Blood test could help diagnose bipolar disorder — but some researchers are sceptical
Nature - November 6, 2024
A first-of-its-kind blood test that uses biomarkers to distinguish bipolar disorder from depression could slash the time it takes to get an accurate diagnosis from years to weeks, according to the company that developed the test — but some scientists have raised concerns about its validity.
The test uses biomarkers related to RNA editing to diagnose the condition and has been available in France since March and in Italy since October 2023, having been granted regulatory approval in both countries…Keep reading
TikTok’s Fixation on Dissociative Identity Disorder: Chronicle of a Trauma Foretold
MindSite News - October 24, 2024
The first time Fennic remembers leaving their body, they were 11 years old. Lying on their bed, they were feeling suicidal, sobbing, and contemplating self-harm when suddenly they heard a female voice whisper inside their head: “Hey, it’s okay. I’m gonna take over now.”
Fennic, who is now 20, felt as if they were stepping back from their body while somebody else was coming forward. When they regained consciousness, objects had been moved around the room. They checked their phone. Hours had passed…Keep reading
Dissociative Identity Disorder Through The Ages
MindSite News - October 24, 2024
If you’re not on TikTok, you may not have heard of dissociative identity disorder (DID) before now. You can read about the phenomenon of #DID content reaping billions of views on TikTok in my related story, TikTok’s Fixation on Dissociative Identity Disorder: Chronicle of a Trauma Foretold. What’s surprising to some of us, however, is that it is a mental illness that was first diagnosed centuries ago.
The first documented case of what is now called dissociative identity disorder dates to 1584. In France , a 25-year-old Dominican nun, Jeanne Fery, displayed erratic behaviors, including violence, head-banging, attempting to cut and eat her own flesh and trying to strangle herself…Keep reading
Should Electroconvulsive Therapy Be an Option for Children with Severe Autism and Catatonia? These Families Say Yes
MindSite News - March 15, 2024
During a catatonic episode, people may freeze for hours. Conversely, they can become severely agitated: poking their eyeballs, banging their head against hard surfaces, pulling their hair until their scalp bleeds and physically assaulting their caregivers.
With few alternatives, some parents of minors experiencing catatonia sign consent forms for ECT, hoping the treatment will give their children some urgently needed relief… Keep reading
The Persistent Mysteries of Electroconvulsive Therapy
Undark Magazine - 28th August 2023
Many experts stand by ECT as an effective tool in treating some mental illnesses. But few can agree on how it works.
In June 2015, Jeffrey Thelen’s parents noticed their son was experiencing problems with his memory. In the subsequent years, he would get lost driving to his childhood home, forgot his cat had died, and could not recognize his brother and sister.
His parents wondered: Was electroconvulsive therapy to blame? Thelen had been regularly receiving the treatment to help with symptoms of severe depression, which he’d struggled with since high school. At 34 years old, he had tried medications, but hadn’t had a therapy plan. His primary care physician referred him to get an evaluation for ECT… Keep reading
How I Passed a Test to Be a Grief Therapist Without Really Trying
MindSite News - 14th January 2023
The new ‘Wild West’: Practitioners and clients struggle to navigate the unregulated counseling certification industry
On a Sunday afternoon in February of 2022, a daunting task loomed before me. I had to document my competency for a certificate in grief therapy, although I had no background in mental health. I logged into a continuing education company’s website and launched the six-hour pre-recorded workshop.
Then I pressed the mute button and went about my day. I baked garlic bread, caught up with some friends, binged a Netflix show and took a nap.
Six hours later and $239.50 lighter, I took the final test. My grade was 35 out of 38; I passed with flying colors… Keep reading
A hardworking hero with a sense of humor
The Guardian - 12th March 2021
When Nathan Kyle Coleman picked a puppy from a litter of six, he chose the biggest – a soon-to-be-huge caramel lab for a man 6ft 3in. He and his wife, Edna, named him Bob. Whenever the weather was changing, Coleman posted a photo of the dog on Facebook with a caption, for instance, “Bob says: we’re going to have rain.” “The man had a sense of humor,” Edna said.
9/11 first responder had ‘a bin of certificates and awards’
The Guardian - 28th March 2021
Lt David Stone was the kind of hero who lives within the creased pages of overread kids’ books. He was a 9/11 first responder and spent 30 years working as an emergency medical technician for the New York City fire department. “After he passed away, we cleaned out the garage. He had literally a bin of certificates and awards,” remembered his son Eric. “He was a 9/11 hero who died from Covid.”
Washington Heights North Has Some of the Dirtiest Restaurants in Manhattan
The Uptowner - 18th October 2019
“Evidence of rats or live rats present.” “Filth flies present.” “Live roaches present.” Diners at restaurants in Washington Heights North are more likely to encounter such restaurant conditions than in any other Manhattan neighborhood, according to a recent report by apartment rental website RentHop.
Tool Helps Harlem School Increase Attendance
The Uptowner - 3rd October 2019
P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman school in Harlem is a diverse place. The main office is covered with colorful children’s paintings and posters, including one on the front desk that says, in 31 languages, “The interpreter is provided at no cost to you.”
East Harlem Multi-Service Center Could Disappear
The Uptowner - 26th September 2019
Each month about 1,000 local homeless and low-income residents come to the East Harlem Multi-Service Center, a hive of activity at First Avenue and East 120th Street. Since the 1980s, this former school building has hosted a dozen community programs that help with finances, health care, foster care, housing and counseling.
Universal Basic Income: Free Money for a More Equal Europe?
AreWeEurope - 10th May 2019
What if you could receive a sum of money each month from the European Union, without working or having to prove that you need it? This is the not-so-crazy idea that is on the rise all across Europe.