World Mental Health Day 2023 has been given the theme by the World Health Organization (WHO): mental health is a universal human right. I couldn’t agree more. But what does this mean? What is the impact of that statement? There’s more controversy there than you might think. The idea that mental health is a universal human right means one thing to the WHO, but it means something a little bit more to me.
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I know what it feels like when your doctor says they can’t help you. I’ve had this happen many times. I’ve experienced everything from being fired by a doctor to having a doctor deny me care altogether. These are rough things. Any time your doctor says they can’t help you, it’s tough to take. But there are things you can do, even at that point. Here’s what to do when your doctor says they can’t help you.
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In February 2022, I decided I wanted to go off my antidepressants. This is what led me to find the company Truehope and their supplement EMPowerplus. I wish I never had. The direction from the staff at Truehope has damaged my health more than I ever thought possible. I have depression and have been greatly injured by Truehope. This is my story.
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Last time, I discussed the evidence Truehope presented for using its EMPowerplus in depression. You can check out that review here. (I also discussed the Truehope EMPowerplus formulations, their disclaimer, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules around supplements.) Today, I am going to delve into the claims Truehope makes about using EMPowerplus micronutrient formula in bipolar disorder and why the claims made by this company are so dangerous.
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If you’re hooked on the show Yellowjackets, like me, then you’ll know that in season two, episode two, Yellowjackets showed an electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) scene (I believe it may be called “electroshock” in the show). In the scene, one character, Lottie, is forced onto a bed, an injection is given in her arm, a bite block is placed in her mouth, and she is shocked by electrodes on either side of her head. She violently convulses, clearly in nightmarish pain. Let’s talk about how the Yellowjackets‘ depiction of ECT is inaccurate and harms the mentally ill.
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Recently, Psychiatric Times did a comprehensive piece on new or unusual bipolar depression treatments, treatments that may be an option for treatment-resistant bipolar depression. They are thinking outside the standard bipolar depression treatments. This is critical because many people just aren’t being helped or aren’t being helped enough by standard bipolar depression treatments. These novel bipolar depression treatments come in two flavors: medication-based and non-medication-based. If you’re at a place in your bipolar depression treatment where you’re not getting better, you may want to consider discussing these unique treatments with your psychiatrist.
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Recently I was asked what to do when you don’t want to take your bipolar medication. What do you do when you’re battling medication noncompliance (also known as nonadherence) within yourself? I thought this was a good question as it’s something that many of us battle with. We know we need to take the medication, but some part of us doesn’t want to take the medication. I guess it’s a need vs. want scenario. This scenario is trickier than many people think, as not wanting to take medication is common and a very understandable impulse. So here’s what to do when you don’t want to take your bipolar medication.
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People tell me to “find god” to cure my bipolar disorder. I understand that people have various motivations for doing this, and the motivations tend not to be sinister, but that doesn’t make me appreciate this sentiment in the least. These people are imposing and pious, and self-righteous, and as a rule, these are characteristics I don’t care for in people. If you’re looking for a response to people who tell you to find god to cure your bipolar disorder or if you’re the kind of person that offers that kind of advice, read on.
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A new and unique sleep medication is typically welcomed by the mentally ill population because those with mental illness (particularly mood disorders) tend to also have sleep problems like insomnia. However, a sleep medication that works in a unique way hasn’t been introduced in years: util lemborexant (Dayvigo), that is. Lemborexant is an insomnia medication that works on orexin receptors, which in and of themselves are actually a new-ish discovery. Read on for how lemborexant could be useful and why you might even consider switching.
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