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April 13, 2006
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When speed slows you down
American Chronicle - Beverly Hills,CA,USA
... leads to imbalance. I’m wildly driven. I have wild mood swings of
the kind seen in Rapid Cycling Bipolar. Unlike many who have ...
Test may help predict depression treatment success
Reuters.uk - UK
... "Bipolar" depression (also called manic depression) is marked by
extreme mood swings from euphoria and excessive energy to severe
depression and hopelessness. ...
MRI's role in depression
Irish Health - Ireland
... Bipolar depression, also called manic depression, is marked by
extreme mood swings from euphoria and excessive energy to severe
depression, while unipolar ...
Two teen girls missing: City teens attending school for behavioral
disorders in Massachusetts run off to waiting car, then disappear;
worried mom awaits news.
Newsday (Melville, NY); 4/12/2006
Byline: Jennifer Sinco Kelleher
Apr. 12--Two New York City teenagers were missing from the Judge
Rotenberg Center, a Massachusetts school for severe behavioral disorders
in children and young adults, many of them from Long Island, police
there said yesterday.
The girls, 16 and 18, were last seen Monday morning after a school
bus dropped them off in front of the center's main building, director
Matthew Israel said. The girls live in group homes a few minutes from
the center's main building, where they were arriving for a day of
classes.
"They immediately took off into a wooded area behind the school and a
car was waiting for them," Israel said. "We think that perhaps one of
them had a boyfriend who picked them up."
The center, in a town south of Boston called Canton, is known for
being the only place in the nation that uses mild electric shock to
control behavior. A Freeport mother is threatening to sue her school
district for sending her son there. Of the center's 255 students, 151
are from New York.
Israel said the girls, who are from Springfield Gardens, Queens, and
the Bronx, have never received the electric shock treatment.
School officials and Canton police would not release the girls'
names. Canton Police Det. Sgt. James Wolfe said they were reported
missing at about 9 a.m. Monday. He said the waiting car was described as
a dark-colored, four-door sedan, possibly a Nissan Maxima, with New York
plates LWK 7351. Wolfe said the driver of the car was a man.
Linda Cedeno identified the 16-year-old as her daughter, Isabel, who
she said ran away as she was going back to the center by bus after
Christmas last year.
Isabel had spent the holiday at home in Springfield Gardens and a few
days later, Cedeno said, she dropped off the girl at the Port Authority
terminal, where a bus with Rotenberg staff was to take her back to
Canton. But Isabel ran away and was missing for about a month, her
mother said.
Isabel ended up coming home, saying she spent the time away with
friends and that she ran away because she didn't want to go back to the
center, Cedeno said.
The center has a million-dollar surveillance system with cameras
throughout the school, in residences and in vehicles, Rotenberg
officials said.
Wolfe said missing cases from the center are rare.
Isabel is schizophrenic, bipolar and suicidal, her mother said.
"Anybody could have picked her up," she said. "Anybody could just leave
her on a curb."
Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800)
661-2511 (U.S.),
(213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.
COPYRIGHT 2006 Newsday
This material is published under license from the publisher through
the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding
rights should be directed to the Gale Group.
Drug firms 'hype up diseases to boost sales'.
The Daily Mail (London, England); 4/11/2006
Byline: RICHARD SHEARS
DRUG companies are inventing diseases to sell more of their products,
it was claimed yesterday.
Scientists have accused major pharmaceutical firms of ' medicalising'
problems like high cholesterol or the symptoms of the menopause in a bid
to increase profits.
Experts from around the world will meet in Australia today to discuss
what they have labelled 'diseasemongering'.
The group, which includes experts from Britain, will gather in
Newcastle, New South Wales, where researchers have been examining the
issue.
David Henry and Ray Moynihan, of Newcastle University, claim the
industry is exaggerating conditions and turning them into something more
serious.
Female sexual dysfunction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) and 'restless legs' syndrome have all been promoted by the
pharmaceutical industry in the hope of selling more drugs, they say.
High cholesterol and osteoporosis-are being described as diseases in
their own right, the researchers claim, turning healthy people into
patients. In turn, this wastes precious resources and can cause
medically-induced harm.
Even shyness is routinely presented as a 'social anxiety disorder'
resulting in the person being prescribed antidepressants.
In the case of male sexual disfunction, the researchers say, Viagra
is promoted as not only a genuine treatment for erectile dysfunction but
also a lifestyle improver. The two men make their claims in the Public
Library of Science Medicine journal.
They accuse drug companies of funding disease-awareness campaigns
through the media that are more about selling drugs than helping or
educating the public.
'Like the marketing strategies that drive it, disease-mongering poses
a global challenge to those interested in public health, demanding in
turn a global response,' they say.
Mr Moynihan and Mr Henry say that, in their view, disease mongering
is the selling of sickness that widens the boundaries of illness and
grows markets for those who sell and deliver treatments.
'It is exemplified most explicitly by many pharmaceutical
industryfunded disease-awareness campaigns, more often designed to sell
drugs than to illuminate or to inform or educate about the prevention of
illness or the maintenance of health,' they add.
Conference organisers say they will try to draw a line between
'market-driven exercises and legitimate disease-awareness programmes'.
Drugs companies hit back last night. GlaxoSmithKline said: 'We pride
ourselves in providing miracle solutions to the health care needs of
people every day.
'We utterly refute any suggestion that we would in any way hype or
overplay the very real needs of patients that are treated all over the
world.
'One of the exciting things about medical science is that we are
finding new solutions to ailments or problems people have, and this is
something good we can offer.' Pfizer, which makes Viagra, said: 'We
would refute accusations that the pharmaceutical industry is
medicalising society. Treatments that can make serious and potentially
life-threatening conditions better should surely be welcomed.
'Pfizer would only promote prescription medicines to health care
professionals, and only in line with what licensing bodies have
outlined, for them to use their clinical judgment.'
THE CONDITIONS . . . AND THE CRITICISMS THE conditions at the heart
of the debate include: Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Symptoms: Constipation,
cramps and diarrhoea. Criticism: Portrayed as a serious ailment
requiring therapy, despite often a being minor problem.
Restless Legs. Symptoms: Unpleasant feelings which cause an urge to
move legs. Criticism: A rare condition which is often exaggerated.
Menopause. Symptoms: Hot flushes, night sweating, loss of libido.
Criticism: Regularly painted as part of a disorder, despite being a
normal phase in life.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Symptoms: Inability of children to pay attention, combined with
hyperactive behaviour. Criticism: Escalation of drug prescriptions
during the 1990s in the wake of pharmaceutical industry concentration on
the education system.
Bipolar Disorder. Symptoms: Mood swings between manic highs and
extreme lows. Criticism: Upsurge in 'awareness campaigns' encouraging
people to monitor their moods.
COPYRIGHT 2006 Solo Syndication Limited
This material is published under license from the publisher through
the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding
rights should be directed to the Gale Group.
Life can go on: People with mental illness need not hide, be shut
away.
News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, IN); 4/10/2006
Byline: Erika Nordblom
Apr. 10--The image is haunting. A small painting depicts ghostly
figures and abstract images in vibrant shades of turquoise, orange and
magenta. Whoever painted this picture clearly has an unusual depth of
feeling and perception about the world around them. The artist, Justin
Blessing, was killed in 1996. Blessing suffered from schizophrenia, a
serious mental disorder that may have contributed to his death at age
21. He died a decade ago, but Blessing's memory lives in the hearts of
the members of Pi chapter of Psi Iota Xi, a philanthropic society that
raises money for good causes around Fort Wayne. Helping people like him
is the goal behind their Les Arts de la Table fundraiser April 18. The
guest speaker will be mental health advocate David Kaczynski, brother of
the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. A preview will be held April 17. Proceeds
from both events will go to Carriage House, a not-for-profit
organization for individuals coping with mental illness, to build a
training facility called Chad's House Blessing's painting hangs on a
second-floor wall in Carriage House. In 1996, two years after he was
diagnosed with schizophrenia, Blessing stopped taking the medication
that controlled the severe disturbances in thinking and behavior that
characterizes the disease. The promising IPFW art student was hit by a
car as he wandered along an isolated stretch of road at 4 a.m.
Tom Weir, associate director of Carriage House, said Blessing's death
became an impetus for change. "There needed to be something more than
the traditional therapies, and after Justin was killed people realized
something needed to be done," he said. Carriage House opened its doors
in 1997 with the backing of families like Dr. Steve and Joyce Glock,
whose son lives with mental illness. It operates under a system of
treatment known as the clubhouse model, which was developed in 1947 by
ex-patients from the State Hospital in New York City looking for an
alternative to traditional therapies. This system of psychosocial
treatment encourages the mentally ill live successful, productive lives.
Carriage House helps people go back to work, attend school, and better
their lives through meaningful activities, instead of residing in a
mental institution or becoming idle on Medicaid. Social interaction is a
key ingredient of the clubhouse model. "The clubhouse is not a place
where people come to stop. It's not adult day care," said Andy Wilson,
executive director of Carriage House. "It's a place where people come to
move on with their lives." There are no doctors or pharmacies at
Carriage house, although many of the patients are under the care of
physicians. To be a member, you must be diagnosed with one of what
Wilson calls "the four biggies": schizophrenia, major depression,
bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder. There are other forms of
mental illness, such as low-grade depression and anxiety disorders, but
Carriage House is for the more serious diagnoses. Among the goals of
Carriage House is to take away the stigma of mental illness. Patsy
Dumas, who is vice president of the Psi Iota Xi board, says there are
few families that are not touched by mental illness. "Mental illness
doesn't discriminate," she said. Weir hopes events like Les Arts de la
Table fundraiser will generate awareness and help remove those stigmas.
------------ If you or someone you know has a mental illness, you
should know that many intelligent and successful people have lived with
some form of mental health problem. In fact, mental health experts say
people with mental illnesses often demonstrate very high IQs. Here is a
list of just a few of the historical and well-known figures who have
lived with a mental illness. Bipolar Disorder Abraham Lincoln, 16th
president of the United States, 1861-65 Teddy Roosevelt, 26th president
of the United States, 1901-1909 Winston Churchill, British prime
minister, 1940-45 and 1951-55 Kay Jamison, psychologist and expert on
bipolar disorder Ted Turner, owner of Turner Broadcasting
George Frederick Handel, composer of "The Messiah" Robert Schumann,
composer Ernest Hemingway, author of classic short stories and novels
including "For Whom the Bell Tolls" Patricia Cornwell, author of the
bestselling Kay Scarpetta mysteries Major Depression Mike Wallace, CBS
anchor and newsman F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of classic short stories
and novels including "The Great Gatsby"
Frederic Chopin, composer Alma Powell, wife of Colin Powell
Rod Steiger, Academy Award-winning actor Buzz Aldrin, astronaut
Schizophrenia and other disorders with significant psychotic symptoms
Vincent Van Gogh, impressionist painter John Nash, 1994 Nobel
laureate in economics Vaslav Nijinksky, dancer George III, King of
England 1760-1820 ------------ What: Les Arts de la Table fundraiser is
an annual luncheon at which local businesses set up artistic table
settings. When: Tuesday, April 18. The table viewing begins at 9:30 a.m.
followed by guest speaker David Kaczynski. Lunch is served at 12:15 p.m.
Where: Fort Wayne Country Club, 5221 Covington Road Cost: $100 (Proceeds
to benefit the Carriage House in Fort Wayne) Also: Preview reception 6-8
p.m. April 17 will feature light fare, table viewing and silent auction.
Cost is $40. For reservations or to make a donation: Contact Connie
Slyby at 486-1060 or cslyby@comcast.com [http://cslyby@comcast.com]
Copyright (c) 2006, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800)
661-2511 (U.S.),
(213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.
COPYRIGHT 2006 The News-Sentinel
This material is published under license from the publisher through
the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding
rights should be directed to the Gale Group.
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