Category Archives: Wellness

Virginia Firefighter Victim of Cyberbullying Months Before Apparent Suicide

24 Apr 2016

Members of an anonymous forum dedicated to Fairfax, Va., gossip may have cyberbullied a female firefighter who died in an apparent suicide in Shenandoah National Park. Multiple posts from December 2015 targeted Nicole Mittendorff with derogatory name-calling of a sexual nature. On April 13, the 31-year-old’s body was found more than a week after she failed to report to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. Police found a suicide note in her Mini Cooper, which was parked a mile from the site where her body was discovered. Fire Chief Richard Bowers acknowledged a scattering of disparaging forum posts that referred to several female paramedic-firefighters, including Mittendorff, as “slut.” He pledged to investigate the harassment.

Training the Police to Hold Their Fire

23 Apr 2016

The 911 caller had reported a man with a samurai sword, lunging at people on the waterfront. It was evening, and when the police arrived, they saw the man pacing the beach and called to him. He responded by throwing a rock at the embankment where they stood. They shouted to him from a sheriff’s boat; he threw another rock. They told him to drop the sword; he said he would kill them. He started to leave the beach, and after warning him, they shot him in the leg with a beanbag gun. He turned back, still carrying the four-foot blade. In another city — or in Portland itself not that long ago — the next step would almost certainly have been a direct confrontation and, had the man not put down the weapon, the use of lethal force. But the Portland Police Bureau, prodded in part by the 2012 findings of a Justice Department investigation, has spent years putting in place an intensive training program and protocols for how officers deal with people with mental illness. At a time when police behavior is under intense scrutiny — a series of fatal shootings by police officers have focused national attention on issues of race and mental illness — Portland’s approach has served as a model for other law enforcement agencies around the country. And on that Sunday last summer, the police here chose a different course. At 2:30 a.m., after spending hours trying to engage the man, the officers decided to “disengage,” and they withdrew, leaving the man on the beach. A search at daylight found no signs of him. People with mental illnesses are overrepresented among civilians involved in police shootings: Twenty-five percent or more of people fatally shot by the police have had a mental disorder, according to various analyses.

Almost Half of Children Returned From Nauru Have Mental Illness

21 Apr 2016

Almost half of the asylum seeker children returned to Australia from Nauru’s detention centre – the public focus of the Let Them Stay campaign – have been diagnosed with a mental illness, the government has told parliament.

Fifty-four children returned to Australia from Nauru were part of the 267 asylum seekers and refugees who were the focus of a nationwide Let Them Stay campaign.

In answer to a February question on notice specifically about that 267 cohort, a Department of Immigration and Border Protection official has told the Senate: “as at 8 February 2016, there were 25 minors from Nauru who were in Australia with a clinically diagnosed mental health condition including depression and anxiety”.

“Additionally, there were five minors in Australia for other long-term medical issues.”

I Saw Carrie Fisher Speak About Mental Illness, Spirituality and Star Wars

20 Apr 2016

Last night, I watched Carrie Fisher receive the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from Harvard’s Humanist Hub. The event was … not what I expected. I loved it. But it was also completely bizarre. Let me take you on this journey. I found out about the event at the last minute yesterday from a friend; I had never heard about Harvard’s Humanist Hub before, but they give out this award to celebrities who’ve been open about being atheist or agnostic. Harvard’s event description made the event sound like it would be a relatively understated affair, and that Fisher would most likely discuss her own relationship with spirituality, and well as her own perspectives on mental illness and perhaps her career in Hollywood a bit. That is indeed what Carrie Fisher talked about once she took the stage, but before that point, the event was an emotional whirlwind of Star Wars fandom. As soon as I got to the Memorial Church, I saw multiple lines stretching out the front door, down the steps, and across the sidewalk. Amidst those lines, I saw a Rey cosplayer swirling a lightsaber. Meanwhile, a group of three other cosplayers–Leia, Han Solo, and Chewie–stood on the front steps, posing for pictures. All of these cosplayers were part of the 501st Legion, which is a group of professional Star Wars cosplayers who often get tapped for promotional Star Wars events. I soon saw that there were also several Storm Troopers, a Darth Vader, and many other 501st official cosplayers in attendance. There were also multiple cosplayers who weren’t there in a professional capacity, but were there simply to express their Star Warsfandom among like-minded folks. I didn’t expect any of this, because this event isn’t, y’know, an official Star Wars event. But I guess any event that Carrie Fisher does might become a Star Wars event. And it didn’t just stop at cosplay! When I got inside, I saw that the entire Harvard Pops orchestra had set up in the front of the church, with the brass section in the balcony. I could tell from their warm-up that they were going to play a Star Wars song.

Pet Therapy in Recovery

19 Apr 2016

Pet therapy may include several kinds of therapies involving animals, from animal-assisted therapy to animal-assisted activities. Animal-assisted therapy tends to use dogs or other animals to help people recover from health problems or to cope with mental stresses. Animal-assisted activities allow individuals to interact with animals. These animals may provide comfort during the activity or be used to provide interaction. Animal-assisted therapies work in several ways. For instance, if you attend your drug addiction programand are asked if you want to be part of the program, you can say yes and learn more. If everything is agreeable to you, you’ll seen have an assistance animal, whether it’s a horse, dog, cat, or other animal, come to you. In some cases, the animal stays for longer, but most visits are between 10 to 15 minutes. You can interact with the animal and talk to the handler. Typically, this improves a person’s mood, which is helpful to the healing process.

Steve Young Brings Music to Sutter Children’s Hospital

18 Apr 2016
Hall of Fame 49ers quarterback Steve Young was in Sacramento Tuesday with his wife Barbara to open an incredibly special music room at Sutter Children’s Hospital. Young and his wife through their Forever Young Foundation, have been doing hospital projects for 30 years now. Tuesday, they cut the ribbon to open Sophie’s Place, a music room that will do so much more than just feed the soul.

Praiteike Babbar Opens Up About Drugs, Heartbreak & Depression

17 Apr 2016

I let failure get to me and I was confused if I should be an actor. In eight years whatever I had done had not worked, while other actors were doing well. I stopped listening to scripts as I was very depressed. I loved the people around me and I loved going on the sets, but I isolated myself from everything. My fears took over me. However, now I am not scared anymore.

Now that take guts, especially when you are a known personality. Here are 3 important things he revealed in his interview.

On Drugs

I turned to drugs at a very young age and at 19, I came out of rehab. All that I was going through emotionally led me to that. I was stupid and rebellious. In the last three years I wasn’t in rehab, but yes, I did do drugs. My depression, my failed relationship and losing the person that mattered to me the most (grandmom) – it all broke me. I was at a stage where I did not love myself. Depression and anger are such a bad combo, it leads to bad decisions and obnoxious behaviour. I am cleaning up all that now. I have left that life of drugs and partying behind me. Today, I am stable and sober. Sanjay Dutt had gone through a similar patch when ‘Rocky’ released and it became a huge success. He went on a sabbatical, but he came out stronger. His fans loved him so much that they gave him another chance. I want to share my story with my fans and those who love me. I want to tell them, yes, I have made mistakes but I am here to make up for it. I have turned over a new leaf. More than anything else, I am working on myself right now. I want to love myself and love my life. So no drugs, no cheating, no controversy, no trouble.

Losing His Grandmother

The whole process of losing her was terribly painful. She has given me immense love and all I wanted to do was make her proud, and make her part of my success. I couldn’t live up to it and that made me very angry. I was full of self-pity and was dogged with questions about my life. I wondered why people liked me. Was it because my mother had died? Did they feel bad for me? Maybe, they liked me for all these reasons and not because I was a good actor. All those thoughts tore me apart. After my grandmom passed away, I realised how everything in the past was pretty much my fault, and I had got it all wrong. But over time, I have made peace with myself and all those thoughts are behind me now. I only have gratitude for my parents and others around me.

Heartbreak

I didn’t know what to do with myself after I broke up with Amy. It left a void in my life. I am not so good with heartbreak. It is not like I wanted a partner, it is more like I needed one. I thought I won’t be able to survive without a partner. People around me told me that I was trying to fill a void of a female figure in my life, as I didn’t have a mother, and was raised by my grandmom who was so much older. I was scared of not being in a relationship.

How It Feels When The Person You Love Has Depression

16 Apr 2016

I used to joke that only men with depression were attracted to me. It was the only experience I’d had, every long-term boyfriend and even the short-term flings. I’d never dated anyone who hadn’t been on antidepressants, or spent time in a psychiatrist’s office. That dark, brooding, introspective type: It draws me in.

I guess having struggled with my own anxiety, and bouts of depression, I’ve always been able to empathize. Then there’s the carer aspect of my personality; I like to look after people, I like to try and fix situations, connect people to services that will help them. I’m studying to become a social worker.

I don’t want to compare my experience as a partner of someone with depression to the struggles of someone who is actually depressed. But years of loving people who could probably not love me back in the same way, it’s taught me coping techniques that I think could be helpful. I am just one of the many, many partners who’ve sat in silence with their loved one, watching them eat for the first time in two days because their brain has been a fog and their muscles hurt and their bed is the only safe space for them to hide in.

Mental Health and the Stigma Against It

15 Apr 2016

Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or persistent and major depression are the most common mental illnesses in which people who have them experience the most stigma.

A stigma is when someone views someone else in a negative way because they have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that’s thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage. Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common.

Despite this, Ferris State University RSOs such as the American Chemical Society, Student Psychology Association, Active Minds and the Pre-Pharmacy Club all came together on Thursday, April 7 to help raise awareness in regards to the stigma against mental illness.

“A great group of passionate students formed from all of these RSOs and really helped make the project great,” said Ferris American Chemical Society representative Abigail DeMaet.

Must a Mental Illness Be Revealed on a First Date?

14 Apr 2016

I have struggled with mental illness, off and on, for most of my life. It can be debilitating and has resulted in numerous hospitalizations. I also have extensive scarring on my arms from self-harm episodes. But I have a successful career and fully support myself; most people who know me have no idea that I am mentally ill. After ending a decade-long relationship, I am now thinking of dating again. My question is: At what point do I disclose my mental illness, its history and its effects? At what point do I “explain” my scars? Do I have an obligation to reveal this information on the first or second date, before any attachment forms, so that any potential partner can “opt out”?