Sunday, May 16, 2010
Pink Cosmo Interview + Sex Tips - Suzannah B. Troy
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Antidepressant medications: Effective treatment for depression or pharmaceutical industry scam?
Mark Hyman, MD recently wrote an article which can be found on Huffingtonpost.com, which outlined how Americans have been convinced by skewed scientific research to believe that antidepressant medications are an effective treatment for depression. Here is what he had to say:
"Here's some depressing recent medical news: Antidepressants don't work. What's even more depressing is that the pharmaceutical industry and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have deliberately deceived us into believing that they DO work. As a physician, this is frightening to me. Depression is among the most common problems seen in primary-care medicine and soon will be the second leading cause of disability in this country.
The study I'm talking about was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. It found that drug companies selectively publish studies on antidepressants. They have published nearly all the studies that show benefit -- but almost none of the studies that show these drugs are ineffective. (1)
That warps our view of antidepressants, leading us to think that they do work. And it has fueled the tremendous growth in the use of psychiatric medications, which are now the second leading class of drugs sold, after cholesterol-lowering drugs.
The problem is even worse than it sounds, because the positive studies hardly showed benefit in the first place. For example, 40 percent of people taking a placebo (sugar pill) got better, while only 60 percent taking the actual drug had improvement in their symptoms. Looking at it another way, 80 percent of people get better with just a placebo.
That leaves us with a big problem -- millions of depressed people with no effective treatments being offered by most conventional practitioners. However, there are treatments available. Functional medicine provides a unique and effective way to treat depression and other psychological problems. Today I will review seven steps you can take to work through your depression without drugs. But before we get to that, let's take a closer look at depression.
What's in a Name?
"Depression" is simply a label we give to people who have a depressed mood most of the time, have lost interest or pleasure in most activities, are fatigued, can't sleep, have no interest in sex, feel hopeless and helpless, can't think clearly, or can't make decisions.
But that label tells us NOTHING about the cause of those symptoms. In fact, there are dozens of causes of depression -- each one needing a different approach to treatment. Depression is not one-size-fits-all, but it is very common.
Women have a 10 to 25 percent risk and men a five to 12 percent risk of developing severe major depression in their lifetime. (2) One in ten Americans takes an antidepressant. The use of these drugs has tripled in the last decade, according to a report by the federal government. In 2006, spending on antidepressants soared by 130 percent.
But just because antidepressants are popular doesn't mean they're helpful. Unfortunately, as we now see from this report in The New England Journal of Medicine, they don't work and have significant side effects. Most patients taking antidepressants either don't respond or have only partial response. In fact, success is considered just a 50 percent improvement in half of depressive symptoms. And this minimal result is achieved in less than half the patients taking antidepressants.
That's a pretty dismal record. It's only made worse by the fact that 86 percent of people taking antidepressants have one or more side effects, including sexual dysfunction, fatigue, insomnia, loss of mental abilities, nausea, and weight gain.
No wonder half the people who try antidepressants quit after four months.
Now I want to talk to you about the reasons why doctors and patients have been deceived by the "antidepressant hoax." Despite what we have been brainwashed to believe, depression is not a Prozac deficiency!
How We have Been Deceived by the Antidepressant Hoax
Drug companies are not forced to publish all the results of their studies. They only publish those they want to. The team of researchers that reported their findings in The New England Journal of Medicine took a critical look at all the studies done on antidepressants, both published and unpublished. They dug up some serious dirt ...
The unpublished studies were not easy to find. The researchers had to search the FDA databases, call researchers, and hunt down hidden data under the Freedom of Information Act. What they found was stunning.
After looking at 74 studies involving 12 drugs and over 12,000 people, they discovered that 37 of 38 trials with positive results were published, while only 14 of 36 negative studies were published. Those that showed negative results were, in the words of the researchers, "published in a way that conveyed a positive outcome."
That means the results were twisted to imply the drugs worked when they didn't.
This isn't just a problem with antidepressants. It's a problem with scientific research. Some drug companies even pay or threaten scientists to not publish negative results on their drugs. So much for "evidence-based" medicine! I recently had dinner with a step-uncle who runs a company that designs research for drug companies. He designs the study, hires the researcher from an esteemed institution, directs the study, writes up the study and the scientist just signs his or her name after reviewing it.
Most of the time, we only have the evidence that the drug companies want us to have. Both doctors and patients are deceived into putting billions of dollars into drug companies' pockets, while leaving millions with the same health problems but less money.
The scientific trust is broken. What can we do? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. But I do think functional medicine, on which my approach of UltraWellness is based, provides a more intelligent way of understanding the research. Rather than using drugs to suppress symptoms, Functional Medicine helps us find the true causes of problems, including depression.
I see this in so many of the patients I have treated over the years. Just as the same things that make us sick also make us fat, the same things that make us sick also make us depressed. Fix the causes of sickness -- and the depression takes care of itself.
Consider a few cases from my practice ...
A 23-year-old had been anxious and depressed most of her life and spent her childhood and adolescence on various cocktails of antidepressants. Turns out, she suffered from food allergies that made her depressed.
Food allergies cause inflammation, and studies now show inflammation in the brains of depressed people. In fact, researchers are studying powerful anti-inflammatory drugs used in autoimmune disease such as Enbrel for the treatment of depression.
After she eliminated her IgG or delayed food allergies, her depression went away, she got off her medication -- and she lost 30 pounds as a side effect!
Here's another story ... A 37-year-old executive woman struggled for more than a decade with treatment-resistant depression (meaning that drugs didn't work), fatigue, and a 40-pound weight gain. We found she had very high levels of mercury. Getting the mercury out of her body left her happy, thin, and full of energy.
Or consider the 49-year-old man with severe lifelong depression who had been on a cocktail of antidepressants and psychiatric medication for years but still lived under a dark cloud every day, without relief. We found he had severe deficiencies of vitamin B12, B6, and folate. After we gave him back those essential brain nutrients, he called me to thank me. Last year was the first year he could remember feeling happy and free of depression.
These are just a few of the dozens of things that can cause depression.
The roots of depression are found in the 7 keys to UltraWelless and the 7 fundamental underlying imbalances that trigger the body to malfunction. Taking antidepressants is not the answer to our looming mental health epidemic. The real cure lies in rebalancing the underlying systems in your body that are at the root of all healthy and illness.
Here are a few things you can do to start treating your depression today.
7 Steps to Treat Depression without Drugs
1. Try an anti-inflammatory elimination diet that gets rid of common food allergens. As I mentioned above, food allergies and the resultant inflammation have been connected with depression and other mood disorders.
2. Check for hypothyroidism. This unrecognized epidemic is a leading cause of depression. Make sure to have thorough thyroid exam if you are depressed.
3. Take vitamin D. Deficiency in this essential vitamin can lead to depression. Supplement with at least 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day.
4. Take omega-3 fats. Your brain is made of up this fat, and deficiency can lead to a host of problems. Supplement with 1,000 to 2,000 mg of purified fish oil a day.
5. Take adequate B12 (1,000 micrograms, or mcg, a day), B6 (25 mg) and folic acid (800 mcg). These vitamins are critical for metabolizing homocysteine, which can play a factor in depression.
6. Get checked for mercury. Heavy metal toxicity has been correlated with depression and other mood and neurological problems.
7. Exercise vigorously five times a week for 30 minutes. This increases levels of BDNF, a natural antidepressant in your brain.
Overcoming depression is an important step toward lifelong vibrant health. These are just of few of the easiest and most effective things you can do to treat depression. But there are even more, which you can address by simply working through the 7 Keys to UltraWellness."
Mark Hyman, M.D.
References
(1) Turner EH et al. 2007. Selective publication of antidepressant trials and its influence on apparent efficacy. New England Journal of Medicine. 358: 252-260.
(2) Eaton WW, Kalaydjian A, Scharfstein DO, Mezuk B, Ding Y. 2007. Prevalence and incidence of depressive disorder: the Baltimore ECA follow-up, 1981-2004. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 116(3):182-188.
While this article is both informative and compelling, it eliminates the argument that physicians and mental health care providers have counted on for years: some people suffering from depression and/or anxiety DO improve with a treatment regimen that includes the use of antidepressant medication, with minimal or no side effects, and it takes a trial and error method to find this out. It's also alarming that of the 7 Steps to Treat Depression without Drugs recommended by Dr. Mark Hyman, none of them are psychotherapy, which a multitude of research studies have proven to be a highly effective treatment in managing depression.
The message of this article is to remain open and willing to identify both the potential causes of your depression, as well as the most effective and least invasive combination of treatments for YOU. This may or may not include anti-depressant medications, but you won't know until you have talked with your physician and mental health care provider about which forms of treatment make sense for you, given your unique situation. Remain skeptical, but open to the combination of treatments that can best help YOU effectively manage your mental health.
Respectfully submitted by Dr. Christina Villarreal, Clinical Psychologist in Oakland, CA
Poynter's News University: Education for Bloggers by: Nikky Raney
ATTENTION ALL BLOGGERS:
Online Media Law for Bloggers is a free self-directed course offered by Poynter Institute's News University.
Bloggers and others who want to know more about the laws that relate to gathering information and publishing content online should definitely take this course (as well as the MANY other courses offered by News University).
The self-directed course is said to take up to two hours, but you can start and stop whenever you want. You can start part of it now and then finish it up later. Although the course is self-directed there will be instructors helping you out (pre-recorded instruction).
The course description states, "It will make you aware of the red flags you should watch for to stay on safe legal ground. And, you'll have fun learning with activities such as "You Be the Judge" that tests your knowledge on some recent court cases involving bloggers."
The instructors for this course include David Ardia, Geanne Rosenberg and Scott Swift.
The training partners for this course are Citizen Media Law Project, Baruch College, Media Bloggers Association, and Axis Pro.
After completing this course you will know more about defamation, copyright infringement, and invasion of privacy. Even though I already know about these things it never hurts to learn more.
I am probably going to go take all the free courses within the next few days. I would recommend that (especially now that schools are almost out of session) bloggers, journalism students, writers, reporters, teachers, etc. should take a look at the offered courses and enroll. There are some courses on there that are said to take 14 hours of instruction!
This is a great way to continue learning about journalism while not being in school.
Although the BEST way to learn journalism is through EXPERIENCE, this definitely counts as a great way to learn even more. You also are given TESTS and QUIZZES to track your learning!
There are so many other courses that I would love to take, but I can't afford them. Maybe if one of the courses really sticks out to me I can save up some money! There are some courses/seminars/programs that require advanced application due to time sensitivity, group size available, and instructors availability.
I am glad that News University is available online for EVERYONE. This will help anyone who writes and publishes information online whether it be on a blog, Facebook, comment, website, etc. There are also free design training courses and the list goes on and on. Check it out for yourself.
This is definitely a PLUS for the future of journalism! Although it does not REPLACE the classroom (or a college degree), it can ADD to that as well as education for those who are unable to attend school or want to learn something specific! I am so glad that this exists. It is all done on your own free time (well, the self-directed ones). There are even design and photoshop training (free ones!)
Dear News University,
The Future of Journalism has become a little brighter thanks to you.
(As long as people use this source!)
Written by Nikky Raney
If you have anything in particular you want me to write about send me an e-mail.
I will try to incorporate more photos/visual into my posts
This entry originally was originally posted HERE
Oliver Stone Wall Street 2 Oscars - Suzannah B. Troy
Okay, I want to be the first to say "Oscars"! There I said it. Wall Street 2 will be nominated for plenty of golden statues but will Oliver Stone clean up? I am not selling him "short" or anything but will this film be on the level of Platoon and Wall Street?
I answer all these questions in my YouTube where I share just a few memories of working on the film Wall Street. I had the lowest non-union job possible after I got, ehem, promoted, yes, that's right; I was promoted from one of the only women parking production assistants to craft services. Not really a promotion by the way and I had to feed a big crew and lots of extras. I share my first conversation with Oliver Stone which was unforgettable, hilarious and proof I can give as good as I get if not better.
Oliver returned to NYC to film part 2 and I past the set and inquired after him. They told me he was huddled in a hotel with bodyguards. Yikes! The controversial movie director has his fans and also his haters. I am not a fan of his politics but Platoon was deeply moving and I saw it on my day off while working on Wall Street (1). At one point we were working 6 days a week because as I recall they were afraid there was going to be a writer's strike or something.
I tell you about Charlie Sheen and a very sad memory for me now looking back having to run to the World Trade Center to pick up something for Charlie and I did not want to go on the errand. It is really heart breaking for me to look back now and talk about that the WTC which by the way was a symbol for "World Trade" whether you are pro or con but it is now an open wound still not near healing or near completion. Sept. 11 was mass murder and mass destruction so it gives one perspective so let us switch to happy Hollywood thoughts french style....
Bravo for all the fanfare at Cannes Film Festival with uber glamour and the exciting opening of Wall Street 2. I can't get any reports on whether the film was well received or not. I have a unique take on the film and whether it will do well that may or may not surprise you and I hit on the news two days ago when President Obama was snubbed here in NYC at a mega-bucks fund democratic fund raiser by Wall Street including Goldman Sachs. Hear why I think this and other factors will effect Wall Street 2 at the box office. Watch my YouTube!
Jessica Watson, 16, shows Miley Cyrus what "role model" is
Jessica Watson |
Watson's the youngest person to sail alone and unassisted around the World.
This was a story such that I wondered if her parents were even in their right mind to let their little Jessica Watson do it. But, as National Public Radio reported several times in 2009, Jessica Watson was determined to prove everyone wrong.
Watson told the waiting crowd according to the Telegraph UK: "As a little girl people don't think you're capable of these things, they don't realise what young people, 16-year-olds and girls are capable of. But it's amazing what you can do." It certainly is.
From her blog |
The young woman - it's not fair to call her a girl - was called "Australia's newest hero" by Austrialia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Watson will also gain wealth and fame. She's going to be paid $700,000 to tell her story exclusively to an Austrialia's newspapers owned by Rupert Murdock and for becoming an News Corp "Ambassador."
(Does this mean she's going to be on Fox News with Sarah Palin?)
Whatever the case, Jessica Watson brings a new meaning to Miley Cyrus' Can't Be Tamed, and just in the nick of time.
Welcome home!
Miley Cyrus Lap Dance Video gets Dancing with The Stars attention
A preview of Dancing With The Stars? |
No, Miley Cyrus is not going to be a dancer on Dancing with The Stars. Miley's going to perform her new hit Can't Be Tamed on the show, Tuesday.
While the skeptic may say the Dancing with The Stars staff probably signed her up before the Miley Cyrus Lap Dance Video surfaced, the report is Cyrus was just inked for the gig yesterday.
One has to wonder how Miley will be introduced on "Dancing." How about: "Fresh from her controversial lap dance and grind action with producer Adam Shankman, here's Miley Cyrus appropriately performing her new hit Can't Be Tamed!"
If you don't know what the Miley Cyrus Lap Dance Video scandal is all about, here's this blogger's video on it, thanks to TMZ.com:
Meanwhile, TMZ's gone off the deep end with a new online game that has you in the role of Miley's father Billy Ray Cyrus, trying to corral Miley before she can get back to Adam Shankman's "gyrating crotch."
This is not a joke. It's a real game.
TMZ's Rocking the Casbah with this one.
Stay tuned.
Friday, May 14, 2010
TMZ.com adds Zennie62.com to its blogroll
OK, Zennie62.com is a part of TMZ.com's blogroll, but it's an honor to be there and in a place where you can always find it: at the alphabetical end of the list, the only "Z" in the place.
We share a space with legendary blogs and bloggers like Perez Hilton, Pop Sugar, The Huffington Post, Celeb Show and Tell, and others. But most important, we're a small part of a new revolution in media. TMZ's blogroll consists of blogs that understand media is market and cover the hot stories and provide interesting commentary.
But what makes Zennie62.com unique in the group is its video-blog component, featuring Blip.tv and YouTube.com, and what will be an increased use of CNN's iReport and Tubemogul.com. And that our content is part of The Heart Corporations' online publications and featuring SFGate.com and Seattle P.I.com.
Harvey Levin: TMZ's Driving Force
Harvey Levin is a person who's face you probably recognize from The People's Court as he's the on-the-steet announcer for the show. But Levin's TMZ.com's managing editor and driving force. Harvey may have his critics - we all do - but he understands that news media is a kind of market, and where others may complain about its celebrity content or the controversial way it gathers news, Levin's just giving the public what it wants. TMZ's earned over $10 million annually over the past three years and over $20 million in 2008.
Here's Levin explaining how TMZ works to get news out and hit on stories it thinks will click in a "boom, boom, boom" fashion:
And here Levin attacked the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department for illegally obtaining his cell phone to investigate who leaked the Mel Gibson "Drunken Anti-Semetic Rant" story. Levin claimed the the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department act was a violation of his civil rights.
On CNN this year, Harvey Levin talks more about the Mel Gibson story and how that unfolded as well as the team of journalists, lawyers, and researchers that vet the stories which are posted on TMZ's website.
Zennie62 is proud to be part of TMZ's family and marks a new era in the evolution of the video-blog network I'm building.
Stay tuned.
Bernard Stollman interviewed by Jaee Logan -- Suzannah B. Troy
When we spoke I told Jaee you need to make a documentary, a Hollywood film and I even see him writing a book. He flew in from CA to start filming with his friend and fellow musician Bobby who did the filming here.
Here is an amazing interview with Bernard Stollman.
I feel like Jaee took over where I couldn't really go. My YouTubes tend to be in the park where I first filmed Giuseppi Logan and started changing lives through the miracle of YouTube posting.
If you go to this YouTube link you can find more of the series filmed by Jaee Logan and his friend Bobby.
This clip ends with asking Bernard Stollman about the East Village and about Malcom X who Jaee shares a birthday with. Giuseppi Logan's birthday is also coming up.
I will bring postings of all the YouTube series on Jaee Logan being reunited with his Dad after 40 years. What is really exciting is this interview with Bernard Stollman and what he has to say about how he came to found ESP record labels and find musical talent. Also why Bernard Stollman felt compelled to document artists.
As an artist I can' express how important that is. Stay tuned...I will be bringing you a series of YouTubes and writing by Dan Orth and for jazz lovers you will not be disappointed!!!!!
Miley Cyrus Lap Dance Video: TMZ update, Ashton Kutcher take
The Miley Cyrus Lap Dance Video, where Miley Cyrus is giving movie helmer (that's another term for 'producer') Adam Shankman a lap dance and Shankman's trying to grind dance her before that has caused a stir, a debate, and for a time a headache for TMZ.com, YouTube, and this blogger. But before I get to that, let's catch up with this lap dance sex scandal.
The reaction to the sight of Adam Shankman and Miley Cyrus basically simulating getting it on and on the heels of her Can't be Taimed song release has caused a wildly varied number of views to surface.
On CNN's Rick's List, Rick Sanchez said what Cyrus did was "disgusting," which prompted Ashton Kutcher to fire off at him on Twitter (@aplusk), tweeting the following in series:
@ricksanchezcnn you want to report about exploitation of teenagers report on this http://bit.ly/c6Gip0
about 21 hours ago via Brizzly
RT @AngelicaCTorres: The 44 year old man happens 2 b gay! be a reporter @ricksanchezcnn get the whole story!!!
about 22 hours ago via Brizzly
I think it's important to think about the context of the event she was at @stef_juju it's not like she was at a club w/ some stranger
about 22 hours ago via Brizzly in reply to stef_juju
hey @ricksanchezcnn ur comments on Miley R completely unwarranted. She's 17. What is this the movie Footloose? judgement is unbecoming
That exchange between the 32-year-old Ashton Kutcher and the 52-year old Rick Sanchez is common. And what's more interesting is the habit of pointing out that Adam Shankman's Gay. In my book, that's meaningless.
Miley Cyrus and Adam Shankman |
Frankly, the photo was no big deal to me then and it's no big deal to me now except as gossip fodder and I didn't touch it. But now, with the video, the photo takes on new meaning. Given that both are public figures and Shankman seems to have a fun-loving taste for hedonism, it's fair to ask if they did have sex.
Being Gay is a laugher of an excuse; this blogger has slept with women who said they were Lesbian before and after sex.
Now, in a pavolian fashion, someone will angrily respond "That means they weren't Lesbian" but the bottom line is what they called themselves before and after sex. Someone who gets upset with that has massive issues. The fact is that when it comes to behavior, people don't always live in the boxes they craft.
To digress for a moment, I love the scent of a woman and smart, athletic, confident women have always been attractive to me, and it's because I "click" with them. Sometimes things happen from that, and at times it's with a woman who says she's Lesbian.
Miley Cyrus seems to "click" really well with people who are free and fun-loving. Take a look at this video from her website:
My guess is she has or had the same relationship with the 45-year old Adam Shankman as she does with 22-year-old Scotty: flirtatious and fun. The fact is that Shankman's 44 and now 45 years did not matter to anyone in that circle of people. On his Twitter account, Adam Shankman says he's an "all around immature nice guy."
From that perspective it means Shankman's not going to act his age. It has nothing to do with being Gay or not - Adam could have been straight - and everything do with being fun-loving and especially hedonistic. The question is how far did it go? The answer is only the two of them know. The fact that her father Billy Ray Cyrus think grind dancing is something girls Miley's age do (which is true) doesn't calm the waters one bit.
Given the negative heat Adam's getting about this affair, he should do a 'David Letterman' and just tell what happened, then get on with life. If he's open about it, people will love him; if he's defensive, people will dislike him.
TMZ, YouTube, and video image control
The back story to all of this is TMZ and Warner Brothers went on a rampage and took down every copy of TMZ's Miley Cyrus video on YouTube including my original one. That set in motion a complex array of communications by this blogger which ultimately resulted in the video you saw at the top of this blog.
I want to take time to thank TMZ and YouTube for their time and effort. I think the lesson in all of this is that when a public figure does something the public does have a right to know about it and see it. Miley Cyrus and Adam Shankman are public figures. That overcomes any effort to control distribution of an image because this is a story about what that person did and is not a parody of their image.
Going forward, celebrity news sites must remember that even if they have purchased the right to use an image of a celebrity, their private transaction does not overcome the public's "right to know" in the case of the actions of celebrities and politicians and the use of the image of those actions for a news or commentary related project such as a newspaper column, a video, or a blog.
Rock the Casbah!
Christine Quinn Goldman Sachs Sullivan Cromwell - Suzannah B. Troy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeHtY0YP8C4
Now meetings are in play to discuss a referendum so the voters can vote on if we want city politicians to have a third term since Mike Bloomberg and gang cunningly worked out away to deny us a referendum. This will forever taint Mike Bloomberg’s legacy and their is more to come. And by the way Mike Bloomberg wants to get rid of Public advocate yet again. The public advocate is suppose to represent the people of New York.
Stay tuned. FYI: Last night President Obama was snubbed by top Wall Street firms at a high priced fund raiser where some pay as much as $50,000 to attend and among the missing was Goldman Sachs which shows you have powerful the Wall Street firms are and how much they don’t want any rules or limits set in play. Wall Street has a script of how brilliant and generous they are to us mere mortals and they don’t want to be forced off script. Wall Street wants to rule from The White House to Wall Street.
Hypochondria or not: Do you use the internet to self-diagnose your physical symptoms?
Most of us have had that "OH NO! I think I have that!" moment, after poking around online, trying to figure out the cause of our vague physical symptoms. A 2004 study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 79 percent of Internet users -- roughly 95 million Americans -- have researched health information online. People now have access to incredibly complex medical information, with little ability to sift through it or interpret it accurately. The abundance of health information available online, valid or not, has contributed to what the media have coined ‘cyberchondria’ (researching diseases on the internet, and then worrying that you have the symptoms of that disease.) These people are often frustrated when their self-diagnosis does not prompt their doctor to order the tests and/or medications they feel necessary.
Yet after getting checked out by a doctor and getting a clean bill of health, most of us feel reassured, and are then ready to move on. For hypochondriacs however, relief does not come, and the fear of serious illness continues to fester. Hypochondria falls under the umbrella category of Somatoform Disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) and is defined as a preoccupation with the belief that one has an illness, based on a misinterpretation of bodily symptoms. To qualify as hypochondria, this preoccupation must cause distress in the person's daily life and persist for at least six months -- despite medical evidence discounting the perceived illness. About 1 to 5 percent of the population suffers from hypochondria, and the disorder is believed to strike men and women equally.
In the professional world of mental health, “Somatization” is a term that describes the expression of psychological or mental difficulties through physical symptoms. Somatization can range from preoccupation with potential or genuine but mild physical problems (as previously described in Hypochondria), to the development of perceived or actual physical pain, or dysfunction. This article will briefly explain some of the other major diagnoses that the DSM-IV-TR defines within the Somatoform Disorders category.
Somatization disorder is characterized by a history of multiple unexplained medical problems or physical complaints beginning prior to age 30. People with somatization disorder report symptoms affecting multiple organ systems or physical functions, including pain, gastrointestinal distress, sexual problems, and symptoms that mimic neurological disorders. Although medical explanations for their symptoms cannot be identified, individuals with somatization disorder experience genuine physical discomfort and distress. Review of their medical histories will usually reveal numerous visits to medical specialists, second and third opinions, and numerous medications prescribed by different doctors, often putting them at risk for drug interactions.
Conversion disorder is marked by unexplained sensory or motor symptoms that resemble those of a neurological or medical illness or injury. Common symptoms include paralysis, loss of sensation, double vision, seizures, inability to speak or swallow and problems with coordination and balance. Symptoms often reflect a naive understanding of the nervous system, and physicians often detect conversion disorder when symptoms do not make sense anatomically. The name conversion disorder reflects a theoretical understanding of the disorder as a symbolic ‘conversion’ of a psychological conflict into a concrete physical representation. Ironically, patients with conversion disorder may not always express the level of concern one would expect from someone with their described condition.
Pain Disorder is physical pain that causes significant distress or disability or leads an individual to seek medical attention. Pain may be medically unexplained, or it may be associated with an identifiable medical condition, but it is experienced as far more severe than the actual physical condition would warrant. Common symptoms include headache, backache and generalized pain in muscles and joints. Pain disorder can be severely disabling, causing immobility that prevents patients from working, fulfilling family responsibilities or engaging in social activities. Like patients with somatization disorder, people with pain disorder often have a long history of consultations with numerous physicians.
Body dysmorphic disorder is characterized by preoccupation with a defect in physical appearance. Often the defect of concern is not apparent to other observers, or if there is a genuine defect it is far less disfiguring than the patient imagines. Common preoccupations include concerns about the size or shape of the nose, skin blemishes or color, body or facial hair, hair loss, or "ugly" hands or feet. Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder may be extremely self-conscious, avoiding social situations because they fear others will notice their physical defects or even make fun of them. They may spend hours examining the imagined defect or avoid mirrors altogether. Time-consuming efforts to hide the defect, such as application of cosmetics or adjustments of clothing or hair, are common. Many people with body dysmorphic disorder undergo permanent procedures like plastic surgery or cosmetic dentistry, but are seldom satisfied with the results.
Note that Somatoform disorders should be distinguished from Factitious disorder, in which patients intentionally act physically or mentally ill without obvious benefits such as monetary gain. What motivates people with Factitious disorder is being able to play the role of a sick person. Further, the DSM-IV-TR distinguishes Factitious disorder from Malingering, a disorder which is defined as feigning illness when there is a clear motive—usually to economic gain, or to avoid legal trouble.
Causes. One longstanding theory about the cause of Somatoform disorders suggests that it is a way of avoiding psychological distress. Rather than experiencing depression or anxiety, some individuals will develop physical symptoms. According to this model, their preoccupation with the body allows them avoid the stigma of a mental health/psychiatric disorder. They end up getting the care and nurturing they need from doctors and other people in their lives who are responsive to their physical illnesses.
Treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered an effective treatment for Somatoform disorders, focusing on changing negative patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior that contribute to somatic symptoms. The cognitive component of the treatment focuses on helping patients identify dysfunctional thinking about physical sensations. With practice, patients learn to recognize catastrophic thinking and develop more rational explanations for their feelings. The behavioral component aims to increase activity and self-care. Many of these patients have reduced their activity levels as a result of discomfort or out of fear that activity will worsen their symptoms. Patients are instructed to increase activity gradually while avoiding overexertion that could reinforce fears. Other important types of treatment include relaxation training, sleep hygiene, and communication skills training. Preliminary findings suggest that CBT may help reduce distress and discomfort associated with somatic symptoms; however, it has not yet been systematically compared with other forms of therapy.
Respectfully submitted by Dr. Christina Villarreal, clinical psychologist in Oakland, CA
Resources
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th edition, text revised. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association,2000.
Phillips, Katherine A. The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Pilowsky, Issy. Abnormal Illness Behavior. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons, 1997.
LeBron James called "Queen James" on Twitter (Cavs 85 Celtics 94)
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had the best regular season record in the National Basketball Association, had the door to a possible NBA Championship rudely shut on them Thursday night. They lost to the Boston Celtics 85 to 94 and at times the game wasn't even that close.
The Cleveland Cavaliers star player LeBron James had a better cast around him this year with Shaq O'Neill, Antawn Jamison, and others. It looked like, even with their injuries, it was going to be the Cavs year. It wasn't. The end wasn't the look of resignation on the faces of the Cleveland Cavaliers before the game was over. It wasn't the press conference afterward. It was Twitter, where so many people used the term "Queen James" it became a trending topic.
LeBron James is "King James" no more. Even though he scored a triple-double, and the Boston Celtics fans chanted "New York Knicks, New York Knicks" the bloom was off the rose that he was. Queen James is a nickname that's stuck to The Golden Child and will eventually replace that name too.
LeBron James is not the kind of person who can just take over a game the way Michael Jordan could in his prime or Kobe Bryant can today. Kobe Bryant is playing the best overall basketball and stands poised to earn his second consecutive NBA ring and fifth overall.
Queen James is not Kobe Bryant. It's not enough to rack up stats and regular season wins, a super player has to have that extra gear he or she goes into regardless of sport. If James has that gear, we haven't seen it yet.
Blogging this about one that this blogger has rooted for and hoped this was his year, just plain hurts. But now some ugly truths have to be faced: regardless of where LeBron James goes he will now be considered a "bit" player who needs to have "pieces" around him and they have to be very good.
A great player makes everyone around that person better. Jordan did it. Brandi Chastain did it in Soccer. Michael Jordan did it in the NBA. Kobe Bryant's doing it now.
Queen James it is, until LeBron proves he's King.