Psychedelic treatment for mental health: Will Israel embrace the Australian approach?
Australia permitted psychiatrists to prescribe ecstasy and psilocybin mushrooms for the treatment of depression and PTSD, raising a heated debate: Is this safe? Who is it suitable for? What are the implications? And what are the chances of this being approved in Israel next?
Today I discovered that not only is July #Disability Pride Month but also that we have a flag. It is so well done and extremely meaningful. It was created by Ann Magill, a disabled writer.
The entire thing will not fit into the thumbnail but if you open the image, it will tell you what each color and flag feature stands for. It is also in the alt text if you are unable to open it.
My #Canadian#firearms possession & acquisition licence (#PAL) has been processing for over 6 months. The team processing my application needed to ask me additional questions as I had mentioned having had mild #PTSD on my application. As a #veteran who has lost mates to #suicide, I appreciate the diligence of the firearms officers. Waiting an extra few months for my PAL is a small price to pay to help ensure my mates are safe.
For folks in the US with noise sensitivities, you should be aware that this year we’ve seen an apparent record breaking amount of firework purchases in the country. I’m sure you’re hearing it already (as I have been).
You may want to be proactive with noise cancellation if you have headphones or ear plugs or something.
"Iowa meteorologist resigns after death threats over climate crisis coverage - Chris Gloninger says he developed post-traumatic stress disorder and will resign from job after 18 years at Des Moines’s KCCI ... He added: “After a death threat stemming from my climate coverage last year and resulting PTSD, in addition to family issues, I’ve decide to begin this journey now”.
Last July, Gloninger, who has spent 18-years of his career covering climate change as well as the weather and became KCCI’s chief meteorologist in 2021, shared a series of disturbing emails he received regarding his coverage."
The article continues with the text of several emails Gloninger received. I have not included them here because of their disturbing content.
There's some splits at the start of this thread. If you're looking at them and wondering what we do different, here's some insight. #Running has been a blessing for my PTSD. It's become my safe space to go to that dark place and challenge the monsters. Steve Magness and his pal Brad are good to follow wherever you find them (They're inspiring me to write something) #PTSD
"10 year Boy with Down Syndrome Assaulted by Bus Driver - Abuse of Students with Invisible Disabilities by Educators"
⚠️ CW - Stories on mistreatment and abuse of students with invisible disabilities in schools across the country. May be disturbing to some.
Yesterday, a bus driver for the Upper Darby school district in Pennsylvania, was charged with assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Juliet Pratt was captured on surveillance cameras, duct taping the a student with Downs Syndrome around the ankles and chest to restrain him. The footage also show the child, who was already in a safety harness, caused no disturbance and remained in his seat. Regardless, nothing warrants this kind of abusive behavior to people with invisible disabilities, especially by someone involved in child education. The March 8th incident was not the only. The bus driver admitted doing this appalling act to the child, at least one other time. Pratt cut the tape restraints with a seat belt cutter to free the boy upon arrival at the school.
There seems to be no mention of charges related to disability protectections in news reports. Has she done this to others? Would she have done this if the child did not have a disability? If Ms. Pratt singled the child out for this treatment because of any disability related reason, (ie - thinking she could get away with it because of the boy's DS), authorities may want to consider this an ableist hate crime.
Unfortunately, this problem is not uncommon. In some places, the techniques used are legal, bringing harm to many students with invisible disabilities. In Virginia, a 10 year old autistic boy, had the "bones in his hand and foot crushed" by an educator. The injuries were caused by a staff member who was isolating and confining the child, in what was called the "scream room".
Many reports of similar abuses have surfaced in Connecticut schools as well. In one case, a second grader with ADHD was held down, and locked in confinement after a manifestation of symptoms. Aside from the mental and emotional wounds caused, just as in many other cases, the child suffered physically injury. According to the story linked below, students have been restrained and isolated "thousands of times causing dozens of injuries" in Connecticut schools. This hardly sounds like accommodation and community intergration.
Then, there's Xavier Hernandez, who died as a result if being held down and restained by multiple staff members at "Boulevard Heights" school for "students with disabilities" in Texas.
These are the people entrusted with the job of shaping young minds? What lesson does this type of behavior teach other students about interacting with people with invisible disabilities; that they should be restrained, isolated and subjected to physical and mental damage? Considering these, and many other such acts, it seems many educators could use a lesson on understanding and accommodation of persons with invisible disabilities.
Sooo... how do we get large companies to shift resources away from AI that will steal creatives' jobs, to building the technology from Black Mirror that will let me block people in real life? TIA
A new regulatory agency. They do not want to be regulated by the FTC because they want to pretend that they are not just another corporate entity trying to make money. But also, a new agency is likely vulnerable to regulatory capture.
If staffed by people sympathetic to OpenAI, this agency can give grief to emerging competitors
For 7 years I've watched #SiliconValley#BigTech#VC's fuck up every opportunity to employ #AI#ML#BigData in service of “doing the right thing” to produce positive #health outcomes. At every opportunity they've exploited vulnerable populations in service of greed.
i'd like to compile some resources on things like mental health community peer support and emotional first aid, and so i'm asking for recommendations.
we are all quite aware that healthcare in the US is a travesty, but even for people who do have access to quality therapists and the like, it just doesn't sit right with me that "maybe you should talk to a therapist about that" is so commonly the only substantial support given to others.
emotional work is still work, and disabled communities often don't have the spoons to help each other effectively... but as an autist who does much better in situations when i know what's expected or needed of me, i'm inclined to believe that it would genuinely be very healing and empowering to learn how to help each other, get our hands on more resources, and have alternative options to offer in tandem with "seek professional help."
this can absolutely include how to protect and care for oneself when a friend or loved one is in crisis, and how to set boundaries and step away from a situation when someone's in need but you just aren't able to help.
so... i'm doing research! does anyone have any articles, books, organizations, anything? this is primarily for mental health, though i believe in the same principles for physical health and also advocate for learning physical first aid as spoons and resources allow!
if there are huge glaring issues with this approach, i'm also interested in hearing why and getting resources that address those.
I think it's important for people doing self-diagnosis and/or self-directing treatment for #ADHD and/or #autism to ensure that they identify #PTSD symptoms in themselves. Plenty of screening tools exist online. You'll end up stuck getting out of the mires of your symptoms if you don't make sure to also treat any accompanying trauma. Treatments like EMDR and somatic experiencing therapy may help, even if your trauma is "mild" (Mild PTSD is still PTSD!).
That's a pro tip from me to you, but it is not medical advice.
Belated #introduction - when I’m well enough I work as a paraplanner doing the background work to make financial advisers look good & writing docs that nobody ever really reads (except compliance, or the adviser editing it). I have #crps#fibromyalgia#LongCovid#anxiety#depression#ocd#ptsd so spend way too much time streaming, reading, watching non trashy reality tv, chatting with friends & on social media. I’m also an #adoptee and a later life realised #bisexual I enjoy mental stimulation
My latest song is about a relationship (friendship/client) I had with a covert narcissist (NPD). It's taken me a long time to forgive myself for falling for her bullshit. This video does a good job explaining how a covert narcissist operates.
I’ve set some aggressive #filters to weed out #USNews from my feed. Still, some of the rubbish is getting through. I’m now going to have to add the type of weapons used in the violence over there.
I left that damn country for a reason. Don’t clutter my feed with the shit that causes #PTSD.
(Angry because Americans want CWs on everything but their news about violent acts of mass murder)
Australia to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin for PTSD and depression in world first (www.nature.com)
Decision to make the previously illicit drugs available is dogged by suggestions the decision was rushed.