Blog Posts

A Clinical Mental Health Practice that is "Half Right"

6/17/2021

According to former National Institute of Mental Health Director Thomas Insel --- Mental Health Concerns are some of the most complicated problems in medicine.

We have a MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS --- we haven't been able to get a handle on it.

In some cases we can MITIGATE THE DAMAGE, but often as we're MITIGATING SOME DAMAGE we're unintentionally creating additional DAMAGE.

How many people would have INTUITED where the RESEARCH is on PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS:

PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS often start out with MATERNAL IMMUNE INFLAMMATION
it's not just ADHD and AUTISM that are NEURO-DEVELOPMENTAL --- it's Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia as well.
Further, some researchers are trying to re-classify ANTI-SOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER as a DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER related to ADHD.
Psychiatric Categories are NOT DISTINCT and are BLURRED.
The Immune System "controls" social behavior
The genetics and epigenetics of psychiatric disorders often involve the IMMUNE SYSTEM.
People with PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS often have EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES or DEFICITS.
International Bipolar Disorder experts are calling for Researchers to immediately address the VASCULAR CONNECTION with the disorder.
The brains of people with psychiatric disorders are HYPER-CONNECTED.

So what I'm trying to say is there is a MUCH GREATER NEED for the Society and the Profession to CHANGE than the person with a PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER --- if for no other reason than we're often talking about DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES and DISORDERS.

"RESILENCE TOOLBOXES" and "COPING SKILLS" ---- would be fine, EXCEPT they are often missing THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS & SKILLS:

Workarounds for Executive Functioning Differences or Deficits
Strategies to maximize the person's ability to exercise their STRENGTHS --- those STRENGTHS may be ABOVE THE NORM, just as some of those EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING DIFFERENCES may be BELOW THE NORM.

Click Here

"Nothing is related"

6/14/2021

"NOTHING IS RELATED"

What is A Tribe Called Red up to in this video:
- While there are indigenous vocalizations --- we don't see "indigenous" people in the video
- The main characters are Black and seemingly Arab.

"PROBLEM SOLVING COURTS" are our Legal System's attempt to see the PUBLIC HEALTH CONNECTIONS.
It would be a lot easier if STATE OFFICIALS authorized housing, intensive services and placements needed by JUSTICE-INVOLVED people.

The Song

A Tribe Called Red (now known as The Halluci Nation) is a Indigenous Music Group in Canada --- they are not neuroscientists.

BUT I think the song R.E.D. is about getting EVERYONE into the SAME HUMAN TRIBE and into the same "IN GROUP."

For The Halluci Nation that is being done for SACRED REASONS.

The Law: "Nothing is Related" --- Some of the MOST RELEVANT FACTS are routinely deemed "IRRELEVANT"

Whether TRAUMA or a Brain Injury --- people are used to Courts deeming those things "IRRELEVANT" to the disposition of a criminal case.

BUT what is really driving those MYOPIC LEGAL DECISIONS is a STATE FAILURE to provide INTENSIVE SERVICES including Supported Employment , HOUSING & PLACEMENTS at the SCALE NEEDED for Justice Involved People.

PBS / Neuroscientist David Eagleman
We Don't Feel the Pain of Our Out-Groups

PBS / Neuroscientist David Eagleman
Massacre at Srebrenica

A Tribe Called Red have changed their name to The Halluci Nation.

The Indigenous electronic producers say the name is inspired by the works of Indigenous poet and activist John Trudell, who died in 2015.

He was also the inspiration for their 2016 concept album "We Are the Halluci Nation." Apr 18, 2021

A Tribe Called Red officially Change Their Name to "The Halluci ...https://www.cfweradio.ca › news › alberta-news › a-tribe-...

The 1920s Tulsa Race Massacre and the Osage Murders ---- ECONOMIC INJUSTICE & HISTORY --- $$$$

6/6/2021

This kind of stuff will affect your mental health.

We recommend REPARATIONS and a Public Health Approach that includes the Social Determinants of Health.

I grew up in Oklahoma --- one side of my family made the run into Oklahoma and were poor farmers.
Another side of my family settled in and around Tulsa and at least some extended family had some significant OIL MONEY -- this would be in the 1920s.
We claim some "CHEROKEE ANCESTRY."

I went to School in Oklahoma City under a court-ordered busing plan from 4th Grade through High School.
I learned about numerous terrible, horrific events from the TRAIL OF TEARS to SLAVERY in my history classes over the years, including OKLAHOMA HISTORY.

But I didn't learn about the TULSA RACE MASSACRE or the OSAGE MURDERS.

WHY WAS THAT?

The Tulsa Race Massacre got BURIED because it was more PROXIMATE in time than the TRAIL OF TEARS ---- and it screams out for DAMAGES, REPARATIONS --- ECONOMIC COMPENSATION.

What's it going to take to compensate for that?

And if you do COMPENSATE for that --- is that all that needs to be compensated for?

Both the Tulsa Race Massacre and the Osage Murders were about SOCIAL HIERARCHIES and enforcing those SOCIAL HIERARCHIES with MURDER.

This was and is about MONEY and SOCIAL HIERARCHIES --- and the many ways we are called to CHANGE even as we are embracing ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

Tulsa Race Massacre
Today Show

Osage Murders
BBC News

The Reality of Veteran Homelessness & the Need to End it

6/2/2021

Monday --- Memorial Day
May 31, 2021

Veteran Homelessness --- This is NOT a "LIFESTYLE CHOICE" and our HEROES didn't just happen to be HOMELESS.

Fox 2 -- St. Louis
Local middle schoolers serving as advocates to end veteran homelessness
(May 4, 2021)

This is not clear but the map estimates 1,044 Homeless Veterans in Colorado in 2020.

That's not undo-able even if it is OUT OF REACH for most INDIVIDUALS.

That community of Local, State and Federal Government as well as non-profits, business and the amazing energy of young people could come together and BUILD NOT ONLY THAT HOUSING BUT ALSO THAT COMMUNITY THAT OUR VETERANS NEED AND WE NEED AS WELL.

Of course, a lot of work is being done on the issue of Veteran Homelessness.

If we provided greater and broader support to those efforts, we could end VETERAN HOMELESSNESS.

Ted Talk (2016)
Sebastian Junger: Our lonely Society makes it hard to come home from war.

"The totals mean that of every 10,000 veterans in the United States, 21 were experiencing homelessness at the start of last year.

"Veterans make up about 6 percent of the population of the United States but 8 percent of the country's homeless population."
Mar 18, 2021

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness rose
...https://www.militarytimes.com › news › 2021/03/18 › the...

Some Additional Thoughts of a "Wayfaring Stranger"

5/31/2021

When we think about "De-Institutionalization" we think about what a FAILURE it was and the FAILURE to provide LARGE-SCALE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING in the Community.

But many people at the time, including many mental health professionals, thought PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS would alleviate the need for all that --- and in many cases it did, BUT in many it didn't.

Therapy ---it can help AND it can hurt. Most of the premises are HALF-RIGHT (BTW Human Beings are often HALF-RIGHT). I'm going to be adding "HALF-RIGHT" to the ORCHID THEMES & SYMBOLS.

Even though most therapy is KIND and NEUTRAL OF A SORT --- the BIAS towards NEUROTYPICAL FUNCTIONING is STRONG and largely UNCONSCIOUS.

But by and large the BIAS towards NEUROTYPICAL FUNCTIONING is more than present in the person with NEURODIVERSE FUNCTIONING as well.

This is the BIG CHALLENGE because many people with "Mental Illness" started out with DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES INVOLVING EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING.

Further, that doesn't always look like what we think ---- a disaffected adolescent. It's also a surprising number of ACADEMIC STARS (see video to the right on Bipolar Disorder --- more prevalent in top performers in the Humanities)

There likely has been a lot of work since BIRTH on the part of the person's brain to FUNCTION NEUROTYPICALLY ---- in fact they may have a HYPER-CONNECTED BRAIN as an ADULT and it's still not enough as far as the Society is concerned and maybe as far as the person is concerned.

HYPER-CONNECTED BRAINS are associated with PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS.

To make matters even more challenging --- many of these people are HYPER-SENSITIVE to their ENVIRONMENTS through a "DELICATE BALANCE" of their INNATE & ADAPTIVE IMMUNE SYSTEMS ---- which are "CONTROLLING SOCIAL BEHAVIOR."

This is another place where I think the SOCIETY is HALF-RIGHT. Some people are choosing HOMELESSNESS --- often because it is TOO PAINFUL to stay in a NEURO-TYPICAL SOCIETY that doesn't know what to do with you or how to RECOGNIZE much less VALUE the STRENGTHS you do have.

Phillip Phillips sings, "I'm going to make this place your home" ------ A Big Step in that Direction would be making this place WELCOMING to NEURO-DIVERSITY.

Trace Adkins
Wayfaring Stranger

See 3:18: Bipolar linked to the EXCEPTIONALITIES in the Humanities -- above average, below average -- the main thing -- NOT AVERAGE.

Phillip Phillips -- Home

CBS Sunday Morning (May 23, 2021) The Ordeal of Homelessness -- Highlights Colorado

5/28/2021

I'm going to start with Republican Mayor Mike Coffman and Democratic Governor Jared Polis.

I want to start off by saying I really like both Coffman and Polis and even for all my venom directed to now Senator Hickenlooper and the Hickenlooper Administration --- it's hard to say the Hickenlooper Administration was Attila the Hun.

With regard to Coffman and Polis --- I think a lot of people know where I'm going with this:

Coffman (in the CBS Morning video above): Homelessness is a "LIFESTYLE CHOICE" for many if not most people.
Polis: unwilling to prioritize Covid Vaccines for adults that "happen to be homeless."

What I want to say is I think COFFMAN & POLIS are HALF RIGHT and it's what makes HOMELESSNESS SO CHALLENGING PRACTICALLY, FINANCIALLY and from a CIVIL RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE.

When Coffman pushes back on HOUSING FIRST and says I don't think HOUSING ALONE is going to be ENOUGH --- Coffman is probably right in many cases.

On the other hand, trying to condition HOUSING on a particular treatment or employment --- doesn't work either.

Ironically one of the reasons WHY this isn't working is because of "ANOSOGNOSIA" or "LACK OF INSIGHT" on the part of not only the person, but also the providers and the society.

NONE of THEM has the ALL THE INFORMATION they need --- but they all have some information the other needs.

There are INVISIBLE COGNITIVE DIFFERENCES which are often present in HOMELESSNESS --- Developmental Differences, Mental Illness, Brain Injury -- and Drug and/or Alcohol Habits trying to manage all of this.

Also IRONICALLY, among people with Cognitive Differences it's not uncommon to find BOTH:

"INFLEXIBLE THINKING" and
"DIVERGENT THINKING" -- generation of many different and even unlikely options.

I would submit that "INFLEXIBLE THINKING" often represents the contours of that COGNITIVE DIFFERENCE or DEFICIT --- that may not be "CHANGING" anytime soon.

On the other hand, a SYSTEMATIC STRENGTH-BASED APPROACH with WORK-AROUNDS for COGNITIVE DIFFERENCES in a NEURO-TYPICAL SOCIETY -------could prevent TOXIC STRESS and additional DAMAGE.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING

5/28/2021

AND SOME MORE CONJECTURE

When we talk about NEURO-PLASTICITY -- we think about the PRESENT or the FUTURE and how we're going to USE PLASTICITY to "CORRECT" some "COGNITIVE ISSUE."

BUT our BRAINS are re-wiring themselves relatively AUTOMATICALLY to address perceived "DEFICITS."

The BRAINS of people with PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS are often "HYPER-CONNECTED."

Much of EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING is "AUTOMATIC" --- for some people, including myself --- for that "EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING" TO LOOK "AUTOMATIC" [and many people would say it doesn't look automatic]--- my BRAIN needs to be HYPER-CONNECTED.

BUT even with all that "HYPER-CONNECTIVITY" --- it's at least sometimes about "REASONING THROUGH" blasts of "EMOTION" and "INFORMATION" that are hitting all at once.

University of Virginia School of Medicine (2016)

Role of the Immune System in Social Behavior via experiments on Mice with Hyper-Connected Brains

Hyperconnectivity in a Brain Circuit May Predict Psychosis (2018)

Nebraska has an Olmstead Planning Law --- Colorado & Other States could use one

5/23/2021

Nebraska has an Olmstead Planning Law --- is it everything it should be --- probably not, BUT it is becoming MORE & MORE OBVIOUS that Colorado and Other States need a quick, easy reference within their own Statutes and Regulations to both comply with Federal Law and tailor Olmstead to their own needs.

Now if states don't include Federal Legal Requirements in their States' Laws ---- that doesn't mean those Federal Legal Requirements went away.

The 2011 US Department of Justice (DOJ) Olmstead Statement is meant to summarize the law on Olmstead ----- BUT most States are not aware of this "Statement" and if they do become aware of it ---- they are not sure whether they are bound by it ---- and they don't want to voice an opinion on it.

As of Feb. 25, 2020 --- DOJ did make clear that the 2011 Statement was NOT BINDING outside of Statute, Regulations and Judicial Precedent.

We've previously suggested that the DOJ Statement be incorporated into Regulations.

Measurable (specific) Goals are in the Caselaw --- BUT it's not helping that so much has to be PIECED TOGETHER.

(where might one find some caselaw on Measurable Goals (or not) --- the 2015 National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors --- Olmstead Risk Assessment & Planning Checklist --- ya gotta love it)

NOT A DIFFERENT BEAST------EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING, DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES & "MENTAL ILLNESS"

5/22/2021

What I'm NOT Buying:

"Mental Illness" is a completely DIFFERENT BEAST than DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCE involving Executive Functioning and Information and Sensory Processing.

Further, I'm not buying that "personality disorders" are somehow unrelated to HUMAN BIOLOGY even as they may be related to HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS.

Additionally I'm not buying that:
- "Gifted" emotional overexcitabilities, and
- Emotional Dysregulation, and
- "Reactivity"

-----are somehow unrelated

BUT I DO AGREE with "Gifted" Experts:

Often if you provide an environment that meets the person's intellectual and emotional needs ----
Many problematic behaviors will be greatly reduced.

Further, there is SELF INTEREST in "PRETENDING" that an ENVIRONMENT that works for the "MAJORITY" is going to work for everyone:

For people in which the CURRENT ENVIRONMENT is working ---
- The RISK of CHANGE --- is HIGH
For people in which the CURRENT ENVIRONMENT is NOT WORKING ----
- The RISK of CHANGE ---- is LESS

Executive Functioning & 5 "Disorders"

ADDITUDE Mag
Autism Speaks
Journal of Affective Disorders (Bipolar Disorder)
Expert Review Neurotherapeutics (Depression)
Frontiers in Psychiatry (Schizophrenia)

National Institute of Mental Health: 5 Disorders Share Common Genes (2013)

"Now that doesn't match with the idea that these are distinct."

In summary, calcium seems to play a central role in the activation of cells of the immune system. When the cells are stimulated, [Ca2+]i generally increases as a result of entry from the external medium, as well as mobilization of calcium from intracellular membrane-bound compartments.

Calcium homeostasis and the activation of calcium channels ...www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pmc › articles › PMC1807782

Calcium channels are membrane-spanning proteins that regulate the intracellular concentration of calcium ions (Ca2+). After entering the cell, Ca2+ activates specific calcium receptor proteins, e.g., calmodulin, troponin-C, or calcium-activated calcium, potassium, and chloride channels.

Calcium Channel - an overview | ScienceDirect Topicswww.sciencedirect.com › topics › medicine-and-dentistry

Neuroinflammation and cognition across psychiatric conditions (2019)

Archive | Disorders Share Risk Gene Pathways for Immune, Epigenetic Regulation

The Lancet Psychiatry

Epigenetics: The missing link in understanding psychiatric disorders? (2018)

Psych Scene Hub

Epigenetic Mechanisms in Psychiatric Disorders – Major Depression, Psychosis and Addiction (March 2021)

Olmstead Legal Requirements and Co's 2018 Community Living Update

5/16/2021

There seems to be a FUNDAMENTAL MISUNDERSTANDING of the nature of the 2018 Community Living Update on the part of the Polis Administration.

The 2018 Update was NOT an Olmstead Plan or a REVISION of the 2014 Plan. The Hickenlooper Administration had rejected a Revision of the Olmstead Plan and a CONCILITORY UPDATE was the Consolation Prize.

That "Update" shouldn't be used as the BASIS for OLMSTEAD COMPLIANCE MEASURES in Colorado today, even if the Update is not totally ignored.

Maybe most of us do believe in the Rule of Law --- BUT when it's NOT CLEAR --- it causes CONFLICTS and Lawsuits People with Disabilities CAN'T AFFORD.

Colorado State Government has contracted with the Colorado Health Institute
------ "We are holding 25-minute interviews over the next two weeks and would appreciate if you would share your perspectives about the state’s progress towards accomplishing the goals of the 2018 Community Living Report Update. "

That sounds good right? EXCEPT the 2018 Update doesn't have Measurable Goals and doesn't comply with the LAW.

Is the State taking a POLL as to whether or not State Officials should comply with the LAW?

I haven't necessarily seen it necessary to insist the State say it is out of compliance with the LAW --- if it was CLEAR the State was going to comply in the immediate future.

States around the country have a FRUSTRATING HABIT of FAILING TO COMPLY on "MEASURABLE GOALS."

Federal Judge Donovan Frank threatened the State of Minnesota with Sanctions due to their DELAYS and INSUFFICIENT OLMSTEAD PLANS.

I'm not sure that is where we're at here BUT it seems the State is NOT CLEAR on the LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.

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