Mental Health Notes

Saturday Sanity Is…On Saturday Today!

by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes on October 6th, 2007

Hiya, lovelies! Bet you’re glad to see Saturday Sanity after this week’s, er…we’ll call it a couple days of hiatus, though we all know deep down I was just too brain zapped - literally - to keep up.

I’m hoping this weekend - well, today, at least - will provide a much needed distraction. I’m attending the Ninth Annual October Sky Festival in my hometown of Coalwood, WV, and hope to run into some friends.

At the very least, be pleased with the guy my sister has chosen as her new beau. That’s right, the big introduction is tomorrow. :)

Anyway, let’s get on with some sanity!

• As most of you know, I struggled with Cymbalta withdrawal this past week (and still am, but hey, the show must go on). While doing some research, I found What Winners Do, a blog written by a recovering addict who has also struggled with withdrawing from Cymbalta. While the entire blog seems interesting, I haven’t had time to sit and nose through it just yet; I have, however, gone through her posts on Cymbalta withdrawal, and highly recommend you all check them out, too.
• The premiere of CANVAS is approaching. What’s CANVAS? “[…]a heartwarming family film inspired by director Joseph Greco’s personal experience as a young boy whose mother battled the grips of schizophrenia. The film is warm, hopeful, poignant and even sometimes funny.” See it if it’s in your city - I hope it eventually comes to mine!
• I’ve often wondered why some people react differently to what is considered “crime” and “punishment.” Do some folks not understand why something is wrong? Why they shouldn’t do it? Why are some people just not too affected by punishment? Or are there people who are just natural rebels and who refuse to comply? (Well, of course there are, but I’m building up to something here.) In Brain’s ‘Social Enforcer’ Centers Identified,
  

  Researchers have identified brain structures that process the threat of punishment for violating social norms. They said that their findings suggest a neural basis for treating children, adolescents, and even immature adults differently in the criminal justice system, since the neural circuitry for processing the threat of such punishment is not as developed in younger individuals as it is in adults.

• Ever heard of someone “going postal”? Well, Canada’s Post chief executive Moya Greene is trying to help stamp it out, so to speak. This article originally intrigued me because I thought Canada was designing stamps related to mental health; however, it did interest me that antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed medications in the entire nation.
• Clients Of Mental Health Services Rally Against Budget Cuts - Everyone needs to take a stand like the mental health clients of Biddeford, Oregon did yesterday.

And there you have it, folks. Hope you all find sanity in your own Saturdays!

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POSTED IN: Criminal Psych, Current Affairs & News, Enviromental Factors, Inspiring News, Medications, Men, Mind Mysteries, Saturday Sanity, Schizophrenia, Side Effects, Sites of Interest, Withdrawal, Women