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| Linda Scott, MA CACII LPC | |||||||
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Click on topic below to skip directly to content regarding:
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On this page you will find links to substance misuse and mental health resources. See left column for content guide.Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of AddictionLearn more from The National Institute on Drug Abuse |
Links to resources regarding alcohol misuse and treatments |
A
behavioral change program and national support group
Moderation
Management's official site
Self Management • Balance • Moderation • Personal Responsibility
If you too are concerned about your drinking and would like to attend a face to face MM meeting, email Linda at lscottcounseling@comcast.net or at Charleston@moderation.org. Meetings are in Mount Pleasant, every Thursday, 6PM.
Amazon.Com: Responsible Drinking,
recommended reading for those who want to learn more about moderate drinking
skills
Responsible
Drinking: A Moderation Management Approach for Problem Drinkers (Paperback)
by Frederick Rotgers, Marc F. Kern, Rudy Hoeltzel "Lucy, a thirty-three-year-old
biotechnology company employee, started drinking regularly at fifteen..."
Alcohol
Facts
Facts regarding alcohol consumption
and misuse, "What is a Standard Drink?", assessing drinking amounts,
self-scoring alcohol check-up
questionaire and more.
Accidental
Binge Drinking-CBS News Video
Have you noticed that wine glasses and cocktail glasses seem larger these days? Well they are and you may be drinking more alcohol than you think. Watch now
Alexander
DeLuca, M.D. , Addiction, Pain, & Public Health website
Detox Candidates
Campral-
Medication for the treatment of alcohol dependence
What is Campral?
Campral (acamprosate calcium) Delayed-Release
Tablets were approved by the FDA on July 29, 2004. Campral is the first
new medication approved for the treatment of alcohol dependence, or alcoholism,
as it is commonly referred to, in a decade.
Campral is a medication that helps people stay alcohol-free in combination
with counseling or support groups once they have stopped drinking. Campral
is thought to restore the normal brain balance, which has been disturbed
in someone who is alcohol dependent.
You may have heard of other medications prescribed to help people stop drinking. They work differently than Campral. They either make people very ill if they drink even small amounts of alcohol or block the “high” associated with drinking alcohol.
Campral helps reduce the physical distress
and emotional discomfort (e.g. sweating, anxiety, sleep disturbances) associated
with staying alcohol-free. This, in combination with counseling and support
groups, makes it easier for people not to drink.
Naltrexone-
Medication for treatment of narcotic and alcohol addictions
Naltrexone is used to help people who have
a narcotic or alcohol addiction stay drug free. Naltrexone is used after
the patient has stopped taking drugs or alcohol. It works by blocking the
effects of narcotics or by decreasing the craving for alcohol.
NIAAA
- National Association of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
International
Harm Reduction Association
IHRA is the leading organisation in promoting evidence based harm reduction policies and practices on a global basis for all psychoactive substances (including illicit drugs, tobacco and alcohol).
Harm Reduction is an alternative treatment approach which views the reduction of harm as a legitimate goal for substance users. Our organization provides substance abuse counseling as well as harm reduction training for therapists and counselors who want to learn about a different approach to treatment.
"The latest addiction information on the internet"
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For more in depth information on Eating Disorders as well as web site links follow link below
A
5-Day Countdown to Cessation Guide
At Smoking Cessation.org, you'll learn how to break down your smoking triggers and overcome your nicotine addiction. You'll educate yourself about the health risks of smoking and learn how to escape the cycle of quitting and then slipping up and smoking again. You'll find helpful tips, new smoking cessation methods, and the latest information that will help you quit smoking for good...The key is making the effort to quit and rewarding yourself for taking those difficult steps.
CHANTIX™ (varenicline) is a prescription medicine specifically developed to help adults quit smoking. Maybe you’ve tried quitting cold turkey. You may have tried nicotine gum or patches. But now there is another reason to try again. CHANTIX should be taken for 12 weeks.
Kicking
The Habit: The Zyban Way
Stop Smoking Products Ranked and Reviewed by Ex-Smokers
Also on their site
See article- Smoking linked to
decreased ability in congitive functioning
If the recent gory anti-smoking ads haven't persuaded you to stub out that cigarette, perhaps the findings of a new study will. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that smoking has a similar effect on the brain as alcohol does: It impairs one's ability to think.
Smoking
cessation timeline - the health benefits over time
In 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate decrease,
and the body temperature of your hands and feet increase. Carbon monoxide
in cigarette smoke reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
At 8 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood decreases to normal. With the decrease in carbon monoxide, your blood oxygen level increases to normal.
At 24 hours, your risk of having a heart attack decreases.
At 48 hours, nerve endings start to regrow and the ability
to smell and taste is enhanced.
Between 2 weeks and 3 months, your circulation improves,
walking becomes easier and you don’t cough or wheeze as often. Phlegm
production decreases. Within several months, you have significant improvement
in lung function.
In 1 to 9 months, coughs, sinus congestion, fatigue and
shortness of breath decrease as you continue to see significant improvement
in lung function. Cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out
of the lungs, regain normal function.
In 1 year, risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack
is reduced to half that of a smoker.
Between 5 and 15 years after quitting, your risk of having
a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
In 10 years, your risk of lung cancer drops. Additionally, your
risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas
decrease. Even after a decade of not smoking however, your risk of lung
cancer remains higher than in people who have never smoked. Your risk
of ulcer also decreases.
In 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease and
heart attack is similar to that of people who have never smoked. The risk
of death returns to nearly the level of a non-smoker.
Read more at What Happens When You Quit
Information and links on Mood Disorders |
Is It Really Depression?
Resources for an accurate diagnosis.
"Major depressive disorder–many of us refer to it as "depression"–and bipolar disorder have many symptoms in common. However, they are two different conditions that require different treatments."
See also their Mood Questionnaire
http://allpsych.com/disorders/mood/bipolar.html
Bipolar Disorder has been broken down into two types:
Bipolar I: For a diagnosis of Bipolar I disorder, a person must have at least one manic episode. Mania is sometimes referred to as the other extreme to depression. Mania is an intense high where the person feels euphoric, almost indestructible in areas such as personal finances, business dealings, or relationships. They may have an elevated self-esteem, be more talkative than usual, have flight of ideas, a reduced need for sleep, and be easily distracted. The high, although it may sound appealing, will often lead to severe difficulties in these areas, such as spending much more money than intended, making extremely rash business and personal decisions, involvement in dangerous sexual behavior, and/or the use of drugs or alcohol.
Depression is often experienced as the high quickly fades and as the consequences of their activities becomes apparent, the depressive episode can be exacerbated.
Bipolar II: Similar to Bipolar I Disorder, there are periods of highs as described above and often followed by periods of depression. Bipolar II Disorder, however is different in that the highs are hypo manic, rather than manic. In other words, they have similar symptoms but they are not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning and typically do not require hospitalization in order to assure the safety of the person.
Major Depressive Disorder (Unipolar Depression)
Research has shown that depression is influenced by both biological and environmental factors. Studies show that first degree relatives of people with depression have a higher incidence of the illness, whether they are raised with this relative or not, supporting the influence of biological factors. Situational factors, if nothing else, can exacerbate a depressive disorder in significant ways. Examples of these factors would include lack of a support system, stress, illness in self or loved one, legal difficulties, financial struggles, and job problems. These factors can be cyclical in that they can worsen the symptoms and act as symptoms themselves.
Symptoms of depression include the following:
Treatment
Treatment can either combine both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy or utilize one or the other individually. Medications used to treat this disorder include Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin, and Zoloft. Other medications can be found, along with their descriptions can be found in the Medications page. Psychotherapy is useful in helping the patient understand the factors involved in either creating or exacerbating the depressive symptomotology. Personal factors may include a history of abuse (physical, emotional, and/or sexual), maladaptive coping skills/ Environmental factors involved in this disorder include, among others, a poor social support system and difficulties related to finances or employment.
Prognosis
Major Depressive Disorder has a better prognosis
than other mood disorders in that medication and therapy have been very
successful in alleviating symptomotology. However, many people with this
disorder find that it can be episodic, in that periodic stressors can bring
back symptoms. In this case, it is often helpful to have an ongoing relationship
with a mental health professional just as you would a physician if you had
diabetes or high blood pressure.
Depression
and Bipolar Support Alliance-DBSA
"Our new Web site has many new ways for you to interact and personalize your experience. This new platform offers the information you trust and allows for even more tools and information about mood disorders, treatment and recovery."
Sleep Hygiene |
Good “hygiene” is anything that helps you to have a healthy life. The idea behind sleep hygiene is the same as dental hygiene. Dental hygiene helps you stay healthy by keeping your teeth and gums clean and strong. Sleep hygiene helps you stay healthy by keeping your mind and body rested and strong.
http://www.shuteye.com/sleeploss.asp
You know firsthand that sleep loss is not just a “nighttime”
problem. Its impact can extend far into the day, limiting how well you
can function physically and mentally. The table below lists just a few
ways that a sleep deficit becomes a “daytime deficit.”
| YOUR HEALTH |
YOUR WORK |
YOUR RELATIONSHIPS |
YOUR SAFETY |
Increased risks for depression Decrease in ability to handle stress |
More likelihood of work errors, impaired concentration, slowed reaction time and poorer work performance | Impatience Being cranky or irritable |
Higher incidence of workplace accidents, traffic accidents and *microsleeps |
| *Microsleeps — Fleeting, uncontrollable episodes of sleep
occurring when one is awake. Although they may last only a few seconds,
microsleeps can cause car accidents, machinery-related accidents,
and other dangerous conditions. |
• Go to bed same time each night, get up same time too if possible.
• Don't drink any caffeine products in the afternoon or evening.
• Exercise earlier in the day is beneficial, but don't exercise
late in the day.
• Use the bed only for sleeping (and sex).
• Try white noise in the room ....something like a fan - this could
be set on a timer swich so it's not running all night.
• Make sure your room is cool; we need less heat during the night.
• Try listening to quiet, peaceful music.
• Keep the bedroom tidy and make sure that it's dark at night -
bright lights outside can make the room too light to induce sleep.
• Before going to bed, take a warm bath (not a shower as showers
tend to wake us up)
• If after tying to sleep for a while you are unsuccessful, get
up and do something ( nothing too stimulating - perhaps watching some
TV or reading - not in bed though) and then after half an hour, try going
back to bed.
• Keep a notepad or voice recorder by the bed, if you have thoughts
running through your head preventing you getting to sleep, write them
down, then they're "dealt with" and you no longer need to dwell
on them.
Download below a sleep diary. Take two weeks to monitor your sleep habits and share your record with your health care provider.
Page 1 /Page 2 /Page 3 /Page 4 /Page 5
Since the early 20th century, human sleep has been described as a succession
of five recurring stages: four non-REM stages and the REM stage. A sixth
stage, waking, is often included. Waking, in this context, is actually
the phase during which a person falls asleep. Rapid eye movement (REM)
sleep is marked by extensive physiological changes, such as accelerated
respiration, increased brain activity, eye movement, and muscle relaxation.
People dream during REM sleep, perhaps as a result of excited brain activity
and the paralysis of major voluntary muscles.
Sleep quality changes with transition from one sleep stage into another.
Although the signals for transition between the five (or six) stages of
sleep are mysterious, it is important to remember that these stages are,
in fact, discretely independent of one another, each marked by subtle
changes in bodily function and each part of a predictable cycle whose
intervals are observable. Sleep stages are monitored and examined clinically
with polysomnography, which provides data regarding electrical and muscular
states during sleep.
Waking
The waking stage is referred to as relaxed wakefulness, because this is
the stage in which the body prepares for sleep. All people fall asleep
with tense muscles, their eyes moving erratically. Then, normally, as
a person becomes sleepier, the body begins to slow down. Muscles begin
to relax, and eye movement slows to a roll.
Stage 1
Stage 1 sleep, or drowsiness, is often described as first in the sequence,
especially in models where waking is not included. Polysomnography shows
a 50% reduction in activity between wakefulness and stage 1 sleep. The
eyes are closed during Stage 1 sleep, but if aroused from it, a person
may feel as if he or she has not slept. Stage 1 may last for five to 10
minutes.
Stage 2
Stage 2 is a period of light sleep during which polysomnographic readings
show intermittent peaks and valleys, or positive and negative waves. These
waves indicate spontaneous periods of muscle tone mixed with periods of
muscle relaxation. Muscle tone of this kind can be seen in other stages
of sleep as a reaction to auditory stimuli. The heart rate slows, and
body temperature decreases. At this point, the body prepares to enter
deep sleep.
Stages 3 and 4
These are deep sleep stages, with Stage 4 being more intense than Stage
3. These stages are known as slow-wave, or delta, sleep. During slow-wave
sleep, especially during Stage 4, the electromyogram records slow waves
of high amplitude, indicating a pattern of deep sleep and rhythmic continuity.
Non-REM Sleep
The period of non-REM sleep (NREM)is comprised of Stages 1-4 and lasts
from 90 to 120 minutes, each stage lasting anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
Surprisingly, however, Stages 2 and 3 repeat backwards before REM sleep
is attained. So, a normal sleep cycle has this pattern: waking, stage
1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, REM. Usually, REM sleep occurs 90 minutes after sleep
onset.
Stage 5, REM
REM sleep is distinguishable from NREM sleep by changes in physiological
states, including its characteristic rapid eye movements. However, polysomnograms
show wave patterns in REM to be similar to Stage 1 sleep. In normal sleep
(in people without disorders of sleep-wake patterns or REM behavior disorder),
heart rate and respiration speed up and become erratic, while the face,
fingers, and legs may twitch. Intense dreaming occurs during REM sleep
as a result of heightened cerebral activity, but paralysis occurs simultaneously
in the major voluntary muscle groups, including the submental muscles
(muscles of the chin and neck). Because REM is a mixture of encephalic
(brain) states of excitement and muscular immobility, it is sometimes
called paradoxical sleep. It is generally thought that REM-associated
muscle paralysis is meant to keep the body from acting out the dreams
that occur during this intensely cerebral stage. The first period of REM
typically lasts 10 minutes, with each recurring REM stage lengthening,
and the final one lasting an hour.
Sleep Cycle
The five stages of sleep, including their repetition, occur cyclically.
The first cycle, which ends after the completion of the first REM stage,
usually lasts for 100 minutes. Each subsequent cycle lasts longer, as
its respective REM stage extends. So a person may complete five cycles
in a typical night's sleep.
Factors that Affect Sleep Stage and the Sleep Cycle
The sleep cycle is variable, influenced by several agents. Sleep cycles
subsequent to the first one in a night's sleep typically feature less
slow-wave sleep, as Stages 3 and 4 shorten. Slow-wave, deep sleep is longest
early in a night's sleep. Generally, sleep disorders affect the quality,
duration, and onset of sleep. Sleep deprivation, frequently changing sleep
schedule, stress, and environment all affect the progression of the sleep
cycle. Rapid eye movement latency (the time it takes a person to achieve
REM sleep) may be affected by a sleep disorder like narcolepsy. Psychological
conditions like depression shorten the duration of rapid eye movement.
Also, treatment for psychiatric conditions often positively affects sleep,
typically inducing some desired change in sleep habit. For example, antidepressants
like Prozac® usually quicken sleep onset and lengthen REM stages.
People who take antidepressants often benefit from the effects they have
on the quality and duration of the sleep cycle.
Age
The percentage of REM sleep is highest during infancy and early childhood,
drops off during adolescence and young adulthood, and decreases further
in older age. Of course, infants require the greatest amount of sleep.
As parents know, total sleep time typically becomes shorter during childhood
and may become longer again in adolescence. The stage-respective dimensions
of sleep change relative to age. Stages 3 and 4 in the first sleep cycle
shorten even more dramatically in older people than they do during a typical
night for everyone else, so older people get less total deep sleep than
younger people do. Also with age comes the lengthening of the first REM
stage. Older people commonly enter REM sleep quicker and stay there longer.
"Sleep Deprivation Takes a Toll: Only 4-6 Hours Is Not Enough |
Sleeping only four to six hours each night can have a serious effect upon your ability to think and act properly. You may not even be aware of how tired you are, thinking that there is nothing wrong.
National Institutes of Health
NIH | 03/12/2003
In a study on the effects of sleep deprivation, investigators at the University of Pennsylvania found that subjects who slept four to six hours a night for fourteen consecutive nights showed significant deficits in cognitive performance equivalent to going without sleep for up to three days in a row.
Yet these subjects reported feeling only slightly sleepy and were unaware of how impaired they were.
The research article, "The Cumulative Cost of Additional Wakefulness: Dose-Response Effects on Neurobehavioral Functions and Sleep Physiology From Chronic Sleep Restriction and Total Sleep Deprivation," appears in the March issue of the journal Sleep.
According to Principal Investigator David Dinges, "This is the first systematic study to look at the prolonged cognitive effects of chronic sleep restriction lasting for more than a week. The results provide a clearer picture of possible dangers to people who typically are awake longer on a regular basis," he explained, "including members of the military, medical and surgical residents, and shift workers. Reduced cognitive abilities can occur even with a moderate reduction in sleep."
Cognitive performance deficits included reduced ability to pay attention and react to a stimulus, such as when driving, or monitoring at airports. Other deficits involved impairment of the ability to think quickly and not make mistakes, and a reduced ability to multi-task — to hold thoughts in the brain in some order while doing something else.
Dr. Patricia A. Grady, Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH, which provided primary funding for the study, said, "These findings show that while young adults may believe they can adapt to less than a full night's sleep over time, chronic sleep deprivation may seriously affect their performance while they are awake, and they may not even realize it."
Investigators also found that to prevent neurobehavioral defects from accumulating, the average person needs 8.16 hours of sleep during a 24-hour day, although there were differences among individuals in their need for sleep.
The study included 48 healthy individuals aged 21 to 38 who were divided into four groups — those who were allowed to sleep up to either 8, 6 or 4 hours per night during a 24-hour period for two weeks, and those who were deprived of sleep for three consecutive 24-hour periods.
The experiments were conducted in a lab with constant monitoring. When awake, participants could watch movies, read, and interact with lab staff but could not have caffeine, alcohol, tobacco or medications.
In addition to NINR, other NIH funding
was provided by the National Center for Research Resources and National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. NIH is part of the Department of Health
and Human Services. A grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research
supported total sleep deprivation data used in the study.
Score your sleep hygiene level with a quick online test. Share the results with your health care provider. Click link below.
Online
sleep hygiene evaluation
Link to article "Sleep deprivation may be undermining teen health"
BY SIRI CARPENTER
Lack of sufficient sleep--a rampant problem among teens--appears to put adolescents at risk for cognitive and emotional difficulties, poor school performance, accidents and psychopathology, research suggests.
Gay and Bisexual Issues |
Alliance
For Full Acceptance- AFFA
-We’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and heterosexuals uniting to eliminate prejudice based on sexual orientation. We have over 300 members and 800 Friends of AFFA and are headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina.
Coming Out Stories Gallery - All Stories
Hundreds of gay men and lesbians share their stories of self-awareness and
discovery, no two stories exactly alike, but all remarkably similar in that
*lightbulb* moment of realization, "Yes, I am gay.
List
of web-sites regarding Religion and Homosexuality
| Links Menu |
| Bridges Across |
| Bible, Christianity and Homosexuality |
| Gay Christians |
| DignityUSA, Gay Catholics |
| Whosoever |
NAMI-
National Alliance on Mental Illness
-NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families.
Daniel G. Amen, MD is a child and adult psychiatrist, brain imaging specialist, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is the CEO and medical director of Amen Clinics, Inc. in Newport Beach and Fairfield, California, Tacoma, Washington and Reston, Virginia. Amen Clinics, Inc have the world’s largest database of functional brain scans relating to psychiatric medicine, totaling now more than 34,000 scans, and the clinics have seen patients from 51 countries.
Health
Informant-Current articles and info about your health
