Tegretol is used to treat certain types of seizures associated with epilepsy, the treatment of the nerve pain associated with true trigeminal neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy. It is also used to treat bipolar disorder. Please do not confuse Trileptal with Tegretol. They are two different drugs.

Today I got confused over what Trileptal is used for. Luckily I was right. Trileptal is a medicine to treat partial seizures in adults. Trileptal is widely used for neuropathic pains of all types It is taken alone or with other seizure medicines. Taken with other seizure medicines, Trileptal is also used to help treat partial seizures in children 4-16 years old.

Trileptal also be effective in treating conditions as varied as mood disorders like anxiety, depression and Bipolar Disorder, sleep disorders, preventing migraine headaches and reducing chronic, neuropathic pain. You may also see out Bipolar disorder trileptal.

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

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Another Republican tactic to stall public health option has cropped up. Please help stop it. Sign the above petition. Fight back America!

The key to being a good parent is consistency. Yelling over time, too much  can lead to you as a  parent being tuned out. Your child may start yelling at peers with little provocation. Everyone yells. The point is to watch your voice and tone so that you maximize your effectiveness as a parent, and decrease your yelling quota so your kids won't write you off. The CNN psychologist Jeff Gardere stated we now know spanking is not good for children, it is related to a low IQ in children who are consistently spanked. These children never have their reasoning skills developed, like others. Their parents never explain life and the rules to them.
You need to do that, rules and the "how to of life" is your job as a parent -you teach this to your child everyday - by how you act,what you say, how you dress and the way you spend your time. Choose carefully. Remember, you can always change.

Brain with ADHD develops differently

• Some brain regions of kids with ADHD are delayed in maturing, says study
• Their brains are delayed an average of three years compared to those without ADHD
• Delay is most evident in brain regions that control thinking, attention and planning
• Bottom Line: This may explain why some kids seem to grow out of the disorder

This is the latest post by CNN correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. I will follow to see if there is any additional information.

Scientists report Mediterranean diet in fish, nuts, vegetables, fights depression, reasons are unclear. This diet also helps fight asthma, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. This was published in Archives of General Psychiatry Journal. This is good news. I will always try to find additional things you can do to decrease risk or actual mental conditions/illnesses.

Mitrochondrial dysunction plays a role in recurring mood  disorders and might explain why most treated patients have relapses according to leading investigator in psychiatry and psychopharmacology. This is a top story in the Clinical Psychiatry News, a psychiatry research journal, the October 2009 edition. Patients with mitochondrial disease such as certain forms of Parkinson's might be at increased risk for depressive disorders. Richard Shelton MD noted Lithium and valproate interact with mitochondria. Some mitochondria targeted anti-oxidants in drug development may be useful for bipolar disorder. "We can say with reasonable confidence that bipolar disorder is condition of mitochondrial dysfunction".
Two common nutritional supplements sold on Internet and in health food stores are mitochondrial modulators that might help patients with depressive disorders. Dr. Shelton recommends are N-acetly cysteine (NAC) at a dose of 2g per day and acetyl-l-carnitinne (AL-CAR) at a dose of 500mg twice a day. His patients have benefited but this evidence is anecdotal. He considered CoQ10 at 300 mg per day, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) at 600 mg twice a day, and creatine monohydrate at 3-5 g per day. ALA has been studied with clinical trials, none with unipolar or bipolar disorders.
Many people use SAMe or S-aenoslymethionine, in major depressive disorder, but Dr. Shelton discouraged its use. SAMe helps form glutathione, and homocysteine. Research shows a relationship between an accumulation of homocysteine and increased cardiovascular disease.

The Psychiatric Times had some great tips on how to manage this issue clinically. Here they are.
1.Gather info from teacher, parent and child. Assess for other disorders too. Evaluate severity and functional impairment.
2.Assess somatic symptoms such as headaches, abdominal complaints, muscle tension, restlessness, difficulty in sleeping before medications are started to decrease confusion from adverse side effects of medications.
 3. SSRI's are medications consistently effective for children and adolescents in placebo controlled trials.
 4. CBT and meds are better than either alone. (Old news) 5. Parental involvement is important, but critical when parent is anxious.
Till next time,
Dr. Lily

This study focused on cancer patients and antidepressant meds. I am upset as the clients are all Medical. The clients were not assessed by psychiatrist or psychologist for the medication issue. It makes sense this population would be depressed. They need other groups like other insurance groups, middle class, upper class, different ethnic groups etc to be clear. They need assessment by mental health professionals not oncologists.

I met with an Indigo woman in her 50's and we discussed how I had to offer her more than therapy in order for her to feel satisfied with therapy. Discussing and opening her to the world of spiritual authors/frameworks has been key. Suggesting she go explore her spirituality has been one of the things that made her understand how big the world is, and the ideas in it. How different people view the world, our issues, and our lives so differently partly due to culture, partly due to spiritual/philosophical background.
Since I am comfortable with both issues, I make sure to address this in the intake. I mention authors/ philosophies I have read/discovered in my own path, college experience and people have been most grateful.
I ask what they believe in to remember to mention that in their times of need, it provides tremendous support.
I wish more therapists/psychologists were more at ease with this and saw the value of this.
I believe it will change as there is a change of consciousness, a new awakening, a new awareness of morals, standards and the wisdom of religion/spiritual great ones, such as Buddha, Jesus and Krishna. I will keep you posted on how this goes.