February 1994 Page 7
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Smoke Signals
Understanding Mentally &
Emotionally Disturbed People
By Tomoko Gersch, Mental Health Coordinator
In the 19th century, a woman named Elizabeth Packard was committed to an insane
asylum for challenging her husband's religious beliefs. Throughout the 20th century,
Russians were sent to mental hospitals for political activity. Deinstitutionalization in New
York City a mere decade ago found a group of minority people (including Native Americans)
who had spent 30 years warehoused simply because they did not speak English and seemed
to have a problem. Are diagnosis, as some psychiatrists and psychologists suggest, all too
often a little more than pejorative labels applied to persons whose behavior annoys or offends
others?
The subjectivity involved in labeling someone mentally ill is compounded by the
complexity of determining the cause of the behavior. An accurate (or close to accurate
diagnosis contributes to the quality of treatment. If someone steps into the wrong entrance,
that person is forced to have a frustrating journey through a chaotic maze. Diagnosis has
to be made by highly trained professionals who are sensitive, compassionate, and have a great
deal of patience.
Most of us, atone time or another will face dealing with someone who is emotionally
disturbed or mentally unbalanced. It may be a friend, family member, neighbor, or a stranger.
It may be you. Such people are having extreme difficulty in coping with work, society, their
own culture, and life in general. Their behavior may be baffling, threatening, or inappropriate.
Dealing with this can be frustrating, and unsettling. These people don't necessarily need
counseling from you-just understanding and TLC.
Here's a helpful approach in dealing with mentally and emotionally disturbed
people.
Speak slowly
Speak concisely, one thought at a time, using short sentences
Try to maintain gentle eye-contact
Remind the person of past experiences such as, "Remember when you ended up at the
hospital after you stopped taking your medications?"
Be repetitious (You will need lots of patience.)
Encourage questions '
Use a quiet place to talk with reduced distractions
Do not expect rational discussion (Do not argue about the validity of their beliefs.)
Reduce stimulikeep family and friend gatherings small
Recognize their behavior as an illness, do not take it personally
When you perceive a problem to exist, I strongly recommend that you call a
professional.
Here are some recommended publications for those people who are trying to cope
with mental or emotional illnesses:
1. 1 Hate You, Don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality. By J.C. Jerold.
(Stern Press) Good overview for the layman regarding borderline personality disorder.
2. Advocacy On Behalf Of Children With Serious Emotional Problems. By Robert Friedman
(Charles C. Thomas Publisher) Information on advocacy needs and strategies.
3 . My Parents Keeper: Adult Children Of The Emotionally Disturbed. By Eva Mariana
Brown, MSW. (New Harbinger Publications) A comforting and supportive guide for
children of emotionally disturbed parents.
4. The Common Sense Guide To Mental Health Care. By Christine Ammer. (Lewis Press)--A
Layperson's encyclopedia of mental illness.
5. I'm Not Insane. By Bonnie Sigren & Martha Gormen. (New Eden Press) An excellent
readable report on a panorama of mental illnesses.
6. I'm Not Crazy, UustLostMy Glasses. By Lonny Sharelson. (Denavo Press) A poignant
and impressive photo documentaryoral history of people who have been in and out of mental
institutions. One of the best photo-documentaries on today's victims of mental illness.
7. How To Get Off Drugs. By William Nolan, M.D. (Rolling Stone Press)--This book offers
essential information that every drug abuser and their families should know. This book was
compiled by a variety of treatment providers, psychologists, and drug abusers.
8. The Personality Self-Portr ait; Why You Think, Work, Love, And Act The Way You Do. By
John Oldham, M.D. (Bantam Books) This book offers the basic grasp of how personality
involves identifying the distinctive patterns of thought, behavior, and experience that
characterize your unique adjustment to life.
9. Back In Control: How To Get Your Children To Behave. By Gregory Bodenhamer.
(Prentice Hall Press) Effective techniques for controlling child's misbehavior. Author
worked as a juvenile probation officer for more than ten years and supervised some of
southern California's worst-behaved children.
10. Helping Your Child Recover From Sexual Abuse. By Caren Adams and Jennifer Fay.
(University of Washington Press) Practical guide for parents who courageously face the
days and months after learning a child has been abused.
(Continued)
Concerns About Hepatits A
By Rebecca Crocker, Human Services Administrative Assistant
Several people have expressed concern about Hepatitis A. I hope I can give you
some information that will alleviate the fears about the disease.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that may occur sporadically or in
epidemics. The infection usually causes an enlarged and painful liver. Early signs of the
infection include tiredness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, elevated temperature, chills,
symptoms of upper respiratory infection, or flu-like symptoms.
Transmission of the virus may occur by using contaminated needles. It is usually
passed the fecaloral route. That is, improper handling of food and sharing food. The virus
is passed to others 1-2 weeks prior to known diagnosis of the illness. Blood and feces are
infectious during the incubation period. This means the infection may be passed to others
by way of contaminated food or water an infected person is handling.
The clinical infection may last 6-8 weeks after onset of the illness. There may be
fever, enlarged and tender liver, and jaundice (yellowish skin and eyes). Lab tests can be
done to diagnose the disease. A person's health care provider can distinguish the severity
of the infection and how long the person should stay home from work or school. During the
illness, visits to the health care provider should be regular.
Those who have had contact with a person with Hepititis A should be identified and
given an Immune Globulin injection; hopeful ly to prevent infection. If an infection occurs,
the Immune Globulin will decrease the symptoms in an infected person.
All known cases of Hepatitis A will be reported to the StateCounty Health
Department, as stated by law. The Contagious Disease Office of these facilities will
investigate all cases.
It should be made clear that the initial infection of a tribal employee occurred in a
restaurant where food was being improperly handled by an infected person. The employee
is receiving medical care, is not working, and is no longer contagious.
If you feel you are at risk for contracting this illness, please call the Grand Ronde
Tribal Human Services number to make an appointment for an exam. 1-800-775-0095 or
879-2000.
Let's Talk Teeth...
By Linda Mann, RDH
February is National Children's Dental Health Month. The American Dental
Society has a few tips to help parents maintain their children's healthy smiles.
Put only water in a child's bottle for a nap or bedtime.
Start brushing the child's teeth as soon as the first tooth appears (6 months).
Make sure your child gets the fluoride needed to develop decay-resistant teeth. Ask your
dentist how this can be done.
Brush and floss along children's teeth daily until they can be taught to do this alone.
Encourage them to brush and floss.
Take your child to see the dentist regularly. Schedule the first visit by the child's first
birthday.
Ask your dentist about dental sealants. Sealants are used to protect the chewing surfaces
of a child's back teeth.
The American Dental Society also notes that a good diet is essential for your child's
growth and development to maintain a healthy body. Like the rest of the body, the teeth,
bones, and soft tissues of the mouth require nutrients supplied by a well-balanced diet. Many
factors determine how the foods affect the teeth. The more often a child snacks on foods
containing sugar and starch, the greater the possibility of tooth decay. Other factors include:
Frequency of snacks. Limiting the number of timesyou snackbetween meals will minimize
the number of acid attacks on your teeth.
The amount of time the food is in your mouth. Foods such as hard candy and breath mints
stay in the mouth a long time, lending to extended acid attacks on teeth.
Physical characteristics of the food. Foods that tend to stick to the teeth may prolong the
acid attack.
The time of day food is eaten. Carbohydrates eaten as part of a meal are less harmful to the
teeth than if eaten alone. Foods eaten just before bedtime can stick to the teeth all night.
What is eaten. Research indicates that certain foods, such as cheese, may help counter the
affects of the acids produced by plaque bacteria. For related stories, see page 3.
Mental Illness, continued.
11. The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide To Caring For Persons With Alzheimer's Disease.
By Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Robbins, M.D. (Jons Hopkins University Press) An
excellent guide book in understanding Alzheimer's Disease, related illnesses and memory
loss. This book is known as the best source of information on Alzheimer's.
I hope this information will be of use in understanding mental illness. However,
please feel free to contact me at any time if you would like assistance or more information.
My extention is 2046.