Tag:

Deficiencies

Nutritional Supplements to Treat ADHD, Bipolar, Depression: EMPowerplus

by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. 12/24/2023

Nutritional Supplements to Treat ADHD, Bipolar, Depression: EMPowerplus EMPowerplus is a nutritional supplement that consists of 14 vitamins, 16 minerals, 3 amino acids, and 3 antioxidants. According to its makers, TrueHope Nutritional Support, EMPowerplus “works by giving the brain the right balance of vitamins and trace minerals on a regular basis.”

It backs up that statement with a link to 11 research studies which it says demonstrates the effectiveness of this supplement to help people with attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, and depression.

It’s been selling the supplement for over a decade now from Canada, to hundreds of thousands of people. Many people swear by it. Others have questioned whether it is really any better than placebo.

So does it work? Let’s find out…

12/24/2023 69 comments

When Things Go Wrong in Massachusetts, Fire the Employees, Not Carney Hospital

by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. 11/26/2023

By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

When Things Go Wrong in Massachusetts, Fire the Employees, Not Carney Hospital Mental health care in Massachusetts is sometimes a hit or miss proposition. Especially if you’re poor or indigent, or may present a danger to yourself or others.

For the 14-bed locked hospital unit at Carney — now owned by Steward Health Care — it apparently was such a “miss” proposition that they ended up sacking the entire staff. Yes, you heard me — all 29 psychiatric nurses and mental health counselors were let go about a month ago.

Is it possible that 29 different professionals really were responsible for the four complaints? Or is this a perfect example of incompetent management and senior hospital executives covering their asses, and trying to put the best foot forward to keep their beds licensed by the state?

Gee, I wonder.

11/26/2023 1 comment

When Violence Strikes on a Psychiatric Ward

by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. 5/25/2023

By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

Milwaukee County’s Mental Health Complex features a short-term inpatient psychiatric facility that seeks to help those with serious mental health issues — including survivors of trauma and sexual abuse — get better. Patients stay an average of 11.5 days while at the facility and more than 90 percent of them are discharged back to their own care or home.

By far, most people who are admitted to the facility carry a diagnosis within the “psychoses” category of diagnoses — which usually means schizophrenia or a related disorder. Over one-third of their patients are under 19 years old — teens and children. About half the patients they treat are men, the other half women.

More than half the people who seek out treatment at a facility like this will have their tab picked up by taxpayers like you and I, because their bill will be paid by Medicare or Medicaid.

The Complex sports four inpatient wards. But the Complex has a bit of a problem. Instead of segregating men from women on the wards — which is common practice in many other inpatient psychiatric facilities — Milwaukee County has co-ed wards. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem. If this were a college. But it’s not a college, it’s an acute inpatient treatment facility.

So when violence strikes the wards, what do they do?

5/25/2023 29 comments