkAZ/s200/25th_logo.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Twenty-five years ago, on July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the <a href="http://www.ada.gov/" target="_blank">Americans with Disabilities Act </a>(ADA). The ADA and the subsequent ADA Amendments Act, signed in 2008 by President George W. Bush, expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers and changing perceptions. As a result, our society is more open and accessible to people with disabilities today than it was just a generation ago.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br />The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment, services rendered by state and local governments, places of public accommodation, transportation, and telecommunication services.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3z3b8-4bh4ZQwgI0-5Jfk_SaqcEe31LBzyeBbdYcuKbmRDo5lr_dx30VPvc3-Tcmwnk2LgKINFNMZlbGuO8Z_-5MgYgMyGRTywPyrJXMeRyLhnuzZk8Xpo92dXLq2xAV1Z3dvUJLG3BX/s1600/shutterstock_110162351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3z3b8-4bh4ZQwgI0-5Jfk_SaqcEe31LBzyeBbdYcuKbmRDo5lr_dx30VPvc3-Tcmwnk2LgKINFNMZlbGuO8Z_-5MgYgMyGRTywPyrJXMeRyLhnuzZk8Xpo92dXLq2xAV1Z3dvUJLG3BX/s200/shutterstock_110162351.jpg" width="156" /></a>While the ADA mandates equal access to employment for people with a physical or mental impairment, two-thirds of Americans with disabilities are still unemployed or underemployed, a number that has not changed since the ADA became law. Truly, employment remains the unfulfilled promise of the ADA.<br />
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In a recent Catholic News Service article, Marian Vessels, director of the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center in Rockville, Md., suggested the need to address disabilities that may not be apparent or obvious, noting: “accommodations need to be made for people with psychiatric issues, people with PTSD, people with a variety of different learning disabilities.” Addressing these concerns is critical to expanding opportunity for those with mental or intellectual disabilities, as well as those with physical disabilities.<br />
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The Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC), a program of the <a href="http://www.aapd.com/" target="_blank">American Association of People with Disabilities </a>(AAPD), partnered with the ADA Legacy Project, the Collaborative on Faith and Disability, and the ADA National Network to celebrate the progress and recommit to the promise of the ADA. We developed worship and education resources, a proclamation for faith communities to commit to full implementation of the ADA, and hosted an interfaith worship service celebrating 25 years of the ADA, July 26 in Washington, D.C.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkr0GM69dqC2ALMOXhf3HuieaGqsWkQQO-xvw74G4UQWKDJ6BF0c0NyD25jNeD5qQLdCZlPmzlGjgRJ5mUBMIhkq8W9yAxndqgEoMiEqOlmXwCCLlAKLzR9jav4C__lJe61_Bjb_Ds5lfb/s1600/shutterstock_121187878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkr0GM69dqC2ALMOXhf3HuieaGqsWkQQO-xvw74G4UQWKDJ6BF0c0NyD25jNeD5qQLdCZlPmzlGjgRJ5mUBMIhkq8W9yAxndqgEoMiEqOlmXwCCLlAKLzR9jav4C__lJe61_Bjb_Ds5lfb/s200/shutterstock_121187878.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
While the 25th anniversary of the signing of the ADA has passed, the opportunity to recommit ourselves to expanding access and opportunity for Americans with disabilities remains, whether those disabilities are apparent or not.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><br />By Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, Director of Interfaith Engagement</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">American Association of People with Disabilities</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-28915062389989751962015-08-12T08:17:00.000-04:002015-08-12T08:17:09.835-04:00Why People Don’t Get Help for Alcohol Use<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrv6L6XxmKoXM-0MvB5smi1RfaUeGlu6_muhx6av3029gp3Y8gnTGdH2cp_QEupz76XNiuCWr9GxA9hUpvC9UXUgLE0N_7SoqimdjsAmVNRbH5k8ppHOdVkXB7QTw9cnqYMKbKrAgHmWBf/s1600/alcohol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrv6L6XxmKoXM-0MvB5smi1RfaUeGlu6_muhx6av3029gp3Y8gnTGdH2cp_QEupz76XNiuCWr9GxA9hUpvC9UXUgLE0N_7SoqimdjsAmVNRbH5k8ppHOdVkXB7QTw9cnqYMKbKrAgHmWBf/s200/alcohol.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Alcohol misuse is common – more than 16 million US adults (about seven percent) have alcohol use disorder. Yet many people don’t get help. Less than one in 10 people with alcohol use disorder receiving treatment, according to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.<br />
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Many people with alcohol use disorder don’t think they need treatment, yet even among people who believe they need treatment, only 15-30 percent receive treatment. Researchers looking into why people don’t get treatment found barriers related to beliefs and attitude the biggest obstacle.<br />
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Among people who believe they need treatment, their attitudes are the most commonly reported barriers, according to research reported in Psychiatric Services in Advance on August 3, 2015 Financial barriers (e.g., couldn’t afford it) and structural barriers (e.g., didn’t have time, didn’t know where to go) were cited much less frequently.<br />
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The top barriers to seeking help for alcohol problems were<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I should be strong enough to handle it alone - 42%<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The problem would get better by itself - 33%<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Not serious enough to seek treatment - 21%<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Too embarrassed to discuss it - 19%<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Szx6t3QicdvyIMinLuDLyF8cagPiirALmC2xyassdgThv7-urAOxa1bXfPDefTRmhzkcI_zY5RdEqqVTKzBA1IWxAq-a2MI1wp5OJ_RCHgWFOZUaYS6fkLhJD5xByI1Z9n7NuO4E_A78/s1600/alcohol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Szx6t3QicdvyIMinLuDLyF8cagPiirALmC2xyassdgThv7-urAOxa1bXfPDefTRmhzkcI_zY5RdEqqVTKzBA1IWxAq-a2MI1wp5OJ_RCHgWFOZUaYS6fkLhJD5xByI1Z9n7NuO4E_A78/s320/alcohol.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Previous research has identified some characteristics that make if more or less likely that people will seek treatment: unmarried people are more likely to get treatment than married people and men are more likely to get treatment than women.<br />
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One ongoing problem, the researchers note, is that many doctors are still uncomfortable asking about alcohol use.<br />
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Concerned about your own drinking? See an <a href="http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/How-much-is-too-much/Is-your-drinking-pattern-risky/Whats-Your-Pattern.aspx" target="_blank">online assessment from NIAAA</a> and learn more problem drinking and getting help in <a href="http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/RethinkingDrinking/OrderPage.htm" target="_blank">Rethinking Drinking.</a> Find help with SAMHSA’s <a href="http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/" target="_blank">Behavioral Health Treatment Locator</a> or 24-hour toll-free Referral Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">By Deborah Cohen, Senior Writer, American Psychiatric Association</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-40990294595074876902015-08-07T13:26:00.001-04:002015-08-07T13:26:25.273-04:00Celebrities Take on Roles as Mental Health Advocates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXtPwyzy2qv4sB88Dx3bUMvZA0McHSoPKb35f9g762byzG_hu67GW215XWxpdHgN1297bqfOlMMmGJvdOI-rkK4ANMSxnVsKCqyXWZl4UyPM2qUv4FradVeSDxmW1oU_Ihb5ruxB_BTAQ/s1600/Jared+P.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXtPwyzy2qv4sB88Dx3bUMvZA0McHSoPKb35f9g762byzG_hu67GW215XWxpdHgN1297bqfOlMMmGJvdOI-rkK4ANMSxnVsKCqyXWZl4UyPM2qUv4FradVeSDxmW1oU_Ihb5ruxB_BTAQ/s200/Jared+P.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Actor Jared Padalecki, known for his roles in “Supernatural” and “Gilmore Girls,” has become the latest in a long list of celebrities who are speaking out about mental illness. These famous people are talking about their personal experiences and using their popularity to help raise awareness, fight stigma, and encourage people who are struggling to reach out and get help. Padelecki has talked about his struggles with depression and initiated the #AlwaysKeepFighting campaign to raise awareness and support.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSWoazCJ1-k4bgyUP5n1ntf5zQ5tGPlvMl1HrKmyZda2b6NJqj_0FmlPJNQFM-zrV3c4iSo4YVGrPGpO9RgESHHgjJkh_kFpfzEFAeZ1YjY4CjG9PHzYn6UikC-nyPOI-t5H6mihOI0BM/s1600/BeVocal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSWoazCJ1-k4bgyUP5n1ntf5zQ5tGPlvMl1HrKmyZda2b6NJqj_0FmlPJNQFM-zrV3c4iSo4YVGrPGpO9RgESHHgjJkh_kFpfzEFAeZ1YjY4CjG9PHzYn6UikC-nyPOI-t5H6mihOI0BM/s200/BeVocal.JPG" width="200" /></a>Musician Demi Lovato has been outspoken and public about her experience with bipolar disorder and has become an outspoken advocate for mental health. She recently joined with several organizations, including the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the Jed Foundation, and others, as part of the <a href="http://bevocalspeakup.com/" target="_blank">Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health</a> initiative. The campaign encourages individuals to speak up for themselves in asking for help and to learn how to speak out for others in the community.<br />
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Actress Glenn Close has been outspoken and active in bringing national attention to the issue of mental illness. After seeing her sister cope with a mental illness and the stigma associated with it, Close founded the nonprofit advocacy organization of <a href="http://www.bringchange2mind.org/" target="_blank">Bring Change 2 Mind.</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFaOo18a4Ac3qNiyLreDlX0sx5JrKx6csZt7zRzke7tubkNn3pIPHc9FAythimlA2g_pPR4UXecoVGNPWi8k_uXJy99Gz7uIu9BLLeHAMAQkVT9eFpTzL_zGxxZ_igToWg24rQ8183orM/s1600/NKM2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFaOo18a4Ac3qNiyLreDlX0sx5JrKx6csZt7zRzke7tubkNn3pIPHc9FAythimlA2g_pPR4UXecoVGNPWi8k_uXJy99Gz7uIu9BLLeHAMAQkVT9eFpTzL_zGxxZ_igToWg24rQ8183orM/s200/NKM2.JPG" width="200" /></a>Actor Joey Pantoliano, has also been active in talking about his personal struggles with depression and substance use. He is raising awareness and fighting stigma through his <a href="http://www.nkm2.org/" target="_blank">No Kidding, Me Too! </a>foundation. Among its many activities, NKM2 promotes messages of empowerments and acceptance through an award-winning documentary of the same name and a series of public service announcements.<br />
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Brooke Shields has publicly shared her experience with postpartum depression and written her story of despair and recovery in a memoir, “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Down-Came-Rain-Postpartum-Depression/dp/1401308465" target="_blank">Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression.</a>” Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia of “Star Wars” fame) has taken her advocacy to the stage with her autobiographical one-woman play “Wishful Drinking,” where she tells her story of bipolar disorder and substance use with openness and humor.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssUaTF3tMIrhl8ZpIlk78wwpGZi74o5CuUKA5Rhxqgh9uvCStqwAxHBcET80EVNi6fC-5NYTzT0CS8uYhOp1r_KWmI_af2zdARkSLlgWt2vVtXCmc_bV7e2tJlrOLlBkwJl1uW6ld-iIR/s1600/HealthyMindsTV.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssUaTF3tMIrhl8ZpIlk78wwpGZi74o5CuUKA5Rhxqgh9uvCStqwAxHBcET80EVNi6fC-5NYTzT0CS8uYhOp1r_KWmI_af2zdARkSLlgWt2vVtXCmc_bV7e2tJlrOLlBkwJl1uW6ld-iIR/s200/HealthyMindsTV.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />As Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., president and CEO of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, noted in a recent interview with CNN, "When celebrities speak publicly about their own experiences with depression or other psychiatric conditions, it's very helpful. It opens up a conversation about these issues. If someone you admire is going through the same thing you might be going through, it makes a difference with people, it causes people to seek help."<br />
<br />Borenstein is also host of a PBS series on mental health issues called Healthy Minds. You can view past episodes on topics such as bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia, and more online at <a href="http://www.wliw.org/programs/healthy-minds/" target="_blank">WLIW – Healthy Minds</a>.<br />
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By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-28540419007247734202015-08-04T13:12:00.000-04:002015-08-04T13:12:33.823-04:00Mental Illness Alone is Not a Risk for Gun Violence<br />
While media coverage of gun violence often leaves us with the perception of close link between violence and mental illness, extensive research tells us that many other factors are associated with a greater risk of gun violence. Most people with mental illness are not violent, and most violent acts are committed by people without mental illness.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziumDArWbXo902GajRMrdhIAgOpfrl1v-PCtk2tkAvpWUDnorVT9HWBZz_rTLDq3Zn4EOkKGuf5gJwU8g9AkocEILHqwI6q1u4XJMmV4J4lXLdNVCrE0wkN2mGYf7Bt7ug8_Voz0HM-iO/s1600/shutterstock_12618730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziumDArWbXo902GajRMrdhIAgOpfrl1v-PCtk2tkAvpWUDnorVT9HWBZz_rTLDq3Zn4EOkKGuf5gJwU8g9AkocEILHqwI6q1u4XJMmV4J4lXLdNVCrE0wkN2mGYf7Bt7ug8_Voz0HM-iO/s200/shutterstock_12618730.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />New research adds to the wealth of evidence that mental illness is not a risk for gun violence. Research published in June in Psychiatric Services in Advance found that prior violence, substance abuse, and early trauma are more likely to contribute to future violence than mental illness. The study authors conclude that public safety will not be improved by policies “shaped by highly publicized but infrequent instances of gun violence toward strangers.”<br />
<br />A 2006 report from the Institute of Medicine concludes that "… the contribution of people with mental illnesses to overall rates of violence is small, and further, the magnitude of the relationship is greatly exaggerated in the minds of the general population."<br />
<br />People with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence—people with serious mental illness are more than 10 times more likely to be <br />
victims of violence than the general public.<br />
<br />
And while mental illness is not a major risk factor for gun violence, mental illness is a significant risk factor for suicide. Some 39,000 people die by suicide in the United States each year—more than 50 percent by firearm (56 percent of men and 31 percent of women), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the major risk factors for suicide are a prior suicide attempt, substance misuse, mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder), and access to lethal means. However, research has also identified key protective factors—factors that make it less likely that a person will attempt or die by suicide. Protective factors include effective mental health care and connection to family, friends and community.<br />
<br />By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-2975470813990015472015-07-29T10:18:00.000-04:002015-07-29T10:18:32.009-04:00Diversity, Culture, and Mental Health <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/Diversity/Diversity%20Month/DMHM-Infographic.pdf" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-TOv8PCxS0fa_9eAjwCQtcdjElLbklsmk8a3dsCn9zO8j3Bg-nJzTtO4RImdQuH2JnSAjP8nbCaNkcJcMbHoef8mjAYxrMkvOYuiRdgwmMtJpnCabfN-JzKJ-p_HvRkZICCOY1hxxfa1/s200/DMHM+Infographic+small+DC.jpg" title="" width="121" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/Diversity/Diversity%20Month/DMHM-Infographic.pdf" target="_blank">Diverse Populations and Mental Health</a></td></tr>
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July is the American Psychiatric Association’s Diversity Mental Health Month, a time to appreciate the diversity among us and to focus on the unique mental health issues of diverse populations and efforts to reduce mental health disparities. It’s clear we live in an increasingly diverse society, but how does that diversity relate to mental health and receiving quality mental health services? <br />
<br />
Cultural background, including race/ethnicity and other aspects, can greatly influence how we think and feel about mental health and illness, how we experience symptoms, how we communicate about mental illness, and how and where we seek help. Some people may be reluctant to talk about mental health concerns out of fear or shame, some people may seek help from faith leaders, while others may turn to a family doctor or a mental health professional. (See the infographic from APA: <a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/Diversity/Diversity%20Month/DMHM-Infographic.pdf" target="_blank">Mental Health and Diverse Populations.</a>)<br />
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Extensive research tells us that ethnic and racial disparities in mental health care exist. A new report from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes that among adults with mental illness, whites, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and adults reporting two or more races reported higher mental health service use than black, Asian, and Hispanic adults. (See chart.) <br />
Being aware of differences in the use of mental health services among different ethnic/racial population groups is critical for mental health professionals. That is part of what Diversity Mental Health Month is about – increasing understanding among psychiatrists about the influences of cultural diversity in their practices.<br />
<br />
The SAMHSA report also looked at why people don’t use mental health services. Adults across all racial/ethnic groups cited the same reason most frequently for not using mental health services: the cost of services cost or lack of insurance. Other reasons included: low perceived need; stigma; and structural barriers. Concern about whether mental health services would help was the least cited reason by all racial/ethnic groups.<br />
<br />The top barrier to care, cost, may at least be partly addressed as more people gain access to mental health care with the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity Act. Many organizations, including the APA, are working to improve cultural sensitivity and to reduce the stigma of mental health, particularly among racial and ethnic minority populations.<br />
<br />By Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H., Director<br />
APA Division of Diversity and Health Equity<br />
<br />
<i>This post is part of an ongoing series spotlighting diversity from APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-84974255620578116882015-07-24T10:46:00.002-04:002015-07-24T10:46:22.613-04:00Marijuana: Legal Doesn’t Mean Safe<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocd1FJB2kx8CIQ0-19o6hf40Sd0EPYdF-Q45HOd-06ojPEnUPXCHCaJ8gRUbdw4U7RLPU6tKD9R0Fyx-snOx3zo2tgd2fPViiYNG29_TJTOlxGZXf7VE4t1uXIPSa_18o7VqA3FZgWdfN/s1600/marijuana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocd1FJB2kx8CIQ0-19o6hf40Sd0EPYdF-Q45HOd-06ojPEnUPXCHCaJ8gRUbdw4U7RLPU6tKD9R0Fyx-snOx3zo2tgd2fPViiYNG29_TJTOlxGZXf7VE4t1uXIPSa_18o7VqA3FZgWdfN/s200/marijuana.jpg" width="200" /></a>Twenty-three
states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing some form of marijuana
use, and recreational use of marijuana is legal in four states and D.C. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Does
this growing trend to legalize marijuana mean we don’t need to worry about it? About
one in 10 people who try marijuana will become addicted to it which means that
they most likely will use it in increasing quantities, develop tolerance (less
effect from it as time goes on), will have withdrawal symptoms if they try to
stop, and will find that the marijuana use is causing them to neglect other
important areas of their life like work, relationships and leisure
activities. </div>
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Even
occasional use of marijuana can have negative effects. hen someone has marijuana in his/her system,
short term memory is impaired, reflexes are impaired and judgment is
impaired. These impairments can last 24
hours or longer after the use of the marijuana so it is certainly not safe to
drive after using marijuana. Most people will not be able to perform other
demanding tasks (work-related activities, childcare) at the level they are
accustomed to after using marijuana. <o:p></o:p></div>
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All the
evidence that we now have indicates that marijuana is possibly permanently damaging
to the developing adolescent brain. All
children should be strongly discouraged from using it at all until they are at
least 21 years of age. If marijuana is
smoked there are also potential physical health risks, such as damage to the
lungs or cardiovascular system.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For more information, see American Psychiatric Association’s <a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Learn/Archives/rd2013_MarijuanaMedicine.pdf">Resource
Document on Marijuana as Medicine</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />By Andrew Saxon, MD<o:p></o:p></div>
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Professor and Director, Addiction
Psychiatry Residency Program<o:p></o:p></div>
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University of Washington<o:p></o:p></div>
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Director, Center of
Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education<o:p></o:p></div>
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VA Puget Sound Health
Care System<o:p></o:p></div>
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Seattle, WA <o:p></o:p></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-1638860894833449862015-07-21T12:47:00.001-04:002015-07-23T15:32:24.250-04:00Transgender: A Diverse Group of Individuals<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JnooNpIcKQFMTuzqjpDZi9BTuAJxifiaf16GOCZ856_9rBJEaFS1C69O_ncqAl6xEpx6tIloE-F9WlcaODvTjGkjQReGKv44CJRNLgr0pBKmY-rcJd4Kr6vZyTGqxXdaWIktw7SOJaPJ/s1600/Transgender+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JnooNpIcKQFMTuzqjpDZi9BTuAJxifiaf16GOCZ856_9rBJEaFS1C69O_ncqAl6xEpx6tIloE-F9WlcaODvTjGkjQReGKv44CJRNLgr0pBKmY-rcJd4Kr6vZyTGqxXdaWIktw7SOJaPJ/s400/Transgender+large.jpg" width="400" /></a>With the recent spotlight on people who identify as transgender, it’s important to keep in mind that transgender people are as diverse as the general population and express themselves in a number of ways.<br />
<br />
On a very basic level, a transgender person is born as male or female, but identifies as either the opposite gender, both genders, or no gender at all. Some who are labeled as transgender may also decide not to even use that term. There is plenty of evidence that transgender people have existed as long as there has been a concept of male and female. Only recently have they received enough support from society to express themselves in a more open way. This new recognition and support has opened the door for transgender people to pursue life in a body that feels on the outside the way they have always felt inside.<br />
<br />
People who identify as transgender usually start to notice their differences early in life. However people can identify and come to understand themselves to be transgender at any point during their life. Along the lines of discovering one’s sexual orientation, there are no clear “rules,” and identifying as a transgender individual is a very personal and unique process. This means that those who identify as transgender may decide to dress as the opposite gender, take hormones to change their bodies, and even have surgical procedures to change their appearance to fit how they feel on the inside. There are also many transgender people who decide that these options are not right for them and express themselves in other ways.<br />
<br />
Because society has traditionally been unaccepting to those who identify as transgender, they are at higher risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and even suicide. Symptoms can generally improve once the person is in a more supportive and accepting environment. Being supportive can be as simple as using the person’s preferred name and pronoun. Traditionally, even this level of support has not been reached in the health care industry because lack of education and training. It’s important that health care providers become more educated about this diverse group of individuals so that all transgender people can receive appropriate health care for their minds and bodies.<br />
<br />
For more information on the historical and psychological evolution of transgender Individuals, please see <a href="http://www.aglp.org/gap/6_transgender/" target="_blank">Association for Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists </a>(AGLP).<br />
More information and medical guidelines can be found at World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), <a href="http://www.wpath.org/">www.wpath.org/</a><br />
<br />
By Eric Yarbrough, M.D.<br />
President, Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists<br />
Director of Psychiatric Services, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center<br />
New York City<br />
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<i>This post is part of an ongoing series spotlighting
diversity from APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-13588627890284873102015-07-17T12:30:00.002-04:002015-07-17T12:30:35.917-04:00Human Trafficking: Modern Day SlaveryHuman trafficking is one of the fastest-growing global crimes according to the United Nations. No country is immune to this modern-day slavery. According to one estimate, some 15,000 people are trafficked each year in the U.S. for either forced labor or sexual exploitation. Though governments across the world have declared slavery illegal, more than 20 million people worldwide are victims of forced labor. Human trafficking is the second largest source of illegal income, second only to drug trafficking. This inhumane business cuts across gender, age and ethnicity.<br />
<br />A number of factors—poverty, child abuse, adverse social conditions, gender inequality—make people susceptible to trafficking. Children and youth are among the most vulnerable. Long and short-term physical and mental torture endured by victims leads to many health consequences. Physical health consequences can include traumatic brain injuries and other physical injuries, gastrointestinal problems, infectious diseases, poor nutrition, and reproductive health problems. Psychological consequences can include shame, grief, fear, distrust, self-blame and self-hatred, drug and alcohol addiction, suicide, suicidal thoughts, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).<br />
<br />Though this business operates in our communities, we don’t see these victims in day-to-day life as they are often kept behind locked doors. However, there are things we can do to fight human trafficking—educate ourselves, spread the word, become involved with groups fighting human trafficking and, take a closer look in our communities. With little knowledge about the human trafficking indicators and few follow-up questions, one can identify incidences of victimization and report them to the relevant authorities. Below is a list of indicators and questions from the U.S. Department of State which may help spot a victim.<br />
<br /><b>Human Trafficking Indicators</b><br />
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•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Living with employer<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Poor living conditions<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Multiple people in cramped space<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Inability to speak to individual alone<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Employer is holding identity documents<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Signs of physical abuse<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Submissive or fearful<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Unpaid or paid very little<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Under 18 and in prostitution<br />
<br /><b>Questions to Ask</b><br />
<br />Assuming you have the opportunity to speak with a potential victim privately and without jeopardizing the victim’s safety because the trafficker is watching, here are some sample questions to ask to follow up on concerns:<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Can you leave your job if you want to?<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Can you come and go as you please?<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Have you been hurt or threatened if you tried to leave?<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Has your family been threatened?<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Do you live with your employer?<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Where do you sleep and eat?<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Are you in debt to your employer?<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Do you have your passport/identification? Who has it?<br />
<br />For more information, visit <a href="http://www.stopthetraffik.org/the-scale-of-human-traffiking" target="_blank">Stop the Traffik</a>, a global movement of activists working to stop human trafficking.<br />
<br />
<br />
By<br />
Sejal Petal, Sr. Program Coordinator, and <br />
Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H., Director<br />
APA Division of Diversity and Health Equity<br />
<br />
This post is part of an ongoing series spotlighting diversity from APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-80621051872392187522015-07-13T12:39:00.000-04:002015-07-13T12:39:02.948-04:00Stigma: Changing the Conversation and Changing Lives<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Vi4jSpsEu5al7evTdlqC-eo8yJOqh7hBs7MwOML3w35T-Ec4G6fdwyEcV3adTpcRHM7qV-MSFdhBg4LADRtKJbmrDkvTrDL47kpywLJSIj88bW80Gepasu8Z1gkbdJ5YUyPuQpO2TJef/s1600/Binder+headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Vi4jSpsEu5al7evTdlqC-eo8yJOqh7hBs7MwOML3w35T-Ec4G6fdwyEcV3adTpcRHM7qV-MSFdhBg4LADRtKJbmrDkvTrDL47kpywLJSIj88bW80Gepasu8Z1gkbdJ5YUyPuQpO2TJef/s1600/Binder+headshot.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Renee Binder, MD<br />APA President</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reminded recently of the death of an acquaintance who was at the top of her career when she died suddenly after complications from surgery, according to her obituary. I later learned that she had died from suicide, possibly in response to her struggle with chronic pain and resulting depression. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Stigma serves as a barrier to seeking treatment often because of fears of discrimination. A few years ago, a patient requested that I not keep any records and wanted to pay me in cash. He was concerned that if his psychiatric records were ever discovered, his career could be negatively impacted. Were this man’s concerns legitimate? In a more public incident Sen. Tom Eagleton was forced to withdraw as a candidate for vice president in 1972 after it became public that he had suffered from depression and undergone ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoadE9j1_F7-CzlRADz3zHZ1lIoNDeTpg0UBzZ4BcRgkluMWdNCR4TMAPhqoiLaDBFCgfCQNMNeJTBB2h_0l8uhte02Yb4Tnt2JP8UbrVDFE4JBEhidBQf0ZJNGYQ38sIwyKfiCYpk2Gg/s1600/shutterstock_214411201+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoadE9j1_F7-CzlRADz3zHZ1lIoNDeTpg0UBzZ4BcRgkluMWdNCR4TMAPhqoiLaDBFCgfCQNMNeJTBB2h_0l8uhte02Yb4Tnt2JP8UbrVDFE4JBEhidBQf0ZJNGYQ38sIwyKfiCYpk2Gg/s200/shutterstock_214411201+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />According to the <i>Merriam-Webster Dictionary</i>, the definition of stigma is a set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people has about something; it is a mark of shame or discredit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />How can we begin to address mental health stigma? Here are several ideas: We need courageous spokespersons who are willing to come forward and talk about mental health issues that they or their families are experiencing. Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy is one such champion. He has openly discussed his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse and how treatment has helped him lead a productive and rewarding life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can learn from the LGBT community and their struggles with stigma and negative stereotypes. They have taught us that “coming out” by public figures and celebrities can decrease stigma.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Another way of combating stigma is for my fellow mental health professions, psychiatrists and others, to take responsibility for examining the language that is used by the media and in our society. Words such as “lunatic,” “crazy person,” or “maniac” convey images of people who are out of control and dangerous rather than people who are experiencing a mental illness and deserve our compassion and support in getting effective treatments. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Mental health professionals and others can take an active role in drawing attention to language and advocating for more appropriate, compassionate and less stigmatizing language. Mental health care is an essential part of health care. Almost everyone will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in his or her lifetime.. But for people to be willing to access the mental health care they need, we have to continue the fight against stigma.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBcQfkJUFuVMcSG5VjUqx11RA5SPSnW6mOi0rKAJ5S1V2EMoaRgbL5DjqTDa6AogmHqaHEA1JjrDTYErxQERtu5zbPJ2B3IjOnWsLHiPMIj8OKKWo8kU5Eh6zvz_3_S7u_LKwKhZ1KjSh/s1600/shutterstock_190903178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBcQfkJUFuVMcSG5VjUqx11RA5SPSnW6mOi0rKAJ5S1V2EMoaRgbL5DjqTDa6AogmHqaHEA1JjrDTYErxQERtu5zbPJ2B3IjOnWsLHiPMIj8OKKWo8kU5Eh6zvz_3_S7u_LKwKhZ1KjSh/s320/shutterstock_190903178.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />If we are successful in addressing stigma, and we must be, then not only will we change the conversation, we will also change people’s lives and change the culture. We will finally reach the point where all of us can openly talk about someone’s death by suicide and encourage people with mental health problems to seek the help they need without fear of judgment or harmful repercussions.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Renée Binder, M.D., APA President </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-3201758404626009952015-07-08T09:11:00.002-04:002015-08-04T09:35:16.746-04:00Know Your Rights: Fair Insurance Coverage for Mental Health<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD23k-dy6a6J4GOAeIqgoMM7J9MPcRw4IcyiX3Lm5KnI_tPKegW7lHF3YbKC2yoT5GL3Q3OjEcXMExgKdhRrHVdFISeYePxWPYx7TxEYBo8Y-DyGNTIPLEhYuR8cPJxVZFqVu6HDkw6spV/s1600/Parity+poster+2015+Eng.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD23k-dy6a6J4GOAeIqgoMM7J9MPcRw4IcyiX3Lm5KnI_tPKegW7lHF3YbKC2yoT5GL3Q3OjEcXMExgKdhRrHVdFISeYePxWPYx7TxEYBo8Y-DyGNTIPLEhYuR8cPJxVZFqVu6HDkw6spV/s320/Parity+poster+2015+Eng.JPG" width="209" /></a><br />
Federal
law is clear that health insurance companies cannot discriminate against people
seeking care for mental illness or addiction. But how do you know if your insurance
company is not complying with the law? What can you do if you suspect a
violation?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
American Psychiatric Association (APA) created a tool to help answer these
questions. The poster titled, “<a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/Parity/APAParityRightsPoster.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Fair Insurance Coverage: It’s the Law</span></a>”
(<a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Practice/Parity/APAParityRightsPoster-Spanish.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">Spanish-language version</span></a>), clearly and
simply explains the law and the steps to take if you suspect a violation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The
poster is intended to help enforce federal law and end discrimination. Print it out and share the link (<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/parity"><span style="color: blue;">www.psychiatry.org/parity</span></a>)</span>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuNs_6m1zh4YX_Jjm8lv2j3P6iHecdsr1LkGDZ4bGtwLo9OOvEEGKlBTiSOQNXv2iumKdkgjP51pyF4tQyfheSVKc7j3MVH-EqzFgrFKzFknaaKL7ANg8-DSdbcVMclunyzcxaAErUXAp/s1600/Parity+Poster+2015+Span.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuNs_6m1zh4YX_Jjm8lv2j3P6iHecdsr1LkGDZ4bGtwLo9OOvEEGKlBTiSOQNXv2iumKdkgjP51pyF4tQyfheSVKc7j3MVH-EqzFgrFKzFknaaKL7ANg8-DSdbcVMclunyzcxaAErUXAp/s320/Parity+Poster+2015+Span.JPG" width="207" /></a>By
understanding your rights and taking action you can help ensure fair coverage
for yourself and your family, and you can help others by holding insurance
companies accountable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What Federal Law Requires<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The Mental Health
Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires any group health plan that covers more
than 50 employees and offers mental health and/or substance use disorders
coverage to provide that coverage with no greater financial requirements (such
as co-pays, deductibles, annual or life-time dollar limits) or treatment
limitations than the requirements the plan applies to medical / surgical
benefits. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
Also,
under the Affordable Care Act, new individual and small group plans in and
outside of the mandated <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage">health
insurance exchanges are required to offer mental and substance use
disorder coverage</a><a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage"> similar to medical/surgical benefits</a></span>.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In addition to federal law, 49 states
and D.C. currently have laws relating to insurance coverage for mental health
and substance use. More information,
including a summary table of state laws, is available from the <href health="" http:="" mental-health-benefits-state-mandates.aspx="" research="" www.ncsl.org=""><u><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Corbel","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">National Conference of State Legislators</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Corbel","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-themecolor: text1;">.</span></span></u></href></div>
<o:p></o:p>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-77246888780384745632015-06-30T15:33:00.000-04:002015-06-30T15:33:20.520-04:00Racism, Discrimination, and Microaggressions: Effects on Mental Health<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aJLZq5Kuib0ZoE7o_LMjZ_Yhy5TkVTvYyIVCg3dh5LanuJIfvQO4jh6WZU3iN2UqVYMu3VRQ6O43N_DjNGGn0DlKgWWOgKvdTkhBrf6CXflGBR0MK314VHh0neq2jxfHz8nE7CgEw_va/s1600/discrimination.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aJLZq5Kuib0ZoE7o_LMjZ_Yhy5TkVTvYyIVCg3dh5LanuJIfvQO4jh6WZU3iN2UqVYMu3VRQ6O43N_DjNGGn0DlKgWWOgKvdTkhBrf6CXflGBR0MK314VHh0neq2jxfHz8nE7CgEw_va/s320/discrimination.jpg" width="312" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We know from extensive research that racism can cause significant harmful effects to the victim’s physical and mental health. In 2006, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) established a formal position against racism and discrimination, which partly states that the APA “recognizes that racism and racial discrimination adversely affect mental health by diminishing the victim’s self-image, confidence and optimal mental functioning…. APA believes that attempts should be made to eliminate racism and racial discrimination by fostering a respectful appreciation of multiculturalism and diversity.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, racism—prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on a belief that one’s own race is superior—is not a mental disorder (it is not included in APA’s diagnostic manual*).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Racism may not appear in the form of clear and obvious acts, it may be in the form of less obvious, “every day” racism. These acts, termed “microaggressions,” by psychiatrist Chester Pierce, M.D. in 1970, are subtle, often automatic, and nonverbal exchanges with negative overtones. Originally the concept referred to put-downs of blacks by whites in the post-Civil Rights era, but it has since evolved to include people with many differences. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These subtle and even unintentional acts, can none-the-less be harmful. The effects of this on children are especially pronounced. Victims of racism often display signs of physical and emotional stress. Some victims even start behaving in self-destructive ways that conform to the negative stereotypes they are facing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lpMY4omYoljBd_QL5O_o5s8_zpbPDVXIOFdVO4QYe5jQl5vCtnIcj3RlvDd9deN3fgVhmrCYPtf5NKGo6tDQQaA0Gmu1KCh26XqITQzfj2ytFEKCQuPy82-OROShVTK5n93U9B-jTMLY/s1600/black+man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lpMY4omYoljBd_QL5O_o5s8_zpbPDVXIOFdVO4QYe5jQl5vCtnIcj3RlvDd9deN3fgVhmrCYPtf5NKGo6tDQQaA0Gmu1KCh26XqITQzfj2ytFEKCQuPy82-OROShVTK5n93U9B-jTMLY/s200/black+man.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even perceived discrimination can affect health and mental health in several ways, according to an analysis of more than 130 medical studies.** For example, the stress of ongoing perceived discrimination can lead to an increase in unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking or drinking, and decrease in healthy behaviors, such as exercising and healthy eating. If a person has a sense of hopelessness, and low self-esteem, they may be more likely to engage in risky behaviors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So how can people protect themselves? Research suggests several ways to help protect yourself, including having a supportive network of friends and family you can talk to about problems; taking action to address a situation of discrimination, rather than ignoring or avoiding it; and having strong ties to the group(s) with which you identify.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can all be more mindful of the existence and impact of even subtle and unintentional racism and racial discrimination in the lives of patients and their families and in their everyday practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read more on the <a href="http://www.microaggressions.com/" target="_blank">Microaggressions Project blog</a> which provides many examples of everyday microaggressions from people across the country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>By Ranna Parekh, M.D.</i></span><br />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Director, Division of Diversity and Health Equity\</i><br />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">American Psychiatric Association</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">References:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) 2013. Washington, DC: Author.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Pascoe EA, Richman LS. (2009). Perceived Discrimination and Health: A Meta-Analytic Review. Pscyhol Bull; 135(4):531-554.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-83530008487994049422015-06-12T14:46:00.000-04:002015-08-04T09:36:06.095-04:00Nutrition and Mental Health: Dr. Ramsey’s 5 Rules for Eating for Happiness<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZPux9Jxrw0e_IHNHZ4bpT6rEno8RW_SU7IoBydw4XHAcwHpye1PvuPfPexCQ_LNXPEAC1Mu9cQtCB9QXCJSXWjJYrulZghMcfH4Bevyb0RXnMnzpZGhu9BLK-Bmsr1GdOrP0ctox5SMg/s1600/DrewRamsey-Author-Photo-3-199x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZPux9Jxrw0e_IHNHZ4bpT6rEno8RW_SU7IoBydw4XHAcwHpye1PvuPfPexCQ_LNXPEAC1Mu9cQtCB9QXCJSXWjJYrulZghMcfH4Bevyb0RXnMnzpZGhu9BLK-Bmsr1GdOrP0ctox5SMg/s200/DrewRamsey-Author-Photo-3-199x300.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Drew Ramsey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A growing body of research is confirming the relationship between a good, quality diet and better mental health outcomes. Poor diet (generally defined as greater consumption of saturated fats and refined and processed foods and lower consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish and nutrient-dense foods) has been associated with depression, anxiety and ADHD. A recent review of studies focused on children and adolescents found a consistent trend in the relationship between a healthy diet and better mental health.(1)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />So how do you go about improving your diet and your mental health without overly complicated or restrictive regimes? Drew Ramsey, M.D., psychiatrist, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, and author, has identified a simple set of 5 rules to eat for happiness—advice he gives to patients and others who want to simplify meal choices and maximize brain health.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Skip the processed foods</b>. Processed foods are filled with empty calories; whole grains, lentils, nuts, leafy greens, and seafood contain brain-healthy nutrients.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Don’t fear fats.</b> “Good fats,” omega-3 fats DHA and EPA found in whole foods like fish, , dairy products and pasture-raised eggs, are great for your brain. Trans fats, however, are among the unhealthiest substances and are still found in many packaged baked goods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Mind your meat.</b> While a plant-based diet is important, the right meat is an important source of protein, zinc and vitamin B12. “Grass-fed” or “pasture-raised” beef and chicken and “farm fresh” eggs are more nutritionally beneficial.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWcfU5s0mZAyfPVX_7_z6qILJ1XFGzTtQ26aeLi4VZa4iG9GqBOPzMw3Ghkv36LP66qODE8Xx_YTD6cyyQ_MNoZH98SmdwXsVtXUQFxzUFZkA9rf6hB3vhd5f37N7J6TOoAx09eEJykH0/s1600/shutterstock_59530873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWcfU5s0mZAyfPVX_7_z6qILJ1XFGzTtQ26aeLi4VZa4iG9GqBOPzMw3Ghkv36LP66qODE8Xx_YTD6cyyQ_MNoZH98SmdwXsVtXUQFxzUFZkA9rf6hB3vhd5f37N7J6TOoAx09eEJykH0/s200/shutterstock_59530873.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Go organic.</b> Organic choices, increasingly available at most supermarkets, avoid the potential risks of insecticides and pesticides. And summer is great time to check out your local farmers’ market.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Make friends with farmers.</b> Shopping at your local farmers’ market can give you added motivation to stay away from a pre-packaged processed-food diet. Getting to know the people who grow your food also offers you the opportunity to gain a better understanding of what you’re eating. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Dr. Ramsey notes: “The goal is not to become a food snob, but to make that vital connection between your fork and your feelings and choose foods that support your emotional well-being and enhance your sense of vitality.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow Dr. Ramsey @DrewRamseyMD.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />(1) O’Neil A, Quirk S, Housden S, et al. 2014. Relationship between Diet and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Public Health, 104:10, e31-41. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167107/</span>APA Healthy Mindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15219956620192752515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-59559884929248320172015-06-05T16:27:00.000-04:002015-06-05T16:27:35.253-04:00From Secrets and Shame to an Authentic Self: How Caitlyn Jenner Could Reduce Stigma for Transgender People<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Caitlyn (formerly Bruce) Jenner revealed her new identity as a transgender woman this week, it sparked many news articles and conversations about what it means to be transgender.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For many people, it is difficult to understand how you can feel like a different person in your own body,” said Marshall Forstein, M.D., chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s LGBT Caucus, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of Adult Psychiatry Residency Training at the Cambridge Health Alliance. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As celebrities like Jenner and Laverne Cox share their personal stories, they help reduce the stigma around being transgender, Forstein said. “The more that people get to know people who are living their authentic lives, the easier it is to understand.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I think any time there’s a sudden revelation of secrets there are different ways people metabolize that information,” said Forstein said. “Some people will say: ‘Wow, how brave.’ Others will doubt that someone could know they are transgender from such an early age.” Although research on transgender is limited, evidence shows that changes in the brain may occur even before people are born—leading to a disconnect between their outward appearance and how they feel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the limited research on transgender individuals, Forstein said: “One of the things we know is that, by and large, people who do transition begin to feel happier about this consistency of the internal and external experience.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While many people who are transgender experience anxiety and depression, Forstein said that this is usually a result of keeping their authentic identity hidden: “It’s the pressure of stigma and shame from being other than what society wants you to be.” As defined by the DSM-5, gender dysphoria ends once an individual has transitioned to their authentic gender. “Put yourself in a situation where you’re not allowed to be you—like when left-handed children were forced to write with their right hands—what would that do to your mental health?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Jenner shared with more than a million Twitter followers on Monday: “I'm so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can’t wait for you to get to know her/me.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Amanda Davis, Deputy Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, APA</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-53312747798866714402015-06-03T15:51:00.000-04:002015-06-04T14:32:12.449-04:00Reducing the Stigma of Addiction<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL0qrd7PTcPlWllFd7z5w1QT3W027-iThTI_Mz7-EHjFT-DcfcA90YdbUx0L8LGYONbac63Nx_zLSJP5HD4lU8AmlZCUxYvW2vYXELvbbX0ANnmSyy9jE16Em7YuJFq8QHnyZj_Qe7aqT/s1600/Nora+Volkow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL0qrd7PTcPlWllFd7z5w1QT3W027-iThTI_Mz7-EHjFT-DcfcA90YdbUx0L8LGYONbac63Nx_zLSJP5HD4lU8AmlZCUxYvW2vYXELvbbX0ANnmSyy9jE16Em7YuJFq8QHnyZj_Qe7aqT/s1600/Nora+Volkow.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nora Volkow, MD, Director, NIDA</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Addiction is common – an estimated 1 in 11 people in the United States experiences a substance use disorder in a given year. Despite significant advances in understanding and treatment, stigma still prevents many people from seeking help.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nora Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, speaking recently at the APA’s Annual Meeting in Toronto, talked about some of the recent advances in the understanding of addiction and called on psychiatrists to help reduce the stigma of addiction and “help to eliminate the shame and suffering that accompany the addict who experiences relapse after relapse after relapse.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Volkow opened her speech with a moving and emotional story of how she learned of her grandfather’s alcoholism and suicide. He had died when she was a girl of 6 in Mexico, but Volkow’s mother did not reveal the truth of her grandfather’s addiction and death until many years later, when her mother was dying and after Volkow had already achieved distinction as an addiction expert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a dramatic illustration of the despair experienced by people who have an addiction and continue to engage in a behavior that they may know is destroying them. She described how it was once believed that addiction was a disorder of hyperactive reward centers in the brain—that people with addiction s sought out drugs or alcohol because they were especially sensitive to the pleasure-inducing effects of dopamine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Volkow explained that in recent years research has revealed just the opposite: that those with addiction are actually less sensitive to the effects of dopamine. They seek out drugs because of the very potency with which they can increase dopamine in the brain, often at the expense of other pleasurable natural stimulants that do not increase dopamine so dramatically</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover, she emphasized that addiction to drugs disrupts multiple systems in the brain that govern the ability to plan, anticipate, and change behavior in response to changing circumstances. Volkow said it is this phenomenon that accounts for the “craving” experienced by addicts and alcoholics in response to environmental triggers—often leading to what she characterized in the account of her grandfather’s death as that “one last moment of self-hatred.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adapted from <i>Psychiatric News</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-75083758730504284002015-05-27T15:23:00.001-04:002015-05-27T15:23:42.784-04:00Resilience: How Do We Get It?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicobA0-pZPLyX5yXY4waep6PrVkqX3b4qh-LiVyqndqJd0XVZ_7c0mbo8fxVgF7szQXQA5Ww9lVBV9tYJIAmvOL3JdEGG3-R29LGMvAO9XCLo9CbODfH-sy2bUAhxAnr2Ep-PfytDPUkK-/s1600/shutterstock_215232757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicobA0-pZPLyX5yXY4waep6PrVkqX3b4qh-LiVyqndqJd0XVZ_7c0mbo8fxVgF7szQXQA5Ww9lVBV9tYJIAmvOL3JdEGG3-R29LGMvAO9XCLo9CbODfH-sy2bUAhxAnr2Ep-PfytDPUkK-/s200/shutterstock_215232757.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what is resilience? We all want it, and we want to teach
it to our children. But are there only a lucky few who inherit it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resilience is the ability to lead a healthy life, both
physically and mentally, despite living through horrific circumstances, says
Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., chair of the Department of Psychiatry at
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. While there’s a genetic component, he
said the thinking is changing around the idea that only some people are born
with the ability to stay mentally strong in the face of war, natural disaster,
rape, terrorism, chronic poverty and other traumas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Humans are far more resilient in general
than we think, than we have assumed in the past,” Levounis said. “People who
have been subjected to absolutely traumatic situations very frequently come out
on other side and do quite well.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-jKkpHpGyQE0GFnQ_C9tvHSOrpAh94YD0ZEcg2wc_O4SlmAVcGhamomm8MgoLBWmjIIWXErVep909JYrjOuyB98zd24ev-1utzdNK5mj4GwIGh2w0qJ-avFps_FqJ21QdxZwnAn8l0eU/s1600/shutterstock_271100492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-jKkpHpGyQE0GFnQ_C9tvHSOrpAh94YD0ZEcg2wc_O4SlmAVcGhamomm8MgoLBWmjIIWXErVep909JYrjOuyB98zd24ev-1utzdNK5mj4GwIGh2w0qJ-avFps_FqJ21QdxZwnAn8l0eU/s320/shutterstock_271100492.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are some who may suffer more
after a traumatic event -- people with depression or anxiety disorders are at a
higher risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But PTSD is not
the opposite of resilience, Levounis explained. “PTSD doesn’t mean you are
weak. We now know that developing PTSD is associated with compassion and
imagination and creativity.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="SAMSHAsubheader" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Staying healthy both physically and
mentally is paramount. Not only exercise and nutrition, which pretty much
everybody knows, but also sleep hygiene. Sleep is the neglected stepchild of
physical health. Keeping your mental health intact, your social life, your
sexual life, your intellectual life, and for some your spiritual life—these
build resilience,” Levounis said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He added that parents who impart
those healthy lifestyle habits to their kids will be helping their children be
resilient, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Mary Brophy Marcus, health
writer, APA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-80339516492891367952015-05-27T08:11:00.002-04:002015-05-27T08:11:42.050-04:00Helping Your Stressed-out Teen<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">School
demands, sports commitments, body changes, confusing media messages. How can
you help your kids manage life’s pressures as they hit the teen years –
especially now at the end of the school year when exams and events pile up?
Start by making sure the health basics are in place: good nutrition, solid
sleep habits, and regular exercise. And don’t underestimate your teenager's
need for downtime.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV0usUStb4D2cR-eSgbqmzNa-5fLESiLC14KHSfrrXT4sBTskzdEoRyP_eXvyG580HVr59pTdHx8-98UfuGgH8pL0OwrBV0lDZ1T89SBziHw3yL2znLtYdXFeNrN8t79bn6As57G9-cFn/s1600/shutterstock_274905671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV0usUStb4D2cR-eSgbqmzNa-5fLESiLC14KHSfrrXT4sBTskzdEoRyP_eXvyG580HVr59pTdHx8-98UfuGgH8pL0OwrBV0lDZ1T89SBziHw3yL2znLtYdXFeNrN8t79bn6As57G9-cFn/s200/shutterstock_274905671.jpg" width="133" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By
Mary Brophy Marcus, health writer, APA</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These
resources can help:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Nutrition</b>:
The <a href="https://fnic.nal.usda.gov/consumers/ages-stages/preteens-teenagers">USDA
has a site for teens</a> all about healthy eating
with snack ideas, info on vitamins, weight and nutrition trackers, and more.
There's nutrition advice for vegetarian teens and athletes, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sleep</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:
Teenagers need 8 - 10 hours a night, according to the </span><a href="http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">National Sleep
Foundation (NSF)</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. However, almost 70% of high
school students aren't logging that much, says the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Inadequate sleep can put them at risk for accidents, mood and
behavior issues, and poor school performance. NSF shares tips like cutting out
caffeinated sodas and setting a regular sleep routine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br />Exercise
and Relaxation</b>: Physical activity helps increase
"feel-good" endorphins in the brain, according to the <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469">Mayo
Clinic</a>. To relax, <a href="https://www.aacap.org/App_Themes/AACAP/docs/facts_for_families/66_helping_teenagers_with_stress.pdf">The
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry</a>
suggests practicing relaxation breathing and building a supportive circle of
friends and family to cut stress, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
your tween or teen is still stressed and struggling, reach out to your child's
doctor or a mental health professional who specializes in adolescents because a
more serious health issue may be going on, such as depression or an anxiety
disorder.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">By
Mary Brophy Marcus, health writer, APA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-63655533644719123192015-04-28T08:51:00.000-04:002015-04-29T14:00:06.843-04:00Even Young Children can Experience PTSD<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />When you think of PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder), soldiers
returning from combat may come to mind.
But years of research suggest many others experience PTSD, too, even
young children, though their symptoms may differ from those of older children, adolescents and
adults.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />PTSD
in adults and children can occur after exposure to a traumatic event — living
through one, witnessing one in person, or learning about a traumatic event that
involved a family member. A traumatic event can include a violent experience in
the home or community, a fire, a natural disaster, a car accident, or the sudden
death of a family member. The younger a child is, the greater the impact. The loss
of a parent or being removed from a parent, for example, feels like a threat to
a child, according to child psychiatrist Judith Cohen, M.D., medical director
of the <a href="http://www.nctsn.org/about-us/network-members/allegheny-general-hospital-center-traumatic-stress-children-and-adolescents" target="_blank" title="Center for Traumatic Stress in Children"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Center for Traumatic Stress in Children & Adolescents</span></a> at Allegheny General Hospital in
Pittsburgh.<o:p></o:p></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTzBp2oXYhQuwawxhGhMPjxo23-dyjAFCRNJCHD-HYhUgJPEeutFPOBK5gulLxE5hNJ1Q8ntOUaInW3NWqZFHWGGNYwVojNQS42Ld5DrOMXseLNYKcKFTZFxvPeeOhYrluFj4UtD6uQCi/s1600/shutterstock_151705490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTzBp2oXYhQuwawxhGhMPjxo23-dyjAFCRNJCHD-HYhUgJPEeutFPOBK5gulLxE5hNJ1Q8ntOUaInW3NWqZFHWGGNYwVojNQS42Ld5DrOMXseLNYKcKFTZFxvPeeOhYrluFj4UtD6uQCi/s1600/shutterstock_151705490.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Many
children experience trauma — an estimated 14 to 43 percent, according to the
National Center for PTSD. Of those, as many as 15 percent of girls and 6
percent of boys develop PTSD. Children with PTSD may experience distressful thoughts, and memories of the trauma may occur without warning. They may also have trouble
sleeping and nightmares (though they may not seem clearly tied to the event). Traumatized
children may try to avoid people or objects that are reminders of the event and
they may act more irritable, have angry outbursts, or be easily startled.
They may regress, wet the bed or talk baby-talk, and they may experience physical symptoms,
such as headaches and stomachaches. The symptoms can cause major distress and
can impact how a child behaves or relates to family members.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />To help a child heal from PTSD, treatment involves working with
the child and parents and caregivers, creating a feeling of safety, helping the
child to understand the condition, and encouraging the youngster to talk about his
or her feelings (through art and play), to help develop
relaxation and coping skills. Rehabilitation begins with building trust and it needs
to be fun and engaging for young children, according to Dr. Cohen. Several different types of treatment are
available for children with symptoms of PTSD and early intervention can be
important in helping little ones cope with and heal from the effects of trauma.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />For more information on understanding and helping children of all
ages heal from traumatic events visit the <a href="http://www.nctsn.org/">National
Child Traumatic Stress Network</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">By Debbie Cohen, health writer, APA</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-45829935762620709942015-04-13T14:19:00.000-04:002015-04-13T14:22:16.146-04:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t Over-Tax Yourself Over Tax Season!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the April 15 tax deadline looming, it’s an anxious time
for many people. Try these tips to keep your financial stress under
control at tax time — and all year round.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNehOFExww_QfD2Y-IiSyBiGpEpRbx4eKE07b9iw5mH_pQgkKtY-0-0408GiHOOrfF5esWx5YBOt27mT5_k6ddIa8I6BVJV-Bp_lSS79QFKn-kCFEMe8wr__7wcj-aMM1yDiiXp77MXu4M/s1600/tax+couple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNehOFExww_QfD2Y-IiSyBiGpEpRbx4eKE07b9iw5mH_pQgkKtY-0-0408GiHOOrfF5esWx5YBOt27mT5_k6ddIa8I6BVJV-Bp_lSS79QFKn-kCFEMe8wr__7wcj-aMM1yDiiXp77MXu4M/s1600/tax+couple.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Break It Up. </b>A mountain of paperwork for your tax
return or for any other financial responsibility, like applying for a college
loan or mortgage, can seem overwhelming. Break up the process into smaller
chunks, such as gathering pay stubs, finding your home mortgage interest
statements, or organizing your receipts. Then tackle each task one by one. But
before you do so…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Make a Plan. </b>This is even more important when you’re
on a tight deadline (like being just a few days away from April 15). Once
you’ve broken down what you need to accomplish into pieces, put those steps in
order and write down how and when you’re going to make each one happen. This
will help you feel like you have control over the process. Being out of control
is very stressful!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Keep Mentally Fit. </b>Eat well, get a full night’s
sleep, find a way to exercise every day, and connect with friends and loved
ones. Financial deadlines may have you feeling like you need to lock yourself
away and pull an all-nighter with a bag of potato chips and your 1040, but
you’ll just raise your stress level, and you probably won’t accomplish your
goal anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Resist Unhealthy Temptations. </b>When stress arises,
it’s tempting to cope in unhealthy ways such as binge eating, smoking, or drinking
alcohol. Avoid these negative coping strategies. Instead of a cigarette or a
glass of wine, take a walk or call a friend to vent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Don’t Go It Alone. </b>It’s not too late to get help. Ask
for help from a spouse, a trusted friend, or ideally, a financial professional
like a certified public accountant. Some tax professionals will even save you
the step of visiting their office and will review your documents and
calculations online. Having too much on your shoulders and no help is a recipe
for anxiety.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Request an Extension. </b>If you’re utterly overwhelmed
and you feel like there’s no way you’ll have it all together by April 15, talk
to a tax professional about how to request an extension on filing. You’ll still
have to pay your estimated taxes on time (or pay interest), but you’ll have an
extra six months to get your paperwork in order. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Plan Ahead for Next Year. </b>If you’ve procrastinated
about your taxes this year, use the stress you’re experiencing now as you try
to get everything together at the last minute for a good cause: Keeping you on
track to plan ahead for tax time 2016. Set a realistic budget and stick to it,
and keep track of your finances as you go along. Having a plan and living
within your means makes your life much less stressful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by <a href="http://nyulangone.org/doctors/1558358457/david-l-ginsberg">David Ginsberg,
M.D.,</a> clinical associate professor and vice chair for clinical affairs,
Department of Psychiatry, and chief of the Psychiatry Service, NYU Langone
Medical Center in New York City.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-41305103610451099652015-04-09T10:51:00.003-04:002015-04-09T10:54:03.771-04:00Giving Kids a "Sip" of Alcohol Can Send the Wrong Message About Drinking<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That little sip of wine or beer that some parents offer
their kids at a wedding or on New Year’s Eve may muddle messages about alcohol,
according to a new study by researchers at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction
Studies at Brown University. The scientists surveyed middle school students for
three years to learn whether even a taste in early childhood was a predictor of
risky behavior in high school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWWP7kENW3FBEp1qqR-9gkLZsN12wGpdQ9Op7pC1EZEbV5HF2rZiOFsCzdxJTY9fI9jSH677N4imLztIp_GhqEpMLfHboC3RELZo-TRNXpDywb3ihOtIaAY38LqU57TpfeDwhipS2x8qF/s1600/shutterstock_258008378+-+alcohol+sipping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWWP7kENW3FBEp1qqR-9gkLZsN12wGpdQ9Op7pC1EZEbV5HF2rZiOFsCzdxJTY9fI9jSH677N4imLztIp_GhqEpMLfHboC3RELZo-TRNXpDywb3ihOtIaAY38LqU57TpfeDwhipS2x8qF/s1600/shutterstock_258008378+-+alcohol+sipping.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Internet-based study, published in the April 1<sup>st</sup>
issue of the <a href="http://www.jsad.com/doi/full/10.15288/jsad.2015.76.212">Journal
of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs</a>, included more than 500 Rhode Island school
students. More than one-third of the kids surveyed reported trying their first
sip of alcohol by the sixth grade, and most said that their first taste took
place at home. Wine and beer were the most commonly tried beverages, usually at
a special occasion, such as a wedding or a holiday, and adults were the primary source of the alcohol. Nearly three-quarters
of the children were offered sips by their own mom or dad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The study also showed that
kids who sipped alcohol by the sixth grade were five times more likely to down
a full alcoholic beverage by the time they reached 9<sup>th</sup> grade—26% of
sippers consumed a full drink versus 5.5% of non-sippers. The earlier sippers
were also four times more likely to get drunk or binge drink by early high
school, and trying alcoholic beverages earlier in life also raised a child’s
risk for trying other substances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even when the researchers
controlled for other factors, such as risk-taking behavior, the drinking habits
of parents, and a history of alcoholism in a parent, kids who’d sipped before
sixth grade had higher odds of alcohol use by their freshman year of high
school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The take-home message:
Offering a child a sip of your beverage may send the wrong message, says study
author Kristina Jackson, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of
Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown School of Public Health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Parents should provide
clear, consistent messages about the unacceptability of alcohol consumption for
youth,” Jackson advises. “Younger teens and tweens may be unable to understand
the difference between drinking a sip and drinking one or more drinks.
Certainly there are exceptions, such as religious occasions,
so the most important thing is to make sure that children know when drinking
alcohol is acceptable and when it is not.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The context of alcohol use is important, says Oscar G. Bukstein, M.D., M.P.H., medical director at DePelchin
Children’s Center and a clinical professor of psychiatry at Baylor College of
Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, who was not
involved in the research. “Often, by allowing children to sip or try alcohol on
‘special occasions’, the message delivered may be one of ‘this is how we
celebrate’, we drink,” Buckstein says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He says that sipping may be associated with increased access to
alcohol, too, or more lax parent attitudes and that undermines any anti-drinking
messages kids hear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 21<sup>st</sup> is the national day to talk with your kids
about alcohol. Visit <a href="http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/the-power-of-parents/">Mothers
Against Drunk Driving’s (MADD) Power of Parents</a>
page to learn more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Mary Brophy Marcus, health writer, APA</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-2255094802200622602015-04-01T11:39:00.002-04:002015-08-04T09:36:54.897-04:00Autism Awareness Month: Learning more about a complex condition<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuVWLn1BZHRbKDHR_XvHmU9bOU9_nIhUIOqqtZA7Zgt7OHaejHePGfM3zkqnht9SoM_aNo-cIgLG3bVvDCPm1l0NmHCReCvNF8Bvn3bulPRLHKDA8-iFadZo9g8J_x9YQ_ob-ter9KsdW/s1600/as_naam2014_badge_250x250_webready_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuVWLn1BZHRbKDHR_XvHmU9bOU9_nIhUIOqqtZA7Zgt7OHaejHePGfM3zkqnht9SoM_aNo-cIgLG3bVvDCPm1l0NmHCReCvNF8Bvn3bulPRLHKDA8-iFadZo9g8J_x9YQ_ob-ter9KsdW/s1600/as_naam2014_badge_250x250_webready_1.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You probably know someone with
autism—in your neighborhood, in your workplace, in your school, in your family.
In fact, an estimated one in 68
children in the U.S. has been identified with autism spectrum disorder,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data on adults is less clear, but the
numbers are growing. <br />
<br />
April is Autism Awareness Month – a chance to raise awareness and learn a
little more about this complex condition affecting so many. Here are just a few sources that might help
answer some questions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Want a good quick overview of what autism is?</b> Check out the CDC’s <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html">main autism page</a>.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF10J0yPjzR6UiUJ9j71d_csKdF2OvuPDpAxbFFF9Ni8__NoRmrJ1FflcIH9tQAjeW9X3riabfm28gwxRSGJ1mLrJbW_LM_cRvutIICxDmtMNJEGkxNGIu9Cz8TBrGQzprilTAMphX8pF/s1600/shutterstock_198260669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF10J0yPjzR6UiUJ9j71d_csKdF2OvuPDpAxbFFF9Ni8__NoRmrJ1FflcIH9tQAjeW9X3riabfm28gwxRSGJ1mLrJbW_LM_cRvutIICxDmtMNJEGkxNGIu9Cz8TBrGQzprilTAMphX8pF/s1600/shutterstock_198260669.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Looking for a good app to help someone with autism function better?</b> There are many apps available to help people
with autism with communication, behavior, organization, creative arts, and
more. In fact, there are so many apps that it can be hard to know where to start
or what might be useful for a particular person. Check out Autism Speaks’ searchable
resource on <a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-apps">autism apps</a> –
with information on function, device, target age, and the research data that’s
been gathered to evaluate or inform the app.
<br /><br /> One resource you may be familiar with already is Siri, the personal assistant
on the iPhone. See a <i>New York Times</i>
column by a mom of a child with autism who has made good use of Siri, “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/fashion/how-apples-siri-became-one-autistic-boys-bff.html?_r=0">To
Siri, With Love: How One Boy With Autism Became BFF With Apple’s Siri</a>.” Siri is not only tirelessly patient in
responding to repetitive questions (common among some with autism) but lets you
know she doesn't understand (leading to practice with phrasing and enunciation)
and will gently encourage polite language.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VgHqp2aQ7cUNjJ-rwc9psRZMyqaJJn7zEjZqHBT2wyhD7a-QngoTLuTzg5ZN8GV_ueAfPocxHsqi_dehJPXr-j1DgyV23uOd9nsp_lRwpJPQJNYW88JYyOCcRQwzGb79Z807U_2f1lK_/s1600/shutterstock_29534335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Want to know how to talk with parents of children with autism?</b> See a recent Today.com article on “<a href="http://www.today.com/parents/11-things-never-say-parents-child-autism-11-you-should-2D79526244">11
things never to say to parents of a child with autism (and 11 you should)</a>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Want to know a
little about what it’s like</b> for some people with autism and sensory
sensitivity issues to experience their environment? (Note of caution: Every person with autism is different. No two
experience sensory sensitivity in the same way.) View the short video from the
UK-based National Autistic Society, <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/experience-for-60-seconds-how-the-world-looks-sounds-and-feels-to-someone-who-has-autism">Experience For 60 Seconds How The World Looks, Sounds, And Feels To
Someone Who Has Autism</a>.” Some people
with autism have difficulty processing multiple sensory experiences at once. An
animated video by the Interacting with Autism project gives a glimpse into sensory overload and how sensory experiences intertwine in everyday
life. <o:p></o:p>
</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Want to know more about the latest
research </b>on autism spectrum disorders or the latest clinical trials? <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find out how your family can </span><a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/participate-in-research" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">participate
in research</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or find out about </span><a href="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml#part_145443" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">clinical
trials.</a></span></span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>
Have more questions?</b> Visit national organizations, such as <a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/">Autism Speaks</a> and the <a href="http://www.autismsociety.org/">Autism Society of America</a>, or federal
agencies, including the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html">CDC</a>
and the <a href="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml">National
Institute of Mental Health</a>. Join the conversation #autismawareness, #autism, #mentalhealth.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />by Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association</span></div>
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For more news and wellness info from APA, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/apahealthyminds">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPsychiatricAssociation">Facebook.</a></span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-54124420505767836262015-03-25T13:11:00.002-04:002015-04-01T11:56:09.928-04:00Are Some Jobs More Stressful Than Others?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0ODlV0MbtXtd10kXHINRuIFyMd1erigVlwMd7-4Ezg7qbrDhSqGFXpQp0uLL3L8JrR3pvfCKG83AjKLA_hVUxzw3CB6UTCDdCELbcLg0LIF8lUHQ8DEozRatcoU9e94L9-qzuUo00JGg/s1600/shutterstock_144582953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0ODlV0MbtXtd10kXHINRuIFyMd1erigVlwMd7-4Ezg7qbrDhSqGFXpQp0uLL3L8JrR3pvfCKG83AjKLA_hVUxzw3CB6UTCDdCELbcLg0LIF8lUHQ8DEozRatcoU9e94L9-qzuUo00JGg/s1600/shutterstock_144582953.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone has bad days on the job—a project that you put hours into bombs or a task you need to accomplish is difficult and stressful. But are some jobs harder overall on our mental health than others? Depression may be more likely to occur in some professions, research suggests. And according to a new <a href="http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2814%2900722-3/fulltext" target="_blank">study</a> by researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, suicides in the workplace, while not commonplace, are on the rise. Their research, published in the March 16 online edition of the “American Journal of Preventive Medicine,” showed that 270 people committed suicide in the workplace in 2013, a 12% increase over 2012.</span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Men and those over 65 were more likely to commit suicide in the workplace than others. Law enforcement jobs -- police officers, firefighters, and detectives -- had the highest rate of workplace suicides with 5.3 suicides for every 1 million workers. Farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and forestry workers came in next with 5.1 suicides per one million. The authors also noted that minorities may be at a greater risk for workplace suicide compared to non-workplace suicides. Their research did not include military jobs.</span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This month’s “JAMA Psychiatry” also addressed the topic in a “Viewpoints” op-ed co-authored by two medical interns from New York who said that being a physician, especially a young intern, may leave some people vulnerable to mental illness and suicide. Doctors are twice as likely to kill themselves compared to non-physicians, and female doctors are three times more likely to do so than their male counterparts, according to the <a href="http://www.afsp.org/advocacy-public-policy/policy-news-updates/workplace-suicides-are-on-the-rise" target="_blank">American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)</a>. According to AFSP, though, the workplace can be an ideal place for suicide prevention programs. Their <a href="http://www.afsp.org/the-interactive-screening-program/about-the-isp" target="_blank">Interactive Screening Program (ISP)</a>, for example, is an anonymous online survey that IDs at-risk people and connects them with support. The NFL and the Boston Police Department have used the program. The authors of the “Lancet Psychiatry” op-ed say some work programs, like one at the U.S. Air Force, have successfully addressed workplace depression and mental illness in a variety of ways. One initiative: The USAF designates certain supervisors as mental health “gatekeepers.” Their job is to identify at-risk employees and channel them to screening and mental health services.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Want more info on managing workplace stress? Read about APA’s <a href="http://www.workplacementalhealth.org/Topics.aspx" target="_blank">Partnership for Workplace Mental Health</a>. Learn more about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s ISP program by contacting the Program Director at <a href="mailto:isp@afsp.org">isp@afsp.org</a>. Read Mayo Clinic’s article: <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/work-life-balance/art-20048134" target="_blank">Work-Life Balance: Tips to Reclaim Control</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Mary Brophy Marcus, health writer, APA</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more news and wellness info from APA, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/apahealthyminds" target="_blank">Twitter </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPsychiatricAssociation" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-65980164305097309452015-02-28T13:17:00.000-05:002015-03-12T13:54:06.545-04:00A Psychiatrist’s Take on “Fifty Shades”<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, MD</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am neither a film critic, nor a sociologist, but to me, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is neither groundbreaking cinema, nor does it herald a new cultural shift in sexual mores. It is, nonetheless, a fascinating narrative for any student of psychology, let alone for a psychiatrist with a specialty in treating sexual disorders. Hence, when asked to write about the movie, it was my pleasure to offer a few thoughts. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Fifty Shades” is the story of Christian Grey and college-aged Anastasia Steele, whom he sweeps off her feet and into his den of bondage, whipping and domination. Christian is a concert-level classical pianist and helicopter and glider pilot. He is ridiculously handsome, under 30 and a billionaire. His Achilles’ heel is that he is the unfortunate victim of childhood physical and sexual abuse at the hands of older women, and, as a consequence, can only connect by inflicting sexual pain on the beautiful virgin, Anastasia. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For all his power and sadism, Christian is also partly a victim himself. He teaches us about the lingering effects of childhood abuse, and introduces the audience to the practices of bondage, domination, sadism and masochism (BDSM). Although being a “dominant” is Christian’s ‘thing,’ clinically, one would expect Christian to be a submissive who would seek out reenactments of his abuse at the hands of an older woman. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ana is essentially a young woman who falls in love with an older, extremely powerful and rich man – a story taken out of the Harlequin romance novels of a previous era. But there is a psychological twist as well. Ana lost her dad when she was young, and her mother appears to be an unrepentant romantic. Mom is so enthralled by handsome men that she smiles when Christian arrives unannounced, even though he is stalking her daughter. Hence, Ana’s psychological backstory is that she is vulnerable to an older, abusive man because of her own losses and trauma. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a debate in the popular media how evil Christian is, and about the degree of abuse that Ana tolerates. Certainly, the fictional relationship between Christian and Ana could hardly be called healthy. <b>Spoiler alert: </b>if it’s any consolation they both leave the relationship with higher levels of insight and knowledge, ending up in better places than they started. (No doubt, their plots will thicken in the sequels!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It may be pointless to discuss Christian and Ana in psychological terms since they are Hollywood creations. Yet, in the real world, BDSM is a group of accepted sexual practices among consenting adults and common among those seeking BDSM sex workers (or Dominatrices as they are called.) Often BDSM involves more pain than gain – in other words more tying up and humiliation with less emphasis on the sex and orgasm for the seeker or submissive. When occurring with little harm, most psychiatrists see BDSM as a variant of normal. When it consumes the person and prevents intimacy, the practice may rise to the level of a sexual disorder, sexual compulsivity or even addiction. When the person focuses on a particular inanimate object, like a whip or stiletto heel in lieu of any other sexual or romantic contact, the diagnosis of a fetishitic disorder may apply. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), once an unusual sexual practice causes impairment and harm to oneself or others, it is labeled as a paraphilic disorder with subcategories such as sadism and masochism. The American Psychiatric Association has made it clear that non-normative or unusual sexual behaviors are not, in of themselves, signs of mental illness unless the behaviors cause great anguish or real harm to the participants. This distress has to be beyond the guilt and distress that comes from engaging in behaviors that deviate from societal norms. In the case of BDSM, the DSM-5 is careful to discourage labeling atypical behaviors as mental conditions. However, when the behavior rises to the level of causing grief or harm, DSM-5 offers the diagnoses of sexual sadism disorder and sexual masochism disorder. Psychiatrists can treat these sexual disorders with a variety of modalities ranging from psychotherapy, medication, peer support groups and family counseling with excellent outcomes. As psychiatrists, we need to make the public aware that when these sexual illnesses occur, real help is available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever we may think about the sex and stories depicted in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” as psychiatrists, the popularity of the movie provides us with an opportunity to educate the public about the possibilities of improving the lives of those who have serious illnesses and who may suffer in silence and shame.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, MD, is Director of Upper East Health (UpperEastHealth.com), a comprehensive practice in Manhattan that focuses on addiction and sexual disorders. Dr. Rosenberg is also Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Cornell Weill Medical Center. </span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4119237672383930848.post-91506823605642052392015-02-27T11:48:00.002-05:002015-02-27T14:10:24.526-05:00Black History Month – African Americans and Mental Health<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Ranna
Parekh, MD, MPH</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we celebrate Black
History Month, we reflect on African Americans’ place in US history. At the
APA, we give thanks to psychiatrists – such as Jeanne Spurlock, MD, Solomon
Carter Fuller, MD, Chester Pierce, MD, and a long list of <a href="http://www.americanpsychiatricfoundation.org/what-we-do/awards/diversity-awards/solomon-carter-fuller-award-for-african-american-pioneers">Solomon
Carter Fuller Award</a> recipients--whose great contributions continue to
influence our medical field. It is also
a time when we are reminded of the unique mental health challenges facing the
black community and the importance in working together toward improved access,
assessment and treatment. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX96svQCtxVLVFTPfvsTzuxaWQDQJtXAVZtPhJTu-yf1Knmg6BNAfhKZs0PXlOW9NbRv7-_J_lrD99rurQ5hgt1Jb-EOX__O_Y_AT2xr06woD9Lp4S-1xNd96t9QR0lf-RE4awsBqgf_eW/s1600/African+American+military+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX96svQCtxVLVFTPfvsTzuxaWQDQJtXAVZtPhJTu-yf1Knmg6BNAfhKZs0PXlOW9NbRv7-_J_lrD99rurQ5hgt1Jb-EOX__O_Y_AT2xr06woD9Lp4S-1xNd96t9QR0lf-RE4awsBqgf_eW/s1600/African+American+military+family.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The history of African
Americans predates slavery; however, its legacy and the ongoing discrimination
continue to impact the lives of African Americans today. Emotional strength, strong social connections, and
determination have enabled many African Americans to overcome adversity.
Yet African Americans, just like people of all racial/ethnic backgrounds,
experience mental illness.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXv1Ijb5lRU4SxmW0fmBogw4Osya99O7ePm1FcLJQ6acaQ4hie8NFE1acxxuFj6wYW_-UQ8mxnx2i_4gHCcPXKEzq1XlPqXyV4VInGImgMIff9bw4vhV2Uh3MuXhb-CUPAzRIQq4peBLQ/s1600/African+American+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXv1Ijb5lRU4SxmW0fmBogw4Osya99O7ePm1FcLJQ6acaQ4hie8NFE1acxxuFj6wYW_-UQ8mxnx2i_4gHCcPXKEzq1XlPqXyV4VInGImgMIff9bw4vhV2Uh3MuXhb-CUPAzRIQq4peBLQ/s1600/African+American+family.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While rates of mental
illness in African Americans are similar to those of the general population,
African Americans receive less care and poorer quality of care and often lack
access to culturally sensitive care. For many reasons, African Americans face
particular obstacles in getting help for mental health concerns. Racism,
discrimination, cost or lack of health insurance, or distrust of the health
care system may prevent some African Americans from getting the help they
deserve. Stigma about mental illness can also pose a barrier, and blacks are
much less willing than whites to use medicines for a mental illness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIzq0k7Q8tow9qnbJZoscF36Q_OY4FM9f1yI-JnVyUptYRwb_J73e2z61Jtw24Jdyl6nl9Ip8KPgkMFJ39K6KPLz-6ddI7dKVuFBI6pNam59IpJyiI-XzyC_U2s_E_hcwMTi9YpTf3BC6/s1600/shutterstock_231066940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIzq0k7Q8tow9qnbJZoscF36Q_OY4FM9f1yI-JnVyUptYRwb_J73e2z61Jtw24Jdyl6nl9Ip8KPgkMFJ39K6KPLz-6ddI7dKVuFBI6pNam59IpJyiI-XzyC_U2s_E_hcwMTi9YpTf3BC6/s1600/shutterstock_231066940.jpg" height="200" width="173" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, African Americans
sometimes express mental illness and emotional distress differently than
others. For example, among people with depression, blacks are more likely
than whites to complain of body aches or other physical symptoms. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKsml0OXTQpsOG2oGXmvMHcEeM_C4_BnoN1oPXOoYsS78T9OHe-JwhXobRu2P02ZD5lEDsCodw3nhhjLM_CjXYZUzmcEuW_3TemLHaAUcZUaLAev2x2h3jKCdom15EunTjzJZQgdbccZw/s1600/shutterstock_72328381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKsml0OXTQpsOG2oGXmvMHcEeM_C4_BnoN1oPXOoYsS78T9OHe-JwhXobRu2P02ZD5lEDsCodw3nhhjLM_CjXYZUzmcEuW_3TemLHaAUcZUaLAev2x2h3jKCdom15EunTjzJZQgdbccZw/s1600/shutterstock_72328381.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><span style="clear: right; display: inline !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Racism
and discrimination have multiple effects on mental health. Victims of
discrimination experience feelings of unfairness when dealing with mental
illness and those feelings make it difficult for them to do anything about it.
In addition, the anticipation of discrimination, the perception of being in an
environment of discrimination, or seeing others being victims can contribute to
greater ongoing stress and anxiety. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chester M. Pierce, MD, emeritus
professor of education and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and founder of
the eponymous Division of Global Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General
Hospital is to receive APA’s 2015 Human Rights Award. His life’s work included
studying people living in extreme conditions. In 1970, he coined the term <i>microaggessions </i>to help people
understand the continuing stain of racism experienced by African Americans.
Microaggressions are brief, everyday exchanges
that send denigrating messages that are not overt discrimination – the person
may not even be aware of the denigrating action. Being continually subjected to
these microaggressions takes a toll on physical and mental health.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is also
compounded by the economic effects—blacks have much higher unemployment and
poverty rates than whites. In January 2015, the unemployment rate for black
men over 20 was more than twice that of
white men (11.4% vs 5.2%) and the unemployment rate for black youth age 16-19
was significantly higher than white youth (30% vs 17%). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, African-American men are less likely to seek help for medical problems and
mental health concerns often become secondary to any medical concerns. Physical
conditions and conditions affecting the mind are connected in many
ways--problems that first affect the mind can later increase one’s risk for
physical problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or malnutrition. And
physical conditions, such as a disease or an accident, can affect the mind
(i.e., emotions, thinking, and mood). African Americans have a much higher
risk than white Americans for many types of chronic diseases, such as diabetes
and heart disease.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Jp3Z4jo9Fiq5b3j8xg-fqphykqL5Q1G-6taDvD_VXuDtGB9oOa76AYy9qIEf_ysgeiDfBwkFSepec_VUjX69x2xMl-NwG_fdTUbOhTQKgxcYydLkFBXxBojrKtxvbl3COUWvEJGhakpM/s1600/Beyond+the+Beat+video+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Jp3Z4jo9Fiq5b3j8xg-fqphykqL5Q1G-6taDvD_VXuDtGB9oOa76AYy9qIEf_ysgeiDfBwkFSepec_VUjX69x2xMl-NwG_fdTUbOhTQKgxcYydLkFBXxBojrKtxvbl3COUWvEJGhakpM/s1600/Beyond+the+Beat+video+image.png" height="230" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The California Mental Health Services Authority has developed a </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/113517921" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">video</span></a> and <a href="http://calmhsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Facilitator%E2%80%99s-Guide.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">discussion guide</span></a> about young black men and
mental health. <o:p></o:p>
</span><br />
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<the 10-minute="" span="" titled="" video=""><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/113517921" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Beyond the Beat and the Lyrics --
Understanding the Impact of Stigma and Discrimination on the Mental Health
Status of Transition-Aged African American Males,"</span></a></span> is intended to raise
awareness and stimulate conversation.<o:p></o:p></the></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mental disorders are
nothing to be ashamed of. They are real medical problems, just like heart
disease or diabetes. As with these illnesses, there is help available and much
you can do to support or improve your health. Like all people with mental
illness, African Americans, do recover and go on to lead productive and
fulfilling lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Ranna
Parekh, MD, MPH, is the director of the Division of Diversity and Health Equity
at the American Psychiatric Association<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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