By Stephanie Taylor: Complete Post through this link…

People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) sometimes experience an unstable sense of self, often coupled with heightened emotions and black and white thinking. And while it’s sometimes easy for those with BPD to feel misunderstood, they want to be seen and heard like anyone else. Whether it’s a reminder to the world or for themselves, tattoos are often a beautiful way to tell these stories.

We asked our mental health community to share their tattoos inspired by borderline personality disorder (BPD) and the stories behind them.

Here is what they shared with us:

And Many More…

By Jillian Enright: Complete Post through this link…

What is rumination?

Rumination describes repetitive thinking, or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences.In other words, we often ruminate when we’re feeling distress due to anger, hurt feelings, anxiety, etc. We end up going over the situation in our minds, over and over again, seemingly unable to stop fixating on the feelings and their cause.

This happens most often for me with feelings of injustice. If I, or someone I care about, have been treated unfairly, I have a hard time letting go.

Story time

When I was fresh out of College, working my first full-time job as a newly-minted Youth Worker, I had a terrible landlord. There were numerous repairs needing to be done around the house, which of course he never did.

One day, I had to stay home from work because I was quite sick. I took some cold medicine and fell asleep on my couch, only to be woken up to my landlord trying to enter my apartment with his key! He hadn’t called ahead, he hadn’t booked an appointment to come in, nor given notice that he needed access to the apartment.

He had a contractor with him to come and finally complete one of the necessary repairs, but I wasn’t about to let two strange men into my apartment while I’m in my pyjamas and drowsy on cold medicine.After a series of issues, I ended up taking this landlord to the provincial tenancy board. We had to have a hearing where I described to a mediator all the issues and presented evidence for my claims.

I won the case and things ended well, as my then-boyfriend and I moved in together. We were engaged shortly thereafter, and have now been married for 15 years (wow, we’re old!).It took a few months from start to finish for a full resolution, but looking back, it wasn’t as big of a deal I made it out to be. Between submitting the paperwork, attending the hearing, and waiting for the mediator’s decision it probably took up a couple of days of my time.

However.

By COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER: Complete Post through this link…

ngd-How can anyone think that any drug, legal or illegal (including alcohol) could dramatically change the brain’s biochemistry but somehow be entirely without risk???

A first-in-class drug engineered to selectively inhibit the signaling pathway of the cannabinoid receptor holds potential as a safe and efficacious treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD). CUD is a condition in which an individual struggles to regulate their cannabis consumption, despite it causing issues in their life.

During a Phase 2a clinical trial conducted by Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Aelis Farma, a French biopharmaceutical firm, researchers found that the candidate drug, AEFO117, significantly reduced the effects of cannabis in daily cannabis smokers.

By Melissa Suran: Complete Post through this link…

ngd-Seems reasonable to me if you actually want to do something about long covid…

Through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), HHS issued a new advisory to help primary care clinicians identify and manage mental health symptoms associated with long COVID, which it defines as health issues that develop or persist for 4 or more weeks after an initial COVID-19 infection. The advisory discusses the epidemiology of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, and cognitive impairment and provides resources for clinicians to assess and treat these issues.Why This Is ImportantThe advisory states that at least 10% of people who develop COVID-19 experience long COVID symptoms, which may worsen over time and can continue in a pattern of relapse and recovery.“We know that people living with Long COVID need help today, and providers need help understanding what Long COVID is and how to treat it,” HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, MD, said in a statement. “This advisory helps bridge that gap for the behavioral health impacts of long COVID.”The Range of SymptomsAccording to the advisory, mental health symptoms linked with long COVID include

• Anxiety
• Cognitive impairment, such as brain fog
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Initial onset of substance use disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Posttraumatic stress disorder
• Psychosis
• Sleep disorders

In an interview with JAMA, Roy Perlis, MD, MSc, who was not involved with the advisory, said he was “very pleased that SAMHSA stepped forward to emphasize that mental health symptoms are common in people with long COVID.” Perlis is the associate chief for research in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. “When we don’t talk about those symptoms,” he said, “we potentially deprive people of the opportunity to address some of the long COVID symptoms that may be really impacting their lives.”

By AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION: Complete Post through this link…

Regular olive oil consumption is associated with a 28% lower risk of fatal dementia.A recent study suggests that incorporating olive oil into one’s diet could help reduce the risk of death from dementia. With many countries witnessing rising rates of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, the study provides hope that diet, among other healthy lifestyle factors, can aid in preventing or slowing down the progression of these debilitating conditions.

From Detroit Disability Power: Complete Post through this link…

July 26, 2023
The Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and Comerica Bank continue the Disability Pride Month Game Changers series throughout July by celebrating Cosma, the organization’s founder and executive director.

“We are inspired by the work of Dessa Cosma and Detroit Disability Power, elevating conversations around accessibility, equity and inclusion for the disability community across metro Detroit,” said Kevin Brown, director of community impact for Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. “Dessa is making a lasting impact on the lives of countless others – the true merit of a Game Changers honoree.”

DDP works with local organizations, cultural and academic institutions, business leaders, city officials and policymakers to create more accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
Read the full article here

By Andrew Pulrang: Complete Post through this link…

Every disabled person’s disabilities, experiences, and needs are different. And disabled and non-disabled people are still more alike than they are different. But here are seven things disabled people have to think about everyday – things that most non-disabled people simply don’t:

1. How far will I have to wheel, walk, or navigate?

2. Is accessible, timely, reliable transportation available?

3. Will there be a place to sit down?

And several more…

From The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies: Complete Post through this link…

On the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we commemorate rather than celebrate its enactment. While it’s important to recognize how far society has come due to disabled activists’ tireless work to push for the passage of the ADA, we must remember that many of the promises of the ADA remain unrealized 33 years later.People with disabilities still encounter disaster shelters and disaster recovery centers that are physically inaccessible, and do not provide ADA-mandated sign language interpreters or material in accessible format. We are often turned away from shelters for being disabled or relegated to segregated “special needs” shelters, if not altogether hauled away to a nursing institution.

Despite the Supreme Court mandate of the Olmstead decision to provide services in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of the person, countless disabled siblings who have been conscripted to nursing facilities and other institutions have died or lost their liberty. We know that people with multiple marginalized identities are disproportionately institutionalized and discriminated against. As we mourn our disabled siblings who have died in institutions this year, we also mourn the passing of Lois Curtis, one of the named plaintiffs in the Olmstead case; former Senator and former Connecticut Governor, Lowell P. Weicker Jr, one of the architects of the ADA; Judy Heumann, who is often described as the founding mother of the disability rights movement; as well as countless others who advocated for the rights of people with disabilities.In the spirit of labor activist and songwriter Joe Hill who proclaimed, “Don’t mourn, organize!” The Partnership is challenging you to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the ADA and honor the passing of disabled leaders who have passed this year including those who died in institutions.

Consider taking steps to move the mandate of the ADA forward to protect the rights of people with disabilities in disasters and emergencies. Here are some examples of things you could do:

By Toussaint Fancher: Complete Post through this link…

A new report has found many polling places in Metro Detroit were not fully accessible for people with disabilities in the last midterm election.

The report by Detroit Disability Power and The Carter Center audited 261 polling places across 15 jurisdictions in Southeast Michigan during last year’s midterm elections, finding that 84% of the polling places appeared out of compliance with accessibility requirements.

The report looked for accommodations including an accessible parking area with a clear pathway into the building, an accessible entrance into the building, a fully accessible voter assist terminal, and an accessible booth for casting paper ballots privately.

The biggest issue the groups found was a lack of accessible entrances.

From Propublica: Complete Post through this link…

Search over 90,000 nursing home inspection reports to look for trends or patterns, evaluate nursing homes near you and compare nursing homes by state.

Serious Deficiencies

Average Fines

Delayed Inspections

There is also information to help you interpret what you find…