Big Brother is back, baby.

The mystical world of turkey slaps, bum dances, cheating spouses and weird sleep disrupting games will be joining us in our lounge rooms once again in 2020.

Given the OG Big Brother house was recently incinerated, were super keen to see where the new digs will be but first, the new owners of the reality TV show (Channel Seven) have to find them some willing participants to chuck into the fishbowl.

Remember in 2005 when the Logan brothers went in as one and had to get in the nude to change spots? Ah, mems. Post continues after video.

You can apply to be on the show here, but to save you the trouble of filling in a few pages of boring details to get to the juicy bits, weve fake applied for you and wowza, are the questions intense.

We also thoroughly enjoy that we no longer have a name, we are a number, applicant: b5213a-1-774105.

It felt a little bit like we might actually be applying for ASIO, except the questions arent trying to find out if wed be suitable spies, theyre mining us for every little bit of juice in our backstory.

Heres what they want to know:

So if and when you get past the 90 questions stripping you bare of every last secret in your life, where to then?

Well, its likely youll have to send in a little video introducing yourself and then if you get past THAT stage, you get to go back to drama class

See the original post here:
All the pervy questions you'll have to answer if you want to apply for Big Brother 2020. - Mamamia

Having someone who is willing to hear us out allows us to feel less alone not only in our mental health journey, but through life overall. Here are 4 ways we can be a better friend and listener to those around us:

Beingable to have someone who is able to listen is important. In her book Is ThereNo Place For Me?[1],Kate Richards provides an example of how we can approach the conversation:

Do you want to tell me about it? Wecan sit and talk. We can just sit. Ill sit here with you and hold you in thisspace and Ill listen because I care and I wont let go of you until youreready to walk in the world again on your own.

Howcan we be attentive? We should not be on our phones as our friend is sharingabout a tough week they had. We should only pursue the conversation furtheronly if they are comfortable talking about it. Non-verbal language such asnodding can assure our friend that we are following the story they are telling.If we are comfortable, they too would be comfortable to share. If we were fidgetyand acting uninterested in the conversation, this would be discouraging forpeople to open up and talk.

Whenwe are seeking for someone to rant our problems to, finding a solution may notalways be at the forefront of our mind. You are not expected to fix. Sometimes,we just need to be present and hear our loved ones out.

Justbe still, listen, and seek to understand the whole person. People are made upof more than just their mental health condition. Someones mental healthcondition may form as part of who they are, but it does not define the whole ofwho they are.

JosephAddison, a seventeenth-century poet, wrote: Thegrand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something tolove, and something to hope for. Two of the most important things thatgive life meaning are knowing that someone cares about you, and having theopportunity to make a positive difference in someone elses life.

MattHaig wrote in his book Reasons To Stay Alive on the importance of having asupport system: Having people who loveyou and who you love is such help. This doesnt have to be romantic, or evenfamilial love. Forcing yourself to see the world through loves gaze can behealthy. Love is an attitude to life. It can save us.

Lovecan be shown in many ways. A warm hug. Spending time to talk with each. Goingout for a cup of coffee to catch up on life. Giving notes of encouragement. Gettinga gift because it reminds you of them. Being comfortable enough to express youremotions to each other. Mike McHargue shares, People grow when they are loved well. If you want to help others heal,love them without an agenda.

Notall of us are professionals. However, taking an interest in being up-to-datewith our friends progress is another way to show that we care. Accountabilityhelps to encourage a person further in their journey to achieve their goal.

Allin all, we should encourage the people in our lives to be kind to themselves. Whetherit be celebrating milestones, eating well, resting, or daring to ask for help,lets be there for one another in anticipating another day ahead.

[1]Kate Richards, Is There NoPlace For Me?: Making Sense of Madness (Penguin Books, 2014) p.40

More here:
4 Ways To Be A Good Listener To Our Peers - Thrive Global

Among the troublemakers in any urban homeless atmosphere there is an alpha, one homeless person who all others respect. Mentally ill or not, this alpha could be coerced to control the rest. In the worst of the general population in prison societies it will happen that one leader is responsible for most of the group behavior.

If the community is tired of the political arena taking all of their tax money with no results, rather than turning to mob mentality, control it from within. The strongest advocate for the position of positive change in the comments section of this newspaper happens to be a mental health professional on the verge of homelessness, due to all of the funds/resources (no matter their source) being vacuumed into the democratic led swamp of bureaucracy, and not being targeted toward the source of the problem.

Homeless people are not dumb, they know how to work a broken system. Although the majority of the homeless might have mental defects, they understand the struggle to survive and can adapt well to environments established with empathy and structure, whether the rest of society chooses to engage or ignore that reality will determine the outcome of the situation.

Once the situation is recognized as a prosperity issue and not a homeless issue, the community at large can foster solutions. The biggest hindrance to solving homelessness is that Kona residents keep demanding the least effective policies. If your livelihood depends on tourists dollars and the first person a tourist encounters is a drugged-out, dirty, mentally ill homeless person, youre going to be dependent on that interaction and its outcome for your livelihood to flourish.

Ending homelessness will require Kona to systematically repair all the cracks in the countys brittle, shattered welfare and low-income housing system. From drug treatment to rental assistance to subsidized child care, the only way to address the crisis is through a concerted and costly expansion of government assistance.

County politicians keep proposing quick fixes and simple solutions because they cant publicly admit that solving homelessness is expensive. The money is there, but has been systematically diverted to political concerns that do not reflect the communities best interests. If West Hawaii is a declining tourist attraction due to the homeless situation, and the county chooses to ignore funding viable solutions, then the most important basis of the economy will dissolve so quickly everyone will be homeless but the politicians, whose incomes depend on the very taxes that are not being spent on solutions.

If this is not met head on with a one-on-one sponsorship attitude where an affluent leader of the community takes the responsibility to indirectly sponsor an individual homeless case, then those homeless individuals stay as ghosts, and haunt the community that wants them gone but wont get involved in corrective solutions. With a responsible attitude of fostering each homeless person on a case-by-case evaluation for hands on and direct involvement, tracking progress and reaching set goals becomes achievable priorities and could turn the worst homeless cases into the greatest community assets.

Or it could go on being ignored, and you might as well line the homeless up and show them off every time the cruise ship comes in because thats all the visitors are going to remember: their negative exchange with some drugged-out, screaming, dirty homeless person jumping out the bushes in the village shaking them down while the cops are off patting each other on the back for how many tickets they wrote that day on the citizens of the community miles and miles away from the epicenter of the business community of the west side of the Big Island.

Timothy Estabrook is a residentof Kansas City, Missouri.

View post:
My Turn: Community could fix homelessness if it really wanted to invest - West Hawaii Today

In the chaotic world we live in, taking stock of our wellbeing such be on your agenda daily. How, you ask? How do you feel emotionally? Your emotional guidance system is a clear indicator of how you really feel. According to the US National Library of Medicine (2013) A widely available instrument called the Wellness Wheel refers to 7 types of wellness physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, social, occupational, and financial and allows individuals to reflect on current life balance and self-care.

Our physical, emotional , spiritual, social ,occupational, financial, and environmental health all work in tandem. There must be balance, with all of the above mentioned parts of the wheel. If your occupational life, and home life are out of balance, the other parts of the wheel are in disharmony. This is where an honest introspection of your wellness wheel will come in handy through mindfulness. What is mindfulness? The definition of mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing ones awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting ones feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, also used as a therapeutic technique. According to the US National Library of Medicine (2013) Mindfulness meditation involves developing purposeful attention, in the present moment, and cultivating a kind, nonjudgmental attitude towards self and others. So how do we use mindfulness to check-in with our emotional health? Our thoughts are key indicators of how we feel emotionally. If your thoughts are about doubt, fear, anxiety, or lack. Changing the thought immediately, by replacing those thoughts with affirmations, appreciation, empowering, and acceptance. Your perspective will change, and so will your emotional mood. It takes practice, but once you replace them, you are on your way to harmony.

This is where self-carecomes in; not to be confused with self maintenance. Yes, life happens! There is so much in life that we cannot control. However, we should focus on how we react to the storms of circumstances that we encounter in our daily life. Self-care should become a priority. Some might call it selfish, I say that in order for you to be able to help others, you have to take care of yourself first. In summary good self-care is key to improved mood, reduced anxiety, anger, fatigue, and less distractibility. Improving the odds of a harmonious wellness wheel.

Here are some simple things that you can incorporate to your daily life, to help you align. 1. Salt Bath A bath will help you slow down your thoughts, and reset. 2. Nature Walk Absorbing the energy of nature will help you steer your thoughts to appreciation. Therefore, helping you see things from the appreciation prospective. 3. Eating healthy & often Healthy combination of vegetables, fruits and proteins. 4- Meditation Helps you to analyze your thoughts better, without distraction.

Article Resources

Caring for oneself to care for others: physicians and their self-care https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3974630/#R49

Wellness Wheel http://www.clarion.edu/student-life/health-fitness-and-wellness/office-of-health-promotions/wellness-wheel.html

Image courtesy of http://www.naturalkerr.com

Read the rest here:
Emotional check up! Tips on how to balance your wellness wheel. - Thrive Global

A panel of senior legal experts have urged ministers to invest more money into the criminal justice system in a bid to improve outcomes for vulnerable people and those suffering with mental health conditions.

Speaking at a fringe event organised by the Society of Conservative Lawyers and Justice, Dr Ben Spencer, an NHS consultant Liaison Psychiatrist, said the criminal justice system was often a gateway for them vulnerable people getting access to proper treatment.

For many patients, the criminal justice system is the first point of contact for getting into care and getting treatment for their mental disorder, he said.

But it is really important that recognise this and that that contact goes well. That is their first experience for the rest of their care for mental illness, so it is also about how the CPS is going to make sure they are supported and that they are treated well and are secure.

But Richard Atkins, Chair of the Bar Council, said extreme pressures on time and funding made it impossible for vulnerable people to be provided with the level of support they need.

You need a lot of time with the vulnerable. Either they have difficulty understanding and if they do have mental health issues its another issue, he said.

And when you get to my level you are dealing with people who have committed some fairly major offences, and trying to deal with people who have obviously got mental health problems and then trying to persuade the courts that they have mental health problems is one of the most difficult things we have to do.

He added: It comes down to money and attitude, because most of the people we have to deal with do not have funds to represent themselves and pay privately.

They rely on the public funding in the system, and Im afraid for far too long the funding for the vulnerable has been far too low.

Simon Davis, President of the Law Society, said this lack of funding had led to legal advice deserts in some parts of the country where advice on issues such as benefits, housing and family law were needed most.

But Mr Atkins said there was some green shoots of hope with the new funding packages which could bring more money into the system and provide valuable support for vulnerable people.

He added: They need to fund the prosecution, they need to fund the advocates, the need to fund the probation. But maybe there is a glimmer of hope in the current administration and that they are picking up on that.

Meanwhile, Andrea Coomber, director of Justice, said a growing awareness of vulnerable people in the legal system had led to welcome changes in how courts operate, bringing not only benefits for people with mental health problems, but improving the quality of the courts decisions.

There has been an increasing accommodation for vulnerable people in the last few years, she said.

You can now pre-record evidence in certain circumstances, there are screens up for certain vulnerable people which are all very welcome for a number of reasons.

One, it is because court becomes more accessible and more comfortable for people who are already lacking comfort.

But secondly, it improves the quality of evidence. So, courts are actually able to take better decisions, and we should expand the use of these things, but as we know, they cost money.

And returning to the issue of funding, Mr Atkins said without more support from the government there could only be a rearranging of the deckchairs.

We need to find a way of helping the vulnerable get their help at an early stage, he said.

Some will have no prospect of success, but trying to explain that to someone who has trouble grasping it or has a mental health problem is very complicated.

Without any more money it is a rearranging of the deck chairs. And its reliant on the very members of the professions, whatever side they are on, to help out.

Im afraid it is money which is necessary, but I appreciate there isnt a pot of gold and there isnt money to go everywhere.

He added: We are much more alive to the issues of how to deal with vulnerable people in the system. Its a long way to go, we are doing it, we are getting there. I hope the promises of funding will continue.

Read more:
Government must commit more money to support vulnerable people in the criminal justice system - PoliticsHome.com

They say, Time flies when youre having fun, and no disrespect to my daughters, but I dont think it was just the fun part that made these past six years fly by so fast. I would include an addendum to that oft-quoted phrase and say, Time also flies when youre incredibly busy. My days are full to overflowing. After my wife and I return from our full-time jobs, our real job begins at home, making sure our daughters are fed, bathed, and dressed and arent causing too much mischief, e.g., tipping our CD tower over. (Yes, we still have a CD tower.)

Despite all the work, theyre worth it. Of course they are. (Can you imagine this essay if I thought they werent?) Theyre not only worth it because I love them, but because Ive managed to learn a lot in the blink of an eye that constitutes the better part of the last decade. Here are the lessons theyve taught me that I think about in my nonexistent spare time.

Unfortunately, Im one of the most impatient people on the planet, and that doesnt bode well when you have children who insist on flipping over on their changing tables when youre trying to replace their diapers or love to sing high notes at 3 in the morningevery morning. There were times Ihad to walk away and take a breather. This parenting thing isnt easy, and its made me realize I am in definite short supply of the thing you need the most when taking care of children. And Im still working on it. I know itll be a never-ending process until they reach their teensand then I may as well give up. I dont know how single parents do it.

This story was submitted by a Fatherly reader. Opinions expressed in the story do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Fatherly as a publication. The fact that were printing the story does, however, reflect a belief that it is an interesting and worthwhile read.

Im one of the most nostalgic people Ive ever known, but the truth remains that nostalgia isnt real. Actually, let me clarify: the feeling of nostalgia is certainly real, but the idea that the past was always great, and the present/future is and will always be rotten is just a lie.

Nothing makes me realize this more than when Im with my daughters. Theyre enjoying life so much right now, smiling at almost anything they see, but thats mostly because theyre nave. (Ignorance is bliss, as they say.) They dont know that gun violence kills thousands of Americans every year, that racism is a rampant problem, and were still at war in the Middle East after almost two decades. But years from now as they grow up, theyll look back at what they can remember and say the 2010s were such grand times, just like I think 1989 is the greatest year in recorded history when it was equally troubled. (Well, the Berlin Wall came down that year, so there was that.)

I once had a conversation with my Dad when he asked me all these questions about the internet, Microsoft Word, and other technological marvels of our Brave New World. At that point, he was retired for a few years, but even if he wasnt, he never really worked with computers anywayat least not how we use them now. So I was dumbfounded by his questions. Why should you care about all this new stuff anyway? I asked, and his answer blindsided me: Because if I stop learning, I may as well be dead.

He was right.

Being a semiserious student when I was younger, I have to admit I was more interested in achieving high grades than in the actual learning process. What I learned any given week in school was just a byproduct of trying to make it to the next class and the next grade, which I realize now really shouldnt have been the way to go about it. It reminds me of the old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon when Calvin brags to his teacher that he memorized some useless information he learned in class just long enough to pass a test and now will happily forget it for the rest of his life. I used to have the quadratic formula memorized, but if someone stopped me on the street and put a gun to my head in order to extract that information now, Id be dead.

But I can see this process, the literal joy of learning, on my daughters faces. Luckily, they dont seem to be so stubbornly lazy as me when it comes to acquiring new information. From working out simple puzzles in their toys to remembering how to spell the word apple, theyre literally learning dozens of new things every day, even if I cant see all of it yet. Of course, one day I will, and it will all be because they wanted to learn in the first place. After all, like my Dad astutely put it, theyre not dead yet.

When I was a kid in 1988, I watched Happy Birthday, Garfield, a television special dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the titular fat cat, and a little after the intro to the show, creator/cartoonist Jim Davis explained that if theres anything to take away from Garfield the comic strip and Garfield the character, its this: Hey, lifes not so bad.

I was horrified.

Of course, Davis was looking for the opposite reaction, but my mind was moving so quickly that I immediately thought, Well, why would he need to say that unless life is bad? What are the adults not telling us?! I grew into that unfortunate mental attitude as I got older, even suffering several bouts of depression.

Still, my daughters remind me of this line every day, and they also taught me that Davis is right. Life really isnt so bad, at least for most of us. I cant speak about people suffering in third-world countries, but for the majority of us, its not exactly a daily struggleor at least it doesnt have to be (and if youre reading this, it means you have both access to the Internet and the money for a computer and/or smartphone, so your life cant be that bad either). My daughters see things in the world that I forgot to marvel about, which brings me to my last point.

Its easy to forget being amazed at magnets and planes flying overhead but easier to remember when youve got a 3- and 6-year-old living with you. After my wife and I put up our Christmas tree a few years ago, I wish I couldve bottled the look on my younger daughters face. Her eyes lit up like, well, that Christmas tree, and she literally opened her mouth and squealed, Woooah! as if to say, Hey, a tree is growing in the middle of our living room! Howd it get here, Daddy?!

There was a time I was like that, too. I was amazed at flashing Christmas lights hanging across city streets and shiny boxes under the tree. When did I lose that? Not sure, but most us do. I suppose us serious adults are too busy working and paying the bills to take notice, but this Christmas, as I walk home from work and pass The Empire State Building decorated in red and green for the holidays, Im going to at least try to look up in wonder.

Just because life goes fast doesnt mean it isnt beautiful.

Michael Perone is an editor based in New York. He has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, and Long Island Voice (a spinoff of the Village Voice),as well as Yahoo!, Whatculture!, and other websites that dont end with an exclamation mark.

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How To Be Happy (According To My Infant Daughters) - Fatherly

A lawsuit brought by his son Jordan Sebuliba at the High court, Civil Division on August 23 2019 roped businessman Mohan Kiwanuka and his immediate family into a legal and media storm that raged for weeks.

But when the final ruling came on September 27, Justice Ssekaana Musa delivered a blow to the applicant Sebuliba.

He said, This issue is resolved in the negative.

The application is dismissed but each party should meet their costs. Since this is partly a family dispute, I would urge the parties to reconcile. (Article 126(2)(d) of the Constitution.)

Sebuliba put his fathers mental health more than anything else at the centre of his lawsuit.Ultimately on September 27, Justice Ssekaana Musa had to determine Whether the respondent (Mohan Kiwanuka) should be examined to determine his medical state of the mind?

Sebuliba in his main plaint claimed, The respondent (Mohan) is believed to be suffering from a debilitating and degenerative condition of Alzheimers or dementia, which is presumed to have been progressive over the last six or so years but has become quite severe and imposing on the respondents health in the recent past.

He asked court to subject the respondent to a medical examination.He said if the examination established that the respondent was of unsound mind then the applicant be appointed as a Personal representative/Manager of the Estate of the respondent.

In his pained determination as to Whether the respondent should be examined mentally? The honourable judge ruled as follows. Below is a slightly edited down version.

========

Final ruling

Applicants Submissions

The applicants counsel submitted that the respondent is not an inmate in the mental hospital nor is he detained in any prison but he is presently residing at Plot 15 Prince Charles drive Kololo in the care of his second spouse Mrs. Maria Kiwanuka.

It is desirable at the onset of this application to have the respondent subjected to medical examinations to determine his mental state on grounds that the respondents caregiver has for a period of three years intentionally and deliberately concealed his medical condition and restricted access to the respondent by his other family members.

The respondent has also barred his family members from accessing and interacting with him at his office. He issued a notice at his office barring four of his sons & daughter from accessing him i.e Jordan Sebuliba who is the applicant, Adnan Ddamula, Jane Kiwanuka, Beatrice Luyiga, who is his spouse and Riad Batanda. That notice was posted at the front gate offices and signed off by the respondent as chairman.

The applicants counsel further submitted that the grounds for belief that the respondent is laboring from a mental defect is in a report from Doctor Farouk Maniyar.

According to the report Maniyar is a consultant neurologist and an honorary senior clinical lecturer. The doctor Farouk wrote his report and says I saw this pleasant 66 years old right handed gentleman who runs his own factory in Uganda, he is visiting the UK with his wife.

He provides for the details of the respondent, his date of birth and the doctor says that he saw the respondent; this was in 2017 when the respondent had visited with his wife in the UK. He goes on to say his wife first noticed some problem with his cognition while visiting their son for his graduation in the USA. For some reason he asked where he was and was a bit confused about it.

The respondent and his wife had travelled to the USA and apparently he had no memory of where he was. Since then his wife feels his memory has gradually worsened. He gets appointments or peoples names, he forgets where he has put his things and uses a diary on which he is quite dependant, he still continues to work.

According to the applicants counsel, this is reasonable ground to believe that the respondent has a mental disorder which impairs him for which he should be medically examined as is premised on this medical report which is dated 2017.

The applicants counsel further contended that the applicant reasonably believes, which belief is based on close and continuous observations and interactions with the respondent together with the reasonable assessment of a doctor in form of a medical assessment report issued to the respondent and the wife in May 2017 that provided clear evidence of some form of progressive cognitive impairment and conclusive proof that the respondent is suffering from debilitating brain degenerative dementia condition otherwise known as Alzheimer disease which medical element has taken firm root and manifested itself in a noticeable decline of the respondents memory, thinking, character and reasoning skills.

It was counsels contention that some of these things are already being manifested in the type of resolutions made in two of his companies.

In the meeting of the directors, the above company held at its premises on 30th May 2019 that: Mrs. Maria Nabasirye Kiwanuka be and is hereby appointed as the director, that Mr. Francis Buwule Kabonge of M/s Buwule, Mayega & Co Advocates be appointed as Company Secretary, and the resolution be filed, the first resolution is in relation to Bwerenga Estates limited and the second one is Summit Limited in which again Mrs. Maria Nabasirye Kiwanuka is appointed as a director.

The applicants counsel contended that this was a grave error since the Directors are appointed by a general meeting but in this case they were appointed by fellow directors, which he believes is contrary to the Companies Act.

Respondents submissions

The respondents counsel in his submission contended that it is a process of inquiry under the Mental Treatment Act that will give this court jurisdiction, the results of an inquiry and a judgment of unsoundness of mind is what will give this court jurisdiction under the Administration of Estates of Persons of Unsound Mind Act.

Secondly, under Rule 3 sub rule 2(d) if a person is not detained in a mental hospital or prison the application must be supported by an affidavit of a medical practitioner stating that he has personally examined the person and found him to be still of unsound mind.

In this case, Mr. Sebulibas affidavit admits that Mr. Kiwanuka and indeed the respondent is not in a mental prison or a mental hospital. Cited these cases Re: Kigundu James Miscellaneous Cause No. 18 of 2015 and Songolo Difasi Mugabo, Miscellaneous Cause No. 16 of 2019.

The respondents counsel submitted that this application is brought under the Mental Treatment Act where a person in issue in this case Mr. Kiwanuka or the applicant alleges to be his father, will be defined as an idiot and to the extent that under Section 4 of that same Act for this court to adjudge a person of unsound mind it has to be satisfied not only that he has any mental impairment but also that he is a fit and proper person to be placed under care and treatment.

According to the respondents counsel, what Jordan Ssebuliba wants is Mr. Kiwanuka to be declared an idiot who should be placed in Butabika by the import of that section. To the extent what the law provides is unconstitutional, it is in consistent with the Constitution, it is no longer good law in Uganda to that extent it is contrary to Article 24 and 44(a) of the Constitution.

It was counsels contention that the nature of process that the applicant has evoked was intended for such persons that lie on the street without treatment and they need somebody to come and care for them. It should never be used to find a person in his peace doing his business and you subject them to forceful mental treatment. See Abiria Emmanuel versus Afema Richard High Court Miscellaneous Application No. 53 of 2007.

Secondly in the same case the judge said that a person living in a home under his peoples care, care of relatives should never be subjected to such an inquiry. In the present case Mr. Kiwanuka lives with his family at Plot 15 Prince Charles Drive with his wife and under the care of Maria Kiwanuka, the wife that means this court has no business inquiring.

There is no evidence adduced to even put court to an inquiry, the answer is no, evidence of unsoundness of mind. The affidavit of Kyamunkubya who the applicant names as his brother gives positive affirmations that have not been challenged, that Mr. Kiwanuka is sober, he is going on with his business, he is running his businesses and he has capacity to understand or manage his affairs.

The only evidence Mr. Sebuliba has put in his affidavit is that he reached a reasonable conclusion of unsoundness of mind based on continuous observation and interaction.

In reply to the alleged report from Dr Maniyar Farooq, counsel for the respondent submitted that the said doctor has disowned the said report/letter. The doctor says I have never undertaken any such medical procedure for purposes of testing the incapacity of Kiwanuka to manage his business or affairs, I have never done it.

To counsel since the doctor said he has never addressed any letters on the relatives that means or would imply such letters were somehow stolen from somewhere, that means they are not genuine and in any case, they dont have that effect that Sebuliba claims.

It would appear they were stolen from somewhere, because they were not addressed to any of the relatives that would have very big ethical issues and right to privacy. They would offend the United Kingdom ethical proceedings. The alleged doctor has disowned the letters, he has disowned the so called finding of the assessment that is the most important thing, he says I have never made such assessment.

In addition, the said letters clearly show there is nothing conclusive and he says I am going to carry out certain tests. Respondents counsel wondered why the applicant run to court to appoint doctors if Mr Kiwanuka has been seeing doctors for his own regular health check. The next letter talks about a score during an examination of 77% only two marks are lost for orientation, only three marks lost for recall. Therefore according to him there is no need for the court to order an examination.

Respondents counsel noted that the applicant and the family need to sit down and talk to Mr. Kiwanuka with Beatrice instead of instituting these hostile proceedings that would continue to impact on the entire family.

Determination

This court noted that the applicant did not follow the procedures set out to the letter under the Mental Treatment Act and the Administration of Estate of Persons of Unsound Mind Act. The Court in exercise of its discretion has proceeded to make an inquiry and come to its own conclusions or findings.

It is in the interest of justice that this court resolves the issue of insanity or soundness of mind that has far reaching implications and consequences against the person of Mr Kiwanuka.

Justice Eva K Luswata, In the Matter of Songolo Difasi Mugabo High Court Miscellanoeus Cause No. 16 of 2019 underscored the importance of such an inquiry or investigation.

The requirement for a proper investigation or inquiry should not be undermined. Nobody should, be adjudged or determined to be of unsound mind when no professional expert advice is available. This would be a serious affront to the personal integrity and would also open them up to fraudulent people, who may wish to take over their property.

Section 1 of the Mental Treatment Act defines a person of unsound mind to mean an idiot or a person who is suffering from mental derangement.

Blacks Law Dictionary Eight Edition defines an Insane to mean; Mentally deranged; suffering from one or more delusions or false beliefs that (1) have no foundation in reason or reality, (2) are not credible to any reasonable person of sound mind, and (3) cannot be overcome in a sufferers mind by any amount of evidence or argument.

In the case of Aseru Joyce Ajju vs Anjoyo Agnes HCMA 001 of 2016, Justice Mubiru noted that;

A person is deemed to be of unsound mind for purposes of these proceedings if he or she is afflicted by a total or partial defect of reason or perturbation thereof, to such degree that he or she is incapable of managing himself or herself or his or her affairs.

This is the standard suggested in Whysall v Whysall [1960] P.52 where Phillimore J, expressed the following opinion as to the degree of insanity which had to be found; if a practical test of the degree is required, I think it is to be found in the phrase..incapable of managing himself and his affairs..and that the test of ability to manage affairs is to be required of the reasonable man. The elderly gentleman who is no longer capable of dealing with the problems of a take-over bid is not, in my judgment, to be condemned on that account as of unsound mind.

The purpose of Mental State Examination is to obtain a comprehensive cross-sectional description of the patients mental state, which, when combined with biographical and historical information of the patients history, allows the clinician to make an accurate diagnosis and formulation which are required for the coherent treatment planning.

The mental state examination is a structured way of observing and describing a patients current state of the mind, under the domains of appearance, attitude, behaviour, mood, effect, speech, thought process, thought content, perception, cognition & sight and judgment.

According to the Principles for the protection of persons with mental illness and improvement of mental health care adopted by the General Assembly resolution 46/119 of 17th December 1991-Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights .

Under Principle 4.

A determination that a person has a mental illness shall be made in accordance with internationally accepted medical standards.

A determination of mental illness shall never be made on the basis of political, economic or social status, or membership of a cultural, racial or religious group, or any other reason not directly relevant to the mental health status.

Family or professional conflict, or non-conformity with moral, social, cultural or political values or religious beliefs prevailing in a persons community, shall never be a determining factor in diagnosing mental illness.

A background of past treatment or hospitalisation as a patient shall not of itself justify any present or future determination of mental illness.

Principle 5

No person shall be compelled to undergo medical examination with a view to determining whether or not he or she has a mental illness except in accordance with a procedure authorized by domestic law.

According to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, One of the core principles of the Convention is respect of individual autonomy including the freedom to make ones own choices, and independence of persons. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has interpreted the core requirement of article 12 to be the replacement of substituted decision-making regimes by supported decision making, which respects the persons autonomy, will and preferences.

The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health observed that informed consent is not mere acceptance of medical intervention, but voluntary and sufficiently informed decision. Guaranteeing informed consent is a fundamental feature of respecting an individuals autonomy, self-determination and human dignity in an appropriate continuum of voluntary health-care services.

There is an intimate link between forced medical interventions based on discrimination and the deprivation of legal capacity which as a result may result in torture or inhuman and degrading treatment. This results in deprivation of legal capacity, when a persons exercise of decision-making is taken away and given to others under the guise of mental health treatment and care.

The forced treatment or subjection of mental health suspect or patient to treatment or examination may amount to torture. A Special Rapporteur noted: Torture, as the most serious violation of the human right to personal integrity and dignity, presupposes a situation of powerlessness, whereby the victim is under the total control of another person. (See A/63/175, para. 50)

The medical treatment of an intrusive and irreversible nature, when lacking a therapeutic purpose, may constitute torture or ill-treatment when enforced or administered without the free and informed consent of the person concerned. This is especially true when the treatment or examination is performed on persons/patients with disabilities, notwithstanding claims of good intentions or medical necessity.

The discriminatory character of forced psychiatric interventions, when committed against persons with psychosocial disabilities, satisfies both intent and purpose required under the Article 1 of the Convention against Torture, notwithstanding claims of good intentions by medical professionals.

The court should be mindful of the international obligations under the different Conventions before arriving at its decision of whether or not to subject the applicant to a forced or involuntary mental examination and or treatment.

Justice Mubiru in the case of Aseru Joyce Ajju vs Anjoyo Agnes HCMA 001 of 2016 quoting the Indian case of Moohammad Yaqub v Nazir Ahmad & Others 1920 50 Ind Cas 617 as follows:-

When a person is alleged to be insane..there ought to be a careful and thorough preliminary enquiry and the Judge ought to satisfy that there is a real ground for an inquisition. It is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rule, but in the first place it is essential that the person making the application should support it ordinarily by an affidavit or by tendering himself for examination to the Judge on oath in support of the allegations in his application.

The Learned Judge would naturally want to know what relationship existed, what previous association had existed between the applicant and the alleged insane person, how long the illness was supposed to have lasted, why no previous steps had been taken and what were the present symptoms and actual causes which had induced the applicant to make the application as when he did.an application of this kind ought to be supported by some medical evidence in the nature of a certificate of some doctor, lady or otherwise, who has had a reasonable opportunity of seeing the condition of the alleged invalid.

If no medical evidence is forthcoming of more recent date eight years before applicationit would be very desirable that the Judge should seek some personal interview with the alleged insane, not with a view to forming a final opinion as to her real condition but to satisfy himself in the ordinary way, in which a layman can do, that there is real ground for supposing that there is something abnormal in her mental condition which might bring her within the Lunacy Act

The importance of such an inquiry was further underlined in Ranjit Kumar Ghose v Secretary, Indian Psychoanalytical Society AIR 1963 Calcutta 261, also cited in Aseru Joyce Ajju vs Anjayo Agnes where the court decided as follows;-

In many cases, and we think that this case is probably one, it would be very desirable that the Judge should seek some personal interview with the alleged insane, not with the view to forming a final opinion as to her real condition, but to satisfy himself in the ordinary way, in which a layman can do, that there is a real ground supposing that there is something abnormal in her mental condition which might bring her within the Lunacy Act.the enquiry which is contemplated..into the alleged infirmity is a judicial enquiry with notice to the alleged insane person and any order passed against an allegedly insane person without such inquiry will vitiate the order to the extent of making the same a nullity. The court should of its own motion conduct an enquiry in accordance with the provisions of that section before accepting the application. It was obligatory that the court conducted an enquiry as to whether the petitioner had become incapable due to any mental infirmity of protecting his interest..

In the present case the applicant is relying on two letters dated 18th May 2017 generated by Dr Farooq Maniyar-Consultant Neurologist & Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer based in the United Kingdom and he noted as follows;

This gentlemans Addenbrookes cognitive evaluation score (ACE-R) was 77. One needs to point out that English is a second language and therefore some of the estimations may not have been accurate.

He lost 2 marks for orientation, 3 marks for recall, 7 marks for verbal fluency, 6 marks for language naming, 3 marks for language-comprehension, 1 mark for visual spatial ability.

He is himself only partially aware that he has some memory problem but he feels this may be normal ageing and he is aware of any significant issues with his cognition.

On examination, he had a slow effect. He spoke well although limited. His gait was normal with good pendular swing movements of his hands. Eye movements were normal. There were no cerebellar signs in his upper limbs or lower limbs. The deep tendon reflexes were normal bilaterally. There were no extra pyramidal signs including cogwheeling or bradykinesia.

Impression and Management: There seems to have been a change in this gentlemans cognition and I note the problems with the memory domain, visual spatial problems and personality change. A few things are possible including a frontotemporal aetiology or Alzheimers etiology.

In the first instance, I will arrange to meet up again with him for an Addenbrookes cognitive assessment which should also serve as a baseline.

I have asked for an MRI scan of the brain as well as bloods including VDRL, HIV, B12, folate, thyroid function tests, glucose, ANA,ANCA, liver function tests, urea and electrolytes and full blood count.

I will see him with the results

Kind regards,

Dr F Maniyar

The applicant states in his affidavit in support that; There is reasonable belief, which belief is based on close and continuous observations and interactions with the respondent, together with a reasonable assessment of a doctor in form of a medical assessment report issued to the respondent and his wife in May 2017 that provided clear evidence of extensive progressive cognitive impairment and conclusive proof that the respondent is suffering from the debilitating brain degenerative dementia condition otherwise known as Alzheimers disease which mental ailment has taken firm root and manifested itself in a noticeable decline of the respondents memory, thinking, character and reasoning skills.

The applicants belief is not supported by any cogent medical evidence since the Doctor who examined the respondent on the information available never concluded on anything.

This court agrees with the respondents counsel that there was nothing conclusive in the said two letters and the doctor noted at the bottom I will see him with the results

In absence of any new information or report made after the results are handed to the doctor it would be highly speculative of this court to rely on such evidence/report which was inconclusive.

Secondly a medical report or notes obtained in unclear circumstances should never be the basis of instituting mental examination proceedings. Since this may raise other issues surrounding the right to privacy and also reliance on improperly or illegally procured evidence in a court of law.

The conclusions or basis upon, which the applicant is bringing this application falls short for a simple reason, the respondent is equally mindful of his health and that is why he went to see the doctor during his routine check-ups. Alzheimer/dementia is a loss of brain cells and the diagnosis of it is a process and not a one off examination.

There must be a record of history from persons who have lived with the patient for at least 3 years and then an oral examination of the patient before carrying out a mini mental examination focussed on whether, of all possible physiological conditions, dementia was one. There are many other physical conditions that are not diseases of the mind but outwardly mimic dementia. A full examination of the nerves and a review of the kind of medication the patient was taking are also necessary.

The court forced examination of the respondent could indeed be an infringement on his right against torture or inhuman and degrading treatment/ill treatment under the Constitution and under article 1 of the Convention against Torture. The involuntary treatment and other psychiatric interventions are forms of torture and ill-treatment.

It is equally defamatory for a respondent who is performing his duties and running his businesses to be dragged to court for forceful examination in order to determine his mental state in the absence of the conclusive medical evidence or glaring proof of insanity that would lead the person being harmful to himself or people around him or her.

The applicant has stated in his affidavit that the present application is brought for the benefit of the respondent, his immediate family and business in general in order to protect the respondent and his various businesses and family from the growing ravages of dementia and from opportunistic third parties intention of taking advantage of the respondents impaired and failing mental capacity.

According to the applicant, the respondent has lost his business acumen brought on by a severely deteriorated memory and inability to recognise the severity of the deterioration, which has resulted in disastrous management, operation and decision making at his numerous companies which poor operation has resulted in the respondents withdrawal not just from his family but from business and social life.

It would be absurd if this court would allow any businessman who loses his business acumen to be subjected to mental examination. Making or taking wrong business decisions in a business is not insanity or a person should not be condemned on that account as a person of unsound mind.

The applicant decided to bring this application for mental examination after the respondent had removed him from the position of Company Secretary and also appointed Mrs Maria Kiwanuka as a new Director. This means or would imply that if the applicant had not been removed from the said position in May 2019 by the respondent then the respondent was still of sound mind and everything remained normal and fine with him.

The respondent did not file any affidavit in reply, but rather his son, lawyer, finance director and friend deposed affidavits in opposition to the application and they all confirmed that he is of sound mind.

The court summoned the respondent to appear before it in order to carry out any enquiry envisaged under the Mental Treatment Act. The court interviewed the respondent for over 30 minutes in presence of the lawyers and thereafter for about 15 minutes without the lawyers.

From the interview, the court did not find any noticeable mental problem with the respondent. He spoke calmly especially about the dispute between himself and the applicant and at times he would make some little jokes.

It is my settled opinion that the respondent is still in charge of his mental faculties and his only problem with the applicant according to him is that he wants to take over or grab his property which he has worked hard to earn over the years.

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Kiwanuka case: Why judge refused mental examination - The Observer

Sex education was that awkward class in high school for many of us, mostly received with awkward giggles, let-this-class-be-done-with-already glances and a sense ofdiscomfort experienced by teachers and students alike. Sex education in schools, if its present at all, suffers from the consequences of the taboo around the topic of sex in society. With teachers not equipped enough to teach sex ed and burdened with vast syllabi, sex education has largely been a topic thats either quickly glossed over, with no room for any discussion, or just skipped entirely. This leaves much of sex education to organically happen within peer groups or through casual internet browsing.

Sex education classes were (and still are) rather selective in terms of the information they choose to convey.For example, ten years ago, my humble convent school skipped the topic of sex entirely and went right from explaining the menstrual cycle to explaining the period post-conception, with no information about what happens in the middle. It came as no surprise when many anecdotes about sex education classes from peers highlighted how sex education was largely a directive or a speech about abstinence, seeking to induce fear of STIs, laced with heteronormative, moral ideas regarding sexual intercourse within monogamous, heterosexual, marital relationships. They also largely put the responsibility to steer clear from unwanted pregnancies on the woman.

But, sex education is more than that it not only encompasses the biology of sex, and STDs, but is also about providinga space for conversation about interpersonal relationships, learning how to set and express boundaries, and understanding gender and sexuality and its relation to mental health and well-being. With access to technology and larger school curricular reforms, educationists are beginning to envision learning outcomes beyond academic ones, thus equipping learners with critical thinking, the ability to communicateand develop social and emotional competencies that can be applied both within the schools and in society outside.

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Transgender Kids Brains Reflect Their Gender Identity in Structure and Function

Just like any subject, making sex education relatable requires educators to implement developmentally appropriate curricula, build on their learners prior knowledge, allow for engagement in the learning process, and create a safe space to facilitate and normalize conversations. Reshma Valliappan, founder of The Red Door Foundation, India an organization that works with Municipal schools in Pune believes that creating this safe space to discuss sex, sexuality and health in her classrooms comes with recognizing the stigma and discomfort, and even allowing students to shut their ears, and being open to letting students talk after class hours, as school classrooms can often lack a sense of anonymity. She also points out that understanding (cultural) context is key in student engagement, especially in her work in schools with high rates of violence, drug abuse and bullying.

For Valliappan, sex education is only a vantage point from which to create a space where students find a space to voice their understanding of their ever-changing world, learn how to be empathetic and respectful to people in general not just to the opposite sex. Humorously adding that she is often asked the question Ladki ko kaise pataneka? (How to woo a girl?) by her students, Valliappan asserts that the importance of consent, accepting rejection and establishing boundaries is what students need to see in the light of non-sexual/non- romanticrelationships as well.

Even experimenting with different mediums can make an otherwise awkward subject easy to teach, and easy to consume or learn, such as art. Art is a very comfortable space (that) gets you to start thinking of things in a very real context says Chaitanya Modak, a graphic novelist who facilitated a series of graphic novel workshops titled Comics Epidemic for The Dharavi Biennale organized by SNEHA, an organization that works on issues of maternal and child health in Mumbai with a group of youth aged 14-24 in Dharavi. Not only did these workshops provide a communal space for sexual health information, they also helped the youth create complex narratives from their own lives using comics as a medium. Examples of the comics included a talk show on different views regarding masturbation, and a narrative of a young boy adjusting in a society that doesnt consider him macho enough.These conversations that were part of the workshop show how sex education is moving towards a pleasure-driven discourse that is significant in addressing the silence around sex and sexuality.

Aakriti Pasricha, whose research on womens experiences of pleasure sounds these beliefs when talking about how good touch/bad touch has conveniently kept aside any conversation about pleasure, and especially the pleasure of women. A focus on conversations around menstruation and pregnancy during sex education has also been coupled with little to no information about female reproductive anatomy(more than just the uterus). According to Pasricha, this has not only led to confused notions about the difference between the urethra and vagina, but given little space for women to understand their own bodies or even explore it. Moreover, these misconceptions show that the implementation of sex education curricula has been from an expert-driven (medical) perspective, which focuses only on biology, lacking any sort of experiential knowledge or female narrative. A pleasure-driven discourse in sex education is also crucial in breaking myths formed by Bollywoods romanticized portrayal of sex that is devoid of consent-taking or any kind of negotiation during intercourse.

While conventional sex education focuses on ones relationship with another human being, its interesting to see how a pleasure-driven discourse can help individuals explore and better understand themselves, as well as question and reflect on societal ideals that are otherwise left unquestioned in school.

Nihal Anabel, and his colleagues atthe socio-emotional department of Muktangan Education Trust (Mumbai) an organization that mentors seven municipal schools in Mumbai help students see gender as a social construct and as being way beyond its binary understanding of male versus female. Queering sex education is a step toward a more inclusive sexuality education that recognizes the extent to which conventional sex-education has been propagating a heteronormative narrative, exclusive of LGBTQIA+ lives and experiences. The LGBTIA+ community has not only been victim to inaccessible health and sexual health care but also faces unique stressors on account of societal stigma. Creating a sex education discourse through a queer lens is crucial in fostering a society where all kinds of bodies and sexualities are made to feel safe and accepted, especially within a formative learning space such as the classroom. Anabel and his interns from TISS, Mumbai used the GenderBread Person Model todiscuss how gender identity, expression, attraction and biological sex all lie on a spectrum and arent necessarily connected to each other. While it was a challenge introducing these words to the students, it wasnt something that students were completely unaware of. According to Anabel, this was more a reason to begin conversations on gender in younger grades so that more nuanced discussions on language and gender visibility can be made possible in higher grades.

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An Increasing Number of Women Are Buying Sex Toys, Thanks to the Internet

There still exist challenges in dealingwith an overload of information, often misleading or false, on the internet, creating the need for an incremental curriculum, coming up with new pedagogical strategies and keeping in mind different learner level (yes, not every child grows or comprehends things at the same pace). However, these means of engagement show that weve come miles from sex education being an abstinence-only discourse, and in incorporating a well-being perspective, beyond just an illness lens. These discussions helpfurther a human rights discourse to sex and sexuality education that imbibes the right to live with dignity for all,and a sense of equality, justice and a non-discriminatory attitude towards both, oneself as well as others.

More here:
Sex Education Should Encompass Biology, Sexuality and Mental Health - The Swaddle

Americans are victimized by episodes of mass gun violence and active shooter events with increasing regularity. The news coverage after each event commonly portrays a perpetrator whose behavior, although negative, was not sufficiently explicit that others could have predicted his violent conduct. Regrettably, this attitude ignores the relevance of numerous validated risk factors for identifying and stratifying individual risk of violence and dismisses opportunities for prevention. (Mother Jones, Oct. 15, 2014, http://bit.ly/2Hn5qBI; Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sept. 16, 2013, http://bit.ly/2Pb9awm; U.S. Department of Homeland Security. April 2019, http://bit.ly/2ZoPNzZ.)

It is certainly impossible to predict future violence from specific individuals, and the majority of individuals with negative behaviors and access to firearms never complete acts of interpersonal violence. We emergency physicians, however, recognize that the confluence of negative risk factors and firearm access often leads to poor outcomes, and we treat the consequences of this unfavorable association every day in emergency departments.

Firearms augment the risk of injury and death from self-directed or interpersonal violence, and may also have a causal role in inciting violent conduct. (JAMA Pediatr. 2013;167[12]:1094.) Emergency physicians commonly care for individuals who demonstrate risk factors for violence, such as previous violent conduct, intoxication, agitation, and impaired impulse control, among many others. If we discover that these same patients also have access to firearms, it may cause us to change our perception of risk and influence our treatment plan and disposition.

An intoxicated patient delivered to the ED by law enforcement for a welfare check following a bar fight, for example, generally presents a threat only to himself. When the same patient stumbles onto the gurney and drops a handgun from his coat pocket, he poses a threat to everyone, including himself. The same may be true for an agitated patient who expresses menacing sentiments against individuals or groups but does not specify a plan or a target. Would firearm access by this individual constitute a public safety threat, and what can clinicians do to mitigate the risk of harm?

Numerous cases in the public domain demonstrate that such individuals cause concern for safety among laypersons and law enforcement, and these individuals are then transported to EDs for mental health evaluations. (Bennington Banner. Jan. 3, 2013, http://bit.ly/2ZokgSL; Jan. 30, 2013, http://bit.ly/2L1sCXc; and Nov. 5, 2014, http://bit.ly/2NtTrWM; and VTDigger. Dec. 18, 2018; http://bit.ly/2NolJ5b.)

The incidence of these cases is unknown, and certainly many more may not be reported due to confidentiality concerns. Emergency physicians in these situations are explicitly challenged with the responsibility of determining how such behaviors with a firearm contribute to clinical status and whether firearm access paired with negative behaviors indicate an unstable mental or physical condition in need of treatment.

We emergency physicians require clarity about our role and accountability in these circumstances. We have legal, ethical, and professional obligations to protect individual and public safety when we are concerned that a patient under our care may pose a threat to himself or others. HIPAA permits disclosure of protected health information without consent when providers believe that such disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public. (Health & Human Services Regulations, 164.512 [j][i][A]. 5 Jan 2001; http://bit.ly/2TZ0gkD.) In situations where patients do not explicitly endorse an intention to harm themselves or others, clinical concerns about serious and potential bodily harm may fall below the reporting thresholds permitted by HIPAA, which precipitates a dilemma between safety and compliance.

No professional guidelines exist for evaluating firearm access among acute care patients despite the fact that access possibly contributes to the clinical estimation of risk. There are also no guidelines to advise us how to diminish the risk of firearm violence when present. The treating physician must weigh the dynamics of risk v. protective factors that can influence individuals toward or away from violence even though that is not a common component of emergency medicine training.

Understanding risk factors for firearm injury and interpreting them in clinical practice will require a systematic, multidisciplinary effort based in science. As long as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health persist in not funding firearm injury prevention research, the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine (AFFIRM) will try to fill the void.

AFFIRM was founded in October 2017 to reduce the incidence and health consequences of firearm victimization, injury, and death through research, evidence-based practice, and community partnerships. AFFIRM is the hub of a growing network of more than 20 of the nation's leading physician, nurse, and public health organizations, including the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, and the Emergency Nurses Association.

We as health care providers must address the epidemic of firearm violence in the same manner that we address other public health concerns. By investing in science and putting the house of medicine to work, we can create evidence-based strategies to understand which behaviors and cognitions about firearms are unsafe and how a patient's access to firearms should inform our work to identify, stratify, and treat patients at risk of self-directed and interpersonal firearm violence. It is up to us to create the change we all need to see.

Dr. Barsottiis the founding chief executive officer of the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine (AFFIRM) and an emergency physician at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, MA. He is also the immediate past chair of the trauma and injury prevention section of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society committees on preparedness and violence intervention and prevention. Follow AFFIRM on Twitter @ResearchAffirm. Find more information about AFFIRM athttps://affirmresearch.org.

AFFIRM and the Coalition on Psychiatric Emergencies are holding a pre-course on gun violence and threat assessments in the ED at the ACEP Scientific Assembly this month. Care Under Fire will be held Sat., Oct. 26, 1-5 pm, at the Colorado Convention Center. Registration is $99 at http://bit.ly/CareUnderFire.

Emergency Medicine News41(10):14, October 2019.

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A Girl with Aspergers has been crowned a princess for her top mental health tips after helping her mum through cancer.

Angelina Peoples, 10, was named Mental Health Princess at the Miss Shining Light pageant after sharing her advice in a video.

Her mum Natalie Dickson, who has battled breast cancer, has told of her pride at the brave little girl.

I started crying, said the Co Antrim woman.

She did it to raise awareness for Me 4 Mental - a charity for mental health. I think they raised over 11,000.

The video round was the last one and I just broke into tears for her.

I was delighted for people to understand that she hasnt had it easy and there are kids out there that have no choice but to care for their parents and have their own wee battles.

With me having breast cancer Angelina had been to quite a few groups through Laurel House in Antrim, explained the Larne woman.

It was a course of six weeks, mainly for kids to understand cancer doesnt mean death or the end of the world.

It tries to break it into a simple form for a child that staying positive is the best thing for anything in life.

Over the past year, so much has happened and she has had no choice but to grow up and try to be more mature.

The video to me has a lot of things Angelina wrote herself - things she had learned along the way in different counselling sessions and therapies.

A couple of wee things she has maybe put her own twist on it, she added.

I was really pleased that she got the appreciation for it. She won the title for Miss Mental Health princess 2019.

Natalie said her daughter started doing pageants in 2016 because she really enjoyed them and was diagnosed with Aspergers - an autism spectrum disorder the following year.

Her diagnosis was in June 2017, she added.

She has always been very well spoken and quite intelligent for her age (but) her anxiety levels are through the roof - especially since Ive been sick, with fears of me leaving her or that shell never see me again.

Natalies breast cancer diagnosis in February 2017 - just a month before her daughters eighth birthday - heaped extra pressure on the family.

You just go into survival mode, she continued.

There are a lot of people who dont survive cancer but I have always had a (positive) attitude and would be a bit sarcastic.

I would look for the silver lining and think, maybe Ill lose a wee bit of weight with this chemo.

I was always someone who tried to be strong and at the same time think, theres always worse in the world.

And Natalie said her daughter was a great help through it all.

Whenever I was having treatment, Angelinas younger brother (Craig, six) has autism so he was still in nappies and stuff, she added.

She would do wee things like that, empty the dishwasher, tidied up, changed nappies, bathed her brother because I was lying really ill. She never complained.

I felt that six months of chemo took that childhood away from her, so gradually I have tried to bring it back.

I want her to be a child again and I took them to Disneyland at the end of my treatment.

She carried the worries of the world on her shoulders.

1. Always stay positive

2. Learn from difficult times - they do not last forever

3. Be grateful - gratitude means showing appreciation

4. Focus on what you can control and not what you can't

5. Give yourself credit for what you have done

6. Be kind to yourself

7. Never compare yourself to others

8. Be your own hero

If you feel that you need support, please contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 .

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Watch: 'Mental Health Princess' with Aspergers shares top tips for healthy mind - Belfast Live