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My Return from the Darkness of Schizophrenia – An Interview with Susan Weinreich
Susan Weinreich is an award-winning artist whose work has won acclaim around the world. For close to 40 years she endured a heroic journey through the darkness of schizophrenia. Her story has become an inspiration to many and she has become an advocate for people with mental illness. Mental Health...
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The Economics of Recovery: Finding Your Voice
It had been a long day; half-a-dozen intake interviews with several Government benefit applications for SSA disability with the usual back-up documentation. I was drowning in paper. I’ve probably completed fifteen hundred applications for Government benefits in the past ten years. At this...
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The Future of Mental Health Care: Better Services and More Research
For someone who suffers from a mental illness, the chances for receiving effective treatment and recovering are better now than ever in human history. Incredible as this may sound, it is true. We currently can do more for patients with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, schizoaffective...
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The NYSPA Report – Report on the Veterans Mental Health Training Initiative
In response to the severe shortage of mental health professionals skilled in combat related mental health issues, the New York State Psychiatric Association (NYSPA), the National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter (NASW-NYS) and the Medical Society for the State of New York...
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Living with Schizophrenia: A Sister’s Perspective
Aaron* was born in 1950 and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at age 17. Everyone thought that Aaron was a difficult child. He had tantrums and rages from a young age, but he seemed very intelligent although he had trouble succeeding in school. Aaron had seen many psychiatrists and...
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Understanding and Treating Schizophrenia – A Comprehensive Review from the National Institute of Mental Health
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has affected people throughout history. About 1 percent of Americans have this illness. People with the disorder may hear voices other people don’t hear. They may believe other people are reading their minds, controlling...
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Can You Trust the Research Findings You Read on The Internet?
There’s always a new report hyping one type of health discovery or another. The results usually sound promising, or else they wouldn’t be newsworthy, but can you really believe everything you read on the Internet? Another case of caveat emptor or let the buyer beware—even if the information...
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From the Publisher – There are “No Old Topics” When it Comes to Mental Health Education
I was recently asked “Why do you keep revisiting the same old topics over again in Mental Health News?” I did not have a cute or definitive answer at the moment. However, as I sit here writing this column, I am convinced that it is because you can never cover a good topic often enough. Each...
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Internet Distance Learning Initiative Focuses on How to Treat Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) funded Evidence-Based Practices Technical Assistance Center (EBP-TAC) at New York State Psychiatric Institute (www.nyspi.org/ebptac) is introducing a distance learning initiative that focuses on evidence-based integrated treatment for co-occurring...
