Recovery Michigan

UCLA life scientists and their colleagues have provided the first evidence of a causal link between traumatic brain injury and an increased susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Their new study, published in the in the journal Biological Psychology, also suggests that people who suffer even a mild traumatic brain injury are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder and should take precautions to avoid stressful situations for at least some period of time.

Duh!!

Along with changes to the health insurance system that guarantee access to coverage to everyone regardless of pre-existing health conditions, the Affordable Care Act includes a requirement that many people be insured or pay a penalty. This simple flowchart illustrates how that requirement (sometimes known as an "individual mandate") works.

Jim Gottstein is a Harvard trained attorney and a psychiatric survivor. He started PsychRights, a public interest nonprofit working for human rights in the mental health system. Jim will be the guest on the live free MindFreedom web radio show, with your calls. 

Host is David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International. 

Researchers are making slow progress in understanding the numerous ailments that a growing number of people suffer after eating foods with gluten, a protein found in wheat.

As the Health Journal column reports, a group of 15 experts from seven countries took a step forward this week, proposing a new classification and diagnosing system to help doctors and patients figure out what’s a wheat allergy, what’s celiac disease and what falls under a new category of ills lumped together as “gluten sensitivity.”

Another international team aims to clear up the confusion caused by experts around the world using different terminology for gluten-related problems; celiac disease alone has been called sprue, gluten-sensitive enteropathy and gluten intolerance. Their consensus paper will be published soon in the journal Gut.

In 2008, roughly 14.3 million Americans were taking antipsychotics - typically prescribed for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or a number of other behavioral disorders - making them among the most prescribed drugs in the U.S. Almost all of these medications are known to cause the metabolic side effects of obesity and diabetes, leaving patients with a difficult choice between improving their mental health and damaging their physical health. In a paper published January 31 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) reveal how antipsychotic drugs interfere with normal metabolism by activating a protein called SMAD3, an important part of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) pathway.

The Origin of CHARGE by Gerald Butler I started drinking at the age of 11 because it was the only way to quiet the voices I'd been hearing all my life. It was the 60s and little was known about chemical imbalances and mental illness. By age 14 I was an alcoholic and spent the next 33 years hopeless and homeless, dealing with two diseases, alcoholism, and mental illness. In early recovery I realized I lacked a basic sense of self-esteem, so I picked up the flute I used to play before getting really sick. I was amazed how the music not only elevated my self confidence, but also helped the healing process. I knew I had something that needed to be shared, so I called on other artists in recovery and started the Recovery Band to spread the message of hope. Charlotta Gavin began attending our rehearsals at Michigan's Detroit East, as she always wanted to sing gospel. As artists in recovery we all knew the advantages of a positively charged environment, so we surrounded Charlotta with love and support. It was amazing watching her confidence grow right before our eyes, and soon she decided her recovery was more important than anything else. Today, Charlotta takes less medicine and has a great job as a peer specialist. Seeing the effects of our efforts with Charlotta and other consumers, I formed the Center of Healing Arts, Recovery, Guidance, and Empowerment. The word Guidance was quickly replaced with Growth as we realized our environment was one where people would take charge of their own lives. The most anyone can do is support people in their self-improvement journeys. Since CHARGE does not conduct treatment, it was imperative to establish an atmosphere where a person's talents and abilities would drive the program—not his or her illness. So we moved into an old car factory that had been converted to an artist's Mecca called "The Russell Street Bazaar." The Bazaar provided a creative, positive space for thousands of professional and amateur artists. Our band began doing gigs for the artists. In exchange, they worked with our folks. Around this time, the Michigan Department of Community Health introduced Dr. Priscilla Ridgway's "Recovery Enhanced Environment." Finally, there was a name and description for what we were doing. The CHARGE recovery-centered environment is a setting where peers and people in recovery can connect. In my conversations with Dr. Ridgway, she stressed the importance of keeping the very thought of treatment out of our program. Treatment happens when we work with staff during early stages of the healing process. Recovery is a very personal journey where we begin to take charge of our own lives. No one can dispute the healing powers of a peer-run, recovery-centered environment. Human Characteristics in Recovery About 75 percent of adults who have a mental illness experienced its onset before their teenage years. Instead of learning life lessons during that crucial time of development, many of us were dealing with our disease. Valuable lessons such as making complex decisions, setting priorities, forming strategies, organizing plans, and building relationships are learned in adolescence. The lack of these traits can often be mistaken as illness-related in clinical settings. Thus, it is imperative that when a person has reached the fourth and fifth stages of recovery, he or she is exposed to growth-centered environments before considering an independent life in society. It is at this juncture that very basic human characteristics come into play. How CHARGE Works The human psyche enables people to adapt to almost any situation, regardless of how bleak things may seem. Prior to treatment, many of us built our lives around hopelessness. In some ways, hopelessness can become a comfort zone. We know how it feels when someone encourages us to leave that comfort zone only to discover that what was promised was only an attempt to make the program seem as if it truly had our best interests at heart. CHARGE is not an arts program, but a very simple, honest collective of folks sharing their recovery experiences with people contemplating treatment and striving for independence. Thanks to the efforts of Michigan's Department of Community Health, the State is in an ideal position to be a national model of what a recovery-centered State should look like. We work closely with the Michigan Recovery Council, Michigan Disabilities Rights Coalition, various centers for mental health, and many community-based organizations. There are clear differences between clinical and recovery-centered environments, and peers have a true understanding of the healing process, having walked in the shoes of those seeking recovery. Peer specialists and staff must have a mutual respect for each other's values, working as a team to ensure consumers get the best of both in their recovery journeys. Gerald Butler, founder and director of CHARGE, is a Certified Peer Specialist and the 2007 Michigan Department of Community Health "Person of Interest" Award recipient. Contact him at gbutler503@comcast.net.

CHARGE made RTP!!! Congrats to Gerald.

Introverts

1. require a minimum period of isolation every day to survive psychologically
2. are energized by weak-link social fields, such as coffee shops, where little interaction is expected
3. are energized by occasional, deeper 1:1 interactions, but still at arm’s length; no soul-baring
4. are energized by such 1:1 encounters with anyone, whether or not a prior relationship exists
5. are drained by strong-link social fields such as family gatherings
6. are reduced to near-panic by huddles: extremely close many-many encounters such as group hugs
7. have depth-limited relationships that reach their maximum depth very fast

Extroverts

1. need a minimum amount of physical contact everyday, even if it is just laying around with a pet
2. are energized by strong-link social fields such as family gatherings
3. like soul-baring 1:1 relationships characterized by swings between extreme intimacy and murderous enmity
4. are not willing to have 1:1 encounters with anyone unless they’ve been properly introduced into their social fields
5. are made restless and anxious by weak-link social fields such as coffee shops unless they go with a friend
6. are reduced to near panic by extended episodes of solitude
7. have relationships that gradually deepen over time to extreme levels

It took me a long time to learn point 4 in particular, because it is so counter-intuitive with respect to the wrong-but-influential conflation of introversion and shyness.  I am a classic introvert. You might even say I am an extreme introvert. One of my nicknames in college was “hermit.” Yet, I find that I am far more capable of talking with random strangers than most extroverts.

Interesting blog. Interesting view.

According to government inspectors from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), strong psychiatric medications are often prescribed to individuals with dementia in nursing homes, but for off-label reasons. In addition, families of dementia patients in nursing homes should be vigilant about the care they receive. Drugs, such as Zyprexa and Seroquel, designed to treat individuals with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, are being used to sedate residents with dementia.

A new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar ll disorder (BP). The study was published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Living with Schizophrenia:
A Call for Hope and Recovery

Millions of Americans are living with schizophrenia. This is a serious mental health condition but help is available to support the recovery process.

This film tells three inspiring stories of real people living with schizophrenia. They are united by the hope and empowerment they have gained with support from their unique recovery teams. They share a common message that people with schizophrenia can have a meaningful life.

Their stories serve as a reminder that people living with schizophrenia deserve respect and hope along their journey.

A 25 minute video on the site, or you can request a DVD.