Monthly Archive for: ‘January, 2014’
14 Signs You’re Really Happy
14 Signs You’re Really Happy (And How To Stay That Way)
If someone on the street asked you if you were happy — what would you say?
Many factors influence how we feel on a day-to-day basis, whether it’s a struggle at work or an issue in our personal lives, and most of them can decline our feelings of positivity and well-being. And we aren’t alone — according to the 2013 World Happiness Report, North American countries are less happy now than they were five years ago. But, as scientific research has discovered, happiness, to some extent, is a choice – so why does it sometimes feel so hard to choose it?
One answer is a bit surprising: As it turns out, we may be more joyful than we realize — we just aren’t mindful of the signs. While no one can escape the pressures of jobs, inevitable conflicts and even bouts of depression and anxiety, much of our emotional well-being isn’t entirely dependent on external circumstance. To find more happiness, you might just want to look on the bright side.
Read more… 14 signs you really do have a sunny disposition — and how to keep it that way.
5 Tips for Finding a Good Therapist
It’s a new year, you’ve set new goals, and you’ve decided it’s time to go to therapy. Now what? Entering “find therapist” into your google search window is not going to help. There are a lot of therapists out there, but finding the right one for you can be as daunting as trying to find a good date online.
After more than 15 years of seeing a variety of therapists myself, I’ve had my share of bad experiences. I once met with a therapist who greeted me at the door dripping sweat and dressed like Run-D.M.C. (sans gold chain), straight from the gym. And while I don’t think a therapist’s outfit is a reflection of competence, I do appreciate a person who cools down first and dresses in a professional manner. And then there was the woman whose first question was “So, what’s wrong with you?” Not exactly the best way to create a sense of safety.
But don’t let me scare you off, I’ve also had amazing, life-altering, not-sure-what-I-would’ve-done-without-’em therapists. So even if it sounds like you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your “theraprince,” the result is definitely worth it. Below you will find my top five tips for how to find an awesome therapist.
(Still not sure therapy is for you? Check out my top five reasons why everyone should go to therapy.)
Read 5 Tips for Finding a Good Therapist…
When Treating Addiction, Don’t Forget Patients’ Other Health Issues
“We don’t want to forget the rest of health when treating substance use disorders,”
When Treating Addiction, Don’t Forget Patients’ Other Health Issues
Helping patients with substance use disorders manage their other health problems can assist them in their recovery, says Sharone Abramowitz, MD, co-chair of the recent California Society of Addiction Medicine conference. She notes addiction medicine professionals often ignore patients’ other chronic health conditions.
“We don’t want to forget the rest of health when treating substance use disorders,” says Dr. Abramowitz, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in private practice and Director of Behavioral and Addiction Medicine for the Primary Care Medicine Training Program at Alameda Health System. “It’s not just about relapse prevention – we also want to focus on things that improve health.”
People addicted to drugs or alcohol may be out of touch with their bodies, she says. “Often there’s been a lot of damage to their health through substance abuse. We may have to help them deal with diet, exercise, medication management and access to other physical health resources they may need. They can be driven back to using if they are struggling with poor health control.”
This holistic approach is not common in the addiction medicine field, she observes. “Often in substance abuse treatment, we are very focused on helping the person maintain recovery and prevent relapse, with 12-step work and medications that can help in the substance abuse recovery process and co-morbid mental health recovery processes.”
Drugged Driving
Drugged Driving
Use of any psychoactive (mind-altering) drug makes it highly unsafe to drive a car and is illegal—just like driving after drinking alcohol. Drugged driving puts at risk not only the driver but also passengers and others who share the road.
Why Is Drugged Driving Hazardous?
The effects of specific drugs of abuse differ depending on how they act in the brain, but all impair faculties necessary for the safe operation of a vehicle. These faculties include motor skills, balance and coordination, perception, attention, reaction time, and judgment. Even small amounts of some drugs can have a measurable effect on driving ability.
How Many People Take Drugs and Drive?
According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 10.3 million people aged 12 or older (or 3.9 percent of adolescents and adults) reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the year prior to being surveyed. This was higher than the rate in 2011 (3.7percent) and lower than the rate in 2002 (4.7 percent). By comparison, in 2012, an estimated 29.1 million persons (11.2 percent) reported driving under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past year. (This percentage has dropped since 2002, when it was 14.2 percent.)
Tobacco, Addiction and Mental Illness
Tobacco, Addiction and Mental Illness
Addiction goes hand in hand with other mental illnesses. People with psychiatric conditions smoke at twice to four times the rate of the general population, and they are estimated to purchase nearly half of all cigarettes sold in this country. Yet physicians have tended to ignore the smoking behavior of their psychiatric patients.
A new study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research reveals the mortality toll caused by the elevated smoking rates in psychiatric patients. The study used death certificate data and hospital records for individuals over 35 who had been hospitalized for a psychiatric illness in California between 1990 and 2005 to calculate standardized mortality ratios for diseases causally linked to tobacco use. Markedly increased mortality from respiratory or cardiovascular diseases (although not cancers) was found in this population. There were 145% more deaths from tobacco-related diseases in people with schizophrenia than would be expected in the general population; 57% more deaths in people with bipolar disorder; and 95% more deaths in people with depression.
