Happy Stigma-Free Halloween

Halloween, one of the world's oldest holidays, is still celebrated today in many countries around the globe.

This tradition first started with The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland. They celebrated the New Year on November 1st. This day marked the end of summer harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter - a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the New Year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. So, on the night of October 31st, they celebrated "Samhain", which means hallow tide, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. The Celts built bonfires and wore ghostly costumes to drive the evil spirits away, and carried a potato or turnip candle lantern to intimidate the demons around them.

In later times, the Roman Catholic Church claimed November 1st as "All Saints Day" and October 31st as "All Hallow's Eve". Eventually "All Hallows' Eve" was shortened to "Halloween" - the name we now use for this long-standing tradition.

The Nationals Alliance for Mental Illness reminds us that not only is it the season for ghosts and goblins, but also stigma.

In some communities, halloween attractions take the form of "Insane Asylums" featuring mental patients as murderers or ghouls. Even though intended as fun, the violent stereotypes serve to perpetuate stigma -- which as reported by the U.S. Surgeon General is one of the greatest barriers to people getting help when they need it. It also is the source of prejudice and discrimination that leads to isolation and impedes progress toward recovery.

In the town where I live, a Halloween event called "The Asylum" was being sponsored by a well known sport and amusement park. The event promised scary sights of crazy mental patients in strait jackets and deranged and delusional individuals stalking the grounds. Luckily, many mental health agencies joined together to educate the owners about how this would perpetuate stigma. And you know what? They conceded and changed the event to "The House of the Living Dead".

I hope everyone has a fun, safe and "stigma-free" Halloween.


Resources

NAMI Stigmabusters

The History Channel

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Gene Mutation Linked to Risk of Autism

Autism is a disorder that causes social deficits, language impairment and repetitive behavior. Its reported incidence has increased sharply in recent years, perhaps because of more awareness of the condition.

The incidence of autism itself is estimated at one in every 500 American children, and the rate of autism-related conditions is as high as one in 166.

A new study from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee found that a mutation of the portion of the MET gene that governs the production of its protein was associated with the risk of autism. The strongest association of the mutation to autism was found in families with more than one affected child. The study of more than 700 families with autistic children found that this gene mutation that decreases the production of a protein designated MET more than doubles the risk of the disorder.

This study will be featured in the upcoming Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Technology is amazing!

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World Mental Health Day ~ October 10th

World Mental Health Day was first observed on October 10, 1992. It was started as an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health by the then Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter and is offficially commemorated every year on October 10th.

This year's theme is "Building Awareness - Reducing Risks: Mental Illness and Suicide"

For worldwide links to mental health resources click here

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Equal Opportunity Shop-a-holics

It's always a kick to be interviewed about an important psychological topic.

Siri Nilsson, reporter for the ABC News Medical Unit, interviewed me regarding a new study that shows that men AND women experience Compulsive Buying Disorder in equal numbers. For the whole article, click here

The study, from the Stanford University School of Medicine, says that contrary to popular opinion, nearly as many men as women have the impulse control buying disorder in the United States, a condition marked by binge buying and subsequent financial hardship.

I wonder if these statistics generalize to other countries.

Resources

ABCNEWS.COM

Hollander, E. & Allen, A. (2006). Is compulsive buying a real disorder, and is it really compulsive? American Journal of Psychiatry, 163: 1670-1672.

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Scientists at State University of New York at Downstate Center have discovered a molecular mechanism that maintains memories in the brain. By inhibiting the molecule, researchers say they can erase long-term memories, much as you might erase a computer disc.

The molecule called “protein kinase M zeta” preserves long-term memories through persistent strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons. This is enzyme is similar to the mechanism-storing information of 0’s and 1’s in a computer’s hard disc.

By inhibiting the enzyme, scientists were able to erase a memory that had been stored for one day, or even one month. The article abstract can be found in Science Magazine

This research may be a breakthrough treatment for acute trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain, just to name a few. And this discovery may unlock the mystery to Alzheimer's Disease and other memory loss disorders.

I love research, but I can't help but think of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , the movies
Paycheck and Total Recall , where memories were erased.

I hope this newfound research will be used for "good" purposes.



Resources
Science Daily

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Thin Is Out

Organizers of Spain's top annual fashion show, the Pasarela Cibeles, rejected five models as being too thin to appear in this year's event.

Organizers worked with Dr. Susana Monereo of Spain's National Endocrinology Society and Dr. Basilio Moreno, an obesity consultant at Gregorio Maranon Hospital, to medically assess the models.

Organizers said they wanted to project an image of beauty and health, rather than a waif-like, heroin chic look - and to help diminish eating disorders that plague girls and women world-wide.

Any model who had a body mass index below that which was considered normal, not just by the Spanish endocrinology society, but also by the limits set by the World Health Organization guidelines , were rejected from the show.

A British Cabinet minister hoped that London's Fashion Week would follow Madrid's lead.

The Indian Health Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, chimed in on this subject, saying India does not want waif-like young women on catwalks, acting as role models for thousands of girls who are starving themselves.

And Milan's mayor, Letizia Moratti, told a newspaper this week that she may bring the Spanish ban on underweight models to Italian shows.

On different, yet similar note, Hollywood is reporting that Flab is Fab. Actors like Jack Black, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell and Paul Giamatti are helping to make the "realistic" man more marketable.

Hmmm....maybe the tide is turning.


Resources

BBC

New York Observer

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Perception and Illusion

Time for more fun
with the mind's eye.




Can you see the word?










I love this one.







Can you read two words?

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