Month: January 2011

“No, dad, the meds aren’t about helping me. They’re about helping you.”

"No, dad, the meds aren't about helping me. They're about helping you." Out of the mouths of babes.

We’ve fallen victim to “feel-goodism,” the false idea that “bad” feelings ought to be annihilated, controlled, or erased by a pill

This intolerance toward emotional pain puts us at loggerheads with a basic truth about being human: Sometimes we just feel bad, and there’s nothing wrong with that—which is why struggling too hard to control our anxiety and stress only makes things more difficult.

Hope, Time and Love; three guardian angels: Alternative Routes to Recovery

I have learnt that there are two things that heal mental distress; love and work, or meaningful activity. I would like to add two more things; time and hope. My mother suggested Time, and patience, as she watched me gradually change over the course of my breakdown and subsequent depression, and, of course, it must have felt like forever for her. There were months when I made no progress whatsoever and was stuck on a ferris wheel of regret and self-recrimination. The things that healed my mental distress were the unconditional and unwavering love of my mother, my family and friends and the community I lived in.

Healing via nourishing cooking: a story

close up photo of fresh produce vegetables for nourishing cooking

About a week ago Jenny, the blog’s author shared a personal story of healing in her family. Her husband had been diagnosed bipolar. A large part of his and her journey, just like mine, was learning how to eat well, or really better than before we struggled to get healthy and free of drugs.

Outcome of FDA hearing about electroshock: more testing necessary

An expert panel advising the Food and Drug Administration decided Friday that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) machines should undergo the same rigorous testing as new medical devices coming onto the market – a decision that could drastically affect the future of psychiatry’s most controversial treatment.

Private life of a cat… (Saturday mellow)

The private life of cats. It’s a 22 minute video but well worth the time. https://youtu.be/_6e1O_NtK24 Private Life of a Cat is an intimate observation of two cats- originally created by Alexander Hammid, in 1947 (on 16mm B/W film, as a silent movie). It stars a male cat (the white one), and a female cat;... Continue Reading →

Minnesota Woman Says “No!” to Her Forced Outpatient Electroshock

This simply should not be happening, EVER. From yesterday, MindFreedom is starting an action to help stop a woman's forced electroconvulsive "therapy." Almost two years ago Mindfreedom along with supporters helped stop Ray Sanford's forced "treatment." Let's make that happen even faster for Elizabeth. Elizabeth: "I have never believed in electroconvulsive therapy!" By coincidence: Today... Continue Reading →

Two mini posts and two short videos on hypoglycemia/blood sugar/diabetes type 2

These are nice little primers on low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Two perspectives from two different professionals. Once I learned how to eat and supplement appropriately my hypoglycemia no longer poses much of a problem.

Thoughts on thinking (meditation)

I think one has to be careful not to think that meditation is about getting rid of thoughts. On the contrary, I would say that meditation helps us to creatively engage with our thoughts and not fixate on them. When people say they cannot concentrate I say “No no no, you are concentrating—too much on... Continue Reading →

The effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy: A literature review

In the paucity of easily available information on ECT, the below paper looks at the available literature and comes to some conclusions. I hope the FDA takes a look at it today when it begins its review of the devices. I can tell you that I was "offered" ECT as treatment once for what was... Continue Reading →

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