Biography:

Erica Ray Rowan is a 24 year old woman from Omaha, NE currently residing in Minneapolis. She is an advocate for all, and uses her voice as well as her writing to speak up for others struggling with mental health and/or addiction issues. 

Abstract:

Overview

I was given the option to present, speak, and be interviewed about my experience as a woman with PTSD. I will not be talking in great detail about my trauma, moreso, the survivalism and spiritual pilgrimage it took for me to survive.

Goals

1. To inform people all over the world about what it is like for women like me in the American midwest.
2. Convey honesty and integrity, and explain in the greatest ways I know how.

Here are the two options I had loved ones write for me to use as a biography. You can pick which one I use, or I would love to use both!

Erica Rowan has had a life of challenges and evolution. From our intersection, I saw Erica as a sensitive fighter. She hungered for authentic relationships and life experiences that would fortify her foundation and expand her perspective. 

Erica is an artist. She seeks to capture meaning and emotion with clever impact. Erica is a granddaughter, daughter, niece, sister, cousin, girlfriend and aunt. She deeply loves her family and has researched her Irish ancestry. 

Erica is a doppelgänger for Elizabeth Taylor, especially from International Velvet. Erica has deeply held belief which are strengthening her future opportunities. And this passion is percolating just below the surface. When it is ready to be expressed, Erica will abound in creativity and impact. 

Biography:

Camille Jantzi is a psychiatrist specialized in forensic psychiatry working as assistant to the head of the forensic psychiatry unit of Geneva’s hospital. She has several years of experience in leading psychiatric evaluations for the criminal and civil court. She is also specialized in victimology, which is her favourite subject of research and teaching.

Abstract:

The mediatisation of the COVID19 pandemic has created a lot of stress leading sometimes to mental health issues. We present a case of a 30-year-old woman with no history of psychotic disease and no criminal record, who attempted to kill her 7-year-old son during a brief delusional episode in the context of fear of the coronavirus. She watched the news compulsively for several days before locking herself down with her son in a bunker. She tried to kill him so he wouldn’t have to see the entire family dying and she intended to kill herself after that. She was stopped by the police and brought to a psychiatric hospital where she was successfully treated by pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. She was examined by forensic psychiatrists leading to the conclusion that her responsibility was highly diminished, and her reoffending risk was low. We add to the literature that the COVID19 pandemic has been such a stressor for mentally vulnerable people that it could lead to severe psychiatric decompensation and even criminal acts.

Biography:

Rosie is a 22 year old nursing student in Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia. My life was full of hopes and dreams until I took Escitalopram in August 2020 - December 2020. Ever since then, PSSD changed my life in the worst way imaginable

Abstract:

PSSD is an iatrogenic syndrome which stands for Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction. It’s important to note that this is not the same as SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, as the condition is referring to symptoms occurring after discontinuation of the offending drug.

It can occur from all types of anti-depressants such as SSRI’s SNRI’s, tricyclics and atypical antidepressants.

The name PSSD is a misnomer, because it doesn’t highlight the debilitating cognitive and emotional impairment experienced by patients.

Symptoms are usually seen in 4 different categories which are sexual, physical (nonsexual), emotional, and cognitive. Symptoms vary between patients from mild to extreme. Some of the key symptoms across these categories include sexual dysfunction: complete loss of libido, anorgasmia, weak orgasms, genital numbness, genital pain, and inability to experience pleasure during sex, emotional blunting (an inability to physically feel positive emotions) and cognitive impairment.

A diagnosis of PSSD is tricky, as it is currently not a medically “recognised” condition. However PSSD can be diagnosed when a person has passed the 3 month mark since discontinuing their medication, and is still experiencing side effects.

These side effects are typically debilitating, and cause a high amount of psychological and sexual distress for sufferers. As well as this, symptoms persist indefinitely. Symptoms may reduce and patients can make a full recovery, or symptoms can progressively get worse leaving patients stuck for decades.

There are other drugs that can cause these symptoms, including isotretinoin (and other retinoids), and propecia.

It’s important for prescribers to be aware of PSSD to avoid re-instating medications that generated PSSD in the first place. Re- instatement is dangerous as it can permanently worsen symptoms. Unfortunately research in this area is limited, and we still don’t know the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms driving PSSD, nor any helpful treatments.