Drug companies have been accused of failing to publish drug trials which do not give the "right" result.
Regulatory bodies found it harder to make balanced decisions when negative information was not available, the Lancet medical journal said.
Nathan Torres gave a wordless shout and rushed into the hall as fast as his little 18-month-old legs would carry him. His father, Luis Torres, smoothed out the kinks in the tube attaching Nathan to medical equipment, stretching it out to help the toddler reach for warm muzzles and furry backs. The therapy dogs had come to visit.
Nathan would be flying to Denver to see a specialist for his pulmonary hypertension. But, for that moment last month, the Albuquerque boy had a distraction from doctors and tests at the University of New Mexico's Children's Hospital.
His mother, Mayra Torres, crouching in the doorway to supervise, smiled at his enthusiasm. "He really likes it," she said.
The magic of animals as healers has gotten increasing attention over the years as pets have comforted people who need a little love, a little diversion, a little contact with normalcy in a world that has been turned upside down.
Copycat (1995) (agoraphobia)
Sigourney Weaver plays a psychiatrist who specializes in serial killers. She suffers from agoraphobia and her only link to the outside world is her computer. A serial killer who copies the methods of famous serial killers (hence the title) threatens her on-line. Holly Hunter plays a cop who is on the trail of the killer. Together they try to identify him and, hopefully, despatch him.
Matchstick Men (2003) (agoraphobia, OCD)
Meet Roy and Frank, a couple of professional small-time con artists. What Roy, a veteran of the grift, and Frank, his ambitious prot�g�, are swindling these days are "water filtration systems," bargain-basement water filters bought by unsuspecting people who pay ten times their value in order to win bogus prizes like cars, jewelry and overseas vacations--which they never collect. These scams net the flim-flam men a few hundred here, another thousand there, which eventually adds up to a lucrative partnership. Roy's private life, however, is not so successful. An obsessive-compulsive agoraphobe with no personal relationships to call his own, Roy is barely hanging on to his wits, and when his idiosyncrasies begin to threaten his criminal productivity he's forced to seek the help of a psychoanalyst just to keep him in working order. While Roy is looking for a quick fix, his therapy begets more than he bargained for: the revelation that he has a teenage daughter--a child whose existence he suspected but never dared confirm. What's more troubling, 14-year-old Angela wants to meet the father she never knew. At first, Angela's appearance disrupts her neurotic father's carefully ordered routine. Soon, however, with his own unique spin on parenthood, Roy begins to enjoy a relationship he never dreamed of having with his daughter. But while he develops paternal feelings for the 14-year-old, she's developing a fascination with Daddy's questionable career.
As Good As It Gets (1997) (OCD)
New York City. Melvin Udall, a cranky, bigoted, obsessive-compulsive writer, finds his life turned upside down when neighboring gay artist Simon is hospitalized and his dog is entrusted to Melvin. In addition, Carol, the only waitress who will tolerate him, must leave work to care for her sick son, making it impossible for Melvin to eat breakfast.
What About Bob? (1991) (OCD)
Bob Wiley is a neurotic man, who has a habit of clinging onto his therapists. His last one not being able to deal with him sends him to Leo Marvin. After having just one session, Bob thinks the world of Dr. Marvin. However, the doctor's leaving to spend the rest of the summer with his family, which throws Bob into utter despair. He calls the doctor constantly demanding to see him but the doctor says he is on vacation and cuts Bob off. He manages to find out where he is and goes there. The doctor's family takes a liking to him but the doctor feels that he is just intrusive. And no matter what he does Bob just won't go away and everybody thinks that Leo is being mean.
Analyze This (1999) (panic)
Ben Sobol, Psychiatrist, has a few problems: His son spies on his patients when they open up their heart, his parents don't want to attend his upcoming wedding and his patients' problems don't challenge him at all. Paul Vitti, Godfather, has a few problems as well: Sudden anxiety attacks in public, a certain disability to kill people and his best part ceasing service when needed. One day, Ben unfortunately crashes into one of Vitti's cars. The exchange of Ben's business card is followed by a business visit of Don Paul Vitti himself, who wants to be free of inner conflict within two weeks, before all the Mafia Dons meet. Now, Ben Sobol feels somewhat challenged, as his wedding is soon, his only patient keeps him busy by regarding Ben's duty as a 24 hour standby and the feds keep forcing him to spy on Paul Vitti. And how do you treat a patient who usually solves problems with a gun?
Analyze That (2002) (panic)
The mafia's Paul Vitti (De Niro) is back in prison and will need some serious counseling when he gets out. Naturally, he returns to his analyst Dr. Ben Sobel (Crystal) for help and finds that Sobel needs some serious help himself as he has inherited the family practice, as well as an excess stock of stress.
High Anxiety (1978) (phobia)
Dr. Richard Thorndyke arrives as new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, VERY Nervous to discover some suspicious goings-on. When he's framed for murder, Dr. Thorndyke must confront his own psychiatric condition, "high anxiety," in order to clear his name. An homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock; contains many parodies of famous Hitchcock scenes from THE BIRDS, PSYCHO, and VERTIGO.
Dream Team, The (1989) (a variety of mental illnesses)
Dr. Weitzman works with patients in a sanitarium. Convinced that all that his "group" needs is a some fresh air and some time away from the sanitarium, he pursuades the administration to allow him to take them to a ballgame. Unfortunately, he accidentally stumbles across a crime in progress and ends up in hospital. The group are stranded in New York City, forced to cope with a place which is often more bizarre than their sanitarium.
Vertigo (1958) (phobia)
San Francisco police detective Scottie Fergusson develops a fear of heights and is forced to retire when a colleague falls to his death during a chase. An old college friend (Gavin Elster) hires Scottie to watch his wife Madeleine who has become obsessed with the past. Scottie follows her around San Francisco and is drawn into a complex plot.
Accused, The (1988) (ptsd)
Sarah Tobias goes to her local bar and is gang-raped by three men. The district attorney on the case is Katheryn Murphy who wants to prove that although Sarah had taken drugs that night and was acting provocatively while in the bar, this is no reason for her to be so brutally attacked and the men responsible should be brought to justice.
The Odd Couple (OCD)
Walter Mathau and Jack Lemmon team up again for THE ODD COUPLE-a truly timeless classic that was very provocative at the time it was released. Swearing, divorce, sexual references... THE ODD COUPLE shouldn't have been rated G that's for sure. But have a good time watching this timeless classic, and you'll have some nice whole hearted laughs.
Forrest Gump (1994) (ptsd)
The story follows the life of low I.Q. Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) and his meeting with the love of his life Jenny. The film chronicles his accidental experiences with some of the most important people and events in America from the late 1950's through the 1970's including a meeting with Elvis Presley, JFK, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, fighting in Vietnam, etc. The problem is, he's too stupid to realize the significance of his actions. Forrest becomes representative of the baby boomer generation having walked through life blindly.
I Am Sam (2001) (agoraphobia)
Sam Dawson has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old. He works at a Starbucks and is obsessed with the Beatles. He has a daughter with a homeless woman; she abandons them as soon as they leave the hospital. He names his daughter Lucy Diamond (after the Beatles song), and raises her. But as she reaches age 7 herself, Sam's limitations start to become a problem at school; she's intentionally holding back to avoid looking smarter than him. The authorities take her away, and Sam shames high-priced lawyer Rita Harrison into taking his case pro bono. In the process, he teaches her a great deal about love, and whether it's really all you need.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) (simple phobia)
Renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, Dr. Indiana Jones, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the Ark of the Covenant, which is believed to still hold the ten commandments. Unfortunately, agents of Hitler are also after the Ark. Indy, and his ex-flame Marion, escape from various close scrapes in a quest that takes them from Nepal to Cairo.
The past four years of my life are a blur. When I try to place certain things that happened to me, it's a real struggle to get the days, weeks, months to fall into place. It's rather like hearing a song I used to love blaring from a passing car and being unable to remember who it's by. That is what it feels like to come out of a major depressive episode. At the moment, settled at 75mg of Efexor XL, I've come to a clearing in my life where I can stand still and breathe a sigh of relief. The worst of this recent depression is finally behind me.
It started in mid-1999. Soon afterwards, I went to the doctor begging for antidepressants, having nearly chucked myself off a bridge into the Thames. Almost five years later, with spring around the corner, I am ready to shed a skin. I'm at a point where it feels emotionally safe to look back. When you are going through the worst of depression, you daren't look back, not even to yesterday. Everything is too raw, too painful, too volatile. But eventually, you reach this clearing in the woods and it feels OK to sit on a fallen tree and say to yourself, thank God that's over.
A young woman slashes her wrists. A prisoner hangs herself in a cell. A man swallows scores of paracetamol tablets in a desperate bid to end his life.
The three haunting scenes all feature in television story lines which have provoked alarm from mental health charities who fear the media are becoming increasingly irresponsible in their treatment of suicide and self-harm.
Suicide awareness groups have highlighted several recent television dramas that have given cause for concern. These include Footballers' Wives and an episode of the prison drama Bad Girls, both of which showed one of the main characters hanging herself. Samaritans points out that prisoners are seven times more likely to take their lives than the average person.
Studies show song can help calm patients
By Laura Pope
"With brain imaging as their main measuring tool, neuroscientists from a variety of settings � including Dartmouth College, Harvard, Duke University, Montreal Neurological Institute and Deaconess Medical Center � have clearly connected the positive effects of music on the brain with respect to increasing pain threshold, elevating emotion and reducing anxiety..."
Coping With Anxiety
During High Risk Terrorism Alerts
Advice from the American Psychiatric Association
Fear and anxiety are normal human reactions to a perceived threat or danger. However, such uncertainty is manageable if people keep the threat in perspective, the American Psychiatric Association said today.
�The raised national terrorist threat index to �high risk� provokes anxiety in all of us,� says Paul S. Appelbaum, M.D., APA President. �But knowledge and information based on facts can help us manage that understandable anxiety.�
Women are more prone to anxiety due to a variety of biological, psychological and cultural factors. Although the exact cause is unknown, recent research suggests that fluctuations in the levels of female reproductive hormones and cycles play an important role in women's enhanced vulnerability to anxiety. There is also some evidence that women become more anxious when their levels of estrogen and progesterone are low, such as in premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), post-partum depression, and menopause.
Many anxious/depressed people find comfort in sweets...this may be one reason why:
Sweet tooth gene found
One lump or two? The difference could be a gene.
23 April 2001
CORIE LOK
Sweet genes are made of this.
Two research teams trawling the human and mouse genomes think they have pulled out the gene for a sweet tooth. The difference between those of us who take three sugars and those who opt for none could all be due to the gene T1r3 --
On Campus: The Doctors Are �In�
At Indiana�s Ball State University, counselors have set up �stress-free zones� equipped with massage chairs and stress-relieving toys
College therapists say they�re seeing more kids asking for help. But they worry most about the ones they can�t reach
Rhonda Venable�s first appointment last Monday was with a severely depressed sophomore who�s worried he�s too promiscuous. After the session, Venable, associate director of Vanderbilt University�s counseling center, met with a bipolar teenager, assessed an anxious student for signs of schizophrenia and arranged emergency hospitalization for an upperclassman threatening suicide. �It was very much an ordinary day,� says Venable.
Introduction
The following results are based on a questionnaire circulated within the anxiety disorder community on the Internet. From December, 2000, to April, 2001, a total of 67 responses were received from a variety of on-line groups devoted to anxiety disorders (including anxiety disorders in general, panic disorder (PD), agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social phobia, chronic phobias or the like). These on-line groups included both Usenet and web-based forums of diverse nationality. Consequently, these results reflect a specific cross section of the general anxiety disorder community; namely, patients with Internet access who have an active interest in anxiety disorders and/or fellow patients.
Numbers preceded by the letter 'R' refer to specific respondents. No names are used to protect confidentiality. All other numbers are tallies and percentages of specific types of responses.
Read more here.
At the joint Los Angeles and Channel Islands RG in February, Carol Young and I did a session on Obsessive/Compulsive Confessions. Each person who reveals their obsessive or compulsive behavior gets a certificate suitable for framing. It was SRO and so much fun that it warrants a repeat whenever we get the chance.
The first chance came at Asilomar, where I did it with Donna Woolums. Some of the same people attended, but the confessions were different.
First, a disclaimer. Medical advice is not given at these sessions, but we do preface each session with some basic information. Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder is exactly that, a disorder. It is treatable, often with medication. Our object was NOT to make fun of anyone suffering from this disorder, we only wanted to share our own obsessive/compulsive secrets.
There are a few that we are all familiar with, like toilet paper. An overwhelming majority of Mensans are "over" people. Some of us are sufficiently obsessive about this to have actually changed the paper in homes we visit.
Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and their forest friends are "seriously troubled individuals" according to Canadian researchers.
Far from being the innocent world it appears to be on the surface, Hundred Acre Wood is, say the reseachers, a place where psycho-social problems are not recognised or treated.
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Nausea Sometimes A Red Flag For Anxiety And Depression
People who experience nausea may be suffering from anxiety or depression, possible causes that should be investigated before aggressive treatments are begun for gastrointestinal disorders, according to a new study.
�This may lead to avoidance of long-term use of potentially harmful medications for nausea, unnecessary medical investigation and probably a better quality of life for the patients,� says lead author Tone Tangen Haug, M.D., Ph.D., of Haukeland University Hospital in Norway.
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Social Security Disability help site
This site lists a number of various links to information on what Social Security Disability is, who it's for, what disorders and diseases are covered by it, and how to press the issue if your initial application is turned down.
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The identity clinic
"Become who you are," wrote the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. A century later, millions of people are taking Nietzsche's advice to heart. Instead of turning to philosophy, however, they are using drugs and surgery. "I feel like myself again on Seroxat," says the woman in the anti-depressant advertisements; and so do users of Prozac, Ritalin, Botox, Propecia, Xenical, anabolic steroids, cosmetic surgery, hormone replacement therapy and even sex-reassignment surgery.
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