Keya's Mindfulness for Humans

"According to The Independent, millions of pages of the Epstein files have been released by the Department of Justice, roughly 3.5 million documents so far."
There are millions? of pages....
maar hy create a story van White Genocide. Vee jiu eie ... af man and stay in your dam lane. africa

This is me. ❤️

Myths that blame women for sexism.

When you’re a woman who spends a lot of time talking about sexism, you start to notice that about one in ten of all the replies you receive begins with the same two words: ‘Yes, but . . .’ Whether you’ve just outlined economic disadvantage or structural
oppression, described workplace discrimination or discussed harassment at school, there will always be somebody who tries to argue that, in fact, it’s women themselves who are to blame for the problem.
This ‘yes, but’ phenomenon happens so frequently that you start to recognize the same arguments being trotted out again and again; so often, in fact, that you start to wonder if it would be useful to have the responses to them all in one convenient place . . .
Yes, but girls just aren’t that interested in science interested in science interested in science.”
Take a baby, bring it up in a world that screams at it from every angle that it should be interested in certain subjects and not in others. Then, at the age of fifteen or so, ask it what subjects it would like to study, and say that society was right all along – girls
just aren’t that interested in maths or science.

 “Yes, but if a girl’s wearing a short skirt, she’s asking for it.”
The first flaw in this argument is that it implies the assumption that every man is an animal with such uncontrollable urges that he’s unable to prevent himself assaulting a woman who is wearing a particular piece of clothing. The second is that it’s not backed
up by facts. Most victims are already known to their rapists, debunking the theory that it’s a random act provoked by a piece of clothing. Support charity R**e Crisis explains: ‘People, and especially women and girls, of all ages, classes, culture, ability, sexuality, race and faith are r***d. The perceived “attractiveness” of a victim has very little to do with sexual violence. R**e is an act of violence, not sex.’ The third flaw? Women should have the right to wear whatever they want without fearing assault.

“Yes, but women go off and have babies –why should companies pay the price?” It is unfortunate that this issue still needs to be addressed, that some people still see pregnancy as a kind of vacation taken at an employer's expense. The most common
argument states that it is small businesses, in particular, that suffer the financial consequences of employees' pregnancies. However, we must not forget that women decide to have children in a couple context, and that childless couples are often criticized for contributing to low birth rates. Therefore, the fact that society, including businesses and other workplaces, complain about having to share the financial cost of pregnancies is hypocritical to say the least. If the issue is problematic for companies, it is because we do not yet have the necessary financial and organizational infrastructure to facilitate and support this process, not because women are deliberately causing them problems.

“Yes, but it’s women who buy and write the women the women’s magazines you criticize.” We bring girls into an image-obsessed world, where they’re taught from birth that their inherent value is mostly in their looks. We raise them in a society that bombards
them with images of thin, blonde, long-legged, smooth-skinned, tanned, large-breasted women, and implies that these women are ‘better’ than the 99 per cent of human females who don’t happen to look that way. Then we deride them for buying magazines
that promise to teach them how to lose weight, smooth their skin and perfect their looks. If we changed the culture — the way we treat women, and the expectations they grow up with — we might find that media supply and demand would change, too.

‘Yes, but women make different life choices’
Usually used to counter evidence of gender imbalance in top business positions, the problem with this argument is that it stops there. The point shouldn’t be that women ‘choose’ family over career, but that we still live in a society that forces them, in so many
cases, to make that choice at all — while men are able to enjoy high-flying jobs and have children without sacrificing either. Yes, women may choose to have children, but they don’t choose the structural set-up of a society in which few options (shared
parental leave, flexible working hours, childcare) are widely available enough to allow them to do so without compromising their careers.

‘Yes, but women objectify men, too’
Two wrongs don’t make a right. Because there are far fewer memorable examples of male objectification to choose from. Yes, men are objectified, too, but not to such an extent, so frequently, or to the exclusion of their other attributes — as is the case for
women. So it doesn’t have the same wide-ranging negative impact on society’s view and treatment of them.

Author: Laura Bates
Mysogination: The True Scale of Sexism
Simon & Schuster, 2018
(Adapted)

How WITS supports students

Dear Students

Welcome back! We wish you all the best for the 2024 academic year!

We have had several queries pertaining to fees, funding, financial aid, and accommodation, and we thought that it would be useful to share with you the many ways in which Wits assists students.


Wits is committed to enabling access to higher education as far as our resources allow. The University is working with the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), the National Students’ Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), donors, and the private sector to secure funding for students as far as possible.

In 2023, Wits disbursed approximately

R1.5 billion to 26 076 students of which

R646 million was NSFAS funding for

9 004 students.

R169 million was disbursed during 2023 for Wits scholarships and bursaries, which includes, inter alia, the following:

• R45 million for Undergraduate Merit and Scholarship Awards to support 3 343 undergraduate students,
• R68 million for Postgraduate Merit Awards to support 1 354 students,
• R28 million to the Wits Hardship Fund to help 1 441 students, and
• R4 million for eligible LLB students who were defunded by NSFAS.

The University will match the funds raised via the SRC’s fundraising campaign.

What is the Wits Hardship Fund?

The Wits Hardship Fund was established in 2016 with an initial amount of R10 million per annum allocated to assist academically deserving, missing middle students to register and to secure emergency accommodation (limited number of beds available).
For 2024, R28 million has been allocated to the Wits Hardship Fund to assist eligible students who meet the criteria:

Students with a family income under R600 000 and who owe more than R10 000 can apply. Successful applicants receive 50% of the outstanding debt up to a maximum of R50 000, and students must meet the academic requirement of 48%. Students studying towards their first qualification are prioritized due to limited funds.


Funding Sources: Students are encouraged to apply to NSFAS’ new loan scheme for the missing middle if they qualify and can also register for potential discretionary funding. Other options for funding include student loans, bursaries and sponsorships. Please direct all funding queries to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office and the Fees Office by clicking on the following link: https://witshelp-ism.saasiteu.com and by following these steps to log your ticket.


How does Wits help students with historic debt?
The University cannot cancel all historic debt, as it will make the institution financially unsustainable.

• Students who owe R10 000 or less from 2023 can register.
• Passing students who were on NSFAS in 2023 and who are waiting on NSFAS for 2024, can register if they sign an Acknowledgement of Debt form and a related payment plan.
• A student whose total household income is below R600 000 can apply for registration assistance by paying 50% of the outstanding debt due and by arranging to pay the balance of the debt during 2024.
• Students who are fully funded in 2024 with outstanding debt exceeding R10 000 but less than R120 000 can complete a sponsor AOD form which must be accompanied by a sponsorship letter.

Can first fee payments be deferred?
Students who cannot afford the first fee payment can apply for a postponement to 31 March 2024 on the Student Self-Service portal.

How does Wits help students with accommodation?

• Wits offers a range of accommodation options to students who should make room or apartment choices in line with their available funding. In the extended housing network, including accredited off-campus accommodation, there are about 27 000 beds available.
• Residence offers to NSFAS beneficiaries have been made for students who may have a residence shortfall because of the NSFAS accommodation cap if they sign an AOD.
• 50% of residence beds are allocated to first year students and the remainder to returning students who meet the residence admission requirements.
• Wits has accredited 22 000 beds in the areas surrounding the University to ensure that students have access to appropriate student accommodation.


How does Wits help international students?

International students are important members of the Wits community and contribute significantly to the richness of the Wits experience. International students are required by South African law to provide proof that they can fund their full stay which is a condition of their visa.


In 2024, academically achieving returning international students (on a case by the basis) who are financially unable to pay the full 75% but have paid 50% of their historical debt and have entered into a payment plan for the balance of the historical debt, can pay a 50% upfront payment on this year’s fees and register.


What about academic exclusions?

The admission and readmission of students is carefully considered by each Faculty, in line with well-established policies, and a range of academic and psychosocial support programmes. When a student fails to meet the readmission requirements, the readmission review committees consider each individual case on its own merits.

Students have representation on these committees through their elected student leaders. All students who fail to meet the readmission conditions and whose registration is cancelled, can use the appropriate channels to apply for readmission in the following year. Students whose registration is cancelled at mid-year can thus apply for readmission for the next year.

What services are available to students?

Wits offers a range of support services to students including transport services to and from residences and between campuses, primary healthcare services, an after-hour ambulance service in partnership with ER24, career counselling, academic and psychosocial support, clubs and societies, food security programmes, and initiatives to end period poverty.

Conclusion
Wits is doing all that it can within its means to assist students, be it through funding students, fundraising from various sectors, and administering financial aid, bursaries, and scholarships. The University will continue to work with the SRC, the public and private sectors, donors and partners to assist students. The Senior Executive Team is also working with stakeholders across all sectors of society to find a lasting solution to the funding challenges experienced by students.

Is Bipolar 1 Disorder Genetic? Understanding Inheritance

Medically reviewed by Paul Ballas, D.O. Written by Emily Wagner, M.S. Posted on February 1, 2023

Bipolar 1 disorder can be caused by a variety of factors, both genetic and environmental.
Having a first-degree family member, like a parent or a sibling, with bipolar 1 disorder makes it more likely that you’ll develop it.
Continued research into the genetic causes of bipolar 1 disorder could help scientists develop more personalized treatments in the future.

Bipolar 1 disorder is a mental health condition characterized by periods of manic episodes and depressive episodes. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, having certain genes may increase your risk of developing bipolar 1 disorder. This means there is a risk of inheriting the condition from a close relative or passing it down to your offspring.

Learning how bipolar 1 disorder is inherited and the genetic risk factors associated with it can help you better understand the disorder. It’s also important to note that just because you or a family member may be at an increased risk for a condition doesn’t mean you will develop it.

Understanding Diseases Through Genetics
In the early 2000s, doctors and researchers began looking deeper into the genetic code found in our DNA. As of April 2022, they’ve entirely sequenced the human genome, made up of more than 3 billion letters (known as base pairs) that code for proteins and other components of our cells.

Researchers use this as a reference to look for changes in certain genes that can lead to diseases. Identifying the genetic mutations associated with specific diseases also makes it possible to prescribe treatments that are more likely to work. This is known as personalized medicine, and it’s become a popular way of treating many conditions.

Genome-Wide Association Studies
To learn more about how gene changes contribute to certain diseases, researchers use a genome-wide association study. They take blood samples or cheek swabs from people who have a particular disease and from those without it. DNA is purified from the sample, then placed into a machine to look for gene changes — this is known as sequencing.

Specifically, researchers are looking for single-letter changes in the billions of bases, which may affect how a protein functions in a person’s cells. Known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), these variants may seem small, but they can have a big impact on your health.

If these single-letter changes are more common in people with a specific disease, then they’re said to be “associated” with it. These large-scale genetic studies help researchers learn more about which parts of the genome may be causing diseases.

The Genetics of Bipolar Disorder
Neuroscience researchers are still learning about the exact cause of bipolar disorder, but they believe it’s a combination of genetic components and environmental factors. Overall, research shows that the cause of bipolar disorder is 60 percent to 80 percent due to genetic factors.

Family studies are an important part of genetics because they help researchers better understand how genes are passed down from parents to their kids. If you have a family history of bipolar disorder, you’re more likely to develop it yourself. For example, having a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with the condition makes you 10 times as likely to develop it.

Researchers have found that bipolar disorder occurs in 5 percent to 10 percent of siblings. Twin studies have similarly shown that if one fraternal (nonidentical) twin has this mood disorder, there’s a 10 percent chance the other twin has it. In identical twins, this chance increases up to 50 percent.

Genes Involved in Bipolar 1 Disorder
For many mental disorders, there is no single gene that causes them. Instead, they’re often caused by changes in many genes that affect different pathways in the brain.

In 2021, doctors and researchers conducted a large genetics study of bipolar disorder to look for specific genes involved in the disease. A genome-wide association study included DNA from around 413,000 people — nearly 42,000 of whom had bipolar disorder.

Overall, the study found that 64 loci (regions) of the human genome are associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder. Many of these genes found in these regions are expressed in the brain by neurons, cells that send messages to each other. Cells that express these genes are found in regions of the brain that control learning, memory, social behavior, and decision-making.

Since many of the genes involved in psychiatric disorders overlap, researchers also investigated how similar bipolar disorder is to other disorders. They found that schizophrenia and bipolar 1 disorder are genetically similar, which may help doctors learn more about diagnosis and treatment. Schizophrenia also shares some symptoms of bipolar disorder, including psychosis which is a state of disconnection from reality.

Genes Targeted in Bipolar 1 Disorder Treatment
Since there are several genes now associated with bipolar 1 disorder, some doctors may eventually use a personalized medicine approach to treating it. In the future, you may have your DNA sequenced to look for certain genes that can be targeted with specific medications.

The 2021 study showed some genes associated with bipolar disorder suggest the possibility of targeted treatments. For example, calcium channels — which play a role in the cardiovascular system by controlling blood pressure — may be involved in bipolar 1 disorder. This means that there may be potential for treating the mood disorder with calcium channel blockers, which are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating high blood pressure. The study also revealed genes associated with bipolar disorder that code for targets of antipsychotics (used to treat psychosis in bipolar 1 disorder), anti-seizure medications, and anesthetics.

Another study published in 2022 found that changes in a gene called AKAP11 are associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder. The study also found that AKAP11 gene variants may interact with the antipsychotic drug lithium, helping researchers learn more about how this treatment works.

Other Causes of Bipolar 1 Disorder
Even though genetics can play a big role in causing bipolar 1 disorder, other factors can be responsible. For example, studies have found environmental factors contribute to an increased risk of developing this mood disorder. Traumatic or stressful life events, such as emotional neglect or abuse as a kid, are associated with bipolar 1 disorder.

The risk of bipolar 1 disorder also increases if you’ve recently been married, gone through a divorce, given birth, or lost a close family member to su***de. Misusing alcohol and use of illicit drugs are also linked to bipolar 1 disorder. Genetics may also increase your chances of developing these habits.

Talk to Your Doctor About Bipolar 1 Disorder
If you’re interested in learning more about how bipolar 1 disorder is inherited, or if you have concerns about passing it to your kids, talk to your doctor or a psychiatry professional. They can help you and your family members find answers to your questions and better understand the genetics of bipolar 1 disorder.

Clearing the Fog of Depression: How I Finally Got My Life in Focus
Written by Kathy Aunchman

The first time it happened, I was sitting in the living room watching television. Suddenly, it was as if my brain was covered by a fog. I couldn’t think clearly, and I began shaking all over. I also felt scared, like I was going to jump out of my skin. I had never experienced anything like this before. I was terrified and didn’t have any idea what was happening to me. It felt like I was losing my mind.

The year was 2001. I was 50 years old, and six months earlier my husband had died from multiple sclerosis. I worked as a reporter for a local newspaper; it was a job that required a lot of brainpower. My parents had both passed away, and I had no siblings. Too embarrassed to tell anyone what was going on, I tried to continue at my job as if I was fine.

I was only sleeping about three to four hours a night and having terrible nightmares. Finally, after about a month of struggling, I knew I was horribly depressed and anxious. I checked myself into an outpatient program at a local psychiatric hospital, where I spent the next four weeks. I was diagnosed with major depression with anxiety.

I tried several antidepressants and antianxiety medications before I began to gradually feel better. I also attended several group therapy sessions, which I found very helpful. Knowing I wasn’t the only person experiencing these strange symptoms was very comforting, and I was finally able to return to work.

I remarried in 2003 to a wonderful, supportive man named Chuck. I live in Schenectady, New York. I have one son, Chris; two stepdaughters, Jaime and Rashell; two grandsons; and three stepgrandchildren. I retired five years ago and, although I miss reporting, I find the lack of pressure from having to make deadlines helps my symptoms.

Today I see a retired minister/social worker once a month. We talk about what’s going on in my life, and he gives me coping suggestions. I also see a psychiatric nurse practitioner as needed (usually monthly) who helps with my medication.

To help myself, I exercise three times a week at a nearby gym with people who are close to me in age. I have made several new friends and enjoy the socialization more than the exercise!

I try to have a healthy diet as much as possible, and I’ve regained the 20 pounds I lost when I was depressed. I volunteer at my church pantry twice a month and find that helping others helps me as much as it helps them. I love going to the church weekly and attending a women’s Bible study.

I still have bad days where I just want to stay in bed with the covers over my head. But, with few exceptions, I get up every day with God’s help and go about my day. I enjoy reading, going out to lunch with friends, and cross-stitching.

I would advise anyone with any type of mental illness to seek help as soon as possible and not be embarrassed. It’s an illness like any other illness. Living with depression and anxiety is not easy. It’s a daily struggle, but you are in control, not your illness.

Posted on April 20, 2023
Kathy Aunchman is a member of MyDepressionTeam.

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