Health Care

Addiction and Psychiatric Health

November 7, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Addiction is a serious topic with serious implications. If you are struggling with a drug addiction, prescription drug addiction, alcoholism or any other type of substance abuse problem, then you need to start seeking help and there is simply no way around it. If you are fighting an addiction, then you are fighting a completely unnecessary battle and it is time for you to start getting help. The right rehab facility is going to be able to provide you with this help. Visit TheCyn.com and you can find out more about overcoming your addiction.

If you have a psychiatric health issue then you may be even more prone and susceptible to addiction problems. Self medicating with alcohol or drugs to deal with Bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety or a variety of other issues can lead to swift and deadly addictions that will consume your life more quickly than you even knew was possible. If you are struggling with these problems, then the help you need to seek should be capable of dealing with both issues. Some rehabilitation facilities are capable of simultaneously addressing your psychiatric issues and your addiction so that you can kill two birds with one stone.

The best thing that you can possibly do is to reach out for help right now. You have to admit that you have a drug addiction or alcohol addiction problem, and you have to actually ask for help in order to receive it. You are the only person capable of orchestrating your recovery, and nobody can reasonably help you until you are willing to ask for it. What this means is that you must be willing to admit that you have an issue that needs solving, and commit yourself to the care of a detoxification and rehabilitation program that is going to be equipped to help you overcome your addiction once and for all.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: Alcoholism, Substance abuse, Substance dependence

Choosing the Right Drug Rehab For You

November 3, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

You have determined that you or a loved one needs to enter a drug or alcohol treatment program. You’ve made the first and perhaps the most important step of all by recognizing the need for treatment. The second hardest step is finding the best drug rehab California (or the state in which you live) has to offer. You’ll want a center that provides the services, philosophy, and treatment style you seek.

You want to find an effective yet affordable treatment center that not only will help you recover, but also will give you the tools you’ll need to maintain your sobriety after you leave the facility.

You may have a lengthy list of possible treatment facilities from which to choose. Here are a few things that may help you whittle down that list.

• How severe is your addiction or condition? If it is very severe, you may want to look into treatment programs that include a detoxification course of treatment.

• Do you have any special needs that must be addressed, such as a disability or a vegetarian lifestyle? These are things you should consider when choosing a treatment program.

• What is your budget for your treatment plan? How much, if any, of the cost will your insurance cover? Do you have enough money to cover the costs of the center you are considering?

You’ll also want to find out the average length of stay for patients at each facility on your list. What is the license status and certifications of the staff? Is the facility properly accredited. Will your family and friends be involved in your treatment?

Another important factor to consider is what type of after-treatment services are provided. Having good support after treatment can be just as important as the treatment itself. This can help prevent relapses and provide continuing support as you recover.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: California, Drug rehabilitation, Substance abuse

Does Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder Require a Hosptial Stay?

November 3, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Manic depression or bipolar disorder can be an extremely difficult condition to manage. Due to the ever changing mood swings and personalities that are present those suffering from manic depression can find it difficult to mingle back into every day life after having some of these manic episodes. So the question arises: If you just got diagnosed with manic depression do you have to go to the hospital?

The answer is a bit complex.

For the most part those that are diagnosed with bipolar disorder do not require hospital stays. However, if you notice yourself or someone you love showing signs of manic depression or bipolar disorder it is a good idea to seek medical help through a health care professional or a doctor so that the disorder does not get out of hand.

With that said, the disorder usually does not require a hospital stay. Most doctors will try prescribing various medications and try to sort out the issue of the mood disorder. It is a balancing game and as long as the patient is stable and in an okay condition there is no need for a hospital.

However, sometimes the manias or depression states of manic depression become so severe that a person is at risk to themselves or others. Sometimes these people consider killing themselves or others and that is when hospitalization is needed. If you or a loved one exhibit signs of harming yourself or others it is best to seek hospitalization immediately before further damage is done.

Other times a hospitalization stay is required if it seems that the person suffering from manic depression cannot integrate into society normally. This can be either they are not adapting to the medication or if they need to have extensive counseling due to other issues that sometimes come up with manic depression such as drug use, alcohol use or some other serious addiction.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: Bipolar disorder, Mania, Mood disorder

Find Activities to Help You Feel Better

October 19, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Many people who suffer from psychiatric disorders struggle constantly to find something that can help them feel normal. Trying to find a skill or hobby that works for a person can be difficult, whether or not you have health problems. Finding something that also helps relieve stress—or even helps someone with a disorder such as depression feel well—can be a long process. In fact, in some cases, it just makes the disorder worse. There are a few things that many people try, and some of these things work for a large portion of people, but unfortunately, they do not work for everyone.

First, most people will try exercising. It has been shown that regular exercise can help you keep in shape not only physically, but mentally as well. Some people will go for a walk each day, while others get a gym membership to work out. For a large majority of people, getting in some daily exercise does help significantly. For others, it may even worsen the depression.

Another thing that many people try is something creative. Whether you enjoy writing, drawing, or even cooking, doing something that gets your mind going and the creative juices flowing can help bring people happiness. When you rely on more than just yourself for your creativity, like with cooking, you may need to look for some inspiration. You can find almost all recipes on the Internet, and once you find the perfect one, let yourself relax while you enjoy your activity.

For a large number of people, these techniques may not be enough. If this is the case and you feel like you still aren’t feeling better no matter what you do, you may want to consult with a psychiatrist or counselor. They can help you come up with other ways to start feeling better.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: Depression, Mental disorder, Physical exercise

Weather Disasters and Mental Health

September 26, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Flooding. Drought. Wildfires. Tornadoes and hurricanes. Every year, many in the United States and throughout the world are affected by natural disasters, and the physical toll is immense. Each of these events has the potential for loss of life and destruction of property. But what of the mental health of populations afflicted by extreme adverse weather events?

In addition to its more concrete results, a weather disaster leaves in its wake a traumatized population. It’s not enough to provide disaster relief in the form of food and shelter. It’s not enough to promise that lost jobs will be replaced. If the mental health needs are not addressed, the trauma can linger, often for years.

As a case in point, Hurricane Katrina devastated the nation, and as a nation, we were certainly aware at the time that scores of people suffered emotionally as well as physically. But as the disaster recedes in the national memory, have the effects also receded? No, according to Carl Weems, who teaches at the University of New Orleans.

The hurricane and its resultant physical devastation occurred more than more than five years ago, yet researchers have found little if any reduction in the number of instances of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

Weems suggests that we must find better, more effective ways of dealing with the mental and emotional effects of future weather-related crises. Currently, little attention is given to the need for ongoing mental health treatment for disaster victims.

Among the steps that Weems feels could help is better advance preparation, such as earlier and more orderly evacuations. When a home must be evacuated without notice, the trauma is exacerbated.

Another step that could reduce the mental health impact of a natural disaster is as simple as providing education in disaster preparation. This education should be relevant to the particular locale, but certain advice, such as keeping a supply of bottled water, non-perishable food, and flashlights in an easily-accessible location, has universal applicability.

The bottom line is that mental health must be more of a consideration when governments or communities make plans for natural disasters.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: Hurricane Katrina, Mental health, United States

Can Walking Cure Manic Depression?

September 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

For Mickey Mahaffey, author of “Whispers of My Blood,” walking may indeed have played a major role in ridding him of his physical and mental ills, which included a history of manic depression and crippling arthritis. Not just any walking, mind you, but epic, long distance walking. In his memoir, Mahaffey recounts a life-changing journey that took him, mostly on foot, through the Appalachian and Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and Mexico’s Sierra Madre canyons.

Mahaffey hit his lowest ebb when he was unable to deal with a combination of health issues, a failing business, and a divorce, and found himself committed to several rounds in psychiatric hospitals. His relationships were in tatters, and his children had broken contact with him.

Mahaffey reached a point where he realized that no amount of traditional mental health treatment, with its medications and counseling, would do the trick for him. He knew he needed a different way out.

He took the radical step of disposing of all his possessions and living the homeless life in Asheville, North Carolina. His world narrowed to the essentials. The normal stresses of daily urban living didn’t seem to matter as much when his entire focus was on finding food and a warm, reasonably comfortable place to sleep at night.

At a certain point, Mahaffey felt that he needed to strip away still more, to reduce his life to its essence in order to free himself entirely of his manic depression and become mentally whole again.

So in 1995 he set out on a series of long distance walking tours. Mahaffey had been a long distance runner, so covering great distances on foot was nothing new to him. In his travels, he found freedom and enlightenment, along with physical and mental health.

Cross-country walking is an approach that may not work for everyone, nor does he proclaim it as a cure for manic depression, but Mahaffey’s story is fascinating reading and an object lesson in what can happen when we step off the narrow path of urban stress.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: Bipolar disorder, Mental health, Outer Banks

Is the “It’s Okay to Get Help” Campaign for Real?

September 3, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image via Wikipedia

An effort organized by the Mental Health Association of Central Florida is urging people who are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, particularly due to effects of the recession, to seek help. The “It’s Okay to Get Help” campaign is an attempt to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness that its originators believe still exists, and they believe that stigma is the main impediment keeping those who are dealing with additional stress and depression brought on by job woes and worries about the economy from pursuing treatment options.

“Don’t go it alone” was one of the messages that started airing on local television stations in Central Florida on Labor Day weekend. That’s all well and good, but is stigma really the issue? If these encouraging public interest spots hit the mark, does that mean there will be a rush to mental health professionals?

While it’s true that seeking mental health treatment is still stigmatized to a certain extent, stigma may not be the major block that’s keeping people from counseling. When people are losing jobs and the healthcare benefits that often accompany them, how on earth are they supposed to get treatment for depression?

Mental health parity is more mirage than reality. Very few health insurance plans provide adequate mental health coverage, so even for those who have somehow managed to hang on to health insurance, the chances that their plan contains provisions for proper mental health treatment are slim.

Instead of talking about stigma, why not talk about how to get people treatment. Why do those in power, those who are urging people in need to seek treatment, continue to ignore the fact that in a recession, treatment is simply out of reach for many.

When simply paying the mortgage or rent and buying food is a struggle, where is the money for mental health treatment supposed to be found? Lots of questions. Here’s another one. Where are the answers and who will provide them?

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: Health, Mental disorder, Mental health

How Car Insurance Quotes Are Easier than Schedule II Narcotics

August 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Life has become simpler, with car insurance quotes, shopping, and the online world making “instant access” a global truth. However, some complex areas remain. With prescriptions, for example, one must navigate more laws and answer bigger ethical questions. But most people don’t see their drugs as being anything that has to be governed or regulated. For the most part, your medication is pretty simple, and is managed by most pharmacists without requiring special rules. If your medication is a schedule two narcotic, however, then there are many rules that need to be followed.

Presentation is first on the list. A schedule two narcotic must be handed in to a pharmacy. Doctors are allowed to phone in, fax in, or email a script for just about any drug, but for these top of the line pain killers and focus drugs legally require a hard copy being delivered in person.

There must also be a DEA number somewhere on the script. There can be no drug filled for a schedule two without having the doctor’s DEA number on it. A pharmacist can call and ask for it and put it on the hard copy themselves, but they cannot go without it.

There is no partial filling of this medication. With your heart pills, if a pharmacy only has half the correct amount, they will gladly fill the prescription in two parts. With a schedule two, the pharmacists are unwilling to fill the item unless it can be completed within a couple of days.

These are just a few of the rules for schedule two narcotics. Whether these rules are beneficial to consumers can be a challenging question, but the complex laws were certainly intended to protect people from these potent drugs.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: Health, Medical prescription, Pharmacy

Can’t Afford That Prescription? Get a Payday Loan

August 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Health care costs are very high, and that can lead a lot of people to struggle in order to keep up with how much they have to pay out each month for medication, insurance, and visits to the doctor. It’s no surprise that some of these people can’t always afford their medication when they need it. If you’re one of them, don’t do without needed medication just because it’s a week until payday. Instead of risking your health, just get a payday loan. As long as you have a steady, verifiable job, you can qualify for this kind of loan.

You can get your prescription on time, not have to worry about harming your health, and keep your stress levels low. Don’t take chances with your health just because you don’t have a lot of money. Your savings account or a friend or family member may also be a source of getting money to pay for your prescription. Don’t forget to ask your doctor if he or she can give you a generic alternative, or if there are free samples available. That way, you’ll be saving as much money as possible on the prescription medications that you need to take.

Your health is too precious of a thing to risk, and it’s unfair that medicines that are needed by so many people have to cost so much money. Until the prices come down or there is some kind of legislation that really does give everyone the health insurance they need, loans and borrowing from family and friends can be some ways for people who are on tight budgets to get their much-needed medicines without leaving another bill unpaid or skipping medication doses in order to hold out until payday. A small, short-term loan of some type can be a great answer to this kind of problem.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: health care, Loan, Payday loan

Your Rage Can Smash You, Too

May 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

We all know how it goes. People continue to ignore your requests that they not make you angry, because they will not like you when you are angry. Unfortunately, we all know that it is only a matter of time before you simply can not take it anymore. And once your eyes turn bright green, it is way too late to try and placate you. Because once the beast has been awakened, his massive green muscles will smash everything in his path until his rage is satiated. And that usually takes a really long time, and causes a whole lot of collateral damage. If only it were simply a matter of ventilating your rage against everything in your path (which, in some cases, might be some kind of machine).

But you have to remember that what Yoda said was true. Anger leads to hatred, and hatred leads to suffering. In the end, no matter how much you smash, and no matter how many of the rotting, shattered corpses of your foes you leave to draws fly in the noon time Sun, you will ultimately have to face the inner results of your rage. Rage releases cortisol, which causes your muscles to weaken. And since your heart is a muscle, your life can actually be shortened by the effects of your rage.

As your anger grows, consider that we become angry because we feel threatened. When the fact of the matter is that your own anger can cause you more pain and suffering than any person’s words can, and that your own rage can ultimately be your destroyer, it might actually be best if you stop raging against those who would anger you despite your warnings. After all, all of the anger in the world does nothing more than hurt people – and hurting yourself just does not make any sense.

Filed Under: Health Care Tagged With: Relationships, Road rage, Violence and Abuse