Mental Illness and Violence: A Connection or Not?

by Kristi Caporoso

One of the most hotly debated topics in the world at this time is whether or not mental illness is the cause for all of the violent acts that take place among us.  People are quick to notice, and the media is even quicker to report, whenever someone who commits a violent act was suffering from any form of mental illness.  When a school shooting occurs, people instantly believe it is due to their being depressed, or suffering from a form of autism, or another mental struggle they are dealing with.  The same goes for other massacres in the public. Usually the first question addressed is whether or not the person involved was mentally ill.  Is this connection real? Is there a significant connection between violence and mental illness?
Studies show that while the connection between mental illness and violence does exist, mental illness is not the sole cause of violence.  Numerous studies from years ago showed that there was a significant relation between violence and mental health.  However, after repeating these studies and many others, it has been shown that the relation between the two is not as strong as it was once believed to be.  Also, numerous other factors have been shown to lead to violence; factors that are not as popularized by the media as mental illness. The risk for a person to commit an act of violence is significantly higher when substance abuse is involved.  Another important factor is childhood abuse or neglect.  When these two factors are combined with a serious mental illness, that is when the risk for violence is at its peak. "Take away the substance abuse and you have a weak relationship that is likely no more predictive than the person’s age."  Therefore mental illness on its own is not a significant cause of violence.
If all of this research is correct, why does society believe that mental illness is the sole cause of violent acts around the globe? It is clear that child abuse and neglect and substance abuse are significant factors as well, and need to be combined with mental illness in order for a threat of violence to be likely.  It is unknown why these two other important factors aren't known as factors of violence.  Perhaps it is because of the already existing stigma surrounding mental illness.  In time, it's possible that society will come to understand that there are other things responsible for acts of violence besides mental illness.

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/30/myth-busting-are-violence-mental-illness-significantly-related/

Does Body Language Give You Away Without You Realizing It?

by Kristi Caporoso

While communicating with those around us, we tend to focus mainly on what we are saying.  However, this is not the most effective component of communication.  Whether we realize it or not, we are always in a state of nonverbal communication. Those around us are more likely to pick up what we are giving off based on our nonverbal cues as opposed to what we are actually saying.  "Interestingly enough, people tend to focus more on negative nonverbal communication than what is actually being said."  For example, if we are speaking to someone and trying to offer them support and positive encouragement but are looking at our phones the entire time texting, that person will more than likely not be pleased nor feel any reassurance or support from us whatsoever.
There are numerous components of nonverbal communication, including tone of voice, volume, facial expression, and body movement.  Some of the time we perform these on a subconscious level, without even realizing what we are doing or what impression we are giving off.  However, there is hope for us. Paying more attention to your nonverbal cues can improve your chances of communicating in a positive manner.  For example, holding eye contact always sends a message that we are listening.  Not maintaining eye contact is often perceived as an untrustworthy quality. Other facial cues are as simple as your facial expression. It confuses people and makes them question your sincerity when your facial expression doesn't match with what you are saying.  For example, apologizing to someone with a huge grin on your face doesn't convince them that your apology is in fact sincere.  Other cues you can work to improve on are paying attention to personal space, trying not to raise your voice, and making sure you only respond when appropriate. "What I like to call the 'bobblehead syndrome,' in which the listener continuously nods, could be viewed as rushing the speaker and an overall disinterest."  Continually nodding while someone is speaking confuses them and doesn't ensure that you are actually agreeing when they ask for your opinion.
Nonverbal communication is a very important but also very easily overlooked part of our daily lives.  Taking some of these steps and being generally aware of what you are doing in conversation will help to improve your daily communications.
source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/30/3-simple-ways-to-improve-nonverbal-communication/, Donna M. White

Should You be Concerned About

Your Child's Temper Tantrums????

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder to Be Added to DSM-V

 

 

 

Many doctor's are concerned with new guidelines that are now allowing children who throw frequent tantrums to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. They argue that normal children act this way as well, but do caution parents that this type of behavior could signal several other mental health conditions.

 

This new diagnosis "disruptive modd dyregulation disorder" is going to appear in the updated and approved psychiatric handbook, DSM-5, when it is published in May. There has not been a detailed criteria released for the diagnosis but a statement was made saying the condition can apply to "children who exhibit persistent irritability and frequent episodes of behavior outbursts three or more times a week for more than a year." This has been added in order to be able to reduce the number of kids misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder which needs to be treated with powerful drugs. Although many experts believe that this is a good addition to the manual, many also claim that it has been added to the manual prematurely without a full diagnosis. Although some experts are concerned that a label of disruptive mood dyregulation would turn normal behavior into a medical condition, most say that this diagnosis requires severe and frequent behavior problems which if properly applied, would only diagnose children with a true mental condition.

 

An issue that has surfaced along with this new disorder is the idea that children who are already diagnosed with other disorders may also meet criteria for this disorder, and it may be hard to distinguish the disorders from each other. More research must be conducted in order to be able to better diagnose children of particular ages.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/kid-tantrum-disorder_n_2239170.html, Rachel Rettner

 

 



Legalization: Highs and Lows

The legal landscape of the United States' policies on marijuana is beginning to show signs of a historic shift. It started when a handful of states passed legislation that allows for sufferers of chronic illness to buy prescribed marijuana, the dried flowers of the cannabis plant, at a special store called a dispensary. From that point, more states permitted medicinal dispensaries every year until the 2012 presidential election. On that day, ballot measures in Colorado and Washington were passed that allows the plant to be purchased by anyone 21 or older, no prescription needed.

The ongoing momentum of the legalization movement presents new insights, but also raises new concerns about issues we never expected to confront. We soon may very well need to worry about tobacco corporations marketing new marijuana products, and the impact it may have on teenagers and young people. While cannabis is a drug of very low addiction potential and damage to health, compared to alcohol and tobacco, the implications of marketing it like cigarettes are very poorly understood.

Marijuana itself consists of plant matter drenched in a class of chemicals called cannabinoids, which are responsible for the physiological and mental effects desired from the drug. The two most dominant molecules are called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinol (CBN), each with different effects. The problem with marijuana today is that it is more potent than any time in history. With strains being crossed for maximum THC yield, marijuana now has a higher chance of inducing mental disorders like psychosis or even schizophrenia.

Proponents of legalization point out that marijuana must be regulated and taxed, which means that the potency and sales must be strictly controlled. This would help establish standards for the safe and legal sale of cannabis, but detractors will say that the manner of marketing and advertising must also be regulated. In addition, many believe that legalization would make the drug much more readily available and thus a greater influence on high school and college students.

Without the proper oversight, a national legalization could be unsustainable. Then again, the effort with hundreds of billions spent to keep the drug illegal has been unsustainable for years. At this time, careful planning and greater research is needed to move forward with a new attitude on marijuana.
 

ADHD Patients On Medication Commit Fewer Crimes

A new study conducted at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows a sharp decline in criminal behavior in people with ADHD while they were being medicated. The studied included over 25,000 individuals over a four-year time period. The study was able to demonstrates links between ADHD medication and a reduced risk of criminality. Not only were individuals compared in groups of medicated versus non-medicated, but also individuals were compared to their own period of medication versus non-medication showing a delcine in incidences of criminal behavior. The study of each individuals personal case shows that the risk reduction is not due to differences between participants on medication and those not. A couple other conclusions that were drawn from this study consisted of no difference between females and males and that the findings are able to be applied to both petty crimes and more serious and violent crimes. Although this study has given many great findings and advances for those studying ADHD, researchers also warn that side effects, benefits and an indvidual patient's life should be taken  into consideration before any medication is prescribed to them. With studies showing roughly 30 to 40 percent of long-serving criminals having ADHD, their chances of recidivism if reduced by 30 percent, could allow for a decrease in total crime numbers in many societies.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121122095115.htm

Have you been feeling positive all summer & are now noticing changes in your mood? If this is the case you may be experiencing seasonal depression

Seasonal Depression also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that affects a person during the same time each year. SAD normally begins to affect people in the fall and winter months. A person affected with SAD will feel depressed during these seasons and feel better during the spring and summer (WebMD).

According to WebMD, The causes of SAD are unknown; however experts think that it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light can disrupt sleeping patterns as well as cause problems with the brain chemical serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that affects a person’s mood.

Do you have SAD?

Symptoms of SAD include:

-          Feeling sad, grumpy, moody or anxious

-          Lose of interest in activities

-          Weight gain

-          Sleeping more

-          Feeling drowsy during the daytime

Symptoms usually begin in September or October and end in April or May

How do you treat SAD?

Light therapy is usually prescribed to treat SAD. There are two types of light therapy.

1.       Counseling: Counseling can help a person to learn more about SAD and how to manage their symptoms.

2.       Antidepressants: Antidepressants balance out the brain chemicals that affect mood.

3.       Exercise: As with any type of depression regular exercise will help improve energy and decrease depression.

Light therapy can also be prescribed to treat SAD. There are two types of light therapy.

1.       Bright light treatment: This treatment involves the person sitting in front of a light box for at least half an hour a day. This treatment is usually done in the morning.

2.       Dawn stimulation: For this treatment, the person will have a dim light that goes on in the morning and gets brighter over time. This effect acts like a sunrise.

 

Source: WebMD

Written by: Brittany Ritterman

Restoring Our Brain Function by Training Our Brain Waves

 

Research done in Canada is showing that the training of a specific type of brainwave may be used to restore the brain function in individuals with mental disorders. The technique allows the training of the brain’s alpha rhythm cause the brain network that is responsible for cognitive control to be enhanced. Another study has also found that within a 30-minute session of neural-based training, noninvasive, there are function changes that occur within a key brain network area. Previous studies that have been done have led experts to believe that the dysfunction of this network can be implicated in some disorders such as ADHD, Schizophrenia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. During this neurofeedback, training of the brain waves, the individuals are able to learn to control their own brain activity with the help of this brain-computer interface. In some cases the computer will record brainwaves through an EEG and then the system can process and represent the individuals’ real-time brain activity. It is then displayed from moment to moment during a training game that is on the computer. This is known as a neurofeedback loop because the information is always fed back to the user to allow a reflection of the level of brain control. It allows the individual to reproduce a normal brain state. The reason this type of change is possible is because of neuroplasticity which is the natural property of the brain that allows it to reorganize itself after training. What the studies have shown is that the changes were able to be observed up to 30 minutes after neurofeedback allowing them to compare brain waves and behavioral measures more closely. In other words past activity may be able to condition the future state of processing of the brain. Researchers are hoping this study will lead other experts to believe that EEG neurofeedback can be a viable and revolutionary approach to treating brain disorders.