Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is a side effect of taking antipsychotic medication. It’s a movement disorder that can appear months, years, even decades after starting to take antipsychotic medication. It’s estimated that 20-50% of people with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder taking antipsychotics, particularly first generation, will develop TD. Signs and symptoms include: • repetitive jerking movements of the arms or legs • trunk and hip rocking, jerking or thrusting • rapid eye blinking • Tongue rolling, or darting in or out of the mouth • lip smacking. pursing or puckering, • jaw clenching or grimacing • twisting or rhythmic movement in the fingers or toes We know that taking older “first generation” antipsychotics places someone at greater risk. Other risk factors include: • being a woman • being over age 55 • having diabetes • having a substance use disorder (including alcoholism) While TD can’t be prevented, it’s important to identify it early. It’s recommended that people be screened every six months or at least every year using what’s called “The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale.” Be sure to note which symptoms you are experiencing, when the symptoms began to appear, how frequent they are, and how they impact your daily routine. If you or a loved one begins showing symptoms talk to your doctor right away – but do not abruptly stop taking the antipsychotic. Often a doctor will have the person take less of the antipsychotic medication or switch to a different medication. There are some medications that have been approved by the FDA to address the symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia (e.g., valbenazine, deutetrabenazine). Ask your doctor about them. Mild benefits have also been noted for taking gingko biloba and vitamin E. Most people who develop TD will find that it is mild and goes away. The number of patients who develop severe or irreversible TD is quite low, although sometimes TD can be disabling. TD can make people feel self-conscious or embarrassed about the involuntary movements. Author: NAMI MINNESOTAThis information was taken from one of NAMI Minnesota's Fact Sheets. You can view their other Fact Sheets here. The April NAMI Ramsey Book Club meeting featured guest author Jane O’Reilly and her middle grade book, the Notations Of Cooper Cameron. This novel is written from the point of view of a very bright but troubled young boy, Cooper, who just completed 5th grade and lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). His condition became apparent two years earlier around the time of his witnessing his beloved grandfather’s bizarre death. It is now two years after this traumatic death and the family is staying for the summer up at Grandpa Mill's old cabin. The book club had a lively discussion with author Jane O’Reilly, who was inspired to craft Cooper as a character based on her older sister. Growing up, the author’s sister experienced OCD and grew up to be the editor of the Star Tribune Travel section for over 30 years, traveling all over the world. Originally intended to be a picture book, Jane O’Reilly’s novel was also inspired by an essay her sister wrote, entitled, “Fire Child,” that provided insight into her sister’s early childhood OCD experience that never fully left her. Participants discussed having family members who live with mental illnesses, and many people could relate to the stress, worry, and care they feel when someone they love is exhibiting symptoms. AUTHORS: Peter Jarnstrom & Debbi GunsellPeter serves as an advisor to the NAMI Ramsey County board and Debbi serves as a director. Debbi is also a member of the Book Club Planning Committee and hosted this month's discussion. On Thursday, July 15 from 7-8 p.m., the NAMI Ramsey Book Club will be discussing the book Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell. The discussion will be led by Kay King, Community Educator at NAMI Minnesota. Here are some discussion questions to consider prior to the meeting. You can download them here. Learn more and register at our Book Club page.
A second favorite line is what Vida says to Hazel when Hazel suggests a friendship between the two of them, “That makes me your maid, not your friend. You get to pick me as a friend and I ain’t got no say about it.”
Kay KingCommunity Educator at NAMI Minnesota Dear Mayor Martin and City Council Members: On behalf of NAMI Ramsey County (National Alliance on Mental Illness), I am contacting you in strong support of your proposed ordinance on flavored tobacco. The NAMI Ramsey board believes that since flavored-tobacco encourages some people to smoke, banning it will help many people, including people with mental illnesses. People with a mental illness have a high rate of smoking and once they begin they have a harder time quitting. According to NAMI, in America, 44.3% of all cigarettes are consumed by individuals who live with mental illnesses and/or substance abuse disorders. People with schizophrenia are three to four times as likely to smoke as the general population. Smoking is known to cause heart disease, stroke and lung disease, among other medical problems. Many antipsychotic medications cause an increased risk of heart disease, so it's important that individuals living with a mental illness quit smoking. Every year, smoking kills about 200,000 people who live with mental illnesses. Also, smoking increases the breakdown of medicines in the body, so smokers often need to take higher doses to get the same results as someone who does not smoke. If a smoker quits, they can usually get the same treatment results from lower doses of psychiatric medications. We recognize that cigarette and tobacco use is a dangerous form of addiction that creates more significant health problems. People with mental illnesses have the right to be smoke free and they must be given the education and support to make healthy choices. This includes not being tempted to begin smoking in the first place through flavored tobacco. Thank you for working on this important ordinance. NAMI Ramsey also sees it as a housing issue. Most apartments are non-smoking, and we don’t want to see people with a mental illness evicted due to smoking in their apartments. Sincerely, Mindy Greiling NAMI Ramsey County President Author: NAMI RAMSEY PRESIDENT MINDY GREILINGWith editing help from the NAMI Ramsey County board. Many things can lead to a mental health crisis. Increased stress, changes in family situations, bullying at school, substance use, and trauma or violence at home or in the community may trigger the sudden appearance of or an increase in behaviors or symptoms that lead to a mental health crisis. Medical illnesses can also affect a child’s mental health and can lead to a crisis. These issues are difficult for everyone, but they can be more difficult for someone living with a mental illness. This is especially true for a child who probably doesn’t understand their illness and its symptoms. Here are some examples of situations or stressors that can trigger a mental health crisis:
School Triggers:
Other Triggers:
Learn more by reading NAMI Minnesota's "Mental Health Crisis Planning for Children" booklet. nami minnesotaContent taken from NAMI Minnesota's "Mental Health Crisis Planning for Children" booklet. |
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