Medical News

Much needs to be done to ensure that national healthcare reform and parity live up to their promise for persons with mental illness and addiction disorders, Congressmen and advocates pointed out during a recent policy briefing on mental health.

There is an unfortunate dual crisis of increased demand and service reduction. Coverage expansion under healthcare reform will result in 1.5 million new patients entering the public safety net for mental health and addictions treatment, which already struggles to care for 8 million+ children and adults. Approximately 2.5 million people with serious mental disorders, individuals with major addiction disorders and homeless persons will remain uninsured, relying on services delivered by the safety net. The economic recession has resulted in over $2 billion in cuts to public mental health services -with more cuts on the horizon – leading to the elimination of services for the uninsured.

Another public health emergency was highlighted during the policy briefing: Persons with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression die, on average, at the age of 53 -the highest death rate among any population served by any agency of the United States Public Health Service. Co-occurring chronic illnesses -asthma, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and cardio-pulmonary conditions -and lack of access to primary care and specialty medicine is a critical factor in these tragic outcomes.

The time has come for parity between community behavioral health and other parts of America’s safety net including public hospitals and Community Health Centers. All of us (including Congress and regulators) must pay attention to three issues critical to the success of parity and healthcare reform:

Passage of HR 5636, the Community Mental Health and Addiction Safety Net Equity Act, that offers a new definition for Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers and identifies core services, creates nationwide cost based reimbursement, and establishes clearly-defined national accountability and reporting requirements.

Regulations to ensure that the healthcare reform’s new Medicaid Health Home State Option requires mandatory subcontracts with behavioral health; and that behavioral health organizations serve as medical homes for people with serious mental illnesses and addictions to advance this population’s overall health and improve life expectancy.

Passage of the HR 5040, the Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act, to support the use of technology to create treatment transparency, eliminate errors and better coordinate care to improve the health outcomes of persons with serious mental illness.

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), said there were four keys to a successful implementation of healthcare reform for people with mental and addiction disorders -a vigorous outreach and enrollment program by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; regulations that ensure parity in Medicaid state exchanges and parity in Medicare managed care plans, inclusion of intensive community based services and residential addiction services in the mandatory minimum benefits package offered through the new state exchanges, and inclusion of community mental health centers in every medical home funded via the law’s Health Home State Option.

Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), pressed for passage of legislation that would extend federal health information technology incentives to behavioral health services. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), would make behavioral and mental health providers eligible for federal grants to acquire electronic health records that are interoperable, integrated, intelligent and easy to use. But bills improving access to mental health services “only matter if we make sure we integrate care together,” Murphy said. “Mental health services are not stand-alone and that is something we need to continue to educate the community around.”

Asthma can take a big toll on those who suffer from it. It is not an easy disease to deal with month after month and year after year. Your mind can grow weary from the constant battle with attacks and the fight to breathe properly. It seems to be a never ending battle which can wear on your mentality to the point you could have a break down or worse. One thing I would suggest if you’re at this stage with asthma is to learn as much as you can about the disease. Then once you have learned all you can then it’s time to formulate a plan that can help you eliminate your asthma for good. You must believe it can be done. I do believe it can be done because my 4 year old son won his battle with asthma and it was his mother and I that were having the mental breakdowns watching him suffer and fight to breathe.

What we learned through our battles with our son’s asthma is that there are some really good options out there that should really be taken advantage of. Some require the use of prescription drugs, which we really tried to steer away from because of the horrible side effects. I wasn’t about to damage his life further with the side effects just from his inhaler alone, where the doctor did not explain to us that if he used his inhaler for a long period of time he wouldn’t be able to have children later on in life. When we learned this, it was an all out mental break down and we were not going to let this happen no matter what. So, we did our homework on several different remedies and natural methods that claim to help you overcome disease and illnesses. Some had little effect and others had no effect, but we were not going to give up.

We then discovered some natural ways to help us to remove his toxic burden from his body, right down to the very cells that are filled environmental pollution. That’s right, environmental pollution. Being an asthma sufferer you see this as a possible asthma trigger, but what if toxins were what has caused your asthma in the first place? Contracting asthma would seem easy to do because of the respiratory harm that comes from what we put in our jet stream. At this very moment 1460 metric tons of pollution travels around the world raining down its pollution filled rain and infecting everyone and everything it touches. These pollutants can affect your brain tissues and in turn affecting your thought process and the ability to rationalize your condition. This can lead to depression and all sorts of mental breakdowns.

If you’re like most, you want to end your condition and not allow it to mentally break you. If you suffer for long periods of time with asthma it will take its toll on you and even your family will feel the effects of your illness. What can we do about this? You can do a lot. First you must do some research on ways to naturally help your body remove the toxic burden that I believe is causing your problems. Once removed, your body has a greater chance at overcoming your asthma completely. By eliminating asthma from your life and allowing you to breathe easier. It will allow your body to lose that stress that has been bringing you down. If you start to feel better, your mind starts to feel better and that’s when the true healing can take place. A clean body is a healthy body, free of disease. Find a natural way of removing these burdens and you will find that your body’s natural healing process will kick in and cures itself of any disease. Your body is the only thing in this world that can cure. There are no drugs or doctors that can cure asthma, only your body has the ability to cure asthma. If you can give your body the right tools, it can heal and I believe you have just found the right tools.

Just as the right diet can prevent heart disease, hypertension, maybe even cancer, there are foods health experts have identified that can also improve brain power. The Alzheimer’s Association suggests all of us follow a brain healthy diet – one that cuts the risk of heart disease and diabetes, while encouraging good blood flow to the brain and is also low in fat and cholesterol. This diet works best when combined with being both physically and mentally active, today and as you get older.

If you can’t make the changes to a brain healthy diet all at once, here are ten foods you can add to your diet now that are known to do some good things for the brain.

1) Blackberries get the cells of the brain talking to each other again, providing potent antioxidants, known as polyphenols, that reduce inflammation and encourage communication between neurons, helping us soak up new information.

2) Coffee drinking loads you up with caffeine and plenty of antioxidants that may be the reason for its protective benefits. A recent Finnish study found that drinking between 3 and 5 cups a day in your 40s and 50s reduced the odds of developing Alzheimer’s by 65% compared to those who enjoyed less than two cups of coffee a day.

3) Apples are a leading source of quercetin; an antioxidant chemical that protects brain cells and keeps your mental juices flowing. Researchers have found that quercetin protects your brain cells from attack by free radicals. Eating this crunchy, delicious fruit with the skin on is best.

4) Chocolate not only brings down your blood pressure, but researchers have discovered it can keep your mind sharp too. A 2009 Journal of Nutrition study found that eating as little as 1/3 an ounce of chocolate (about 2 Hershey’s Kisses) each day helps protect against memory loss related to aging. It’s the polyphenols in cocoa that do the trick, increasing blood flow to the brain.

5) Cinnamon has two compounds, proanthocyanidin and cinnamaldehyde, that may be able to inactivate proteins that bring on the death of brain cells according to emerging research.

6) Spinach is a leafy green that’s loaded with good-for-you nutrients when it comes to keeping your brain healthy – things like folate, vitamin E and vitamin K. Just half a cup of cooked spinach gives you 1/3 the folate and 5 times the vitamin K you need in a day. A 2006 Neurology study found that eating three servings of leafy greens (the most protective), yellow or cruciferous veggies each day can slow cognition decline by as much as 40%.

7) Extra virgin olive oil may be a potent weapon against ADDLs (amyloid B-derived diffusible ligands), Alzheimer’s inducing proteins that are toxic to the brain. This oil is rich in oleocanthal, a compound known to disable ADDLs.

8 ) Salmon is good for both your heart and your head, as it is a top source of DHA, the predominant omega-3 fat found naturally in your brain. This fish also happens to be a good dietary source of vitamin D, a nutrient recently linked with warding off cognitive decline.

9) Curry has a principle spice, turmeric, that is especially rich in curcumin, a compound believed to inhibit Alzheimer’s in a couple of ways. It blocks the formation of beta amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, fights inflammation and lowers cholesterol, improving blood flow to the brain.

10) Grape juice brings you polyphenols, as does red wine, and these can help both your brain and heart. The compounds are believed to improve the communication between cells, just as blackberries do.

Why not try adding one, or more, of these brain boosting foods to your diet? If you’re interested to improve your brain power or are concerned about your own personal risk of Alzheimer’s, now’s the time to adopt a brain healthy way of eating as a natural approach to keeping your brain healthy, today and for years to come.

You should always give importance to the extra curricular activities along with your daily routine as both these activities are very important for leading a normal life. Physical exercise is very important for maintaining healthy life. Many people are considering various sports activities as the part of the physical exercise. It is natural that just like normal people, sports person will also be facing various undesirable situation in their life either at home front or at their work place. Sometimes these situations can encounter with their sports activities especially while trying to perform at their level best in a competing event. Therefore they should adopt certain necessary steps to overcome the issues caused by the unwanted stress. A good stress management therapy is highly recommended for all sports person of all ages that will help them to keep their stress away from their sports life.

A branch of medical science popularly known as the sports psychology helps each and every individual to come up in their events without bothering about any other situations in their life. There are many psychologist trained in sports psychology for helping many people including the sports person, their parents and even their sports coach to take part in the counseling sessions in order to help the sports person to actively exhibit their talent without any troubles. These sessions are given to any individual irrespective of gender and age. Children as young as eight years old are subjected to sports counseling in order to help them to develop their talent irrespective of any other barriers.

People usually approach sports psychologist with many types of problems they are facing while on the field and you might be really surprised to hear certain problems that are irritating them as it is taking their concentration and confidence out of the game. Certain mental stress can even take your physical energy avoiding you from competing on the ground. The number of sessions required with the sport psychologist mainly depends on the complexity of the issue and every individual is allowed to visit the psychologist any time as they wish without showing any hesitation. You can surf on internet to find the sports psychologist at your place and definitely you will be getting number of search result in front of you within seconds. You can contact them for getting help for performing well in the sport activities.

Personality disorders are mental illnesses characterized by patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that frequently result in problematic relationships and situations. People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have trouble regulating their emotions and behavior. Their lives are characterized by unstable moods and impulsive and reckless actions, which disrupt their interpersonal and work relationships and family lives. People with BPD seem to go from one crisis to another.

To be diagnosed with BPD, a person must exhibit at least five of the following nine symptoms:

• Unstable emotions: They experience intense bouts of emotion, swinging rapidly from feeling to feeling (anger, joy, anxiety…) in response to perceived stress.
• Unstable self image: Their perception of themselves – their likes, dislikes, goals, worthiness, strengths and weaknesses, etc. changes often and rapidly.
• Unstable relationships: Their feeling towards others can also change quickly and radically, swinging from idealizing someone to loathing them.
• Impulsivity: They often act rashly and make hasty decisions. They may engage in reckless and self-damaging behaviors around spending, sex, substance use, eating, driving, etc.
• Fear of abandonment: The threat of abandonment can be real or perceived, and gives rise to desperate attempts to avoid it.
• Feelings of emptiness: They chronically feel “empty”.
• Issues with anger: Including frequent anger, unprovoked anger, intense anger and inability to manage anger.
• Paranoia: Episodes of stress-related paranoia or disassociation (“spacing out”, memory lapses).
• Suicidal ideation: Repeated thoughts of, threats of and attempts to commit suicide.

BPD occurs equally in males and females, and is estimated to effect about 6% of the population. Like most mental disorders, its cause is not totally understood, but it’s believed to arise from a complex interaction of biological and environmental factors. People with BPD tend to have experienced abuse, neglect or separation as children. BPD often occurs along with other psychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression, and is often associated with substance abuse in men and with eating disorders in women.

BPD is treated with a combination of therapy and psychiatric medications. A psychosocial treatment called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been developed specifically to treat BPD. DBT addresses four main problem areas: self image, uncontrolled emotions, impulsive behavior and trouble relating to others. Antidepressant drugs and mood stabilizers such as topiramate (generic Topamax) and divalproex (generic Depakote) are often prescribed to address depressed and shifting moods. Antipsychotic drugs such as quetiapine (generic Seroquel) are used when needed to combat distorted thinking. Like most personality disorders, the symptoms of BPD decrease with age, and many sufferers are better able to maintain some stability in their lives by the time they are in their 40′s and 50′s.

Believe me or not, music was there since the world began. Biblically speaking, God made heaven and earth and filled it with various kinds of plants and animals and seeing them, He was well satisfied. In fact, He was satisfied not only for what he saw but also for what he heard. The soft gentle breeze swaying the branches and leaves in melancholy, the streams, the chirping birds and animals producing a melody of praise was soothing in His ears, thus music was there from the beginning.

Today, music is the oldest form of expression known to have influencing power on the physical, mental, spiritual and moral side of man. Healing power of music is so true that various musicologists and psychologists have even acknowledged it as a powerful instrument of achieving all-round development when used properly with the right kind.

Listening music also increases concentration and attention. It is also beneficial and widely used for relaxation reducing mental tension. After a long and tiresome day at work, music can be very relaxing and soothing. It feels like each and every part of your body suddenly bounce and your stress dancing away along with the rhythm of the music. Honestly speaking, music has always been my sleep mate and I can’t sleep a single night without listening music.

The power of music has also been observed on animals. It is believed that animals and plants have positive response when played music. Research shows that when exposed to music, cows produce more milk, and horses discipline themselves better than other horses. Plants grow well and yield well when exposed to music.

The healing power of music in the form of music therapy is widely encouraged these days by many doctors around the world. Patients when played music reduces stress and anxiety during hospital care. Research also proves that patients suffering from cancer, high blood pressure, labor pain and even Alzheimer’s disease recover well and the wounds heal faster when given music therapy.

Children with autism, who are generally difficult to deal with ordinary therapies can also improve well when given music therapy and how unusual sensitivity.

Music can make a person soft and calm while on the contrary it can also make a person wild. It is often said music speaks more than words as one can express his feeling and thoughts deeper with music.

Based upon this article, we can say that music lovers are the most fortunate people in the world as life without music is very dull.

When the intensity of negative reactions to our life situations become repetitive and frequent, symptoms of depression begin to crop up. Do you often experience the will of shutting out from the world and remaining isolated? Do you feel your self-worth and self-confidence eroding away for no specific reason? And do you find yourself sitting for hours together and thinking about nothing? If your answer to these questions is yes, you might be entering into an episode of depression and anxiety.

Depression refers to a state of persistent anxiety, sadness and feelings of sadness and hopelessness. It is characterized by the feelings of contemplating suicide, fatigue or loss of energy, irritability or restlessness, insomnia and so on. The symptoms of depression may occur in people of any age group -whether children, youth or old.

These symptoms can be stirred up even by minor routine stress. All of us are not equally well equipped to handle changing life situations and hence, many of us find it difficult to adapt to new challenging situations. And such situations accompanied by stress lead to depression among people. Especially in our modern hectic life schedules, stress has been identified as the single biggest contributor to depression.

Sometimes, high intake of antibiotics can also cause a temporary state of depression. Anxiety, too, can be one of the factors causing depression. However, the exact cause of depression cannot be identified, as it is closely linked with one’s mental disposition or inner personality, which varies from person to person.

Depression can be of various types even though most people are unaware of these as the term ‘depression’ in itself is taken as an umbrella term for all stress and anxiety related problems. The most common types of depression include: Major depressive disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Bipolar disorder, Seasonal Affective disorder, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Atypical depressive disorder.

Depression is not a disease; rather it is an illness wherein the state of our mind, body and thoughts work towards negativity. It can, thus, be treated with one’s efforts and strong will to fight depression complemented with some home remedies. There is also a wide range of herbs available for treating depression such as: Rosemary, Purslane, Lemon balm, Basil, Licorice, Borage, Clove, Ginger and Kava-Kava.

Ayurveda, too, provides a highly efficient range of depression supplements which help in the natural treatment of depression. One of its highly potent natural supplements for depression is DeprsnCare which helps in improving the mental health. DeprsnCare naturally helps lessen anxiety and restore vitality of life without causing any unpleasant side-effects. This depression supplement contains no chemically generated compounds or artificial addictives. However, Ayurveda also recommends practicing meditation as the second fold treatment to keep the mind restful.

With school starting again in the fall, learning will be the focus. I counsel all types of children and often the subjects of learning and grades surface. Some children actually dread school starting because they may have learning or emotional difficulties.

If a parent, teacher, counselor, social worker or pastor is seeking help for a student, there is a process that needs to be followed. First, identify what you believe to be the problem. Is it difficulty reading, poor writing, depression, anger, poverty, hunger, Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), or bipolar disorder? Is it something else? Once you know the problem, determine the alternatives available to address the concern. Select the best alternative for the involved student. The next step is to implement the alternative. After implementation, measure to see if the solution you selected produced the outcomes you expected. If yes, rejoice! If no, select another alternative that you believe to be more effective. Implement the solution and measure. Keep at it until you reach the outcomes that you have set.

If it’s a reading concern, there are literacy programs in most neighborhoods that can help. Local schools can assist with reading. If the concern is poor writing, there is another opportunity for the schools to assist. Most schools, especially if you start earlier in the year as opposed to later in the year, have resources available if parents and students are sincere about closing a learning deficit. One simply needs to share the concern with someone who can help. It may take a discussion with more than one person. Speak to the child’s teacher or ask a guidance counselor or even the principal to help meet the student’s needs. Everyone has the same goal of ensuring student education and everyone must keep working until that happens.

If the concern is a mental health issue like ODD, bipolar disorder, depression, anger or something else, see a qualified professional. Most schools have a social worker who can help. In some communities seeing a qualified professional is to be stressed because people know very little about mental health services and solutions. Often there needs to be education on how to know when to seek help for mental health conditions. Children can suffer in school if disruptive mental health issues go unattended. Such neglect can keep the child and other students from learning.

In summary, be sure to make the mental health and academic needs of students a priority. Both of these areas can have a profound effect on academic outcomes.

Individuals are inclined to forget certain matters owing to work and different priorities. This is not unusual because this does happen to everyone. Nonetheless, when a person will forget even the most convenient things, there is already something definitely wrong. There is an opportunity that you have Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition in the brain. Over time, the patient will gradually lose both the intellectual and social abilities making it tough to do anything and even interact with others.

This disease commonly afflicts people above 65 years old. There are currently 4.5 million Americans that are suffering from this complaint. It is projected that this number will increase, as the more population will reach the retirement age.

There is no known cure yet for Alzheimer’s disease. The sole thing medicine can do for now is simply delay the inevitable for those who have just been diagnosed with the disease.

Is Alzheimer’s disease the same as dementia? The answer is no. This is because dementia is a symbol, that is caused by a disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease.

There are lots of signs for this ailment. It may begin with the individual simply forgetting certain matters. It is hard to tell at this point but when it gets worse such as not knowing how to arrive at the office or get home, then there is unquestionably a problem.

Some patients are known to not remember how to do some simple mathematical computations or even find the proper words when writing a letter. There are people who are likewise disoriented and locate it tough to do certain tasks and make simple choices.

The worse of these symptoms is perhaps experiencing personality changes even in the presence of relatives and close friends. There are times the person is satisfied and then this will just change for absolutely no reason at all.

A neurological scan is the best method to check if the patient has Alzheimer’s disease. If it is confirmed, the person has this problem, the best way to address it is through the use of medical prescribed drugs.

There are two namely memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors. Studies have indicated these can retard the process as scientists are still conducting research to finally find a cure for this disease.

Patients who are diagnosed with the complaint will probably live more for 8 more years. This will really rely upon how strong the individual is because some have lived for 3 while others have fought with it for more than 10 years.

How can family members help a partner with this ailment? The brothers and sisters can take turns watching over the patient. If this isn’t likely, this is when a caregiver should be hired to check on the patient. This specialist will usually stay in the house and make sure the individual is safe.

Physical and mental exercises must be administered to keep the patient’s strength up and even help depression, that is another symptom commonly, connected with Alzheimer’s disease.

Whenever the people visit, it is better for each person to stay in the line of sight of the patient. It is best to speak slowly and even keep the person, that is known to make the sufferer remember who he or she is speaking to.