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MENTAL HEALTH FLAG TOUR STOPS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
The following article is from Eagle Tribune Publishing at: http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20040414/NH_003.htm Wednesday, April 14, 2004 Talking past the pain By Andy Smith DERRY -- When Mary Worthen's 14-year-old son underwent surgery for cancer, the family was flooded with flowers, balloons and friends offering any kind of assistance that might be needed. But there were no flowers or balloons when Worthen's 21-year-old daughter
Kristy attempted suicide during the darkest days of her prediagnosed battle
with bipolar disorder. When doctors figured out Kristy had suffered from
the disease since she was 14, no one called to ask Worthen how she was
feeling.
"When I first got sick, I thought it was the end of the world," Chambers said. "I thought I'd never have control of my mind again, and I'd never work or have a relationship again. "But I realized there's life after mental illness. It was an opportunity for me to think about relationships, religion and soul searching. I think I'm a better person now," she said. The group's executive director, Linda Wilde of Salem, said Chambers' reaction is common and Circle of L.I.F.E.'s toughest obstacle is convincing people that they can, in fact, get better. Wilde has also lived her life with mental illness. "They think it's a life sentence," Wilde said. "The biggest thing that keeps them from getting better is just not knowing that they can." Circle of L.I.F.E. is part of a network that includes 18 support groups in New Hampshire. Its goal is to provide an understanding haven for those who have been told their entire lives that all they have to do is simply "pull themselves up by the bootstraps." That cliche is a source of mild amusement for members of the group, who say the stigma of mental illness still exists, if not as strong as it was in the past. "If somebody with high blood pressure commits a crime, no one says, 'Oh, they had high blood pressure!"' Chambers said. "But if somebody with bipolar disorder commits a crime, they did it because of their bipolar disorder, and it's front-page news." Members of Circle of L.I.F.E. focus on the future, and rarely discuss the details of their illnesses, diagnoses or medications. Wilde said labels such as schizophrenic, bipolar and agoraphobic only perpetuate self-fulfilling prophecies and do little to foster recovery. Worthen said her daughter, who is now a freelance artist, was reluctant to seek help because of the stigma of mental illness. In addition to dramatic mood swings from manic behavior to clinical depression, she suffered from migraine headaches, ulcers, severe weight loss and hallucinations. "She had so many thoughts racing around in her head, she couldn't just pull one down," Worthen said. "She was being told she was a problem child, but I knew she was a child with a problem." Today, like Chambers and Wilde, Kristy Worthen is living a productive and healthy lifestyle. Though she continues with medication and support groups, her art career is thriving and she has written a book about her experience titled "Journey Not Chosen, Destination Not Known." She also designed the flag to promote awareness about mental illness, which has flown above the capitals of each of the 22 states she and her mother have visited. During their stays, the Worthens discuss mental illness with local politicians and even met with President Bush in Washington, D.C. Mary Worthen said that in each state, she is approached by politicians and public officials who are hesitant to speak about the topic publicly, but claim they have been closely touched by someone with a mental illness. Providing a voice for these people and countless others is a tremendous honor, Worthen said. "When you've stood in the living room and watched your daughter
try to kill herself with a dagger, you never want to see it happen again
to anyone," Worthen said. "And it doesn't have to. People can
overcome these illnesses. We want to erase the stigmas one state at a
time. When we leave each state, we want to leave the general public a
little more educated than they were." Lobbying Effort Impacts Bill Regarding Preferred Drug List For Treating Mental Illness While in New Hampshire on Wednesday, April 14, 2004, Mary Worthen testified
against Bill 383 at a hearing in the House. Lawmakers are considering
a bill that promises to cut Medicaid prescription drug costs for mental
health patients. The bill would establish a preferred drug list to incorporate
more generic medication, to save money. But the National Alliance for
Mental Illness (NAMI) said the bill would force people to take medication
that may do more harm than good. Michael Cohen, who heads up NAMI-NH,
said a preferred drug list is not appropriate when it comes to treating
mental illness. "Treating persons with a complex, severe mental illness
is not the same as treating someone with something like diabetes or high
cholesterol," he said. Drugs that appear similar can have vastly
different effects depending on the patient, he said. Doctors need the
widest possible range o f options, he added. Experimenting with a lower-cost
drug that turns out not to work can have drastic consequences, costing
people their jobs, stressing their families and leading to hospitalization
or worse. "You don't want to play around with this," he said.
The bill passed the House on Thursday, but an amendment was added that is favorable to interests of persons with mental illness. It states that if the prescriber believes a preferred drug presents a clinically unacceptable risk, he/she can prescribe a non preferred product and it will receive automatic approval from the PBM. The bill now goes back to the Senate for concurrence or more likely a conference committee since the Governor and Department do not like the House version as amended. "Both NAMI and PhRMA credit Mary Worthen with having a favorable impact on their lobbying efforts this week," says David Anderson of AstraZeneca. Other articles and links related to this subject can be found at: http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=36122 "Drug money: Plan to reduce state costs should pass" from the Union Leader New Hampshire Sunday News. Senate Bill 383 http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2004/sb0383.html Using a Clinical and Evidence-Based Strategy to Preserve Access to Psychiatric Medications http://www.naminh.org/evidence_based.htm House supports preferred drug list for treating mental illness FREQUENT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NH MEDICAID PREFERRED DRUG LIST House mulls drugs for mental illness - By The Associated Press |
Copyright 2003 Kristy Worthen
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