Squishy Goodness
November 23, 2010 11:07 PM Subscribe
This looks great.
Episode nine, on Mental Illness, has got *both* Elyn Saks and Kay Redfield Jamison; I especially somewhat kindof sortof love Jamison, who has pretty much written the book on manic depression, and brought so much light to so many. It's due to her influence that I don't call it bipolar disorder but refer to it instead as manic depression, that it's more an illness on a spectrum rather than on one pole or another; yeah, it's semantics, but it's important I think, a quite important distinction.
back, an hour later...
Okay, I just watched that episode -- it's great. I can't recommend it enough to anyone who's got depression, or manic depression, or schizophrenia, or schizo-affective disorder, or has anyone in their lives who do have those illnesses. Man.
One thing delved into deeply was the psychosocial treatment for manic depression (schizophrenia, also) ie how important it is to have supports to aid people in their getting toward remission with these illnesses, that blowing people down with pills isn't enough, that psychotherapy can be of tremendous use, and familial supports also, and friendships. But mostly they stayed with psychotherapy, how important it is to have a trusted ally who knows what the patient is up against, to help deal with the denial of the fact even of having the illness, and dealing with the patients families denial, and helping them keep to a therapeutic regimen re psych medications, helping the patients see when they are being affected by their illness when perhaps the patient can't see it, on and on.
I did a google search on psychosocial treatment of bipolar disorder and got TONS of hits; even just two years ago, not so many. This is good news; the word is getting out.
Anyways, thank you so much for posting, I've just lost twelve hours here, in watching these, but fact is that it's not a loss -- this looks great.
Great post.
posted by dancestoblue at 12:52 AM on November 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Episode nine, on Mental Illness, has got *both* Elyn Saks and Kay Redfield Jamison; I especially somewhat kindof sortof love Jamison, who has pretty much written the book on manic depression, and brought so much light to so many. It's due to her influence that I don't call it bipolar disorder but refer to it instead as manic depression, that it's more an illness on a spectrum rather than on one pole or another; yeah, it's semantics, but it's important I think, a quite important distinction.
back, an hour later...
Okay, I just watched that episode -- it's great. I can't recommend it enough to anyone who's got depression, or manic depression, or schizophrenia, or schizo-affective disorder, or has anyone in their lives who do have those illnesses. Man.
One thing delved into deeply was the psychosocial treatment for manic depression (schizophrenia, also) ie how important it is to have supports to aid people in their getting toward remission with these illnesses, that blowing people down with pills isn't enough, that psychotherapy can be of tremendous use, and familial supports also, and friendships. But mostly they stayed with psychotherapy, how important it is to have a trusted ally who knows what the patient is up against, to help deal with the denial of the fact even of having the illness, and dealing with the patients families denial, and helping them keep to a therapeutic regimen re psych medications, helping the patients see when they are being affected by their illness when perhaps the patient can't see it, on and on.
I did a google search on psychosocial treatment of bipolar disorder and got TONS of hits; even just two years ago, not so many. This is good news; the word is getting out.
Anyways, thank you so much for posting, I've just lost twelve hours here, in watching these, but fact is that it's not a loss -- this looks great.
Great post.
posted by dancestoblue at 12:52 AM on November 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I watched this series through its original run on Rose's show and found it really captivating in a way television rarely is. Simultaneously intellectual and esoteric and always captivating. A great watch.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:55 AM on November 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Thorzdad at 5:55 AM on November 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Much like Thorzdad, I too watched each episode, and I can confirm the series is fantastic. If you aren't completely in love with Eric Kandel after the first episode, you have no soul.
Of all the shows in the series, Episode 12 talking about the creative brain was the most amazing. Featured are artists Richard Serra and Chuck Close – standouts in the art world who both suffer from prosopagnosia, a condition that prevents them from recognizing people's faces.
Amazing stuff.
posted by Exploding Gutbuster at 8:56 AM on November 24, 2010
Of all the shows in the series, Episode 12 talking about the creative brain was the most amazing. Featured are artists Richard Serra and Chuck Close – standouts in the art world who both suffer from prosopagnosia, a condition that prevents them from recognizing people's faces.
Amazing stuff.
posted by Exploding Gutbuster at 8:56 AM on November 24, 2010
Thank you awesome post. Gotta love Charlie Rose.
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 9:34 AM on November 24, 2010
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 9:34 AM on November 24, 2010
Great series on the brain, my professor would play it in first year Biological Psychology. Has a lot of great input from a lot of brilliant minds and its very well presented
posted by adrian.c at 6:53 PM on November 25, 2010
posted by adrian.c at 6:53 PM on November 25, 2010
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