A safe place to talk openly about mental health & illness
You can find all kinds of stories online of people reporting negative experiences with different forms of psychiatric medication. However, there's inherent bias in that kind of reporting of side effects, so you really can't use that information to effectively generalize how safe or effective a treatment is. In this post, we'll look at where… Continue reading Bias in Online Stories of Psych Med Side Effects
Ask anyone of a certain age what comes to mind first when they hear the term electroconvulsive therapy (aka ECT, aka electroshock therapy, aka shock therapy), and chances are they will mention the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring Jack Nicholson. The reality is very different.
There are a number of non-medication, non-therapy options for treatment-resistant depression. Somatic treatments involve stimulating the brain through the application of energy. ECT and TMS are the most well-known, but there are some more obscure options as well. And then there's cranial electrotherapy, which isn't in the same ballpark at all. So let's dive in!… Continue reading Somatic Treatments for Depression
Wouldn't it be nice if the treatment of depression was simple? Unfortunately, there's nothing simple about depression treatment in the real world. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) refers to depression that hasn't responded to trials of adequate duration and dosage of at least two antidepressants. It's important that previous medication trials be long enough that you're actually… Continue reading Treatment-Resistant Depression: When What’s Supposed to Work Doesn’t
Birth of a New Brain chronicles author Dyane Harwood’s journey with postpartum onset bipolar disorder. The story’s rich, vivid descriptions draw the reader along on the intense roller coaster ride of the author's illness experience. Many elements of her story will be hauntingly familiar to those whose lives have been touched in some way by bipolar… Continue reading Book Review: Birth of a New Brain