Focus on Faith and Healing: The Renewal Christian Treatment and Recovery Blog

A story of recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:27:00 +0000

Stories of recovery are powerful because they lend hope to those that may be in similar situations and are displays of God's grace and love. Vera Crowl is one woman who had a seemingly promising future as a college graduate hopeful during the 1970's. However, due to a series of ill-advised choices, she dropped out of school and began a struggle with a thirty-year addiction, which eventually led to a five-year period of homelessness. However, Vera found hope in the way of treatment, a new network of supportive friends, and through the church community. Now Vera's life is completely different. Among her many accomplishments, the now married Vera Crowl has graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Dayton. Vera relayed the joy of her graduation saying, "A lot of my professors were there and they came down out of the stands when I came down to the front... It was like this little commotion. There was so much love and they were so proud of me." The following is an excerpt of an article from Palladium that discusses her transformation:

Vera graduated from high school with plans to study theater and music in college.

She enrolled at Southeast Missouri State College in 1971, which later attained university status while she was enrolled there.

"Nothing worked out," Vera said. "I drank and drugged my way through college the first time. I thought it was fun, and it was just ruining everything. And I was letting it."

Her first exposure to alcohol was actually years earlier while she was still in high school. It was then she first got drunk, although at the time she didn't understand the consequences.

"My mother knew it when I came in," Vera said. "And she walked up to me the next morning in the kitchen and very quietly said, 'You don't ever need to drink like that again.'

"I knew she was right because I felt horrible. I had a hideous hangover. I was 16, so that just felt like I was dying. But by the time I drank again, it was just fun with friends and I didn't think about any of that."

Instead, she carried on at college and earned 70-plus college credits before dropping out.

"In college the first time it was just a big party," she said. "I didn't have any trouble with the law, except I was probably carrying around illegal substances most of the time.

"I had pretty much no external consequences. The consequences were happening, but they were happening inside me and I didn't realize it."

Click here to read the rest of this article

PTSD responsive to exposure therapy

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Information emerging from early results of an ongoing randomized trail show promise for exposure therapy in conjunction with virtual reality technology in veterans suffering from PTSD. According to Barbara Rotbaum, Ph.D. of Emory, the therapy appears to be responsible for substantial decreases in PTSD symptom scores. The study, which has now collected data from 22 patients and expects a total enrollment of 150 patients, found that the intensity of startle response in participants reduced by 75% after six months of treatment. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study:

Mean scores for the 22 patients on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale were 83 at baseline. Among 14 patients who had completed three months in the study, mean scores declined to 60.

Two Iraq veterans who have completed a full year in the study had scores of 21, Dr. Rothbaum said.

Intensity of startle responses after six months of treatment declined 75% from baseline, she added.

All patients so far appear to have benefited to some degree from the therapy.

The drug assignments are double-blind, Dr. Rothbaum said. The blinding remains in place, so the preliminary signs of efficacy are likely due to the virtual reality therapy, she said.

The virtual reality therapy uses a head-mounted visual display, headphones, and even odor generators to recreate the traumas causing patients' PTSD.

Dr. Rothbaum said the system can simulate urban foot patrols and Humvees traveling along a desert highway.

She showed a video clip indicating that the animated graphics are nearly as realistic as recent video games.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Medpage Today

Hormone drives individuals to eat

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:55:00 +0000

A recent study published in the May issue of Cell Metabolism discovered that a hormone secreted in the gut drives individuals to eat by making food seem more appealing. The hormone, ghrelin, was infused into healthy volunteers who were subsequently shown pictures of various foods while being subjected to an MRI to study the brain's reward centers. The hormone was found to stimulate not only visual processing of food images but also memory. Volunteers in the study recalled the food images as being particularly appealing even some time after testing. According to Dr. Alain Dagher, M.D., of McGill University, "Ghrelin has widespread effects, not just on one or two brain regions, but the whole network. …After ghrelin infusion food pictures become even more salient -- people actually see them better. It influences not only visual processing, but also memory. People remembered the food pictures better when ghrelin was high." The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study:

To learn more about the origin of ghrelin's effects on eating, Dr. Dagher and colleagues studied 20 nonobese healthy volunteers.

Three hours after eating a standardized meal, the participants viewed a series of pictures of food and scenery and subjectively rated their appetite and mood. Investigators also examined the participants' recall of the pictures.

Then 12 participants received ghrelin by intravenous infusion and eight received a placebo infusion.

All participants underwent functional brain MRI and then viewed the same pictures again.

Participants in the ghrelin group demonstrated a significant increase in hunger assessment and recall of food pictures after receiving the hormone (P=0.01) but hedonic ratings did not differ between the two viewings of the pictures.

In the placebo group, neither picture recall nor subjective responses differed between the two viewings.

Brain imaging after administration of ghrelin, versus placebo, revealed heightened neural response in the amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior insula, and striatum.

"These regions encode the salience and the hedonic and incentive value of visual cues," the authors said. "This effect likely accounts for the ability of ghrelin to trigger and promote feeding."

Click here to read the rest of this article from Medpage Today

Click here for information on eating disorders

"Going to Pot"

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:57:00 +0000

According to a recent study conducted by David Gorelick, MD, Ph D., of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Baltimore, and colleagues at a recent American Psychiatric Association meeting, withdraw from marijuana appears to be the real deal. According to the study, approximately one third of marijuana users who made real efforts to quit the drug failed because of withdraw symptoms. The study confirms several smaller studies on the subject. According to Dr. Gorelick, "I think the consensus now is that there is a cannabis withdrawal syndrome... this warrants attention during treatment of cannabis dependence." Dr. Gorelick also mentioned that while cannabis withdraw was not included in the DSM-IV the next version would be inclusive of it. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study:

The findings came from questionnaires administered to 469 self-reported marijuana users 18 to 64 years old from the Baltimore area, who were recruited by advertisements and word of mouth.

About 28% reported more than 10,000 lifetime uses of marijuana, the equivalent of once-daily use for 27 years. More than half the sample reported at least 2,000 lifetime uses.

"We get the picture that these were heavier users," Dr. Gorelick said.

Some 90.6% had at least three dependence criteria as defined in DSM-IV's section on general substance dependence.

Fewer than half -- 42.4% -- said they had experienced withdrawal symptoms when they tried to quit.

Among those that did, reported symptoms were both physical and psychological, Dr. Gorelick said.

Click here to read the rest of this story from Medpage Today

Click here for information on the treatment of chemical dependency

Pastoral Action Point: A worth mentioning point that I draw out from this study is that marijuana, which has typically been thought of as the lesser of evils within the world of illegal drugs by its users, has equally serious dangers connected with it. The confirmation of a withdraw syndrome associated with marijuana could make the brash enthusiast think twice about exploring the drug. It may be worth bringing up the addictive properties of cannabis during an appropriate church venue.

ADHD: a risk factor for developing an eating disorder during adolescence in girls

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:29:00 +0000

A recent study published in the current issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a much greater risk of developing an eating disorder during adolescence. According to psychologist Amori Yee Mikami of the University of Virginia, "Adolescent girls with ADHD frequently develop body-image dissatisfaction and may go through repeating cycles of binge eating and purging behaviors that are common in bulimia nervosa." The girls in the study found to have the highest risk were those that had a "combined type" of ADHD, which included both hyperactivity and inattention. However, all the girls in the study with ADHD were more likely to be overweight. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medical News Today that reviews the study's findings:

"Our finding suggests that girls may develop a broader range of problems in adolescence than their male counterparts," Mikami said. "They may be at risk for eating problems, which are a female-relevant domain of impairment. We know that eating disorders occur 10 times more often in girls than boys."

Additionally, Mikami noted that because ADHD is more common in boys, many girls with the disorder may go undiagnosed and untreated.

"Girls with ADHD may be more at risk of developing eating problems as adolescents because they already have impulsive behaviors that can set them apart from their peers," Mikami said. "As they get older, their impulsivity may make it difficult for them to maintain healthy eating and a healthy weight, resulting in self-consciousness about their body image and the binging and purging symptoms."

The study was conducted with an ethnically diverse sample of 228 girls in the San Francisco Bay area; 140 who had been diagnosed with ADHD and 88 matched comparison girls without ADHD. They were first assessed between the ages of 6 and 12 and again five years later.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Medical News Today

Click here to learn about treatment options for eating disorders

Angst in adolescents a precursor to schizophrenia?

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:36:00 +0000

A recent birth cohort study found that agnst in adolescents may be a precursor to schizophrenia, especially if "many" symptoms are present. In the study, positive, negative and general signs of psychosis were common among the adolescent group; however, those who had more than one symptom in each category later developed mental illness. In particular, symptoms such as social withdrawal and problems connecting with others were significant predictors. According to Dr. Pirjo Maki, MD, of the University of Oulu in Finland, this finding is new. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study:

The researchers derived their conclusions from a study of 9,215 young Finns born between July 1, 1985 and June 30, 1986. They were asked to participate in a field study in 2001 and 2002, when they were either 15 or 16 years old, using a 21-item questionnaire.

The results of the field study were correlated with the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register from 2002 to the end of 2005, Dr. Maki said.

All told, there were 17 cases of psychosis among the cohort, including three cases of schizophrenia, three of bipolar disease, two of psychotic depression, and nine of other psychoses.

The study found that 45% of boys and 27% of girls reported no positive symptoms -- such as difficulty thinking clearly and feeling peculiar -- but most reported one or more, with girls saying they had more of the 11 symptoms.

The study found that 13 of the 17 youths who had psychosis had three or more positive features, compared with less than a third of those who had no disorders -- a difference that was significant at P<0.001.

In the same way, youths with three or more general features -- such as depression and apathy or anxiety -- were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a psychosis, also at P<0.001, Dr. Maki reported.

Click here to read the rest of this article

Pastoral Action Point: The interesting thing about mental illness in general is that, while much of its origins may be genetic and attributed to heredity, therapy along with prescribed medications can and does yield significant results. For this cause, it is immensely important to connect individuals with professional help at the earliest sign of the onset of mental illness. Early detection is key.

Grim statistics

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:34:00 +0000

Statistics surrounding the mental health of the 1.6 million U.S. vets returning from the Middle East have some serious implications for both individuals and insurance companies. Thomas Insel, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health, commenting on the situation said, “…a gathering storm" looms over civilian psychiatric care. The risks for us are significant if one just does the math." Truly Dr. Insel's math should be harkened to as one out of five returning vets will suffer from depression and or post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, up to 70% of soldiers returning home with PTSD or depression will not seek help from the Veterans Administration. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that discusses these grim realities:

Dr. Insel said PTSD -- which he defined as a "failure to cope" -- emerges months and in some cases years after a traumatic event. "About 10% of people simply don't recover," he said.

He likened the Mid-East wars to Hurricane Katrina, in which thousands of people underwent a traumatic event and then were dispersed around the country, making it hard for them to get access to mental health services.

There are still "significant questions" about what treatments for PTSD, depression, or the combination are best, he said, and how returning vets should get treatment.

Since many vets will go back to small-town America, it's also important to figure out how treatment is to be "disseminated," he said.

A key issue is to "de-stigmatize" the need for mental health care, said Nada Stotland, M.D., of Rush Medical Center in Chicago and incoming president of the APA.

"We need to make it OK for members of the military to get the care they need," Dr. Stotland said.

The RAND Corporation report, released April 17, said that a survey revealed that only about half of the returned vets with possible PTSD or depression had sought help.

Click here to read the rest of the Medpage Today article

Click here for information on the treatment of depression

Click here for information on the treatment of PTSD

Pastoral Action Point: With numbers like these (“one out of five returning vets”) it is important for Pastors, church counselors, and benevolence ministers to be aware of the possibility of underlying issues confronting veterans. Keeping in mind that PTSD and depression, in particular, are statistically significant in returning soldiers helps to establish a probable direction for treatment referral in cases where ministers are sought out for advice.

Digital Therapist?

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:01:00 +0000

A recent study from Yale University found that patients who received computer-assisted training in addition to counseling were more successful in addressing their substance abuse problem(s) than those that received counseling alone. Seventy-seven people seeking treatment for drug and alcohol abuse participated in the study and those who received the supplementary computer-based training had significantly fewer positive drug tests at the end of the study. The study, which was reported in the May 1st edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry, utilized a software program developed by Kathleen M. Carroll, professor of psychiatry at Yale, and colleagues. The software program utilized various types of media to interact with participants, including text, video and audio. In reference to the software Carroll said, "We think this is a very exciting way of reaching more people who may have substance use problems and providing a means of helping them learn effective ways to change their behavior."

Applications for this type of software may be useful in instances where patients lack funding sources, therapists lack time, or even in instances where therapists lack training specifically in cognitive behavioral therapy. Obliviously, there are "potential" ethical issues surrounding such computer-based training and counselor sensitivity and adaptability to the client/patient must not be overlooked; Nonetheless, the study is quite interesting. The following is an excerpt from Medical News Today that reviews the study:

"I am immensely proud of Dr. Carroll and her colleagues' work,'' said William Sledge, MD, interim chair and George D and Esther S Gross professor of psychiatry. "At first glance one might conclude that this computer-based training in some way threatens the conventionally perceived value of the relationship between the therapist and the patient, however, I do not see it as so. Rather, they have demonstrated how a low cost but carefully conceived procedure can enhance conventional treatment and add additional element of richness and effectiveness to its power."

Carroll is one of 20 Yale School of Medicine faculty members who have been designated ISI HighlyCited researcher, a listing of the most highly influential scientists in the world. The Yale drug and alcohol program received top ranking among graduate programs in 2008 from the US News and World Report.

Click here to read the rest of this article

Depression and Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:12:00 +0000

Some of the theorist Carl Jung's statements have spurred a few academic events within the last couple of months in Boston about faith and its place in emotional wellness. At one such event, an MIT conference, psychoanalyst Kathryn Madden relayed how that Jung believed that many psychological issues of adults during treatment were essentially problems of meaning. To quote Jung, ''Among all my patients in the second half of life -- that is to say, over 35 -- there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook in life." These ideas resonated at other area conferences as well. Rev. Suzanne Guthrie, Cornell University Episcopal Chaplain, told of the connection between her once depressed state and a desire for faith exploration to an audience at Weston Jesuit School of Theology. Rev. William Rich, Trinity's associate for adult Christian formation and teacher at New York's Blanton-Peale Institute, remarked, ''Sometimes, people get depressed when they do not have any kind of grounding, centering place in their lives; If they don't have some kind of spiritual base -- belief in God or transcendent power -- then they have very little place to go." The following is an excerpt of an article from The Boston Globe that discusses these ideas:

That doesn't mean that atheists are doomed to depression, but it does mean that they and the devout must double-check their psychic insurance, Rich says. ''Everyone has a center that grounds them. Is your family your grounding place? OK, what happens if there's trouble in the family? Is your work your grounding place? OK, what happens if there's stress [there]?"

Religious faith is a place for believers to find that grounding, but it is no guarantee against mental illness. ''We're all susceptible to depression," he says.

Madden, the dean and chief executive officer of Blanton-Peale, cited one study in her MIT talk asserting that religious faith can speed recovery from mild or moderate bouts of depression. But she said that spiritual exploration can be full of harrowing uncertainty and suggested that depression might be, for the depressed, a step toward a better, more spiritual life.

Click here to read the rest of this article from the Boston Globe

On a side note, it is important to mention that individuals with strong faith can experience clinical depression. An understanding of this alleviates the guilt for people of faith experiencing severe depression, freeing them from the fear of breaking societal norms, which could result in an individual seeking out the help that they need. The general idea I pull from the afore mentioned article is that complete treatment addresses the whole person, spirit, mind and body.

Brain Pace-Maker?

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Deep-brain stimulation has provided yearlong relief of symptoms of severe depression for patients who had been refractory to a variety of other therapies. Ali R. Rezai, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic reported that eight of 16 patients enrolled in the study showed at least 50% improvement in depression scores at an interview before his presentation at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. According to Dr. Rezai, "[Responders] had significant improvement in quality of life, returning back to work, getting engaged, dating." The study's focus was on patients that had disabling severe major depression for over five years and had not had any response to at least three different classes of antidepressants at the highest dosage levels. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study’s findings:

The study enrolled 17 patients overall, with one patient not yet completing a year of treatment when the data were analyzed.

Patients had severe and disabling major depression lasting at least five years without response to at least three classes of antidepressants titrated to the highest tolerated doses. All patients also failed combined therapy with at least two augmentation agents and multiple electroconvulsive therapy trials.

Those considered to be at imminent risk of suicide were excluded, as were patients with current or past psychotic disorders, associated neurological disorder, any significant brain imaging abnormality, substance abuse, history of severe personality disorder, coagulopathy, or other medical problems that could increase the risk of surgery.

Treatment involved placement of a Medtronic Soletra implantable pulse generator, a pacemaker-like device used in deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease. Bilateral leads were placed in the ventral portion of the anterior limb of the internal capsule and ventral striatum with high-resolution MRI targeting.

Each electrode contact was 3 mm long with 4 mm of spacing or insulation between contacts. The diameter and other physical properties were the same as the common electrodes used in deep brain stimulation for movement disorders, Dr. Rezai said.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Medpage Today

Click here for information on the treatment of clinical depression

Certain painkillers are associated with chronic migraine

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:39:00 +0000

According to a recent population-based study conducted by Marcelo E. Bigal, M.D., Ph.D., of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and colleagues some painkillers are linked to chronic migraine. According to the study overuse of barbiturate and opiate painkillers doubled the risk that episodic migraine would evolve into chronic migraine with a frequency of 15 days, a month, or more. However, triptans and over-the-counter drugs did not increase the likelihood of migraine. According to Dr. Bigal, the good news is that "...detoxification improves outcomes." The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study:

Three prior clinical studies had also suggested that opiates and triptans used for nonmigraine purposes, such as for bowel control or cluster headache, made migraine more likely to transform into the chronic form, he said.

And analgesic overuse -- which occurs in more than 80% of patients with transformed migraine seen at headache clinics -- has also been associated with likelihood that migraine would become chronic.

However, the specific classes of medicine and doses associated with this risk were unknown, Dr. Bigal said.

To get some insight into the issue, he and his colleagues surveyed a nationally representative sample of 120,000 households and found a total of 8,219 individuals who had a migraine in 2005 and completed a follow-up survey one year later.

They then modeled the probability that episodic migraine would transform into chronic migraine from one year to the next based on which and how frequently pain medications were used.

Among the 6,805 respondents who reported migraine on follow-up, 209 (2.5%) had transformed migraine.

Click here to read the entire article from Medpage Today

Click here to learn about treatment options for prescription addiction

Herschel Walker's struggle

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Dissociative identity disorder (DID), which was known previously as multiple personality disorder, is not the Hollywood depicted oddity that so many have come to believe in. DID, rather than being a disorder in which an individual has multiple "people" trapped inside, is simply descriptive of instances were the various normal facets of a person's personality do not come together cohesively. Rather, with DID, particular parts of one's personality not only surface but "take over," determining one's behavior for various time increments. Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker recalls that DID sometimes led to violent, risky and destructive behaviors in his life. Walker shared that he played Russian roulette more than once. On another occasion the late delivery of a car made him so angry that he thought about killing someone. Walker's newly released book "Breaking Free" discusses his struggle with the disorder and helps to dispel many of the myths about individuals with it. The following is an excerpt of a thought provoking article from CNN.com that discusses Walker's perseverance in the face of DID:

Many people think they know the legendary Herschel Walker: 1982 Heisman Trophy winner, pro football star, Olympian and last week in San Francisco, an Olympic torchbearer.
But not only did the public not know the real Herschel Walker, the athlete himself said he didn't either. In his just-released book "Breaking Free," Walker reveals he has a form of mental illness called dissociative identity disorder, or DID, formerly known as multiple personality disorder.

"I didn't really learn about this until about 10 years ago," Walker tells CNN. "My life was out of control. I was not happy, I was very sad, I was angry and I didn't understand why."

Walker said his life went off the tracks shortly after his football career ended and when his now ex-wife was expecting their son, Christian.

The book, he said, is about coming to terms with his diagnosis. He hopes to educate the public and break down stereotypes about this disorder.

When people hear of multiple personality disorder, they may think of Hollywood's portrayal -- someone with different "people" trapped inside one body, but that is not accurate.

Everyone has various facets that make up his or her personality -- assertive, angry, comforting. But, experts explain, in DID, these various parts -- known as alters -- don't come together as one cohesive single personality. Instead, one or the other part of the identity takes over and determines one's behavior.

Click here to read the rest of this article from CNN.com

Strong link between depression history and Alzheimer’s

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:06:00 +0000

According to a recent study published in the April 8 issue of Neurology a strong link between depression history and Alzheimer’s exists. Specifically, individuals that had depressive episodes before the age of 60 had four times the risk of developing Alzheimer's. According to Monique Breteler, MD, Ph.D., of Erasmus University, the research did not indicate whether or not there were structural changes in the brain to account for this connection. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study's findings:

Individuals with a history of depression requiring medical advice were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease as those without past depression, a study found.
Furthermore, those with depressive episodes before age 60 had nearly four times the risk for Alzheimer's, Monique Breteler, M.D., Ph.D., of Erasmus University here, and colleagues reported in the April 8 issue of Neurology.

It is not clear whether the depression-Alzheimer's link is mediated by structural brain changes, the researchers wrote. However, in this study there was no difference in the size of the hippocampal or amygdalar structures in people with a depression history and those without depression.

The study included 486 individuals, ages 60 to 90, without dementia at baseline (1995 to 1996), who reported their history of depressive episodes. Individuals came from the prospective Rotterdam Scan Study, which investigated chronic diseases among elderly participants.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Medpage Today

Click here for information on the treatment of depression

Pastoral Action Point:

Studies have shown that those who isolate themselves or are simply isolated are at greater risk for depression than those that do not. Church is a great place for people to come and find life giving interaction and involvement with others. Considering studies like this one, which link depression with actual physical ills, connecting with community may provide more than just emotional support.

Proverbs 17:22 says, "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Findings surrounding internet searches on the topic of suicide

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:26:00 +0000

Lucy Biddle, Ph.D., of the University of Bristol and colleagues, recently reported some interesting findings surrounding internet searches on the topic of suicide, which findings were reported in the April 12th issue of BMJ. According to the report, if an individual is contemplating suicide, it is easier to find a way to commit the act than to get help to prevent it when using popular internet search engines. According to Dr. Biddle, the three most retrieved sites from the group's search provided detailed descriptions of ways to commit suicide. The fourth most frequent site was Wikipedia, which actually provided information on various ways to commit suicide as well. "This research shows it is very easy to obtain detailed technical information about methods of suicide, not just from the suicide sites that have caused recent concerns but also from information sites such as Wikipedia," they said. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the team’s findings:

Dr. Biddle and colleagues conducted a search using the four most popular search engines on the Internet -- Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask.

They entered 12 simple terms into each search engine and analyzed the top 10 results of each, yielding 480 total results and 240 different sites.

Search terms included "suicide methods," "how to commit suicide," "how to kill yourself," and others.

Each site was then categorized according to the type of content: for example, pro-suicide, academic, or news.

Nineteen percent of the sites were dedicated to suicide, either providing encouragement or information on methods.

Sites focusing on suicide prevention or providing support comprised 13% and another 12% explicitly forbade or discouraged the act.

The most frequently retrieved site was Alt Suicide Holiday, which showed up in half of the 48 searches and provided information on how to commit suicide.

Click here to read the rest of this article

Click here for information on suicidality

Factors increasing the risk for postpartum depression

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:09:00 +0000

According to a recent survey reported in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, women who have experienced physical abuse during or before pregnancy, financial or traumatic stress during pregnancy, partner associated stress during pregnancy, or tobacco use during the last three months of pregnancy, are at significantly higher risk of having postpartum depression. The survey collected data from 17 states; among these New Mexico had the highest instance of self-reported postpartum at 20%, and Maine the lowest at 12%. Along with the afore mentioned risk factors, women receiving Medicaid, younger women, and less educated women were more likely to report symptoms of postpartum depression. The following is an excerpt of the survey's findings from MMWR:

This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, during 2004--2005, the prevalence of self-reported PDS in 17 U.S. states* ranged from 11.7% (Maine) to 20.4% (New Mexico). Younger women, those with lower educational attainment, and women who received Medicaid benefits for their delivery were more likely to report PDS. State and local health departments should evaluate the effectiveness of targeting mental health services to these mothers and incorporating messages about PPD into existing programs (e.g., domestic violence services) for women at higher risk.

Click here to read the rest of this article from MMWR

Click here to learn about treatment options for clinical depression

Physical Activity Reduces the Risk for Psychological Distress

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:46:00 +0000

According to a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, as little as 20 minutes of physical activity a week is associated with lower risk for psychological distress. The cross-sectional study, which surveyed nearly 20,000 Scottish adults, examined self-reports of psychological distress as well as levels of physical activity. Physical activity was to include heavy domestic activity, sports, and walking. According to the study, decrease in risk was likely to occur more as levels of physical activity increased. The following is an excerpt of an abstract from the British Journal of Sports Medicine that summarizes the study:

Objectives: Regular physical activity is thought to be associated with better mental health, although there is lack of consensus regarding the optimal amount and type of activity to achieve these benefits. We examined the association between mental health and physical activity behaviors among a representative sample of men and women from the Scottish Health Surveys. Methods: Self reported physical activity was measured and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was administered in order to obtain information on current mental health. Participants were 19 842 men and women. We calculated risk estimates per category of physical activity sessions per week using logistic regression models.

Click here to read the rest of the abstract from the British Journal of Sports Medicine

Pastoral Action Point: We live in a largely sedentary society. Due to technological advances and our advantaged position in global markets, some U.S. citizens see very little physical activity, if any, during their daily routine. Additionally, trends in recreational activities among school age children and adolescents are changing dramatically. Gaming systems, television, and the Internet, to name a few, have all but replaced outdoor activities for some. With all of these societal changes in mind and with so much at stake, both physically and mentally, it is important to teach the value of physical activity within the walls of the church.

Scripture Verse:
1 Corinthians 6:19 - “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Relationships, Faith, and Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:38:00 +0000

Losing a loved one is never an easy process, especially when that someone is younger than you, a child or a younger sibling perhaps. It is during these times of loss that relationships are so important. As Bob Haynes, writer for the Daily Record, conveyed the thought, sometimes people want to be loved less in abstract thought and more so by someone "with skin on." The following is an excerpt of a story surrounding a man's loss of his younger brother and how both relationship and faith in Christ made the difference:

I will admit that seeing my younger brother lying in his small bed at the nursing home, thin and frail, brought back for a moment that ugly pit of depression that had consumed me just a few years ago.

I say for a moment because his smile allayed my fears. You see, my brother had made his peace and was waiting for the time when his life here on Earth would end, but his time in eternity would just as certainly begin.

He reminded me of Psalm 40 that says," I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."

Click here to read the rest of this article from the Daily Record of Northwest Arkansas News

April 24th: “Dealing with the Loss of a Child”
A Pastoral Seminar Presented by Brookhaven Hospital

Dealing with the loss of a child is the most difficult event that a parent could ever endure. In line with this thinking, there are a variety of questions specific to faith that arise when the death of a child occurs. Individuals who serve in church leadership are more often than not confronted with these difficult questions by parents and other family members during the grieving process. Pastors, Chaplains, and other church professionals are invited to join us as Mel Whittington, Ph.D., gives faith leaders insight and tools to address this complex and difficult issue.

Click here for registration information

A connection between depression and type 2 diabetes

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:39:00 +0000

Depression is a serious illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), as limited function increases in the elderly, the risk of depression increases. Additionally, those who live in home health care and assisted living communities can experience a 13.5 percent rise in depression. As if all of this was not enough, a recent study has found a connection between depression and type 2 diabetes. The study, called the Cardiovascular Health Study, found that a single self-report of depression is linked with significant increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Additionally, the researchers believe that those with an increased number of depressive symptoms were as much as 50% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The following is an excerpt of an article from Advance for Directors in Rehabilitation that reviews the study:

The study, known as the Cardiovascular Health Study, appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine and revealed that "a single self-report of high depressive symptoms is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus."2 Researchers believe that people with an increased number of depression symptoms were about 50 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The study took 10 years to complete and studied 4,681 men and women in Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina and California. Participants were all 65 and older who had no history of diabetes in 1989, when the study actually began.

During the decade, men and women were annually screened for symptoms of depression. A questionnaire, referred to as the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, was used to measure the symptoms and inquired about calorie intake, moods, sleep, concentration and irritability. Other factors recorded include alcohol intake, smoking habits and body mass index.2 Results showed that not only was a single incident of depression associated to diabetes, but that chronic depression or depression that increased over time was linked to an increased risk of diabetes.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Advance for Directors in Rehabilitation

Pastoral Action Point: Church is a great place to foster community. Within the context of the church community seniors can find friendship and belonging. Connection with other human beings is one activity that helps to reduce the risk of depression.

"21 at 21"

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:27:00 +0000

According to a recent study published in The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 34 percent of men and 24 percent of women, in a sample representative of college students, reported drinking 21 or more drinks on their 21st birthday. The study is the largest of its kind measuring the "21 at 21" ritual among college students. According to the study, more than half of the men in the sample and one third of the women had alcohol levels of .26 or higher. At this level an individual can easily incur serious injury through impairment during activities, choking on vomit, or through risky behaviors. In fact, this ritual, which is meant to be celebratory, has claimed the lives of many. According to professor Kenneth Sher of the University of Missouri-Columbia, “I think a lot of people view this as a feel-good rite of passage and don’t calibrate what a big risk it is." The following is an excerpt of an article from the New York Times that discusses the dangers of binge drinking:

The ritual of drinking 21 or more alcoholic beverages to celebrate the 21st birthday appears to be far more common than expected, according to new research.

It’s estimated that more than four out of every five American 21-year-olds drink alcohol to celebrate the birthday milestone, which is the the legal drinking age in the United States. But a new study from University of Missouri researchers of 2,518 students shows that many young adults aren’t just drinking to celebrate — they are drinking to extremes.

Among those students who drank alcohol to celebrate their 21st birthdays, 34 percent of the men and 24 percent of the women reported consuming 21 or more drinks, according to the research to be published in The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The report is believed to be the largest study of the “21 at 21″ drinking ritual, which often involves shots of alcohol. The students in the study were followed for four years and asked a variety of questions about their drinking behavior over the course of their college years. Although the findings likely can’t be applied to the general population, the data likely reflect the drinking culture at large, public universities, researchers said.

Click here to read the rest of this article from the New York Times

Click here for information on the treatment of addiction

Reconnecting with family after deployment

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:36:00 +0000

After returning from the war, many soldiers find it difficult to reconnect with family. In the case of Maj. Levi Dunton, a former Apache pilot and commander of 150 troops, there was difficulty sharing with his wife, finding joy in being a parent, and small things made him angry. This emotional distance in marriages among soldiers is something that the Army has acknowledged and is attempting to address through their "Strong Bonds Program," which encourages couples to address issues of communication and connection through retreats, individual counseling, and other forums. Sue Johnson, director of Ottawa Couple and Family Institute and contributor to the "Strong Bonds Program," wrote of Israeli research that shows prisoners of war that recover quickest are in happy and secure marriages in her book "Hold Me Tight" (Little, Brown). Through the efforts of the “Strong Bonds Program,” hopefully U.S. soldiers returning from deployment to Iraq will find similar emotional healing and return to normalcy. The following is an excerpt of an article from the New York Times that discusses the difficulties of connecting with family after war:

In a measured voice, Maj. Levi Dunton explained to the small circle of Army officers and their spouses what had gone wrong in his marriage since he returned home from Iraq in 2005. He had trouble being involved with his family, he said. He didn’t find joy in being a parent to his two boys, 3 and 5 months. Little things made him angry.

Major Dunton said he was not sure whether his year in Iraq, where he was an Apache pilot and commander of 150 soldiers, was responsible for his numb state. Others, he wanted to make clear, had it a lot worse. To the other soldiers, this was a familiar litany of guilt, emotional distance and marital discombobulation; they were silent or simply nodded their heads.

Like Major Dunton, they seemed uneasy with all this talk, all this sharing, all this connecting to the wife in front of strangers.

Even as he spoke, Major Dunton, who fidgeted and played with his wedding ring, rarely made eye contact with Heather, his wife of 10 years and a former helicopter pilot herself.

Ms. Dunton, however, seemed relieved, liberated even, to be given a chance to reach out to her husband. She put her hand around his knee and said she was convinced that the war had wormed its way into their marriage.

“He used to tell jokes and funny stories and now he doesn’t do that anymore,” she said later. “I could tell he was different right away, but I thought it would pass.”

Click here to read the rest of this article from the New York Times

Click here for information on couples and family counseling

Permanent changes in the brain due to methamphetamine use

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:34:00 +0000

Methamphetamine is a particularly dangerous drug, both during immediate use, for obvious reasons, but also in the long term. A recent study produced by the University of Washington and others, which was published in the April 10th issue of Neuron, used mice to look at the effects of methamphetamine on the brain. According to the researchers, methamphetamine depresses parts of the brain over time and this cannot be undone by abstinence. Specifically, the drug depressed terminals in the cortex and striatum that control the flow of information between these two areas of the brain. The drug actually causes permanent changes or adaptations in the brain to compensate for the continual release of dopamine. According to Nigel Bamford, M.D., "What we found is that the repeated use of methamphetamine causes adaptations in the brain, and that only re-introducing the drug can reverse that. We think these changes in the brain may account for at least some of the physiological components of meth addiction." The following is an excerpt of an article from Medical News Today that reviews the study:

Scientists have believed that abuse of drugs like meth can cause changes to the neurons in the brain and the synapses and terminals that control transmission of information in the brain. In this project, researchers focused on the mouse brain, and how it was affected by methamphetamine over 10 days, which is the mouse equivalent of chronic use in humans.

They found that the long administration and withdrawal of the drug depressed the neural terminals controlling the flow of signals between two areas of the brain, the cortex and striatum. Even a long period of withdrawal -- the equivalent of years in humans -- did not return the terminals to normal activity level. Re-introducing the drug, however, reversed the changes in the brain.

The areas affected by the drug are called pre-synaptic terminals, and are related to the flow of information from the cortex to the striatum. When a person sees something new in their environment, the scientists explained, she focuses attention on that item. At the neuron level, that process stimulates the release of dopamine, a chemical involved in transmitting signals in the brain. As the person sees the new item over and over again, the dopamine response drops, and synapses in the brain adapt to the no-longer-new item.

Click here to read the entire article from Medical News Today

Pastoral Action Point: Use of this illegal drug is epidemic in the US, especially in Oklahoma. It is quite possible that you currently know someone that uses methamphetamine and are therefore in a position to offer them vital information about the drug. Often individuals using this drug are not aware of its long-term effects. Studies like this one help to create a reality of the long-term dangers of methamphetamine use.

Violence against women increases health risk worldwide

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:38:00 +0000

According to researchers from the World Health Organization, male-partner violence against women is a good sign of the victim's poor personal health. The study looked at a sample of 20,000 women from Asia, South America, and Africa, surveying their current health and their lifetime instance of abuse by men either physically or sexually. The results revealed that women who reported any type of abuse were more likely to be in poor health, to have attempted suicide, or to have had, within the last 4 weeks, pain, memory loss, dizziness, difficultly walking, or vaginal discharge. The following is an excerpt of an article from Journal Watch that reviews the study:

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is alarmingly common and widely understood to be a risk factor for both mental and physical problems. However, most research in this area has been conducted in developed countries and in clinical rather than community populations, has used small samples, has not used standard definitions of violence, and has not controlled for confounders. Therefore, the World Health Organization sponsored a methodologically rigorous, population-based survey of 24,097 women (age range, 15–49; 97% of those eligible) at 15 rural and urban sites in 10 countries in South America, Africa, and Asia.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Journal Watch

Warning signs of Metabolic Syndrome in teens

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:48:00 +0000

Some teen couch potatoes are showing signs of metabolic syndrome by the age of seventeen. According to a study published in Dynamic Medicine by Robert McMurray, Ph.D., and colleagues, these same teens showed poor levels of aerobic fitness during the ages of 7 to 10. According to Dr. McMurray, "This is the first study to examine the importance of childhood fitness levels on your metabolism as a teenager… Previously we didn't know if low fitness levels were an influence. It's obvious now that there is a link and this is something which we need to pay attention to by encouraging our kids to keep fit, or suffer the consequences later in life." The study collected data from 2,200 children in North Carolina ages 7 to 10 and then, years later, parallel data from teenagers ages 14 to 17. 4.6% of the teenage sample was found to have several signs of metabolic syndrome. The study measured habitual activity, aerobic fitness, lipids, BMI, and blood pressure. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study:

But, the study found, those teens had already shown lower fitness levels and other signs of trouble ahead when they were children. Specifically, on average:

- They already had a higher body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and total cholesterol than the children who would not go on to develop metabolic syndrome risk factors, differences that were significant at P<0.04.
- They also had lower physical activity scores by self-report and aerobic fitness as measured by VO2max on a cycle ergometry test. Again the differences were significant at P<0.04.
- Absolute body mass was higher, but not significantly so, although body fat percentage was significantly higher (at P<0.04).

Seven years later, the group with metabolic syndrome risk factors had higher body mass, body mass index, body fat, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose than the other teens, as well as lower HDL cholesterol, physical activity levels, and aerobic fitness. The differences were significant at P<0.002.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Medpage Today

Pastoral Action Point: Fortunately, churches are typically connected with the community’s youth and serve as a wonderful platform for discussion of a healthy lifestyle. In the age of gaming consoles, Internet, TV, and like sedentary activities, the message of physical activity and proper diet is timely and could prevent early onset of metabolic syndrome.

The mind body connection

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:39:00 +0000

A recent study has found a plausible connection between the anniversary of a parent's demise and "sudden death." The study, which was reported at the American College of Cardiology meeting, observed 102 sudden death patients between 37 and 79 years of age. Out of these patients 12.7% of the deaths occurred on the anniversary of their parents' death. Additionally, four of the patients were the same age as their parent when they died.

The study confirms the idea of a mind body connection, that the mind and body are integrally connected systems affecting one another. One of the greatest discoveries about the mind body connection is that one's mental state can affect the physical body. Sudden death is perhaps one extreme example of this phenomenon. The following is an excerpt of an article from Medpage Today that reviews the study:

Physicians, he said, should ask patients about the deaths of close family members and should take action to prevent sudden death, including psychological therapy, stress reduction, behavior modification, management of cardiovascular risk factors, and treatment with medications like beta-blockers or aspirin.

Recently, psychological and chronobiological factors -- including the anniversary effect -- have been identified as triggers for sudden death or lethal arrhythmia, he said. So he and colleagues examined the life circumstances surrounding the 102 sudden deaths in patients ages 37 to 79.

More than two-thirds (68%) of the cases had underlying coronary artery disease.

Seven patients died on the anniversary of their father's death, five on the anniversary of their mother's death, and one on the anniversary of the deaths of both parents.

"One of the worries we have is that with death we often grieve, and in some cultures we don't grieve openly," commented Janet Wright, M.D., a vice president for science and quality at the ACC, who moderated the session at which the results were discussed. "We're stoic about it. That sublimated grief can turn into depression, depression can lead to stopping medicines, withdrawing from friends, becoming more isolated, and we know that those factors all contribute to cardiac events."

Click here to read the rest of this article from Medpage Today

Be realistic

noreply@blogger.com (Aric Thorpe, MHR) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:31:00 +0000

The New York Times recently published an interesting opinion piece on willpower. The idea behind the article is that willpower is in a limited supply. In other words, an individual attempting to exert self-control over two complicated goals or objectives may have less likelihood of success than the individual that opts to focus their willpower on accomplishing one difficult objective. One example might be a college student's depleted ability to stay with a diet during "finals week." This idea is actually based in some clinical observations as well. The following is an excerpt of an article from the New York Times that discusses this concept and accompanying studies:

In one pioneering study, some people were asked to eat radishes while others received freshly baked chocolate chip cookies before trying to solve an impossible puzzle. The radish-eaters abandoned the puzzle in eight minutes on average, working less than half as long as people who got cookies or those who were excused from eating radishes. Similarly, people who were asked to circle every “e” on a page of text then showed less persistence in watching a video of an unchanging table and wall.

Other activities that deplete willpower include resisting food or drink, suppressing emotional responses, restraining aggressive or sexual impulses, taking exams and trying to impress someone. Task persistence is also reduced when people are stressed or tired from exertion or lack of sleep.

What limits willpower? Some have suggested that it is blood sugar, which brain cells use as their main energy source and cannot do without for even a few minutes. Most cognitive functions are unaffected by minor blood sugar fluctuations over the course of a day, but planning and self-control are sensitive to such small changes. Exerting self-control lowers blood sugar, which reduces the capacity for further self-control. People who drink a glass of lemonade between completing one task requiring self-control and beginning a second one perform equally well on both tasks, while people who drink sugarless diet lemonade make more errors on the second task than on the first. Foods that persistently elevate blood sugar, like those containing protein or complex carbohydrates, might enhance willpower for longer periods.

Click here to read the rest of this article from the New York Times