#is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The event represe | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

probablyasocialecologist · 1 month

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The 388-page report featured 32 recommendations on how transgender care should be conducted within NHS England. It incorrectly claims that there is “no good evidence” supporting transgender care and calls for restrictions on trans care for individuals under the age of 18, although it does not advocate for an outright ban. The report endorses the idea that being transgender may be caused by anxiety, depression, and OCD issues, despite the American Psychological Association, the largest psychological association in the world, rebutting this as lacking evidence. It also claims that transgender individuals can be “influenced” into being trans, a nod to the discredited theory of social contagion and rapid onset gender dysphoria, rejected by over 60 mental health organizations. Lastly, it seemingly endorses restrictions on transgender people under the age of 25, stating that they should not be allowed to progress into adult care clinics. To support these recommendations, the report was released alongside “reviews” of the evidence surrounding transgender care, using these reviews to assert that there is "no good evidence" for gender-affirming care. A closer inspection of the reviews released alongside the Cass report reveals that 101 out of 103 studies on gender-affirming care were dismissed for not being of "sufficiently high quality," based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale—a subjective scale criticized for its flaws and potential unreliability due to a high risk of bias. This critique is particularly significant given the contentious political nature of the subject and connections between reviewers, Cass, and anti-trans organizations.

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Immediately after the release of the Cass Review, experts in transgender healthcare from around the world voiced their opposition to its findings. Dr. Portia Predny, Vice President of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health, criticized the findings and recommendations as “at odds with the current evidence base, expert consensus, and the majority of clinical guidelines worldwide.” Similarly, a statement from the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa condemned the review, noting, “The Review commissioned several systematic reviews into gender-affirming care by the University of York, but appears to have ignored a significant number of studies demonstrating the benefits of gender-affirming care. In one review, 101 out of 103 studies were dismissed.” It is important to note that gender affirming care saves lives, and there is plenty of evidence to show for it. Numerous studies have demonstrated that gender-affirming care significantly reduces suicidality, with some showing a decrease in suicidality by up to 73%. A review compiled by Cornell University, which compiled over 50 journal articles on the topic, shows the efficacy of transgender care. These findings were echoed recently in an article published by the Journal of Adolescent Health, which found that puberty blockers dramatically lowered depression and anxiety. All of these studies and more have led to The Lancet, a medical journal with international acclaim, to publish a letter stating that gender affirming care is lifesaving preventative care. The largest and most influential medical organizations support trans care. A recent and historic policy resolution passed overwhelmingly by the American Psychological Association, the largest psychological organization in the world, states that gender affirming care is a medical necessity and that being trans is not “caused” by things like autism and PTSD.

#uk politics #cass review #transgender #lgbt

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suicidepreventionday · 2 years

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Take action to prevent suicide in the Region.

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), celebrated annually on 10 September, is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The event represents a global commitment to focus attention on suicide prevention.

The theme of WSPD 2022, “Creating hope through action,” reflects the need for collective, action to address this urgent public health issue. All of us- family members, friends, co-workers, community members, educators, religious leaders, healthcare professionals, political officials and governments- can take action to prevent suicide in the Region.

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the-rings-system · 4 years

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You mentioned on your recent livestream that being diagnosed with DID/OSDD can lead to discrimination in terms of organ donations, adoption, etc. Could you provide your sources? I'd like to show them to our therapist. Thank you.

Tw: ableism, organ donations, adoptions.

If you check the description, we wrote about discrimination in organ donations there. For those who didn’t see, here’s what we wrote in the description:

On being denied organ donations with a DID diagnosis: Here's a 2017 paper that gives a review of psychiatric patients being denied organ donations/transplants and argues that it is unethical to block these communities from receiving lifesaving operations (however, there’s no concrete evidence of change since this paper has been published 3 years ago): https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12910-017-0235-4 "More than 50% of cardiac programs recognized a number of psychosocial conditions as an absolute contraindication to transplantation, including: active schizophrenia (defined as schizophrenia with active psychotic symptoms), a recent suicide attempt, a history of multiple suicide attempts, current suicidal ideation, and medical noncompliance. Both active schizophrenia and current suicidal ideation were also listed as absolute contraindications for at least half of renal and liver transplant programs." Many of these centers don't even recognize DID as it's own disorder, instead lumping DID folks in with personality or psychotic disorders. "The variability of respondents’ opinions also highlights the presence of inter-institution inconsistency, creating disparity in the treatment of similarly situated individuals across transplant centers, and raises questions about the extent to which current practices follow the recommendations of professional associations."

Here's a 2020 paper detailing how a woman with DID who had been through years of specialized treatment and achieved healthy multiplicity was blocking from donating her kidney due to DID, because she chose to not integrate: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033318220300025 "Following the initial evaluation, members of the living donor team met to discuss the case and next steps. Given the concerns for possible lack of reliability in her narrative, we obtained Mrs. A's permission to speak with her treaters and spouse to gather further history. The psychiatric team also reached out to local expert DID clinicians to discuss the case and risk assessment." "According to our review of the literature, factors in Mrs. A that predicted a better postdonation outcome included her history of intensive, specialized treatment for DID, and the lack of conflict among her self-states, with all of them reportedly in agreement with donation. The lack of integration of these self-states, however, may have predisposed her to increased symptomatology were she to donate. Her long-term sobriety and absence of suicidal or self-injurious behaviors, as well as apparent occupational and relationship stability, suggested a general higher degree of psychosocial functioning. Her history of participating in altruistic activities indicated that her current decision-making capability and behavior were in line with consistent values, as well as indicating a capacity for higher level defense and adaptive coping mechanisms." "She had gone through 3 surgeries for various medical conditions and tolerated these well, which was felt to be reassuring." "During the psychiatric assessment, she maintained her central personality for the duration of the session, was able to demonstrate a clear and consistent choice, and conveyed an appropriate understanding and appreciation of the risks and benefits of renal donation, with adequate manipulation of the relevant information. She also endorsed adequate financial and social support in place such that donation would be feasible for her from a logistical perspective." Regardless, she was still denied due to "The general sense of unease this individual provoked among the members of the [organ donation] treatment team despite her having some reassuring characteristics and protective factors, illustrates the need for clearer guidelines for assessing individuals for altruistic renal donation." TLDR: Can you imagine after years of receiving therapy, being sober, being in recovery, having a stable healthy relationship, having healthy internal communication, volunteering humanitarian aid in war-torn areas (she reported this) and then showing up to donate your own kidney - and after multiple interviews with you, your spouse, and every doctor under the sun - still being denied because "you haven't integrated and your disorder makes us uneasy." I have no words. I can't imagine the hoops you'd have to jump through to receive a transplant if that's how many barriers she faced trying to give one.

On adoption: A lot of our knowledge comes from working within groups/organizations that focus on helping folks with severe/highly stigmatized mental illness. However, a simple google search yields plenty of results! https://www.mdedge.com/psychiatry/article/76413/practice-management/adoption-mentally-ill-individuals-what-recommend “Because child adoption laws vary from state to state, there are no established criteria for determining the eligibility of an individual with a history of mental illness. The success of a child adoption by an individual with a history of mental illness will depend on state laws and the policy of the adoption agency. Some U.S. states and territories (Alaska, Arizona, California, Kentucky, North Dakota, and Puerto Rico) regard parental mental illness as “aggravated circumstances.”

https://www.adoptuskids.org/adoption-and-foster-care/overview/who-can-adopt-foster/people-with-disabilities “We also know that many parents with disabilities feel discriminated against when undertaking the adoption process.” “Parents with disabilities are more likely to lose custody of their children after divorce, have more difficulty in accessing reproductive health care, and face significant barriers to adopting children. The National Council on Disabilities has documented societal biases and systems barriers that affect parents in a report called Rocking the Cradle.” https://www.ncd.gov/publications/2012/Sep272012/Ch10 (This one just keeps going) “Adoption horror stories are all too common for prospective parents with disabilities. The adoption system is riddled with de facto and de jure discrimination that prevents countless prospective parents with disabilities from adopting. Examination of domestic and international adoption practices reveals that reforms are urgently needed across the broad spectrum of adoption practices and procedures.” “Despite the ADA and Rehabilitation Act, prospective adoptive parents with disabilities regularly encounter barriers erected by discrimination and bias. According to Elizabeth Bartholet, Harvard Law School professor and one of the nation’s leading experts on adoption, “Discrimination is the name of the game in adoptive parenting. Those who procreate live in a world of near-absolute parenting rights. Those who would adopt have no rights. They must beg for the privilege of parenting and do so in a state-administered realm that denies them both the right to privacy and the civil rights that we have come to think of as fundamental. Differential treatment on the basis of age, race, religion, and disability has been outlawed in almost all areas of our communal lives in the United States. Increasingly the law forbids discrimination on the basis of marital status and sexual orientation. It is only in the area of adoption that our system proclaims not simply the right to discriminate on all these bases but the importance of doing so. It is not just the prospective parents who are treated shabbily, but also the children, in whose best interests the system is supposedly designed.” Dave Shade says, “The adoption process is complex, and because it frequently involves personal judgments by parents, social workers, judges, and other adoption professionals, it is fraught with the opportunity for discrimination.” “Despite the ADA mandates, research demonstrates that a significant number of adoption agencies continue to categorically deny prospective parents with disabilities. In 2010, researchers from Northwestern University completed a study that examined the experiences of prospective adoptive parents who were cancer survivors.[736] The study was aimed at the attitudes of the adoption agencies. Of the 27 agencies that were interviewed, 7 admitted that certain medical conditions would prevent people from adopting through their agency. They cited a variety of illnesses and medical conditions that included “contractible diseases; AIDS; active, life-threatening diseases; use of antidepressants; terminal illnesses that shorten lifespan; conditions that require a large amount of narcotics that render the person unconscious; substance addiction; and severe mental conditions like schizophrenia... The researchers concluded, “Although existing legislative documents such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protect cancer survivors’ rights to adopt a child, these protections are largely inconsequential in practice…. [The] network of adoption agencies working with potential parents in the U.S. is characterized by fundamental variability and ambiguity…[and] the current adoption system permits informal prejudice in practice that likely varies from one agency to the next.” “In addition to categorically denying prospective parents with disabilities, domestic adoptions frequently engage in other discriminatory practices. Bartholet says that prospective adoptive parents are subject to an unspoken “ranking system.” That is, the domestic adoption system ranks prospective parents in terms of relative desirability, “using factors that reflect the system’s bias in favor of a biologic parenting model, as well as a socially traditional family model.” Pursuant to this ranking system, “Heterosexual couples in their late 20s or early 30s with apparently stable marriages are at the top of the ladder. These are the people who can, if they are not infertile, produce children, and who should in the system’s view be parents. Single applicants and those in their late 30s and 40s are placed lower on the ladder, along with people with mild disabilities. Gays, lesbians, and those who are significantly older or seriously disabled are generally excluded altogether.” “However, some states specifically deny prospective parents with disabilities the opportunity to adopt. As recently as December 2011, Virginia erected an enormous impediment by approving regulations that allows adoption agencies to discriminate against prospective adoptive parents based on six categories, including disability.” “Conclusion: Around the world, countless children are waiting for their forever homes. At the same time, many people with disabilities want to provide a loving and nurturing home and family for children. Ignorance, stigma, and misconceptions are forestalling harmonious solutions. The result is devastating: Children spend many years in deplorable conditions in foster care and orphanages, while people with disabilities are robbed of the opportunity to welcome these children into their homes and hearts.”

Here’s a long paper published in 2017 about discrimination in adoption for folks with disabilities, based in Australia: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/6/3/15/pdf

We’ve also talked with older members of the mental health community who directly know people who’ve had prison sentences be unjustly extended due to a diagnosis of schizophrenia/DID, but I’m too exhausted to find sources that back that up. I’m sure with a couple google searches you could easily find information on discrimination towards psychiatrically disabled folks in the law system as well.

We have also has multiple friends with DID diagnoses (3 within our circle) be denied or nearly denied transgender medical care (either hormones or surgery) after their diagnosis of DID was made known to their doctors. One friend ended up getting back on hormones after a months of “proving” that they were trans with their DID specialist (but they’re unsure whether they’ll be able to access surgery). Again, too exhausted to find “real” sources for this one other than the pain of my community.

As we talked about, we’ve also been gently sat down by older DID community members to have the conversation about “hey, you’re young and full of spirit and that’s great, but you need to be aware that your youtube channel might impact your ability to get a job and other things.” And considering that research shows 80% of folks with schizophrenia are unemployed, even thought 70% would prefer to work, discrimination is still rampant. You can be fired from your job for being gay, you can be fired from you job for having DID.

Sorry that’s a lot, stay safe, and remember: diagnosis can come with a lot of downsides. Talk through it with your therapist on whether it’s the right choice for you, and really think about how it can impact your future.

#silver.speaks #long post #tw ableism #tw organs #?#tw adoption #Anonymous #ask

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bestreasonstowriterecordreviews · 7 years

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Yea, we’re headed out with our wallets open in the wind this weekend too. But as we did previously in 2016 and 2015, we suggest, if you’re comfortable enough as a vagabond of the western world, please consider donating a fraction of this week’s discretionary income to one of the worthy organizations listed below…that way, when you scroll your uglies into Fuckin’ Record Reviews’ BEST REASONS TO WRITE FUCKIN’ RECORD REVIEWS IN 2017 and revisit BEST REASONS TO WRITE FUCKIN’ RECORD REVIEWS IN 2016, BEST REASONS TO WRITE FUCKIN’ RECORD REVIEWS IN 2015 and 2014 and 2013, you won’t feel as bad about yourself as you normally do. Someone, somewhere will give thanks. Thanks!

Fuckin’ Record Reviews endorses the agendas of the following organizations, each of which includes localized links after the respective jump:

BATTLE FOR NET NEUTRALITY: Imagine you’d have to pay extra for access to Fuckin’ Record Reviews! Egads!!! “Net neutrality is the principle that Internet providers like Comcast & Verizon should not control what we see and do online. In 2015, startups, Internet freedom groups, and 3.7 million commenters won strong net neutrality rules from the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC). The rules prohibit Internet providers from blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization—"fast lanes" for sites that pay, and slow lanes for everyone else.”

SAVE DACA LIVES via HERE TO STAY: “On September 5th, Donald Trump ended any renewals and new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, taking away work permits and deportation protection from almost 1 million immigrant youth. Congress must pass a clean Dream Act before going home in December! Tweet these stories to Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and demand a clean Dream Act by December 2017.

COALITION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE: “CSGV’s guiding principle is simple. We believe that all Americans have a right to live in communities free from gun violence.”

SECULAR COALITION OF AMERICA: “Our mission is to increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all.”

NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS: “What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.”

PLANNED PARENTHOOD: “In October 2016, Planned Parenthood turned 100 years strong. Planned Parenthood was founded on the revolutionary idea that women should have the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams — no ceilings, no limits. Learn more about how 100 years of care, education, and activism have changed everything. Today, Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide.”

CLINIC VEST PROJECT: “The mission of the Clinic Vest Project is to provide FREE clinic escort vests to groups that service facilities that support the full range of reproductive health options including safe and legal abortion.”

U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS (USCRI): “For over 100 years, we have advanced the rights and lives of those who have lost or left their homes. We believe we have a shared responsibility to clear obstacles and uncover opportunities for people everywhere. So, when lives are uprooted by force or by choice, we fight alongside those on the path to independence.”

THE TREVOR PROJECT: “The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.”

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (ACLU): “The ACLU is non-profit and non-partisan. We do not receive any government funding. Member dues and contributions and grants from private foundations and individuals pay for the work we do. The ACLU, with headquarters in New York City, litigates across the nation and all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Our Washington, D.C., legislative office lobbies the U.S. Congress. We use strategic communications to educate the public about issues. And the ACLU has expanded its reach by applying international human rights standards in our complex Post 9/11 world. A number of national projects address specific civil liberties issues: AIDS, capital punishment, lesbian and gay rights, immigrants’ rights, prisoners’ rights, reproductive freedom, voting rights, women’s rights and workplace rights.”

NATIONAL ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE (NARAL PRO-CHOICE AMERICA): “NARAL Pro-Choice America uses numerous tactics to lobby for liberalized access to abortion, both in the U.S. and elsewhere. It sponsors lawsuits against governments and hospitals, donates money to politicians supportive of abortion rights through its political action committee, and organizes its members to contact members of Congress and urge them to support NARAL’s positions.”

THE JEREMY WILSON FOUNDATION MUSICIANS’ EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE FUND: “…a safety net for musicians and their families when facing debilitating medical crisis. The JWF creates better access to resources and information to help improve the state of musicians’ health and healthcare, and, in turn, their careers and financial and overall well-being.”

SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: “Your gift will help win justice on behalf of those who have no other champion, expose and fight the hate that thrives in our country, and provide tolerance education materials free of charge to schools across our nation.”

NATIONAL NETWORK OF ABORTION FUNDS: “The National Network of Abortion Funds works to make sure that all people can get the abortions they seek. If you are seeking help paying for an abortion, we are here today to help you get what you need. The local abortion funds in our organization help people pay for abortions they can’t otherwise afford.”

EMILY’S LIST: “We elect pro-choice Democratic women to office.”

BRADY CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE: “The mission of the Brady organization is to create a safer America for all of us that will lead to a dramatic reduction in gun deaths and injuries. Of the 32,000 people who die from gun violence in this country each year, how many could be saved? Brady has announced the bold goal to cut the number of U.S. gun deaths in half by 2025, based on an innovative and exciting strategy that centers on the idea of keeping guns out of the wrong hands through three impact-driven, broadly engaging campaigns: (1) a policy focus to “Finish the Job” so that life-saving Brady background checks are applied to all gun sales; (2) to “Stop ‘Bad Apple’ Gun Dealers” – the 5 percent of gun dealers that supply 90 percent of all crime guns; and (3) to lead a new national conversation and change social norms around the real dangers of guns in the home, to prevent the homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings that happen every day as a result.”

WFMU: the premier “…listener-supported, non-commercial radio station broadcasting at 91.1 Mhz FM in Jersey City, NJ, right across the Hudson from lower Manhattan. It is currently the longest running freeform radio station in the United States.”

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