The gene map.

I don’t think this is an original finding – I mentioned a few weeks ago on this blog about what seems to be an identical conclusion reached by an international research project involving US, UK and several other research fellows in many institutions across the World – e.g. the UK universities of Cardiff and Birmingham. (I am assuming what is being quoted here is not the same international study as – I hope – they would give credit to the others involved.) But perhaps their methodology may be different. Whatever – that doesn’t matter.

It’s just great the results are consistent, which gives more confidence in taking the research still further, as Birmingham and Cardiff universities are doing, independently from the World community. I have mentioned at least once before that they are testing the theory that specific combinations of genes produce different BP symptoms, and severity of them.

Now, THAT research will be real break-though IF it proves successful as it could open the way for developing precise treatments for individual patients. I’m one of the subjects being studied. A researcher came up from Birmingham to take a blood sample for DNA profiling and got me to answer a series of questions that took a whole hour to do. However, the Cardiff-Birmingham research methodology is not without a significant problem and potentially a flaw, which is that the questionnaire is too damned long! 60 minutes of questions. I know about these things, so take note if you ever use quantification surveys! If a questionnaire takes too long to complete, it will often collect erroneous results near the end of the survey. That’s because the survey respondents become tired and start to lose patience with it, and when they lose patience they give poorly considered answers just to get the survey over and done quickly. You can get around this by either using two shorter surveys covering a different set of questions (you may replicate one set to allow the data from the different questionnaires to be matched and combined.) Or you use the same long survey but “shuffle” the order of the questions, so their are always questions answered when the respondents are fresh. You then average out the results and that smooths away any bad data. They may be doing this, of course – I hope so.

“Hundreds Mourn Web Suicide Student”

Yes, very sad. I think anyone with BP should try to remember that if they take their own life, that may take a way their own suffering but that’s when it starts for everyone else they leave behind!

They leave people ridden with self-guilt, wondering if they could have done ore to have helped the deceased. They leave some confused and angry with themselves because they didn’t even know the deceased was suicidal. And then, worst of all, their tragic example is visited on their sons and daughters, who become many many times more likely to copy that parent if or when they ever fall ill with a mental illness.

But it’s hard for anyone with BP to see that, especially if their illness is making their relationship with their Supporter, girlfriend, boyfriend, and or family difficult. That’s when they can start to think, “Ah, they’ll be better off without me because I cause them so much pain …” And they are even more prone to “do it” because by then they care so little for themselves and think by removing themselves from the lives of others that is the one good thing they can do! How ironic is that?!

So, my suggesting those with BP who are THAT desperate should think about the damage they leave behind, it will probably do no good for many/most of them. But if it saves just one person from “jumping” ina lifetime of telling people that, then it’s worth every breath!

THANKS Graham, for your kind comment earlier. And I agree with your second story about suicide, the story itself was very sad.
God Bless. Amanda

What a dreadful story about the young man committing suicide on the web. The fact that people were watching him doing nothing to stop it is more shocking. The internet is a wonderful as well as a terrible device.

GRAHAM, I did not think you were being negative at all. Usually you’re very positive and I like your philosophy. Like you said rightly, that you can’t agree with everything all the time. Occasional disagreements make life much more interesting.

I’m not in the best form at the moment – very worried about my boyfriend’s binge drinking, which could send him back to the psych ward before long.

I read about this incident. I think the guy who did this is crazy. I am really very much affected by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. I drowned in frustration and sorrow. I was not able to think properly. Now Iam stable. Still the whole issue just heckled me out. I love my country. I cant see my nation going to dogs.