Mad in America

JULY 19, 2024

D uring my first psychiatric hospitalization in 1998, I was strapped down, placed in 4-point restraints, and administered a painful catheter—apparently because I had peed on the floor during the course of my psychotic episode. Captivity By my count (with an assist from my mother) I’ve had 12 psychiatric hospitalizations in my life.

Hospitality 120

Hospitality Self-awareness Sleep and mental health Bipolar disorder 120

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

I felt like I had taken a magical pill to cure whatever might have been wrong with me… until I crashed, became paranoid and landed in the hospital. None of this sat well with me, but coming home from the hospital completely overly medicated and numb, I was in shock, disassociated, and unable to question the doctor’s theory.

Trauma and the brain 141

Trauma and the brain Sleep and mental health Genetics and mental health Aging and mental health 141

Mad in America

MARCH 30, 2024

But the combined intelligence and cognitive awareness of Matt and his mother’s tenacity for answers undoubtedly gave him a second chance on life. I knew in October of 2018 that Matt was in trouble during a phone call, when he told me in a cheerful voice that he had been to the ER for “mental health reasons” but was “fine.”

Sleep and mental health 120

Sleep and mental health Bipolar disorder Trauma and the brain Aging and mental health 120

Mad in America

JUNE 17, 2024

But by the end of 2018, life started to become overwhelming. I was a shell of my former self, unable to think, staring off into space; all while trying my best to care for my family. The nightmare that was my inpatient hospitalization, combined with my newly developed distrust of those around me, exacerbated my previous traumas.

Trauma and the brain 126

Trauma and the brain Sleep and mental health Aging and mental health Self-awareness 126

Mad in America

MARCH 9, 2024

The residents, most of whom were either born in Gujarat, or had somehow ended up in Gujarat, had been referred to this Center by hospitals, various non-governmental organizations, or simply arrived here by word-of-mouth. For medical emergencies, the residents are taken to a small hospital in the neighboring town of Anjar.

Sleep and mental health 104

Sleep and mental health Aging and mental health Hospitality Self-awareness 104

Mad in America

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Adding insult to injury, ICD-11 (2018) added complex PTSD (C-PTSD) to address prolonged trauma, such as childhood abuse or long-term domestic violence, acknowledging broader symptoms like emotional dysregulation and identity struggles. It also introduced separate criteria for children and teens.

Resilience and coping 141

Resilience and coping Self-awareness Nutrition and mood Sleep and mental health 141

Mad in America

SEPTEMBER 7, 2024

A 2018 paper examined FDA data on adverse drug events (ADEs) and found a rate of over 100,000 serious injuries per year. Like Rosie, I became so distressed that my father had me involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital. As far I am aware, there is zero mention of iatrogenesis in the OCD literature.

Pharmaceuticals 143

Pharmaceuticals Self-awareness Construction Education 143