On AlterNet: mental health

Stories, blog posts, and videos tagged as "mental health"

War in Afghanistan Is Mutiny by a Different Name

Clancy Sigal, AlterNet. March 13, 2012.

The troops are protesting "by any other means" their entrapment in a no-win landscape where Washington politicians keep a war going beyond the limit of sanity.

America: The Best Country in the World at Being Last -- How Can We Change That?

James Gustave Speth, Orion Magazine. March 1, 2012.

The data is piling up to confirm that we’re Number One, but in exactly the way we don’t want to be—at the bottom. Where did we go wrong and what can we do about it?

The Horrific Toll of Depression: Suicides Linked to Recession, As Budget Cuts Force Out Mental Health Professionals

Rob Waters, Salon. January 12, 2012.

Depression, PTSD -- even suicide -- mount nationwide while budgets for treatment and care are shrinking.

How Meditation Makes You More Rational

Michael Haederle, Miller-McCune.com. August 14, 2011.

A new study suggests that people who regularly practice Buddhist meditation make decisions in a more rational way.

More than Half of Recent War Vets Treated by VA Are Struggling With Mental Health Problems

Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica. May 11, 2011.

The raw number of returning soldiers with psychological problems is rising.

Americans Are Depressed. Should They Get Help at Their Primary Care Doctor's Office?

Sarah Amandolare, AlterNet. March 21, 2011.

Are new initiatives to treat depression at the doctor's office a way to help Americans' mental health problems? Or do they undercut the value of long-term therapy?

Jared Loughner and Mental Illness: The Devastating Effects of Budget Cuts that Slash Care to the Mentally Ill

Amy Goodman, H. Clarke Romans, Democracy Now!. January 12, 2011.

Arizona mental health professional H. Clarke Romans talks about state budget cuts that deprive people with mental health problems of much needed care.

Pfizer: The Drug Giant That Makes Bank from Drugs That Can Kill You

Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet. July 10, 2010.

To say that Pfizer has been accused of wrongdoing is like saying BP had an oil spill.

The New Field of Neurodiversity: Why 'Disabilities' Are Essential to the Human Ecosystem

Thomas Armstrong, Ode. June 8, 2010.

Differences among brains are as enriching -- and essential -- as differences among plants and animals. Welcome to the new field of neurodiversity.

The Other Victims of Battlefield Stress; Defense Contractors’ Mental Health Neglected

T. Christian Miller, ProPublica. February 26, 2010.

Defense contractors in the field suffer war trauma just as soldiers do—but don’t have the insurance safety net veterans enjoy.

Former Bush Official Loses It ... Accuses Obama of Having 'Fascist, Socialist Ideals'

Amanda Terkel, ThinkProgress. September 18, 2009.

Civility!

Can a Lack of Sleep Really Drive You Mad?

Daniel Freeman, Jason Freeman, Independent UK. June 19, 2009.

Disturbed nights and mental illness have always been linked. Now research shows insomnia is not just a symptom, but a cause.

Recession Driving You Insane? The Government's Here to Help

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. April 1, 2009.

Obama will fix it!

How You Can Train Your Brain to Help Reduce Stress

Blaine Greteman, Ode. February 28, 2009.

Neurofeedback is an emerging method that relaxes, enhances creativity and improves mental health.

America's Immigration Gulags Overflowing With Mentally Ill Prisoners

Laura Tillman, The Brownsville Herald. February 19, 2009.

The number of mentally and developmentally disabled detainees in federal immigration detention centers has surged during the past year.

Only in America Could Misery Be Turned Into a Commodity

Joe Bageant, JoeBageant.com. February 11, 2009.

Stress, depression and loneliness permeate daily life in America. Yet psychiatrists try to sell us on the idea that the pain is ours alone.

Jon Stewart Takes on Israel's Attack on Gaza

Holly, Feministe. January 9, 2009.

He’s braver than me, that’s for sure.

U.S. Still Losing a Brigade's Worth of Vets Every Year to Suicide

Penny Coleman, AlterNet. November 11, 2008.

Obviously, the most immediate and reliable way to prevent soldier suicides is to get troops out of harm's way -- bring them home.

Meet the Texas Senator Who Couldn't Care Less About Our Vets

Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films. October 9, 2008.

Sen. John Cornyn doesn't support our troops or veterans.

Has American Society Gone Insane?

Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet. September 11, 2008.

America's mental health problems may be more than a matter of some "unadjusted" individuals. The entire culture might well need adjusting.

Stigma: What Hollywood and the Media Teach Us About Mental Illness

Richard A. Friedman, The American Prospect. August 5, 2008.

From Virginia Tech's Cho to Hannibal Lecter, exaggerated portraits of mental illness show how much we have yet to learn about psychiatric disorders.

America's Mental Health Care System in Shambles

Art Levine, The American Prospect. July 26, 2008.

Mentally ill adults who receive treatment in the public-health system die 25 years sooner, on average, than Americans overall.

Has Big Pharma Corruption Suppressed Effective Treatment Options?

Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet. July 23, 2008.

Establishment psychiatry is under attack in Congress. Investigators are recognizing that not all mental health treatments come in a pill.

Half of Vets Suffering Brain and Mind Injuries Go Untreated, But Pentagon Pretends Nothing's Going on

Penny Coleman, AlterNet. April 29, 2008.

An activist travels to the DoD's annual suicide prevention conference, only to find the military brass living in a parallel universe.

Military Doctors Withholding Treatment from Soldiers with Mental Health Problems

Maggie Mahar, Health Beat. February 27, 2008.

The military is denying crucial care to soldiers, making them vulnerable on the battlefield.