Parents share stories about Nikken sleep systems and Nux Vomica, a homeopathic remedy for treating ADHD.

Natural Alternatives for ADHD

Nikken Sleep Systems

Kim sent us the following information about this......

"My son is using a nikken kenko mattress pad, intellerest magnetic pillow, and magnetic shoe insoles. All of these products are 100% magnetic coverage. They also have a special triangular patent that no one else can copy. The triangular design means that the magnetic energy can travel to every nerve ending. These products are wonderful. And they have given me a new son, one who listens and actually hears you when you talk to him. Also his teachers are very impressed with his change in grades.

If you want to look up these products for yourself, go to http://www.nikken.com/. This will show you all the products available. They also have nutritionals to help.

My son isn't taking the nutritionals because he doesn't need them with the other products he has. But if your interested, one of them is called mental clarity.

Thanks so much for your time, and if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me back at enikken@crosslink.net.

Dean writes......

"I do not have ADD/ADHD nor does my daughter. However, I know many who do. I am writing because I believe I have a treatment that can help. I am a distributor for a company called Nikken. Nikken is a world leader in wellness product research and development.

Have you heard of magnetic therapy? I believe Nikken's sleep systems and other products can provide relief for many with ADD/ADHD symtoms. Please read the attachment, as it contains many positive testimonials from using Nikken products.

There is alot of information about magnetic therapy out there in the form of research and books. Magnetic therapy has been used for thousands of years by early Chinese and even Egyptians. It is real! I've experienced it personally."

Guadalupe from Brussels wrote....

"My ten-years-old son has ADD/ADHD. I bought him a Nikken bed system (pad, pillow, duvet) and in only one month the results are astonishing. His behaviour in general has changed dramatically.

Nux Vomica

This homeopathic remedy has really fired our enthusiasm. We were told by our pharmacist that we could use it for Richard (13 years old, about 10 stone (140lbs) at the time of writing in 1997) in conjunction with Ritalin, with no adverse effect. Nux Vomica is a tree that grows in China, Burma, Thailand and Australia. The fruit contains seeds which are bitter because of the poison, strychnine (no it doesn't work because it kills off the patient!!).

We tried Richard on strength 6, with some really excellent results. In fact, he had a Ritalin holiday over a school half term week, when he had nothing but Nux Vomica, one three times a day, dissolved on the tongue. He was a lot more lively than when on Ritalin, infact more like the old Richard, but without flying off into a stress/tantrum every five minutes. We didn't have one tantrum all week. Now, we do still administer Ritalin, in conjunction with the occasional Nux Vomica tablet, but only when he needs it i.e. sometimes when he's getting too 'high' at school, which is becoming less often these days. We're beginning to wonder if he can infact learn, as he seems to be doing, to do without Ritalin altogether and channel this wonderful extra energy into positive tasks. He seems to be more able to do this now that he's got his self esteem and confidence back to a much higher level.

Other members of our group have recorded similar results with their children and Nux Vomica. Several swear by it. One mum gave it to her two lads who were both awaiting diagnosis, both in their late teens, one of whom was very much a handful. The results were so dramatic, now that they have both been diagnosed, she's not stopping the use of Nux Vomica. Since we told her about Nux, she's been telling us how it's changed her and their lives and she can finally see the light a the end of a long and particularly dark tunnel. Other mums have told us similar stories. Don't get the idea that we are pushing or promoting the use of this remedy, we just told these parents who were particularly desperate and at the end of their tether, about the effect it had had on our Richard and that it might be worth considering as an option.

It is important to note that homeopathic remedies are not intended for long term use and seem to work best with people of certain metabolisms i.e. in harmony with your particular body make up, so that whilst one type of remedy might work well with a small dark haired person, it might not work so well with a large red head and so forth. Also, as with all medications, you should check with your medical practitioner before taking anything not prescribed for you. It may also be of benefit to seek the help of a qualified homeopathic practitioner who may advise alternative teatments. If you are in the UK, we have been advised that The British Homeopathic Association at 15 Clerkenwell Close London, EC1R 0AA, Tel: 020 7566 7800, can provide a national list of medical doctors who have a post-graduate training in homeopathy through the Faculty of Homeopathy (apparently the only recognised training in the UK), as well as details of NHS treatment. Alternatively, The Society of Homeopaths, 2 Artizan Road, Northampton NN1 4HU, Tel: 01604 621400 have a register of non-medically qualified homeopaths.

One last point, the suggested dose of two tablets to be dissolved on the tongue made Richard feel a bit sick so he only has one. Also, don't be put off by the claim on the pack that Nux is just for the treatment of hangovers, it's not!

Ed. Note: Please remember, we do not endorse any treatments and strongly advise you to check with your doctor before using, stopping or changing any treatment.

next: Parent Coaching for Children with ADHD and Learning Disabilities
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~ adhd library articles
~ all add/adhd articles

male sexual problems

Viagra doesn't preclude psychologists' integral role in the treatment of sexual dysfunction.

Urologists are inundated with inquiries about it. The news media is treating it as the hottest since Prozac.

Viagra, the pharmacological treatment for impotence, went on the market about 2 years ago amid a torrent of publicity. Its manufacturer, Pfizer, Inc., pegs the success rates as high as 80 percent. Men are expected to find the drug far more palatable than the penile implants, vacuum pumps, injections and other standard medical treatments for impotence.

Such is the way that the treatment of impotence is changing. Once thought to be a largely psychological problem, experts have since discovered that diseases such as diabetes or hypertension-or the drugs used to treat them-are often the cause of erectile dysfunction. And while talk therapy was once regarded as the first line of treatment, impotence now appears to be cured by simply popping a pill.

So where does that leave psychologists who have built careers as sex therapists? Has impotence become the domain of urologists and pharmaceutical companies, at the expense of mental health providers?

Practitioners have a variety of answers to those questions. Some say they play an integral, albeit altered role in the treatment of impotence, even in cases of physiological causes. They still conduct psychological screenings to make sure some mental problem, such as anxiety or depression, isn't behind the dysfunction. They work closely with urologists to help patients understand the suspected medical causes for their inability to perform. And they still need to help patients deal with the shame and embarrassment-and the relationship problems-that can accompany their impairment, whether it's organically based or not.

'The current approaches reflect an application of the biopsycho-social paradigm,' says Stewart Cooper, PhD, a Valparaiso University psychology professor who directs the school's counseling center and teaches a course in marital and sex therapy. 'It's a blending of the urological and endrocinological examination, the use of pharmacology and psychotherapy, to resolve issues surrounding sexuality and sexual performance.'

Others worry that medicine has focused on fixing the 'hydraulics' of male sexual dysfunction, at the expense of the personal and relationship problems that so often result in impotence. Leonore Tiefer, PhD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, says the medical field has exaggerated the prevalence of physiologically based erectile disorders, and that organicity is not usually the cause.

'Many people say that unknown percentage of men have organic problems and 100 percent have psychological problems,' she says. 'The point is that they coexist.'

Increasing prevalence?

Urologists estimate that about 30 million American men suffer from erectile dysfunction, and many clinicians believe that number is rising. They say that trend stems from several factors:

- Men's high or exaggerated expectations about their sexual performance.

- The increasing life expectancy, which hikes the population of men who encounter age-related barriers to their erectile functioning. (Studies show that the prevalence of erectile dysfunction triples between the ages of 40 and 70.)

- New and better technology that can be used to diagnose and treat organically based impotence.

'It was once thought to be a largely psychogenic problem,' says Mark Ackerman, PhD, director of health psychology at the VA Medical Center in Atlanta and an assistant professor at the Emory University School of Medicine. 'But recent advances in diagnosis have confirmed that organic factors, such as diabetes or hypertension, confer significant independent risk for erectile dysfunction. The field of medicine now has more tools, like Doppler ultrasound that looks at penile vascular blood flow. The pendulum has now swung in the other direction. Urologists can devote whole practices to the treatment of erectile dysfunction.'

Many psychologists agree that they need to understand the biological risk factors - such as hormonal abnormalities, vascular disorders and neurological problems - that can contribute to impotence.

'I've found I need to have familiarity with fields like urology, endocrinology and geriatrics,' say Rodney Torigoe, PhD, lead psychologist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offices in Honolulu. 'Those are things you don't learn in psychology training.'

But none of this precludes psychological treatment as an adjunct, if not integral part of the protocol, psychologists say. Like many medical problems, physical factors that contribute to impotence are often behaviorally based. Smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise all can lead to the vascular problems or diseases that can result in impotence.

And, even medically based factors in impotence can create problems between sexual partners that only psychologists can address.

'Relational therapy is still very important - maybe even more than before,' Ackerman says. 'Even if you fix the penis, you still have the man's psychological reaction to the medical disorder and the problems it can cause in the relationship.'

Many physicians agree with Ackerman's contention. For example, Boston University urologist Irwin Goldstein, MD, in a recent interview published in Urology Times (Vol. 25, No. 10), says he supports the National Institutes of Health standard that 'everybody with impotence needs a psychological evaluation,' conducted by a psychologist.

The technical solution

Many mental health experts lament the medicalization of sexuality as unwarranted and unfair. Tiefer says society's 'pursuit of the perfect penis' focuses more on the man, rather than the couple. Impotence treatment, by centering specifically on a man's ability to engage in intercourse, seems to ignore other aspects of sexuality and slights the woman's satisfaction in a sexual relationship, she says. And it reflects the societal pressure on men to be sexually virile, a standard that can often create performance anxiety in men, she says.

Addressing only the genital component of sexual dysfunction doesn't always guarantee great satisfaction among patients, says David Rowland, PhD, a psychology professor at Valparaiso University and senior associate at Johns Hopkins University. Just because the parts work doesn't mean the men, or their partners, are enjoying sex again, he says.

And the miracle medical cures may not be as miraculous as they sound, notes Leslie R. Schover, PhD, of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She notes that Pfizer's own clinical-trial data on Viagra shows that it is most effective for milder forms of erectile problems - such as those that are anxiety-based - and less effective for the more severe forms.

'Viagra is a threat to sex therapy precisely because it is a drug designed to take our 'best customers,'' she says. 'Instead of teaching them new skills that they can use to overcome performance anxiety, it makes them dependent on a pill that costs $10 a pop.'

The most effective treatment for men's sexual dysfunction, Ackerman says, is through closer collaboration between psychologists and urologists. Psychologists who treat men with sexual problems need to better sell their clinical abilities to urologists, Ackerman adds. Health psychologists offer skilled assessment and therapeutic techniques that can not only help urologists pinpoint any psychological or behavioral factors in a patient's sexual dysfunction, but can also help design a treatment plan and aid the patient in complying with the regimen, he says.

'The opportunities for psychologists are plentiful,' he says, 'and they've expanded significantly beyond the role of providing sex therapy.'

This article is from the American Psychological Association.

next: Impotence Related Problems

sexual problems

Impotence and the Partner

Impotence can be very taxing on a relationship. On the one hand, the man may feel that his "loss of manhood" is a subject that he must keep to himself and not share with his partner. He may withdraw emotionally and physically from his partner. The partner may react with feelings of insecurity, self-doubt and may blame him or herself for the sexual difficulties present in the relationship.

The Individual and Society

Society has a tremendous influence on how we view and conduct ourselves. We consider sex to be a very private and intimate act, yet knowledge of the "howtos" and of its pleasure has been communicated to us through word of mouth and through various media such as video and publications. Sex is infused in all cultures. A scent of perfume may arouse sexual feelings. Indeed, it is what we receive through sensory stimuli and fantasies that "turn us on" and in the case of a man, "makes him hard".

Men are pressured from their peers and society to "get it up" and "perform". Any sense that he is unable to do so challenges his sense of manhood and threatens his self-esteem. He may feel guilty that he can no longer perform his function as a man - a "performer" and creator of life - and he may feel that impotence is the first sign that age is creeping up on him.

Impotence and erection weakness is not only a problem for the man but is a problem for the relationship. For example, a man now challenged by his erection weakness may feel embarrassed and ashamed and lose his desire to perform. He may begin to deny his partner any emotional and physical attention and avoid situations where sexual encounters may occur. He may refuse to discuss his difficulties with anyone, especially with his partner. This lack of sexual intimacy between the couple can place great strain on the partner, particularly if the partner is a woman.

A woman may see her partner's erection weakness and absence as a sign that he no longer loves her, finds her attractive or desires her. Her need for understanding and reassurance is not being met and her loving feelings towards her partner are being replaced by feelings of anger, insecurity, self-doubt and even self-blame. Understanding what is happening and knowing that she can support and participate in treatment brings an enormous sense of relief to the partner.

Advice for the Couple

A man's "good piece" doesn't always work at the push of a button. Impotence is an issue that must be worked out between the couple with the full understanding that communication is the most essential step in achieving success towards treatment and recovery. Whereas the man must openly express his feelings and discuss his difficulties, the partner needs to offer sympathy and understanding and reassure that the difficulty is temporary and can be successfully treated. Communication alleviates and prevents any misunderstandings and feelings of unhappiness and isolation.

next: The Psychology of Impotence

Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

For me, Step Two was the natural progression from Step One. In Step One, I admitted that I could not function as my own higher power. I admitted that my life was a mess because of my own attitude and my own choices.

I could not function as my own higher power. I had to find a higher power greater than my self.

One symptom of my co-dependency had been to let other people function as my higher power. In 1993, I was totally alone. There was not another person to whom I could turn. I had made enemies of just about everyone in my life but a few people, and those few were true friends enough to tell me I needed serious help beyond what they could do.

By grace, I learned that as a higher power, other people do not fit the job's description. People are imperfect, judgmental, given to emotional decisions, and other human traits. I say this compassionately.

I realized, too, for the same reasons, that neither could I function as another person's higher power. I had always been quick to give advice, tell others what they should do, and offer opinions and solutions when no one had asked me. This was yet another manifestation of my co-dependency.

I needed a higher power that was super human. I needed a power higher than myself in whom to trust and believe.

When I came to this realization, I woke up in a sense. All my previous life had been a delusion of my own making. I came to like a person regaining consciousness after being knocked unconscious. All my attempts to deal with life had really been attempts to deny reality and to deny my own powerlessness. Trying to run my own life had been insanity. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I was powerless, but I did not want to admit it, was not ready to admit it, until August 1993.

Once I became humble enough to admit my own powerlessness, once I woke up to reality, then (and only then) was I ready to look outside of my self and seek a power higher than my self. Once I admitted the insanity of trying to play god in my life and in the lives of other people, I was ready to voluntarily undergo whatever change and transformations were necessary within me to achieve sanity and serenity. I willingly turned to God.

next: The Twelve Steps of Co-Dependents Anonymous Step Three

Eating disorders are consuming. They consume the individual in obsessive, negative thinking and behaviors and they consume the individual's relationships with family members, loved ones, and life. This is partially due to the effects of starvation in anorexia. When people are not adequately nourished, they think about food constantly, sometimes even dreaming about it. They also become depressed, isolated, and tired. They avoid relationships because they often feel others pressure them to eat, are physically depleted, and feel compelled to engage in eating disordered behaviors.

Loved ones find eating disorders extremely difficult to understand and accept. Seeing someone you love starve or damage their bodies is stressful, and, often, parents, spouses, and others begin to become intrusive in their efforts to get the person to eat or to stop purging. Soon, the individual may see these loved ones as enemies trying to control her rather than help.

Eating disorders may develop if a person has no other way to speak or represent her feelings. Frequently family dynamics, faulty communication patterns, losses or other stressors such as abuse contributed to negative feelings she could not deal with directly. It is never a simple matter that can be solved by telling the person just to eat. The symptoms have become the individual's way to avoid facing problems more directly or an attempts to feel in control when the rest of one's life feels out of control.

Get help for your relationship by getting help for your eating disorder

Although eating disorders vary in severity from mild to life-threatening, they usually don't go away by themselves. People with eating disorders are often resistant to getting help; after all, it could be seen as a sign of weakness. Loved ones can help break through that by being open to getting help themselves and by examining how they or other family relationships or issues may have contributed. In a family, both fathers and mothers need to be involved in treatment. Too often, we hold mom responsible for everything in families: this challenge needs to be shared.

next: Eating Disorders: Becoming 'the Best Anorexic Ever'
~ eating disorders library
~ all articles on eating disorders

Everyone experiences the symptoms of anxiety from time to time, caused by any number of things -- changes in our lifestyle, undue stress, tension. These symptoms often reflect a normal response to problems arising in our daily lives. In some cases, however, they may be the symptoms of a psychological or physical illness. The diagnosis of a serious medical problem is not always a simple process.

Because these symptoms are so difficult to assess, both patients and professionals can misdiagnose significant physical or emotional problems. Studies in recent years reveal that a number of physical disorders coexist in patients who have a psychological disorder, and some physical problem may cause 5 to 40 percent of psychological illnesses. In the majority of these cases the health professional fails to make the physical diagnosis.

Nowhere is this confusion more evident and diagnosis more difficult than with panic attacks. If the symptoms of panic are present, there are three possible diagnoses:

1. A physiological disorder is the sole cause of all the symptoms associated with panic. Treatment of the physical problem removes the symptoms.
2. A minor physical problem produces a few symptoms. The individual then becomes introspective and oversensitive to these physical sensations and uses them as a cue to become anxious. His heightened awareness and unnecessary concern will produce an increase in symptoms. If this continues, he can turn an insignificant physical problem into a major psychological distress.
3. There is no physical basis for the symptoms. Some combination of the following will help: education about the problem, reassurance, psychological treatment and medication treatment.

Through a comprehensive evaluation, your physician can determine which, if any, of these physical problems is associated with your symptoms. In most cases, curing the physical illness or adjusting medication will eliminate the symptoms. In some disorders, the symptoms remain as part of a minor disturbance, and you must learn to cope with them.

When a person suffers from anxiety attacks, one of the greatest obstacles to recovery can be the fear that these attacks are the indication of a major physical illness. And in some rare cases that is true. But predominantly, when a person continually worries about physical illness, that kind of worry intensifies or even produces panic attacks. In other words, the less you worry, the healthier you will become. For that reason, I strongly recommend that you adopt the following guidelines if you are experiencing anxiety attacks:

1. Find a physician whom you trust.
2. Explain your symptoms and your worries to him or her.
3. Let your physician conduct any evaluations or examinations necessary to determine the cause of your symptoms.
4. If your primary physician recommends that another medical specialist evaluate your problem, be certain to follow that advice. Make sure that your primary physician receives a report from the specialist.
5. If a physical problem is diagnosed, follow your physician's treatment advice.
6. If your doctor finds no physical cause for your anxiety attacks, use the methods presented in the Panic Attack Self-Help Program to take control of your symptoms. If your symptoms persist, ask your physician or some other source for a referral to a licensed mental health professional who specializes in these disorders.

The most destructive thing you can do when faced with panic attacks is to steadfastly believe that your symptoms mean that you have a serious physical illness, despite continued professional reassurance to the contrary. That is why it is essential that you work with a physician whom you can trust until he or she reaches a diagnosis. No matter how many consultations with other professionals you need, allow one professional to have primary charge of your case and receive all reports. Do not continually jump from doctor to doctor. If you remain fearfully convinced that you have a physical ailment, even when there is a consensus to the contrary among the professionals who have evaluated you, then you can be certain of one thing: your fear is directly contributing to your panic episodes. In Part II you will learn how to control that fear and thereby take control of your symptoms.

Many physiological disorders produce panic-like symptoms. You will find them listed below.

Physiological Disorders with Panic-like Symptoms

Cardiovascular

• Angina pectoris
• Myocardial infarction (recovery from)
• Arrhythmia
• Postural orthostatic hypotension
• Coronary artery disease
• Pulmonary edema
• Heart attack
• Pulmonary embolism
• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• Tachycardia
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Transient ischemic attack
• Mitral stenosis

Respiratory

• Asthma
• Emphysema
• Bronchitis Hypoxia
• Collagen disease Pulmonary fibrosis

Endocrine/hormonal

• Carcinoid tumor
• Pheochromocytoma
• Hyperthyroidism
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Hypoglycemia
• Pregnancy

Neurological/muscular

• Compression neuropathies
• Myasthenia gravis
• GuillainBarr syndrome
• Temporal lobe epilepsy

Aural

• Benign positional vertigo
• Meniere's disease
• Labyrinthitis
• Otitis media
• Mastoiditis

Hematic

• Anemia
• Iron deficiency anemia
• B12 anemia
• Sickle cell anemia
• Folic acid anemia

Drug related

• Alcohol use or withdrawal
• Side effects of many medications
• Illicit drug use
• Stimulant use
• Medication withdrawal

Miscellaneous

• Caffeinism
• Head injury

next: Step 1: Rapid or Irregular Heart Rate
~ back to Anxieties Site homepage
~ anxiety-panic library articles
~ all anxiety disorders articles

Concerned about whether you have a computer or online gaming addiction? Take our online gaming addiction test.

EverQuest addiction? Many laugh at the thought, yet more cases are being seen each year. The highly addictive nature of online role-playing games impacts children and teenagers the most, but a growing number of adults are also getting hooked, and the latest craze is to online sports fantasy games.

Answer "yes" or "no" to the following statements to see if you may be addicted to online gaming:

1. Do you need to play online games with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve the desired excitement?
2. Are you preoccupied with gaming (thinking about it when offline, anticipating your next online session)?
3. Have you lied to friends and family members to conceal extent of your online gaming?
4. Do you feel restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop online gaming?
5. Have you made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop online gaming?
6. Do you use gaming as a way of escaping from problems or relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression?
7. Have you jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, or even risked your marriage because of your online gaming habit?
8. Have you jeopardized a job, educational, or career opportunity because of your online gaming habit?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you may be addicted to online gaming. These are common warning signs that you have lost control, lied, or possibly risked a relationship to support your gaming behavior. Why wait until it is too late to seek out help? Contact our Counseling Services today to receive fast, caring, and confidential advice to stop online gaming or read through our library of articles to help you find the information you need to understand Internet addiction and steps towards its recovery.

next: Online Gaming and Your Child
~ all center for online addiction articles
~ all articles on addictions

teenage sex

This part of the site is for both teens and parents. Many in both groups feel uncomfortable talking about sex with each other. That makes it tough because teens really need their parents during this time in their lives and it's the parents who should be teaching and setting the example.

Since this is a psychology site about teenage sex issues, we'll be discussing how to talk to your kids about sex and, for you kids, how to talk to your parents about sex. We'll also cover how to know when you're ready for sex and the difference between sex and love; which, at a young age, can be really confusing.

You may also be wondering if thinking about same-sex sex, or even experimenting with it, makes you gay or lesbian. (clue: it doesn't!)

And what about date rape or acquaintance rape or being coerced into having sex (every girl gets this one: "Don't you love me?"). How can you handle these physically and emotionally difficult situations? Is it okay to just say "NO!" And is it okay to go out with a much older guy or girl when you're a teenager? Are you asking for more than you can handle?

Finally, I've added a little virginity, pregnancy prevention, and STD info into the mix.

Ready? Set. Go!

Information for Parents here.

next: Sexual Communication: Talking to Your Parents About Sex or the Teens and Sex table of contents for all articles in this section

Jean, My Bipolar Story Short Bio of Jean. Born 1951. College graduate. Married twice. First time for ten years--two sons ages 23 and 21. Present marriage - eleven years--three sons, ages 10, 9, and 7.

Grew up in NY, upper class family, very happy, very oblivious to any sort of outside world--we lived in a world of private clubs, boarding schools, total obliviousness.

I was even a debutante.

People from this background do not go to psychiatrists when they have problems. They are more apt to suffer in silence, become alcoholics, or just...die in "accidents". This is still as true today as it was when I was a child. Mental disorders and disabilities of any kind are considered...tacky. The lack of compassion from people like this is astounding. I have learned this firsthand since I have become the mother of disabled children.

At any rate, the "silent suffering" is the reason I cannot tell you if we had any manic depressives in my background. Nobody discussed it. From what I can tell, I am the first one, which is really odd, I know. We had untreated unipolar depression (I think), we had untreated agorophobia, we had untreated alcoholism, and we have a family of very talented people whose names you might recognize in the fields of writing, politics and business.

My catalyst for my manic depression was the incredible stress I endured when my fourth child, now 9, was diagnosed autistic at age 2. I threw myself into learning about autism, which even now is an extremely mysterious, complicated and difficult- to-deal-with disorder. I wrote about it for publication (I still write about it, frequently, often with humor, believe it or not), and I even started a support group for parents with autistic children. I also arranged a tv appearance for myself on a cable health channel to increase people's awareness of autism (by the time that was supposed to take place, I was in the hospital. A friend took my place).

As I was doing this, I was running a home based 40 hour a week "home schooling program" for my severely autistic child where all his teachers would come and work one on one with him in an intensive form of teaching therapy called Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA. I was even trained as one of his teachers, and had sessions with him myself.

Then my fifth son, whom we had thought was "perfect", was diagnosed autistic as well. This was so unbearably painful that all the work I had done on "acceptance" just flew out the window and I finally gave in and became depressed. I believe this was my one and only experience with depression in my life.

I was given Paxil in an improper dosage and six months later I became hypomanic. I began developing a theory of "highest fuctioning autism", very exciting to me, which I fed-exed to Oliver Saks--the neurologist who wrote the book that became the movie "Awakenings"-- and I began staying up all night, exhilarated and totally egotistical. Hypersexual. Overspending. Speeding mentally. I was totally disconnected from my family--barely going through the motions. I was talking to the stars in the sky! My husband, not the psychiatrist I was seeing, was able to realize how serious my condition was and forced me to go to a hospital. I walked into the admitting psychiatrist's office and he asked me about one question before it was apparent to him that I needed to be placed immediately, and I was. Call me Bipolar l. It was serious.

I only stayed for 6 days--I hated it because it reminded me of boarding school. I begged my husband to get me out. On the other hand, they gave me lithium and and I slept, stabilized, and recovered enough to get out and go home to my family.

I never, EVER, want that to happen again, so I never miss my appointments with my excellent psychpharmacologist. I remain on medication. It has been 5 1/2 years since my "episode". My motivation to stay healthy is extremely high. However, the drawback was that it took me years to regain confidence and "trust in my own brain", if you know what I mean. It had "tricked" me after 44 years of being completely reliable. This is one of the reasons I have not been able to write about my experiences with manic depression until five years after my episode took place. It frankly was too shocking to me that it actually happened. I wished to protect myself from the very thought, even while faithfully taking my medications and caring for my family.

In here was the first time I opened up about this, ever. So I thank healthyplace.com for that.

Best Wishes,

Jean

next: The Shocking Tale of Andy Behrman
~ bipolar disorder library
~ all bipolar disorder articles

~ An insight into OCD ~ Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

My Thoughts

What kind of people get OCD? Are they weak, mentally unstable, weird?

• It's my personal opinion that the kind of people who seem to suffer with OCD are very often caring, sensitive, intelligent, creative, and imaginative. Very often perfectionists, analytical and deep thinking types of people suffer from OCD. And maybe that's part of the problem, maybe OCDers think TOO much. Our heads are usually so full of stuff, constantly wondering, analyzing and thinking, looking for reasons to things, wanting to do things well and properly that something has to give! And BANG goes our wiring!

• I remember as a child being very aware of things going on in the world, noticing things that friends wouldn't - maybe picking up on something I'd see on TV and then spending time thinking about it when others had long forgotten it. If I was doing a school project on a subject that really interested me, I'd need to work on it constantly, getting it just right, making sure it was neat and accurate.

• As an adult, I find my mind has to be thinking all the time. It's always full and never seems to rest. Of course, for years it's been full of OCD stuff, worrying and controlling all my thoughts.

• But at the moment, I'm trying my hardest to fill it with more productive stuff. I feel that if I can shove and force the OCD to one side and then push other things in it's place, then maybe, just maybe, the OCD will become minimized, strangled, and suffocated by all the other more interesting subjects.

• I try and keep busy by drawing, writing, researching other topics, and the OCD that I DO allow in, like this Web Site, I try to make POSITIVE OCD stuff rather than NEGATIVE - stuff that might actually help other people. Negative OCD is NOT welcome in my head anymore. It's had it's way for years and years, taking over valuable brain space, but now I'm mounting a TAKEOVER bid and seizing back some control.

• I read somewhere that someone said of OCD, "at least it's not a killer!" Well in a way that's wrong because OCD does kill. It kills potential, and it does it slowly and painfully without mercy. It dominates the space in our brain that creative, imaginative and enterprising stuff should fill. It leaves hardly any room for potential.

• And if you don't fight back, it can win! OCD is a lifelong fight for CONTROL.

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