World Mental Health Day

Monday 10 October is World Mental Health Day and I would like to use it as an opportunity to urge the government to continue to invest in mental health services. 

Every year one in six of us will experience mental ill health, yet only a quarter will seek treatment. The social cost of mental ill health is over £100bn – more than the entire NHS budget – and half of all mental health problems begin before the age of 15.

The government’s recent mental health strategy “No Health without Mental Health” sets out how important mental well-being is to every one of us and how much still needs to be done to ensure that people affected by mental ill health enjoy the same chances in life as everyone else. 

People with mental health problems tell us they require services that meet both their mental health and social needs. Yet the current reductions in social care and support to the voluntary sector are having a significant impact on the lives of those who are already marginalised and living in poverty.

The British Psychological Society and a number of other professional organisations, including the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, have written an open letter to the health secretary to call for action to coincide with World Mental Health Day.

As well as continued investment in mental health services, they want to see an emphasis on recovery, job opportunities and fighting discrimination, and call for service users and carers to be involved at the outset in planning, delivering and evaluating mental health services

To read more about World Mental Health Day, click on the following links:

http://www.who.int/mental_health/publications/mentalhealthday_brochure_2011.pdf 

http://www.wfmh.org/00WorldMentalHealthDay.htm

The Power of Positivity by Dr Fred Von Gunten

Dear all,

I have just finished reading The Power of Positivity, an e-book written by Dr Fred Von Gunten who, I am really proud to say, was one of the first followers joining this blog. It is through his e-mails and the 'first-hand' account in his e-book that I have come to understand much better the life of a bipolar sufferer. Fred has lived with the bipolar for 50 years and was one of the first to receive Lithium when the FDA approved it in 1971. Fred's great belief in the 'power of positivity' is beautifully captured in the e-book, in which he focuses on the benefits of positivity over negativity.

I would like to recommend this e-book to all of you because, in my eyes, it is a 'must read' for anyone who either suffers from the disorder or has ever wondered what the bipolar might be about.  The following review offers a good introduction to the e-book, which can be yours within seconds for a tiny little fee of $1.99 USD. The access link is provided at the end of this post.

Review by: Linda Lee Rathbun on Sep. 05, 2011 :
Anyone who has struggled with mental health issues, and anyone who wonders how they can achieve positive thinking in their life, will no doubt benefit from this book. The author shares his lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder, and offers ways to manage the disorder with medication and with the Power of Positivity. In this book, Fred Von Gunten has opened up his heart and life for all to learn from. It is only when experience is passed on that it becomes a learning tool, and in this case, also a positive force for everyone's life. I highly commend this book to all. Linda Lee Rathbun
(reviewed the day of purchase)

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Please follow the link below:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/86502

Kindest Regards,

Denisa

Understanding Psychotic Experiences

Psychotic experiences, such as hearing voices, are surprisingly common, but can lead to diagnoses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

WHAT ARE PSYCHOTIC EXPERIENCES?

Also referred to as psychosis – a psychiatric term that describes experiences such as hearing voices seeing things or holding unusual beliefs, which other people don't hear/see or share. The psychotic episodes that a person experiences usually consist of hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren't there) and delusions (holding unusual/unfounded beliefs such as paranoia or feelings of importance). Some delusional ideas can be extremely frightening; for example, someone might believe that other beings are placing thoughts in their head, or trying to control or kill them. These ideas are called paranoid delusions.

These symptoms can be very distressing for sufferers and can lead them to become withdrawn, depressed and suicidal so it is vital that sufferers of psychosis get help. Psychiatrists regard these types of experiences as symptoms, and, depending on other factors, they will base a diagnosis on them. The diagnosis could be severe depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, paranoia, psychotic illness, schizoaffective disorder, or puerperal psychosis (a very severe form of postnatal depression). These diagnoses are not clear-cut, and people may receive different diagnoses at different times.

Everyone’s experiences are unique. The majority hear voices, which may be recognizable or unfamiliar. There may be one or many of them talking to, or about, an individual. They might be present occasionally, or all the time, interfering with ordinary life, making concentration and conversation difficult. The voices may be benign and helpful, or hostile and nasty. Some people hear only positive voices, and may not regard them as a problem, others hear only negative ones, which causes great distress. The sufferers may feel the voices are in control of their body and can hurt them or punish them if they don’t do as they’re told. This may cause them to cut themselves or carry out other harmful types of behaviour.

Other psychotic experiences can take form of non-verbal thoughts, images and visions, tastes, smells and sensations, which have no apparent cause. For example, feeling as if insects were crawling under your skin, having a sensation like an electric shock, or smelling something that other people around you can’t. 

WHAT CAUSES PSYCHOTIC EXPERIENCES?

Almost anyone can have a brief psychotic episode resulting from a lack of sleep, through illnesses and high fevers, or abusing alcohol or drugs. There is considerable evidence that psychotic experiences are connected to using cannabis in some vulnerable people. Experiences of this kind can also be a result of damage to the brain or dementia, of lead and mercury poisoning, or changes in blood sugar levels. There are different ideas about why psychotic experiences develop. But it’s generally thought that some people are more vulnerable to them, and that very stressful or traumatic events make them more likely to occur. A person's own attitude to their experience, as well as the attitude of those around them, also plays a part.

The experiences may involve biological changes in brain structure or brain chemistry, but its not clear whether these are the cause or the effect of the psychotic experience. Research into whether there’s an inherited vulnerability is inconclusive. If one member of a family is diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, then there seems to be more chance of another family member being similarly diagnosed, but no single gene has been found to be responsible. Early experiences in life may be important in helping to prevent, or contributing to, problems. One theory suggests that overcritical or over-protective families make people more vulnerable. 

TREATMENT

Psychosis can be treated in a number of ways once it has been diagnosed: anti-psychotic drugs, psychological therapies, hospitalisation and self-help.

LITERATURE

Voicing Psychotic Experiences

Recent Advances in Understanding Mental Illness and Psychotic Experiences 

Bipolar1: A Psychotic Experience

The First Episode of Psychosis: A Guide for Patients and Their Families

References:

http://www.mind.org.uk/

http://www.glasgowpsychology.co.uk/psychosis.htm

Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD)

Like other personality disorders, histrionic personality disorder is diagnosed based on a psychological evaluation and the history and severity of the symptoms. There is a lack of research on the causes of the HPD and thus they are not definitively known. It is suggested however that biological, developmental, cognitive and social factors play a crucial role. This disorder (Cluster B) is characterised by constant attention seeking and discomfort from not being the centre of attention. Histrionics tend to interrupt others to dominate the conversation and are sometimes referred to as drama queens with their theatrical performances and gestures. Those with the disorder may dress provocatively to gain the attention they crave, and be sexually seductive in inappropriate situations. However, there is a difference between being dramatic and being histrionic. Many people exhibit HP characteristics but would not be classified as having the disorder. The following symptoms of HPD may characterize someone who is described as 'dramatic', however, only in those diagnosed with the HPD the symptoms will be exhibited to a pathological degree.

SYMPTOMS

• Acting or looking overly seductive
• Being easily influenced by other people
• Being overly concerned with their looks
• Being overly dramatic and emotional
• Being overly sensitive to criticism or disapproval
• Believing that relationships are more intimate than they actually are
• Blaming failure or disappointment on others
• Constantly seeking reassurance or approval
• Having a low tolerance for frustration or delayed gratification
• Needing to be the center of attention (self-centeredness)
• Quickly changing emotions, which may seem shallow to others
  

TREATMENT

Treatment for HPD is difficult for a number of reasons. Often, sufferers do not believe that they have a personality disorder and do not believe they’re in need of therapy. Those who do seek treatment often do so for depression or anxiety – conditions that are frequently associated with HPD. The treatment usually involves psychotherapy and/or medication.

Many people with this disorder are able to function well socially and at work. Those with severe cases, however, might experience significant problems in their daily lives.