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OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

You have no doubt seen or heard the commercials: "Where does depression hurt? EVERYWHERE. Who does depression hurt? EVERYONE." Mental illnesses can consume you, take over your entire life and hurt everyone around you if you let it. I am no exception.

My life feels like I am stuck riding on a rollercoaster in the middle of a hurricane. I have ups and downs, and I have left a path of destruction in my wake. My sanity dangles on a tiny fragile string, and through this blog I am giving the world a look into my broken mind and my unstable life.

In the end, I am just a girl trying to maintain my sanity in a candy-coated world of misery. Here you'll get a glimpse at just how true those commercials are. Keep your arms and legs inside the blog at all times, hold on tight, and prepare yourself for a very bumpy ride ...

Feel free to comment here on the blog or email me at bpdokc@yahoo.com.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Students may develop worrisome eating behaviors

By Cleburne Times-Review, Texas

As schools raise awareness about childhood obesity, there has been a steady climb in concerns about eating disorders among children and preteens.

According to a recent report from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, some parents have concerns about school-based obesity prevention measures and the effects such programs could have on their children.

As many as 40 percent of parents who responded reported that, in children age 6 to 14, schools provide incentives for increased physical activity.

Fifty-nine percent reported a limitation on sweets and junk food in the classroom, and 42 percent said there is nutrition education in school.

While parents and administrators want to keep children from becoming overweight, the report found that 30 percent of parents reported worrisome eating behavior, such as eating too little, and a lack of physical activity in their children.

But some teachers and parents aren't jumping to conclusions.

Cleburne ISD physical education teacher Tammy Blair said any exercise incentives or eating healthy programs are only meant to produce positive results, not negative.

"We [the P.E. staff] meet regularly to discuss different types of exercise and to promote more healthy eating habits," Blair said. "I would not agree that we have students who are over exercising, but we do have some worrisome eating behaviors. We do have an obesity problem at the elementary school level."

Blair said students mimic what their families do. She said on-the-go families incorporate fast food as a diet staple without realizing it.

"I don't think parents realize the statistics say that this is the first generation of children that won't outlive their parents," she said.

She said the programs are not designed to make students feel bad about their bodies.

"We all look out for symptoms of some type of eating disorder," Blair said. "We immediately contact the parents or refer the student to the campus counselor. I do [cafeteria] duty for kindergarten and first grade, where we can see what they're eating.

"Just last week I caught a student who had doughnut holes in his lunch box. I did ask the parents, 'Are you aware your son has doughnut holes in his lunch box?' And of course, they didn't know."

Michelle Rasmussen, mother of two Coleman Elementary School students and a registered dietitian who is licensed by the state, said healthy eating habits must start at home.

"I do always review what's being served and the choices they will make," Rasmussen said. "Children today weigh 10 pounds more than they did 30 years ago, so there's something we are not doing right as parents. It has to do with TVs, electronics, video games. I see children at a really young age drinking soft drinks. I think back 30 years ago, I don't even know if I had soft drinks at that age. My kids barely have them now. It's just putting students in the mind set of practicing portion control. A lot of fast food restaurants' portions are outrageous."

Coleman counselor Valerie Ard, who has worked with students for more than 15 years, promotes positive self-image and helps students who have self-esteem issues.

As a counselor at then-Cleburne Intermediate School (now Wheat Middle School), Ard said she sometimes saw students in the early stages of an eating disorder, and sees elementary students focusing more on their body image than in the past.

"I had a student who was definitely overweight," Ard said. "You could tell it was affecting her self esteem. She was just a needy young girl. It's a touchy subject, especially with girls. You don't want them to feel bad about themselves, but at the same time, we need to say, 'Hey, you need to pay attention here.'"

Blair agreed.

"We just kind of have to put it in their court and see what they do," she said. "We always follow up. We'll ask [the parents] if they're seeing improvement at home. We'll send a positive note home, stay in contact."

CISD continues to promote healthy habits, but does so in manner mindful of student successes, she said.

Coleman PTA last year promoted a new spring fundraiser, the Coleman Canter. Students received donations based on how many steps -- counted by PTA-funded pedometers -- they took. Based on positive reviews from parents and students, the Coleman Canter will continue. Organizers plan for it to be held at Yellow Jacket Stadium during school later this spring, as a way to incorporate exercise into the school day.

Similarly, Cooke students participated in the eight-week program Walk Across Texas in conjunction with the Texas AgriLife Extension. Parents and students were encouraged to walk, run or bike together. Parents signed off on the exercise logs, and in doing so, students learned how far they had "walked" across the state.


Soap actor commits suicide after pup's 'forced' euthanasia

Note from Jennifer: I'm behind on posting this story. It happened last week, but I just found out about it yesterday. It's so very sad. R.I.P. Nick and Rocco


By the New York Post

A down-on-his-luck soap-opera actor took his own life this week after he was forced to put his beloved dog to sleep under pressure from his Upper West Side condo and became wracked by grief, pals said.

Nick Santino euthanized his dog, Rocco, Tuesday — on Santino’s 47th birthday. That night, his guilt over the gut-wrenching decision became too much to bear.

“Today I betrayed my best friend and put down my best friend,” a despondent Santino wrote in a suicide note, said close friend Stuart Sarnoff.

“Rocco trusted me and I failed him. He didn’t deserve this.”

The Brooklyn-born Santino — a struggling actor whose TV credits include “All My Children” and “Guiding Light” — adopted Rocco from a shelter several years ago.

The man, raised in an orphanage and foster homes, soon began to write about his pet on Facebook, writing, “I did not rescue Rocco, Rocco rescued me.”

But in 2010, his building at 1 Lincoln Plaza announced strict new dog regulations, including a ban on pit bulls. The ban didn’t apply to pit bulls already in the building, but friends and neighbors said Santino began to be harassed.

“People were complaining about his dog,” said neighbor Kevan Cleary, 63, an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School. “It was open season on him.”

Rocco couldn’t ride in the main elevators and wasn’t allowed to be left in the apartment alone for more than nine hours.

Santino was then threatened with a $250 fine for having a barking dog, neighbors said.

“The dog was not a barker, but somebody complained that the dog would bark,” Cleary said.

“He felt like he was in this battle because he was the only guy in the building with a pit-bull mix,” Cleary added.

Another neighbor, Lia Pettigrew, who runs a pet-care company, said, “Everybody knows that he had been harassed by the building management.”

The building’s management refused to comment yesterday.

After months of increasing anguish, Santino had the healthy dog put to sleep Tuesday.

Neighbors said a tearful Santino brought dog treats to the building’s doorman and said: “Give these to the other dogs. Rocco is no more.”

Dog owner James Steven Grant said Santino left two rawhide bones on his doorstep and earlier was seen tearfully giving away Rocco’s fluffy bed.

“Rocco was the sweetest dog in the world. Rocco wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Grant said.

A veterinarian told Santino that Rocco was becoming aggressive — and Santino blamed it on his own depression.

He spent Tuesday in agony over what he had done to Rocco.

“He was distraught and remorseful about putting down his best friend,” Cleary said.

The last phone call he made was to a former girlfriend at 2 a.m. Wednesday. Later that day, police found his body in his bedroom. He had overdosed on pills.

Rocco has been cremated, and friends said Santino’s remains will be, too, and they will be reunited.

“One way or another, their ashes will be together forever,” Sarnoff said.


Ketamine: Quick Fix for Severe Depression?

By ABC News

Ketamine, a prescription drug that has been used as an anesthetic for decades and gained popularity on the street as “Special K,” is being tested in Houston as a quick fix to severe depression.

Researchers at the Neuro Psychiatric Center next to Ben Taub General Hospital are testing one infusion of ketamine for its short-term effects in treating depression.

If the study’s results are successful, a second study will administer ketamine three times a week to patients to test the drug’s long-term effects.

“This is supposed to help for a couple months. The study is still under way, so it’s hard for us to know now how long the effects will last. Will it cure depression for a year or longer? I don’t think so. But we’re hoping it will work for a few months in the second trial,” said Dr. Asim Shah, who directs the mood disorder program at Ben Taub General Hospital.

Shah said so far the results are promising, but using ketamine to treat depression is not yet FDA approved.

Anti-depressants like Prozac or Celexa usually take at least a few weeks to start working. During that time, patients are more susceptible to suicide.

“Sometimes what happens is that a person’s energy improves before their mood improves. So if you still feel horribly depressed and hopeless, but have a return of your energy, your risk of being suicidal increases,” said Dr. Ken Robbins, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“If it pans out that a shot of ketamine will temporarily pull someone out of their depression, that would still be incredibly helpful. If someone is feeling horrible to the point where you’re concerned they’re suicidal, this could fill the time lapse that regular anti-depressants take to kick in,” Robbins said.

Ketamine is administered intravenously, and so it is being tested to be used at hospitals and psychiatric facilities.

“It’s something that needs to be administered to you. I don’t know how it would potentially be used if it turns out to have long-term benefits,” Robbins said.

The researchers at Ben Taub are working on a few other studies as well, including testing a pill form of a drug similar to ketamine.

But it would be at least a couple of years before the drug is available, if the studies are successful.

“This research is really exciting, but it’s in its infancy,” Robbins said.


Sunday, January 29, 2012

Post secret favorites of the week








99'er Meme: Part 1



Sunday Stealing: The 99'er Meme: Part 1

1) Put your iTunes on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up.
Man, I don't have iTunes.....

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?
Ryan Reynolds. My fiance probably hopes I'll never meet him because if I do, there's no stopping me from pouncing on those perfect abs

3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.
"Everyone looked up as she came in." (From "Night World: Huntress")

4) What do you think about most?
 Probably my dogs. It's hard not to think of them when you live alone with three dogs, including one really hyper puppy

5) What does your latest text message from someone else say?
"Princess spent the last 15 minutes chasing the hedge hog as I threw it and played tug of war. Oreo's laying in his crate. He was excited I was here for the first hour" ... My fiance was telling me about how the dogs were doing when he came over to my house to visit last night while I was at work. BTW, it's a hedge hog toy, not an actual hedge hog

6) Do you sleep with or without clothes on?
I used to sleep in just panties, but then I got dogs and after waking up to Oreo biting my nipple when he was a puppy, I started wearing shirts to bed

7) What's your strangest talent?
I can't think of a current talent, but I used to be able to burp the alphabet clear up to P without taking pausing

8) Women.... (finish the sentence); Men.... (finish the sentence)
Women suck, Men blow .... (that was just the first thought in my head)

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?
Oh I'm sure my ex-husband wrote all sorts of things about me ... *insert evil laugh here*

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?
I'm a dancer, not a air guitarist 

11) Do you have any strange phobias?
How many times am I going to be asked that? ... I have a fear of clowns, midgets, old people, and of course old midget clowns

12) Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?
Who hasn't? 

13) What's your religion?
I'm Christian, but I prefer nondenominational churches. I go to LifeChurch.tv

14) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?
Telling my dogs to quit barking when it's 3 a.m. 

15) Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?
Behind

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?
 I honestly don't have a favorite band. I normally perform solo artists. I do have some bands that I listen to, but in the end, it's on a song-by-song basis of what I like

17) What was the last lie you told?
 When I answered the last question. I sorta do have a favorite overall...

18) Do you believe in karma?
Yes

19) What does your URL mean?
BPD stands for Borderline Personality Disorder. OKC stands for Oklahoma City

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?
Weakness - Puppies
Strength - My love of puppies

21) Who is your celebrity crush?
 I think my answer to #2 answers this one

22) Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
Does a hot tub count? I ended up naked in one once, having sex not swimming though

23) How do you vent your anger?
Normally I write emails to my coworkers or text my fiance to tell them about why I'm mad at someone/something

24) Do you have a collection of anything?
Oh geez, yes. I collect jewelry stands (even though I don't wear jewelry). I collect miniature shoe figurines. I have lots of Coca-Cola memorabilia. I'm accumulating quite a big library of vampire-themed books

25) Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?
I prefer texting over the phone.  I'd rather not use my voice while having a conversation

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Many seek answers after three 3 suicides

By The Oklahoman

Three teen suicides in the past two weeks have devastated the Edmond, Oklahoma, community and left classmates and teachers searching for answers and solace.

“We are deeply concerned about teen suicide in this district, and we are sensitive to the grief and families of those young men,” said Susan Parks-Schlepp, spokeswoman for the Edmond School District.

“We don't have at this point any indication that these incidents are connected in any way.”

All three teen boys died of shotgun wounds to the head while in their homes, according to Edmond police reports.

An eighth-grader at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School died Jan. 13. He was 14 years old.

Five days later, another student died.

He was 17 and attended Edmond Memorial High School.

And Thursday night, a 17-year-old student from Edmond North High School took his own life.

Edmond Public Schools and the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City responded to the tragedy with additional counselors and a renewed emphasis on suicide prevention.

“Being in a school where faith is our primary existence, they can talk to students about the context of God's love for us and pray for the family and pray for the students,” said Sister Catherine Powers, superintendent of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Catholic Schools.

At Edmond North High School, about 50 students who knew the teen well received counseling Friday. A few chose to leave school.

A letter was emailed to parents of students at the school with facts about the student death and suicide prevention information, Parks-Schlepp said.

“We have worked very hard at our high schools to make sure that students know that they are cared for, that they are appreciated for who they are and that they have a voice,” Parks-Schlepp said.

“One suicide is one too many.”

The Edmond Police Department is working with the public schools to develop an anti-suicide campaign, spokeswoman Glynda Chu said.

“Communication is so important,” Chu said.

“Talk to them about what is going on in their lives and let them know someone is there for them. Be careful, don't leave medication unaccounted for and keep your guns locked up. Parents just need to be aware.”

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

In 2009, almost 37,000 Americans killed themselves, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Troubling for others

The string of suicides likely have shaken up students throughout the area, said Lisa Harper, development director of HeartLine, a nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention and crisis intervention in Oklahoma.

“It can be very difficult for other students to understand why those students chose that path,” Harper said.

“They may also be emotionally conflicted, really wanting to understand what happened and understand their own feelings, as well.”

Tributes to the teens have sprung up on Facebook, where students are posting comments and photos.

The key, she said, is for students to be able to talk about what's happened. Parents can play a key role.

“It's an uncomfortable topic and an uncomfortable discussion,” Harper said.

“But just speak with them directly about it. The parents have to be great listeners.”

While there's no indication these deaths were related, Harper said adults should be vigilant.

“Sometimes there is something called the contagion effect where (suicides) can happen in clusters,” she said.

“We do sometimes see it in clusters, especially when there's media attention and some students may feel that they see someone else receiving a lot of love and memorialization after the death, and they feel like that's a way for them to leave an impact.”

By the numbers: Youth suicides

According to the most recent available data from a 2009 study, suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States. Among young adults between the ages of 15 and 24, it is the third-leading cause of death.
• 36,909: People who committed suicide
• 265: Suicides among ages 5 to 14
• 4,371: Suicides among ages 15 to 24
• 14.9: Percentage of Oklahoma high school students who have strongly considered suicide, compared with 13.8 percent nationwide
• 7: Percentage of Oklahoma high school students who have attempted suicide, compared with 6.3 percent nationwide
• 8.1: Percentage of female high school students who have attempted suicide, compared with 4.6 percent of male students

SOURCE: National Vital Statistics Report “Deaths: Final Data for 2009,” and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Warning signs of suicide

Several behavior changes may serve as suicide warning signs:
• Talking about suicide or the desire to die
• Talking about feeling hopeless, trapped or a burden to others
• Drastic changes in behavior, such as anger, sadness or recklessness
• Unusual eating or sleeping patterns
• Isolation or withdrawal
• Giving away of prized possessions
• Increased alcohol or drug use

SOURCE: HeartLine and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline


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