Mood Disorders linked with Opioids’Abuse

A recent study has demonstrated that people suffering from a mood disorder are more likely to abuse opioids by getting non-prescribed opioid medication.

This applies essentially to people suffering from Bipolar disorder, Anxiety disorder and Major Depression, who have been reported to take non-prescribed opioids such as codeine, morphine, oxycontin, vicodin and orther related medication. The researchers’ findings support the notion that people suffering with mood disorders tend to self-medicate and thus try to appease their moods with opioids.

Besides the obvious dangers of self-medication, there is alsa a concern that use and withdrawal from opioids might trigger anxiety disorders.

If you suffer from a mood disorder, avoid self-medication as it may very likely exacerbate a symptom or even precipitate another one more serious and more permanent.

 

Jazzie

Living with Anxiety

On Keeping a Critical Mind When Reading About Scientific Findings

I came across an article last week that made me really irrate.The article, published in the New York Times online, claimed that a “large study” found a link between drinking four or more cups of coffee a day and a reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer for women.

Basically, the study claimed that women who drank at least 4 cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of developing uterine cancer compared to women who had less that one cup of coffee a day! Let me rephrase that; ingesting over 1000mg/day of cafffeine is seen as potentially beneficial to women’s health???

Yet, the general consensus among the medical commuity is that 4+ cups of coffee can be detrimental to your phyical and mental health. Let’s remind us that notwithstanding caffeine’s deleterious effects on the body, numerous studies have conclusively showed a link between excessive caffeine intake and anxiety and panic disorders. There is even evidence that caffeine contributes to heart attacks, which means that it has the potential to kill. So, my question is the following; Does cancer really matter when the health of your heart is in jeopardy?

I would take this finding with a grain of salt because on the one hand the researchers merely point to a link between high caffeine intake and reduced risk of endometrial cancer, which is not similar to saying that one causes the other. On the other hand, the percentage of risk reduction for uterine cancer is only 25% for caffeine drinkers out of a total number of 67,470 participants. Furthermore, the researchers themselves refrained from drawing any conclusion about whether caffeine or other ingredients in caffeine causes this effect.

So, my advice would be to keep a critical mind to everything one reads.

Jazzie

Living with Anxiety

Link to the article referenced in the post:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/health/research/four-daily-cups-of-coffee-may-cut-cancer-risk-in-women.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

 

The hallucinogenic property of Caffeine

A recent study has demonstrated that high caffeine intake combined with stress increases the propensity to have hallucinations.

According to the researchers consumption of 5 cups of coffee or more could produce hallucinogenic experiences, such as hearing something when there is nothing there. It is true that people quite rarely consume that many cups of coffee, but it is not such a distant reality when we take into account all the caffeinated beverages or food that we ingest in a day, including soda, chocolates, coffee ice-cream, etc.. When it all adds up, we are more likely to find out that we are ingesting the same amount of caffeine contained in 5 cups of coffee.

According to the study, caffeine triggers hallucinations in people who are already stressed, but they also specify that it not only increases the level of stress but it also increases pronness to hallucinations.

Other studies had linked caffeine to anxiety disorders and panic attacks, and now it has been found to produce hallucinations. It seems that as research focuses more on this compound, it is revealing itself as being quite detrimental to our mental health.

Just keep that in mind!

Jazzie

Living with Anxiety

Read more about caffeine and hallucination at http://scienceillustrated.com.au/blog/science/caffeine-can-make-you-hallucinate/

 

The hallucinogenic property of Caffeine

A recent study has demonstrated that high caffeine intake combined with stress increases the propensity to have hallucinations.

According to the researchers consumption of 5 cups of coffee or more could produce hallucinogenic experiences, such as hearing something when there is nothing there. It is true that people quite rarely consume that many cups of coffee, but it is not such a distant reality when we take into account all the caffeinated beverages or food that we ingest in a day, including soda, chocolates, coffee ice-cream, etc.. When it all adds up, we are more likely to find out that we are ingesting the same amount of caffeine contained in 5 cups of coffee.

According to the study, caffeine triggers hallucinations in people who are already stressed, but they also specify that it not only increases the level of stress but it also increases pronness to hallucinations.

Other studies had linked caffeine to anxiety disorders and panic attacks, and now it has been found to produce hallucinations. It seems that as research focuses more on this compound, it is revealing itself as being quite detrimental to our mental health.

Just keep that in mind!

Jazzie

Living with Anxiety

Read more about caffeine and hallucination at http://scienceillustrated.com.au/blog/science/caffeine-can-make-you-hallucinate/

 

High Magnesium Intake Reduces Anxiety and Fear

A new study has found that increasing magnesium in the brain also increases activity in the control centers of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) thereby improving control of the fear response.

How does magnesium achieve this effect? By simply improving cognitive ability. The normal fear response is triggered in a dangerous situation, but in anxiety disorders the memory of the danger or the trauma induces the fear response. The process is automatic and uncontrolled, but by improving cognitive ability, the brain is essentially putting the brakes on this automatic response. The traumatic memory stays, but it no longer affects the brain.

The study focused on a magnesium compound called Magtein, which has produced positive results in lab rats. Keep in mind though that the study was funded by ADP, inc, which manufactures Magtein and that it was not evaluated by the FDA

All in all, increasing naturally occurring magnesium (in moderation) will not be harmful to your health but only healthful to your mental.

Jazzie

Living with Anxiety

For more info about the study go to http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/05/4101375/new-study-finds-high-magnesium.html

 

High Magnesium Intake Reduces Anxiety and Fear

A new study has found that increasing magnesium in the brain also increases activity in the control centers of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) thereby improving control of the fear response.

How does magnesium achieve this effect? By simply improving cognitive ability. The normal fear response is triggered in a dangerous situation, but in anxiety disorders the memory of the danger or the trauma induces the fear response. The process is automatic and uncontrolled, but by improving cognitive ability, the brain is essentially putting the brakes on this automatic response. The traumatic memory stays, but it no longer affects the brain.

The study focused on a magnesium compound called Magtein, which has produced positive results in lab rats. Keep in mind though that the study was funded by ADP, inc, which manufactures Magtein and that it was not evaluated by the FDA

All in all, increasing naturally occurring magnesium (in moderation) will not be harmful to your health but only healthful to your mental.

Jazzie

Living with Anxiety

For more info about the study go to http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/05/4101375/new-study-finds-high-magnesium.html

 

Mainstream UK: Mental illness is still kept in the shadow

Check out this great article that claims that in the UK , media references to mental illness are fairly scarce. I think that this kind of attitude hampers progress in the field and undermines past achievements.

What is your opinion?

Yazzie

http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/12/04/in-mainstream-media-mental-health-sti…

memyselfanxiety.com

 

 

Mainstream UK: Mental illness is still kept in the shadow

Check out this great article that claims that in the UK , media references to mental illness are fairly scarce. I think that this kind of attitude hampers progress in the field and undermines past achievements.

What is your opinion?

Yazzie

http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/12/04/in-mainstream-media-mental-health-sti…

memyselfanxiety.com

 

 

Regular Exercise has been proven to reduce Anxiety

Good news for those of you still suffering from Anxiety. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce Anxiety and promote well-being.

There is now empirical evidence showing the benefits of 20 to 40 minutes of exercise 3 times a week on Anxiety. Several studies have tested whether it is effective and all  the results converge to the same conclusion, it works. Furthermore, exercise has been shown to provide the same benefits as a drug treatment (e.g., clomipramine), thus providing an alternative choice to a drug treatment.

More studies are on the way, but so far the results are very positive.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/collections/201111/phobias/exercise-anxiety

Jazzie,

Living with Anxiety

Dreaming reduces the impact of negative emotional events

Dreaming not only helps consolidate memories but a new study shows that it may also help process negative emotional events better.

The study involved participants who viewed emotionally arousing images. One group viewed the images in the morning and in the evening, while the other group viewed the same images in the evening and in the following morning (after sleeping).

The results indicated that the second group showed a decreased emotional reaction to the images compared to the first group. That conclusion was further corroborated by brain scans taken during the study that revealed reduced activity in the amygdala, an almond-shaped brain structure associated with the fear response and anxiety.

Thus, sleeping after experiencing an emotionally-arousing event may contribute to good mental health.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=dreams-help-soothe-your-bad-memorie-11-11-28

Jazzie.

Living with anxiety