Recovery Michigan

This is an article from Cracked, and the language and ideas are blunt and unpleasant, with triggers.....

http://goo.gl/f9HspE

One day I woke up with what felt like a flu, and it wasn't until I got some more dope to "help my flu" that I realized I was "junk sick" -- the term users have for the early stages of withdrawal. It was after that -- after I was addicted -- that I turned to the needle. Once you're at the stage where you're even considering the needle, you long ago forgot about "squeamishness" right along with "work" and "everything else you ever wanted to accomplish in your life."

http://goo.gl/nlJr3l

Having spent years as a victim of acute anger problems before finding the courage and strength to cure myself, I can tell you, anger is good. No, that’s not a typo. Anger is an instinct which Nature programmed into us so that we can save ourselves from danger, and it’s healthy. What’s unhealthy however, is what I was – a slave of my anger instead of being its master. No prizes for guessing how it was affecting my life and relationships. 

http://goo.gl/9a8f2Q

The year-long study from a multi-institutional research team found that pregabalin - which is FDA-approved to treat nerve pain, seizures, and other conditions - was effective in reducing RLS symptoms and was much less likely to cause symptom worsening than pramipexole, one of several drugs that activate the dopamine neurotransmission system and are FDA approved for treatment of RLS.

"Our key finding is that dopaminergic drugs, while very effective for many people with RLS, can worsen symptoms in some patients over time, while non-dopaminergic pregabalin is not associated with this disturbing side effect," says John Winkelman, MD, PhD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry, senior author of the study. "Those treating RLS patients with dopaminergic drugs need to be aware of this common complication and exercise caution if their symptoms worsen."

http://goo.gl/PnwELE

"Clinicians tend to treat the depression, alcohol dependence or drug problem first and allow patients to 'self-medicate' with cigarettes if necessary," said lead investigator Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg, PhD. "The assumption is that psychiatric problems are more challenging to treat and that quitting smoking may interfere with treatment."

But in the study, Cavazos-Rehg, an assistant professor of psychiatry, found that quitting or significantly cutting back on cigarette smoking was linked to improved mental health outcomes. Quitting altogether or reducing by half the number of cigarettes smoked daily was associated with lower risk for mood disorders like depression, as well as a lower likelihood of alcohol and drug problems.

http://goo.gl/5Ra5O8

The researchers gave a questionnaire to 566 teenagers between 13 and 18 years old, all of whom had conditions ranging from ADHD and depressionto anxiety, eating disorders and a range of autistic disorders.

The teens were asked whether or not they had physical pain, and if so, what kind of pain and where it was located. All the youths were participants in a larger health survey conducted by St Olavs Hospital in Trondheim, Norway from 2009-2011.

Seven out of ten answered that they suffered from chronic pain. Among depressed adolescents, the percentage was even higher, with eight out of ten reporting chronic pain, most often musculoskeletal pain. Girls reported having pain more often than boys, no matter their mental health diagnosis.

http://goo.gl/hTIGi0

Does your child get upset by tags in clothing, the sound of flushing toilets, or certain smells in the environment? If so, your child could be having difficulties with sensory defensiveness. Sensory defensiveness is a negative reaction to one or more types of sensations which require you as the parent to control his/her daily routine to avoid such things or deal with the fall out. These may include touch, movement, sound, taste/texture, or smell.

http://goo.gl/M5rpSt

Sometimes panic attacks feel like they come out of the blue, but there is usuallya trigger. The trigger is that you are scared of panic attacks. And why wouldn’t you be? They are one of the most uncomfortable experiences on this planet. Having a list of tools can also make you less afraid of the panic coming.

1. Have an exit plan.Sometimes knowing we have a plan to leave a situation helps us not be so afraid of trying something new. For example, know you can excuse yourself, you can have your own car to drive home, or you have a friend to support you can make all the difference. We are often scared to get anxiety and not be able to do anything about it.  We are afraid of being out of control. Making a plan will make you feel more in control and this counters the anxiety.

http://goo.gl/F1UxND

In reaching teens, crisis hotlines have had to adapt not only to what they say, but how they say it. While counseling teens by phone is still the dominant method of communication, texting has become a popular way for teens to contact crisis centers in their times of need. A recent story in The New York Times takes a look at what Crisis Text Line and other centers have accomplished in the field of helping teens using their preferred medium of communication.

http://goo.gl/IEHr59

Nevertheless, yogurt contains calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and fatty acids, all of which have known health benefits, according to Forouhi. The fermentation process that turns milk into yogurt also produces probiotic bacteria and “specific types of vitamin K,” that are known to be beneficial.

While Forouhi and her team stopped short of identifying a mechanism for the protective effects of yogurt, it’s likely that probiotic bacteria play a key role. Recent research has pointed towards the role of gut bacteria in mediating inflammation and thus increasing or decreasing the risk of numerous diseases including colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease, as well as diabetes.

In the last few years, studies have also suggested that eating nonfat and low-fat yogurt can aid weight loss, and boost immunity. How much yogurt is the right amount? Approximately four to five half-cup servings a week if you take your guidance from this study, which found the protective benefit came to those who ate 4.5 125-gram (approx. 4.4 oz.) cups of yogurt a week.

Forouhi and colleagues found no association between diabetes risk and consumption of milk or regular cheese. However, when it came to the overall category of low-fat fermented dairy products, which includes cottage cheese and fromage frais, another curd cheese, as well as yogurt, the risk of diabetes dropped by 24 percent

http://goo.gl/CDbQg8

After the final assessment at 18 months, 41% of 17 participants who underwent cognitive therapy showed a minimum 50% improvement in their total PANSS scores, compared with only 18% of 17 participants who received usual care.

Furthermore, the investigators say that participants were very accepting of cognitive therapy and drop-out and withdrawal rates were low.

Commenting on the findings, Prof. Morrision says:

"We have shown that cognitive therapy is an acceptable intervention for a population who are usually considered to be very challenging to engage in mental health services.

Antipsychotic medication, while beneficial for many people, can have severe side effects. Evidence-based alternatives should be available to those who choose not to take these drugs. For many, cognitive therapy might prove to be the preferred form of treatment."