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From: Chris.Brown@f223.n163.z1.fidonet.org (Chris Brown)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES
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Date: 3 Oct 90 14:30:03 GMT
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Index Number: 10804

Hello all.  I've been reading this echo for a few weeks.  It's very
gratifying to read of others who insist on relating to others on a
basis other than their disability, and yet its warming to read the
compassionate tone that issues connected with disabilities are
dealt with.

I notice some people whose allergies sometimes exacerbate health
problems associated with disablities, and there are some others
with problems which are increasingly associated, in some instances,
as symptoms of chemical sensitivity, such as some kinds of
epilepsy, and autoimmune disorders, such as lupus.

It's a bit of relief to see that others have been told their
various very real physical problems are all in the mind.  Without
ignoring the importance of attitude on illness, and on coping with
disablities, I understand very well the frustrations of those
who've talked about doctors explaining away problems as simply
symptoms of stress, or scrwwed up emotional needs.

In Ottawa there are now a frew thousand people diagnosed as
suffering from chemical sensitivities.  We have a variety of
systemci reactions to pollution, including Centeal Nervous System
dysfunction, digestive disorders, reproductive disorders, and so
on.  A study by the Ontario Ministry of Health found symptoms
affectin pretty well every system of the body, with effects ranging
from "mild discomfort to total disablity".

A similar but more up to date study was recently done for the NEw
Jersey State Department of Health by Nicholas Ashford of MIT, and
Claudia Miller of the University of texas.  It found that there was
reasonable grounds to suspect enviornmental sensitivities as a
cause or significant contributing factor in CNS dysfunction.  They
recommended exploring enviornmental causes of of illness in
patients where symptoms of sensitivities were present BEFORE
INVOLVING THE PATIENT IN POTENTIALLY DAMAGING PSYCHIATRIC
INTERVENTIONS.

The mental health community in Canada is slowly responding.
Several institutions in government, health care provision and
consumer sectors are trying to encourage the practice of checking
certian psychiatric patients for chemical sensitivitiy as a cause,
and the mental health community may soon start rescuing those
psychiatric patients whose problems are caused or exacerbated by
UNDIAGNOSED chemical sensitivity.

I hope that if YOU are connected with any organization for the
disabled that you will pass on this information, and give any
feedback as to what kind of response it receives.

Meanwhile, I will continue to draw strength from reading and
sharing the understanding comments it seems so many people in this
echo have for each other, and when I can, pass on any support or
help available to me.

Remeber, with respect to haveing rights, In canada you have to be
disabled in order to have a leg to stand on!

--
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