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All in Your Head...and Internet: Culture and Psychology Collide

CitizenSugar — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:00:56 -0800

Paranoid delusions are nothing if not timely. In World War II, psychotics often thought their neighbors were Nazis. They became spies during the cold war and terrorists after 9-11. But as the cultural landscape changes, so does the delusional scenery. Today culture and technology intersect with mental illness like major events did before.

While it may seem like this only affects a select group, psychiatrists say delusions and hallucinations of the mentally ill reflect what the world, or at least its more neurotic inhabitants, worry about. What's being escalated into all-out delusions today?

Internet Delusion
The Internet could make anyone paranoid, but it's a minefield for some. People become convinced the Internet is monitoring or controlling their lives. An Austrian woman even believed she was a walking webcam.
Truman Show Delusion
Named after the movie The Truman Show, where Jim Carrey's character learns his life is a soap opera that's being broadcast 24-7, people believe they are stars of reality shows. While patients differ in experiences, they all believe they've been chosen without consent and producers are controlling their lives.
Climate Change Delusion
While I've heard of eco-anxiety, climate change delusion is a whole new level. Australian psychiatrists reported the first case this Summer when a patient refused to drink water, fearing its consumption could lead to the death of millions.

These all lead to a chicken-and-egg question: Are these just modern examples of age-old paranoia? Or is there something about the pervasive coverage — both method and subject — that's pushing people over the line, farther and faster than ever?

Source

Study Finds Long-Term 9-11 Stress in Lower Manhattan

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:00:35 -0700

Coming up on the seventh anniversary of September 11, the New York City health department wanted to know how those affected are coping today. They released findings from the first study to assess 9-11's long-term effect on mental health today.

The results illuminate the day's lingering impact and the staggering difference between those living near the World Trade Center compared with the rest of Manhattan.

One in eight Lower Manhattan residents reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — 12.6 percent — three to four years after the attacks. Considering within six months only 1 percent of Manhattan as a whole reported PTSD symptoms, this is a significant finding. To see what else they found,

Seattle's Schizophrenic Shooter Had Valid Gun Permit

LibertySugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 06:00:19 -0700

A mentally ill man who shot three people at a music festival in the Pacific Northwest last week had obtained his weapon with a valid concealed weapon permit. A bullet from his Glock 19 handgun hit three victims last Saturday while Grainger was fighting another man. The bullet passed through a man's nose, another's wrist, finally ending up in a woman's leg.

22-year-old Clinton C. Grainger suffers from anxiety and schizophrenia and has been receiving treatment for a meth addiction since he was 18. Grainger's issues did show up as disqualifying conditions when he applied for a gun permit in January 2007. A mental illness diagnosis alone is not enough to restrict a citizen's right to bear arms under Washington state and US federal law.

To find out what federal law is regarding mental illness and gun permits,

New Orleans Locals Still Homeless After Katrina

LibertySugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:00:00 -0700

A unique homelessness situation confronts post-Katrina New Orleans. A recent survey conducted by advocacy groups shows that a majority of the homeless were residents of New Orleans before the hurricane, and lost their jobs and homes as a result.

Figures cited in today's New York Times include:

86 percent of homeless are from the New Orleans area.
60 percent cite Hurricane Katrina as the cause of their homelessness, while 30 percent said they received assistance from FEMA at one time.
80 percent have at least one physical disability, 58 percent have had some kind of addiction, 40 percent are mentally ill, and 19 percent deal with all three issues.
The number of homeless has doubled since Katrina, according to rough estimates.

For an more in depth look at the problem,