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i have been taking anti depresants every day for about 20 years. i'm wondering if there's something to take for just bad days.
Is there a med I can take for mood and anxiety disorders other than every single day meds?
- Asked
- 24 Jun 2012 by medinfoplz
- Updated
- 25 June 2012
- Topics
- anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder
Responses (9)
Unfortunately, most meds require keeping the blood level steady thus taking daily in order to work effectively. Otherwise, you aren't keeping what is called a theraputic level in your blood and hence the medication doesn't work as well if at all. Anxiety can be treated prn (as needed) with benzodiazepines which incidently are addictive, but accompanied by a mood disorder really requires a daily medication regimen.
The only thing i could think of are benzo's (such as Diazepam) for bad days of anxiety, but they are addictive. And very hard to withdraw from. You may be having bad days every so often now, but if you discontinue the use of the anti-depressants, you may find you have these bad days much more often, and that you actually do need to take a daily medication? Have you discussed this with your doctor?
Hello medinfoplz. As previously mentioned the Benzodiazepine family (quick acting only) can be taken on a need to basis. The longer twenty four hour benzodiazepines would not really help you. Long term therapy drugs that need to be taken daily, as was/is intended by the maunfacturers. I might suggest a MAOI, people do well on them. The drawback being a fairly strict diet, needs to be adhered to. But more often than not, if a person responds well to a MAOI, they give up the dietery restrictions to beable to fuction at a level that only a MAOI can offer a person. Best of wishes to you, pledge
How are you? You have received several different answers. Some of them differ a little than the others. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Benzodiazapine's, such as Valium, Xanax, Ativan, ect... are medication's for anxiety disorder, and as already mentioned... you could, and need to talk to you're dr. about that. I have Anxiety disorder and take a long acting one called Klonopin. Unfortunately due to some severe trauma in my life a couple of years back, I was put back on it, and still have problems with anxiety and I and my dr. feel I still need to take it for the time being. However, I do have to take them every day, not on an as needed basis. As everyone has mentioned, they can be/are addictive. Very true. But there are certain conditions that require certain medications that can be addictive. You need to be very careful.
However, you mentioned mood and anxiety. Benzo's might not be the way you need to go at all. The best thing to do is have a heart to heart with you're dr. There are alot of other drugs that help with mood and anxiety both. It took me a long time to find the right medicines that would work for me, but with alot of patience, I have finally found the right ones. I do feel for you. Mood and anxiety disorder's are no walk in the park. I have suffered for years and years with this. I still have my bad times, but for the most part it is under control. I wish you all the luck finding what you need. Best wishes to you and take care. Ruthie
Hello. Has therapy helped you? Often changes in ones life can cause a real benefit when plagued with depression or anxiety. Support groups also help.
Don't know if you have thought about this, but treating with a med for twenty years is no different than treating diabetes. Daily medications and daily testing goes with that so at least your fingers aren't full of holes. Taking a long term med as you have is really a lot easier. A disease takes what it takes. The alternate can be pretty difficult or even dangerous. I am diabetic thanks to the meds I take. Depressed thanks to the meds I take. Anxious, same reason. I am alive and I keep going as do my meds. I owe that to family, friends, husband, daughter and myself. Hang in there. There are so many in your shoes, karen
Hi medin...
There are meds that you can take for "seasonal" type mood disorders... therefore don't take every day of the year. Just for a few months at a time.
Before sending you further down the med path, have you talked with a therapist or a psychiatrist to get a better handle on why this is occurring rather than just taking a pill and hoping it works? A lot of us do other things to also help the meds along. Working out, water aerobics, walking... keeping busy, hobbies.
But you mentioned taking anti depressants for about 20 years. Has something changed? Are they no longer working or you just don't want to take them every day???
Sometimes it is better to just take them... sort of like a supplement and not with an attitude that there is nothing that bad wrong with you any more or are you concerned about people knowing you take them? If they are working... frankly I would just take them... sometimes when we come off meds things are okay for a while but I can tell you from experience that the backsliding I always did wasn't worth it for me. I was either going to take them for life or not at all.
I hope that has helped you some and let us know how you are doing.
What kind of things are you interested in doing???
Dear medinfoplz:
The only meds I can think of is, Xanax XR (alprazolam), which is taken once a day everyday or as needed. The way my doctor explained to me alprazoelam the medication is like a rollercoaster that is why you have to take the meds 2-3 times a day or even 4 times a day, but with extended released operates is a straight no waves. Your moods are narrowed. Xanax It is fast-acting, taking effect in as little as 15 minutes. The more GABAs you have, the more effectively the Xanax will work.
Xanax works well to relax and calm the body, but it also has side effects which include drowsiness, impaired coordination, speech difficulties and *weight gain*. I take Lamictal it is a mood stabilizer it helps with the mood swings accompanied with the bipolar disorder. Another drug I have in mind Wellbrutin, an antidepressant SSRIs.
Be your own advocate when it comes to medication look at the current meds you are on, including the dosages. Work with your doctor(s), tell them your concerns.
Good luck
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Joy Of Laundry was founded in 2008, and is located at 8233 N Syracuse St in Portland.
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After last week's announcement that the WB and UPN will consolidate into a single network, some local stations abruptly learned that they were scheduled to lose their network affiliations. Now these emancipated stations are free to fill their primetime schedules however they want this Fall.
Many sources, such as B&C, suggest that syndicated programming will get a boost from this latest broadcast move. I wonder if any series will be cancelled this Spring and be quickly resurrected for first-run syndication this Fall? Don't laugh! It was pretty common for a while, and it finally makes sense again. Schedules to fill. Short timeline. Established name. Simple logistics.
I don't mean shows like "She Spies." That skein had a three ep sneak peak on NBC before its two-year lifetime in first-run syndication. It was never meant to be on NBC for any more than four eps. Since "She Spies" was never cancelled by one of the nets, it doesn't qualify.
I'm talking about shows like "Hee Haw." It aired for two seasons before CBS cancelled it, causing viewers to ask "Where, Oh Where, Are You Tonight?" Well, it moved on to greener cornfields, where it crossed its humor with a different way of finding its audience. "Whatga get?" Twenty-one more seasons of new shows. "SAA-LUTE!!"
Can you name any series that were cancelled by the networks and then continued for at least three more new seasons in syndication?
- 21 syndie seasons:
- "Hee Haw" (CBS)
- 18 syndie seasons:
- "Wild Kingdom" (NBC)
- 11 syndie seasons:
- "Baywatch" (NBC)
- "The Lawrence Welk Show" (ABC)
- 4 syndie seasons:
- "Charles in Charge" (CBS)
- "Fame" (NBC)
- "It's a Living" (ABC)
- "Mama's Family" (NBC)
- 3 syndie seasons:
- "Too Close for Comfort" (ABC)
- "Viper" (NBC)
- "What's Happening" (ABC)


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Exploring the private sector's role in energy provision for refugees
The Moving Energy Initiative highlighted opportunities for market-based approaches to energy access challenges in humanitarian contexts at the SAFE Humanitarian Workshop in Kigali, Rwanda.
SAFE (Safe Access to Fuel and Energy), the humanitarian working group whose mission is to facilitate a coordinated and effective response to the fuel and energy needs of crisis-affected populations, held a workshop in Rwanda between 6-8 December to teach humanitarian field implementers how to incorporate energy access into humanitarian projects.
Hosted by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Sustainable Energy Technologies for Food Security (SET4Food), the event was also an opportunity for the wide variety of stakeholders in the humanitarian energy space to exchange knowledge, share lessons learned, and develop best practices.
The Moving Energy Initiative presented in the session "Market-based Approaches: Transcending the Humanitarian Development Divide" on Day 3. The programme Manager's Laura Patel shared some of the findings from the research phase of the programme, in particular the rational for engaging with the private sector and the opportunities for market based approaches to providing energy solutions to refugees and host communities.
- explains Laura Patel.
Other session at the workshop provided overviews of energy technologies for cooking, lighting and heating as well as highlighting case studies of energy interventions, coordination of emergency response and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
The Moving Energy Initiative (MEI) is a collaboration between Energy 4 Impact, Chatham House, Practical Action Consulting, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).


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Watch Tribeca's Short Films. Laugh. Cry. Eat Milk Duds.
No attention span? That's okay, ours is short, too. That's why … look! Someone just flashed something shiny at us! What were we just saying? Oh, yeah. Just for you (and your ADD), the Tribeca Film Festival is screening short films with some of their features. And now you can watch the strongest ones in their entirety on our Best Shorts page. Check out Myles Price's business-class drama Vartan LLP, Campbell Maynes's man-versus-nature thriller When the Tide Turns, Gregory Mitnick's quirky romance Lawrence, Lee Wang's military doc Someone Else's War, and Sonia Whiteman's stylistic slice-of-life Len's Love Story. And sit still already.


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HOLLIS, N.H. (AP) — Police say two men and a woman from Massachusetts are charged with attacking a man with a hammer and knife following a roommate dispute in Hollis, N.H.
Police say three people connected to one of the roommates returned to the home, identifying themselves as police officers early Friday before attacking the victim in his RV.
The three are due to be arraigned Monday.
Police charged 53-year-old Ralph Doucette and 43-year-old Paul Carbonneau of Lowell, Mass., with burglary, assault and impersonating an officer. Charged with first-degree assault and burglary was 57-year-old Cynthia Nagele, of Lowell. All three remained jailed Saturday. It was unclear if they'd retained lawyers.
Police say the victim, who wasn't identified, dialed 911 during the attack. His injuries were described as serious.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


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We work to improve the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis through education, support programs, influencing public policy, and encouraging research.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Conference: Youth Mental Health and the Justice System
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For further information, please click here.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Recovery After Psychosis (RAP): A Compassion Focused Programme for Individuals Residing in High Security Settings
The abstract of an article published online on September 21st by the journal Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy:
By Heather Laithwaite (1,3), Martin O'Hanlona (1), Padraig Collinsa (1), Patrick Doylea (1), Lucy Abrahama (1), Shauneen Portera (1), and Andrew Gumleya (2)
(1) The State Hospital, Carstairs, Scotland
(2) University of Glasgow, Scotland
(3) Reprint requests to Heather Laithwaite, Rowanbank Clinic, Balornock, Glasgow G21 3UL, Scotland. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a recovery group intervention based on compassionate mind training, for individuals with psychosis. In particular, the objective was to improve depression, to develop compassion towards self, and to promote help seeking.
A within-subjects design was used. Participants were assessed at the start of group, mid-group (5 weeks), the end of the programme and at 6 week follow-up. Three group programmes were run over the course of a year. Nineteen participants commenced the intervention and 18 completed the programme.
Significant improvements were found on the Social Comparison Scale; the Beck Depression Inventory; Other As Shamer Scale; the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory and the General Psychopathology Scale from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.
The results provide initial indications of the effectiveness of a group intervention based on the principles of compassionate focused therapy for this population. The findings of this study, alongside implications of further research are discussed.
Posting of this abstract is for the purposes of research into psychosis and recovery.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Teens to learn about mental health
An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:
Pilot project could be coming to Digby County high schools in new year
By Brian Medel, Yarmouth Bureau
High school curriculum designed to teach students about mental illness may be coming to Digby County classrooms in January as a pilot project.
"This is new," said John Roswell, one of the program co-ordinators with the Digby-Clare Mental Health Volunteers Association.
"We hope to do it during the 2009-2010 school year, hopefully beginning in January," Mr. Roswell said about the project that will be conducted in four local high schools.
He hopes the curriculum will someday be included in all Nova Scotia high schools.
The curriculum was prepared by Dr. Stan Kutcher [pictured] in co-operation with the Canadian Mental Health Association.
"This is really a wonderful opportunity," said Dr. Kutcher, an adolescent mental health expert at Dalhousie University's school of medicine.
The course will give students information on how the brain works and tell them how to maintain good mental health. Suicide prevention and depression will also be discussed, Dr. Kutcher said Tuesday.
He'll help teachers better understand mental illness and the new curriculum in special workshops that will be held before the start of the course.
"They've been very enthusiastic about this," said Dr. Kutcher.
Next week, staff from the Education and Health departments, along with representatives from local school boards and health authority, will gather in Digby to talk about the new high school course and how it will be implemented.
"We're not quite sure where it will fit . . . that's part of what this discussion is going to be about," said Mr. Roswell. "We hope to make (it) a larger project . . . an overall approach to addressing adolescent mental health.
"We're trying to create a dialogue around this issue in the community and make it OK for people to talk about mental health and mental illness."
Mr. Roswell said 80 per cent of all psychiatric disorders emerge in adolescence. He had mental illness as a young person but was undiagnosed until the age of 40.
"My life would have been so much different had I been diagnosed as a teenager," he said.
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Labels: Brian Medel, Canadian Mental Health Association, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Digby-Clare Mental Health Volunteers Association, John Roswell, Stanley Kutcher, The Chronicle Herald
Elyn Saks Wins MacArthur Foundation Award
An article posted on September 22nd by USC News:
USC Gould School of Law professor and Associate Dean Elyn Saks [pictured] has been selected as a 2009 fellow of the MacArthur Foundation. Saks is the first fellow selected from the faculty of USC and one of only 24 selected for this year's awards.
The prestigious fellowship, known informally as the "genius grant," provides each recipient with a $500,000 "no strings attached" award over five years. The awards were announced by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Saks is a nationally recognized scholar in mental health law, criminal law and the ethical dimensions of medical research. She also has battled schizophrenia and acute psychosis. In 2007, after decades of hiding her illness, Saks published a memoir about her struggles and successes in The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness. The book won far-reaching acclaim from literary critics and advocacy groups.
To read the entire article, please click here.
Photograph by Mark Berndt.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Schizophrenia Patients Show High Rates of Comorbid Illness
An article published in the September 18th edition of Psychiatric News:
By Mark Moran
Metabolic conditions were common but so were such medical conditions as epilepsy and viral hepatitis.
Hospital discharge records of people with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia showed higher proportions of all comorbid psychiatric conditions and of several general medical conditions than did those of people who did not have schizophrenia.
The general medical conditions included acquired hypothyroidism, obesity, epilepsy, viral hepatitis, type 2 diabetes, essential hypertension, various chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and contact dermatitis and other forms of eczema, according to data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey reported in the August Psychiatric Services by researchers in the Department of Epidemiology at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
The survey data confirm what has been reported before: that patients with schizophrenia have higher rates of morbidity associated with some general medical conditions.
However, the study authors pointed out that virtually all existing studies of comorbid disorders in schizophrenia test hypotheses and have focused on a single comorbid condition in relatively small and nonrepresentative samples. The current study appears to be the first systematic analysis of comorbidity in general with schizophrenia in the U.S. hospitalized population.
"Our study is hypothesis-generating rather than hypothesis-testing, with the main purpose of presenting a systematic review of comorbid conditions," said coauthor Natalya Weber, M.D., M.P.H. "Psychiatrists can see in this very large and representative sample what conditions are more frequently comorbid with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia compared to any other primary diagnosis among the U.S. hospital discharges."
Weber is health science administrator in the Division of Preventive Medicine at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
To read the entire article, please click here.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Nova Scotia Speech From The Throne
From page 10 of yesterday's Nova Scotia Speech From The Throne:
My government will improve support for individuals with mental illness, and for their families.
We will collaborate with mental health service providers to identify, monitor, and refer youth requiring mental health supports.
Community-focused living bungalows will be developed to provide appropriate, respectful care for individuals coping with mental illness.
Next month, the first mental health court will open and will help people who need counselling and treatment instead of being held in custody or put in situations where conflict may arise.
Vancouver judge: Community court works
An article published in todays edition of The Chronicle Herald:
By The Canadian Press
VANCOUVER — It's the personal anecdotes that tell the story of Vancouver's community court for judge Thomas Gove [pictured].
One year after opening Canada's first court to fully integrate the legal process with health, housing and social services, Gove measured the project's success Thursday by recounting the impact on a drug addict who was nudged into a residential detox program while doing street cleaning as community service for theft.
Gove also spoke about a chronic offender, approaching 60 years old, who was in court on a theft charge.
With the assistance of court workers, he has held down a full-time job for the past six months and not committed any further crimes. Keeping that man away from crime is probably saving $100,000 a year in the cost to merchants, police, the court system and prisons, the judge said.
He recounted details, as well, about a case earlier this week that reflects how different the community court is from a traditional courtroom. The offender broke down in tears after the judge made a strong personal appeal to her.
``Don't you understand, all the people here are trying to help you?'' Gove recalled saying to her. ``What is it we are not doing right? What more can we do? What is missing?''
Vancouver's community court, located in the heart of the city's drug-infested, poverty-ridden Downtown Eastside, was opened one year ago with considerable fanfare.
The jury is still out on the new system. Statistics for the first year of operations have not yet been compiled.
James Threlfall, the acting chief justice of the provincial court, said Thursday an analysis of the impact of the community court on the court system will be completed later this fall.
But Gove, the presiding judge who has been involved with the project since it began, was positive about the court's track record so far.
The court has achieved ``real successes,'' he said in an interview. More cases are resolved sooner, offenders are required to make fewer court appearances, more appearances happen on the day they are scheduled, crime is reduced in downtown Vancouver and, he believes, the rate of reoffending has been reduced.
He was ``frustrated'' that more housing, detox centres and mental-health services were not immediately available for offenders, but he was reluctant to be critical.
The organizations are going in the right direction, he said, adding that more housing has become available in recent months.
Gove could not really think of anything the court should have done differently over the past year.
``The first year has been the experiment - how do we do this? The next year is going to be whether we really (pass) the test - how much impact are we going to have?'' he said.
Cases involving theft from autos, stores and homes, mischief, assaults, drug possession and shoplifting are heard in the community court, while more serious crimes remain in the traditional court system.
Gove said the court saw about 2,000 people in its first year. Around 25 per cent, according to a rough estimate, were repeat offenders.
Multidisciplinary teams devise a plan that is intended to respond to the offender's underlying problems, whether it is mental illness, drug addiction, homelessness or poverty. The court enforces the plan as an alternative measure to traditional court-imposed penalties.
In the first 10 months, 568 people were involved with social, health and mental-health programming, 209 received housing. Offenders did 6,055 hours of community service.
Photograph by Sam Leung, The Province.
Also see:
Thursday, September 17, 2009
More than meds & beds
A letter to the editor published in yesterday's edition of The Chronicle Herald:
Re: "Suicide prevention: Time to get on with what works" by Stan Kutcher (Sept. 12).
Lack of treatment was acceptable in children's mental health when we didn't know the difference. However, it is totally unacceptable when the knowledge and proof of improved capability of sustaining a productive life is within a proper treatment plan, but lacks the dollars and commitment to provide it. All children deserve proper treatment without prejudice and stigma over their mental health issues!
It is time for the torture, neglect and abuse to stop. It is time for psychiatrists to stop delivering inadequate treatment proposals to parents and caregivers for their mentally ill children, because the province does not support the mental health needs of its young people, or perhaps, the hospital itself covers its inadequacy.
It is time for our government to invest more dollars into treatment facilities, with not just meds and beds, but with the educated, experienced staff and specialized treatment programs when prescribed. It is time for our children's hospital to invest in a psychiatric unit and all existing mental health treatment programs, an art therapy program, music therapy program, "in house" psychologists and "on-call psychologists" when in-patient youth are in trauma episodes.
Actually, it is past time!
Sherry Beck Ramey, New Germany
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Your Recovery Journey: Train-the-Trainer Workshop
On September 15th, the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia held a full-day train-the-trainer workshop for the Schizophrenia Society of Canada's new and innovative program, Your Recovery Journey. The training introduced participants to a five-session peer-support program focusing on recovery from mental illness. The Your Recovery Journey program builds on the premise that there is hope, that people with mental illness can get well, stay well for long periods of time, and do the things they want to do with their lives.
The program is designed to be co-facilitated by people who themselves have experience with mental illness and have also experienced recovery in their own lives. Collaboration with a recovery-oriented service provider or a family member is also an option to consider for delivery of the Your Recovery Journey program.
The train-the-trainer workshop was led by Chris Summerville, CEO of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada, and covered the content of the program, as well as providing helpful information and tips about bringing the program to life into the participant's communities.
Chris Summerville leading the Your Recovery Journey Train-the-Trainer Workshop in Halifax on October 15th.
A total of 39 participants attended the Your Recovery Journey Train-the-Trainer Workshop (a full house). In addition to those from HRM, participants from Kentville, Truro, Windsor, and Yarmouth were also in attendance.
Participants watch one of the videos provided as content in the Your Recovery Journey program.
Please click on any photograph to magnify it.
The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia will be delivering Your Recovery Journey in Halifax beginning in mid-October 2009. Please contact Laura Burke at 465-2601, 1-800-465-2601 (toll-free in Nova Scotia) or firstname.lastname@example.com for further information.
Photographs by Stephen Ayer.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The media must stop ignoring suicide
An article published in today's edition of The Windsor Star:
By Mark Henick, Special to The Windsor Star
On the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 25, a well-known former Fredericton city councilor walked into the Emergency Room with a lot on his mind. It is not known if he told them he was going to take his own life. Whatever happened in the ER, one thing was certain: He did not get rushed past the queue for immediate psychiatric care.
Instead, he ended up leaving, just walking right out the door. He called the police from in front of the hospital and, with phone in one hand and 16-gauge shotgun in the other, told them that he intended to kill himself.
To read the entire article, please click here.
Also see:
He was always looking for the good in people
Friday, September 11, 2009
What clients want from treatment: Quality of life issues top list of desired outcomes
An article published in the Summer 2009 issue of CrossCurrents:
By Hema Zbogar
The Schizophrenia Society of Canada has recently released the results of North America's largest-ever poll of people living with schizophrenia. The Quality of Life Survey asked 1,086 mental health consumers and family members what quality of life means to them and what they perceive as barriers to its attainment. The survey found that people with schizophrenia have similar hopes and frustrations as the general population.
The survey findings challenge other quality of life research on people with mental illness that has focused heavily on clinical issues and managing negative life events rather than on the concept of recovery. The respondents' views indicate that service providers, policy planners and funders need to move beyond a narrow focus on treating symptoms of mental illness to also supporting clients' hopes and goals in the areas of employment, housing, economic security and freedom from discrimination and violence. Respondents also wanted more community-based services, family education and social and recreational opportunities.
CrossCurrents conducted its own informal survey of people with schizophrenia and their families to find out what they want from treatment and treatment providers, and what they want from life. We posed three questions:
This is what some of our respondents, from across North America, had to say.
- Is there an aspect of your life related to having schizophrenia that treatment doesn't address but that you wish it would?
- What does a good outcome for schizophrenia treatment look like to you? In other words, what is the most important outcome for you?
- Do you feel that the mental health professionals you have dealt with have different expectations and goals than you?
Byron, Toronto, Ontario
For me a good outcome means a return to relationships. The symptoms of schizophrenia often make it difficult or impossible to maintain and enjoy these necessary relationships. We, like everyone else, need the laughter, sharing, trust, companionship, and the perspective and objectivity that come from friendships and family. Sometimes as a sufferer of this disease it can be difficult to assess the veracity of our own perspective, to figure out whether or not what we feel and perceive is grounded in reality or is in part or wholly changed, shifted, modified by our disease. Surrounding ourselves with positive people gives us a sounding board. Without them it can be incredibly lonely. Thirty years ago it might have made sense to have lower expectations of people with schizophrenia because medication had such strong side-effects and many people were left undiagnosed and untreated. I've had several doctors who had clearly given up on me achieving the things I am now doing. One of them actually told my mother that she should "lower her expectations" of me. This was early in my recovery. If my mother or I had listened to the doctor I may not have believed in myself enough to make the efforts I have.
Mental health practitioners also need to realize that these outcomes occur in their own time and that progress may be slow and difficult to perceive, but that it is nevertheless happening. I've recently finished a redirection through education program with straight A's. I socialize on a regular basis and organize social events; I'm learning how to live on my own; I have a girlfriend; I have creative and career ambitions; I make and keep all of my appointments. I'm getting closer to full recovery.
We shouldn't be punished by unnecessarily low expectations because of assumptions that are based on old truths and old knowledge. Realistically and practically, hope for your patients to reach the stars, because they may need your belief and conviction to get there.
Tamara, Winnipeg, Manitoba
I am 26 years old and have been living with schizo-affective disorder for 11 years. The ideal outcome for treatment allows for good quality of life and achievement of goals and dreams. Being diagnosed with schizophrenia doesn't mean we can't achieve our goals and dreams. It just means that they require necessary adaptations and available opportunities.
Often people living with schizophrenia receive treatment in just one area of their lives and not others. The ideal treatment for schizophrenia includes necessary outlets such as having a psychiatrist for discussing medications and a counsellor to address issues inside and outside the realm of mental illness because mental illness affects all areas of life.
There should be more opportunities for obtaining education and career goals through adaptations and mentoring. I am a university student and have endured many obstacles over the past five years, but my family and workers believe in me and encourage me to pursue my goals, so that I may one day achieve my goal of becoming an occupational or recreational therapist.
Angela, Orlando, Florida
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia about four years ago when I was 25. A good treatment outcome is to be motivated to pursue life to the best of your ability. I wish more treatment would address how to cope with the real world. More education about the illness is helpful. We need awareness and ways to cope and challenge ourselves while living with this illness. Without constant motivation and sometimes even guidance there is little to look forward to. My advice to clinicians: Never expect too little or too much from your clients.
Natasha, Belleville, New York
I've had paranoid schizophrenia since 1991. A good outcome involves reduced hallucinations, delusions and paranoia to the point where we can function on the job or at home on a day-to-day basis. My ideal treatment for schizophrenia is a psychiatrist who will listen to us, educate us and our families and recommend supports and community resources. It is important that psychiatrists remind us that we can lead a happy, productive life. There is always hope of recovery, even if our symptoms don't go away.
Jake, Boston, Massachusetts
No hallucinations and the ability to function without having paranoid thoughts is the ideal outcome. I would like better medication that can treat anxiety along with psychotic symptoms. I want fewer side-effects, especially weight gain and muscle stiffness. I'd also like to see more non-drug related treatments.
Anna, Seattle, Washington
I wish that more doctors would listen to the "patient" rather than telling them.
Raymond, Toronto, Ontario
Most psychiatrists focus on symptom reduction, without an image of wellness to drive a recovery-based model of care.
George, Annapolis, Maryland
Most of us with mental illness wish for a better life than just collecting disability. I want to work for a living and not be a disability recipient, even though I could live on the payments I get. Some of us gave up on work because of drug side-effects. I want more from life. I want more power. I want the power to be alive!
John, Regina, Saskatchewan
We need more coaching towards developing coping skills for school and work. On several occasions I attempted returning to school, only to drop out after I became depressed. I did try evening courses and when taking only one subject I often earned an A. Most of my learning since the psychiatrist advised that I should have "no more school" has involved self-teaching. Now, with supports in my life, I am successfully self-employed.
David, Winnipeg, Manitoba
I am 33 years old and have had schizophrenia for nine years. The best outcome is full participation in society, whatever the role. My goal was to find employment with an income that reflected my academic credentials and skills. I underwent psychological-social rehabilitation and now have a high-income job that matches my education and skills. My counsellor had the same view of empowering me to learn life skills (independent living, leisure, etc.) and to obtain and keep a job.
Dan, Midland, Ontario
One ideal treatment that doesn't exist is medication that controls negative symptoms. I've had paranoid schizophrenia for 22 years (I'm 38), and my positive symptoms are under control with medication, but I've yet to find a drug that treats negative symptoms like blunted affect. I still struggle in my relationships and often would rather spend time alone. I also can't concentrate the way I used to and was unable to progress in my education as well as I might have hoped. Negative symptoms should be as much of a priority as the positive ones.
Maureen, Toronto, Ontario
This morning I worked on an extensive survey for family members of residents of the supported home where my daughter, who has schizophrenia, lives. This itself speaks volumes. Staff welcome me and communicate with me about my daughter and the goals of the house for her. On the other side of the street, figuratively and literally, where my daughter receives treatment, I know nothing about her treatment and goals. I have never spoken with her doctor, though I have asked time and again, but I finally gave up.
Mike, White Rock, British Columbia
My daughter is 22 and has had schizophrenia for six years. The ideal treatment would provide constant support to both the person with the illness and the people who support them. Currently, support is sporadic at best for both. This illness is devastating, and without good support and education a successful outcome is difficult.
To download the Schizophrenia Society of Canada report, "Quality of Life: As Defined by People Living with Schizophrenia and Their Families," visit
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Beacon for troubled daughter
An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:
Woman sees hope in centre being built for those with mental illnesses
By John McPhee, Health Reporter
Kim Clark spends a lot of time waiting for her daughter [pictured] to break the law.
It's the only way she can get Koral off the street and back on her medication for paranoid schizophrenia.
"We are moving forward with the mental health courts and everything else, but trying to get a community treatment order in place is somewhat difficult at times," the Halifax woman said in an interview.
"The law does recognize them as independent and as an adult, although she's not cognitively capable of making those decisions."
Ms. Clark hopes that a mental health transition centre under construction in Dartmouth will help people like Koral, 25, who has been on and off the streets many times over the past two years.
Work is set to begin this fall on four 10-bedroom bungalows at the former site of Simpson Hall at the Nova Scotia Hospital.
The hall was recently demolished.
The homes will serve as transitional spaces where people who have been hospitalized for treatment of mental illnesses can continue to receive care while practising the life skills they'll need to live in the community.
Ms. Clark said the project will fill a big gap in the mental health system.
That system, she says, now leaves people like Koral on their own after being treated in hospital for mental health problems such as going off their medication.
"There's no community support in the sense of re-teaching the skills that she needs," such as managing money, cooking and cleaning, she said.
"This new initiative will allow that transition and give them a higher sense of self-esteem.... When they leave, they will be a part of the community."
The former Conservative government originally announced the community living project three years ago.
Construction was expected to be finished last year at a cost of $6.7 million.
The plan was put on hold because bylaws prohibited construction of the homes on the desired waterfront site.
The NDP government is carrying through with the project, now expected to cost about $11 million because of rising construction costs and the need to demolish Simpson Hall.
The province has set aside $8,250,000 for the project.
The rest will be raised by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia as part of its capital fundraising campaign.
That effort got a big boost Tuesday from IMP Group. The aerospace firm contributed $150,000 to the foundation's Open Minds fund.
The housing will accommodate 40 people at a time, for periods of several months and possibly up to two years, said Dr. Nick Delva, chief of psychiatry at Capital Health, who also works with the Mental Health Foundation.
It's meant for people who have serious mental health conditions, but they must be stable enough at the time to fit in a home-like environment, Dr. Delva said in an interview.
"The whole look and feel of the place will be quite different" from traditional psychiatric facilities, he said.
Each bungalow will have a kitchen and common area, and the bedrooms will have small ensuite bathrooms.
The project is part of a move toward community-based treatment for mental health.
Five outpatient clinics have been established throughout the district, Dr. Delva said.
Besides this restructuring, there will be a push for more funding from the provincial government.
Dr. Delva said the Health Department should devote at least five per cent of its budget to mental health.
The department now spends about 3.8 per cent.
Ms. Clark agrees more needs to be done, saying there are long waiting lists for mental health services.
As for Koral, her mother saw her Saturday in person for the first time in six months.
"She's not in good shape at all," she said.
Over the years, Ms. Clarke has kept tabs on her through a network of family and friends.
With little money, Koral usually ends up living in rooming houses.
"It's been a hard road, making sure she's alive and safe," she said.
Also see:
Site Selection, Financial Contribution Boost Community-Focused Living Residences
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Focus on training, not terminology
An opinion piece published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:
By Marilla Stephenson [pictured]
A DEBATE OVER whether so-called "excited delirium" is a valid condition is a waste of time. What is more significant — in terms of how police and jail guards react to it — is the risk of death for a person in this state and how to best respond when high-risk situations unfold.
Last week Justice Minister Ross Landry released a report from an expert panel struck to review the condition last year. The panel was formed in response to the 2007 death of Howard Hyde of Dartmouth. He died in custody after a struggle with police. He had been shocked with a stun gun by them 30 hours earlier.
A death inquiry, led by Judge Anne Derrick, is already underway and its outcome is separate from the report. A pathologist has already concluded that Hyde died of excited delirium — a condition the panel says would be better labelled autonomic hyperactivity syndrome (AHS) — and not from the stun gun shock he received the day before.
We can expect from the inquiry, at the very least, another truckload of recommendations targeting how first responders deal with mentally ill people. A doctor who checked out Hyde after he was shocked with the stun gun has already testified that she would never have released him to the police had she known he would not receive the psychiatric assessment she had requested. Hours later, he was dead.
Dr. Stan Kutcher, a psychiatrist at Dalhousie University, served as chairman of the panel. He told The Chronicle Herald in an interview that "the most important thing here is to realize that this is a medical emergency and that this situation requires the combined efforts of law enforcement and medical first responders."
Police and jail guards will get extra training to ensure they are better equipped to recognize the symptoms of AHS and to call in medical assistance in those circumstances, says Landry. This is one of the key recommendations in a report that contains many useful guidelines for moving forward towards better responses to people experiencing AHS.
Symptoms — which can lead to hyperthermia, cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death — include extreme agitation, aggressive behaviour, paranoia or delirium, incoherent and rambling speech, extraordinary strength, numbness to pain, and profuse sweating.
The report says that "mortality rates are increased in the presence of the signs and symptoms of excited delirium — even with medical intervention or in the absence of use of restraints by law enforcement."
The panel also found that "it is reasonable to consider that, when further stressed by physical struggle or the application and continuation of physical restraints (including the CED), an individual exhibiting the syndrome of excited delirium may be at increased risk for sudden death.
"Similarly, the pre-existence of a medical or psychiatric condition (such as a psychotic illness, pre-existing cardiac condition, delirium with or without the use of psychostimulant drugs) may increase the risk for sudden death in an individual showing signs and symptoms consistent with excited delirium."
That is the nub of the issue: People who suffer from mental illnesses that end up in a state of excited delirium are at an increased risk of death. While police and jail guards may well be the people who are first required to be on the scene of such a situation, additional training is clearly needed to ensure they know when it is paramedics, rather than restraints and a physical struggle, that is more likely to bring a safe outcome to the situation.
Police officers and jail guards are often in very challenging, high-stress situations, where public safety, their own safety and the safety of the person they are trying to subdue must be judged at lightning speed.
They must be provided with every tool possible to make the right decisions in those moments. If that means more training to properly assess, arrest and/or subdue people with mental illness, then it should happen as soon as possible. Calling for medical assistance should be considered a first option, not a last resort.
Even one Howard Hyde outcome is one too many.
Also see:
Vulnerable targets
Posted by SSNS at 7:28 AM No comments:
Labels: AHS, autonomic hyperarousal state, excited delirium, Fatality Inquiry Into the Death of Howard Hyde, Howard Hyde, Marilla Stephenson, Ross Landry, Stanley Kutcher, Taser, The Chronicle Herald
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Capital District Mental Health Program Community Teams (Outpatient Services): Wait List / Referrals / Wait Times -- July 2009
Please click on the image to expand it.
This and previous months are available by clicking here and using the pull-down menu entitled Mental Health Community Team Wait Times.
Also see:
Patient Satisfaction Survey Results 2007 (PDF)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
More training in mental illness
An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:
Report: Emergency workers need latest information on excited delirium
By David Jackson, Provincial Reporter
Police and jail guards will get more training to recognize mental illnesses and how to deal with people afflicted with them, Justice Minister Ross Landry said Friday.
The province commissioned an expert panel last year to look at the phenomenon called excited delirium and what role it could play in in-custody deaths, to examine the risks of using stun guns and other restraints on people in that state, and to recommend how law enforcement officials should deal with those people.
Mr. Landry said the most significant recommendation in the eight-member panel's new report is ensuring that front-line justice workers are trained to recognize people with symptoms of excited delirium, or as the panel suggests calling it, autonomic hyperarousal state.
The minister, a former RCMP officer, said officers do get training in dealing with people with mental illnesses but new information is always coming along, as with this condition.
"A couple of years ago, who knew about this?" Mr. Landry said in a telephone interview. "It's not that long ago. And yet, people over time have passed away in this condition."
It was the death of Howard Hyde, a Dartmouth man who had a history of mental health issues, that led to the panel's review. Mr. Hyde died in November 2007, 30 hours after Halifax Regional Police Tasered him when he scuffled with them at the police station.
The province's chief medical examiner, Dr. Matthew Bowes, said Mr. Hyde died of excited delirium due to paranoid schizophrenia. Dr. Bowes said the death was accidental and he found no evidence that the Taser caused the death.
The death led to a provincial review of Taser use, and that led to the review of excited delirium.
The panel, of which Dr. Bowes was a member, said the symptoms of excited delirium are common to other medical and psychiatric conditions and recommended that the term autonomic hyperarousal state be used for people showing those symptoms.
Panel chairman Dr. Stan Kutcher, a psychiatrist at Dalhousie University, said there's been a useless debate about whether excited delirium is or isn't a medical diagnosis. He said the panel found the phenomenon well-described in medical literature going back 120 years, just under different names.
The symptoms include extreme agitation, aggressive behaviour, paranoia or delirium, incoherent and rambling speech, extraordinary strength and numbness to pain, and profuse sweating, the report said.
Dr. Kutcher said the key thing to keep in mind in dealing with people in that state is they need medical attention.
"I think the most important thing here is to realize that this is a medical emergency and that this situation requires the combined efforts of law enforcement and medical first-responders," he said in an interview.
The panel recommends creating a provincial training program for all first-responders in recognizing signs of mental illness and responding appropriately.
The report also says call-takers and dispatchers should get special training to help them recognize whether a call involves someone with a mental illness.
Dr. Kutcher said a dispatcher can get an indication of that by asking certain questions, such as whether the caller knows if the person they're calling about is aware of his or her surroundings. The information would help a dispatcher know whether to send police and paramedics to the scene right away.
The panel recommended first-responders first try to calm the person in a hyperaroused state by talking to them, but if that doesn't work, to restrain them quickly because a prolonged struggle could jeopardize the person's life.
Dr. Kutcher said the panel couldn't find scientific evidence suggesting that one form of restraint is better or safer than another, including stun guns. He said that's why the panel recommended the province create a database on incidents involving the use of force.
Halifax Regional Police already adhere pretty well to the review's goals, said Const. Brian Palmeter, the force's spokesman.
"Our training and practices are consistent with the recommendations," he said.
"That being said, we are looking forward to working with the province to review and update our training where necessary."
Still, Const. Palmeter doubts there will ever be a single case in which an officer would be able to handle the crisis and follow all the recommended advice completely.
Mr. Landry said his department will consult with police, jail guards and sheriff's services in developing procedures for dealing with people with mental illnesses. He said officers often have to make split-second decisions when dealing with people, so he wants them to have the information to help them make good decisions.
Joanna Blair holds a photo of her brother Howard Hyde, taken when he was in his early 20s. (BRIAN MEDEL / Yarmouth Bureau)
Dr. Hunter Blair, whose wife Joanna Blair is Mr. Hyde's sister, thinks a dispatcher won't always be able to get enough information from an excited caller to know whether to send an ambulance to a scene involving a person with mental illness.
The main issue, he said, is how to handle that person once you get there, and the review doesn't seem to contain much new information.
"They've produced what you would have expected them to produce, given the current state of knowledge or non-knowledge," he said from his Shelburne home Friday.
He is happy with the recommended plan to track all calls to study the outcomes of various restraint methods and treatments.
"That's a good move," he said. "They started doing this in Ontario some time ago."
Health Minister Maureen MacDonald said officials in her department will consult with district health authorities and Emergency Medical Care Inc., which provides ambulance services, about the report.
The following is a summary of the nine recommendations found in the Panel of Mental Health and Medical Experts Review of Excited Delirium:
- The panel prefers the term autonomic hyperarousal state (AHS) over excited delirium, which is confusing and incorrectly suggests a defined medical diagnosis.
- People showing signs of AHS should be considered at risk of sudden death by hospital emergency staff who should be trained to identify and treat them. Once restrained, these individuals should undergo a thorough medical examination. Hospital staff should be ready to resuscitate.
- When it comes to first-responders called to possible cases of AHS, whoever takes such a call should dispatch police and Emergency Health Services simultaneously. If police encounter someone who may have AHS, they should call for EHS and backup immediately. Officers should de-escalate the situation by removing potentially hazardous objects and people from the area and trying to calm the individual without challenging him or her. If restraint must be used, it should be applied quickly. Immediately take the person to hospital and monitor him or her along the way.
- When restraints are used, they should be the least restrictive means that would bring the subject under control. If such a person is restrained, it should be treated as a medical emergency and EHS should be called immediately.
- A database should be created to track the use of various restraint methods to see their effect on people with AHS.
- Studies should be done to review the relationship between the characteristics of subjects and the outcomes of different methods of restraint.
- There should be a unified provincial training plan to help first-responders recognize signs of mental illness and respond correctly. Dispatchers and other call-takers should be trained to recognize signs of mental illness.
- A formal protocol should be developed in each area of the province describing the role of law enforcement and health professionals concerning mentally ill people, including those with AHS.
Source: Panel of Mental Health and Medical Experts Review of Excited Delirium
- An evaluation process should be set up to evaluate the effectiveness of the above-mentioned recommendations.
With Dan Arsenault, crime reporter
Also see:
N.S. excited delirium report recommends first responders get more training
More police, paramedic training urged for excited delirium
Paramedics needed in delirium cases: report
Excited delirium is a real risk, Nova Scotia report into taser death warns
Excited delirium: Consideration of selected medical and psychiatric issues
Friday, September 4, 2009
Minister Releases Excited Delirium Report
A media release issued today by the Nova Scotia Department of Justice:
Department of Justice
September 4, 2009 11:31 AM
A report on excited delirium was released today, Sept. 4, by Justice Minister Ross Landry.
The province commissioned the 38-page Report of the Panel of Mental Health and Medical Experts Review of Excited Delirium in November 2008, to make recommendations to help law enforcement officers when responding to individuals showing excited delirium symptoms.
The report contains nine recommendations to develop new principles, protocols and procedures to deal with individuals who come into conflict with the law and display extreme agitation, aggressive and paranoid behaviour. It also outlines the need for further training and research.
The volunteer panel members included physicians, government staff and experts in the area of mental illness. Dr. Stan Kutcher from the department of psychiatry at Dalhousie University chaired the group.
"I want to thank the experts who offered their advice on this issue which is of great importance to those responsible for public safety and those who deliver medical help," said Mr. Landry.
Government will now consult other health and justice first responders.
The full report is available [by clicking here (PDF)].
A report on excited delirium was released today (September 4th), by Justice Minister Ross Landry.
The province commissioned the 38-page Report of the Panel of Mental Health and Medical Experts Review of Excited Delirium in November 2008.
It contains nine recommendations to help develop new protocols for Nova Scotia's law enforcement officers when responding to individuals displaying excited delirium symptoms.
The province will now seek input from Justice and Health first responders.
Media Contact:
Sherri Aikenhead
Department of Justice
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
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text:
Josh Mandel really took the hammer to common sense yesterday. In the morning his office unveiled a new tool on the Treasurer's website that allows viewers to search every public employee in the state by name and see how much they made each year working for the state. With the help of the ultra-conservative think tank The Buckeye Institute, Mandel's office made public the salaries of teachers, police officers, fire fighters, nurses, and even elected officials available for everyone to see. Except for one small group of people – campaign staff from Mandel's 2010 campaign that had been given jobs in his administration.
However, information on government employees as political control shifts, including two of Mandel's own political operatives, can be spotty. Figures for Scott Guthrie and Joel Riter were among about 70 treasury employees whose salary data at first wasn't listed on the site. Both worked on Mandel's 2010 Republican campaign for treasurer, then were hired at his state office.
…State personnel records for Guthrie, who served as finance director for Mandel's 2010 campaign, indicate that he was paid a rate equal to a little over $100,000 a year in his state job. Because he left before the year was out, however, the search engine lists his annual salary as $14,021, the amount he was paid for his short stint in state service. State records show a year of Riter's salary would have totaled about $62,000; the site lists his salary as about $30,000.
I don't know what I'm more surprised about, the fact that Mandel's political cronies were left off the list until someone pointed it out to him or that he hired his own campaign finance director at a rate of over $100,000 a year. Luckily for the state though, it took Josh Mandel about two days into his term to realize he wanted to run for U.S. Senate so he needed those advisors of his out of the Treasurer's office and back onto his campaign.
Besides this being a backhanded attack at public employees it is clear that Josh Mandel does not understand what the word 'hypocrisy' means. While at the same time he unveils this new tool disclosing the salaries of hundreds of thousands of public employees he himself is over 100 days late in filing his financial disclosure forms that all candidates for a U.S Senate seat are required to file.
Which got me thinking – I wonder if anyone mentioned to Mandel that he could now use this new database to help him fill out his disclosure forms. He can search for himself and see what he made each year while receiving a salary from the State of Ohio. Unless, or course, that isn't all he made those years. In which case, I suggest he asks the Buckeye Institute to create a tool that helps him search his own finances to see how much he made last year.
This little misstep is the latest in a long line of missteps though. Besides failing to file his financial disclosure forms, he recently has come under scrutiny for receiving $100,000 in questionable campaign contributions, failing to disclose the fact that he was using a photo on his campaign website attributed to The Dispatch, and coming under fire for using his state campaign account to fund campaign activity for his U.S. Senate campaign. If true, would be a violation of federal election law.
Before Josh Mandel wants to lecture anyone on the importance of transparency when it comes to the discussion of public employee benefits, I suggest he first takes a look in the mirror to see what he needs to do to be more transparent.
If the Buckeye Institute was really interested in providing the "truth" about public employee salaries and their incredulous numbers on retirement benefits they would do follow up data on what they "reported" as retirement benefits on their site, and what a retired person is ACTUALLY making in pension benefits.
well first you have to have a name to enter in to find out what one makes.
yes there are places to go to find the names but how many folks will actually bother…………
wow,, Shannon Jones will make $85,269 — wonder how many will say shes overpaid?
pretty good for some one who admitted she works like 3 days a week most weeks.
well first you have to have a name to enter in to find out what one makes.
yes there are places to go to find the names but how many folks will actually bother…………
wow,, Shannon Jones will make $85,269 — wonder how many will say shes overpaid?
pretty good for some one who admitted she works like 3 days a week most weeks.
Is anyone else having problems using this confusing and non-transparent "tool"? I can't seem to get results for any of Kasich's top-level people. It either says that there are "zero" results or it says it's busy. Not putting the salaries in the form of an annual amount sounds like an attempt to confuse as well.
Also, does it strike anyone else that this seems like a partisan effort to gin up resentment and envy against public workers (without any context about who they are, what they do, and why they earn these salaries) in order to help defeat the repeal of SB 5? Because it looks like that to me.
I get a kick out of all the millionaire Republicans behind legislation like SB5 that think middle-class workers are overpaid.
The Buckeye Institute wouldn't know the truth if it hit them in the face. This is a well-orchestrated attempt to use their political allies and the media to get the stupid people spun up to vote for SB5.
And they bitch about teachers only working 9 months of the year. Lets see….3 x52=156 days – the weeks she takes as a vacation…..while a teacher who's responsibilities are more, will work over 180 days this year. Yet few if any teachers in the whole of Ohio will make 82+ a year. And isn't she a newbe =a first year employe in her area?
thats up from about $68,000 — see she was appointed at first — then elected
That is EXACTLY it my friend, the average TEA party aficionado will use this site as absolute proof that salaries are too high.
Yet not a single column on this joke of a search engine shows how much of that time is due to working overtime, 12/16 even 18 hour days for some cops (just as an example of course) , mandatory call ins to work holidays and other special events, getting paid extra for working holidays, getting paid to come in to court on your one miserable day off…..you get the picture.It's nothing but a tool for the weak minded to prove a point.
Thank goodness for Plunderbund. I wouldn't even know half the dirt on Ohio's new Republicans if it weren't for you guys. Even with a lefty local newspaper, they barely scratch the surface.
There's a serious problem in this site, the fact that it's dead wrong. I search my last name, and my father appears on the list, and it seems as though he's making money still from the school district in which he taught. The only thing is, he retired in 2005, so he's being paid by STRS, not the district, and if I understand correctly that's HIS MONEY that he paid to the pension system (and the district matched–past tense). That's terrible, terrible misinformation, not to mention that it's one thing to list EMPLOYEES and another thing to list RETIREES.
And, Matt Mayer's info is notoriously absent from that site, which is strange because he worked for OSU within the past 6 years. Both of my parents records show up back to 2004 as teacher's in podunk NW Ohio, but his don't?
Shannon Jones is WAY overpaid — and I want her drug tested NOW. BTW Ohio legislators are among the highest paid in the country, well into the top 10.
You have a local leftie paper? I can only dream of that. The Cleveland Plainly Republican (Plain Dealer) is useless.
Its the Akron Beacon Journal, but they have become complete wimps, a mouthpiece for the mayor, who secretly loves stuff like SB5
Maybe because he is stupid we can just call him a liar. Of course the R's have a reading comprehension problem and a fact (truth) problem.
Somebody voted for this idiot.Who voted for him, please raise your hands?
This is further proof that yet another R is not fiscally responsible. They love spending money and borrowing money. They just lie about it.
I just looked myself up in Mandel's database and was really surprised to learn that I've been paid $60,000 plus each of the last four years. Quite a shock considering I retired from teaching over 4 years ago. Has anyone clued the media in to this glaring error in the Treasurer's data base? And what does that say about the compentence of Mandel and his staff to handle the accounting reaponsibilities of the Ohio State Tresurers office!!!!!???
I've searched Joshy's salary multiple times. Guess what. It has changed twice so far. This kid is a punk.


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What exactly is the election for?
Iraqis are voting for a 275-member transitional national assembly. Its members will then elect a president and two deputies, who in turn will select a prime minister. He or she will be the real power in the land. There are also elections for provincial administrations around most of the country.
How are seats allocated?
Each party will get seats according the percentage share it gets of the nationwide vote. Each party puts forward a list of candidates in ranked order - the top-ranked candidate will get the first seat, and so on.
How many parties are there?
There are 257 in all, but some are individuals standing on their own rather than on a party platform. Some of them are standing only in local and regional parliamentary elections, to be held mainly in the Kurdish north. Many parties have formed alliances to improve their chances of getting enough votes for a seat.
Who is expected to do best?
The Iraqi Unity List, a mainstream religious grouping of Shia politicians, is expected to receive about 40 per cent of the vote. The similarly-named Iraqi List, a mainly secular group led by the serving prime minister, Ayad Allawi, is expected to get just over 20 per cent, as is an alliance of Kurdish parties. Many Sunni Muslim parties have boycotted the vote.
How big a turnout will there be?
The Iraqi electoral commission hopes that around seven million to eight million of an estimated 14 million eligible voters will show up. But turnout could be low or almost nil in some Sunni areas, where the threat from insurgents is high.
When will the results be known?
Counting is expected to take between five days and two weeks, although nobody really knows for certain. It may take another two weeks for the president, deputies and prime minister to be chosen.
Will international observers be present?
Not at the polls themselves - it is considered too dangerous. Instead, the United Nations is relying on a system where agents from rival parties will monitor each other to prevent cheating. The UN says it has been used in other countries and generally works. Voters will also have their thumbs marked with indelible ink to stop multiple voting.
Wouldn't it be safer to use invisible ink?
Maybe, and it is available. But election experts felt that Iraqis would not have faith in a system if they couldn't see the ink.
Doesn't that make it easy for insurgents to identify those who voted?
Yes. But the feeling is that if they really want to target people, they will simply send spies to mingle in the polling stations. Nothing can really be done to stop that.
Why are there tensions between Sunni and Shia voters?
Saddam discriminated in favour of his fellow Sunnis, giving them plum jobs in government and the military. The poorer Shias, concentrated in the south, were massacred when they attempted an uprising after the first 1991 Gulf war. Sunni insurgents have also attacked mosques and Shia leaders during the campaign.


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Items where contributor is "Fiege, Brigitte"
Group by: Date | Item Type | Refereed | No Grouping
Jump to: 2015
Fiege, Brigitte and Rabbani, Said and Preston, Roland C. and Jakob, Roman P. and Zihlmann, Pascal and Schwardt, Oliver and Jiang, Xiaohua and Maier, Timm and Ernst, Beat. (2015) The Tyrosine Gate of the Bacterial Lectin FimH : a Conformational Analysis by NMR Spectroscopy and X-ray Crystallography. ChemBioChem, 16 (8). pp. 1235-1246.


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Secretary of State Colin Powell says the new Palestinian government must move decisively to dismantle terrorist groups so peace efforts can move ahead. Mr. Powell also urged Israel to take measures to ease the plight of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Mr. Powell came to the region to promote the so-called road map to peace. On his first stop, in Jerusalem, he urged both Israel and the Palestinians to seize the opportunity by implementing practical steps on the ground.
He welcomed the appointment of new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. He said the Palestinians had taken steps toward peace and reforms, but Mr. Powell said more is needed. "We must also see rapid, decisive action by the Palestinians to disarm and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. Without such action, our best efforts will fail," Mr. Powell said.
Mr. Powell said he would discuss this issue with Prime Minister Abbas, whom he is meeting in the West Bank town of Jericho.
Mr. Powell also said that progress toward peace depends on what Israel does. "Prime Minister Sharon and I spoke today about a number of specific actions Israel can take immediately to improve the situation in the West Bank and Gaza, and help build an environment for peacemaking," he said.
Mr. Sharon did not outline any specific steps Israel would take. But one of his advisers told some journalists after the news conference that Israel has already lifted the closure of the Palestinian territories. He said Israel would also ease internal travel restrictions on Palestinians within the territories, grant more permits for Palestinians to return to work in Israel, release some Palestinian prisoners and ease Palestinian fishing rights off the Gaza coast.
Mr. Sharon repeated many of his long-standing positions. He said Israel was ready for peace, and would make painful concessions when the time comes during formal negotiations. He also repeated Israel's stand that it is the Palestinians' responsibility to stop terrorism.
"What is needed now are actions that should be taken against the terrorist organizations, like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front, the Democratic Front and all the others and those security organizations that are involved in terror and use terror and cooperate with other terrorist organizations," Mr. Sharon said.
Dismantling some of these organizations poses a considerable challenge to the Abbas government. Many of these militant groups have gained strength during the past two and a-half years of the Palestinian uprising, the Intifada, and the militants are often seen as heroes by young Palestinians.
Mr. Powell is urging both Israelis and Palestinians to at least begin implementing the so-called road map to Middle East peace and an independent Palestinian state, even if they do so with only small steps.


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Derek Hough
- 'Bachelor in Paradise' recap: Jordan Kimball finds love with Jenna Cooper, Chris Randone betrays Tia Booth
- 'Married at First Sight' recap: Amber Martorana faces huge insecurity as Tristan Thompson admits he's not "in love" with Mia Bally
- 'The Proposal' couple Celine Thum and Tommy Taylor Jr.: Are they still together and engaged?!
- 'Married at First Sight' Couples Now: Who's still together? Who has split? Where are they now? (PHOTOS)
- Tia Booth celebrates birthday with Becca Kufrin, Garrett Yrigoyen, Angela Amezcua, Chelsea Roy and Caroline Lunny
- Jenna Cooper: 6 things to know about the 'Bachelor in Paradise' bachelorette, PLUS Photo Gallery!
- Luann de Lesseps explains her sobriety relapse: "I felt betrayed"
- Coco Austin posts family photo with Ice-T and their daughter Chanel
- Joe Amabile: 6 things to know about 'Bachelor in Paradise' bachelor "Joe the Grocer"


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UWE Bristol - Turkey
At UWE Bristol we are proud of our international reputation. With a thriving international community of students from over 140 countries worldwide, we are the perfect UK university to study at.
Entry requirements - Turkey
The experienced UWE Bristol International team will be happy to give you advice on the suitability of your qualifications for your chosen programme of study.
Qualifications listed under each heading may satisfy UWE Bristol entry requirements to that level of study. This is not a guarantee of an offer of a place, which is at the University's discretion.
All students must also have a recognised English language qualification.
Entry onto foundation programmes
Holders of the Lise Bitirme Diplomasi or the Devlet Meslek Lise Diplomasi with a GPA of 2.7 out of 5.0 or 7.5 out of 10.0 are eligible to apply for a foundation degree or an undergraduate degree with foundation year entry.
In some cases, students might be eligible to apply for direct entry to the first year of a Bachelors degree depending on the school, grades and subjects.
Entry onto undergraduate programmes
Holders of a pass in the Onlisans Derecesi/Diploma (pre-licentiate or Associate Degree are eligible to apply for a Bachelors degree with a GPA of 2.85 or more.
Entry onto postgraduate programmes
Holders of the Lisans Diplomasi (Bachelors degree) with a GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0 are eligible to apply for a postgraduate course.
Holders of the Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi (Masters degree) with a
GPA of 2.5 and a thesis are eligible to apply for a PhD.
Please note: Where UWE Bristol has an academic agreement in place with an institution, greater flexibility in entry requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate courses may apply as outlined in those agreements.
What to do if you don't meet our entry requirements
If you do not quite meet our entry requirements, our International College offers a range of university preparation courses to teach you all you need to progress to UWE Bristol. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses to get your English skills up to the standard required for entry to UWE Bristol.
Representatives in your country
Global visits and events
International scholarships
Every year we offer a large number of scholarships to international students. Take a look at the full list of UWE Bristol International scholarships to find out more.
You may also want to consider other scholarships available from organisations independent of UWE Bristol.


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Place the butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute.
Set the saucepan aside and let the butter settle, undisturbed. The milk solids will come to the top of the butter and the watery whey will collect on the bottom. Skim off the milk solids with a spoon and pour the drawn butter into a small bowl. Wipe out the saucepan and return the drawn butter to it.
Place the roe in a medium bowl and whisk lightly to break it up. Heat the butter over medium heat until just hot. Gradually pour the warmed butter over the roe, while whisking, until the eggs turn bright red. Serve with lobster or other shellfish.
Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
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SKIRT - American Apparel / TOPS, BELT, SHOES - Primark
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
what i'm wearing 005
just another outfit post. was trying to be a bit clever with the change of coloured tops;)
Posted by shannon at 11:23
8 comments:
gorgeous outfit LOVE the shoes!!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous20 July 2011 at 12:31
Thanks for the lovely comment and the follow, your blog is adorable - im now following :)ReplyDelete
little humble fashion abode
cool tops ! looks good with black skirt :)ReplyDelete
Awesome outfit, perfect for a night outReplyDelete
LOVE the shoes!!!ReplyDelete
xo, AiR
Cute! Love the shoes :)ReplyDelete
love your blog!!following nowReplyDelete
kiss from prague
have a wonderful day and if you have time you can visit my blog:)
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Revealing Sheffield as a cultural destination
Arts Council England has awarded £150,000 to Sheffield Culture Consortium in a bid to drive tourists to the vibrant city.
The grant will be used to run campaigns and highlight Sheffield as a destination for regional, national and international cultural consumers.
Sarah Maxfield, North Area Director, Arts Council England, said: "This is fantastic news for the North. This investment will capitalise on the rich variety of arts and culture on offer here - positioning places as diverse as the rural Lake District, the metropolitan borough of Calderdale, and cities such as Sheffield and Manchester as leading cultural destinations. Over the coming years we hope to see these ambitious projects encouraging growth in the local visitor economy, and attracting more people from across the country - and indeed the world - to these great places."
Working with Sheffield City Council (Marketing Sheffield), the University of Sheffield (City and Cultural Engagement team) and Our Favourite Places culture website (ourfaveplaces.co.uk), Sheffield Culture Consortium will bring together cultural partners across the city to strengthen the visitor offer by promoting 'joined-up' and authentic Sheffield experiences. In particular Our Favourite Places will expand the website to highlight campaigns around five key themes that demonstrate Sheffield's cultural strengths: street art, festivals, modernist architecture, music and beer, plus major events and festivals.
Kate Dore, Chair of the Culture Consortium, said: "It's great news for Sheffield that the Culture Consortium has been awarded further Cultural Destinations funding by the Arts Council. Over the last three years, the first phase of this funding has really helped to cement the relationships between Sheffield's outstanding festivals to the benefit of a wider audience, and to spread the word about our incredibly rich and authentic cultural offer through Our Favourite Places. Now the Consortium is looking forward to working in partnership to develop the diverse, year-round programme of festivals and arts events as a way for people to navigate the wealth of cultural opportunities in Sheffield and to drive more people to come and enjoy our vibrant and exciting city."
Mary Lea, Cabinet member for Culture, Sport and Leisure at Sheffield City Council, said: "While we know that we have a thriving cultural scene here in Sheffield, with a vibrant mix of major events, festivals, art and much more, we know that we can always do better when it comes to shouting about it.
"That's why this grant money is so important. With the funding, we will be able to raise the profile of Sheffield's unique offer and encourage even more people to come here to sample our real ale scene, see a varied and eclectic range of artworks, and enjoy our events calendar.
"I look forward to seeing what the year ahead has in store."
Building on the success of its existing Cultural Destinations project, Sheffield Culture Consortium and partners will work together to further increase national and international visitors to the city. The project will include the commissioning of three local artists of major international significance to make new work, as well as continuing to develop the culture website Our Favourite Places. This will position Sheffield as a cultural destination for cutting edge culture.
Professor Vanessa Toulmin , Director of City and Cultural Engagement, at the University of Sheffield, who led on the bid for the Culture Consortium said: "We are excited that the university will work with the Culture Consortium around enhancing, supporting and demonstrating our cultural vibrancy as a city as recognised by this award. Together we will celebrate our international artists, our amazing art, music and other areas where Sheffield leads the way. We will showcase a city that attracts visitors, enhances the student experience and benefits the residents - a city we are justly proud of."
Additional information
Sheffield Culture Consortium aims to provide strategic leadership for the cultural sector. The Culture Consortium also supports the creation and development of new organisations and networks to take forward initiatives, such as the SNAP network, the Festival Network and the Sheffield Creative Guild.
The current Chair is Kate Dore (Director Yorkshire Artspace) and members/organisations comprise: Sheffield Theatres, University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, Museums Sheffield, Site Gallery, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust, SNAP (Sheffield Network for Arts/Cultural Providers working with children and young people), Sheffield Creative Guild, Music Hubs, Sheffield International Venues, Workstation/Showroom, Marketing Sheffield, Doc/Fest, Sheffield Dance Network.
University of Sheffield City & Cultural Engagement Team is led by Professor Vanessa Toulmin. Recent projects include the inaugural international street art festival, 'Feature Walls' and commissioning 3 reports looking around the City's vibrant art and music scenes, and the development of craft beer. The team also helps city centre entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground with the Re:New scheme. Professor Toulmin is Director of the Festival of the Mind where the University teams up with Sheffield's creative and digital community for a celebration of ideas, culture and collaboration.
The three commissions. Three major projects will see the Culture Consortium working with artists from/based in Sheffield who have significant international reputations and recognition. These artists will take centre stage in curating programmes of original work that we believe will attract new audiences to Sheffield as a city with a strong and eclectic cultural offer. The projects will be rooted within our key themes – Music City, Street Art City, Modernist City, Festival City – and these internationally celebrated artists will create content that positions Sheffield as a distinctive cultural destination for the contemporary visitor.
Mark Fell is a Sheffield-based electronic musician, whose work encompasses installation, exhibition, screening, performance and curation. Mark is described by the Royal Festival Hall as 'one of the
most important electronic artists in the world'. Mark will create and commission content for our Music City theme – an extension of Sheffield Makes Music/BBC Music Day in June 2017.
Phlegm is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, renowned for his signature street art work. He has major commissions across the world and throughout the UK, and has recently completed an
eight-storey high mural in Toronto (possibly the tallest street art work in the world)Phlegm will create and commission content for our Street Art City theme – for Sheffield's Street Art Festival in 2018.
Tim Etchells is an artist and a writer based in the Sheffield. He has worked in a wide variety of contexts, notably as Artistic Director of the world-renowned performance group Forced Entertainment, which was awarded the International Ibsen Award 2016, for extraordinary
contribution to art and culture. Tim will create and commission content for our Modernist City
theme as part of Off the Shelf 2018.