Something Can Be Done About It

I like the ring of this one: "Something CAN be done about Santa Cruz housing."

"Judy Williams decided she had enough of the fickle stock market: she wanted to make a contribution to her community and do something more useful with her money. She decided that maybe, by partnering up with an organization experienced in providing affordable housing, she could do something to ease the housing crunch for at least a few mental health clients. She approached Paul O'Brien of Community Support Services (SCCSS) with a proposal: she would put together enough money for the down payment to purchase a house if SCCSS would master lease the house from her and rent the rooms out at an affordable rent (at least for Santa Cruz!) to clients of the County mental health system. SCCSS would guarantee the rent, manage the property, take care of all the tenant issues, and take care of all the minor repairs and maintenance issues. Judy would hold the property until such time as SCCSS can secure sufficient funding in the form of grants or low interest loans to purchase the property back from her and assure that it becomes permanent affordable housing in perpetuity."

Go Judy. A woman after my own heart!

posted by VM @ 12:44 PM

Something Effective CAN be Done about Post Partum Depression

You know when I was going to school, the psychiatric/psychological "science" on the subject of the day was that during times of stress neurosis statistics rise, but the percent of people who are psychotic stay the same.

It seems that in the interrum, this problem was overcome, no doubt with the help of certain people who make their money off meds (or kickbacks/perks relating to meds), so this has been redfined, thanks to the DSM IV (and other versions).

Now if you have a hard time on your job, can't get along with your neighbor, spend too much on your credit card, not to mention go to Starbucks to often, you can go through the DSM IV and pick a totally "legitimate" "disorder" that fits you, and go to your MD and ask for a scrip for a med. (Yet even the FDA is now admitting that antidepressants like Cymbalta greatly increase the risk of suicide)

When Tom Cruise brought up his concern that we not turn into a Brave New World he really epxressed the way I have been feeling about this trend.

I am very concerned about the use of antidepressants for things that really can be handled by more sleep, better food (less sugar), balancing your hormones (as in postpartum depression) and getting a bit more honest in your relationships and working a bit harder (or changing your job so you are doing something at work which you personally believe is important), or weeding out the people in your life who put you down and either getting them to stop doing it or finding new friends instead of them who will be supportive to you.

These are simple things a person can do to feel better, and they don't increase the risk of suicide, or cause you to gain tons of weight. They're not even addictive!

posted by VM @ 3:51 PM