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Month: April 2022

The Effectiveness of Ketamine Nasal Spray for Depression

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The effectiveness of Ketamine nasal spray for depression

Depression affects millions of people. Numerous people in America are feeling sad but can’t figure out why. They feel tearful or on the verge of crying for no apparent reason. Some are irritable and get defensive quickly. Some start misusing alcohol and drugs to cope and others want to commit suicide. There are so many levels and types of depression, making it one of the most common mental health disorders. But, for those looking for an effective treatment, hope may be found in the form of ketamine nasal spray for depression. Typical Treatments for Depression All depressive disorders are treatable. Psychiatrists can prescribe antidepressant medications to rebalance brain chemicals, including those that boost Serotonin. Medications are usually only prescribed when combined with behavioral therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, or peer support groups. Additional treatments include alternative therapies such as meditation, prayer, yoga, acupuncture, fitness, nutrition, art, and music therapy. …

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Can Alcohol Cause Depression and Loneliness?

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Can alcohol cause depression and loneliness

Can alcohol cause depression and loneliness? While the short answer is yes, the ways alcohol affects an individual’s mental health varies and can be complicated. Alcohol Affects Mental Health Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. When you consume alcohol, it enters your bloodstream through the digestive system and quickly travels to the brain. As alcohol enters the brain, it changes how your brain functions. Alcohol crosses the blood-brain barrier very easily and immediately sedates primary functions such as talking, walking, and decision-making. It slows down everything from your thoughts to your movements and reactions. The more alcohol you consume, the stronger the sedative effects. How Can Alcohol Cause Depression and Loneliness? Loneliness is an emotion defined by a craving for social connectedness, for human contact and interactions. Loneliness can often be relieved once you make a human connection. It can be a symptom of a more significant mental health problem, like …

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Spring Cleaning and Mental Health: Decluttering Your Mind, Body, and Soul

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Spring cleaning and mental health

Why does it feel so good to do a spring cleaning each year? Why throw out items you spent time collecting? Why do you spend hours or days cleaning every part of your home, knowing it will eventually get dirty again? And most of all, how do spring cleaning and mental health impact your life? Spring Cleaning and Mental Health Some reports say the answers lie within your mind and that your living environment directly reflects your mental health. Based on this theory, if you have a lot of unanswered emails or voice mails, you have disconnected from others socially. If you struggle to stay focused, you are more likely to lose essential items, like your car keys. The COVID pandemic is an example of how what happens in your personal life is directly related to your mind, body, and soul. Remember the people hoarding toilet paper? Their minds were filled more …

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What is Alcohol Awareness Month?

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Alcohol Awareness Month in April

April is The National Alcohol Awareness Month. Since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) has sponsored the educational event. The goal is to reduce the stigma surrounding the disease of alcoholism and encourage people to seek treatment. It’s an opportunity for communities to have conversations about alcohol prevention, misuse, dependence, alcohol use disorders, and treatment options. Is There a Need for Alcohol Awareness Month? A recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health found 14.5 million Americans over the age of twelve and over 400,000 adolescents have an alcohol use disorder. Survey results also show that approximately 95,000 Americans die from an alcohol-related cause every year. More than ten percent of children under seventeen have a parent who is an alcoholic. Statistics like these make it obvious that there is still a need for alcohol awareness. Out of the millions with an alcohol use disorder, only 7.2% receive treatment. One …

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Stress Awareness Month

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Stress Awareness Month

What is Stress Awareness Month? Stress Awareness Month has been recognized during the month of April since 1992; it spreads awareness of the ways in which stress impacts our mental and physical health as well as urges us to find healthy ways to manage our own stress. What is stress and how does it impact us? We often talk about stress, but what does it really mean? According to the American Psychological Association, stress is defined as “the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave” (2020). Put simply, stress is our own response to stimuli (stressors). Stress can be acute (responses to short term stressors) or chronic (response to ongoing, long term stressors), and not all stress is bad. Some stress can help us better navigate situations such as job interviews or …

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