Hospitals & Asylums
State Mental
Institution Library Education (SMILE)
To amend Chapter
4 Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital by replacing Subchapters I Establishment And
Management; Pensions, Moneys, And Appropriations and; Subchapter II Inmates;
Burden Of Expenses Thereof; Detention Of Insane; renumbering Subchapter III
Mental Health System for the District of Columbia to Article X, transfer §321-329
from Chapter 9 Hospitalization of the Mentally Ill National Returned from
Foreign Countries to Article 6 §189-194 of this Chapter, to
conditionally recognize the new occupants as Customs, to bring federal torture
statute and other general laws in compliance with the Convention against
Torture (CAT). To change the name of the Substance Abuse
Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) to the Social Work Administration
(SWA). To abolish civil
commitments and prohibit drug enforced medication. To terminate the license of
all private psychiatric hospitals, state mental institutions and general
hospital psychiatric wards, other than forensic. To transfer responsibility for Mental Health
Courts to licensed social workers employed by the Board of Mental Health with
adequate supervised community shelter bed support. The prescription of any
antipsychotic medication but Risperidone (Risperdal)
is presumed medical malpractice. To cure
the dangerous neuromuscular side-effects of antipsychotic and childhood
stimulant medication the FDA approves the antiviral Amantadine (Symmetrel) as a substitute for Cogentin (benztropine mesylate) that cured
symptoms with one dose in minutes. The
oral narcotic antagonist Naltrexone must complement opiate prescriptions (such
as methadone, OxyContin, and Vicodin). Herbal alternatives for the treatment of
anxiety and depression include St. John’s wort for
mild cases and Valerian for more severe cases of nervous stress. Lemon balm soothes hyperactive children. Chamomile is useful for falling into a
restful sleep, but some people are allergic. Coffee and tea are the frontline
treatment for migraine.
Be the
Democratic and Republican (DR) mad house Dissolved, referred to the National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill
1st
Draft August 2004, 2nd May 2005 3rd 28 February 2007, 4th
30 July 2007, 5th 20&22 April 2009, 6th 16 March
2011, 7th 7 March 2013
1.This Act may be titled the State
Mental Institution Library Education (SMILE) Act to express, in writing, the
idea that a free public library education is the ideal treatment for otherwise
unemployed people suffering from mental illness, the diagnosis of mental
illness or discrimination on the basis of alleged mentally illness (ami). Under 24USC(9)§326 (1&2) a psychiatric hospital must
release a patient in 48 hours from making a request or begin judicial process
in five days. No patient held without
criminal charge, who verbalizes their preference for community alternatives,
whether or not they can afford them, should be denied release. Timely
torts regarding release create an enforceable Mental Institution Relative
Release Order Request (MIRROR).
Should the MIRROR be broken, community re-investment of the hospital shall be
locally enforced by social worker
pursuant to District of Columbia Mental Health System statute, as codified for
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital under 24USC(4)III§225. This Act establishes in the federal government
a Social Work Administration (SWA) to supersede the Substance Abuse Mental
Health Service Administration (SAMHSA).
This Act abolishes civil commitment, judge enforced medication and
psychiatric emergency services (PES).
This Act terminates the licenses of all inpatient psychiatric hospitals,
private psychiatric hospitals, general hospital psychiatric wards and state
mental institutions, other than forensic. In the interim patients 9-11 first
responders and EMTs, must boycott all general hospitals with psychiatric wards
to avoid going to the most corrupt hospital in every town. This Act
authorizes only licensed independent professional social workers to judge
mental health courts, tort claims, and refer patients to residential treatment. Medical professionals are reminded to treat
the neuromuscular side-effects of antipsychotic and childhood stimulant
medication with Amantadine (Symmetrel) in hopes of
reversing the rise in autism diagnosis with half a tablet for children and a
quarter tablet or infants exhibiting autistic tics. Antipsychotics and sleep aids are the leading
cause of fatal drug overdose.
Neuromuscular side-effects have manifested in all clinical trials of all
antipsychotic drugs but Risperidone (Risperdal)
therefore the prescription of any antipsychotic medication but Risperidone (Risperdal) is presumed intentional medical
malpractice. Tricyclic antidepressants
have also been found to be potentially fatally neurotoxic at regular doses and
have been replaced with Supplemental Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) that
are known to cause more than 200 minor side-effects. Anxiety
and depression are best treated with herbal teas such as St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) and Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). Lemon balm (Melissa
officinalis) and milky oats (Avena sativa, A. fatua) are known to be an effective remedy for calming
hyperactive children. Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile,
Matricaria recutita and related species) will put you into a restful sleep, but some people are
allergic.
2. St. Elizabeth’s
Hospital, was founded by Dorothea Dix in 1855 with a maximum capacity of
250. However by the 1940s, the Hospital complex covered over 300 acres
and housed 7,000 patients. It was the first and only federal mental facility
with a national scope. Politicians were importing mentally ill people. In
1987, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) acting in behalf of the
federal government transferred the hospital operations to the District of
Columbia, while retaining ownership of the western campus. Under the regulation
of the District of Columbia Council the patient population steadily declined,
and the Hospital now houses only 600 patients in 1992. In 2010 the Department of Homeland Security
assumed control of the property, wherefore the sixth draft makes technical
amendments, on the condition that Title 6 of USC and CFR be
re-named “Customs”. The World Health
Organization Report on Mental Health of November of 2001 estimates that
mental illness and psychological disorders stemming from substance abuse affect
a combined total of 450 million people, 7.3%, of the 6,137,000,000
global population. The Surgeon
General’s Report on Mental Health of 1999 stated that 55% of Americans
suffered from mental illness at some time in their life and 1 in 5 Americans
experience a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year, more than 5%
serious. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 15
-24 year olds. In 1997 30,535 people died from suicide in the U.S. It was
the 11th leading cause of death in 2000 for all age groups.
The highest suicide rates are found in white men over the age of 85.
Twelve-month prevalence and severity of DSM-IV disorders,
2003
|
Total |
Serious |
Moderate
|
Mild |
|
|
|
%
|
%
|
% |
% |
|
I.
Any Mental Disorder |
26.2 |
22 |
35.5 |
37 |
|
One disorder |
14.4
|
9.7
|
31.1
|
52.4
|
|
Two disorders |
5.9
|
25.6
|
42
|
26
|
|
Three or more disorders |
5.9
|
48.9
|
39.9
|
10.1
|
|
II.
Any anxiety disorder |
18.2 |
22.5 |
33 |
44.4 |
|
Panic disorder |
2.7
|
45.1
|
27.5
|
27.4
|
|
Agoraphobia without panic |
0.8
|
37.3
|
33.3
|
29.5
|
|
Specific phobia |
8.7
|
21.5
|
29.6
|
48.8
|
|
Social phobia |
6.8
|
29.9
|
38.4
|
31.6
|
|
Generalized anxiety disorder |
2.7
|
29
|
46
|
25
|
|
Post-traumatic stress disorder |
3.6
|
36.6
|
32.6
|
30.3
|
|
Obsessive-compulsive disorder |
1.1
|
41.6
|
26.1
|
32.4
|
|
Separation anxiety disorder |
0.9
|
43.3
|
24.8
|
31.9
|
|
III.
Any mood disorder |
9.5 |
44.8 |
40.2 |
15.1 |
|
Major depressive disorder |
6.7
|
30.1
|
50.2
|
19.7
|
|
Dysthymia |
1.5
|
49.7
|
32.1
|
18.2
|
|
Bipolar I-II disorders |
2.6
|
82.9
|
17.1
|
0
|
|
III.
Any impulse‑control disorder |
8.9 |
33 |
51.5 |
15.5 |
|
Oppositional-defiant disorder |
1
|
49.6
|
40.3
|
10.1
|
|
Conduct disorder |
1
|
40.5
|
25
|
34.5
|
|
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder |
4.1
|
41.3
|
35.2
|
23.5
|
|
Intermittent explosive disorder |
2.6
|
23.6
|
74.6
|
1.8
|
|
IV.
Any substance disorder |
3.8 |
27.3 |
26.1 |
9.9 |
|
Alcohol abuse |
3.1
|
26.3
|
26.6
|
10.4
|
|
Alcohol dependence |
1.3
|
28.3
|
37
|
13.9
|
|
Drug abuse |
1.4
|
36.4
|
20.1
|
10.8
|
|
Drug dependence |
0.4
|
57.3
|
22.8
|
7.5
|
3. The most prevalent mental
diseases are; a. “major depressive disorder” affecting 9.9 million people or 5%
of the U.S. population every year; b “Bi-polar disorder” affecting 2.3 million
U.S. adults or 1.2 % of the U.S. population; c. “Schizophrenia” affecting 2.2
million U.S. adults about 1.1% of the U.S. population; d. “Anxiety disorders”
affecting 19.1 million U.S. adults; e. “panic disorder” is an anxiety disorder
that affects 2.4 million U.S. adults, f. “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” is an
anxiety disorder affecting 4.0 million or 2.8% of the populace, g. “Social
Phobia” affecting 5.3 million or 2.8% of the populace. h. “agoraphobia
and specific phobia” affects 5 million people. i. “Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder” is a disorder that affects 4.6% of school age
juveniles. j. “Alzheimer’s disease” affects an estimated 4 million senior
citizens. k. According to US Army reports the suicide rate for American
soldiers serving in Iraq is 17.3 per 100,000, nearly five time the rate for the
Gulf War and 11% higher than for Vietnam. Over 19% of OIF veterans and
almost 12% of OEF veterans reported some mental health concerns (e.g., PTSD,
depression, and anxiety). Nearly 10% of OIF veterans and 5% of OEF
veterans reported symptoms of PTSD. Even when using a strict definition
of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, they found that 8% of those surveyed reported
anxiety, 8% reported depression, and 13% acknowledged PTSD-type symptoms.
The National Vietnam Veterans Survey (1990) found that 15% of veterans surveyed
could be diagnosed with PTSD at the time of the survey, but that as many as 30%
of veterans eventually developed PTSD at some point following their combat
experience. The Social Readjustment Ratings Scale,
devised by the American doctors T.H. Holmes and R.H. Rahe,
is a guide to assessing the potentially stress-inducing factors that may be
affecting you at any particular point in your life. The 41 positive and negative life events in
the chart have each been assigned a value according to the amount of physical
and/or mental adjustment required to cope with the event. Those scoring more than 300 units in any one
year may have a greatly increased risk of illness. Bringing your score down to 150-299 reduces
this risk by 30 per cent, while a score of 150 or fewer carries with it only a
slight risk of illness. Since individual
responses to particular situations vary so greatly, you should regard your
score as only a crude indicator of the way you are reacting to levels of
stress. Many doctors today accept that 75 percent of illness is caused by stress
related conditions. Stress is not all
negative. It can be a very positive
feature in our lives.
Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale
|
Life event |
Life change units |
|
Death of a spouse |
100 |
|
Divorce |
73 |
|
Marital separation |
65 |
|
Imprisonment |
63 |
|
Death of a close family member |
63 |
|
Personal injury or illness |
53 |
|
Marriage |
50 |
|
Dismissal from Work |
47 |
|
Martial reconciliation |
45 |
|
Change in health of a family member |
44 |
|
Pregnancy |
40 |
|
Sexual difficulties |
39 |
|
Gain of new family member |
39 |
|
Business readjustment |
39 |
|
Change in financial state |
38 |
|
Change in frequency of arguments with spouse |
35 |
|
Major mortgage |
32 |
|
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan |
30 |
|
Change in responsibilities at work |
29 |
|
Son or daughter leaving home |
29 |
|
Trouble with in-laws |
29 |
|
Outstanding personal achievement |
28 |
|
Spouse begins or stops work |
26 |
|
Begin or end school |
26 |
|
Change in living conditions |
25 |
|
Revision of personal habits |
24 |
|
Trouble with boss |
23 |
|
Change in working hours or conditions |
25 |
|
Change in residence |
20 |
|
Change in schools |
20 |
|
Change in recreation |
19 |
|
Change in church activities |
19 |
|
Change in social activities |
18 |
|
Minor mortgage or loan |
17 |
|
Change in sleeping habits |
16 |
|
Change in number of family reunions |
15 |
|
Change in eating habits |
15 |
|
Vacation |
13 |
|
Christmas |
12 |
|
Minor violation of the law |
11 |
4. During 1999 there were 1.7
million admissions to inpatient psychiatric treatment. 424,450 were involuntary
commitments. Although the number of resident patients has gone down the
overall number of admissions has increased. In 1963, when the Community Mental
Health Center Construction Act was passed, the median stay in
a psychiatric hospital was 17 days and mean 20 days. In 1975 the
median stay was 6.7 days and the mean 11 days. Since the 1950’s public
funding policy has been to close state mental institutions in support of
community based care. The number of patient care episodes has both
greatly increased and become increasingly directed to less than 24-hour
treatment facilities. In 1955 there were 1.7 million care episodes
of which 77% were treated in 24-hour care facilities. By 1971 there were
4.1 million cases of which 58% were treated in less than 24 hours, by 1998 11
million care episodes were treated only 24% of the time in 24-hour treatment
centers. The numbers show that de-institutionalization policies
between 1970 and 1998 have been successful in reducing the supply of totally
government funded psychiatric beds by a total of 376,704. State and county mental institutions having reduced their number of
inpatient beds from 413,066 in 1970 to 63,525 in 1998. Likewise VA
medical center psychiatric beds went down from 50,688 in 1970 to 13,301 in
1998. To compensate private psychiatric hospitals, non-federal general hospital
and residential centers for emotionally disturbed children that are funded 68%
by private clients’ HMO have increased 51,348 beds. Between 1970 and 1998
Private psychiatric hospitals have increased in patient population from 14,295
to 33,635, Non-federal general hospital psychiatric wards have increased from
22,394 to 54,266, residential treatment centers for emotionally disturbed
children increased from 15,129 to 33,483. The total number inpatient beds
of all “mental institutions” declined from 515,572 in 1970 to 198,195 in
1998. The objective is to increase the number of residential treatment
beds and reduce the number inpatient beds.
5. In 2000 at the Conference on the
Report of the Surgeon General Ohio Director of Mental Health Mike Hogan PhD
promised to, “close all state mental institutions and private psychiatric
hospitals to provide unimpeded access to community mental health.” On
June 18, 2001 President Bush signed E.O. 13217 Community Based Alternatives
for Individuals with Disabilities to (1) commit the United States to
community based alternatives for individuals with disabilities (2) community
programs foster independence (3) unjustified isolation or segregation through
institutionalization is prohibited (4) states must take responsibility to place
people with mental disabilities in community settings (5) states must ensure
that all Americans have the right to live close to their families and friends,
to live independently, to engage in productive employment and to participate in
community life. WHO recommends that in the future, “governments take
responsibility for providing treatment for mental disorders within primary
care; ensuring that psychotropic drugs are available; replacing large custodial
mental hospitals with community care facilities backed by general hospital
psychiatric beds and home care support.” Dr. Hogan was appointed head of the New Freedom Commission
on Mental Health in April 2002 by the President of the United States
as a commitment to eliminate inequality for Americans with disabilities.
The Freedom Commission found. Stigma remains a significant problem. A
diagnosis of mental illness is often accompanied with fear and hostility by the
general public not to mention a person’s own friends and family. Stigma
decreases the willingness of people with mental illness to seek or pay for
services. People with mental illness need choice and
availability of acceptable treatment options or they are unlikely to engage in
treatment or to participate in appropriate and timely interventions. Thus
giving access to a range of effective community based treatment options is
critical to achieving their full community participation. Despite the potential
millions of people with severe mental illness lack housing to meet their
needs. Participation by people with mental illness in service planning
should be a priority and policy makers should increase opportunities for
participation.
6. Unlike
other medical specialties the quality of care for Americans with mental
health problems remains as poor today as it was several years ago. This comes
after decades of political improvement. Patients on antidepressant medication
are about as likely to receive appropriate care today as they were in
1999. Similarly, patients hospitalized for mental illness are only
marginally likely to receive appropriate follow-up care according to the
National Committee for Quality Assurance in 2006. Even more alarming, Joseph Parks of the Missouri Department of Mental
Health reports that people with serious mental illness die at age 51, on
average, compared with 76 for Americans overall. Their odds of dying from
the following causes, compared with the general population. 3.4 times more likely to die of heart disease. 3.4 times more likely to die of diabetes. 3.8 times more likely to die of accidents. 5 times more likely to die of respiratory ailments. 6.6 times more likely to die of pneumonia or influenza.
Adults with serious mental illness treated in public systems die about 25 years
earlier than Americans overall, a gap that's widened since the early '90s when
major mental disorders cut life spans by 10 to 15 years. Psychiatric medication has become an accepted method for
treating mental illness since the deinstitutionalization movement began in the
1950s. Mental illnesses are among the
most common conditions affecting health today:
One in five American adults suffers a diagnosable mental illness in any
six month period. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, though,
some 90 percent of these people will improve or recover if they get treatment.
Most will recover on their own without treatment, meditation is typically the
best medicine. Adult use of antidepressants almost
tripled between 1988-1994 and 1999-2000. Ten percent of women 18 and older and
4 percent of men now take antidepressants.
The use of psychotropic drugs in children has risen 327% between 1985
and 1999. Prescription
psychiatric medicine, neuroleptics; hypnotics (sleep aids) and antipsychotics
have become the most frequent cause of fatal drug overdose reported to Poison
Control Centers, and childhood stimulants and antidepressants the fifth. A hypnotic is a drug that produces
sleep, a sedative is one used to relieve tension and anxiety. The most commonly used hypnotics and
sedatives are the barbiturates but opiates ovderdoses
have increased tenfold over the past 11 years.
Anxiety and depression are best treated with herbal teas such as St.
John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) and Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). Lemon balm (Melissa
officinalis) and milky oats (Avena sativa, A. fatua) are known to be an effective remedy for calming
hyperactive children. Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile,
Matricaria recutita and related species) will put you into a restful sleep, but some people are
allergic.
7. Antipsychotic medication and child stimulants such as
Ritalin have all been found to cause neuromuscular tics, known as extra
pyramidal side effects and Tourette’s syndrome, respectively. In general, it is estimated that forty to
fifty percent of medications are overused and mis-prescribed,
especially tranquilizers (including barbiturate and opiate sleeping pills and
mind-altering drugs particularly antipsychotic medication), cardiovascular
drugs and gastrointestinal drugs. The
medications used to treat heart disease, high blood
pressure and vascular disease are also widely abused. Let it be known Hawthorne is the supreme herb
for the heart. First generation
antipsychotics caused a 30 percent chance of permanently disabling tardive
dyskinesia for every year of use. With
the exception of Risperdone (Rispderdal),
all second generation atypical antipsychotic drugs, including Lithium, are
known to cause potentially life-threatening neuromuscular side-effects, known
as extra-pyramidal symptoms, with just one regular dose, which is typically achieved
gradually while under professional supervision in a psychiatric hospital. Any prescription for antipsychotic medicine
other than Risperidone (Risperdal) should be presumed
to be medical malpractice and discontinued or changed to Risperdal (Risperidone) if concerned about a violent withdrawal.
Extra-pyramidal side-effects of antipsychotic drugs can manifest after taking so little as one dose and may last until treated. The symptoms present as neuromuscular tics
that seize the face, arms are generally clenched, there
is extreme anxiety to walk around which inhibits socialization. The FDA approved, but untried, remedy, is the
Parkinson’s antiviral drug Amantadine (Symmetrel), to
replace Cogentin (benztropine mesylate)
which cured extrapyramidal side-effects in minutes, in just one dose, but was
withdrawn from the market in time to explain the recent increase in autistic
tics, since second generation atypical antipsychotic medicine seized the
market. One half or one quarter dose, of
either of these Parkinson’s drugs, is worth a try to permanently cure autistic
tics in children and infants. If
Amantadine doesn’t cure autistic disorders don’t settle for less than
Cogentin. Amantadine (Symmetrel) must be made available to all people prescribed
antipsychotic and childhood stimulant drug prescriptions to eliminate the risk
of neuromuscular side-effects and should sponsor a drug trial to see if a half
dose for children and quarter dose for infants will permanently cure autistic
tics. Just think: how many autistic
children a school nurse might heal with one package of Amantadine (Symmetrel) and how many more with state sponsored
manufacturing of Cogentin (Benztropine mesylate)?
8. Benzodiazepines are named for their
chemical structure, benzodiazepines are frequently used for the acute symptoms
of anxiety because they are very effective and work within an hour but they are
addicting. They can be used
intermittently, an attribute that some people find attractable. Immediate side effects include sedation, poor
physical coordination, and memory impairment.
Daily use for months can dull your emotions, impair cognitive skills and
contribute to depression. Even if benzos help you initially, learn and use alternative
methods of managing anxiety so you can get off of them when you are not
stressed. Selective Serotonin Reuptake
Inhibitors (SSRIs) are named for their action in the brain and initially
marketed for depression, SSRIs have proved to
enormously helpful for people with different syndromes of anxiety. They need to be taken every day and generally
take some weeks to become effective, so they are not useful for acute
anxiety. Their day to day side effects
are minimal in most people, although some people experience fatigue and a few
become agitated. Most people notice
decreased sexual drive and impaired sexual response. Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) are named
for their chemical structure. TCA are
effective for some forms of anxiety.
They need to be taken every day and generally take some weeks to become
effective, so they are not useful for acute anxiety. They have been supplanted by other drugs,
notably the SSRIs, because of their tendency to cause weight gain, dry mouth,
constipation, sweating and light-headedness due to low blood pressure. Tricyclic antidepressants have a desired
therapeutic activity at low does, but produce life-threatening anticholinergic
effects at high doses. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) are named
for their action in the brain. MAOIs are
very effective. They must be taken every
day, and they take weeks to become effective.
Common side effects include weight gain, dry mouth, insomnia, impaired
sexual response, and light-headedness due to low blood pressure. Their most troubling side-effect is the
potential to cause a stroke if you ingest adrenaline or adrenaline-like
substances. MAOIs can be used only with
a fairly strict diet that avoids food or medicines that contain adrenaline or
adrenaline-like substances. These
include cough and cold medicines and a variety of food products such as aged
cheese and processed meats. MAOIs need
to be used with extra caution. Low doses
are often not effective for depression, however. Buspirone is also
sometimes used in chronic anxiety but has not been found to be effective. When the manufacturer Eli Lilly claimed
Prozac was mostly free of side
effects, the FDA immediately objected.
Such claims were inconsistent with the product labeling that states 15%
of the patients in clinical trials discontinued due to adverse experiences. The FDA demanded that Lilly stop making such
unfair claims. In fact, the label
disclosure statement shows that Prozac has been linked to an astounding 242
different side effects, including 34 different medical problems in the genital
and urinary tract alone. Over a ten-year
period Prozac was associated with more hospitalizations, death or other serious
adverse reactions reported to the FDA than any other drug in America. Two similar drugs for depression, Paxil and
Zoloft, are of similar toxicity. 20 Unusually toxic drugs are drugs that are
linked to more than 50 different side effects.
To meet the unusually toxic test, these many adverse effects must also
occur so frequently that at least 10 percent of the patients discontinued the
drug during testing. Prozac,
Zoloft, and Paxil. Have been known to cause more than two hundred different adverse
effects. Eli Lilly prevailed upon
the U.S. District Court for an injunction against millions of reports of its
blockbuster drug Zyprexa causing widespread diabetes
in consumers, with millions of fatalities particularly when mixed with
alcohol. Marketing of the Zyprexa beginning in the 1990s coincides with a doubling of
the national incidence of diabetes.
9. 5 HTP is a highly recommended and sold over
the counter treatment for depression.
5HTP is a serotonin precursor and can help the body to make more
serotonin and leave the available serotonin in synapses for a longer period of
time, therefore directly affecting mood and warding off depressive
symptoms. 5 HTP can also help with
insomnia, agitation, fatigue and lack of motivation. It is often helpful in chronic pain
situations because it increases sleep needed for healing, improves mood and
decreases sensation of pain. Again 5 HTP
should not be used with other antidepressant medications, especially selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. 5- HTP 100 mg two times daily. SAMe can be helpful in the treatment of depression. It acts as methyl donor and can help the body
to complete and maximize its nerve connections in the brain. SAMe has
antioxidant activity therefore will help to reduce free radical damage in the
body. SAMe can
help the body’s methyl metabolism improve, therefore functioning to increase
energy, improve cognitive function and decrease pain. SAMe has also been
used to treat osteoarthritis, response tends to be
noticed within the first month of use.
Insomnia, anxiety or mania states can be associated with overuse of SAMe. Do not use SAMe with other antidepressant medications,
especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It may cause life-threatening symptoms
(including agitation, tremors, anxiety, rapid heartbeats, difficulty breathing,
diarrhea, shivering, muscle stiffness and excessive sweating). SAMe dosage 400 mg daily.
St. John’s wort Hypericum perforatum
can be very effective for treating mild depression, anxiety, stress, tension,
nerve damage, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). To be effective against stress and
depression, St. John’s wort needs to be taken over a
2 to 3 week period, and it is often cycled over several months to treat chronic
depression and stress. Hypericin, one of the herb’s active constituents, increases
the metabolism of serotonin and melatonin, which aid the body’s ability to
receive and store light. Hyperforin, another important constituent, contributes to
emotional stability by slowing the uptake of those “feel-good”
neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline, allowing them
to circulate longer in the body. Valerian root Valeriana officinalis
is one the safest and most powerful herbal nervines,
used for all manner of stress, insomnia and anxiety. Valerian is a remedy primarily for stress,
tension, insomnia and nervous system disorders.
Studies show that it works by depressing activity in the central nervous
system and relaxing the smooth muscles of the uterus, colon and bronchial
passages. Two compounds, valerenic acid and valerenal,
have been found to induce sleep and indirectly raise levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter that decreases
central nervous-system activity and acts as a muscle relaxant. Valerian is
effective both as a long-term nerve tonic and as a remedy for acute nerve
problems such as headaches and pain. For
those people for whom valerian works, it works well. Some people find it irritating and
stimulating, rather than relaxing. The
root is rich in isovalerenic and valerenic
acids, which give it powerful nervine
properties. Because of the volatile
nature of its aromatic oils, valerian root is generally infused rather than
decocted. Generally
considered safe. If you take too
much valerian you’ll begin to have rubbery-like feeling in your muscles, like
they are too relaxed, or a feeling of heaviness. Cut back the dosage so that you feel relaxed
but alert. Avoid taking large doses of
valerian for an extended period of time, instead, use modest doses for just 2
to 3 weeks, with a week’s break before you begin taking the doses again.
10. Sleep aids are ranked with antipsychotic drugs as the leading
cause of fatal drug overdose. A survey
by the National Institutes of Health conducted in the 1970s revealed that 17
percent of the total population was bothered greatly by insomnia, and among
older people the percentage was even higher, with one out over four people over
the age of 60 reporting serious sleep difficulties. About 10 billion sedative
doses are manufactured each year in the United States. Each year, at least 10 million Americans
consult physicians about their sleep, and about half of them receive
prescriptions for sleeping pills. Barbituates are
all synthetic compounds derived from barbituric acid,
which is a combination of urea and malonic acid. Barbiturates, commonly known as sleeping
pills, produce all degrees of depression, ranging from mild sedation to
coma. They depress brain function, and
in large doses the rhythm of respiration.
The fatality rate is higher for barbiturates than any other type of
addiction (more than 3000 barbiturate suicides per year, or 20% of all suicides
in the United States, and more than 1500 deaths from accidental
poisonings). Alcohol potentiates the
barbiturates, the two depressant are synergistic and the practice of using both
undoubtedly accounts for the unusually high number of accidental self-poisonings
and death from respiratory depression. Chamomile Chamaemelum nobile, Matricaria recutita and
related species are useful for going into a deep, restful sleep. Chamomile is a popular remedy for calming
colic and childhood digestive issues. Some
people are allergic to chamomile. Opioid
drugs, which include OxyContin, Vicodin
and methadone, overdose deaths have increased for the past 11 years. Only 17 percent of these deaths were
suicides, meaning the vast majority were unintentional overdoses. The
Department of Justice reported that fatal overdoses from methadone increased
from 500 in 1999 to more than 5,000 in 2006. Narcotics, also known as opioids, are derived from opium (Papaverum somniferum)
that has been used for pain relief for thousands of years. Opioids are the frontline against severe pain
whereas other non-addictive painkillers are under development. Percocet is usually prescribed for the first
few days, then Oxycontin for more prolonged
pain. These drugs work on the central
nervous system, as muscle relaxants do.
They are addictive, but mild and graduated dosing and withdrawal help
reduce or prevent the cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Most patients fear becoming addicted but
unless they have a history of addiction, this is a worry that is not likely to
come true. When chronic, severe pain
goes untreated or is inadequately treated, problems can also arise, and those
problems can become permanent. Continuing,
urgent pain signals from nerves can result in hypersensitivity in the injured
area. Potent opioids commonly use in the
postoperative patient are morphine, Dilaudid, and
rarely, Demerol. In some cases, a superpotent synthetic narcotic, fentanyl, is used
postoperatively. Fentanyl is about 100
times more potent than morphine in relieving pain. Weak opioids drugs, like Darvocet and Vicodin, are widely prescribed narcotics for mild to
moderate pain following surgery. Codeine
is another weak opioid available in liquid form and more commonly used for mild
to moderate pain in the pediatric population. Narcotic Antagonists prevent or abolish excessive respiratory
depression caused by the administration of morphine or related
compounds. Naltrexone became clinically available in 1985 as a new
narcotic antagonist. Its actions resemble those of naloxone (Narcan), but naltrexone is well absorbed orally and is long
acting, necessitating only a dose of 50 to 100 mg. The State must ensure
that Narcotic Antagonists are provided as rescue medicine with all opioid
prescriptions. The disclosure of patient
residential address by the pharmacy to the breaking and entering of the state
office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is probably the greatest
aspect of opioid overdose risk, that can be reduced by
state law abolishing the DEA reporting requirement of patient address under the Health Insurance Protection and Portability
Act Pub.L. 104–191, 110 Stat. 1936, enacted August 21, 1996; and possibly eliminated by transferring the agency to the
state Department of Health and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
federally.
Sanders, Tony J. Chapter 4:
State Mental Institution Library Education (SMILE). 7th
Draft. 120 pgs. Hospitals
& Asylums. 7 March 2013. www.title24uscode.org/SMILE.doc
Test Questions www.title24uscode.org/smiletest.doc