I have been making my own blogs about myself and things that are most relevant to me. I have written only one blog about mental illness, even though I am very concerned and very involved with it. I have been studying it for years, and I have been using ProU to explore more original trains of personal thought.
I have seen many blogs about mental illness and suicide, and many blogs related to skepticism of psychoactive drugs. I have decided that it is time to just make a post for the strict purpose of bringing personal knowledge to concerned persons.
If you don't already know, I am a registered nurse. I have worked in inpatient psych for 9 years, 4-6 of those with adolescents. I have worked up from aide to charge nurse in that time. I met my husband at work, and I went through pregnancy there.
i want to provide concerned members of ProU with a basic understanding of current options for treating mental illness. This post is a duplicate (almost) of a comment I made on someone Mai's blog, "Kill Yourself" in response to a question keanan asked me.
This is not intended to replace any information obtained by a person's treating psychiatrist. This is an effort to simply educate. Please know that mental illness is defined by severity of symptoms, not by the nature of symptoms. That is confusing, I know, but it is true.
Here are some of my own personal summarized theories in relationship to mental illness:
While I did study all the sub divisions of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in school, in real life, in the hospital there are really only a handful of diagnoses.
Part of this is because we are a short term hospital. Our goal is to contain and observe, treating if obviously necessary people who are dangerous to their self, others, or are gravely disabled due to a mental disturbance.
Those sub diagnoses such as schizoid type are not relevant to our purposes, and I have been away from those studies far too long to recall the distinctions.
The main diagnoses, regarding psychotic disorders, that we discharge people with are Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder, and Schizoaffective Disorder. The other discharge diagnoses are Major Depression, and Depression with Psychotic Features.
Keep in mind, my perspective is not whole. Our job is to work to stabilize in 72 hours. Many stay for up to a year, depending on their history and how many bridges they have burned in the community.
Specifications such as schizoid, are diagnosed by long term therapists who are subject to more long term objective assessments.
With that said, the main thing to consider is that regardless of the subtype, psychotic disorders as a whole respond well to similar treatments, as do mood disorders such as Bipolar disorder.
Sadly, something keanan touched on, the actual diagnosis is often inaccurate, or is based on a patient's short term response to a particular medication regimen.
Many people are misdiagnosed in hospitals, specifically because of the short term nature of the stay.
Bipolar disorder follows distinct patterns, often coinciding with the seasons. Many people with Bipolar Disorder are misdiagnosed with Depression or Schizophrenia because of the particular presenting symptoms at the time of hospitalization. To accurately diagnose a Bipolar disorder, one must have evidence of cycles with polar extremes. Those extremes when at their fullest manifestation cause people who are hospitalized short term to be misdiagnosed.
The most common misdiagnosis is diagnosing a Bipolar Disorder as Depression, and prescribing something like Welbutrin, which actually exacerbates psychosis and causes such people to find a much worse peak of ill behavior.
The other common misdiagnosis is Schizophrenia for someone who is actually Bipolar.
The challenge for treating physicians is to make the best guess, treat accordingly, and watch and wait to see if it is effective.
Each patient is a new guinea pig. It is not the fault of psychiatrists or the "system". it is because of the elusiveness of mental illness.
Something like Diabetes is easy, just draw some blood, evaluate the levels, and come up with a treatment plan.
We don't get to study brains until after death, other than by MRI, CT scan, and EEG studies.
The main thing to consider when observing a loved one's patterns is to keep track of changes in meds, and to journal increases or decreases in undesired (in our case, dangerous) behavior. Regular follow up with a psychiatrist is crucial, ESPECIALLY when meds seem to be not working or causing unwanted side effects.
An objective family member who journals instances of undesirable behavior correlating with changes in meds or dosages, provides a treating physician with invaluable information.
Asking psychiatrists to treat the cause is like asking God to save the planet. Medicine is the best we have right now. Therapy is helpful, but doesn't show results for a long time, and requires cooperation from the patient. Once you realize that someone refuses to talk to you because they sense your prejudice, you realize the fear they live in.
This was really interesting (as usual ; ) ), turtlesuds! My grandmother was diagnosed as being Bipolar, and I have multiple family members who take anti-depressants. Do you have an opinion on if these can be genetic?
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
I'm no medical expert, but I would venture to guess that they are (or at least your genes predispose you to being prone to developing them).
My dad has Depression and both my sister and I have shown evidence of having it as well (and are working to keep it under control).
One thing that put the idea of mental illnesses into perspective for me, and it actually came from someone else who suffers from a mental illness (in her case, a properly-diagnosed ADD) -- mental illnesses are physiological disorders just like, say, diabetes, and while some people can keep it under control without the use of meds, a lot of people need the medications. A diabetic who needs insulin injections can't just keep their blood sugar levels under control by sheer will, and a person with a mental illness is no different.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder are, I believe, conclusively determined to be genetic. These are the most severe, and most obvious illnesses, meaning they have distinct symptoms that are easy to identify. However, remember that Bipolar can look like other things at different times.
Depression on the other hand, while there might be a genetic component, can definitely be passed on through environment, meaning a depressed parent is very likely to have a depressed child. How is a child supposed to thrive and be happy with a parent who is despondent and doesn't care about life?
The easiest way to make that distinction would be to research to see how many people with Depression who are in treatment and are asymptomatic throughout their entire child's upbringing raise depressed kids?
Things like ADD and autism I cannot claim to be expert about, though I do deal with them. They are not as cut and dry and treatment is more varied. There are more instances of positive outcomes without medication, in other words.
What I want to clarify is that Bipolar Disorder(s) and Psychotic Disorders are the only 2 that REQUIRE medication.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
I agree completely that things like depression are also affected in a large part by environment. I believe that at least the disposition is still genetic primarily because I never lived with my dad (and my sister only part time) and for the most part he's asymptomatic.
To keep with the Diabetes analogy, as well, Diabetes can also be caused by environmental factors. Many people who are obese develop Diabetes because their pancreas can no longer handle the load, but having a family history makes a person more likely to develop it.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
That's really interesting. I know my grandmother suffers from a lot of anxiety, and I'm a lot like her in that regard...I'm the type that really needs my space or I get really anxious and have a hard time calming down...I end up making situations worse than they are...I started hyperventilating one night thinking of how I was going to have to have a cavity filled. That sort of thing. I'm not around my grandmother much, so IDK how she is on a daily basis.
One thing about autism is that I think diet has a lot to do with it. Heavy metal cleanses, strict diets which vary from person to person, and chiropractors are all things I've witnessed help autistic kids.
RESPECT LIFE
http://progressiveu.org/blog/respectlife
"It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
~Mother Teresa
I love reading your posts, turtlesuds. Thank you for offering a perspective from the medical side. I see it in the homeless services side, where many of my clients have dual diagnosis - a mental illness AND substance abuse addiction.
I especially like the comparison you draw at the end of your piece, which just shows the big challenge. "Asking psychiatrists to treat the cause is like asking God to save the planet."
I also especially like your final comment: "Once you realize that someone refuses to talk to you because they sense your prejudice, you realize the fear they live in."
Thanks for the blog!! Excellent!
"Goodness is the only investment that never fails."
H.D.Thoreau http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sahara
The whole entire world suffers from one or another mental illness, especially in the west or better say richer countries people are becoming very affected.
Four many life has its particular way to become that or too demanding, many cannot cope with simple things any longer, it’s going to get much worse soon, most offspring doesn’t even receive proper warmth and affection, therefore most will not grow a backbone and become stone hard minded individuals.
The amounts of children with ADHD and autism will soon skyrocket out of the roof, while those already around today are still regarded like if they are some kind of aliens that hang around in a so called normal world, while they need to be fixed in order to function, well, It doesn’t work that way!
I‘m aware this sounds like depressing and dark, but it’s of our own making, so, I
guess it’s time to take a look at it from another perspective.
http://www.wowzone.com/monkey.htm
With the clarification of my response to dragonwolf's post, I can agree with everything else.
As for ADD and ADHD, I absolutely believe these are induced by chemicals and carcinogens in food and the environment.
My brother had severe ADHD and couldn't stay in one kindergarten class for more than a few weeks. My mother found out about a diet by Dr. Feingold where the focus is to eliminate artificial colors, flavors and preservative from the diet. It has nothing to do with natural sugar, it is all about artificial chemicals. After 3 weeks my brother seemed human again.
I have heard stories of kids with autism who were nurtured and treated with affectionate contact. One story I remember was a couple who decided to never let the child be without one of the parents. If he was having an episode, they would hold him, literally curling themselves around him until he was calm. He was normal by 8 years old.
I heard on the radio last week about a boy who doctors said was so severely autistic he would never walk or talk. Someone started using music therapy, and he runs, talks and is composing at the same level as Beethoven. He is blind as well.
The human brain remains a great mystery, I don't care what scientists say. For now though, when it is a matter of life or death, medication does work WHEN it is the right medication for the right condition.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
Yes true...
This is some hardcore interview....about someone called Dummy!
Hope some will take time to check it out, because it helps to bring and create proper change.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1896788672/bctid1352562141
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1896788672/bctid1347877470
Oh you just made me think of some things here
i used to work with an autistic boy of about 8 a few years ago and his parents had him on a special diet too. It was a NO CARB diet. Have you heard of it?
I don't think it really helped him because he was hungry all the time. In fact, when he was cold his knees would turn blue cause he had no fat on him. he wasn't happy either
really sad
Susan
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A life not examined is a life not worth living.....plato
Yes! I love this post for two reasons. one its you writting amazing again and two its review for the HESI final I am not studying for by being on ProU.
It is amazing how close Bipolar, Alzhiemer's and Schizophrenia are to each other, not only in symptoms, but physiologcally too. I also think its neat that some persons with Bipolar disorder are treated with antiepileptic as their mood stabilizer.
Anyway, thanks for the awesome-ness.. you are worthy!
_o.o_
Love is like a box of chocolates; if you chose wisely you won’t be disappointed and have to spit it out. ~T
@_@ with her knowledge and insight (and of course her writing)
"A person doesn't die when he should but when he can."
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
"close your eyes, clear your heart.."
Fudge
The little creature says "you are getting sleeeeeepy..." She does enchant us with her genius, but sleepy? ...I think not.
:grin:
Love is like a box of chocolates; if you chose wisely you won’t be disappointed and have to spit it out. ~T
I am @.@
"A person doesn't die when he should but when he can."
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
Fudge"It's the hard-knock life..."
I don't know I have mixed feelings about this.
thank you for sharing though
I remember trying seroquel awhile back and I loved how CLEAR
it made my thinking
there are times I just thinking there's something wrong with the way I think.
Like there's a black fog over my head.
I stopped taking it because the super low dosage made me tired.
I also don't like the side effects either of any medication
Susan
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A life not examined is a life not worth living.....plato
as long as you are not a) dangerous, or b) miserable because you cannot function.
You work as a pre-school teacher, right? You couldn't do that without medication if you really needed it.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
There is a big difference between "mental illness" and "neurosis." Many of us are neurotic, including myself. Neurotics can function happily and well. Neurosis does not require medication. If your neurosis bothers you and you elect to take medication under the care of a physician, good for you, especially if it makes you feel better and you are not having severe side effects.
Antipsychotics such as Seroquel, which I am picking because of minuet1965's comment, carry risks of MAJOR side effects. They should not be used for insomnia, or some other mild condition or neurosis. They can make people diabetic, for one, and cause liver and kidney disease. Others decrease a person's white blood cell count, making them immunocompromised.
Neurological side effects cause involuntary muscle movements, drooling, seizures, and temporary paralysis. They can cause NMS, Neuromalignant Syndrome, a condition similar to Malignant Hyperthermia that occurs from a severe reaction to anesthesia. NMS can be fatal if not immediately recognized and treated. It causes rapid smooth muscle wasting, high fever, and kidney failure.
Bottom line, these are not drugs that should be taken lightly. If I had a family member who I thought was showing psychotic symptoms, I would request that they be hospitalized before being prescribed an antipsychotic. Hospitalization allows for 24 hour observation by trained medical professionals who know what to look for.
A person who goes home with a scrip, and starts feeling weird might not know what is going on and might not even relate it to the medication. Airway obstruction can quickly occur from paralysis or involuntary muscle spasms of the neck region and a swollen tongue. These are not all that uncommon either. In the hospital they can be treated quickly without leaving residual damage.
These drugs can also be very effective for people who really need them, and these effects can be mitigated by proper care from a knowledgeable physician. Regular blood tests can catch potential complication before they become severe. Adjunct drugs such as Cogentin and Benadryl can eliminate or minimize many of these side effects.
In other words, just like any medication, the benefits must outweigh the risks. The benefits for someone suffering from difficulty concentrating and going to sleep do not outweigh the risks. The benefit of someone not harming themselves or others does outweigh the risks.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
I did not take Seroquel because of the side effects. I felt that as a teacher I had to be sharp and alert and not tired and drugged out.
I just have to carefully monitor myself and my moods.
Sometimes it requires a lot of work. Some of us are a bit more aware of ourselves
than the next person and what triggers us without medication we have to work twice as hard.
I was on zoloft for 10 years and choose to go off it. THE SIDE EFFECTS WERE HORRIBLE. As much as it would even me out and assist in sleep, I don't want to do it again. I posted an entry about dependency on anti depressants based on a comment my mother made.
I appreciate everyone's input on this since its something I understand
Susan
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A life not examined is a life not worth living.....plato
That is partly why I wrote this one. I get tired of posting the same info on multiple threads. I wanted to just to get the word out for everyone.
As for your mom and welbutrin, I see no issue with that. Welbutrin is a great drug, as long as a person does not have Bipolar Disorder or a Psychotic Disorder, high blood pressure or a seizure disorder. I helps people quit smoking, and it helps with fatigue. it helps with ADD.
Side effects are not severe. It can cause insomnia and restlessness in some. It also increases sex drive!
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
"It also increases sex drive!"!!!! What!? Bleep that. My husband was going to try welbutrin next month to quit...I rather have aggression than have to deal with his sex drive multiplied.
:yikes:
Love is like a box of chocolates; if you chose wisely you won’t be disappointed and have to spit it out. ~T
You could just lock him outside until he no longer smokes, but really the increase could be good you may even enjoy it. That sounds like the benefit outweighing the benefit.
"Something given has no value"~Robert Heinlein
"Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is." Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richards Almanack, 1749
Maybe you should take it too! :idea:
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
Not likely. I come from the tain of thought that if you are going to do it just do it and I also tend to be anti pill. For example my ankle hurt like the dickens (from the rescue mission I have described else were...) and I only took motrin once and tylenol twice. I am pretty good at using other techniques and have a fair pain level tolerance.
Plus I also tend to be a control freak which means if I can not do it myself the timing is just not right or the whatever is not for me.
If I smoked and want to quit I would just do it... I say it this way to niether confirm nor deny wether or not I may or may not have a smoking habit.
Thanks for the god idea anyway...I will let you know how it turns out.
Love is like a box of chocolates; if you chose wisely you won’t be disappointed and have to spit it out. ~T
in your case, but for the sake of increasing your sex drive, so you know, you could manage your husband better.
It's a joke anyway. Viagra is proven to work for women too. shoot i should take my own advice. Why does having a child deplete a woman of her libido? I suppose this doesn't happen to all women, but I am not getting over this one any time soon. It really is becoming a dead horse issue in my marriage and I hate that.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
I don't understand how so many adolescents are diagnosed with ADD and depression. A lot of my friends were or are on depression medication at some point, and I have to wonder how fine the line is between actually having a disorder and just being a teenager. I'm seriously not trying to undermine people who might actually be depressed, but there was a guy that I knew in high school that was on depression medication that killed himself suddenly. People I talked to later who were closer to him said that the medication not only didn't help, but seemed to make him more prone to mood swings. I've heard that taking such medication as a teenager can actually make depression worse--and if that's true, it seems as though it's a little too easy to prescribe such medication. I guess I'm not a doctor though--I'm planning on pre-pharmacy so maybe I'll learn a little more about stuff like that.
Adolescents are very tricky. Hormones play a huge role, as do all the angst and pains that go along with trying to reconcile oneself with their sexuality and identity.
On top of that family relationships cause a strain during adolescents. Vying for independence is not easy.
Prozac is the only antidepressant that is FDA approved for children under the age of 18. Doctors still prescribe others, but they are taking a risk. This should always be explained to the patient and the parents before prescribing it.
Antidepressants are linked with more suicidal and impulsive behavior, especially in the first couple of months. This is because depression's physiological manifestation is lack of energy, anhedonia, and disinterest in life. When antidepressants get in the system they work on the physiological level and those symptoms go away first.
That means that before the person has found any emotional relief, they have a new burst of energy. For someone who is suicidal this is the switch that gives them the energy and motivation to carry out a suicide attempt.
Lesson: A suicidal person should be hospitalized when trying a new drug. Families need to be educated. Close observation is key until the drug takes full effect which usually takes about 8 weeks.
"Consistency is not a human trait" - Maude, from Harold and Maude
Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one that understands why antidepressants (generally) seem to "make people" suicidal.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Wow. I did not know about the whole burst of energy thing. Thanks for explaining that to me.
Is there a study which states the most common cause of severe mental illness? Also, what percent of those institutionalized became mentally ill due to childhood sexual abuse? Thanks in advance.
and many speculations. Genetics is a factor, it seems to have some hereditary patterns, but that could also be explained behaviorally, meaning if you are raised by crazy people, you will likely be a little crazy too.
There are so many mental illnesses, so it is hard to address them as a whole. Most of them have been linked to chemical imbalances in the brain, primarily involving Dopamine and Seratonin. Too much or too little of those can cause emotional disturbances.
But who is to say, its like asking "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" Are those chemical imbalances a *cause* or a *result* of the illness?
Childhood trauma of any sort, not just sexual abuse, especially in the first 3 years of life, will have lasting and dramatic effects on a person's psyche and development. When security is not provided in infancy, the brain begins to develop a sense of reality based on anxiety and fear.
To what degree one kind of trauma or abuse will have a negative and debilitating impact on any individual is impossible to determine. Some are more resilient than others. For some, losing a pet is powerful enough to create long-lasting trauma, if that person never developed appropriate coping skills from role models around them.
i can say there is a huge correlation between childhood abuse, both physical and sexual and mental illness/ disturbance.
There is also a huge correlation between mental illness and substance abuse. Do people who are mentally ill abuse substances because they are self-medicating? or are they suffering mental illness as a consequence to living life in an altered state of consciousness most of the time?
No one really knows. There is a lot of evidence to support both conclusions.
No matter what, quality of life is a big factor, if not in the onset of an illness, than in the prognosis of an illness.
People who have strong support systems, which often means families that will not crumble under the emotional and financial stress of living with and loving a person with a mental illness, are much more able to live relatively *normal* and productive lives.
Without a support system, well, you can just look at places like Skid Row to see what happens when people have no one.
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