Recently, the Task Force on Breast Cancer Screening recommended women in their 40's and above do not need early detection mammography.
I have spent 5 years of my life working with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure in my local area who are strong advocates of early detection mammography. Some of the information they present is very indoctrinating. There may be some confabulation for everyone to support their ideas and they use strong personal stories, that are real, as their support. I understand all of that. What is good about Komen is that they use social determinants to reach out to all women who suffer from breast cancer. I am honored to work for them.
I think other groups, like American Cancer Society practice the same tactic.
The question that remains for SOME people who have NOT experienced it or keep a mind separated from the discussion--masquerading as "objectivity"--say after all the billions have been spent over the years, how come we are no closer to a cure?
Unfortunately, the same holds true for HIV/AIDS--but that is a separate discussion.
It is of the professional opinion as the owner of The Ari | af | ya Universe to let cooler heads prevail and keep the objectivity, yet simplification is not the only analytical tool to deconstruct a complex illness, such as Breast Cancer.
I suspect that the Task Force recommendations to the Department of Health were made from reviewing only the scientific data about biochemical, cell biology, molecular biology and some epidemiology. What they missed are the human factors, also called social determinants that go into the fulmination of this heinous disease.
Listed here are descriptions of Social Determinants.
A lot goes into play when disease strikes, especially chronic disease. I suspect this Task Force missed it based on some of their recommendations. They were not attune to the health disparities--in this case, women. Then for some statements about "women worrying about potential results from early detection"
My anecdotal story is I was a nervous wreck before I took my first mammogram! I knew what they were doing, but I did not actually know ALL that was involved until I did it. Fortunately, my mammogram was clear and I had a sigh of relief.
I am watching CNN now who is explaining what they did and they did a cost benefit analysis. They only looked at that ONE social determinant. Lucy Marion from Medical College of Georgia, when they did a meta-study and computer modeling. There were no oncologists sitting on the task force, guided "evidence-based practices".
While it may be true, does not mean they can deconstruct complex disease processes.
And herein is the reason why I left Academia.
of Dr. Gina Moore the consummate professional
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Telltale signs of #Depression: I knew s/he was crazy, but...
I often get asked what are the Telltale Signs of Depression, and I usually say, Google or WebMD?
Since I deal with diverse populations, Google and WebMD are often NOT our BFF's. When explaining to diverse groups there are plenty of "yes, buts" or "what ifs" after even the listing all the Telltale Signs from the DSM-IV revised by a Nobel Laureate in Medicine!
In this written piece, I am relaying and translating the societal and cultural nuances so that mostly everyone can be on the same page for depression and suicide. While knowing the basis of the mental illness through listing the symptoms, it is just as important or moreso that these symptoms are understood fully even the variations in behavior that are witness, so that all have a positive mental health diagnosis and prognosis! Everyone deserves equity and parity in mental health care and everyone needs full understanding and education on what is known and treated in serious mental illnesses like depression and suicide.
First, below is the listed symptoms of depression from WebMD that was obtained by the National Institutes of Mental Health:
Now for my personal and professional point of view to translate it mainly for the African American community. While it is clear that not ALL of these symptoms are manifested and there are variations between individuals, these are the main kinds of "tricks" that someone who is depressed "plays". It is NOT like someone who is depressed makes an "ACTIVE" choice more than the wrong choice or inaccurate choice--it is like the person thought it was a good idea at the time, but... Or the thought never occur to him/her that the idea was illogical. At this time, I will not be listing what to do to manage these symptoms, but, one is more than welcome to visit one of The Ari | af | ya Universe's brands: Sistah Mental Health and Wellness or GYM Right-H/W Coaching and Events.
The other issue is I organized this "Translation Navigator" so that we all know what we are discussing by being on the same page. I mean no disrespect to those who understand this information, but seriously, looking at the mental health disparities, something MUST be done, and I have chosen to do develop this written piece which I also will place on the Crazy Black Woman blog under a more marketable title. This written piece needs to be used complementary to your professional health care provider and does not supplant or supersede your treatment plan with a licensed provider. Nor does it counteract against the written reference material.
Here it goes:
The inability to concentrate often resembles forgetfulness--but everyday forgetting important tasks, like missing due dates for bills, or forgetting to call key people like doctors. It is not the casual forgetfulness of losing keys or dementia like forgetting where you are--like Alzheimer's--that is very different! This forgetfulness is like after have a profound conversation with the depressed person (more like an argument) and they forget to pay the cable bill, still... Mainly forget to do important tasks.
Being fatigued or decreased energy means if the depressed person exercises every day at 12 PM, then they stop and do not do it for a month because they complain of fatigued or exhaustion or "I'm tired"--then it probably a depression. It is the dramatic shift in routine over a month that this symptom resembles.
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness are often not articulated or said and generally men do not state this. If men say anything it resembles blame of any perceivable target--often you! Generally, depressed women complain, then blame. Shortly, I will explain what that looks like because it is a manifestation of depression as a disorder.
Hopelessness and/or pessimism often looks like "commentary" that teenagers provide whenever you make comments. For example, when you say, "Let's go to the Beach, it is a nice sunny day!", a depressed individual would say rapidly, "Why to get burned by the sun!"
Insomnia or excessive sleeping: I have not been privy to insomnia due to depression, but I have slept all day for several days without being sick. Like I would choose to sleep vs choosing to exercise, or go to a fun social activity.
Irritability or restlessness: Irritability often looks like whining and snapping at whatever you say. You could just say "BOO" and the depressed person combined with the feeling of guilt would bite your head off for saying "BOO"... The restlessness is often combined with the forgetfulness. Watch when they cook. Tell the depressed person to make Koolaid/punch and s/he will get flustered by making a simple recipe... And remember, the behavior is not sporadic, it is consistent over a month or two.
Lost of interest in activities once pleasurable, includes sex: This particular symptom I have witnessed and experienced its combination with the forgetfulness, the fatigue, the guilt the pessimism and the excessive sleeping symptoms. It could be any activity that you know your loved one enjoys. One of mine was going to the movies. I was very much into science fiction and reading the latest trailers and previews. Then, my loved ones would ask, "Hey, let's go to the MOVIES" and I would say I did not want to go. I had no reason why and one would have to twist my arm to make me go. The other issue is when it is several activities once enjoyed that have been done as tradition and the reason why it is not wanting to be done is no known reason! Such as your depressed loved one and you enjoy having fries and shakes after a heavy workout, it is your ritual, and for no reason, the depressed individual refuses to go--not because s/he took a new nutrition class, but just does not want it... Remember, the behavior must be consistent over a month and is not sporadic!
Changes in eating behavior: I have witnessed and experienced overeating. I may have done some forms of appetite loss, unrealized. But, I have overeating junk food more than not eaten at all... What a depressed individual does when s/he overeats is a lot of carbs! Breads, cakes, sugary. Apparently, the medical aspects of depression feeds off of glucose in the brain, the full mechanism is unknown. Moreover, the meal is one time of day--all day and does not stop until sleep! Alternatively, what a depressed person looks like when his/her appetite loss is s/he has failed to go grocery shopping and all that is left is something indistinguishable, often the depressed person is living off of something bizarre like gum or rationalizes vitamin supplements have nutrition. Most of the symptoms mesh with each other, so this one is combined with forgetfulness, inability making decisions, helplessness and hopelessness. Moreover very little eating can cause the insomnia...
Persistent malaise: A depressed person complains all the time about physical issues and when s/he chooses to see a primary care physician, knowing that the ache and pain is in his/her mind is currently discouraged due to lawsuits. Laboratory tests and manifestations cannot convince the depressed person of his/her ailment. Remember this is another symptom that meshes itself with other symptoms, so if this one is see, the other ones are seen... I have experienced this one with the fatigue, guilt, hopelessness, irritability and lost of interest in activities symptoms.
Persistent negative thoughts: A depressed person complains about "nobody likes me" or any absolute statements: NEVER, ALWAYS, NOBODY, EVERYBODY. AND often you also see judgmental with accusations types of comments: "You should's" and "You must's". The empty feelings look like "listlessness" or lack of response--especially when you ask a simple question like "How are you going today". A depressed person will respond with a shrug or say "I don't know" on a consistent basis. Remember, this type of symptom is meshed with the other ones... The thing is this one is a trigger: meaning when you start hearing them frequently is when your antenna needs to be risen!!!
Thoughts of suicide: When the comment gets made, it needs to be taken seriously. Whether or not there is a plan, that will be discussed later, no games can be made or discounting it. By that time, depressed people have actually intensely rationalized and thought about it, so now they are beginning to vocalize it... It is the process of the disease of depression. Literally, the brain is damaging itself due to the aforementioned symptoms. It is thought that all the symptoms meshed together overload the system and crashes the brain--like a hard drive. But there are other organs attempting to save the body at the same time: i.e. the heart, the muscles, the stomach, the liver and the kidneys, plus many others to override the "self-destruct" button... Remember, this behavior is not night and day or sporadic, does not lessen the impact though, so watch this behavior closely.
So please permit me to use some creative license and combine some of the warning signs to suicide from WebMD and Suicide.org:
There are some key spots that MUST be watched and vigilant with someone suffering from depression, especially as it relates to suicide! I cannot stress this enough if you love this person, this is NOT about "Dr. Gina" being crazy, this is about me going into thoughts of suicide and generally these thoughts resemble the below discussion. Also, these are the telltale signs. This IS what you look for so that you can do "if you could have done anything differently..." The way to think about this is the splinter in the tiger. The tiger by itself is a lethal fighting animal, but when there is a splinter, they writhe in pain and while you might think "it is not a big deal", it is to the tiger and usually it will kill itself or gnaw off its paw to minimize the pain... However, if you do notice key suicide warning signs, you need to include a professionally licensed provider for any intervention. But laws vary from state to state, and no one can be hospitalized against his/her consent. I am only pointing out the suicide symptoms, as usual my disclaimer is this is completely complementary and suggestive of any professional statements, it cannot be used to diagnose, supplant or used contrary to any professionally licensed provider's treatment or medical orders. In fact the information presented here has not been verifiable so you must use it at your own risk and it is for casual informational purposes only!
Sudden switch from very sad (depressed) to calm/appearing happy: While obviously stated, often this looks like the depressed person has found "resolution" to his/her problem--usually it is committing suicide--like the game show buzzer--EHHHN--inaccurate conclusion here. So, if you notice this behavior with your loved one, ASK what his/her wants are? Asking this question is also called a question of autonomy. The point of this question is have they made a definitive decision--you will get an answer to this question no matter what the answer is... If s/he flies off the handle or shuts you out, that answers your question. If s/he actually tells you what is going on, then you may have to make your own decisions, which does NOT include yelling at him/her.
Always talking and writing about death. Generally, we think of this "Gothic paraphernalia", like always wearing black like a vampire... But really, making this culturally relevant for African Americans, this symptom looks like wanting to be that "gangster" or "thug", with the guns, listening to "gangsta rap" or "thuggish" music and actually believing it is real. And the discussion looks like dark and dreary kind of lifestyle, such as robbing people, misogyny, prostitution, etc. This symptom meshes with another symptom as described later.
Clinical depression as described in the above section.
Having a "death wish"--taking unnecessary risks: this one discussed in all the statements resemble activities the African American culture does not do, classically. Running red lights is unsafe for any African American in the United States, so that would not be something we would manifest. But carrying a gun into a club saying we are protecting ourselves is an "unnecessary risk"... The death wishes we have is getting involved in very dangerous activities known to ruin our lives and are self-destructive--which leads us to our next symptom
Substance abuse: Alcohol is a depressant, and some illegal substances, like marijuana and methamphetamine make irrational thoughts worse. Many people in our community abuse substances to self-medicate from their depression. It is a self-destructive habit. This is probably one of the single elements that is seen more in the African American community than others. The symptom looks over and above the normal consumption of substance abuse--a functional alcoholic or smoker, etc. And substance abuse treatment differs from depression treatment, while the two are intertwined inexplicably, first the addiction is treated then the mental health issue...
Acting impulsively: This symptom is one of my signature ones. Usually I would run to go somewhere or act like I was running away when I was younger, living with my parents. My folks were not astute enough to pick up that was a suicidal symptom, so, without treatment, this one can precipitate to a worse outcome, like a suicide attempt--which I did. Since this discussion is about depression, acting impulsively is doing something without thinking about it and letting the chips fall where they land--meaning if the depressed person dies, that will be where the chips land... The depression symptoms you often see meshed with this suicide warning sign are guilt and hopelessness.
Performing poorly in school and work: For youths you can see the grades and you know they can do the work. For adults, it accounts for missed days of work, lack of follow through and missed deadlines. The depression symptoms you often see meshed with this suicide warning sign are lack of concentration, fatigue and excessive sleeping.
Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, writing/changing a will, giving away prized possessions: So many depressed African Americans feel they do not have anything, so changing wills is infrequent occurrence. Moreover, I have not seen or experienced giving away prized possessions freely. I gather this suicide waring sign resembles vandalism or destruction of property. The depressed person's thinking is "Since I have nothing to lose (hopelessness) and everyone thinks I am worthless (guilt, worthlessness), I will vandalize this property by graffiti or I will destroy this property by stealing/thievery of key items". What makes this illogical thinking occur in a depressed person is putting the affairs in order or tying up loose ends... What makes this a suicidal warning sign is the risk of arrest involved along with the depression symptoms and other suicidal warning signs like substance abuse or a death wish.
Feeling strong anger or rage: It has been told to me that depression is anger turned in on myself. The anger I have had and still have is due to unresolved hurts and pains done to me or experiencing what I perceive as a traumatic event. Some people casually say, "this is what is called life, deal with it"--is a destructive comment to make to clinically depressed individual, it is what will tip them over to just thinking about suicide to actually committing suicide. The heartless comment often is misconstrued to a depressed person who is already having inaccurate gross conclusions in thought and the comment causes the person who is incapable to articulate his/her feelings to only verify his/her self-worth with the depression symptoms. What you see is either the first suicidal warning sign of "listlessness" or "empty" feelings or you see an anger/rage unloading, often with crying. What causes this anger? I have a blog on anger as it is written from my bipolar POV. When I realized I was very anger or enraged, I had to develop an action plan to remove myself from the event so that my brain was not damaged by my negative thoughts. I also include several other activities and if you would like to know more, you would have to join Sistah Mental Health and Wellness -- the premier online social media site for diverse women: SistahMentalHealth.com!
Remember, it should be noted that some people who commit suicide do not show ANY warning signs. So, loved ones may still feel, "I knew s/he was crazy, but..." And if you actively see these symptoms and want to help him/her, judgment does not help them, professionally licensed provider can! A few pastors have qualifications for professional mental health care and it does not only include prayer or telling one to just be saved! Many professionally licensed providers lack cultural sensitivity and could look "crazy" to you! Finding the what works for you, navigating the mental health care system, implementing mental health and wellness goals for you and your loved ones is very important! If that is something that interests you and you are a diverse woman, please feel free to join us at Sistah Mental Health and Wellness! We await your presence, today!
Since I deal with diverse populations, Google and WebMD are often NOT our BFF's. When explaining to diverse groups there are plenty of "yes, buts" or "what ifs" after even the listing all the Telltale Signs from the DSM-IV revised by a Nobel Laureate in Medicine!
In this written piece, I am relaying and translating the societal and cultural nuances so that mostly everyone can be on the same page for depression and suicide. While knowing the basis of the mental illness through listing the symptoms, it is just as important or moreso that these symptoms are understood fully even the variations in behavior that are witness, so that all have a positive mental health diagnosis and prognosis! Everyone deserves equity and parity in mental health care and everyone needs full understanding and education on what is known and treated in serious mental illnesses like depression and suicide.
First, below is the listed symptoms of depression from WebMD that was obtained by the National Institutes of Mental Health:
What are symptoms of depression?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms of depression
may include the following:
- difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
- fatigue and decreased energy
- feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
- feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
- insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
- irritability, restlessness
- loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including
sex - overeating or appetite loss
- persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive
problems that do not ease even with treatment - persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
- thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
Are there warning signs of suicide with depression?
Depression carries a high risk of suicide. Anybody who expresses suicidal
thoughts or intentions should be taken very, very seriously. Do not hesitate to
call your local suicide hotline immediately. Call 1-800-SUICIDE
(1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) -- or the deaf hotline at
1-800-4889.
Warning signs of suicide with depression include:
- a sudden switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be
happy - always talking or thinking about death
- clinical depression (deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and
eating) that gets worse - having a "death wish," tempting fate by taking risks that could
lead to death, like driving through red lights - losing interest in things one used to care about
- making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
- putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
- saying things like "It would be better if I wasn't here" or "I
want out" - talking about suicide (killing one's self)
- visiting or calling people one cares about
Remember, if you or someone you know is demonstrating any of the above
warning signs of suicide with depression, either call your local suicide hot
line, contact a mental health professional right away, or go to the emergency
room for immediate treatment.
Suicide Warning Signs
by Kevin Caruso
If you or someone you know exhibits several of the suicide warning signs listed below, immediate action is required,
so please read the information on the
Suicide Warning Signs:
- Appearing depressed or sad most of the time.
(Untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide.) - Talking or writing about death or suicide.
- Withdrawing from family and friends.
- Feeling hopeless.
- Feeling helpless.
- Feeling strong anger or rage.
- Feeling trapped -- like there is no way out of a situation.
- Experiencing dramatic mood changes.
- Abusing drugs or alcohol.
- Exhibiting a change in personality.
- Acting impulsively.
- Losing interest in most activities.
- Experiencing a change in sleeping habits.
- Experiencing a change in eating habits.
- Losing interest in most activities.
- Performing poorly at work or in school.
- Giving away prized possessions.
- Writing a will.
- Feeling excessive guilt or shame.
- Acting recklessly.
It should be noted that some people who die by suicide do not show any suicide warning signs.
But about 75 percent of those who die by suicide do exhibit some suicide warning signs, so we need to be aware of what the suicide warning
signs are and try to spot them in people. If we do see someone exhibiting
suicide warning signs, we need to do everything that we can to help them.
If you or someone you know exhibits several of the suicide warning signs listed above, immediate action is required, so please read the information on the
Always take suicide warning signs seriously.
Thank you,
Kevin Caruso
Now for my personal and professional point of view to translate it mainly for the African American community. While it is clear that not ALL of these symptoms are manifested and there are variations between individuals, these are the main kinds of "tricks" that someone who is depressed "plays". It is NOT like someone who is depressed makes an "ACTIVE" choice more than the wrong choice or inaccurate choice--it is like the person thought it was a good idea at the time, but... Or the thought never occur to him/her that the idea was illogical. At this time, I will not be listing what to do to manage these symptoms, but, one is more than welcome to visit one of The Ari | af | ya Universe's brands: Sistah Mental Health and Wellness or GYM Right-H/W Coaching and Events.
The other issue is I organized this "Translation Navigator" so that we all know what we are discussing by being on the same page. I mean no disrespect to those who understand this information, but seriously, looking at the mental health disparities, something MUST be done, and I have chosen to do develop this written piece which I also will place on the Crazy Black Woman blog under a more marketable title. This written piece needs to be used complementary to your professional health care provider and does not supplant or supersede your treatment plan with a licensed provider. Nor does it counteract against the written reference material.
Here it goes:
The inability to concentrate often resembles forgetfulness--but everyday forgetting important tasks, like missing due dates for bills, or forgetting to call key people like doctors. It is not the casual forgetfulness of losing keys or dementia like forgetting where you are--like Alzheimer's--that is very different! This forgetfulness is like after have a profound conversation with the depressed person (more like an argument) and they forget to pay the cable bill, still... Mainly forget to do important tasks.
Being fatigued or decreased energy means if the depressed person exercises every day at 12 PM, then they stop and do not do it for a month because they complain of fatigued or exhaustion or "I'm tired"--then it probably a depression. It is the dramatic shift in routine over a month that this symptom resembles.
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness are often not articulated or said and generally men do not state this. If men say anything it resembles blame of any perceivable target--often you! Generally, depressed women complain, then blame. Shortly, I will explain what that looks like because it is a manifestation of depression as a disorder.
Hopelessness and/or pessimism often looks like "commentary" that teenagers provide whenever you make comments. For example, when you say, "Let's go to the Beach, it is a nice sunny day!", a depressed individual would say rapidly, "Why to get burned by the sun!"
Insomnia or excessive sleeping: I have not been privy to insomnia due to depression, but I have slept all day for several days without being sick. Like I would choose to sleep vs choosing to exercise, or go to a fun social activity.
Irritability or restlessness: Irritability often looks like whining and snapping at whatever you say. You could just say "BOO" and the depressed person combined with the feeling of guilt would bite your head off for saying "BOO"... The restlessness is often combined with the forgetfulness. Watch when they cook. Tell the depressed person to make Koolaid/punch and s/he will get flustered by making a simple recipe... And remember, the behavior is not sporadic, it is consistent over a month or two.
Lost of interest in activities once pleasurable, includes sex: This particular symptom I have witnessed and experienced its combination with the forgetfulness, the fatigue, the guilt the pessimism and the excessive sleeping symptoms. It could be any activity that you know your loved one enjoys. One of mine was going to the movies. I was very much into science fiction and reading the latest trailers and previews. Then, my loved ones would ask, "Hey, let's go to the MOVIES" and I would say I did not want to go. I had no reason why and one would have to twist my arm to make me go. The other issue is when it is several activities once enjoyed that have been done as tradition and the reason why it is not wanting to be done is no known reason! Such as your depressed loved one and you enjoy having fries and shakes after a heavy workout, it is your ritual, and for no reason, the depressed individual refuses to go--not because s/he took a new nutrition class, but just does not want it... Remember, the behavior must be consistent over a month and is not sporadic!
Changes in eating behavior: I have witnessed and experienced overeating. I may have done some forms of appetite loss, unrealized. But, I have overeating junk food more than not eaten at all... What a depressed individual does when s/he overeats is a lot of carbs! Breads, cakes, sugary. Apparently, the medical aspects of depression feeds off of glucose in the brain, the full mechanism is unknown. Moreover, the meal is one time of day--all day and does not stop until sleep! Alternatively, what a depressed person looks like when his/her appetite loss is s/he has failed to go grocery shopping and all that is left is something indistinguishable, often the depressed person is living off of something bizarre like gum or rationalizes vitamin supplements have nutrition. Most of the symptoms mesh with each other, so this one is combined with forgetfulness, inability making decisions, helplessness and hopelessness. Moreover very little eating can cause the insomnia...
Persistent malaise: A depressed person complains all the time about physical issues and when s/he chooses to see a primary care physician, knowing that the ache and pain is in his/her mind is currently discouraged due to lawsuits. Laboratory tests and manifestations cannot convince the depressed person of his/her ailment. Remember this is another symptom that meshes itself with other symptoms, so if this one is see, the other ones are seen... I have experienced this one with the fatigue, guilt, hopelessness, irritability and lost of interest in activities symptoms.
Persistent negative thoughts: A depressed person complains about "nobody likes me" or any absolute statements: NEVER, ALWAYS, NOBODY, EVERYBODY. AND often you also see judgmental with accusations types of comments: "You should's" and "You must's". The empty feelings look like "listlessness" or lack of response--especially when you ask a simple question like "How are you going today". A depressed person will respond with a shrug or say "I don't know" on a consistent basis. Remember, this type of symptom is meshed with the other ones... The thing is this one is a trigger: meaning when you start hearing them frequently is when your antenna needs to be risen!!!
Thoughts of suicide: When the comment gets made, it needs to be taken seriously. Whether or not there is a plan, that will be discussed later, no games can be made or discounting it. By that time, depressed people have actually intensely rationalized and thought about it, so now they are beginning to vocalize it... It is the process of the disease of depression. Literally, the brain is damaging itself due to the aforementioned symptoms. It is thought that all the symptoms meshed together overload the system and crashes the brain--like a hard drive. But there are other organs attempting to save the body at the same time: i.e. the heart, the muscles, the stomach, the liver and the kidneys, plus many others to override the "self-destruct" button... Remember, this behavior is not night and day or sporadic, does not lessen the impact though, so watch this behavior closely.
So please permit me to use some creative license and combine some of the warning signs to suicide from WebMD and Suicide.org:
There are some key spots that MUST be watched and vigilant with someone suffering from depression, especially as it relates to suicide! I cannot stress this enough if you love this person, this is NOT about "Dr. Gina" being crazy, this is about me going into thoughts of suicide and generally these thoughts resemble the below discussion. Also, these are the telltale signs. This IS what you look for so that you can do "if you could have done anything differently..." The way to think about this is the splinter in the tiger. The tiger by itself is a lethal fighting animal, but when there is a splinter, they writhe in pain and while you might think "it is not a big deal", it is to the tiger and usually it will kill itself or gnaw off its paw to minimize the pain... However, if you do notice key suicide warning signs, you need to include a professionally licensed provider for any intervention. But laws vary from state to state, and no one can be hospitalized against his/her consent. I am only pointing out the suicide symptoms, as usual my disclaimer is this is completely complementary and suggestive of any professional statements, it cannot be used to diagnose, supplant or used contrary to any professionally licensed provider's treatment or medical orders. In fact the information presented here has not been verifiable so you must use it at your own risk and it is for casual informational purposes only!
Sudden switch from very sad (depressed) to calm/appearing happy: While obviously stated, often this looks like the depressed person has found "resolution" to his/her problem--usually it is committing suicide--like the game show buzzer--EHHHN--inaccurate conclusion here. So, if you notice this behavior with your loved one, ASK what his/her wants are? Asking this question is also called a question of autonomy. The point of this question is have they made a definitive decision--you will get an answer to this question no matter what the answer is... If s/he flies off the handle or shuts you out, that answers your question. If s/he actually tells you what is going on, then you may have to make your own decisions, which does NOT include yelling at him/her.
Always talking and writing about death. Generally, we think of this "Gothic paraphernalia", like always wearing black like a vampire... But really, making this culturally relevant for African Americans, this symptom looks like wanting to be that "gangster" or "thug", with the guns, listening to "gangsta rap" or "thuggish" music and actually believing it is real. And the discussion looks like dark and dreary kind of lifestyle, such as robbing people, misogyny, prostitution, etc. This symptom meshes with another symptom as described later.
Clinical depression as described in the above section.
Having a "death wish"--taking unnecessary risks: this one discussed in all the statements resemble activities the African American culture does not do, classically. Running red lights is unsafe for any African American in the United States, so that would not be something we would manifest. But carrying a gun into a club saying we are protecting ourselves is an "unnecessary risk"... The death wishes we have is getting involved in very dangerous activities known to ruin our lives and are self-destructive--which leads us to our next symptom
Substance abuse: Alcohol is a depressant, and some illegal substances, like marijuana and methamphetamine make irrational thoughts worse. Many people in our community abuse substances to self-medicate from their depression. It is a self-destructive habit. This is probably one of the single elements that is seen more in the African American community than others. The symptom looks over and above the normal consumption of substance abuse--a functional alcoholic or smoker, etc. And substance abuse treatment differs from depression treatment, while the two are intertwined inexplicably, first the addiction is treated then the mental health issue...
Acting impulsively: This symptom is one of my signature ones. Usually I would run to go somewhere or act like I was running away when I was younger, living with my parents. My folks were not astute enough to pick up that was a suicidal symptom, so, without treatment, this one can precipitate to a worse outcome, like a suicide attempt--which I did. Since this discussion is about depression, acting impulsively is doing something without thinking about it and letting the chips fall where they land--meaning if the depressed person dies, that will be where the chips land... The depression symptoms you often see meshed with this suicide warning sign are guilt and hopelessness.
Performing poorly in school and work: For youths you can see the grades and you know they can do the work. For adults, it accounts for missed days of work, lack of follow through and missed deadlines. The depression symptoms you often see meshed with this suicide warning sign are lack of concentration, fatigue and excessive sleeping.
Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, writing/changing a will, giving away prized possessions: So many depressed African Americans feel they do not have anything, so changing wills is infrequent occurrence. Moreover, I have not seen or experienced giving away prized possessions freely. I gather this suicide waring sign resembles vandalism or destruction of property. The depressed person's thinking is "Since I have nothing to lose (hopelessness) and everyone thinks I am worthless (guilt, worthlessness), I will vandalize this property by graffiti or I will destroy this property by stealing/thievery of key items". What makes this illogical thinking occur in a depressed person is putting the affairs in order or tying up loose ends... What makes this a suicidal warning sign is the risk of arrest involved along with the depression symptoms and other suicidal warning signs like substance abuse or a death wish.
Feeling strong anger or rage: It has been told to me that depression is anger turned in on myself. The anger I have had and still have is due to unresolved hurts and pains done to me or experiencing what I perceive as a traumatic event. Some people casually say, "this is what is called life, deal with it"--is a destructive comment to make to clinically depressed individual, it is what will tip them over to just thinking about suicide to actually committing suicide. The heartless comment often is misconstrued to a depressed person who is already having inaccurate gross conclusions in thought and the comment causes the person who is incapable to articulate his/her feelings to only verify his/her self-worth with the depression symptoms. What you see is either the first suicidal warning sign of "listlessness" or "empty" feelings or you see an anger/rage unloading, often with crying. What causes this anger? I have a blog on anger as it is written from my bipolar POV. When I realized I was very anger or enraged, I had to develop an action plan to remove myself from the event so that my brain was not damaged by my negative thoughts. I also include several other activities and if you would like to know more, you would have to join Sistah Mental Health and Wellness -- the premier online social media site for diverse women: SistahMentalHealth.com!
Remember, it should be noted that some people who commit suicide do not show ANY warning signs. So, loved ones may still feel, "I knew s/he was crazy, but..." And if you actively see these symptoms and want to help him/her, judgment does not help them, professionally licensed provider can! A few pastors have qualifications for professional mental health care and it does not only include prayer or telling one to just be saved! Many professionally licensed providers lack cultural sensitivity and could look "crazy" to you! Finding the what works for you, navigating the mental health care system, implementing mental health and wellness goals for you and your loved ones is very important! If that is something that interests you and you are a diverse woman, please feel free to join us at Sistah Mental Health and Wellness! We await your presence, today!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sistah #Mental #Health and #Wellness #AfricanAmerican #Women
Ariafya LLC
Founding Member and President
PO Box 197
Redmond, WA 98073
Beloved:
I would like to introduce you to my business, The Ari | af | ya Universe: The Science of Mental Zeal for Spirit and Well-Being for diverse people. I am the founding member and president.
Ariafya is the Americanization of 2 KiSwahili words combined to mean: ZEAL, ENTHUSIASM, EAGERNESS, INITIATIVE, SPIRIT, KEENNESS, INVENTIVENESS, HEALTH, WELL-BEING; STRENGTH, VIGOUR and POWER.
Ariafya embodies the diverse woman’s experience - QUEEN and GODDESS of the Diaspora and her experience. We want to be ARIAFYA!
I am requesting your support for my business by:
• Participating in my brands’ social networking sites
• Being coached for health and wellness
• Serving on my brands’ professional advisory board
• Supporting monetarily for my businesses’ overall mission
You will be a part of this exciting opportunity of deciding how diverse people will seek online and real-time mental health and wellness care in the near future! Your return on investment will be demonstrable!
If being a key stakeholder for The Ariafya Universe you want, please read the following 3 brand descriptions and support this effort monetarily and participatory by submitting your interest (donation) in the enclosed envelop or online at the below websites listed.
Asante sana,
Dr. Gina
The Brands of The Ari | af | ya Universe
The Science of Mental Zeal for Spirit and Well-Being
Sistah Mental Health and Wellness
•The premier online social media for mental health and wellness resource support site for diverse women
•We are confidential, secure and private social network where members are free to discuss their mental health concerns
•All applicants are screened and invited to membership
•Become embraced by like-minded Queens visit us at:
SistahMentalHealth.com
Start your PQ Interest Questionnaire today! We are awaiting your presence!
The GYM Right Coach for You!
•The Get Your Mind Right=GYM Right Coach for you when you need a boost to your wellness!
•We offer Health/Wellness webinars, seminars and mental health timeshares or retreats so that you can dedicate one week to commit toward your goal
•Do you desire to be more fit, energized and less stressed, then check out:
GYMRIGHT.COM
Start your PQ Interest Questionnaire today! Because if you don’t have your health, what do you have?
Mental Health Angel Investment Group
•The Mental Health Angel Investment Group is the professional liaison between the brands of The Ari | af | ya Universe.
•We want angel investors, professional advisory board members, joint ventures, clinical trials and partnerships to empower, self-manage and promote health/wellness to diverse communities.
•We present position papers and clinical trials to professionals and lay people on mental health and wellness resources online and real-time activities
•If you are a professional who wants to invest in social media for diverse groups, advise us at:
MentalHealthAngel.com
Complete your application today! Activate your expertise and knowledge!
Founding Member and President
PO Box 197
Redmond, WA 98073
Beloved:
I would like to introduce you to my business, The Ari | af | ya Universe: The Science of Mental Zeal for Spirit and Well-Being for diverse people. I am the founding member and president.
Ariafya is the Americanization of 2 KiSwahili words combined to mean: ZEAL, ENTHUSIASM, EAGERNESS, INITIATIVE, SPIRIT, KEENNESS, INVENTIVENESS, HEALTH, WELL-BEING; STRENGTH, VIGOUR and POWER.
Ariafya embodies the diverse woman’s experience - QUEEN and GODDESS of the Diaspora and her experience. We want to be ARIAFYA!
I am requesting your support for my business by:
• Participating in my brands’ social networking sites
• Being coached for health and wellness
• Serving on my brands’ professional advisory board
• Supporting monetarily for my businesses’ overall mission
You will be a part of this exciting opportunity of deciding how diverse people will seek online and real-time mental health and wellness care in the near future! Your return on investment will be demonstrable!
If being a key stakeholder for The Ariafya Universe you want, please read the following 3 brand descriptions and support this effort monetarily and participatory by submitting your interest (donation) in the enclosed envelop or online at the below websites listed.
Asante sana,
Dr. Gina
The Brands of The Ari | af | ya Universe
The Science of Mental Zeal for Spirit and Well-Being
Sistah Mental Health and Wellness
•The premier online social media for mental health and wellness resource support site for diverse women•We are confidential, secure and private social network where members are free to discuss their mental health concerns
•All applicants are screened and invited to membership
•Become embraced by like-minded Queens visit us at:
SistahMentalHealth.com
Start your PQ Interest Questionnaire today! We are awaiting your presence!
The GYM Right Coach for You!
•The Get Your Mind Right=GYM Right Coach for you when you need a boost to your wellness!•We offer Health/Wellness webinars, seminars and mental health timeshares or retreats so that you can dedicate one week to commit toward your goal
•Do you desire to be more fit, energized and less stressed, then check out:
GYMRIGHT.COM
Start your PQ Interest Questionnaire today! Because if you don’t have your health, what do you have?
Mental Health Angel Investment Group
•The Mental Health Angel Investment Group is the professional liaison between the brands of The Ari | af | ya Universe.•We want angel investors, professional advisory board members, joint ventures, clinical trials and partnerships to empower, self-manage and promote health/wellness to diverse communities.
•We present position papers and clinical trials to professionals and lay people on mental health and wellness resources online and real-time activities
•If you are a professional who wants to invest in social media for diverse groups, advise us at:
MentalHealthAngel.com
Complete your application today! Activate your expertise and knowledge!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Denied Pain - Rapes/Sexual Assaults on Black Women #saartjie #mentalhealth #rape
The image of the Black woman has been violated for ~1000 years. We have NEVER been respected for our humanity, femininity or decency. In light of the brazen belittling images arising in media this MUST STOP!
EVERYDAY 1 out of 4 Black Women are ASSAULTED! Be it SEXUAL ASSAULT, RAPE, ABUSE and etc.
It is the position of The Ari | af | ya Universe that any assault made against a woman of African descent is a psychopathic bigoted one. The Ari | af | ya Universe has ZERO TOLERANCE for any violation of women of African descent.
In light of the Ms. Tara Hill beating in Morrow, Georgia on September, 2009: The Ari | af | ya Universe will take an strong stance against all persons who violate women of African descent using all social media channels, blogs and websites.
The reason for this stance is the ignorance portrayed about rape and sexual assault in the African American community, especially against women. This is about young people and dispelling myths of appropriate sexual and intimate contact between two consenting adults. I can quote statistics all day but here is what I see:
Given these incendiary statistics, how are Black Women being protected by the current laws. Given that social injustice exacerbates health disparities (Gravelee et al. 2009, PLoS), then how is the United States protecting its citizens, particularly Black Women?
Given the behavior of Serena Williams appearing "so menacing" to a referee, to be charged $10,000 for her inappropriate behavior, whereas, meanwhile Federer who behaved similarly is charged nothing. Given the humiliation of an 18 year old woman Ms. Semanya in South Africa and an overt broadcast of her genitalia in the name of science indicates that there is a discrepancy in the view of Black Women by racist ideology of some people GLOBALLY. Then the mainstream media does little to protect the images of women of African descent and appropriate thoughts of womanist protections on this fragile community.
As a result, Black women congregate in various areas to find support. However, without directed support these same women unknowingly pass on the mythology about assaults rather than leading to their own healing. This exacerbates our mental illness, particularly depression and PTSD without resolution in a vicious cycle. That is not health care! That is not spiritual care! That is not mindful care! THIS IS NOT HUMAN!
RAINN has a excellent resource on what rape is. Basically, it varies from state to state, but there are some baseline information:
Causes of rape, Motivation for rape, or Who is the rapist: There are many theories that why some people rape. However, it is of the professional opinion of The Ari | af | ya Universe that rape has both psychological and social theories and uses psychosis, power and control in all human relationships, it is similar to that for domestic violence, but rape is an extreme outcome of that violence.
It is NOT the view of The Ari | af | ya Universe that it rape stems from anger as a reason to explain away the violence. Unrestrained anger can drive harm, but saying "she made me angry" is an excuse to explain away the inability to control anger one's behavior. It is NOT the view of the The Ari | af | ya Universe that violence is the sole reason for rape. Silence is NOT consent in rape! Just because the rape was not violent, does not mean it was NOT rape! Regardless of the causes or motivations of rape, ALL VICTIMS NEED SUPPORT!!!
Here are is a brief list of online resources immediately available:
Unfortunately, in the United States, when one gets rape, her/his healing is all dependent upon self-energy. THAT IS NOT HEALTHY! But it is, what it is. As a result, if you have been raped, what are your next steps? Here are some suggestions:
If you have just experienced rape, sexual assault, etc. please call 911 immediately! What law enforcement will do is ascertain your status, could give you a "rape kit" where they can collect evidence, they will write up a detailed report and move forward legally. No one is sensitive in this process. But you are not alone. Some crisis clinics can assist you through some small aspects of healing. Believe me, you are not alone, I KNOW! I KNOW!!!
The issue is not who is wrong or right, the issue is public health code violations in this day of HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted infections as well as pregnancy. This is a HEALTH concern and you have the right to appropriate health care: mental, physical, and spiritual devoid of judgment.
LET NO ONE CONVINCE YOU OTHERWISE!
If you have experienced rape, sexual assault but not immediately or recently (it has been over 5 years) the following work is a suggestion that you could be do. Remember gradual transition into each stage requires your careful consideration at your own speed on your own time.
It is the professional opinion of The Ari | af | ya Universe the at this stage often YEARS later than the incident, these are the key perspectives that one can keep in mind: Defining/Re-defining of one's sexual self; Positive sexual role models/intimacies/relationships; Complementary Alternative Medicine/Holistic Therapies - Vodoun, Kama Sutra and Tantra methods.
Black women and their sexual nature has been assaulted for over 1000 years. The images of Black Women in various artistic renditions, ridiculous caricatures to humiliating music video clearly show that this image is inappropriate. Moreover it is damaging the self-image/self-esteem of our girls who are high risks for many health conditions. And to recoup the full potential of our girls are wonderful and valued people within humanity, violations on the most quintessential being that reaches divinity is spiritually unjust. And the Universe will respond in kind for how the least among us will be treated... The violent images and crimes against Black women will be a longterm debt that humanity will pay, maybe with its continuity in life!
I welcome all respectful comments or criticisms.
Dr. Gina L. Moore-Sanders
The Ariafya Universe
Founding Member & President
References:
Gravlee CC, Non AL, Mulligan CJ (2009) Genetic Ancestry, Social Classification, and Racial Inequalities in Blood Pressure in Southeastern Puerto Rico. PLoS ONE 4(9): e6821. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006821
RAINN.org
Pandys.org
NDVH.org
Myvoiceaftersilence.wordpress.com
Motivations for rape
Rape - Causes Of Rape
CDC HIV/AIDS in women
Wikipedia's Domestic Violence
EVERYDAY 1 out of 4 Black Women are ASSAULTED! Be it SEXUAL ASSAULT, RAPE, ABUSE and etc.
It is the position of The Ari | af | ya Universe that any assault made against a woman of African descent is a psychopathic bigoted one. The Ari | af | ya Universe has ZERO TOLERANCE for any violation of women of African descent.
In light of the Ms. Tara Hill beating in Morrow, Georgia on September, 2009: The Ari | af | ya Universe will take an strong stance against all persons who violate women of African descent using all social media channels, blogs and websites.
The reason for this stance is the ignorance portrayed about rape and sexual assault in the African American community, especially against women. This is about young people and dispelling myths of appropriate sexual and intimate contact between two consenting adults. I can quote statistics all day but here is what I see:
- Newly infected HIV rates in Black Women are 23 times the rate of caucasian women
- High unmarried birth rates among Black teenage girls
- High single-never married rates among Black Women for all education levels
- High rates of Black Women who have had no positive male role models in any life stage
- Increased risk of violent assaults: rape, sexual, abuse of Black women of all ages
Given these incendiary statistics, how are Black Women being protected by the current laws. Given that social injustice exacerbates health disparities (Gravelee et al. 2009, PLoS), then how is the United States protecting its citizens, particularly Black Women?
Given the behavior of Serena Williams appearing "so menacing" to a referee, to be charged $10,000 for her inappropriate behavior, whereas, meanwhile Federer who behaved similarly is charged nothing. Given the humiliation of an 18 year old woman Ms. Semanya in South Africa and an overt broadcast of her genitalia in the name of science indicates that there is a discrepancy in the view of Black Women by racist ideology of some people GLOBALLY. Then the mainstream media does little to protect the images of women of African descent and appropriate thoughts of womanist protections on this fragile community.
As a result, Black women congregate in various areas to find support. However, without directed support these same women unknowingly pass on the mythology about assaults rather than leading to their own healing. This exacerbates our mental illness, particularly depression and PTSD without resolution in a vicious cycle. That is not health care! That is not spiritual care! That is not mindful care! THIS IS NOT HUMAN!
RAINN has a excellent resource on what rape is. Basically, it varies from state to state, but there are some baseline information:
- RAPE is forced sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal, or oral penetration. Penetration may be by a body part or an object.
Causes of rape, Motivation for rape, or Who is the rapist: There are many theories that why some people rape. However, it is of the professional opinion of The Ari | af | ya Universe that rape has both psychological and social theories and uses psychosis, power and control in all human relationships, it is similar to that for domestic violence, but rape is an extreme outcome of that violence.
It is NOT the view of The Ari | af | ya Universe that it rape stems from anger as a reason to explain away the violence. Unrestrained anger can drive harm, but saying "she made me angry" is an excuse to explain away the inability to control anger one's behavior. It is NOT the view of the The Ari | af | ya Universe that violence is the sole reason for rape. Silence is NOT consent in rape! Just because the rape was not violent, does not mean it was NOT rape! Regardless of the causes or motivations of rape, ALL VICTIMS NEED SUPPORT!!!
Here are is a brief list of online resources immediately available:
- RAINN - Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network
- Pandora's Project
- After Silence blog
- US DOJ Office of Violence Against Women
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
Unfortunately, in the United States, when one gets rape, her/his healing is all dependent upon self-energy. THAT IS NOT HEALTHY! But it is, what it is. As a result, if you have been raped, what are your next steps? Here are some suggestions:
If you have just experienced rape, sexual assault, etc. please call 911 immediately! What law enforcement will do is ascertain your status, could give you a "rape kit" where they can collect evidence, they will write up a detailed report and move forward legally. No one is sensitive in this process. But you are not alone. Some crisis clinics can assist you through some small aspects of healing. Believe me, you are not alone, I KNOW! I KNOW!!!
The issue is not who is wrong or right, the issue is public health code violations in this day of HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted infections as well as pregnancy. This is a HEALTH concern and you have the right to appropriate health care: mental, physical, and spiritual devoid of judgment.
LET NO ONE CONVINCE YOU OTHERWISE!
If you have experienced rape, sexual assault but not immediately or recently (it has been over 5 years) the following work is a suggestion that you could be do. Remember gradual transition into each stage requires your careful consideration at your own speed on your own time.
- Trauma mental health work
- Regaining one's sense of self through some root-cause therapy & positive coaching
- Pursuit of one's own sexual self-expression and intimacy
It is the professional opinion of The Ari | af | ya Universe the at this stage often YEARS later than the incident, these are the key perspectives that one can keep in mind: Defining/Re-defining of one's sexual self; Positive sexual role models/intimacies/relationships; Complementary Alternative Medicine/Holistic Therapies - Vodoun, Kama Sutra and Tantra methods.
Black women and their sexual nature has been assaulted for over 1000 years. The images of Black Women in various artistic renditions, ridiculous caricatures to humiliating music video clearly show that this image is inappropriate. Moreover it is damaging the self-image/self-esteem of our girls who are high risks for many health conditions. And to recoup the full potential of our girls are wonderful and valued people within humanity, violations on the most quintessential being that reaches divinity is spiritually unjust. And the Universe will respond in kind for how the least among us will be treated... The violent images and crimes against Black women will be a longterm debt that humanity will pay, maybe with its continuity in life!
I welcome all respectful comments or criticisms.
Dr. Gina L. Moore-Sanders
The Ariafya Universe
Founding Member & President
References:
Gravlee CC, Non AL, Mulligan CJ (2009) Genetic Ancestry, Social Classification, and Racial Inequalities in Blood Pressure in Southeastern Puerto Rico. PLoS ONE 4(9): e6821. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006821
RAINN.org
Pandys.org
NDVH.org
Myvoiceaftersilence.wordpress.com
Motivations for rape
Rape - Causes Of Rape
CDC HIV/AIDS in women
Wikipedia's Domestic Violence
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Case Conference: The Economy Redirect, A Metaphor to a Healing Business--a health & wellness research scientist's perspective - November, 2008
Here is my take on our declining economy. It is an intersection between business and the economy, and health, healing and wellness. I would appreciate comments. Also note: ironically, I am constantly improving on my writing skills... LOL.
Stating the obvious: We are in a declining economy. The health of this economy and it prognosis is poor. Of course with new governmental leadership euphorically pervading our minds, the economic woes afflicting us seems like the new leadership are Emergency Room Physicians and Triage healthcare workers whose only goal is to stabilize the situation. This occurrence is the system of real-time emergency room healthcare and it is the standard of healthcare--to stabilize the patient. With the credentials of our new leadership, the traumatic accident is staved, but along with that comes a cacophony of being in the intensive care unit (ICU), rehabilitation treatments, physical therapy and recovery. Additionally, the lifestyle changes and caregiver support systems are required to uplift this economy to functionality with a quality of life.
It seems as if there was a physical "risk assessment" completed with this patient (the electorate, citizens, etc) long ago. However, the patient consciously decided to not adhere to the directives made by the primary care provider. Unfortunately, it seems that is patient contracted a cancer, but it was non-invasive, benign, and it was treatable. The patient entered into a course of chemotherapeutics, however choose not to adhere to the full regimen of treatment. As this patient aged, the cancer metastasized (spread), then the economy showed symptoms of cardiovascular disease, particularly atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries due to increase bad cholesterol). Immediate metabolic and statin drugs were added along with the therapeutics and we were told to make lifestyle adjustments. However, as before, non-adherence to the regimen reappeared and we decided to pursue a quick and easy way for a course of treatment not peer reviewed by clinical trials.
Then the economy underwent a cerebrocardiovascular accident with congestive heart, kidney and lung failure--a meltdown--along with a more aggressive and pervasive cancer (greed) and our patient now shows up into the ER. The ER physicians are unclear what medications and treatments where administered or taken because medical records are inconsistent from the patients complaints. The underlying causes for this course of diseases are unknown and the prognosis seems grim at this time. Moreover, this patient requires specialist and expert attention, which its insurance does not cover.
And there is a silver lining--at least the patient was seen and is in critical condition. Blessings that at least we have that, yet we have to have the patience of the Christian Biblical Job as our specialists and experts tirelessly operate.
What is interesting about this case is that ONLY the body has been "stabilized" in this patient. Healthcare providers might argue that the unregulated business practices tanked this economy... While business entities claim sky-rocketing healthcare costs and health illiteracy caused the downfall of the economy...
Yet, something tells me that we have divorced ourselves from the idea that maybe we need to redirect our focus to a healing economy--particularly a holistic healing economy--not just that of the body, but of the mind and spirit.
The adage that business is only worth doing if it is good enough to make money needs an evolved and enlightened thought pattern. That mentality is toxic, requires waste management and has a foul odor.
After we have gotten the patient out of critical care ICU and into Rehab/Physical Therapy and Recovery, we need to reinvent the basics of lifestyle changes in living with chronic conditions, particular that of greed despite others (the cancer) and anger, mental stress, aggression and pain (the cerebrocardiovascular disease with concomitant organ failure). Inherently we treat the embodiments of the spirit and the mind when we treat these two conditions that have pervaded the economy for a more holistic healing economy. The upfront costs are steep, however if it is not done, the accident costs are more...
Greed is a human condition. In America we live in a disposable and instant gratification society. "Mother Necessity" drives the passion and it has gotten us far. Yet we have forgotten and neglected our introspective history as to how we arrived to this place. Moreover we have chosen to be untempered in our decisions. It is likened to a crack addict that leads to self-destruction. Greed is a result of impulsive ambition. During economic lulls, ambition is needed, in fact encouraged. However, during crisis as fears set in, the pathological symptoms of greed replaces ambition. When the pathological environment is rife with greed, the checks and balances to it are unstable. The balance to greed, from a Zen perspective, is Generosity--giving of oneself and service to a greater cause to those less able to give...
Anger, mental stress, aggression and pain is a motive force. We use anger physiologically in the fight/flight response. That means anger is a survival tactic. Eons ago when our ancestors lived in caves and were predated, we use our anger to protect ourselves. The other greatest gifts we had that we controlled and bridled that anger, which gave us power to act--thoughtfully... Since human brains and their remarkable memory capacity evolved through empirical (trial and error) to fight or take flight from our predators, our ancestors strength was to recall our efforts how to combat or take paths leading to our survival. The downside to anger is that this emotion is addictive and highly intoxicating--it provides us an exhilarating amount of energy (albeit short-lived) to the point we feel an invincible power--indestructible, unreplacable--a pious delusion of grandeur. Anger fools us into thinking we are gods, which inevitably the Spirits and the Universe actually destabilizes our arrogance...
"To whom the gods wish to destroy, they must first make them angry..."
~Roman Proverb
In America, we live in a society that exhaust our nonrenewable energy resource, unbridled anger (rage) to drive inappropriate behaviors manifested as crimes. Rage has been well known to cause mental stress, aggression and pain. When enraged, a host of physiological and molecular responses are recorded that lead to chronic stressors, namely that of physical pain in back, neck, sexual dysfunction, heart damage, stroke, etc. Rage can lead to hate and destroy everything in its wake. Nothing renews after rage and hate. That is it, life goes extinct. To bridle that rage is to respond in loving-kindness so that a soothing peace and serenity quiets to hurt and pain. Conscious attention is brought to the forefront by mindfully tapping into the spirit centers either by prayer/salutation/invocation/meditation. Conscious focus is nonreactive, a buffer readily accessed by breath. That was the only medical treatment our ancestors had to temper anger. Controlled anger can provide a powerful tool in business to bring about passion and change and action on a major insurmountable challenge. And we can achieve a better work in a new Age and Era of transition with this tool. And this tool has to be controlled.
In business we use the motive forces, ambition and anger to survive economies. However, we are only using discordant pieces of mind, body or spirit. All 3 pieces are in harmony with each other, like a highly stylized dance or sporting activity. As such to employ all 3 we require practice.
Business drives how we connect and interact with one another, Universally--mind, body and spirit. In American society, we can no longer afford business tactics to be solely based on profit. We need to have a soul in business grounded in community service for our customer base.
Healing business enriches love and joy made visible by human pursuits of happiness; help to integrate contact with one another through healing, balance and serenity; it is a permanent human bond presented in an original product/service; serves as a meditation for life's purpose.
Civic engagement is a healing business; a path to encompass a healing energy for prosperity.
Nameste'
Dr. G-
Research Scientist
Ariafya LLC
Founding Member and President
The aforementioned blog are professional opinions solely expressed as my own without professional peer review and are not intended for the use or practice of any business or medical treatment.
Stating the obvious: We are in a declining economy. The health of this economy and it prognosis is poor. Of course with new governmental leadership euphorically pervading our minds, the economic woes afflicting us seems like the new leadership are Emergency Room Physicians and Triage healthcare workers whose only goal is to stabilize the situation. This occurrence is the system of real-time emergency room healthcare and it is the standard of healthcare--to stabilize the patient. With the credentials of our new leadership, the traumatic accident is staved, but along with that comes a cacophony of being in the intensive care unit (ICU), rehabilitation treatments, physical therapy and recovery. Additionally, the lifestyle changes and caregiver support systems are required to uplift this economy to functionality with a quality of life.
It seems as if there was a physical "risk assessment" completed with this patient (the electorate, citizens, etc) long ago. However, the patient consciously decided to not adhere to the directives made by the primary care provider. Unfortunately, it seems that is patient contracted a cancer, but it was non-invasive, benign, and it was treatable. The patient entered into a course of chemotherapeutics, however choose not to adhere to the full regimen of treatment. As this patient aged, the cancer metastasized (spread), then the economy showed symptoms of cardiovascular disease, particularly atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries due to increase bad cholesterol). Immediate metabolic and statin drugs were added along with the therapeutics and we were told to make lifestyle adjustments. However, as before, non-adherence to the regimen reappeared and we decided to pursue a quick and easy way for a course of treatment not peer reviewed by clinical trials.
Then the economy underwent a cerebrocardiovascular accident with congestive heart, kidney and lung failure--a meltdown--along with a more aggressive and pervasive cancer (greed) and our patient now shows up into the ER. The ER physicians are unclear what medications and treatments where administered or taken because medical records are inconsistent from the patients complaints. The underlying causes for this course of diseases are unknown and the prognosis seems grim at this time. Moreover, this patient requires specialist and expert attention, which its insurance does not cover.
And there is a silver lining--at least the patient was seen and is in critical condition. Blessings that at least we have that, yet we have to have the patience of the Christian Biblical Job as our specialists and experts tirelessly operate.
What is interesting about this case is that ONLY the body has been "stabilized" in this patient. Healthcare providers might argue that the unregulated business practices tanked this economy... While business entities claim sky-rocketing healthcare costs and health illiteracy caused the downfall of the economy...
Yet, something tells me that we have divorced ourselves from the idea that maybe we need to redirect our focus to a healing economy--particularly a holistic healing economy--not just that of the body, but of the mind and spirit.
The adage that business is only worth doing if it is good enough to make money needs an evolved and enlightened thought pattern. That mentality is toxic, requires waste management and has a foul odor.
After we have gotten the patient out of critical care ICU and into Rehab/Physical Therapy and Recovery, we need to reinvent the basics of lifestyle changes in living with chronic conditions, particular that of greed despite others (the cancer) and anger, mental stress, aggression and pain (the cerebrocardiovascular disease with concomitant organ failure). Inherently we treat the embodiments of the spirit and the mind when we treat these two conditions that have pervaded the economy for a more holistic healing economy. The upfront costs are steep, however if it is not done, the accident costs are more...
Greed is a human condition. In America we live in a disposable and instant gratification society. "Mother Necessity" drives the passion and it has gotten us far. Yet we have forgotten and neglected our introspective history as to how we arrived to this place. Moreover we have chosen to be untempered in our decisions. It is likened to a crack addict that leads to self-destruction. Greed is a result of impulsive ambition. During economic lulls, ambition is needed, in fact encouraged. However, during crisis as fears set in, the pathological symptoms of greed replaces ambition. When the pathological environment is rife with greed, the checks and balances to it are unstable. The balance to greed, from a Zen perspective, is Generosity--giving of oneself and service to a greater cause to those less able to give...
Anger, mental stress, aggression and pain is a motive force. We use anger physiologically in the fight/flight response. That means anger is a survival tactic. Eons ago when our ancestors lived in caves and were predated, we use our anger to protect ourselves. The other greatest gifts we had that we controlled and bridled that anger, which gave us power to act--thoughtfully... Since human brains and their remarkable memory capacity evolved through empirical (trial and error) to fight or take flight from our predators, our ancestors strength was to recall our efforts how to combat or take paths leading to our survival. The downside to anger is that this emotion is addictive and highly intoxicating--it provides us an exhilarating amount of energy (albeit short-lived) to the point we feel an invincible power--indestructible, unreplacable--a pious delusion of grandeur. Anger fools us into thinking we are gods, which inevitably the Spirits and the Universe actually destabilizes our arrogance...
"To whom the gods wish to destroy, they must first make them angry..."
~Roman Proverb
In America, we live in a society that exhaust our nonrenewable energy resource, unbridled anger (rage) to drive inappropriate behaviors manifested as crimes. Rage has been well known to cause mental stress, aggression and pain. When enraged, a host of physiological and molecular responses are recorded that lead to chronic stressors, namely that of physical pain in back, neck, sexual dysfunction, heart damage, stroke, etc. Rage can lead to hate and destroy everything in its wake. Nothing renews after rage and hate. That is it, life goes extinct. To bridle that rage is to respond in loving-kindness so that a soothing peace and serenity quiets to hurt and pain. Conscious attention is brought to the forefront by mindfully tapping into the spirit centers either by prayer/salutation/invocation/meditation. Conscious focus is nonreactive, a buffer readily accessed by breath. That was the only medical treatment our ancestors had to temper anger. Controlled anger can provide a powerful tool in business to bring about passion and change and action on a major insurmountable challenge. And we can achieve a better work in a new Age and Era of transition with this tool. And this tool has to be controlled.
In business we use the motive forces, ambition and anger to survive economies. However, we are only using discordant pieces of mind, body or spirit. All 3 pieces are in harmony with each other, like a highly stylized dance or sporting activity. As such to employ all 3 we require practice.
Business drives how we connect and interact with one another, Universally--mind, body and spirit. In American society, we can no longer afford business tactics to be solely based on profit. We need to have a soul in business grounded in community service for our customer base.
Healing business enriches love and joy made visible by human pursuits of happiness; help to integrate contact with one another through healing, balance and serenity; it is a permanent human bond presented in an original product/service; serves as a meditation for life's purpose.
Civic engagement is a healing business; a path to encompass a healing energy for prosperity.
Nameste'
Dr. G-
Research Scientist
Ariafya LLC
Founding Member and President
The aforementioned blog are professional opinions solely expressed as my own without professional peer review and are not intended for the use or practice of any business or medical treatment.
Learning from Community Health Fairs--from April, 2009
Community Health Fairs done by community groups who are NOT health providers SUCK!!! EVERY PHYSICIAN I HAVE SPOKEN TO, EVERY CLINICIAN I HAVE SPOKEN, EVERY NURSE, EVERY THERAPIST, EVERY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS HATES THESE COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIRS!!!
Why? ZERO FOLLOW UP!!! What is the point to finding someone's high blood pressure when that might be a one-time value, you have no course of treatment, you do not know if they will come back, I guess, you suck it up and move forward...
Now the doctor's that treat the uninsured on 60 minutes, that is NOT what I am talking about. That is full physical, with some type of old school "military-like" review and immediately treat as much as you possibly can. It makes clinicians feel decent about their care they give to the broader community. No, I am NOT talking about that kind of "health fair"...
I am talking about the little old lady at the haunted house who thinks one day to her group, that "HEY, let's test blood and pee and tell everyone that about their health!" But she has not seen day 1 of Cecil's or Harrison's, understands what H2O is, or 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. But somehow SHE knows that is would be nice to have a Health Fair for her "special" group...
What is so wonderful about most clinicians is if they have the time, they do love to educate their patients on what ails them. With the current health care situation, that is tough to do. So when you have clinicians and health educators for that matter, and they take their precious time to present topics of health interests, they deserve to be heard. Unfortunately, that is not what the patients or caregivers want to hear...
I attended an excellent presentation funded by NARSAD, and several clinicians at a major university presented their current understanding of neuropsychiatric research. While quite technical for the majority of the audience, I myself had a wonderful time! However, then the Q&A started, people asked questions about their loved one's failing to get care, rather than expounding or clarifying their research presentations. It was quite sad. Because anyone could see that at least the clinicians made the effort to speak to a layperson group with full powerpoint slide, but the group could care less about that and moreover questioned how come no herbal supplements were not used, rather than the underlying mechanisms leading to mental illness brain disorders...
The intent on having Health Fairs are generally well-meaning, most organizers truly want to improve their community's health. However, consideration must be given when having active laboratory type testing and the inability to provide follow up leading to improve outcomes and quality of care. Why do it when the patient more often than not does not understand why health changes must be enacted, or is not motivated to change to a healthier behavior? Another question is when the provider has not ordered these tests, what is the expected health outcome without furthering cost? Finally, more often than not community groups are not health organizations, they are stringing along several other forces to discuss the topic "du jour" without understand the whole body process toward disease.
It is our duty as health care workers to accurately inform our client based that aligns with the latest evidence-based peer-reviewed research and our prescribe methods of quality of care. Since I am not a physician, I would not tell anyone to go against their providers instructions. I certainly would not tell them online, beyond making an appointment to speak to their providers. However, I can equip them with some basic understanding about their health condition, compel them to seek their providers' assistance, and motivate them to reach their desired health. In essence, I can coach them, and in that way alone, IMHO, having a Health FORUM works just like all clinicians and providers desire.
After having 5 years worth of health forums in a major urban center I have learned the following:
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience.
Namesté,
Dr. Gina M.-S.
Ariafya LLC
http://www.ariafya.com
Founding Member and President
Why? ZERO FOLLOW UP!!! What is the point to finding someone's high blood pressure when that might be a one-time value, you have no course of treatment, you do not know if they will come back, I guess, you suck it up and move forward...
Now the doctor's that treat the uninsured on 60 minutes, that is NOT what I am talking about. That is full physical, with some type of old school "military-like" review and immediately treat as much as you possibly can. It makes clinicians feel decent about their care they give to the broader community. No, I am NOT talking about that kind of "health fair"...
I am talking about the little old lady at the haunted house who thinks one day to her group, that "HEY, let's test blood and pee and tell everyone that about their health!" But she has not seen day 1 of Cecil's or Harrison's, understands what H2O is, or 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. But somehow SHE knows that is would be nice to have a Health Fair for her "special" group...
What is so wonderful about most clinicians is if they have the time, they do love to educate their patients on what ails them. With the current health care situation, that is tough to do. So when you have clinicians and health educators for that matter, and they take their precious time to present topics of health interests, they deserve to be heard. Unfortunately, that is not what the patients or caregivers want to hear...
I attended an excellent presentation funded by NARSAD, and several clinicians at a major university presented their current understanding of neuropsychiatric research. While quite technical for the majority of the audience, I myself had a wonderful time! However, then the Q&A started, people asked questions about their loved one's failing to get care, rather than expounding or clarifying their research presentations. It was quite sad. Because anyone could see that at least the clinicians made the effort to speak to a layperson group with full powerpoint slide, but the group could care less about that and moreover questioned how come no herbal supplements were not used, rather than the underlying mechanisms leading to mental illness brain disorders...
The intent on having Health Fairs are generally well-meaning, most organizers truly want to improve their community's health. However, consideration must be given when having active laboratory type testing and the inability to provide follow up leading to improve outcomes and quality of care. Why do it when the patient more often than not does not understand why health changes must be enacted, or is not motivated to change to a healthier behavior? Another question is when the provider has not ordered these tests, what is the expected health outcome without furthering cost? Finally, more often than not community groups are not health organizations, they are stringing along several other forces to discuss the topic "du jour" without understand the whole body process toward disease.
It is our duty as health care workers to accurately inform our client based that aligns with the latest evidence-based peer-reviewed research and our prescribe methods of quality of care. Since I am not a physician, I would not tell anyone to go against their providers instructions. I certainly would not tell them online, beyond making an appointment to speak to their providers. However, I can equip them with some basic understanding about their health condition, compel them to seek their providers' assistance, and motivate them to reach their desired health. In essence, I can coach them, and in that way alone, IMHO, having a Health FORUM works just like all clinicians and providers desire.
After having 5 years worth of health forums in a major urban center I have learned the following:
- Talk about 3 varied easy topics where health societies can bring back up support
- Due to strong resistance and gross non-adherence have physicians speak to the groups for 30 minutes
- Health forum activities need to be done at a healthcare site or if a health fair, for liabilities, the activity must be done at a healthcare site, i.e. hospital meeting rooms, so that if a participant is injured, the is care provisions in place.
- Compelling reasons must be noted with health forum participants in urban settings, they can be arranged by coaching or patient navigators.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience.
Namesté,
Dr. Gina M.-S.
Ariafya LLC
http://www.ariafya.com
Founding Member and President
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Have a business idea for my community
I have come to realize that my brand, GYM Right Health/Wellness Coaching needs explanations to most people first or there will be misunderstandings about the expectations of what coaching really provides.
Health/Wellness coaching provides reaching goals related to health, such as eating healthier and fitness. Where we cross with Life Coaches is decreasing stress. Most of my clients have stated they want to decrease their stress. Interestingly, NONE of them have an idea of how to do that, and what works for them! Granted fitness will decrease stress when done properly, i.e. 3X week, >30 minutes, with cardio, calisthenics and isometrics. BUT, very few of my clients get to that level.
Here's the caveat: Most of my clients are African American descent... Some are very healthy and needed boosters. Some are not as healthy and probably don't need a coach, but a whole slew of clinical professionals. While I am not a clinician, I do hold a PhD in molecular genetics. My dissertation was on reducing cholesterol at the molecular genetic level using stem cells. Since that time, my research has focused on molecular cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and aging. I have published scientific articles. So, I will be coaching from a purview of the latest research proven to work for people by clinical trials. That means my clients get the benefit of health/wellness coaching as well as innovations from the latest research!
My idea to expand my local efforts is to hold a multivariate health forum that includes a very brief informational/interest meeting on GYM Right Health/Wellness Coaching, stating what services I provide and to sign up for a 15 minutes introductory session that I charge a nominal fee of $25 + tax.
Afterward, if they choose to move forward, I will start with my codes for the purchase of a 6 session minimum, at $120 + tax 1st session due to timing, $60 + tax X 5 sessions = $420 + tax total.
The health forum will also include presentations by physicians, local health advocacy groups and expectations upon needing a provider in managing chronic illnesses. I have done these events several times previously of which I have won awards. And I am exhausted doing them when I am NOT getting paid to do them, nor am I doing them alone again!
Well, that is my idea for my business brand or expression!
Health/Wellness coaching provides reaching goals related to health, such as eating healthier and fitness. Where we cross with Life Coaches is decreasing stress. Most of my clients have stated they want to decrease their stress. Interestingly, NONE of them have an idea of how to do that, and what works for them! Granted fitness will decrease stress when done properly, i.e. 3X week, >30 minutes, with cardio, calisthenics and isometrics. BUT, very few of my clients get to that level.
Here's the caveat: Most of my clients are African American descent... Some are very healthy and needed boosters. Some are not as healthy and probably don't need a coach, but a whole slew of clinical professionals. While I am not a clinician, I do hold a PhD in molecular genetics. My dissertation was on reducing cholesterol at the molecular genetic level using stem cells. Since that time, my research has focused on molecular cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and aging. I have published scientific articles. So, I will be coaching from a purview of the latest research proven to work for people by clinical trials. That means my clients get the benefit of health/wellness coaching as well as innovations from the latest research!
My idea to expand my local efforts is to hold a multivariate health forum that includes a very brief informational/interest meeting on GYM Right Health/Wellness Coaching, stating what services I provide and to sign up for a 15 minutes introductory session that I charge a nominal fee of $25 + tax.
Afterward, if they choose to move forward, I will start with my codes for the purchase of a 6 session minimum, at $120 + tax 1st session due to timing, $60 + tax X 5 sessions = $420 + tax total.
The health forum will also include presentations by physicians, local health advocacy groups and expectations upon needing a provider in managing chronic illnesses. I have done these events several times previously of which I have won awards. And I am exhausted doing them when I am NOT getting paid to do them, nor am I doing them alone again!
Well, that is my idea for my business brand or expression!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
What do you do when you are depressed?
What do you do when you are depressed? Do you cry profusely? Are you combative? How do you handle your depression? What does depression look like to you?
I am in recovery from bipolar disorder II (hypomania), which a part of it is depression. Clinical depression is a medical illness. It is a psychiatric medical disease and when left untreated, can lead to extremely negative outcomes, such as suicide or worse.
Depression is different from the occasional "blues". Daily life pains are something every rational person manages. Clinical depression is NOT that. Depression symptoms last a long time (~2 weeks or longer). People can become depressed for hardly any reason at all, but usually there is an onset or "the straw that broke the camel's back". A depressed person may function normally for months, and then when a major stressor occurs, that is when one and caregivers need to realize the drop. A depressed person usually does not get out of bed, but unable to sleep, uninterested in activities that s/he use to find enjoyable. The depressed person often says extremely negative comments, and personalizes simple comments with inaccurate perceptions, such as someone could just say "BOO", and the depressed person becomes extremely angry or sad, then completely shuts down rational faculties. And the behavior is occurs over a consistent period of time. It is similar to an adult temper tantrum but there is no time out...
What can be done: Both the depressed person and the caregivers need resources and support. The depressed person has to come to a realization that s/he needs assistance and seek that assistance. The caregiver cannot force someone who is not harming others or her/himself. The only way a clinically depressed person can be arrested, is under those condition and even those laws still are enacted by a judge who might have psychiatric evaluation and there MIGHT be care. It is easier when the depressed person is under 18 years old. But that says nothing about the cultural competency and the understanding where the psychological problems are derived. A psychiatrist, who is a physician, has the medical expertise enough to diagnose depression. The other clinicians can treat depression and are useful for specific tasks.
The other clinicians are:
Other people can be found in the book by Terrie Williams, "Black Pain".
For caregivers: DO NOT CONVINCE your ADULT depressed loved one that they MUST see someone. Why get into a The time to get involved is when s/he intends to harm others or her/himself. Intended harm to oneself means there is a "PLAN OF ACTION"--such as, all the majority depression symptoms as previously described. There are more depression symptoms on WebMD. Also when s/he says "I'm so stupid, I can't get anything right. Do you have any pills to help me sleep?" Or s/he says "I need some razor blades" Or s/he says "If only I could use my gun or maybe I can jump off this bridge". IF YOU HEAR THOSE COMMENTS OR SIMILAR, THE DEPRESSED PERSON IS IN CRISIS AND YOU NEED TO CALL 9-1-1 AND 1-800-SUICIDE!!! LET THE LICENSED PROFESSIONAL HANDLE THE BEHAVIOR AND MAKE THE DIAGNOSIS!!!
Usually, the untreated depressed person is disheveled, her/his eating behavior is off--i.e. late at night snacking with all the ice cream, pickles and 5 Cokes! Or such as, the caregiver attempts to go out with the depressed person, but s/he cannot get her/him to do anything or go anywhere. All s/he can manage to do is sleep or stay in bed. This goes on for weeks. When the caregiver gets up in the morning, and the depressed person slogs in with a "grrr" that is illogical, that is NOT right!!! Remember it is timing also, 1-2 days during a stress-filled time (lost job, lack money, a break up)--well, maybe I would make simple evaluation type comments with love (always), and if the depressed person flies off the handle, then, the caregiver may request assistance, etc...
Caregivers need to consider finding their own support and resources to help them on how to love this sick person, just like other chronic illness, and to improve communication with the depressed person. It is NOT a matter of "snapping out of it" or "questioning why s/he feels bad". The caregivers are often untrained in psychiatry, how can a caregiver speak to his/her depressed loved one until there are resources & support. It is NEVER about the caregiver or his/her loving skills... The clinically depressed person's brain is sick and requires medication, treatment and therapy to work through this condition...
Just like diabetes or high blood pressure, lifestyle changes must be enacted to reach a recovery. There will be slip ups and falling off the horse. But both the clinically depressed person and caregivers need to be patient with the process. Join groups that will support the values of both the depressed person and caregiver, such as Sistah Mental Health & Wellness - online social media resource support groups for African American women who suffer mental illnesses.
Sistah Mental Health & Wellness is private, secure and confidential social media. There is a screening and a membership process for a nominal fee. We would enjoy your presence for the embrace--because you are not alone.
My comments are to help others avoid the pitfalls I faced during my path to recovery. There are several other websites that promote resources and support. But, there is little in the way of cultural competency that my business presents! If you are not in crisis and require a consult, please visit my other website: GYM Right Health/Wellness Coaching and events.
Take care of yourself, and "if you don't have your health, what do you have?"
Dr. Gina M.-S.
Founding Member & President
The Ariafya Universe
I am in recovery from bipolar disorder II (hypomania), which a part of it is depression. Clinical depression is a medical illness. It is a psychiatric medical disease and when left untreated, can lead to extremely negative outcomes, such as suicide or worse.
Depression is different from the occasional "blues". Daily life pains are something every rational person manages. Clinical depression is NOT that. Depression symptoms last a long time (~2 weeks or longer). People can become depressed for hardly any reason at all, but usually there is an onset or "the straw that broke the camel's back". A depressed person may function normally for months, and then when a major stressor occurs, that is when one and caregivers need to realize the drop. A depressed person usually does not get out of bed, but unable to sleep, uninterested in activities that s/he use to find enjoyable. The depressed person often says extremely negative comments, and personalizes simple comments with inaccurate perceptions, such as someone could just say "BOO", and the depressed person becomes extremely angry or sad, then completely shuts down rational faculties. And the behavior is occurs over a consistent period of time. It is similar to an adult temper tantrum but there is no time out...
What can be done: Both the depressed person and the caregivers need resources and support. The depressed person has to come to a realization that s/he needs assistance and seek that assistance. The caregiver cannot force someone who is not harming others or her/himself. The only way a clinically depressed person can be arrested, is under those condition and even those laws still are enacted by a judge who might have psychiatric evaluation and there MIGHT be care. It is easier when the depressed person is under 18 years old. But that says nothing about the cultural competency and the understanding where the psychological problems are derived. A psychiatrist, who is a physician, has the medical expertise enough to diagnose depression. The other clinicians can treat depression and are useful for specific tasks.
The other clinicians are:
- Psychiatrists
- Psychiatric nurses ARNP
- Clinical Psychologist - that studies human behaviors & their evolution, they treat based on theories on the basis thoughts
- Social Workers - generally includes Master's Level MSW, LiCSW, LCSW, etc. They are on the therapy frontlines, the first line of defense. Most HMO's will require clients to work with them
Other people can be found in the book by Terrie Williams, "Black Pain".
For caregivers: DO NOT CONVINCE your ADULT depressed loved one that they MUST see someone. Why get into a The time to get involved is when s/he intends to harm others or her/himself. Intended harm to oneself means there is a "PLAN OF ACTION"--such as, all the majority depression symptoms as previously described. There are more depression symptoms on WebMD. Also when s/he says "I'm so stupid, I can't get anything right. Do you have any pills to help me sleep?" Or s/he says "I need some razor blades" Or s/he says "If only I could use my gun or maybe I can jump off this bridge". IF YOU HEAR THOSE COMMENTS OR SIMILAR, THE DEPRESSED PERSON IS IN CRISIS AND YOU NEED TO CALL 9-1-1 AND 1-800-SUICIDE!!! LET THE LICENSED PROFESSIONAL HANDLE THE BEHAVIOR AND MAKE THE DIAGNOSIS!!!
Usually, the untreated depressed person is disheveled, her/his eating behavior is off--i.e. late at night snacking with all the ice cream, pickles and 5 Cokes! Or such as, the caregiver attempts to go out with the depressed person, but s/he cannot get her/him to do anything or go anywhere. All s/he can manage to do is sleep or stay in bed. This goes on for weeks. When the caregiver gets up in the morning, and the depressed person slogs in with a "grrr" that is illogical, that is NOT right!!! Remember it is timing also, 1-2 days during a stress-filled time (lost job, lack money, a break up)--well, maybe I would make simple evaluation type comments with love (always), and if the depressed person flies off the handle, then, the caregiver may request assistance, etc...
Caregivers need to consider finding their own support and resources to help them on how to love this sick person, just like other chronic illness, and to improve communication with the depressed person. It is NOT a matter of "snapping out of it" or "questioning why s/he feels bad". The caregivers are often untrained in psychiatry, how can a caregiver speak to his/her depressed loved one until there are resources & support. It is NEVER about the caregiver or his/her loving skills... The clinically depressed person's brain is sick and requires medication, treatment and therapy to work through this condition...
Just like diabetes or high blood pressure, lifestyle changes must be enacted to reach a recovery. There will be slip ups and falling off the horse. But both the clinically depressed person and caregivers need to be patient with the process. Join groups that will support the values of both the depressed person and caregiver, such as Sistah Mental Health & Wellness - online social media resource support groups for African American women who suffer mental illnesses.
Sistah Mental Health & Wellness is private, secure and confidential social media. There is a screening and a membership process for a nominal fee. We would enjoy your presence for the embrace--because you are not alone.
My comments are to help others avoid the pitfalls I faced during my path to recovery. There are several other websites that promote resources and support. But, there is little in the way of cultural competency that my business presents! If you are not in crisis and require a consult, please visit my other website: GYM Right Health/Wellness Coaching and events.
Take care of yourself, and "if you don't have your health, what do you have?"
Dr. Gina M.-S.
Founding Member & President
The Ariafya Universe
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The Ari | af | ya Universe Business Redirect
I had to suck it up, not become personal, nor take it personally, but people are not ready for the full wonderment of The Ari | af | ya Universe. I am required to drag them by their noses and guide them to this extraordinary time for Social Media and the Web 2.0 as it relates to health care--Health 2.0.
The fact is my business is already at Health 3.0 by skipping the baby steps and sometimes, for others, I have to slowdown. Socially, my logic has caused me plenty of grief because people were not ready for what I gave them. Only to find out years later, I was right. I have great consternation against that, but c'est la vie!
So, I have made a business redirect to slow down both my moment and my overwhelming world I really am enthusiastic for people to join!
Having be on social media for nearly 15 years and seeing explode rapidly, we are in exciting times for human communication! For health care, everyone can share their health tribulations and triumphs. People can allow themselves to advocate for their own health care. However, just as much good information is out there, so is there bad information out there! Some health information is grossly inaccurate, some is outright wrong, and some is not grounded in peer-reviewed scientific research. Now, I have been involved in serious scientific research for over 20 years, and I know how to evaluate the scientific merit of most research articles. I see plenty of the "get rich quick schemes", and not enough valuable information to assist and educated people - such as lose weight quickly or nutrition with supplements. There is plenty of mental health information available, the notable are the the key psychological/mental health sites: NIMH, NAMI, APA, ACA, NARSAD, etc. These are excellent mental health resources. Then with the exception of some blogs and formal social media sites, most others sites actually tell people to give up their livelihoods because the only way to be cured from their mental ailment is... (usually what they say). The words "Always", "never", and "only" are very irresponsible comments that can be made by anyone who has professional training. So be mindful of "exacting comments"--what may work for you, may not work for someone else. Something to consider...
As far as mental health and wellness goes, even the professional psychological sites have a paucity accurate information on cultural competencies, health disparities and health diversity communications. From my personal perspective and experiences, most women of African descent seek mental health care until there is an emergency, much like all other serious medical chronic conditions. Along with the stigma of having a mental illness, gross amount of mythology associated to seeking professionally licensed care. If one's suffer from bipolar, then they are truly crazy and one should be shunned, especially by religious support systems like the "Church". I have encountered this in my life's experiences. Then, when one attempts to find professionally licensed care, one can hear grossly illogical statements, such as alienate on social support systems because of their cultural bias or overall lack of connecting with provider-client relationships because false expectations. I encountered this from the professionally licensed provider side...
So for my business redirect I am creating 3 divisions:
Sistah Mental Health
GYMRight - "Get Your Mind-Right"
Mental Health Angel Investment Group
I will be furthering my business plan from this point forward.
The fact is my business is already at Health 3.0 by skipping the baby steps and sometimes, for others, I have to slowdown. Socially, my logic has caused me plenty of grief because people were not ready for what I gave them. Only to find out years later, I was right. I have great consternation against that, but c'est la vie!
So, I have made a business redirect to slow down both my moment and my overwhelming world I really am enthusiastic for people to join!
Having be on social media for nearly 15 years and seeing explode rapidly, we are in exciting times for human communication! For health care, everyone can share their health tribulations and triumphs. People can allow themselves to advocate for their own health care. However, just as much good information is out there, so is there bad information out there! Some health information is grossly inaccurate, some is outright wrong, and some is not grounded in peer-reviewed scientific research. Now, I have been involved in serious scientific research for over 20 years, and I know how to evaluate the scientific merit of most research articles. I see plenty of the "get rich quick schemes", and not enough valuable information to assist and educated people - such as lose weight quickly or nutrition with supplements. There is plenty of mental health information available, the notable are the the key psychological/mental health sites: NIMH, NAMI, APA, ACA, NARSAD, etc. These are excellent mental health resources. Then with the exception of some blogs and formal social media sites, most others sites actually tell people to give up their livelihoods because the only way to be cured from their mental ailment is... (usually what they say). The words "Always", "never", and "only" are very irresponsible comments that can be made by anyone who has professional training. So be mindful of "exacting comments"--what may work for you, may not work for someone else. Something to consider...
As far as mental health and wellness goes, even the professional psychological sites have a paucity accurate information on cultural competencies, health disparities and health diversity communications. From my personal perspective and experiences, most women of African descent seek mental health care until there is an emergency, much like all other serious medical chronic conditions. Along with the stigma of having a mental illness, gross amount of mythology associated to seeking professionally licensed care. If one's suffer from bipolar, then they are truly crazy and one should be shunned, especially by religious support systems like the "Church". I have encountered this in my life's experiences. Then, when one attempts to find professionally licensed care, one can hear grossly illogical statements, such as alienate on social support systems because of their cultural bias or overall lack of connecting with provider-client relationships because false expectations. I encountered this from the professionally licensed provider side...
So for my business redirect I am creating 3 divisions:
Sistah Mental Health
GYMRight - "Get Your Mind-Right"
Mental Health Angel Investment Group
I will be furthering my business plan from this point forward.
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Molecular Genetics of Behaviors, Emotions & Thoughts
As a research scientist for the past 25 years having published only 7 papers in my lifetime, I have come to the conclusion that all this hubbub about emotions and thoughts as it relates to mental health and wellness has lacked grounding in the realm of the real-time physical and science. Is there no DNA, RNA or protein to tell me that I am suffering from bipolar disorder II? As if it is my choice to suffer. My lows may be low, but my highs are stratospheric and that is not good either... I want "balance"! The Tantric concept of flow. The Seven African Powers of the Universal Balance, the cultural asili. Balance, equilibrium, Zen...
My research studies have suggested that "Nature" attempts to maintain balance. Chemistry has balance--or equilibrium. Physics has a balance--or force and energy. All things have a place, a time and a space. Call it the laws of thermodynamics. The irony is that entropy leads to balance from chaos. Well, that is getting into physics for me and I can only discuss maybe a tiny bit about the calculations used to Balance all these numbers, but let me get you to the genetics--functional genomics--molecular biology...
It is thought that inheritance is hard-wired into genes or alleles, which are thought to be a piece of DNA--the genetic material... And in Mendelian genetics each allele is independently assorted and segregated into various haplotypes to form individuals. Hardwired DNA--making RNAs--making proteins. That is the dogma of molecular biology, that is how it works. In a non-Mendelian inheritance and epigentic phenomena, certain attributes occur uniquely to that individual. Some lead to evolution, some do not. I do not understand fully, but it has to do with selection and mutation.
However, with advances in technology, we can examine these odd phenotypes out there and we have found that the "genetic soup" that we are all a part of, which is truly unique. Especially in neuropsychiatric conditions ranging from clinical depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, autism and Alzheimer's. Apparently, just like cancer cells build up too much genetic material and divides multiple times to form a tumor, so does some neurons, unable to divide and the tumor symptoms may appear as thoughts... In cancer, the genetic material is DNA... In neurons the genetic material that drives erratic thought may be RNA (particularly micro RNAs) and possibly proteins or short-peptides... The problem comes back to BALANCE!!! You cannot have too much of a good (or bad) thing or the equilibrium or balance is perturbed...
Erroneous thoughts may occur in specific areas of the brain and neurons. By microarray and real-time PCR analyses, researchers have localized what kinds of genetic structures are affected in clinical depression and bipolar disorders. It is thought that calcium channels, which are proteins that particularly transporters and ionophores. Scientists are saying that the problem is not the stores of calcium that is a different cellular processes. The researchers never stated if there was a mutation, and there could be a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) or dysregulation of the processing of calcium in the brain which inherently affects other solutes, like glucose in the brain...
Why someone with ill-charged Calcium channels would have erroneous thoughts may reflect on the action potentials and/or hyperpolarization of neuronal functions. Calcium generally travels on an electric charge as a capacitor--so it holds the electric charge longer--as I understand it... Let's just say the neurons do not like doing that often. Also, calcium additions onto microRNAs or proteins fundamentally change the molecular charge, structure and isoelectric (pKa) values as well as dipole moments on macromolecules. Generally, you clog up your drains when you have calcium deposits. Apparently calcium lays down the foundation to start that clogging. For pulling out proteins we know are calcium sensitive, we use EGTA in the the laboratory, which is a calcium chelator (chemical claw). But I would NOT ever recommend taking that because it also allows toxins to enter the cell. There is also thapsigargin, a calcium blocker drug, but if you take that, your heart will explode (all this as an euphemism)...
When we talk about the brain though, we are talking about something else. It is NOT the heart or the liver or kidneys or the pancreas. The brain is where we say (or think) where higher thought, revelation and creative conceptualization occurs...
Well now, let's look at our current concepts of emotions and thoughts... Emotions or emotive force as a scientific molecular term has been avoided because they are too complex to comprehend in our DNA/RNA/Protein-disneylandia... But with these recent advances in understanding mental health disorders, it seems that the organic concept of emotions are based on ancient practices. Emotions are good for survival of the species. Without them, humans would not survive. We have to know when we are hot, cold, hungry, wounded, incontinent and we need to taste it, hear it, smell it, touch it, and see it. We process each of those feelings that helps us to learn the value of good or bad and the differences we make about it. For all the senses, it has been shown scientifically that there are receptors that are used to send along the nervous system from the various brain centers to our organs to help us know good from bad--for smell, fragrant vs. putrid; for touch, hot vs cold; for sound, soft vs. loud; for sight, dark vs. light. Our senses as babies are keen because we are learning what to associate good vs. bad as learning. Midwifes have known this for years. However, we are just beginning to unlock the molecular genetic mechanisms associated with each concept of the senses...
The one sense that older babies have difficulty with (and possibly parents) is anger. Anger is a survival tactic for many species on Earth and is used to provide an amount short lived energy or power to either enact the fight or flight response. Physiologists and biobehavioral stress scientists have long known that when angry there is an increase in blood pressure, an immediate release of neuropsychiatric hormones and chemicals so that the organism takes an action without thinking. Automatically, we do something, no time to think about it. Fear plays a role in anger, but IMHO, fear is not a sole source of anger. Anger can cause the process of elimination by rapid reductionist conclusions, often unwarranted or unreal. Anger is triggered by words, sounds, smells, tastes and sights that evoke a negative feeling or connotation in memory. Anger is the innate source of emotional triggers so that it can be used as a survival tactic in the fight or flight response. However, humans are no longer being hunted by "bears", but we still have the genetic mechanisms in place to become angry, however without much social, behavioral, psychological, physiological control in American society.
We think that G-protein coupled receptors system, including GAPs, cGMP, Rgs proteins are involved in at least increasing blood pressure, sending the neuropsychiatric hormones to various parts of the body, including that of the adrenals and kidneys, to the skeletal muscles... That anaerobic conditions increase the potentiation of the neuropsychiatric system--literally turning off the high brain thought processes for the autonomic nervous system to act. Emotion gives thrust and lift to Anger. What goes wrong is when the anger response is unmerited--such as a moral judgment or code or frustration with a higher level thought process or that the sensory emotions are disconnected--such as we misinterpret hot and cold substances...
Thought has always been interpreted as an "ingram" that travels around in the brain. But it appears that the molecular nature of thought is possibly microRNAs... There is DNA in neurons, but rarely is there full newly transcribed RNAs that are made in neurons from old studies using nuclear run-on assays. It was well known that neurons has micro RNAs--or microsatellite genetic markers--that scientists thought was junk. However, it has been determined that this pool is essential for healthy neuronal function. When the brain needs more proteins to go to the synapse, it gets them from the microRNA processing reserves and cores. I think there are about hundreds of thousands microRNAs ready for each neuron. There are about 1 billion neurons in the human brain. But remember, we have to operate in BALANCE, there is an equilibrium drawn here... The microRNA population varies from one neuron to the next, but there is a prevalence for one species of microRNA to be processed versus another. It is NOT an all or nothing deal... The right microRNA is made at the right time.
This periodic shift, related to circadian rhythms, may have to do with the innate system of emotions and survival skills and the ability to learn civility, social conditioning, and etiquette incurred on all humans living in cities. We need these skills such as speech communication, localizing food sources, proper disposal of waste, etc. to function in a social living groups. All humans have been socially conditioned. We cannot survive if we are not taught by our predecessors. We learn by example, such as choosing not to go outside naked when it is 20 below, etc because it is a survival tactic. This comment goes to say some of our emotions are learned behaviors based on our societal values, the environment, or nurture...
And that is what is known about the molecular genetics of emotions and thoughts from a 9 month old baby... Adults have ranges of emotions and thoughts due to their life experiences that shape them. Without the experience of "tying your own shoes", how will you every know that is what you do?
But this is about the molecular genetics of emotions and thoughts, I digress... In mental health conditions, we go back to those innate emotions out of fear, which leads to anger and gets us into a vicious cycle. With powerful intentions, we can process our mental illnesses with a higher level of thought training to avoid that cyclical thinking. It can be a powerful ally in our arsenal in fighting against our genetic inheritance. Just because an environmental stressor exacerbated your mental health system, does not mean you cannot overcome it, you may just need extra assistance to help you overcome--and that is okay. What you choose can be "forcing your thoughts" to dictate your emotions, but you must understand physically, our brain was not wired that way... Only you know all your responses to various "stimuli"... Sometimes, you need a "boost" to overcome your wiring. And if you do, then work from that vantage point. You are not better or less because you need that boost. There is no value to the boost. You wouldn't say to a cancer or heart patient, don't get treatment for your condition, only pray to God to heal you? Why would you say that to yourself if you suffer from a mental health condition, inherently in your brain that may be genetic?
If treatment was found to remove all the negative thought memories you ever had, would you take it? What would you become? What would be the side effects? If a treatment was found to decrease the physical pain associated with a mental trauma in a negative thought memory (microRNA) to get you out of your bed and become productive to your level of happiness, would you take it? What would you become? What would be the side effects?
IMHO, resolving your mental health care in that manner can be your approach to mental health when you speak to your provider...
My research studies have suggested that "Nature" attempts to maintain balance. Chemistry has balance--or equilibrium. Physics has a balance--or force and energy. All things have a place, a time and a space. Call it the laws of thermodynamics. The irony is that entropy leads to balance from chaos. Well, that is getting into physics for me and I can only discuss maybe a tiny bit about the calculations used to Balance all these numbers, but let me get you to the genetics--functional genomics--molecular biology...
It is thought that inheritance is hard-wired into genes or alleles, which are thought to be a piece of DNA--the genetic material... And in Mendelian genetics each allele is independently assorted and segregated into various haplotypes to form individuals. Hardwired DNA--making RNAs--making proteins. That is the dogma of molecular biology, that is how it works. In a non-Mendelian inheritance and epigentic phenomena, certain attributes occur uniquely to that individual. Some lead to evolution, some do not. I do not understand fully, but it has to do with selection and mutation.
However, with advances in technology, we can examine these odd phenotypes out there and we have found that the "genetic soup" that we are all a part of, which is truly unique. Especially in neuropsychiatric conditions ranging from clinical depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, autism and Alzheimer's. Apparently, just like cancer cells build up too much genetic material and divides multiple times to form a tumor, so does some neurons, unable to divide and the tumor symptoms may appear as thoughts... In cancer, the genetic material is DNA... In neurons the genetic material that drives erratic thought may be RNA (particularly micro RNAs) and possibly proteins or short-peptides... The problem comes back to BALANCE!!! You cannot have too much of a good (or bad) thing or the equilibrium or balance is perturbed...
Erroneous thoughts may occur in specific areas of the brain and neurons. By microarray and real-time PCR analyses, researchers have localized what kinds of genetic structures are affected in clinical depression and bipolar disorders. It is thought that calcium channels, which are proteins that particularly transporters and ionophores. Scientists are saying that the problem is not the stores of calcium that is a different cellular processes. The researchers never stated if there was a mutation, and there could be a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) or dysregulation of the processing of calcium in the brain which inherently affects other solutes, like glucose in the brain...
Why someone with ill-charged Calcium channels would have erroneous thoughts may reflect on the action potentials and/or hyperpolarization of neuronal functions. Calcium generally travels on an electric charge as a capacitor--so it holds the electric charge longer--as I understand it... Let's just say the neurons do not like doing that often. Also, calcium additions onto microRNAs or proteins fundamentally change the molecular charge, structure and isoelectric (pKa) values as well as dipole moments on macromolecules. Generally, you clog up your drains when you have calcium deposits. Apparently calcium lays down the foundation to start that clogging. For pulling out proteins we know are calcium sensitive, we use EGTA in the the laboratory, which is a calcium chelator (chemical claw). But I would NOT ever recommend taking that because it also allows toxins to enter the cell. There is also thapsigargin, a calcium blocker drug, but if you take that, your heart will explode (all this as an euphemism)...
When we talk about the brain though, we are talking about something else. It is NOT the heart or the liver or kidneys or the pancreas. The brain is where we say (or think) where higher thought, revelation and creative conceptualization occurs...
Well now, let's look at our current concepts of emotions and thoughts... Emotions or emotive force as a scientific molecular term has been avoided because they are too complex to comprehend in our DNA/RNA/Protein-disneylandia... But with these recent advances in understanding mental health disorders, it seems that the organic concept of emotions are based on ancient practices. Emotions are good for survival of the species. Without them, humans would not survive. We have to know when we are hot, cold, hungry, wounded, incontinent and we need to taste it, hear it, smell it, touch it, and see it. We process each of those feelings that helps us to learn the value of good or bad and the differences we make about it. For all the senses, it has been shown scientifically that there are receptors that are used to send along the nervous system from the various brain centers to our organs to help us know good from bad--for smell, fragrant vs. putrid; for touch, hot vs cold; for sound, soft vs. loud; for sight, dark vs. light. Our senses as babies are keen because we are learning what to associate good vs. bad as learning. Midwifes have known this for years. However, we are just beginning to unlock the molecular genetic mechanisms associated with each concept of the senses...
The one sense that older babies have difficulty with (and possibly parents) is anger. Anger is a survival tactic for many species on Earth and is used to provide an amount short lived energy or power to either enact the fight or flight response. Physiologists and biobehavioral stress scientists have long known that when angry there is an increase in blood pressure, an immediate release of neuropsychiatric hormones and chemicals so that the organism takes an action without thinking. Automatically, we do something, no time to think about it. Fear plays a role in anger, but IMHO, fear is not a sole source of anger. Anger can cause the process of elimination by rapid reductionist conclusions, often unwarranted or unreal. Anger is triggered by words, sounds, smells, tastes and sights that evoke a negative feeling or connotation in memory. Anger is the innate source of emotional triggers so that it can be used as a survival tactic in the fight or flight response. However, humans are no longer being hunted by "bears", but we still have the genetic mechanisms in place to become angry, however without much social, behavioral, psychological, physiological control in American society.
We think that G-protein coupled receptors system, including GAPs, cGMP, Rgs proteins are involved in at least increasing blood pressure, sending the neuropsychiatric hormones to various parts of the body, including that of the adrenals and kidneys, to the skeletal muscles... That anaerobic conditions increase the potentiation of the neuropsychiatric system--literally turning off the high brain thought processes for the autonomic nervous system to act. Emotion gives thrust and lift to Anger. What goes wrong is when the anger response is unmerited--such as a moral judgment or code or frustration with a higher level thought process or that the sensory emotions are disconnected--such as we misinterpret hot and cold substances...
Thought has always been interpreted as an "ingram" that travels around in the brain. But it appears that the molecular nature of thought is possibly microRNAs... There is DNA in neurons, but rarely is there full newly transcribed RNAs that are made in neurons from old studies using nuclear run-on assays. It was well known that neurons has micro RNAs--or microsatellite genetic markers--that scientists thought was junk. However, it has been determined that this pool is essential for healthy neuronal function. When the brain needs more proteins to go to the synapse, it gets them from the microRNA processing reserves and cores. I think there are about hundreds of thousands microRNAs ready for each neuron. There are about 1 billion neurons in the human brain. But remember, we have to operate in BALANCE, there is an equilibrium drawn here... The microRNA population varies from one neuron to the next, but there is a prevalence for one species of microRNA to be processed versus another. It is NOT an all or nothing deal... The right microRNA is made at the right time.
This periodic shift, related to circadian rhythms, may have to do with the innate system of emotions and survival skills and the ability to learn civility, social conditioning, and etiquette incurred on all humans living in cities. We need these skills such as speech communication, localizing food sources, proper disposal of waste, etc. to function in a social living groups. All humans have been socially conditioned. We cannot survive if we are not taught by our predecessors. We learn by example, such as choosing not to go outside naked when it is 20 below, etc because it is a survival tactic. This comment goes to say some of our emotions are learned behaviors based on our societal values, the environment, or nurture...
And that is what is known about the molecular genetics of emotions and thoughts from a 9 month old baby... Adults have ranges of emotions and thoughts due to their life experiences that shape them. Without the experience of "tying your own shoes", how will you every know that is what you do?
But this is about the molecular genetics of emotions and thoughts, I digress... In mental health conditions, we go back to those innate emotions out of fear, which leads to anger and gets us into a vicious cycle. With powerful intentions, we can process our mental illnesses with a higher level of thought training to avoid that cyclical thinking. It can be a powerful ally in our arsenal in fighting against our genetic inheritance. Just because an environmental stressor exacerbated your mental health system, does not mean you cannot overcome it, you may just need extra assistance to help you overcome--and that is okay. What you choose can be "forcing your thoughts" to dictate your emotions, but you must understand physically, our brain was not wired that way... Only you know all your responses to various "stimuli"... Sometimes, you need a "boost" to overcome your wiring. And if you do, then work from that vantage point. You are not better or less because you need that boost. There is no value to the boost. You wouldn't say to a cancer or heart patient, don't get treatment for your condition, only pray to God to heal you? Why would you say that to yourself if you suffer from a mental health condition, inherently in your brain that may be genetic?
If treatment was found to remove all the negative thought memories you ever had, would you take it? What would you become? What would be the side effects? If a treatment was found to decrease the physical pain associated with a mental trauma in a negative thought memory (microRNA) to get you out of your bed and become productive to your level of happiness, would you take it? What would you become? What would be the side effects?
IMHO, resolving your mental health care in that manner can be your approach to mental health when you speak to your provider...
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Backstory so that we are on the same page
Read my "Crazy Black Woman's" blog to learn more about me.
Backstory: I am very smart, I am accomplished, I have achieved much in my life. I have wonderful parents, who were stern sometimes, but that was because I needed it. But, my family has always achieved great things. That is my heritage and I am its legacy in this "post-racial" world. I hold a PhD in molecular genetics and have published and presented several scientific papers all over the world. NONE of that matters because I suffer from bipolar disorder II (hypomania). All I wanted to do is to take my own life and I did attempt 3 times as a teen for reasons so inane... I cry when I think of those times. But I know, my story is unleashed to protect others like me: Black women who suffer from mental angst--you are NOT alone, there are many of us and we have found our voice!
While selfishly focusing on my own issues, I realized many other women, Black women, suffered from similar mental health issues and posting their issues on unsafe, cyberbullying, and racist social networks. There was an absence of cultural competency and younger women were paying a hefty mental health price leaving them disillusioned and depressed. So, I started an "Isle in a Torrential Ocean in Cyberspace"--The Ariafya Universe, the Americanization of 2 KiSwahili words combined to mean the following: Zeal, Enthusiasm, Eagerness, Initiative, Spirit, Keenness, Inventiveness, Health, Well-Being, Strength, Vigor, and Power!
The Ariafya Universe is an "Isle Sanctuary", a place of solace or place of refuge to find one's peace and regroup, rejuvenate and re-tool. A place that will listen, with compassionate presence and appreciative inquiry, motivational introspection with encouraging questions, reflective listening. The goal is to empower participants to seek real-time licensed mental health and wellness professionals.
At The Ariafya Universe women of color can be heard, supported and allowed to express themselves in a nonjudgmental environment where they can grow to be their best selves. Soon, health and wellness coaching will be brought to the foray where there can be a realistic forward motion toward mentally healthy actions. I am devoted to this one area because of my pain of suffering from suicidal ideation as a teenager to poor interpersonal relationships to blossoming into being a positive force for all awkward women, such as myself. I have reinvented myself many times, and grieve for the loss of my scientific career. But, the skills I have gained were meant to be an owner of a social networking mental health and wellness support and resource groups, and then, a Wellcoaches certified health and wellness coach business.
Backstory: I am very smart, I am accomplished, I have achieved much in my life. I have wonderful parents, who were stern sometimes, but that was because I needed it. But, my family has always achieved great things. That is my heritage and I am its legacy in this "post-racial" world. I hold a PhD in molecular genetics and have published and presented several scientific papers all over the world. NONE of that matters because I suffer from bipolar disorder II (hypomania). All I wanted to do is to take my own life and I did attempt 3 times as a teen for reasons so inane... I cry when I think of those times. But I know, my story is unleashed to protect others like me: Black women who suffer from mental angst--you are NOT alone, there are many of us and we have found our voice!
While selfishly focusing on my own issues, I realized many other women, Black women, suffered from similar mental health issues and posting their issues on unsafe, cyberbullying, and racist social networks. There was an absence of cultural competency and younger women were paying a hefty mental health price leaving them disillusioned and depressed. So, I started an "Isle in a Torrential Ocean in Cyberspace"--The Ariafya Universe, the Americanization of 2 KiSwahili words combined to mean the following: Zeal, Enthusiasm, Eagerness, Initiative, Spirit, Keenness, Inventiveness, Health, Well-Being, Strength, Vigor, and Power!
The Ariafya Universe is an "Isle Sanctuary", a place of solace or place of refuge to find one's peace and regroup, rejuvenate and re-tool. A place that will listen, with compassionate presence and appreciative inquiry, motivational introspection with encouraging questions, reflective listening. The goal is to empower participants to seek real-time licensed mental health and wellness professionals.
At The Ariafya Universe women of color can be heard, supported and allowed to express themselves in a nonjudgmental environment where they can grow to be their best selves. Soon, health and wellness coaching will be brought to the foray where there can be a realistic forward motion toward mentally healthy actions. I am devoted to this one area because of my pain of suffering from suicidal ideation as a teenager to poor interpersonal relationships to blossoming into being a positive force for all awkward women, such as myself. I have reinvented myself many times, and grieve for the loss of my scientific career. But, the skills I have gained were meant to be an owner of a social networking mental health and wellness support and resource groups, and then, a Wellcoaches certified health and wellness coach business.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The image of the Black woman & mental health politics.
This video:
Is disturbing to say the least. I had wild and out there hair like the little girl. My mom knew very little about a little girl's hair, and I was born with a lot of it. With the technology improving from strict lye-based straighteners to non-lye-based to hot combs to ceramics what makes this video disturbing is the mother knew little of it, while her older child filmed and ridiculed the baby for her hair.
What is even worse is we think we have advanced with securing ourselves and finding beauty. But the images of beautiful Black women remain unchanged in the last 40 years. Long bone straight hair or good hair not happy to be nappy kinks reflective of our true heritage.
It is the take of The Ariafya Universe that this oppression of the image of the Black woman is demeaning and that Youtube removes this video as objectionable content. It is NOT only painful because the baby girl is crying while getting her hair combed--in fact is done incorrectly--it is wrong because this little girl's self-image is obliterated because she does not have hair similar to that of Barbie's or other women who have straight hair. She will visualize herself as "ugly" because her hair is nappy or has kinks. And she will spend millions of dollars to have hair pleasurable to an oppressive society to diverse woman's beauty.
How come she cannot have braids or loqs? How come she cannot be allowed to have her hair nappy until she is old enough to get her hair done? Because, people judge these children as unkempt, nasty, impoverished and sickly. If the department of health and social services saw this video, the children would be removed. But if they saw the children with ungroomed hair, they will STILL remove the children. While I do not think the mother intentionally hurt the child and probably waited a long time before she got her children together because of their behavior, the baby still was in pain for how her hair was handled. She used a brush rack, rather than a pick or comb. The mother used some kind of water-based relax solution, rather than a gel or cream on the scalp. There are ways to comb thick hair like that little girl's hair, and what we see was NOT it.
Is our image of ourselves so poor that we have resorted to torturing ourselves and our children to reach beauty standard not made by us, not formed by us? Has technology truly reached us since Madame CJ Walker's straightening comb that uses heat to sear the hair's outer core, cortex and medulla? Our sebaceous cells that form our hair to make it kinky are short and wide. Is there not something we could take, without losing our hair that would straighten it over time, like "Rogaine" products. And only Redken's products make changes to our hair, healthy? Not glamours like the Pantene ProV hair commercials with color--products, not make for African American women...
I discuss these concepts with some of my stylists quite a bit. But, alas, there is nothing I can do to change concepts from the scientific end, because those concepts are rooted deep into racist beliefs, and how psychologically, an African American can still be a slave to its environment. 150 years has not changed a perception that pervaded in North American, particular the United States for over 500 years. Until then, the image of the Black woman and mental health politics will lose lives.
Stop Fibroids Now! Click Here!
Is disturbing to say the least. I had wild and out there hair like the little girl. My mom knew very little about a little girl's hair, and I was born with a lot of it. With the technology improving from strict lye-based straighteners to non-lye-based to hot combs to ceramics what makes this video disturbing is the mother knew little of it, while her older child filmed and ridiculed the baby for her hair.
What is even worse is we think we have advanced with securing ourselves and finding beauty. But the images of beautiful Black women remain unchanged in the last 40 years. Long bone straight hair or good hair not happy to be nappy kinks reflective of our true heritage.
It is the take of The Ariafya Universe that this oppression of the image of the Black woman is demeaning and that Youtube removes this video as objectionable content. It is NOT only painful because the baby girl is crying while getting her hair combed--in fact is done incorrectly--it is wrong because this little girl's self-image is obliterated because she does not have hair similar to that of Barbie's or other women who have straight hair. She will visualize herself as "ugly" because her hair is nappy or has kinks. And she will spend millions of dollars to have hair pleasurable to an oppressive society to diverse woman's beauty.
How come she cannot have braids or loqs? How come she cannot be allowed to have her hair nappy until she is old enough to get her hair done? Because, people judge these children as unkempt, nasty, impoverished and sickly. If the department of health and social services saw this video, the children would be removed. But if they saw the children with ungroomed hair, they will STILL remove the children. While I do not think the mother intentionally hurt the child and probably waited a long time before she got her children together because of their behavior, the baby still was in pain for how her hair was handled. She used a brush rack, rather than a pick or comb. The mother used some kind of water-based relax solution, rather than a gel or cream on the scalp. There are ways to comb thick hair like that little girl's hair, and what we see was NOT it.
Is our image of ourselves so poor that we have resorted to torturing ourselves and our children to reach beauty standard not made by us, not formed by us? Has technology truly reached us since Madame CJ Walker's straightening comb that uses heat to sear the hair's outer core, cortex and medulla? Our sebaceous cells that form our hair to make it kinky are short and wide. Is there not something we could take, without losing our hair that would straighten it over time, like "Rogaine" products. And only Redken's products make changes to our hair, healthy? Not glamours like the Pantene ProV hair commercials with color--products, not make for African American women...
I discuss these concepts with some of my stylists quite a bit. But, alas, there is nothing I can do to change concepts from the scientific end, because those concepts are rooted deep into racist beliefs, and how psychologically, an African American can still be a slave to its environment. 150 years has not changed a perception that pervaded in North American, particular the United States for over 500 years. Until then, the image of the Black woman and mental health politics will lose lives.
Stop Fibroids Now! Click Here!
The lack of doctors
We will have a lack of doctors within 2 years. Becoming a physician is difficult for many people. It is competitive, and the best of the best is desired. While no one wants an unsavory doctor, the training that goes into creating one cannot predict the success or failure of the physician. What makes a physician successful in school is not what makes him/her successful in a physician's life. Just as many physicians I have seen as "successful", I have seen many who are not, who have discord and disconnect from their craft. Exhausted by the systems use to enact healthcare. The depression seen when patients fail to adhere to their regimen. And the multiple, rapid filing of health records that do not follow the patient with any standard or logic. Then, are outcomes improved, and that doesn't take a physician training, but public health training. Some physicians want it, some don't. So, then the restriction is further.
I hold a PhD. My training involves asking probing questions, deeply examining them and finding their answers. A doctorate training is not simply, anyone can get one. That is NOT my case. As much grief as I got for my PhD does not merit the loss in income I incurred. In fact, if I knew any better, I probably would have gotten a MD before a PhD, because of the level of respect that physicians hold for one another. Whereas, there is a bit much disrespect toward PhD's by both professionals and publicly, until we show them our capabilities, then they are shocked. How we get further along to finding answers than they. How we pursue answers to questions deeply is different than what a physician brings. That does not mean we do not collaborate, what it means is that our relationship is deserving of respect.
A physician is trained, licensed and boarded to work on human beings. We, PhD's know that, we actively choose NOT to seek a medical degree so that all we have to do is be at the bench, and test concepts to help find answers. Physicians are trained how without any questions, and do not ever question the intent of their experiments. While overtime, anyone can learn anything given enough training, a PhD develops protocols to get at the answer much faster, quicker and with consistency because that is a part of our training to do that. The difference is, when you ask a physician to do hardcore complex biochemical experiments, you will be lucky to get the concentrations accurate. Whereas, if you ask a PhD to draw blood, finding a vein would be interesting with recumbency.
Either way, we highly trained individuals must stop fighting! Why? Are we for the same goals? We are the best and the brightest and we were excepted to doctorate level educations, to be told by mere bachelor's level policy/business people what to do... Rather than gunning for each other, we have some serious health issues that remain unaddressed, swine flu, chronic disease, yes, health care reform which is mainly based on lack of public health options, and great influence on what is a "healthy human being". Will cancer rates change if we reform health care? Will we make a dent in obesity? Can chemical modifications of foodstuffs really effect changes in one's health outcome? Are these studies being done so that we know?
It takes ALL OF US to find answers than to play politics.
I hold a PhD. My training involves asking probing questions, deeply examining them and finding their answers. A doctorate training is not simply, anyone can get one. That is NOT my case. As much grief as I got for my PhD does not merit the loss in income I incurred. In fact, if I knew any better, I probably would have gotten a MD before a PhD, because of the level of respect that physicians hold for one another. Whereas, there is a bit much disrespect toward PhD's by both professionals and publicly, until we show them our capabilities, then they are shocked. How we get further along to finding answers than they. How we pursue answers to questions deeply is different than what a physician brings. That does not mean we do not collaborate, what it means is that our relationship is deserving of respect.
A physician is trained, licensed and boarded to work on human beings. We, PhD's know that, we actively choose NOT to seek a medical degree so that all we have to do is be at the bench, and test concepts to help find answers. Physicians are trained how without any questions, and do not ever question the intent of their experiments. While overtime, anyone can learn anything given enough training, a PhD develops protocols to get at the answer much faster, quicker and with consistency because that is a part of our training to do that. The difference is, when you ask a physician to do hardcore complex biochemical experiments, you will be lucky to get the concentrations accurate. Whereas, if you ask a PhD to draw blood, finding a vein would be interesting with recumbency.
Either way, we highly trained individuals must stop fighting! Why? Are we for the same goals? We are the best and the brightest and we were excepted to doctorate level educations, to be told by mere bachelor's level policy/business people what to do... Rather than gunning for each other, we have some serious health issues that remain unaddressed, swine flu, chronic disease, yes, health care reform which is mainly based on lack of public health options, and great influence on what is a "healthy human being". Will cancer rates change if we reform health care? Will we make a dent in obesity? Can chemical modifications of foodstuffs really effect changes in one's health outcome? Are these studies being done so that we know?
It takes ALL OF US to find answers than to play politics.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Psychological Damage to the Arrest of Prof. Henry Louis (Skip) Gates
The Ariafya Universe's first official position on the matter to later be turned into a "Sepia Paper"
Arrests are a constant occurrence in the African American community. It is the biggest fear that many have, especially by those who have been afforded the opportunity and luxury of an esteemed education. Moreover, African American involvement with a municipal law enforcement is always perceived and viewed as a threat, coercive, divisive and subjugating, regardless of the act. Whether that has been proven to be true through a crime in progress or a perceived illegal action. With the whisperings of a nearly 50 year old segregation Jim Crow laws and how law enforcement enacted it as witnessed by countless African Americans, and "the overseer" vestiges once from a bygone era of involuntary enslavement that reparations will NEVER fix, it is The Ariafya Universe's position that the severe psychological trauma inflicted and never healed in the cultural consciousness of African Americans is perpetual from generation to generation.
Some groups of people demand us to forget that horrid past. Well, that is neglecting our ancestors reality and history. If one fails to know one's past, s/he is doomed to repeat it. Humanity has little use for slavery. It is barbarian, antiquated and a relic. Psychologically it is the position of The Ariafya Universe that is a form of psychosis similar to that of a "serial killer". Much like vicious great white sharks hunt for their prey, the small fish that attaches to sharks do so that they are not consumed. Slavery and all the accoutrements does not advance or grow human intelligence. With our human sights to the stars, how do we expect to get there when the mentality of our officials who impose the law behave no better than "the overseers" of yesteryear?
Dr. Henry Louis Gates' behavior represented a man in distress. He got home from China, jet-lagged and had to maneuver his door to access his rented residence. A nebulous neighbor called police making a false accusation of two "Black Men carrying backpacks", who then investigated the "alleged active burgerlary". Dr. Gates was in his house speaking to his landlord until the police, using the new rules of "probable cause", spoke to him with a strong forceful tone. Now, how many Cambridge, Massachusett's police officers actually catch a "suspect" in the act? It comes to police training and experience.
Unfortunately, the exhausted, stressed Dr. Gates responded angrily and rightfully so. But that is what got him arrested. As everyone in the African American community knows, yelling at the police gets you nowhere and you do get arrested for it. So one of the greatest historians at Harvard was arrested because he had to get into his house?
Later, the charges were dropped by the Cambridge, Massachusett's police department. Because once they determined who they just arrested, the long hot summer would commence. It was likened to a Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama.
But what this really does is indicate to those of us who are highly educated, that is does not matter if we obtain the pinnicle of high academia, if we are Black we are no more than servants quarters. Then, to our young people, it further instills, why get an education?
As for Dr. Gates, why should he have held his tongue after an exhausting 20 hours flight from a foreign country? Why should he justify his actions in his own house?
Finally who is this subhuman ignoramous neighbor that had the audacity to lie to the police with false accusations reminiscent of a white woman being raped by a black man? What was her interaction with Dr. Gates' and should it matter?
What it does in the professional opinion of The Ariafya Universe is ask people of African descent in America to suppress their legitimate welling up of feelings, humiliation and frustrations, force them down to parts that no longer hurt--much like a physically/sexually abuse victim does--which that pain later turns into a severe chronic health condition, like hypertension, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer--key chronic diseases that particularly affect large swaths of African Americans and is the largest health disparity seen between African Americans and caucasians.
The issue does not dwell solely on how a person undergoing this issue "handles it". This issue is about institutionalized bigotry and racism. Serial killer rapists who seek power over humans attempt to fabricated, fanatically fanaticize, and outright lie to get their "thrill ride" of subjugating and perverting a human being. What hurts from the victims standpoint is not only the offending horrendous act-rightfully so--but all the all the wonderings, of "why me", "did I ask for it", "how do I move forward". Moving forward positively takes a long time to recover after the offensive act-which usually is perceived in the brain as severe trauma, such that like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)--and the handling of the incident is unique from one individual to another. What makes racism toward African Americans so horrendous that recent genetic data clearly shows that non-synomynous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have evolved in key chronic diseases that enable survivability upon full adulthood, but no longer effective during aging. As time goes on and racist acts fail to change, behavioral genetics, especially those systems involved in anger, will be further selected.
It is the formulating professional opinion The Ariafya Universe that anyone enacting, promoting and promulgating their abusive delusions are no more than serial killer rapists and deserve to be placed under tribunal and grand jury violations, arrested and placed into terrorist supermax prisions. Once there, they need single confinement. Treatment will not change these perversions. Only imprisionment or possibly capital punishment.
ETA: Y'all think I'm full of it, check this out: "Can Brains Be Saved? Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy"
Saturday, July 18, 2009
What is The Ari | af | ya Universe?
The Ari | af | ya Universe is the premier online mental health and wellness resource support group for diverse women. The word Ariafya is the Americanization of 2 KiSwahili words combined to mean: Zeal, Enthusiasm, Eagerness, Initiative, Spirit, Keenness, Inventiveness, Health, Well-Being, Strength, Vigor, and Power!
I created this safe-free-zone for women who suffer or recovery from mental angst or are caregivers to those who suffer from mental illness. In diverse communities, more often than not, most who suffer from mental illness are alienated until there is crisis. By the time crisis has occurred law enforcement is involved, or worse. And suppressed untreated mental illness often leads to chronic diseases, such as stroke, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, etc.
It is imperative, that diverse cultures attempt to stave off and seek recovery from key mental illnesses, such as depression, bipolar, anxieties and PTSD. I don't say schizophrenia, while a hard disease, people who suffer are unable to care for themselves completely without treatment, so they are already involved in some form of treatment. I am NOT saying the treatment is stellar, but the bulk of the one's I listed are untreated and observed at a higher rates in diverse communities. The other mental illnesses, such as borderline personality disorder, DID, et al. will be discussed on the private side of the Ariafya Universe. Moreover, substance abuse will be discussed also.
So The Ariafya Universe essentially a social network. Since some of the participants are diagnosed with a mental illness, they have been burned by the current array of mental health public message boards out there. Moreover, there is no assurance of cultural competency, so when explaining difficulties in mental illness and say being a woman of color, the participants often are further demeaned by ignorant comments, some by licensed professionals-further stigmatizing an individual from their communties. So, everyone who is admitted to the "Isle"--an online sanctuary--has to be screened for liability of NOT being in crisis. Because The Ariafya Universe assumes all participants are working with a licensed mental health care provider.
Then for the security, confidentiality and privacy, there is an annual fee charged.
The fee structure is explained on the website: Sistah Mental Health
At this time, gentlemen are asked to fill out a survey as to their preferences for The Ariafya Universe. Due to the notable differences between men and women in mental health treatment options, there are some unique developments we must engage in before creating a space for them.
I created this safe-free-zone for women who suffer or recovery from mental angst or are caregivers to those who suffer from mental illness. In diverse communities, more often than not, most who suffer from mental illness are alienated until there is crisis. By the time crisis has occurred law enforcement is involved, or worse. And suppressed untreated mental illness often leads to chronic diseases, such as stroke, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, etc.
It is imperative, that diverse cultures attempt to stave off and seek recovery from key mental illnesses, such as depression, bipolar, anxieties and PTSD. I don't say schizophrenia, while a hard disease, people who suffer are unable to care for themselves completely without treatment, so they are already involved in some form of treatment. I am NOT saying the treatment is stellar, but the bulk of the one's I listed are untreated and observed at a higher rates in diverse communities. The other mental illnesses, such as borderline personality disorder, DID, et al. will be discussed on the private side of the Ariafya Universe. Moreover, substance abuse will be discussed also.
So The Ariafya Universe essentially a social network. Since some of the participants are diagnosed with a mental illness, they have been burned by the current array of mental health public message boards out there. Moreover, there is no assurance of cultural competency, so when explaining difficulties in mental illness and say being a woman of color, the participants often are further demeaned by ignorant comments, some by licensed professionals-further stigmatizing an individual from their communties. So, everyone who is admitted to the "Isle"--an online sanctuary--has to be screened for liability of NOT being in crisis. Because The Ariafya Universe assumes all participants are working with a licensed mental health care provider.
Then for the security, confidentiality and privacy, there is an annual fee charged.
The fee structure is explained on the website: Sistah Mental Health
At this time, gentlemen are asked to fill out a survey as to their preferences for The Ariafya Universe. Due to the notable differences between men and women in mental health treatment options, there are some unique developments we must engage in before creating a space for them.
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