ultrabadbish

[ultrabadbish]

4/14

My thoughts on mental illness and the death penalty are changing in the direction to argue that no matter what they should get there full punishment. I will continue the rest of the week gathering information to have my argument decided by the end of the week.

Legal insanity is known to begin in 1581 in a English legal treatise that said, “If a madman or a natural fool, or a lunatic in the time of his lunacy” were to kill someone they can’t be held accountable. They used the term “wild beast” test in the 18th century. They could not be convicted if they didn’t understand the crime any better than “an infant, a brute or a wild beast” (criminal.findlaw.com)

Tests have to be ran in order to test for legal insanity. The M’Naghten Rule is the defendant either didn’t understand what they did or weren’t able to distinguish right from wrong because of a “disease of mind.” The Irresistible Impulse test is because of a mental disease the defendant wasn’t able to control impulses leading to a criminal act. The Durham Rule says that no matter what the clinical diagnosis the defendant mental disorder has resulted in a criminal act. The Model Penal Code says that because of a diagnosed mental disorder the defendant is unable to understand the criminality of their actions or was not able to act within the confines of the law. The court can use one or multiple tests and rules in order to test for legal insanity.

Idaho, Kansas, Montana and Utah do not allow the insanity defense against criminal charges. But these states expect for Kansas allow the “guilty but insane verdicts” and often results in institutionalization instead of prison.

So why do we need the insanity defense? They system weighs on facts and evidence so it is supposed to have a moral check on the system. It gives the judge and jury to decide if the defendants are not criminally responsible. It’s kind of like a child who accidentally started a fire, they don’t know any better and should not be treated as an arsonist.

The Mental Health American’s position on the insanity defense is in support of it. They say that it is valuable that, “states provide for the ongoing availability of a complete insanity defense resulting in a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.” They believe that it is “unjust to impose criminal liability and punishment, but also ineffective” on those who have mental impairments. They believe that it is the state’s responsibility to provide those that are acquitted by reason of insanity with the help they need and not treat them as if they have been found guilty. They also believe that the defendant should be able to decide if they want to plead insanity but the courts should make sure that the defendant is capable of understanding the consequences. Guilty but mentally ill laws should be abolished because they are misleading and ineffective.

They do not like the guilty but mentally ill verdict because they think it is inappropriate. They think this because this verdict is not different than just finding someone guilty and because this is an alternative to the insanity defense it can confuse many people including the jury. This verdict provides no benefit to anyone because it is the same consequences as just a guilty verdict. Often it is the exact same sentence of someone who would have been found guilty, including death. Practically every person with the guilty but mentally ill verdict is sent to prison. People with this verdict are given mental health services while in prison but are not treated or have no greater right to the mental health services in prison than those who were just found guilty. All people who are in prison have constitutional rights to receive mental health services so people with a mental illness are being treated no differently and the MHA things that they should be. They believe that guilty but mentally ill laws have no purpose other than to confuse they jury. It can lead the jury to believe that this verdict is a compromise between the not guilty by reason of insanity and guilty. Many states are getting rid of the not guilty by reason of insanity and replaced it with the guilty but mentally ill verdict.

The MHA article will help my argument if I decide to take my paper in the direction of arguing that the insanity defense should be allowed, mentally ill people should not be executed, and the flaws in the guilty but mentally ill laws.

http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-procedure/insanity-defense.html                              

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/positions/insanity-defense

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4/12

An important part of my paper will be finding real life examples of people who were executed that had a mental illness. The following link will provide me with a list of people. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/mental-illness-and-death-penalty#executions

Andrew Brannan was a Vietnam War veteran and was executed in January of 2015. He suffered from PTSD and bipolar disorder. He had no prior criminal record. John Middleton had lots of evidence that he had been diagnosed with many different mental health disorders and even psychiatric medications. It was noted that he talks to people who aren’t there and tells made up stories. He was executed July of 2014. Kelsey Patterson was executed in May of 2004 even though there was a 5-1 recommendation by the Parole Board for Clemency. He believed that electronic devices were implanted in him and controlling him. The list goes on and on but here are a few. This list will be nice when needing to provide evidence.

All this being said, there have been cases where a person’s sentence has been reduced due to mental illness. Abdul Awkal was going to face execution when the Governor of Ohio gave him a 2 week reprieve allowing a competency hearing for mental illness. Judge Stuart Friedman ruled that he was too mentally ill to be put on death row.  He wrote, “Based upon an exhaustive review of all the evidence . . . Abdul Awkal presently lacks the capacity to form a rational understanding as to the reason the state intends to execute him” (deathpenaltyinfo.org). Isaac Stroud’s was on death row and then Superior Court Judge Hudson found that his mental disorder made him mentally incompetent.

So why are some people with mental illness having an easier time and not being executed? Could it be a fault in the justice system? Regardless, there is a lot of controversy about whether or not people with mental illness should be executed.

The difference is the insane and mental illness. Apparently insane is different from mentally ill. According to New York Times insane is defined as, “those who are unaware of the punishment they are about to suffer and why they are to suffer it.” This definition does not include most people with mental illness. The Supreme Court is not protecting people with a mental illness and therefore they can be executed.

8 states have legislation that bars people with severe mental illness from executing. This is called the 8th Amendment Project by an anti-death penalty group. There is no common definition for what should be consider a severe mental illness but typically includes bipolar, PTSD, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and traumatic brain injury.

According to NYT the insanity defense is hardly used and hardly successful. Andrea Yates drowned her 5 children in 2001 because she believed she was saving them from damnation. The jury rejected her insanity defense that she did not understand the consequences of her actions. Often times with cases like this the results can change. Alvin Ford killed a police officer in 1974 and later became obsessed with the KKK and believed that family members and politicians were the victims of hostage crisis. Ford v. Wainwrights went to the Supreme Court in 1986 and ruled that an insane person could not be executed. But 3 years later it was ruled that he was not insane and died on death row in 1991.

Mental illness as well has childhood abuse, trauma and previous criminal record can be presented to a jury when presenting the case. These can weight against the death penalty. James Holmes killed 12 people at a movie theater in Colorado in 2012 and the jury declined to give a death sentence because of a long term mental illness.

I personally think it’s hard to get clear definition of what sane and insane is. It is a changing thing and it can fluctuate. As I am reading and learning more and I am now leaning towards making my argument that the insanity defense should not be a real thing and that you regardless if you did a horrible enough crime you should have to pay for it, even if that means execution. A lot of the time these people that are mentally ill or insane also have some sort of substance abuse that plays a factor.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/us/mental-illness-death-penalty.html?_r=0

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Brain and Incarceration 4/7

The reason we can function is because neurons communicate with each other, we rely on it. Messages are carried across the brain and nervous system via Electrical impulses and chemical signals. A difference in electrical charge happens when a neuron is going. It is kind of an unbalanced charge and it’s called an action potential. Ions concentrate across the cell membrane. They travel fast along the axon, think of dominoes. When it reaches the end most neurons release a chemical message that crosses the synapse and connects to the receptors on the dendrites and the process repeats itself.  A neurotransmitter has the chance to trigger a new chain of messages with a different cell.

The sending of chemical messages between neurons is linked to mental illnesses. Depression occurs when the passing of these messages doesn’t work right. We know that serotonin controls mood, appetite and sleep and research has found that people with lower than normal levels of it have depression. Medications for depression aim to fix the process of serotonin and the sending of a neuron. The more serotonin that stays in the synapse for the receiving neuron the more normal mood functioning. Dopamine, controls thought and emotion and helps control movement and the flow of information around the brain. Not only can problems with this link to Parkinson’s disease but it have been linked to schizophrenia and ADHD. Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter and is known as an excitatory transmitter and when released it increases the chances of a neuron firing. This plays an important role during early brain development and is required for normal function brain because it enhances the electrical flow among brain cells. It also helps with learning and memorization. Autism, OCD, schizophrenia and depression have been linked to having problems with glutamate.

Different parts of the brain controls different things that help us talk, solve problems, and help us make sense of things. The amygdala part activates our response to dangerous situation. It teaches us how and what to fear and creates memories of fear and safety. Improvement of this could help treat disorders like anxiety and PTSD. The prefrontal cortex functions as the judgment, problem solving and decision making part. There is short term memory and working in retrieving long term memories. This also works with the amygdala and helps control it during stressful events. PTSD and ADHD have been linked to those who have reduced activity in this area. The anterior cingulate cortex does a lot from blood pressure, response to when se sense a mistake, motivating and focusing us and managing emotions appropriately. ADHD, schizophrenia and depression has been linked to reduced ACC activity or even damage to this area of the brain. Hippocampus helps us create and remember new memories. If it’s damaged it can’t do its job but it will remember past events as well as keeping a conversation. This has been in relation to people who suffer from mood disorders.

Brain imaging and more research will help us to understand more how mental illness is happening and what we can do to prevent/treat it.  

The criminal justice system and mental health issues is a growing problem. Upon being released from prisoner a person with mental illness does not receive the correct amount of care. According to Mental Health America, “ninety percent of states have implemented policies that withdraw inmates' enrollment upon incarceration” (mha.net) When released they should immediately be eligible for Medicaid. Money tends to be the big issue here, because how do they provide all the care that an inmate needs in and out of jail. “at least 16 percent of inmates in jails and prisons have a serious mental illness. Three decades ago, the percentage was 6.4 percent.” Mental illness is a rising factor and so it is something that needs to be taken seriously.  Another study says that “40 percent of individuals with serious mental illnesses have been in jail or prison at some time in their lives.”

Judge David L. Bazelon for Mental Health suggests many different policies that states can adapt to such as: Screening for mental illness before entry to incarceration, screening for prior benefits upon incarceration, helping prisoners complete applications, specialized parole super vision, making sure they have valid ID’s before release and many others. This may seem like a lot of work and babysitting and maybe it is, but people with mental illness are really struggling. It is a real serious disease that should not go unnoticed. I by no means believe that inmates should be released earlier because of a mental illness rather that we should just provide proper care before and after incarceration.

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/criminal-justice

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/educational-resources/brain-basics/brain-basics.shtml

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All About That Brain 4/4

To back up my argument about I just need to learn all about my topic that is possible. The next few blogs may be a little scattered as I will just be looking for articles that talk about the insanity defense and the execution of criminals who have mental illness. I am 90% sure that I am going to argue that the insanity defense is a good thing and the execution of people with mental illness is wrong but still part of me believes the other side. I will bring in articles from both sides for my paper.

Every cell in our body has a complete set of DNA which is “the recipe of life.” This is your genetic makeup that you got from your parents making you who you are. DNA is a strand of codes that make up important body chemicals. The DNA also controls which genes are brought out and when. We are constantly growing new cells as we grow. With each new cell a copy of the original DNA is made but sometimes the copying isn’t perfect and can cause gene mutations that cause the gene code to be different. Some of these mutations are no danger and some are even good but others can give disabilities or disease. Gene copying can also be affected by the environment, things like sleep, diet and stress.

“Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors can affect how a given gene operates” (nimh). They effect when a gene turns on or off to produce a specific protein. Some of these mutations and epigenetic changes can be passed on to your kids. Scientists think this plays a role in the development of mental disorders.

The brain of a person with a mental illness is different from someone who doesn’t have a mental illness. The brain is a very complex thing and there is a lot to know about the developing of the brain. Neurons are what make the brain and nervous system work. The cells are specialized in transporting the messages between neurons. The three basic parts of a neuron include the cell body, dendrites and the axon. The cell body includes the nucleus, cytoplasm and cell organelles. The nucleus contains the DNA which is the genetic makeup that helps cells grow and repair. Cytoplasm fills the cell and has all the chemicals needed for the cell to work right. Dendrites are how neurons receive contact and chemical and electrical signals that are called “impulses” from other close by neurons. Axon sends the impulses and range in length. They extend from the cell bodies to deliver the impulses to a nerve cell.  Every neuron is surrounded by a cell membrane that separates the inside of the cell from everything around it protecting what goes in and out of the cell. It also responds to the different signals from the outside environment that helps maintain the balance.  They synapses are where messages move around from each neuron to the other as chemical or electrical signals.

As a developing embryo, the brain starts out as a group of small cells. Cells grow and the neurons travel to their designated final destination. The chemical signals guide neurons to form the brain structure. Neurons close to one another make connections and with distant nerve cells to create brain circuits. The circuits will control specific body functions like talking, walking, sleeping and etc. The brain continues growing into the early 20s. The understanding of the development of normal brain structure has helped scientists understand what happens in the brain of someone with a mental illness.  

Neurons rely on communicating with each other. Electrical impulses and chemical signals carry the messages on different paths. There is a small difference in electrical charge when a neuron is activated. The unbalanced charge is caused by the concentration of ions.  Then when it reaches the end of an axon is releases a chemical message aka a neurotransmitter that crosses they synapse to connect to receptors receiving the dendrites.  Neurotransmitters send chemical messages and mental illnesses like depression happen when this process doesn’t work right. When electrical signals are not normal they have been found to cuase symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

This is the main process of how the brain functions and grows. In my next blog I will address what goes wrong in the brain of a person with a mental illness. This will show that something really does go wrong in the brain and as we have seen the brain is a complex thing that cannot just be fixed with a cast or the snap of your fingers.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/educational-resources/brain-basics/brain-basics.shtml#Brain-Research.

[ultrabadbish]

Death Penalty 3/30

I think I have decided on my topic, so let’s just hope I can get enough information to get 10 pages. I am going to argue about the insanity defense but I need to learn more so I can figure out what side I want to take. I thought if I argued against the insanity defense that I could bring in what I have been learning and writing my previous blogs about, serial killers. I could talk about how all serial killers are insane and obviously have something wrong with them if they are killing people.  I will need to have a better understanding on what the insanity defense is.

I want to argue that the insanity defense should be abolished but I am not sure if I can find scholarly articles to back up my point.  If a person is insane and they are not responsible then who is? Killing is killing and it’s wrong no matter who is doing it. I feel like this is something that I could argue both ways, and I just have to figure out what I think the best argument will be.

John W. Hinckley Jr. killed President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and took the insanity defense. It was said that he didn’t understand his actions and therefore shouldn’t be responsible. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity. His attorneys argued that he had “narcissistic personality disorder.” He was placed in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital which is a mental institution in 1982. In 1999, after his attorneys had argued that he was in “remission” and “had a right to return to normal life” (history.com) he was given supervised day trips off hospital grounds and able to visit parents without supervision. Not only did he shoot Regan but also three of his attendants, including James Brady that caused him to have permanent brain damage.

On the other side of the argument, people are arguing that there should be no death sentence for those who suffer from a mental illness. I agree with this but I don’t. There are arguments those individuals who have severe mental illness at the time of crime or execution they should not receive capital punishment. Me being someone who suffers from anxiety, I do things that some people don’t understand. I don’t kill but I do struggle with easy every day social things. So when do you draw the line, because killing is killing regardless of who is doing it. I think that you have to have a good understanding of mental illness to understand the effect that it really has on you. Thomas Provenzano had a history of schizophrenia and mental illness leading up to his crime. His family was not able to afford to get him the help he needed for his illnesses. He believed that he was Jesus Chris and was being “executed because people hate Jesus” (ncadp.org) His sister even wrote a letter to the governor at the time telling him about the situation. Even though there was evidence that he was mentally ill and a trial judge even came to the conclusion that he was, he was still executed by Florida and the governor even approved.

According to ncadp.org, “Mental Health America (MHA) estimates that 5-10% of all death row inmates suffer from a severe mental illness.” People with mental illness often do not understand to waive their rights and may not have a proper knowledge of the criminal justice system. They often give false confessions and are very vulnerable and waive their right to an attorney. The NAMI stands against capital punishment and says the death penalty is “inappropriate and unwarranted” and causes a “distraction from the problems within the mental health system that contributed or even directly lead to tragic violence” (ncadp.org). Idaho, Montana, Kansas and Utah have capital punishment and no insanity defense. A judge can still take mental illness into thought when sentencing.

The Constitution says that a defendant has to be competent in order to stand trial. People who are schizophrenic or have severe delusions usually don’t understand what’s going on.  It is argued that they are not competent enough to stand trial and should be put into a mental hospital. People who use the insanity defense are often rejected and get the guilty verdict which often turns into the death penalty.

Now that I have a direction that I could possibly take my paper, I just have to keep learning so I can choose a side to take.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hinckley-not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/projects/death_penalty_due_process_review_project/serious-mental-illness-initiative-.html

http://www.ncadp.org/blog/entry/mental-illness-and-the-death-penalty1

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Mental Disorder Defense 3/28

I’ll be honest, I am not sure what I am going to write my major paper on. I know that it will have something to do with mental illness but I am not sure what I want to argue about it. I am going to focus on this week learning about different arguments and things about mental illness, so try and bear with me until I figure it out.

While I still find the brain of serial killers very interesting I have a hard time finding facts to back up my claim because there is so many different opinions I am not sure what to believe. So because I want to stay close to this I have been researching into “guilty but insane”. Suzanna Simpson shot her husband and killed her 2 young children and then drove her car into a tree.  She had some really crazy motives such as “the world was evil” (npr.org). She claimed that her dentist “bugged her mouth” and her home was “booby-trapped” (npr.org). She also claimed that she “sent them to a better place.” Her lawyers wanted her to be judged not guilty so they had to prove that she did not know right from wrong because she was not sane, she was crazy. So should she be judged differently because she was not mentally sane? Does that excuse the action of killing 2 innocent children? She was found guilty and not insane with any mention of a mental illness. She was sentenced to life in prison.

Guilty but mentally ill was first brought to the attention of the courts in 1975 in Michigan. The case, People vs. McQuillian allowed for those found not guilty by reason of insanity would go to institutions for the criminally insane and then once they were found “mentally sane” they could be release. People would be released and then go on to commit other crimes. This case said that it was “unconstitutional” to keep people who were found not guilty by reason of insanity for an unstated length of time because it violates the equal protection rights.

Quite honestly I think anybody who kills is not in the right mind because who would ever think that is ok to harm or kill someone? So should the “not guilty by reason of insanity” even be a real thing? Not guilty by reason of insanity is “plea in court of a person charged with a crime who admits the criminal act, but whose attorney claims he/she was so mentally disturbed at the time of the crime that he/she lacked the capacity to have intended to commit a crime” (legaldictionary.com). The trial has to be set on the issue of only insanity and that can be with or without a jury. If a person is found insane the verdict will be “not guilty.” Often the insanity is only temporary for that moment, which I think is crazy, but that’s a topic for another time.  If the insanity is only temporary the judge can require therapy but that varies from each state. If they are insane at the time of the trial it can be postponed, and even forever depending on the recovery of the person. If the condition still exist they may be put into a mental facility for the “criminally insane or confinement in a mental hospital.”

The “insanity defense” is also called “the mental disorder defense.” This move argues that the person shouldn’t be responsible for their actions due to “an episodic or persistent psychiatric disease.” If I was to take my paper in this sort of direction I would argue that this defense should not exist. I would argue this because killing is killing and nothing should excuse that. Plus, I believe that anyone who kills is messed up because really who thinks that is ok to do? I do believe that we should provide more help for those who suffer and may commit such horrific crimes but I still don’t believe they should be treated any differently than those who are “mentally sane.” A mental illness should not be the blame in my opinion. One reason for this is because it can give the stereotype that everyone with a mental illness is a killer and you never know what they could do next. This is true in some cases. I also think that someone could pretend to be mentally ill to try and get away with things. I think that the mental disorder defense should not be a real thing and I will discuss this more in my next blog post.  

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/08/02/486632201/guilty-but-mentally-ill-doesnt-protect-against-harsh-sentences

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/not+guilty+by+reason+of+insanity

[ultrabadbish]

3/17/2017

Tianna Marshall

English 2010

Professor Smith

17 March, 2017

Serving Our Veterans

There are millions of servicemen and women who are risking their lives everyday for our country. While overseas, they witness many traumatic events that can have a really negative effect on them. PTSD affects a high enough number of Veterans that a different approach to Veteran care needs to be taken. According to Heal My PTSD, “Lifetime occurrence (prevalence) in combat veterans 10 – 30%” (healmyptsd.org). From 2015 to 2016 the, “number of diagnosed cases in the military jumped 50%” (healmyptsd.org), but this does not include those who were not diagnosed, and could have either committed suicide or are still living with it everyday. Lewis McKay was a front line soldier on a seven month tour in Afghanistan in 2010. They were under constant attack from the Taliban and in those 7 months he lost 20 friends and saw many comrades blown up. According to Mirror he says, “It is the smell of people’s legs and arms cooking that will never leave me” (Retter). When he returned he believed that it would not affect his life but almost immediately he began suffering from spurts of anger that he feared he may kill his wife Emma. He was diagnosed with PTSD, as well as Emma, who developed PTSD by proxy. Millions of men and women risk their mental health everyday for our freedom and we should be able to provide them with the adequate care they deserve. There are too many barriers preventing active duty military persons and Veterans from getting help with PTSD.

Employing more doctors who specialize in treating PTSD will allow Veterans to get the help they need. Dr. Phyllis Hollenbeck, who worked for a Veterans Affair medical center in Jacksonville, Mississippi witnessed first hand the lack of help in assisting Veterans. She filed a whistleblower complaint and had a domino effect against all other VA medical centers. They found, “long waiting times for veterans seeking doctor appointments” and “acute shortage of doctors” (Oppel Jr. and Goodnough). The combination of long wait times, not enough doctors, and the growing increase in the population of Veterans, makes Veterans not want to seek help and avoid the hassle. In result to long wait times can cause Veterans to put off their treatment and can lead to worse health outcomes and impact their health negatively. According to the Veterans Affairs Access Audit Finding Report they found “lack of provider slots” and “inadequate training of schedulers”(Matkovsky 4). They conducted a survey from patients and the VA found that seventy one percent of military men and/or women did not have appropriate staffing in their medical center they attended. Also, lack of informing Veterans of upcoming appointments and other obstacles allowed for inadequate customer service.  Doctors would often instruct schedulers to schedule an appointment at a certain time even if it was not what the Veteran had asked for. This put a lot of pressure on the scheduler to use inappropriate practices. If there is a good training program for the scheduler it will allow for both the doctors and Veterans needs to be met. An increase in doctors and adequate training methods for all staff members will make a comfortable atmosphere for Veterans.

Easier access to Veteran Affairs Medical Centers will provide Veterans with easier access for getting help. The Veterans Health Administration provides “care at 1,233 health care facilities, including 168 VA Medical Centers and 1,053 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity” (www.va.gov). While they certainly have many facilities, not all are easy to reach for many Veterans.  According to ORH directors, “In particular, rural Veterans have lower access to care for chronic conditions such as hypertension and post-traumatic stress disorder” (Skupien and Warren 2). This is a big disadvantage for military service men and women who live in a rural areas making it difficult to receive proper treatment. Long traveling distance makes Veterans less likely to get the care that they need. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs also recognizes the issue and Hans Petersen, VA Staff Writer says, “These barriers may include long travel times to clinics and hospitals; lack of public transportation; limited access to health care specialists and an inadequate supply of primary care providers practicing in rural areas” (Peterson). Veterans should not be forced to move or live in a place they do not want too just to get the care they need. There should be more Veteran Affair medical centers in rural areas. “According to VA's Office of Rural Health, as of FY 2010, veterans living in rural areas make up 41% of those enrolled in the VA system 39% of enrolled OEF and OIF veterans are from rural areas” (ncbi.org). Veterans that live in a rural area makeup a lot of the population. Reducing travel distance will make it easier for Veterans to get help.

The stigma that having PTSD makes you weak, makes Veterans reluctant to confront their illness. Karen Richards Nichols lost her husband Mark, to suicide. In her blog she talks about the struggles of raising her two kids without a dad and how she wishes she would've recognized the warning signs of PTSD. According to Karen, Mark believed that “PTSD is for pussies” (stopsoldiersuicide.org). The military culture promotes individual strength making many military servicemen and women believe that PTSD shows a sign of weakness. This mindset prevents many from seeking the help that they need. PubMed also said, “Soldiers fear loss of support from their unit as well as fear of career repercussions, as mental-health treatment will appear on medical record” (ncbi.gov). Many often worry that there title may be degraded and they will be frowned upon because they are not able to overcome it on there own. The stigma that PTSD is a sign of weakness needs to be changed. We must provide more resources and knowledge of PTSD to not only Veterans, but those around them in their communities, in order to make Veterans feel comfortable and confident to receive the best care possible. They should never feel ashamed or embarrassed to get treatment because it is normal.

In conclusion, lack of staffing and training, inadequate access to Veteran Affair medical centers, and the stigmas of PTSD are affecting active duty servicemen and women and/or Veterans from getting the correct care for treating PTSD. All of these can be fixed by employing more doctors, producing more Veteran Affairs medical centers and educating everyone on how serious PTSD is. If PTSD is not taken care of it can cause a lot of damage. Suicide is a common reaction from people who suffer from PTSD for too long.  According to the Veteran Affairs Suicide Prevention Program, “In 2014, an average of 20 Veterans died from suicide each day”(1). The servicemen and women deserve nothing but the best care and we should not let anything get in the way of helping them when they fight for us everyday.

[ultrabadbish]

PTSD 3/15

Fun fact, in 2013 the American Psychiatric Association moved PTSD from anxiety disorder to trauma and stressor related disorders class.

Depression and PTSD often come hand in hand. Depression is more common to emerge in those with PTSD than those without. Anxiety often comes with those with PTSD as well as substance abuse. According to The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, “in the 1980s, found that 74% of Vietnam veterans with PTSD had a comorbid substance use disorder “ and “63% of those who met the diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders or drug use disorders had co-occurring PTSD, while the PTSD prevalence among those who met criteria for both AUDs and drug use disorders “ (ncbi.gov). PTSD and substance abuse are very common to be hand in hand at the root of the problem.  It is often more difficult to treat those who have a combination of PTSD and substance abuse and more expensive. Suicide is very high and all the symptoms of just PTSD without substance abuse are multiplied with the two combined.

If you experienced the trauma at a younger age you are more likely to get PTSD. Your race, education and lock of support from family and friends also have an influence. Other factors include longer deployment and a lower military rank. There have been many people say that being female increases your risk of getting PTSD because they are more at risk for sexual assault both in the military and in real life. There was a study during the early 2000’s by the Veterans Health Administration that showed, ”approximately 22% of screened female veterans reported military sexual trauma (MST), a term adopted by the VA to refer to sexual assault or repeated threatening sexual harassment that occurred while the veteran was in the military” (ncbi.gov). Dr. Schnurr is doing research to determine if females do have a greater risk. She says that the VA is doing many large studies to provide answer.

As I talked in my last blog, medications are the most common use for treating PTSD. The only drugs that are approved by the FDA for treatment are sertraline and paroxetine. Any other medication only provides “empirical support and practice guideline support” (ncbi.gov).  Many veterans use “benzodiazepines” to help with PTSD symptoms but there has been a lot of evidence that suggest that it may be making matters worse. Thankfully according to Dr. Bernardy veterans are not using this as much as they used to. To some veterans medication doesn’t do anything and there needs to be more clinical studies in this area.

There has now been research into a vaccine for PTSD. Could it really be possible that they could produce a vaccine for not only PTSD but for all other mental illnesses? Christopher Lowry did a study of the link between behavior and immune system response. He found, “military personnel suggest that immune function can influence the development of PTSD. Soldiers whose blood contains high levels of the inflammatory protein CRP before they are deployed2, or who have a genetic mutation that makes CRP more active, are more likely to develop the disorder” according to nature.com. The tests consisted of injecting “mycobacterium vacce” into mice once a week for three week. Mice with this were aggressive in working with the invader. The mice with the injection were healthy. Another experiment, still injecting the mice with the mycobacterium vacce, modified them to freak over a sound a certain sound. After they had been trained they put it to the test. After the sound had stopped they lost their fear very quick compared to the mice without the injection. This implied that that a vaccine could treat PTSD and prevent it. This could be something that all servicemen and women could get before going out to war and when applying. Kind of like when you go to kindergarten, they want you to get certain shots to prevent you from getting and spreading certain diseases.  I find this very fascinating.

More research advocated that marijuana can reduce PTSD symptoms. This is controversial just like it is in any other argument about legalizing weed. The federal government is trying to make it available to veterans. According to ncbi.gov, “In April 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration approved the first-ever controlled clinical trial to study the effectiveness of cannabis as a treatment for PTSD in military veterans, and in May, Congress voted to lift a federal ban that has prevented veterans’ access to medical marijuana through the VA in states that allow it.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047000/

http://www.nature.com/news/vaccine-hope-for-post-traumatic-stress-1.17746

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Veterans who suffer from PTSD 3/10

The argument for my synthesis paper will be that we need to provide better mental health care of war veterans who return from war and suffer from PTSD or depression. In my last blog post I talked all about PTSD and what it was so now I can go more in the direction of my topic. I feel that it is important to bring in personal real life stories to back up my claim. A lot of soldiers claim that it is the coming home part that is the actual trauma. The movie “American Sniper” is based on a true story and is very heartfelt. When I think of soldiers and PTSD I think of that movie. The movie tells the story of Chris Kyle who is sent to Iraq after the attacks on the twin towers. He was given the nickname “Legend” for his many kills which was claimed to be more than 160 people. Kyle is married and while he is away his son is born. Kyle has a hard time adjusting and is very distracted by the memories of war and his wife becomes concerned for him. Regardless, he leaves for a second tour and kills one of the deadliest men. While he was away for the second time his wife has his daughter. After his 4th tour he returns home and is unable to adjust and is on edge. He talks to a veteran’s affairs psychiatrist and he tells the psychiatrist that he is haunted by all the guys he couldn’t save. To help him get over this he helps wounded veterans in the hospital and gradually begins to adjust. A couple of years later Kyle goes out with an old veteran friend to the shooting range. Kyle was killed that day by the veteran who he was trying to help. He survived multiple years at war but because of PTSD he was killed. Lewis McKay was a front line soldier in 2010 on a seven month tour. According to Mirror he said, “It is the smell of people’s legs and arms cooking that will never leave me.” They were under constant attack from the Taliban where he lost 20 friends and saw many people blown up. When he returned he thought he forget it all but immediately he suffered from burst of anger that were so terrifying he thought he may lash out and kill his wife. He was diagnosed with PTSD but the strain had taken a toll on his wife who developed PTSD by proxy. It was a weird diagnosis but the same thing happened to the wife’s father who was a solider in the Falklands and Gulf war. These families sacrificed their mental health for their country. The family wants to provide help for others who are suffering so they work with the charity “Talking2Minds” that gives free talking therapy to service men and women suffering from PTSD. Since the withdrawal from Afghanistan their service has increased 50% and they desperately need funds. According to Military Times there is new data from the Department of Veterans Affairs that says about 20 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide (2016). Every 72 minutes a veteran commits suicide. In 2014 more than 7,400 veterans took their own lives which accounted for 18% of all suicides in America. 70% of those veterans were not regular users of the veteran affairs services. The risk for suicide for veterans is 21% higher than civilian adults. In veteran female the rates rose more than 85% compared to 40% for civilian females. Below is the link of a women’s story whose husband committed suicide because he had PTSD. The story is very touching and talks about the struggles she and her two children face. Trying to explain what suicide and PTSD to her small children was the most difficult thing. She says her son is afraid of death at age 5 and her daughter growing up so fast to support and help her mother. The husband, Mark, was a combat veteran. Mark thought that PTSD was for babies so his mindset prevented him from seeking help. It is important to make each veteran feel that it is ok to ask for help and PTSD is not a sign of weakness. Many veterans who may be suffering from PTSD do not seek help. They may have the symptoms for 10 years before they become so severe that they are unmanageable. The safety of the vet and everyone around them can be compromised. http://stopsoldiersuicide.org/losing-mark-my-story-of-military-suicide/ http://gawker.com/ptsd-and-me-true-stories-from-military-veterans-1167107848 http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2016/07/07/va-suicide-20-daily-research/86788332/ http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/whole-family-affected-ptsd-horrors-5700112

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PSTD for Synthesis Paper 3/9/2017

I am going to take a break from the topic of my previous blog posts and talk about my topic for the synthesis paper that is due next Friday. For this paper my topic will be about veterans and dealing with PTSD and depression after returning home from war. I will discuss the troubles they face mentally and what the US is doing to help them make the correct adjustment back to civilization.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is something that develops when someone has experienced a scary, shocking or dangerous event. That being said not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event but things like the sudden death of a loved one or sexual or physical assault can cause it as well. Some people who experience a traumatic event can have reactions like shock, anger, fear, nervousness and guilt which are totally normal. The feelings go away with time but a person with PTSD will continue to have these feelings and they may become so strong that they cannot live a normal life. The symptoms typically last longer than one month. According to National Institute of Mental Health the symptoms begin within 3 months of the incident but can appear even years after.

Symptoms of PTSD can vary from person to person. A common one is reliving the ordeal through thoughts and memories. This can include hallucinations, nightmares, and flashbacks. If something reminds them of the trauma such as the anniversary of the event, it can cause them great distress. A person with PTSD may avoid people or places that may remind them of the trauma. This causes feelings of detachment and isolation as well as loss of interest of things they once enjoyed. They may have excessive emotions causing problems relating to others and having difficulty feeling or showing affection. Having trouble sleeping, irritability, outburst of anger, unable to concentrating, and easily startled are other symptoms of PTSD. Physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, rapid breathing, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle tension may appear. If a young child suffers from PTSD they may have delayed development such as toilet training, motor skills, and language.

War Veterans were the first to bring the attention of the medical community to PTSD and was once called shell shock and battle fatigue syndrome. Although it is very common in war vets it can happen to anyone who has experienced a threatening traumatic event. It all depends on how a person reacts to these traumatic events and everyone handles fear and stress differently. Because of this not everyone who experiences trauma will not get PTSD.

According to WebMD about 5.2 million people and 3.6% of American Adults suffer from PTSD during the course of a year and about 7.8 million Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives and can develop at any age. Women are also more likely than men to develop PTSD. This is believed to be true because women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence, abuse and rape. Below are statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of soldiers who suffered from PTSD from each war. The statics are high enough that we know it is a big deal.  

·Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF): About 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in OIF or OEF have PTSD in a given year.

·Gulf War (Desert Storm): About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year.

·Vietnam War: About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam Veterans (or 15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD at the time of the most recent study in the late 1980s, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). It is estimated that about 30 out of every 100 (or 30%) of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime.

To be diagnosed with PTSD you must have some of the above symptoms and an evaluation by a doctor who will perform a physical exam and review your medical history. There are no lab tests that can specifically diagnose PTSD. The doctor will use various tests to rule out physical illness as a cause of the symptoms. After you may be referred to a mental health professional who specifics in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses. The same method they use for anxiety disorder is used for PTSD.

When treating PTSD the goal is to improve daily functions and reduce emotional and physical symptoms. Antidepressants are often prescribed and also selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as mood stabilizers are sometimes used. It all depends on the type of symptoms a person is experiencing.

When a Veteran comes home from combat it is normal to have a harder time adjusting to daily normal activities. Some are able to adjust and others it’s not as easy. If it has been more than a few months it is probably PTSD.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder#3

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/ptsd-overview/basics/how-common-is-ptsd.asp

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/ptsd-in-veterans.htm

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March 3rd

Tianna Marshall English 2010 Professor Smith 03 March 2017 Annotated Bibliography Blair, R.J.R. “The Roles of Orbital Frontal Cortex in the Modulation of Antisocial Behavior.”Brain and Cognition, 1st ed., vol. 55, Elsevier, Canada, pp. 198–208.    In the book “Brain and Cognition” R.J.R Blair addresses the roles that the orbital frontal cortex has on the human brain in relation to antisocial behavior. The orbital frontal cortex has an effect on a person's reactive aggression either increasing or decreasing it. They provided lots of studies about whether or not this may cause a person to have antisocial behavior but it can not be made clear. They provide pictures of a neurological study of people who have described having sociopathy.    I can use some of the studies from the article to show that if there is an abnormality is the function of the orbital frontal cortex that it can cause people to be more aggressive and/or violent. Bonn, Scott A. “Serial Killer Myth #1: They'Re Mentally Ill or Evil Geniuses.” Psychology Today, N/a, 16 June 2014, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wicked-deeds/201406/serial-killer-myth-1-theyre-mentally-ill-or-evil-geniuses. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017.    In the article, “Serial Killer Myth #1: They’re Mentally Ill or Evil Geniuses” Scott Bon argues that serial killers are not mentally ill not are they evil geniuses. Bon says that serial killers are more likely to have antisocial personality disorder which they claim is not a mental illness rather a mental health condition. He argues that there are very few serial killers who suffer from a mental illness. He claims that the stereotype that killers are evil geniuses is wrong but the media has portrayed them as very intelligent. He blames the deranged actions of a serial killer on obsession and psychopathic personalities.    This article could be used against the argument that psychopathy and sociopathy are a mental illness and serial killers do not kill because they have a mental illness. KENDELL, R. E. “The Distinction between Personality Disorder and Mental Illness.” The British Journal of Psychiatry, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1 Feb. 2002, bjp.rcpsych.org/content/180/2/110.full. Accessed 3 Mar. 2017.    The article, “The Distinction between Personality Disorder and Mental Illness” R.E Kendall clarifies the issues regarding personality disorder and psychopathy as a mental illness. He provides the definitions and differences between mental illness and personality disorders. He claims that personality disorders are more severe than any mental illness and often the mental illness is actually a worsened personality disorder. Personality disorders should be regarded as risk factors. Personality disorders are a lot harder to treat than a mental illness and there is not as much information on them. The conclusion made is that personality disorders and mental illness are different things and proved by genetic and clinical evidence. This article can be used to describe what personality disorder is and how it differs from mental illness. It provides a legislative background and includes studies on personality disorders and mental illness. Kiehl, Kent, and Julia Lushing. “Psychopathy.” Scholarpedia, N/a, 2010, scholarpedia.org/article/Psychopathy. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017. In the article, “Psychopathy” by Professor Kent Kiehl and Ms. Julia Lushing provides information on psychopathy. They provide a lot of information on psychopathy including the history of psychopathy and the founding father of psychiatry, Philippe Pinel. Kiehl and Lushing also address the differences between psychopathy and sociopathy. They discuss symptoms and traits of someone who is a psychopath. The causes of psychopathy can be genetics and environmental factors. They also give a study of people who may suffer from psychopathic behaviors and the crime rate in those people. This article will provide me with all the information I need about psychopathy. It will backup my claim that psychopathy is a mental illness. It allow me to express the serial killers do indeed suffer from a mental illness with the studies that the authors provided. N/a. “Dangerous Minds: Mental Illnesses of Infamous Criminals.” Forensics Colleges, Sechel Ventures, 2013, www.forensicscolleges.com/blog/resources/dangerous-minds-criminal-mental-illness. Accessed 3 Mar. 2017.    In the article, “Dangerous Minds: Mental Illnesses of Infamous Criminals” the author provides a list of serial killers who suffer from mental illness and information on the mental illness they suffer from. Three of the most ruthless killers in America Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy and Charles Manson suffered from antisocial personality disorder. This article is addressing personality disorders as a mental illness. Schizophrenia is the most common among serial killers. It provides a short definition of schizophrenia and a list of serial killers who suffered from this. Schizophrenia is considered a mental illness with no argument.    This article can be used to argue that serial killers do suffer from mental illness. I will be able to use the examples of killers in my paper. It can also backup the argument that personality disorders are a mental illness. N/a. “Mental Disorders/Mental Illness Are Not Medical Conditions.” CCHR International, N/a, 7 July 2014, www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-disorders/no-medical-tests-exist/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2017.    In the article, “No Medical Tests Exist” by the website CCHR International, argues that mental disorders are not a real medical condition. They backup their claim by saying that there are no tests that can prove they have a mental illness. The argument that “real diseases” like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and etc can be proven by genetic tests, blood tests, x-rays or chemical imbalance tests whereas mental disorder can not. They even claim that the brain scans that prove a mental condition are wrong and invalid research. They also believe that mental disorders are just made up.    I will use this article for my argument. I will argue against it saying that they are wrong and mental illness can be just as serious as cancer.         N/a. “Mental Illness and the Family: Recognizing Warning Signs and How to Cope.” Mental Health America, N/a, 8 Dec. 2016, www.mentalhealthamerica.net/recognizing-warning-signs. Accessed 1 Mar. 2017. In the article, “Mental Illness and the Family: Recognizing Warning Signs and How to Cope” by Mental Health America, it explains that mental illness is a disease and results in the inability to do everyday functions. It provides background information on mental illness including that there is over 200 classified forms of the disorder. There is a list of warning signs to look for in young adults, adolescents, and adults so you can know what to look for and how to help someone with a mental disorder. It also provides coping mechanisms for the people who have a mental disorder as well as the ones who are close to someone who may suffer from this. I can use this article to better explain mental illness and use the warning signs to provide basic answers on what to look for in someone who may be suffering from a mental illness. N/a. “The Relationship between Suicide and Mental Illness.” Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto Branch, N/a, toronto.cmha.ca/mental_health/the-relationship-between-suicide-and-mental-illness/#.WLo-EYWcHIU. Accessed 1 Mar. 2017. In the article, “The Relationship between Suicide and Mental Illness” the Canadian Mental Health Association addresses the role that mental illness can play in people committing suicide. The article talks about a handful of different mental illnesses and the possibility of suicide with the given illness. It also addresses how to tell the difference between someone who is just grieving and someone who is depressed for a long period of time. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa have the highest suicide rate. It also provides information on substance abuse and how to deal with people who suffer from both substance abuse and mental illness. This article can provide me with information on mental illness and suicide. It can help prove just how serious mental illness is and should not be taken lightly. Robinson, Kara Mayer. “Sociopath vs. Psychopath: What's the Difference?” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/sociopath-psychopath-difference#1. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017. In the article “Sociopath vs. Psychopath: What’s the Difference?” Kara Robinson provides the differences between sociopath and psychopath. A psychopath does not have a conscience whereas a sociopath does, even though it is very weak. Both lack empathy but they are not always violent. Psychopaths are very smart and will often pretend to be interested in you and your life, they are very good actors. Sociopaths make it obvious that they're not interested in anyone but themselves. Sociopaths act without thinking and psychopaths really over think things. This article will be able to provide me with useful information on the differences between sociopath and psychopath since many people confuse them as the same thing.   Rueve, Marie E., and Randon S. Welton. “Violence and Mental Illness.” Psychiatry (Edgmont), Matrix Medical Communications, May 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2686644/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017.    In the article, “Mental Illness and Violence” Marie Rueve and Randon Welton address the issues between mental illness and violence. They bring in research about the population of people with mental illness and criminals. They also bring in biological factors that can play into violence like genetics, neurotransmitters, neuroimaging, and psychophysiology. This article contains multiple studies on groups of people with mental illness and acts of violence. They propose a plan to eliminate the stigma between violence and mental illness and realize that other things may be playing a factor. I may use this article for my argument to backup my claim that people with mental illness are not always dangerous. Sansone, Randy A., and Lori A. Sansone. “Borderline Personality and Criminality.”Psychiatry (Edgmont), Matrix Medical Communications, Oct. 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790397/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2017.      In the article, “Borderline Personality and Criminality” Randy and Lori Sansone present facts about borderline personality disorder and crime rates. They say that borderline personality disorder is more common in females. There was a study among females and males in prison and the results were high for both men and women. BPD is very high in prisons, 25-30% and they are very underrated. The study also took into account what kind of crime the person had committed and if they had any sexual offenses. The factors of BPD among criminals include gender, history of sexual child abuse, domestic violence, impulsive and violent crime, and antisocial traits.    I will use this article for the argument that there is something wrong in the brain of a serial killer. They have to suffer from some sort of mental illness in order to commit such a horrific crime. Pemment, Jack. “What Would We Find Wrong in the Brain of a Serial Killer?” Psychology Today, N/a, 5 Apr. 2015 www.psychologytoday.com/blog/blame-the-amygdala/201304/what-would-we-find-wrong-in-the-brain-serial-killer. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017. In the article, “What Would We Find Wrong in the Brain of a Serial KIller?” by Jack Pemment, argues that there is obviously something wrong in the brain of a serial killer in order for them to commit horrific crimes. He addresses some of the features of a serial killer such as charm and lack of empathy. He brings up some mental disorder that have the symptoms that serial killers have. The disorders that have some of the symptoms that a serial killer has are borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and schizophrenia. With each of these disorders he provides background information and also supporting evidence of serial killers who had those disorders. I will use this article to back up my claim that serial killers suffer from some sort of mental disorder. I will use the disorders listed for support of my claim.        

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Serial killers brain

I am researching more into serial killers, mass murders, and shootings because I want to know what causes these. Is it a mental illness? I think that there has to be something wrong in the mind of someone who thinks that it is OK to go and kill someone or kill multiple people. So whether that is a mental illness or something else I want to find out.

There are warning signs for serial killers and many of them show symptoms of a mental disorder. Antisocial behavior is a common sign that a person may be serial killers. Many have antisocial personality disorder (diagnosed or undiagnosed) which I talked about in an earlier post. They may also be arsonists because this involves manipulating power and control which is something serial killing offers. They may enjoy torturing small animals, have a poor family life, childhood abuse, substance abuse, voyeurism, intelligence, and shiftlessness. Serial killers tend to be very smart and have high IQs. Crime museum says that, “Ed Kemper had an I.Q. of 136 (140 is often used as the genius mark in I.Q. tests). He used his intelligence to convince psychiatrists to release him after serving only five years for his grandparents’ murders, claiming to have reformed. He hadn’t, and he killed eight more women before being caught again.” Serial killers can use their intelligence to outsmart everyone else to make it seem like they are totally normal. Ted Bundy was “notoriously charismatic” and that helped his female victim’s trust him and disarm their suspicions. Ed was diagnosed as a schizophrenic while serving his time in a psychiatric ward after he murdered his grandparents.

As we recall mental illness can be caused by genetics, infections, brain defects or injury, substance abuse, or environmental factors. In many cases serial killers had some sort of traumatic event like sexual abuse that caused them to commit such horrific acts.

Some of my favorite TV shows are Dexter and The Following, they show us a glimpse into the mind of a killer. For myself, I always ask “Why would someone want to kill and why do they choose them?” For these questions I have researched a couple different studies about the serial killer.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Helen Morrison studied 135 serial killers. She found similarities and abnormal chromosome is likely a trigger. Brain scans showed that they don’t develop a sense of attachment and belonging which makes them unable to empathize with victims. The chromosome abnormally begins during puberty and more likely in men.

James Fallon who is a neuroscientist also has an interest in the brains of psychopaths. He came from a long line of very violent people and even killers. He wanted to find out if anyone in his family had the brain of a serial killer. There is a part of the brain called the orbital cortex and Fallon as well as other scientist believe is involved with ethical behavior like impulse control and moral decisions. According to NPR.org Fallon says the following, “People with low activity [in the orbital cortex] are either free-wheeling types or sociopaths," he says.” Fallon explains it as the orbital cortex puts a brake on a part of the brain called amygdala. Amygdala is involved with aggression and appetites and in some people there is an imbalance. So if the orbital cortex isn’t doing its job it could be a brain injury or they were just born that way. None of Fallon’s recent family members had any of those behaviors but he wanted to check. He had 10 of his closest relative’s PET brain scan and blood samples. He examined the family’s brain scans with the brains of psychopaths. The results were his wife, siblings, children and mother was normal. He then took his and found that he had a similar brain of a serial killer. His orbital cortex looks inactive.

Fallon also tested family member’s DNA for genes associated with violence. Fallon 100% had the pattern of a serial killer. But he isn’t a killer, and has never showed traits of one? According to NPR.org scientist believe that brain patterns and genetic makeup isn’t enough to make anyone a psychopath because you are missing the abuse or violence in a childhood.

This could make an argument for me that it’s not just DNA or the brain that cause killers to kill, but when you add that and childhood troubles could cause someone to be a psychopath.

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Split

This week I went and saw the movie Split. It was a super good movie and it was about a guy who has multiple personality disorder. He had 24 different personalities and one of the personalities was a killer. After watching this movie it made me want to learn more and if what this movie was saying was actually true so I looked some stuff up.  I figured since my paper is going in the direction of mental illness and serial killers this may help.

 Multiple personality disorder is also known as DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). The question that occurred to me was “Is this really real”? Could a person actually have different personalities and have no idea what the other personalities are doing. As I researched I found some conflicting answers. According to WebMD, “The diagnosis itself remains controversial among mental health professionals, with some experts believing that it is really an "offshoot" phenomenon of another psychiatric problem, such as borderline personality disorder, or the product of profound difficulties in coping abilities or stresses related to how people form trusting emotional relationships with others.” It has been hard to prove if whether or not it is a real thing or not. It is hard to diagnose and takes time.  This is because the symptoms of DID are very similar to other disorder.  Many with DID also have coexisting disorders. WebMD says, “Statistics show the rate of dissociative identity disorder is .01% to 1% of the general population.”

 So what exactly is DID? It is the presence of 2 or more split identity’s that have power over the person’s behavior. The identities are able to have different ages, race, and sex. They can even be an animal. The switching from personality to personality can take seconds to days to happen. People with multiple personalities experience many other psychiatric problems like depression, mood swings, anxiety, compulsions, suicidal thoughts and alcohol and drug abuse.  They have other symptoms that include amnesia, headache, time loss, and “out of body experiences.” They are often very violent to themselves and others. These people find themselves doing things like speeding or stealing, things that they wouldn’t normally do but they feel they are being forced to do it. They really do believe that they have no other choice. When first diagnosed with the disorder the average person has 2 to 4 personalities and then an average of 13-15 that come about over the course of treatment. There have been some cases of people with more than 100 personalities.

 It is vague on what causes persons to get DID. Research has indicated that it can be a response to interpersonal and environmental stresses mostly during early childhood. Many experience emotional neglect or abuse. According to WebMD, “As many as 99% of individuals who develop dissociative disorders have recognized personal histories of recurring, overpowering, and often life-threatening disturbances at a sensitive developmental stage of childhood (usually before age 9).” In split, the guy was abused emotionally and physically as a kid. The different personalities were made to protect him. The original person that he once was, was no longer there. They “put him away” to protect him from ever getting hurt again.

 I decided to research people with DID.  NFL star Herschel Walker says to have this disorder. It wasn’t until after he had retired he was diagnosed with DID but it began when he was in first grade.  He said he was overweight and had a stuttering problem making it hard for him to fit in. Kids would pick on him until he was in the 7th grade when he decided to make a change. He created the “incredible Hulk” inside of him.  As he began his role in football he lost his role at home and his wife was the target of his anger.  He had many suicide attempts and feelings of disconnect from childhood to the league. He developed this tough personality to cope; he didn’t feel loneliness or fear. He wrote a book about his disorder and today he claims that he is healed.

 There was also a story of a girl who met a guy in the park. A few days later they went on a date and he claims the women began to show some of her 21 personalities. The guy suggested they have sex and the did. A few days later he was arrested because 2 of personalities did not consent. One was 20 years old and the other, a 6 year old, watched. He was charged and convicted of 2nd degree assault because it’s illegal to have sex with someone who is mentally ill and cannot give consent. From the date of the incident the women had increased to 46 personalities. Shirley Mason is most well known for having DID.

 http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder#1

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Paper

This is my paper for the previous week.

When an act of gun violence or mass shooting happens it is in people’s brains to want to know why, to be able to top such a horrific act from happening again. The most common blame is the gun. People who are advocates for more gun safety and regulations, argue that it is the gun rather than the person who is holding the gun. Blaming an object for something makes no sense. That being said if it is not the gun, what is it? There has to be something wrong in the head of the person who is committing these horrific acts, whether that be mental illness, anger, or hatred. There is something wrong in the brain of a person committing these mass shootings. Could a proper diagnosis prevent this from happening again? We should provide more enforced rules and regulations for a person with mental health concerns from getting a gun. Guns should not be blamed for mass shootings rather the mental state of the person committing these crimes.

The New York Times argues that mental illness is not a factor in most violent facts. They say, “entirely eliminating the effects of mental illness would reduce all violence by only 4 percent. Over all, less than 5 percent of gun homicides between 2001 and 2010 were committed by people with diagnoses of mental illness.” (par. 3) This study may be true but a lot of the mass shooters are killed in the process by either the police or themselves. To be able to determine if they did have a mental illness you would have to base it on things you learn from their social media, friends and journals, which can sometimes be inaccurate because people can pretend to be someone they are not. It is hard to get an accurate percentage when you have nothing to test. According to American Journal of Public Health, “Reports suggest that up to 60% of perpetrators of mass shootings in the United States since 1970 displayed symptoms including acute paranoia, delusions, and depression before committing their crimes.”(par. 4) While these people may have not be diagnosed with a mental disorder by a mental health professional, the signs that they had some sort of mental illness are there. Maybe these people do not have a proper diagnosis of a mental health condition but that is not to say that they do not have anger issues or something wrong in their brain to make them do something so horrific.

There has to be something wrong in the brain of someone who decides to go and shoot innocent children at an elementary school. Adam Lanza, the shooter of Sandy Hook elementary “killed 20 children and 6 adults” (par. 4) in December of 2012. Lanza was diagnosed by the media to of had schizophrenia because of his acts of slaughter. This could not be confirmed by a special psychiatrist because Lanza killed himself after the incident. These acts clearly fall outside the bounds of someone who is not sane, because how could any sane person do such a terrible thing? He also, “struggled with basic emotions as a child and wrote a story in which an old women with a gun in her cane kills wantonly.” (par. 5) He was very preoccupied with violence and according to ABC News, a teacher at his Christian school said, “he presented very differently from the other children.” (par. 18) He also had “very distinct anti-social issues.” (par. 19) These are all signs of a schizophrenic.

James Holmes who was the shooter of the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado was visiting with a psychiatrist who specialized in schizophrenia before he committed this horrifying act. According to CNN, “12 people were killed and 70 injured.” (par. 1) Classmates of Jared Loughner who was the shooter of US Congresswomen as well as 6 other people in Tucson Arizona at a rally, say he would loudly laugh at random and non-events and made them feel unsafe. According to CBS Loughner, “was unraveling in the months before the rampage, issuing paranoid, expletive-filled internet rants about government conspiracies, suicide and killing police.” (par. 1) After the shooting a witness called the FBI and said they had often seen Loughner at the library watching videos and he “would repeatedly talk loudly to the computer.” (par. 9) In another section of the FBI records claimed that he was seeing a woman who was a “psychic.” He told the women that he often heard voices that told him to do things. He had very exotic behavior leading up to the shooting. The shooter of Isla Vista, California, Elliot Rodger had Asperger’s disorder and consumed psychotropic medications. While most of these shooters may have never been officially diagnosed by a mental health professional does not mean that these people did not have something wrong with them. These instances strongly suggest that mass shooters are more likely mentally ill and/or socially deranged.

               The National Rifle Association’s slogan is, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” This is true in all cases. If you were to set a gun down on the table and not touch it, it would not do anything, it would not harm anyone. The car is not to blame when a drunk driver decides to get behind the wheel and kills a family of 4 on their way home from a vacation, so why blame the gun for a mass shooting? If someone wants to kill they will figure out a way to do it, whether that is with a gun, knife or bomb. Taking away guns will not stop crime. If you were to try and take away all guns would be very difficult so the only approach would be to have a more careful process of giving guns to those with mental concerns.

The only approach to limit the number of mass shootings is to provide a more demanding background check as well as a note from your doctor saying you are mentally stable to have a gun. This should be required not only for the safety of everyone else, but the safety of that person. Suicide is very high in people with a mental illness and limiting the number of guns in people who suffer from a mental illness would reduce suicides and mass shootings. Guns are also the most common thing used for suicides. It is obvious that people who have shown any violent actions should not be able to have any access to weapons. More psychiatric attention will prevent these violent crimes from happening.

After the shooting in Newton, Wayne LaPierre who is the National Rifle Association President, called for a “national registry” of people with a mental illness and blamed “delusional killers” for the violence. Months after this shooting many states passed bills that required all mental health professionals to report these dangerous patients to the local officials and allow them to be authorized to take away any firearms they may own.

In conclusion, guns are not the problem people are. For a person to go and shoot innocent people and children has to be out of their mind. Whether or not they have been diagnosed with a mental illness there is obviously something wrong with them. Guns should not be blamed for mass shootings rather the mental state of the person committing these crimes.

I argued that you should blame mental illness but I do not agree with that. I only chose that so I would have something to talk about. I actually believe with the NYT that it gives everyone a bad impression of mental illness and that all people who have an illness are all deranged killers.

[ultrabadbish]

Psychopathy a mental disorder?

I am trying to figure out if I want to argue in the direction that mental illness can be a factor in gun violence or that is not a factor. I have been searching scholarly articles to be sure that I can get all the correct information being that this topic can be very opinionated.

I defiantly think that the people who say all gun violence is due to some sort of mental illness is wrong. I also think that those who think that all serial killers are mentally ill are wrong.

Serial killers are often known as psychopaths. I have ran into many different articles that say that psychopathy is or is not a mental disorder. Dictionary.com describes a psychopathy as, “1. A mental disorder in which an individual manifests amoral andantisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningfulpersonal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc. 2. Any mental disease.” According to Merriam-Webster it is a, “mental disorder especially when marked by egocentric and antisocial activity” Understanding more how the brain works will help us understand psychopathy.

When thinking the question, is psychopathy a mental disorder or is it a defect in someone’s personality or character you should consider depression, because of the approach we can use to treat them. Depression can result in an imbalance of brain chemicals but there is something way more complex to it, Neurochemistry. There are a number of chemicals that are used as messengers to communicate between itself and the nervous system called neurotransmitters. These are released and received by the brain’s nerve cells called neurons. They constantly communicate with each other by exchanging neurotransmitters, which is essential for the brain’s functions. There is a tiny space that is called a synapse that connects each neuron to the other. One neuron sends a message across the synapse to the next one and the receiver receives that message by a receptor embedded on its surface. The receptors act as a locked door. When a matching neurotransmitter and receptor come in contact the neurotransmitter fits into the receptors molecules channel. The receptor then becomes open. It is important for neurotransmitters and synapses to have space and rest.  The receptors need to reset and deactivate between messages so they can be ready for the next burst of neurotransmitters. The receptors need to relax and release the captured neurotransmitter in a process called reuptake. The neurotransmitters and reused for the next time a message needs to be sent. If something gets in the way of this process it can negatively impact the brain and nervous symptoms.

Depression has been linked to problems in the brain with the regard to neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. It is difficult to measure the level of neurotransmitters on a brain which makes the evidence kind of indirect. Antidepressant medications are known to act upon these neurotransmitters and their receptors. Serotonin, which is produced my serotonergic neurons, is involved in regulating functions like sleep, aggression, eating, sexual behavior, and mood. According to mentalhealth.net, “Current research suggests that a decrease in the production of serotonin by these neurons can cause depression in some people, and more specifically, a mood state that can cause some people to feel suicidal.”

There was a popular explanation for why people developed depression in the 1960s called “catecholamine hypothesis.” It suggested that a deficiency of neurotransmitter norepinephrine in certain areas of the brain was responsible for creating a depressed mood. Norepinephrine’s helps our bodies recognize and respond to stressful situations. More recent research suggests that indeed a many depressed people who do have low levels of norepinephrine. Autopsy studies of people who have experienced depression have fewer norepinephrinergic neurons then people who did not suffer from depression. Research also tells us that not all people experience mood changes due to decreased norepinephrine levels but actually show hyperactivity with the neurons that produce norepinephrine. Other studies suggest that some have low levels of serotonin which triggers a drop in norepinephrine levels. Many studies are showing that low levels of norepinephrine levels are leading to depression.

Other research has investigated links between stress, depression, and norepinephrine. People who have depression may not have a norepinephrinergic system that doesn’t handle stress very well. Dopamine also plays a role in regulating our drive for rewards and our ability to obtain a sense of please. Low levels of this partly explain why depressed people don’t have the same sense of pleasure out of thing that people without depression do. Antidepressants can fight against these off balances in depression as well as psychopathy.

  https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/biology-of-depression-neurotransmitters/

[ultrabadbish]

Anxiety

As I was scrolling through Facebook yesterday I came across this article. I am choosing to talk more about this topic because it is much more personal to me than any of the other disorders and I want to learn more.

http://www.justcutthebullshit.com/home/2016/10/20/anxiety-is-an-invalid-excuse

I wasn’t planning on talking about this but this could really help me with my paper, so I’ll give a brief overview. Yesterday had been a hard day for me and I was struggling with my own anxiety and personal problems. I had just gotten off the phone with my mom, it was a tearful conversation. The title of the article was “Anxiety is an Invalid Excuse” and it caught my attention as I thought that is not true. I opened the article to find that it was actually the opposite. It is a girl’s blog about her struggle with anxiety and other people’s views on it. People who don’t have it view it as an excuse, it’s not real. This article explains anxiety 10/10. She explained it better than I ever could. She talks about everyday struggles like missing class and being afraid to tell your teacher because he just wouldn’t understand, it’s not like flu. The fear of telling people that you are on medication because they might think you are crazy. Unless you have or have had it you can’t even begin to understand. I have friends who would get mad at me because I couldn’t order my own food at a restaurant. “You worry too much,” they say. All I can think is that’s easy for you to say, you don’t know how I feel. One of my favorite lines is, “Do they think I pity myself so much to induce a self-hatred strong enough to keep myself so far from mental catharsis? Do they think I find this fun?” Anxiety is not fun and I wish everyone could understand that it is real, and it is hard. It is an everyday struggle.

All mental disorders often get over looked, it’s just an excuse right? Anxiety disorder is most often considered not serious. People think this because “anxiety is a universal and normative emotion,” says Risa Weisberg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Brown University Program for Anxiety Research. People often excuse anxiety disorder because everyone gets anxiety at some point. It could be for a new position at work or a big test at school. An anxiety disorder involves more than just temporary fears and worry. It becomes a problem when it interferes with everyday things and personal relationships. There are several different types of anxiety disorder, so I’ll give a brief overview.

Generalized anxiety disorder is excessive anxiety or worry for months and has several anxiety related symptoms. Symptoms include, feeling on edge, easily fatigued, irritability, difficulty concentrating or having their minds go blank, muscle tension, difficulty controlling the worry, and sleep problems.

Panic disorder is recurrent unexpected panic attacks. The attacks are intense fear that could include sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, feeling of impending doom, palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate. They lose control even when there is no real danger. It often feels like a heart attack as I have experienced a few myself.

Social anxiety disorder is also known as “social phobia”. It is the fear of social or performance situations, they feel that they will be embarrassed, judged, rejected, or fear offending others. Symptoms include, feeling anxious about being with other people and having a hard time talking to them, feeling self-conscious, being afraid that people will judge the, worrying for days or weeks before an event where other people will be, staying away from places where there are people, hard time making friends, blushing and sweating around other people, and feeling nauseous or sick when other people are around. As I read these symptoms about social anxiety I recognize those in me.  When I am home in my apartment and I hear one of my roommates out in the kitchen I don’t want to go out there and I avoid it at all cost. I have a hard time making friends and just having a conversation with someone for that matter because I feel like people don’t care what I have to say. If I plan to go on a date with a new guy I worry about it for the whole week and more often than not I cancel last minute, letting my fears get to me. When I go to my hometown I avoid going to the grocery store because I don’t want to see people that may know me because I don’t want them to think I’m weird. But why would they think I’m weird? It is just a freaking grocery store.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

https://psychcentral.com/lib/living-with-an-anxiety-disorder/

[ultrabadbish]

Now that I have talked about serial killers and mental illness, I will talk about gun violence and shootings. When something bad happens people want to know why. Why did that guy choose to shoot up an elementary school?

For example, the media diagnosed Adam Lanza, the shooter of Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012, with schizophrenic. Schizophrenic is the most chronic and disabling of the major illnesses according to WebMd. Like all other mental disorder, Schizophrenic is a very serious brain disorders that effects the way a person acts, thinks, perceives reality, expresses themselves and relates to others. People tend to think that schizophrenia is also multiple personality. But they are slightly different because a person with schizophrenia cannot tell what is real and what is all in their imagination. They lose touch with reality. When there is a sudden change in their personality and behavior, which happens due to losing touch with reality, is called a psychotic episode. The severity of this disorder can vary from person to person. Some people may only have one psychotic episode while others can have many all while living relatively normal lives.

The symptoms can worsen and improve in cycles. Doctors also have symptoms for positive, negative, cognitive and disorganized. Positive symptoms does not mean good , it means that they are obvious symptoms that have exaggerated forms of thinking or behavior. Delusions is one positive symptom of schizophrenia, for example the person could believe that people can hear their thoughts, or that they are God or he Devil. Hallucinations is another, which involves perceiving sensations that aren’t real, such as hearing voices, having a funny taste in your mouth and feeling sensations on your skin. As well as Catatonia which is where a person could be immobile or unable to speak. They display different kinds of behavior at different times.

Disorganized is a type of positive symptom that reflects the person’s inability to think clearly and respond appropriately to situations. Symptoms include, using nonsense words, shifting quickly from one thought to the next, moving slowly, unable to make decisions, writing without meaning, forgetting or losing things, repeating words or gestures, and not having problems making sense of everyday live activities and thoughts. Cognitive symptoms include, the inability to understand information and to make decisions, trouble focusing, or difficulty with working memory.

Negative symptoms does not mean bad but refers to the absence of certain normal behaviors. Symptoms include, lack of emotion, withdrawal from family, friends and social events, reduced energy and speech, lack of motivation, and loss interest in life.

So what causes Schizophrenia? Like all other disorders it is not exactly known, Possible causes could be genetics, brain, and environmental factors. A person with schizophrenia may have abnormal regulation of chemicals in the brain. Different brain circuits form networks for communication. But the illness is not believed to be simply and imbalance of brain chemicals. See link for brain traning video. http://www.webmd.com/brain/video/brain-training A person could also have brain abnormality which is an abnormal brain structure and function. But this is not present in all people with this disorder and people without this disease can have it.

Anyone can get this disorder. But it typically appears in the teenage years. It affects men and women equally but symptoms generally appear earlier in men than in women. Early symptoms has been linked to a more severe courses of illness, Children over the age of 5 can develop this disorder but it is pretty rare. The disorder has a whole only occurs in about 1% of the population.

To be diagnosed the doctor must perform a complete medical history and sometimes a physical exam. There are not lab test but the doctor may use possible blood tests or brain imaging studies to rule out other physical illness or substance abuse. They will then refer them to a psychiatrist or psychologist, people who specialize in this field. They have special designed tools to evaluate a person. They base the diagnosis on the person’s family reports and there observation.

It can be treated through medications, psychosocial therapy, hospitalization, psychosurgery, and electroconvulsive therapy. ECT is a procedure where electrodes are attached to the slap while under general anesthesia and a small electric shock is delivered to the brain. The treatment usually involves 2-3 treatments per week for several weeks. Psychosurgery is a neurosurgical produce used to treat severe agitation.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4318286/