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 'illness'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:50:16 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181811&cid=t_100169_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FTmWWsO6C2Iw%2F A modified mnemonic for recalling the key issues in the supportive care of critically ill patients. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181811 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:07:16 +0100 5181811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158998&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcdc-outlines-injury-prevention-strategies-in-extreme-weather-conditions%2F2011.08.24 It may seem rather unusual to talk about injuries and weather in the same context, but extreme weather can pose significant risks for many kinds of injury.  Currently, many parts of the United States are experiencing a major heat wave, with record-setting heat and heat indices over the next few weeks.  As we have seen in the recent past, deaths are occurring from heat-related and possibly from participation in outside activities that increase the risk of heat-related illness. During the month of August, many athletes train for the fall sports season, sometimes participating in two practices a day over the course of a few weeks.  While training is necessary and important for athletes to build up their stamina and to improve their performance, health consequences can be deadly if (more&#8... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158998 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:00:44 +0100 5158998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159206&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F21%2Fthe-other-side-of-the-placebo-effect%2F This is the second in a pair of articles on the placebo effect. Nocebo is sometimes referred to as “placebo’s evil twin,” or the “negative placebo effect.”  It’s also sometimes described as “the other side of placebo.”   The nocebo effect can be defined as a negative effect that occurs after receiving treatment (therapy, medication), even when the treatment is inert (inactive, sham). It is important to note that negative effects seen when taking active substances, reported as drug side effects, can often be at least partly attributed to a a combination of effects from the substance’s constituents (specifics), and those from nocebo effects (non-specifics). Studies suggest that nocebo effects can contribute appreciably to a variety of medic... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159206 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:47:27 +0100 5159206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139874&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F19%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-august-19-2011%2F Ask me about a trip I took with my dad to Maui ten years ago and I can barely recall what we did. But ask me about my childhood toys and suddenly I remember every detail, every curve of a ball, color, texture and even the faint smell of a favorite toy. There is one toy I remember in particular. It was a half red, half blue sphere covered with different shaped holes and yellow plastic shapes (triangles, stars, circles, etc.) meant to fit through them. If you’re curious, this is what it looked like. What I remember is being very young and feeling frustrated because no matter how hard I pushed I could never get all of those puzzle pieces into the holes. It was only when I got older that I realized every piece had its place. I was wasting my energy trying to force pieces where they didn&... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139874 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:11:34 +0100 5139874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139875&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F18%2Fintroducing-to-the-edge-and-back%2F Living with a mental health issue or mental disorder as serious as bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety is no easy task. Ask anyone who grapples with these concerns on a day-to-day basis. But what can complicate even serious mental illness is a misdiagnosis of one disorder over another. To the Edge and Back is a blog about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of day-to-day life with a very peculiar psychological impairment. Steven Pace says that he is capable of tremendous achievements in a variety of fields on any given day. However, due to the chaotic and disruptive nature of his affliction, he fears that he may never be able to maintain a consistent level of productivity that would allow him to be recognized as a contributing member of society. This blog will share bits of his journ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139875 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:22:46 +0100 5139875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139734&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchronic-health-needs-must-be-addressed-after-a-natural-disaster%2F2011.08.18 Sichuan earthquake rescue workers carrying an injured person. In light of the widespread media coverage of natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Haiti and the tsunami in Japan, the public and medical professionals are aware of the anticipated immediate medical needs in these kinds of emergencies. However, it is less well known that after the initial management of life- and limb-threatening injuries, there may be an enormous need to provide care to persons with chronic illnesses. This is because they are displaced from their homes, become exposed to adverse environmental and socioeconomic hardships, lose access to healthcare, are deprived of their sources of medications, and so forth. Some of my colleagues were allowed to enter Japan after the tsunami, and their observations agree wi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139734 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5139734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140198&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancerlifeandme.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fsquare-one%2F That surgery I’m so freaked out about? Not happening. The plan was derailed put on hold. In July, The Spine surgeon had referred me to a General surgeon (his job would be to go through my ribs and remove scar tissue/move lung over so Spine guy can then get to work on my vertebrae). General surgeon said although difficult and risky, he would be able to assist. Okay, one step closer. Next, I had an Echocardiogram  (like an ultrasound, but aimed at the heart) to evaluate my heart health. The results were good: everything seemed within normal to above-average range and although my pulse is fast, the heart seems to work well. Okay, another step closer to surgery. Then I met back with Spine surgeon to review those referrals. He seemed positive that the General surgeon was on board but als... Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140198 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:03:28 +0100 5140198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130661&cid=t_100169_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F15%2Fevaluation-of-learning-resources-for-end-of-life-care-in-extra-care-settings-executive-summary%2F Title: Evaluation of learning resources for end of life care in Extra Care Settings: Executive Summary Scan or click to download 'Evaluation of learning resources for end of life care in Extra Care Settings: Executive Summary' The Skinny: Summarises experiences from the use of learning resources developed to support end of life care in an “extra care” setting. Publisher: The University of York, Centre for Housing Policy Published: 13/07/11 Size: 6p. Filed under: Ooops Missed Category! Tagged: Behavioural sciences, Education, End of Life Care, Grey Literature, Medical Treatment, Palliative Care, Terminal illness, Training (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130661 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:43:26 +0100 5130661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130753&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-york-times-reports-on-very-atypical-case-of-schizophrenia%2F2011.08.14 Benedict Carey is a New York Times mental health reporter.  In last Sunday’s Times, he wrote about Joe Holt, a man with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.  Mr. Holt was dealt a particularly tough deck of cards: in addition to a diagnosis of schizophrenia, he had a horrible and traumatic childhood with much loss, placement in a facility where he was physically abused, and periods of homelessness as a teenager.  He now has a stable marriage, has adopted children and keeps numerous foster children, and holds two jobs, one as a computer consultant and another as a therapist (if I read that correctly).  He struggles with his emotional life, but my take on this was that this is one extremely resilient man who has waged a successful battle against many demons and his story is inspirational. ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130753 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100 5130753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5131058&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fchildren-of-dysfunctional-parents%2F Recently I published an article about Children of Hoarders an issue I was unaware of until I accidentaly stumbled upon their website. There was a large response to this article. It seems there are similarities between Children of Hoarders and Children of Alcoholism (ACOA). It highlighted my need to become aware of other groups of children with similar problems. Are there other similar ‘children of ……….’ conditions? Does the same pattern of psychological illness appear in these children of ……..? Do some of these children become codependent? Some that I can think of are children of …; Drug addicts Compulsive gamblers Mental health sufferers Sex addicts Workaholics Religious sects I’m particularly interested in self-help, mutual-help type groups or organisations as well as... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5131058 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:43:36 +0100 5131058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125895&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FbXURP2IW6EM%2F That chip on your shoulder could lead to a lot worse, according to research from Concordia University psychology professor Carsten Wrosch. Wrosch, who has been investigating how negative emotions affect people’s physical health for 15 years, says ‘persistent bitterness’ can affect everything from metabolism to immune response and organ function. In a chapter of the new textbook ‘Embitterment,’ Wrosch is careful to differentiate between regret, which is about self-blame, and bitterness, which is about assigning the blame elsewhere, on others or ‘external forces.’ Both, however, can lead to ‘biological dysregulation,’ an increase in the levels of the stress hormone coritsol that can lead to physical illness. That’s a lot of fancy lingo, but as far ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125895 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:12:50 +0100 5125895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107872&cid=t_100169_140_f&fid=39203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdawnwillis.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F07%2Fwho-is-really-there-to-protect-a-mentally-ill-whistleblower-mhuk%2F Self-reproach; it sounds like an reason for someone to jump in and remind you the song ‘My Way’ and that overused platitude; ‘Regrets? I’ve had a few, but too few to mention..’! Yet there are many reasons for people to look back at a series of events with a  feeling of disappointment or distress about something that they wish could be different. There’s been a lot of press recently about encouraging people to ‘whistleblow’ within organisations, especially those which involve health and social care.  When we watch TV programmes and read articles about the distressing practices exposed by brave people who make the decision to listen to their moral conscience and speak out, we applaud them. We sit at home and say that we wish there were mor... Dawn Willis sharing the News and Views of the Mentally Wealthy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107872 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 12:27:38 +0100 5107872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103340&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftips-to-beat-the-heat%2F2011.08.06 Dehydrated, cramped, limping? on a bike. Road nationals 2010. People who exercise outdoors face a new threat. It’s unrelenting. Consistent. Inescapable. Perhaps, even more dangerous than distracted or mean motorists. It’s the heat. Gosh, is it hot. If only I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “Doctor M, you aren’t riding in this heat; are you?” Well…Other than the fortunate souls smart (or lucky) enough to live in cooler climates, most of us are facing an extreme wave of hotness. As a Kentuckian, I live in the epicenter of this summer’s cauldron. Louisville sits in a wind-protected valley alongside the heat sink that is the Ohio River. Think hot and steamy. The excessive heat smacked me hard last evening. Normally, my highly-veined skin and northern European h... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103340 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:00:01 +0100 5103340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096938&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fcold%2F I have a cold. My throat hurts. My ears hurt. I have that whole under-the-weather thing going on. I’m sniffing a bit and my sinuses ache. Big deal, I hear you cry, people get colds. We don’t come to your blog to read about your colds, even if they do have the slight interest factor of being a little bit out of season. But you speak too soon, my tetchy and demanding blog-reading friend. This is an interesting cold, a cancer-related cold even, because… ….I haven’t had a cold since I was diagnosed with cancer. That’s two years and nine months without so much as a hot toddy. The first winter, I wasn’t surprised. What with the chemo and having no immune system and all, I kept away from crowded places and public transport, and friends and family with col... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096938 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:21:56 +0100 5096938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086594&cid=t_100169_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2F9b0WtXKBUY0%2F The following is a guest post written by Susie Newday who runs the New Day New Lesson blog. I have been mulling over the idea of writing this post for a long time. As a nurse who worked in the ER for fifteen years before moving to outpatient oncology about eight months ago, I have seen a lot of disease. And like most people, I have had illness hit my Continue reading... (Source: Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone :) Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086594 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:35:24 +0100 5086594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077686&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcardiovascular-problems-stay-out-of-the-heat%2F2011.07.29 The brutal heat wave gripping much of the country this week is unpleasant for healthy folks. For people with cardiovascular trouble, hazy, hot, humid days can be downright dangerous. Your body shouldn’t get too hot (or too cold). If your temperature rises too far, the proteins that build your body and run virtually all of its chemical processes can stop working. The human body sheds extra heat in two ways, both of which stress the heart: Radiation. Like water flowing downhill, heat naturally moves from warm areas to cooler ones. As long as the air around you is cooler than your body, you radiate heat to the air. But this transfer stops when the air temperature approaches body temperature. Radiation requires rerouting blood flow so more of it goes to the skin. This makes the heart beat fa... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077686 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:00:46 +0100 5077686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5076999&cid=t_100169_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Ftonsillectomies-help-breathing-problems.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5076999 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:34:00 +0100 5076999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051245&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fdifferent-types-of-stress-in-recovery%2F People in 12 Step Fellowships need to be aware of the different types of stress that can affect their recovery. What are the different types of stress? Acute stress Acute stress is the most common and most recognizable form of stress, the kind of sudden jolt in which you know exactly why you’re stressed: you were just in a car accident; the school nurse just called; a bear just ambled onto your campsite. Or it can be something scary but thrilling, such as a parachute jump. Along with obvious dangers and threats, common causes of acute stressors include noise, isolation, crowding, and hunger. Normally, your body rests when these types of stressful events cease and your life gets back to normal. Because the effects are short-term, acute stress usually doesn’t cause severe or permanent... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051245 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:51:54 +0100 5051245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028854&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FRQv7prG3aso%2F Almost a quarter of people surveyed in Ireland said they think depression is a “state of mind” rather than an illness, and two of every five respondents said they wouldn’t want to know if a friend or family member was depressed. The survey, called the 2011 Mental Health Barometer, was commissioned by pharmaceutical firm Lundbeck, the maker of the antidepressant Lexipro, and it gives some food for thought as to how we should really treat depression. You can tell from reading Lundbeck’s report that it has a positive interest in defining depression as an illness. While this is generally a good thing, I think we need to be careful to avoid looking at mood disorders like depression exclusively as illnesses. It negates the role that talk therapy or alternative therapies can have on treat... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028854 Sat, 09 Jul 2011 18:09:27 +0100 5028854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008508&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FkdB_uXaZ2bI%2F It’s no secret that Americans have an obesity problem, but since we’re awfully skilled at looking away from the scale and towards our next drive thru, it can’t hurt to take a moment to check in with the numbers: According to an annual report from the Trust for America’s Health, adult obesity rates have gone up in 16 states between 2008 and 2010 (and gone down in none). Which puts over two-thirds of U.S. states at obesity rates of over 25 percent, while only one state — Colorado — has a rate lower than 20 percent. You could roll your eyes and tell me you’ve heard it before; you could question all these studies’ definitions of “obese.” But if I told you that 25% of the population had AIDS, you’d be frantic. Everyone would freak out. T... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008508 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:29:07 +0100 5008508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008509&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fu6iLUvhK3-w%2F You know how you can sometimes get a feel for what kind of bugs are going around your city, school or social circle from tweets or Facebook status updates? Sickweather can too. The still-in-beta site —s ure to be a hypochondriac’s new favorite URL — aggregates illness-related data from social networks to produce real-time “weather maps” of flus, fevers and other reported symptoms like some sort of digital epidemiologist. Is this cool or creepy? Sickweather boasts that it can “forecast the movement of everything from stomach bugs to chronic illness and other sickness, including depression.” Someone should inform its copywriter that reflecting is not the same thing as ‘forecasting,’ which implies some sort of prescience with concern to mood disorders, as in, ‘Watch ou... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008509 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:55:16 +0100 5008509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984610&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F3uQnB31DzeI%2F Whether you were a pothead in college, enjoy an occasional toke, or are straight-laced and never touch the stuff, you’ve probably taken part in at least one debate about medical marijuana. Recently, during a girls’ night out, my fellow ladies and I somehow got onto this subject. What struck me as funny listening to everyone opine about the issue was not so much which side they were on, it was the fact that we were debating it over cocktails. So here we were saying whether or not someone with a serious illnesses should be allowed to get high when we were in fact getting high ourselves. Kind of ironic, I thought. There is a general acceptance in this country that people can consume as much alcohol as they want (providing they are over 21 and don’t drink and drive, of course... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984610 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:13:15 +0100 4984610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976111&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fn5t1eQczI5w%2F You probably know him best as “Mr. Big,” but Chris Noth is putting his star power behind something other than Carrie Bradshaw these days in a new Diabetes Awareness campaign. The actor, who’s starred in Law & Order and The Good Wife, in addition to Sex and The City, told Huffington Post that “[diabetes] is a disease that’s way too much under the radar. We’re trying to get ahead of the game with people; … encouraging [them] to call [their] doctors and get a blood test.” According to recent CDC statistics, 25.8 million Americans, or just over eight percent of the population, is living with diabetes, which can be a life-threatening disease. If caught early, however, complications can be prevented or delayed, and all it takes to screen for diabetes is a simp... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976111 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:57:30 +0100 4976111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976112&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FqyMhgUbUfzA%2F We were hoping that even though we spend the majority of our working hours tethered to our computer, the fact that we exercise each morning would negate the consequences of sitting all day. But, according to the release of a 13-year study, even us athletes-by-morning, desk-jobbers-by-day have a higher risk of death than slackers who don’t exercise yet don’t sit all day either. Pardon??? You mean, running, swimming and biking all those miles each morning aren’t buying us extra time? According to the study published in the latest American Journal of Epidemiology, no. Researchers from the American Cancer Society reported that those of us who sit for more than six hours a day have an increased risk of death over those who don’t sit as much — even if we exercise. A... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976112 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:03:20 +0100 4976112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968761&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FT0Ftzoyx8Z8%2F As soda and potato chips spread through the world, so does diabetes. An international study published today in The Lancet found that as of 2008, 347 million adults have diabetes; far more than previously thought (other studies have placed estimates around 285 million), and more than double the number of adults with diabetes in 1980. The study, which was funded by the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, also found that average blood pressure and cholesterol levels actually dropped during the same time period, things that researchers say would actually be much easier to manage than diabetes. In 1980, data indicates that 153 million adults had diabetes; today’s numbers indicate a global epidemic. While they attribute 70% of the rise in diabetes rates to ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968761 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:33:31 +0100 4968761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968811&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Ftreatment-week.html If you are reading this post on a site other than Not Just About Cancer (besides Facebook or a feed reader), you are reading stolen content. (Source: Not just about cancer) Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968811 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:10:00 +0100 4968811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4959998&cid=t_100169_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Fdiversity-in-health-and-care-2011-vol-8-no-2%2F This article concentrates on men from minority ethnic groups and aims to provide a better understanding of their beliefs about mental health and their experiences of mental health services based on gender, ethnicity and cultural influences. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Filed under: Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Ethnicity, Gender, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Stigma (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4959998 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:14:51 +0100 4959998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953279&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fshort-term-planning.html I kind of left you in suspense yesterday.I was sitting an exam room, waiting to see my oncologist to discuss whether I could continue my break from chemo. Here's what happened next:We waited.We played a little Lexulous.I knit. My hands shook a little. And then the door swung open and Dr. B. entered the room. Dr. B. is not my oncologist. The cancer centre has a title called GPO (which I assume means general practitioner - oncology) for doctors who work with the oncologists. I hadn't seen Dr. B. in more than a year and without hesitating, we hugged each other - something I've never done with any doctor. She's wonderful and she's the only doctor I trust as much as my oncologist.After a physical exam (liver is where it should be and the size it should be. Chest sounds fine) and looki... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953279 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:00:00 +0100 4953279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934729&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fnot-so-jaded-after-all.html Yesterday, I had an appointment with my oncologist, the first since our decision that I should take a break from chemo and do Herceptin only for three months.I usually do my appointments over the phone but I decided to go into the cancer centre so that I could have a physical exam and meet with him face to face. Also, I wanted Tim to come with me, so that he would get the same info as I did first hand and have a chance to ask questions. One of the great things about doing appointments on the phone is that I can carry on with my life around the house as I wait for my call. I was reminded of this after waiting first in the waiting area and then in the exam room for nearly an hour.But it was worth it.The first person I met was the nurse who works with my oncologist. It was the first time we m... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934729 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:38:00 +0100 4934729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934334&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2Flearning-how-to-die-the-handbook-for-mortals%2F In any bookstore, you will find aisles and aisles of self-help books coaching us how to live more fully, how to embrace life with passion, and how to age in a way that we aren’t getting older! But how to die? Are you kidding me? DEPRESSING! But we desperately need a teacher in this area. Because each of us is eventually going to perish, and how nice it would be to have a few guidelines as we are getting close. In their book, Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People Facing Serious Illness, authors Joanne Lynn, MD, Joan Harrold, MD, and Janice Lynch Schuster, MFA discuss the topic of dying from several perspectives: living with serious illness, helping families make wise decisions, getting the help you need, controlling pain, planning ahead, and enduring loss. It is a comprehensive and in... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934334 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:12:29 +0100 4934334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934646&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FDwssmUnlML8%2F Photo Via Ragesoss When men are diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia, the first thing doctors usually do is check for internal bleeding. When women are diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia, they’re given an iron supplement and told to eat more broccoli. Why the discrepancy? The main cause of iron deficiency in men is upper-gastrointestinal bleeding, so it makes sense for doctors to rule this out first. However, a 1999 study on anemia in women found that “on women for whom a gynecological source was diagnosed by a specialist” — i.e., women whose anemia was blamed on their periods — 86 percent actually had a gastrointestinal disease. “The majority of the women in that study were bleeding internally, and no one had figured it out until then because they had periods,” writes Pr... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934646 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:35:04 +0100 4934646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921649&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fixas8kAPlD8%2F Alice Pyne is 15 years old and has been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma for four years. As the cancer that attacks white blood cells began to spread, her mother encouraged her to write a bucket list of things she’d like to accomplish before the cancer wins the fight. It was only three days ago that she set up Alice’s Bucket List, but her brave face, and inspirational goals (which include increasing bone marrow donorship) have ignited social media sites, and her name has become a trending topic on Twitter. “I thought that I was just doing a little blog for a few friends!” she wrote, after the media caught wind of her blog and her name was mentioned across some of Britain’s most popular discussion and news shows. Her fast-spreading worldwide support has also i... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921649 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:13:25 +0100 4921649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911734&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FNyEgYB8ud2E%2F Post from: BlissTree Sinus Headaches Are Just An Old Wives’ Tale (You Probably Have a Migraine) (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911734 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:30:20 +0100 4911734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911664&cid=t_100169_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fr6MhbcUATqg%2F Let us highlight a couple of insightful and brief articles in the New York Times and a very powerful analysis in The New York Review of Books; they provide useful clues about Brain Calisthenics, Bilingual Brains, and Debunking Myths on Mental Illness. Brain Calisthenics for Abstract Ideas (NYT): Now, a small group of cognitive scientists is arguing that schools and students could take far more advantage of this same bottom-up ability, called perceptual learning. The brain is a pattern-recognition machine, after all, and when focused properly, it can quickly deepen a person’s grasp of a principle, new studies suggest. The challenge for education, Dr. Kellman added, “is what do we need to do to make this happen efficiently?” Experts develop such sensitive perceptual radar the old-fashi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911664 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:12:58 +0100 4911664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876383&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffather-to-daughter-the-lessons-of-illness%2F2011.05.29 Ruthie and Andrew When I was diagnosed with leukemia my daughter, Ruthie, was just two and a half. She has vague memories of our household being turned upside down with worried, hushed conversations and friends and relatives calling A LOT. Because a leading specialist, Dr. Michael Keating from MD Anderson Cancer Center, advised against having treatment right away (something better was coming along), I did not have treatment for more than four years. By then Ruthie was seven. She has vivid memories then of me going off to Houston, accompanied by her mom, for a week of initial treatment and then successive weeks of treatment every month for quite a while back here in Seattle. She also remembers me tired, nauseous and, some days, in bed.  The better memory is me participating in a clinical t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876383 Sun, 29 May 2011 12:00:32 +0100 4876383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876484&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fin-translation.html The cancer centre has implemented something new. When patients check in for treatment, we're asked to fill out a questionnaire related to our well-being (it has some acronym but I can't remember it). We're given the option of filling it in on a central computer but I'm really squeamish about germy public terminals. I always ask to fill the thing in manually (furthering my feeling that I am more of a Luddite than some of my seniors).Filling out the form involves reading statements such as "I am in pain" and then circling a number between 1 (no pain) and 7 (excruciating pain - or something like that). Most of my numbers were very low except for the ones about my emotional well being and sleep habits. My answers resulted in the following conversation with the well-meaning nurse who checked me... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876484 Sat, 28 May 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4876484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4853082&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FeFt62KIBwHU%2F There’s a book floating around the more “eccentric” health care circles called The Second Brain: A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine. Colon therapists quote it, and raw food fanatics cite it as proof that we should all be noshing on sprouts and probiotics; and lately, even functional medicine gurus draw on the same theory and research: Our brains are controlled by our stomachs, they say; things like depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders hinge on what we eat, and maintaining healthy gut bacteria is a far better treatment for mental health than Wellbutrin or Prozac. Of course, most people have yet to swap their chemical uppers for sprouts, but a recent study linking stomach bugs to Parkinson’s might make some people ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4853082 Mon, 23 May 2011 18:30:49 +0100 4853082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841879&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fnone-of-us-knows-when-we-are-going-to.html On April 25th, Alaina Giordano lost custody of her children. A North Carolina judge ruled that her two kids need to move to Chicago to live with Giordano's ex-husband. She based this decision, in large part, on the fact that Giordano has Stage 4 breast cancer.Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyI can't be articulate about this story, except to say that I work very hard to make sure that my kids will be all right- no matter what happens. I wish I could protect them and all those who love me from the realities of cancer. But do I think that cancer makes me a less fit parent?Not on your life.Want to read more? I first read about this on BlogHer, where Jenna argued very articulately that anyone who has ever been ill or ever might be should care about this s... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841879 Thu, 19 May 2011 18:52:00 +0100 4841879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841880&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fselfish-dear-loved-one.html I'm sorry that my fear becomes yours.I regret that you get pulled into my panic.I feel ill when my every cough, ache or bump twists your insides the way it does mine.I would prefer to protect you.I want to watch you smile, hear your laugh, feel your heart thump with joy when you pull me to your chest.I don't want to make you scared, or sad or worried.But I can't wish you weren't ever scared or sad or worried.Because I need to share.Because I need not to feel alone.Because I need you.If you are reading this post on a site other than Not Just About Cancer (besides Facebook or a feed reader), you are reading stolen content. (Source: Not just about cancer) Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841880 Wed, 18 May 2011 02:10:00 +0100 4841880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828880&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-is-the-best-type-of-thermometer-for-babies%2F2011.05.17 A fever in an infant can be the first sign of an illness. While a rise in body temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit is part of a healthy immune system response, it does signal potential danger and need for further evaluation. Since a reading may lead to a call or visit to the child’s doctor or emergency room, accuracy is key. What is the best type of infant thermometer? A digital rectal thermometer. This is according to such authorities as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Consumer Reports, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The definition of a fever is important as well. According to the AAFP: A normal temperature is about 98.6°F (37°C) when taken orally (in your child’s mouth) and 99.6°F (37.5°C) when taken rectally (in your child’s bottom). Many doctors def... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828880 Tue, 17 May 2011 12:29:26 +0100 4828880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829164&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FplF9O_o_GRw%2F I probably shouldn’t ever do online tests that claim to be reliable indicators of my health or personality, but that doesn’t stop me from frittering away my time every once in awhile. Who doesn’t want to know how their IQ stacks up with their friend’s, whether their personality type is compatible with their partner’s, or if they could be considered a “fitness junkie”?  I know I do. So when Alternative Depression Therapy’s online bi-polar test showed up in my Twitter stream, I was too curious not to see my results. I’ve never been diagnosed with any mental illness, but hey, this could save me the trip to the psychologist, and an excuse to get my hands on some good pills! (Kidding, of course.) But all the test really taught me is that I&... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829164 Mon, 09 May 2011 20:18:32 +0100 4829164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803387&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FplF9O_o_GRw%2F I probably shouldn’t ever do online tests that claim to be reliable indicators of my health or personality, but that doesn’t stop me from frittering away my time every once in awhile. Who doesn’t want to know how their IQ stacks up with their friend’s, whether their personality type is compatible with their partner’s, or if they could be considered a “fitness junkie”?  I know I do. So when Alternative Depression Therapy’s online bi-polar test showed up in my Twitter stream, I was too curious not to see my results. I’ve never been diagnosed with any mental illness, but hey, this could save me the trip to the psychologist, and an excuse to get my hands on some good pills! (Kidding, of course.) But all the test really taught me is that I&... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803387 Mon, 09 May 2011 20:18:32 +0100 4803387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803531&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FCnXzG-32TH4%2F Image via WikipediaAlcohol abuse and dependence, referred to as alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), affect 76.3 million people worldwide and account for 1.8 million deaths per year. AUDs affect 18.3 million Americans (7.3% of the population), and up to 40% of hospitalized patients have AUDs.This review discusses the development and progression of critical illness in patients with AUDs.In contrast to acute intoxication, AUDs have been linked to increased severity of illness in a number of studies.In particular, surgical patients with AUDs experience higher rates ofpostoperative hemorrhage,cardiac complications,sepsis, andneed for repeat surgery.Outcomes from trauma are worse for patients with chronic alcohol abuse, whereas burn patients who are acutely intoxicated may not have worse outcomes.AUDs... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803531 Fri, 06 May 2011 21:53:47 +0100 4803531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4795056&cid=t_100169_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FgtIUt5aYG24%2F How closely tied are professional medical societies to drug and device makers? Just how much money do some receive? And how obvious is the spending at annual meetings? The answers - some have very close ties, get lots of money and the outlay can be enough to burst a blood vessel. Take the Heart Rhythm Society, which is holding its annual to-do in San Francisco this week. For instance, Sanofi-Aventis shelled out a total of $351,00, which was divided this way: $110,000 on programs & guides; another $110,000 on educational support; $96,000 for exhibit space; $25,000 for ‘turndown service,’ and $10,000 for bag inserts and cards. Similarly, Johnson & Johnson spent $386,750. Here’s how: $275,000 for exhibit space and lounge;s $36,000 on educational support; $25,000 for ban... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4795056 Fri, 06 May 2011 13:44:32 +0100 4795056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789492&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FEBRdSm55Mm0%2F Did you know that it’s North American Occupational Health and Safety Week? Neither did we, so don’t feel too badly. Even though we don’t happen to work in an inherently dangerous industrial factory, mine, on a construction site, or an oil rig, sometimes going to work can be a real pain. Meaning that, aside from the normal stresses that can surround our daily job, where and how we toil can actually cause serious chronic pain. And because most of us spend an inordinate amount of time at work, we’d prefer it to be a pleasant, rather than painful experience. So how can we avoid developing physical pain in the workplace? (Besides not tripping over that power cord.) For answers, I turned to Charles Friedman, a Florida-based doctor who specializes in pain management issues... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789492 Thu, 05 May 2011 16:32:44 +0100 4789492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762797&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fintroducing-boomers-on-the-rise-aging-well%2F I’m pleased to introduce our newest blog, Boomers on the Rise: Aging Well with Tamara McClintock Greenberg, Psy.D. This blog will discuss the increasingly complicated landscape of modern day aging, because, let’s face it, none of us is getting younger. Topics relate to healthcare and medicine, gender differences related to aging, coping with illness, and the many demands today’s middle-aged and older adults face. We’re all getting older, and with a generation of baby boomers getting to retirement age, this is the largest group of individuals that will become seniors in our nation’s history. There is a lot to navigate as we age, and few of us get a handbook to help guide us on our journey. I hope this blog will help give us the valuable tips and information that will make ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762797 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:02:31 +0100 4762797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758753&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-patients-attack-is-self-defense-legally-dangerous%2F2011.04.27 Sideways Shrink posed a great question recently in a comment on my post “When A Thick Skin Helps.” The question was whether or not physicians are allowed to hit a patient who tries to assault them. Certainly, physical assaults on patients are not the standard of practice in psychiatry or any other medical specialty. Psychiatrists do undergo some training about physical management of violent patients: I remember in residency we had to get trained in “take down” and restraint procedures. As a group we practiced applying pressure point joint locks on each other in order to make a patient break a grip on us, and to do two person restraints to hold someone immobile until security could arrive. None of this involved any “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”-type ku... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758753 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4758753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753692&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-a-surgical-superhero-has-to-cut-wind%2F2011.04.26 Yes, I have an alter ego. Yes, I dress in funny clothes with a cap covering my head and a mask covering my face. And yes, dressed as such I try to fight the powers of evil (mainly sepsis and bleeding and cancer and the like). I am … a superhero. But there is often little understanding for what goes on under the paper thin masks and baggy gowns we wear. certain …um…occurrences, well, occur with us just as much as with other people. A common cold behind a theatre mask is no small thing. Remember you can’t blow your nose. Sniffing loudly only works for a while and attracts all sorts of strange stares. Just leaving it is really the only option. The positive side of this is you suffer less from the mild dehydration that accompanies massive loss of …mucus. There is, after all, flui... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753692 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4753692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4759045&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Frecovery-burnout%2F This article may help you think about the issues involved.Burnout is subtle. It creeps up on you slowly. How do you know if you are burning out?I know well the face of burnout. I found myself questioning my motives, feeling guilty, and being greatly misunderstood. Sometimes I was shamed for not “working the program!”What are the signs of burnout?As a professional counsellor I have researched burnout. According to the best research available on the subject there are three aspects of burnout:1. Perception of Inequity/Unfairness/InjusticeWhen you start to feel like you are getting the short end of the deal, being mistreated, under-appreciated, the program is not working for you… You may be burning out.2. Emotional ExhaustionWhen you start to run out of emotional gas you know something i... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4759045 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:59:02 +0100 4759045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734440&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FJZP1aFn3AdA%2F Gone are the days when mental health issues were taboo (something we’re all grateful for), but now that they’re out in the open, we wonder if all the examples of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders are all painting a realistic picture. To find out who’s getting it right, we spoke with Ryan Howes, Ph.D., a California-based psychologist. Howes explains that, while there are accurate depictions of various mental health issues in pop culture, some aren’t so easy to pin down: Depression is difficult to define because it’s not one thing but a collection of symptoms that can vary from person to person, male to female, young to old. We’ve all experienced some of the symptoms at points in our life (low energy, guilt or irritability, for example... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734440 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:33:25 +0100 4734440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4720028&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FEogBLn8v39g%2F Catherine Zeta-Jones released a statement yesterday, announcing that she not only has Bipolar II Disorder, but that she also recently sought treatment at a mental health care facility in the wake of hubby Michael Douglas’ cancer scare. Good on her for being so forthcoming – usually, celebrities go to exorbitant lengths to hide their illnesses from the public which, in most cases, is a recipe for disaster. Hollywood just can’t keep secrets today like it could 20 years ago. TMZ, Perez Hilton, and the 24-hour AP newswire all have insiders and whistleblowers informing them of every celebrity hang-nail, papercut, bunion and sniffle. But Zeta-Jones has effectively issued a preemptive strike against speculation by just owning up to the truth of her situation. Here’s a list of ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4720028 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:06:48 +0100 4720028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4720046&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fi-can-relate-to-this.html ...and so can, I would wager, anyone who has been harassed by  condescended to infantilized by dealt with an insurance company on health related matters. Especially if you have been on long-term disability for any length of time, you can expect regular correspondence. Blogger Katherine describes this experience:"But as sure as the swallows return to Capistrano, every March CIGNA sends me information on its Cancer Support program. Last year’s began “Good health is a gift.” This year’s reads like a grade school report:Dear KATHERINE O’BRIEN:The American Cancer Society estimates that two men and one in three women will face cancer in their lifetime. Although these are scary statistics, CIGNA HealthCare wants you to know we’re here to help…"Most of us just sigh, groan, maybe... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4720046 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:00:00 +0100 4720046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704715&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F12%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-april-12-2011%2F In a writing class recently, my teacher said, “Don’t rush the process.” It made me think of a falling feather. I thought of the way a feather floats down gracefully, floating back and forth, slowly like a dance. There is no rushing a feather. Throwing it down forcefully will not make it get to the ground faster. And there would be something heartbreaking if we tried. We would be missing out out on its beautiful, unpredictable path. It’s also a way to think about healing. It’s frustrating to not be there yet. It’s normal to want to be 100% over whatever it is that is ailing you. It’s normal to want to be successful without going through the challenges and obstacles it takes to get there. But remember. No matter how much you want it, forcing it won&#... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704715 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:02:06 +0100 4704715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704589&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fthem-or-your-lying-eyes.html …THEM OR YOUR LYING EYES? A few days ago I discussed stonewalling by the American Psychiatric Association over charges that they were partners in a ghostwritten textbook. The issue resonated with many people, including Daniel Carlat, John Nardo, the POGO blog, Alison Bass, Ed Silverman, and others. The APA has not seen its way clear to releasing key documents that might clear up the charges. By stonewalling, the APA just does more damage to its image and credibility. They come across as uninterested in transparency, and they appear to be fighting a rearguard action to defend the indefensible. What kind of key documents could the APA have released? In our letter last January we suggested several, including the contract involving the American Psychiatric Press, the medical communications c... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704589 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:18:00 +0100 4704589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4692924&cid=t_100169_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FAyN1y9d_R5c%2F Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Margaret McFall-Ngai, Cliff Mintz, and Michael Schmidt. On episode #4 of the podcast This Week in Microbiology, Vincent, Cliff, Margaret, and Michael review foodborne bacterial illness in the context of outbreaks associated with cantaloupes and Lebanon bologna. Click the arrow above to play, or right click to download TWiM #4 (51 MB .mp3, 75 minutes). Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iTunes,  Zune Marketplace, via RSS feed, by email or listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app. Links for this episode: CDC statement on Salmonella outbreak CDC statement on E. coli outbreak CIDRAP summaries of cantaloupe and bologna associated outbreaks ProMedMail summary of Salmonella outbreak Summary of food related illness in US (pdf) Food safety and irradiation (CDC)... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4692924 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:47:44 +0100 4692924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670311&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Funexpected-gifts.html Last April, I could barely recognize my feet. Swollen beyond swollen, my toes swallowed up. You could almost squeeze water out of them, it seemed, if you tried hard enough, like Micky Mouse trying to squeeze water from his cheese.A year later and a pacemaker working overtime to keep my heart beating properly, and there they are again, the feet I didn't know I had anymore. The feet I had when I was 14, before my heart started those funky beats and my blood pressure dropped. Although the rest of me has (regrettably) stayed the same size, what a relief to find my ankles and toes again!A little like vine-ripened tomatoes in Mama's perfectly circular green bowl on the faded white table in the end of winter. A blessing in the dry season, an oasis in the desert of health, a discovery of wonder in... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670311 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:37:00 +0100 4670311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664422&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fill-take-it.html No nausea.No bad taste in my mouth.No rage or sadness.No aches and pains.I'm just very, very tired.I'm not complaining.If you are reading this post on a site other than Not Just About Cancer (besides Facebook or a feed reader), you are reading stolen content. (Source: Not just about cancer) Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664422 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:41:00 +0100 4664422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653506&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhat-if-nothing-changes.html Today is a treatment day.For the first time ever, I will have Herceptin on its own (if you don't count the Demerol and Gravol I get to keep the shakes and fevers at bay).Some people have almost no side effects with Herceptin. Some feel like they have the flu. Will the fact that my body has such a strong response to Herceptin mean that I feel more of its side effects?The break from chemotherapy is meant to help me heal and rebuild - physically and emotionally.The break from chemo is also a risk.Here's hoping it all works out for the best.If you are reading this post on a site other than Not Just About Cancer (besides Facebook or a feed reader), you are reading stolen content. (Source: Not just about cancer) Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653506 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0100 4653506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642676&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F27%2F8-survival-tips-for-the-spouse-of-a-terminally-ill-person%2F The other day, I had the honor of interviewing Owen Stanley Surman, M.D., a practicing hospital psychiatrist known internationally for his work on psychiatric and ethical aspects of solid organ transplantation. Following the death of his wife, Dr. Surman devoted six years to writer a memoir, The Wrong Side of an Illness: A Doctor’s Love Story, which includes a deeply personal and unique view of events both tragic and transcendent. He now lives in Boston with his new wife. Question: What words of wisdom would you give the spouse of a person struggling with chronic illness or terminally ill? Dr. Surman: Chronic illness and terminal illness have a pervasive impact on how we live our lives and in our sense of identity. Loss of a loved one affects the part of ourselves that has led us to ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642676 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:02:30 +0100 4642676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642859&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FFUMWS8Uelqo%2F A large part of my teenage years was spent curled into a painful little ball. I used to get cramps that were so debilitating, I couldn’t do anything but lie in the fetal position and whimper. Not ever having known anything different than incredibly painful periods, I honestly didn’t think much of it. I was also having really heavy periods — like Fort Knox wouldn’t have protected me kind of heavy. At the time I didn’t realize what I was experiencing was unusual; I just thought that’s how every girl’s period was. When I went to college and shared close quarters with other girls, I started to get a clue that something was wrong. When I worked up the nerve to discuss it with a doctor, all of my symptoms were dismissed with a shrug and a prescription for Motrin. I probably should ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642859 Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:30:59 +0100 4642859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636596&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fsap7Qlb_Fmc%2F Recently I was woken up during the wee hours of the morning by a sharp pain in my chest. I’m not typically prone to overreaction, but that night I sat in the dark of my room and fretted. I made a mental checklist of all the heart attack symptoms I knew. Chest pain? Holy heck, yes. Arm or back pain? No. Nausea? No. Cold sweats? No. Light-headedness? No. Shortness of breath? No. Whew. I breathed a sigh of relief. But then I started to feel a little nauseous and short of breath, too. Worry officially crept in and freaked me out. Luckily, before I started chomping on aspirin and making a trip to the ER, sanity kicked worry to the curb. I took a few deep breaths, reminded myself that mere seconds before I hadn’t had those extra symptoms and it wasn’t long before they melted away. I know I... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636596 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:00:45 +0100 4636596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622243&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FylvsM-A6Df0%2F By Meryl Bloomrosen. “They” say that being a teenager is NOT easy.  Well, being the parent of a teenager is certainly isn’t easy either.  And it is usually the case that all of us will experience some bumps along the way.   Yet, to some such concerns and crises seem insignificant or trite in comparison to recent headlines such as those about the Tsunami, earthquake and nuclear reactor explosions in Japan; Haitian elections; social unrest and justice in Egypt and elsewhere; and attacks in Libya. Or the ongoing headlines about the economic meltdowns on Wall Street; bank, savings and loans failures; or the continuing high unemployment statistics; and plummeting real estate values.  Or even NCAA March madness. Although, there has been periodic news and media attention on teen ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622243 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:31:28 +0100 4622243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622290&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F21%2Fpsychologists-still-seek-prescription-privileges-no-new-news%2F This story caught my eye only because of its headline, Psychologists seek authority to prescribe psychotropic medications. Really? I thought… I never heard that before. Oh, wait a minute, I have. Because the last time I checked, psychologists have been seeking prescription privileges for something like 16 or 17 years, maybe longer. In all of that time, they’ve only gained them in two states. Was another state joining New Mexico and Louisiana? Was there a renewed push for this service because of a sudden demand for prescriptions from those who have a mental illness? In other words, for this new article that appeared in the Washington Post (but was actually written by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a healthcare policy organization) — what’s newsworthy about this story?... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622290 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:39:31 +0100 4622290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600580&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F16%2Ftips-to-find-a-good-enough-doctor-2%2F Inspired from all the comments she received from my interview with her on chronic illness, Dr. Elvira Aletta compiled some suggestions for finding a good-enough doctor. In her previous Psych Central post called Tips to Find a Good-Enough Doctor, she throws out three basic qualities she looks for in a doctor: Expertise, knowledge, intellectual curiosity and all the right credentials. Warm, receptive, a good listener and communicator. The bedside manner thing. A well-run office, with smart, efficient support & medical staff. Then she follows up with a few more points to keep in mind while shopping for a doctor… Here are a few more of Dr. Elvira Aletta’s tips to find a good-enough doctor: If you are in doubt, interview several doctors as if they were applying for a job an... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600580 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:23:01 +0100 4600580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575249&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fweeding-out-toxic-relationships%2F Keep in mind that I’m not discussing all difficult relationships; some challenging relationships are well worth keeping. I’m specifically discussing toxic relationships, which are characterized by the following.Toxic relationships; take heavily from us without giving anything back. sap our joy as well as our mental and emotional energy. represent people who are hateful, hurtful, critical and discouraging the vast majority of the time you are around them. constantly leave you feeling empty, guilty, incompetent and ashamed represent people who are verbally and emotionally abusive to you. bring out the absolute worst in you.Weeding out Toxic Relationships. Share, print or e-mail this articleStress ReliefWHAT IS ANXIETY?Alcohol Awareness for Loved OnesReleasing ResentmentThe Dark Side of G... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575249 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 03:05:40 +0100 4575249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570586&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F10%2Fare-rich-people-more-depressed-than-poor-and-other-depression-factoids%2F I taped a radio show the other day with Court Lewis of American Variety Radio in which he wanted me to cover the demographics of depression. So here we go. Many of these stats I assembled from the book Understanding Depression by J. Raymond DePaulo Jr., MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Others I picked in articles here and there. Depression and Gender More women are depressed than men because women have more to be depressed about than men. Kidding, of course. But I still don’t understand how our gender got stuck with labor pains and all that. Almost one in five women in the US will have one or more episodes of clinical depression, which is TWO or THREE times the rate of depressive illness that men have. Some say the discrepancy can be attr... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570586 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:15:30 +0100 4570586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570714&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fmixed-but-good-i-think.html And I'm not talking about the weather, which while it has been mixed, has been pretty consistently bad for the last twenty four hours. We had a big dump of snow (the photo above was taken from my front door), followed by freezing rain, which will be followed by ordinary rain.Good thing I just bought rain boots.My GP called me last week to let me know the results of my endoscopy (I won't get in to see the gastroenterologist until March 21st). All my results were negative - no celiac, no bacterial infection, no cancer. It's all good.Then I talked to my oncologist on Friday. We discussed my scope results and my digestive symptoms (diarrhea, heartburn, abdominal pain). He expressed surprised that I was still feeling lousy on Friday after a Tuesday treatment. I told him that my recovery time ha... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570714 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:07:00 +0100 4570714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566306&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2011%2F03%2F08%2Fopen-letter-to-my-high-school-class-especially-paula%2F   Donna Trussell, then and now. My new post on AOL / Politics Daily. Open Letter to My High School Class. Especially Paula. In my four decades since graduating, I have avoided high school reunions. But this year we’re coming up on the 40th anniversary, and you know how everyone likes round numbers. And, unlike ten years ago, we now have facebook. Just a month ago, my maiden name was nowhere to be found on the Internet. I didn’t want to be found by people who knew me during that painful time in my life. My father was an engineer, and he made an excellent living. Despite that, we lived in a run-down Dallas neighborhood. But the district lines of Bryan Adams High School were so expansive — graduating class of 1,116 — that I was in the same school as kids from affl... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566306 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:33:30 +0100 4566306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560559&cid=t_100169_140_f&fid=39203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdawnwillis.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F08%2Fquickly-quickly-lickety-split%2F Quickly Quickly Lickety Split   Go for it, go for it do it now. You know it’s the way. Quickly quickly lickety split. Your failure is that fear, of letting go of a life without reason, your final frontier. Go for it, go for it, Dawn, do it now! The end is very near. Swallow slowly take a hit..hit..hit   Dawni 08/03/2011 Filed under: Dawn's Crash and Burn Out Diaries Tagged: bipolar, mental illness, pills, suicidal thoughts (Source: Dawn Willis sharing the News and Views of the Mentally Wealthy) Dawn Willis sharing the News and Views of the Mentally Wealthy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560559 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:36:56 +0100 4560559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560565&cid=t_100169_140_f&fid=39203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdawnwillis.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F08%2Fbi-polar-blues%2F     Very accurate and honest.     Filed under: News, Views, All Topics Tagged: A season lashed, a winters betrayal, on invisible illness (Source: Dawn Willis sharing the News and Views of the Mentally Wealthy) Dawn Willis sharing the News and Views of the Mentally Wealthy blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560565 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:39:29 +0100 4560565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4528016&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fnarcissism-in-a-bottle%2F : The Self Centerdness of Addiction | RecoveryView.com.Over the years I have listened to a sort of running monologue from clients who grew up with an addicted parent. It goes something like this: “I felt like it was all about them, like what was going on inside of me was sort of invisible, like what they wanted or needed always came first.” They go on and on describing a family dynamic that circulated around the immediate needs of the addict. They talk about how they often found themselves staying quiet and well behaved so as not to disturb a drunk or hung-over parent or bring a torrent of anger down on them. They also describe a world in which their other parent was constantly over-burdened; hiding the extent of the problem and working double time to make the family seem “normal”.... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4528016 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:52:36 +0100 4528016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525032&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnot-enough-psychiatric-beds%2F2011.02.26 I read today that Eastern Ontario has started a bed registry to keep track of where open psychiatric beds are available. This is something I’ve long advocated. The United States now has less than 10 percent of the beds it used to have 50 years ago. Granted, treatment has improved and community resources are enhanced. But there are still areas that often do not have a sufficient number of hospital beds for folks needing acute inpatient psychiatric care. The Ontario story described in the Ottawa Citizen states that six of the area hospitals have been connected to a computerized “bed board” that provides real-time information on who has an appropriate bed available. This saves time in the ER and gets patients to needed treatment more quickly. Otherwise calls need to be made... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525032 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4525032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478018&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Ffeeling-better.html Because I've been able to go out for walks and for runs with the dog.Because I had a really nice weekend and a very nice Valentine's Day (especially for someone who doesn't really celebrate it).Because I have so many wonderful people in my life.Because some of my symptoms have improved considerably (and they most definitely did not improve at all before I was diagnosed with the recurrence of cancer).Because I have survived experiences that have been far more physically traumatic (like giving birth. Twice) than an endoscopy could possibly be.I am feeling better today.If you are reading this post on a site other than Not Just About Cancer (besides Facebook or a feed reader), you are reading stolen content. (Source: Not just about cancer) Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478018 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:10:00 +0100 4478018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470514&cid=t_100169_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F12%2Fhope-as-verb-noun-andor-feeling%2F Everything I am feeling in this moment is in the context of having watched, via television and Twitter, the roller-coaster of events in Egypt these past 18 days, of having just listened to the Feb. 6 (2011) edition of Tapestry from CBC Radio with Mary Hines, and of having made the seemingly Herculean effort to [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470514 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 21:03:43 +0100 4470514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545164&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancerlifeandme.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fan-unexpected-awakening%2F Okay, the last post was definitely a needed rant/venting. Felt good to get it out and return to honesty. BUT… it was more representative of how I felt months ago. Recently, I have begun a real shift in my perception of life, and suffering. I’m what you might call an armchair cosmologist. I absolutely love and am Continue reading An unexpected awakening (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545164 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:00:35 +0100 4545164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464660&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fwhen-google-is-not-your-friend.html So I've been having some (ahem) gastrointestinal issues for a while. Last spring, I was diagnosed with GERD. Things got better after I made some amendments to my diet and started taking meds (so much better that I got lazy about the diet and just took the meds). But now the issues are back in spades, along with abdominal discomfort and a feeling I can only discribe as "weasels chewing on my innards."A couple of weeks ago, I went to see my GP who doubled my dose of the meds, ordered some blood tests and other (ahem) samples and put in a referral to a gastroenterologist. She told me that it would likely be a six month wait. I had chemo on Tuesday, February 1st, which means I should have been feeling more or less like myself on the week end. I did not. By Saturday, I was still achy, weak, nau... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464660 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4464660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464708&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fdefence-denial-mechanisms%2F Denial is Hazy ThinkingAlcoholics, addicts and co-dependents use many and varied combinations of these. Identify yours and work to eliminate them.When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us – Alexander Graham BellDefence and denial mechanisms are used by all human beings and may be necessary for survival in some situations.We’ve all used defences and denial to distance ourselves from distressing feelings and maintain a sense of emotional stability. Our defence and denial patterns began in childhood when they prevented us from becoming overwhelmed with anxiety. However, as an adult we outgrow their usefulness. If we continue to use outgrown defences or denial, we are more... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464708 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:56:01 +0100 4464708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455433&cid=t_100169_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Ftxt-telephone-or-blog-lets-talk-about-mental-illness%2F This is Bell Let’s Talk Day. Multiple Olympic medallist Clara Hughes, lead spokesperson for the campaign, was on CTV News in Toronto today. From among the calls she fielded came this articulate gem, “To kill the pain too often means to kill oneself.” However, and this was Clara’s message, help and hope are available to [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455433 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:48:33 +0100 4455433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450293&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhos-getting-antidepressants-and-why%2F2011.02.08 Reuters Health reports that more than a quarter of Americans taking antidepressants have never been diagnosed with any of the conditions the drugs are typically used to treat, according to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. An excerpt: “We cannot be sure that the risks and side effects of antidepressants are worth the benefit of taking them for people who do not meet criteria for major depression,” said Jina Pagura, a psychologist and currently a medical student at the University of Manitoba in Canada, who worked on the study. “These individuals are likely approaching their physicians with concerns that may be related to depression, and could include symptoms like trouble sleeping, poor mood, difficulties in relationships, etc.,” she added... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450293 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:00:43 +0100 4450293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419136&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-hot-spotters-is-better-care-for-the-neediest-patients-the-answer-to-lower-healthcare-costs%2F2011.01.31 Author-physician Dr. Atul Gawande has done it again with a well-written article in The New Yorker magazine entitled, “The Hot Spotters.” It deals with the fact that 5 percent of people with chronic illness make up over 50 percent of all healthcare costs. If we can zero in on providing better preventive care for those people, we can finally get our arms around runaway healthcare costs. How great that you don’t even have to have a New Yorker subscription to read it. Here are a few cliff notes until you get to it: – In Camden, New Jersey, one percent of patients account for one-third of the city’s medical costs. By just focusing attention on the social and medical outpatient needs of those people, they not only got healthier but costs were cut in half. &#8... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419136 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4419136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414522&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fabortion-doesnt-cause-mental-illness%2F2011.01.29 Here’s yet another study showing that abortion does NOT lead to future psychiatric problems. From The New York Times: The New England Journal of Medicine has taken on one of the pillar arguments in the abortion debate, asking whether having the procedure increases a woman’s risk of mental-health problems and concluding that it doesn’t. In fact, researchers found, having a baby brings a far higher risk. The study, by Danish scientists (and financed in part by the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which supports research on abortion rights), is the most extensive of its kind to date. It studied 365,550 Danish women who had an abortion or gave birth for the first time between 1995 and 2007. Of those, 84,620 terminated their pregnancies and 280,930 gave birth. In the year after an a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414522 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:00:53 +0100 4414522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405990&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwelcome-to-my-life.html Earlier this week, my friend K. sent me an article from the New York Times on metastatic breast cancer that was the best piece of journalistic writing on metastatic breast cancer I've ever read. And I've read a lot on this subject.I cried when I read it (but as I told K., in a good way) because it resonated so deeply with me, juxtaposing the facts and the experiences of women living with cancer that can never be considered cured. I started to highlight the best bits to share with you here but ended up cutting and pasting more than two thirds of the article.I've decided that it's best not violate copyright or my own ethics and just post the link and ask you to please go read this article:A Pink Ribbon Race, Years Long.If you are reading this post on a site other than Not Just About Cancer (... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405990 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 02:14:47 +0100 4405990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405779&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhope-for-those-with-body-dysmorphic-disorder%2F2011.01.26 The Science Daily article entitled Body dysmorphic disorder patients who loathe appearance often get better, but it could take years discusses the disorder as highlighted in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (JNMD).   The JNMD article reports the results of the longest-term study so far to track people with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). The study was conducted by researchers at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital. The good news? The researchers “found high rates of recovery, although recovery can take more than five years.” This is a small study with only 15 BDD patients who were followed over an eight-year span. An excerpt: After statistical adjustments, the recovery rate for sufferers in the study over eight years was 76 percent and the recurrence rate was 14 p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405779 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4405779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394528&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F25%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-january-25-2011%2F Almost a decade ago, I had a conversation with a friend that made me both infuriated and grateful. I don’t know how it started, but somehow we got to talking about depression. Essentially, he told me that depression was a made up disorder that helped put money in the pockets of mental health professionals. He didn’t see the need for medication and thought people should just buck up and be happy instead of feeling sad. Having a grandfather who suffered from depression, I was certain that depression was not only real, but a serious illness. And I was not only disturbed by his reaction, but angry. Although it’s been 10 years since the conversation, I often think about it. I’m not as upset as I was before. Although I still don’t agree with his statement, I ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394528 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:43:59 +0100 4394528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382923&cid=t_100169_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F21%2Fmichael-kimber-is-out-torontoist%2F A really great read from Torontoist: Michael Kimber Is Out. (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382923 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:41:40 +0100 4382923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372194&cid=t_100169_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FJPHnQVJjY4k%2F The Arizona shootings on January 8 have put sharp focus on mental health; these are just some of the issues surfacing in light of the tragic event: Arizona Shooting Inspires New Kind of First Aid – The recent shootings in Tuscon have sparked interest in “mental health first aid” courses, to learn how to identify and assist individuals with mental illnesses. (Washington Post) Mental Health Warning Signs – In hindsight, Arizona shooter Jared Loughner was mentally unstable; here are six warning signs someone you know could suffer serious mental health issues. (TIME) Social Media Desensitizes Disaster Response – Online interactions and social media messages aren’t taken as seriously, in law and in life, but should they be? (Psychology Today) Changing Your Own Outlook �... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372194 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:27 +0100 4372194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361249&cid=t_100169_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F17%2Fthank-you-candy-crowley-and-state-of-the-union%2F “I think you might have bipolar disorder,” he (psychiatrist) said. “Oh, thank God,” I answered. Surprise registered on his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that reaction before.” “No, I am so relieved,” I said. “Now that we know what it is, we can fix it.” Andrea Ball (Statesman.com) – Jared Loughner and the [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361249 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:22:55 +0100 4361249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355871&cid=t_100169_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F16%2Fengaging-more-in-my-mental-health-care%2F The mass shootings in Tucson, and the evolving picture of the mentally deranged man being held responsible, continue to both intrigue and inform me. I eagerly watched three of the Sunday morning news shows: NBC’s “Meet the Press”, ABC’s “This Week” and last, only because I wanted to highlight it, CNN’s “State of the Union” [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355871 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:44:44 +0100 4355871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355891&cid=t_100169_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Finside-mind-of-shooter-mental-illness.html Well it is over a week since the Tuscon tragedy. I like you have watched all the events of the week unfold. The political manuevering over the week; the age old discussions and debates on mental illness are predicatable. I know this is an Alzhiemer's blog. My mother died from Alzheimer's disease 24 years ago. I took care of her, I wrote a book about it. I became a psychiatrist. I treat mental illness.Lots of people want to know if Alzheimers is a mental illness. They want to know becouse there is much stigma associated with mental illness. People want to know what delusions are: so they come to this blog. I get frustrated with  the lack of information on mental health and insanity and dangerousness that has been presented in the media this past week following the A... Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355891 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:03:00 +0100 4355891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355718&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpsychiatric-diagnosis-and-the-dsm-5-controversy%2F2011.01.16 I’ve followed in bits and pieces — sometimes for Shrink Rap, sometimes because the issues fill my email inbox, sometimes because there’s no escape. Oh, and lots of the players have familiar names. In the December 27th issue of Wired magazine, Gary Greenberg writes a comprehensive article on the debates around the revision of the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) upcoming revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) entitled “Inside the Battle to Define Mental Illness.” Do read it. Here’s an excerpt: I recently asked a former president of the APA how he used the DSM in his daily work. He told me his secretary had just asked him for a diagnosis on a patient he’d been seeing for a couple of months so that she could bill the insur... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355718 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4355718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331190&cid=t_100169_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F10%2Ftheres-enough-insanity-to-go-around%2F Gun control activists are not just concerned about the criminally insane having guns. (Such diagnoses are too often only made after a shoot-’em-up anyway!) Otherwise sane people can act violently, too, and guns just make things that much worse. When I hear criminals dismissed by news-jockies as “crazy”, “unbalanced”, “off”, I sometimes take on those [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331190 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:21:13 +0100 4331190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4327040&cid=t_100169_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F09%2Ftheres-enough-insanity-to-go-around%2F Even some of my best friends…can be described as having, at least, a nodding acquaintance with mental illness. While, as far as I know, a police check would not flag me as mentally ill, I probably owe that more to the fact that my only direct personal contact with police has been cordial and no [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4327040 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:21:13 +0100 4327040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294635&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fptsd-flashbacks-reduced-by-playing-tetris%2F2010.12.26 Flashbacks are vivid, recurring, intrusive, and unwanted mental images of a past traumatic experience. They are a sine qua non of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although drugs and cognitive behavioral interventions are available to treat PTSD, clinicians would prefer to utilize some sort of early intervention to prevent flashbacks from developing in the first place.  Well, researchers at Oxford University appear to have found one. Remarkably, all it takes is playing Tetris. Yes, Tetris! The team responsible for the discovery was led by Emily Holmes. The writeup appears in the November issue of PLoS ONE. Holmes and colleagues had reasoned that the human brain has a limited capacity to process memories, and that memory consolidation following a traumatic experience is typically co... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294635 Sun, 26 Dec 2010 22:00:52 +0100 4294635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281346&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F22%2Ftop-ten-depression-blogs-2010%2F The good (and bad) news about blogging about depression in 2010 is that there’s less of it. Bloggers who were solely devoted to writing personal posts about depression, psychic pain, melancholy and stress in their lives found themselves, for whatever reasons, with less to say on traditional blogs. But depression hasn’t vanished, and neither has blogging, so where’s it all going? Twitter, drop boxes, text, media, and mobile — watch for blogging to evolve across platforms. And there are professionals sharing tips, artists gathering, and advocates to support each other. Although it may seem a quiet time, under the surface it’s changing. Blogs most likely to be triggering if you’re in a fragile state are marked with a (T). So, without further adieu, here are the... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281346 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:20:44 +0100 4281346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277832&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchronic-illness-and-%25e2%2580%259cthe-spoon-theory%25e2%2580%259d%2F2010.12.21 If you don’t truly understand how draining it can be to live with chronic illness, including chronic pain, go read The Spoon Theory right now. In five minutes it forever changed my own awareness of my wife’s arthritis and bone pain. On Twitter I saw “spoonies” raving about this months ago, but I finally took time to read it: 2,100 words and worth every second. Also, on Twitter follow @bydls – “But you don’t look sick!” – and explore their smart website, where they’re wisely selling posters of the story for doctors’ waiting rooms, and everything else imaginable in modern outreach through social media. These are smart people, and this is a powerful piece of writing. *This blog post was originally published at e-Patients.net* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277832 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:00:16 +0100 4277832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237829&cid=t_100169_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fexnfl-players-raise-awareness-head-traumamental-illness-link%2F Ex-NFL players Eric Hipple and Mark Kelso are traveling around the country in an attempt to raise awareness of the link between head trauma and mental illness. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237829 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:55:44 +0100 4237829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230160&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F5-reasons-why-patients-dont-mention-symptoms-to-their-doctors%2F2010.12.04 To com­plain or “be good” is an appar­ent dilemma for some patients with seri­ous illness. Yes­ter­day I received an email from a close friend with advanced breast can­cer. She’s got a lot of symp­toms: Her fatigue is so over­whelm­ing she can’t do more than one activ­ity each day. Yes­ter­day, for exam­ple, she stayed home all day and did noth­ing because she was sup­posed to watch a hockey game in the evening with her teenage son and other fam­ily mem­bers. Her voice is weak, so much it’s hard to talk on the phone. She has dif­fi­culty writ­ing, in the man­ual sense — mean­ing she can’t quite use her right arm and hand properly. “It’s some­thing I would never men­tion to the doc­tor because it is very sub­tle,” she wrote. “But it has no... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230160 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:00:07 +0100 4230160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219747&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnarcissism-no-longer-a-personality-disorder%2F2010.12.01 Via an article in The New York Times entitled “Narcissism No Longer a Psychiatric Disorder”: Narcissistic personality disorder, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and the need for constant attention, has been eliminated from the upcoming manual of mental disorders, which psychiatrists use to diagnose mental illness. As Charles Zanor reports in today’s Science Times, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — due out in 2013 and known as D.S.M.-5 — has eliminated five of the 10 personality disorders that are listed in the current edition. The best known of these is narcissistic personality disorder. So, blogging is normal then? Kinda takes the fun out of it… *This blog post was originally published at Gr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219747 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:00:18 +0100 4219747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4220466&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fhappiness-is%2F Happiness Is… A Recovery Book In this highly entertaining and literate book, Shawn Christopher Shea takes us on a provocative journey into the world of practical philosophy, applied spirituality and everyday psychology. Calling upon more than twenty years of clinical experience, fifty years of navigating life’s ups and downs, and an array of thinkers and pop icons – from Alan Watts to Albert Einstein, Billy Graham to Bob Dylan, the Dalai Lama to the English mystic Julian of Norwich – he weaves a gentle compassion and a tart wit into this compelling look at human nature and our never-ending quest for happiness. Not content with traditional stereotypes of happiness, Shea is on a search for a tougher happiness that is present and revitalizing even during times o... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4220466 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0100 4220466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203283&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fbut-i-have-excuse.html I bailed on National Novel Writing Month on the first day, having written just under 700 words.I felt like there were too many other interesting bits of writing that I wanted to do, including continuing to edit last year's novel.And then my life became insane. I've been really hard on myself for all the things I'm not doing lately. This week, though, I've had two people who are very important to me (my coach/therapist and my friend DM) listen to me unload and then tell me that I would have every right to feel overwhelmed with a fraction of what I've got on my plate.I tend to be hard on myself because I don't work outside the home right now. If I don't go to a job I feel like I should just sail through my other commitments. It felt really good to list everything going on in my life and have... Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203283 Thu, 25 Nov 2010 20:43:00 +0100 4203283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4200737&cid=t_100169_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fneurosis-alcoholism-codependency-and-recovery-2%2F Dr Karen Horney saw neurosis as continuous with normal life.Specifically, she saw neurosis as an attempt to make life bearable, as a way of “interpersonal control and coping.” This is, of course, what we all strive to do on a day-to-day basis, only most of us seem to be doing alright, while the neurotic seems to be sinking fast.In her clinical experience, she discerned ten particular patterns of neurotic needs. They are based on things that we all need, but they have become distorted in several ways by the difficulties of some people’s lives.Let’s take the first need, for affection and approval, as an example (see below).We all need affection, so what makes such a need neurotic? First, in the neurotic the need is unrealistic, unreasonable, indiscriminate. For exampl... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4200737 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:36:01 +0100 4200737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175765&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Fmental-health-and-the-media-in-new-zealand%2F AF: We are going to have to cut those lines from your play about people being in institutions. DT: Why? AF: We don’t have them here in New Zealand. – Adam Fresco, Director of the Rethink Theatre Challenge to me, October 7th, 2010 Last month I traveled to New Zealand because a one-act play I’d written won an international playwriting contest. The contest, sponsored by Mind and Body Consultants, was funded by their annual RETHiNK Grant and was part of the national “Like Minds, Like Mine” campaign, a publicly funded program aimed at reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. Ten one-acts were chosen to be performed on World Mental Health Day, October 10th (10 plays, 10 minutes, on the 10th day of the 10th month 2010.) The contest drew entries from aro... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175765 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:18:31 +0100 4175765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172058&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbook-review-just-like-someone-without-mental-illness-only-more-so%2F2010.11.16 I’ll cut to the chase: I loved this book. Five stars. Two thumbs up. When I read books, especially psychiatry books that I write about on Shrink Rap, I often read more carefully and sometimes more critically. I was so immersed in reading “Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So” that I didn’t stop to think, I just went on the journey. Mark Vonnegut is a pediatrician and the son of my favorite author when I was in junior high school. His memoir is a poignant and candid account of his struggles with, well, life in general, and life with a psychotic illness in particular. Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder — who knows? (I’ll vote for bipolar disorder.) Some illness where he had three episodes in his twenties, then another episode 14 years later. ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172058 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:00:00 +0100 4172058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168020&cid=t_100169_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fr6A2AdhmgxU%2F photo: Thinkstock In as little as two years, scientists say that there could be a 30 second test to spot early signs of Alzheimer’s that could be given to people as early as in their 40s. The aim is that patients could then take steps to prevent the onset of the disease. While this sounds too good to be true for those who have lost a family member to Alzheimer’s, the question still remains: What if the prevention is unsuccessful? Would you rather know that you were going to get Alzheimer’s and spend a lot of time and money trying to delay the onset, or would you rather let nature take it’s course? Let us know in the comments section. via The Telegraph Post from: BlissTree A Test for Alzheimer's: Would You Take It? (Source: A Hearty Life) A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168020 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:04:10 +0100 4168020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164522&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdepression-is-it-a-character-issue-and-a-disqualifier-for-leadership%2F2010.11.14 When the Republicans took back the House of Representatives [recently], John Boehner, the presumptive new Speaker and current Senator from Ohio, unleashed a “sob heard round the world.” As The New York Times quotes: “I’ve spent my whole life chasing the American dream,” (Boehner) said, beginning to cry. He swallowed and tried again. But describing all the bad jobs he had once led to near sobbing when he got to the line, “I poured my heart and soul into running a small business.” Boehner has cried in public many other times, the recent election night being only the largest stage to date. The tears also flow at his annual golf tournament, or while watching a child pledge allegiance to the flag, listening to a Republican colleague speak about his Vietnam War experiences, the unv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164522 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:00:36 +0100 4164522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133712&cid=t_100169_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmental-illness-and-the-right-to-vote%2F2010.11.03 Back in the 1970s, Kansas passed a law that could prevent people with mental illness from voting. The law was never used, but advocates were successful in getting an amendment passed that revoked that law. This law was passed at a time when stigma against mental illness was much higher than now. I’m guessing it was presumed that folks with a mental illness could not reason enough to exercise an informed vote, which is not true, of course. If 1outta5 have a psychiatric illness, including anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, then there could have been a huge swath of disenfranchised voters. And there already exists, to a degree, a basic cognitive test for voting: Navigating the whole ballot process. In Maryland, ours was electronic and no harder to use than an iPad, but I could st... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133712 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4133712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134141&cid=t_100169_136_f&fid=35316&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnotjustaboutcancer.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fthis-is-kind-of-nice.html TopOnlineColleges.com as included Not Just About Cancer in their list of "15 Inspiring Breast Cancer Blogs."Get inspired by this breast cancer survivor, who turned her unfortunate situation into a book about defying the odds and beating cancer.Pretty cool, no? It's nice to know that someone's reading and finding resonance in my words. As for the "beating cancer" part - I know it lurks there somewhere and that we who have gone to Stage 4 are never, ever out of the woods but I do like to think I'm beating it.If you are reading this post on a site other than Not Just About Cancer (besides Facebook or a feed reader), you are reading stolen content. (Source: Not just about cancer) Not just about cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134141 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:22:00 +0100 4134141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125064&cid=t_100169_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F01%2Fbad-mommy-the-baby-blues-and-postpartum-depression%2F Eighteen years ago, when I gave birth to my son, I was a wreck; depressed and racked with guilt over it. I learned later I wasn’t alone. Many mothers felt the same way when their kids were born, only they kept it quiet. Today, thank God, the silence is broken and women can admit just how imperfect their mommy-ness feels at times. Back in the old days, however, it was odd for a woman to confess that she didn’t feel a strong traditional pull to be a mother. We’re talking way back — before cell phones, before the Internet, before Facebook, even before reality television shows! For my husband and me, circumstances beyond our control forced us to consider life without children. Having the choice taken away from us because of my chronic illness was depressing and we had to wo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125064 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:56:02 +0100 4125064