Schizophrenia Discussion Board Forum [2009]

Surveillance and Spying [DRAFT]

by Simon & Oscar

It was a quiet New Year's Day, with my oldest daughter.

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Simon

High Caffeine Consumption Linked to Hallucinations By RICK NAUERT, PH.D. Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on January 15, 2009 Thursday, Jan 15 (Psych Central) -- Starbucks addicts beware - high caffeine consumption could be linked to a greater tendency to hallucinate, a new research study suggests. People with a higher caffeine intake, from sources such as coffee, tea and caffeinated energy drinks, are more likely to report hallucinatory experiences such as hearing voices and seeing things that are not there, according to the Durham University study. 'High caffeine users' - those who consumed more than the equivalent of seven cups of instant coffee a day - were three times more likely to have heard a person's voice when there was no one there compared with 'low caffeine users' who consumed less than the equivalent of one cup of instant coffee a day. The researchers say the findings will contribute to the beginnings of a better understanding of the effect of nutrition on hallucinations. Changes in food and drink consumption, including caffeine intake, could place people in a better position to cope with hallucinations or possibly affect how frequently they occur, say the scientists. In the study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Medical Research Council, 200 students were asked about their typical intake of caffeine-containing products, such as coffee, tea and energy drinks as well as chocolate bars and caffeine tablets. Their proneness to hallucinatory experiences, and their stress levels, were also assessed. Seeing things that were not there, hearing voices, and sensing the presence of dead people were amongst the experiences reported by some of the participants. The researchers, whose paper is published in the academic journal Personality and Individual Differences, say their finding could be down to the fact that caffeine has been found to exacerbate the physiological effects of stress. When under stress, the body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. More of this stress hormone is released in response to stress when people have recently had caffeine. It is this extra boost of cortisol which may link caffeine intake with an increased tendency to hallucinate, say the scientists. Lead author Simon Jones, a Ph.D student at Durham University's Psychology Department, said: "This is a first step towards looking at the wider factors associated with hallucinations. Previous research has highlighted a number of important factors, such as childhood trauma, which may lead to clinically relevant hallucinations. "Many such factors are thought to be linked to hallucinations in part because of their impact on the body's reaction to stress. Given the link between food and mood, and particularly between caffeine and the body's response to stress, it seems sensible to examine what a nutritional perspective may add." Coauthor Dr. Charles Fernyhough, also from Durham University's Psychology Department, noted "Our study shows an association between caffeine intake and hallucination-proneness in students. However, one interpretation may be that those students who were more prone to hallucinations used caffeine to help cope with their experiences. "More work is needed to establish whether caffeine consumption, and nutrition in general, has an impact on those kinds of hallucination that cause distress." Mr. Jones added: "Hallucinations are not necessarily a sign of mental illness. Most people will have had brief experiences of hearing voices when there is no one there, and around three percent of people regularly hear such voices. "Many of these people cope well with this and live normal lives. There are, however, a number of organizations, such as the Hearing Voices Network, who can offer support and advice to those distressed by these experiences." Source: Durham University Copyright © 1992-2009 Psych Central. All rights reserved.

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Simon

Hearing Voices or Seeing Things? Cut Back on the Coffee By JOHN M. GROHOL, PSY.D. January 16, 2009 As we reported yesterday, people with a higher caffeine intake, from sources such as coffee, tea and caffeinated energy drinks, are more likely to report hallucinatory experiences such as hearing voices and seeing things that are not there. When under stress, the body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. More of this stress hormone is released in response to stress when people have recently had caffeine. It is this extra boost of cortisol which may link caffeine intake with an increased tendency to hallucinate, said the researchers. This isn't likely a concern for most people, as most people don't consume 7 or more cups of coffee every day. (And if you do, you might have more problems than simply hearing the occasional odd voice or whatnot.) But it has a direct impact on people who might already be at greater risk for hearing voices or seeing things - for instance, people with schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia who also drink large amounts of caffeine may be inadvertently putting themselves at greater risk for future hallucinations (medications or not). The upshot is if you're seeing things that are not really there, or hearing an occasional voice and no one's around, and you drink an enormous amount of coffee or tea (or Coca-Cola or other caffeinated beverage), those hallucinations may be caused by the caffeine, not a mental disorder. Cut it back to something under 6 or 7 servings a day, and you may notice a decrease in such concerns. Read the full article: High Caffeine Consumption Linked to Hallucinations Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central and has been writing about mental health and psychology issues online since 1992. Copyright © 1992-2009 Psych Central. All rights reserved.

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Simon

Life sentence for Canadian convicted of murder in New York THE OTTAWA CITIZEN JANUARY 16, 2009 A mentally-ill Halifax man was sentenced to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder yesterday. Glen Race, who is also wanted in Nova Scotia on two murder charges, was found guilty last September in the murder of Darcy Manor at a woods camp in Mooers, New York, 80 kilometres south of Montreal. Mr. Manor, a 35-year-old father of two and volunteer firefighter, was shot in the back in May 2007 after Mr. Race crossed the border into the state of New York. He was being sought in connection with the Halifax killings. Mr. Race, a 27-year-old paranoid schizophrenic, had faced a minimum of 25 years to life in prison or a maximum term of life without the possibility of parole. Mr. Manor's family and District Attorney Andrew Wylie had pushed for the harshest sentence possible. Clinton County Court Judge Ryan convicted Mr. Race on all possible charges against him, including murder, breaking and entering and three counts of theft. He is charged in Nova Scotia with second-degree murder in the slaying of Paul Knott, 44, and with first-degree murder in the death of Trevor Brewster, 45, near Halifax in May 2007. Chris Hansen of the Nova Scotia's Public Prosecution Service said yesterday officials there wanted Mr. Race returned to face charges in those killings. She said the process of seeking extradition had begun. She noted Mr. Wylie had said Mr. Race could possibly be returned to Halifax long enough to face the other murder charges before returning to New York to serve his sentence. Mr. Race was arrested at the Texas-Mexico border two weeks after the Halifax murders and five days after Mr. Manor's body was found. Members of Mr. Race's family are appealing the murder conviction. Plattsburgh Press Republican and Canwest News Service © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Simon

Lifting the mental-health stigma BY KATE HEARTFIELD, THE OTTAWA CITIZENFEBRUARY 3, 2009 9:01 AM Steve and Sharon Lowell found a way to deal with Sharon's obsessive-compulsive disorder but not before it almost cost them their marriage. Photograph by: Bruno Schlumberger, The Ottawa Citizen, The Ottawa Citizen Sharon Lowell smiles now when she talks about the day she dusted the living room dozens of times, over and over again, until she became so overwrought that she threw up. "Never dust in the sunlight," she says. She's sitting in her lovely Kanata home, with her husband Steve. Their little dog lolls happily on the rug. On the stereo, soft piano music is playing -- it's Sharon's own CD. Whenever one spouse speaks about what mental illness has done to their family, the other will put out a reassuring hand, on a shoulder or a knee. They've learned how to create this bright, loving place for themselves. They've pieced it together, painstakingly, taking notes along the way. And now they're talking about it. Ottawa has, over the last few years, made great strides in destigmatizing mental illness. But there's so much work to be done. When my own partner hit the depths of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder a few years ago, neither of us had any idea what these bizarre symptoms were, or what to do about them. Like the Lowells, we learned, day by day, how to cope with the illness, and we're both better people for it. Who knows how many couples in Ottawa have gone through the same slow process? And who knows how many have had less happy endings? The Lowells want to make that process a little less bewildering. They're writing and talking about their own story, and organizing a webinar called "When There's Depression in the Family" on Feb. 15. Sharon is a music teacher; Steve a computer consultant. Sharon's first brushes with depression and anxiety happened when she was a teenager. But she learned, as many people with mental illness do, to cover it up. She calls herself a "chameleon." She dated Steve for a couple of years before they got married. "Basically, I married one woman on the 24th of October, and I drove home with another woman the next day. It's like a switch was thrown. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. It was just amazing, the absolute change from one day to the next. It took six years before I saw the woman I married come back again." That switch was thrown, subconsciously, in Sharon's mind. She felt safe with Steve, so she "let the ugly dragons and monsters come out." They've been married 10 years now, which they both call a "miracle." For the first six years, Sharon deteriorated. Her obsessive-compulsive behaviours, including compulsive spending, helped push the family into debt. Sharon's social anxiety reached a point where she wouldn't get out of the car to talk to people she knew. The effect on Steve was equally destructive: he developed ulcers and other health problems. He considered divorce. Their path up and out was a combination of medication and -- more importantly -- learning to be aware of their triggers and habits, of the constant cycles of "chatter" in their minds. And although it's Sharon who has the illness, that part of it goes equally for Steve. He has to catch himself when he gets resentful or defensive; he has to stop himself from telling her to "just snap out of it," which is probably the least helpful thing a person can say to someone suffering from depression (didn't stop me from saying it, of course). The Lowells say the stigma is still so bad that they avoid the term "mental illness," preferring "emotional disorders." They say the advantage of the webinar format is that the participants can ask questions without revealing their names. The Lowells aren't there to cure anyone, just to give people information about mental health and help them feel less alone. Sharon says the central message of the webinar is simple: "If someone who was as dark as me -- it's the grace of God I'm still here, because I wanted to leave so badly, leave the planet -- if I can find help, they can find help, and if I can find joy and healing, they can too." The webinar costs $20, and the net proceeds are to go to the Canadian Mental Health Association. There's information at www.apathtohealing.com. The Lowells' webinar might not be the right fit for everyone; this a very personal process. Still, the very fact that Steve and Sharon are speaking about mental illness is powerful. They call it "coming out." Not every family who's been through this particular kind of hell is going to write a book or organize a webinar, but just being open with family, friends and co-workers can help shatter the illusion that mental illness is something that happens to other people. Kate Heartfield is a member of the Citizen's editorial board. Blog and podcasts: ottawacitizen.com/worldnextdoor © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Simon

We can be mentally healthier with acceptance, support THE OTTAWA CITIZENFEBRUARY 9, 2009 Re: Lifting the mental-health stigma, Feb. 3. Kate Heartfield's column touched a place deep in my soul. She wrote a caring article about a couple who wouldn't give up on each other through illness and health. As my three children grew into adults, they accepted me as I was and were prepared to help me become well through loving support and acceptance without prejudice. I'm 63, living with bipolar affective disorder. Today I go to class as a mature university student and I also cheer my eight grandchildren playing sports -- I'm mentally healthier because I can function as a loving human being. I remember 40 years ago feeling something about myself was not quite right in comparison to my friends. I tried to talk openly with my parents but they kept telling me to pull up my socks and to grow up and be a man. Later, their remarks became: "You're embarrassing your family and the neighbours are noticing your weird behaviour." I was hurt by their mean comments, felt betrayed by their reaction and total lack of concern. My relationship with my parents was never resolved. I tried to do my best but hid how I really was feeling every day. Camouflaging the manic highs and depressive lows was like being on a roller coaster. Sometimes it was possible to detect when an episode was coming but what I call the "black wolverines" would sneak up and take over my thought process resulting in social problems. Finding the right combination of medication made a big difference and I discovered I had many positive attributes to share. Mental health should not be a stigma as long as I recognize my limitations and keep reminding myself I have the potential to continue to excel and contribute in a positive way. Today I am a full-time student at Carleton University majoring in sociology, working hard, doing my best, and will earn my Bachelor of Arts degree in 2010. It's too late for my parents to see the results of my efforts but not too late for my three grown children and eight grandchildren to hear my name as I walk across the stage to accept my well-earned degree. I know that other adults can also benefit from the excellent support services from Carleton's Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities. I am proof that acceptance of my health disorder, working with my psychiatrist, and most importantly, agreeing to take my medication for the rest of my life and to focus on the positive side of mental health and not on the negative side of mental illness, pays off. Barry M. Roman, Ottawa © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Simon

Winnipeg beheading accused a 'decent man': Doctor Vincent Li has very strong chance to recover from major mental illness BY MIKE MCINTYRE, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MARCH 4, 2009 WINNIPEG - He claims voices in his head from God caused him to single out a perfect stranger, stab him multiple times and then decapitate, defile and cannibalize the body in front of dozens of horrified witnesses. But despite committing one of the most gruesome crimes in Canadian history, Vincent Li could be rehabilitated enough to return to the streets one day, according to his doctor. It's an assessment that's frustrating members of Tim McLean's family, who were in court Tuesday to see the man accused of brutally killing their 22-year-old son. Psychiatrist Stanley Yaren told Li's second-degree murder trial the admitted killer has a very strong chance to recover from the major mental illness and extreme psychosis that triggered last summer's slaying of McLean on board a Greyhound bus. He said he could make a significant recovery in the next few years under rigorous treatment and medication. The brutal incident took place on a bus travelling near Portage la Prairie, Man., about 80 kilometres west of Winnipeg, on July 30, 2008. Li boarded the Greyhound in Edmonton, with a ticket that would take him to Thunder Bay, Ont. But his trip ended two days later when he attacked McLean. RCMP arrived on scene and watched from outside the bus, alongside dozens of passengers, for several hours as Li continued to stab and defile McLean's body. Li was seen eating some of McLean's remains. Police later discovered McLean's eyes, part of his heart and other pieces of his flesh were missing. Yaren said Tuesday that Li is slowly beginning to realize what he's done but still doesn't accept the fact he consumed some of McLean's body parts. "It may be he's blocked it from his consciousness ... that it's just too awful for him to contemplate," he said. Li admits he killed McLean but began his case Tuesday by pleading not guilty by reason of a mental disorder. Yaren, a witness on behalf of the Crown who is the director of forensic psychiatry for both Manitoba and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, has concluded Li should be found not criminally responsible for his actions based on his mental state at the time. Such a ruling would send him to a hospital, instead of a prison, for an indefinite period. Yaren described Li as an otherwise "decent person" who was suffering from untreated schizophrenia and clearly out of his mind when he believed he was acting on God's commands to eliminate "the force of evil" by attacking the sleeping McLean. "He was being tormented by auditory hallucinations," said Yaren, who has worked closely with Li at the Health Sciences Centre psychiatric ward in Winnipeg since he arrived last August. "He believed Mr. McLean was a force of evil and was about to execute him. He had to act fast, urgently, to save himself. This wasn't an innocent bystander or stranger he chose to kill, but rather an evil force he was commanded to kill." Wearing handcuffs and leg shackles, Li shuffled into the courtroom Tuesday led by several sheriff's officers. He sat motionless in the prisoner's box, wearing a dark suit jacket, slacks and a light-coloured dress shirt without a tie. Yaren said Li has been co-operative and made significant strides since being hospitalized and medicated and could function again in the community - something Yaren admits doesn't sit well with most people, including the victim's family. "I completely understand the need for a sense of justice, of retribution," said Yaren. "It would be in some sense easier if Mr. Li was an anti-social psychopath with a history of malicious behaviour, but he isn't that. He is, as I've come to know him, a decent person." Li still suffers delusions, including a belief he will one day be executed, Yaren said. "He is not 100 per cent out of his psychotic phase yet," he said. "But over time, as he recovers, he will have to come to terms with the awful things that have occurred." Yaren said Li began experiencing psychotic episodes around 2003, including a 2005 incident where he was picked up by police walking down Highway 401 in Ontario, believing he was "following the sun" after shedding most of his possessions. He was briefly hospitalized in Etobicoke, Ont., but received no further followup after refusing to accept he had an illness or take any treatment, court was told. Tim McLean's mother, Carol deDelley, said she found it offensive a city psychiatrist described her son's killer as a decent man. "I hate the illness, but that doesn't mean I forgive the man," she said Monday. She also said she found it difficult being in court hearing the details of her son's death being made public for the world to hear. But she added she was compelled to be in court so her son's death would not be in vain. "I've got to say what I think needs to be said. If I just stay at home. I'm just accepting this for the way that it is." She was joined by about a dozen family and close friends, many wearing white T-shirts and buttons emblazoned with McLean's picture. DeDelley has said she wants the law changed so anyone found not criminally responsible for a crime still serves time behind bars. © Copyright (c) Winnipeg Free Press

Beheading victim's mom vows to fight killer's release BY MIKE MCINTYRE, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS MARCH 4, 2009 9:40 PM WINNIPEG - Carol deDelley is prepared to watch her son's killer walk out of court Thursday headed for a hospital, not a prison cell. But the grieving mother is vowing to do everything possible to make sure Vincent Li never tastes freedom again. "I am absolutely terrified of him and his capabilities. I think he'd do it again," deDelley said Wednesday after hearing a second straight day of disturbing court testimony. Li's fate is now in the hands of Queen's Bench Justice John Scurfield, who has reserved his decision until 10 a.m. Thursday local time. The judge is expected to find Li, 40, not criminally responsible for the July 2008 stabbing, beheading and cannibalizing of 22-year-old Tim McLean on board a Greyhound bus. That would spare Li from a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 10 years. He would likely be sent to the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, and his long-term fate would be in the hands of doctors who will evaluate his status on a yearly basis and decide if, or when, he has been sufficiently treated and no longer poses a risk to society. "I'm going to fight to keep everyone safe from him," said deDelley. "If it means going (to court) every year, I'll go every year. Instead of birthday parties, it'll be (not criminally responsible) hearings." The outcome of the case appears inevitable: both Crown and defence lawyers are in agreement that Li was suffering a major psychotic episode at the time of her son's killing. "This is as close to beyond a reasonable doubt as you can get. There's no contradictory evidence here," Li's lawyer, Alan Libman, told Scurfield during a brief closing argument Wednesday. Prosecutor Joyce Dalmyn said her department had a duty to raise the issue of criminal responsibility, even though it has stirred a lot of controversy. "Almost every member of the public has said, 'That guy is crazy, he needs to be locked up,' " said Dalmyn. "The Crown can't ask this court to convict Li of second-degree murder when all evidence points to him being not criminally responsible. He was not able to appreciate the nature of his actions due to his delusional thinking. He was not able to determine right from wrong." Dalmyn said it's also obvious Li is not close to being ready for release back into the community. "It's clear from the evidence called . . . Mr. Li, at this point in time, does pose a risk to the public and himself," she said. Dr. Jonathan Rootenberg, a forensic psychiatrist who met with Li at the request of his lawyers, told court Wednesday he believes Li didn't know what he was doing when he attacked the sleeping McLean without warning or provocation. "He certainly didn't know it was wrong. He was quite psychotic during that time period," said Rootenberg. He said Li likely didn't view McLean as a "human being" as he attacked him. "He viewed the unfortunate victim as a demon. He believes it wasn't his hands doing that, but it was God's hands, through him." Rootenberg called Li a good candidate for treatment, because he doesn't have any history of substance abuse or anti-social disorders, which are often psychotic triggers for people who have schizophrenia. Rootenberg added that Li has responded well to medical treatment and therapy, but will always have to be watched closely to guard against a relapse. "He is in the very early stages of being treated. He definitely represents a significant risk at this point," he said. Rootenberg echoed the findings of the Crown's lone witness, Dr. Stanley Yaren, who told court Tuesday how Li claims voices from God in his head caused him to single out McLean for death. Yaren said Li has a very strong chance to recover, and was an otherwise "decent person" who was clearly out of his mind when he believed he was acting on God's commands to eliminate "the force of evil" by attacking the sleeping McLean. Yaren said Li is slowly beginning to realize what he's done, but still doesn't accept the fact he consumed some of McLean's body parts. "It may be he's blocked it from his consciousness ... that it's just too awful for him to contemplate," he said. Yaren believes Li could make a significant recovery in the next few years under rigorous treatment and medication, but still continues suffering some delusions, including a belief he will one day be executed. "He is not 100 per cent out of his psychotic phase yet," he said. "But over time, as he recovers, he will have to come to terms with the awful things that have occurred." mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca © Copyright (c) Winnipeg Free Press

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Simon

'GOD CHOOSE ME TO KILL' Vincent Li's descent into mental illness was so gradual, few could comprehend what was happening BY DAN LETT , WINNIPEG FREE PRESSMARCH 5, 2009 WINNIPEG - Vincent Li is a man who was notable only for his lack of notoriety, who struggled to make a new life for himself and his wife in Canada, and whose descent into mental illness was so gradual, few could comprehend what was happening. And fewer still could believe what ultimately happened. Li was born April 30, 1968, in Dandong City, in northeastern China, the son of a custodian father and a mathematics teacher mother. He has an older brother and a younger sister and his family life presents as unremarkable: No history of abuse, chronic illness or dysfunction. Save for one maternal uncle, there was no history of mental illness. Li was born one month premature but given the rustic Chinese health-care system, he was not incubated. His family reported he was a "very fragile," and sickly until his early teens. His father, Hongwen Li, told one of the psychiatrists who assessed his son, that Li was about two years late in developmental milestones such as talking and walking. As a result, he started school at age nine, two years later than normal. Even so, he did well in high school, and went on to study automotive engineering in central China. He graduated with a four-year bachelor of science degree. He went to work in a factory in Beijing, where he met a woman he would later marry. Li and the woman known in court documents as Ana were married in June 1995. In an interview with Ontario psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Rootenberg, Ana said life in China was simple: "Going to work, eating and sleeping, mostly just working." Both his family and his ex-wife said Li displayed no clear signs of mental illness. His father reported he was restless, "always moving around." His wife said he was "stubborn and nervous." Everyone said Li never demonstrated any violent tendencies, or problems with alcohol or drug abuse. The couple immigrated to Canada in 2001. Li and Ana's new life in Canada was typical of the kind of experience many immigrants faced - over-educated and under-employed. Despite having a post-secondary education, Li was never able to find more than menial jobs. Over a four-year period, Li worked at a McDonald's restaurant, then at a warehouse as a general labourer. He would eventually take a position as custodian at Grant Memorial Baptist Church, where he also worshipped. In 2004, Li's life began to take a turn for the worse. Li told psychiatrists he began to hear voices. Ana noted that in the summer of 2004, Li would go several days without sleep or food. "He cried a lot and told me he saw God and I thought he was so tired so I bought him sleeping pills from Shoppers Drug Mart but that didn't work too well." Ana said Li admitted he was hearing voices. Li recalled that in those early days of his illness, the voices provided him with "direction and guidance." Friends urged her to get Li to a doctor as soon as possible but Ana said Li was stubborn and fearful of Western medicine. "When he doesn't agree with people, he doesn't listen, even to me, and I'm important in his life." Stress on the marriage culminated in the spring of 2005 and the couple separated in March. Shortly after that event, Li moved to Thompson, Man. Li would later claim that he left for the north because he wanted to buy land, but upon arriving in Thompson, he realized he had no money and took a job. Over the next four months, he worked at a Wal-Mart performing overnight maintenance. He returned to Winnipeg in June 2005, where he pumped gas and worked part-time at a Tim Horton's. However, it was during this period he suffered his first mental breakdown. In September 2005, again without warning, Li set off for Toronto. "I thought it would be easy to find a job in Toronto," Li recalled. "I failed to find a job, then God's voice told me to go back to Winnipeg. I'm not sure if God's voice told me to walk back, so I started walking on the highway; I threw out my luggage after God told me to do that." Ana would receive a call from police in September 2005 indicating that Li had been picked up walking along Highway 427 north of Toronto, completely disoriented and appearing as if he had not eaten or slept in several days. He was taken to a psychiatric facility in Toronto. Doctors suggested Li remain in the facility for at least a month for a full psychiatric assessment. The circumstances surrounding Li's release from the Toronto hospital are unclear. Li claimed he "escaped" and there is no discharge note on his chart. It is now believed he refused treatment and left against the advice of his doctor. He was prescribed medication for his condition, but he was never formally diagnosed with a mental disorder. Upon his return from Toronto, Ana said Li "looked horrible, so skinny, like a homeless person." Li asked Ana to buy him a one-way ticket to China. In China, Li's parents sent him to a physician who, his father recalled, declared that he was fit. Despite this, his father indicated Li was irritable and combative. Li could not find steady work in China because it seemed that he could not do any one job for more than a few days at a time. Ana would rejoin Li in China for a short time, but only to formally divorce him. She returned to Canada. Li would return to Canada about one month after his wife, taking up residence in Toronto. Ana received several emotional phone calls from her ex-husband, in which he expressed great sadness at the dissolution of their marriage. He also complained he was having trouble finding work. She invited him to live with her, which he did. Less than a year later, however, Li moved to Edmonton. Ana told psychiatrists that several weeks after he went West, she learned he had not been able to find a job and had been living in his car. She sent him money and then moved to be with him in July 2007. During this period, Ana said Li seemed reasonably happy, working at Wal-Mart and delivering daily newspapers in the morning. In the summer of 2008, his state of mind rapidly deteriorated. Li purchased a plane ticket and returned to China to see his family but stayed only one day. Li's father said his son claimed to be visiting to "find a wife." Back in Edmonton, Li continued his descent into mental anguish. In late July 2008, returning home from a night shift, Ana found a note from Li: "Don't look for me. I wish you were happy." Ana was not initially worried. "When he felt stressed, he went somewhere for a few days and then came back." On July 30, Ana was contacted by the RCMP just before her night shift started and told that Li had been arrested. The first time Dr. Stanley Yaren met Vince Li in August 2008, no words were spoken. Li was heavily medicated, and still adjusting to his new surroundings at the psychiatric unit. Notes from that first meeting indicate that Yaren, attempting to open the lines of communication, gave Li a pad of paper and a pencil. Li eventually wrote a note to the psychiatrist: "God will kill me." Notes from Yaren's sessions with Li show a man still firmly in the grasp of his mental illness. Li described how God had talked to him and indeed, how God talked to him even with Yaren in the room. Several times, Li became quite animated at the thought that perhaps Yaren could hear the same voices. There were revelations. That Li very nearly attacked a man the day before he killed Tim McLean. The man had been driving around the bus station in Erickson, Man., and God told Li the man had come to kill him. He pulled out his knife in case the man tried to enter the bus station. The truck drove off. Li also revealed his greatest concern is that he disobeyed direct orders from God. It was God who told him to leave Edmonton and stop in Erickson to live "forever." But the same voice also warned him the man in the truck was going to kill him. Against God's advice, he left Erickson. It was on this leg of the Greyhound bus trip that the voices in Vince Li's head began to tear him apart. God was angry that he had not remained in Erickson, and now God was warning him that another man, Tim McLean, was going to kill him. "It's not my kill," Li recalled. "God kill him. God choose me to kill him. God angry at me because God asked me to stay in Erickson forever. God choose my hand to kill, I truly believe that." Later, Li claimed there were good gods and evil gods and it was the latter who commanded him to kill McLean, who was also a threat. It was kill or be killed, according to the God talking to Li, although he now acknowledged there were good and evil Gods in his head. "I don't think about God every day," Li told Rootenberg in one of their final sessions. "But sometimes I ask God why he picked me to do these things. "I'm an average person. I still trust God. God is 90-99 per cent good." dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca © Copyright (c) Winnipeg Free Press

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The team that takes on mental crises The Ottawa Hospital mobile crisis team handles an amazing array of problems, as Pauline Tam writes. BY PAULINE TAM, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN MARCH 11, 2009 Members of the Ottawa Hospital Mental Health Mobile Crisis Unit include, left to right, Ottawa Police Sgt. Kim Cooper, social worker Marc Chartrand, Ottawa Police Det. Rebecca Vanderwater, registered nurse Heather Lightfoot and Robin Pow. Photograph by: Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen, The Ottawa Citizen Heather Lightfoot, who works on the front lines of the city's mental-health system, has learned to be prepared for all kinds of curious sights when she steps inside her patients' homes: newspapers piled to the ceiling, toilet-paper rolls stockpiled in rooms, empty food cans littered everywhere. On this frigid afternoon, Lightfoot, a mental-health nurse, arrives at a downtown rooming house. When the occupant answers the door, Lightfoot notices the white noise of a hair dryer running unattended. If she and her partner, a crisis counsellor, find the situation odd, they don't show it. Instead, they express concern when the woman living in the unit explains that the hair dryer is being kept on to keep her warm. A week earlier, the woman had complained to police about being the victim of voodoo, which, she said, was causing her aches and pains all over her body. She also expressed worry about neighbours breaking into her room, tampering with her shampoo and poisoning her food. Police referred the case to The Ottawa Hospital's mobile crisis team, a little-known element of the city's emergency mental-health services made up of a psychiatrist, nurses, social workers and plainclothes police officers. Their job is to make house calls to people in mental distress. The service is designed to keep people in need of psychiatric help supported and stabilized in the community, and its caseload is growing rapidly. When members of the crisis team visited the woman, they observed her talking loudly to herself, suggesting she was suffering from hallucinations. They persuaded the woman to take an antipsychotic medication and promised to look in on her again soon. Team members noted she didn't appear to have any family or friends to support her. On this visit, Lightfoot and her partner assess their patient's state of mind while steering her through a range of questions: Does she have any more concerns about voodoo? Is she taking the medication that was prescribed to her? Would she like to be connected to better housing and community programs that would help ease her sense of isolation? The visit ends with the pair promising to arrange some support services for the woman and to follow up again in a week. "She's still endorsing some symptoms, she's just less preoccupied by them," Lightfoot remarks afterward. "But she does not see herself as psychotic, and she does not see herself as ill in any way, shape or form." Officials say the mobile crisis team fills a crucial gap in the health-care system, giving help to those either too incapacitated by mental illness to visit a doctor or hospital, or unwilling to consent to treatment even though their families believe they need it. "They are a safety net so that when a person with a mental illness is more symptomatic, the crisis team can catch them and treat them so that things don't escalate," says Sheila Deighton, Ottawa regional co-ordinator for the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario. Often, the team is called when someone has stopped taking medication and is behaving erratically. "It's the nature of this illness that people relapse," says Dr. Helen Ward, clinical director of the forensic psychiatry program at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. "When that happens, when someone has gone off their meds and is experiencing hallucinations and delusions, mobile crisis can often be a way to reconnect a person to (psychiatric) care quicker." The idea is to intervene before the person's illness gets worse, leading to brushes with the law. In that way, the service can prevent the mentally ill from being charged with criminal offences and put in jail, which is not an ideal place for people in psychosis because they have no access to medical treatment. Often, officers end up escorting them to hospital emergency departments, where they can wait for hours until the hospital assumes custody of the person. "We try to divert people from hospital, but we also try to divert them from the criminal-justice system," says Bruce Kennedy, the program's clinical director. While there is scant data to support Kennedy's claim, officials readily vouch for the program's effectiveness. "When I use this program, I end up with fewer people who are re-arrested and re-charged," says Ward, whose patients have all, at one time or another, broken the law because of their mental illness. Similar crisis teams are in place across the province and in the eastern Ontario communities of Cornwall, Pembroke and Hawkesbury. All are affiliated with hospitals and paid for by the Ontario government. Team members making home visits evaluate the seriousness of a person's condition and connect them to housing, support services and psychiatric help if appropriate. The program also maintains a dozen "community crisis beds," which provide housing for up to 10 days for people needing a safe haven to stabilize. There, they get round-the-clock supervision and support from mental-health professionals. If the team determines that a patient needs to be hospitalized, even involuntarily, they can start the process, summoning police assistance if necessary. Those cases tend to be rare, Kennedy says. Typically, the mobile crisis team kicks into gear when the first line of help -- the hospital-funded mental-health crisis line staffed by trained volunteers -- is not enough. The team also receives referrals from the Ottawa police, often the first agency called to respond to people suffering from mental illness. In almost all cases, police encounters with the mentally ill are not violent and things go relatively smoothly. On rare occasions, however, such run-ins can end tragically. In the 1990s, Toronto had a string of deaths involving men with psychiatric histories who died in confrontations with police. Those deaths sparked changes to the way police deal with those suffering from mental illness. One solution was better training. Another was to pair a plainclothes officer with a mental-health professional, using a model that had already proven itself in some U.S. cities. By 2003, Ottawa police had established a mental-health unit of specially trained officers and combined their efforts with the hospital's mobile crisis team. Since then, calls to both agencies have risen steadily. The Ottawa police last year handled more than 3,500 calls involving mental-health cases, up one-third from 2005. Meanwhile, the hospital's mental-health crisis line is expected to handle nearly 12,000 calls this year, a 17-per-cent increase from 2006. Of those calls, nine out of 10 cases are resolved over the phone. The remainder are handled by the crisis team. Even so, the service has its limitations. Officials say mobile crisis teams are not designed to be immediate-response units. They have 24 hours to respond to cases that have been determined to be urgent and 48 hours to respond to those found not to be urgent. What's more, mobile crisis teams don't handle cases involving threats of violence or suicide, which are redirected to 911. "It's a different category of people who are being treated by mobile crisis," says Heather Perkins-McVey, a criminal defence lawyer who specializes in mental-health cases. "They deal with situations involving nuisance behaviour as opposed to public safety or violence." - - - If You Need Help If you or someone you know is experiencing mental distress, including depression, anxiety, delusions or inability to cope, contact the Champlain District Mental Health Crisis Link at 613-722-6914, which services much of eastern Ontario. For more information, go to www.crisisline.ca. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Lack of sleep can drive you crazy Research suggests that insomnia is a cause as well as a symptom of mental illness 14 Mar 2009 BY FIONA MACDONALD-SMITH 'The first thing I knew about it was from the woman downstairs, who was banging on the door of our flat and asking about the water pouring through her ceiling. I went into the bathroom and saw that the bath was overflowing. I'd forgotten to turn it off and, even worse, had no recollection of ever having run it," says Louise, a copywriter and mother of two, who has been an insomniac since the age of seven. You would normally put Louise's erratic behaviour down to a case of extreme forgetfulness due to lack of sleep rather than a sign of a serious problem, but a recent article in New Scientist raises the possibility that insomnia could actually cause mental illness. Insomnia has long been linked to mental health problems, but they were always considered a side-effect. Now studies by American scientists suggest otherwise. "It was just so easy to say about a patient, well, he's depressed or schizophrenic, of course he's not sleeping well - and never to ask whether there could be a causal relationship the other way," says Robert Stickgold, a sleep researcher at Harvard University. A host of psychiatric problems including depression, post-traumatic stress and attention-deficit disorder, could be caused by sleep problems, the new research suggests. Louise, now 38, is convinced there is a connection. "I'm sure the insomnia was the cause of my mental state, not a side-effect," she says. Louise had become used to coping on four hours' sleep a night and resorted to watching old movies to try to make herself ready for bed. But recently Louise's insomnia has spiralled into something altogether more sinister. "I don't mind missing the odd night here and there, but sometimes it's night after night after night and then it becomes relentless," she says. "I can feel my sense of sanity slipping away, I see things that aren't there, I become preoccupied with things that don't matter, like checking my Facebook account constantly during the night, just to get communication from the outside world," she says. She has been prescribed antidepressants to manage her anxiety. An American study of patients suffering from sleep apnea - a clinical condition in which the upper airway intermittently and repeatedly collapses or closes over, leading to interrupted sleep - found that the condition doubled the chances of suffering from depression. Another study, by Matt Walker of the University of California, Berkeley, involved showing a set of increasingly disturbing images to people who had slept normally, and others who had been deprived of sleep for 35 hours. "We found that the emotional centre of the brain, the amygdala, was about 60 per cent more active in people who had been sleep-deprived, which was a frightening amount," says Walker. The connection between the amygdala and the frontal lobe of the brain had also been disrupted: "As the frontal lobe puts the brakes on the brain's emotional centre, it shows that when you're sleep-deprived you're all accelerator and no brakes. You don't have control over your emotions." Walker believes that at a "societal, medical and funding level we have neglected the importance of sleep and it's beginning to catch up with us." He is hopeful, though, that within the next five years we will understand "whether three per cent, five per cent or 50 per cent of people diagnosed with psychiatric problems are simply suffering from sleep abnormalities." While he believes in the importance of sleep, Britain's leading sleep expert is less convinced by these latest theories. Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, says: "I read the article and my eyes nearly popped out on stalks. In the great majority of people who have psychological problems, a common finding is disturbed sleep, because in order to have a good night's sleep you need an untroubled mind. But simply treating the insomnia will not cure the psychiatric disorder. "Will a (sleeping pill) cure their mental illness? The answer is of course not. Mental illness is down to psychological factors, genetic factors. Insomnia is a symptom." Horne believes much of the evidence cited could be interpreted differently: "For example, people with sleep apnea may be more likely to be depressed, but that doesn't mean it was the apnea that caused it. A lot of these people are also likely to be obese, and that is associated with depression." Instead, he advises that those suffering from insomnia shouldn't worry about whether they're going mad, but concentrate on overcoming the problem. "Insomnia is not really a sleep disorder but a disorder of wakefulness intruding into sleep. Sufferers need the help of a professional to help them deal with their waking problems - most people know in their heart what those are." "Insomniacs worry too much about their health and, sure as eggs is eggs, some of them will now worry that they're going to get depression," says Horne. "But you won't become mentally ill through lack of sleep. The biggest danger for insomniacs is being sleepy during the day and having an accident while crossing the road or driving. That's where the dangers lie." © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Talking about suicide BY RAJIV BHATLA, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN MARCH 14, 2009 Suicide is a tragic and often desperate response to an overwhelming situation or mental illness. A life is lost, leaving behind devastated families, friends and communities. As a society, we have difficulty discussing and dealing with suicide, in large part because of the stigma associated with individuals suffering from mental illness or experiencing severe life stresses. We simplify explanations of suicide, often forgetting that people have complicated lives and live in a complex society. The media have an important and often difficult role to play with respect to suicide by bringing about dialogue and informing the public. Due to differing mandates, it is of no surprise that the viewpoints of the media and those of the mental health community are not always the same. We only have to look as far as our own local community and the reporting on the recent Nadia Kajouji story to recognize this. Balancing the need for public reporting and the need for public duty is never easy. From a perspective of the mental health community, the local media could have avoided details of the suicide method used, avoided publishing detailed personal correspondence, and avoided repeated front-page or top news story coverage. Ideally, there could have been more reporting around suicide warning signs, treatment, positive outcomes, and how to approach people with suicidal thoughts. This needs to be part of every story, whether it is, at minimum, publishing crisis line contact information or a mention of where to go for help. Excessive and detailed reporting of someone who commits suicide puts those contemplating suicide at risk and may also contribute to copycat suicides. In order to prevent suicide we must be able to recognize it, talk about it, and treat it. Although individuals are unique, there are some common warning signs for suicide. The signs can be behavioural, physical, or emotional in nature. They can include things such as withdrawal from everyday activities, changes in weight, unexplained illness or physical complaints, neglect of personal appearance and changes in sleep patterns. An individual may express feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness and display mood fluctuations or self-destructive thoughts. Once suicidal thoughts and/or mental illness are suspected, the individual should be approached in a supportive, nonjudgmental manner. Talking to someone about how they are feeling and asking about suicide in a direct and caring manner does not plant the thought of suicide or increase the risk. Individuals are often relieved to be able to talk about how they feel and what they're going through. Crisis lines, medical offices, and a variety of other options are available. An open and honest discussion with an existing health-care provider is often the best place to start. Helping a suicidal/depressed individual can be emotionally difficult and caregivers should also seek their own support. Most importantly, it should be recognized that the vast majority of individuals with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts are successfully supported and treated so that they can move on with their lives and recover. Sadly, the societal stigma associated with mental illness and tragic consequences such as suicide has impaired our willingness to recognize and talk about these important issues. Stigma has contributed to inadequate resourcing for treatment, education and research. The media need to continue their increased and often poignant and revealing coverage of mental health issues. As never seen before, there is more coverage on a wide range of issues currently facing society such as depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dementia. It remains essential, however, that both the media and the mental health community collaborate to provide balanced and appropriate coverage and not to forget the need to provide information about resources for those in need of support. At times, mental illness and addiction stories need to be treated differently than other health care stories by the media due to the potentially vulnerable nature of those affected by a mental illness. Whether it is the media or health care workers, the needs of those suffering from a mental illness must be appropriately considered. Now is the time to join a growing advocacy movement with respect to mental health. Canadians passionately and relentlessly advocate for a robust and responsive public health system. It is time we put an emphasis on mental health. Rajiv Bhatla is psychiatrist-in-chief/chief of staff at the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group and associate chair in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa. The Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region's 24-hour suicide hotline is 613-238-3311. The 24-hour, bilingual mental health crisis line is 613-722-6914 in Ottawa and 1-866-996-0991 outside of Ottawa. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Bus beheading coverage highlights real issues THE OTTAWA CITIZEN MARCH 16, 2009 Re: Accused Greyhound killer capable of recovery: MD, March 4. As president of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, I recognize the challenges the media has faced in reporting responsibly on the tragic incident around the death of Timothy McLean. Both Vincent Li and Timothy McLean's families have suffered terrible tragedies. It may be easier to fall prey to sensationalism and write stories that vilify Li as evil and reinforce the misguided notion that people with mental illness are inherently violent and dangerous. But the fact remains that such occurrences of violence are rare and that people with serious mental illness are far more commonly the victims of violence. We applaud the coverage that focused on the science behind the medicine of mental illness, and in doing so painted Li as what he is -- not an evil man, but a man suffering a devastating illness which, untreated, led to terrible events. The coverage has highlighted many pressing issues including the need to properly organize and integrate services so people who require serious mental health intervention are identified early, have easy access to the system and are less likely to fall between the cracks. Exemplary reporting has valiantly tackled the issue of the stigma of mental illness through personal stories of reporters themselves, such as that by Gordon Sinclair of the Winnipeg Free Press in sharing the story of his mother's struggle with schizophrenia. Unfortunately until access to services for serious mental illness is improved, manifestations of untreated mental illness like Li's will continue to unnecessarily reinforce negative stereotypes about mental illness in general. Although we have a long way to go, some first steps have been taken in this direction with the formation of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and its key initiative to develop a national mental health strategy. We hold great hope that a national strategy will eventually make a difference to the availability, integration, and continuity of services received by persons facing serious mental illnesses. Meanwhile, we encourage media to continue highlighting what can be done to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in Canada in a positive way that will lead to better understanding about mental illnesses. Susan Abbey, MD, Toronto President, Canadian Psychiatric Association © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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I was feeling very insecure because my ex-in-laws were visiting my ex-wife's place. I was afraid that the kids would be negatively influenced by their stigma during their long visit. Later, my kids re-assured me that they were not affected by their attitude.

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Confinement of mentally ill in Quebec under fire Law that permits forced hospitalization must go, groups say BY CHARLIE FIDELMAN, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE APRIL 17, 2009 Imagine two police officers come to your door unexpectedly on a Friday afternoon and escort you to a hospital. On arrival, you are put in psychiatric isolation -- no bed, no chair, no bathroom (and it will take two more days for a psychiatric evaluation). No explanation is given, no telephone call is allowed and you are injected with tranquilizers because you've become hysterical. That's what happened to Hélène, a 45-year-old from the Outaouais. "I felt caged, traumatized," said Hélène, who agreed to be interviewed on condition her last name not be published. She was examined on a Sunday, then held in a psychiatric unit for 12 days and released only after a group representing the rights of the mentally ill intervened on her behalf. The Association des groupes d'intervention en défense des droits en santé mentale du Québec, a 30-member organization, called Wednesday for changes to a provincial law that permits forced hospitalizations aimed at protecting people deemed dangerous to themselves or society. "A law of protection ... a practice of oppression," association director Doris Provencher said. Forced confinement in a health institution is permitted under a Quebec Superior Court order for 72 hours to 30 days. There were 2,460 court orders for confinement in Montreal last year. It's not known how many patients complained of breached rights, but the concept of "dangerous" has become "elastic" and is now applied loosely and unfairly, Provencher said. The Protecteur du citoyen, a Quebec citizens' agency, is also investigating rights violations in psychiatry and a report is expected within a few months. In Hélène's case, a change in her medication for bipolar disorder led to some hyperactive behaviour. She didn't get a chance to speak in her own defence before a judge. Institutional treatment of the mentally ill has changed little over time, said Daniel Saint-Jean, director of Droits-acces de l'Outaouais. "We don't keep them in chains in the basement anymore, but we still break them with pills and confinement." Dominique Bréton, a spokeswoman for the Quebec health ministry, said the department is evaluating the law in question. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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For the first time this season, I went cycling over the weekend to the Champlain Lookout of the Gatineau Park. The daily intake of flaxseeds still proved to be effective. I was able to use gear combination of 3-2 or greater.

In 2007, I cycled to the Champlain Lookout 10 times. In 2008, 22 times. The goal for this year is 30 times.

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Since May 2006, the kids have been alternating between the father's place and the mother's place in a staggered fashion. My younger daughter (now 15) called me up to pick her up during the week that she stays with her mother. She told me in tears that she could not get along with her mother, who is no longer the kind and gentle mother that my daughter used to have. So, she packed up her stuff and came to my place. My older daughter (now 18) later told me that the difficulty has been going on for about a year.

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Manitoba. Vincent Li remains a risk to public: doctor CANWEST NEWS SERVICE JUNE 2, 2009 On Monday, a respected Manitoba doctor reported "significant progress" made by Vincent Li, who beheaded Tim McLean, 22, on a Greyhound bus near Portage la Prairie, Man. on July 30, 2008. But Dr. Stanley Yaren told a provincial review board Monday that Li remains a risk to the public, and himself, and should be locked up indefinitely at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre, about 25 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. "I'm advocating the highest level of security possible," Yaren said in the much-anticipated placement hearing to determine Li's immediate future. Li was suffering from untreated schizophrenia and psychotic delusions at the time of McLean's murder and found not criminally responsible during his trial in March. His status is subject to yearly reviews. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Jamaica hijacker fit to stand trial CANWEST NEWS SERVICE JULY 1, 2009 A man who hijacked a Canadian plane full of tourists and held them hostage for several hours in Jamaica in April was Tuesday declared mentally fit to stand trial on more than 20 charges. Stephen Fray, 21, appeared in Montego Bay court with his father, Earl, who is also facing a criminal charge of negligence for allowing his gun to be stolen and used in the April 19 hijacking. Psychiatric reports read out in court on Tuesday said Fray was fit to stand trial, but spoke of him as a "paranoid schizophrenic" with "delusions." Jamaican police eventually stormed the hijacked CanJet airliner and captured Fray without firing a shot, ending a harrowing airport standoff in which 182 people were taken hostage. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Simon

I went cycling to the Champlain Lookout of the Gatineau Park 3 days in a row. It was the 23rd time this season, 58th time overall. I took a megadose of 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds just before leaving. For the first time, I was able to use the gear combination of 3-3 or greater all the way up and down.

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I went cycling to the Champlain Lookout of the Gatineau Park with my 16-year old daughter. It was the 30th time this season, 65th time overall. I was still able to use the gear combination of 3-3 or greater all the way, but my daughter used only the highest gear combination of 3-7 all the way up and down.

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Arenburg's release 'very scary' Widow of slain sportscaster fears the worst as mentally ill killer to be set free BY LEE GREENBERGSEPTEMBER 7, 2009 TORONTO -The man with schizophrenia who gunned down popular Ottawa sportscaster Brian Smith nearly 15 years ago will be released from a U.S. prison Tuesday, an event that should send chills down the spines of people in Ottawa and any other community he has ties to, says Smith's widow. Alana Kainz says Jeffrey Arenburg is a dangerous man in a precarious position - off his anti-psychotic medication and without any obvious support network. She believes Arenburg appears set on a violent trajectory similar to the one that ended in murder in 1995. "I think it's very scary," Kainz said in an interview. "He's been in jail for almost two years. This man has not only been sick for two years, but he's angry now." Officials at the medium-security Pennsylvania prison where Arenburg has lived for the past year wouldn't say whether he's been receiving psychiatric care. Kainz suspects he hasn't. "Unless they treated him, then he is the same man who sat in the parking lot with a gun in his trunk waiting to shoot Brian," she says. "He's that same man, walking out of jail today. So, I don't know where he's going and what he's going to do, but I'm worried. I'm worried for the next person he encounters who he thinks is communicating his thoughts over the air." Arenburg, now 52, was found not criminally responsible for killing Smith in 1995. He spent the next decade under psychiatric supervision, until late 2006, when the Ontario Review Board (ORB), an arm's-length government agency with jurisdiction over the province's criminally insane, granted him an absolute discharge. In November 2007, almost exactly one year later, Arenburg assaulted a U.S. border guard, punching the man in the mouth at the Peace Bridge crossing in Buffalo. In the felony assault trial that ensued, Arenburg aired a series of bizarre and paranoid theories centering on his belief his thoughts are being broadcast to the world. "I am that person everyone's been hearing about on the airwaves for the last 20 years," he said at one point. Arenburg, who represented himself, went on to expand on his delusional theories, including his belief that a major movie studio is turning his thoughts into films and that radio stations call up people who know him and "tell them what to think and how to treat me." Arenburg's history is dotted with increasingly violent attempts to silence those tormenting voices. At the conclusion of the trial, his U.S. lawyer and a former Canadian psychiatrist said they saw evidence the bearded former scallop fisherman had slipped back into the same psychotic thinking that culminated in the 1995 killing. "In its simplest terms, the trial conducted (in May 2008) was not a trial at all," wrote David Jay, Arenburg's court-appointed advisor, in an attempt to overturn the verdict. "It was an excursion into the mind of Mr. Arenburg, a mind that is ill and in need of medical assistance." That motion was denied and since last September, Arenburg has been inside the Moshanon Valley Correctional Institution, a medium-security facility for criminal aliens in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. On his release from prison, he will be taken into the custody of U.S. immigration officials who will ultimately return him to Canada. The deportation was ordered by U.S. federal judge Richard Arcara, who, in his ruling, said he considered Arenburg a "danger to society." Arcara added he was "concerned" the assault came less than one year after Ontario authorities chose to release him. "Canada's a wonderful place to be," he told Arenburg at the time, warning him not to attempt re-entry for at least three years. "Enjoy Canada." U.S. Immigration officials will not say when specifically Arenburg will be returned to Canada, nor will they say where he is going. "Whether we fly him or drive him to the border, he will be escorted by officers," said Michael Ramella, a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. "And because of safety reasons we usually don't tell anybody about that until after they've gone." Kainz says his landing point is unimportant. What counts, she says, is once Arenburg gets to Canada, nothing can be done to enforce supervision on him. "I think a man like Jeffrey Arenburg needs to be observed for the rest of his life," she says. A spokesman for the Ontario Review Board said once they determine a patient no longer poses a significant threat to public safety, they are compelled to release that person. A discharged patient, even one who, like Arenburg, has killed someone, is completely free. "An accused person that receives an absolute discharge is subject to the same scrutiny or regulation as any other citizen would be when they're at large in the community," says Joe Wright. Kainz says officials made a mistake by allowing Arenburg (who, when he was released, was still deemed to have a one-in-four chance of re-offending) out of their grips. "This is one of those cases where the system failed. It failed everybody, it failed Brian, it even failed Jeffrey Arenburg. It failed the community, and now this American border guard. And it's going to fail somebody else, I tell you, very soon." Kainz believes Arenburg will commit more violent acts on Canadian soil. "It will happen, mark my words," she says. "Hopefully it'll be something minor which will land him back in the system. "But my greatest concern, of course, is that he will do something major. I think he's another tragedy waiting to happen. As a society, it's very sad that there's nothing we can do about it." © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Arenburg back in Canada return uneventful, U.S. says BY LEE GREENBERG, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 Schizophrenic killer Jeffrey Arenburg is back on Canadian soil. Arenburg, 52, was escorted across Buffalo's Peace Bridge and handed over to Canadian authorities shortly after noon on Tuesday, said Gregory Bennett, a supervisor with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection field office in Buffalo. "He was returned to Canada earlier this afternoon," Bennet said Tuesday, adding Arenburg's return was relatively uneventful. "I don't see any indication that he wasn't (co-operative)." In November 2007, Arenburg assaulted a U.S. border guard on that same bridge, landing in jail and triggering a bizarre odyssey through the U.S. justice system. He was ultimately found guilty of felony assault and served close to two years in prison. It is unclear whether he received psychiatric care while incarcerated. A spokesman for the medium-security Pennsylvania prison where Arenburg was locked up since last fall said he could not release that information. Arenburg gained notoriety in 1995 when he shot Ottawa sportscaster Brian Smith dead outside the television station where he worked. Arenburg was found not criminally responsible for Smith's death. He has paranoid schizophrenia. His latest violent incident has prompted Smith's widow, Alana Kainz, to issue a chilling warning to the public. Kainz believes Arenburg will try to harm more people. She worries he has stopped taking an anti-psychotic drug that was critical to his earlier success, a fact that came out during Arenburg's two-day trial in May 2008. "Beware of these guys, whatever they told you -- they'll cut your throat in a minute," he told the jury at one point, referring to prosecutors. He later added: "I'm not saying I didn't hit the man, I'm saying they're guilty of hiding the microwave channel in my name." Attorneys exchanged puzzled looks throughout the two-day trial. Kainz says the trial proves Arenburg is again fixated on a fictional worldwide conspiracy to broadcast his thoughts. "He's like a dangerous offender," Kainz told the Citizen in an interview. "His picture should be up at every security point, at every media outlet at least in Ontario and Alberta (where he has a daughter)." The U.S. assault will not carry any ramifications for Arenburg in Canada. He is a free man here, officials say, and will not be subject to any monitoring or other conditions. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Arenburg's return THE OTTAWA CITIZEN SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 Canadians need to be concerned that Jeffrey Arenburg is coming home. Arenburg is the paranoid schizophrenic who shot and killed local broadcaster Brian Smith nearly 15 years ago. He was found not criminally responsible and was treated for 10 years, whereupon he was released. Soon his paranoid delusions were back in full force and he attacked a U.S. border guard at the Buffalo, New York, crossing. Now he has been released after serving his term and U.S. officials will deliver him to Canada. Arenburg, by all accounts a sick and dangerous man, is heading our way. The U.S. judge who ordered Arenburg's deportation sneered that "Canada's a wonderful place to be" and he told Arenburg to "Enjoy Canada." Clearly, the judge does not think much of a country that had allowed such a deranged man to be out and about in the first place. Smith's widow, Alana Kainz, is justifiably worried. She wonders if Arenburg received psychiatric help in prison. Kainz doubts it, looking as she has at his history -- something she has studied in horrible detail. Arenburg is not an evil man; he is a man with a disease, one that makes him unpredictable. Arenburg is quite likely a real danger, as the U.S. judge acknowledged. Arenburg's actions after being released from a Canadian institution -- assaulting a U.S. border official -- have made this clear. And yet at least one Canadian official says that Arenburg has as many rights as any other Canadian. He shouldn't. Police need to know where he is at all times. So long as he remains untreated, any community into which he moves needs to be informed. We don't expect much of our governments, but we do expect them to protect us from obvious threats to our physical safety. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Simon

I went cycling to the Champlain Lookout of the Gatineau Park. It was the 35th time this season, 70th time overall. I used only one gear combination, 2-7 all the way up and down.

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Man who killed father 'mentally ill,' court told Psychiatrist testifies Benge suffered delusions that his family was out to get him BY ANDREW SEYMOUR, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN OCTOBER 16, 2009 A bipolar man who suffocated his father to death after nearly two years of psychotic behaviour should be found not criminally responsible for his actions, an Ottawa court heard Thursday. A forensic psychiatrist testified that Elliot Benge was off his medication and suffering from auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions that his family was out to get him in the hours leading up to the Jan. 21, 2008 killing of his 59-year-old father, Pierre. But Dr. Scott Woodside also said Benge didn't have specific delusions that his father was trying to kill him and remains unwilling to reveal details about the slaying even though he has vivid memories about other psychotic episodes before his father's death. However, Woodside said there was enough evidence of psychotic behaviour to reasonably conclude Benge was mentally ill. According to an agreed statement of facts, Pierre Benge was found by police and paramedics in the basement of his Somero Private home, the lower crossbar of a folding chair resting across his neck and a large typewriter sitting in the middle of his chest. An emotionless Elliot was standing next to him, talking on the phone. An autopsy showed Pierre, who had immigrated from the Congo, died as a result of pressure being applied to his neck. Elliot Benge was charged with second-degree murder. In his psychosis, Benge would hear voices and engage in manic episodes where he believed he was a millionaire rap star, engage in risky, aggressive behaviour, and not sleep for days, Woodside said. He also experienced delusions that people were trying to harm him and that his father, mother, brother and two sisters were plotting against him. Signs of the illness first appeared in the summer of 2006, when Benge was a university student in Toronto. Woodside said the possibility does exist that the killing was a result of a run-of-the-mill dispute over Elliot dropping out of school and his sedentary lifestyle. "It is possible that what happened on that day was simply as a result of a dispute with his father that escalated out of control," Woodside said. "That does happen. Murder is often mundane in the motivations of the people involved." Court heard "significant tension" existed between father and son on the day of the killing. Elliot was considering leaving university, which his father "adamantly opposed." There were also tensions in the family over Elliot's failure to take his medication, according to the agreed statement of facts. Benge's mother, along with his twin and older sister, sat behind the prisoner's box during Thursday's hearing, waving at Benge as he entered the courtroom. At one point, Benge stared intently at crime scene photos entered into evidence until his sister gently motioned to him to set the book down. Following his first psychotic episode in 2006, court heard Benge experienced violent outbursts that involved police and required hospitalization. In June 2006, Benge punched a man in the ear at Billings Bridge mall before trying to steal cars and jumping on the running board of an ice cream truck. He was arrested after a foot chase on the Transitway. In August, Benge, convinced he was a member of the rap group G-Unit, told his mother he had to go to Washington, D.C. When his mother took him to the airport to show him he had neither money nor a ticket, he slipped away and stole a shuttle bus and drove it to the Lester B. Pearson airport in Toronto. If Benge is found not criminally responsible, he will likely be ordered by the Ontario Review Board to reside at a psychiatric hospital. Annual hearings will determine the level of supervision required. Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Lalonde is expected to rule on the matter Friday. aseymour@thecitizen.canwest.com © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Simon

Illness delays judge's ruling on Benge's mental fitness A judge's decision on whether Elliot Benge is criminally responsible for killing his father in their Greenboro-area home has been adjourned until Monday after Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Lalonde was unable to attend court Friday due to illness. A psychiatrist testified Thursday that Benge suffered from bipolar disorder and likely couldn't tell the difference between right and wrong when he suffocated his 59-year-old father, Pierre, in the basement of their Somero Private home in January 2008. At the time, Elliot Benge was off his medication and had been experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions, including that his family was plotting against him, court heard Thursday.

Maxheleau eligible to travel within Canada A paranoid schizophrenic found not criminally responsible for the stabbing deaths of his parents and sister four years ago can seek to travel within Canada. After a recent hearing, a disposition from the Ontario Review Board states that Daniel Maxheleau, 34, may receive travel passes for up to 14 days at a time with the permission of the person in charge of the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Group. Maxheleau was arrested March 13, 2005, following the stabbing deaths of his parents, Gerald and Louise, and sister, Michelle. He was declared not criminally responsible for their deaths on Aug. 31, 2005.

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Simon

I went cycling to the Champlain Lookout of the Gatineau Park for the 40th time this year, probably the last time for this season. The lifetime count is 75 times.

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Simon

Benge not responsible for father's death in 2008, judge rules BY ANDREW SEYMOUR, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN OCTOBER 19, 2009 OTTAWA - A judge has found that a mentally ill Elliot Benge couldn't tell the difference between right and wrong when he suffocated his father in the basement of the family's home. Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Lalonde ordered Benge, 25, be transferred to the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care group as soon as a bed becomes available and placed under the care of the Ontario Review Board, which will now decide on his future. In his decision, Lalonde said he agreed with the opinion of forensic psychiatrist Dr. Scott Woodside that Benge was suffering from auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions that his family was conspiring to harm him on Jan. 21, 2008 when he applied force to the neck of his 59-year-old father Pierre in the basement of their Somero Private home. Woodside testified Benge suffers from bipolar disorder and would often lash out violently within days of going off his medication, which he frequently refused to take. Lalonde said Benge racing mind was "flooded" with different images at the time of the killing, which court heard may have occurred after a fight with his father over Benge dropping out of school. Court heard there were also tensions in the family about Elliot Benge's failure to take his medication. "It was the illness and not a fit of rage that caused his father's death," said Lalonde, who briefly outlined nearly two years of psychotic episodes that included violent, unpredictable and sexual outbursts. Following the judge's decision, Benge turned and smiled at his mother and sister, who sat behind the prisoner's box. Despite the series of psychotic episodes, including at least one incident in which Elliot threatened family members with a knife, Albertine Benge said in a victim impact statement that the killing of her husband by her son was "completely unforeseen and a complete shock" for the family. While the loss of her husband left a "huge hole," family members continued to be concerned about Elliot's future, she wrote. "We felt concerned and continued to be worried about his rehabilitation and his case. Nonetheless, we put all our faith and hope in Jesus to heal our family, rid us of stress and help us continue in support of one another, including Elliot," the victim impact statement said. "Jesus said in the Bible to find the weak and sick and to bring them back into God's family and we believe in that." aseymour@thecitizen.canwest.com © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Boss must ensure safety DEAR ABBY: I work in a call centre with 35 other workers. Recently our supervisor hired a woman who is mentally ill. We acknowledge that she has a right to work and, for the most part, she appears to be capable. The problem is she hears "voices" speaking to her and often responds to them. Other times she "hears" co-workers seated behind her plotting to kill her, which, of course, is not true. We have spoken to our supervisor about our concerns. His answer is, "Just be quiet and it will be OK." None of us have been trained to deal with mental health issues. Have you any suggestions on how to handle this? -- UNEASY Ohio DEAR UNEASY: Your supervisor is mistaken. Just being quiet is not the answer because the voices the woman is hearing are in her head. She's acting this way because she has gone off her medication. This may be a workplace safety issue. You and your co-workers must insist that the supervisor take action to ensure there is no threat to you.

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I drove my oldest daughter to Montreal, QC, where she attended an open house at Concordia University. Meanwhile, I visited permanent blood donor centre GLOBULE Place Versailles to make a blood donation, 57th time. I was pleased to see salted snacks there instead of usual excessively sweet cookies at mobile clinics.

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Simon

Supreme Court won't block Beltway Sniper's execution Judges reject appeal of man convicted in 2002 shooting rampage BY SHELDON ALBERTS, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE NOVEMBER 10, 2009 The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a last-minute clemency request for Beltway-Sniper John Allen Muhammad, the Gulf War veteran who terrorized the U.S. capital during a murderous rampage in 2002. Muhammad, 48, is set to be executed by lethal injection tonight at 9 p.m. at Virginia's Greensville Correctional Center following the high court's decision to reject a request for suspension of his death sentence. For three weeks in the fall of 2002, Muhammad and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, went on a homicidal rampage in the Washington suburbs that left 10 people dead and created a climate of fear across the U.S. capital region. Jon Sheldon, Muhammad's attorney, had argued the execution was not justified because jurors in his case were not aware he suffered from severe mental illness at the time of his first murder trial in 2003. He described Muhammad as a "psychotic, delusional and paranoid" man who had recently told lawyers a former dentist in Germany could provide evidence he was not in the Washington area at the time of the killings. In a recently uncovered letter filed with U.S. federal court, Muhammad writes of a racist conspiracy to have him executed and asks for authorities to "stand-down 'rushing' to murder this innocent black man." The Supreme Court made no comment on the reasons for rejecting of Muhammad's request for clemency. Three justices, however, chided Virginia authorities for scheduling the execution for Tuesday night, saying they had not provided courts enough time to properly review the appeals. The rampage began on Oct. 2, when 55-year-old James Martin was gunned down outside a supermarket in Wheaton, Maryland. The next day, Sonny Buchanan, 39, was killed while mowing grass in nearby White Flint. More murders followed, including a 54-year-old man shot while pumping gas, a 34-year-old woman killed while waiting for a bus and a 47-year-old woman gunned down in a Home Depot parking lot. In all, 13 people were shot and 10 died. The media dubbed the rampage the work of a "Beltway Sniper," because most of the shootings occurred within a few kilometres of the circular freeway that surrounds the U.S. capital. The victims were shot with a high-powered Bushmaster rifle from a peephole in the trunk of Muhammad's car. Muhammad is being executed for the murder in Manassas, Virginia of 53-year-old Dean Meyers, one of several victims shot while pumping gas. Malvo, who is serving a life sentence with no parole, testified Muhammad had indoctrinated him and plotted to demand $10 million from the U.S. government in exchange for stopping the killings. He said Muhammad's ultimate plan was to travel north to Canada following the shootings, with the aim of recruiting young black youths along the way. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Doctors feared Fort Hood suspect was 'psychotic' AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE NOVEMBER 12, 2009 U.S. military doctors had worried that the suspected gunman in the Fort Hood shootings was "psychotic" -- but did not seek to sack him, National Public Radio reported Wednesday, citing unnamed officials. Psychiatrists and medical officials who oversaw Maj. Nidal Hasan, accused of opening fire on fellow soldiers at the Fort Hood base in Texas last week, held a series of meetings between the spring of 2008 and the spring of this year to discuss serious concerns about his work and his behaviour, NPR reported. "Put it this way: Everybody felt that if you were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, you would not want Nidal Hasan in your fox hole," one official was quoted as saying. The officials who discussed Hasan's status were not aware intelligence agencies had been tracking Hasan since December 2008, NPR reported. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

'Veil martyr' murderer gets life sentence Slaying of Egyptian woman in Germany sparked outrage in Muslim world BY ROGER BOYES, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN NOVEMBER 12, 2009 A Russian-born German who stabbed to death an Egyptian woman was given the highest possible sentence for murder Wednesday -- 15 years with no chance of parole. The case enraged the Arab world, in particular Egypt, with street demonstrators and commentators blaming Germany for encouraging Islamophobia. The victim, Marwa al-Shirbini, 31, a pharmacist, has been hailed as a "veil martyr" because she stood up against the assailant, Alexander Wiens, 28. A fatwa has been pronounced on Wiens and the trial in Dresden was held under extraordinary security, with the courthouse cleared and 200 armed police encircling the room. "We find you bear a particularly heavy burden of guilt," said Judge Birgit Wiegand. Last year Wiens was sitting on a child's swing when al-Shirbini, who was wearing a headscarf, asked him to move so she could push her two-year-old boy. Wiens, who had emigrated from Siberia in 2003, yelled at her, accusing her of being an "Islamicist" and "terrorist." Al-Shirbini decided to press charges. By the time the case came to court last year, al-Shirbini was three months' pregnant. In court, the killer removed an 18-centimetre kitchen knife from his jacket and stabbed her 18 times. Al-Shirbini's husband, Egyptian geneticist Elwy Okaz, rushed to her aid but was also stabbed repeatedly and then shot in the leg by a police officer who was unsure who was the attacker. Her son, three-year-old Mustafa, watched her bleed to death. Wiens, surrounded by four security guards as the verdict was read, was also found guilty of attempted murder and causing bodily harm for his attack on al-Shirbini's husband. "He was convinced that all foreigners were taking work away from him," Judge Wiegand said. "Above all, he hated Muslims. In his eyes they were all Islamicists. The fact that he himself came of foreign origin is something that he repressed." During his trial, which began under heavy security on Oct. 26, Wiens had been unco-operative, refusing to remove his sunglasses, banging his head on the table and stamping his feet during proceedings. After the verdict, Wiens, an ethnic German from Perm in the Urals, was handcuffed and led away, saying nothing, with his head bowed. Egyptian foreign ministry spokes-man Hossam Zaki said: "The verdict, the maximum punishment under German law, serves justice and is considered a warning to those motivated by hate." German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the verdict showed that violence, racial hatred and intolerance had no place in Germany. The killing, as well as the slow reaction of Germany's politicians and media, sparked outrage in the Muslim world. In Tehran, protesters hurled eggs at the German embassy and daubed "Angie the Nazi" on walls, referring to Chancellor Angela Merkel. On crutches, unsure if he will ever walk again, Okaz gave wrenching testimony about how Mustafa, who now lives with family in Egypt, misses his mother. Wiens "voted NPD (a neo-Nazi party) because he said it was the only party that would ensure that Germany would be free of foreigners," the judge said. In a last-minute twist, a document arrived from Russia showing that Wiens had been declared unfit for military service in 2001 because of schizophrenia. Defence lawyers said the stabbing was not premeditated, that Wiens always carried a knife in his backpack, and that his psychiatric condition mitigated the crime. The courthouse, lightly guarded when the murder took place, resembled a maximum security prison, with 200 officers and snipers, following death threats against Wiens. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Simon

I took advantage of the unseasonably mild weather and went cycling to the Champlain Lookout of the Gatineau Park for the 41st time this year, really the last time for this season. The lifetime count is 76 times. There was a news report of a moose sighting, but I did not see one. In the Gatineau Park, I have encountered turtles, lizards, squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, deer and bears.

I recalled somebody saying that psychosis is like dreaming while being awake. So, I am looking forward to PBS NOVA episode "What Are Dreams?" next week.

What Are Dreams? What are dreams and why do we have them? NOVA joins leading dream researchers as they embark on a variety of neurological and psychological experiments to investigate the world of sleep and dreams. Delving deep into the thoughts and brains of a variety of dreamers, scientists are asking important questions about the purpose of this mysterious realm we escape to at night. Do dreams allow us to get a good night's sleep? Do they improve memory? Do they allow us to be more creative? Can they solve our problems or even help us survive the hazards of everyday life? NOVA follows a number of scientists, including Matthew Wilson of MIT, who is literally "eavesdropping" on the dreams of rats, and other investigators who are systematically analyzing the content of thousands of human dreams. From people who violently act out their dreams to those who can't stop their nightmares, from sleepwalking cats to the rare instances of individuals who don't seem to ever dream, each fascinating case study contains a vital clue to the age-old question: What Are Dreams

Here is an excerpt from blog "Beautiful Minds" on Psychology Today's website.

Beautiful Minds But for people with schizophrenia, the boundaries between imagination and reality become disrupted. Abnormal default network connectivity in people with schizophrenia is related to the ability to perform a task that requires concentration on the external environment as well as auditory hallucinations, paranoid and bizarre delusions, and disorganized speech (some of the most common "positive" symptoms of schizophrenia). The common theme here is "altered perceptions of reality".

There is also a case of a man committing murder in his dream, as shown below. Coincidentally, I had a dream which had no association to reality other than the characters. I discussed with my son the possibility that dreams, hallucinations and multiple personality disorder are not just related but have the same cause, i.e., dopamine interaction. He thinks that there are more than one state of subconsciousness.

Man who killed wife while dreaming freed 21 Nov 2009 Ottawa Citizen BY RICHARD SAVILL LONDON THE DAILY TELEGRAPH A man who strangled his wife during a nightmare in which he fought off a burglar walked free Friday as a judge told him he was a "decent man" who bore no responsibility for her death. Brian Thomas, a 59-year-old grandfather, killed his wife, Christine, 57, while they were on holiday in their camper van in Aberporth, west Wales, in July last year. Swansea Crown Court heard the father of two, who had been married to his wife for 39 years, had suffered all his life from a chronic sleep disorder which means he cannot control his actions. He was discharged after the Crown Prosecution Service offered no further evidence in what it described as a "unique case." © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Bookstore flasher gets three months jail time BY ANDREW SEYMOUR, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN NOVEMBER 27, 2009 A man who admitted to masturbating in the children's section of a bookstore and exposing himself in a public library is to spend the next three months in jail. David Daoud Noorzad, 45, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of committing indecent acts and one count of indecent exposure following a series of incidents that involved his pulling his pants down to his knees or ankles between August and December 2008. On Thursday, Ontario Court Justice Célynne Dorval said she found it wasn't "coincidental" that Noorzad picked the children's sections of a Chapters bookstore to commit two of the offences given testing that showed Noorzad was aroused by images of young girls. Noorzad, who has schizophrenia, was also found to be a medium-to-high risk to reoffend, although a psychiatrist who examined him at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Group believed the risk might be higher. According to a sexual-behaviours assessment, Noorzad claimed he heard the voice of Satan commanding him to "go out to bad places like strip clubs and to masturbate." At the time of the first two incidents, Noorzad was on a three-year probation order after a 2005 conviction for committing an indecent act. In 2001, he was convicted of committing indecent acts for which he received two years of probation. "These places of learning are places where parents would let their guard down," said Dorval, who found the locations where he committed the acts to be aggravating factors. Dorval added Noorzad's apparent unwillingness to seek treatment and continued use of marijuana were also aggravating factors. Dorval sentenced Noorzad to nine months in jail, but gave him two-for-one credit for three months he had spent in custody. He was also placed on three years' probation, added to the sex-offender registry and ordered to provide a DNA sample to the national databank. The sentence was in line with what assistant Crown attorney Mihael Cole urged was appropriate for the "disgusting and deplorable" offences. Noorzad's lawyer, Natasha Calvinho, argued for a sentence of time served and probation. Before being sentenced, Noorzad apologized "wholeheartedly" for his actions and promised never to commit an indecent act again. "I sincerely from the bottom of my heart apologize, regret and am ashamed of my foolish behaviour," said Noorzad, adding he "learned his lesson" after 13 weeks in jail and nine months under house arrest. aseymour@thecitizen.canwest.com © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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Antidepressants change personality, not just mood: study Paxil caused people to have more positive outlook, researchers say BY JULIE STEENHUYSEN, REUTERS DECEMBER 8, 2009 Antidepressants may go well beyond just easing the symptoms of depression; they may also make people less neurotic, U.S. researchers said Monday. The study of people who took GlaxoSmithKline's Paxil, known generically as paroxetine, suggests the drug may treat factors such as neuroticism that make a person more likely to be depressed in the first place. "Our data suggests that modern antidepressants work partly by correcting key personality risk factors of depression," Tony Tang, a psychology professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, whose study appears in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. People who are neurotic tend to experience negative emotions and be emotionally unstable, often experiencing wide mood swings in a day. "It's the basic tendency towards having negative emotions," Tang said. He said many studies have suggested that people who are highly neurotic have a higher risk of becoming depressed. There is also some suggestion that people who are extroverts -- those who tend to be both socially outgoing and have a more positive outlook on life -- are less likely to become depressed, Tang said. Both personality traits are affected by levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which is the chief target of a large class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. Tang and colleagues looked to see if the SSRI Paxil, also sold under the brand Seroxat, had any effect beyond just treating depression symptoms. They gave the drug to 120 volunteers with depression and compared their experiences to 60 people who underwent cognitive behavioural therapy and another group of 60 who took a placebo. Their personalities and depression symptoms were assessed before and after treatment. After 12 weeks, all participants saw improvements in their depression symptoms, but those who took Paxil also saw significant drop in their neuroticism, and a marked increase in extroversion compared with those in the other groups. "Patients taking paroxetine reported 6.8 times as much change on neuroticism and 3.5 times as much change on extroversion as placebo patients matched for depression improvement," the authors wrote. "Those are very dramatic, notable changes," Tang said. "At the beginning of the treatment, they were way out there. Their neuroticism was abnormally high. By the end of treatment, they moved back into the boundary of the normal range." He said many of the drugs in the SSRI class work largely the same way are likely to have the same effect. Dr. Ian Cook of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, who was not part of the research team, said the findings may cause some to rethink their assumptions about how the drugs work. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citize

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