Recommended Resource: NIH’s master list of ~ 500 neurological disorders, neurological symptoms and neurological diseases
Compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

The list links out to comprehensive neuroscience-focused definitions, treatment options, research endeavors, organizations, and more.

[Blog Post of Interest] The Big Chill: Psychiatric Medications Now Are on Trial For Murder

By Michael Cornwall, Ph.D. on Mad in America

Excerpt: The Canadian judge in the first North American criminal trial to find Prozac the sole cause of a murder ruled – “There is clear medical evidence that the Prozac affected his (defendant’s) behavior and judgment, thereby reducing his moral culpability.” Will those chilling words cause a small tremor in the writing hand of every prescriber of Prozac and other psychiatric medications from now on?

That Prozac verdict which is not going to be appealed by the District Attorney changes everything. The upcoming Utah Supreme Court trial where the court has already ruled that prescribers of psychiatric medications can be held responsible for the actions of their patients, adds to the huge shift in the landscape for anyone who prescribes.

[Article of Interest] Recent developments in borderline personality disorder

By Anthony P. Winston

Excerpt: Despite many unanswered questions, recent developments give grounds for optimism. It is now difficult to sustain the view that all borderline patients are untreatable. Psychoanalysis, cognitive therapy and empirical research are converging, and a coherent aetiological model of the disorder is beginning to emerge. The outlook for this challenging group of patients may be starting to improve.

The apparent success of brief therapies is somewhat at odds with the view held by many clinicians that borderline patients benefit from a relatively prolonged relationship with a therapist or therapeutic team. This view is consistent with the evidence for disordered attachment in BPD, which suggests that a stable therapeutic attachment may be helpful in allowing patients to develop psychologically in a more functional way.

[Article of Interest] Adapting to the challenge of psychosis: personal resilience and the use of sealing-over (avoidant) coping strategies

By Lynda Tait, PhD; Max Birchwood, DSc; Peter Trower, PhD

Excerpt of the Article:  In contrast to earlier views of recovery style as a stable trait characteristic, recent evidence suggests that recovery style can change over time […] Recovery style has been identified as an important factor in adjustment to psychosis.

This [study] supports the view that a functional sense of self or identity is an important resilience factor in recovery from psychosis, and in facilitating coping efforts. 

[Article of Interest] Psychiatry Manual Drafters Back Down on Diagnoses

By Benedict Carey

The New York Times

Excerpt: The [doctors on a panel revising psychiatry’s diagnostic manual] dropped two diagnoses that they ultimately concluded were not supported by the evidence: “attenuated psychosis syndrome,” proposed to identify people at risk of developing psychosis, and “mixed anxiety depressive disorder,” a hybrid of the two mood problems. They also tweaked their proposed definition of depression to allay fears that the normal sadness people experience after the loss of a loved one, a job or a marriage would not be mistaken for a mental disorder.

“At long last, DSM 5 is correcting itself and has rejected its worst proposals,” said Dr. Allen Frances, a former task force chairman and professor emeritus at Duke University who has been one of the most prominent critics. “But a great deal more certainly needs to be accomplished. Most important are the elimination of other dangerous new diagnoses and the rewriting of all the many unreliable criteria sets.”

[Article of Interest] Death with Honors: Suicide among Gifted Adolescents

By James R. Delisle, Ph.D.

Department of Teacher Development and Curriculum Studies, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.

Abstract: The incidence of suicide and suicide attempts among adolescents has increased markedly during the past two decades. Gifted adolescents, often perceived by others as being immune from problems of depression and emotional upheaval because of their high intelligence, have also shown increases in suicidal behaviors. On the basis of current research, the author contends that gifted young people are especially susceptible to suicide attempts. 

Dopamine: Duality of Desire

Being an ex-drug-addict turned neuroscientist brings a unique insight into the physiological and phenomenological realities of addiction.

Excerpt: For 10 years I spun in and out of an addiction to opiates (and other drugs) that led to despair, crime, and the loss of everything I valued most—including my place in graduate school. After many failed attempts, I finally quit taking addictive drugs 30 years ago. I reentered grad school, got my PhD in developmental psychology, and became a professor at the University of Toronto, focusing on emotional and personality development. I studied these topics for 13 years, but I never quite understood my own personality development. I came to believe that my theories needed help from neuroscience, and that’s why I switched to research on the emotional brain—my focus for the past decade.

When I was in the throes of intense psychological addiction, my thoughts were continuously (and unpleasantly) drawn to drug imagery. It would be so great to have some now! How can I get some tonight?! But attraction to something you are just about to get feels marvelous. Dopamine-induced engagement turns into a headlong rush of triumph when the goal is finally accessible.

This perspective on the dual nature of attraction helps make sense of addiction. Unsated attraction can be a kind of torture, and addicts may seek drugs to put an end to that torture, more than for the modicum of pleasure drugs actually bestow.

[Article of Interest] “Families and First Break: An Evolving Role” – Ron Bassman, Karyn Baker & Connie Packard

ABSTRACT: The changing role of the family and how the family unit may help or harm a disturbed and/or disturbing member is examined. The authors use their personal experiences as mental health professionals, user/survivors and family members to inform their critique. A brief history of family involvement – how the family has been perceived and worked with by mental health professionals – is followed by a description of present day practices. The paper concludes with speculation about alternatives in which quality of life for all of the family members may be more possible.

Spread the Word: Inquiry into the ‘Schizophrenia’ Label

The  Inquiry into the ‘Schizophrenia’ Label Inquiry Panel would like to hear about your experience and thoughts about ‘schizophrenia’ or similar labels such as ‘psychosis’. We are particularly interested in hearing from:

• people affected by the label ‘schizophrenia’ (or similar labels such as ‘psychosis’)

• people given other ‘mental illness’ diagnoses

• families, carers and friends of people diagnosed with ‘schizophrenia’ or ‘psychosis’

• mental health workers and professionals, and

• people interested in mental health issues

  For more information, Click Here. 

Psychiatry’s bible, the DSM, is doing more harm than good

Excerpt from the Washington Post article: In our increasingly psychiatrized world, the first course is often to classify anything but routine happiness as a mental disorder, assume it is based on a broken brain or a chemical imbalance, and prescribe drugs or hospitalization; even electroshock is still performed.

Survivor Support

From the blog’s description: [A blog] for survivors of rape/abuse/assault to come and share their stories […] The Ask Box is ALWAYS open; anon or not.