Patrick Kennedy on CNN -mental health parity

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/08/26/intv.patrick.kennedy.cnn?iref=videosearch

My hero, Patrick Kennedy, speaking about his father's appearance at the DNC... I love how impassioned he is when he speaks...and how he manages to mention Mental Health Parity every place he goes. He is so wonderful.
The people of the State of Rhode Island are so lucky to have him as their Rep. ...and the EDC is so lucky to have him on our side. Thanks, Congressman. peace, K.

Parity Passes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone ---I am so excited to share this news with you ---Parity passes!!! (overriding a veto by President Bush, nonetheless)

EDC News Alert: Medicare Bill with Mental Health Parity Becomes Law! HR.6331, The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, passed last week after Congress had enough votes to override president Bush’s veto.

The Senate voted to override the President 70-26 and the House vote was 383-41. This
important bill includes a provision to provide for mental health parity for outpatient services in Medicare.

The bill makes long overdue improvements to Medicare by providing improved access to preventive services and parity in coverage for mental health services. It will also help more people with Medicare living below or just above the poverty level ($867 per month for an individual) get help with their drug costs and medical bills.

Also this bill will give doctors a modest pay raise instead of the drastic 10 percent Medicare pay cut that will take effect if Congress does not act. A pay cut could make more doctors reluctant to take on new Medicare patients and make it harder for older adults and people with disabilities to get the care they need. Additionally, HR.6331 will restrict the ability of insurance companies to use hard sell tactics for Medicare private health plans or to market plans without ensuring plan enrollees will have adequate access to doctors, specialists, local hospitals and other providers. It is these provisions—the ones that help people with Medicare and force insurance companies to change their practices—that prompted a veto threat from the Bush administration.

Mental health parity has been a public policy priority for the EDC for years. We are thrilled that our advocacy is paying off and that there will be parity in Medicare. America's senior citizens and those with disabilities should not have to pay more out of pocket for mental health services than for physical health services.

disappointment

more wisdom from DailyOM

July 4, 2008A Bridge To AcceptanceDealing With Disappointment

Whenever we do something in life with an expectation of how we’d like it to turn out, we risk experiencing disappointment. When things don’t go the way we had envisioned, we may feel a range of emotions from slightly let down to depressed or even angry. We might direct our feelings inward toward ourselves, or outward toward other people or the universe in general. Whether we feel disappointed by ourselves, a friend, or life in general, disappointment is always a tough feeling to experience. Still, it is a natural part of life, and there are many ways of dealing with it when we find ourselves in its presence. As with any feeling, disappointment has come to us for a reason, and we don’t need to fear acknowledging it or feeling it. The more we are able to accept how we are feeling and process it, the sooner we will move into new emotional territory. As we sit down to allow ourselves to feel our disappointment, we might want to write about the experience of being disappointed—the situation that preceded it, what we were hoping would happen, and what did happen. The gift of disappointment is its ability to bring us into alignment with reality so that we don’t get stuck for too long in the realm of how things might have been. As we consider other disappointments in our life and how we have moved past them, we may even see that in some cases what happened was actually better in the long run than what we had wanted to happen. Disappointment often leaves us feeling deflated with its message that things don’t always turn out the way we want. The beauty of disappointment, though, is that it provides us a bridge to its other side where the acceptance of reality, wisdom, and the energy to begin again can be found.

in the right mind...

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html

I highly encourage you to watch this video ...'til the VERY end :)

Thanks to my dear friend Eva for sending it my way! ~ Peace and good health, Kathleen

mindful eating

my friend Abby sent me a link to this article...check it out :)

http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/2022

the skinny on Spanx and the like...

Joe Kelly of DadsandDaughters (http://www.dadsanddaughters.org/) brought this article to my attention today...
(my thoughts follow the article)

Macy's Bikini Breakthrough: Undies With Anti-Cellulite Cream
by Sarah Mahoney, Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008 5:00 AM ET

In a launch sure to get the attention of the 85% of women who struggle with cellulite, Macy's is introducing a novel product: Skineez Skincarewear, a combination of cosmetics and textiles. The new line of women's body shapers is embedded with microcapsules that "continuously moisturize and smooth the skin while helping to reduce the appearance of cellulite."

Available exclusively at Macy's and macys.com, the new line of body shaper products also comes with a bottle of Skintex skincare spray, to replenish the fabric after every six to 10 trips through the wash. The line includes both a Thigh Slimmer and Waist Slimmer in nude and black that sell for $68 each; replacement bottles of Skintex cost $20.

Skineez are made by Clothes for a Cause, a women's apparel company that raises funds for such initiatives as mammograms for women in need. "Women will be able to give their body a slimmer, more contoured look, while helping to smooth the appearance of cellulite and moisturize their skin, all at the same time and with one garment," the company says. (The company also markets the Heroes Collection, which raises funds for children's causes; the Pink Ribbon Collection, which raises funds for breast health and education, and the Red Dress Collection, which raises funds for heart health.)

"Smart" fabrics are becoming increasingly common, and a growing number of apparel companies are injecting clothes with something extra, from sunscreen to fragrance to antimicrobial agents. But the anti-cellulite angle is sure to generate attention, especially in the middle of bathing suit season.

Skineez fall into a category that fashion mavens refers to as shapewear--lingerie that smush women into shape, led by such brand names as Spanx and Maidenform's Flexees. NPD Group, a market research company based in Port Washington, N.Y., reports that in the period from April 2006 to April 2008, sales of shapewear have soared, with unit sales climbing 21.9% and dollar sales jumping 36.1%. For the most recent 12-month period, sales have reached $718 million.

MY THOUGHTS:

This past year at a Christmas party I had a young woman ask me if I was wearing "Spanx". My response, "NO, why would I wear something that changes my shape, let alone makes it hard for people to breathe?!" She thought that since I was wearing a "form-fitting" (her words) dress that I would have them on ---she was wearing them under her dress. I told her that my clothes fit "MY" form, not what Spanx thinks my form ought to be and that I feel truly sorry for anyone who thinks they "need" to be reshaped by a modernized (sic) corset. (I'm a great deal of fun at parties) (fyi: There are also nylons, made by Hanes, that have "cellulite-reducing" creams built in. My response: boycott nylons altogether, though I do take a pair with me when I speak --along with cellulite creams and diet pills, etc...to show some examples.

The article really disgusted me with this line: "Lingerie that smush women into shape" ----Where is the self-esteem of our gender and world when women believe they are designed to be "smushed" into a shape other than their own natural shape? Reading that line, my body cringed as I imagined the loss of control and the disempowerment women inflict on themselves when buying these products. What a messed up way to embody the privilege of being a woman in our culture. (Of course I also have great empathy for the people who do buy into these products, as I know I spent a LARGE portion of my savings on the very same things when I was in my ED.)
Perhaps most poignantly I read the article that Joe sent along and thought: I do not think the women in say, Darfur, would see this as the "breakthrough" that Macy's does. And I'm quite sure they would use the $718 million dollars in a much more sane way.

Thank God for each of you who works to make our world a healthier and more sane place to be a woman. ~ Peace, Kathleen

doing your best

sharing this from DailyOM

June 10, 2008
Personal Satisfaction
Doing Our Best

We often come into contact with the idea that our best isn’t good enough, as if this were actually possible. If you examine this notion, you will begin to see that it doesn’t make much sense. Your best is always good enough, because it comes from you, and you are always good enough. You may not be able to deliver someone else’s idea of the best, but the good news is that’s not your burden. You only need to fulfill your own potential, and as long as you remain true to that calling, and always do your best to fulfill your purpose, you don’t need to expect anything more from yourself.

It’s easy to get tangled up with the idea of trying to be the best—the best parent, the best employee, the best child, or best friend. If we try to be the best, we run the risk of short-circuiting our originality because we are striving to fit into someone else’s vision of success. In addition, if everyone is striving for the same outcome, we lose out on creativity, diversity, and visionary alternatives to the way things are done.

On another note, there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve, but examining where this feeling comes from is important because wanting to be better than others is our ego coming into play. Letting go of the tendency to hold ourselves up to other people’s standards, and letting go of the belief that we need to compete and win, doesn’t mean we don’t believe in doing the best job we can.

We always strive to do our best, because when we do we create a life free of regret, knowing we have performed to the best of our ability. This allows us to feel great personal satisfaction in all of our efforts, regardless of how others perceive the outcome.