MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'adolescents'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:54:36 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841585&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F17%2Fnew-study-says-treating-mom-helps-childrens-mental-health%2F In this study, researchers learned that children’s improvement, in terms of both depressive symptoms and social functioning, is associated with the time it took their mothers to get better.” I sort of cringe when I read those facts because it took me two years to get better when I was severely depressed. My kids were the ages of one and three when my symptoms began, and they were three and five when I finally regained some stability. And yes, there were huge behavioral ramifications. Especially in my son. I suspect much of the anxiety he suffers today goes back to that frightening time in his life. Wall Street Journal columnist Melinda Beck writes about the new study in this week’s “Health Journal.” Beck mentions a report published in the journal Pediatrics that says at early a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841585 Tue, 17 May 2011 22:15:42 +0100 4841585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723755&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F16%2Fnotes-from-a-lecture-hormone-therapy-for-transgender-adolescents%2F I have several sets of lecture notes to write up from talks given at the larger workplace’s LGBT health week in March of this year. Yes, it has taken me forever to get to this – March and April have sort of gotten away from me somehow. As a result, some of my notes may not be as rich as I’d like, as they would be if I had converted them to posts right away, but I hope they’ll still be interesting and useful to readers. The followin is built from my notes on a presentation on Friday March 18, “Case Presentations in Adolescent Hormonal Therapy,” by Dr. Jennifer Najjar and Dr. Lisa Beavers. Before we get into the lecture notes, I’d like to introduce the basic concept, although I am by no means an expert. One thing the speakers didn’t really get ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723755 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:07:29 +0100 4723755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704714&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F12%2F6-things-every-kid-should-know-about-a-parents-depression%2F Depression never happens in a vacuum. Like a ripple in the water, a parent’s illness can’t help but affect her offspring. Different studies have documented how depression in a new mother clearly affects her interactions with her baby or toddler. Depressed mothers are more withdrawn, less responsive to their infant’s signals. “Their facial expressions and displays of emotion [are] more muted or flat, and their voices [are] monotone,” explains Ruta Nonacs in “A Deeper Shade of Blue.” “They [remain] disengaged and [do] little to support their child’s activities or exploration of the environment.” A mother’s depression also affects grade-schoolers and adolescents. When parents fail to meet the needs of the people under their care, some kids begin to act out, have ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704714 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:05:43 +0100 4704714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696688&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F09%2Fconcealed-sexual-orientation-is-like-an-abscess%2F I once had an abscessed tooth, and in the absence of a dentist, I considered pulling it myself to end the intense pain. Secrets are like abscesses. They hurt when we touch them but we can’t stop touching them. When a secret is at the center of our integrity it produces excruciating pain. We long for the momentary intense pain that comes with releasing the pressure. Each of us seeks to maintain a sense of internal integrity, while still making a positive impression on others. We are driven by a fear of being discredited. Sometimes that means keeping secrets, especially when the concealed information is sensitive. Concealment of sexual orientation requires considerable effort, constant vigilance, and behavioral self-editing. Although there is a wish to disclose the secret, the need to make... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696688 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 17:05:08 +0100 4696688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653501&cid=t_109166_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F03%2Ftype-1-teens-korey-hood-phd%2F If you are a teen who lives with diabetes, I recommend this book. If you are a parent of a teen who lives with diabetes, I recommend this book – but DON’T FORCE IT ON YOUR TEEN! I met Korey when we did a session together for the Children With Diabetes (CWD) 2011 Family Support Weekend a few months ago. I was able to grab his book and do a little homework before heading to the conference, and I’m very glad I did.  Meeting Korey, on it’s own, is enough to make you like, appreciate, and respect the guy.  But having read most of his book, and holding in high value the talent he displayed in writing it, made my short time with him even more enjoyable. There is a fine line when writing a book addressed to teenagers.  You have to talk their language, but not in a conde... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653501 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:04:24 +0100 4653501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642673&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F28%2Fpediatrics-gets-it-wrong-about-facebook-depression%2F You know it’s not good when one of the most prestigious pediatric journals, Pediatrics, can’t differentiate between correlation and causation. And yet this is exactly what the authors of a “clinical report” did in reporting on the impact of social media on children and teens. Especially in their discussion of “Facebook depression,” a term that the authors simply made up to describe the phenomenon observed when depressed people use social media. Shoddy research? You bet. That’s why Pediatrics calls it a “clinical report” — because it’s at the level of a bad blog post written by people with a clear agenda. In this case, the report was written by Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson and the American Academy of... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642673 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:05:36 +0100 4642673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615273&cid=t_109166_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-in-the-classroom%2Fadhd-adolescents-what-does-it-all-mean-in-the-classroom.php I recently was told a story about a 14 year old student with ADHD whowhen given a less than compelling written homework assignment proceeded tomarch to the front of the class and tear it up right in front of the teacher,and then march back to his seat as if nothing had happened. Inattention no (or possibly indirectly), impulsivity yes, andhyperactivity maybe. But regardless of what ADHD may have been driving thisbehavior it drives home the point that ADHD adolescents as a group are lesspredictable than their non ADHD peers. It also highlights the unforeseenbehavioral problems which can, and often do, occur. Other than the obvious conduct problems there are other areas where ADHDadolescents will exhibit signs of the disorder. They may not be very good atpaying close attention to detail, con... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615273 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4615273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4389224&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F01%2F24%2Fwhy-teenagers-dont-use-social-networking-sites%2F In a recent study the conclusion about social networking sites and teens was that 93% of teens and young adults go online, compared to only 38% of adults over 65 years of age. It is surprising that 7% of 12-29 year olds still don’t use social networking sites. Twitter is the exception because it’s the only social networking site not often used by teenagers and young adults. Here you can read more about social media and young adults. But why do some teenagers choose not to use social networking sites? From a research with American college students participating: disinterest, lack of understanding of the appeal of SNSs, and a dislike of engaging in presentation of the self through these sites as reasons for not engaging in SNS use. From recent research in Australia with 69 out of... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4389224 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 07:07:32 +0100 4389224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277884&cid=t_109166_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FwoCX9w2aUm0%2F Ado­les­cence can be a chal­lenging time for both the ado­les­cents and the sig­nif­i­cant adults (parents, teachers) in their lives. Teenagers themselves do not always understand why they behave the way they do. Why is it difficult being a teenager or interacting with one? Why do teenagers have these typical behaviors: Risk-taking, strange sleeping habits, addiction, impulsivity, etc.? As looking at what is happening in a teenage brain can provide answers to these questions, we selected the Top 10 Resources to help you better understand the teenage brain. The major thread to navigate these resources is the concept of a brain still maturing. Indeed, an adolescent brain is not yet an adult brain. Major changes are still happening, principally in the frontal lobes (more specifically... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277884 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:11:20 +0100 4277884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197141&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F23%2Fintroducing-the-dish-and-the-spoon%2F I’m pleased to introduce The Dish and the Spoon: Food and the Family with Dr. Dana Udall-Weiner. Her blog will focus on various topics related to parenting and food. How can parents keep up in the fast-food, instant gratification world? How can we eat a nutritional meal as a family? Dr. Dana Udall-Weiner is a licensed psychologist with a private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern California. Dana specializes in treating clients with eating disorders and self-esteem issues, particularly adolescents and young adults. Please go over to The Dish and the Spoon: Food and the Family and give Dana a warm Psych Central welcome! (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197141 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:40:04 +0100 4197141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175764&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Ffda-approves-vyvanse-for-teens%2F In this study, patients were randomized to a daily morning dose of Vyvanse (30 mg/day, 50 mg/day or 70 mg/day) or placebo [...]. All subjects receiving Vyvanse were initiated on 30 mg for the first week of treatment. Subjects assigned to the 50 mg and 70 mg dose groups were escalated by 20 mg per week until they achieved their assigned dose. The primary efficacy outcome was change in Total Score from baseline to end point in investigator ratings on the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS). [...] All Vyvanse dose groups were superior to placebo in the primary efficacy outcome. The safety of Vyvanse was also evaluated during the study. The most frequently occurring treatment-emergent adverse events reported in patients treated with Vyvanse were: decreased appetite, insomnia, and weight decrease. Saf... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175764 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:35:05 +0100 4175764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151880&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F08%2Fintroducing-the-psychology-of-teenagers%2F I’m pleased to introduce The Psychology of Teenagers with Ann Naragon, Ph.D. The Psychology of Teenagers blog will be covering a wide variety of topics, all of them having to do with teens and adolescents. Topics will include: Academic concerns in middle and high school Motivation and procrastination Adolescents and relational aggression Social groups, peers and popularity Transitions in adolescence Dr. Ann Naragon received her degree in educational psychology from Temple University and specializes in adolescent development, relational aggression, and achievement motivation. You can learn more about her here and give her a warm welcome over at the new blog — The Psychology of Teenagers. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151880 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:44:08 +0100 4151880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4106071&cid=t_109166_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FdQKLhhTxJXw%2F Image via Wikipedia The health impact of anabolic steroids on adolescents Young people may think steroids are safe when they hear of their sports idols taking them. In reality, the risks of steroid use can include serious and irreversible physical effects, as well as mental perils such as severe depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and violent aggression, known as “’roid rage.” Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among people ages 15-24. “This is an age group that is already at high risk,” says Brower, associate professor of psychiatry at UMHS. “When you add steroids, you are increasing the risk of suicide.” Although the actual rate of adverse psychiatric effects is difficult to measure, he notes that studies have found higher rates of psychiatric effects amo... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4106071 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:26:00 +0100 4106071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082019&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F19%2Fsexually-transmitted-infections-2010-vol-86-no-5%2F content page Fade Fave: Condoms and developmental contexts in younger adolescent boys Fade Skinny: Our findings of existing negative perceptions of condoms, the importance of families in learning about condoms and the developmental need to test and try on condoms before use have implications for adolescent STI prevention programmes. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Filed under: Athens Password, Currently Watching, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: adolescents, Athens Password, Condom use, Current Awareness, E-Journals (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082019 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:25:25 +0100 4082019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082024&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F19%2Farchives-of-pediatrics-and-adolescent-medicine-2010-vol-164-no-10%2F content page Fade Fave: The Effect of Perceived and Structural Neighborhood Conditions on Adolescents’ Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors Fade Skinny: Obesity continues to be a growing public health concern in the United States. Physical activity and sedentary behaviors are among the key behavioral targets of efforts to address this public health concern. Owing to a recognition of the multifaceted causes of the obesity epidemic, there has been an increased focus on understanding contextual effects on obesity, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors among children and adolescents. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Filed under: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: adolescents, Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Ne... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082024 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:04:07 +0100 4082024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4002967&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F26%2Fevidence-based-treatments-for-children-teens%2F We talk a lot about the different types of research conducted in psychology that measure the effectiveness of various treatment methods. In fact, we publish daily news stories that cover a lot of new research findings every week. Some of the treatment research has to do with medications, some with psychotherapy, and some with other methods of treatment. But it’s all confusing and can be more than a little overwhelming. Take, for instance, the contradictory findings and results surrounding antidepressant medications. Some research says they are no better than sugar pills — placebos. Other research says they can be effective, but you just need to find the right one at the right dose. It’s hard to know what the research really says as a whole. Wouldn’t it be nice if th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4002967 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 10:29:12 +0100 4002967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983431&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F19%2Facne-ups-teen-suicide-risk%2F Teens and acne — the two seem to go together. While we have long suspected a link between teenage acne and depressive or suicidal thoughts, a new study out of Norway lends additional scientific proof to this link. Both teenager men and women are at greater risk for suicidal thoughts if they have severe acne — teenage girls are at twice the risk, and teenage boys are at three times greater risk. The study was conducted on 3,775 Norwegian adolescents aged 18-19, and compared those with acne compared to those with clear skin. But it gets worse… The study also found that those with severe acne were twice as likely to have few friends. They were also far more likely to have poor grades, and to have never had sex. Who knew that acne could be so debilitating? Well, actually, we... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983431 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 17:24:22 +0100 3983431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920776&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F31%2Fjournal-of-the-american-medical-association-2010-vol-304-no-7%2F This article aims to examine the current prevalence of hearing loss in US adolescents and determine whether it has changed over time. A study of cross-sectional analyses of US representative demographic and audiometric data from the 1988 through 1994 and 2005 through 2006 time periods was carried out. The article concludes that the prevalence of hearing loss among a sample of US adolescents aged 12 to 19 years was greater in 2005-2006 compared with 1988-1994. An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online, alternatively contact the library for a copy of this article. Filed under: Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals, Primary Care Tagged: adolescents, Audiology, Hearing Loss, United States (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920776 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:10:41 +0100 3920776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920778&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F31%2Fjournal-of-the-american-medical-association-2010-vol-304-no-5%2F This article aims to determine the efficacy of brief interventions addressing violence and alcohol use among adolescents presenting to an urban Emergency Department. All patients underwent a computerized baseline assessment and were randomized to a control group that received a brochure (n = 235) or a 35-minute brief intervention delivered by either a computer (n = 237) or therapist (n = 254) in the ED, with follow-up assessments at 3 and 6 months. The article concludes that among adolescents identified in the ED with self-reported alcohol use and aggression, a brief intervention resulted in a decrease in the prevalence of self-reported aggression and alcohol consequences. An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online, alternatively contact the Library for a copy o... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920778 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:47:25 +0100 3920778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706612&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F28%2Ftobacco-control-2010-vol-19-no-3%2F content page Fade Fave: Exposure to smoking in movies among British adolescents 2001–2006 Fade Skinny: Because there is a dose-response relation between the amount of on-screen exposure to smoking and the likelihood that adolescents will begin smoking, the fact that there is substantially higher exposure to smoking in youth-rated films in the UK than in the USA suggests that the fraction of all youth smoking because of films in the UK is probably larger than in the USA. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Filed under: Ooops Missed Category! Tagged: adolescents, Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Young Adults (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706612 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:28:26 +0100 3706612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603876&cid=t_109166_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fadolescents-12-step-group-participation%2F Conclusions Results suggest that, similar to findings comparing adult outpatients to inpatients, AA/NA participation is less common among less severe adolescent outpatients. Nonetheless, attendance appears to strengthen and extend the benefits of typical community outpatient treatment. Given the dramatic increase in rates of substance use among same-aged peers in the population at this life-stage, and the relative dearth of abstainers and recovery-specific supports, these resources may provide a concentrated cost-effective social recovery resource for young people. Can 12-step group participation strengthen and extend the benefits of adolescent addiction treatment? A prospective analysis. John F. Kelly, Sarah J. Dow, Julie D. Yeterian and Christopher W. Kahle. Drug and Alcohol Dependence S... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603876 Wed, 26 May 2010 11:24:02 +0100 3603876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545475&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F07%2Flonely-teens-communicate-more-online%2F New research recently published suggests that teens who are lonely communicate more online than teens who aren’t so lonely. Perhaps this should be filed in the “No duh” section of research findings about online behavior, but it actually answers a long-standing question — Does the Internet make people more lonely, or do lonely people turn to the Internet for solace? The answer, from this study anyway, appears to be the latter — lonely people communicate online significantly more than non-lonely people do. The Australian researchers (Bonetti et al., 2010) arrived at this finding by gathering survey data from 626 children and teens (10 to 16 years old). The surveys assessed subjects’ frequency of communication online, as well as loneliness (via an abbreviat... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545475 Fri, 07 May 2010 16:45:53 +0100 3545475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494367&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F04%2F22%2Fcyberbullying-in-adolescents%2F Cyberbullying is a new phenomenon defined as aggression based on information and communication technology. It’s forms can be very diverse: Flaming or online fights, hostile and vulgar emails being sent Hacking or impersonation by gaining access to someone’s account and sending messages that make the victim lose face and harm the victim’s reputation and friendships Defamation by sending secrets or embarrassing information about someone Slandering by sending cruel images or rumors about others to spoil their reputation Exclusion of someone from an online group Cyber harassment, sending threats to someone by email or other forms of messaging Happy slapping, recording with cell phone cameras of the attack on someone The prevalence among adolescents varies between studies be... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494367 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:39:30 +0100 3494367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294662&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F02%2F22%2Fhow-risky-are-social-networking-sites-for-kids%2F This article discussed in this post, isn’t recent but the conclusion is very nuanced which isn’t always the case with publications especially in news media about social networking and kids or adolescents. Seems that politicians are advocating measures to restrict social networking for children in order to prevent assumed online sexual exploitation and Internet harassment. Broad claims of victimization risk, at least defined as unwanted sexual solicitation or harassment, associated with social networking sites do not seem justified. Prevention efforts may have a greater impact if they focus on the psychosocial problems of youth instead of a specific Internet application, including funding for online youth outreach programs, school antibullying programs, and online mental health ... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294662 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:02:32 +0100 3294662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294541&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F21%2Fjournal-of-the-american-medical-association-2010-vol-303-no-7%2F This article evaluates change in prevalence of obesity and other chronic conditions in US children, including incidence, remission, and prevalence. AN NHS Athens password is required to access this article online Filed under: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: Adolescence, adolescents, Children, Chronic Conditions, Obesity, Prevalence, United States (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294541 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:22:04 +0100 3294541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294542&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F21%2Fjournal-of-the-american-medical-association-2010-vol-303-no-6%2F This article compares the outcomes of gastric banding against an optimal lifestyle program in adolescent obesity. The article concludes that among obese adolescent participants, use of gastric banding compared with lifestyle intervention resulted in a greater percentage achieving a loss of 50% of excess weight, corrected for age. There were associated benefits to health and quality of life. An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online Filed under: Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: Adolescence, adolescents, Bariatric Surgery, Exercise, Gastric Banding, Healthy lifestyles, Nutrition, Quality of Life, Randomised Controlled Trials, United States (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294542 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:49:16 +0100 3294542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246926&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F06%2Ffacebook-continues-to-dominate-among-youth%2F Last week, we discovered that 4 out of 5 teens prefer and use Facebook over the leading sugarless gum. Oh, sorry, I meant to say that while 7 out of 10 (73% to be exact) teens use social networking websites like Facebook, only 1 in 12 teens use Twitter. Clearly, the still-in-place-to-be is on Facebook and other social networking websites like it. The new data comes from our friends over at the Pew Internet and American Life Project, who conducted a phone survey in the middle of last year of 800 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. And while teens continue to embrace social networking, they seem to be abandoning their use of blogs. Blogging amongst teens has been slashed in half in just 3 years, according to the Pew data (from a high of 28% in 2006 to a current 14% of teens surveyed... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246926 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:17:43 +0100 3246926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235896&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F03%2Fkids-and-depression-parents-call-to-action-part-3%2F How To Monitor and Stabilize Depression in Teens and Children Each time I write a prescription, I have a certain amount of trepidation. Although I know that medications can help, I am also aware of their limitations. It is also important to be vigilant as to whether there are other key factors that are causing a teenager to be overwhelmed (i.e., trauma, substance abuse). However, when children and adolescents are having difficulty functioning because of how impaired they are, medication can be critical. If a teenager is so depressed that she is thinking of tying a phone cord around her neck or jumping out a window, or if she finds it impossible to find the energy to get out of bed, or can’t concentrate long enough to read one page and her grades are dropping, an antidepressant along with... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235896 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:43:40 +0100 3235896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231598&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F01%2Fkids-and-depression-parents-call-to-action-part-1%2F As a child psychiatrist, I help teenagers struggling with depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide. It’s also my job to communicate with parents during what is often a very difficult and scary time. More than anything, parents want their children to be okay, and I often encourage them by stressing that mental illness is highly treatable, and adolescents are capable of extraordinary growth. With treatment and proactive parents, hope does persist and, with some time and commitment, life can and will go on for children and parents alike. When I do interviews or public readings parents often ask me about warning signs in children for depression and even suicidality. They may be worried about a daughter who is withdrawing, or a son who sleeps for hours on end and is failing in school. These ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231598 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:45:11 +0100 3231598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227831&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F01%2Fare-antidepressants-really-that-ineffective%2F The more researchers delve into the research behind antidepressants — the class of drugs commonly prescribed to treat depression — the more they find that perhaps the majority of antidepressants’ treatment effect is based upon the simple belief that the drug will help. Newsweek’s Sharon Begley has a lengthy article discussing the growing body of evidence that calls into question decades’ worth of prescriptions. It’s a story that we’ve covered previously, that TIME covered nearly a year ago, and that Therese Borchard had a response to. It seems to be journalists’ favorite “go to” story now in mental health, because there’s a black-and-white controversy — do antidepressants work or don’t they? People mistakenly be... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227831 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:10:49 +0100 3227831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156570&cid=t_109166_123_f&fid=39037&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.drgreene.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2F08%2Fpomegranate-juice-prevents-early-puberty%2F Recent headlines have trumpeted an exciting study about how pomegranate juice may prove very useful at preventing and even treating breast cancer. In test tubes, it’s proven quite effective against breast cancer cells. It turns out that pomegranate juice functions as something we call an aromatase inhibitor. Aromatase is an enzyme that takes testosterone and [...] (Source: Conversations with Dr Greene) Conversations with Dr Greene blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156570 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:00:28 +0100 3156570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096785&cid=t_109166_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F17%2Farchives-of-pediatrics-and-adolescent-medicine-2009-vol-163-no-12%2F content page Fade Fave: Time From First Intercourse to First Sexually Transmitted Infection Diagnosis Among Adolescent Women Fade Skinny: Screening adolescent women for selected sexually transmitted infections (STIs)—by sexual history to identify risk and by laboratory testing to verify infection—is endorsed by clinical practice guidelines and implemented in at least some proportion of health visits for adolescents. Sexually transmitted infection screening is justified by disproportionate STI morbidity among young women, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, tubal infertility, preterm birth, and increased susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus infection (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Posted in Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Jo... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096785 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:29:14 +0100 3096785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008172&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F11%2F19%2Flying-on-adolescents-blogs%2F Adolescents are the most truthful about school and their life on blogs, whereas they are the least truthful about intimate topics such as family life and partnership. Adolescents present their personal information on blogs very truthfully. A girls of fourteen is really a girl of fourteen. During adolescence forming an identity is a key developmental task in this period. Identity in the sense of a coherent sense of the self. This developmental phase is crucial to questions such as who am i and it’s the phase in which adolescents experiment with different social roles. A blog is an extraordinary place to experiment with identity and social roles and to experiment with relationships online. Fifty percent of adolescents show their photograph on their blogs11; 54% present personal data, ... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008172 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:22:02 +0100 3008172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912251&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F20%2Fqa-with-julie-holland%2F Julie Holland, MHS, CEDS, is recognized in the industry as both a clinician and public speaker. A certified eating disorders specialist, she has directed marketing and customer relationship management programs at several leading eating disorder treatment programs across the country. Ms. Holland has specialized in the treatment self-esteem, eating and body image issues for adults and adolescents for more than 23 years. She is a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and Director of Certification for the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, as well as an Approved IAEDP Supervisor. How does fat talk affect one’s self image? Fat talk brings a sense of negativity toward how individuals think about themselves and their body. It can also affect how individuals relate... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912251 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:19:29 +0100 2912251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751476&cid=t_109166_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fstudent-athletes-sleep-better-than.html A new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that teenagers who routinely exercise vigorously have higher quality sleep than their peers. Overall, athletes scored higher in sleep quality and mood and woke fewer times after falling asleep. They also had better daytime concentration and less fatigue. Athletes also scored lower for anxiety and depressive symptoms. The study, conducted in Switzerland, included 434 adolescents with an average age of 17. Of the total participants, 258 took part in Swiss Olympic classes, which provide intense levels of training for high school students. They averaged about 18 hours of exercise per week. The other participants, recruited from Swiss high schools, averaged about five hours of exercise per week. Students kept a log for seven days, track... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751476 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:04:00 +0100 2751476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2629706&cid=t_109166_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fregular-exercise-teen-sleep.html A new study suggests that regular exercise can lead to multiple improvements in the sleep of teens.The study involved 12 teen athletes who got about 14 hours of vigorous exercise per week. They were compared with 12 controls who exercised for only 1.5 hours per week. Their sleep was evaluated following a day without exercise.Results show that the athletes took less time to fall asleep. They also woke up fewer times during the night.Overall their sleep was more efficient; a higher percentage of their time in bed was spent sleeping. The athletes also spent more time in the stage of deep, slow-wave sleep.Their also was less variation between the weeknight and weekend sleep of teen athletes. Often teens sleep longer on weekends to make up for sleep loss during the week.Sleeping better at night... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2629706 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:47:00 +0100 2629706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2727127&cid=t_109166_106_f&fid=38876&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcosmeticsurgerybeat.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fotoplasty-rising-among-teens.html So many classic childhood movies (Dumbo) and sing-a-longs (Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro….) emphasize large and protruding ears. But it turns out that having protruding ears is often one of the most humiliating features for a teenager.According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery’s 2008 Procedural Survey, we found that 27.7% of otoplasties (a reshaping of the ear by placing small incision behind the ear then shaping or trimming the cartilage to define how and where the ear cartilage bends) are performed on those ages 13-19. Additionally, the survey found that otoplasty has the youngest mean age of both invasive and less invasive cosmetic procedures at 29.It is common for adolescents to worry about their appearance and not every adolescent is right for cosmeti... The Cosmetic Surgery Beat blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2727127 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:56:00 +0100 2727127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441687&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F29%2Fteens-text-a-lot-adults-worry%2F I sometimes wonder if we’re not living in a mirror world every 20 or 30 years. Because it seems like that’s about the time period where some new technology comes along, and suddenly adults — almost always led by well-meaning doctors, child professionals and researchers — get up in arms about the negative effects of that technology on children. With each significant technological development within society, we can go back into history and find newspaper and magazine reports about the potentially “harmful effects” of the technology, led by academics and researchers. For instance, it was very disturbing to many in society at the time when the radio entered into the American household and suddenly changed the nature of many families’ communications. In... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441687 Fri, 29 May 2009 14:37:07 +0100 2441687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405415&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F13%2Fthe-internet-helps-teenagers-with-social-relationships%2F Social scientists have had a decade in which to study the use of the Internet by teenagers and adolescents. In a review article published in February, researchers Valkenburg & Peter (2009) found that the Internet — contrary to initial expectations — seems largely to be of benefit to most adolescents. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) stimulates self-disclosure. People who use a computer to communicate with someone else engage in more communications with that person, and the communications results in more intimate self-disclosure. The researchers found that studies that have look at online self-disclosure found that the more teens disclose online, the more likely they are to report higher-quality friendships and more friendship-forming behaviors. Self-disclosure can oc... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405415 Wed, 13 May 2009 10:00:48 +0100 2405415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2354004&cid=t_109166_133_f&fid=35124&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspergerwoman%2F%7E3%2FR3OUvj6x3zo%2Fautism-women-women-with-asd.html Was thinking in the ways women with autism are equal, and in which way we are all unique. Just take this schedule for instance. We are all different?!There are just so many of us, women with some kind of autism. You are not alone.Is this schedule correct? Please correct me if I am wrong.Types of women with ASD1. girls with classic autism, already been diagnosed with ASD2. girls with classic autism, have not been officially diagnosed (dx-diagoseyet3. teenagers with ASD, no offcial dx yet,4. teenagers with ASD, with official dx5. adolescents with ASD, no official dx yet6. adolescents with ASD, with official dx7. adult women with ASD and kids, no official dx yet8. adult women with ASD and kids, no official dx yet 9. adult women without kids with ASD, no official dx yet10.adult women without k... The Art of Being Asperger Woman blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2354004 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:22:00 +0100 2354004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287236&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F22%2Fdespite-controversy-lexapro-approved-for-kids-depression%2F Lexapro, an antidepressant already approved to treat major depression in adults, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat depression in children ages 12 to 17. This happened just weeks after the drug’s marker, Forest Laboratories, was charged by prosecutors of illegally marketing this and another drug (Celexa) to children and paying kickbacks to doctors for prescribing them. Digging into the studies that resulted in the FDA’s approval demonstrates a clearly mixed picture of Lexapro’s effectiveness in children: The FDA on Friday approved Lexapro’s use for adolescents based on favorable results in two clinical trials, one involving adolescents taking Lexapro and another involving children and adolescents taking chemically similar Cele... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287236 Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:28:25 +0100 2287236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260642&cid=t_109166_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fsleep-and-high-school-start-times.html An editorial in today’s Washington Post examines the debate over school start times. It shows just how complex it can be to make changes to daily school schedules.A proposal in Fairfax County, Va., would change the start time of most high schools in the county from 7:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. It appears that there is strong support for a change. But there are also many obstacles.Money is one concern. In Fairfax County, 169,000 students must be transported to and from school each day. This is both complicated and costly.The Post reports that Fairfax school officials once estimated that a schedule change could cost up to $40 million. But they found ways to make bus routes more efficient. This led to the current “no-cost” proposal.Teens and parents may have concerns about starting and ending... Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260642 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:08:00 +0100 2260642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985548&cid=t_109166_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F462979024%2F Like all psychiatric disorders, ADHD is diagnosed based on the presence of particular behavioral symptoms that are judged to cause significant impairment in an individual's functioning, and not on the results of a specific test. In fact, recently published ADHD evaluation guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explicitly state that no particular diagnostic test should be routinely used when evaluating a child for ADHD. While most ADHD experts would agree that no single test could or should be used in isolation to diagnose ADHD, there are several important reasons why the availability of an accurate objective test would be useful. First, many children do not receive a careful and comprehensive assessment for ADHD but are instead diagnosed with based on evaluation procedure... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985548 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:11:23 +0100 1985548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1883684&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fvitamin-d-recommendations-doubled-for-infants-children-and-adolescents%2F This post is important for all pregnant women, mothers who are breast feeding their babies and for parents of infants, children and adolescents (please forward it to your family, friends and others as appropriate). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has revised their recommendations for vitamin D supplementation of the diets of all newborns, infants, children and adolescents. The new recommendations (detailed below) basically double the amount of vitamin D recommended from 200 IU/day to 400 IU/day. The AAP’s recommendations were described in an October 13, 2008 press release as well as in a more detailed free online Clinical Report. The new recommendations come at a time when the importance of vitamin D in maintaining health and preventing disease, and the near ubiquity of vita... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883684 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:34:16 +0100 1883684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734229&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Fstrong_social_support_may_reduce_psychological_affects_of_tr.htm In a study on adolescent depression following terror attacks, Professor Golan Shahar of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel, and Professor Christopher Henrich of Georgia State University, report that social support experienced by these adolescents seems to protect against depression. The study followed middle school students in the Israeli city of Sderot who have experienced seven years of ongoing terror attacks by Qassam rockets launched from the nearby Gaza Strip. Researchers examined whether higher levels of baseline social support protected the adolescents from adverse psychological effects of exposure to repeated trauma. Twenty-nine participants were evaluated before and after a five-month period from May to September 2007, when daily rocket attacks from Gaza incr... Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734229 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:38:00 +0100 1734229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1605961&cid=t_109166_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F332514633%2F I’ve started teaching summer school, in a special program for local high school students and a course on translating Virgil’s Eclogues. The Eclogues are pastoral poems about shepherds and poetry and…….ok, that’s a bit too far from the usual discussion on this blog. The other class is on Psychology and Literature and, as of today, we’ve read this, this, and this, and discussed Freud’s theories of psychosexual development (the oral stage, the anal stage…..) and Erik Erikson’s 8 stages of psychosocial development—-and I’ve been reflecting on how different Charlie’s development has been. I know that these theories are “just” theories; that they’re grids for stages and norms that no actual human being can ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1605961 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:51:57 +0100 1605961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432387&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F5%2F9%2Fthe-impending-demise-of-abstinence-only-programs-finally-fig.html by Pat Salber, MDI wonder if we will ever know how many American kids got pregnant or contracted sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) because of a decade of a failed national health policy: abstinence-only programs. Thankfully, we seem to be regaining our senses and will once again resort to science to guide public health policy related to sex education.This positive development is discussed in some detail in the May 7, 2008 issue of JAMA  (Vol. 299, No. 17, p. 2013-15). Here is a brief summary:In 2007, Mathematica Policy, Inc., a nonpartisan research firm (oh, how sad it is that it must be pointed out that a research firm is nonpartisan) published the results of its controlled trial of abstinence-only programs. For its study, Mathematica surveyed more than 2000 elementary and middle ... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432387 Fri, 09 May 2008 01:12:10 +0100 1432387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423662&cid=t_109166_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F284673810%2F American children take antipsychotics at about six times the rate of children in the UK, according to a comparison based on a study published in Pediatrics. But does this mean kids in the US are being overtreated? Or are Uk children undertreated? Experts say that’s almost beside the point, because use is rising on both sides of the Atlantic, Reuters reports. And with little long-term safety data, the drugs may be overprescribed for children in both countries, research suggests. In the study, there were 595 antipsychotic scrips for kids in 1992, or a rate of fewer than four children per 10,000 using the drugs. By 2005, 2,917 scrips were written, or a rate of seven children per 10,000 - a near-doubling, Fariz Rani, a researcher at the University of London’s pharmacy school and t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423662 Tue, 06 May 2008 14:20:53 +0100 1423662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1337014&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2F30%2Fchronic-insomnia-linked-to-psychological-problems-in-adolescents%2F A recent study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston concludes that chronic sleeplessness in adolescents is linked to many health problems, including those of a psychological nature. The study involved interviews with 3,134, 11 to 17 year old kids. More than twenty-five percent of the children had one or more symptom of insomnia and half had symptoms of chronic insomnia. An article published on ScienceDaily.com reported on the study in an article titled, “Adolescents with Chronic Insomnia Report ‘Twofold to Fivefold’ Increase in Personal Problems”. “Insomnia is both common and chronic among adolescents,” wrote lead author Robert E. Roberts, Ph.D., a professor of health promotion and behavioral sciences at The University of Texas School of Public ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1337014 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:20:59 +0100 1337014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1297787&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F03%2Fhomeschooling-a.html The Acton Institute reported today, March 12, 2008, that the Appellate court in California has ruled against homeschooling in that state ignoring research that shows that not only is homeschooling as good as public schooling but actually gets better outcomes. Here is a brief snippet of the article on the Acton web site:Declaring that “parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” the Second District Court of Appeal for the state of California recently issued a ruling that effectively bans families from homeschooling their children and threatens parents with criminal penalties for daring to do so. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HDSLA) this court decision has made “almost all forms of homeschooling in California” a violation of st... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1297787 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:16:27 +0100 1297787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1291023&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F03%2Frip-brigid-and.html It was 15 years ago today that Brigid and Ryan were killed by a drunk driver on March 10, 1993. Brigid was 5 and Ryan was 8. Brigid would be 20 today and Ryan would be 23. I miss them as much today as I have since they died. Whitney Houston sings it right when she sings, I Will Always Love You! (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1291023 Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:13 +0100 1291023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1261645&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F02%2Fcdc-issues-warn.html The Center for Disease Control issued a press release on 02/24/08 about the increased deaths and dangers of "the choking game."At least 82 youth have died as a result of playing what has been called “the choking game,” according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in today′s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The choking game involves intentionally trying to choke oneself or another in an effort to obtain a brief euphoric state or “high.” Death or serious injury can result if strangulation is prolonged. Eighty–seven percent of these deaths were among males, and most fatalities occurred among those 11 years to 16 years old; the average age was 13, the report said. Choking game deaths were identified in 31 states, it said. CDC fo... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1261645 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:32:58 +0100 1261645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258166&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F02%2Fsocial-class-ma.html Reuters reported on February 14, 2008 on a study which appears in the February, 2008 issue of the journal, Pediatrics, which found that while teenagers and parents often have discrepant views of the teenagers health, lower class kids, especially those who have recieved mental health care, rate their health as better than lower class kids who have not received mental health care, and upper class kids whose focus is more on physical health than mental health. Here is a brief snippet of the Reuters article:And, in fact, teenagers in the study often rated their health differently than their parents did, the researchers report in the journal Pediatrics. But the study also found that families' views differed according to income. Among higher-income families, children's and parents' health ratin... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258166 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:47:03 +0100 1258166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1241912&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F02%2Fencouraging-stu.html It's called creaming. Under the Federal Governments No Child Left Behind schools can look good with percentage of students meeting the standards if they get the poorer performing students to quit school.A new study by researchers at Rice University and the University of Texas-Austin finds that Texas' public school accountability system, the model for the national No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), directly contributes to lower graduation rates. Each year Texas public high schools lose at least 135,000 youth prior to graduation -- a disproportionate number of whom are African-American, Latino and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students. By analyzing data from more than 271,000 students, the study found that 60 percent of African-American students, 75 percent of Latino students and 80 p... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1241912 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:04:07 +0100 1241912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1225306&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F02%2Fthe-difference.html "The country where free public education was born struggles with the concept of what education is, what is should accomplish, and how it should approach the child." p. 239 The Whole Parenting Guide by Alan Reder, Phil Catalfo, and Stephanie Renfrow Hamilton "As a society, we have erred in assuming that education should be something done to our kids by some external agent called 'school' and that it should conclude when a person finishes formal schooling and begins a career. The shallowness of this concept has motivated many parents to make learning their own family value, to encouare their kids in their education, and even join them in that great adventure.". 239 Ibid One of my favorite bumperstickers says, "Don't let public schooling interfer with your educatio... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1225306 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:00:57 +0100 1225306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1217966&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F02%2Fparental-drinki.html This is what teenagers call a "Well, duh............". Reuters HealthDay reported on February 4, 2008, on a study which appears in the February, 2008 issue of the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research which found that parental and teenage alcohol problems are linked. It seems that parents that drink problematically themselves don't appropriately monitor and supervise their children's behaviors. This should come as a surprise to no one, but it is interesting that research supports what most people have observed and known about life. Here's a snippet from the Reuters' article:"With respect to individual aspects of parenting, our analyses show that parental alcohol use, intoxication, and problem drinking symptoms are consistently associated with decreases in m... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1217966 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:57:51 +0100 1217966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207395&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F02%2Flife-on-the-men.html This fall, 2008, I will have been in the Mental Health field for 40 years. In addition I have raised 9 children of my own with my wife, and now I have 10 grandchildren. I feel over the hill in some ways working in my private practice, being an agency executive, and teaching undergraduate social workers. Recently though, for the first time in a long time, I agreed to accompany a 16 year old client and his mother to an IEP meeting at his high school. The meeting was called to discuss his returning from a special ed 12:1:1 classroom to normal programming. I was appalled at the arrogance of the Principal who lectured the mother and the student about his zero tolerance policy for misbehavior and seriously questioned whether the student was prepared to function in this "higher expectat... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207395 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:14:45 +0100 1207395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191386&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F01%2Fpostponing-pare.html The On Point radio show with Tom Ashbrook had a great show on Monday, January 28th, 2008, on postponing parenthood. For the first time in human history more parents than ever are postponing child bearing and rearing into their 30s. In fact 52% of college educated women are waiting to have their first child until they are over 30. I have noticed in my area in Western New York in Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties nestled between Rochester, NY and Buffalo, NY school enrollments in all 18 school districts in those counties has dropped between 2004 and 2007 in some districts as much as 13, 14, and 15%. Most of this drop is attributed to the shrinking demographic of fewer adults between 18 and 34 living in these counties and having children.It's not new but it's truer than ever -- more an... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191386 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:38:50 +0100 1191386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1187159&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F01%2Fus-abortion-rat.html The abortion rate and actual number of abortions are down in the U.S. according to an article  published by Reuters on January 17, 2008 based on a study which will be published in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health in March of 2008.The U.S. abortion rate continued its long-term decline in 2005, falling to its lowest level since 1974, according to the latest census of all known abortion providers in the U.S. conducted by the Guttmacher Institute in New York. In 2005, the U.S. abortion rate fell to 19.4 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 years, continuing the downward trend that started after the U.S. abortion rate peaked in 1981 at 29.3 per 1,000 women. The number of abortions also declined, to a total of 1.2 million in 2005. This is 8 percent fewer tha... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1187159 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:27:35 +0100 1187159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1185819&cid=t_109166_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Freligion-of-father.html (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1185819 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:14:00 +0100 1185819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166390&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F01%2Fsmoking-in-movi.html Reuters HealthDay reported on January 8, 2008 on a study which appears in the January, 2008 issue of the journal, Pediatrics, which found that smoking in movies rated G, PG, and PG-13 influence kids to smoke.Young people who start smoking may be influenced to do so by movies they saw in early childhood, new research suggests. What's more, the study found that almost 80 percent of the exposure to smoking scenes in movies came through films rated "G," "PG" and "PG-13." "Movies seen at the youngest ages had as much influence over later smoking behavior as the movies that children had seen recently," said study author Linda Titus-Ernstoff, a pediatrics professor at Dartmouth Medical School. "And I'm increasingly convinced that this association be... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166390 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:49:40 +0100 1166390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1165323&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F01%2Fjuno-the-film.html There are not a lot of good movies currently to be seen in commercial movie theaters and then along come two back to back Charlie Wilson's War and Juno. Juno was released on 12/25/07 and is well worth seeing. It is about Juno MacGruff a 16 year old quirky high school girl who gets pregnant with her meek and mild mannered boyfriend, Paulie Bleeker. This is a delightful coming of age movie in which Juno seems wise and mature beyond her years. She is snarky and wise and entirely endearing and reminds me of one of my own daughters, a couple of them actually. The creative tension in the film comes from how she will manage her pregnancy and how people will react to it. This would be a good film for teenagers to see and I am very interested in what they think of it. I highly recommend it. L... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1165323 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:35:29 +0100 1165323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1163217&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F01%2Fbipolar-moms-to.html Reuters reported on January 1, 2008 on a study in the December, 2007 issue of the American Journal Of Psychiatry that pregnant woman with a history of bi-polar illness might be better to stay on their meds during their pregnancies rather than to discontinue them to avoid relapse. Link: MedlinePlus: Bipolar moms-to-be who stop meds risk relapse. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1163217 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:55:30 +0100 1163217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1163218&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F01%2Fyouth-are-sente.html As I get older I am amazed at the distorted view that most Americans have of themselves and their country. Our constitution says that we should not engage in cruel and inhumane punishment and yet California sentences kids to life in prison without parole. California's State Senate is predicted to pass a law this month outlawing this practice. To read a report from Human Rights Watch on this topic click on the link below. Link: "When I Die, They'll Send Me Home": Youth sentenced to Life without Parole in California. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1163218 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:43:53 +0100 1163218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1158220&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2008%2F01%2Fi-have-a-new-gr.html Angela and I had nine children. The two youngest were killed in 1993 in a drunk driving crash. Brigid was 5 and Ryan was 8. That was fourteen years ago, fifteen on March 11, 2008. This was a life shattering experience for our family, and yet life goes on. Angela and I divorced in 2000 after 34 years of marriage. Our seven living children are doing well and they are the joy of my life. Recently my daughter Maureen and her husband, Rodney, had their second child, a little girl, on Monday, January 7, 2008, at Albany Medical Center, and they named her Donavan Elizabeth. This is my 10th grandchild and  6th granddaughter. Two of my other daughters are pregnant. Katie is due with a little girl in March, and Mary with a little boy due in May. I am a very blessed man. God has not only bless... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1158220 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:09:34 +0100 1158220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1149728&cid=t_109166_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fbetter-schooling-through-biology.html (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1149728 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:52:00 +0100 1149728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1119860&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Fwhat-have-we-do.html North Coast Cafe posted an interesting video on December 19, 2007 when Miss Teen  USA contestant from South Carolina was asked a simple question, "Why do you think 1/5 of Americans cannot find the US on a map?" Her answer is pitiful and my only thought about her confused response is that she has been watching too many of the presidential contender debates. I would love to see her and George Bush in a discussion of weighty policy issues. Link: North Coast Cafe: The Brilliance of American Youth. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1119860 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:16:38 +0100 1119860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097668&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Famish-grace-the.html Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcends Tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, and David L. Weaver-Zercher is a wonderful book, well written, informative, and inspiring. Amish Grace describes the events following the tragedy at Nickel Mines, PA on October 2, 2006, when Charles Carl Roberts IV went into an Amish school and took 10 little girls hostage and eventually killing 5 and wounding another 5 and then killing himself. The Amish, true to their beliefs, forgave Roberts and his family and invited Roberts widow and family to the funerals of their children and many of the Amish also attended the funeral of Roberts. These acts of forgiveness, while true to the teachings of Jesus, are rarely seen in our society hell bent on vengeance and retribution. Many questions arose in resist... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097668 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 16:36:21 +0100 1097668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1096172&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Fpot-smoking-con.html Reuters reported on December 13, 2007 on a study published in the December, 2007 issue of the Journal, Thorax, that pot smoking increases the risk of chronic bronchitis  2 times non pot smokers and asthma is increased 70%. Each joint seems to be the equivalent of 2.5 - 5 tobacco cigarettes.Cannabis smokers had twice the risk of chronic bronchitis and a 70 percent increased risk of asthma diagnosed after age 16 years, they report in the medical journal Thorax. Based on observed changes in lung function tests, the investigators calculate that one cannabis joint does as much harm as 2.5 to 5 tobacco cigarettes. "This provides patients with a good measure of the relative risks of cannabis and tobacco smoking," Beasley said.Link: MedlinePlus: Pot smoking contributes to lung dis... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1096172 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:02:29 +0100 1096172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1085601&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Fhoney-eases-nig.html There has been a lot of criticism recently about over the counter cold preparations for children. Reuters reported on December 3, 2007, on a study which appears in the December, 2007 issue of the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine which found that honey works better as a cough supressant than cough syrups with dextromethorphan. Here is a brief snippet of the Reuters article:A spoonful of honey can quiet children's nighttime cough and help them -- and their parents -- sleep better, a new study shows. When compared to the cough syrup ingredient dextromethorphan or no treatment, honey came out on top. "The results were so strong that we were able to say clearly that honey was better than no treatment and dextromethorphan was not," Dr. Ian M. Paul of Pennsylvania State U... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1085601 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:57:39 +0100 1085601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1082085&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Fthe-almost-moon.html The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold published in October of 2007 is Sebold's third book after The Lovely Bones and Lucky. The Almost Moon is about 49 year old Helen Knightly, a college art studio nude model, who kills her mother, Claire, who is 88 and suffering from dementia after she soils herself. The novel fluctuates back and forth from current efforts to hide from police and deal with the fact that Helen has killed her mother, and her experience as a child growing up with two parents who suffered from mental illness. Along the way, Helen, has a brief sexual relationship with the 30 year old son of her best friend, Natalie. The story is grim and it is not clear what the author's message is other than that neurotic people lived screwed up lives. This book was OK but I don't necessarily r... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1082085 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 23:00:36 +0100 1082085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1082086&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Fcarry-me-down-t.html Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland was a 2006 Man Booker Prize finalist and a book that has stuck with me after I finished it about a month ago. It is the story about an 11 year old boy, John Egan, who is growing up in Gorey, Ireland with his parents who live in his paternal grandmother's home. John is a tall boy with a deep voice and somewhat of a misfit who comforts himself with an obsession with the Guiness Book Of World Records and his belief that he is a human lie detector. The narration of the book is done by John and his perplexity and unhappiness are at times palpable as his parents marriage deteriorates and he is threatened with incarceration in a juvenile facility after he attempts to smother his mother. John is troubled and his parents seem pre-occupied with their own unhappiness wh... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1082086 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:40:16 +0100 1082086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1081533&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Fnew-technology.html On December 3, 2007, the CDC, the Center For Disease Control, put up an interesting web page on technology and youth violence. It is worth taking a look at if you are interested in this topic. I saw a young man today in my office who has been suspended from his high school until March 1 because he became enraged when a hallway monitor asked him to give up his cell phone. I inquired further about the school's policies about the use of cell phones in school. They seem confusing to me. I was told that students can have cell phones in school but they can't use them - they have to be turned off. Then why have them? In many ways, cell phones have become a huge nuisance in our society from people being distracted talking on cell phones while driving their cars to their constant interruption dis... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1081533 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:11:46 +0100 1081533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1076244&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Fbreaking-down-b.html On December 2, 2007, Reuters HealthDay published an article based on a survey described in a recent issue of the journal, Pediatrics, dealing with parents thoughts and feelings about end of life care for their dying child. According to the HealthDay article, the areas parents identified as needing improvement are listed in the quote below.The areas identified by these parents as needing improvement included: The need for honest and complete information from care-givers. The parents didn't want doctors and nurses to keep information from them to protect them. "What we cannot handle is not knowing what is going on," one parent wrote. Coordination of care and communication. Rather than having every doctor caring for a child present their opinion to parents -- which sometimes di... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1076244 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:43:36 +0100 1076244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1064864&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F12%2Fsuicide-risk-in.html It is validating to read research findings that confirm what good clinicians already know. On November 28, 2007, Reuters reported on a study in the November, 2007 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics which found that teenagers with a history of sexual abuse have a highter rate of suicidal ideas and attempts than teens without this history, but that the risk factor of sexual abuse is offset if the teen has the protective factor of "family connectedness" that is, a loving and caring family that is supportive in a nonjudgmental way. Here is part of what is written in the Reuters article:However, having positive relationships with adults seemed to reduce some of this risk, the study found. Abused teens who said they had teachers or other adults in their lives who cared about them were ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1064864 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:03:56 +0100 1064864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1040086&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F11%2Fsmoking-linked.html Reuters reported on October 23, 2007, on a report issued by CASA, the Columbia University's National Center on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse,  which got its data from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), that shows that cigarettes are indeed the gateway drug for alcolescent abuse of alcohol and marijuana. Here is a snippet of the Reuter's report:Teenagers who smoke are five times more likely to drink and 13 times more likely to use marijuana than those who do not smoke, according to a report issued on Tuesday. The report by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse presented further evidence linking youth smoking to other substance abuse and spotlighted research on how nicotine affects the adolescent brain. "... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1040086 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:20:37 +0100 1040086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1036918&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F11%2Fnew-research-on.html On November 14, 2007, Diane Rehm had an interesting show on some recent research which has been done on disruptive kindergartners. Diane interviewed Sharon Landesman Ramey, Director, Center for Health and Education, Georgetown University, Dr. Philip Shaw, Psychiatry Fellow, National Institutes of Mental Health, and Greg Duncan, Edwina S. Tarry Professor of Education and Social Policy Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. Here is a brief synopsis of the show:A new study finds children considered troublemakers in kindergarten will do just as well academically as their peers in later school years. There's also new research on children with A.D.H.D. suggesting a possible brain development delay but no long term deficit. New insights on evaluating and educat... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1036918 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:53:58 +0100 1036918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1036919&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F11%2Fhaving-lots-of.html According to a study reported today, November 19, 2007 on Health Day, men who had 4 children before they were 30 have a 61% greater chance of living to 100 than men without this history. I had 5 children before I was 30 and 8 children before I was 40 and 9 children before I was 43. So I ought to live to be 200, right? Here is a small part of what the HealtDay article on Yahoo news says:Some surprising findings emerged. First of all, a man's chances of reaching 100 rose along with the number of children he had produced by age 30. Compared to childless men of the same age, a 30-year-old man in 1917 who had one to three children had a 61 percent increased chance of living past a century, the data showed. However, a man's chances for extreme longevity almost tripled if he had fathered four... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1036919 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:38:58 +0100 1036919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1034178&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F11%2F17%2Fdiabulimia-underdosing-on-insulin-a-dangerous-way-to-lose-we.html by Pat SalberI was pretty shocked when I first heard about diabulemia. This is a practice some teens and young women with Type 1 diabetes, are using in order to lose weight. They purposely underdose their insulin allowing their blood glucoses to skyrocket. The excess blood glucose is eliminated in the urine. “Traditional” bulimics purge excess calories by forcing themselves to vomit. Diabulimics purge excess calories by underdosing on insulin and peeing out unmetabolized glucose.Girls and young women with diabulimia will tell you they feel really crummy as their glucose levels increase and they increasingly rely on metabolizing fatty acids for energy instead of glucose. The end result of underdosing insulin is a state known as diabetic ketoacidosis, that is characterized b... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1034178 Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:59:41 +0100 1034178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1027079&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F11%2F14%2Fworld-diabetes-day-no-child-should-die-of-diabetes.html by Pat SalberToday is the first ever UN-observed World Diabetes Day led by the International Diabetes Federation. It was established as a result of a resolution passed last December by the General Assembly of the UN. The idea behind the Day is to increase visibility of diabetes world-wide.  Hopefully this will lead to better funding, more research, public education, and other resources being applied to the condition.The focus of this year’s World Diabetes Day campaign is diabetes in children and adolescents. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic disease of childhood. Children and teens can develop Type 1 diabetes – an autoimmune disorder in which the insulin producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed – or they can develop Type 2 diabetes – a condit... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1027079 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:51:25 +0100 1027079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1012483&cid=t_109166_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F181303450%2F The agency is going to hold a public workshop on Dec. 6 & 7 in conjunction with the NIH and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. The idea, according to the FDA, is to gain a “better understanding” of how OTC drugs are used by adolescents - kids between 12 and 18 years old. The agency also hopes to figure out how teenage decision-making contrasts with adult decision-making when it comes to using OTC meds. This comes on the heels of an FDA panel meeting that decided children younger than 6 years old shouldn’t be getting OTC cough and cold meds. The info from the upcoming workshop will be used to determine when OTC drug studies should enroll adolescents and to define the type of research and study designs needed to support OTC drug product approval for adolesc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1012483 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:10:34 +0100 1012483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1010431&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F11%2Freport-abstinen.html AP reported today, 11/07/07, on a report that abstinence only programs do not curb teen sex.Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of millions of dollars in federal grants, according to a study released by a nonpartisan group that seeks to reduce teen pregnancies. "At present there does not exist any strong evidence that any abstinence program delays the initiation of sex, hastens the return to abstinence or reduces the number of sexual partners" among teenagers, the study concluded. The report, which was based on a review of research into teenager sexual behavior, was being released Wednesday by the nonpartisan National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. The study... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1010431 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:46:18 +0100 1010431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1001005&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F11%2Fthe-highly-priz.html There is a great cover article in the Sept/Oct. 2007 issue of Social Work today on The Highly Prized Child. It is well worth reading and can be read on line.All children need to be prized, need to be loved, need to be cared for, but highly prized children have been treated in a way that is ultimately wounding to them. On the surface, highly prized children are self-absorbed, demanding, and indifferent to other people’s desires and needs. Underneath, however, these children are often depressed, unhappy, and lack self-confidence.Interestingly I have seen more of these kids in my practice. I have had teenagers who refused to go to school unless their parents bought them a car saying that they are too old to ride the school bus. The demands didn't surprise me as much as the parent's serious ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1001005 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:38:02 +0100 1001005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=985588&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F28%2Fthe-champions-gala.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.D Just returned from a dinner gala put on by the American Diabetes Association, to honor people and organizations who passionately work day in and day out in the cause of diabetes prevention and cure. I must say, this was truly an eye-opening experience. But first, some statistics on the extent of the problem we are having, and the disastrous trajectory in which the disease is progressing: 21 million Americans have diabetes, and 54 million have pre-diabetes, or metabolic syndrome. Add the two figures, and we have 75 million Americans, or about 25% of the population suffering from the disease or its precursor. 1 in 3 children born this year will suffer from diabetes during their lifetime. Think of it, in a few short years one third of the population will have diabetes... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=985588 Sun, 28 Oct 2007 05:44:16 +0100 985588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=950891&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F10%2Fsingle-mothers-.html Mark Penn in his book, Microtrends, discusses some of the consequences of the fact that single sex ratios have increased in disparity in the United States with there being far more females than males. One of the consequences is that more women are choosing to be single moms. Penn points out that when Murphy Brown, the TV character, decided to become a single mom on TV back in the early 90s, the then Vice President, Dan Quayle, decided to express his critical ideas about this phenomenon. Back then there were about 50,000 Single Moms by Choice in the United States. It is now estimated that there are 150,000. For more information about Single Moms By Choice click on the link below Link: Single Mothers by Choice. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=950891 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 02:05:25 +0100 950891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=926242&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F10%2Fbush-vetos-schi.html The Republicans should be ashamed of themselves as our nation's children go without health care as they gleefully spend hundreds of billions on an immoral and ridiculous war in Iraq. The very sad and perverse thing is that there are forces in this country that would rather spend money to make people die than provide care to help people live. As Americans we are faced with a choice of politics of death or politics of life. President Bush's veto of the child health program funding is an example of the Republican politics of death. Greatscat web site has a clip of Rep. Jan Schakowsky speaking for one minute on the travesty. She succinctly sums up the issue and it is worth watching. Link: Greatscat!. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=926242 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:55:11 +0100 926242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915354&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-real-reason.html Mark J. Penn points out in his book, Microtrends, that there are 109 million straight adult women in America for 98 million straight adult men for a straight sex ratio of 53-47. However, this ratio is even worse in the black community where it starts out at 56 - 44 due to the high rates of death of black teenage boys, but due to the high incarceration rates of black men it moves the ratio to even greater disparity at 57 - 43. It appears that the fact that so many black women are single mothers has as much to due with societal structural issues as it does with any moral failure to support the traditional family structure. The simple fact is that there are not enough males around who are available to black women to marry and to participate in family life. As long as black men keep getting k... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915354 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:44:36 +0100 915354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=908575&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F09%2Felizabeth-eckfo.html Another one of my favorite podcasts is NPR's Driveway Moments. On September 4, 2007, NPR broadcast a story about Elizabeth Eckford, one of the 9 brave students who became known as the Little Rock 9 were pioneers integrating Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Elizabeth was 15 at the time and is now 65 and still has trouble talking about her experience to this day. At the age of 15 she was vilified, castigated, spat upon, jeered, and harassed. We like to think of ourselves as a wonderful nation, land of the free and home of the brave, etc. but this self concept is more an idealization than a reality. We, Americans, have a long way to go to actualize our ideals. It is important to remember, and pay tribute to the brave citizens who have helped us become a better people. ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=908575 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:06:52 +0100 908575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=907061&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-sweetest-wo.html Another great StoryCorps story is the story which Kristi Hager told StoryCorps volunteer, Cherie Newman, about her mother, Norine. Kristi describes herself, when 9, laughing with her mother in deep and resonating ways, and when she describes her last meeting with her mom, when her mom said, "Kristi, it's been really nice knowing you," Kristi says, choking up as she weeps, "It was the sweetest thing I ever heard." I was listening in the car and it brought tears to my eyes. This is one of the most moving mother-daughter stories I have ever heard. I highly recommend it. It takes about 4 minutes. Click on the link below to go to the NPR StoryCorps web site where you can listen. Link: NPR : A Fit of Laughter That Lasts Today. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=907061 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:21:24 +0100 907061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=907062&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F09%2Fpsychiatric-hos.html Another great radio show is NPRs Story Corps. Listening to Donald Weiss interview Ralph Tremonte in the StoryCorps booth at Grand Central Terminal about their life together growing up as children in the children's unit at Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, NY reminded me of all the colorful characters I met when I worked as a Psychiatric Social Worker at Kings Park Psychiatric Center on Long Island, and at Rochester Psychiatric Center in Rochester, NY from 1968 to 1976. Those were the days of deinstitutionalization when psychiatric patients were being discharged into the community. I have my professional stories to tell, but I think Donald and Ralph's is more interesting. It is well worth the 4 minutes or so to listen to it. Click on the link below to go to the NPR Story Corps web ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=907062 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:05:33 +0100 907062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=906075&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F09%2Fimpact-of-a-sib.html In May, 2007 American Radio Works produced a 30 minute radio show on Siblings of mentally ill siblings. There has been very little research into the impact that mental illness of a sibling as on the other siblings. The devastating effects of mental illness have been well documented in films, books, and academia. But until recently there has been little said about the sisters and brothers of the mentally ill. Now researchers are starting to look at what they're calling the "well-sibling" syndrome. This brief show is well worth listening to. I highly recommend it and it can be accessed through the link below. Link: American RadioWorks - A Burden to be Well: Sisters and Brothers of the Mentally Ill. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=906075 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:29:40 +0100 906075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=900853&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F25%2Fadults-vs-adolescents-is-there-a-real-difference.html ConclusionTo ascribe all behavior, good or bad, to the structure and function of the brain is not only simplistic and incorrect biologically, it is socially dangerous; “The devil made me do it” as an excuse for sociopathic behavior is simply not compatible with a functioning civil society. Unfortunately, defense attorneys are already recruiting expert witnesses who make this deterministic argument in court.  Males concludes his article thus: “ In reality, human brains are highly adaptive. Both teenagers and adults display a wide variety of attitudes and behaviors derived from individual conditions and choices, not harsh biological determinism. There’s no “typical teenager” any more than there’s a “typical” 45-year-old. Comment... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=900853 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:34:57 +0100 900853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883730&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F09%2Fhomeschoolers-s.html In 1985 when my wife and I were only one of three families in our school district to homeschool our children, I was asked to sign a statement prepared by the school district which stated that I knowingly was giving up my children's opportunity to receive a free public school education which most educational authorities believe is superior to homeschooling. I refused to sign the statement and asked the Director of Pupil Personnnel Services to produce any evidence to back up the statement that public schooling was superior to homeschooling. They had no evidence or data. It was purely an ideological statement. In the last 22 years homeschooling has grown enormously in the United States to the point were it is estimated that between 1 and 2 million children in the United States are homeschoo... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883730 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:31:26 +0100 883730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=856797&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F09%2Finto-the-arms-o.html Into The Arms Of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport is a documentary which was released in 2000 and won the Academy Award in 2001 as the Best Documentary. It is the story about 10,000 Jewish children who were sent from Austria and Germany to England in 1938 and 1939 before the war broke out between Germany and Poland. The Kindertransport has been called one of the greatest acts of mercy in the history of the world. The documentary describes the suffering which occured for parents and children as parents sent their children to England to save them from the Nazi oppression and possible death. Over 1.5 million children died in the holocaust. More could have been saved had governments acted more quickly. To our shame, the United States congress failed to pass legislation to allow chil... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=856797 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 02:50:29 +0100 856797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=845688&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F6%2Fbipolar-diagnosis-in-children-another-epidemic.html By Dov Michaeli , MD, Ph.D One of the plays we saw last Sunday in Ashland was “Distracted”, describing a mother whose nine year old child was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The kid was a lively, curious, imaginative, highly intelligent child who was bored with his school, couldn’t keep his mind concentrated on the dumb and further dumbed down assignments-and was labeled by his teacher as “challenged”. It was all downhill from there. The child was seen by all kinds of healers (school nurse, psychologist, neuropsychologist, homeopathic psychiatrist), loaded up with drugs designed to “control” his behavior which in turn led to a new diagnosis: bipolar disorder. I had been vaguely aware of the problems of over- diagno... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=845688 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:29:24 +0100 845688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=794210&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F08%2Fthe-fathers-rol.html This article is based on the chapter entitled "Fairy Tale Fathers in Dr. Christine Lawson's book, Understanding The Borderline Mother: Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable, and Volatile Relationship. Dr. Lawson says what you might guess:"The father's role in the drama between the borderline mother and her child is crucial in determining the outcome for the child." p.178It has been my observation that very often the husbands of women with borderline personality disorder are either very dysfucntional with their own problems such as alcoholism, drug addiction, workaholism, or they are afraid of their wives and acquiesce to keep the peace. Rarely is there any kind of equal partnership between a husband and a wife with borderline personality disorder. He oft... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=794210 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:26:58 +0100 794210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=790571&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F08%2Fwhats-the-real-.html In early August, 2007, Matthew Rothchild, the editor of the Progressive Magazine, interviewed Judith Siers-Poisson about the PR push by Merck pharmaceuticals to market Gardasil, its vaccine against cervical cancer caused by HPV. Ms. Siers-Poisson provides fascinating information about how Merck has marketed this vaccine with the help of the Edleman Public Relations firm and Merck's poltical lobbyists. It is a fascinating story told in about 25 minutes. It is well worth listening to. You can download a MP3 file of the broadcast by clicking on the link below. Link: Judith Siers-Poisson Interview | The Progressive. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=790571 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 13:39:48 +0100 790571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=782973&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F08%2Fthe-effect-of-1.html This post is based on the chapter entitled "Make Believe Children" in Dr. Christine Ann Lawson's book, "Understanding The Borderline Mother: Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable, and Volatile Relationship." This is part two of a two part post on this topic. Borderline parents often "split", that is they project their good side onto one child who becomes the "fair haired boy or girl", the "golden child", the "all good child" while they project their bad side onto the "black sheep", the "scapegoat", or the "no good child". In part one I described some of the dynamics that occur for the all good child. In this part two, I will describe some of the dynamics that occur for the all bad... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=782973 Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:56:21 +0100 782973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780673&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F08%2Fthe-effect-of-b.html This post is based on the chapter entitled "Make Believe Children" in Dr. Christine Ann Lawson's book, "Understanding The Borderline Mother: Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable, and Volatile Relationship." Most people would not believe what goes on in Borderline families. The dynamics are intense, destructive, and subtle and not readily apparent to the casual observer. However as Dr. Lawson points out, "Children of borderlines learn to sacrifice their true selves because survival requires that they meet their mother's emotional needs." p. 155 - 156. An adult client told me of a conversation he had with his mother who wondered why she had no relationships with her other adult children and grandchildren, and the client said that he said to... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780673 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:17:21 +0100 780673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=780412&cid=t_109166_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F140845985%2F They’re doing it, and they’re doing, and they’re doing it, so what about us, why don’t we—–I heard about it the other day…….. Might thinking such as this be a reason to account for the increase in the prevalence rate of autism, which is now 1 in 150 in the US, and 1 in 94 among children in the state where I live, New Jersey? That is, after one parent hears that some other parent has had a child with XY and Z “issues” (not talking? obsessive about certain toys? shrieking on hearing certain sounds—high-pitched ones, perhaps?), does that parent then take the child to a specialist for an evaluation? After one person hears that someone she knows has certain traits and has been diagnosed with Asperger’s, might that person th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=780412 Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:07:35 +0100 780412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=779988&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F08%2Fthe-borderline-.html Borderline Personality Disorder can manifest itself in multiple ways. In her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, Dr. Christine Lawson describes four role types which BPD is exemplified by: the Waif, the Hermit, the Queen, and the Witch. These role types are not mutually exclusive and characteristics of these types overlap and inter mix. This post is part three on the borderline Witch. There are many characteristics of the Witch borderline mother. She is sadistically controlling and punitive with her children. This occurs unpredictably but regularly to the extent that after awhile the children of the witch expect to be hurt by her. I had a an adult client tell me that her mother would come to school and have her removed from class and chastise her for not doing some simple chore suc... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=779988 Sat, 04 Aug 2007 21:25:11 +0100 779988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=773359&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F08%2Fchild-maltreatm.html Reuters Health Day reported on an article in the August 1, 2007 issue of the Journal Of The American Medical Association that child maltreatment cases rise in military families when a parent is deployed. This information would not look good on a recruiting poster. It is very stressful on the parent left home with the kids while the other parent is off serving his/her country. I am pretty sick and tired of all the yellow ribbon magnets on cars and the Support The Troops balleyhoo of polticians when they cut veterans benefits and leave military families severely stressed due to deployment. It makes one wonder whether a voluntary, mercenary army is really a good idea in a democracy. Here is part of what it says in the Reuters article:Deployment of a parent results in added stress, particularl... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=773359 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:57:39 +0100 773359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=749437&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F07%2Fhow-religion-is.html On July 15, 2007, Rev. Tamara Lebak, Assistant Pastor at the All Soul's Unitarian Church in Tulsa, OK, preached a powerful sermon on Domestic Violence. It is not a topic that is often preached on and she does a super job giving an overview of the problem, a personal insight into how it affected her own life, and how churches and religion can be complicit in supporting the problem. I highly recommend the sermon and you can listen or download it from the Digg web site by clicking on the link below. Link: Digg - Why Have You Forsaken Me? (All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa, OK). (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=749437 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 02:14:12 +0100 749437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=748922&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F07%2Fgovernance-stru.html Predatory priests are not the problem. It is the unaccountable governance structure of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals, Bishops, and Priests operate in their own secret world above the law. They often lead a double life preying on the gullible sexually, financially, and theologically. They do not genuinely care for their victims or families but only to preserve their own status, power, and perrogatives. According to the Associated Press, the archdiocese of Los Angeles paid out a record setting clergy abuse civil settlement, 660 million, to prevent Cardinal Mahony from having to testify in court. I wonder why Catholics would continue to financially support a church this corrupt?Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony approved a record clergy abuse payout, opened the files of the Roman Cath... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=748922 Sat, 21 Jul 2007 20:38:54 +0100 748922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=719411&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F07%2Fthe-borderlin-1.html Borderline Personality Disorder can manifest itself in multiple ways. In her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, Dr. Christine Lawson describes four role types which BPD is exemplified by: the Waif, the Hermit, the Queen, and the Witch. These role types are not mutually exclusive and characteristics of these types over overlap and inter mix. This post is part two on the boderline Witch. One of the important characteristics of the Witch type of borderline is what Dr. Lawson and others call "the turn". Dr. Lawson describes "the turn" as follows:"One of the most devastating experiences for chldren of borderlines is "the turn." The Turn is a sudden attack, the abrupt withdrawal of love and affection, and razor-sharp words that can pierce the heart as ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=719411 Sat, 07 Jul 2007 17:20:31 +0100 719411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=714718&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F07%2Fthe-bordeline-w.html Borderline Personality Disorder can manifest itself in multiple ways. In her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, Dr. Christine Lawson describes four role types which BPD is exemplified by: the Waif, the Hermit, the Queen, and the Witch. These role types are not mutually exclusive and characteristics of these types over overlap and inter mix. The borderline Witch mother is personified in fairy tales most notably Hanzel and Gretel."Husband, listen to me. Tomorrow at daybreak we'll take the children out to the thickest part of the forest...They'll never find the way home again and that way we'll be rid of them."Susan Smith killed her children in 1994 when she drove her car into the lake with the kids strapped into their safety seats and killed them because her boyfriend left... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=714718 Wed, 04 Jul 2007 23:50:51 +0100 714718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=707656&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F07%2Fthe-borderline-.html Borderline Personality Disorder can manifest itself in multiple ways. In her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, Dr. Christine Lawson describes four role types which BPD is exemplified by: the Waif, the Hermit, the Queen, and the Witch. These role types are not mutually exclusive and characteristics of these types over overlap and inter mix. Dr. Lawson writes that Borderline Queens are driven by feelings of emptiness, and that they seek special treatment because they felt emotionally deprived as children. The Queen has learned how to win special treatment through persistence and intimidation. Dr. Lawson writes:She can be intrusive, loud, inpatient, and flamboyant. She is easily frustrated, often bursting into rages than can terrify her children. She can be disingenuous and may lie... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=707656 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:46:32 +0100 707656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=699269&cid=t_109166_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F27%2Ffamily-based-weight-management-program-promising-but-costly%2F Filed under: Type 2, Childhood, Diet, Lifestyle, Research, Exercise, Support Near the end of the school year, my son's preschool teacher shared a disturbing statistic. My son's generation is expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. The main reason? Childhood obesity. 17 percent of children and adolescents in 2004 were overweight, and it's even more dismal for African American and Hispanic youth -- 18-26 percent. The phrase 'childhood obesity epidemic' is not being tossed around lightly, we are in a state of emergency when it comes to the health of our youth. Results were just released from a one-year randomized trial conducted May 2002-September 2005 on a weight management program called Bright Bodies. Researchers randomly assigned 209 overweight children to the Bright Bod... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=699269 Wed, 27 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 699269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=695201&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F26%2Fangry-moms-and-school-food.html When I wrote about the food industry marketing sweetened, energy dense foods to kids in my post titled: "Is the food industry playing games with your children:  You bet it is," I got the usual spate of email comments telling me that it is not industry, rather it is parents, that should be faulted. After all, these folks argue, parents, not kids buy and serve the food. (Yeah, but I contend the industry wouldn’t market this stuff to kids if it didn't pay off…but that is another story.)Now, the NY Times tells the story of an angry mom taking on junk food in her kids’ schools. The story, titled Child Nutrition: Two Mothers, a Camera and a Look at School Lunches, was emailed to me by Karen, my husband’s daughter and the mother of our l... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=695201 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:01:08 +0100 695201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=693258&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fanxiety-in-adul.html Dr. Christine Lawson writes in her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, that "Adult children of Hermits may suffer from panic attacks, claustrophobia,or agoraphobia without recognizing the source of their fear - the early experience of feeling trapped by their mothers." p.87 I had one client email me the following: " It has taken me most of my early adulthood to de-stress from the perpetual anxiety and establish a sense of self-worth after having my mother as a mother. I am conflicted, however, knowing I'd be a much different person had I been born to anyone else. I think I'd be much less tolerant, self-reliant, and empathetic and more fearful of change and the unknown. I truly believe that good things can be born of struggle." Feelings of inferiority, insecur... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=693258 Mon, 25 Jun 2007 01:22:00 +0100 693258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=693260&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fwhen-the-bord-1.html Borderline Personality Disorder can manifest itself in mutliple ways. In her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, Dr. Christine Lawson describes four role types which BPD is exemplified by: the Waif, the Hermit, the Queen, and the Witch. These role types are not mutually exclusive and characteristics of these types over overlap and inter mix. Dr. Lawson writes :"The borderline Hermit seeks solitude but paradoxically longs to belong." p. 81Like the Waif, the Hermit also often has trouble sleeping at night ruminating about the safety of her children, her husband, her job, her heath, and any number of other things. Hermits can be extraordinarily sensitive and may believe that they are psychic according to Dr. Lawson. She looks for hidden meanings in greeting cards, gifts, inv... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=693260 Sun, 24 Jun 2007 21:23:12 +0100 693260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=691255&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fwhen-the-border.html Borderline Personality Disorder can manifest itself in mutliple ways. In her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, Dr. Christine Lawson describes four role types which BPD is exemplified by: the Waif, the Hermit, the Queen, and the Witch. These role types are not mutually exclusive and characteristics of these types over overlap and inter mix. The Waif seems to want soothing and often leaves others feeling helpless because she is often inconsolable. As Dr. Lawson writes that the Waif might say, "I can't allow myself to need your help and be in control at the same time."  The irony is that the Waif feels that in accepting help she is loosing control. The Waif can self soothe with the compulsive use of alcohol, drugs, money, food, sex, work, and likes to play the role o... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=691255 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 19:19:15 +0100 691255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=688621&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fcommunicating-w.html Today, June 21, 2007, on the blog, Borderline Crazy, the author has a great article on borderline thinking processes which at times can be quite delusional. The writer likens the process as communications going through the borderline's black box which become misinterpreted and take on a delusional quality that leaves the communicator as feeling like he/she is in the twilight zone.Today on my mind has been on the translations that communication goes through (I think of it as “the black box”) before it reaches the mind of a person with BPD. This may be a diagnostic feature not to be found in the DSM; if you find yourself often thinking you’re in the Twilight Zone (OR often wishing you had a tape recorder to replay what was actually said) when conversing with someone, I think chances ar... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=688621 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 01:37:44 +0100 688621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=688622&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Femotional-abuse.html Christine Lawson writes in her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, that children have four needs: To be held (to be enveloped by safe, loving arms) To be mirrored (to se a positive reflection of themselves in their parent's eyes) To be soothed ( to be comforted, reassured, and protected) To be given some control ( to elicit predictable responses to expressed needs) Lawson writes a little further:"Like a broken record, the borderline's behavior seems compulsively driven, with the aim of eliciting what she lacked as a child. The Waif needed to be held, the Hermit needed to be soothed, the Queen needed to be mirrored, and the Witch needed control." p.45In addition to physical and sexual abuse, emotional abuse in the form of denigration put children at high risk of develo... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=688622 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 18:28:16 +0100 688622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=687011&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fdestructive-par.html Christine Lawson in her book, Understanding the Borderline Mother, writes, "Studies indicate that the single most important factor affecting resiliency in children is the conviction of being loved. The effects of parental abandonment, abuse, neglect can be mitigated if children have access to a relationship with a loving adult such as a teacher, a minister, a neighbor, or a relative who is empathically attuned to the child's feelings." p.43This person is what Alice Miller calls "an enlightened witness." The enlightened witness is a person whom the child trusts and feels understood by whom the child believes knows what is going on and who validates the child so that the child is reassured that the problems being experienced are not generated by them but by the other. Th... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=687011 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:30:27 +0100 687011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682862&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Frelationships_b.html Dr. Christine Lawson writes in her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, about the relationships that borderline mothers have with their children."The dependency of the newborn can be intensely satisfying to the borderline mother, but as the child becomes increasingly independent, conflict erupts." p. 40I had a client who told me that she never felt better than when she was pregnant. She stated that she enjoyed the nursing and caretaking of the infants until they reached about 2 years of age and then she wanted another child. She had nine children altogether and she became increasingly unhappy when she came to the age when she could no longer have children in her mid-40s. As the child grows and becomes more independent having been weaned, talking, walking, and toilet traine... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682862 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:08:41 +0100 682862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682865&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fwhat_if_im_wron.html On June 14, 2007 there is a wonderful article posted on the Borderline Crazy web site entitled "What if I'm wrong" in which the author expresses "guilt" and distress over not having seen her mother with Borderline Personality Disorder.So basically I keep these boundaries but feel horribly guilty about them. I hate living this way. I wish, OH how I wish, that she were a regular person, a regular mother. I could call her and we could hash this out and each acknowledge our parts in it and then resume our relationship. But she isn’t. My heart aches for her with a soul-sucking vehemence, but I have no words or actions to repair the damage in her or even to get her to see it. Miracles do happen, but without one she will never hear me, and she will never see me, even if she ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682865 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:49:33 +0100 682865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682866&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fgrowing_up_in_t.html Christine Lawson writes in her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, "Children with borderline mothers adjust to the chaos of their lives by learning to expect the unexpected. They associate love with fear and kindness with danger. Craziness becomes normal, and life without chaos may seem boring. They may grow up without recognizing healthy love." p.28 -29.A little further down on page 29 Dr. Lawson writes further, "Children of borderlines may tune out by dissociating and disconnecting from their environment." p.29 It is a comon experience for people in relationship with a person with borderline disorder to wonder who is crazy "me or them?" Attempts to please, placate, clarify, correct are often met with an escalation of conflict not resolution. The pers... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682866 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:50:21 +0100 682866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682871&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Ftirades_in_the_.html Christine Lawson writes in her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, "Laura explained that her mother 'went on tirades.' Something could set her off and she would whirl around the house like a cyclone. The warning signal was 'the look.' The look was a piercing, threatening glare to mean, 'I could kill you.' When Laura was a child, her mother actually said it, with no awareness of the power of her words. Children of borderlines and survivors of hurricanes have much in common. Survival is dependent on finding a safe place, staying low, and not being fooled by they eye of the storm." p.27A little further down the page, Dr. Lawson writes, "When Laura was young the tirades terrified her, but as she grew older, she became immune to them." p. 27 It is interesting how chi... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682871 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:39:57 +0100 682871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=682872&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fsleepless_night.html Christine Lawson writes in her book Understanding The Borderline Mother, "Ordinary mothers sleep at night; borderline mothers do not. Borderlines dread being alone with their thoughts: thus, intrusive, obsessive thoughts may keep them awake at night. Noise from the radio, television, or late-night telephone calls may distract them from their anxiety and provide a sense of security." p. 26A little further down on the same page, Dr. Lawson writes,"Another patient's mother awakened her father on a regular basis, rebuking him for being able to sleep when she was so upset." p. 26Dr. Lawson's description of the sleeplessness, the agitation, the restlessness was very illuminating for me. Even though, I have been in psychotherapy practice for 38 years, and worked inpatient psyc... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=682872 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:04:12 +0100 682872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675757&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fcompetition_bet.html It is a common experience for children of borderline parents to turn to the parent for comfort and feeling worse afterwards. Similarly, borderline parents find that their parents rarely enjoy their child's happiness and success unless it reflects somehow positively on them. The borderline parent will often "horn in" on the child's success and want to share the spot light with them or even to steal their thunder. The borderline parent usually wants to be the center of attention and when the child takes away the attention, the borderline parent will do something to bring it back on themselves. Christine Lawson, in her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, says:"Emotionally stable parents share their children's joy and quiet their fear. But caretaking roles are reversed ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675757 Tue, 12 Jun 2007 01:53:05 +0100 675757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675758&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fborderline_moth.html The blog, Borderline Crazy, had a great post on 06/10/07 entitled, "Can I have my identity please?". It is well worth reading.My mom has, as far as I can guess (I’m not a clinician), borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. She’s a real delight. She has sent me things so crazy that my shrink gets a gleam in her eye and jumps up to copy them, presumably to add to her “this is the craziest shit I have ever seen” file. What’s bothering me today about her is her inability to exist on her own as herself. This may not sound to an unaffected person as if it would cause problems, but I assure you it is crazy-making. To read the rest of the post, click on the link below. Link: Can I have my identity, please? « Borderline Crazy. (Source: Markham's ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675758 Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:27:00 +0100 675758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675761&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fsoul_murder_lea.html In her book, Understanding The Borderline Mother, Christine Lawson says on p.15"When a child disagrees with the borderline mother or does not satisfy her needs or wishes, the borderline will attempt to shame, punish, degrade, or vilify the child."A little further on the same page Dr. Lawson says, "Borderline mothers may use denigration as a method of discipline without being aware of its destructiveness."I have heard this kind of denigration and vilification called "soul murder". Children living in this kind of situation often live in fear and anxiety and they shut down. These children hide what they really think, how they really feel, and what they have done or want to do. What develops in these situations is mistrust. Very often this mistrust is perceived b... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675761 Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:20:35 +0100 675761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=660472&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fliving_in_a_bor.html There is an ugly side to life, the shadow side that isn't discussed in polite company. It is sometimes embarassingly referred to as "dirty laundry." Often times adults are embarassed and children are warned that what happens at home, stays at home. The fascade that is presented to the public often is not an accurate picture of what actually goes on at home. Sometimes people talk about the Dr. Jeckle/Mr. Hyde split between the behavior outside the home and the behavior inside the home. Lewis Carroll says in Alice and Wonderland, "When I used to read fairy tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one." Indeed we read in the news how Susan Smith killed her children by allowing her car to roll into a lake with her children stap... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=660472 Wed, 06 Jun 2007 02:35:46 +0100 660472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=660473&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Funderstanding_t.html Understanding The Borderline Mother: Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable, and Volatile Relationship by Christine Ann Lawson is an extremely important book for any psychotherapist or layperson interested in the impact of parenting by a person with Borderline Personality Disorder. The impact is huge and can be multigenerational. Dr. Lawson, in lay language and with clear case examples describes the dynamics that occur between mother and children and somewhat with fathers. She also has clear suggestions for how adult children can manage the relationship with the Borderline mother. I believe this topic is so important that I am planning on posting a series of articles on this blog as I re-read and study the ideas in this book further. I am developing a new category on t... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=660473 Wed, 06 Jun 2007 02:09:10 +0100 660473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=651018&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F06%2Fmolokai_the_boo.html Molakai is a great book about the Leper colony in Hawaii operated from the mid 1800s - the mid 1900s to quartine people with Leprosy to prevent the spead of the disease. Families were broken up, and there was terrible shame and stigma. Alan Brennert's fictionalized account focuses in the life of Rachel Kalama. I  recommend this book. Link: Amazon.com: Moloka'i: Books: Alan Brennert. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=651018 Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:43:00 +0100 651018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644729&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F5%2F29%2Fthose-liberal-californians-are-at-it-again-%25e2%2580%2593-even-the-conser.html A survey, reported on the Kaiser Family Foundation list serve, finds that eighty-nine percent of California parents, regardless of political or religious persuasion, support comprehensive sex education programs in school. That means teaching kids about all of the choices related to sexual activity ranging from contraception to abstinence. How about that?…let’s arm our children with good solid information and then guide them to make the best choices for themselves.Even self-identifying evangelical Christians said they supported comprehensive sex education. The lowest support came from the “very conservative” subset of the population and even then 71% supported comprehensive programs.The study’s lead author, Norman Constantine of the Public Healt... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644729 Tue, 29 May 2007 15:09:12 +0100 644729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=629184&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F05%2Fi_am_a_promise_.html I Am A Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School is an award winning documentary released in 1993 about an inner city school in Philadelphia which won the the 1994 Academy Award for Best Documentary. The film depicts the challenges and difficulties of trying to educate kids in poverty who come from single parent, drug addicted neighborhoods. I doubt that much has changed in the last 13 years. This film is well worth watching and I highly recommend it. Link: I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School (1993). (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health) Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=629184 Sun, 20 May 2007 22:50:42 +0100 629184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=602973&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F05%2Fbirth_control_i.html The Reverend Marlin Lavanhar, the senior pastor at All Soul's Unitarian Church in Tulsa, OK, gave a wonderful sermon on April 29, 2007 entitled, "Birth Control Is Wonderful." He describes the relationship of religion and sexuality and gives a very wise view on how sexuality should be dealt with in our contemporary culture. This sermon should be listened to by every human being aged 13 and older. I highly recommend it to parents of pre-adolescent and adolescent children who have the primary responsibility of helping their children learn how to manage their developing sexual impulses. Click on the link below to go to the Digg web site where you can listen to the sermon.Driving around Tulsa we can see huge billboards that read, "Birth Control is Harmful." These are counter... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=602973 Wed, 09 May 2007 17:52:45 +0100 602973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=592650&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F05%2Fthe_road_the_bo.html The Road by Cormac McCarthy won the Pulitzer Prize for 2007 for fiction. It is a difficult book to read because it is extremely bleak but it is strangely uplifting. It is the story about a father and his young son walking in nuclear winter America from the north to the south to warmer weather as winter approaches. The skies are gray, and the landscape destroyed and desserted except for roving bands of thieves and thugs who have only one objective, survival. The father nurtures his young son, and it is his protectiveness and reassurances that keep him going long after the mother has committed suicide because she can't go on. This novel, though difficult to read, impressed me because of its hopefulness in spite of overhwelming circumstances. It will become a classic in American literature.... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=592650 Mon, 07 May 2007 01:25:55 +0100 592650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=592143&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F05%2Fwar_injuries_of.html It is a cliche to say that war is hell. When parents deploy it is difficult on the parent left at home and difficult on the children left behind. When the deployed parent comes home there is a period of readjustment and when that parent is injured the adjustment period especially for the children is often difficult. There is an article in the May 4, 2007 issue of the Psychiatric Times which briefly describes the issue. Americans initially were whole heartedly for this war especially when the shock and awe PR spin made it look like a video game or an adventure movie, but as time drags on and the casualties and injuries mount and the collateral consequences have to be dealt with for generations to come, Americans hopefully will come to a realization that the hubris of its Commander - In - C... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=592143 Sun, 06 May 2007 00:39:22 +0100 592143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=591171&cid=t_109166_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F05%2Fteens-can-use-the-internet-to-manage-diabetes%2F Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, BlogsIn my adventures as a medical editor, I have recently been working with researchers who are investigating the use of the Internet as a health tool. Not only are patients increasingly turning to the Internet to research health questions, but researchers are also introducing the concept of using the tool as a management device. In a recent study, socio-economically disadvantaged teens were given computers and access to a database that offered reminders for care, information, and discussion boards. The teenagers used the online resources, particularly the discussion boards. The community offered was particularly important to teens. After about six months of using the Internet resource and information, their Internet use started to taper off, because they f... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=591171 Sat, 05 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 591171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=577062&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F04%2Fwhere_do_drug_a.html Where do prescription drug abusers get their drugs? The internet? No. On the street? Sometimes. From the family medicine cabinet and from friends? Usually. Reuters Health Day  reported on February 9, 2007 on a couple of recent studies which have been done."About 60 percent are getting their drugs from friends and family for free, while another 15 percent go and buy them from friends," Clark said in reference to numbers from SAMHSA's 2005 national survey of drug use, which also confirmed that opioid analgesic use is on the rise among teens. "So, in the case of a general population, drug dealers aren't the biggest problem either, although it's certainly no surprise that hard-core addicts are getting it that way," he said. Link: MedlinePlus: Dealers, Family Biggest ... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=577062 Sun, 29 Apr 2007 21:15:34 +0100 577062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=577065&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F04%2Frunning_with_sc.html I read the book and then I watched the movie. I think I liked the book better. Running With Scissors was distributed in 2006 and is the movie made from the supposed memoir of Augusten Burroughs. The story is so bizarre that it is hard to know how much is actual and how much exaggerated. The story is about Augusten's parent's divorce, and his being given to his mother's psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, to raise when he is 17. Dr. Finch is very eccentric as is the whole Finch family, so eccentric in fact, that the Finch's almost make the Burrough's look sane although Mr. Burroughs is alcoholic and Mrs. Burroughs has bi-polar disorder so severe at times that she requires hospitalization. As you watch this movie, it is unclear whether to laugh or cry. Whatever positive feeling the movie might genera... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=577065 Sun, 29 Apr 2007 02:15:22 +0100 577065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=577066&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F04%2Flet_mothers_bre.html On February 1, 2007, in a press release, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called on Health Care Professionals, Hospitals, Employers, to encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies for at least 6 months.In an effort to help increase the rate of breastfeeding in the US, today The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a Committee Opinion, "Breastfeeding: Maternal and Infant Aspects," emphasizing ACOG's strong support for breastfeeding and urging ob-gyns, other health care professionals, hospitals, and employers to support women in choosing to breastfeed their infants. Breastfeeding is the preferred method of feeding for newborns and infants, and nearly every woman can breastfeed her child, according to ACOG. ACOG continues to rec... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=577066 Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:05:42 +0100 577066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=570902&cid=t_109166_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F4%2F26%2Fthe-making-of-a-mass-killer.html  Genes In 1993 scientists reported on a Dutch family, 14 members of whom were sociopaths, involved in aggressive crimes such as bullying, physical violence, rape, and arson. They all had in common a mutation in a gene that makes an enzyme called MAOA. The function of this enzyme is break down neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline (or norepinephrine, a chemical first cousin of adrenaline). The ready conclusion was: defective enzyme caused elevated level of serotonin and noradrenaline, resulting in overactive brain circuits that serve aggressive behavior. Case closed? Not so fast… In a wonderful summary of the topic in Newsweek magazine ( April 30, 2007 ) one of my favorite writers on the subject, Sharon Begley) describes a 2002 study in New Zealand of 442 men who... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=570902 Thu, 26 Apr 2007 08:00:48 +0100 570902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=516396&cid=t_109166_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F02%2Fthought-for-the-day-im-too-young-for-this%2F Filed under: All Cancers, Young Adult Cancers, Blogs, Services, Cancer Survivors, Thought for the DayThere's this guy. His name is Matthew Zachary. He's a cancer survivor, a motivational speaker, a concert pianist, and the founder of a resource portal for young adults surviving cancer.Steps for Living, Inc. -- also known as I'm too young for this -- was created by Zachary because he wants us all to know there are awesome cancer support services out there for adolescents and young adults. He means really awesome opportunities -- like spa retreats, online forums and blogs, social networking, camping excursions, fertility education, peer counseling, financial scholarships, and more.You may be too young for cancer, but you are not alone, says Zachary whose mantra is Get Busy Living. And this i... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=516396 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 516396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=479813&cid=t_109166_109_f&fid=34949&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbehavioralhealth.typepad.com%2Fmarkhams_behavioral_healt%2F2007%2F03%2Fhalf_nelson_the.html Half Nelson was distributed in 2006 and is the story about Dan Dunne, a Middle School inner city White Social Studies teacher who abuses cocaine and crack and gets discovered by one of his students, a 13 year old African American female, Drey. Mr. Dunne seems quite charismatic, and Drey becomes somewhat infatuated with him, and the relationship deepens when, mature beyond her years, she colludes with him to keep his secret. The creative tension in the movie is created by the character study of Dan Dunne who seems like a very good teacher, and girls basketball coach, but whose drug addiction goes undealt with by colleagues, family, girlfriends. He seems to go through the motions of life depressed, discheveled, engaging in dysfunctional behavior like trying to rape his colleague girl frien... Markham's Behavioral Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=479813 Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:38:10 +0100 479813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486817&cid=t_109166_87_f&fid=35062&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffibroresearch.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fchildren-with-fibromyalgia-report-more.html The creation of a system for evaluating the impacts of fibromyalgia on the lives of children and teens with fibromyalgia, as well as the outcome of treatments, is discussed in an article in February's Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2007 Feb 12;5(1):9). Standardized outcome measures for clinical trials in fibromyalgia are being developed to measure pain, generic health-related quality of life, fatigue, sleep quality, and physical function but no such measures exist for pediatric fibromyalgia.Because of this lack of a standardized way to evaluate fibromyalgia impact on children and teens, researchers analyzed the "feasibility, reliability, and validity of the PedsQL 4.0 (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) Generic Core Scales, PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, and PedsQL Rheumato... The Fibromyalgia Research Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486817 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:12:00 +0100 486817