02-13-2008 Media Madness

I am mostly going to be unplugged from my site today because late this afternoon I am presenting a "talk" (aka, informal guest lecture) to students at the University of Washington honors program. The title is "Mental Illness in America: Consensus, Controversy and Chaos" and I am spending time preparing for that as well as doing some reporting on an article that will run soon. Unlike the lecture I gave in Florida in November, I'll only be driving a few miles to get to UW. No jet lag. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on these.

I cross-posted yesterday's post on language I use to describe mental illness over on Daily Kos. One commenter ("oke" in the comment thread), a 40-something, late-diagnosis bipolar, called me a murderer for questioning mental illness' status as a disease (there's something about the D-word that I just cannot get out of my mouth). In recent years, there's been an upswing in late dxs of bipolar disorder and while I am pleased this person believes they have found some answers to their existence on Earth, I've certainly never been slandered in such a fashion before (other commenters were more agreeable). But, then, I have found that some of these late dxers can be very annoying to deal with. They are quite religious about their diagnosis and strident about how they think it ought to be treated. They often talk as if everyone should be medicated into the ground, children included. It's how they've overcome whatever ails them, so it must be the answer for everyone else. Their transference is very high, as a psychologist friend of mine put it to me yesterday. At times, I almost want to force them to read Foucault just to open them to other perspectives. I hope they get over themselves soon.

Diagnosed long ago, Liz Spikol, who does The Trouble With Spikol blog and column, has been having a tough go with depression lately as well as with Effexor, her longtime albatross of an anti-depressant. Add to that some personal turmoil and that she's edgy about the arrival her 40th birthday and it's no wonder she's been quiet of late. The weird thing, Liz, is what they say about life beginning at 40 is largely true--except I think it may have been at 41 for me.

CL Psych reveals a pissing match in the world of education over kids at school with bottled water. I once worked in the public schools and am not surprised that teachers are wringing their hands over this issue because, if it weren't for that, I can assure you it'd be something else. But they'd still be all wet.

Bonnie Fuller, the former Us editor, writes a truly air-headed piece at the Huffington Post about how Britney Spears should've spent 30 days in the hospital. How about everyone drinking a nice big cup of shut the hell up on the affair de Spears and let her figure out what's up with herself? It simply astonishes me how capricious some commentators in this country are when discussing the health and physical liberty of their fellow Americans. Have they read the Bill of Rights? Are they at all familiar with the Federalist Papers?

Aubrey Blumsohn, a British doctor, goes after delusional claims by Glaxo's outgoing CEO, who blames the company's problems on the media. No, Mr. CEO, you've got it all wrong. We're the ones who have been properly alerting the public to concerns around Paxil and Avandia amongst other of your company's star-crossed products. You are the idiots who've been covering up evidence of your drugs' problems for years. Blumsohn is assisted by our friend Matthew Holford.

Psych Central's John Grohol reports on a very creepy weblog and the trouble it could foster. I've reviewed the site and, hoax or not, find it to be equally troubling. Or maybe it's like Radar speculates--a viral marketing scheme along the lines of lonelygirl15.

Gianna Kali continues her journey getting off-meds.

Writhe Safely rightly takes on liberals who don't understand the liberal position on mental health issues. The author and I are both deeply frustrated with some readers over at Daily Kos and elsewhere in the liberal activist blogosphere. Have these folks never read John Stuart Mill? Did they think John Milton was just a poet?

Stephany at Soulful Sepulcher righteously rails against the mental health system that won't work for her daughter. Or her.

Going Through Hell has a very intense post that I won't even attempt to summarize.

You all have a fine day, wherever you are. I will be approving comments throughout the day.