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Monthly Archives: May 2014
Are you “isolating” and “withdrawing” or do you just need to spend some time alone?
Alone in nature: my idea of heaven
In mainstream mental health circles we are encouraged to believe that “isolating” or “withdrawing” is always bad, that it is in fact pathological.
This is really too bad, as part of healing from mental distress for most people requires spending some time alone. Unfortunately, we find that in professional mental health circles this very natural inclination is often maligned and people are shamed if they show a propensity toward needing time alone.
I certainly need to be alone sometimes and have found some of my deepest healing and found access to those places in the alone times.
Anyone who has spent time in a psych ward know that people are prodded out of their bedrooms and forced to socialize and be in “group,” regardless of whether it’s actually helpful or not. Then if one shares that they would prefer to be alone it…
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There is Big Medicine in Everyone
I woke up at 3 am this morning. The
spring is a time of big energy for me
. Once upon a time in my life this energy was
pathologized and called manic, bipolar
. I was taught to fear it and drug it and by no means express it. I have been
unlearning
all that for some years now.
Now I learn from this big energy inside me. That involved taming the even bigger fear. We all have so much fear. The energy is inherently benign. It’s the fear that is potentially toxic. I listen and move and listen some more. I let myself feel anything. Big bad ugly feelings and big beautiful ecstatic ones too. I DANCE. I do YOGA. I WALK barefoot in the woods. I BREATHE. I meditate. I eat good food. I LIVE.
There is big medicine in everyone.
This lovely piece…
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Outrage after supermarkets admit meat on sale was alive before being killed
(satire?)
DAILY MAIL EXCLUSIVE!
Leading retailers have sparked outrage from consumers after they admitted meat was being sold in supermarkets which originated from living animals.
A huge debate was sparked recently when it emerged that 185 Subway outlets in the UK and Ireland had decided to sell meat from animals which had actually been alive before they were killed without informing their customers.
Several restaurant chains, including KFC, Domino’s Pizza, Nando’s and Pizza Express also sell meat which was alive – including chicken which they admitted had originated from the bodies of live chickens – in some or all of their stores.
And in a shocking revelation, the Daily Mail can reveal that approximately 100 per cent of New Zealand lamb in supermarkets comes from baby sheep which had been killed in abattoirs in New Zealand.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer also have been forced to admit that tinned tuna on sale in their…
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HIV in Salford: A community project with Gaydio
with…
For the past few weeks I’ve been part of an amazing project run by Gaydio, a radio station for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community of the UK. Thanks to funding from Salford City Council and the skills, knowledge and patience of Emma Goswell (Breakfast Co-Presenter at Gaydio) 12 people from Salford produced a radio show about HIV in our city.
The group was made up of people living, working and studying in Salford, some of us living with HIV, others broadcast journalism students, and others working or volunteering in services that people living with the virus might use, such as social housing and counselling. Everyone in the group had unique skills, expertise or stories and life experiences to offer.
Teaching each other about HIV and radio broadcasting in two hour sessions once a week was not an easy task but the group worked fantastically well together. We…
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Knife crime: 21 other things the Lib Dems didn’t bother to veto
(not satire – it’s the Lib Dems!)
Nick Clegg has announced the Liberal Democrats are to veto government plans to introduce mandatory jail sentences for people found guilty of repeated possession of a knife.
In the interest of balance, here are some of the other things the Liberal Democrats didn’t bother to veto during their time in government:
.
Did I miss anything?
.
Related articles by Tom Pride:
Lib Dem endgame as party pushed into 5th place behind Greens
Lib Dems beaten by Lord Biro from the Bus-Pass Elvis Party in by-election!
SIZZLING sexy Lib Dem calendar – HOTTEST Lib Dems of 2014!
Lib Dems use taxpayers’ money to suppress report into second sex harassment case
Oops! Guardian accidentally gets a headline wrong about the Lib Dems. Again.
Lib Dems poll fewer votes than the Pirate Party in by-election (not satire!)
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DEPRESSION AND HIV – HIV AND DEPRESSION
DEPRESSION AND HIV
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
Depression is a mood disorder. It is more than sadness or grief. Depression is sadness or grief that is more intense and lasts longer than it should.
It has various causes:
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events in your daily life
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chemical changes in the brain
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a side effect of medications
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several physical disorders
About 5% to 10% of the general population gets depressed.
However, rates of depression in people with HIV are as high as 60%. Women with HIV are twice as likely as men to be depressed. Being depressed is not a sign of weakness. It doesn’t mean you’re going crazy. You cannot “just get over it.” Don’t expect to be depressed because you are dealing with HIV. And don’t think that you have to be depressed because you have HIV.
IS DEPRESSION IMPORTANT?
Depression can lead people to miss doses of their medication. It can increase high-risk behaviours that transmit HIV infection to others. Depression might cause some latent viral infections to become active. Overall, depression can make HIV disease progress faster. It also interferes with your ability to enjoy life.
Depression often gets overlooked. Also, many HIV specialists have not been trained to recognize depression. Depression can also be mistaken for signs of advancing HIV.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF DEPRESSION?
Symptoms of depression vary from person to person. Most health care providers suspect depression if patients report feeling blue or having very little interest in daily activities. If these feelings go on for two weeks or longer, and the patient also has some of the following symptoms, they are probably depressed:
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Fatigue or feeling slow and sluggish
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Problems concentrating
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Low sex drive
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Problems sleeping: waking very early, or excessive sleeping
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Feeling guilty, worthless, or hopeless
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Decreased appetite or weight loss
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Overeating
WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION?
Some medications used to treat HIV can cause or worsen depression, especially efavirenz (Sustiva). Diseases such as anaemia or diabetes can cause symptoms that look like depression. So can drug use, or low levels of testosterone, vitamin B6, or vitamin B12.
People who are infected with both HIV and hepatitis are more likely to be depressed, especially if they are being treated with interferon.
Other risk factors include:
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Having a personal or family history of mental illness, alcohol and substance abuse
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Not having enough social support
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Not telling others you are HIV-positive
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Treatment failure (HIV or other)
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Rejection of different kinds can also bring out bouts of depression
TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION
Depression can be treated with lifestyle changes, alternative therapies, and/or with medications. Many medications and therapies for depression can interfere with your HIV treatment.
Your health care provider can help you select the therapy or combination of therapies most appropriate for you. Do not try to self-medicate with alcohol or recreational drugs, as these can increase depression and create additional problems.
Lifestyle changes can improve depression for some people.
These include:
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Increased exposure to sunlight
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Stress management
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Counselling
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Improved sleep habits
Alternative therapies
Some people get good results from massage, acupuncture, or exercise. St. John’s Wort is widely used to treat depression. However, it interferes with some HIV medications and antidepressants. Be sure to discuss it with your health care provider before taking St. John’s Wort. When it comes to conventional treatments it is highly recommended that you speak to a professional health care provider.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Depression is a very common condition for people with HIV. Untreated depression can cause you to miss medication doses and lower your quality of life. Depression is a “whole body” issue that can interfere with your physical health, thinking, feeling, and behaviour. The earlier you contact your health care provider, the sooner you can both plan an appropriate strategy for dealing with this very real health issue.
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