Mental Health Notes

Saturday Sanity: Even When I’m Sleeping

by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes on June 28th, 2008

As you read this, I’m probably sleeping. Or splashing around in water. Or watching a movie.

Or, you know. Sleeping.

You see, I’m on “vacation” this weekend, and actually wrote this post Thursday afternoon. While I know a three-day vacation isn’t exactly long, it’s definitely some much-needed time away from work.

However, my three days off doesn’t need to interfere with your Saturday Sanity, so read on!

This week at Mental Health Notes, things weren’t as busy at they normally are. I pointed you in the direction of two articles exploring brain exercises at OpenEducation.net, told you about NAMI’s Schizophrenia: Public Attitudes, Personal Needs and then shared my thoughts about MTV’s True Life: I Have Schizphrenia, and gave you the June edition of What Do You Really Want? I also updated you on the House and Senate agreement regarding Mental Health Parity, showed you a tattoo of a Sylvia Plath quote, and attempted to prompt a discussion about two YouTube videos exploring bipolar mania and spiritual enlightenment. Perhaps the most noteworthy post this week, however, was Elizabeth Dillon’s guest post about her experiences as a Help Center Volunteer Counselor at the University of Maryland-College Park Help Center.

In the world of mental health news, a recent survey shows that mentally ill patients have longer ER waits than non-psychiatric patients due to a decrease in mental health units and beds, the FDA wants “black box” warnings put on antipsychotic medications due to the increased risk of death to older patients, and the the US Supreme Court determined mentally ill dependents no longer have the right to represent themselves in court if the judge determines they aren’t mentally up to the challenge. Psychosomatic Medicine published a study stating that children who grow up feeling self confident and in control of their lives may become healthier adults, Wellcome Trust scientists have identified a part of our brains that encourages us to be adventurous, and Burnham Institute for Medical Research scientists have programmed embryonic stem cells transplanted into the brain to become nerve cells.

Regarding mental health advocacy, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance is trying to match a $10,000 grant from The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation by the end of this year. The DBSA will also post the transcript from their Recovery Chat: Laughter’s the Best Medicine in a couple of days.

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, Mark at A Dozen Steps gives a nice reminder regarding martyrdom and climbing down off the cross, Kendra at A Hearty Life notes new data from the Mayo Clinic regarding socioeconomics and heart attack recovery (and we see socioeconomics rear its ugly head in all fields of health, don’t we?), and the ladies at Alzheimer’s Notes are holding a book giveaway! Gloria from Cancer Commentary is also holding a giveaway - for lip gloss and compact mirrors - and Ruth at Eating Fabulous talks about the prevention of cognitive decline with grape seed extract while Scott at Health and Men offers a treatment option for those twitchy eyelids stress and fatigue often cause. And don’t forget to read what Liberty at Healthbolt has to say about pumpkins, tryptophan, and serotonin as well as what Marijke at Womb Within says about antidepressants and pregnancy.

That’s all for this week’s Saturday Sanity! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s written-on-Thursday-but-posted-on Sunday Brain Break!

Image: morgueFile

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POSTED IN: Bipolar Disorder, Cognitive Disorders, Criminal Psych, Current Affairs & News, Death, Doctors & Scientists, Medications, Mental Health Advocacy, Mood Disorders, Psychotic Disorders, Resources, Saturday Sanity, Schizophrenia, Sites of Interest, Women