Blog Carnival Edition for November 28, 2006
I hope you had a good weekend; those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, as I did, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I appreciate those of you who sent in your entries and help us better understand the mental health journey from your perspectives. Thank You!
isabella mori presents speed, mania and depression posted at change therapy. Jane’s Note: I’m wondering if the clinical study results that isabella was referring to had a lot to do with interrupting certain thought patterns in depressed patients, rather than just the pace of the mental activity. Unfortunately I don’t have access to the clinical study, but the conclusion is intriguing and raises additional questions. For example, what happens when rapidity in thought crosses a boundary to a pathological (clinical mania) state? Also, in a mixed bipolar disorder episode, is the rate of thinking rapid even when the patient is feeling extremely depressed?
Talia Mana presents Centre for Emotional Well-Being: All depressive illnesses are not created equal posted at Centre for Emotional Well-Being.
Jane’s Note: I think it’s very important to differentiate different types of depression, because we often hold the idea that depression is slow… dark… deep… and not realize that agitation and anxiety are both comorbid conditions with depression. In fact, my original misdiagnosis, which I bought into for some time, came from a psychiatrist not recognizing that I had depression with anxiety symptoms. I see a similar type of depression with my mom.
Jon Schnaars addresses an important new study in which the CDC found that 1 in 3 suicides involved alcohol. Alcohol is a dangerous drug for anyone, and can be even more so for those already dealing with a mental illness. Visit Jon at Anxiety, Addiction and Depression Treatments.
Jane’s Note: I usually get the carnival published by Monday morning, but for some reason I waited. I just received Jon’s entry (above) - and now I know why I was waiting! Thanks, Jon, for alerting us to this important correlation between alcohol involvement and suicide.
Mother Jones RN presents From the Mailbag posted at Nurse Ratched’s Place.
Jane’s Note: Thanks, Nurse Ratched, for bringing up this emotionally charged issue. We are starting to see increasing “lifestyle use” of potent drugs, including some antidepressants. I’m also “all about feeling good” (believe me, I’ve suffered from severe depression and I want nothing more than to feel good), but too often we are not made aware of the true risks and benefits of taking medications. Most prescription drugs are not as “benign” as drinking a cup of coffee to get us going in the morning. Unfortunately we only learn about the risks over time, when enough people have taken a drug and enough data collected, to have a profile of risks with a drug. Those who suffer from clinical depression and bipolar disorder take medications that come with side effects that vary on the nastiness scale depending on the person - I am sensitive to medication and have experienced some extreme side effects even when others may not experience the same. Still, the issue has to do with lifestyle options that may be safer in the long run and also enhances mood - exercise, relaxation / meditation techniques, volunteering are some simple examples. My personal bias is that we as a society have come to view drugs too benevolently, thereby giving many drugs “lifestyle” status instead of a clinical or medical status.
I.B. presents PTSD and Fibromyalgia Pain in Men posted at Fibromyalgia Research Blog, saying, “New research suggests the possibility of trauma, and the resulting PTSD, as a triggering event for the onset of fibromyalgia.”
Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD presents Psychology of Law and Order. Interview with Dr. Deborah Serani posted at RDoctor Medical Portal, saying, “exclusive interview with famous psychologist.”
Jane’s Note: I enjoy Law & Order and this interview with Dr. Serani, who is a very cool psychologist as well as the contributor to the below post. Thanks Alex for sharing this interview with us, and to Dr. Serani for giving us a glimpse into her blogging and professional history.
Deb Serani presents Gene Linked With Mental Illness Shapes Brain Region posted at Dr. Deborah Serani.
Randy Yniguez presents How To Relax Your Muscles posted at Randy Yniguez, saying, “Thanks for including us! Readers can record the script into a tape recorder and play it back to help them unwind from a stressful day.”
Jane’s Note: This is an interesting technique to relax and can be very helpful in general, not just for people who suffer from depression or bipolar disorder.
That concludes this edition. Our next blog carnival - and my ever present comments - will be posted on Tuesday December 12, 2006. Click here to share your stories and entries on the upcoming carnival.
Until next time, take care of yourself!
Comments
3 Responses to “Blog Carnival Edition for November 28, 2006”
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jane, thank you for a very thoughtful blog carnival. you’re going on my blogroll!
isabella thank you for your comment! i learn the most from other people’s persectives. i appreciate your addition.
best regards,
jane
Hi Jane,
Thanks for your wonderful site. I thought your visitors would be interested in a new and the only FDA approved long term treatment option for depression. It is called vagus nerve stimulation therapy, a niniety-minute out patient procedure. It completely changed my life after 20 years of chronic depression.
Best wishes to all,
Charlie