Psychiatric Care Problems Involving Tenet Healthcare

Janet Reno

"Let the message be very, very clear: We've made health care fraud a major law enforcement priority, and we're going to pursue it as vigorously as we possibly can." Attorney General Janet Reno

What do you think? Sign the guestbook and speak out! (ECT guestbook is now closed thanks to spammers)

1985

Accusations begin to surface that National Medical Enterprises (now called Tenet Healthcare Corporation) was bribing politicians. NME responds: "This company does not engage in illegal and improper conduct. God help anyone that does."

1988

NME memo: "To Clear up misconceptions. Example. We exist as a company to provide a high quality service to our patients (and in some cases society). I have heard individuals within the company make remarks along these lines and it is absolute nonsense. Lets call a spade a spade: We are here for one reason only - to make a profit for the shareholders who put up the money so that we could exist in the first place."

1991

Allegations surface that NME's huge profits are a result of criminal and unethical conduct and exploitation of the people who had come for help. Dr. Robert Stuckey, NME high-ranking official, appears on a Discovery Channel special, The Justice Files, and admits that, among other things, if a person entered one of their hospitals with a diagnosis of alcoholism and the insurance would pay $10,000, but would instead pay $50,000 for depression, the diagnosis would be changed to depression.

Senator Mike Moncrief (Texas) opens a Senate inquiry, and hundreds come forward to speak about the abuse and fraud, as well as the personal misery they had gone through under the care of NME. Texas Attorney General obtains a settlement from NME for $10 million, the maximum penalty allowed. The settlement required that each of NME's hospitals have an ombudsman on staff.

1991-92

Dr. Michael Wynne, a surgeon in Australia begins to gather information and investigate NME as it attempts to move into Australia and Singapore. Legal threats against Dr. Wynne begin, including a defamation action (all suits were eventually dropped and the plaintiffs were ordered to pay court costs).

1991-94

Shareholders begin suing NME, claiming they were defrauded. SEC commences an action and obtains injunctions to restrain NME from engaging in illegal activities. SEC says that unless they're monitored, NME will keep doing what they've been doing.

1992

Dr. Stuckey, the whistle blower who had the longest association with NME's Psychiatric Institutes of America (PIA) and who had dealings with senior staff, dies suddenly, alone on his boat, shortly before he was to give evidence to the US House of Representatives inquiry in 1992.

Led by Congresswoman Pat Schroeder (Colorado), the US House of Representatives opens an inquiry, leading to a report entitled "Profits of Misery." It was shown that children were a potential "gold mine" to hospitals, because insurance would allow up to six months of inpatient treatment. 19 insurance companies begin actions against NME, alleging fraud and NME settles, paying $89 million and $125 million in two separate settlements.

"The introduction of the commercial enterprise mentality to psychiatric care, the abandonment of ethical, scientific principles by many mental health care providers, and the indulgence of greed have allowed these developments to occur. The provision of mental health care, especially as it relates to the psychiatric hospital industry, has largely changed from what was once a professional and caring environment and an honourable part of the medical world, to one that is based on commercialism and profit. The changes that have developed over the past decade are very pervasive, deeply entrenched, and have occurred across the entire United States." Dr. Charles Arnold in his testimony to Congress.

June 1994

Former psychiatric division executive in Dallas pleads guilty to arranging up to $40 million in bribes to doctors and others.

The U.S. government formally announces that it has settled its giant fraud case with National Medical Enterprises, but it said it continues a far-reaching investigation into individuals and businesses suspected of accepting kickbacks and bribes.

The $379 million settlement is the largest in American history. The settlement, which includes a $33-million criminal fine, settles charges that NME paid kickbacks and bribes to doctors, referral services and other people so they would refer patients to the company's psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals in 30 states, then fraudulently billed Medicare, Medicaid and other federal programs for those services. The settlement also includes NME pleading guilty to six counts of paying illegal kickbacks for patient referrals.

Oct 1994

Doctors caught up in the scandal sue patients who complained, charging defamation, slander and libel. But Robert F. Andrews, a Ft. Worth attorney who is named in the psychiatrists' suit, likens the doctors to "a bunch of deer that are caught in the headlights. They have struck out at the only people who they perceive to be weaker than them, which is their former patients."

1994

New NME CEO Jeffrey C. Barbakow: "The number one priority for our board is to drive shareholder value."

1995

NME changes name to Tenet Healthcare

NME official files defamation suit against Dr. Wynne. Wynne makes three court requests to get documents and detailed complaints, but the papers are never produced. Complaint withdrawn and official is ordered to pay Dr. Wynne's legal costs. Three days later, Dr. Wynne is hit with another defamation suit, but it also ends up being dismissed.

Charles E. Trojan a former chief executive of a then-NME-owned psychiatric hospital in Chula Vista is convicted on one felony charge of sending threatening communications to a former top manager of the hospital. In the letter to Clawson, Trojan wrote, in part: "The value of your life decreases every day. We have your address. So expect company one dark night when you least expect it. Your life is worthless now."

1996

Tenet lawyer addresses the governmental investigation: "They treated us like criminals. We had to enter into an agreement with the government. It was a very irritating process for some of us to go through....We have to do background checks and can't hire anybody with criminal backgrounds;...We worry about DFEs (disgruntled former employees) and PWBs (potential whistle blowers) reporting problems on their own..."

Dr. Michael Wynne writes to CEO Jeffrey C. Barbakow about his concerns that Tenet has not changed its corporate policy. Barbakow never responds. "I believe that Tenet's committees inaction in these matters and the company's repeated efforts to ensure my silence speaks loudly for the seriousness and validity of these matters," says Dr. Wynne. Tenet responds with lawsuits.

1998

Ontario government files $175 million suit against Tenet, alleging it defrauded the province and went "trolling" for patients to ship into Wisconsin in order to milk the Ontario health plan. The suit claims that Tenet employees referred to the health plan as the "Canadian gravy train."

Feb 2000

Federation of American Hospitals issues statement calling for a grassroots movement to oppose an expanded Whistleblower's Act. The Federation is a powerful lobbying group dominated by the two largest healthcare corporations, one of whom is Tenet. They have an entire "do-it-yourself grassroots" section that tells corporations how to recruit employees to start campaigns that will benefit their goals.

"Since 1966, The Federation, through its dedication to a market-driven philosophy, has evolved into one of Washington's most influential health care policy advocacy organizations."

The Washington Post recently printed a story about the growth of "grassroots movements" that are actually implemented by huge corporations.

"It's ethically problematic when a company creates entities but then tries to pass them off as authentic and spontaneous grass-roots organizations," said Thomas Murray, president of the Hastings Center, a nonprofit group that examines medical ethics. "What bothers me is the deceptiveness."

Aug 2000

Mrs. Kathleen Garrett of St. Louis receives shock treatments that she has repeatedly said she doesn't want. Her son contacts activists in the area who spring into action. A public campaign against the treatment is waged, and Tenet-owned Des Peres Hospital calls Mrs. Garrett's son, Steve Vance to announce they will release her the following day.

A celebratory welcome is planned to welcome Kathleen back to freedom, but that morning, her son learns that she has been shocked again.

Upon arrival to the hospital, Mrs. Garrett tells her son that they were trying to coerce her into signing a statement saying she wanted more shock. "I don't want it," she tells her son. "Please."

Mrs. Garrett returns home and receives phone calls from a "home health care aide" from Des Peres who want to visit. Concerns are raised that the hospital will show up and take her away for more shock while Steve is at work. He changes her phone number. A home health care aide shows up at Mrs. Garrett's residence, but per strict instructions, they are turned away and not allowed to see Mrs. Garrett.

Sept 2000

Juli Lawrence, owner of Shocked! ECT/ect.org (this website) receives a letter from a law firm that claims it represents Tenet Healthcare Corporation. Their demands include removing all items from the website with "notoriety and prominence," and they threaten legal action if she does not comply.

QBVII by Leon Uris. Ms. Lawrence responds with a letter asking for detailed information, but does not receive a reply. She fully expects to be hit with a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) lawsuit, and is standing by. She vows that she will not be silenced.

She suggests, as the Shocked! ECT book of the month: QBVII by Leon Uris.

Feb 2001

Tenet finds itself at the edge of controversy once again when federal and state officials threaten to shut down its SouthPointe Hospital in St. Louis because of conditions and treatment in its psychiatric unit. SouthPointe is one of the hospitals involved in forcibly electroshocking Kathleen Garrett in the summer of 2000.

SouthPointe Hospital in St. Louis is under investigation by state and federal authorities because of numerous incidents that threatened the safety, health and privacy of its psychiatric patients.

A listing of psychiatric facilities in St. Louis. Tenet-owned hospitals are in red.

SouthPointe Hospital in St. Louis will remain open -- for now -- while state investigators assess the hospital's plan to correct conditions they say put psychiatric patients in danger.

Missouri Health Department officials have approved SouthPointe Hospital's plans for correcting conditions that government inspectors said endangered psychiatric patients. The approval averts a shutdown of the south St. Louis hospital.

Bedlam at SouthPointe: You might expect hefty fines for such shocking breeches of federal and state regulations. You might expect heads to roll at SouthPointe Hospital, where it all happened in the psychiatric ward. You might expect the hospital's psychiatric unit to be shut down, at least for an hour or two. You might, but most hospital administrators wouldn't. They know better.

More Info

Be sure and sign the guestbook. I'll be putting quick updates there about Mrs. Garrett and the case (because it's quick and easier than actually writing out some HTML)

Read some of the news stories about NME's exploits.

The horrors of being a patient at NME: She had agreed as a 17-year-old to enter the hospital, expecting a brief respite from troubled family relationships. But once the doors closed, Ms. Stafford said, she remained inside for 309 days, many of them behind blackened windows in cruel darkness.

Has Jeffrey Barbakow changed Tenet's stripes? Critics don't think so; they think his policies hurt patients; employees resent his grandiose salary and bonuses. Claim he's "not sharing the wealth."

Owner admits kickbacks: One of the nation's largest psychiatric hospital chains yesterday pleaded guilty to kickback and health care fraud charges and agreed to pay a record $379 million in penalties for illegal conduct in hospitals in New Jersey and 29 other states.

Medical firm to plead guilty: A division of National Medical Enterprises will plead guilty to charges of Medicare fraud and conspiracy and pay a record fine of $362.7 million to settle a sweeping federal investigation, company officials said Tuesday.

Ex-psychiatric exec pleads guilty: A former Dallas hospital executive confessed Monday that he bought patients with at least $20 million in bribes to referring physicians and other health care professionals.

61 sue NME: Sixty-one plaintiffs sued National Medical Enterprises Inc. on Monday, alleging that they were "lured or forced" to its psychiatric treatment centers as part of a fraudulent scheme.

American health care. Mishap in the operating theatre: From the Economist (UK), an informative article about the economics of the health care business. Included is a paragraph about Tenet, formerly known as NME.

Ontario sues Tenet Healthcare; says Tenet employees called Ontario health system the "Canadian gravy train."

next: Psychologist Jailed 2 Years For Sex With His Patients
~ all Shocked! ECT articles
~ depression library articles
~ all articles on depression

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). Psychiatric Care Problems Involving Tenet Healthcare, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/depression/articles/psychiatric-care-problems-involving-tenet-healthcare

Last Updated: June 23, 2016

Anxiety on the GO - Travel Anxiety Breakthrough

Overcoming Travel Anxiety

Hi again friends!

For years, I've suffered with travel anxiety, anxiety while traveling. Here's how I dealt with travel anxiety.I've had major personal accomplishments this summer with regards to  my anxiety disorder  and travel; dealing with my travel anxiety.

For several years, I've found every excuse in the world to avoid trips to Los Angeles and New York. (I used to go to both places quite a lot.)

This summer, I've gone to L.A. on four separate business trips, and last week, I am proud to say, I did New York! It was the first time I took on New York City in more than three years.

For a long time, I avoided New York due to fears: claustrophobia in tunnels, heavy traffic, and general fear of immobility. I avoided L.A. for the heavy traffic. However, I've learned that I can do business in these two critical cities, I just have to do it, "my way."

Here's how I dealt with travel anxiety and did it "my way."

  1. Flew in and out of these cities at non-prime times.
  2. Did the driving at off peak hours.
  3. Convinced myself that I could do it if 10 million others can do it.
  4. Came to the realization that no traffic has ever been "stuck" forever. Every traffic jam in U.S. history eventually "moved!"
  5. Allowed the juices inside me to "embrace" the experiences, and I began to "enjoy" and become excited about New York and L.A.
  6. Treated myself to the great feeling of enjoying great restaurants and being with business associates and friends in places that were really "cool."
  7. Took deep breathes when needed, got my exercise, and relaxed when I needed to do so. (THERE are places to relax even in NY and LA !)
  8. Made note of highway conditions when they were NOT overcrowded. Traffic is NOT horrible all the time, as I had imagined or "remembered" from several years ago.
  9. Pretended I don't have anxiety disorders. I'm "just like everyone else."
  10. Focused on my business - the reason I was there!

What a terrific feeling. By ridding myself of travel anxiety, I've eliminated some major limitations in my business and personal life. I can do New York and L.A., so long as I do it, "my way." It can work!

Keep Fighting the Good Fight,

David B.

next: I Picked Up a Few Groceries Today...
~ all articles on living with agoraphobia
~ anxiety-panic library articles
~ all anxiety disorders articles

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). Anxiety on the GO - Travel Anxiety Breakthrough, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/travel-anxiety

Last Updated: July 2, 2016

Anxiety on the GO - Anxiety Hurts

The Pain of Living with Anxiety

Anxiety is truly physical. It truly hurts the entire body when our security feels threatened. Read more.Anxiety is truly physical. It truly "hurts" the entire body when our security feels threatened.

Case in Point: Last week, I was traveling from North Texas to Oklahoma City to catch a plane heading back home. The drive from the Texas town to Oklahoma City is about 150 miles.

Over the past few weeks, I've done this routine several times to visit an important client. As I left the North Texas town on Hwy. 44, I could see some very "dark sky" in the northern sky just ahead. This being August, I expected to confront a popup storm or two, but nothing serious or consistent. Wrong!

As I drove northbound, the sky became blue, then purple, then green, and then black. And then the heavens opened. Sky-to-ground lightning, heavy winds, and torrential rain came pouring down at a rate of 3 inches per hour. Visibility was reduced to one-car length. I could see only half of a white dotted line on the road. The only other cars on the highway were pulled over, and due to poor visibility, it was difficult not to avoid hitting them from behind.

My body was filled with "anxiety" from head to toe. I could feel "pain" and "pressure" and "sweat" in the forehead, in my arms, in my chest, and even into my legs.

It was very real. Anxiety really does "attack."

Positive self-talk works

I kept doing a lot of self-talking: "I will be fine, I will keep going slow, it cannot storm this hard, for this long, forever."

The rain kept pelting my car windows. The winds kept blowing my rental car around. It was difficult to see and difficult to steer. The rain wouldn't let up. If anything, it seemed to become more intense, harder, and less likely to let up.

"I will be safe. I will not die here. I will get there."

It went on like this for 70 miles without a single break in the intensity of the storm. It was too intense and too dangerous to get off at any exit. The exits were too invisible, too flooded, and too elusive.

"I will be fine. I can do it."

I had to keep going for two reasons: 1) I have to make the plane in Oklahoma City; 2) It would be even more dangerous to try to stop. Finally, as I approached Oklahoma City, the torrential rains softened to just a hard rain, and visibility was restored to about a quarter-mile.

Seemed like heaven! I made it! Safe and sound inside the Oklahoma City airport! Now I had only to think about the turbulent flight still ahead of me.

I learned two things:

  1. Anxiety really does hurt.
  2. The adversity made me even stronger, and now lesser situations seem exactly that: lesser!

My battle plan

I've been at war with anxiety disorder for several years. Right now, I might be winning. I will keep fighting the good fight and hope that I can keep it going. Right now my battle plan against anxiety is:

  1. Taking it on! I'm traveling, thinking positive, and gaining confidence with every trip - every week.
  2. Exercise.
  3. Prayer.
  4. Vitamins and light dosages of anti anxiety meds, as needed.
  5. Taking a free-ride approach from "worry" more than normal.
  6. Honest, open, two-way discussion with friends and working associates. Finding out SO MANY have anxiety problems of their own!
  7. Drinking lots of water! It really helps!

"Free ride approach" from worry

I'm also trying not to worry about all the usual things like bad weather for air travel and things I can't control. I've realized that the "worry" is usually much worse than the event. Overall, I've simply made a choice to try and live completely in the present moment, not to worry about the past or the future, only "right now."

It's difficult, but it seems to be working for me.

Keep Fighting the Good Fight,

David B.

next: My OCD Den Homepage
~ all articles on living with agoraphobia
~ anxiety-panic library articles
~ all anxiety disorders articles

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). Anxiety on the GO - Anxiety Hurts, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/anxiety-hurts

Last Updated: July 2, 2016

Shocked! ECT Sitemap

Contents in Shocked! ECT Website:

next: Shocked! ECT Homepage
~ all articles on depression
~ depression community homepage

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). Shocked! ECT Sitemap, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/uncategorised/shocked-ect-sitemap

Last Updated: January 16, 2012

ECT, The Thymatron and Dr. Richard Abrams

The following is an actual advertisement for the ThymatronTM, an ECT device from Somatics, Inc. The company is owned by Dr. Richard Abrams, author of Electroconvulsive Therapy, considered to be the definitive ECT text.

Is it a conflict of interest for one of the top "experts" on ECT to write the definitive text, setting standards of practice in ECT, while making money on the ECT machine that fits his perfect criteria? The publisher of his book, Oxford University Press, was shocked to hear that he owned Somatics. He says he didn't tell them because he didn't think of it. He says it's no big deal.

In the text of the ad below you will find links to additional information on that terminology. The information comes from the 1992 edition of Abrams' book.

The ThymatronTM : Description and Specifications

Is it a conflict of interest for one of the top experts on ECT to write the definitive text, setting standards of practice in ECT, while making money on the ECT machine that fits his perfect criteria?* A single dial sets the treatment stimulus: you can just set it to your patient's age to automatically deliver the recommended dose of electricity.

* A light-emitting impedance meter instantly tells you if the treatment electrodes are properly and safely applied at any time, even when the patient is awake.

* The patented Audible EEGTM monitors the seizure without the need for EEG expertise or paper. Demonstrated to be highly reliable and valid, the Audible EEGTM is built in to every ThymatronTM .

* You can treat as quickly as you need to with the ThymatronTM. There are never any annoying waits for warmup or stimulus override.

* An optional plug-in EEG recorder provides a permanent paper record of the seizure. This instrument can also record the EKG, with full limb and chest lead capability.

* A remote treatment foot switch is available to enable the single operator to administer unilateral ECT safely and conveniently.

* Readily portable, the ThymatronTM in its optional fitted case weighs only 15 lbs.

* The brief pulse square wave stimulus delivers all voltage over the seizure threshold, producing significantly less memory loss and EEG disturbance than the obsolete sine wave stimulus, without any loss of therapeutic benefit.

* Four seconds of pulsed stimulation can be given with the ThymatronTM, providing the extra energy required to treat the difficult cases.

* The ThymatronTM safeguards against accidental electrical discharge with a hinged flip-up cover over the treatment button, and audible and visible stumulus (sic) indicators.

* The Underwriters Laboratories listed construction protects against excessive electrical current, isolating the patient from the electrical line through relays, fuses and a power-limiting transformer.

* The pulsewidth is preset at 1 millisecond, the optimal for ECT.

* Stimulus settings are precision fine-tuned by equal click stop increments; the constant current ensures that each setting corresponds to a specific electrical charge.

* In an illustrated treatment manual, Drs. Richard Abrams and Conrad Swartz take you step by step through a fully documented description of how to give ECT with the Thymatron TM . A full discussion includes indications, precautions, contraindications, and the management of side-effects and complications.

* In an inservice demonstration color videotape, Dr. Richard Abrams illustrates exactly how to use the Thymatron TM and its accessories.

* An illustrated service manual is included which explicitly guides your maintenance department through all the recommended testing procedures.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR A FREE LOAN OF DR. ABRAMS' DEMONSTRATION VIDEOTAPE, PHONE OR WRITE TO US

SOMATICS, INC.
910 Sherwood Drive Unit 18
Lake Bluff, IL 60044
Interstate toll-free 800-642-6761


THERE'S ONE Thymatron TM BECAUSE THERE'S ONE BEST WAY TO GIVE ECT

Note 1

Recommended dose of electricity...for ease of terminology, "juice" is used to mean the voltage and length of current duration.

Factors that are known to increase the seizure threshold (meaning you have to give more juice to induce a seizure):

  • unilateral
  • male gender
  • increased age
  • treatment later in course (with each subsequent treatment, you have to increase the juice)
  • high expected barbiturate anesthetic dosage
  • received long half-life benzodiazepine the previous day

So, based on this, you simply turn the dial up to increase the juice. Did you notice that the numbers listed on the dial range from 10 to 100? Does that mean that quite a lot of 10-year-olds and 100-year-olds are getting ECT?

Additionally, Abrams recommends a dose of 4 to 8 seconds. And his machine will do it!


Note 2

Impedance is basically the resistance the current encounters. It is mostly from the skull, which is a thick bone through which the current must pass.

Other factors that cause impedance are placing the electrodes too close together and skin that has not been properly prepared (oily, too many dead cells, etc.)


Note 3

This is a special feature. Abrams claims that EEG monitoring is very important, especially in unilateral ECT.

Abrams very subtly suggests things throughout his book that directly lead one into a special feature of his Thymatron TM. The Audible EEGTM is a case in point: (bold is my emphasis)

"Because the EEG directly measures the brain's electrical activity, it remains the standard against which other techniques must be measured. Two methods are presently incorporated in ECT instruments for amplifying and presenting unprocessed EEG activity during ECT. One uses a chart-drive and penwriter to record the EEG signal on paper; the resulting record is then read by the clinician as it is generated...The second method provides an auditory representation of the EEG signal in the form of a tone that fluctuates with the frequency of the seizure activity and becomes constant when the seizure ends. (This method) has been used successfully to detect prolonged seizures requiring termination with benzodiazepines."

Now, based on that reading, which machine would *you* rather have? The old fashioned one with a pen, and which requires someone to read it as it happens, or the new and improved Audible EEG TM which emits a tone?

The ThymatronTM of course.

The one thing that Abrams doesn't do, is to plug the ThymatronTM by name. He simply suggests throughout the book features that are available only with his machine. Since he doesn't own up to owning Somatics, it's a very clever way of boosting sales. Hey, didn't subliminal messages go out with the 60s?

Maybe not.

Buy Thymatron TM Buy ThymatronTM Buy ThymatronTM

And in case you'd rather have the old fashioned pen and paper EEG, he's got that too! And an added value...the EKG. (see next feature!)


Note 4

Is he suggesting housecalls? Drive-thru ECT? McECT? Every family should have one!


Note 5

What? I thought you guys keep saying there isn't any memory loss. And this is the new and improved ECT. Brief-pulse square wave current was developed in 1938, folks.

next: Editorial: My Criticism of the JAMA Article
~ all Shocked! ECT articles
~ depression library articles
~ all articles on depression

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). ECT, The Thymatron and Dr. Richard Abrams, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/depression/articles/ect-the-thymatron-and-dr-richard-abrams

Last Updated: June 22, 2016

Marquis de Sade Awards

Three ECT doctors are receiving special awards in the Shocked! ECT Hall of Shame; the Marquis de Sade Award for sadism in psychiatry.

Three doctors are receiving special awards in the Shocked! ECT Hall of Shame,
the Marquis de Sade Award for sadism in psychiatry.

Congratulations to

Gary C. Aden, HC Tien, and D. Ewen Cameron!

The first two inductees were the original co-founders of the International Psychiatric Association for the Advancement of Electrotherapy (later renamed Association for Convulsive Therapy).

Gary C. Aden, co-founder and first president, had his license revoked after being accused of sexually abusing patients in a sadistic manner. In 1989, he gave up his license after allegations that he had sex with patients, beat them, and branded two of the women with heated metal devices, including an iron that bore his initials. In another story, a patient describes Aden as drugging her with a hypo before sexually abusing her and beating her with a riding crop.

Co-founder HC Tien, used shock to obliterate and reprogram the mind of a woman to make her a more suitable housewife. Tien, of Michigan, utilized it to erase her memory and personality. In this case, he reprogrammed the woman into a more docile mate. This was reported in detail in two issues of Frontiers in Psychiatry, a Roche Laboratories handout sent to all psychiatrists in the country.

He said the memory loosening and the infantile state produced by the ECT made the patient amenable to drastic change. A relative helped reprogram the patient's personality according to a blueprint worked out prior to the shock. In this case, the woman wanted a divorce, and Dr. Tien and her husband coerced her into shock, saying that if she didn't comply, she would lose her children. As the good doctor shocked her, her husband worked on "reprogramming" her into his submissive wife. After the treatments concluded, all divorce action was forgotten, and she truly turned into the Stepford Wife.

Former president of the APA, D. Ewen Cameron of Canada, and first president of the World Psychiatric Association, was one of the most revered and rewarded psychiatrists on the international scene. He subjected his patients to twice-daily doses of six ECTs, one after another, to maintain the patient in one prolonged stupor. With much, or even all, of their lifetime memory bank obliterated, six months would be taken to reprogram them into more docile personalities and they would be given new memories. This suddenly became a scandal, not because of his techniques, but because of the disclosure in newspaper reports and books that he had been secretly financed in part by CIA. The CIA was eager to use these methods to "brainwash" people. His grisly methods and CIA funding are detailed in the book by John Marks (1979), "The Search for the Manchurian Candidate" and the later book, "In The Sleep Room: The Story of the CIA Brainwashing Experiments."

Congratulations to these fine examples of leadership in psychiatry and convulsive therapy.

next: Max Fink; The Grandfather of American ECT
~ all Shocked! ECT articles
~ depression library articles
~ all articles on depression

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). Marquis de Sade Awards, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/depression/articles/marquis-de-sade-awards

Last Updated: June 22, 2016

Panic/Anxiety Triggers

Trouble for Agoraphobics

For agoraphobics, and non-phobics as well, some insight into the many little quirks that are typical to agoraphobia.I decided to make this little "tidbit" section to offer agoraphobics, and non-phobics as well, some insight into the many little quirks that are typical to agoraphobia. The phobic symptoms (and "quirks") vary greatly from person-to-person and many agoraphobics may not even be aware that other phobics experience these feelings and idiosyncrasies.

I'm not going to go into any true depth on any particular symptom anywhere in this web page as phobics tend to "vacuum" up symptoms and gosh knows we don't need any new symptoms to dealwith!

Okay. Here we go!

Did you know...?

Just about any situation where a phobic feels "trapped" may bring on anxiety or panic. There are also many other "triggers" that produce anxiety and panic. Some of these situations may not be very obvious to the average person. Such situations may include:

  • Making left hand turns off a highway or busy street
  • Sitting in the middle of a row in a theatre etc.
  • Exposure to bright lights (especially fluorescent)
  • Bad weather conditions (such as being trapped in the house in a snowstorm) or fog (feeling closed in)
  • Darkness or bright daylight
  • Abrupt change of any kind
  • Smells (certain aromas can trigger memories and therefore cause anxiety/panic
  • Waiting in line...or just plain old waiting!
  • Loud noises
  • Taking medication: many phobics find taking medications a very anxiety producing situation, mainly because we don't like the feeling of change that some side effects can produce. To help ease into a new medication, it may be helpful to take the pill (or capsule) in its smallest possible dose. I often shave a pill with a razor blade and take it in very tiny amounts and work up to the recommended dosage.

Did you also know...

that phobics are among the most sensitive, creative, intuitive and intelligent members of the population?

next: Anxiety - Panic Attack Coping Tips
~ all articles on living with agoraphobia
~ anxiety-panic library articles
~ all anxiety disorders articles

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). Panic/Anxiety Triggers, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/panic-anxiety-triggers

Last Updated: July 1, 2016

The Snake and the 'Snake'

 

Snake

Cat

I bet you're wondering just what in the heck this section is all about, huh?

Well, the idea for it came to me fairly recently, when I recognized (again) just how frustrating it is for those of us who suffer from severe anxiety and agoraphobia to explain to the average person what it feels like to sometimes have such intense feelings for no apparent reason (at least not apparent to them).

While pondering how to explain my situation to someone who's very close to me, I remembered that she has a severe phobia towards snakes. Suddenly, it occurred to me I could use analogies to make it easier for her to understand some of my "not-so-rational" fears.

Now....where to start?

I think a good place to start might be right here at the beginning. For those people who are actually terrified of snakes, just the mention of the word might make them literally shake. Reading this little writing might actually be more than they can bear.

Herein lies the first similarity. We all know, intellectually, that there's no snake here and nothing to possibly harm us. This is, however, only an intellectual statement. Overpowering fear can be so strong that the mere suggestion of the feared object or situation can be enough to get the adrenaline pumping and make us want to flee the situation to avoid the terrible feelings.

The same is true for agoraphobics. The problem is, there isn't always something tangible to "see"...the dreaded "snake" is often within us and becomes triggered by such things as memory, public places, performance- demanding situations, and almost any type of situation where one may feel "trapped," either physically or emotionally.

These types of situations (or more to the point, our fear of our FEELINGS in these situations) are truly our "snakes". The mere thought or mention of being placed in a perceived "trapped" situation can trigger panic in an agoraphobic, much the same way just reading about snakes can cause a snake-phobic person to become panicky. Fortunately for them however, their phobia is somewhat more "common" and can be seen and therefore more readily understandable.

Anxiety /agoraphobia may have many different facets, forms and "quirks," most of which are very foreign to the average individual. It's very important to many phobics that a certain amount of control be afforded them in most anxiety-provoking situations. Hence we have another similarity to our "snake-phobic" counterparts. For example, if we're attempting to "practice" going to a supermarket (which may be a highly anxiety-provoking event) with a supportive person, the average individual may not understand why we might panic while left alone unexpectedly for five minutes. To them it just seems like a very small matter, but while they've drifted away from us to check out the price of tomatoes, all sense of security in an "unsafe" place has gone out the window. Often unfortunately, along with it has gone all trust in that individual to work with us in the future. Chances are, we may be very unwilling to venture out of our safety zone with that person ever again. If that person happens to be a spouse or family member that can create particularly difficult problems.

Explained in terms of the real-life snake situation, it may be a little easier to understand.

If someone who has a snake phobia decides to TRY to desensitize to snakes, they may be willing to do it with a trusted person for very small exposures at a time. For instance, if someone brings a snake into a room, placed SECURELY in a box, and agrees to stay for only five minutes, the phobic person may be willing to do it.

Probably, just the thought of all this about to happen would bring the person to a very anxious state, but they're trusting that it'll be a limited experience, one over which they have control, so they agree to proceed. If however, the support person decides randomly to enter with the snake and then just leave the room, or worse yet, let the snake out of the secure container, the snake-phobic person would most assuredly panic and perhaps never be willing to try this process again, and especially not with that person.

The principle is the same in both cases only, once again, in the case of the snake the trigger for the anxiety is obvious whereas in the supermarket there are no apparent "bogeymen". The "snake" is within the person, but the feelings are the same and nonetheless real.

Agoraphobic Triggers

For agoraphobics, on any given day, it often feels like we have "snakes" being thrown at us from all angles. Since agoraphobia is usually many phobias rolled into one, there are many triggers, even some we can't often identify.

A snake phobia on the other hand is considered more of a "simple" or singular phobia. It's very difficult to understand the complexity of a true agoraphobic's situation on a daily basis. It's like we have to live in a society where snakes are the norm and we simply have to adjust and be willing to live with them everyday or be thought of as "odd". This keeps us continually "on our guard" and can be very threatening and draining.

I guess the bottom line here is that we all have "something" in this life to challenge us and for some of us our challenge is not readily visible or explainable to others. We ask only that you try to accept us, even if you don't truly understood.

All I'm asking, if you have an agoraphobic in your life, please try to be as compassionate and accepting as you can be because we all do the best we can and most of us would give anything to be more like you!

Thanks for listening.

Hugs,
Ellen

next: Anxiety on the GO - Travel Anxiety Breakthrough
~ all articles on living with agoraphobia
~ anxiety-panic library articles
~ all anxiety disorders articles

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). The Snake and the 'Snake', HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/the-snake-and-the-snake

Last Updated: July 2, 2016

I Picked Up a Few Groceries Today...

So? Big deal, right? Yes, it's a big deal for someone who has been housebound for 5 years.

I had my first panic attacks in grocery stores and they were the first places I avoided, followed by everywhere else, until I became completely agoraphobic. Didn't even know the meaning of that word until years later when depression and extreme anxiety forced me to seek help.

It's been a long and difficult journey to get where I am today...putting groceries away and dancing with delight. I did it! Yes, me! My self-esteem is elevated, my legs are steady, and my heart is light.

After many weeks of driving "just another block today", and many weeks of actually going into the store, I became able to push the cart around before escaping. A few more weeks and I could put some groceries in the cart before I left.

I Picked Up a Few Groceries Today...actually stayed, paid, and brought them home. Please go with me as I recall the day.

Man at Grocery Store11.00 a.m. Too early for the lunch rush, too late for school busses...time is right. I will drive. Into the store and check the shopping list (no list, just an excuse to locate the exit and breathe). OK, Thank God for carts to hang on to and don't look at the neon lights. Concentrate. Up and down the aisles, some are alright, others are terrible.

12:00 p.m. I have finished grocery shopping now and it's time to go through the check-out. GOD, the check-out.

12:05 p.m. I manage to get the groceries on the conveyor belt even though people around me must know I am weird.

12:06 p.m.It's time to pay...the check is already made out (2 days ago), all I have to do is fill in the amount and I have forgotten how to do it. More deep breathing, settle down and ignore the people who think you are weird.

1:00 p.m. I Picked Up a Few Groceries Today... does anyone need a urinal deodorizer or 3 lbs of brown sugar? How about pimple cream? I have everything now...including my self-esteem.

Thanks for reading.

Bless, Elizabeth.

next: Poetry
~ all articles on living with agoraphobia
~ anxiety-panic library articles
~ all anxiety disorders articles

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). I Picked Up a Few Groceries Today..., HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/i-picked-up-a-few-groceries-today

Last Updated: July 2, 2016

Resources for Help and Change

Living with Agoraphobia, resources for help and change. My story with this challenge called agoraphobia began about 37 years ago. Comprehensive agoraphobia info covering what it's like to be phobic, treatment including systematic desensitization.When I'm having an especially challenging time with my anxiety/agoraphobia, my "tools" get me through it. They're mainly reading material, tapes, videos, good friends to listen to me rant and rave and /or little gimmicks to distract myself. Not all pertain to agoraphobia per se, some are simply stress-reduction techniques.

Music is a big help and I have a new-found interest in developing my spirituality. I had always longed for what other "religious" people seemed to have, that "inner peace" thing. I never could really "connect" with conventional religion, but find myself, in my old age :) seeking out information to feed my soul. It only recently occurred to me that if I didn't "get it" when I was younger, perhaps I could develop it now!

Anyway, I find it very comforting and will include some of that reading material that's changing my life in many ways. Most of what I mention here is available at any traditional or online bookstore.

  1. First book that really helped me was "Peace From Nervous Suffering" by Dr. Claire Weekes, who was said to have been agoraphobic herself (way back, before being phobic wasn't cool!)
  2. Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes. Another of Dr. Weekes' great insightful books into the anxiety challenge.
  3. The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.d. This book is a wonderful all-around book for dealing with anxiety and phobias. It gives some insights as to why we might have become phobic as well as practical information and directions for mastering the challenge! I use this one for reference a LOT!
  4. Healing Fear by Edmund M. Bourne, Ph.d. This is another book by Dr. Bourne that deals with facing anxiety. He also explains from a personal viewpoint how it is to live with anxiety and also emphasizes how beneficial it may be to develop one's spirituality.
  5. The Anxiety Disease by Dr. David Sheehan, deals mostly with the drug treatment /physiological side of this challenge. Interesting reading for those who want to go the medication route.
  6. Feeling Good Handbook by Dr. David Burns, is a great all-around book. It deals a lot with Depression which often accompanies agoraphobia.
  7. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David Sheehan.
  8. How to Heal Depression by Harold Bloomfield, M.D. & Peter Mc Williams. What a great combo of authors! I have read many other books by both of them.
  9. You Can't Afford The Luxury of A Negative Thought: A Book For People With Any Life Threatening Illness Including Life by John-Roger and Peter Mc Williams. This is a book that I use VERY often, one of the most useful in my library. I personally think EVERYONE could benefit from it (just my opinion mind you.) on cassettes
  10. Healing Anxiety with Herbs by Harold Bloomfield, M.D. As the title implies this book deals with a natural approach in helping our nerves stop "jiggling".
  11. Grief Recovery by John W. James and Russell Friedman. Many of us suffer from a lot of "stuff" from our past and have a lot of unresolved grief. This book does a wonderful job of helping us look at this stuff. Ouchy! Truth is, it really helps to get down to those root feelings (for me anyway).
  12. Meditations for People Who (May) Worry Too Much by Anne Wilson Schaef. This is a little daily meditation book that I find most helpful on a daily basis. Another one is called Days of Healing, Days of Joy.
  13. Out on a Limb by Shirley MacLaine. I can't begin to tell you how this book hit me. It got me going on my spiritual path. For those of you who may really want to read something DIFFERENT and are open-minded this might be quite a treat!
  14. Conversations With God, Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3 by Neale Donald Walsch. I have NO words to adequately describe this trilogy. Book 3 was recently published and I got it hot off the press. It is life altering...(for me, anyway). A set of books well worth reading for those of us who really could use some fresh inspiration and something new to think about!
  15. The Eagle and The Rose by Rosemary Altea. Rosemary is a psychic medium, healer. This is a extraordinary true story about her life. Another extraordinary book along my path to spiritual healing.
  16. Give the Gift of Healing: A Concise Guide to Spiritual Healing by Rosemary Altea. This is a tape/book combo with a wonderful meditation included (one of the best that I have ever used.)
  17. One Day My Soul Just Opened Up by Iyanla Vanzant, is another workbook/daily meditation type book (also comes on cassette). It gives little assignments for forty days and forty nights- all dealing with spiritual growth. Iyanla appears on Oprah quite often.
  18. ANXIETY, PANIC ATTACKS AND AGORAPHOBIA- Information For Support People, Family and Friends One of a kind! 2nd Edition by Kenneth V. Strong.
  19. Power Over Panic: Freedom from Anxiety/Panic Related Disorders. Bronwyn Fox. Ms. Fox has an accompanying audiotape called Panic-Anxiety: Taking Back the Power.
  20. When Someone You Love Is Depressed: How to Help Your Loved One Without Losing Yourself, by Laura Epstein Rosen, Xavier F. Amador.
  21. Attacking Anxiety. This is a series of cassettes from the Midwest Center for Anxiety. They're very useful and offer a mini-program (kinda like a self-help course) for dealing with anxiety. 800-944-9428.
  22. Personal Power by Anthony Robbins This is another series of cassettes or CD's that give you a 30 day mini-program to try to help you develop your personal power. I have used these for years and find them extremely motivating. I got them from a TV advertisement and recommend them highly!
  23. Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain. Meditations on cassettes.
  24. Guided Meditation, Exploration and Healing, by Stephen Levine.
  25. Muscle Relaxation/Imaginal Desensitization by Ellen (author of this web site). This tape is designed to help you understand some of the techniques mentioned at this web site.

next: A Little Humor to Bring a Smile to Your Face
~ all articles on living with agoraphobia
~ anxiety-panic library articles
~ all anxiety disorders articles

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2007, February 20). Resources for Help and Change, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, December 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/resources-for-help-and-change

Last Updated: July 2, 2016