Category Archives: Mental Health

Drug Addiction, Mental Health, Women's Health

Gender And Addiction

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Everyone may face unique issues when it comes to their substance abuse disorder. Maybe you’re a stay at home mom who has a tendency to smoke to destress from the day, an accountant who uses drugs after work, or a college student who uses drugs to bond with her sorority sisters. No matter what place in your life you’re at, being a woman can make a huge difference in how drugs affect your brain, your blood flow, and your hormones.  While the NIH is working to extend their research on how gender differences correlate with increased use of certain drugs, current evidence show that there’s certain traits that women should be aware of before they partake in drug use. Let’s walk through the most key ways women experience and use drugs differently than the men in our lives.

Female substance abuse disorder is a common problem.

Female Substance Abuse Disorder

Your gender can significantly impact your drug experience, especially if you’re a female. Our bodies are beautiful, strong, and capable of doing amazing things. Yet, there are certain drawbacks from our biological makeup that can cause drugs to leave more lasting damage on our system than our male counterparts. Drugs tend to affect us differently in the following ways:

  • Women have it worse when they want to quit smoking than men. This is due to our body naturally processing the nicotine ingredient much faster than men in general. Quicker metabolisms also explains why nicotine replacement therapies, using a drug store patch and even nicotine gum works better in men who use it. Be cautious and research your options if you’re trying to quit your habit of smoking. Sometimes our relatives or friends who have quit “cold turkey’ found success, but that doesn’t mean that the method will work for you. All of our bodies are different due to our makeup and environmental factors in addition to our gender.
  • Women who have a substance abuse order damages their reproductive system. Certain drugs can increase the likelihood of infertility, having a child who is disabled or with other mental complications, and even early onset of menopause. Pregnant women are regularly using drugs like tobacco and have higher rates of alcoholism are the most vulnerable to these risks.
  • Women face larger social stigma with their substance abuse disorder than man. The sad reality is that women, especially if they’re in a relationship or are a mother, are judged much more harshly for illicit drug use than men. Fearing any judgment or loss of important relationships prevents many women who are addicted to drugs from seeking help. Some are worried that seeking help while being pregnant or after having a child could cause them legal problems that could tear their family apart.
  • Women tend to react more strongly to drugs that are becoming legalized. The legalization of marijuana has become a double edged sword as its medical effects are helping thousands yet encouraging addiction in thousands of more people. While I agree that legalizing marijuana will help our security and economy as a country, not enough people are being educated yet on how to use it responsibly. Unlike men, women tend to experience more panic attacks, depression, and develop an abuse disorder more quickly after using marijuana more frequently. Yet, the reported rates of seeking treatment for marijuana use disorder are low for both sexes.
  • Some research shows that women are more sensitive to pain than men and may have more incentive to use opioid prescriptions to cope. Women also may be more likely to take prescription opioids without a prescription and take a larger dose over time. Since the drug also helps with anxiety or high stress levels, it can become very difficult for woman to stop their addiction to opioids if they become too reliant on it in their everyday life. With the growing opioid epidemic it is crucial to know about what the symptoms of opioid addiction is if you happen to be prescribed the common drug by a doctor.
  • While men generally will have higher rates of alcohol use, younger girls from the ages of 12 to 20 have slightly higher rates of alcohol misuse than other female age groups. Women also have a reportedly higher risk than men from binge drinking that stems from mental health issues, alcohol-related car accidents, heart disease, a sudden stroke, and liver failure. In addition, there are also female related health risks like having unprotected sex, unwanted pregnancy or transmitted disease, and the increased possibility of becoming a victim of domestic violence and even sexual assault. If you find yourself at a social function or a party at college, practice safe judgement and only go with a group of people that you truly trust to have around you. If you feel any bad feelings from a certain person or the place the alcohol is being served at, remember to protect yourself first and foremost.

Combating Drug Abuse In Both Genders 

We may have discovered that being a female can cause a longer list of unwanted after effects from drug use, but don’t let those warning signs discourage you. If you are a woman who needs help with her drug addiction or know someone going through a similar experience, make sure you give them a helping hand by listening to their problems, offering an open mind, and referring them to a professional treatment center in the area. If you’re a male, you’re still not invincible from substance abuse disorder as the need for new experiences, the pressure from society to perform, and the stigma of showing weakness is constant. Bite the bullet of your ego and talk to someone you trust before it’s too late. Sometimes the hardest step to fixing our addiction is admitting there’s a problem. All of us have problems in our lives that come in different forms. Do your homework on what center in your area sounds right for you and you won’t be disappointed by the impact even one visit leaves.

Combat substance abuse disorder in both genders.

 

Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

Today’s Drug Culture

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The world we live in seems to be glorifying the use of drugs across several industries. Even though using drugs is highly risky, expensive, and leads to potential long term addiction, thousands of people are influenced by popular pop stars and rap legends that grace our music charts. In fact, the music industry’s approach to substance abuse is only leading more vulnerable people to become addicted. Radio played songs that discuss heavy Xanax abuse, drinking “purple”, popping pills, and smoking weed come at a price. Anyone has the right to listen to whatever music they want, but if they actually start acting on what the songs are encouraging, they could be influenced to partake in the same activities in the future. Let’s look at the role music figures play in our society’s rates of addiction and drug stigma overall.

Each music genre has its own drug culture.

Drug Stigma In Music 

Throughout the past 15 years, controlled and addictive substances mentioned in the lyrics of various pop, rock, and rap songs have dramatically increased in frequency. It would almost be difficult to find any rap song today in particular that doesn’t include some type of drug or alcoholic beverage mentioned. As drugs like marijuana skyrocketed in the early 1990s to social popularity and is now becoming more accepted, many don’t stop and think about the repercussions certain lyrics can have on our youth today. In addition to marijuana, a study conducted in 2013 found that drugs like “lean”, “sirrup”, “purple”, “drank” and “henny” are exponentially being mentioned more in songs since their pop culture appearance in the 1980s.

For some people, this growth may not be quite alarming, since rap tends to be correlated to individuals who live aggressive lifestyles. While the genre of rap doesn’t deserve to be stereotype many rappers have been charged guilty of drug abuse or possession such as Lil B, Lil Wayne, Lil Durk, and more recently younger newcomers like Fetty Wap and Chief Keef. All rappers are widely popular among teens and college students who regularly play their music and quote lyrics from their songs as a joke. I, for one, was a huge Fetty Wap fan during college because of the catchy beats and laid back melodies he produced. Although I was aware of his mentions of drugs, I made the mistake of not thinking about how constant exposure to that ideal could sway my own beliefs over time. What could start as a joke or a slang term can eventually lead to someone slowly accepting the use of a drug and eventually using it during their own time.

Music’s Substance Abuse 

While some of us have possibly tried drugs at some point in time, the majority of everyday people are not struggling with a potentially life threatening substance abuse problem. As for the rich and famous, drug related injuries, assault cases, and fatal overdoses are happening more times every year. Beloved names like Mac Miller, Avicii, and Lil Peep have all suffered the consequences of their substance abuse within the past year. What’s sad is that all of these people have shown the world that they have incredible talent, a joy for entertaining others, and communicating amazing stories with their music. Lil Peepin particular had a highly loyal fan base that consistently supported all of his projects. While they knew he routinely rapped about his drug use, it wasn’t long after releasing songs that mentioned hearing voices in his head to quit, finding bottles of Xanax by his bed, and taking the drug to fall back to sleep midday that he passed away.

However, the popularity and almost expectation for musicians to turn to drugs created an unhealthy outlet for them to let go of their biggest stress issues. Maybe one of them felt that drugs were the only method of receiving inspiration for creating their next big hit. Maybe they felt scared of the judgement that could come from other celebrities who heavily encourage drug use. Either way, it’s important to know that musicians create songs for many different reasons and their promotion of a certain ideal doesn’t necessarily make it cool. Please don’t try a drug that you don’t know anything about because it looked thrilling or “out of this world” in your favorite music video.

Learning About Types of Drugs

With all the outlets that are promoting drug use or misinforming the public these days, it’s crucial to know the true facts for yourself before you or anyone you know gets hurt. Drugs can cause a variety of different physical reactions, withdrawal effects, and risk for addiction. Luckily, we live in an age where we can access information on almost anything we want. The best way to learn about the similarities and differences between popular drugs like marijuana, Xanax, cocaine, or other substances is to use a drugs glossary. Instead of spending hours to look up facts about each drug individually, you might as well save your time with the glossary. It works as an efficient tool to pinpoint the drug you want to research on and find a summary about its effects on our body. A drugs glossary will include information on almost every drug known to health experts, so you are guaranteed to find what you are looking for.

Moving Forward 

Life is all about enjoying yourself, working hard to reach our goals, and making impactful connections with others. Don’t let the pull of substance abuse get in your way of that responsibility, even if you favorite musicians seem to rave about its effects. You’ll sleep more soundly at night knowing that you are not putting your life at risk for the sake of a two or three hour high. The choice is yours!

Drugs aren’t worth the withdrawal effects.
Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

Pros and Cons of Medical Cannabis

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We can all agree that medical cannabis is a highly controversial topic at this point in time. Even the most advanced doctors, medical cannabis scientists, rehab scientists, and political leaders had varying opinions on how it used be used with patients. Not everyone knows if the substance is safe to use, even if someone may be recommended cannabis-assisted detox to aid issues like drug addiction. And while medical cannabis is legal in nearly 29 states, the federal government still hasn’t given the substance a complete hall pass. This is due to the fact that the Obama era administration didn’t want to legalize medical cannabis nationwide and the current Trump administration claimed that they wanted to stay out of bounds of anyone who does use the substance. On the other hand, nearly 85% of the general public supports legalizing medical cannabis with millions of people using the drug every single day.

In order to break down the stereotypes about the drug, let’s go through the positive and negative aspects of medical cannabis. It’s worthwhile to know if the drug should be taken out of teenager or criminal hands and if it really is the “wonder drug” that society cracks it up to be.

Medical cannabis has many benefits.

Using Medically Assisted Treatment 

Medical cannabis has proven to help patients with treating their chronic pain, issues like narcotic or opioid addiction, and even more severe symptoms of diseases like cancer. If you’re eager to know why the drug is still so argued about these days, consider the following pros and cons:

  • Pro: Medical cannabis cause people to fall into a harsh addiction and take larger doses of the drug over time. Opioids are a much stronger drug that has to ability to take the lives of almost 200 people every day in the United States from overdose. While using marijuana, people report feeling at ease, less stressed, and lower levels of pain within as little as half an hour. As long as a patient takes their dosage responsibility, the drug doesn’t cause any uncomfortable withdrawal effects expect a slight increase in appetite or thirst.
  • Pro: Medical cannabis has been linked to a significant drop in opioid overdose rates according the recent rehab studies. During this year, only the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey took the correlation to lesser deaths seriously as new territories to approve the drug. Public leaders in these states noted that it is proven as a dramatically effective way to treat patient’s chronic pain and opioid addiction compared to alternative medications.
  • Con: Our country still believes that rehab should include total sobriety from any type of foreign substances. If someone was struggling from opioid addiction and initiated a plan to get treatment, traditionally they are instructed to abstain from euphoric substances overall. In addition to our grounded ways, there’s not enough clear evidence that proves the benefits of medical marijuana. People may tell compelling accounts of their personal experiences and scientists may preach about its wondrous healing powers, but the government rules by a standard basis of research. Even the most positive reviews won’t overturn little scientific evidence to back them up.
  • Pro: Opioid addicts can rejoice to not having to deal with their painful heroin withdrawal symptoms with the help of consistent medical cannabis. When opioids enter a person’s body, they will experience a quick rush of pleasure in the first few minutes along with temporary euphoria and calmness. Instead of using the typical pill that could induce annoying headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, or severe stress, medical cannabis has been stated to help patients treat their cravings. In fact, people using medical cannabis for their opioid addiction admit that using the drug is a less of two evils and has greatly lowered their inflammation overall. With less fatiguing symptoms to deal with, patients have a better chance of regaining a strong state of mental health over time.
  • Con: Not everyone should hop on the train to start using medical cannabis if they are going through certain life events or are of a certain age. The FDA is not yet certain if being of elderly age or being sick from an unrelated illness could deteriorate their physical health while using the drug. If someone is already on a certain drug like an antibiotic or use a typical allergy medicine, they may see unwanted side effects from using medical cannabis at the same time. Additionally, if a woman is experiencing pregnancy she may not want to risk any effects on her child. It’s better to play it safe and stay sober of any substances in general if you are expecting a child within a few months.
  • Pro: Medical cannabis isn’t impossible to get a hold of legally. If you happen to do live in an area that allows legal dispensaries or distributor businesses for medical cannabis, you will have to show proof of medical recommendation by your doctor. They can only recommend that you use the drug, since providing an official prescription isn’t completely legal. At the doctor’s office, you will also have to explain your health situation and your experience with alternative medicines before they can give you the green light. You won’t get your hands on cannabis in any case just from saying you’re too stressed or dislike swallowing pills. As long as medical cannabis is still highly unregulated, everyone’s chance for getting a dose will vary.

Alternative Health Done Right 

If you are tired of dealing with painful and debilitating withdrawal effects from an illness or an opioid addiction, check your options for obtaining medical cannabis. The drug is still controversial by many, but the medical benefits it provides to calming down pain, managing anxiety, helping sleep patterns, and so on is worth the time to research if it’s right for you.

Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor about any questions you have about using the drug, especially if you’re at an older age, are pregnant, or will expect to be pregnant in the near future.

Avoid opioid withdrawal effects with medical cannabis.
The BRIDGE is meant to stop pain from opioid withdrawal symptoms.

 

Drug Addiction, Mental Health, Uncategorized, Women's Health

Rapid Opioid Detox

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Our nation has been fighting a silent killer for the past few decades. It’s taking the lives of mothers, fathers, teachers, doctors, and even the person who may be living down the end of your street. This killer is the use of opioids that typically is being prescribed for treating a patient’s pain after surgery, after an injury, or for dealing with another pain management related reason.

Thanks to the pharmaceutical industry, opioids are easily accessible and have been pushed out as the go-to method for anyone who requests it under doctor permission. What’s scary is that these pharmaceutical companies failed to educate its end consumers on opioid withdrawal symptoms and the possible risks it brings to their lives overall. Doctors are often prescribing the alleged medications without thinking twice about their patient’s tendencies to develop addiction either. Anyone can easily become addicted to opioids since produces an immediate wave of relaxation and pleasure after every dosage. To understand how opioids have become such a problem in our communities, let’s look at how the drug became so widespread and how it may be even affecting someone you know.

The Growth Of Opioids

At this point in time, the opioid epidemic is taking the lives of roughly 115 Americans a day. That’s a huge number stemming from just overdose related accidents from the drug. Starting in the 1990s, prescription painkillers became highly distributed and have lead to increasing rates of hospitalizations, overdoses, and deaths each year. Back in that decade, multiple television outlets ran advertisements for medications so any patient could request painkiller prescriptions by its name. In turn, working in conjunction with their drug companies, doctors began prescribing painkillers in sky high numbers. In 2011, doctors reported to write a total of 238 million opioid prescriptions. Overall, experts estimate that the epidemic is currently affecting 2.1 million Americans who are diagnosed with an opioid addiction. That statistic only touches on the individuals who actually went to their healthcare providers and reported their use while seeking rehab treatment. Some of the most common forms of opioids arehydrocodone, oxycodone or Oxycontin, morphine, codeine, and fentanyl.

Within the past two years, deaths have also increased by forms of synthetic opioids as well.  In the year of 2016 alone, almost a third of all drug related deaths and half of all opioid deaths stemmed from a synthetic substance. These drugs are illegally manufactured and are being widely distributed in the pill from throughout urban areas of America. What’s worse, a lot of these pills contain traces of other addictive drugs like cocaine, marijuana, and heroin for added side effects to the user. Either way, it’s clear that this epidemic must be dealt with on the individual level with proper education and effective rehab treatment so more overdoses don’t happen.

Drug addiction signs include huge financial loss.
The BRIDGE is meant to stop pain from opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Accelerated Opiate Detox 

In order for someone to get off their dependence of opioids, consistence detox treatment is critical. However, what makes it hard for most people with addiction is that opioids bring severe and often painful withdrawal symptoms. Medications that are prescribed to these patients also bring their own share of side effects, which only creates a longer list of headaches to deal with. This makes it easy to understand why some addicts would rather continue their use of opioids and bear the consequences than go through weeks to months of relapse or painful withdrawal.

Luckily, as of this year, the rehab treatment industry has developed a noninvasive tool for patients to deal with their cravings without experience high pain levels. This tool is called BRIDGE, and is an attached device recently cleared by the FDA for opioid withdrawal pain management. Interest in the device has grown mainly in many western states like California and Alaska where the political climate tends to be more liberal. In eastern states, people have reported feeling more skeptical of its benefits without seeing published data. As far as manufacturing goes, the device is being developed and distributed from a center in central Indiana.It works by connecting to a patient’s earlobe and emitting a subtle nerve stimulator meant to help alleviate pain. For most, the device begins to feel noticeable after they get into habit of wearing it throughout the day. While it is not meant to completely cure addiction, it does help an individual cope through the worst of the detoxification process. The great thing about the BRIDGE is that most patients feel lower amounts of pain and mental health issues within 15 to 30 minutes of attaching the device. After the device is worn consistently over time, patients are then able to see an overall improvement in their physical and mental state compared to before.

Deal With Pain Management

Thanks to new inventions like the BRIDGE device, people who seek accelerated opioid detox have an option without spending fortunes on medications that may along bring more side effects. Depending on the length and severity of a person’s addiction to opioids, their body may have to make serious readjustments as they start using the device to function normally again.

The first step anyone should take is to visit a detox center in their local area so they can gain awareness of their situation. From there, they may be assigned a counselor or a specific detox plan that includes using the BRIDGE device from home. The device is currently only accessible from permission from a certified detox center, so it’s important to make a visit to the resource as soon as possible. While learning about using the device and what lifestyle or diet changes to make, a person should never lose hope for regaining a stronger, happier, and healthier body. Relapses can always happen but that shouldn’t be an excuse to completely drop the ball on recovery. We are all in this journey together!

You can fight opioid addiction with holistic therapy and making lifestyle changes.
Holistic Health, Home Security, Mental Health

The Worst Environmental Toxins

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You want to keep your health strong at all times, so it’s critical to know what toxins can lurk in your home when you come back from the day. Some of these harmful chemicals can hide in our cooking appliances, storage items, and even our cleaning products so it’s in your best interest to stay away from them. Let’s walk through the top eight most harmful environmental toxins that may be closer to you thank you think. Cleaning up your space is essential to maintain your overall health and ensure no substances are tampering with it.

Environmental Toxins to Stay Away From

The following are toxins that sound alarm bells to keeping your home safe and sound. Even making small switches like using different materials for your home can make the biggest difference.

  1. BPA takes the cake as one of the most harmful ingredients out there. Even though it is used in several food products and foot containers it can cause unwanted acceleration in puberty, fertility issues in men and women, a greater chance of a miscarriage, and even increases the risk of developing obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Make sure you avoid buying food products in cans that can contain BPA and opt for buying groceries packaged in paper or foil instead.
  2. Dioxins are the second most harmful environmental toxin to take the list. Compounds like pesticides and PCBs belong to this group of chemicals and are directly correlated to causing hormonal issues, fertility problems, and an increase of cancer risk. Make sure you’re not using pesticides around your home and be wary of how much fatty meat you eat throughout the week. Dioxins tend to build up in the fatty tissues of animals like pigs, cows, and turkeys, and are commonly found in the food we put on our plates. Cutting out fatty meats will also help you opt for leaner meats and improve your waistline in the long term!
  3. Atrazine is the third toxin that is found in herbicides like Roundup which is applied to thousands of acres of corn, soybeans, and other veggies every year. Make sure you don’t ingest this toxin because it is known to cause infertility issues in both men and women who are exposed to it for a long time. The easiest way to avoid is it to go organic and eat less red meat. One study showed that eating organic food while avoiding eating animals that are fed tainted corn drastically decreased the risk of developing cancer.
  4. Phthalates sounds like a dangerous disease, but is actually a chemical that can cause just that.  The chemical is known to interfere with our body’s level of testosterone and estradiol, a hormone which is control of breast development. Women who developed breast cancer have been found by medical researchers to have higher levels of phthalates in their body than women who have no cancer. If you want to avoid it, make sure you aren’t buying products with artificial fragrances, vinyl curtains or flooring, and Tupperware made up of flexible plastics. Instead, use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel containers to make sure your body is safe over time.
  5. Make sure you stay away from perchlorate if you want your metabolism to function well. The chemical is meant to support the manufacturing process of rocket fuel but can be found in soil, our groundwater, and traces of it can be present in foods like eggs, dairy, and even vegetables. The water you drink can have the chemical at the highest level and can contaminate your air if you use a humidifier regularly. While it’s impossible to avoid in your food you can take iodine supplements to boost the function of your thyroid through seafood, seaweed, and other vegan dairy products as well.
  6. Flame retardants are also environmental toxins that can mess with your thyroid and even are believed to lower IQ levels in children, so make sure it’s out of your home. Furniture, carpets, and sometimes pillows can contain foam with this chemical. However, the lining of plastic on our television sets, iPhones, and even video game handles can have traces of it as well. The best way to protect yourself is to dust your surroundings, wipe down you appliances and electronics, and do your research next time you go shopping.
  7. Lead is known to be very harmful for our hormones and stress levels, so avoid paint that is mainly made of it. Paints can be tested for their amounts of leads from your local health department if you are worried or don’t know the paint that is used in your home. Additionally, water can contain traces of lead from old pipes that are made of up off brass or chrome. Make sure you get a water filter that removes this toxin and eat a diet that is organic and mainly comprised of non-dairy products.
  8. Arsenic is an environmental toxin that is known to kill in popular crime movies, but it can develop skin, lung, and bladder cancer in the rest of us if we’re exposed to enough amounts. It was historically used in common pesticides and is found in soil, but you can find high levels of the toxin in rice, apple or grape juice, and even chicken that are not free range. This is due to arsenic based chemicals being added to their feed for quicker muscle and fat growth. Luckily, a water filter will also help remove the arsenic traces in you water you use to drink and cook with. Limiting your rice consumption, eating organic chicken, and eating whole fruits instead of the juice it’s derived from will help you stay strong.

Home Bound Environment Toxins

You are in control of most of everything that can enter your home. By taking preventative measures to limit your intake of certain foods, cleaning products, and pesticides, you can ensure you can live with health and happiness!

Use cleaner materials in your home to remove air pollutants.

 

 

Drug Addiction, Mental Health

Being A Depressed Millennial

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It’s hard to say it but so many millennials these days are going through depression, anxiety, or other mental issues. Whether our families are putting too much pressure on us to succeed, we’re stuck in an abusive relationship, or we’re hooked onto a substance to overcome our emotions, it’s all damaging our health and happiness. Research has shown that millennials are marked as the most anxious and depressed generation to date. While I was initially surprised to hear this statistic, after thinking about the expectations against us and the huge role technology plays in our everyday life it makes sense. Social media tends to show us only the highlights of other people’s lives, and we never see what goes on behind closed doors. We may be hooked on to our phone and our live Snapchat feed, causing us to have less sleep and worse moods in the long run.

If you know someone who is feeling off and are slipping into a state of depression, it’s important to know what to do to help them get back on their feet. If you are feeling strong and care about their well-being, it’s critical to get educated about the types of treatment plans that available, what activities help with depression, and how to talk to people in depression in general. Let’s dive into the key things to know about!

It’s difficult to experience depression as a millennial.

Recognizing Poor Mental Health

There’s a variety of signs that point to someone in your life suffering from depression or weak mental health. They may been showing signs of being sad or irritable most of day, are losing interest in activities that once had their passion, are eating or sleeping differently, or are not doing well in their classes or job. They also may have previous thoughts of suicide, are isolating themselves from people, or turning to substances like drugs or alcohol.

The best thing to do when someone is struggling with these issues is to be supportive and open minded to what they have to say. If you want to ask them questions about how they’re doing, catch them at a time when they aren’t busy and try your best to put yourself in their shoes. You might notice that they are annoyed or aren’t being very descriptive in their answers towards you, but remember that their tone of voice is just reflection of the frustration they’re experiencing constantly with themselves. They may completely avoid you or retreat to their home or room as well, but this very normal.

When you are listening to them, tell them that you understand are make it really clear to them that you want help them, not criticize them. Be compassionate and curious with their emotions without point fingers are why they aren’t getting help already. The worst thing to do to someone’s mental health when they are depressed is to get angry at them be depressed. They would not know why, and often can’t give you an answer to such a vague or pressured question.

Get Them Help

If the person is willing to get help for themselves, make sure you accentuate how positive their decision to move forward is. That is a huge step, as doing even the smallest of actions as a depression person is very difficult. Appreciate their time and make sure that they don’t need to rush talking to a counselor or changing their habits until they are ready. However, there is a fine line between feeling ready to jump into treatment and being lazy to make a difference. If you know the person well enough, you will tell when they are scared or just simply making up excuses. The best action from that point is to get in touch with local depression specialists who can form a plan with antidepressants, counseling, support groups, holistic medicine, or another alternative depending on the person’s situation.

Dealing with depression is definitely not a one size fits all type of fix. If you know a family member or friend who followed a certain treatment method before, make sure you aren’t trying to influence the same exact plan on the person you’re helping. This type of plan is common when parents or close friends knew someone with depression and is one that will backfire and slow down their potential progress.

Often, the best results are gained from using a combination of medication and therapy so any other issues or concerns besides the depression are addressed. For example, someone may have a support group meeting a couple of times a month, a check in with their counselor once a week, and a daily antidepressant to take. The exact plan that the person you’re helping will follow will be determined after all their factors are taken into account.

While this sounds like a lot, it is necessary for a successfully completed treatment for a patient who will get used to the schedule in due time.

Depression Is A Journey

Dealing with poor mental health and anxiety disorder in millennialscan be hard because we all take on so much each day. We are constantly trying to please everyone while adjusting to the pressures of school, work, and growing into being a successful adult. The best thing to do if you or someone you know is depressed is to talk about your experiences then see a medical expert. You will great knowing that your health is in good hands and not the unknown future.

It’s also never embarrassing to talk about depression, as we have all felt it at some point and most people will understand that you are not feeling your best. It actually is far better to admit you have a problem are willing to work through it. Taking action says a lot about a person!

Planning a drug intervention takes several steps.
Get over depression as a millennial.
Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

Drug Cravings and Opioid Withdrawal

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Opioid withdrawal and dealing with drug cravings can be extremely difficult for anyone. No matter how tough or determined a person who is addiction to painkillers is, the intense withdrawal symptoms that they experience can seriously demotivate their efforts to get sober. Opioids are designed as a class of drugs working in the brain to relieve pain or discomfort. They are often found in popular prescription medications like painkillers or even heroin. Opioids function by blocking certain receptors between the brain and the rest of the body so a patient doesn’t have to feel intense feelings of pain.

In addition to blocking certain receptors in the brain, opioids also are commonly known to make some people feel relaxed or very happy in a “high” that becomes addictive. It’s incredibly important for a person prescribed to opioids or currently taking other forms of the drug to understand the physical risks from its side effects and how to get over acute withdrawal.

With the current opioid overdose epidemic taking the United States by storm, make sure that you don’t fall victim to the clutch of its effect. Let’s break down how opioid and heroin withdrawal occurs along with what you can do to protect yourself in the long run.

Drug interventions can prevent further damage to an addict's life.
Drug cravings can be hard to deal with without support.

What Are Withdrawal Symptoms? 

Some of the most popular prescribed opioids are oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, tramadol, and methadone. These might sound familiar if you’ve ever taken a trip to the doctor for an injury or were recovering from a surgery. These opioids allshare the main symptomsof passing euphoria, chronic drowsiness or lethargy, and easily build tolerance in one’s body to high doses.

Once a person wants to takes a break from using the drug for a few days to even a couple hours, they can easily experience other withdrawal symptoms that are unwanted. These include uneasy feelings like dry mouth, dizziness, trouble breathing, abnormal weight loss, headaches, random shaking or sweating, and even hallucinations in some people.

With those effects in mind, it becomes easier to understand why some people don’t want to fight the physical and mental struggle of becoming sober. In some circumstances with people who avidly use the drug, psychological symptoms that include drug cravings can go on for much longer than a week and go past the traditional opioid withdrawal timelinefor the drug. Someone who takes notice of its persistence should seek medically supervised detox services as soon as possible so they can work on their variety of symptoms.

Treating Opioid Withdrawal

While there is no magic fix for someone going through opioid withdrawal symptoms, there are three main components to successfully maintain a sober mind and body. If you’re currently suffering from acute opioid withdrawal and don’t know what to do first, pay attention.

With the help of a detox facility, a person can learn much more about their health and organize a battle plan for getting over symptoms that may arise in the future. The first pillar of reaching sustainable health is receiving thorough education about an opioid addiction. It is important that every patient understands that it is okay to not feeling completely healthy and recovered during the beginning of a sobriety process. Good things take time, and when it comes to safely easing your body off a powerful drug you need as much patience as possible. This is especially crucial for opioid addiction because quitting cold-turkey could be lethal. Learning about all the symptoms of protracted withdrawal can also help you create your own realistic views of the healing process overall. Once you can identify what the common symptoms in your body are, you will be more confident to know what to watch out for and manage with appropriate support.

The second pillar to successful detox from opioid withdrawal includes receiving enough encouragement throughout the entire process. If you are hooked on to having a dose nearly every day and are suddenly tapering your use, you might be experiencing difficult memory and concentration difficulties. However, with enough support from mental health professionals you can learn how to deal with feelings of demotivation when uncomfortable symptoms or a risk of relapse arise. No matter how different our bodies are, we all can benefit from consistent encouragement from professionals and our loved ones. Knowing you have a team to back you up and keep you accountable is key to stay on track.

The third pillar is ensuring the body gets enough rest to recover from withdrawal effects. Many detox professionals can help you identify whether your current sleep issues are due to acute withdrawal or are a result of other causes in your life. Throughout the process you can also gain education about the benefits of keeping great sleeping habits, setting up an environment for consistent sleep, and tapering the use of substances like caffeine that may interfere with sound rest. Believe it or not, our body works hard to repair our cells and repair muscles while we sleep every night. Make sure you get enough quality shut eye to feel your best the next day!

It’s Never Too Late

Even if starting the process of opioid detox sounds too frustrating and drawn out, think of the long term benefits your body, mind, and spirit will gain. Would you rather stay reliant on using an opioid for years or spend a few months with some discomfort to come out stronger, more confident, and more independent than before?

No matter how subtle or intense your symptoms are, it’s always a good idea to swallow your pride and see a detox specialist in your local area who can hear out your experiences. After gaining more knowledge about your drug use history and lifestyle, they can form a pinpointed plan to get your body on the right track to sobriety. Don’t be afraid to reach out!

 

 

Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

Dealing With An Opioid Addiction

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No one is immune to the effects of an opioid addiction. What might feel like a few extra hits for fun here and there can easily turn into a full-fledged dependence on getting high several times a week. As a college student, I’ve seen people make the wrong decisions and hang out with people who can easily persuade them into taking opioids for fun. This makes sense, we all want to be seen as a little cooler right? Yet, the person who takes the leap to consume opioids for the first time, even if it was actually prescribed to them by a doctor, will never realize how quickly their body will start strongly craving it.

Usually, it’s too late before they’re too affected by symptoms and greatly need opioid withdrawal treatment. Let’s look at what treatment options are available if you happen to know someone who’s struggling and want to help spread the word.

Opioid Withdrawal Treatment Methods

Knowing what options are available for opioid withdrawal treatment is vital for success. Without the assistance of a medically-supervised detox program a person can have numerous risks during withdrawal symptoms. These are intense physical and mental health experiences that can often relapse and prevent successful sobriety. This is because opiate drugs easily form an intense physical dependence which can be extremely painful if not consumption isn’t tapered off correctly. As a result, it’ll take far more than simply strong willpower to break free of opioid drug abuse. While it might be a long-term process, using the right mix of medications and counseling can drastically improve a patient’s chances of success.

Opioid withdrawal treatmentsneed to be conducted with the help from professionally trained medical staff members because going “cold turkey” during a detox can be lethal. Tapering gradually is extremely necessary. .

One of the most major medicines used for opioid withdrawal treatment isDolophine, an opioid that works for a long duration and targets the same areas of your body that opioids do. Patients can usually take it every day after going to a specialized addiction clinic that provides it. With the right dose, it works to combat cravings and the intense withdrawal symptoms people have a hard time dealing with.

Buprenorphineis another medication that lasts for a shorter time but also concentrates on the same receptors in your brain that opiates affect. While it has a much lower risk of lethal overdose, it doesn’t work as strongly. It comes in shot, pill, skin patch, and even a film form that attaches to the inside of your mouth to work. This is the most preferred method for treatment if you have a body that is especially sensitive to new drugs and chemicals.

The third most popular medication for opioid withdrawal treatment is Lucera, which helps to ease symptoms when a patient needs to have rapid detoxification from the drug. Doctors have approved it to be used for up to fourteen days, which typically follows the length of time that most patients need to quickly clear their system.

All things considered, there’s also a handful of new treatment medications for opioid addictionnow available to try and are clinically proven to help ease off withdrawal symptoms.

It Takes A Team

Regardless of the mediation that a patient chooses to use, their overall chances of beating opioid addiction and dependence are far higher with long-term talk therapy or support groups that strengthen their motivation. There are also many online addiction recovery resourcesthat can provide suggestions or advice. In the past few years, there has been a huge rise in the adoption of peer support services to assist recovery from drug use disorders. Having people who are going through the same type of issues makes a big difference to help a patient feel supported, accountable, and determined to reach full recovery. Being successfully sober from an intense drug is a long journey, but having people to walk with them along the way makes the bad days somewhat easier to deal with.

Additionally, it can immensely help a patient to seek a counselor who specializes in drug abuse to talk a few times a month to once a week. Having another safe space to talk about withdrawal symptoms, social struggles, and physical pain is incredibly useful for a patient. The people I know who took the leap to talk to a professional when they had drug issues have been finding it much easier to stay sober and do what’s right for their body. Look up what resources are open online and in your community if you or someone you know is trying to find help with their opioid addiction.

Don’t Give Up

Being held down by the withdrawal symptoms of an opioid addiction is extremely hard. Sometimes you’ll want to through in the bag and just go back to using the drug so you don’t have to deal with the mental and physical pain that it brings. Making the first choice to taper off your opioid consumption is already a great step in the right direction Remember that no one can go through addiction rehab alone either, so take your time to look at your schedule and find a time in the next week to see a professional who can help guide you to the right medication, therapy, and support groups. Nothing is impossible to overcome if you try your absolute best and stay consistent with your treatment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

Chronic Inflammation And Your Lifestyle

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No one enjoys having chronic inflammation throughout the day, especially when it causes great discomfort. While inflammation is a completely natural process in the body which will help with injury, there’s no need to suffer when you can’t handle the discomfort of your symptoms.

Chronic inflammation, the bad kind of inflammation, happens when the natural process doesn’t get turned off by your body when it normally should. As a result, if it continues for years, your body can go down a bad road of disease. Inflammation is linked to causing cancer, as ample research show the inflammation is present well before tumors begin to develop and transform. With that in mind, we don’t want any inflammation lurking around in our body. Let’s look at the top ten ways to get rid of it so you can rest assured you’re as strong, healthy, and energetic as possible!

Ways To Overcome Chronic Inflammation

  1. Avoid overly processed foods. This means cutting out as much sugar, white flour, and high fructose corn syrup as possible in order to reap anti-inflammatory benefits. When we eat foods that are laced with harmful ingredients throughout their manufacturing process, our body can easily respond with inflammation and work against our internal system. Once you start making an effort to remove these foods from your everyday diet, you’ll not only feel more energetic but your skin will likely break out less too. However, don’t totally deprive yourself if you’re craving a bowl of ice cream or a few cookies. Treat them as a reward for your hard work and commitment to healthy eating throughout the week. As long as you aren’t going overboard, you still are making steps in the right direction!
  2. Lower your levels of nutritional stress. You can easily create high levels and chronic inflammation from nutritional stress if you eat foods that are not properly prepared. For example, if you don’t soak nuts before eating them or boil cruciferous vegetables thoroughly, anti-nutrients can make your digestion do a lot of extra work. I highly suggest that you look into planning a sauté, bake, or steaming session for your vegetables so that they do not cause any distress.
  3. Take out foods you’re allergic to. Eating foods that you have a history of issues with can cause inflammation, even if they’re considered “healthy”. Start paying very close attention to what you eat and how your body reacts to it. If you find yourself feeling dizzy or irritable after eating something in particular, take some notes and remember to not include it in your next dish.
  4. Drink enough water. This sounds so cliche but our bodies are constantly craving water to run the best it can. We are made up of 60% water, and most people still aren’t drinking enough water or drinking the best quality of water! Stop taking in sugar loaded lattes or fruit juice that won’t do anything beneficial for your body. Without enough water, your detox systems won’t be able to clear out the built up toxins circulating in your body as well.
  5. Are you constantly including lots of animal protein in your diet? Make sure you watch what sources you consume as eating too much protein can cause an inflammatory response in your body. If you are into fitness and are used to drinking whey protein shakes every day, think about exploring vegan options that are a little easier on the stomach.
  6. Get in enough fatty acids. Omega-3 and Omega-6 are noted as essential acids that our body desperately needs. However, Omega-6 fatty acids are the kind that can heavily increase chronic inflammation in our bodies, while Omega-3 fatty acids do the opposite to lower it. Unfortunately, we don’t realize that Omega-6 is found in seeds and nuts and the oils made from them. This is why we have to do our bust to cut out the packaged and heavily processed foods that incorporate those oils. The best kinds of fish to get enough Omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, cod, and tuna. Eat them straight from the grill or bake them with fresh veggies for a healthy and inflammation fighting meal!
  7. Get enough sleep. This is a no brainer that will you help you in almost every aspect of your life. If you aren’t getting enough rest each night, your mind and body will deteriorate because it can’t do its job. Just remember the last time you went to work or sat in class totally sleep deprived. How did you feel? Most likely you felt like your body was working against you. If you continually have nights where you aren’t prioritizing sleep enough, you’ll find yourself feeling weak and getting sick more often. Those signs are definitely not ones you want to experience if you already are struggling with chronic inflammation! Turn off notifications when it gets closer to your bedtime and create a night time routine so your mind is prepared to relax. This will do wonders for your mental health and you’ll find that falling asleep will be much easier!

Conquering Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation can feel like a mountain to overcome if you’ve been taking medication, are trying every piece of advice online, and are praying for the best. Luckily, you don’t need to fret because you can easily talk to an expert who can give you advice based on your personal health history. Lots of the information posted on health sites is for general audiences, so what worked for the author might not be the same method that will best fit your needs. If you feel that you need more help with dealing with your inflammation, seek the opinion of a professional functional medicine doctor as soon as possible! You’ll learn more about yourself and how to cope along the way!

Eat the right foods to combat chronic inflammation.
Eat the right foods to combat chronic inflammation.

 

 

Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health

Symptoms of Depression

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Our nation as a whole is experiencing a widespread epidemic of depression. The rates are growing quicker than ever, especially with teenagers who are combated with more stress than teens of the past couple decades. With the pressure of excelling in school, maintaining a proper social life, performing in extracurriculars, pleasing parents, and looking perfect on Instagram, there’s a lot to go through as an adolescent. Symptoms of depression can take a while to develop as they go through these motions in life, but not addressing them early can lead to seriously negative consequences.

When a teenager is feeling depressed, his or her mental suffering isn’t the only reason it’s important to get professional help. In addition to the depression disorder itself, there are several other effects that may cause lifelong issues if it’s left in the dust to deal with. From extremely low energy, poor concentration in class, to a drop in social and academic motivation, the consequences are brutal for a young person to work through alone. If you remember how you thought in middle or high school, you’ll find that your confidence and self-image was still pretty weak because fitting in was the most important at the time. If you mix in long term symptoms of depression, that already wobbly sense of integrity can shatter and impact a potentially successful future. If you happen to know a teenager in your life who has depression, make sure you are educated enough on the types of depression there are and the causes of depressionto ensure you can point them to the best treatment possible.

Symptoms of depression can be cured.
You can get through symptoms of depression.

Causes of Depression

Depression in teenagers can be traced from several different causes. The variety of negative effectsof teenage depression go far beyond just having a mood that is more sad than usual. Depression can basically destroy the basics of your teen’s personality, lead to an overwhelming feeling of sadness, frustration, and fatigue. Many rebellious and unhealthy behaviors in teenagers are key signs of depression as well since they are trying to cope with changes happening in their body. In turn, they tend to act out their problems by replying to questions with anger, hiding their whereabouts during the day, turning to secret behaviors of drugs or alcohol, and hanging out with friends who cause trouble.

To deal with these behaviors, make sure to act as compassionate and curious as much as possible. You don’t want to come across as aggravating or too judgmental. Ask your teenager more open ended questions about their mood in a gentle manner, without acting too emotional. Even friends or parents who have the best intentions will have trouble realizing that they’re being too critical. The biggest mistake to make here is to try to solve their problems are pry into the people who make up their social life. Teenagers want to have a listening ear but still want their privacy as well to feel confident in their own skin. This way, you’re letting them know that you are hearing them out and aren’t trying to fix their personal concerns. No one likes to feel like the submissive party so be sure to treat them as an equal despite their odd behavior. By the time they feel ready enough to open up and talk, then you’ll have a better idea of what types of treatments you can recommend.

Types of Depression

Understanding the type of depressiona teenager is experiencinghelps doctors and their family determine what treatment is best. And for those who diagnosed with depression, knowing more about their specific disorder can be extremely helpful. More than 16 million Americans in a given year experience the most common type of depression: it is  known as major depression or clinical depression.

In order to be diagnosed with this disorder, a person must have at least five symptoms occurring for at least two weeks or longer to be diagnosed. Those symptoms can include feeling extremely sad during the day, feelings of  emptiness, worthlessness, low energy, little appetite, and zero interest in activities that were once enjoyable. If a person isn’t responding well to anti-depression treatment, they are then diagnosed with “treatment resistant depression” from their doctors. This can be due to medication not being strong enough or having a genetic trait from their parents that are more prone to developing the disorder in general. Helping people overcome treatment-resistant depression calls for an extremely thorough check up to ensure a proper diagnosis for their physical and mental symptoms.

On the other hand, a teenager who has a few of the classic symptoms of depression but not  quite check all of them calls for a diagnosis of “subsyndromal depression.” This means that the person may have only three or four symptoms that have been occurring for a period of time shorter than the usual two weeks. If the person can still carry on with their everyday responsibilities, experts won’t classify the disorder as one that is severe as simple lifestyle changes can be made to improve their health. However, if the person is indeed struggling, they can still benefit from a customized treatment plan that involves the use of medication.

Make A Move

Teenagers are known to be the most stubborn humans on Earth, but don’t let their aggressive behavior stop you from pointing them in the right direction for treatment. If he or she is displaying some key signs of depression, make sure to sit down with them to talk about their situation so you can explore what options are available!