Effects of Methamphetamine (Meth)

Meth is a drug that has become increasingly popular over the years; however, its effects on the body and brain are far worse than that of many other drugs. Many users say they crave the high because it gives them a great sense of pleasure followed by feelings of euphoria. These results may also be experienced with “increased energy, focus, confidence, sexual prowess and feelings of desirability” (www.pbs.org).

Meth & the Brain:
•Prolonged use destroys dopamine receptors (which create the feeling of pleasure in the brain)
•Can also lead to psychotic behaviors, including paranoia, insomnia, delusions, hallucinations, and even death

Meth & the Body:
•Destroys tissues and blood vessels, leaving the body incapable of repairing itself as it usually would
•The skin is damaged; sores do not heal as quickly and acne may appear, in many cases making the person look years older.
•May result in tooth decay or loss

“Meth mouth" is characterized by broken, discolored and rotting teeth. (www.pbs.org)

Meth & Sex:
•Impairs judgment while heightening the libido, leaving individuals more likely to engage in risky behaviors
•Many users take more than one drug at a time, which increases the chances of contracting different STD’s

Other Effects of Meth:
•Liver damage
•Convulsions
•Stroke
•Increased heart rate
•Lowered resistance to illness

Meth is highly addictive and can change a person’s life in as little as one use. Meth alters the body both inside and out, and in many cases the damages are irreversible.

For more information visit: www.alliedtrades-online.com

Sources: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/body/
http://drugabuse.gov/researchreports/methamph/methamph3.html

Image from: Partnership for a Drug Free America

The Benefits of EAP Programs

An EAP program is originally designed to “enhance employee and workplace effectiveness through prevention, identification and resolution of personal and productivity issues.” What this means is that Employee Assistance Professionals (EAP’s) are hired to help assist employees in obtaining treatment if they need it, in part to enhance the efficiency of the company’s workforce.

Some benefits of these programs include:
•Fewer accidents and less absenteeism.“Companies that utilize EAP services report 21% lower absenteeism and 14% greater productivity than other companies"
•Help lessen healthcare costs due to stress related illnesses. “Collectively claims for depression, stress and anxiety cost U.S. employers an estimated $344 billion each year due to lost productivity, disability claims and medical fees.”
•Reduce uses of inappropriate and costly treatments. “In the last two years, 27% of adults have seen a mental health professional for therapy or taken a prescription medication for a personal, emotional or mental health problem. 80% of those who received treatment found it effective.”
•Improve morale of employees. “One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.”
•Maintain strong employees and lessen employee turnover. “The estimated costs to replace an employee range from 30% of an employee’s annual salary for entry level and unskilled workers to five times the annual salary for executives.”

EAP programs work to increase the effectiveness of any workforce. In many cases, people need treatment for problems that are occurring in their lives and EAP’s help to assist these individuals. Unfortunately a person’s life at home can greatly impact the way they perform at work, and using EAP services is one way to both help the employee, and keep the company’s workforce strong.

For more information visit: www.alliedtrades-online.com

Quotes taken from:
Workplace Solutions: http://www.wseap.com/site_org_solutions/benefits_eap.php

Other Sources:
Benefits of an EAP: http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept29260/files/191705.html
http://www.ozarkguidance.org/business/

Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is an issue that has become more serious as the years have passed. It doesn’t discriminate between age, gender, sexual orientation, race, socioeconomic status, or anything else; it can happen to anyone. Abuse can come in many different forms: physical, psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse are the most common.

Physical abuse can vary in its levels of intensity. It can be a scratch, bruise, burn or something else that has caused someone physical pain. It’s usually somewhat easy to detect if marks are left behind, but frequently, abusers strike their victims in places that are easily hidden by clothing. It is important to keep notice if someone seems afraid of their partner and seems to have a lot of accidents.

Psychological and emotional abuse are similar in that they both affect the victim’s mental well being. The abuser may isolate their victim from their loved ones, try to control many aspects of their life, and attack their self esteem by calling them names or making them feel worthless. This puts the victim in a state that makes them feel trapped and helpless in the abuser’s world.

Sexual abuse can be more harmful than any other abuse because it may leave both physical and emotional scars. If any type of sexual act is performed against someone’s will, it is considered abuse, and sometimes even rape, and can leave an individual damaged for the rest of their life.

Helping people that end up in a domestic abuse situation can be very difficult. Abusers can be very dangerous and it is important to keep that in mind when handling the situation. People that are victims of domestic abuse should develop a safe escape plan (including a packed bag and a safe place to go), as well as reach out to people that they trust. In any situation, it is important to be careful and precise.

It is estimated that a woman is beaten every 15 seconds and unfortunately people continue to be affected by domestic abuse every day. People are raising awareness across the world, and hopefully the future generations will see fewer victims.

For more information visit: www.alliedtrades-online.com

Sources:
http://helpguide.org/mental/domestic_violence_abuse_types_signs_causes_effects.htm
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/domestic_violence

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Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA's)

Children that grow up in a family where alcoholism is present tend to develop differently than children that are raised in an “average” household. They are not sure what to expect from their alcoholic parent and they learn to live in a world where chaos and confusion are normal. These ACOA’s eventually develop patterns of survival skills to cope with their unstable lifestyles, and these habits create issues in adulthood.

There are a few common characteristics of ACOA’s:

1.They are extremely fearful of losing control in their lives. This fear impacts their relationships with other people, as well as themselves. They generally like to be in control, and to avoid vulnerability, and these tendencies greatly affect how they live their lives.

2.They usually have issues with trust as well. “Repeatedly told to ignore the obvious, deny their own feelings, and distrust the accuracy of their own perceptions, ACOA's eventually begin to distrust not only other people but their own feelings and senses as well.”

3.They often feel uncomfortable expressing their own feelings. When they were younger, their feelings were probably met with disapproval and that teaches them that it is safer to keep their thoughts and emotions to themselves.

4.They often become over-responsible and strive for perfection. They may set very high standards for themselves, and be overly critical if they fail to meet them. When they were younger, they may have blamed themselves for the alcoholic’s problems and the yearning to make things better may never go away.

5.They generally avoid taking care of themselves and spend their time caring for other people instead. They may consider satisfying their emotional needs as being weak or vulnerable, so they tend to avoid them altogether.

ACOA’s may also fear abandonment, be more prone to compulsive behaviors, and/or struggle maintaining intimate relationships.

Unfortunately, what ACOA’s come to learn is that alcoholism (and other types of addiction) affect more than just the person addicted; it is a disease that can have everlasting affects on all of the people surrounding it.

For more information visit: www.alliedtrades-online.com

Sources:
http://www.mental-health-matters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=434
http://addictionrecoverybasics.com/adult-children-of-alcoholics-5-common-characteristics/

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Grief

Grief is a natural response to loss and losing something or someone you love can be very difficult and painful. When you experience a loss, you may feel a variety of emotions that range from anger to sadness, and many others in-between. Sometimes it feels like the hardship will never end, but the good news is that with time, the feelings of grief seem to lessen.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross developed a theory based on the way that people grieve. She found that people generally go through 5 various stages:
1.DENIAL: “This can’t be happening to me.”
2.ANGER: “Whose fault is this and why is it happening?”
3.BARGAINING: “If I do this, then can I get that..?”
4.DEPRESSION: “I’m too sad to do anything.”
5.ACCEPTANCE: “I’m at peace with what happened.”
*They may or may not occur in this order and some stages may never be reached at all.

Grief does not only occur when a loved one dies. Losing a relationship, a job, your health, your financial stability, your pet, or your feelings of safety can all cause grief as well. However, there is not one right way to grieve; everyone does it their own way. The pain does not go away faster if it is ignored and it is important to go through it the way that best suits the individual.

Therapists and counselors can be very helpful when someone is dealing with a loss. It can be helpful for them to talk to someone about the pain they are feeling. It is possible that the pain of grief will never disappear in its entirety, but it definitely can get better.

For more information visit: www.alliedtrades-online.com

SOURCES:
Coping with Grief and Loss
How to Deal with Grief 0104/default.asp>
Image from: http://blog.al.com/pr/grief%20day%201%20side.jpg

Prescription Drug Abuse

Adequate pain treatment has always been a struggle in our society. Frequently, doctors prescribe medication to their patients in hopes that the patient’s symptoms will be minimized. However, recently many people have started abusing these prescription drugs. Unfortunately, these drugs are easily obtained through multiple doctor shopping, over prescribing by physicians, use of someone else’s medication, forgery of prescriptions, and/or from illegal online pharmacies. It is important to recognize that both the physician and the patient are at fault here, as doctors should more closely monitor their patients and as patients should not abuse the system.

The most commonly abused prescription drugs are:
1.Opioids: usually prescribed for pain
2.Central Nervous System Depressants: usually for sleep disorders or anxiety
3.Stimulants: usually to treat ADHD, obesity, and narcolepsy

Statistics:
•At least half of all Americans take at least one prescription drug.
•In a 2006 survey of teenagers, 62% said it was easy to get prescription pain relievers from their parent’s home.
•19.5 million Americans (8.2% of population) age 12 and over currently use illicit drugs. Of this total, 6.3 million abuse prescription drugs (2.7% of population).
•Admissions to federally supported treatment programs for prescription opioid about increased 342% from 1996 to 2006.

Almost all of the states in the U.S. have made an attempt to battle this epidemic by keeping electronic files on patients and attempting to monitor their usage. Consumers can help by acknowledging the issue and taking extra steps to make sure their prescriptions are securely locked up. Both the DEA and the FDA have been working together to battle these issues and are striving to press criminal charges against anyone involved in the misuse of prescription drugs. The battle is far from over, but it is important to recognize how serious of an issue it has become and to take steps to prevent it from getting any worse.

For more information visit: www.alliedtrades-online.com

SOURCES:
Fear of Prescription Drug Abuse Affects Pain Management (2010)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/175137.php
Prescription Drug Abuse (2005)
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14428
Prescription Drug Addiction, Abuse, and Treatment (2007)
http://www.addictionsearch.com/treatment_articles/article/prescription-drug-addiction-abuse-and-treatment_32.html
Prescription Drug Abuse (2009)
http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/prescription_drug_abuse.html#
Almost Half of Americans Take at Least One Prescription Drug (2010)
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/healthcare/a/usmedicated.htm
Image from: http://www.familiesandcommunities.org/showDoc.cfm?pObject=269&pMenuTop=14

Mental Health in the Prison System

“With the reduction of psychiatric beds in past years, there is only one place that can't say `no' when you need someone kept away from society: the criminal justice system,” (Daly, 2006).

Due, in part, to changes in the economy, the number of mental health services available for prisoners have been reduced, while the number of people being incarcerated has increased. The administrators involved are looking to reduce costs, but unfortunately they are taking away much needed opportunities for these prisoners.

Many prisoners are sent to jail, but what the prison system has been failing to acknowledge is that many of these people have mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues. What this means is that prison is not always the most suitable place for these people: in many instances, the person would be better helped at a different facility. However, when a person commits a serious crime they are generally sent to prison, with good reason, but without any opportunities to recover when they are in jail, the prisoners are more likely to commit additional crimes, violate parole, and/or return to prison at a later date.

It is important to recognize that prisoners are not always “bad” people; many of them have disorders or other underlying issues. If there is hope for prisoners to ever really change, their real condition should be examined and their opportunities for success should not be limited.

SOURCES:
Daly, R. “Prison Mental Health Crisis Continues to Grow”

Image from: http://bloomingpeaches.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/jail.jpg

For more information visit: www.alliedtrades-online.com