Schizophrenia Expert Paul Ballas shares Schizophrenia management news and commentary at SchizophreniaConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76 http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76 http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/47802/winter-blues Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:20:32 -0500 Paul Ballas Don't underestimate how much the weather can affect your mood. The American Academy of Family Physicians has estimated roughly half a million Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that typically begins as winter approaches. Daylight Savings Time just passed, and people are noticing that there is less and less light out. After the autumnal equinox (usually around September 21), each day gets... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/47802/winter-blues http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/46504/mental-health Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:41:34 -0400 Paul Ballas The treatments for schizophrenia have improved significantly over the past few decades, but many patients and their families are frustrated by having to pay a higher copay for seeing a psychiatrist than for seeing any other specialist. This is in part due to a long history of distinction between mental and physical health in many insurance plans. A new act was signed into law October 3 that will hopefully improve the situation... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/46504/mental-health http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/44019/schizophrenia Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:02:00 -0400 Paul Ballas People who have schizophrenia are often very concerned that they have passed the illness on to their children. Even when their children are very young, the thought of their child experiencing a psychotic episode fills many parents with fear and dread. As a child psychiatrist in training, I am often asked to evaluate children of people with schizophrenia to see if they are having any symptoms of the illness. Sometimes, I'm referred children... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/44019/schizophrenia http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/44018/worldwide-stop Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:01:00 -0400 Paul Ballas About a year ago I wrote about some of the issues surrounding smoking and schizophrenia; how the rate of smoking in people with this illness is almost double the general population and how nicotine may actually impact how antipsychotic medications work. Well, recently the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in a partnership with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg have made a combined commitment of $500 million dollars to fight tobacco use... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/44018/worldwide-stop http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/44016/schizophrenia Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:57:00 -0400 Paul Ballas It's been long known that marijuana use can cause certain symptoms of psychosis. Among the most commonly reported are paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations. I regularly talk to patients with schizophrenia about the dangers of using marijuana for just this reason; patients have told me that marijuana has elicited the very symptoms we were working to treat. There are several recognized diagnoses involving cannabis use, including... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/44016/schizophrenia http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/43731/schizophrenia Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:56:00 -0400 Paul Ballas When children are diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, doctors very commonly prescribe a newer atypical antipsychotic medication instead of an older, typical antipsychotic medication.  Part of the reason for this is that there is an assumption that these newer drugs are more effective, safer and cause less serious side effects than the older ones.  The older, typical antipsychotic medications have been shown to cause more movement... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/43731/schizophrenia http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/42414/schizophrenia Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0400 Paul Ballas I wanted to discuss a recent bill that was passed into law that may be of interest to people with schizophrenia and their loved ones.  It’s an unfortunate truth that many people living with schizophrenia are stigmatized by their illness in many ways.  Aside from living with the burden of such a severe illness, patients regularly tell me about moments during their day when people will insult them or judge decisions they make... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/42414/schizophrenia http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/42417/schizophrenia Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0400 Paul Ballas Although a small percentage of people with schizophrenia recover almost completely, the vast majority of patients have chronic, residual symptoms even with the best medical and psychiatric care. In fact, roughly 20% percent of patients with schizophrenia have symptoms of psychosis that don't respond to medication, and a greater number have so-called ‘negative' symptoms of schizophrenia which are not improved substantially even under ideal... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/42417/schizophrenia http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/38133/schizohprenia Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:26:00 -0400 Paul Ballas There's some interesting new research about the possible benefits of adding estrogen to the treatment of women with schizophrenia. In a study published in this month's Archives of General Psychiatry, women with schizophrenia who were given a transdermal patch of estrogen with antipsychotic medication had less symptoms, including psychotic symptoms and symptoms that contribute to general psychopathology. The results come from a 28 day,... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/38133/schizohprenia http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/36606/antipsychotics Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:28:00 -0400 Paul Ballas Recently, the American Journal of Psychiatry published a study about the use of antipsychotic medications in people suffering with Alzheimer's disease. The use of these drugs in this illness has been hotly debated in the past few years. In 2005 the FDA issued a black box warning that the newer, atypical antipsychotic medications could increase the risk of pneumonia and heart attacks in elderly people with dementia. In 2007 another black box... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/76/36606/antipsychotics