http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/disorders/ en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:19:36 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2417218/posts Dr. Sam Vaknin, psychologist, noted “Obama’s shallowness. . .an air of haughtiness in his demeanor that was unsettling. “His posture and his body language were louder than his empty words. Obama’s speeches are unlike any political speech we have heard in American history." TruthInConviction http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2417218/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:19:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412526/posts SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah man who inspired Dustin Hoffman's character in the movie "Rain Man" has died. Kim Peek, 58, collapsed at his home in Salt Lake City on Saturday from what his dad says was a massive heart attack. Kim couldn't do simple things like turning on a light or dressing himself because the membrane that allows the right and left hemisphere to talk to each other was missing. Kim was a unique megasavant. He was able to recall most everything he read or heard -- from zip codes to historical events -- and he could do... KSL-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412526/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:30:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406363/posts New federally financed drug research reveals a stark disparity: children covered by Medicaid are given powerful antipsychotic medicines at a rate four times higher than children whose parents have private insurance. And the Medicaid children are more likely to receive the drugs for less severe conditions than their middle-class counterparts, the data shows... --snip-- The F.D.A. has approved antipsychotic drugs for children specifically to treat schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder. But they are more frequently prescribed to children for other, less extreme conditions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, aggression, persistent defiance or other so-called conduct disorders — especially when the... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406363/posts#comment Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:07:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372976/posts Based on this detailed, comprehensive Mayo Clinic definition, one that I believe perfectly describes Obama, it's obvious he needs prescription medicine and extended psychotherapy. Our country is in tremendous danger with a person suffering from this complex mental illness in our White House. The Mayo Clinic (Medical Science & Vanity) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372976/posts#comment Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:21:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2364859/posts Josie Romero loves the colour pink, braiding her hair and having her fingernails painted. But life has not always been easy for this sweet and charming eight-year-old, who was born in the body of a boy. The transgender youngster, then called Joseph, knew at the age of four that she was the wrong sex and even told her parents: 'I am really a girl.' At five, she was refusing to have her hair cut and only wore colours like orange which were nearest to girly pink. By the time she reached six, Josie had been diagnosed as transgender and was... dailymail.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2364859/posts#comment Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:15:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2355477/posts Some children and teens are more likely than their peers to become addicted to the Internet, and a new study suggests it's more likely to happen if kids are depressed, hostile, or have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or social phobia. Although an Internet addiction is not an official diagnosis, signs of a potential problem include using the Internet so much for game playing or other purposes that it interferes with everyday life and decision-making ability. (The diagnosis is being considered for the 2012 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the "bible" of mental ailments published by... cnn http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2355477/posts#comment Mon, 5 Oct 2009 21:36:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2354642/posts The prevalence of mental health disorders in this country has nearly doubled in the past 20 years. Who is treating all of these patients? Clinical psychologists and therapists are charged with the task, but many are falling short by using methods that are out of date and lack scientific rigor. This is in part because many of the training programs—especially some Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) programs and for-profit training centers—are not grounded in science. A new report in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, by a panel of distinguished clinical scientists—Timothy Baker... Association for Psychological Science http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2354642/posts#comment Sun, 4 Oct 2009 16:35:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2344541/posts WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 35 million people around the world are living with Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, says the most in-depth attempt yet to assess the brain-destroying illness—and it's an ominous forecast as the population grays. The new count is about 10 percent higher than what scientists had predicted just a few years ago, because earlier research underestimated Alzheimer's growing impact in developing countries. Barring a medical breakthrough, the World Alzheimer Report projects dementia will nearly double every 20 years. By 2050, it will affect a staggering 115.4 million people, the report concludes. Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2344541/posts#comment Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:16:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2340791/posts Return to the Article September 16, 2009Is Obama a Narcissist?By Robin of Berkeley Many of us are asking ourselves the million dollar question: are Obama and his crew  narcissists? (Translation:  What in God's name is wrong with these people?  Are they on medications?  Are they off their medications? Are we being unknowingly subjected to some new reality show, Extreme Alien Invasion?) Now as a newby conservative, I have a long way to go to herald myself as an expert on conservatism, neoconservatism, paleoconservatism (whatever that is), and the like. But one thing I do know is crazy -- and that's... American Thinker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2340791/posts#comment Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:36:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320284/posts A new study shows that homosexuals and lesbians seek mental health counseling far more than heterosexuals. The UCLA School of Public Health found that to be true in California, but there have been other studies with similar results. Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality says homosexuals usually respond that they would not have so many problems if society would simply accept their behavior as normal. "You can't just keep going back to homophobia and societal stigma to account for this huge difference between straights and homosexuals with regard to various pathologies," he contends. "First of all, we're talking... One News Now http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320284/posts#comment Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:31:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2319159/posts August 18, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A study led by Susan Cochran and her team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, published in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry, reports that homosexuals seek treatment for mental health issues or substance abuse at a rate over two times higher than heterosexuals. The study of 2074 people interviewed in the California Health Interview Survey found that 48.5% of homosexual and bisexual individuals reported receiving psychiatric or drug abuse treatment in the past year as compared to 22.5% of heterosexuals. When the research results were broken down by gender, the report... LifeSiteNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2319159/posts#comment Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:26:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318809/posts Take a look :-) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318809/posts#comment Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:37:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2311893/posts Dr. Sam Vaknin is an Israeli psychologist. He has written extensively about narcissism. Dr. Vaknin states "I must confess I was impressed by Sen. Barack Obama from the first time I saw him. At first I was excited to see a black candidate. He looked youthful, spoke well, appeared to be confident - a wholesome presidential package. I was put off soon, not just because of his shallowness but also because there was an air of haughtiness in his demeanor that was unsettling. His posture and his body language were louder than his empty words. Obama's speeches are unlike any... Dr. Sam Gipp's Web Site http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2311893/posts#comment Sun, 9 Aug 2009 15:07:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2307617/posts WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Use of antidepressant drugs in the United States doubled between 1996 and 2005, probably because of a mix of factors, researchers reported on Monday. About 6 percent of people were prescribed an antidepressant in 1996 -- 13 million people. This rose to more than 10 percent or 27 million people by 2005, the researchers found. "Significant increases in antidepressant use were evident across all sociodemographic groups examined, except African Americans," Dr. Mark Olfson of Columbia University in New York and Steven Marcus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia wrote in the Archives of General Psychiatry. "Not... Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2307617/posts#comment Tue, 4 Aug 2009 02:42:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2305527/posts HAVING BIPOLAR vs. BEING BIPOLAR (excerpt from the book, "Blessed With Bipolar: 36 God-Given Gifts of Manic Depression) I have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder does not have me. Bipolar disorder is not, my identity. It is not who I am. Bipolar disorder impacts my personality, emotions, and behavior. It does not dictate what I think, believe, say, or do. There are blessings that come with “having bipolar disorder.” “Being bipolar,” on the other hand, would be nothing but a burden. If I think of myself as “being bipolar” (or of bipolar as being my being), then I am controlled by... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2305527/posts#comment Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:25:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2297264/posts He was diagnosed with autism, had received counseling for an attraction to child pornography and lived in a group home. Still, a recruiter thought that Joshua Fry had what it took to be one of “the few, the proud, the Marines.” Pvt. Fry, who spent the last year in the brig at Camp Pendleton on charges of possessing child pornography, leaving base without authorization and concealing his psychiatric history, was discharged today from the Marines for bad conduct and sentenced to four years confinement. Although the case has been settled and a verdict handed down, disturbing questions about exactly how... Orange County Register http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2297264/posts#comment Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:57:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285967/posts An experience of sexual abuse in childhood or adolescence is associated with an increased risk of gay men becoming HIV-positive in adult life, American researchers report in the July 1st edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. The research also showed that men with a history of sexual abuse in early life had higher levels of depression and problematic drug and alcohol use, as well as being less receptive to HIV prevention interventions. “This is the first study…to demonstrate a predictive relationship between a history of childhood sexual abuse and high rates of HIV infection among HIV-uninfected men... http://www.aidsmap.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285967/posts#comment Sun, 5 Jul 2009 16:17:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282996/posts Karl Greenfeld’s painful, eloquent memoir lays bare the disease’s toll.Boy Alone: A Brother’s Memoir, by Karl Greenfeld (Harper, 368 pp., $25.99) In the 1988 film Rain Man, Dustin Hoffman plays an autistic adult named Raymond Babbitt, a role for which he received an Academy Award. Hoffman’s performance has another distinction: 21 years later, it remains the phoniest portrayal of autism ever put on screen. Those who suffer from that affliction, unlike Raymond, aren’t all cuteness and intuition. Their rages don’t last three picturesque minutes; they can go on for days. In infancy, those stricken most severely retreat into themselves, never... City Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282996/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 03:29:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278054/posts Lawyers for President Obama are quietly drafting first-of-their kind guidelines barring workplace discrimination against transgender federal employees, officials said Tuesday. The guidelines will be in an updated federal handbook for managers and supervisors to be distributed and posted online in the next couple of months, and they could also be included in other materials for managers. They will list transgender people — those who identify their gender differently from the information on their birth certificates — as among several groups protected by antidiscrimination laws. Though transgender men and women are not believed to make up more than a fraction of... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278054/posts#comment Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:43:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2277926/posts Brooke Greenberg is the size of an infant, with the mental capacity of a toddler. She turned 16 in January. "Why doesn't she age?" Howard Greenberg, 52, asked of his daughter. "Is she the fountain of youth?" Such questions are why scientists are fascinated by Brooke. Among the many documented instances of children who fail to grow or develop in some way, Brooke's case may be unique, according to her doctor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine pediatrician Lawrence Pakula, in Baltimore. "Many of the best-known names in medicine, in their experience ... had not seen anyone who matched up to... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2277926/posts#comment Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:47:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272511/posts For Ann Hohmann, Oct. 21, 2004, began just about like any other day. On that morning, the 54-year-old mother of two living in McAllen, Texas, was preparing to take her eldest son to school. She had an early appointment, so her husband, Rick Hohmann, would be dropping off younger son, 14-year-old Matthew, at his school that day. About a month earlier, Matthew had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. And like an estimated 2.5 million other children in the United States, he was taking medication for the condition. ABC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272511/posts#comment Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:36:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271226/posts (The following commentary includes material obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.) Psychopathy is a personality disorder manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, intimidation, and occasionally violence to control others, in order to satisfy their own selfish needs. Although the concept of psychopathy has been known for centuries, the FBI leads the world in the research effort to develop a series of assessment tools, to evaluate the personality traits and behaviors attributable to psychopaths. Interpersonal traits include glibness, superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth,... Canada Free Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271226/posts#comment Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:00:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2270278/posts Los Angeles, CA (BANG) - Cher's daughter is having a sex change. Chastity Bono - the 40-year-old daughter of the "Believe" singer and her late husband Sonny - began the lengthy gender reassignment process earlier this year. She has asked family and friends to call her Chaz, and will have surgery to give her male genitals later this year. Her spokesman said: "Chaz has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by loved ones." "It is Chaz's hope that his... All Headline News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2270278/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:48:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266812/posts Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is using her public profile to draw attention to the needs of those with autism and other developmental disabilities in the New York metropolitan area. The former Republican vice presidential candidate is scheduled to join a fundraising walk for the group Autism Speaks in Westchester County on Sunday morning. Then she is to be honored on Long Island later Sunday at an anniversary celebration for Independent Group Home Living Inc. Palin's youngest son, Trig, has Down syndrome. KTVF-TV / The Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266812/posts#comment Sun, 7 Jun 2009 23:01:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2258801/posts Neil Whitehead, Ph.D. Twin studies are favorites of mine because of the potential light they throw on the origins of same-sex attractions (SSA). The latest one (Santtila et al., 2008) is three times larger than any previous study - in fact, larger than all the rest put together.Does this latest study teach us something new? Quick answer: No. It confirms the best recent studies, which tell us that genetic factors are minor; non-genetic factors are major.The paper's title is "Potential for Homosexual Response is Prevalent and Genetic." This implies to the average reader that homosexuality is sometimes hidden, but commonly... http://www.narth.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2258801/posts#comment Wed, 27 May 2009 03:24:45 GMT