It's all in your head

The Edge

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:00:26 GMT

"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over.
Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center."

Kurt Vonnegut

Ending Stigma

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:35:22 GMT

“Letting Go”- Author Unknown To Me

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:24:48 GMT

To “let go” does not mean to stop caring,

it means I can’t do it for someone else…

To “let go” is not to cut myself off,

it’s the realization I can’t control another.

To “let go” is not to enable,

but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To “let go” is to admit powerlessness,

which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To “let go” is not to try to change or blame another,

it’s to make the most of myself.

To “let go” is not to care for, but to care about.

To “let go” is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To “let go” is not to judge,

but to allow another to be a human being.

To “let go” is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,

but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To “let go” is not to be protective,

it’s to permit another to face reality.

To “let go” is not to deny but to accept.

To “let go” is not to nag, scold, or argue,
but instead to search out my own short comings and correct them.

To “let go” is not to criticize and regulate anybody,

but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To “let go” is not to adjust everything to my desires

but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To “let go” is not to regret the past,

but to grow and live for the future.

To “let go” is to fear less and love myself more…

The Student Nurse's Prayer

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:32:49 GMT

THE STUDENT NURSE'S PRAYER

Lord: I know we go through this every day but please give me the knowledge as to why I actually wanted to go to nursing school. Lord, give me the strength to make it through those boring three hour lectures without falling asleep. Lord, please give me the patience to make it through twelve hour clinicals with instructors that can't just give you the right answer and on the same note, give the nurses the ability to remember what it was like to be a student and give us just a little more respect. Lord, give me the endurance to read all the assigned readings and be able to remember it when I am taking a test with four right answers. Lord, give my family and friends the ability to realize I really am on the edge of insanity. Finally, Lord, give me the vision to see that one day I will be a real nurse and I will never have to wear this ugly uniform again.

Author Unknown By Me

Insulin Coma Therapy 1930-1955

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:41:44 GMT

Used in the treatment of patients with manic depression or schizophrenia:

Patient receives no breakfast and administer insulin subcutaneously at 7am. Initial dose 30-40 units, increase by 10-20 units until shock dose is reached. Use the shock dose six mornings a week until a full course of 50 shocks is reached. Leave patient in bed in quiet dark room to promote sleep. After about an hour the patient begins to perspire, and then profusely. After the second hour there may be restlessness and restraint may be necessary. Consciousness is lost and patient is non-responsive. The eyes roll and patient salivates. Turn him face down to promote drainage. Closely monitor pulse and respirations: breathing is deep and noisy and pulse is full and rapid. Near the end of the third hour the patient will go into a full coma, without a corneal reflex. The patient is flushed and soaking wet. Monitor temperature as falls to 92 degrees F; keep warm. Once the patient is in the coma, administer sugar syrup by nasalgastric tube. Give 4-5 oz. Seizure may occur- place gag in mouth and give 1 cc of adrenaline to bring the patient out of shock, follow with intravenous glucose. Patient will respond to syrup within 20 minutes. They will be weak, confused, and unsteady for the following hour or more When fully alert, have patient dress and keep active. This treatment requires rigid adherence to the routine and nursing alertness at all times. Death can occur. Improvement usually begins after one week of shocks. Weight gain occurs.

From V. M. Tipliski Parting At The Crossroads: The Development of Education for Psychiatric Nursing in Three Canadian Provinces 1909-1955.

R.D. Laing

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:29:43 GMT

There must be something the matter with him
     because he would not be acting as he does
              unless there was
     therefore he is acting as he is
     because there is something the mater with him

He does not think there is anything the matter with him
because
     one of the things that is
     the matter with him
     is that he does not think that there is anything
     the matter with him
therefore
     we have to help him realize that,
     the fact that he does not think there is anything
     the matter with him
     is one of the things that is the matter with him
                                                               - R.D. Laing (Knots, 1970)

Post-Psychiatry/Critical Psychiatry

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:59:17 GMT

http://www.philadelphia-association.co.uk/psychotherapy-training-course.html
http://www.philadelphia-association.co.uk/

Today marks a personal epiphany.

"The Philadelphia Association was founded in 1965 by RD Laing and others to challenge accepted ways of understanding and treating mental and emotional suffering. This continues to be our aim".

Thomas Szasz

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 22:56:21 GMT

"[When] we speak of physical disturbances, we mean either signs (for example, a fever) or symptoms (for example, pain). We speak of mental symptoms, on the other hand, when we refer to a patient's communications about himself, others, and the world about him... the statement that "X is a mental symptom' involves rendering a judgment. (Szasz, 1982).

"[When] patients with demonstrable diseases of the brain are involuntarily hospitalized, the primary purpose is to exercise social control over their behaviour." (Szasz, 1974)

Pat Deegan on YouTube

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:03:25 GMT

Manitoba Suicide Line

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:02:50 GMT

Schizotaxia

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:27:08 GMT

I come across a term I've never heard before.

Schizotaxia A Review

It cannot be real. They are doing longterm research on the effects of low-doese risperidone on people. The term schizotaxia is currently defined as a syndrome of neuropsychological deficits and negative symptoms found in relatives of schizophrenic patients.

Canadian Coalition of Alternative Mental Health Resources

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:01:29 GMT

http://ccamhr.ca/index.html

Intellegence & Creativity in Bipolar Disorder

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 22:35:33 GMT

http://www.bipolarworld.net/Phelps/ph_2002/ph738.htm

Should psychiatric medications be given to children?

Psychiatric Nursing Schools in Western Canada

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:44:09 GMT

Douglas College (British Columbia):

Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing
Advanced Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing (Reentry students only)
Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing
Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing Degree Completion

Grant Macewan College (Alberta):
Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing

Brandon University (Manitoba):
Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing (B.Sc.P.N.)

Antipsychiatric Psychiatry

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 03:03:16 GMT

http://www.icspp.org/index.php?option=com_bookmarks&Itemid=68

Violent incidents increasing on units

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:09:24 GMT

Nurses have been raising security concerns at the Royal Alex psychiatric units for years

British Columbia Links

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:41:14 GMT

Grad School SFU- http://www.fhs.sfu.ca/gradAppInfo.php
Anxiety Disorders Association of BC: http://www.anxietybc.com
BC Schizophrenia Society: http://www.bcss.org
Canadian Mental Health Association- BC devision: http://www.cmha.bc.ca
Early Psychosis Intervention Program: http://www.psychosissucks.ca
BC Prtners for Mental Health and Addictions Information: http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca
Youth Support: http://www.youthinbc.com

Discontinuing Medications (From Second Opinion Society) 1998

Mon, 14 May 2007 20:09:51 GMT

Quitting psychiatric drugs

Introduction

A woman may have a variety of reasons for wanting to stop taking psychiatric medication. She may want to be free of the dulling effect that most psychiatric drugs cause, or of more serious side effects that she may be suffering. She may be worried about the long-term effects of the drugs, including tardive dyskinesia. Or she may be wanting to make a major change in her life by freeing herself from a dependence on powerful medication.

But whatever her motivation, she has a right to free herself from using medication. There may well be situations in which you don't agree with a woman who wants to stop taking psychiatric medication, or you may be scared that doing so will do her serious harm. But it is her right, and she probably has sound reasons for wanting to stop using the drugs. After all, she is the one who has to live with the effects of the medication, and she is the only one who knows how the medication really affects her.

You can support her by helping her make informed choices about her options. You can give her information about her medication and its effects. You can also give her information about getting off the drugs, and you can support her in carrying out her choice in a safe way.

That safety may be the most important support that you can provide. Remember, you have little influence over what she does after she leaves the transition house. She may stop her medication cold, without information or support, and put herself in serious danger. The symptoms of too-rapid withdrawal from psychiatric drugs include extreme nausea, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, muscular reactions, and strange behaviour. In the case of minor tranquilizers and sedatives, the reactions to sudden withdrawal can be life-threatening.

You can support her in struggling with these issues and making an informed choice. But remember that you are dealing with something that is her right. If you pass judgement on her wishes, you won't be helping her find out what is really best for her. And she may simply stop her medication anyway, without the information and support she needs.

Finally, a woman who wants to stop taking psychiatric medication should have the support of a sympathetic doctor. By sympathetic we mean a doctor who is willing to accept a woman's right to choose her own path and work with her in getting off the medication. This is the best way, to have the active involvement of a doctor who can help plan and monitor a woman's withdrawal from psychiatric medication.

Note that many detox centres and drug abuse programs help people to stop taking minor tranquilizers and sedatives, but not neuroleptics and antidepressants.

What follows is an overview of the basics. It will help you and women you work with understand what's involved in the process, and how one goes about it.

The basic principles

There are some basic principles that a woman has to follow to stop taking psychiatric drugs safely. Familiarize yourself with them, and make sure that any woman you work with who wants to stop her medication is familiar with them, too.

don't try to stop taking psychiatric drugs without support
if at all possible, find a supportive doctor to supervise the process
never stop taking psychiatric drugs abruptly -- going "cold turkey" can lead to serious withdrawal symptoms and can be life-threatening
the best way to stop is to reduce the dosage gradually; by withdrawing gradually and carefully it may be possible to minimize withdrawal symptoms
withdrawal from sedatives and minor tranquilizers can be extremely dangerous
withdrawal symptoms don't necessarily start immediately; they may begin anywhere from 8 hours to several days after quitting
the time it takes for withdrawal symptoms to set in and their severity varies from person to person, and depends on how long you have been taking the drugs, your dosage, your overall health, your body weight, and so on.

Steps to follow

1. Find a supportive doctor who will work out a withdrawal schedule with you and monitor your progress. Other psychiatric survivors or a survivors' group might be able to suggest a doctor.

2. Have a living situation that is as stable as possible.

3. Organize support from friends, family, survivor groups, the local women's centre, and/or counsellors.

4. Withdraw from the drugs as gradually as you can.

5. Find out as much as you can about the process so that you will be prepared for the withdrawal symptoms.

6. Don't expect to feel much difference in the first few days.

7. Realize that your body and mind are going through a difficult experience.

8. Make sure you get enough sleep. Difficulty in sleeping is a common problem; it's important that you get at least 6 hours of sleep a night. Use herbal remedies for sleep, and try yoga, meditation, massage, etc. But if nothing else helps, it's worth taking sleeping pills just for this short period.

9. Stop using stimulants like coffee, sugar, chocolate, alcohol, or street drugs.

10. Eat the healthiest diet you can to help your body purify itself. Vegetables, fruit, nuts, and grains are important; eat as little red meat as you can, and avoid junk food.

11. You will have more physical energy as your body gets away from the drugs. Physical exercise will help you stay calm, and will be very helpful if your energy seems to be getting out of control. Try to start exercising, swimming, hiking, or bicycling. But start gradually.

Setting a schedule

Remember, psychiatric drugs should never be stopped abruptly! The more slowly you can withdraw, the less bad effects you will suffer. The best plan is to work out a schedule with your doctor that best suits your situation.

Standard practice is to reduce your dosage by 10 percent per week, monitoring your progress at every step. The first week, you would reduce your dosage by ten percent. Try that for the first week, and then see how you are doing. If you feel OK, reduce the dosage by another 10 percent. Try that for a week, and see if you feel OK.

If you reach a point where you don't feel OK, don't reduce your dosage by another 10 percent. Stay at the same reduced level for another week, or until you do feel fine. Then reduce by another 10 percent and continue with the process. Some steps might be more difficult than others; take your time.

For example, if you are taking 200mg of Chlorpromazine a day, reduce by 10 percent -- 20mg -- to 180mg per day. Try that level for a week. The next reduction would be to 160mg a day for a week (or longer), then 140mg a day, and so on.

If you are taking more than one medication at a time, it's best to stop them one by one. If you are taking a neuroleptic (major tranquilizer) and an anticonvulsive drug (anti-Parkinsonian) at the same time, which is common, withdraw from the neuroleptic first. However, if you are taking more than one medication, this is a situation where it is definitely best to have a doctor working with you.

Withdrawal effects by drug class

If you are working with a woman who wants to stop taking psychiatric drugs, it's important to be familiar with the typical reactions or symptoms of withdrawal. These vary, depending on the person, how long she's been taking the drug, her dosage, and the type of drug.

Different classes of drugs bring on different withdrawal reactions. Some of these reactions may be disturbing and hard to witness but not really dangerous. Others may be life-threatening.

A familiarity with drug withdrawal reactions will help you in working with any woman who is taking psychiatric medication. Many patients don't take their medications as prescribed; they will alter their dosage, increasing or decreasing the amount they take. Or they will miss a day's medication, and then catch up by taking twice as much the next day. By mistakenly taking too little medication, they may bring on the early stages of withdrawal. Mysterious physical and emotional complaints may actually be signs that they are not taking their medication as prescribed.

Even when a woman is taking her medication as prescribed, she may experience the beginnings of a withdrawal reaction as a dose begins to wear off. For example, a woman who is taking a minor tranquilizer may find herself feeling agitated and restless before she is to take her next prescribed dose.

In both cases, these signs are the results of the early stages of withdrawal. It may seem like the agitation, anxiety, or physical discomfort are signs of a woman's "mental illness" or a sign that she really does need the medication she's taking. However, her complaints may actually be due to the physical effects of the beginning stages of drug withdrawal.

Listed below are the main classes of psychiatric medication, along with the withdrawal reactions that are most common with each of them.

Antidepressants and neuroleptics

flu-like syndrome with headache, muscle aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite
muscular reactions such as uncontrollable rhythmic movements and tremors (these are more severe with neuroleptics)
insomnia, emotional distress, feeling like one is "going crazy"

Lithium

less side effects generally than other classes
insomnia, anxiety, irritability

Minor tranquilizers, sedatives

sudden withdrawal can result in life-threatening seizures; withdrawal must be very gradual
seizures common in early stages of withdrawal
other reactions can include flu-like syndrome (see above), muscle tics, restlessness, and anxiety
withdrawal symptoms usually take a few days to develop, but can occur immediately and get worse during the first week

What you can do to support a woman withdrawing from medication

1. Respect the woman's right to make her own choices.

2. Be informed about the process of withdrawing from psychiatric drugs.

3. Be familiar with the withdrawal symptoms so that you can stay clearheaded and not panic.

4. Help keep people who disapprove of what the woman is doing from interfering in the process.

5. Remind the woman to get enough sleep.

6. Make sure she gets enough to eat. Help her prepare food, as she may be too nervous to cook on her own.

7. Help her get in touch with other people who will support her.

8. Don't be misled by the withdrawal symptoms, thinking that they are signs of her "illness." Be patient; it takes time to withdraw from the drugs and adjust to life without them.

http://www.walnet.org/llf/drugs/psychdrugs1.html#tableofcontents

1st Post

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:44:01 GMT

I'm really looking forward to writing in this new journal. I'm not exactly sure what direction it will take but I feel confident that it's creation is a positive step in my life. I need to start getting interested in my future and thinking less about my past. I sort of feel like I've been in limbo for the past 3 years. I have 1 year left of school and I want to spend that year being passionate about my professional field. I think I'll probably use this journal to share information on mental health and just vent about my experiences both professionally and personally. I'm evolving into a new person and I think that requires a new livejournal. So here we go...