Pure cocaine, along with the so-called “poor man’s cocaine” known as “crack,” is among the most widely abused substances in the world today. The pure cocaine in powder form is usually mistaken as fine sugar or baking soda. The street variant called crack is diluted and mixed with baking soda, allowing the street pushers to reap more profits. People who become addicted to both cocaine and “crack” are considered to be among the worst addicts that can be found in a rehab clinic mainly because of the intense physical and mental health damage that prolonged use can lead to. There is an extensive list of negative effects associated with long-term use of “crack.” Withdrawal from crack addiction is also very difficult in physiological and psychological terms. Nasal passages, which are the primary pathways by which cocaine gets into an addict’s body, can also suffer severe damage due to prolonged abuse. However, the damage tends to manifest only after the drug has been removed and withdrawal has occurred. Among the possible side effects of the damage are runny noses, nasal congestion, and nose bleeding. These side effects are relatively minor and can easily be treated by using the appropriate medications and having good environment, especially at home. During cocaine withdrawal, nasal problems are likely going to be the least of a recovering addict’s worries. Panic attacks similar to those developed by people with panic disorders are not uncommon to both addicts and recovering users. This is more pronounced once a person undergoes withdrawal because there is no longer the psychologically “stabilizing” effect of the drug. Also, people undergoing withdrawal have become so used to having “crack” on hand that they are almost mentally incapacitated by being deprived of it. Insomnia is also a recognized side effect of being forcibly withdrawn from cocaine abuse. However, insomnia encountered during withdrawal has a shorter range of effect compared with regular cases of insomnia. Mild headaches and occasional periods of excessive fear and anxiety are also possible symptoms of prolonged abuse, though they are not considered common. Muscle spasms are usually associated with the more violent cases of withdrawal. This is particularly common in those cases where the user has developed a dependency on the cocaine being in the system, such that the mind no longer believes the body can function without it. Muscle spasms are usually a minor indication of a worsening problem in cases such as this, since people who develop them tend to suffer more physically violent symptoms of drug withdrawal. These problems generally occur in the earlier stages of withdrawal, as the shock to the body being cut off from “crack” is still fresh. As the withdrawal sets in and the cleansing process is underway, the body slowly adjusts to a normal state and the likelihood of muscle spasms and convulsions decreases considerably. Chronic pain in the chest and coughing have also been noted as possible symptoms. Some withdrawal patients report that the coughing can sometimes be accompanied by severe chest pains. Phlegm coughed up by these patients tend to be colored black and are generally not mixed with blood unless the patient has another respiratory condition. Coughing and phlegm of this sort also manifests in people that abuse marijuana or nicotine. This is generally alleviated by any number of over-the-counter cough medications or increased intake of water and other fluids.
Tag-Archive for ◊ mental health ◊
The media and the modern world both seem to be incredibly adept at inspiring fear and anxiety in people. Between reports of possible terrorist threats to the mundane possibility that your food could carry several bacterial infections, it can be very hard to find anything that can’t be connected with something unpleasant. All of this paranoia and anxiety can sometimes take a toll on a person’s mental health, even if the effects aren’t particularly obvious. This serves quite an amazing contrast with some many people espousing the message of “living life to the fullest” filling the airwaves. Of course, nobody really seems to have paid that much attention to how, exactly, to carry that out in today’s environment. The fact is, there are a lot of things that can cause fear and anxiety in the world. However, it should be kept in mind that people have been living and dealing with those problems for thousands of years. Europe had to endure the widespread infection remembered as the “Black Plague” and eventually recovered. The Chinese have carried themselves well through the turmoil and self-destruction of countless periods when the country was divided into warring states. The honest truth here is that, for the sake of your mental health if nothing else, you should just try not to worry too much. There is a certain level of risk that is to be associated with pretty much anything, but that doesn’t mean those things should not be done. There is no argument that the media has some influence over the mental health of people, although just how much is something left to speculation. There are some that theorize that, with the right combination of fear and anxiety caused by the media and environmental conditions, people can become exceedingly paranoid.
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Some people are just too pessimistic about their situation and about life itself. These people have the idea that no matter what they do, no matter what they say, everything would seem to have a negative impact on themselves or to their surroundings. We really do not know what is going on in their minds, but some of them can be a danger to themselves, if not to others. People who are deeply troubled are prone to develop suicidal thoughts. There are a lot of factors that contribute to feeling hopeless and desperate enough to end one’s life. Depression, separation anxiety, loneliness or fear — these are only some of the reasons why people kill themselves. As they say, “suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain.” A person who cannot handle too much pain may consider suicide in some way. They think that this pain would never end, and that it would be heavier as they continue to live their life. If a person feels the pain and cannot cope with it by means of other resources, they eventually feel suicidal. In their minds, suicide is neither wrong nor right. It is not an imperfection of one’s character since they believe that suicide is morally neutral. According to their view, suicide is fundamentally an imbalance between pain and one’s inability to cope with that pain. Feeling pain and loneliness and having no one to talk to makes a person feel even more miserable and lonely. Their loneliness easily worsens into depression, and eventually to thoughts of suicide. These people turn to thoughts of suicide because they seek the relief from the pain that they are currently feeling. However, relief is a feeling and one must be alive to feel the relief of pain. Some individuals may react negatively to what a suicidal person might be currently dealing with. These reactions might even increase the person’s desire to kill himself because of the negativity that surrounds him. This specific case may be seen in a different perspective since these people with negative reactions may just be feeling scared for that person who intends to kill himself. Understanding these suicidal people leads to one thing: concern for the person and his own life. Suicide is really a matter related to the issue of mental health since it is linked to depression and even to separation anxiety. Having someone to talk to is a step forward…hopefully, another step away from the suicide. One must be open to counseling, guidance, help, and support in times of need. It is important that the person is willing to share his feeling of depression with another person. That way, one’s heavy feelings can lighten up a bit. Knowing that he/she is not alone in the struggle is another advantage since this could help in escaping suicidal thoughts. There are a lot of counseling websites and toll free numbers available for those people who just need someone to talk to, someone who can listen and understand them in a very sincere way. Getting help by going to a psychotherapist can really lessen the thoughts of suicide, and by having consistent sessions, a person may just feel the need and the joy to live again.
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There mere fact that the term, “comfort food” exists is proof enough that eating certain foods is good for relieving stress. Whether it is some sort of psychopharmacological thing, something connected to mental health and memories, or an evolutionary instinct, the fact is that eating is effective stress relief. However, when one considers all the stress and anxiety that gets tossed around in modern society, it isn’t surprising to learn that the weight loss pill market is on a steady increase. Indeed, as people are put under more and more stress, with less and less time to find stress relief for it, food becomes an increasingly tempting option. Sure, stress and anxiety are not the only factors behind the increasing number of people with obesity, but it does have to take some of the flak. People look to food as a cost-effective means of stress relief, mainly because a number of modern environments simply don’t allow for a significant amount of time to relax. For example, in those high-stress corporate environments, people tend to have very little time to spare between getting to work, actually working, and their duties outside of work. To avoid allowing the stress to build and become a danger to them or the people around them, they do the one stress relief activity that they can do. A little candy bar here or some potato chips there can be enough to get a person’s mind through the stress and anxiety of a typical work day. However, when one develops a dependence on these things to relieve stress, then there is going to be an eventual need for a weight loss pill or diet plan. It isn’t just the corporate workplace and the employees within it that end up eating a little too much “comfort food,” however. As stated in a number of books, such as “Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety,” shows, mothers also have to deal with the problem. Between the stress of having to keep a handle on active children and the duties that mothers have to perform, there is plenty of room for the average mother to binge a little. This can be especially true in suburban environments, where there is often a subtle competition between housewives that puts a lot of undue stress and anxiety on mother and child alike. Children can also sometimes fall victim to over-eating “comfort foods.” With so much pressure on children to succeed on all possible levels, there’s plenty of stress and anxiety to go around. The problem lies in the fact that children nowadays are subjected by their parents to all manner of time-consuming extra-curricular activities, with even the slightest potential becoming something that could be “developed.” Parents tend to be well-meaning in cutting down on the playing time of their children, as all of these activities are designed to help them succeed. However, there comes a time when children will need to be given time to be children. Stress and anxiety are things that the mental health of a child is not fully capable of handling, such that any form of stress relief can be seen as acceptable. For most, succumbing to peer pressure or playing video games can do the trick, but a few others end up turning into binge eaters. Over-eating due to stress and anxiety is not an all-encompassing problem yet, but statistics show that it is getting there. As competition in the workplace, stress in the home, and the pressure to succeed compounds with each generation, more and more people are going to need effective, quick stress relief. Pressed for time to find ample ways to relax, food can often be the only viable option available to them.
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Cars are the most visible signs of modernity in an otherwise ancient world. No urban environment would be complete without these four-wheeled machines. Most people see them as a convenience, enabling them to get from point A to point B without having to endure the crowds the rush hours associated with public transportation. However, as cars become more and more available, roads become more and more congested. As the congestion worsens, it is inevitable that car accidents occur and people get hurt. Statistically speaking, car accidents have been occurring with increased frequency over the past decade. The statistics also show that there are a number of injuries that have become common to most car accidents during that period. Head and neck injuries are listed as being typical to a car accident. The face, in particular, can suffer laceration and cutting from shattered glass or shrapnel generated by the impact. Dental injuries are also possible, particularly for people in the driver’s seat or were close to the point of impact. Mental health problems and head trauma are also possibilities. Concussions are not uncommon among car accident-related injuries. Some people also tend to experience anxiety for some time after the accident, though this is much rarer than physical injuries. The most common mental health concerns related to a car accident would be helping the victims overcome the stress of being involved in the accident, as well as the chance of post-traumatic stress disorder. The body, however, is much more likely to bear the brunt of the damage caused by a car accident. Injuries to the abdomen and legs can result in chronic pain for prolonged periods after an accident. In some cases, accident survivors have had to endure lower back pain for years since their bodies never fully recovered from the damage. Knee pain and damage to leg muscles like the quadriceps can also occur for those who are involved in relatively minor accidents or were not at the point of impact. Areas that have been cut or injured during the accident may also develop an infection, depending on how quickly the wound or opening was addressed by medical teams. Broken bones and torn muscles are common among car accident victims, though the likely areas to be affected vary depending on the specifics of the accident. Simple and compound fractures can both be experienced, typically requiring extensive time to repair and recover. In a number of cases, surgery may be needed to undo some of the damage done. Most often, drivers will experience trauma and damage to the legs and possibly the torso. Some injuries may not be obvious at first and can only be treated after the victim has been given a full examination. Removal of some of the shrapnel from impact may also require surgery if it enters too deeply into the body. There are some psychological disorders that can come about from being involved in a car accident. The most common to be cited is post-traumatic stress disorder, though it is not the only one. Anxiety is also a possible effect of being in a car accident, though it is not considered to be a common occurrence.
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Fear and Halloween are probably going to be forever intertwined. After all, a holiday that celebrates “the ghastlier aspects of death and beyond” has to conjure up images of fear in some minds. However, fear and anxiety associated with the holiday aside, observing people’s behavior around Halloween can often show an interesting dichotomy to how people handle fear. The same concept also applies whenever most people are presented with an option to voluntarily view something they know is designed to scare them, such as a horror movie. Proper observation can often make it apparent that far is not quite as simple to understand as most folks would like to assume. Fear is a negative emotional response. This has been what each and every one of us has been told since we were children. Recognizing fear and anxiety as negative factors is also deeply ingrained into the basic human psyche, with people instinctively associated fear with a variety of undesirable personality traits. The avoidance of fear, or at least controlling one’s self to the point that one’s fear and anxiety is not readily apparent to casual observers, can sometimes have side effects when a person’s mental health is considered. This is particularly true if the unwillingness to show fear has become a fear in and of itself, which is both psychologically dangerous and rather ironic. However, that does not seem to coincide very well with how much people want to be scared. While it is unlikely that a random person off the street is going to readily admit to the inclination, most psychologists believe that people want to be frightened. Ghost stories around the campfire, horror movies that have ample amounts of tension and anxiety, and roller coasters with obscenely risky loops are all taken as factors. Each of the above can be used to scare people and, according to some mental health experts, it is the fact that things like the above scare us that cause us to frequent them so much. However, it isn’t so much the fear itself that the brain and the body draws pleasure from, but the hormonal reaction to that fear. Most psychologists and doctors believe that the body and mind comes to enjoy the sensations brought about by the various chemicals the body produces when it is in an excited state. The most commonly known of these substances would be adrenaline, but there are other hormones and biochemicals that come into play. The easiest way to get the body to increase the flow of these substances is to feel fear, which would explain why people are sometimes to eager to put themselves in situations where they can be scared. The adrenaline “rush” caused by fear and taking risks can also account for people’s enjoyment of extreme sports, even if they are not the sole factor. The fact that things like horror movies and roller coasters are, to an extent, controlled environments also makes it easier for people to go into them. The sense of control over the situation that induces the fear is often enough to keep the survival instinct from overriding the desire to be scared.