Mental Health Archives - Page 2 of 2

Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Before beginning this article, perhaps I should qualify myself to speak about the positive and negative symptoms of Schizophrenia. I have experienced both for the past 6 and a half years and while the positive symptoms have been under control mostly since being diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder by UCLA in 2008, I have still suffered from the negative symptoms. Post diagnosis I received my Masters Degree in Psychology and work as a marriage and family therapist intern at a non-profit and I plan to go on to earn my doctorate in Psychology with a research emphasis with my focus being on Schizophrenia, particularly the negative symptoms.

Positive symptoms of Schizophrenia are easily recognized and identified to provide the diagnosis. Hallucinations, delusions and intrusive thoughts are the most common symptoms of Schizophrenia and have a certain duration necessary to fit this disorder.

Negative symptoms on the other hand are present but less dealt with when determining medication and research shows it can be just as debilitating as the positive symptoms. Blunted affect (a lack of emotional reactivity), emotional withdrawal, poor rapport, difficulty in abstract thinking, lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation and stereotyped thinking are all negative symptoms which present in each individual and also in men and women differently .

Because the positive symptoms were so prominent (voices from God and the delusion I was very special), the negative symptoms were seldom discussed when being treated for Schizophrenia; rather, the question always was if I was hearing voices or delusional.

I have been taking the antipsychotic Risperdal since being diagnosed but recently my psychiatrist added a the antipsychotic Latuda to my regimen which has greatly helped with the negative symptoms, especially emotional withdrawal. This has greatly diminished as I have actually been much more connected to friends and family because of the addition of the second antipsychotic.

It helps that I work in a field where I study mental disorders, their symptoms, prognosis and treatment. I find it all very fascinating and love to discuss mental illness with all sorts of people I have met through my blog and through my work. I invite you to write to me and share your personal story or that of a loved one afflicted by this disorder or ask questions if one Is in the mental health field. I sometimes will feature it on my blog or one of my books I am writing, with permission naturally and no names unless requested.

To follow my journey of recovery, check out my blog: https://mypersonalrecoveryfromschizophrenia.wordpress.com

Or my book available on Amazon by Victoria Marie Alonso- My personal recovery from Schizophrenia

Or feel free to email me at: victoriamariealonso@yahoo.com

From Suicidal To Stable, Recovery Of a Person With Schizophrenia

By Victoria Alonso

It started all very strange… The delusions, the special love I felt for a dear priest, the voice of God and others. I was in a world of my own. Yet, somehow I maintained a family, husband and three children, and walked around like an ordinary person unless you were on my list of people that I shared the wonderful things I was experiencing. I knew I was special, God had told me at a young age and everything I did seemed like I was on a mission from God on this magical journey.

Then it all turned negative, I began to share with people who didn’t believe my delusions and things started happening that were not good. My world was falling apart and I was in extreme agony about this special mission I thought I was on that wasn’t working out.

Somehow, I knew something wasn’t right so I began to research my symptoms on-line and discovered I was suffering from many of the symptoms of Schizophrenia. My functioning level was deteriorating and going to the store was an exhausting experience at times. I was diagnosed in 2008 with Schizophrenia by a team of doctors from UCLA and put on anti-psychotics which worked pretty much right away.

Fast forward 6 years later and I am a different person post -psychosis. I went on to earn my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Psychology from an accredited university and am now working in the mental health field as a therapist and actually have a few clients with psychotic disorders that I am helping.

I have accepted that I have Schizophrenia and that I am not on a special mission for God. This has not come easy and at times I have lapsed back into delusional thinking mainly due to stress. I have a high functioning level and although my life has changed drastically I feel I am a better person prior to my psychotic break with reality although now I also accept that I do have some limitations. Social engagements are still difficult and at times I am very unmotivated to do the daily tasks that lie before me each day.

Schizophrenia and Suicide

When I was extremely psychotic I was suicidal. I wanted to jump out in front of a car and watch the hand of God protect me because I believed I was so special. I did not do it, but it was a strong thought wanting to die and being willing to take my own life.

Since being on medication, I have only been passively suicidal, basically wishing I was dead but with no plan to take my own life. This happened one time in particular when I went off my medication to try to see if I really needed it or not. After being put on medication again I no longer felt this way. I am lucky in that I have many protective factors which keep me going, mainly my husband and three children. I know that many people with this disorder do kill themselves and I can understand why. Being on medication can really suck and being psychotic can be even worse.

Being honest with ones psychiatrist is the best way to deal with all symptoms. I have done this from the start to the best of my ability and have not been sorry. I guess it helps that I completely trust my psychiatrist. This relationship is very important to me. I want to be as well as I can be so I heed all his advice. I also take my medication faithfully. I know I need it to stay sane and am not willing to risk relapsing back into a psychotic state.

In my job, only one other person knows I have Schizophrenia. At my last job I shared with my boss and as soon as I did or shortly after, my judgment was questioned and I feel like I was pushed out of my job due to my disclosure. I couldn’t prove anything, but learned to be very careful who I share this information with. All my close friends know and my family, although I am often stigmatized by my family to this day, despite working and earning my degrees.

I believe this is because many people fear the S word due to the unknown about this disorder and because of how media portrays those afflicted. I am here to say that just because one has this diagnosis it does not mean they are dangerous or unable to function in society. Many of the people I have shared with are really surprised by my disclosure.

I feel more education is necessary for those who do not understand it, and is part of the reason I chose to write this article. I am a functioning person who happens to have Schizophrenia. As long as I remain on my medication and avoid stress, I do not suffer from psychosis. Those who may not recognize they need the medication or allow stress to take over their lives, are putting themselves in danger of relapse of all symptoms.

Partly through my work and naturally due to my interest in this disorder, I have educated myself on how to treat Schizophrenia mainly with the use of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). CBT is tremendously helpful to conquer remaining symptoms and to bring further relief to those on the road to recovery. I have written a blog which journals my path to recovery from Schizophrenia. On my blog I have an active link where people are encouraged to write in and share their experiences as well.

You can find my blog at http://mypersonalrecoveryfromschizophrenia.wordpress.com/
or purchase my book from Amazon (affliate link) My Personal Recovery from Schizophrenia

The Truth About Bipolar Disorder

By Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP

It’s easy for people to get the wrong idea about bipolar disorder. First, because the mental illness itself is so complicated. Second, because what we hear, read, and see in the media isn’t always the best source of accurate information. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance reports that bipolar disorder affects about 5.7 million American adults each year. Furthermore, the World Health Organization lists it as the sixth leading cause of disability in the world. Clearing up the misconceptions about bipolar disorder could help a large number of people.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is sometimes referred to as ‘manic depression’ due to the cycles of depression and mania that characterize the illness. There are two main types, Bipolar I and II. Bipolar I carries more serious symptoms, such as longer lasting periods of mania and the incidence of psychotic episodes. In bipolar II, the psychotic episodes are absent, but the other symptoms are similar.

Common Misconceptions About Bipolar Disorder

Fiction: Bipolar disorder is the same as having mood swings

Fact: Have you ever heard the phrase “He’s so bipolar” in reference to someone who exhibits frequently changing moods? Chances are, that person is not living with bipolar disorder. Mood swings are normal, and can be influenced by stress and even personality. Bipolar disorder is a diagnosable mental illness where someone suffers from extreme fluctuations between mania, or “highs,” and depression. These periods can last for weeks or months at a time.

Fiction: Someone with bipolar disorder is always in a state of mania or depression

Fact: The symptoms of bipolar disorder sometimes vanish for several years. Some people experience ‘normal’ moods between cycles, and others always exhibit some indication of symptoms. It’s impossible to make sweeping statements about bipolar disorder, because the illness manifests itself so differently in each individual. Sometimes symptoms of mania and depression even show themselves simultaneously.

Fiction: It is obvious when someone is legitimately bipolar

Fact: Unfortunately, diagnosing someone with bipolar disorder is not always a straightforward process. There are certain symptoms that look similar to other mental illnesses, such as ADHD or the recently identified illness of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, which was added to the newest edition of the DSM-5. Bipolar disorder is often inconsistent, and can be triggered or worsened by co-existing conditions such as addiction or physical ailments.

Fiction: If you try hard enough you can overcome it

Fact: We see this misconception quite frequently across all mental illnesses. A mental health disorder is not a case of weak mental fortitude. It is caused by chemicals in the brain, and does not indicate a lack of trying. Although there is no known cure for bipolar disorder, there are many effective treatment strategies to help people manage the symptoms. Following these strategies may require commitment and it can be challenging, but someone with bipolar disorder should never be told that they’re not trying hard enough.

Fiction: People with bipolar disorder can’t function normally

Fact: People with bipolar disorder regularly hold down jobs, meet their responsibilities, and maintain personal and professional relationships. Famous celebrities such as Catherine Zeta Jones, Jane Pauley and artist Vincent Van Gogh all overcame bipolar disorder to have successful careers. With the right kind of treatment, a person with bipolar disorder can live a normal, productive life. The key is to keep up your treatment plan, rather than let it slide when things start to go well.

What Treatment Options Are Available for Bipolar?

Bipolar Medication

Not every person with bipolar disorder will be on the same type or dosage of medication. The goal of medication is to act as a mood stabilizer that levels out episodes of mania and depression. Anti-depressants and anti-psychotics also can be prescribed, depending on the particulars. Medications should be taken exactly as prescribed by a medical professional. One of the biggest problems we face in treatment is when people cut back on their medication or stop taking it entirely because they’re feeling good. Always talk to your doctor before making any changes.

Therapy for Bipolar

Therapy includes individual counseling, family therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and group support meetings. Therapy works in conjunction with medication to help someone manage bipolar disorder in the long term. While therapy alone isn’t always successful as a treatment method, it has been shown to drastically improve the effectiveness of medication.

Lifestyle Changes for People with Bipolar

The importance of overall health can’t be ignored when we talk about bipolar disorder treatment. In combination with medication and therapy, bipolar disorder is also improved through healthy living. That means getting enough sleep and exercise, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding stress whenever possible. It may seem small, but when one of these elements is not quite right, it can throw the rest of your body out of whack.

Schizophrenia: Fact Vs. Fiction

By Anish Majumdar

Few illnesses are as steeped in fear and misunderstanding in today’s culture as schizophrenia. A severe and disabling brain disorder affecting 1% of the U.S. population, it typically occurs in the late teens to early 20s for men and mid 20s to early 30s for women. As a child growing up with a schizophrenic mother, I learned firsthand about the terrifying personality changes the disease can bring about in a loved one, and the sacrifices that must be made by not only the ill person but their entire family in coping with something that can, at best, be controlled, not cured. I also witnessed the enormous gap between the reality of the disease and how it’s perceived by others.

Here are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about schizophrenia:

Fiction: Schizophrenics have Multiple Personalities

Fact: While the behavior of a schizophrenic in the grip of a psychotic episode—expounding on bizarre beliefs, talking in a strange way, and responding to auditory and visual hallucinations—can seem like the manifestation of a new personality, the root consciousness of the individual never actually goes away. During the course of one episode preceding a forced hospitalization, my mother dressed in all black clothing, muttered incantations in what seemed like a foreign language, and refused to answer to any name but Dorothy (which is not her real name). However, in stark contrast to a person with multiple personality disorder, this was at heart an act performed by my mother, a desperate response to a set of very real beliefs and warped sensory input. It’s an important distinction: no matter how extreme the situation, there’s always a chance to reach the person underneath.

Fiction: Schizophrenics Have Identical Symptoms

Fact: Schizophrenics are generally classified into one of several subtypes, such as Paranoid Schizophrenia (the most common subtype), Catatonic Schizophrenia, and Residual Schizophrenia, which is diagnosed when a patient no longer displays prominent symptoms. Due to the mercurial nature of the disorder, it is not uncommon for patients to be re-classified into different subtypes throughout the course of their lives. Furthermore, there is growing controversy within the psychiatric community and general public about whether the wide range of symptoms that fall under the purview of schizophrenia can even be classified as a single disorder. What’s not in doubt is that every individual suffering from the illness requires a specialized treatment plan tailored to his/her symptoms and life situation.

Fiction: All Schizophrenics Know That They Have An Illness

Fact: While the outward symptoms of schizophrenia often leave little doubt as to the severity of the illness, one of the major hallmarks of the disease is the fact that those affected can sometimes go months, and even years before realizing they’re ill. For over a decade following the onset of my mother’s schizophrenia, a period during which she was repeatedly hospitalized for psychotic episodes and received extensive medical treatment, delusional thinking kept her convinced that she was perfectly healthy and everything else was an elaborate conspiracy. Lasting improvements in her state of mind only occurred after a doctor found an effective combination of medications that, together with regular therapy sessions, finally allowed her to come to terms with the reality of her illness.

Fiction: Schizophrenics Are Usually Violent

Fact: People with schizophrenia are no more predisposed to violence than any other group. However, particular symptoms of the disorder, such as delusions of persecution, can trigger violent acts if left untreated. Lost in the headlines that these acts generate is the fact that the vast majority of cases involving violence with a schizophrenic are self-directed. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 10% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia will die by suicide.

Fiction: Isolation is the Only Way to Handle Schizophrenia

Fact: According to a recent World Health Organization study, schizophrenics in developing nations like India, which tend to have a much stronger sense of community and shared responsibility when it comes to caring for the mentally ill, showed significantly higher rates of recovery than in the United States and England. Some of the key differences include access to low-stress jobs and close involvement by families during doctor-patient discussions, whereas in the West the mentally ill are typically excluded from the workplace and doctor-patient conversations are kept strictly confidential. It points to the enormous role social factors play in the recovery of schizophrenics, as well as the potential to improve their lives through adopting a new, community-based approach.

Quiz – Are You Stressed?

By Joanna Laznicka

Take a life audit, to see how you stressed are by answering yes or no to the following questions below.

Do you know the symptoms of stress?
Do you skip meals, or play little attention to your diet?
Do you neglect to exercise?
Do you regularly skip sleep or have disturbed nights?
Do you frequently try to do everything yourself?
Do you fail to see the funny side of things?
Do you bottle things up?
Do you fail to schedule relaxation time in your day?
Has anyone ever called you a “control freak”?
Do you lose your temper often?
Do you consider yourself disorganized?
Do you set yourself unrealistic goals?
Do you make a crisis out of a tiny setback?
Are you frequently irritated or annoyed?
Are you impatient if you are kept waiting?
Do you put things off?
Do you believe that there is only one way to do something?
Do you race through the day feeling that you never finish anything to your satisfaction?

If you said yes to less than 11 of the above questions you are not doing badly when it comes to stress. If you answered yes to 12 to 15 of the questions above you are stressed and should do something about it. If you answered yes to 16 or more you are seriously stressed and should take action immediately.

Tips to Reduce Stress

With today’s economy, a good majority of people are likely to be under some degree of stress. The best ways to manage stress is to change its sources and/or change your reaction to it. The tips below can help you reduce stress and take negative situations become less stressful.

Be aware of what stresses you.
Know the events and circumstances that you find stressful and know how you react. Does your head ache, for example, or do you feel nauseous? If you can spot signs of stress you can do something about it.

Work on what you can change.
You probably can’t eliminate stress, but you can change some things about your day. Can you leave the premises for a time? Or could you learn a new skill that will alleviate some of your stress, such as time management or negotiation?

Get the stress into perspective.
It’s tempting to over exaggerate stress, but try to temper your reaction. A mistake is not a disaster. See it as something you can cope with and get over. Don’t be paralyzed by the “what ifs”.

Build your physical reserves.
A healthy body will go a long way to combating stress. Eat well and maintain a healthy body weight for your height and age. Avoid excess caffeine, nicotine and alcohol and exercise. Establish good sleeping habits and schedule vacation time.

Build your emotional reserves.
Set your own goals, rather than have them set for you. Develop a supportive network of family and friends and treat yourself well.

Obesity and Alcohol Addiction Can be Beat.

By Joanna Laznicka

Weight loss and beating alcohol addiction are two struggles that people can relate too. Nick Laszlo of Primal Fitness Essentials can be an inspiration to anyone who has had to struggle with either or both issues. With overcoming both of these demons, Nick is now known as a health guru and enjoys to help anyone struggling to change their lives to a healthier one.

Fact Based Health editor Joanna Dowie had an opportunity to interview Nick and learn from his journey to optimal health.

Drinking and Obesity are two hard health concerns several Americans and people around the world struggle with. What is the best motivational advice you can give people who know they need to turn around their lives but are reluctantly avoiding to?

Drinking and obesity are just two sides of the same coin. All alcoholics are obese, whether visibly so or what is termed “skinny fat”, which means that they’re carrying excess fat around their internal organs and especially fatty liver. Eating foods that make you fat and drinking alcohol both mess with your insulin levels. That’s why when alcoholics give up drinking, they start craving carbs. I tell people, give up sugar and alcohol at the same time and you’ll be much less likely to relapse. Whenever you take something away like drinking, you should always replace it with something positive or you just leave a big gaping hole that will need to be filled with something eventually. You might as well fill that hole with something like exercise and a healthier diet, which in time will make you feel much better than the booze ever did. That’s what I did!

People sometimes use the excuse they are too old to start to change bad habits. How old were you when you faced changing your life around?

I first faced that impending change when I turned 40 ten years ago, but that didn’t stick because I started to think thoughts like “Hey, no big deal! 40 is the new 30, right?” It was when I was only two years shy of my 50^th birthday that I finally realized I didn’t really have the luxury of taking any more time to make a major change. I basically chose life over certain death! Not to wax melodramatic, but that’s really how I felt at the time.

What do you tell people who want to exercise more but complain they don’t have the time?

I ask them “What’s more inconvenient? Exercising an hour a day or being dead 24 hours a day?” I’m pretty blunt. You have to punch people in the gut (not literally of course!) to wake them out of their stupor.

Many of us have tried to lose weight but haven’t been able. What are the hidden culprits you have seen that hold us back from weight loss goals. Such as hidden calories they never thought of, or wrong exercise, or not exercising enough.

It’s all about managing your hormones, not counting calories. The trick is to choose foods that increase production of your body’s fat-burning hormone, leptin, while decreasing the fat-storage hormone, insulin. Same goes for exercise. Two kinds of exercise will offer favorable hormonal expression guaranteed to stimulate fat burning: high intensity/low duration sessions and low-intensity/high duration sessions. Most people won’t lose weight by exercise alone because even when you exercise correctly, weight loss is still 80% in the kitchen, 20% in the gym. As a Personal Trainer, I’m loathe to admit it but people could make it to their weight loss goals without doing a lick of exercise, as long as they manage their insulin by eating the right foods, but it would take them much longer to get to their weight goal and they would be a lot more likely to gain the weight back without exercise.

When it comes to packaged / processed food which top three ingredients do you recommend people avoid?

Sugar, high fructose corn syrup and anything containing gluten. A slice of bread is worse for your blood sugar than a candy bar!

Finally which books would you recommend for others to read?

“The Primal Blueprint”, the soft-cover version by Mark Sisson. Not to sound self-serving but my story is featured in that book. Another excellent book is “Primal Body, Primal Mind” by Nora Gedgaudas. And for anyone who wants to get a jumpstart on their Primal/Paleo life change, you can’t beat Mark Sisson’s “21 Day Total Body Transformation”. It shows you how to reset your “genetic factory setting” to relying on fat as your primary fuel source in just 3 weeks, which will shift you away from the carbs that cause obesity and systemic inflammation in the body. I want to emphasize the point that Primal/Paleo is not some sort of fad diet, it’s a lifestyle and lifelong commitment to living in harmony with your genetic blueprint as a homo sapien.

Can you spot a Fake Scientific Study?

By Carisa Carlton

Can you spot a fake scientific study? A fake scientific study is often published to convince the public of biased or false facts. Sometimes, they are nothing more than a practical joke. Scientists, like the rest of us, have curious minds. Our curiosity can spark our minds into bizarre paths of discovery. Nothing, it seems, is too quirky for investigation. Hence, scientific investigations can range from the generally stereotypical inquiry into chemical reactions to the rather oddball examination of the facial recognition abilities of sheep.

Because many consider scientific studies the ultimate stamp of authority, we look to scientific studies for explanations of the world around us. But what if some of those too-whacky-to-be-true scientific studies were just that: fake? Sometimes it’s difficult to call, as the following examples prove:

Flying Penguins?
Nothing grabs the absolute trust of the hopeful public like a popular science segment by the BBC. The BBC, as an April Fool’s joke in 2008, presented footage of a colony of flying penguins on King George Island near Antarctica. Turned out that the joke was on us! But, a large majority of the public believed it.

Robotic Squirrels and their Effect on Rattlesnakes
Not many educated folks would be buying this scientific study as real. But those non-believers would be wrong. The scientific study conducted by the UC Davis labs in California entitled “Robotic squirrel models: Study of squirrel-rattlesnake interaction in laboratory and natural settings” is legitimate. .

Mermaids
Beautiful but dangerous Sirens of the seas – scientific research proving the existence of mermaids would be pretty cool. And it almost happened. Animal Planet’s utterly scientific approach in fake documentary style Mermaids: The Body Found had viewers convinced mermaids exist. Only in the fine print of the 1009 word synopsis did I find evidence of the fake scientific study, “This two-hour special is science fiction based on some real events and scientific theory.”

The above examples demonstrate using science to fool the masses is a cinch. But what is it that makes people so gullible? Rather than thinking of people as easily-fooled, I prefer to place emphasis on the innately human attribute of hopefulness. That sense of ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if…..’

My tips on how to spot a fake scientific study from a real one: Examine authorship; and, look for information about organizations that conducted the study. How was the study conducted? Ask who is financially backing the study, and what is their angle? It takes only one skeptical voice blow the lid on a fake scientific study. When I come across fake scientific studies – the ones offering no basis for their claims – I quickly dismiss their credibility, but admittedly, I may have even fallen prey to the BBC April Fool’s prank!

In our search for the truth, human beings will find ways to oust a fake. With the advent of the Internet and user-generated media, fake scientific studies are revealed for their biases rather quickly. As with the fake examples above, scientific studies that do not have foundations in truth are sometimes just jokes carried out in good faith, but other times fake scientific studies are used to convince you to buy. Buyer beware!

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