Information and opinions on BipolarConnect from Sue Bergeson http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116 en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/ http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/28477/helping-depression Wed May 21 10:13:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson A few weeks ago, the health care liaison from Senator Dick Durbin's office called me indicating they were having a hard time making headway with a bill called "The MOTHER's Act." It had been introduced in 2007 on Mother's Day, in honor of a woman named Melanie Blocker-Stokes, to create more funding for reach on postpartum depression (PPD) and make more money available for treatment.   Here is the mind-blowing part: other senators... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/28477/helping-depression http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/27827/frankly-adherence Wed May 14 10:19:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson Whenever two or more psychiatrists are gathered together...they complain about treatment adherence. What is adherence? It's the extent to which consumers stay on a treatment plan or take a medication routinely. It seems I cannot be in a meeting of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses or pharmaceutical company representatives without the conversation moving to the topic of the "problem with adherence." But they don't call it... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/27827/frankly-adherence http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/27222/voice-awards Wed May 07 09:29:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson Over the years that I've served as CEO of DBSA, many of you have expressed your frustration and concern with the way consumers of mental health services are portrayed in the media. Why are we always the axe murderers and thugs? What about the millions of us who do good things in the world?   Well, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/27222/voice-awards http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/26290/employers-companies Mon Apr 28 17:49:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson I've had three really interesting experiences lately that have got me thinking more deeply about employers and their role in determining our health care coverage. We all know that "employers want to reduce health care costs." But I saw that in action three different times in less than two weeks.   I was talking to two different local health care collaboratives about what they're doing to promote quality. What's a health... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/26290/employers-companies http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/25340/mental-health-aid Wed Apr 16 10:56:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson I've been interested in watching the concept of mental health "first aid"—developed in Australia—move through the mental health community. The Australian website, www.mhfa.com.au, explains that it is a "12-hour course...designed to give members of the public some skills to help someone developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis situation. The philosophy behind the course is that mental health... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/25340/mental-health-aid http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/24265/research-heroes Fri Apr 04 17:11:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet with many researchers each year—people who have dedicated their lives to you and me. They understand the horrors of living with our illnesses and have committed their strengths and skills to find new treatments to make our lives better. The research world is looking fairly grim these days with fewer grants and more regulations, making research in our field increasingly difficult.   ... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/24265/research-heroes http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/23952/wrong Wed Apr 02 13:25:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson I had one of those calls that we all dread getting. A casual friend, who I hadn't heard from for six months or so, called me from a locked ward. "They are not listening to me", she cried. To make matters worse, she was on vacation, away from home, when her husband decided that she was in a manic state and took her to the hospital-several states away from her own psychiatrist.   It gets worse.   She had been there... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/23952/wrong http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/23083/research Thu Mar 27 08:12:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson As you might know, in England one researcher came to the conclusion that, for people with mild or moderate depression, sugar pills (called a placebo or fake pill) worked as well as traditional antidepressants (SSRIs). For one report on this research, click here.   I'm sure John McManamy has covered this issue in his blog much more effectively, and with more scientific vigor, than I ever could. But my question is this: why are some... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/23083/research http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/22151/health-care-redux Wed Mar 19 18:22:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson In my blog last week, I talked about a high-powered "think tank" meeting I attended that discussed the future of health care. Whenever I talk to anyone about my experience and what I learned there, I always get the same response: "Man, is that depressing; don't you have any good news?"   Well, ironically, I was just asked to participate in a project for a professional association I belong to, the American Society... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/22151/health-care-redux http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/21464/future-health-care Thu Mar 13 18:07:00 -0400 2008 Sue Bergeson I go to most of the millions of meetings I attend so that I can advocate on behalf of consumers or educate providers and systems on behalf of consumers. Sounds fun, but it takes a lot of ... well, cojones ... to face down or gently persuade or whatever the situation calls for. And, of course, like anyone would, I get tired of it. So, meetings like that aren't often among my favorite things to do. I usually pay both a physical and an... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/116/21464/future-health-care