1345 Monroe N.W. Suite 241 Grand Rapids, MI 49505 Phone - 616.447.9064 e- mail - bloemsteve@yahoo.com Robyn's email - sayhope7@msn.com

CAMI Christians Afflicted with Mental Illness

Home
About Us
Contact Us
Books And Studies
Donations
What We Believe
Heartfelt Ministries Calender of Events
Robyn's View
Links- Getting Help
Musical Links
Latest Research Mental Illness
Heartbeat E-letter
Steve's Blog
 Latest  Research on Mental Illness

 

Have you heard of TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)?

It was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of depressed

patients who failed to receive adequate benefit from antidepressants.

 

TMS therapy  works by delivering highly focused MRI-strength magnetic pulse to non-invasively stimulate the brain in the region associated with mood regulation.

 

Patients being treated with TMS therapy do not require anesthesia or sedation and remain awake                            and alert.  It is a forty minute outpatient procedure and it is typically administered daily for 4-6 weeks.                     In an open-label trial, 54% of patientsresponded to treatments and 33% had complete resolution of symptoms.

Insurance companies are reluctant to improve this because it is new.

 

 http://images.google.com/imgresimgurl=http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/09/images/tms.jpg&imgrefurl

Some of the top research in the world.  It is also good on publications for your office, church,etc. Go to National Institute of Mental Health  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

 

Books Recommended

Christian/evangelical
Bloem Robyn and Steve (c2005), Broken Minds, Hope for Healing When You Feel
Like Your Losing It, Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications


Technical -

Advances in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder, Review of Psychiatry, Vol. 24 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1585622303/qid=1123202692/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-6034465-1217704?v=glance&s=books



 

Secular-General
Kramer, Peter, Against Depression (2005)Viking Press
Against Depression http://www.amazon.com/Against-Depression-Peter-D-Kramer/d

Secular personal
Solomon, Andrew The Noonday Demon, At Atlas of Depression (2001), New York: Scribner
http://www.amazon.com/NoondayDemonAtlasDepression/dp/B0002E344I/ref=pd_sim_b_title_5/002-2219277-8104038


 If you have time and you want to learn about the treatment of mental illness.

Nationwide & Online Resources

 

 

 

 

  • Medscape    A searchable resource for professionals and consumers containing summaries of the latest noteworthy psychiatric news, as well as a searchable database of information on illnesses, treatments, and research. Updated daily.

 

  • Medline The National Library of Medicine's complete on-line library of medical publications. Searchable by author, key word, title or topic.

 

The following web site of "medscape" is very helpful to child psychiatrists as well

as those who deal with child and adolescent mental illness.   The link is

 

 

Neruo-imaging  test that indicates bipolar disorder (one page)

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/705207?src=nl_crb

 

Bipolar Disorder Linked to Higher Mortality Rates From Suicide and CVD

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/703080?src=nl_crb

Fish Oil Omega 3 fatty acids -

 

If you using the internet for information there is much to

sift through in regards to fish oil.

 

Many psychiatrists advocate the use of that Fish Oil  (Omega 3) and say that it helps alleviate symptoms of  depression  and  bipolar disorder. But there are mixed studies.  

I can personally testify that it works for me but only as supplement. I am on four medications prescribed by my psychiatrist. 

What has worked for me? You need to look on the side of the bottle and see what amount of  EPA and DHA are in each pill. The highest figures that I have found are EPA - 520 mgs and DHA - 350 mgs. The higher of these strengths, the better the efficacy.

 

 The front of the  bottle usually reads as  1,760 mg and often says Extra Strength.  My psychiatrist has approved of me taking these. Basically it is like eating fish in huge amounts.  If you live in U.K., Australia, France, India etc., it the capsules may have a different label.  DHA and EPA are amino acids.