MovE! MOve! MoVe!

As biological organisms we were created to move, not to exist in a sedentary state. Respect the connections between body, mind, emotions and spirit; and understand the fact that a body kept from motion is a body storing negative emotion.

If you move less, you will feel more stress.

Ya gotta move to get it out.

If your job requires that you sit for extended periods of time, get up and stretch periodically. For two or three minutes of every hour, work out the kinks and stiff spots, breathe deeply, walk around your building, release tension and ponder the blessings you enjoy. You’ll feel much better and perform your work more optimally.

Follow this link to About.com for a more detailed description of an easy 2-Minute Stretch Routine.

This is the most recent installment in an ongoing series elaborating on 52 proven stress relievers identified by researchers at Texas Woman’s University.

Small Ideas That Make a Big Difference

Start making a difference.

Every individual can take action to help solve homelessness.

Here are five small things you can start doing now:

Make eye contact: Say hello - greet homeless individuals the same as you would a friend or colleague.

Give small supplies: Instead of money, give Ziploc bags of toiletries, socks, food or grocery coupons. Keep a supply in your car.

Donate clothes: Give your gently worn clothes to a local homeless facility.

Watch your mouth: Don’t call people experiencing homelessness “bums,” “transients,” or even “the homeless.” They are still people first.

Volunteer: Work directly with people experiencing homelessness.

Bust the stigma and share stories: Feeling support and being part of a community is empowering to those struggling with a mental illness. By listening to others or by sharing personal experiences, you help to break the silence that keeps people from being open about their illness.

Special acknowledgment and thanks to TAKE PART- The Soloist.

A cyber-stalker threatened me last year and, although it cost me several thousand dollars, I thought I’d outwitted him. I was wrong. And now I could be in danger.

Nine months ago I took my site off-line for several days to recover from an hacker attack. Someone with far too much time on his hands spent what had to be days, if not weeks, clicking away until he accessed my scripts and corrupted them. I took down the site, paid a professional to reprogram my entire database and added security measures that everyone said were invulnerable.

And they were. For nine months. Then on Saturday it became clear that security had again been breached.

On Saturday I knew that the details of my life had been compromised.

On Saturday I more fully appreciated the brilliance and determination of my assailant.

Although it took him months to do it, Bumpus (That’s what I call him now. If you’re familiar with the movie The Christmas Story, you’ll understand.) cleverly inserted a keystroke logger on my machine, buried in an email sent through my website contact plug-in. He managed to get through not only my top-of-the-line internet protection program, but also three layers of spam filters and my hosting company’s security measures. Bumpus is very, very smart.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a keystroke logger tracks and records, as the name suggests, every stroke of every key made on a computer. It’s the ultimate in cyber-spying. And through  this window on my world, Bumpus silently spent 30 days intimately observing my every techno-move. Kinda creepy, isn’t it?

Bumpus watched me shop online and knows that I wear a size 10, my grandson is already into 18 months, and I buy clothes from Target and J. Crew. He doesn’t know that I returned the J.Crew items.  Hah! Sucker! In hindsight, I’m a little disappointed in his prowess since he’s had access to my pictures and should have known those styles would make me look pregnant despite my relatively flat tummy. He knows a lot about me.

He knows which Diamondback games we’ll attend this season and in which seats we’ll be seated. He knows about trips planned to Palm Springs, Boston and Seattle. But does he know Seattle was canceled? Was he watching that closely?

Bumpus knows that I rabidly utilize the public library’s online reserve system and buy even more titles from Amazon. He’s privy to the fact that I read The Good Earth, Saffron Kitchen, Firefly Lane, The Year of Fog, The Night Listener, The Middle Place and Written on The Body during his 30-day foray. He may even know that I’m currently enjoying Change Me into Zeus’ Daughter and A Handful of Dust.

In addition to those facts, Bumpus knows my thoughts and feelings regarding each title because he read the “2009 Reading List” , which is kept on my laptop’s desktop, complete with personal rating system. Yes, I’m totally type-A.

Bumpus read (but didn’t help proofread) the letter of recommendation I wrote for a young job-seeker. He observed the details of a newly updated rental agreement, thus learning one of my kid’s addresses. He knows which universities my two younger children attend and the flight information for my eldest daughter’s trip from the UK. He knows my dentist’s name and when my next cleaning is scheduled. He knows when I get a bikini wax and when Charles colors my hair. He knows a lot. He knows too much.

For thirty days, via his keystroke logger on my computer, every document, transaction, communication and calendar item was at Bumpus’ disposal. For thirty days he collected usernames and passwords, PINs and credit card numbers. And he achieved it all while my Trend-Micro security system appeared to actively keep at bay all threats, and my web-host guaranteed complete privacy.

Bumpus is smart. So smart. And so incredibly patient.

After thirty quiet, patient, busy days, he made his move on Saturday.

Privy to so much, the assailant hacked into my BlueHost cPanel and went to work destroying www.katemclaughlin.net and www.katemclaughlinpoetry.com.  He added 22 domains and renewed them for 10 years. He diverted my email to his accounts, masking the final destination by forwarding through nearly two dozen IP addresses. He inserted into my database a hidden folder that directed information to him every time the site was altered or updated. The instructions in that folder also alerted him to changes in security and financial information.

Then Bumpus began the defacement. He replaced my data and posts with foul language and pornographic images. He diverted visitors to sites that would disgust and frighten most of them. He inserted links to hateful places that only very unhappy or terribly disturbed people would create or frequent. He vented and ranted and raved and destroyed. He boldly wrought havoc.

But Bumpus didn’t count on one thing…I have incredibly good luck. Because my husband was on a plane grounded 15 minutes after take-off, my weekend plans were scuttled. Normally I’d have been committed and away while Bumpus did his dirty work. He would have had 48 hours to add layer upon layer of subversion and smut, the slogging through of which would have been daunting if not impossible. But I was home with no real plans and I caught him in the act before his destruction went too far or too deep. I hope I shut him down before you were exposed to his terror. If not, I’m truly sorry.

Here’s what happened: I tried to log into my admin pages and cPanel, but was denied access because usernames and passwords were incorrect. Immediately on the phone with BlueHost, I explained the situation and the tech expert and I got to work. He accessed my account. “Oh My God,” he gasped. “This is really bad. Your cPanel’s been hacked. Your site’s a mess. Have you seen the defacement?”

“No. I didn’t go to the sites, I only tried to access my admin pages.” I replied.

“Don’t. I’ve never seen anything like it. This isn’t a regular hack job, this is really personal. This guy is sick. I’m taking it down.”  And he did.

My case was transferred to an abuse expert at BlueHost. Together we went through the process of deleting added domains, eliminating re-directions, and correcting security breaches. Then we deleted my entire database and reloaded a clean, saved version. Finally I changed my log-in information.

Within minutes Bumpus regained control. He bought more domain names with my newly replaced credit card, deleted my databases and inserted an instruction for automatic erasure if new information was uploaded. I changed a password and he knew it almost immediately. I deleted a credit card, he quickly knew the replacement. He may as well have been sitting next to me or peering over my shoulder.

I got emails from a secure account Bumpus had apparently overlooked, asking for change verifications and thus warning me of his intrusion on other sites. I worked with another abuse expert who discovered the keystroke logger on my machine. By the end of the day thousands had been charged to my credit cards and my sites had been destroyed and repaired three times.

For four hours on Sunday morning, a security expert scrubbed my computer and all the files on it. He discovered the keystroke logger Trojan, verified the date of infection and admitted he’d not seen this specific one before. He figured it was created just for me. I told you I was lucky! While he finished his work I warned my bank about potential misuse and abuse, informed my credit card companies of the theft and fraud, and canceled the involved accounts.

Following the scrub, I worked with BlueHost to clean and repair my cPanel and databases. During the process, which took nearly 20 hours, we discovered the hidden files that Bumpus inserted to learn security and database changes as they were made at BlueHost. My case was assigned to their most adept abuse expert who removed the added domains, reversed the charges, and then discovered and removed the brilliant bits of programming that Bumpus had created. Another member of the BlueHost staff corrected the email diversions and removed the auto-erase command Bumpus had buried. I then changed log-in information that had been compromised at 37 different sites.

My last support call to BlueHost occurred when I navigated three levels deep into my cPanel to correct a lingering email problem and discovered this message:

“Fatal Error. Do not assume that success is success. FATAL.”

Bumpus had broken into BlueHost’s own database and inserted this text into one of their static pages. Now he wasn’t just messing with me. He was messing with an emerging corporation with a lot to lose. In addition to their own programming and security worries, the folks at BlueHost suggested this might be a death threat. The FBI is involved.

And so, I’m at a crossroads.

I started this website because two of my children were diagnosed with a serious mental illness and I, for years, could find very little support. I set out to offer comfort and encouragement, and to share facts and solid, science and research-based information. I believe that stigma is rooted in ignorance and that knowledge and understanding will eradicate it. I’ve repeatedly resisted opportunities to monetize the site because I don’t want content to be altered by pharmaceutical or philosophical entities. Running this site is an expense on my ledger, not an asset. Why, then, does anyone want to sabotage it?

I believe Bumpus is terribly ill and is not medically compliant. I’d wager that, in the past, he was deemed a danger to himself or others and was hospitalized against his will. I believe that the side-effects of medication, which are often horrendous, are beyond Bumpus’ tolerance level and he fights for an individual’s right to refuse medical treatment.

Ironically, I agree with Bumpus. I’m not an advocate of forced medication. I believe in an individual’s right to choose or refuse medical treatment. Despite the worries, ruined relationships and devastation untreated mental illness can create, I adhere to the individual’s inherent right to choose. I’m on Bumpus’ side, but he seems unable to realize that.

He has fixated on me as the enemy, as someone who disseminates information he considers harmful. It’s partly because I’m a mom, and for him that is not a comfort. I feel deeply for Bumpus. I wish him wellness.

But what do I do now? As long as the threat was virtual, I felt safe. But now Bumpus knows my business address, my banking institutions and, most worrisome, my home address and phone number and where my kids live. Authorities have narrowed his location to a specific part of a specific state, and I’m somewhat comforted by the thousands of miles that separate us; but for some folks, miles are meant to be traveled. Is Bumpus one of those people?

How to Live a Long, Happy Life

* Be very outgoing.

* Learn how to manage stress.

These two common traits were found in the children of people who lived to 100, and longevity runs in families.

“We have observed that these appear to be really important traits that set the children of centenarians apart from other people the same age who may not age as well,” said Dr. Thomas Perls, director of the New England Centenarian Study at the Boston University School of Medicine. The study focuses on older people and their family members, and has tracked the health of children of centenarians as they age, trying to uncover the common denominators of longevity.

Perls and his colleagues looked at 246 children of those who lived to 100 to see if they, now about age 75, had common personality traits. Five personality traits were identified, evaluated and compared to published norms. They were: Neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.

The researchers found that the offspring of centenarians were more extroverted than the published norms. That means “they are quite social, establish important friendships and view these friendships as ’safety nets,’ ” important sources of help when needed, Perls said.

Those studied scored lower than the norms on neuroticism, which enables them to manage stress very well.

Women in the study also scored high in agreeableness, a trait that leads to more friendships. The men in the study scored no higher in agreeableness than normal, and men and women scored average levels for openness and conscientiousness.

As for the exact relationship between personality and longevity, “we are relying on scientific literature to understand exactly what it means,” Perls said. For instance, he said, it makes sense that scoring lower in neuroticism — and handling stress well — would contribute to a longer life, because stress has been shown in scientific studies to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Other research has found social ties to be important to an older person’s health.

“We really found that the offspring of centenarians, in their 70s and early 80s, are very much following in the footsteps of their parents,” Perls said. “They have 60 percent reduced rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.”

But what to do if you aren’t naturally outgoing and aren’t good at handling stress?

You can get better at each.

Not naturally outgoing?

Make a point of trying to be more outgoing. Travel more, engage others in conversations, join groups with common interests, volunteer.

You don’t handle stress well?

Read all of the stress management posts on this and other sites, and figure out what will work for you—then DO IT!

And take the Life Expectancy Calculator at Living to 100.

You may learn some new tricks to improve your quality of life.

*More on this topic can be found online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Make friends with non-worriers.

Nothing will cause you to worry more frequently or with greater intensity than spending too much time with chronic worrywarts, nay-sayers and fuss-budgets.

Nothing saps your energy more than associating with people who dwell in that faithless, negative state of mind. They’ll suck the joy right out of your life.

Surround yourself with hopeful, optimistic friends. Your life will be much less stressful.

This is the most recent installment in an ongoing series elaborating on 52 proven stress relievers identified by researchers at Texas Woman’s University.

As rates of depression and anxiety increase in older adults, health-care providers are searching for more effective methods of treatment. Since most elderly people already take prescription drugs, many PCPs want a non-pharmaceutical alternative.

New research may have discovered the solution in an old therapy model.

Melinda Stanley, a professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, found that people over age 60 who were treated with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) had less worry, fewer depressive symptoms and improved general mental health at the end of the study compared to people who received biweekly telephone calls from their health-care provider.

“This kind of treatment (CBT) can be useful for people who have anxiety, and it can help them learn how to manage it better,” said, Stanley.

“Many older adults are not…thrilled with the use of medications for anxiety. Many times, they’re already on medications for chronic health conditions, and they may be afraid of side effects. This is a non-medication treatment option,” she noted.

The study included 134 people with an average age of 67. All were being treated in primary care for anxiety. Half of those involved in the study participated in cognitive behavior therapy with experienced therapists. They had up to 10 sessions of CBT over three months that included relaxation training, problem-solving exercises, behavioral sleep management, cognitive therapy and education and awareness training.

The other half received standard primary care, and they were called biweekly to ensure their safety and provide support if needed. Both groups were told to call the therapists if their symptoms worsened.

Response rates in the CBT group were much higher– 40 percent compared to 22 percent — versus the usual care. Worry severity and depression reduced more in the CBT group, and overall mental health improved more in the CBT group, based on the Penn State Worry Questionnaire.

This is good news, and much less expensive than long-term medication management. As managed health care evolves, we must look to both innovative and tried-and-true treatment approaches.

My beautiful son Michael has his own beautiful son.

After years of struggling with addiction and bipolar disorder, Michael has spent months working hard at sobriety and medical compliance. He’s in school, working and dedicating himself to his young family.

I share this to encourage you.

If you or someone you love deals with a serious mental illness, addiction or both, take heart, have faith and maintain hope. Michael was terribly ill for nearly 7 years. His dad and I were repeatedly told to “let it go” and “give it up.” We didn’t. We’re glad.

I’m not telling you to tolerate the intolerable, but I am urging you to maintain relationships, continue to love, and offer help and support when it’s solicited.

The rewards are SO worth the challenge.

And if you ever need to share your story or vent your feelings, I’m just a click away.

Lovingly,

Help eliminate stereotypes and myths about people experiencing homelessness and mental illness.

Watch the gallery above, courtesy of TAKE PART- The Soloist, and then send it to five friends.

Below are additional myths and facts that aren’t in the video gallery.

Myth: Homelessness has declined dramatically in recent years.
Fact: The criteria through which the government defines homelessness can change as often as these surveys are taken. Sometimes people living in cars, or staying with their relatives are considered homeless; sometimes they are not. Therefore it is not always an equal comparison to the previous count.

Myth: Mental illnesses are brought on by a weakness of character.
Fact: Mental illnesses are a result of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Research has shown genetic and biological factors are associated with schizophrenia, depression, and alcoholism. Social influences, such as loss of a loved one or a job, can also contribute to the development of various disorders.

Myth: Children do not experience mental illnesses.
Fact: A report from the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health showed that in any given year 5-9 percent of children experience serious emotional disturbances, which can result in mental illness.

Myth: Homeless people will probably always be homeless.
Fact: The length of homelessness varies from person to person. Many spend years on the streets and then are able to get permanent housing.

Myth: Psychiatric disorders are not true medical illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. People who have a mental illness are just “crazy.”
Fact: The fact is that brain disorders, like heart disease or diabetes, are legitimate medical illnesses. Research shows there are genetic and biological causes for psychiatric disorders, and they can be treated effectively.

Kathy Larson, author and illustrator of “Dancing Crazy,” generously agreed to an interview about this recently published children’s book aimed at helping kids understand bipolar disorder. Here is an excerpt from that exchange:

What motivated or inspired you to write “Dancing Crazy?”

I really had no choice.  Our daughter experienced the most challenging event in the course of her disease.  Doctors feared she was moving into a permanent catatonic state; we feared she was dying.  After spending three months in a secured setting, Susan was released from the hospital.  The world immediately became a different place-for her and her husband, their children, all of us, really.  Each of us helped as best we could-praying, baby-sitting, cooking meals and doing the laundry, all the while seeking reassurance in words we could understand.  There were many excellent books on the market for adults, but none for little ones.  So I wrote one.

Please share your personal experiences with serious mental illness.

Although never diagnosed with depression, my mother spent long hours staring out a window or napping on the couch.  As children, we figured she was just worn out from raising the five of us.  Now, as adults, we wonder how Mom even survived with such responsibility and little support.

Over the years, many of my students have suffered physical or emotional abuse from mentally ill family members.  Others continue to live with the results of parents or siblings who have either attempted suicide or been successful.  I think of one little fifth grader who stopped coming to school after excerpts from her father’s trial were detailed in the local newspaper.  She was positive everyone would figure out she was the person he’d raped and “stare at her”.

On a personal level, several members of my family take medication for anxiety or depression; and a few more probably should. Looking at the myriad of mental illnesses-from schizophrenia to borderline personality disorder to just plain naughty-we’ve got it all somewhere.

What do you hope to accomplish by publishing “Dancing Crazy?”

“Dancing Crazy” will reduce the fears of many children as they deal with Bipolar Disease.  Kids’ worries are so much the same.    Did I make my parent act this way?  Can someone “catch” bipolar?  What’s going to happen to me or my family tomorrow or the next day or the next?

What do you want people, especially children, to know about bipolar disorder?

Bipolar Disorder is a disease caused by a chemical imbalance in somebody’s brain. Your mom or dad did not get it because they work too hard.  Nor did they get it because they have too much fun.  The truth is everyone in your family will still have good days and not-so-good days, just like they did before someone got diagnosed with bipolar disease.

To learn more about Ms. Larson’s book, or to order it for yourself, click here. And if you know of other books about mental illness written specifically for children, please contact me.

Fondly,

Simplify, simplify, simplify. . .

If it doesn’t serve you and the highest good of all… let it go.

Release the unnecessary…

the unhealthy…

the unproductive.

Examine what you have and what you need; and then let go of unnecessary, unhealthy or unproductive material goods, thoughts, beliefs, relationships. Free yourself.

Let it all go.

Become the essential you, identify your essential needs and move toward them. This is, in essence, your destiny.

This is KISMET.

This is the most recent installment in an ongoing series elaborating on 52 proven stress relievers identified by researchers at Texas Woman’s University.