Elgin Mental Health Center

Elgin Mental Health Center – More Than Just a Psychiatric Facility



If a friend or someone in the family is to be treated in a mental facility, we try to find the best facility for them. After all, the goal is for them to get well, and we believe that our choice of hospital is vital for the person’s recovery. In Illinois, when we speak of psychiatric facilities, one hospital easily comes to mind. That is Elgin Mental Health Center or EMHC.




As the second oldest state hospital in Illinois, this facility opened in 1872 under its former name, Northern Illinois Hospital and Asylum for the Insane. The first-ever physiological measurements of mental patients were recorded by the Elgin Papers back in the 1890s. By 1997, the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations gave EMHC its commendation for two years in a row.



How the hospital was developed can be broken down into five phases. The first phase ended in 1893. A stable leadership was responsible for the gradual growth during this period.



After this phase, the hospital immensely grew to more than twice its size. This second phase, which ended by 1920, was characterized by a lot of politicking, leadership changes and power struggles in the system.



For the third period, growth was more rapid. Hospital population, which reached its peak by the 1950s, increased for both geriatric and veterans. This is because the period was post World War I and World War II.



By the time the third phase ended, hospital population declined. During this phase, psychotropic medications were introduced. Other milestones for this period include the development of community health facilities, deinstitutionalization, until the decentralization of decision-making and authority. This fourth phase ended until the 1980s.



The last phase is what some call the “rebirth.” It began in 1983, when hospital census was at its lowest. Because of this, the hospital was on the verge of closure. However, the state decided to close Manteno Mental Health Center instead.



During this time, the hospital was practically rebuilt. While the old buildings used a congregate model called the Kirkbride plan, new physical facilities were added such as cottages in order to adhere to a segregate plan. There are two divisions, civil and forensic. Each division has an acute treatment center, office and conference rooms which faculty and trainees can use.



Forensic programs were further developed, and new affiliations with medical schools were also made. Affiliations include that with The Chicago Medical School, among others. An increase in educational activities showed that EMHC is also concerned with the education of future doctors and medical graduates.



Hospital system operations were also modified. Activities of community mental health centers are integrated in the system operations. Community mental health centers refer their patients to EMHC. These community mental facilities include DuPage County Health Department, Lake County Mental Health Center, Ecker Center for Mental Health, and Kenneth Young Center.



At present, admissions are close to 1300 annually. Patients are usually African-American, Euro-American and Hispanic. The hospital holds 582 to 600 beds and about 40 full-time physicians.



Just like any health facility, EMHC is harassed with problems and controversies with respect to their policies and programs. Nevertheless, Elgin Mental Health Center continues to do what it is supposed to do, and that is to provide the best treatment for their patients.

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Early Sign of Autism

The first signs of autism occur during early infancy and the disorder is usually diagnosed by the age of three. The autistic symptoms vary from one patient to another, from mild to severe forms.


The first warning sign is an abnormal response to different stimuli such as light or sound. Noises may appear painful to the child, smells are overwhelmingly strong and touches are painful. Loud noises and very bright lights trigger what is termed "meltdown".

Autistic children are indifferent to their surroundings and are satisfied with playing and being alone. They show no real interest in toys and are usually uninterested in interacting with others.

Patients with high functioning autism manage to develop some communication skills In some instances, words or phrases are used repetitively (echolalia) and their patterns of speech often lack expression or intonation.

Resisting changes in their routine or repeating an action over and over again is a part of their daily behavior. In severe distress situations these children often engage in self-injurious actions like biting or scratching themselves or banging their heads.

Warning signs in small children include rejection of touch, frequent behavioral outbursts, inexplicable attachment to some object and disinterest in others. Autistic children cannot maintain actual eye contact, they do not fear danger and they show an under sensitivity towards pain.

In spite of all the efforts of parents and teachers, autistic children do not respond to normal teaching methods and verbal clues. They may give the impression of being deaf in spite of their normally developed hearing sense.

Signs and symptoms of autism increase in severity during teenage years but seem to decrease during adulthood.

Recent strides in treatment have made it possible for many autistic children to improve the quality of their lives dramatically.

 

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Dying to Be Thin

Bulimia, also called bulimia nervosa, is a psychological eating disorder which mainly hits girls between the ages of 15 to 25. Studies indicate that by their first year of college, 4.5 to 18 percent of women and 0.4 percent of men have a history of bulimia.

Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by purging. The desire for food and candy is very strong and at the same time the person try to reduce weight. This causes a strong conflict between the desire to eat and the desire to reduce weight.
To cope with the conflict they use inappropriate methods of weight control including vomiting, fasting, enemas, excessive use of laxatives and diuretics, or compulsive exercising. A period of binge eating produces strong feelings of guilt.
For a person with bulimia, self-confidence is strongly dependent on the shape and weight of the body. There are similarities between anorexia and bulimia regarding the fear of becoming fat and the desire to reduce weight. It's not unusual that anorexia often turns into bulimia. Just about half of those with anorexia will have bulimia nervosa. The conditions overlap.
Studies have shown that disorders in family relations can be one of the factors that contributes to bulimia. Difficult periods of time or changes like puberty, death in the family or other family crisis can cause bulimia nervosa. The teenager feels she can't control her world, but can control her weight. Considering many of those with bulimia are perfectionists, they carry the weight control to the extreme.
Bulimia nervosa can cause severe medical complications. There is a risk for damages that will become permanent. These can include damages to the heart, lungs and other major organs.  It is yet unknown if bulimia can damage the brain in any way. If untreated, bulimia can lead to death.

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Dual Diagnosis

A person who suffers from alcohol abuse / alcoholism, drug abuse / drug addiction and an emotional/psychiatric problem is said to have a dual diagnosis. To recover fully, the person will require addiction treatment and psychiatric treatment for both problems.


Dual diagnosis is a common diagnosis. Thirty-seven percent of people with alcohol abuse and fifty-three percent of people with drug abuse also have at least one serious mental illness.  Of all people diagnosed as mentally ill, 29 percent suffer from alcohol abuse or drug abuse.

The following psychiatric problems can occur in Dual Diagnosis Anxiety disorders, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias and other psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and personality disorders. Bipolar disorder and depression are often present.

Often the psychiatric problem develops first. In an attempt to feel calmer, peppier, or more cheerful, a person with emotional symptoms may drink or use drugs; doctors call this "self-medication." Frequent self-medication may eventually lead to physical or psychological dependency on alcohol or drugs. If it does, the person then suffers from not just one problem, but two.
In a perfect world, both problems should be treated simultaneously. For any substance abuse problem, however, the first step in treatment must be detox - a period of time during which the body is allowed to cleanse itself of alcohol or drugs. Ideally, detox should take place under medical supervision. It can take a few days to a week or more, depending on what substances the person abused and for how long.

Until recently, alcoholics and drug addicts dreaded detox because it meant a painful and sometimes life-threatening "cold turkey" withdrawal. Now, doctors are able to provide those people with a drug addiction or alcohol addiction carefully chosen medications while in detox, which can substantially ease withdrawal symptoms. Detox done under medical supervision, is safer for the dually diagnosed.

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Do I Need Mental Health Help?

With extreme emotional issues, we often have no problem deciding whether we need to see a counselor or not; however, with a slight discomfort, a few bad days, we can't always make that decision.  Ask yourself the following questions and truthfully answer yes or no.


*Do you get honest satisfaction from simple pleasures?
*Do you have respect for yourself?
*Can you laugh at your own errors?
*Do you feel capable of dealing with situations as they come your way?
* Can you accept displays of your own emotions - fear, anger, jealousy, guilt, worry?
* Do you have personal relationships that are satisfying and lasting?
* Do you trust others and assume that others will trust you?
* Do you respect people who differ from you?
* Do you refuse to be pushed around and refuse satisfaction from it?
* Can you feel you are a part of a group?
* Are you able to love somebody?
* Do you accept as much responsibility as comes your way?
* Do you make your own decisions?
* Do you deal with your problems as they arise?
* Do you shape your environment whenever possible and adjust to it whenever necessary?

Count up the number of no answers.  If you don't have any, you are exceptional.  A couple of no answers is normal and is absolutely nothing to be concerned about.  If, however, you answered no to more than five questions, there is a good chance you could benefit from some type of counseling to help get you back on track.
The fact you are able to take this test is a good indicator that, with the proper counseling, you will be fine.  Just don't let it go until more answers turn to no. You deserve enjoying the best mental health possible.  Don't neglect it.


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Culturally Based Healing Arts

Traditional Oriental medicine (such as acupuncture, shiatsu, and reiki), Indian systems of health care (such as Ayurveda and yoga), and Native American healing practices (such as the Sweat Lodge and Talking Circles) all incorporate the beliefs that:

* Wellness is a state of balance between the spiritual, physical, and mental/emotional "selves."
* An imbalance of forces within the body is the cause of illness.
* Herbal/natural remedies, combined with sound nutrition, exercise, and meditation/prayer, will correct this imbalance.
Acupuncture: The Chinese practice of inserting needles into the body at specific points manipulates the body's flow of energy to balance the endocrine system. This manipulation regulates functions such as heart rate, body temperature, and respiration, as well as sleep patterns and emotional changes. Acupuncture has been used in clinics to assist people with substance abuse disorders through detoxification; to relieve stress and anxiety; to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in children; to reduce symptoms of depression; and to help people with physical ailments.
Ayurveda: Ayurvedic medicine is described as "knowledge of how to live." It incorporates an individualized regimen--such as diet, meditation, herbal preparations, or other techniques--to treat a variety of conditions, including depression, to facilitate lifestyle changes, and to teach people how to release stress and tension through yoga or transcendental meditation.
Native American traditional practices: Ceremonial dances, chants, and cleansing rituals are part of Indian Health Service programs to heal depression, stress, trauma (including those related to physical and sexual abuse), and substance abuse.
Cuentos: Based on folktales, this form of therapy originated in Puerto Rico. The stories used contain healing themes and models of behavior such as self-transformation and endurance through adversity. Cuentos is used primarily to help Hispanic children recover from depression and other mental health problems related to leaving one's homeland and living in a foreign culture.

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Creativity and Bipolar Disorder

Almost since the beginning of time, human beings have recognized the connection between intelligence or creativity and mental illness. Consider the way these individuals are portrayed in movies and books, for instance - the mad scientist working day and night in his laboratory, the hallucinating artist who doesn't even take time out from his creative work to eat.
Researchers have noted that an unusually high number of creative geniuses suffered from bipolar disorder. The reason Bipolar may bring about this increase in creative abilities is linked to the nature of the disease. One symptom of mania is an increase in creative, mental and physical energy. This might explain why these people were able create such works of genius, and why they were able to devote such concentrated periods of time to their work.


These creative geniuses included novelist Virginia Woolf, who brought us numerous first rate novels. Poet Sylvia Plath also suffered from the mood swings associated with Bipolar disorder. Musician and composer Ludwig van Beethoven is also believed to have suffered from Bipolar Disorder.
Perhaps best known for her role as the Southern belle Scarlet O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, actress Vivien Leigh was also plagued with Bipolar Disorder. Despite the disease and the shock therapy she was given as the treatment in those days.

Painter Vincent Van Gogh is also said to have suffered from Bipolar disorder. His most loved painting Starry Night was painted while Van Gogh was in a mental asylum for treatment of his erratic moods.

While every person with bipolar disorder may not create lasting works of art or literature, there is a higher percentage of artists and writers who are bipolar. So does the emotional instability of bipolar disorder bring about genius? We may one day know the answer for sure.

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