MetaFilter posts tagged with illness

XMRV A Retrovirus With Implications

~Sushma~ — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:01:24 -0800

People who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome may have an answer as to why Nobody knows what causes CFS and fibromyalgia, for many years doctors poo-poohed the patient and sent them home with anti-anxiety drugs, but studies now show that there is a link to this retrovirus and these disorders. It's not in your head. Some studies earlier showed a link between prostate cancer and this virus, but the jury is still out on this. It's thought to be sexually transmitted via the blood, and actually binds with human DNA.

Regaining Your Balance

netbros — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:52:09 -0800

"Web professionals are often expected to be “always on”—always working, absorbing information, and honing new skills. Unless our work and personal lives are carefully balanced, however, the physical and mental effects of an "always on" life can be debilitating." Burnout: Running On Empty By Scott Boms

The Last Man in Europe

Artw — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:56:37 -0800

1984: The masterpiece that killed George Orwell

A New Theory Of Mental Disorders

grumblebee — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:49:06 -0800

"Their idea is, in broad outline, straightforward. Dr. Crespi and Dr. Badcock propose that an evolutionary tug of war between genes from the father’s sperm and the mother’s egg can, in effect, tip brain development in one of two ways. A strong bias toward the father pushes a developing brain along the autistic spectrum, toward a fascination with objects, patterns, mechanical systems, at the expense of social development. A bias toward the mother moves the growing brain along what the researchers call the psychotic spectrum, toward hypersensitivity to mood, their own and others’. This, according to the theory, increases a child’s risk of developing schizophrenia later on, as well as mood problems like bipolar disorder and depression."

...sorry...

Artw — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:17:01 -0800

Kim Jong Ill.

Birth of the National Health Service - How the state of the nation's health became a political ideal

fire&wings — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:47:31 -0800

The NHS at 60. The National Health Service is 60 on July 5th. Take a look at documents, audio and video related to the birth and growth of this "radical plan."

Breakdown

GuyZero — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:05:15 -0800

Breakdown. First-hand accounts of the impact and stigma of mental illness. Moving subject matter presented in a way that updates traditional newspaper reporting.

Remember Me

chunking express — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:18:37 -0800

Remember Me. A multimedia documentary about one family's struggle to deal with the loss of a parent. This series is the 2008 Pulitzer winner for feature photography. It's kind of intense.

Seven Interview with Foster Children

chunking express — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 08:29:32 -0800

I took my video camera to a Foster Care Alumni meeting and asked seven foster kids to tell me about there experiences in Child Protective Services while wards of the state: Tristen, Andrew, Kyle, Aisha, Elnita, Ashley, Joshua. The author of the video is interested in how these children were drugged from a young age, but they each talk about their experiences in general, which usually aren't that great. I thought Tristen's video was particularly depressing.

On living with a mental illness.

2shay — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:17:34 -0800

Borderline personality disorder described firsthand. A very personal look at BPD - including the implications of sharing the news in a public setting - his blog.

Shaken Baby Tale Sweeps MySpace

ThePinkSuperhero — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:47:47 -0800

The most popular blog on Myspace isn't about sex, drugs, or white girl gang signs. It is the tale of 5-month old Kaleb Schwabe, who suffered serious injuries believed to be caused by abuse at the hands of a caregiver. 21-year-old mom Kristy details Kaleb's recovery with doses of faith, sadness, and hope, and MySpace users have rallied in a big way.

Get Down With The Sickness.

Effigy2000 — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:35:18 -0800

Who's feeling sick? Probably a whole lot of people around you by the looks of this service, which tracks illness around the country as people report their symptoms. Mostly US and European-centric at this stage, but as more people around the world report their symptoms that can begin to change.

The Icarus Project

serazin — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:31:54 -0800

The space between brilliance and madness

Turn Your Head and Oink

hermitosis — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:38:22 -0800

What disease does your pig have? Mine has Porcine Epidemic Diahorroea!

From an infection control standpoint, the perfect solution would be....

anastasiav — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 10:41:18 -0800

How to Cough or Sneeze
see also coughsafe.com

Is H5N1 flu transitioning to human-to-human transmission?

chakalakasp — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 01:30:31 -0800

Is H5N1 flu transitioning to a human-to-human illness? Recent reports of familial clusters suggest that it may be, though there are certainly other possible explanations, such as families living in environments contaminated by virus-laden bird feces. On the other hand, it would seem that epidemiologists are growing increasingly interested in the possibility that these clusters are indicative of human-to-human transmissions. Further, the virus may be inching towards being asymptomatic, which isn't as good as it sounds: if people can carry the virus and transmit it to others without showing symptoms, it will be very difficult to impossible to tell who is a vector and highly difficult to control any emerging epidemic.

Unconfirmed mini-outbreak of H5N1 in China

chakalakasp — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 17:56:51 -0800

China isn't known for being open about most things, including the spread of deadly diseases. (Many will remember China's original attempt to cover up SARS. As the International Society for Infectious Diseases reports, a prominent WHO virologist has made a claim that China has now experienced at least 300 human avian flu deaths and is actively attempting to cover this information up. "We are systematically deceived," he is reported to have said. "At least 5 medical co-workers who should be reporting on the situation in the provinces were arrested, and [other] publication-willing researchers were threatened with punishments."

So if you're lonely, you know I'm here waiting for you

stevil — Thu, 05 May 2005 17:44:46 -0800

No Longer Lonely -- Online Dating For the Mentally Ill Membership is reserved solely for those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, personality disorder, post-traumatic disorder, or disassociative disorder, or eating disorder. If you ARE unsure if you qualify please contact the webmaster.

Some groovy benefits they tout:
* Never have to worry again about disclosure of your condition
* No need to hide those pill bottles
* Never again have to explain your erratic work experience
* No more stigma-induced disappointments
* Finding someone who can really understand your struggles and accomplishments

Since JDate is not just for Jews any more, perhaps (despite the requests not to) there will be a run on this site for those aren't part of the mental illness community.
I'm sure all of us have an ex that we might politely term "mentally ill"- we could find more like 'em on a site like this, or avoid 'em in future if we knew they were dating amongst themselves? Maybe there should be an enabler category?
My 2nd FPP and my 2nd about unusual online dating. I don't know why that is.

dark ages coming back to get ya

all-seeing eye dog — Fri, 25 Mar 2005 07:29:14 -0800

"In the end, it's the audience that counts." Imax theater chains take imaginary sides in the pretend controversy over evolution.

International ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Wulfgar! — Wed, 12 May 2004 13:47:47 -0800

May 12th is International ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. If you aren't aware of these afflictions, then it's time to become so. "Fibromyalgia (FM) is an increasingly recognized chronic pain illness which is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances." The WebMD description. For those who live with chronic fatigue, systemic immunity problems, and long term pain, I think the rest of us, at least, owe our awareness of what these people cope with every day. Again, via the always excellent Watermark, who writes movingly of her relationship with Fibromyalgia.

Not my sweet, beautiful pans?!

mathowie — Sat, 15 Nov 2003 10:13:56 -0800

"Pending its review, the EPA says it is not now advising consumers to stop using Teflon products. The results of the agency's review of the safety of C-8 and of Teflon-related products that may release it are expected in coming months" Teflon may cause birth defects and illness. D'oh!

Hornstein update

MikeB — Thu, 03 Jul 2003 10:18:18 -0800

More details on the Blair Hornstein case. Read how she manipulated the grading system, what her illness is supposed to be, and how much she was able to accomplish despite "exhaustion."

Aids

semmi — Wed, 19 Mar 2003 08:23:53 -0800

Cellular politics. It seems that merely "reacting" is always a step behind of a fast evolving hostile force, and some pre-emptive strategy is a must.

Sad Unexplained Death

suprfli — Fri, 21 Feb 2003 16:28:59 -0800

This is a friend of a friend. Jon and Heidi Connal traveled around the world from June 2001 to Oct 2002. They included all of their experiences in a journal on their website. Jon Andrew Connal ran a marathon almost every month. Then he got sick and started throwing up blood for no apparent reason. The doctor thought it might be some sort of pneumonia. He was a very healthy man but for no apparent reason he suddenly died 3 days later. It's a sad story about wonderful people.

WolfDaddy — Thu, 26 Sep 2002 11:57:30 -0800

For years, it's been observed that some people infected with HIV never develop full-blown AIDS. Now American and Chinese scientists think they know why. But remember kids, barebacking is still dangerous, and a cocktail is not a cure. Maybe this research will change all that.