Recovery Michigan

http://goo.gl/OtAlwl

In a draft, unpublished report obtained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Professor Stanko claims that despite a decade of reform the percentage of prosecutions and convictions of rape has remained consistently low. She says this is largely because two thirds of rape allegations drop out during the police investigation stage.

The problem is particularly acute for people with vulnerabilities such as mental health issues and learning difficulties for whom the likelihood of getting their cases solved is extremely remote.

“These women face almost unsurmountable obstacles to justice,” Professor Stanko says. “Their rape is highly unlikely to carry a sanction, and in that sense, it is decriminalised.”

Her research shows that people with mental health issues are 40 per cent less likely to have their case referred to the police for prosecution than people without these difficulties. People with learning difficulties were 67 per cent less likely to have their case referred.

http://goo.gl/Tg4lZa

Professor Graham Thornicroft, from the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King's College London and senior author of the paper, says: "We now have clear evidence that stigma has a toxic effect by preventing people seeking help for mental health problems. The profound reluctance to be "a mental health patient" means people will put off seeing a doctor for months, years, or even at all, which in turn delays their recovery."

http://goo.gl/akm5eZ

Thoughts of suicide, sexual difficulties and emotional numbness as a result of anti-depressants may be more widespread than previously thought, a researcher has found. In a survey of 1,829 people who had been prescribed anti-depressants, the researchers found large numbers of people -- over half in some cases -- reporting on psychological problems due to their medication, which has led to growing concerns about the scale of the problem of over-prescription of these drugs.

http://goo.gl/TRkctf

the bill, among other things, includes: restoring cost-of-living increases for military retiree pensions; expanding Department of Veterans Affairs health care, allowing the VA to acquire 27 new medical facilities and paying for reproductive services for 2,300 troops wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

It would expand compensation for family caregivers of disabled veterans — something now provided for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan — to families of veterans of all wars.

Well, except for the Tetris craving...

http://goo.gl/qUGqgV

Playing Tetris for just three minutes can reduce the strength of cravings for food, cigarettes and alcohol, according to a study.

Psychologists say the visual stimulation provided by the computer game can reduce naturally-occurring cravings for long enough to ward them off.

They believe it could give a "quick and manageable" fix for people struggling with diets, smoking and alcohol – providing an "essential boost for willpower".

"Episodes of craving normally only last a few minutes, during which time an individual is visualising what they want and the reward it will bring. Often those feelings result in the person giving in and consuming the very thing they are trying to resist. But by playing Tetris, just in short bursts, you are preventing your brain creating those enticing images and without them the craving fades."

http://goo.gl/MzmHA6

'The tragic loss of life among working age adults is an issue that urgently needs to be tackled in the workplace itself, where we spend so much of our lives, and which can be the source of so much stress - especially to those who are vulnerable because of poor mental health or other factors.'

'The workplace is also a great place to connect with men who might be struggling.'

http://mitss.org/

OUR PURPOSE

To create awareness, promote open and honest communication, and to provide services to patients, families, and clinicians affected by medically induced trauma.

OUR VISION

Our vision is for all those involved in a medically induced trauma to have access to support services.  We envision a more compassionate, people-centered healthcare system.

http://goo.gl/tqYEo5

So, where can self-harmers go to redirect their focus on the positive?

Find Interesting Websites with Positive Messages about Self-Harm

Being a writer, I am a fan of quotes. You see them all over Facebook and Instragram and those are just a few places to go to for a pick-me-ups instead of searching for negative photos and websites.

Pinterest is also full of positive quotes and messages. Just search for them and thousands pop up. Find a few that really make you think and write them in a notebook. When you feel as if you are heading down a negative path, open up the notebook and look at a few.

It’s also fun to put Dove chocolate wrappers in there – they have fun quotes on the inside of the wrappers.

Since you are reading this blog, you have already found a website that supports overcoming any kind of struggle, including self-harm. There are so many websites out there that want to help those who self-harm move towards a positive future. Google those websites instead, when you are about to look for the negative ones.

http://goo.gl/f9Iu3M

The research team found that among boys, those with depressive symptoms and high levels of cortisol in their saliva were 14 times more likely to develop clinical depression, compared with boys who had low levels of cortisol and no depressive symptoms.

However, girls with depressive symptoms and high cortisol levels were only four times more likely to develop clinical depression, compared with girls with no symptoms of depression and low cortisol levels.

Great idea. Hasn't made it to the midwest yet....

http://aa-meetings.com/

AA-meetings.com is a solution-based online recovery community. It is a online resource for Alcoholics and Addicts in recovery,  and the families and friends of those suffering from this illness. It was created for people to find information on a online medium. AA-Meetings can assist you in Finding Your first meeting!  There is NEVER a charge for you to join us or to use any of our services. 

NEW AA MEETING LOCATOR NEW

 Just added... All of the West Coast including Arizona and Nevada. Also Northern New Jersey and Eastern Massachusetts... We currently have over 35,000 meetings added into our database and adding more everyday... To see some info about how the AA Meeting Locator works you can check this page out.