Meet Danielle Walker When Danielle Walker was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, physicians told her that her illness could be well-managed with medication. But, Danielle’s symptoms didn’t go away. In fact, flare ups caused her to lose a lot of weight and she required frequent hospitalizations. While she didn’t want to abandon traditional medicine altogether, she also didn’t want to sit by and idly allow her condition to deteriorate. She decided she had to save herself....

It is important to learn the difference between enabling and helping. If you recognize that you are an enabler, you can explore some practical tips and examples on how to stop enabling an individual with an alcohol abuse problem. Enabling vs. Helping Many times while trying to help, friends, family members, and loved ones actually make the situation worse by enabling a person who misuses alcohol (such as giving them the types of gifts that can enable their addiction)....

Your worries are completely valid. In 2020, a group of researchers teamed up to examine the impact 21st-century viral epidemics have on mental health. The review, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, showed that living through an epidemic can lead to a variety of mental health conditions, the most common being anxiety, depression, and PTSD. In some cases, these effects lingered long after the epidemics subsided. For these reasons, the best thing you can do is to think outside the box about how to offer your support from a distance....

Depressants affect the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which slows down your brain activity. This can lead to side effects such as relaxation, drowsiness, slurred speech, decreased inhibition, and problems with coordination. In addition, drinking alcohol quickly and in large amounts can lead to more severe symptoms, such as memory loss, coma, even death. How Depressants Affect the Mind and Body It’s a common misconception that alcohol is a stimulant because it produces many stimulating effects like increased heart rate, alertness, and aggression....

It is also used to treat fibromyalgia, nerve pain, and chronic pain. It may also be prescribed off-label to treat chronic fatigue syndrome, lower back pain, and stress-related urinary incontinence. This medication can have a variety of effects on your body and it may create unwanted side effects if you mix it with alcohol or other substances. If you are currently taking Cymbalta, it is important to be aware of the potential side effects, interactions, and risks of mixing this medication with alcohol....

Neuroticism can affect relationships in various ways. Neurotic tendencies, for example, can sometimes cause friction. Learn how neuroticism can affect relationships, as well as a few ways to keep the potentially negative impact of this personality trait to a minimum. What Is Neuroticism? Neuroticism is a trait that reflects a person’s level of emotional stability. It is often defined as a negative personality trait involving negative emotions, poor self-regulation (an inability to manage urges), trouble dealing with stress, a strong reaction to perceived threats, and the tendency to complain....

The construct of food addiction is controversial, however studies have shown characteristics of other addiction in relationship to food, such as effects on the brain reward system, impaired control, risky use, tolerance, and withdrawal. These seem to fit better with concepts of substance use disorder rather than behavioral addictions. Sugar addiction is one of the most common types of food addiction—all the more insidious because, often, we don’t even know it is there....

But what do the experts say? Is this just one more vice (or device) that, like with alcohol or drug addiction, can completely take over and negatively impact one’s world? Can you really be addicted to video games? The Latest Word on Video Game Addiction Video game addiction is not included in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is the DSM-5. This is the manual used to diagnose mental health disorders, which includes addictions....

The Overall Job Outlook for Psychologists According to their 2020 predictions, the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that the demand for psychologists overall will grow at a rate of 3 percent through the year 2029. While this is about as fast as the average for all occupations, actual employment growth may vary considerably depending upon your specialty area and occupation. For example, the demand for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists is expected to grow by 3 percent over the next decade while the demand for social scientists is expected to grow by 4 percent....

Kratom contains powerful alkaloids that have stimulating, pain-relieving, and mood-altering effects on the brain. It has also been used by some to relieve the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Longer-term use of kratom can result in dependence. Kratom withdrawal, which can last between 3 and 10 days, may produce unpleasant symptoms like cravings, muscles aches, and nausea. This article covers everything you need to know about kratom and kratom withdrawal, including symptoms, a timeline, and how to seek help....

Being in a liminal space can be incredibly uncomfortable for most people. Brains crave homeostasis and predictability, and liminal space is everything but. Origin of the Term Anthropologist Arnold van Gennep first wrote about the concept of liminality when he developed the idea of the rites of passage. He defined a “rite of separation” (preliminary rite), rite of transition (liminal rite), and rite of incorporation (post-liminal rite). This transition theory explained that changes in people’s life stages follow this pattern....

Infancy Even when Jordan was an infant, there was something very different about her. She reacted intensely to most things. She was easily upset, didn’t adjust easily to new people or places, and was hard to comfort. But she was just a baby; it seemed too soon to become concerned. Her parents assumed that this was a phase and that Jordan would eventually grow out of this behavior. Childhood Behavior As Jordan got older, she continued to be easily upset and hard to comfort, and she had very severe separation anxiety....

If you’re drinking excessively or regularly, you are increasing the risk of adverse medication reactions. The combination of medication and alcohol can lead to serious health consequences, including overdose and even death. Here is what you need to know about the possible unsafe interactions between alcohol and common prescription and over-the-counter medications. Why Medications and Alcohol Don’t Mix According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there are several reasons that it can be harmful to mix medications and alcohol....

This article covers why hearing loss can be so impactful to one’s mental health, the causes of hearing loss, and hearing loss treatment. Why Is Hearing Loss So Important? Hearing loss affects your functioning at home and at work. It affects your ease in handling everyday activities, like answering the cashier at the grocery store or responding to a question from your bank teller. You are likely to get into a conflict with people if you continually misunderstand what they say....

Some of the most common opiates and opioids include: Morphine (Kadian, Avinza) Codeine Hydrocodone (Vicodin) Fentanyl Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) Heroin Opiates Definition Opiates can be defined as any drug that comes from the opium alkaloid compounds that naturally occur in the poppy plant. These substances affect the opioid receptors in the brain and body to produce pain relief. Types of Opiates There are a few different types of opiates: CodeineMorphineOpiumThebaine...

Those who do not have SAD may be afraid to use the phone. They may be more comfortable in direct social interactions, perhaps due to the fact that face-to-face settings allow them to be able to read non-verbal cues, like facial expressions. However, those with SAD obviously suffer from the opposite. If you are dealing with this condition, a phone fear may reflect issues you are dealing with regarding interaction with others in general....

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. You probably know something is wrong in your life, but feel as though you need advice or direction to put you at ease and give you hope that your problem can be solved. If this is the situation that you are in, know that there are steps you can take to get the help that you need and to start feeling better....

Suggested Symptoms of Post-Abortion Stress Syndrome PASS is not a psychological condition identified by the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), nor is it recognized by any major health or mental health organizations. In fact, organizations like the American Psychiatric Association and the Center for Reproductive Rights have put out statements explaining that post-abortion stress syndrome is not an actual mental health condition. The syndrome is mainly shared among anti-abortion groups....