http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mentalillness/ en-us Tue, 2 Sep 2008 21:58:29 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2073303/posts Barney Frank: Sarah Palin’s family life is fair game Tuesday, September 2, 2008 - Updated 5m ago WASHINGTON - Rep. Barney Frank is among the first Democrats to publicly say Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s family background, including the pregnancy of her unwed teenage daughter, should be fair game for campaign discussion. Republicans have stressed Palin’s conservative family values in announcing her selection as John McCain’s running mate. Frank says the disclosure about her daughter undercuts conservative claims that liberalism harms family life. Frank said Palin’s family is "in great turmoil." Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has said he considers family... The Boston Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2073303/posts#comment Tue, 2 Sep 2008 21:58:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065537/posts Our insane mental health system Faith-based finalists: The poorest among us are those whoÂ’ve lost their minds, according to psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey | Marvin Olasky I first heard E. Fuller Torrey critique America's mental health non-system nearly two decades ago—and the evidence of breakdown has only increased since then. The mentally ill now form probably half of the homeless and prison populations. Exploited and victimized by others, and often terrorized by their own phobias, they are a threat to themselves and to others, causing one-tenth of the homicides in the United States. Torrey, a psychiatrist who specializes in helping... World Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065537/posts#comment Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:59:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063459/posts On June 20, 2006, William Bruce approached his mother as she worked at her desk at home and struck killing blows to her head with a hatchet. Two months earlier, William, a 24-year-old schizophrenic, had been released from Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta, Maine, against the recommendations of his doctors. "Very dangerous indeed for release to the community," wrote one in William's record. But the doctor's notes also show that William's release was backed by government-funded patient advocates. According to medical records, the advocates -- none of them physicians -- appear to have fought for his right to refuse treatment,... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063459/posts#comment Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:19:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062906/posts On June 20, 2006, William Bruce approached his mother as she worked at her desk at home and struck killing blows to her head with a hatchet. Two months earlier, William, a 24-year-old schizophrenic, had been released from Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta, Maine, against the recommendations of his doctors. "Very dangerous indeed for release to the community," wrote one in William's record. But the doctor's notes also show that William's release was backed by government-funded patient advocates. According to medical records, the advocates -- none of them physicians -- appear to have fought for his right to refuse treatment,... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062906/posts#comment Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:38:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2054746/posts In his 2002 book, "Worth the Fighting For," John McCain offered this confession -- an acknowledgment of a restless mind: "Although I seem to tolerate introspection better the older I am, there are still too many claims on my attention to permit more than the briefest excursions down the path of self-awareness. When I am no longer busy with politics, and with my own ambitions, I hope to have more time to examine what I have done and failed to do with my career, and why." The Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2054746/posts#comment Fri, 1 Aug 2008 07:55:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046778/posts The state Supreme Court in California is allowing voters this November to consider a plan to define marriage as one man and one woman, a move that could overturn that same court's ruling in May that same-sex duos should be recognized as "married." Jennifer Kerns, communications director for Protect Marriage.com, which collected more than 1.1 million signatures on petitions in support of the vote, confirmed that the high court today simply dismissed the pending challenge to having Proposition 8 on the ballot. "Obviously, the Supreme Court decision delivers a significant blow to our opponents," she told WND. "It does send... WorldNetDaily.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046778/posts#comment Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:41:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046258/posts LONDON: One in five parliamentarians in Britain suffers from mental illness caused by the stress of their public lives, a confidential survey of MPs and peers has found. Those questioned said they feared disclosing their struggles because of stigma and discrimination. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health questionnaire was completed by 94 parliamentarians, 100 lords and 151 parliamentary staff. According to the survey, more than a quarter had a mental health issue, while 86 per cent of MPs said their job was stressful. The group's report is critical of the law forcing MPs to give up their seat for... Times of India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046258/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:42:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043292/posts PSYCHIATRISTS have detected the first case of "climate change delusion" - and they haven't even yet got to Kevin Rudd and his global warming guru. Writing in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Joshua Wolf and Robert Salo of our Royal Children's Hospital say this delusion was a "previously unreported phenomenon". "A 17-year-old man was referred to the inpatient psychiatric unit at Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne with an eight-month history of depressed mood . . . He also . . . had visions of apocalyptic events." The Herald Sun (Australia) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043292/posts#comment Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:28:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033848/posts Council bans brainstorming By Nick Allen Last Updated: 2:06PM BST 20/06/2008   A council has banned the term "brainstorming" and replaced it with "thought showers". Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in Kent was accused of taking political correctness to extremes after instructing staff to make the change.The move came as council chiefs feared the word brainstorming might offend mentally ill people and those with epilepsy.The buzz term is often used by executives to generate ideas among their staff. But memos have been sent to staff asking them not to use it and some have been given training which encouraged them... The Telegraph (U.K.) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033848/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:01:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2028870/posts (WARNING: This story contains graphic descriptions of artwork that is offensive.)(CNSNews.com) - Federal taxpayers are subsidizing a college in New York whose art school is currently displaying works that include a drawing of a man with a crucifix coming out of his rectum, a drawing of a man with a rosary coming out of his rectum, and rosaries decorated with penises. Over the last eight years, at least $4.6 million in federal tax dollars have been provided to the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, which is displaying the controversial artworks. Some of the money has come... CNSNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2028870/posts#comment Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:36:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2028286/posts "Hamburger Mary's", a new chain of flamobyantly gay- themed restaurants has hit Orlando. The make no secret of their orientation, lifestyle or desires. This is from their website: "Hamburger Mary's franchises are "open-air bar and grilles for open-minded people," where guests enjoy a flamboyant dining experience. Everyone is welcome at Hamburger Mary's, but our concept is unique in that we are the ONLY national franchise actively marketing to the gay community." Everything there is WAY over the top from cross-dressing waiter/waitresses to your check being presented in a red high-heeled shoe. It's very open, with rainbow umbrellas set into sidewalk... Vanity Hamburger Mary's http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2028286/posts#comment Mon, 9 Jun 2008 13:54:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2028246/posts The debacle of deinstitutionalization continues to worsen with each passing year. In 1955, there were 559,000 individuals in America's state mental hospitals. By 2005, there were only 47,000 state hospital beds left in the country, a number that continues to fall. Numerous studies have documented the tragic effects of releasing hundreds of thousands of seriously mentally ill individuals from state hospitals while failing to ensure that they receive treatment. The latest, carried out by Jason Matejkowski and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, found that individuals with serious mental illnesses are responsible for 10% of all homicides in Indiana. That... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2028246/posts#comment Mon, 9 Jun 2008 12:05:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027966/posts Thomas—who changed sex ten years ago but kept his ovaries and womb so he could have children—told us: "I feel on top of the world. "I'm 36 weeks now and almost due but I feel fantastic. Every day Nancy a nd I think about how we just cannot wait to hold our daughter for the first time, to finally get to touch her and see her face. "We have her nursery ready and her diapers are lined up in her bedroom. Everything is ready to go. "We have even picked a name which we both love—although we're waiting until she... News of the World http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027966/posts#comment Sun, 8 Jun 2008 18:42:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026493/posts ... On Thursday, Ritter signed Senate Bill 200 which expands "ant-discrimination" law to cover sexual orientation, meaning not only homosexuality or bisexuality, but also "transgender status or another person's perception thereof." ... A major criticism of the bill by conservatives is that it appears to allow men who self-identify as "transgender" a legal right to demand to be able to user women's bathrooms, health club showers, bathhouses, and any other "public accomodation". Importantly, the bill does not define "transgender". ...In other words, not only is there no legal definition for transgender, but there isn't even a solid dictionary definition for... Human Events http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026493/posts#comment Thu, 5 Jun 2008 15:50:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026124/posts WASHINGTON, D.C., June 4, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Long-time homosexual activist Frank Kameny's claim to fame is successfully manipulating the American Psychiatric Association into declassifying homosexuality as a mental disorder, and today the Smithsonian honoree is now busily advocating bestiality "as long as the animal doesn't mind."Kameny, 83, has had a long career advocating the removal of any restrictions on human acts long considered by sane societies as obscene, dangerous, and disordered. However the octogenarian has a new mission to complement his current campaign to pressure the APA to ban reparative therapy for homosexuals. Kameny describes his mission as "Americanism in... LifeSiteNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026124/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 23:25:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022786/posts ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson has directed all state agencies to begin to revise their policies and regulations to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, like Massachusetts, California and Canada. In a directive issued on May 14, the governor’s legal counsel, David Nocenti, instructed the agencies that gay couples married elsewhere “should be afforded the same recognition as any other legally performed union.” The revisions are most likely to involve as many as 1,300 statutes and regulations in New York governing everything from joint filing of income tax returns to transferring fishing licenses between spouses. In a videotaped... The New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022786/posts#comment Thu, 29 May 2008 03:29:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021593/posts San Francisco, CA (AP) -- Same-sex couples in some counties will be able to marry as soon as Saturday, June 14, the president of the California's county clerks association said Monday. Stephen Weir, who heads the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, said he was told by the Office of Vital Records that clerks would be authorized to hand out marriage licenses as soon as that date — exactly 30 days after the California Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage should be legal. The court's decisions typically take effect after 30 days, barring further legal action. "They are shooting... AP via SFGate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021593/posts#comment Mon, 26 May 2008 21:46:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021078/posts A JUDGE has allowed a 12-year-old Victorian girl to start a taxpayer-funded sex swap, despite objections from the child’s father. The girl has begun court-approved hormone treatment in the first step toward a complete gender switch. The Family Court orders also permit the girl, who cannot be named, to apply for a new birth certificate, passport and Medicare card in a boy’s name. The application to allow the hormone treatment was lodged by the girl’s mother. A state government observer, an endocrinologist, a psychiatrist, a family counsellor and a lawyer acting on the child’s behalf all supported the plan. Only... Sunday Herald Sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021078/posts#comment Sun, 25 May 2008 17:25:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2020217/posts THIS drug is peddled on every street corner in America, and is found in every country in the world. It is psychoactive, a stimulant and addictive. Users say that it increases alertness and focus, and reduces fatigue. But the high does not last and addicts must keep consuming it in increasing quantities. Put this way, sipping coffee sounds more like an abomination than the world's most accepted form of drug abuse. But centuries of familiarity have put people at their ease. In the coming years science is likely to create many novel drugs that boost memory, concentration and planning. These... The Economist http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2020217/posts#comment Fri, 23 May 2008 14:45:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017470/posts Coroner officials released an autopsy report Friday suggesting that a slain Roosevelt High School sophomore who attacked a campus police officer was not taking proper dosages of drugs prescribed to control his mental illness. Dr. David Hadden, Fresno County coroner, said it's clear that Jesus "Jesse" Carrizales, 17, had a high dose of the antidepressant Lexapro in his blood that could have caused him to be paranoid. But the teen's blood also revealed he was not taking antipsychotic drugs. Carrizales' family has said he was taking Lexapro and Geodon, an antipsychotic medication, for depression. Hadden said it's far too early... The Fresno Bee http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017470/posts#comment Sat, 17 May 2008 22:23:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2013484/posts Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report being released Friday. A teen who has been depressed at some point in the past year is more than twice as likely to have used marijuana as teens who have not reported being depressed — 25 percent compared with 12 percent, said the report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "Marijuana is a more consequential substance of abuse than our culture has treated it in the last 20 years," said John Walters,... Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2013484/posts#comment Fri, 9 May 2008 08:54:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011118/posts Austria cellar man 'mentally ill' Mr Fritzl claimed his daughter ran away to join a cult Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man accused of abusing his imprisoned daughter for 24 years, should not go to jail as he is mentally ill, his lawyer says. Rudolf Mayer says his client should be in a psychiatric unit rather than facing a trial, which will not be fair because of press coverage of the case. Police say Mr Fritzl, 73, incarcerated and raped his daughter Elisabeth in his cellar in Amstetten in Lower Austria. A relative of Mr Fritzl says he was convicted of... bbc http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011118/posts#comment Sun, 4 May 2008 18:22:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003422/posts Melinda and Kenny Peterson wanted to kick their two-pack-a-day smoking habit. In early January, the Green Bay couple started taking three-month prescriptions of Chantix, a new anti-smoking pill. About six weeks later, they weren't smoking at all. But what the Petersons didn't know was that as they were weaning themselves off cigarettes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert: Some patients taking the powerful drug had experienced serious neuropsychiatric symptoms. And Pfizer, the maker of Chantix, had recently added a warning about these symptoms in a more prominent position in the drug's information packet, at the FDA's urging.... JSOnline http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003422/posts#comment Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:11:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2002865/posts Beginning next Tuesday, Yale senior Shvarts will be displaying her senior art project, a documentation of a nine-month process during which she artificially inseminated herself ?as often as possible? while periodically taking abortifacient drugs to induce miscarriages Yale Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2002865/posts#comment Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:31:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2001617/posts I was supposed to ask her questions like "where are you most likely to disagree with your mom or your dad?" or "did you ever call your mom at 3 am and how did she react?" But all I could think of was that: "I am...standing in front of Hill and Bill's kid...in a red Mary Kay Cosmetics Collection dress...I'd just bought that day at the Goodwill...how weird is that?" Yes, Chelsea Clinton made it to the infamous "Red Dress" Party. Not to be confused with that other annual "Red Dress" fundraiser, this is the "Red Dress Party," a mondo-alcohol-fueled... Willamette Week Newspaper & WWEEK.COM http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2001617/posts#comment Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:29:52 GMT