Talent and Character

You need two things to be a winner: talent and character.

Is your secret salt "Kosher Salt" If so, we already know that one:)

No. It is found in a mine in the deepest recesses of Death Valley. I can’t tell you the exact location, but I will give you a few hints. Next to a dying Joshua tree, you begin to dig, quickly at first, then slower, and slower as the sun beats down. Then when all seems lost and you are about to pack up your gear and hike out; a deep rumbling is heard from under your feet. Suddenly the ground gives way and you slide down, down and as you slide you see Indian Hieroglyphics on the wall of people eating steak soused with a secret ingredient. You also see, if you look very carefully, magazine adds for Hines 57 pasted on the wall of the cave. But by now you are sliding so fast you don't have time to think about it. You keep sliding faster and faster until you come to a jarring halt. An aroma of dripping steak fills your nostrils. You look but see no steak, only piles of what looks like brown salt. You dab just a little of this salt on your tongue and the delicious sensation penetrates all the way to your olfactory lobes of the brain. You swoon and then suddenly faint from the pleasure rendered to your tongue. When you awaken, you notice, for the first time, skeletons lying around—dead skeletons of course, so you aren't frightened. As you examine the bleached bones, you notice a curious thing. All the skeletons have a smile of exquisite pleasure on their faces. You look again and see the olfactory lobes, swollen and pulsing the skull cavity. You get a creepy feeling when you realize that these unfortunates have eaten too much of the succulent herb. These miners had died from an overdose of season satieties. You quickly fill your sack with the aromatic salt; climb out of the cave, and after many adventures you return home to cook a steak with this secret sauce, being careful not to use too much, of course, because you don't want to die from an overdose of steak sauce. And that is all I'm going to tell you about the secret sauce, because if I told you more you wouldn't believe it.

All my best for a seasoned season,

Cletus 

Don't Miss These Warnings

RED FLAG: DON’T MISS THESE WARNINGS

[SB-2]

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS   Dysphoric mood or loss of pleasure in usual activities   At least four of the following:    Change in appetite    Sleep difficulty    Loss of energy    Psychomotor agitation    Decrease in sexual drive    Inappropriate guilt    Indecisiveness    Suicidal thoughts   Duration of symptoms for at least 2 weeks   No evidence of schizophrenia or organic brain disease

ILLNESSES OFTEN MISTAKEN AS DEPRESSION   Thyroid disease and other endocrine diseases Parkinson’s disease Sleep apnea Nutritional illnesses Drugs or drug withdrawal Cerebral tumors Coronary artery disease Renal or hepatic failure AIDS Syphilis Mononucleosis Tuberculosis Hepatitis Pneumonia Cancer of the head of the pancreas Complex partial seizures Multiple sclerosis Left frontal stroke Dementia Alcoholism

Encouragement

My Dear Dear Dr. Hawkins:
I understand all too clearly that you think you have been 'defeated' in more ways than one. But I hasten to point out to you that in your previous entries you mentioned a heavenly countryside, a healthy and happy family, a devoted and loving wife, a new, hopeful and convicted boss and even a few prayers have emanated from your wise, OLD heart. 
Now it all can't be THAT bad. Unless you have subscribed to the recently published periodical written by your favorite neurotic 'BW'.
Anyway, we may be going into a socialist period of our country's history but all is not lost. Change is what you tell your patients brings variety and the spice of life. Besides, what about that familiar quote from Shakespeare about slings and arrows of life.
We can't wait to see you back at the ranch. The ranch hands are restless.
Best Wishes!
Withering Wallflower 

Depressed people

 Abraham Lincoln endured recurrent episodes of depression during the years he practiced law and later as President of the United States. When a young man he refused to carry a pocketknife for fear he would kill himself with it. In the play, Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote the famous line describing depression "How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., the second man to walk on the moon became depressed from the stress of post-flight publicity. In 1972, Senator Thomas P. Eagleton withdrew as a candidate for Vice-President after it was revealed that he had been hospitalized three times for depression and received shock therapy twice. 

Laughter

Have you ever noticed how some golfers shout and act as if they are fighting alli­gators in a swamp? If they aren't having a terrible time, they're certainly making life miserable for everybody around them. Those who enjoy life, play for the fun of play­ing. Paradoxically, when they're playing for the fun, they play better. In addition, humor can be a beneficial antidote against anxiety, stress, tension, and depression that contributes to physical ill­ness.

    Here are some suggestions for playing better golf and living a better life:

v     Decide to be hopeful and fun loving.

v    Every day ask yourself, "Am I having fun yet?"

v    Surround yourself with people who fill you with joy and laughter.

v    Be an inverse paranoid—think the world is out to do you good.

v    When a situation becomes stressful, pretend it's all a Candid Camera episode.

v    Read or listen to humor regularly.

v    Keep a humor scrapbook.

v    Marry someone who thinks everything you say is funny.

v    Understand that few things are absolute or sacred.

v    Think funny.

v    Be a little sillier.

v    Find the absurdity in life.

v    Watch funny movies and DVDs.

v    Don't take yourself so seriously.

v    Remember: He who laughs, lasts.

v    Laugh out loud—laughter is internal jogging.

v    Play golf. Golf is just like life: Difficult and unfair. Par is 18 laughs a round.

Psychopharmacology Update Vol 1 No 2

LifeWorks Vol 1 No 2

LifeWorks Vol 1 No 1 page 2

What I've been teaching my kids (and myself) today

Now that the election is behind us (thankfully), this morning I've been thinking
about how it has affected our homeschooling this year. I'm realizing that we have much to
be thankful for, and I'm so grateful for all of the deep discussions I've had with
my family lately. I'm thankful for all of the teachable moments that I've been able to
take advantage of during the last few months. Here are a few thoughts I've shared with my
children today, and where I think we all need to think about going from here:

1) I am so thankful that we live in a country where we are free to vote, free to
homeschool, and free to worship. It was great to see the turnout yesterday. The process
worked. As far as we know, there was very little violence and corruption, and despite a
huge division of beliefs, for the most part the voting went very smoothly and
peacefully. For this we can be thankful!

2) We need to be diligent to continue to pray for our country and for
President-Elect Obama. 1 Timothy 2:1 "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." We may not all agree
with Obama's politics, but we can -- and should -- pray for God to guide his leadership and
for God to bless his time in office.

3) It's time to come together as a country. We have deep differences in
political beliefs, but now that the election is over and the people have spoken, we need to support
and respect our leaders. Romans 13:1-4a "Everyone must submit himself to the
governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who
rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so
will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but
for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then
do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good."
Again, despite political differences, Obama is the man that God has placed as our leader for a
time. We need to respect him and respect the office of the Presidency.

4) Our family has been studying the civil rights issues of the pre-Civil War
period for a few weeks now. We have been reading about the terrible existence of slavery and
the divisions it caused in our nation. How wonderful it is, in light of this study,
to know that we are now at a time in our nation's history where it is possible for a person
of any race or gender to be in the highest office in the land. Despite how you may feel about
Obama, isn't it wonderful to know that we live in a truly free nation? Yes, racism
still exists, unfortunately. Hatred still exists. But this is truly a historic day that
should be celebrated.

5) Finally, this is a wonderful opportunity to show ourselves, as Christians,
as those who are truly full of God's love and grace. Let's walk the talk. In sports, we
teach our children to not to be sore losers. If your choice of candidate did not win last night,
we should at least be graceful, peaceful, and loving to the winners. I think that's what
Jesus would have us do.

Red Flags

RED FLAG: DON’T MISS THESE WARNINGS

[SB-2]

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS   Dysphoric mood or loss of pleasure in usual activities   At least four of the following:    Change in appetite    Sleep difficulty    Loss of energy    Psychomotor agitation    Decrease in sexual drive    Inappropriate guilt    Indecisiveness    Suicidal thoughts   Duration of symptoms for at least 2 weeks   No evidence of schizophrenia or organic brain disease

ILLNESSES OFTEN MISTAKEN AS DEPRESSION   Thyroid disease and other endocrine diseases Parkinson’s disease Sleep apnea Nutritional illnesses Drugs or drug withdrawal Cerebral tumors Coronary artery disease Renal or hepatic failure AIDS Syphilis Mononucleosis Tuberculosis Hepatitis Pneumonia Cancer of the head of the pancreas Complex partial seizures Multiple sclerosis Left frontal stroke Dementia Alcoholism

Famous Depressed People

FAMOUS DEPRESSED PEOPLE

[Side Bar–1]

           

Terry Bradshaw	After leading the Pittsburg Steelers to four Super Bowl wins and divorcing his third wife, he became depressed—characterized by weight loss, crying spells, insomnia, and anxiety.
Jim Carrey	Comedian and movie star, he is best known for his rubber-like facial expressions and his over-the-top physical comedy. Although he became successful, he continued to suffer from depression that began when Carrey was 16-years old when his father lost his job.
Brooke Shields	Actress and model, she wrote a book—Down Came the Rain—that documented her postpartum depression.
Billy Joel	Winner of six Grammys, he attempted suicide by drinking furniture polish.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency (PDCD) is a rare disorder of carbohydrate metabolism caused by a deficiency of one or more enzymes in the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. The age of onset and severity of disease depends on the activity level of the PDC enzymes. Individuals with PDCD beginning prenatally or in infancy usually die in early childhood. Those who develop PDCD later in childhood may have mental retardation and other neurological symptoms and usually survive into adulthood. Approximately 25% of individuals with PDCD have an abnormality in the PHE1A gene located on the X chromosome. Approximately 75% of affected individuals have a form of the disorder that follows autosomal recessive inheritance.

The Cause of High Ammonia Levels

Ammonia is a byproduct of a step in protein metabolism that ordinarily takes place in the liver. When that metabolic function is working normally, the ammonia does not accumulate to any significant extent. The ammonia can however rise to a dangerous or worrisome level most commonly in people with severe liver disease or less commonly in some people with rare metabolic disorders. The ammonia becomes a marker of the severity of the impairment of the liver in a setting like your husband`s. In people with liver disease, we use a drug called lactulose during an acute situation to reduce the amount of protein breakdown in the intestine by bacteria and indirectly reduces the ammonia level. Over the longer term, the key is better liver function, whether by some healing and recovery of the liver or in extreme situations by liver transplantation. 

LifeWorks Vol 1 No 1 page 2

Commens on Why People Change

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WHY PEOPLE CHANGE (complete article)": 

This is my 2nd attempt at leaving a comment. Evidently I have trouble with remembering my passwords. I want to thank you Cletus for your words of wisdom. I have been following you and once again you have inspired me. I feel strength from your words. My 25 yr. old daughter and I are now physically parted and although the separation anxiety has been difficulty I have been takin One day at a time and each day seems a bit easy. My new mantra is Stop worrying, trust is God. 

Pscyhopharmacology Update Vol 1 No 1

September 2008 PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY UPDATE Volume 8 No 9

NEUROPSYCHIATRIC ASPECTS OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

Recent research advances allow neurochemical hypotheses for each of the different anxiety disorders.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Ø    Neurochemical abnormalities

o      Suppressed serotonergic mediation

§       SSRIs increase serotonin

o      Decrease in GABA, the brain’s predominant inhibitory neurotransmitter

§       Benzodiazepines improve GABA effects

§       Depakote increases GABA concentrations

o      Activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine-sympathetic system

§       Effexor modulates

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder = the tenth most disabling of all medical conditions worldwide

Ø    Increased activity in the ventromedial-cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuit

Ø    Neurochemical abnormalities

o      Region specific serotonergic abnormality

§       Only 50% of OCD patients respond to SSRIs alone

o      Abnormal dopamine striatal circuits

§       Augment SSRIs with antipsychotics

o      Decreased GABA and increased glutamate

§       Add Depakote (calms by increasing GABA) and/or Lamictal (calms by suppressing glutamate)

Panic Disorder

Ø    The amygdala plays a central role in conditioned fear sending out efferents to:

o      The lateral nucleus of the amygdala—autonomic arousal

o      Hypothalamus —increases adrenocorticoid release

o      Locus coeruleus—increases norepinephrine release

o      Parabrachial nucleus—increases respiratory rate

Ø    Treatment—there is no integrated treatment for the neurochemical complexity of panic. Currently the treatment for panic remains SSRIs and benzodiazepines

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Ø   The amygdala and limbic regions play a particularly important role in the final common pathway of chronic hypersensitivity to post traumatic events

Ø   The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system results in decreased cortisol and increased glucocorticoid receptor responsiveness found in chronic stress and in neuronal damage of  the hippocampus that could account for some of the cognitive impairments found in PTSD

Ø   Treatment—multiple medication combinations can help relieve specific symptom complexes

 

October 1, 2008 I will begin a position at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center, Virginia. You can find Psychopharmacology Update on the Blog, Relationship Solutions: LifeWorks or you can receive a hard copy by sending $12 to cover printing/postage for one year to Wende Whitus, 2820 Huckleberry Hill Dr, Fort Mill, SC 29715. 

www.glenstonechapel.org

Listen to Sermon by Greg Whitus

http://www.glenstonechapel.org/sermon/rebel-with-a-cause/