This morning, the Supreme Court struck down parts of a restrictive Texas law that could have reduced the number of abortion clinics in the state to about 10 from what was once a high of roughly 40. The 5-to-3 decision was the court’s most sweeping statement on abortion rights since Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. It applied a skeptical … Read More
Lady Dynamite: A Review
I have had a girlfriend with bipolar issues, and another who has since developed identity diffusion disorder* (formally known as multiple personality disorder). I’ve worked with informal counselling of families and friends of people stricken with mental illness. Because of that, I can attest to the fact that it is no picnic to be in their shoes, or anywhere near … Read More
Two Million Pregnant Women At Risk For Zika Virus
So far, the GOP-controlled House has offered a mere $622 million in Zika funding — far less than what will be needed to meaningfully combat the virus. It’s unclear when Congress may reach an agreement on this issue before its long summer recess. And according to an analysis by the Center For American Progress, this delay could be putting about … Read More
Spot-On Review of Maria Bamford
Forget Amy Schumer. Yes Amy is funny, but she’s becoming a bit of a Johnny One-Note. (Yes, we get it, Amy — you are beautiful even if you’re not a size 4, but how many times do we have to applaud your body and being “brave” about it?). But for my money, the real edge-y woman of comedy is Mario Bamford. Which … Read More
A Reminder
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If you — or someone you know — need help, please call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you are outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of international resources. Prevalence of Mental Illness Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences … Read More
RIP Patty Duke
Another 69 year old dies. As a teen, she won an Oscar for The Miracle Worker. Duke became best known in later life as an advocate for mental health issues, after she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982 Her last two tweets: Hi tweethearts and FB friends. I have been absent, but not far, believe me. I love and miss you all. … Read More
Emotional President Moves On Gun Control
White House insiders have long said that the worst day of Obama’s presidency was the day of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. What should have been a 9/11 moment for the whole nation turned out to be nothing — as in nothing changed. Congress voted against reasonable laws like universal background checks. It is clear … Read More
Disease Of The Week
It’s called dementia with Lewy’s Bodies, and Robin Williams. So says his widow, citing the cause of his suicide. It wasn’t depression that caused the suicide, so much as the dementia with Lewy’s Bodies which caused the depressions which caused the suicide. I have to be honest here: Is attribution to a physical illness merely a way to make a mental … Read More
Uninsured State By State
From tomorrow’s New York Times, this remarkable map shows the percent uninsured in each state under Obamacare. The states which elected to expand Medicare coverage are outlined in bold, and you can see the difference. Compare, say, Arkansas in 2015 to its southern neighbors which did not expand Medicare coverage.
First Human Trials On An HIV Vaccine Start Today
Researchers may be one step closer to creating an HIV vaccine. This month, the Institute for Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore launched the first phase of clinical trials for a new treatment. The immunogen, known as the Full-Length Single Chain (FLSR), could potentially induce protective antibody responses to HIV-1 strains, going where previous … Read More
Florida Can No Longer Lock Mentally Disabled People And Forget About Them
Fifteen years ago, J.R. — an intellectually disabled man who “functions as a seven-year old.” — was charged with sexual battery, but he was never tried because a court found him incompetent to stand trial. Instead, J.R. was involuntarily committed to a residential mental facility by a court order that contains no end date. End of story. You see, under … Read More
John Oliver On Mental Health
Mental health is in the news again, but only because of another mass shooting. Mental health is a problem even without the ease of access to guns. All the politicians agree that the mental health care system in this country is abysmal, but they rarely do anything about it. Obamacare, to its credit, was a good first (albeit small) step … Read More
The Clinton Gun Plan And The Mental Health Factor Of Gun Control
I was going to write a post about mental health and gun control, but I see that Hillary Clinton just came out with a plan, so I’m going to talk about that as well. First, the Clinton plan: Fight for comprehensive background checks. Advocate for comprehensive federal background check legislation. Close the “Charleston Loophole.” Tighten the gun show and Internet … Read More