For over 5,000 years, practitioners have known the secret that yoga makes you feel better. It has become a popular way to increase strength, improve balance, and enhance flexibility. We know that yoga is good for your body, but it is also very good for your mental health. Yoga practices can reduce the impactof exaggerated stress responses and may be helpful for those with depression and anxiety.
Natural Anxiety Relief It is no surprise that yoga can reduce anxiety. Studies show that yoga can be a powerful tool for calming your nervous system. Yoga lowers tension and promotes relaxation. It also helps regulate the breath and increase body awareness. In addition, yoga encourages mindfulness which in itself is effective in reducing anxiety. The breathing and meditation associated with yoga can take you out of the “fight or flight” mode that anxiety and panic bring about and help focus you in a more relaxed state. Yoga postures, known as asanas, can also help ease the physical discomfort associated with anxiety. Strengthening, lengthening, and balancing the muscles can help relieve the tension in the body that builds up as a result of anxiety. Help with Depression A recent study showed that taking yoga classes twice a week could help relieve the symptoms of depression. Yoga postures coupled with controlled breathing had a mood-altering effect. Yoga can also help with depression because it can help you cultivate a more non-judgmental relationship with yourself. When you're depressed, it's easy to stop doing things for yourself, like eating healthy and exercising. Devoting even a small amount of time to yoga on a regular basis is an act of kindness towards yourself and treating yourself as someone worthy of being taken care of. You also learn to accept your body and its abilities. In addition, practicing yoga can help establish a sense of community and increase social attachments. This can lead to a better support system and help with feelings of loneliness associated with the symptoms of depression. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058. Police, EMS, firefighters and other first responders have rewarding and important jobs. However, first responders are often exposed to traumatic scenes that can affect their ability to cope. In the first responder community, there have been countless lives lost to suicide. In 2017, more firefighters lost their lives to suicide than in the line of duty. These suicides are often caused by an underlying mental health issue resulting from traumatic stress.
There is evidence that first responders resist seeking mental health care because of the stigmatization and the fear of looking weak in their community. There is a fear of being the subject of ridicule and putting your job at risk by admitting that you need help. These issues are often perpetuated by those who lack a clear understanding of mental illness. It is important for the agencies where these officers work to support their employees and help them access the care they need. SAMHSA Resources The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has put together an online training coursethat addresses the occupational stressors faced by first responders. The course also addresses mental health and substance abuse issues including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, it teaches healthy coping mechanisms. This online course should be utilized by police and fire departments in assisting their employees in recognizing mental health issues and encouraging them to find help. SAMHSA's websiteincludes a number of different trainings and resources. Employee Assistance Programs The departments that hire and train first responders should also actively promote mental health awareness and work toward eliminating the stigma of receiving mental health care. Providing employee assistance programs can help change a department’s attitude towards mental health and give employees access to the care they need. Safe Call Now Safe Call Nowat (206) 459-3020 is a 24/7 hotline specifically for first responders and their families. Callers to the hotline can speak confidentially to other first responders trained in mental health crisis counseling. These counselors can help with exploring treatment options for responders in a crisis. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline The National Suicide Prevention Lifelineat 800-273-8255 is available 24/7. Calls to the Lifeline are confidential and trained crisis counselors can help you and provide you with information regarding mental health care providers in your area. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058. The Virginia State Senate approved a bill a few years ago that would ban capital punishment for defendants suffering from severe mental illness. The Republican-controlled Senate passed the bill by a vote of 23-17. The bill now moves on to the House of Delegates which is comprised of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats.
The Bill The bill defines “severe mental illness” as “active psychotic symptoms that substantially impair a person’s capacity to (i) appreciate the nature, consequences, or wrongfulness of the person’s conduct; (ii) exercise rational judgment in relation to the person’s conduct; or (iii) conform the person’s conduct to the requirements of the law.” The bill specifically excludes disorders that manifest primarily in repeated criminal conduct or are "attributable to the acute effects of voluntary use of alcohol or any drug." The "severe mental illness" determination would be made during the sentencing phase of a defendant's trial. The jury or the judge would be tasked with deciding, by a preponderance of the evidence, whether the defendant suffered from a severe mental illness at the time of the offense. If found to have a severe mental illness, a defendant would be sentenced to life in prison without parole in lieu of the death penalty. The bill would not prevent people with severe mental illness from being convicted of crimes. Virginia’s History of Executions Virginia does have a history of executing individuals who may have had a severe mental illness. In July of 2017, Virginia executed William Morva, a man with a delusional disorder. Morva had been sentenced to death in 2008 for the 2006 murder of a security guard during an escape from custody. He asked for a commutation of his sentence based on a psychiatrist’s finding that he suffered from a severe mental illness. Morva’s attorney argued that he believed he was acting in self-defense at the time of the murder. Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe refused to commute the sentence. Virginia is second only to Texas in the number of executions it has completed since 1976. There has, however, been a sharp decline in recent years. There are currently only two men on death row, and no defendant has been sentenced to death since 2011. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, babies born in certain months have a higher rate of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study found that children born in August are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children born in other months.
Reasons for the Link The study focused on children living in states where children must turn 5 before September 1st before being allowed to begin kindergarten. There are 21 states in the nation with this cutoff date. This means that children born in August in these states are usually the youngest children in their classroom. Some researchers believe this may be part of the problem. The study may actually demonstrate that there are developmental components to an ADHD diagnosis and that the immaturity of a child’s brain can cause them to demonstrate symptoms that may be linked to ADHD. A study in Taiwan found that youngest children are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than older children in the same class. The study also found that the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses decreased month by month from the youngest children to the oldest children in the class. Could this mean that a significant number of children are being misdiagnosed? Ensuring a Correct Diagnosis Many ADHD diagnoses result from a failure of the child to meet the behavior and performance expectations at school. By a certain age, most children have developed the skills necessary to pay attention, stay on task, and wait their turn in school. But classroom ages can span an entire year which means that some of the children in a given classroom have not yet reached these developmental milestones. The differences between the oldest and the youngest child in a class can be substantial. If children are being evaluated for ADHD, it is crucial that their behavior be compared to that of other children their age and not of other children in their classroom. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058. Increasingly, law enforcement has become the first line of contact for people with serious mental illness and up to 10% of police calls involve someone with mental illness. A recent report found that people with mental illness were 16 times more likely than others to be killed in a police encounter. According to the report, about one in four fatal police encounters involve someone with a mental illness.
In April of 2018, New York City police officers shot and killed a man in Brooklyn who was known to be mentally ill after he pointed a metal pipe at officers. That same month, a 36 year old woman with mental illness in Georgia was shot by police after her family called 911 for help with her delusions. In 2016, Boston police officers shot and killed a mentally ill man who attacked emergency medical technicians who were called by his mother. These events happen on a regular basis but are not always reported in the media. Lack of Police Training Despite the fact that law enforcement officers are on the front lines of dealing with mental illness, many of them lack sufficient training on how to deal with people with mental disabilities. There is a severe lack of training in how to cope with and safely interact with an individual suffering from a mental health crisis. Training that assists officers in identifying individuals with a mental disability and how to handle them could go a long way toward reducing violent police encounters. In many cases police officers receive the opposite of the type of training they should be receiving. The tactics used by police can sometimes escalate a situation when an individual is in the midst of a mental health crisis. Someone in a crisis may react more violently and officers should be trained on how to safely approach an individual and bring down the situation. People with mental illness don’t always exhibit obvious symptoms so police officers should be trained to recognize the signs of a crisis that are not always easy to detect. Lack of Treatment The lack of mental health treatment in many communities has turned the mental health crisis into a police matter rather than a public health situation. An increase in quality mental health care would clearly lead to a decrease in the number of police encounters in the first place. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058. In 2018, California’s chief prison psychiatrist released a scathing 161-page report on mental health care in the state’s prisons. The report indicates that state officials are misrepresenting the care received by inmates with mental disabilities and are putting the health of these inmates at risk. In the report, Dr. Michael Golden states that inmates are not receiving the psychiatric care they need.
Central Problem One of the central problems the report focuses on is the lack of physicians in the prison system. Inmates may receive treatment from psychologists and other non-physicians rather than psychiatrists who are medical doctors. This means that medications are being managed and other crucial decisions about mental health care are being made by individuals without medical degrees. Shockingly, in some cases medical decisions by doctors are being overridden. There is also a problem with accurate reporting of information to the courts and the public. For instance, the report alleges that the prisons mischaracterize the rate at which inmates are seen by psychiatrists and that fewer than 50% of inmates are seen in a timely manner. Some inmates are not receiving regular psychiatric treatment due to prison transfers. Other inmates are not receiving their treatment or doctor visits in a confidential environment, which can be a key factor in appropriate treatment. Without proper reporting of important information, the problem can’t be fixed. Inmate Treatment The report makes serious allegations about how mentally ill inmates are treated. The report refers to a specific incident involving an inmate with psychosis who was not given her medication and ripped out her own eyeball and ate it. The inmate had been placed on suicide watch and had been screaming for hours prior to the event. The psychiatrist on call was not contacted and the inmate did not receive her medications for four hours prior to the incident. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) denies the allegations in the report and made a statement indicating that they’ve made strides to improve the treatment of inmates with mental illness in their facilities. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.
Studieshave found that women are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than men. This is particularly true in the case of common mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Depression is twice as common in women and is the number one mental health problem suffered by women. Women are also twice as likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. But what are the reasons for the higher rate of diagnosis?
Gender Bias in Treatment While women are more likely to get a diagnosis of mental illness, they are also less likely to have their symptoms taken seriously. Women are often discredited by health care providers and their symptoms thought to be exaggerated. While labels such as “hysterical” are no longer used to refer to women with mental health issues, there is still a bias in treatment. In addition, some women are diagnosed with mental illness even when their symptoms are physical. Serious health conditions such as autoimmune disorders are sometimes diagnosed by biased health care providers as anxiety or depression. Women More Likely to Suffer Trauma and Discrimination Trauma is more common among women. One in four women has faced a completed or attempted sexual assault and one in three report being abused by a domestic partner. Trauma is a risk factor for a number of mental health issues including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The challenges of facing gender discrimination and mistreatment of women can also be factors in undermining a woman’s mental health. In addition the expectations placed on women to do more than their fair share of housework and childcare can lead to stress which is another risk factor for mental illness. Women More Likely to Report Symptoms and Seek Help Unfortunately, men are socialized not to share their emotions and to view mental health challenges as a form of weakness. Men are less likely to seek help for their mental health issues and this can result in a lower rate of mental illness diagnosis. Women are more likely to seek help when they are suffering. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.
A new survey of parents estimates that 1 in 40 children in the United States has autism spectrum disorder. The study was published in the December 2018 issue of the Journal Pediatrics. This number means that the condition was reported in 2.5% of children which amounts to approximately 1.5 million children between the ages of 3 and 17. A previous report estimated the prevalence at 1 in 59 children based on 2014 data, meaning there has been an increase in cases.
The more recent study collected data from the National Survey of Children’s Health which surveyed the parents of more than 50,000 children between the ages of 3 and 17. Only children who received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder were included in the estimate. The numbers are based on parent reporting and not on health or scientific data. Because there is no biological test for autism spectrum disorder, it can be difficult to track. Access to Care In addition to a higher prevalence of autism spectrum disorder, parents in the survey were also asked various questions regarding the health of their children. Parents who reported that their child was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were 44% more likely to report problems obtaining treatment for their child and were 24% less likely to receive help with care coordination than those families dealing with comparable such as ADHD and Down Syndrome. The parents of children with autism spectrum disorder were also 23% more likely to report that they didn’t have a designated team of caregivers for their children. While there has been some improvement over other surveys, it is clear that there are delays in getting a diagnostic evaluation even after signs of autism have been recognized. There is an urgent need for early diagnosis of the condition and follow up treatment, especially in lower income areas. Developmental and behavioral interventions can be helpful for children with autism spectrum disorder, parents need training and support to help their children succeed. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.
In a past case involving a death row prisoner named Bobby Moore, the U.S. Supreme Court found that Texas’s framework for determining whether a prisoner had an intellectual disability, and was therefore not subject to execution, violated the Eighth Amendment. The Texas courts had relied on non-clinical criteria when determining whether Mr. Moore was intellectually disabled and the Supreme Court ruled that medical standards should be used. The Supreme Court’s majority decision noted that Mr. Moore had serious mental and social difficulties beginning in childhood that were not taken into account by the lower court.
If things had gone as they should, the Texas courts should have then applied the standard set out by the Supreme Court and found that Mr. Moore was intellectually disabled and not subject to execution. However, that’s not how things are working out in Texas. Texas Pursues the Case After the Supreme Court decision, the Harris County prosecutors changed their tune and asked for a life sentence, agreeing that Bobby Moore was intellectually disabled and should not be executed. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, supposedly applying a new standard, still determined that Mr. Moore was not intellectually disabled and could still be executed. Mr. Moore, who was convicted in 1980 for his part in the killing of a man during a botched robbery attempt, has been appealing his death sentence for decades. In October, Mr. Moore’s legal team once again appealed to the Supreme Court. After the prosecutors made the rare step of siding with the defense, the Texas Attorney General’s Office asked to take over, stating the prosecutors don’t represent the entire state of Texas. A group of conservatives, prominent lawyers, and former deputy attorney generals have jumped into the case and filed a 24-page amicus brief criticizing the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for disregarding the Supreme Court and noting that Mr. Moore is clearly intellectually disabled. It is unclear whether the Supreme Court will take up the case and reverse Texas's ruling. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.
According to the Oregon Attorney General, the number of people deemed “criminally insane” and who then went on to commit new crimes was too high. Oregon law places those deemed “criminally insane” into the hands of the state Psychiatric Security Review Board for a set time not to exceed the maximum sentence for the crime. The board is required to release people who are no longer considered dangerous because of a mental disorder or no longer have a mental disorder. Only about a quarter of those released are found to no longer be dangerous by a medical professional.
High Recidivism Rates A Malheur Enterprise-ProPublica analysiscalculated recidivism rates based on outcomes found in the Psychiatric Security Review Board records. The analysis found that 35% of people who were released from psychiatric supervision were charged with a crime again within three years. Most often they were back in a court in less than a year. Many were found to be homeless after leaving state supervision, despite the fact that securing housing is supposed to be a priority. The analysis determined that Oregon released people found not guilty by reason of insanity quicker than nearly every other state in the nation. The state board and not a team of mental health care professionals make the determination that someone is fit to be released. Solutions Oregon officials are looking to extend the time that people are kept under the supervision of the Psychiatric Security Review Board to allow more time for people to receive the correct treatment. However, there may be other solutions that could mitigate the problem. The state should ensure that the treatment given to those under state supervision is of high quality and effective. Increased funding of mental health treatment programs and other assistance, once people are released from supervision, could go a long way toward improving outcomes. In addition, looking at the criminal justice system as a whole, increasing funding for housing and community mental health programs could help prevent the problem before it even begins. Involving mental health professionals in the decision-making process when it comes to releasing someone from supervision is also important. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental illnesses. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058. |
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