Blog articles from NAMI Santa Clara County
The situation was dire. Mark had been hospitalized seven times for acute psychiatric care. Several times were due to severe reactions to medication, one time for trying to take his life, others for suicidal ideation. He tried Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), for depression. It failed. He went to multiple psychiatrists who ran the gamut of medications. Nothing worked.
Dr. Katherine Taylor, Interim Medical Director for Mental Health and Addiction Services at El Camino Hospital, addressed a range of questions that included various treatments and diagnosis, autism spectrum later in life, dual diagnoses, the increase in psychosis due to cannabis use and much more.
After more than 70 years of antipsychotic medications that are mere iterations of earlier discoveries, a door may have cracked open to offer better options for individuals struggling with severe mental illness. There is much more research to be done, said Dr. Jacob Ballon, who specializes in the treatment of individuals with psychotic disorders including schizophrenia and is Co-Director of the INSPIRE Clinic at Stanford.
Mental illness has never been a one-size-fits-all neurological disorder, and in women’s health the intersection between hormones and mood can further complicate life. But it doesn’t have to be that way said physician Karen Adams, director at Stanford University School of Medicine for Menopause and Healthy Aging. Understanding major depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder during perimenopause and menopause can help women predisposed or diagnosed with a mental illness get through this transitional phase.
By Moryt Milo Momentum for Health Community Collaborator Paula Giannoni is on a mission to educate the community about Santa Clara County’s newest mobile field team that’s dispatched to individuals in the midst of a mental health or substance use crisis. TRUST, short for Trusted Response Urgent Support Team, is the only non-law-enforcement crisis team…
By Moryt Milo Nationwide, headlines describe teens in emotional crisis, struggling with high levels of anxiety and depression. Yet, many have questioned whether the news is overblown. Counselors and therapists working with teens said the crisis is real. The pandemic laid it bare, with parent referrals skyrocketing by 700% for mental health services, CASSY Executive…
By Moryt Milo Aakash Desai had a career trajectory similar to other young adults in Silicon Valley. He graduated from high school with an aptitude in computer science and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering, followed by an MBA. For the first ten years of his tech career, he…
By Moryt Milo For parents whose children have mental health conditions, the question of who cares for them once they are gone is ever present. Mark Gilfix, a partner at Gilfix & La Poll Associates and an expert in special needs planning, said this fear can be abated with the right tools. Once established, these…
By Moryt Milo Paraag Marathe, President of 49ers Enterprises and Executive Vice President of Football Operations, negotiates football contracts, maintains a competitive salary cap for the organization, and was charged with figuring out where to put a new football stadium. But when it came to his sister’s battle with mental illness, he was confronted with…
By Moryt Milo For close to 20 years, California’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) has been a lifeline for a number of behavioral health care programs not covered by Medi-Cal. Come March 2024, some of that funding could shift dramatically if voters approve the referendum on the ballot. Proposition 1, as it will be known,…