Just a few words……

  Just to announce that this blog, “Living in Stigma”  is officially closed effective December 31, 2007.  There will be no new postings.  I feel I have accomplished what I set out to do with this blog; this was to educate, provide newsworthy articles, share a little of the experiences with my own mental illness, and [...]

Carnival Mental Illness - Edition #3

Carnival Mental Illness – Edition #3 – December 28, 2007
I welcome everyone to the third edition of Carnival Mental Illness.
Both the first and second editions were raving successes, and December’s submission count was incredible. 
Submissions are:
Articles & Information
Dana at Principled Discovery  presents: Fundamentalism, Psychotropic drugs and Mass Murder
Albert Foong at Urban Monk  includes an interesting [...]

Antidepressants: Can They Lose Effectiveness Over Time?

Mayo Clinic psychiatrist Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., answers:

I’ve been taking Prozac for depression for several years. In the last few months, I’ve noticed the medication doesn’t seem to be having the same effect, and I feel more depressed. Can you explain this?……a patient questions:
Answer
You describe a phenomenon that affects approximately 20 percent of people who take [...]

‘TIS THE SEASON

‘TIS THE HOLIDAY SEASON
I spent three Christmases in hospital; two I couldn’t even leave to go home for Christmas dinner.  Difficult to accept for all concerned, but I was just too unwell and they felt I was a risk.
So, three or four others and me sat in a gloomy dining room and picked at our ‘turkey [...]

High Blood Pressure May Heighten Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease

ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2007) — Having hypertension, or high blood pressure, reduces blood flow in the brains of adults with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
“While hypertension is not a cause of Alzheimer’s disease, our study shows that it is another [...]

Teen Boys at Growing Risk for Eating Disorders

Decade of data shows increase in weight-control behaviors across cultures

By Robert Preidt
FRIDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) — Eating disorders rose significantly among American boys between 1995 and 2005, according to a study that examined weight control behaviors among high school students.
The study, based on an analysis of national data from the U.S. Centers for [...]

Suicide Risk Increased in Sexually Abused Teens

By Amy Norton
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teenagers who have ever been sexually abused appear to have a higher suicide risk than their peers, but their families may be able to make a difference, a large study suggests.
Researchers found that among nearly 84,000 Minnesota adolescents, those with a [...]

WELCOME

     This site is dedicated to those individuals living with mental illness, affecting them most deeply along with their spouses, family and friends.
Many forms of mental illness take their shape in Depression, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia, just to name a few.  A major note is that mental illness is neither one’s fault nor a character flaw, [...]

Smoking and Depression Often Occur Together In New Mothers

ScienceDaily (Nov. 24, 2007) — Smoking and depression often go hand-in-hand for new mothers, according to a new study by Temple University researcher Dr. Robert Whitaker.
“While smoking and depression adversely affect a mother’s health, the combination may also affect the health of her child,” Whitaker said.
For children, the potential consequences of maternal smoking include [...]

Non-Drug Treatment Effective For Major Depression: Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2007) — For the first time in a large-scale study, transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown to be an effective, non-drug treatment for major depression. Current antidepressant therapies are not beneficial for at least a third of depressed individuals, leaving many with a lack of adequate treatment options.
Co-author Dr. Philip Janicak, professor [...]