Behavioral Health News
Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Findings Released
Findings from the 2009 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) have been released and show that there were nearly 4.6 million drug-related emergency department (ED) visits in 2009. About half (49.8 percent, or 2.3 million) of the 4.6 million were due to adverse reactions to pharmaceuticals. Almost one half (45.1 percent, or 2.1 million) of the 4.6 million were attributed to drug misuse or abuse.
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Amount of Gray Matter in Brain Affects Self-Control and Decision-Making
According to a new study from the U.S. Dept. of Energy Laboratory in Brookhaven, the amount of gray matter in your brain affects its thought process and the ability to assess rewards or consequences. The study was the first of its kind to show the correlation between the brains of healthy people and the brains of those addicted to cocaine.
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Women and ADHD Medication
A mental health disorder that has been given much attention in childhood is beginning to be noted in adulthood as well. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD as it is most commonly called, is a condition which affects three to five percent of American children. However, increasingly the disorder is being recognized in adults and new research is revealing that the condition is more prevalent among one sex during childhood and the opposite sex during adulthood.
Why Is There a Stigma Associated with Mental Health?
The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his/her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and can make a contribution to his/her community." Healthy functionality for less than perfect people is what it boils down to.
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Anorexia May Provide Sense of Belonging
Anorexia nervosa often ensnares women into a pattern of recovery and relapse, making it difficult for individuals suffering from the eating disorder to maintain healthy eating habits after completing treatment. Anorexia is the most deadly of the various types of eating disorders and has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder, including depression and schizophrenia.
Dieting Book for Children Causes Controversy
The childhood obesity problem has caused many eating disorder experts to caution parents about proper guidelines for implementing healthy changes. Instead of talking about dieting, losing weight and counting calories, say experts, the focus should be on getting more active, eating healthy and improving general well-being.
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Treatment for Sexual Compulsivity Can Mirror Substance Abuse Treatments
Internet pornography and sex-based websites continue to shift the way Americans think of sex and their sexual behaviors. More view sex as a type of recreation, such as gambling, and increasing levels of sexual imagery across television and movies are making sex more casual.
For millions of adults, however, the ability to control their behaviors toward sex gets lost. They develop sexual compulsivity, especially if they can no longer manage their impulses toward sex despite the negative results of their actions. As experts collaborate on new research about sexual compulsivity and similar sexual behaviors, treatment strategies are emerging, and they often follow patterns of treatments for substance abuse.
Twelve Step Support Groups
Similar to obsessive compulsive disorders, many people with sexual compulsivity may revert to sexual acts to soothe stress, negative emotions or anxiety. One treatment for sexual compulsivity involves psychosocial elements, such as attending group sessions of Sexaholics Anonymous.
Twelve Step groups have national chapters and are based upon similar philosophies as the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Participants can find support and new levels of accountability among people who share in their struggle. One hallmark of participation in the groups is the willingness to admit that one’s sexual compulsions or obsessions have become unmanageable and that help is needed to bring the actions back under control.
Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment for Sexual Compulsion
Treatment for sexual compulsion is also available on an inpatient or outpatient basis. These treatment programs typically work to help the patient locate the inner beliefs or personal triggers that lead to sexually compulsive behaviors, such as obsessive sexual thoughts, excessive use of pornography or excessive masturbation. Treatment also helps the patient develop new coping skills and a set of healthy tools to manage cravings and obsessive thoughts.
Individual and Couples Counseling
On an individual basis, some patients find relief from sexual compulsion through CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy. In CBT, treatment is similar to patients with drug or alcohol addictions. The patient is guided toward discovering what spurs their sexual acts and toward new perspectives and ideas about their actions. Emphasis may be on setting up healthy life systems and habits that can help prevent a relapse into compulsive sexual activity once the person leaves treatment or life stressors return.
Because sexual compulsivity and sexual addiction affect a person’s spouse in profound ways, many patients are encouraged to attend couples-based therapy as well. In this setting, they can each address the shame, fear and anger that can keep the relationship from progressing in healthy ways at the same time the patient is working toward recovery with individual counseling.
Medication for Sexual Compulsivity
Limited research exists regarding the effectiveness of medications for treating sexual compulsivity, but some patients have been prescribed antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizing medications and anti-anxiety medications, following similar patterns as drug or alcohol addiction patients. Medications to change the way a person’s sexual hormones perform, such as anti-androgens, have also been part of treatments for some patients on a short-term basis to help curb cravings for the behavior. SSRIs have also been prescribed to patients in an effort to control the preoccupying thoughts toward sex.
Using research from substance abuse studies, some patients have seen positive results using naltrexone, typically in combination with individual counseling. The drug is used for other addiction-based conditions like addictive gambling, and may help curb cravings by dulling the euphoric response a patient gets from sexually compulsive activity.
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Miami Dolphins Player Reveals Struggle with Borderline Personality Disorder
Brandon Marshall, wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, recently announced that he suffers from a condition known as borderline personality disorder, or BPD. The disorder has affected him over the past five years, according to an article in SB Nation.
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What Is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy?
Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a present-focused, practical approach to helping people develop new coping skills that can make life and relationships more enjoyable.
REBT descends from the belief that people desire to be happy but their own irrational beliefs and habits interfere with their ability to achieve that desired happiness.
Regular Exercise can be Beneficial for those with Anxiety Problems
Recent research concluded by psychologists suggests exercise can be advantageous to those who suffer from sensitivity to high anxiety, such as those battling depression. Jasper Smits, a psychologist with SMU in Dallas, Texas suggests exercise as a useful option for those with anxiety who may not have the access to methods of treatment that are more traditional. Smits does not suggest exercise as a means to replace psychotherapy or pharmaceutical means but says that physicians already suggest exercise for general health and well-being of patients so they may be able to reach more people who need help in this way.
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