Category: Mental Health

The reality

It’s a typical Friday morning, birds chirping, blue skies and sun is shining. The only thing on my mind was if I was going to work at home or to set up shop on the beach because I could already feel the heat coming in from my open window. As I do my morning ritual, which is to check all my social media platforms, (hopefully I’m not the only one who does this), the first thing I see is a post saying, “Anthony Bourdain, world-traveling chef, and TV star, dies at 61 in an apparent suicide.”

Immediately all I could think of was how influential he was to me in particular. I’m an aspiring chef, and of course, I enjoy writing and love seeing the world through the eyes of those who are not like me. Anthony Bourdain embodied all of these qualities and more, and then shared them with the whole world so they could see, feel, taste and touch different cultures in ways we never thought were possible.

I believe he did this because he was a true humanitarian. He was unbelievably intelligent with his articulation and pulling in your attention, also one of the most real and raw speaking public figures I’ve ever seen on television. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not comparing it to those reality shows that have no substance or positive influence, you know what I’m talking about..take your pick.

I say all of this to point out, that we as “humanity”, lost a very significant influential character that strived to make our world a better place to live, make us feel more alike than different, and showed us it’s ok to know the unknown. No pun intended.

So now let’s talk about the real problem at hand. The elephant in the room that everyone knows is there and continues to grow bigger and bigger as we speak. Suicide! Just days before Anthony Bourdain’s death, successful and well-known American fashion designer, Kate Spade, took her life also. It’s a reality that has become a loud cry for help.

We can’t forget that not all suicides get the publicity like celebrities’ get. Normal families across the nation are losing loved ones because of this very serious problem. Rather it is due to substance abuse, mental health, or whatever…there is no explanation good enough that could justify taking your own life.

We sometimes think that we have to emulate and try and live this, “perfect life”, and are ashamed or scared to talk about our problems with someone. Just like anything that you plant, that bad seed is going to continue to grow and start to invade every aspect of your life if you realize it or not. That’s one reason why it’s so important to discuss your problems with an outside perspective. A lot of the times we lose sight or get so submerged in the maze, we need that light at the end of the tunnel so we know what direction to head.

The numbers

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), analyzed the increase of suicides in the United States, using data from the National Vital Statistics System research from 1999 to 2016, and shows that suicide has increased 25%. This includes twenty-five states experiencing a 30% rise in suicides across the nation.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, states that more than half of those who died from suicide were not even medically diagnosed with a mental health condition.

“These findings are disturbing. Suicide is one of the top 10 causes of death in the US right now, and it’s one of three causes that is actually increasing recently, so we do consider it a public health problem — and something that is all around us,” –Dr. Anne Schuchat.

Her statement is a rude awakening and hits close to home for all of us. If we don’t intervene, these numbers will, unfortunately, reach catastrophic numbers.

Just in 2016 alone, 45,000 deaths were lost to suicide. Taking a look at individual states Delaware ranging from a 6% increase and nearly a 58% increase in North Dakota, researchers say.

Data collected from the National Violent Death Reporting System shows that 54% of individuals who committed suicide in 2015 did not even have a mental health condition. What’s more alarming is, researchers found that different circumstances such as relationship problems or loss of someone triggered more suicides than those who were medically diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Get help

We are all vulnerable to this reality, and we need to be there for those who need it and when they need it. If you notice someone may be dealing with this problem, speak up and talk about it. There are professional, confidential and friendly organizations that can help. Places like the National Suicide Prevention Line, are here to help those who need it. You can also call 1-800-273-8255, and they are available 24/7 every day.

If you want to reach out to a Mental Health facility, do your research to see which one will be the best fit for yourself or whoever is seeking help. Hundreds of treatment centers across the United States, for you to choose from, and they all have well-qualified therapists and doctors that are trained to get your life back.

Awareness of this topic can never go unknown, and you can help by re-posting, commenting, by just starting a dialogue on your social media platforms may just save someone’s life.

Did you know that stress can cause emotional, behavioral and even physical symptoms that affect an individual’s well-being?

When it does get so severe, it can lead to developing an illness. The numbers are so staggering, that it’s been estimated that close to 87% of doctor visits are somehow related to stress symptoms or diseases linked to stress.

Just like anything else, your stress is treatable and can be managed and reduced dramatically. Stress management experts have found ways to relieve those ailments of stress through proven relaxation techniques and of course lifestyle changes.

Identifying the Symptoms of Stress:

Although your best option for identifying stress-related symptoms is talking to your doctor, there are things to look out for yourself that can be a treated before it becomes chronic or severe. Remember these symptoms can be caused by a number of health conditions and not always contributed to just stress. But like I said, it’s always wise to seek advice and treatment from your doctor.

Physical symptoms may include:

Dry mouth
Diarrhea or Vomiting
Fatigue
Insomnia
Migraine headaches
Heart issues
Heartburn
Hyperventilation
Indigestion
Irregular menstrual cycles
Appetite changes
Sex issues
Muscle pains
Weight management issues

Emotional symptoms may include:

Focus issues or Confusion
Anxiety
Crying
Depression
Having low self-esteem
Hostility and combativeness towards others
Impatience or irritability
Suspiciousness
Constantly worrying

Behavioral symptoms may include:

Alcohol, drug use, and smoking
Combative behavior
Focusing on problems, instead of fixing them
Inability to concentrate
Indecisiveness
Lack of motivation
Low productivity
Overeating
Poor judgment
Tapping feet or fingers
Withdrawal

10 Simple Ways to Manage Stress:

After reading through the list above and you realize that maybe stress is impacting your life, here are 10 steps of stress management techniques you can try. Although its best if you manage your stress with a therapist, you can also do this on your own, or with the help of your family.

Managing and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Stop smoking, stop doing illicit drugs and or abusing alcohol use.
Eating three or more small, nutritious, low-fat meals each day.
Putting more time into relationships with your family and close friends.
Allow yourself to be alone at times, solitude is good for you sometimes.
Don’t be afraid to say, “no”, to things that are not a priority in your life. Focus on what makes you happy and what’s for the betterment of yourself.
Get more social in your life, play sports or other social events.
Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
Ask for help from your family and friends, if life responsibilities are overwhelming at times. Everyone needs help here and there. Don’t be ashamed to ask for it.
Avoid conflicts if and when you can.

If you can identify with some or most of these symptoms, I would advise to try out some of the techniques to see if it will give you some relief in your life. If you feel like you need more attention, or help to try to figure out if you need professional help, there are behavioral health facilities that can help you get your life back on track. Mental health is a real problem here in the United States, and reaching out to someone is the first step in achieving a happy life. 🙂

“Let us all work together to stop this epidemic from spreading and killing our loved ones.”

As we all know, prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic all across the nation. However, Utah has become one of the nation’s leading states for drug abuse, ranking fifth in the nation for prescription drug overdoses from 2013 to 2015.

Since 2007, the Legislature has passed 101 laws addressing prescription misuse, monitoring prescribing practices, overdose prevention with an emergency drug called naloxone, and court-ordered treatments.

There is also a database known as Utah’s prescription drug monitoring system, which was created in 1995 to assist doctors and law enforcement monitor the use and abuse of prescribed controlled substances. Utah is one of 48 states with a system like this in place, but many other states require law enforcement to obtain a warrant or court order to access the database, however, Utah is not one of them.

In 2012, an average of 21 Utah adults each month died as a result of prescription drug use. Fatal prescription pill overdose is known more commonly in Utah than death by car crash. Most people have the assumption that just because they get prescribed painkillers from a doctor that it is safe to use anytime when in reality this is just not true and can be very fatal.

Since 2002, deaths from prescription pain medication outnumbered heroin & cocaine deaths combined. Nearly half of young adult heroin users reported having first abused prescription opioids. Only 15% of addicts get the treatment they need.

These are alarming facts about prescription drug abuse in Utah, and if you or a loved one is suffering from addiction, please reach out to a treatment center that can help you. There is no better time to get the help you need then now. With awareness and knowledge available nowadays, we can all help stop this horrible epidemic.

Why do people get into the addiction and mental health treatment industry?

For the most part it is because they have some sort of connection – either personally or a direct relative or friend that has been afflicted by a devastating behavioral health condition.

You can ask 1,000 CEO’s, Owners, and Program Directors and not one of these industry leaders will tell you the primary reason they felt a calling to help people with addiction or mental health issues was because the revenue potential.

With that said – it takes a community to help addicts get better. A community of highly educated, highly skilled and experienced professionals who are dedicated to the well being of others. In a perfect world these pillars of the treatment community would be able to provide their services at little or no cost, however this is not the case – their highly specialized skill set is in high demand by those in need.

The good news is that insurance carriers have plans and benefits that cover both addiction and mental health treatment – and with the Affordable Care Act, more people then ever have the ability to access these benefits.

There is a simple math equation here that can show how to drastically increase your rehab facility profits – many families have insurance benefits that can pay for a longer stay – with a much more needed step down in continuum of care – than they can afford to simply pay for out of pocket.

Get accredited

Implement strong tracking processes

Learn the language of insurance

Communicate internally

Advocate for your patients

Educate your families

To be continued.