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Thursday, April 30, 2009

R.D.Laing - Politics of Psychology - How he has helped me


"...the Clinical Psychologist from the Midwest... parents and teachers to whether it's all right for children of eight, nine, ten to dream in color.
It's extraordinary! That frightens me. He wasn't sure what to say, he asked me what to say because he searched the computer and the computer haven't any data on that. You don't know if it's okay unless a computer tells you... if children dream in color! That's crazy to me!
He talks about DSM-3

When I was nineteen-years-old I used to go to a restaurant and sometimes I met a man. After some months it was innevitable that we started greeting each other till one day I met him at the street. I don't remember a word of what he said other than talking about R.D. Laing. I guess he has noticed by my eyes that I had some issues. I bought "The Self and the Others". I could not understand it all but I've read it along years and decades.
While on therapy I used to read it and got more and more conscientious of some of the things that this work could tell me. I have also bought "The Self and the Others".
For me it was very important some of Laing's insights. I say some because I don't believe that one single person, theory or thinker can give all the answers.
Every person has to engage in the pursuit of it's own way and if a good therapist, in my case psychoanalysis, can help the process it's great.


Marian at Different Thoughts is also an admirer of Laing's work and has this great video at her blog.
Unfortunately we are on a age that it's hard to say anything good about therapy. I gave up because I've noticed that CBT is everywhere and mainstream psychology don't know if children dream in color or in black and white.
This is my last post on therapy and on any other strange approach of mental health understanding.

Addendum
On the post below there's the film "Frances" based on the life of Frances Farmer, the actress. I remember that when I first saw it I was quite disturbed.

Movies and mental health

A list on some most known movies that approaches mental illness. If you know any please leave a comment. Thank you.

A Beautiful Mind (2001) ~ Russell Crowe
After a brilliant but asocial mathematician accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn to the nightmarish.

An American Rhapsody (2001) ~ Scarlett Johansson
A young Hungarian girl struggles to find her place in the world when she's reunited with her parents in the USA years after she was left behind during their plight from the communist country in the 1950s.

As Good As It Gets (1997) ~ Jack Nicholson
A single mother/waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship.

Awakenings (1990) ~ Robert De Niro
The victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years ago have been catatonic ever since, but now a new drug offers the prospect of reviving them.

Blue Sky (1994) ~ Jessica Lange
Hank Marshall is a tough, square-jawed, straitlaced Army engineer and nuclear science expert, assigned to help conduct weapons-testing in 1950's America.

Brazil (1985) ~ Jonathon Pryce
In an Orwellian vision of the future, the populace are completely controlled by the state, but technology remains almost as it was in the 1970's. Sam Lowry is a civil servant who one day spots a mistake in one of the pieces of paperwork passing through his office. The mistake leads to the arrest of an entirely innocent man, and although Lowry attempts to correct the error, it just gets bigger and bigger, sucking him in with it.

Elling (2001) ~ Per Christian Ellefsen
40-year-old Elling--a sensitive, would-be poet, is sent to live in a state institution when his mother--who has sheltered him his entire life, dies.

Flightplan (2005) ~ Jodie Foster
A claustrophobic, Hitchcockian thriller. A bereaved woman and her daughter are flying home from Berlin to America. At 30,000 feet the child vanishes and nobody admits she was ever on that plane.

Frances (1982) ~ Jessica Lange
Based on the shocking, disturbing, and compelling life of Frances Farmer.

Girl, Interrupted (1999) ~ Winona Ryder
Based on writer Susanna Kaysen's account of her 18-month stay at a mental hospital in the 1960s.

Good Will Hunting (1997) ~ Robin Williams
Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT, has a gift for mathematics which is discovered, and a psychologist tries to help him with his gift and the rest of his life.

Iris (2001) ~ Judi Dench
True story of the lifelong romance between novelist Iris Murdoch and her husband John Bayley, from their student days through her battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Men of Honor (2000) ~ Robert De Niro
The story of Carl Brashear, the first African American, then also the first amputee, US Navy Diver and the man who trained him.

Nuts (1987) ~ Barbra Streisand
A high-class call girl accused of murder fights for the right to stand trial rather than be declared mentally incompetent.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) ~ Jack Nicholson
Upon arrival at a mental institution, a brash rebel rallies the patients together to take on the oppressive Nurse Ratched, a woman more a dictator than a nurse.

Ordinary People (1980) ~ Donald Sutherland
The accidental death of the older son of an affluent family deeply strains the relationships among the bitter mother, the good-natured father, and the guilt-ridden younger son.

Passion of Mind (2000) ~ Demi Moore
A psychological romantic thriller where fantasy and reality become indistinguishable for a woman leading a double life in her dreams.

Patch Adams (1998) ~ Robin Williams
A medical student in the 70's that treated patients, illegally, using humor. Based on the life of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, founder of Gesundheit! Institute.

Postcards from the Edge (1990) ~ Meryl Streep
Substance-addicted Hollywood actress Suzanne Vale is on the skids. A semi-autobiographical story written by Carrie Fisher. Read her sequel: The Best Awful.

Shine (1996) ~ Geoffrey Rush
Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.

Splendor in the Grass (1961) ~ Natalie Wood
Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.

Stateside (2004) ~ Rachel Leigh Cook
The film follows a rebellious teenager on leave from the Marines who falls in love with a female musician. The relationship is threatened when she develops a mental illness.

Swimming Upstream (2003) ~ Geoffrey Rush
The true story of Tony Fingleton, a young man from a troubled family who found the inner strength to become a champion. Always overshadowed in his father's eyes by his brothers, it is only when Tony displays an extraordinary swimming talent that he feels he has a shot at winning his father's heart.

THX 1138 (1971) ~ Robert Duvall
THX 1138, LUH 3417, and SEN 5241 attempt to escape from a futuristic society located beneath the surface of the Earth. The society has outlawed sex, with drugs used to control the people. THX 1138 stops taking the drugs, and gets LUH 3417 pregnant. They are both thrown in jail where they meet SEN 5241 and start to plan their escape.

The Aviator (2004) ~ Leonardo DiCaprio
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career, from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s.

The Constant Gardener (2005) ~ Ralph Fiennes
A widower is determined to get to the bottom of a potentially explosive secret involving his wife's murder, big business, and corporate corruption.

The Hours (2002) ~ Nicole Kidman
The story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956) ~ Gregory Peck
An ex-soldier faces ethical questions as he tries to earn enough to support his wife and children well.

The Prince of Tides (1991) ~ Nick Nolte
A troubled man talks to his suicidal sister's psychiatrist about their family history and falls in love with her in the process.

What About Bob? (1991) ~ Bill Murray
A successful psychiatrist loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients, a highly manipulative obsessive-compulsive, tracks him down during his family vacation.

The Blogger Award






Sandee at Comedy Plus gave me "The Blogger Award". I'm very happy because sometimes I have some doubts and because my other blog has also been chosen.
Thank you very much Sandee.

It's all blue, my favorite color. :)

I'll follow it now for Clinically Clueless and Catatonic Kid because I'm still on letter "C". Later I will focus on the whole alphabet.

Update:
These are other amazing people I've chosen always committing injustice:

Bob Fiddaman at Seroxat Sufferers stand up and be counted,
D Bunker at Psychiatry it's a killing,
Gianna at Beyond Meds,
Mark at Justakrusen,
Marissa at Depression Introspection,
Marj at Survivors can Thrive,
Matthew at It's quite an experience,
Mike at Rambling Stuff,
Susan at If you're going thought hell keep going,
Svasti at Svasti: A Journey From Assault To Wholeness,

Five name with letter "M"? Yes, we have to follow a criteria.
:)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Ritalin and gambling new campaign











A little bit of fun.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Engage in "Social Distancing" to protect yourself

Susan has just posted about the swine flu:

1. Sanitize -- i.e. Wash Your Hands Frequently. It may sound obvious, but hand-washing with soap and water for around 20 seconds is the single best thing you can do (if you're going to go out into the world and interact with other human beings). The CDC estimates that 80 percent of all infections are spread by hands. If you can't wash your hands regularly, try hand-sanitizers with 60 percent alcohol content.

2. Avoid -- i.e. Engage in "Social Distancing." That's the fancy term for reducing unnecessary social contact, staying away from crowds, and avoiding people if you're sick or if you're concerned that they may be infected. It may not be especially practical when you have to go to, say, work, but experts believe it's worth repeating: Isolation and avoidance reduce your chances of getting infected or infecting others.
I fear being diagnosed OCD or antisocial behavior. Anyway...

3. Be Alert -- i.e. Recognize the Symptoms and Get Help. Swine flu symptoms are similar to regular flu: Fever, body aches, sore throat, cough, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. If you don't feel well, seek medical attention. So far, it's important to note, this swine flu is treatable (and absolutely survivable). It's resistant to two of four antiviral drugs approved for combating the flu: Symmetrel and Flumadine. But two newer antivirals - Tamiflu and Relenza - appear to work.
WOW... Tamiflu and Relenza!!! Tamiflu has disappear from the market at the time of bird-flu pandemic. Remember?
I don't know any longer if and when must I really take care. Do you trust it?

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Areas of knowledge that should be concerned with mental problems

I believe that those who have been following this blog must have noticed that there has been some changes.
Since March I am trying to get help from other fields to try to make some sense in mental illness. I believe it started on March, 10 with the post "Have your childhood harmed you?"
I have a great concern with childhood and adolescence because I truly believe that these periods are of great importance in our lives as we can see some bloggers trying hard to cope with sad or terrible experiences during this time of their lives.
Unfortunately few people of other fields are concerned with mental health.
This post by the sociologist and criminologist Jock Young - Herrad has attended his classes - "Subcultural the meaningful aspect" is a good example of those who try to see people's behaviour in a great scale and not only as a individual problem and idiosyncrasies.
There are more attempts in other posts.
I believe that mental is too complex and should be object of study of many fields and it should be done soon.
How can we understand the number of children that are committing suicide?
Who and what area(s) of knowledge should try to answer these questions?

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Increase of hippocampus - chemical versus behavioral

At this post on the use of SSRIs to treat deviant sexual behaviour I came across with the information that after a year of SSRIs use there is an increase of hippocampal volume:

"Furthermore SSRIs have been used in the treatment of PTSD. One study found that after a year of SSRI treatments, subjects with PTSD had a 5% increase in hippocampal volume and a 35% increase in memory function (Bremner, 2006)*. Together, these findings indicate a variety of reasons why SSRIs may be beneficial for offenders with multiple paraphilias." p. 547 (emphasis mine)

There is a study by Eleonor Maguire, et all, that has studied London cab-drivers that have been submitted to "The Knowledge", a rigorous test where they must learn a large number of places and the most direct routes between them, and succeeded.
After comparing them to those who have not studied for this text it was found that London taxi-driver s's hippocampi have increased.

"From existing studies, it is impossible to know whether differences in brain anatomy are predetermined or whether the brain is susceptible to plastic change in response to environmental stimulation. Furthermore, although lesion work (6, 7) and functional neuroimaging work (8) confirm the involvement of the human hippocampus in spatial memory and navigation, there is still debate about its precise role. Given the propensity of lower mammalian/avian hippocampi to undergo structural change in response to behavior requiring spatial memory (2, 3), the present study addressed whether morphological changes could be detected in the healthy human brain associated with extensive experience of spatial navigation. Our prediction was that the hippocampus would be the most likely brain region to show changes."
"Although the hippocampus does not support navigation in isolation from other brain regions, it seems to be crucial to the storage and use of mental maps of our environments. The prolonged accumulation of other types of nonnavigational information may also produce similar hippocampal changes. Our present findings, however, corroborated as they are by the results of patient and neuroimaging studies, suggest that space and the posterior right human hippocampus are intimately linked."

I'm not sure if studies like this are being financed and they are highly important to the long process of trying to understand the brain. I cannot help noticing that the word "suggest" is used leaving it clear that it's not the truth as many of the studies we read like to imply.

Columbine Anniversary - SSRIs and adolescent violent behavior

Philip Dawdy wrote an article today about Columbine anniversary where he raises many aspects of the tragedy focusing on Eric Harris who was the ringleader of the shootings.
I saw an interview with Eric Harris's mother at the TV and she said that while he was on Zoloft he claimed he was not feeling well so it was changed for Luvox.
As Philip said:
"While anti-depressants surely didn't help Harris and will forever be linked to Columbine, I don't think they were a precipitating cause of the event. Are they connected? Sure. Did they make Harris and Klebold go storming through their high school and shooting whomever they pleased? They are in the mix, but that's about it. There was something deeper and dark going on with the pair, especially with Harris, than mere teen depression and a bad SSRI."
I've been thinking about adolescents and how they are having problems that nobody seems to care or even know how to handle. That's why I wrote the post on Jeremy Welles - who has inspired Eddie Vedder to write the song "Jeremy" - the 16-years-old-boy who has killed himself in front of his classmates.
I believe that it is about time to start taking care about teenagers. Whether SSRIs can trigger violent behavior, and I believe it does because of my own experience, or not teens are having problems that goes far beyond the acceptable.
Read Philip Dawdy's article on Columbine here.

Saturday Award - Love and friendship

Herrad at AcessDenied was kind enough to give me this award.
I love visiting her blog because there are always amazing photos of Amsterdam one of the cities I would love to live.
She writes about the struggle of living with multiple sclerosis and the symptoms she has to endure in the most optimistic way.
I am already familiar with her dog Spike and now Marleen who has just recovered and is playing with Spike Herrad and... Richie Herrad's husband who has a blog to talk about his feelings:
"
trying to make sense out of my darling getting sick".
They are an amazing couple and an inspiration in fighting the best they can and, without noticing, showing what true love is.
I wish them all, dogs included of course, the best.
I'm very honored and moved she thought about me.
I want to give it to the first person who gave me an award at the time I never thought I would ever receive so many friendship at the blogsphere:
Precious Rock at One Bipolar Life who gave me "Sharing the Love" and "The Friendship Award".
I hope you all a wonderful weekend and I don't know why I have in my mind the song "Love" by John Lennon.

Love is real, real is love
Love is feeling, feeling love
Love is wanting to be loved

Love is touch, touch is love
Love is reaching, reaching love
Love is asking to be loved

Love is you
You and me
Love is knowing
We can be

Love is free, free is love
Love is living, living love
Love is needing to be loved
Update:
As Herrad first forward this award just for me I thought we could only give it to one person but later she added more people.
I want to give it to this amazing persons:

Sandee at Comedy Plus,
Mike at Rambling Stuff,
Mari at 365 Days,
Storytelller at Small Reflections

Thank you all for the amazing work you do at your blogs.

Update:
Credits
This award was created by Stan Carver and you can find it's creation here at his blog "Something is not quite right with Stan".. The dog is Koda, Stephany's pet since the award was created to homage her. Koda has a blog if his own: Serendipity.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Divorce or murder?


A nice, calm and respectable lady went into the pharmacy, walked up to the pharmacist, looked straight into his eyes, and said, "I would like to buy some cyanide."

The pharmacist asked, "Why in the world do you need cyanide?"

The lady replied, "I need it to poison my husband."

The pharmacist's eyes got big and he exclaimed, "Lord have mercy! I can't give you cyanide to kill your husband. That's against the law! I'll lose my license! They'll throw both of us in jail! All kinds of bad things will happen. Absolutely not! You CANNOT have any cyanide!"

The lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the pharmacist's wife.

The pharmacist looked at the picture and replied, "Well now, that's different. You didn't tell me you had a prescription."

This is from Sandee at ComedyPlus.

Monday, April 20, 2009

American McGee version of Alice in Wonderlands - creepy!


This is the box of American McGee Alice computer game depicting Alice and Cheshire cat.

"Shortly after her second adventure, Alice's house is burned down by a fire, killing her parents, and leaving her as the only survivor. Because of the guilt, she tries to commit suicide (bandages can be seen on her wrists), and becomes catatonic. She is institutionalised in Rutledge Asylum. Years later, the White Rabbit summons Alice to aid a radically altered Wonderland, now under the despotic rule of the Queen of Hearts. The Cheshire Cat serves as Alice's companion throughout the game, frequently appearing to guide her with cryptic comments." (Wikipedia)

No. I will not say that it's an absurd, immoral and that our kids should never been exposed to things like that... blah blah blah...
I haven't play the game and only know by looking at images and reading articles. I don't know what to think about it. Seriously.
I just want to say that I'm amazed how easy it's to find words like institutionalized, catatonic, asylum, suicide and many others. I've been noticing it for a long time and what first came to my attention was on the newspapers phrases like "...economy is schizophrenic; bipolar;..." many psychiatric words being used to describe some situations and events.
I'm loosing focus. My concern is adolescents. Perhaps it's about time to ask them what do they think and how do they feel.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Vanessa Redgrave - tragedy and comedy



"... you notice that there are intense moments of great tragedy and lost, events, you name it,..."

R.I.P. Natasha Richardson

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Jeremy - Pearl Jam - Adolescence


At home
Drawing pictures
Of mountain tops
With him on top
Lemon yellow sun
Arms raised in a V
Dead lay in pools of maroon below

Daddy didn't give attention
To the fact that mommy didn't care
King Jeremy the wicked
Ruled his world

Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today

Clearly I remember
Pickin' on the boy
Seemed a harmless little fuck
But we unleashed a lion
Gnashed his teeth
And bit the recess lady's breast

How could I forget
He hit me with a surprise left
My jaw left hurting
Dropped wide open
Just like the day
Like the day I heard

Daddy didn't give affection
And the boy was something that mommy wouldn't wear
King Jeremy the wicked
Ruled his world

Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today
Try to forget this...
Try to erase this...
From the blackboard.

Just to remember Jeremy Welle took his life at Richardson High School at his classroom in front of thirty teenagers like him. Adolescence is a very delicate period that leaves memories for the rest of one's life. It seems that teenagers are having troubles that are not being fully understood or respected.
RIP Jeremy Welle

Monday, April 13, 2009

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Psychoanalysis - what is this?

This is from MindHacks. I plan to write more about psychoanalysis. I'm finding it hard to write on this because it seems that the word "therapy" is making too much confusion and putting on the same bag many kind of therapies - I don't even like the word therapist that is causing more and more confusion. I've seem many people saying they had a bad experience with "therapy" but when I ask which was the method usually people don't know the answer. I've found this article and I hope it helps clear things a little bit. Psychoanalysis has nothing to do with psychology and has nothing to do with a chatting with a person and you will never receive an advice.

"The New York Times has an article on the changing fortunes of the New York Psychoanalytic Institute and why psychoanalysis is being increasingly marginalized in mental health.

Psychoanalysis, the name for both the theory practice of psychological treatment developed by Freud, was once the driving force behind American psychiatry and the only game in town as far as psychological treatment was concerned.

It is now becoming increasingly marginalised, thought of as a bit eccentric, and overtaken by newer cognitive therapies. Some of the reasons for this are undoubtedly to do with the culture of psychoanalysis itself.

A major historical factor has been the long and contentious history of the movement, which has been subject to constant splits, disagreements and factional in-fighting.

Part of the reason for this, perhaps more than for other therapies, is that psychoanalysis involves a much closer relationship between theory and practice.

In this framework, mental illnesses arise from unresolved emotional conflicts that the mind tries to handle by various psychological defenses. These defenses may fail, or they may be counter-productive in the long-term, supposedly leading to the symptoms of mental disorder.

The goal of psychoanalysis is not necessarily to reduce the symptoms but to resolve the inner conflicts (Freud famously said he wanted to transform "neurotic misery into ordinary unhappiness").

So, what tells you when the patient is improved? Why psychoanalytic theory of course.

And if you come up with a new theory of a disorder, you are, by definition, suggesting a new form of treatment, and often, new criteria for therapeutic success.

You also might be suggesting that your colleagues' practice is wrong - hence the infighting and divisions.

In contrast, most other forms of treatment (including drugs and other psychological therapies) rely on descriptive measures of symptom improvement that form of the benchmark of psychiatric outcome studies, so theory and practice are much less intertwined.

Analysts will argue that these other treatments only deal with the surface symptoms and don't deal with the 'deeper concerns', but the same issue arises - what constitutes 'deep' in this context is psychoanalytic theory.

In contrast, the development of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has seen an opposite pattern. If new innovations work, they are typically re-included under the same CBT banner - giving the impression of a single unified therapy, when in fact, the boundaries are quite loose and determined by what has been shown to be effective in studies.

One of the other quirks of psychoanalysis, is that it's selective for people who are quite wealthy.

Training as a psychoanalyst takes up to seven years, and requires you are in therapy yourself, usually for five times a week, at a cost of up to £100 ($200) a session. This comes on top of the cost of the training course itself.

For patients, therapy can also take years, and while most analysts will have discounts for the less well off, the costs can be significant. So despite some notable exceptions, it's mostly the wealthy treating the wealthy - a curious enclave of the upper middle classes.

These factors also mean it's very difficult to subject psychoanalysis to randomised controlled trials, because it's so unlike anything else. This has made a new generation of clinicians, brought up with the mantra of 'evidence based medicine', suspicious of it.

With great reluctance in some quarters, the principles of psychoanalysis have been shoehorned into a number of briefer versions: psychoanalytic psychotherapy, transference-focused psychotherapy and so on.

Interestingly, symptom outcome studies have found that these can be quite effective, particularly it seems for 'personality disorders' - a group of fairly ill defined diagnoses, but which typically involves destructive mood and relationship problems.

Despite the eccentricities and circular reasoning involved in some aspects of psychoanalysis, 100 years of practice has led to some important insights.

However, only recently has research started to pull out the wheat from the chaff in terms of how it can be applied to the demands of 21st century mental health care.


Link to NYT article 'Patching Up the Frayed Couch'.
Link to AJP editorial on treatment of borderline personality disorder.

Vaughan.

Posted at September 10, 2007 11:30 AM

Saturday, April 11, 2009

It's easter!??


I have nothing prepared...
I've copied the bunnies from Susan.
That's what friends are for... :)
Happy Sunday! Don't eat too much chocolate. Poor little bunnies.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Afro-Americans - paranoid schizophrenia or “cultural paranoia” ?

I did a quick research on African-Americans and paranoia because of the discussion that is at the post "The Onions - Rappers and Schizophrenia" where it's been said that rappers live in paranoia and are alienated which could be a symptom of schizophrenia or any other mental disease.
There has been studies about the clinical diagnoses of Afro-Americans:
"Recent theoretical models suggest that perceived racism acts as a stressor for African Americans and may be associated with a variety of negative psychological consequences, notably paranoia. Paranoia among African Americans is believed to reflect the lower end of the paranoia continuum based on experiences with racism. Thus, it may be beneficial to measure paranoia on a continuum, but few studies have adopted this strategy. This study examined the relationship between perceived racism and paranoia across the continuum in 128 African American college students." (here)
"Epidemiological data on ethnic racial differences in inpatient psychiatric treatment consistently show, regardless of type of hospital, that African Americans are overrepresented among those with diagnoses of schizophrenia and underrepresented among those with diagnoses of affective disorder.1 The prevalence of diagnoses of paranoid schizophrenia is particularly striking among African-American inpatients. Prevalence studies of inpatient samples revealed that paranoid schizophrenia is the most frequent diagnosis given to African Americans.2–4"

"The disproportionately high rates of schizophrenia, particularly paranoid schizophrenia, diagnosed in African Americans, have also been found in prison inmate populations.5 Moreover, Toch et al.5 argued that the high rate of diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia among black prisoners, coupled with the fact that African Americans had a substantially greater number of infractions regardless of mental health status, may reflect interactions between cultural factors and pathology to predispose them to aggressive behavior. The cultural factor that they identified was distrust of authority, including those represented in the criminal justice system, because of African Americans’ experience historically in this country. These researchers adopted the concept of “cultural paranoia” proposed by Grier and Cobbs,6 and its extension of “confluent paranoia” introduced by Ridley,7 to support their interpretation.

However, research indicates that attributions of violence or aggression to black individuals seeking mental health services often represent biases associated with racial stereotypes, especially those about African-American males." (here)
As far as rappers are concerned I don't know their music or their culture but saying that their behavior has anything to do with mental illness is stereotype not only rappers but those who have mental issues. I believe it's quite odd to claim that a group, any group of people can be considered mentally ill.
I rather leave it to the media that diagnoses Britney Spears as this or that, and the whole collection of diagnoses these kind of journalists analyze on those who are at the spotlights.
It's amazing how easy "crazy"; "madness", "insane", "mental ill"... is still used to whatever is out of the ordinary life.
I wish people could be schizophrenic, bipolar, borderline, have cancer, arthritis - whatever - in peace and only talk about it when or if they wanted.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Sorry for not visiting blog friends...

This is just to say I'm sorry if I'm not visiting blog friends.
I'm having some problems lately. I'll soon catch up.

Addendum:
Nothing serious. I'm just feeling sad lately and very tired physically and mentally.
It's 6 p.m. and I guess I going to sleep.
No. I'll see The Simpsons after going to bed.
(Do you believe I'm in regression? Nope.
Guess I even never grew up.
:).

Self-esteem - what is it for?




.
we see ourselves in control of
our own lives and able to do
what
we want





.

Kevin Siers’ cartoon - I guess we must redefine humor

Wow! Yesterday Kim has publish a post about this cartoon by Kevin Siers:

"... Kevin’s cartoons are distributed to over 400 newspapers nationwide by King Features Syndicate.

275-siers04_02highlight_largeprod_affiliate138

Kim has e-mailed the editor at the Charlotte Observer and a copy to Kevin. Please check Kim's post to read how she feels about it and to follow the people who are also e-mailing.

Will we have to create a "ethics in humor" or something like that?
I'm amazed because most of the cartoonists and people who deal with humor I know are highly sensitive and brilliant in their views of the world.
Cartoonists can have plenty ideas in times of trouble. I guess they are leaving the best in their drawing and publishing the wrong stuff.

The Onion - Rappers and schizophrenia

No, I'm not trying to analize The Onion sense of humour. It's because while writing the post below I remembered that Mark has said in a comment that he thought one of The Onion's article offensive when they approached schizophrenia.
I've searched and found this article:
"According to UCLA Hospital psychiatrist Dr. Ernest Bloch, the distorted sense of reality exhibited by many rappers may indicate a predisposition toward a wide range of serious mental disorders, including schizophrenia." (emphasis mine)

"Many of these rappers create fictional, internal universes that, for them, become a sort of alternate reality," Bloch said. "For example, a young rapper named Kurupt told me how the feds have tapped his phones, and how he's wanted in more states than John Gotti. A New York-area MC by the name of Nas told me that he was recently chased in his Lexus by CIA agents but managed to escape when Pablo Escobar, his business partner and passenger, shot the driver of the pursuing vehicle. These sorts of paranoid, delusional fantasies are classic warning signs of schizophrenia, and an afflicted rapper's condition can deteriorate to the point where he is completely insane in the membrane."(emphasis mine)
I consider it disrespectful. Perhaps their aim is not humor. I'll have to check it but what if I find out that some of their editors are psychopaths?

The Onion - Iraqis May Experience Sadness - is it funny?

I came across with this "article" 'Iraqis May Experience Sadness When Friends, Relatives die' by The Onion. I believe that we are in a time where we should be very caution and think twice after publishing some bright ideas.
Perhaps it's just a question of editing and knowing what must be left unpublished.
I don't know what do I feel after reading this article but I assure it is not a good feeling.

Excerpts:

Iraqis may experience sadness when Friends, Relatives die

CHAPEL HILL, NC—A field study released Monday by the University of North Carolina School of Public Health suggests that Iraqi citizens experience sadness and a sense of loss when relatives, spouses, and even friends perish, emotions that have until recently been identified almost exclusively with Westerners.

"We were struck by how an Iraqi reacts to the sight of the bloody or decapitated corpse of a family member in a not unlike an American, or at the very least a Canadian, would," said Dr. Jonathan Pryztal, chief author of the study. "In addition to the rage, bloodlust, and hatred we already know to dominate the Iraqi emotional spectrum, it appears that they may have some capacity, however limited, for sadness."

"Iraqis have often been observed weeping and wailing in apparent anguish, but the study offers evidence indicating this may not be exclusively an outward expression of anger or a desire for revenge. It also provocatively suggests that this grief can possess an American-like personal quality, and is not simply a tribal lamentation ritual."

""We are, in truth, still a long way from determining if Iraqis are exhibiting actual, U.S.-grade sadness," Mayo Clinic neuropsychologist Norman Blum said. "At present, we see no reason for the popular press to report on Iraqi emotions as if they are real."
Mindhacks has made an article with the paragraphs that are most funny. Perhaps I'm being too sensitive at the moment.

Addendum:
I believe that humour is powerful and is not only a way that helps coping with difficult times but also has a great way to make great statements that can affect people. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I'm writing about it.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Being at peace












I've found it at Saphiredreams. It's a reminder. We know it but we forget.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Anna Politkovskaya


"...I want to be able to live the life of a human being, where every individual is respected, in my lifetime."
Anna Politkovskaya
The Guardian

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Welcome April!


This was chosen as April's picture of the year by Wikimedia im 2006. Click to enlarge.

My posts at Wellsphere without my consent - Wellsphere scandal saga



"SSRIs-list of 58 withdrawal symptoms" I have posted after I was already OUT of Wellsphere.
These are what I have the patience to search to check what are shown today It changes everyday.
The article appears first as if it was published at Wellsphere when searched at Google.











I would like to understand which part of "take my content out" Wellsphere is pretending not to understand. And what does Mr Rutledge mean by "we delete everything from your site, it's Google problem."
Look at the the articles with blue titles claiming that these drugs are great: "Viagra may Boost female libido in same cases"

"Know how to Cure Headache"
Antidepressants such as paroxetine (paxil, venlafaxine (Effexor) and fluoxetine (Prozac) produce fewer side effects than do the tricyclic..
I will say no more.
It's far beyond unethical.