The Secret Diary of The Beautiful Mind

  Addictions are characterised by dependence on substance or activity. There are certain features that indicate dependence, 2 which we saw last time - craving and difficulty controlling use. We will have a look at 2 more this time and the last two - salience and harmful use next time. Withdrawal features - A physiological withdrawal state if substance use is stopped or even reduced, as evidenced by: the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance; or use of the same (or a closely related) substance with the intention of relieving or avoiding withdrawal symptoms; This is one of the main reason why people using substance are unable to move beyond it, despite its adverse impact on physical and mental health, on relationships and professionally as well. The discomfort felt and the knowledge that substance will relieve it, creates a viscious cycle that spirals in the downward direction. Tolerance - This reflects that body is getting used to the substance being consumed. Here, incre

  Labeling all people using substance as addicts can be counter productive, as it takes the attention away from those who need help the most. Addiction is a chronic condition that is difficult to diagnose and treat. While the signs can be clear, diagnosis first relies on the person with an addiction or people close to them acknowledging and wanting to address the problem. The first step in diagnosis relies on a friend, family member, or the person with addiction themselves acknowledging a need for treatment. This can often be the most difficult step and might sometimes involve a personal or group intervention if an individual with substance use disorder is not aware of the extent of the problem. So to make this process objective, criterias are set to help diagnosing substance dependance or addiction. Any 3 of the 6 criterias set out, if present over the last one year, helps confirm the diagnosis. We will begin by looking at 2 of these initially. a. A strong desire or sense of compulsio

  Effects on children - Witnessing the trauma of a parent suffering from addiction at a young age has long-term effects on the child. Children who grow up seeing a parent addicted to drugs or alcohol are more likely to develop SUDs in their adulthood. They are also 3 times more likely to be neglected or physically and/or sexually abused. Seeing a parent on drugs often invokes distressing emotions which not only create delays in learning and development but can also lead to prolonged mental and emotional disorders. Since children are still developing their personalities and are vulnerable to external influences, they run the risk of repeating such behaviors. Children may be exposed to aggression or violent behavior due to a parent’s drinking. Arguments between parents may be normal, causing the child emotional distress as they witness family members fighting. Early exposure to a home divided by drug use can cause a child to feel emotionally and physically neglected and unsafe. As a res

Chronic use or exposure to substance of abuse causes brain changes including alterations in cortical (pre-frontal cortex) and sub-cortical (limbic system) regions involving the neuro-circuitry of reward, motivation, memory, impulse control and judgment. This can lead to dramatic increases in cravings for a drug or activity, as well as impairments in the ability to successfully regulate this impulse, despite the knowledge and experience of many consequences related to the addictive behavior. Heavy drinkers or those who use illegal drugs were more likely than others to think about, plan, or commit suicide. People who abuse drugs or have an alcohol addiction are up to 14 times more likely to die by suicide than others. More than 90% of people who fall victim to suicide suffer from depression, have a substance use disorder (SUD), or both. Substance abuse and addiction increases the severity and duration of depressive episodes, despite any temporary relief they may provide, actually greatly

  The six questions every kidney cancer patient should feel able to ask their doctor! Studies show that doctors and patients making treatment decisions together leads to better outcomes and fewer side effects. 1. “What are my treatment options and what are their benefits and risks?” The treatments available to you will depend on your cancer type, its stage and your general health. Ask your doctors which treatment plan they think is best for you, if there are any costs and how many tests and check-ups you’ll need along the way. 2. “How will this treatment make me feel?” Slowing or curing your cancer is obviously vital, but so is your quality of life during treatment. Discuss what’s important to you – work, travel, fatigue, bowel function, sex life - and ask what you will and won’t be able to do during different treatments. 3.“How much experience do you have with this treatment?” If a surgeon recommends nephrectomy, it’s OK to ask how many he’s done. Similarly for other treatment options

Experiencing the loss of a pregnancy, infant, or child brings unimaginable pain and grief, and can make you feel alone and lost. Everyone grieves in his own way. Men and women often show grief in different ways. Even if you and your partner agree on lots of things, you may feel and show your grief differently. Different ways of dealing with grief may cause problems for you and your partner. For example, you may think your partner isn’t as upset about your baby’s death as you are. You may think he doesn’t care as much. This may make you angry. At the same time, your partner may feel that you’re too emotional. He may not want to hear about your feelings so often, and he may think you’ll never get over your grief. He also may feel left out of all the support you’re getting. Everyone may ask him how you’re doing but forget to ask how he’s doing. Showing grief doesn’t have any rules or instructions. Men and women often may show grief in these ways. But there’s really no right or wrong way f

  Postpartum psychosis (or puerperal psychosis) is a severe mental illness. It starts suddenly in the days, or weeks, after having a baby. Symptoms vary, and can change rapidly. This condition causes a woman to experience symptoms that can be scary for her. She may hear voices, see things that aren’t reality, and experience extreme feelings of sadness and anxiety. These symptoms warrant emergency medical treatment. It can happen to any woman and often occurs ‘out of the blue’, even if you have not been ill before. It can be a frightening experience for a mother, her partner, friends and family. It can last several weeks or longer – but you will usually recover fully. It is much less common than baby blues or postnatal depression. Causes - Several things seem to play a part in postpartum psychosis. Your family history and genetic factors are important. Hormone levels and disturbed sleep patterns may also be involved. An estimated 31 percent of women with a history of postpartum psychosi