By Joy Burkhard, MBA

Founder and Executive Director, 2020 Mom

Here are the articles that caught our founder Joy Burkhard’s eye in recent weeks. If you have had direct experience with the topic covered on any of these articles please share your insight by adding a comment below.

What It Feels Like To Be In Psychosis

I was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features when I was 25 years old. My mental health journey unraveled my life to the point where I nearly died. An entire year, spanning most of 2005, drove me entirely out of reality. It remains extremely difficult to explain how something called “psychosis” has affected my brain.

Most people understand psychosis to be seeing, hearing and believing things that are not real. Simple. However, it is not easy to explain what being in psychosis feels like... Read it here.

In Men, It’s Parkinson’s. In Women, It’s Hysteria. (ProPublica)

Once it was called “hysterical” movement disorder, or simply “hysteria.” Later it was labeled “psychogenic.” Now it’s a “functional disorder.” By any name, it’s one of the most puzzling afflictions — and problematic diagnoses — in medicine. It often has the same symptoms, like uncontrollable shaking and difficulty walking, that characterize brain diseases like Parkinson’s. But the condition is caused by stress or trauma and often treated by psychotherapy. And, in a disparity that is drawing increased scrutiny, most of those deemed to suffer from it — as high as 80% in some studies — are women. (Armstrong, 8/23) Read it here.

Coming Out About Mental Health On Social Media (Kaiser Health News)

Talking about your mental health on social media is a thing, and it could actually help. Read it here.

How Cities Can Integrate Nature to Improve Mental Health (psychcentral.com)

A growing body of research has shown the significant benefits of natural settings on human cognition and mental health. But until now, it has been difficult to quantify these benefits in a useful manner for cities that want to integrate nature into their design. Read it here.

New insights into how exercise can lift mood in depression (Medical News Today)

There is growing evidence that exercise can help to treat symptoms of depression and lift mood, although the reasons have been unclear. Now, a new study finds that the body’s endocannabinoid system may play a role.

The researchers propose that a better appreciation of the relationship between exercise, mood, and the endocannabinoid system could result in better treatments for depression.

The study investigated changes in mood and endocannabinoid levels in people with major depression who exercised at different intensities on a stationary bike.

The investigators found a significant increase in endocannabinoid levels and improvement in mood after a session of prescribed exercise of moderate intensity. Read it here.

Is It Safe to Take ADHD Medications While Breastfeeding? (Mass General)

According to a report published by the CDC in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the use of stimulant medications for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by reproductive-age women is on the rise. In 2003, 0.9% of women between the ages of 15 and 44 filled a prescription for an ADHD medication, compared to… Read it here.