Petition Tag - disorder

There are no support groups for people or loved ones with Borderline Personality Disorder. I feel a support group is a necessary tool for Lifeways as many suffer from this condition and attend the wrong support groups.

Many people wonder through this illness with out any education of it. As well as family members are left with less resources to help their loved one cope with this illness.

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As of today, the government is allowing approximately 90 billion dollars towards research funding for Autism.

There needs to be more money that goes towards this because when everything is accounted for (i.e. research, educational spending, medications, more health insurance coverage, etc.) 90 billion dollars is not near enough.

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There are a plethora of mental and physical disorders that effect millions of americans today that could possibly be solved, if we only push research in the direction of one drug; Psilocybin. Forgetting the connotation of drug culture and hippies, Psilocybin has many redeeming qualities, if taken in moderate doses.

Some of the problems that this drug shows promise of curing are: Depression, Multiple Sclerosis, High Blood Pressure, Chronic Migraines, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, not to mention the things we may discover on the way. In the '60's, there was research done with Psilocybin, but it was done almost exclusively in high-doses. Low-level therapy with the drug may yield better results than previous research.

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A condition (disease, syndrome or disorder) is classed as rare if it affects less than 1 in 2000 people.

There are approximately 8000 known rare diseases, collectively affecting 6-10% of the population. Rare diseases have the following common features;

* Most begin in childhood (usually diagnosed in children aged < 2years) and continue throughout life
* Obtaining a definitive diagnosis is often difficult and delayed creating great stress for those involved
* Many rare diseases have no cure and some can be prevented
* Neurological & intellectual disabilities occur in about 1/2 of all cases
* Families experience isolation, psychological and financial stress
* Health professionals have inadequate access to information, education and resources
* 35% of deaths in children aged < 1 year are due to rare diseases
* ~10% of deaths in children aged between 1 and 15 are due to rare diseases

Research, awareness & money are understandably directed at more common diseases & disorders. Collectively, rare diseases are as common as diabetes- which has been described as a National Epidemic!

Belgium, Denmark, Europe, France, Germany, Greece, The United States, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan all have National bodies to support rare diseases.

The United States have just announced new initiatives that put Australia even further behind! See - http://www.genome.gov/27531962 (New Program to Develop Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases).

Research into rare diseases can be virtually non existent, support groups are the same.
To set up a Not for Profit organisation requires committed parents who are by law required to have regular meetings and maintain a constitution - how do you do this if your numbers are limited?

Development of a therapeutic for a rare condition is not a priority for a pharmaceutical company - who would buy it? where would the profits come from?

A recent email from the Australian minister from health says:
"At present some members of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (HGSA), in collaboration with support groups, are looking at a strategy for developing a rare disorders organisation as well as policy around this matter. These members are trying to establish a group to engage at a Federal level and look at provision for rare disorders but I believe this is only at an early stage. It has nevertheless been flagged as a service gap."

Is identifying this as a service gap good enough?

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At present neither of the major parties running for the 2007 Election have any policy relating to been committed to continuing and/or extending the Medicare benefits available to transgender people undergoing gender re-assignment.

The only political party that supports this are the Greens. As much as this is majorly supported it however makes no difference unless they hold a balance of power.

It's up to groups such as the Greens along with affiliated groups to try to implement change by having these changes supported by the government of the day. Neither major party has any concrete policies in place to address GLBT issues such as SRS and its time they did.

This Petition is to support the right for TG people to undergo SRS through the Medicare sytem.

In alot of cases TG's go through life unable to afford the cost of correcting a genetic error and rarely get the support they need. It's time this changed.

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From watching videos on youtube, visiting pro-ana/mia sites and how sick they were, it has to stop.

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About 11 million people in the united states have an eating disorder. 10-15 percent of those people die from heath-related issues associated with eating disorders.

In a study of girls aged 9 to 15, slightly more than half reported exercising to lose weight, slightly less than half reported eating less to lose weight, and approximately 1 out of 20 reported using diet pills or laxatives to lose weight.

Research has shown that approximately 40 percent of fourth graders have been on a "diet" once in awhile. Research from Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc. (ANRED) suggests that about 1 percent of female adolescents have anorexia. That means that about 1 out of every 100 females between the ages of 10 and 20 are not eating enough and should be seeing a doctor.

Bulimia affects 1 to 3 percent of middle and high school girls.

Boys and men develop eating disorders, too. Research from ANRED suggests that 5 to 10 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia are males.

With these risks and statistics in mind, would you think there would be a such thing as PRO-ED?

Pro ED (pro eating disorder) is basically glamorizing eating disorders. Would you want to glamorize this:

The following are issues related to eating disorders:

Cold intolerance
Dry skin
Fatigue
Distorted body chemistry
Anemia/altered blood count
Loss of period (amenorrhea)
Gastrointestinal problems
Death
Rotting teeth (induced by bulimia)
Malnutrition
Dehydration
Electrolyte Imbalances
Hyponatremia (related to "water-loading")
Refeeding Syndrome (related to treatment)
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
Lanugo .
Edema
Muscle Atrophy
Paralysis
Tearing of Esophagus
Esophageal Reflux
Cancer
Insomnia
Hyperactivity
Swelling
Callused or bruised fingers
Dry Skin and Hair, Brittle Hair and Nails, Hair Loss
Low Blood Pressure, Hypotension
High Blood Pressure, Hypertension
Low Platelet Count or Thrombocytopenia -
Low Blood Sugar/Hypoglycemia: can indicate problems with the liver or kidneys and can lead to neurological and mental deterioration.
Ketoacidosis
Osteoporosis
Arthritis (degenerative)
TMJ "Syndrome" and Related TMJ Problems
Amenorrhea
Easily Bruising Skin
Infertility
Problems during pregnancy
Depression
Lowered body temperature
Cramps, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, incontinence -
Peptic Ulcers
Pancreatitis -
Digestive Difficulties
Weakness and Fatigue
Seizures
Death

With those risks in mind, I feel that Pro-ED sited should be shut down. I feel that they are as bad as sites telling people how to commit suicide. These sites are also triggering for those who are in recovery of this disease.

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May 7, 2006

Each and every year, many women, of all ages, are killing themselves. These women and young girls are not committing suicide by hanging themselves or overdosing on pills. These women are suffering from anorexia nervosa. They are starving themselves to death.

However, these women are not doing it on their own; they are being aided in their slow suicide. This act of assisted suicide is illegal in 49 out of 50 states. With the help of pro-anorexia or, as they are more commonly called, "pro-ana" websites, visitors to these sites, usually young, female adolescents, looking to lose weight or who are already in the midst of an eating disorder, can obtain weight loss tips and tricks on how to hide their eating disorder from family and friends. These websites promote behaviors, which lead to osteoporosis, irregular heart beat, cardiac disease, seizures, nerve damage, heart attack and death.

Oregon is currently the only U.S. state, in which assisted-suicide is legal. Under the Death with Dignity Act, physicians are permitted to administer a lethal dose of medication to those suffering from a terminal illness. To qualify for physician-assisted suicide, one must meet a specific set of criterion. They must be at least 18 years of age, an Oregon resident, capable of making, as well as communicating health care decisions for themselves, and have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that will result in death in six month of less.

A terminal illness is an incurable disease, which is active, progressive and expected to lead to death. Anorexia is not a terminal illness. An anorectic showing up at an Oregon clinic wishing to receive assistance in ending her life, would be turned down, almost immediately, regardless of how much physical and emotional pain she was in, on the grounds that she did not meet the criteria of having a terminal illness. Though escaping from and living without an eating disorder may seem impossible to one who is suffering from an eating disorder, it is not impossible.

Anorexia can and has, many times, been cured. Though it is not easy to make a complete recovery, with the right treatment techniques and professionals, it is possible, even for those with the poorest of prognoses.

If suicide assisted by a physician is only legal in one state, and if anorexia does not meet the legal criteria, than the people who make these pro-ana websites, and those who offer these tips and tricks on "how to kill yourself", featured on these sites, have absolutely no right, legally, morally, or ethically, to be doing so. They are assisting others in suicide, which is something they have no right to be doing, seeing as we barely give medical doctors the right do so. Furthermore, to receive physician-assisted suicide, you must be of legal age to give consent.

Many of the girls who are visiting these websites are under the age of 18. They could not receive physician-assisted suicide if they were suffering from a terminal illness, therefore, it cannot possibly be legal for any stranger on the internet, who also may be under 18, to be assisting these young girls in their suicide attempts.

Research has shown that those who frequently visit pro-eating disorder websites spend more time in the hospital than those who do not visit these sites. These websites have very serious impacts on people. A young girl, thinking she is fat and needs to lose a few pounds, may stumble upon one of these websites. What happens next may be unthinkable. But, most likely she will look around the website, reading the various tips and tricks to drop weight quickly, but hide it from those around her. She will learn that you can eat whatever you want, but not gain a pound because you can purge yourself of the calories, using exercise, laxatives or vomiting. She will see pictures, or "thinspiration" of thin, rich, smiling, actresses and models.

What she will not see is pictures of emaciated bodies, with extremely dry skin and fine, laguno hair covering their bones. She will not see their eroding tooth enamel, or their ulcers, the dehydration or electrolyte imbalance. She will not see their thinning hair or heart arrhythmias. She will not see their hurt, their sadness and depression, or their broken hearts. She will not see their death. She will see the thin, glamorous models and actresses and wish to look like them. So, she will start to diet and lose weight, thinking she is in control of her actions. She will be recognized and praised for her weight loss, especially by the network of "friends" she has made through pro-ana websites.

They will encourage her to "keep up the good work" and not to "give in to the enemy (food) now". She will feel good about herself and think "I just want to lose five more pounds; Five more and then I will have the perfect body." However, she loses five more and the praise and positive comments and encouragement continue. Five turns into ten, ten into twenty, twenty into forty, forty into the hospital. All of a sudden, the young girl who just wanted to lose a few pounds and was in control of her diet, is now being controlled by her behaviors. She can't stop.

This is not one scenario, this is the course the majority of eating disorders take. This is the very reason why these websites need to be shut down. The rate of eating disorders is rising. The importance we place on beauty and our attitudes towards what we consider attractive, combined with websites such as these are contributing to the increasing prevalence of eating disorders. We must change our beauty ideal and shut down websites such as these, which are promoting self-starvation. Anorexia nervosa is a serious, life-threatening physical and an extremely emotionally painful disease that no one should ever have to experience.

Members of the pro-ana community may argue it is a violation of their rights to be censored. However, freedom of speech does not give anyone the right to help kill another person.

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Bradford College UK decided to remove me as a student because I have a medical condition called ADHD hyperactivity disorder.

I take medication but Bradford College support service decided to get rid of me because of my medical condition. Bradford College support is not letting me study. up date they recently had a meeting beahind closed doors an i haurd nothing please sign this patation there still not letting me back

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In Irish schools eating disorders are rampant and nothing is being done about it.

Children at primary school age are falling prey to the sick perversion of the media and society in genaral which projects an image of thinness on the verge of emaciation and associates it with success and beauty. Weight loss is always rewarded and plastic surgery is a regular occurance.

We live in an image obsessed culture and its gonna be the children of the future that'll pay for it. I myself am a 14 year old Irish student who suffers from an eating disorder and have many friends with eating disorders. A friend of mine was in fact bulimic when we were in 4th, 5th and 6th class in primary.

Eating Disorders are deadly awful diseases and awareness needs to be raised to help school children to understand and prevent them. Thank you for your time and please sign.

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What is M.E.?

M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis) is a potentially chronic and disabling neurological disorder, which causes profound exhaustion, muscle pain and cognitive problems such as memory loss and concentration. Other symptoms that are common include sensitivity to light, noise and smell, disturbed sleep patterns and persistent headaches.

In the more recent past there were misconceptions that only certain social classes were affected and many people regarded the illness as a relatively mild condition - some even doubted its very existence. In fact, around 20% of sufferers are so severely affected that they are either house or bed-bound and have enormous difficulty performing even basic personal tasks unaided.

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HYPP or Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis is a genetic disorder that affects both horses. It has, so far, been traced in horses back to a Quarter Horse ironically named "Impressive." The disorder causes horses that are affected to have muscle spazams, ranging in intensity from unnoticable to unable to stand. A horse may go a very long time, years in fact, without showing any symptoms, then suddenly deteriorate.

When tested for HYPP, there are three possible results: n/n (unaffected) n/h (affected) and h/h (affected, having inherited the h gene from both of the foal's parents. Because the h gene is dominant, a horse with the result n/h has as large a chance of being sick as a horse who receives a result of h/h. Horses who have the dual combination of the bad gene, however, tend to be sicker earlier. 50%, not 25%, of the offspring of a horse with the test result n/h will carry the h gene. The only way to eradicate this problem is to stop all breeding of all horses who possess the h gene. Period.

The Apaloosa Horse Club Of Canada is on the right track. Please follow their link to see what their plan is on this issue. Basiscally, they are already refusing registration to any affected horse that is not steralized. In 2002, they plan to deny registration to ANY horse that is affected. Also, at present, any horse applying for or already registered with the ApHCC must be tested at the request of the ApHCC and have the findings noted on the horse's certificate. This is the least we can ask for. I want disclosure. Breeders should have to tell potential clients about this disorder if they have a positive test result, and sellers should have to tell buyers.

The picture is of my beautiful little filly when she was one day old. Her test just came back positive.

I am not a vet, or any kind of expert. This is just my understanding of what I've read on the subject and my side of my own personal experience.

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