Mass Shootings, Suicides, and Mental Health

If you have been following the news, even casually, I think you know about a very sad tragedy. It is a tragedy that is like others of its kind, unfortunately. It is an indictment of our society. It should serve as a wake-up call to all of us. This includes the family, the Church, schools, the medical and health professions, the government, indeed to all of us. I'm talking about another senseless act of violence that was absolutely preventable. Like so many others of its kind, it should never have happened in the first place. But it continues to happen, over and over. What explains that?

Fort Hood Devastation


So What Is the Big Deal About Psychotropic Medications?

Yes, these tragedies usually bring out dialogues about mental health, the mental health issues of perpetrators of these mass shootings, the call to ban the gun rights of anyone with suspected or diagnosed mental heath illnesses, and the call to increase mental health issues. I heartily agree with each of these measures. The stigma of mental illness needs to go so that its victims and their families will willingly seek treatment. The government, instead of cutting funds for mental health services, need to expand these services. Parents, teachers, and indeed all of us, need to educate ourselves about mental health, suicide, and take depression seriously when it is suspected or diagnosed. But with all this, it is a fact that often the cure can be worse than the treatment, especially when it is overdone. This is where psychiatric meds come in and the need to address their abuse and overuse. Doctors tend to use medicine as an easy route to address anything that is considered medical. Big Pharma is prospering nicely and making millions off the backs of addicts to prescription drugs and others who may also be their victims. Doctors are making Big Pharma wealthy with their penchant to prescribe medications. This includes psychiatrists, who tend to freely place patients on meds to "calm them down" and to bring them "happiness in a bottle." Now I'm not against taking medication to address mental health issues, if used properly and in people whose systems can handle them! In many mental heath cases or Neurodevelopmental especially Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), meds can mean the difference between a full, productive life or one lived on the fringes of society, in an institution, jail, or prison. Yet we know that these psychiatric meds can have serious side effects, not only in children and teens and the elderly, but also in certain "nonvulnerable" adults whose systems can't handle them for some reason.

My Experience and That of Others

I can, sadly, testify from experience as to how harmful these prescription medications can be. My situation was not a military one, but it still is one where I had to deal with the mental health system. As a middle to late teen, I was sent to psychiatrists to justify the funding for the kind of special education that I received. These doctors concluded that the heart of my difficulties was "anxiety neurosis" and they had just the cure for my "illness." I became quite a cash cow for Big Pharma at this time in my life. My parents did not see that these psychiatrists were helping me, but as the autism spectrum diagnosis did not exist, they, my teachers, and my doctors had no idea that maybe they were dealing with undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder. At the time, I was also placed on anti-convulsants, which I use to this day. Then, these doctors placed me on multiple anti-anxiety medications, which included Valium and Haldol. Almost from the beginning, these meds took effect on me. These effects were not good! I experienced bizarre effects with my eyes moving upward in their sockets, and both adults and my peers treated my reaction like attention-getting, deviant behavior, and treated me accordingly. I became a "monster" and a person that no one knew. My entire personality charged and my mental faculties were radically altered. I became hostile, aggressive, profane, and exhibitionistic. Of course, except for my immediate family and teacher, all others reacted with hostility and rejection, blaming me instead of the meds I was placed on. I was in and out of a psychiatric hospital. It was all a total nightmare. It took Mom to wean me off the meds. Fast-forward to about ten years ago. My late grandmother became depressed. She was, like me, sent to psychiatrists. They placed her on different meds, including Ambien. They made her even more depressed, and one tragic morning, she left our home in her nightgown and the local train hit her. She was treated in the hospital, and after a number of days, she passed away. She, too, was a cash cow for Big Pharma. Years ago, I read a sad story about a 12-year-old boy who killed both his grandparents; his defense was that he was put on Zoloft and that it put him over the edge. The Fort Hood Shooting: Did Big Pharma Play A Part?

Currently, there is an active investigation going on in the case of the recent Fort Hood shooting. There are many factors that no doubt played a part in pushing Lopez over the edge, causing him to "snap." A history of mental health problems. Possible PTSD. Easy access to a shotgun. Escalating arguments with other soldiers. Depression and hopelessness. He clearly felt alienated from society. Is is documented that his latest Facebook status reflects that. But not to be overlooked is that he was on multiple prescription meds. By themselves, they may not have made Lopez snap. But clearly, his anti-anxiety medications were not having their desired effect! They did the exact opposite of calming him down. This gunman was a cash cow for Big Pharma. His meds played a part in helping to destroy the lives of four people and forever alter the lives of many others. If his medications were supposed to help him, why didn't they calm him down and hinder his aggressive tendencies? We may not have the answer to these questions for a long time. In our dialogue on mental health, we can't leave out the proper use of prescription medications.

Agree? Disagree?

What Is the Big Deal About An Autism Diagnosis?

On January 3rd of this current year, I underwent what is called a neurophychological workup, which started out with an interview with a lady. I brought along several materials from an autism center, questionnaires that included questions asking me about past and present "symptoms" of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One questionnaire included a checklist where Mom, my husband, and I circled the answers to the same questions in different colors of ink. I provided a copy for the neuropsychologist, who was filling in for another neuropsychologist I was expecting to see. That person popped his head in the room where I was being interviewed for just a few minutes and I mentioned my concerns. He said, "I see that you have been told many things and given many labels about yourself, like OCD, Asperger's Syndrome, and other psychiatric labels. We here are specialists in epilepsy and you have shared that you have a history of that. I don't think you are aware that epilepsy and side effects of medications to manage it can cause many problems that may make you seem to be OCD or have mental health issues. We are glad you are here and glad to help you find your answers." This person was nice enough and well-meaning, as well as friendly with my husband. However, I could tell from the start that he was biased in favor of epilepsy, his specialty and the field that he was best equipped to form professional opinions on. And he made these above statements BEFORE I began a full day of a battery of tests.

Just yesterday, after almost a month of waiting for my promised summary letter of the "results" of my January 3 appointment, the letter finally arrived in the mail. I opened it up later yesterday afternoon, and I was profoundly disappointed and angered at the "results" but because of the biases of the examiner, I was not surprised in the least of what his summary letter, just a page long, said. It reads. "It is noted that many of your previous psychiatric, behavioral, ans social difficulties may have in fact been related to your epilepsy, rather than to psychiatric disorders." Then came the blow that hurt most of all! "Of note, it is NOT (emphasis mine) believed that you suffer from an Autism Spectrum Disorder." Thus I went to a four hour round trip to undergo a workup, in large part not relevant to screening a person for different brain wiring and which was a bad referral. No diagnosis. No answers. No relief. No validation.

I'm not denying that epilepsy has a major impact on people's daily lives, like any other neurological condition, especially ones of its kind which carry stigma and are widely misunderstood. A number of the items I was tested on in my January 3 appointment were relevant to the side effects of long-term use of prescription medications that I had to take to control seizures (thank God, my current Depakote has fully controlled my seizures for about 16 years but at the cost of major side effects). Testing involved memory tests and other forms of cognitive function, which have been affected by my long-term medication treatment. My main problem with my "results," which include no diagnosis of any kind, is that I know that epilepsy cannot explain my lifetime of social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Take my lifetime of OCD-like thinking, my repetitive behaviors and obsessive interests, and my insistence on routines. Can those be explained by epilepsy? I think not, especially as they were present early in my life! Take my lifetime of profound social disabilities, my dislike of socializing and making small talk, my inability to initiate or carry conversations, my inability to establish close friendships; these were present from early in my life! Can epilepsy explain those? I think not. I do not doubt that the effects of anti-epileptic meds, the trauma of seizures and stigma can cause emotional and social reactions which mimick some of what I listed above.

I got the that January 3, 2013 appointment by default, I believe and it ended up as an inappropiate ferral for what I was looking for last year. I was looking for an autism specialist who had training in autism and who would screem me for an ASD. Last year 2012,  I had been making many calls requesting a person to screen me for an ASD as an adult. I was given the name of a person, and it was only later that I realized that this person was a neuropsychologist and these professionals usually do not have autism training or expertise; their expertise lies in general brain and cognitive functions and dysfunctions. That does not include any psychiatric or mental health conditions and as ASDs are now placed in the mental health category, neuropsychologists do not specialize in ASDs. Even when I realized that and knew I got a bad referral, I chose to keep the January 3, 2013 appointment, just to rule out things and to go down every avenue. But last year, I did make an appointment with an autism specialist in that same city, who I should have been referred to from the start. I have an appointment with him later this year on October, 29. But due to personal circumstances which must be kept confidential, I may not be able to keep that appointment. But whatever happens, I will stop at nothing until I can access an appointment with a qualified, affordable autism specialist who diagnoses ASDs in adults.

I have, from the beginning, encountered family opposition to my pursuing an ASD diagnosis. When I shared that I was serious about this with family, I have been told things like, "Autism is just a word," "Autism is a label and you cannot tell anyone because people fear those with labels," "If you get a new label people will treat you even worse," "I believe you have autism; why do you need to see a doctor?", "Getting a new label will not do anything for you," and "It will not change your life, so what's the use?" I have faced resistance also from a couple of my doctors, who have told me, "You cannot have an ASD; you relate to people," or, "I do not believe in Asperger's Syndrome; it is a fad and overdiagnosed." I guess I can understand why so many people think those of us who seek "labels" for validation and to empower ourselves to self-advocate, are making "much ado about nothing" or are "sseking excuses for bad behavior" or "crutches" to limp through life. For I am sure some people have done just this, but I have read story after story by adults who testify that getting an official diagnosis of an ASD has provided them with tremendous relief from years, even decades of feelings of shame, failure, not fitting in, and not knowing who they are or "what is wrong with them." They come to see that they are not bad, slow, lazy, crazy, weird but have brains that are wired differently. They feel more confidence to self-advocate when people "don't get them." A new diagnosis does not magically change lives or undo the past, but it gives meaning to everything and closure so one can focus on the future.

This need for much better access to qualified, affordable autism specialists is only one reason that I have created an autism petition on Change.org. Autism services would not benefit only autistic people and their families. These services would create many new jobs, including entry-level jobs, for those outside the autism community. Most in the autism community, especially parents of autistic children, have been lamenting the need for quality, affordable, universal autism services. Many outside the autism community need job. Services also would help autistic people better themselves, which would make it easier for society to understand them and welcome them. So everyone who cares about these things would be wise to support efforts to gain affordable, quality and universal autism services. It is for that eason that I have created my Change.org petition, which can be found at my shortened link for the Change.org site: http://tiny.cc/mrsahw. I encourage all who read this to visit that link. If you have not signed, please visit here. If you've signed, thank you! Please visit and keep sharing. Or keep sharing this BlogSpot.

November Is Epilepsy Awareness Month

Lupus. Cancer. Multiple Sclerosis. Heart disease. Hyperglycemia. Hypoglycemia. Diabetes. Migraine Headaches. We talk openly about these conditions (and many others) and their symptoms and we should. And yet when it comes to epilepsy, this is different. How easy is it to use the words "epilepsy" and seizures"? But this condition affects millions of people and many families. And yet there is a definite stigma attached to it, so that many people with epilepsy will not disclose their condition when applying for higher education or jobs or when entering relationships especially with the opposite sex. The stigma actually goes back to the days of the Bible when the concept of neurological conditions like epilepsy did not exist; seizures were considered demon possession (yes, I do believe in actual demon possession with signs that mimic seizures but that is a separate topic). Though we know better now, the stigma still exists; institututionalized and social stigma continue. This is because when people experience seizures, especially the grand mal kind, their bodies are out of control, their minds in states of altered consciousness.

Yes, many seizures are not due to epilepsy. Take febrile seizures, for example, where children especially, experience these because their immature systems can't handle the infections that their bodies use fevers to fight. My daughter experienced these until the age of six which is said to be the normal age for outgrowing these sort of seizures.

Epilepsy exists on a spectrum, from those whose seizures occur daily to those whose seizures occur a few times a month or a year to those with full control. And seizures also are on a spectrum, from minor seizures to complex-partial or temporal lobe seizure to grand mal seizures. Epilepsy can be acquired at any age and can happen to anyone, especially if experiencing traumatic brain injury or an automobile accident or another such misfortune. There are a number of treatments to manage epilepsy especially medications. And epilepsy is more likely to occur in those with other neurological conditions, like autism or cerebral palsy, for example. There are many different types of seizures, from fleeting episodes of unconsciousness that last for seconds ("blackouts) to episodes of total, full-body unconsciousness as in grand mal seizues.

As a child, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. The seizures I experienced, over the years, have been sporadic for the most part. They are the grand mal kind. Thank God, I have been seizure-free for about 15 or 16 years. However, I have paid a high price to remain seizure-free. And I know many others with seizues have testified to suffering side effects. In my case, it was my long-term use of anti-convulsants that, in my opinion, caused me to deal with losses of both long term and especially short-term memory. I also have experienced slowed mental processing and reaction time. Because of these things I was strongly discouraged from getting a Driver's License. These kind of side effects have been more disabling to me than the seizure themselves, traumatic as they have been at the time. In the case of others, many also testify to experiencing side effects from cognitive losses to hair falling out to swollen gums. There are other side effects which I won't go into for the sake of space and length.
As for social stigma, this like the side effects of medication, has affected me more than than seizures themselves. Once, I applied for a volunteer position for a local pregnancy resource center for those dealing with crisis pregnancies. Sometime after my interview with the Director, I disclosed to her "And there is another thing; I have epilepsy." "I'm glad you told me that," she said. What? All I know was that a month or so later, I was dismissed as a volunteer. I noticed that when I was told about this, a small tape recorder was used without my consent. "We do not feel you are a good fit for working here and because of your living circumstances," was all I was told. Yet I wonder if my self-disclosure of epilepsy had anything to do with it.

Another example of stigma is when I returned to college as an adult; in the course of time I took a class in German. One day, in that class, I experienced a seizure, one of three I experienced that day. Afterward, I was encourages to drop this class. And, for the remainder of the class, I noticed that the manner of my classmates changes toward me (I never felt liked by that class instructor in the first place but this is beside the point) changes and they would ignore me forever thereafter. My neurologist, whom I like very much, has told me once, "I tell all my patients who have seizures not to have children." Yes, I know that most members of the epilepsy would look on me with envy because I have full seizure control, as of 16 years, with medication. I have never felt that I really "belonged" there either. Yet, I too have, and continue, to deal with the stigma and the side effects of long-term use of anti-epilepsy medications, which have interfered with my memory and moods and reaction time to my fertility. I'm thankful that my medication works for seizure control but I dislike its side effects which interfere somwhat with functioning and this is common in those who use these medications because of the way they work to stop seizures.

Many studies show that more people, in the US alone, die from epilepsy than from breast cancer. And yet there is far more breast cancer awareness and far more breast cancer resources. And when people reveal themselves to be breast cancer survivors, they tend to be treated with honor, deserved as this is! Years ago, I was in a setting where a person revealed, "I am a breast cancer survivor." Upon saying this, the speaker overwhelmed this person with words of support, tenderness and honor, saying something like, "we are so blessed and inspired that you are among us and that you have survived this killer! You are a walking miracle! We are all in this room honored that you are here sitting among us!" However, if this person had said that she had survived seizures cause by epilepsy, I daresay that she would have gotten this sort of response. I fear that the speaker, if this person is like many people, would have not known what to do with such a self-disclosure. It is because of this stigma of epilepsy that people do not, as a rule, disclose epilepsy in themselves or in loved ones. This stigma is lessening but it is still there. One HUGE reason this stigma must end is because research is still needed for those whose seizures cannot be controlled with medication, and money is needed to do this research.
Stigma undermines awareness and fundraising.

Chances are, if you don't know anyone with epilepsy, it may be that, because of its stigma, they have not disclosed it to you. This month, therefore, has been designated National Epilepsy Awareness Month with the focus to undo its stigma through education and awareness. There are some excellent links below where you can learn much more, because epilepsy, like cancer or heart disease, can happen to any of us or a loved one.

Thank God that a nonprofit has been set up and have a social networking site that exists just to undo the stigma of epilepsy through encouraging people with epilepsy and those with loved ones with this neurological condition, through talking about it. Thus, it is called the Talk About It! Foundation. The only way to get rid of stigma is to talk about it!

http://epilepsyfoundation.org/ This is the National Epilepsy Foundation website.

http://talkaboutit.org.ning.com/ This is the blogspot for The Talk About It Foundation, for epilepsy awareness.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/talkaboutitfoundation/ This is the Facebook page for the Talk About It Foundation, for epilepsy awareness.

Who Are We Concerned About Protecting?

     This morning, I was stuck by a photo post that listed the salaries of some of the CEO's of top health insurance companies. These CEO's are not only millionaires but multimillionaires and billionaires. I posted this photo on my page and on all three of my pages and I do not seed that I got one "like" or comment on this post. What I don't understand is the lack of outrage. I feel both sad and angry that people, both online in my social networks and offline, especially in my church family, seem to feel that the very real and often devastating issues surrounding so many in our culture are somehow secondary to what they seem to perceive as "getting out of office" a President that they resent and hate and whom they would like to see fail.
     Now I am not putting down wealth or the right to get rich, as long as it is done by ethical means and the wealthy use some of their resources to support and assist those in need. And many already do and are to be commended for it. But guess what? These wealthy philanthropers, like Bill Gates, are calling for an end to tax breaks for the wealthy, realizing that our ailing economy needs extra revenues from their taxes far more than they do. And also, our President has also gone on record as saying that he does not need any tax breaks. I know that there are so many people who are worried that tax revenues from increased taxes on the wealthy, would "trickle down" to rest of us as these same "super-wealthy" are the "job creators." Really? If that was the case, then why has unemployment so dramatically risen even as these "job creators" were getting their tax breaks? Where were the jobs that supposedly were supposed to produce that "trickle down" effect? I may be missing something her (but I don't think so), but I have not seen these effects of these tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires "trickle down" to the rest of us. And please do not write me off as someone who has "class envy" or begrudges the wealthy their wealth. For I know that if there were not people in the position to provide substantial help to those in need (and this would include many people in positions of wealth or influence), so many charities would not be able to serve those in need and so many of our congregations would not be doing well. And I know that it will be a few such individuals, when I am able to come to their attention, who will be the ones who can help my petition, on behalf of the autism community, really take off!
    What really saddens as well as angers me is the resentment, prejudice and even vitriol so many people, in certain social circles in my life and among so many in my social networks, have shown toward those who use "entitlement" programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and certainly need-based programs such as Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and SSI (Supplemental Security Income). I know that so many have expressed concerns and (and in some cases this concern is valid), that people are abusing the system and using these programs to avoid having to work and paty their way through life. I know that many are deeply concerned about this matter. I'm not pooh-pooing the concerns of those who feel this way about the use of government programs. I'm saddended that so many seem to think that using these programs is somehow the "ticket" to the "good life" and that some people "on welfare" are living "better lives," of more material prosperity, than taxpayers. I can tell you, from personal experience, that the use of any of these government programs is not the ticket to lives of material prosperity. It's the live of living on a fixed income, getting just enough for bare necessities, and living with the ongoing stigma of knowing that so many others are stereotyping you as someone who does not want to work and have chosen to "live off society." And I think the resentment and stereotypes of those who use government programs is why so many are supporting the package of spending cuts proposed by the Paul Ryan Plan AND not supporting the call to end tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. This is sad.
     I fear that I risk offending those in my social networks and in my "real life," who are among those who are wealthy. I don't envy your wealth and I don't want to cause you "undue hardship" or bring an end to your prosperity. And if you are using your resources to help those in need (and not just material, but time also), I commend you heartily. But I hope and pray that you will realize the facts about those who are not as blessed as you are and who are in life circumstances where they DO need to use government programs. And I hope and pray that you will see that increased tax revenues from your incoimes will only pay for itself many times over, especially if your $$$ are used to help balance our national budget. We only want you to pay as much PROPORTIONATLY in taxes as the middle-class do. Isn't this fair?
     I don't argue that spending cuts need to be made and that there is much government waste. I'm concerned (as are so many others) that the needed $$$ to balance the budget will be made off the backs off the most vulnerable people in our society and will be taken from services that serve us and keep us safer. We are hearing more and more about lay-offs of public school teachers in some states and about cuts to law enforcement. These are just two examples of services that are vital to all of us! And our government is seeking to cut such services instead of asking the wealthy to pay more in taxes! The argument for millionaires and billionaires paying taxes is that our economy needs it and they can afford to spare $$$ to help meet this need. Now, I understand that no one is going to like the idea of paying extra taxes and that paying more taxes means less money for the taxpayer. But when the taxpayer is a millionaires or a billionaire, isn't it only fair that they pay as much, percentagewise, as so many others who make far less, already do? Middle-class workers typically pay up to 40 percent in taxes, while the wealthy pay only around 15 percent out of much bigger incomes. How can anyone claim that this is fair? This is a call for justice, not welfare.
     As for spending cuts on the backs of vulnerable people who use government programs, such as the poor, those with disabilities, senior citizens, and others, why are there so many who seem okay with asking those in these people groups to make further sacrifices beyond what so many already make just to survive? So many younger people who use these programs, would much rather work than undergo the stigma of "living on the public dole," knowing that they are looked down on and stereotyped by so many in society. Many have disabilities or differences which employers can't/won't accommodate. This is one HUGE reason I have begun a petition on behalf of the most unemployed people group (at least in the US), those with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). While people are calling for spending cuts to even entitlement programs, how are people who use these programs supposed to survive? "Go get a job!" seems to be the easy answer to such an issue, but this thinking does not take into consideration that many such people do not have the job skills, social skills or even the transportation, to seek employment. So before you say that people should "Go out and get a job!" please realize that many people with true needs and disabilities are unable to do that, as much as they want to. So many of such individuals use the mental health system, or are homeless or are in jail or prison because of unmet needs. Does it not make sense that helping such people would, ultimately, help our economy than just cutting government programs?
     My call is to please realize that, whatever your feelings about government programs and about those who use them, is that ANYONE can find himself/herself in circumstances where you would be forced to use one or more of those programs, even long-term. If you are a taxpayer and you are employed, especially at a career that you love, thank God for His goodness to you and realize that that all citizens are valuable and precious to God, even those who are not in the position to pay taxes.
     And please focus on protecting those who need it, not those who do not need it.
    
    

Stigma

          There are some things we just don't talk about, sometimes not even with our own families. When these things are mentioned, we tend to get uncomfortable, cringe, sidestep these issues by calling them other names or changing the subject or skirting these issues altogether. It is called stigma and is defined as as possessing a personal trait that society doesn't value, discredits or even despises. Stigma results in  codes of silence that allow secrets to fester and that allow many of out social problems to continue. It results in the stigmatized individuals often keeping silent out of shame and fear and believing lies.
          In the past, cancer used to be stigmatized and was not talked about, but thanks to courageous celebrities and others who began talking about their own battles with various cancers, we talk about it openly and this has opened the door to reaching out to cancer victims/survivors and fundraising and other efforts to prevent/end cancer. Today, we feel free to say the word cancer and to talk about our own experiences with it. Teen pregnany used to carry a horrible stigma, and teen mothers were forced to go into hiding and secretly make adoption plans for their unborn children. Or if they chose to parent their children, as my mother did (she was 16 when she gave birth to me), they faced many hardships and their children often grew up fighting differences in learning, behavior, and other differences and often were tracked into lives of lasting disadvantage. But thanks to efforts to set up pregnancy services to those facing unplanned pregnancies and through laws making adoption more attractive to such people as well as to prospective adoptive parents, such a stigma has much decreased. And the outcomes of people with unplanned pregnancies and their children today are much better than they were for my mom and for me in the 1960s!
          The stigma remains against HIV AIDS, though through awareness and advocacy, society has come to realize the origins of this condition and that it can happen to anyone. But much more needs to be done in this area and with reduced stigma and contined advocacy and awareness, we have much more of a chance to prevent/end HIV AIDS. And much more needs to be done for HIV AIDS prevention worldwide and for many children who have so tragically lost their parents to AIDS. And the stigma contines for epilepsy, even though it has lessoned a little. However, because of the continued stigma and the code of silence in talking about it, advocacy and fundraising efforts are being hindered as well as the attitudes of the public. Efforts continue and advances and scientific discoveries continue to be made. In an earlier blog post, I discussed my experience with epilepsy and stigma; I know many others can tell similar stories. If you want to include obesity (being over 20 perecent overweight) as a medical condition under this discussion, we all know there is definitely a stigma against anyone who is obese in many different ways and in society's attitudes toward the obese person. (No, I do advocate that if people have it in their power to prevent/end obesity, they need to do so, for the sake of their own health, as obesity carries many health risks.)  Often people do "eat themselves" into this condition, but many others are obese for complex reasons, including medication side effects, glandular conditions, especially of the thyroid, certain medical conditions and more. As people come to see that the causes of obesity are often complex, the stigma of obesity should keep decreasing.
          Mental illness definiely carries stigma; its stigma may not be quite as bad as in the past, thanks to the fundraising efforts and advocacy of brave individuals who have come forward to talk about their experiences with different forms of mental illness. But the stigma remains. The "insanity defense" and the high-profile true crime cases which have involved criminals with suspected (or actual) mental illness, have worsened this stigma. Though I realize the need to expose such crime cases and others to society to keep us safe, the media need to present these cases in such a way so as not to prepetuate the myth that most people with mental illnesses are dangers to society. Actually, most people with mental illness are more dangerous to themselves than they are to society; most of them are harmless. It's true that when people with certain mental illnesses don't take their medications or are not diagnosed properly, they as individuals may become dangers to others. But in most cases, most need to be protected from themselves rather than need society protected from them. In my first blog post, I mention my experience with misdiagnosis and being ""treated" with psychiatric medications which actually resulted in my becoming psychotic. I entered the world of those with mental illness for months; it was awful and traumatic!
          Abuse or crime, especially domestic violence in any form and sexual abuse, carry stigma even though many brave survivors and advocates have come out with their stories and this has lessoned the stigma somewhat. Witness how difficult it is for us to bring up the topic of sexual abuse with our children, while we know that we must do this to empower them to protect themselves. There is a wealth of resources for victims/survivors of various forms of abuse or crime; however, more needs to be done and I predict it will keep being done as we see victims/survivors of abuse or crime keep sharing their stories, and advocating. The same holds true for various addictions from substance abuse to eating disorders to harding to other addictions; as people keep coming forward to share their stories, we can talk about these things and people will be empowered to, over time, overcome their addictions.
          There is a stigma attached to neurological conditions like autism, Asperger's Syndrome (and to a lesser degree, to general learning disorders, ADD, ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, among others). In one of my first blog posts, called "What is Autism?" I have told about my own lifetime experience with this and with being wrongly diagnosed, given treatments I did not need and often being sent to schools that added to my stigma. And I discuss much of the anguish I have suffered, how it has affected my quality of life and its effects on me to this day. I'm thankful that special education and education, in general, as well as scientific discoveries, have much improved since my childhood, teen years and young adulthood. But there remains a hidden, "lost generation" of people with undiagnosed conditions who today languish in jails or prisons, remain unemployed, or exists on the fringes of society, including among the homeless. Some fortunate individuals have been able to get diagnosed properly as adults and have carved out niches for themselves (ex., Liane Willey-Holliday and Stephen Shores) but most are not so blessed. Much more needs to be done to bring healing and hope this this "lost generation" through advocacy and research.
          The stigma of suicide is well-known. Sadly, I have known of pastors who have stated that they would not conduct funerals of families of loved ones who have ended their lives or who will not grant families assurance abut the eternal fates of their loved ones. My position is that God, while He is indeed infinitely holy, is also infinitely loving and merciful and that He does not see things the way that humans do. And the stigma affects families of troops or veterans in the US who have ended their lives, as for many years, they have not even received letters of condolence from the US government.
(Thankfully, the government is addressing this). Thanks survivors telling their own stories and to the advocacy of groups and organizations, the stigma of suicide is decreasing. But it is still there and more needs to be done. 
          The stigma of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transsexual is well-known. Whatever our own fellings about sexual orientation and what religious convictions we have that affect how we see homosexuality, those with different sexual orientations from the norms are human beings with the same rights as any of the rest of us. Even those with religious convictions about God's plan for our sexuality must see that He, in His infinite holiness, sees sins of jugmentalism, self-righteousness, hate, prejudice, bigotry, and other "respectable" sins with the same sadness and displeasue as He does sexual sins, which are well-known and do not need mentioning here. Sin is sin and when we see that God treats us all the same, stigmatizing because of sexual orientation is just as evil as stigmatizing for any other reason. Another reason we must end this stigma is because of the many people who silently struggle with same-sex thoughts even in churches, even against their convictions. The last things such people need is to be lectured or judged! They need safety and support and this will never happen as long as this stigma remains. This issue needs to keep being talked about.
          I can go on and on about stigma, but it is the reason so many of our social problems which we deplore, continue. It is because people "don't talk about these things" in the hope that by ignoring these issues, they soomehow will go away on their own. But there are many wounds that no amount of time will heal. We must talk about them and we must deal with them.
         

November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month

          Lupus. Cancer. Multiple Sclerosis. Heart disease. Hyperglycemia. Hypoglycemia. Diabetes. Migraine Headaches. We talk openly about these conditions (and many others) and their symptoms and we should. And yet when it comes to epilepsy, this is different. How easy is it to use the words "epilepsy" and seizures"? But this condition affects millions of people and many families. And yet there is a definite stigma attached to it, so that many people with epilepsy will not disclose their condition when applying for higher education or jobs or when entering relationships especially with the opposite sex. The stigma actually goes back to the days of the Bible when the concept of neurological conditions like epilepsy did not exist; seizures were considered demon possession (yes, I do believe in actual demon possession with signs that mimick seizures but that is a separate topic). Though we know better now, the stigma still exists; institututionalized and social stigma continue. This is because when people experience seizures, especially the grand mal kind, their bodies are out of control, their minds in states of altered consciousness.
          Yes, many seizures are not due to epilepsy. Take febrile seizures, for example, where children especially, experience these because their immature systems can't handle the infections that their bodies use fevers to fight. My daughter experienced these until the age of six which is said to be the normal age for outgrowing these sort of seizures.
           Epilepsy exists on a spectrum, from those whose seizures occur daily to those whose seizures occur a few times a month or a year to those with full control. And seizures also are on a spectrum, from minor seizures to complex-partial or temporal lobe seizure to grand mal seizures. Epilepsy can be acquired at any age and can happen to anyone, especially if experiencing traumatic brain injury or an automobile accident or another such misfortune. There are a number of treatments to manage epilepsy especially medications.
           As a child, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. The seizures I experienced, over the years, have been sporadic for the most part. They are the grand mal kind. Thank God, I have been seizure-free for about 15 or 16 years. However, I have paid a high price to remain seizure-free. And I know many others with seizues have testified to suffering side effects. In my case, it was my long-term use of anti-convulsants that, in my opinion, caused me to deal with losses of both long term and especially short-term memory. I also have experienced slowed mental processing and reaction time. Because of these things I was strongly discouraged from getting a Driver's License. These kind of side effects have been more disabling to me than the seizure themselves, traumatic as they have been at the time. In the case of others, many also testify to experiencing side effects from cognitive losses to hair falling out to swollen gums. There are other side effects which I won't go into for the sake of space and length.
          As for social stigma, this like the side effects of medication, has affected me more than than seizures themselves. Once, I applied for a volunteer position for a local pregnancy resource center for those dealing with crisis pregnancies. Sometime after my interview with the Director, I disclosed to her "And there is another thing; I have epilepsy." "I'm glad you told me that," she said. What? All I know was that a month or so later, I was dismissed as a volunteer. I noticed that when I was told about this, a small tape recorder was used without my consent. "We do not feel you are a good fit for working here and because of your living circumstances," was all I was told. Yet I wonder if my self-disclosure of epilepsy had anything to do with it.
           Another example of stigma is when I returned to college as an adult; in the course of time I took a class in German. One day, in that class, I experienced a seizure, one of three I experienced that day. Afterward, I was encourages to drop this class. And, for the remainder of the class, I noticed that the manner of my classmates changes toward me (I never felt liked by that class instructor in the first place but this is beside the point) changes and they would ignore me forever thereafter. My neurologist, whom I like very much, has told me once, "I tell all my patients who have seizures not to have children."
          Chances are, if you don't know anyone with epilepsy, it may be that, because of its stigma, they have not disclosed it to you.  This month, therefore, has been designated National Epilepsy Awareness Month with the focus to undo its stigma through education and awareness. There are some excellent links below where you can learn much more, because epilepsy, like cancer or heart disease, can happen to any of us or a loved one.

http://epilepsyfoundation.org/ This is the National Epilepsy Foundation website.

http://talkaboutit.org.ning.com/ This is the blogspot for The Talk About It Foundation, for epilepsy awareness.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/talkaboutitfoundation/  This is the Facebook page for the Talk About It Foundation, for epilepsy awareness.