Dr.ART JANOV- Author
There is an article today about stressed out babies who get anxious even when mother is absent for two minutes.(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1305892/Six-month-old-babies-stressed-ignored-minutes-mothers.html Their effects last until the next day. Levels of stress hormones soar. Conclusion: babies need their mothers. Oh wait! Maybe it is more than that. Yes, we need mother and father love but what happens when the absenteeism goes on and on?
There is just so much stress we can take and then what happens? Primal Pain. That is, the system has reached its asymptote and shuts down. Repression begins its life. So what? We now have a secret life; that is, there are pains and all of their concomitants, stress hormones, less or more thyroid, less natural killer cells; go on agitating and aggravating the physical system. And when pain gets compounded time after time, neglect, abandonment, violence, the underground life begins to wear the system down, attacking the most vulnerable organs. It is not one pain but pain piled on top of more pain, the daily threats, ignoring, left alone, and you can add your own life here. What is bad is that we do not often know we are in pain but the body knows. It speaks volumes, screaming through higher brain amplitude, faster brain frequency, higher cortisol, and so on. That is why we not only take the word of patients but measure them every day before and after sessions. The patient does not necessarily lie but she is often contradicted by her measurements.
I never knew that my frenetic and constant movements as a kid, the going and going, was the result of pain; I never felt it. I acted it out. But if one had looked at cortisol levels we would have understood. I doubt in my day we could have even measured cortisol. I just got my high-school records for my biography. Note after note says about me, “nervous.”
Isn’t it wonderful that the human system has a governor that shuts down many functions so we can survive? We become unconscious to survive. That is the miracle. So we have a hyperactive brain; is that so terrible.? Only if you don’t mind dying of Alzheimers or a stroke. That hyperactive brain is not normal. It is a reaction, a survival tactic to keep us unconscious so we can navigate in the world. It is super active due to repression. How do we know? There are major changes in the brain when patients have done this therapy. We have done four different brain studies (UCLA, Copenhagen, Rutgers, and in-house). The results are consistent. Moreover, we see great changes just after a session when the body temp, blood pressure and brain activity diminish. The body and brain are all of a piece. They are related, so when we measure just one aspect, say, blood pressure, we are missing out on the relationships to other aspects.
What is important about the above is that we mistake the deviations occasioned by the imprinted pain as bad and unhealthy. So then we have the biofeedbackers trying to correct the person’s brainwaves when they should be what they are. Or we do other measures to break down blood pressure, or we do EMDR to change anxiety states without once asking why are they deviated? Why is that heart racing? It is trying to survive against the onslaught of pain. It should race.
I was being slight facetious about dying of a brain disease but not entirely. When you see, as I have, month after month, year after year, patients reliving enormous early pains, you realize how the brain has to cave in eventually. No organ can withstand that pressure forever. Reliving and feeling is life saving.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
I WILL BE HAPPY WHEN
MY FRIDAY STORY
I WILL BE HAPPY WHEN ... revisited
by Jared Yellin
Over the past couple of weeks, our already dismal economy has become far worse than any of the "experts" could have ever predicted. We are in the process of witnessing the "Pearl Harbor" of the financial world, as articulated by Warren Buffet.
Although this has been devastating for all Americans, it has also been a very humbling experience for our nation, one that has made us realize that we are not invincible when it comes to the fundamental problems in our country. It has been a wake up call and a lesson learned, but my fear is that many of us are processing this adverse occurrence in the totally wrong light.
We have seen our bank accounts, retirement funds, financial portfolios and any other type of investment drop significantly, but what I ask you to consider is that although our NET WORTH has been on the decline, does this have any lasting effect to your SELF WORTH? What is your identity and why have we become a nation of people whose identity is purely aligned with their finances?
I think the key to coping with these unfortunate circumstances is to really think about your definition of "success." In the past, this term has been associated with wealth, possessions, and luxuries. People gawk at the ultra wealthy and yearn to live just one day in their lives.
Although the old adage that "money does not buy happiness," is a commonplace expression to almost every single person in the world, these words have become a commodity whose value has been diminished. The new national anthem for our country unfortunately has become, "I will be happy when I make a million dollars, purchase a Mercedes, buy a mansion, own a new pair of designers jeans, take a vacation, etc."
We are constantly basing our fulfillment on the external, when we have all of the tools within our soul to appreciate who we are. When will we realize that it is not what we do not have that makes us unhappy, but rather what we have already achieved that should bring joy to our lives? The point that I am trying to make is that no one has escaped this financial debacle, but when we actually take the time to evaluate our self-inventory, we realize that the only change occurred within our bank accounts. Hopefully, we still have our health, our family, and most importantly ourselves.
Wealth can be lost within a fleeting moment as seen by our lack of control in the current economic decline, but we are the directors of our own self worth and well-being and we can create an incredible life if we so choose. This outcome, unlike a fluctuating economy, is within our control.
Rather than focusing on when we will hit the bottom of the stock market, I challenge all of you to focus your energies on ways to reach the pinnacle of your personal apex. Everything depends on the view of the beholder and whether you allow your circumstances to create your identity or if you allow your identity to create your circumstances.
I have my own personal definition of success, but prior to unveiling this for all of you to read, I think that it is important for you to realize I am driven to achieve a certain monetary status to enable me to spread my message throughout the world, but this drive for money will never consume my soul nor taint my identity. I will always focus on the who I am as opposed to the who I am not and in turn my definition looks like this; Success is measured by pursuing your unique mission in this world with a burning desire to make a difference and leave a legacy in order to be proud of the who I am and the what I stand for.
Charles F. Bunning, says it best: "If all the gold in the world were melted down into a solid cube, it would be about the size of an eight room house. If a man got possession of all that gold -- billions of dollars worth -- he could not buy a friend, character, peace of mind, clear conscience or a sense of eternity."
So I understand that this message may not be well received since most of the audience will have experienced incredibly adverse effects as a result of the deteriorating economy, but I do believe that this message possesses a substantial amount of value if read and re-read in order to make it your own. I also realize that some of my audience may not feel the aftermath of the current conditions because they are young, wealthy or a variety of other reasons, but what I do know is that you probably have experienced our new national anthem, "I will be happy when.," therefore, regardless of the way that you interpret this message, I want you to realize that everything that you ever need in life stares back at you from the mirror every single day.
All of the riches in the world will never truly provide you with the ability to sustain unconditional happiness because that comes from within. My challenge to all of my readers and anyone else who has the opportunity to digest this message is to take some time each day and remind yourself that the world around you may be falling apart, but the world within you is just beginning to take form.
I WILL BE HAPPY WHEN ... revisited
by Jared Yellin
Over the past couple of weeks, our already dismal economy has become far worse than any of the "experts" could have ever predicted. We are in the process of witnessing the "Pearl Harbor" of the financial world, as articulated by Warren Buffet.
Although this has been devastating for all Americans, it has also been a very humbling experience for our nation, one that has made us realize that we are not invincible when it comes to the fundamental problems in our country. It has been a wake up call and a lesson learned, but my fear is that many of us are processing this adverse occurrence in the totally wrong light.
We have seen our bank accounts, retirement funds, financial portfolios and any other type of investment drop significantly, but what I ask you to consider is that although our NET WORTH has been on the decline, does this have any lasting effect to your SELF WORTH? What is your identity and why have we become a nation of people whose identity is purely aligned with their finances?
I think the key to coping with these unfortunate circumstances is to really think about your definition of "success." In the past, this term has been associated with wealth, possessions, and luxuries. People gawk at the ultra wealthy and yearn to live just one day in their lives.
Although the old adage that "money does not buy happiness," is a commonplace expression to almost every single person in the world, these words have become a commodity whose value has been diminished. The new national anthem for our country unfortunately has become, "I will be happy when I make a million dollars, purchase a Mercedes, buy a mansion, own a new pair of designers jeans, take a vacation, etc."
We are constantly basing our fulfillment on the external, when we have all of the tools within our soul to appreciate who we are. When will we realize that it is not what we do not have that makes us unhappy, but rather what we have already achieved that should bring joy to our lives? The point that I am trying to make is that no one has escaped this financial debacle, but when we actually take the time to evaluate our self-inventory, we realize that the only change occurred within our bank accounts. Hopefully, we still have our health, our family, and most importantly ourselves.
Wealth can be lost within a fleeting moment as seen by our lack of control in the current economic decline, but we are the directors of our own self worth and well-being and we can create an incredible life if we so choose. This outcome, unlike a fluctuating economy, is within our control.
Rather than focusing on when we will hit the bottom of the stock market, I challenge all of you to focus your energies on ways to reach the pinnacle of your personal apex. Everything depends on the view of the beholder and whether you allow your circumstances to create your identity or if you allow your identity to create your circumstances.
I have my own personal definition of success, but prior to unveiling this for all of you to read, I think that it is important for you to realize I am driven to achieve a certain monetary status to enable me to spread my message throughout the world, but this drive for money will never consume my soul nor taint my identity. I will always focus on the who I am as opposed to the who I am not and in turn my definition looks like this; Success is measured by pursuing your unique mission in this world with a burning desire to make a difference and leave a legacy in order to be proud of the who I am and the what I stand for.
Charles F. Bunning, says it best: "If all the gold in the world were melted down into a solid cube, it would be about the size of an eight room house. If a man got possession of all that gold -- billions of dollars worth -- he could not buy a friend, character, peace of mind, clear conscience or a sense of eternity."
So I understand that this message may not be well received since most of the audience will have experienced incredibly adverse effects as a result of the deteriorating economy, but I do believe that this message possesses a substantial amount of value if read and re-read in order to make it your own. I also realize that some of my audience may not feel the aftermath of the current conditions because they are young, wealthy or a variety of other reasons, but what I do know is that you probably have experienced our new national anthem, "I will be happy when.," therefore, regardless of the way that you interpret this message, I want you to realize that everything that you ever need in life stares back at you from the mirror every single day.
All of the riches in the world will never truly provide you with the ability to sustain unconditional happiness because that comes from within. My challenge to all of my readers and anyone else who has the opportunity to digest this message is to take some time each day and remind yourself that the world around you may be falling apart, but the world within you is just beginning to take form.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Beating Children Is Still Legal In Twenty U.S. States
Beating Children Is Still Legal In Twenty U.S. States
In 20 states of the United States, it is still legal for teachers to paddle their students. That is a shocking statistic. Even when in prison, criminals are protected by law from being physically abused by those in a position of authority over them. But for our children, no such protection is available.
We are one of the few countries to allow such treatment. 102 countries, including Canada, Australia, the countries of Western Europe and the U.K., have outlawed corporal punishment in schools. Within the United States, plenty of organizations oppose corporal punishment, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Consider a couple of examples: a high school coach in Georgia knocked a student's eyeball out of its socket to punish the student for fighting with another student. In Texas, a 14-year-old autistic special education student was smothered to death by his teacher's "restraint." The kid was placed face down on the floor and when he struggled, his teacher sat on his shoulders to keep him still. He sufficated to death.
Because of these and many other instances of child abuse at the hands of teachers, Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D - NY) will introduce a bill in the House this week to deny federal funding to schools that use corporal punishment. For the first time in over 18 years, Congress held hearings in April, 2010, on the use of corporal punishment in schools, and this bill was the result of those hearings.
Here's what was revealed: every twenty seconds of the school day, a child is beaten by an educator. Every four minutes, an educator beats a child so badly that she seeks medical attention. The U.S. Department of Education reported that in the 2006 - 07 school year, 223,190 students were the victims of such school violence, and over 20,000 of these young people had to seek medical attention.
These are outrageous statistics, and we applaud Rep. McCarthy for introducing her bill. It is time for the United States to join the rest of the developed world and implement a federal ban on corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is wrong. The American Psychological Association says corporal punishment may do far more than inflict physical pain; it may also lower self-esteem, instill hostility and teach children that physical violence is an acceptable problem-solving tool. And it doesn't work.
Isn't it time that we outlawed this barbaric practice in the United States?
Judy Molland
In 20 states of the United States, it is still legal for teachers to paddle their students. That is a shocking statistic. Even when in prison, criminals are protected by law from being physically abused by those in a position of authority over them. But for our children, no such protection is available.
We are one of the few countries to allow such treatment. 102 countries, including Canada, Australia, the countries of Western Europe and the U.K., have outlawed corporal punishment in schools. Within the United States, plenty of organizations oppose corporal punishment, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Consider a couple of examples: a high school coach in Georgia knocked a student's eyeball out of its socket to punish the student for fighting with another student. In Texas, a 14-year-old autistic special education student was smothered to death by his teacher's "restraint." The kid was placed face down on the floor and when he struggled, his teacher sat on his shoulders to keep him still. He sufficated to death.
Because of these and many other instances of child abuse at the hands of teachers, Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D - NY) will introduce a bill in the House this week to deny federal funding to schools that use corporal punishment. For the first time in over 18 years, Congress held hearings in April, 2010, on the use of corporal punishment in schools, and this bill was the result of those hearings.
Here's what was revealed: every twenty seconds of the school day, a child is beaten by an educator. Every four minutes, an educator beats a child so badly that she seeks medical attention. The U.S. Department of Education reported that in the 2006 - 07 school year, 223,190 students were the victims of such school violence, and over 20,000 of these young people had to seek medical attention.
These are outrageous statistics, and we applaud Rep. McCarthy for introducing her bill. It is time for the United States to join the rest of the developed world and implement a federal ban on corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is wrong. The American Psychological Association says corporal punishment may do far more than inflict physical pain; it may also lower self-esteem, instill hostility and teach children that physical violence is an acceptable problem-solving tool. And it doesn't work.
Isn't it time that we outlawed this barbaric practice in the United States?
Judy Molland
Friday, June 4, 2010
DEATH AT SIXTEEN.
Sixteen-year-old Christian Taylor was found hanged in his bedroom on Monday, May 31: Memorial Day, a school holiday, which for most kids means the start of summer.
Taylor was a freshman at Grafton High School in Yorktown, VA. What's especially tragic about this suicide is that the teenager had complained to school and law enforcement officials about being bullied, but nothing was done to stop his tormentor. According to York-Poquosen Sheriff Sgt. Dennis Ivey, authorities had also looked into complaints by Taylor's mother, Alise Williams, weeks ago, but turned the matter over to his school after finding no crime had been committed. No action was taken, and Taylor's tormentor remained at school.
Because of Taylor's death, Ivey said, authorities are now re-examining the case to see if any laws were broken.
How many lost teenage lives are we going to have to witness before school authorities take this issue seriously? In Massachusetts, less than six months ago, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince hanged herself after being assaulted and bullied by classmates. Currently six teenagers face charges in that case.
And now here's another one. Teenagers can be both mean and cruel, as well as scared and extremely vulnerable. Above all, they need guidance from adults, even when (maybe especially when) they act as if they hate all authority. Every school has a legal responsibility to deal with bullying that occurs on school property and, in many cases, between school and home.
What happened in Taylor's case? According to his mom, "Chris was a good kid…. He had the usual teenage problems, the awkwardness and all, but he had a girlfriend and friends and they're devastated." She described her son's bullying as "just a lot of taunting and saying mean stuff" but added that in one instance, his tormentor, a classmate, told her son to "go ahead and commit suicide and get it over with."
Meanwhile, the bully "is still in school," said Williams. "They have not suspended him. He has not been expelled. And he doesn't just target my son, he's targeted quite a few others."
As someone who has been teaching teenagers for over twenty years, I know that someone, if not several people, at that high school had to know what was going on, but chose not to see. It's easy to do, since teachers are all so overworked and pressured these days. But that's no excuse. Teenagers can be a tough bunch, but it's also pretty easy to read them.
Bullying is a serious social problem. According to the National School Safety Center, one in seven children becomes a victim of bullying at school. Wake up, schools! Getting good test scores is nice; saving lives is crucial.
Taylor was a freshman at Grafton High School in Yorktown, VA. What's especially tragic about this suicide is that the teenager had complained to school and law enforcement officials about being bullied, but nothing was done to stop his tormentor. According to York-Poquosen Sheriff Sgt. Dennis Ivey, authorities had also looked into complaints by Taylor's mother, Alise Williams, weeks ago, but turned the matter over to his school after finding no crime had been committed. No action was taken, and Taylor's tormentor remained at school.
Because of Taylor's death, Ivey said, authorities are now re-examining the case to see if any laws were broken.
How many lost teenage lives are we going to have to witness before school authorities take this issue seriously? In Massachusetts, less than six months ago, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince hanged herself after being assaulted and bullied by classmates. Currently six teenagers face charges in that case.
And now here's another one. Teenagers can be both mean and cruel, as well as scared and extremely vulnerable. Above all, they need guidance from adults, even when (maybe especially when) they act as if they hate all authority. Every school has a legal responsibility to deal with bullying that occurs on school property and, in many cases, between school and home.
What happened in Taylor's case? According to his mom, "Chris was a good kid…. He had the usual teenage problems, the awkwardness and all, but he had a girlfriend and friends and they're devastated." She described her son's bullying as "just a lot of taunting and saying mean stuff" but added that in one instance, his tormentor, a classmate, told her son to "go ahead and commit suicide and get it over with."
Meanwhile, the bully "is still in school," said Williams. "They have not suspended him. He has not been expelled. And he doesn't just target my son, he's targeted quite a few others."
As someone who has been teaching teenagers for over twenty years, I know that someone, if not several people, at that high school had to know what was going on, but chose not to see. It's easy to do, since teachers are all so overworked and pressured these days. But that's no excuse. Teenagers can be a tough bunch, but it's also pretty easy to read them.
Bullying is a serious social problem. According to the National School Safety Center, one in seven children becomes a victim of bullying at school. Wake up, schools! Getting good test scores is nice; saving lives is crucial.
THOUGHTS FROM A CANADIAN NEIGHBOR
MY FRIDAY STORY
EXCESS AND EXCUSES
By Miles Patrick Yohnke © 2010
It hurts me to write this story. But I must write it. I live in Canada, which is seen as a rich country. The country to the south of us, the United States, also falls into this category. As a writer I've been blessed that my work has touched so many lives in so many corners of the world.
I receive many letters. An enormous amount of them come from places where it isn't as good as we have it here. Yet these letters are filled with hope and optimism. Terror and fear are daily occurrences in countries like Africa, India and Papua New Guinea [PNG] just to name a few. Yet when I read the letters from people living in these and many more places, their passion is overwhelming. You also have a great respect for their rich, individual heritages.
You look at Papua New Guinea and discover it has over 800 languages. Each province has more than 20 different languages. Not all of them have the same dialect. The only language that they all can speak and understand is called "Pidgin English." 800 languages means that they also have this number of different customs and traditions. All just loaded with culture and character.
North America is the richest of nations, yet, for the most part, our culture is one of excess and excuses.
Excess: We eat too much. We drink too much. We spend far too much.
Excuses: We point fingers. We blame others. We dwell in dysfunction.
We are rich with excess and excuses. For so many we have a hard time speaking one language. We have bigger houses and bigger broken homes. Divorce is the norm. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We've learned how to make a living but not a life. It's time that we stop our spoiled, self-centered ways.
Time we look in the mirror at our fat selves. Weak with character, high with cholesterol. Time we wake up. Time we learn that life isn't about 'things'. Time that we use our rich resources for positive change. Time we give back. Help others. Time our lives are filled with purpose. In that we will have a real reason to live.
EXCESS AND EXCUSES
By Miles Patrick Yohnke © 2010
It hurts me to write this story. But I must write it. I live in Canada, which is seen as a rich country. The country to the south of us, the United States, also falls into this category. As a writer I've been blessed that my work has touched so many lives in so many corners of the world.
I receive many letters. An enormous amount of them come from places where it isn't as good as we have it here. Yet these letters are filled with hope and optimism. Terror and fear are daily occurrences in countries like Africa, India and Papua New Guinea [PNG] just to name a few. Yet when I read the letters from people living in these and many more places, their passion is overwhelming. You also have a great respect for their rich, individual heritages.
You look at Papua New Guinea and discover it has over 800 languages. Each province has more than 20 different languages. Not all of them have the same dialect. The only language that they all can speak and understand is called "Pidgin English." 800 languages means that they also have this number of different customs and traditions. All just loaded with culture and character.
North America is the richest of nations, yet, for the most part, our culture is one of excess and excuses.
Excess: We eat too much. We drink too much. We spend far too much.
Excuses: We point fingers. We blame others. We dwell in dysfunction.
We are rich with excess and excuses. For so many we have a hard time speaking one language. We have bigger houses and bigger broken homes. Divorce is the norm. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We've learned how to make a living but not a life. It's time that we stop our spoiled, self-centered ways.
Time we look in the mirror at our fat selves. Weak with character, high with cholesterol. Time we wake up. Time we learn that life isn't about 'things'. Time that we use our rich resources for positive change. Time we give back. Help others. Time our lives are filled with purpose. In that we will have a real reason to live.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Mental Illness in Older Adults 'Very Common'--and Underdiagnosed posted by: Kristina Chew
May is Mental Health Month which is, according to Mental Health America, meant to 'promote health and wellness in homes, communities, schools, and inform those who don't believe it's attainable.' Depression has been called a 'silent killer'; anxiety disorders and other psychiatric disorders have been called 'invisible as someone suffering from them may well have no obvious physical symptoms, even though that person may be experiencing deep pain within. Undiagnosed mental illness is said to be 'highly prevalent' and, too, a cause of 'needless morbidity.'
Further, even while rates of mood and anxiety disorders may seem to decline with age, a report in the May Archives of General Psychiatry has found that these conditions actually remain 'very common' in older adults, especially women. Researchers studied 2575 participants 55 years and older who were part of theNational Comorbidity Survey Replication NCS-R (43%, 55-64 years; 32%, 65-74 years; 20%, 75-84 years; 5%, 85 years). All were 'noninstitutionalized' and resided in households within the community. The study concluded that:
Prevalence rates of DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders in late life tend to decline with age, but remain very common, especially in women. These results highlight the need for intervention and prevention strategies.
I've had the under-diagnosis of mental illness in older adults---and the lack of adequate treatment, with potentially tragic results---on my mind much of late.
My mother-in-law, Grace, died this past Mother's Day. She was 81 years old and had long been in very poor health, physically (she struggled to walk and had had both knees replaced in 2006) and mentally, for many years. She suffered from depression and anxiety and had been hospitalized for these throughout her life. During her last years, she rarely left her house deep in the New Jersey suburbs; I can't count how many times my husband Jimcoaxed and cajoled her to come walk with him around the block---'I'll be right beside you, Mom, holding your hand!"---or, when that seemed too daunting, up and down her long driveway. She was smart and curious and, when I first met her in 1994, loved to read five newspapers a day and send Jim a manila folder of clippings. Jim is a historian and his most recent book, On the Irish Waterfront: The Crusader, the Movie, and the Soul of the Port of New York, is rooted in Grace's love of movies and stories, and her roots in Hudson County, in New Jersey.
On the Irish Waterfront was published in August of 2009 but Grace was not able to read it. Her eyesight was gone as the result of a stroke. But even more, what Jim refers to as the 'depths of her emotional unease'---sporadically treated and not talked about---had had their toll. Lying pale on her bed in the nursing home with the TV set droning on overhead, she did not respond when Jim read the chapter in the acknowledgments about his mother reading excerpts from Jimmy Breslin's columns in the New York Herald Tribune out loud to her friends over the phone.
And I'll always wonder, how might Grace have smiled with that little pleased laugh to hear such stories of herself, had her mental illness been treated consistently and understood for what it is, rather than being explained away as this or that physical ailment, or as a personality trait, or just because 'she was old and it must be Alzheimer's'?
As the study concludes:
'The study of nationally representative samples provides evidence for research and policy planning that helps to define community-based priorities for future psychiatric research. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of individual and co-existing mood and anxiety disorders when studying older adults, even the oldest cohorts. Further study of risk factors, course and severity is needed to target intervention, prevention and health care needs.'
Yes, further study is needed.
'Even among the oldest cohorts.'
Further, even while rates of mood and anxiety disorders may seem to decline with age, a report in the May Archives of General Psychiatry has found that these conditions actually remain 'very common' in older adults, especially women. Researchers studied 2575 participants 55 years and older who were part of theNational Comorbidity Survey Replication NCS-R (43%, 55-64 years; 32%, 65-74 years; 20%, 75-84 years; 5%, 85 years). All were 'noninstitutionalized' and resided in households within the community. The study concluded that:
Prevalence rates of DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders in late life tend to decline with age, but remain very common, especially in women. These results highlight the need for intervention and prevention strategies.
I've had the under-diagnosis of mental illness in older adults---and the lack of adequate treatment, with potentially tragic results---on my mind much of late.
My mother-in-law, Grace, died this past Mother's Day. She was 81 years old and had long been in very poor health, physically (she struggled to walk and had had both knees replaced in 2006) and mentally, for many years. She suffered from depression and anxiety and had been hospitalized for these throughout her life. During her last years, she rarely left her house deep in the New Jersey suburbs; I can't count how many times my husband Jimcoaxed and cajoled her to come walk with him around the block---'I'll be right beside you, Mom, holding your hand!"---or, when that seemed too daunting, up and down her long driveway. She was smart and curious and, when I first met her in 1994, loved to read five newspapers a day and send Jim a manila folder of clippings. Jim is a historian and his most recent book, On the Irish Waterfront: The Crusader, the Movie, and the Soul of the Port of New York, is rooted in Grace's love of movies and stories, and her roots in Hudson County, in New Jersey.
On the Irish Waterfront was published in August of 2009 but Grace was not able to read it. Her eyesight was gone as the result of a stroke. But even more, what Jim refers to as the 'depths of her emotional unease'---sporadically treated and not talked about---had had their toll. Lying pale on her bed in the nursing home with the TV set droning on overhead, she did not respond when Jim read the chapter in the acknowledgments about his mother reading excerpts from Jimmy Breslin's columns in the New York Herald Tribune out loud to her friends over the phone.
And I'll always wonder, how might Grace have smiled with that little pleased laugh to hear such stories of herself, had her mental illness been treated consistently and understood for what it is, rather than being explained away as this or that physical ailment, or as a personality trait, or just because 'she was old and it must be Alzheimer's'?
As the study concludes:
'The study of nationally representative samples provides evidence for research and policy planning that helps to define community-based priorities for future psychiatric research. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of individual and co-existing mood and anxiety disorders when studying older adults, even the oldest cohorts. Further study of risk factors, course and severity is needed to target intervention, prevention and health care needs.'
Yes, further study is needed.
'Even among the oldest cohorts.'
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
SEX AND THE OIL SPILL
Political Irony
Sex and the Gulf Oil Spill
Posted: 10 May 2010 08:39 PM PDT
Reagan famously stated that government was not the solution, government was the problem (while simultaneously growing government at unprecedented rates). But I’ve always thought that the reason Republicans believe government is always the problem is because they don’t know how to govern. Of course, there is an alternative theory that they want to prove that government is incompetent by purposely making it as incompetent as they can.
Regardless of which of these theories you might subscribe to, you couldn’t pick a better example of it than the recent oil spill in the gulf. After all, it was just two years ago that a major scandal was uncovered in the very group charged with overseeing safety in oil drilling, the Minerals Management Service. As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. points out, the Bush administration (especially Dick Cheney) seems to have purposely tried to destroy the MMS by filling it with the shadiest characters one can imagine. Personnel in the MMS were dealing cocaine and other drugs, had sex with (including orgies) and accepted lavish gifts from people in the companies they were supposed to be regulating, and steered government contracts to companies they owned on the side.
At the same time, the MMS gutted safety regulations, including removing requirements for safety equipment that more than likely would have prevented the huge gulf oil spill.
Sex and the Gulf Oil Spill
Posted: 10 May 2010 08:39 PM PDT
Reagan famously stated that government was not the solution, government was the problem (while simultaneously growing government at unprecedented rates). But I’ve always thought that the reason Republicans believe government is always the problem is because they don’t know how to govern. Of course, there is an alternative theory that they want to prove that government is incompetent by purposely making it as incompetent as they can.
Regardless of which of these theories you might subscribe to, you couldn’t pick a better example of it than the recent oil spill in the gulf. After all, it was just two years ago that a major scandal was uncovered in the very group charged with overseeing safety in oil drilling, the Minerals Management Service. As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. points out, the Bush administration (especially Dick Cheney) seems to have purposely tried to destroy the MMS by filling it with the shadiest characters one can imagine. Personnel in the MMS were dealing cocaine and other drugs, had sex with (including orgies) and accepted lavish gifts from people in the companies they were supposed to be regulating, and steered government contracts to companies they owned on the side.
At the same time, the MMS gutted safety regulations, including removing requirements for safety equipment that more than likely would have prevented the huge gulf oil spill.
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