I Remember Better When I Paint

By Amy Price PhD

All people have value. Dignity, respect and inclusion are gifts we can offer regardless of where life takes us. The first Alzhiemer's group I worked with along with colleagues at Sparks of Genius opened my eyes to how much can be done to restore identity, quality of life and initiate healing. Our group was classified as high functioning and indeed they were in the past, we had former heads of multi national corporations, advisors to past president, diplomats, and former CIA. They were all later stage alzhiemer patients looking at us hopefully quite aware of their limitations but still with the undeniable need to be loved and belong.

When an individual is brain challenged there is a part of the brain (hippocampus/amygdala) that is extremely vulnerable when they are hurt or marginalized. They don't fight back for a long time if at all because they are paralysed with self doubt and shame. The brain plays negative events over and over while the brain tries to connect the dots. This stress leads to an inflammation spiral that produces greater cognitive losses. I couldn't do that to them so I moved forward  to accept them and they me.

I wanted to run or hide behind a lack of qualifications or diagnostic fatalism but thier eyes and vulnerability drew me in. They knew about stem cells, gene therapy and international policy but could not spell their names, draw a clock or find their way back from the bathroom alone. Together we found ways to communicate, conquer fear or anger and learn. I gave them my mind and they gave me thier trust and experience. Together we grew and I understood the strength of the human spirit and how brain potential can be tapped. They learned to work as a group to protect each other with collective memory and without blame. Their ability to communicate and function improved. We used art, computers, music, books, dance and diaries to help them learn to re-love themselves and connect with their families. We gave family workshops.  I did power point presentations on the illness until they understood it for themselves and could walk away with hope.

They were the difference between reality and experimental theory. There is scientific evidence for memory improvement while painting. There is a part of the brain (striatum) that needs to update for learning,  learning brings a need for consolidation where the brain reclassifies the input into working units. Positive environments and rich sensory experience can trigger the brain and the body to heal and connect from the inside out.

Many great scientists are also artists relating that as they paint or play music the mind consolidates and inspriation and patterns flow together. Release the genius within with art and music and remember that when there is envy and strife there is confusion and blame but where love lives it will never fail, fade out or become obsolete. I too remember better when I paint!

Suicide Interactive Screening Initiative

Posted from  American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Each year, 1,100 college students die by suicide, more than die from any other cause except accidents. Almost all suffered from depression or another serious but treatable mental disorder. But an estimated 85 percent hadn’t sought any type of treatment because they were mistrustful of involving a stranger in their problems, feared the judgment of friends, didn’t know where to go or were just too overwhelmed to seek help. To stop this tragic loss of young lives, AFSP developed the Interactive Screening Program, a web-based system that connects at-risk students to a campus counselor and facilitates anonymous online exchanges to resolve barriers to treatment.

If you, or someone you know, is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

ISP has been recognized as a Best Practice for Suicide Prevention based on published evidence of its effectiveness in encouraging at-risk students into treatment. Our Big Idea is to ensure that college students get the help they need by making this secure, anonymous and effective program available to schools in every state

Vote Now and Help AFSP Win $1 Million

Facebook Users Click Here to Vote for AFSP

Thanks to the thousands of people concerned about suicide prevention, AFSP placed in the Top 100 -- out of 500,000 charities -- competing in the Chase Community Giving Campaign. As a Top 100 winner, AFSP will receive $25,000. The Chase Community Giving Campaign is a ground-breaking funding strategy that allows Facebook users to vote on which charities Chase will support in 2010.

The Top 100 charities are now competing for the $1 million grand prize.

The one million dollars would enable AFSP to expand our innovative, highly successful program to identify college students at risk for suicide -- and make it available to colleges in every state in the country. Learn more. Voting is now open and ends Friday, January 22.

All you need is a Facebook profile. If you’re already on Facebook you can vote for AFSP here.

If you’re not on Facebook, don’t worry, signing up is easy and will take just a minute or two. Simply go to www.facebook.com and look for the green "SIGN UP" button. You’ll enter some basic information, and when Facebook sends you an email confirmation, your profile will be set up and ready to vote for AFSP. (You’ll be asked if you want to add friends or photos, but this is optional; and if you don’t want to be on Facebook after the challenge is over, no problem, you can easily delete your profile.)

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students -- help us make a real difference in the lives of these young adults.

NOW IS THE TIME TO END THE STIGMA SURROUNDING SUICIDE. PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW -- FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, CLASSMATES.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO MAKE SUICIDE PREVENTION A NATIONAL PRIORITY.

Thanks to the thousands of people concerned about suicide prevention, AFSP placed in the Top 100 -- out of 500,000 charities -- competing in the Chase Community Giving Campaign. As a Top 100 winner, AFSP will receive $25,000. The Chase Community Giving Campaign is a ground-breaking funding strategy that allows Facebook users to vote on which charities Chase will support in 2010.

The Top 100 charities are now competing for the $1 million grand prize.

The one million dollars would enable AFSP to expand our innovative, highly successful program to identify college students at risk for suicide -- and make it available to colleges in every state in the country. Learn more. Voting is now open and ends Friday, January 22.

All you need is a Facebook profile. If you’re already on Facebook you can vote for AFSP here.

If you’re not on Facebook, don’t worry, signing up is easy and will take just a minute or two. Simply go to www.facebook.com and look for the green "SIGN UP" button. You’ll enter some basic information, and when Facebook sends you an email confirmation, your profile will be set up and ready to vote for AFSP. (You’ll be asked if you want to add friends or photos, but this is optional; and if you don’t want to be on Facebook after the challenge is over, no problem, you can easily delete your profile.)

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students -- help us make a real difference in the lives of these young adults.

NOW IS THE TIME TO END THE STIGMA SURROUNDING SUICIDE. PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW -- FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, CLASSMATES.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO MAKE SUICIDE PREVENTION A NATIONAL PRIORITY.

Medicine, Compassion, and Human Courage

 By Amy Price PhD

This is a wonderful example of how people from merging cultures worked together despite personal risk and adverse conditions to bring life and dignity to another human being. I received this story in my inbox after enduring a horrific ordeal involving some who claim to practice medicine. I am sharing this visual demonstration of unselfish kindness so that each of us can remember people that really matter and focus our hearts and minds on them. I want to say a special thank you to people who were there for me at a time when I could not advocate for myself. Thank you for your time, your kindness and your professional help which was given with little hope for a return and who looked past the confusion and injury to value the real person inside and to treat her with dignity.


The story is about US Army Pvt. Channing Moss, who was impaled by a live RPG (rocket propelled grenade) during a Taliban ambush while on patrol. Army regulations say that MEDEVAC choppers are never to carry anyone with a live round in him. Even though they feared it could explode, the flight crew said forget the protocol and flew him to the nearest aid station. Again, regulations say that in such a case the patient is to be put in a sandbagged area away from the surgical unit, given a shot of morphine and left to wait (and die) until others are treated.

Again, the medical team ignored the protocol. Here's a seven-minute video put together by the
Military Times, which includes actual footage of the surgery where Dr. John Oh, a Korean immigrant who became a naturalized citizen and went to West Point , removed the live round with the help of volunteers and a member of the EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) team.

Moss has undergone six operations but is doing well at home in Gainesville, GA. This is one of the most amazing stories. I think you'll find the video pretty remarkable. Our military faces situations we can no even imagine without great financial rewards or much acclaim. I am so thankful that such men and women of grace and courage are representing our country.