GUEST POST: Get Fit, Both Body and Mind – The Link between Physical and Mental Health

There was a time in my life when nothing seemed to interest me anymore, when life just did not seem worthwhile. I had just broken up with my boyfriend of three years, and the pain of the separation made it hard to even get out of bed every morning. That is, until a friend forced me into getting up and jogging with her one morning. I was not at all enthusiastic at first, and went along just to avoid hurting her feelings. But, boy oh boy, a few laps around the park, and I could feel my energy levels soaring and felt as if I had wings and could fly.

Exercise does that to you; it has been proven to get you out of a blue funk, no matter how bad it is. And if you’re wondering why, read on to learn about the connection between physical and mental health:

• Your endorphin level goes up: When you exercise, both during and after your workout, you feel good because you boost the production of endorphins in your body. Endorphins provide effects similar to that of pleasure-enhancing drugs and act as natural painkillers, and this means that you get a natural and completely healthy high after you’re done exercising.


• You begin to lose weight and look better: And because we human beings are vain creatures who are obsessed with the way we look, weighing a few pounds less makes us feel good about ourselves. We can fit into clothes that are a size smaller, we can bask in the attention of all the compliments that come our way, and we can take pride in flaunting our new and improved look. This makes us feel immensely better and lifts our mood to new levels of happiness.


• You become healthier: If you suffer from diseases like hypertension and diabetes, exercise can help keep them in check and make you a healthier person. When you’re physically healthy, your mental health also improves significantly.


• Your energy levels are boosted: You feel naturally energetic after regular sessions of exercise, and when you don’t feel tired during the day, you don’t tend to nap. You also get more work done and this makes you feel good about yourself. And at the end of the day, the natural tiredness makes you fall asleep immediately and enjoy a good night’s rest, all of which are important for you to be in a good mood when you wake up.

So if you’re looking for a way to beat the blues put on your workout clothes and hit the gym – it’s the best way to get more than one benefit.

By-line:
This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of pharmacist technician certification at her blog The Pharm Tech Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.

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Alcohol Kills 1 in 25 Worldwide

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Canada has recently put forth staggering research results revealing that 1 in 25 deaths worldwide are directly linked to alcohol consumption. Furthermore, in Europe, 1 in 10 deaths are directly related to alcohol consumption.

Europeans drink on average 13 drinks per week, North Americans tend to drink about 11 drinks per week, and Canadians drink roughly 9 drinks on any given week. The national average stands at about 7 drinks per week. In the study, 1 drink is equivalent to the alcohol content of 1 beer, 1 glass of wine, or 1 shot of spirits, each of which contain 13.6 grams of pure ethanol.

"Globally, the effect of alcohol on burden of disease is about the same size as that of smoking in 2000, but it is relatively greatest in emerging economies."

This statement begs the question; why do we not see more anti-drinking ads? Society could not be more fully aware of the devastating affects of smoking, but drinking, the socially acceptable habit, takes far less slander. Research such as this could be used to inform the public of the dangers of repeated excessive alcohol consumption.

That being said, it seems difficult to comprehend the rates of disease worsened by alcohol consumption without knowing the quality of health care among the countries being compared.

“CAMH's Dr Jürgen Rehm and his colleagues found that alcohol-attributable disorders are among the most disabling disease categories within the global burden of disease, especially for men. And in contrast to other traditional risk factors for disease, the burden attributable to alcohol lies more with younger people than with the older population.”

Clearly, knowledge gained from this research should be targeted toward the younger population since they typically make up the highest portion of drinkers. This kind of research can have powerful effects on society through various avenues that may indirectly reduce such statistics. For example, recent changes to Ontario’s drinking and driving laws ensure that a mere .05 blood alcohol level will get your licence suspended. Research, such as this, could be put to good use to help treat and prevent social and economic crises.

Personally, these statistics would be much more powerful if mental illness and concurrent substance abuse disorder had been examined separately in relation to alcohol consumption on burden of disease.

One In 25 Deaths Worldwide Attributable To Alcohol

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GUEST POST: 5 Ways Having Friends is Good for Your Health

With all of the check-ups, pills, exercise and dieting that we do in the name of protecting our health, it might seem confusing that something as easy and enjoyable as hanging out with friends and family is also good for us. But researchers believe that for teens, adults and senior citizens, regular social interaction is crucial for preserving mental health. Here's why:

1. Reduces stress: It sounds simple, but getting face time with friends and family reduces stress, which is good for your mental and emotional well-being. Whether you're ranting about work, getting perspective on a personal problem you have, or just tuning out all of the things that make you stressed or worried on a regular basis, time spent with friends and peers helps relieve tension and boosts your mood.

2. It helps you feel connected: If you're out at parties, restaurants, clubs and other social events, you're more likely to feel connected and like you're contributing to the greater community. This sense of self is important when evaluating risk factors for depression and even adopting a healthier lifestyle overall.

3. It strengthens your immune system: People who have a strong base of meaningful relationships are generally more happy, and that means a more sufficient immune system. Sad and lonely people, conversely, generally show signs of a weaker immune system.

4. Longer life: Those who have both a broad social circle and frequently spend time with lots of different kinds of people as well as a close confidant or spouse are likely to live longer than those who have no one to care for them or even interest them.

5. Socializing regulates your vitals: Studies have shown that seniors who socialize regularly have lower cholesterol and more stable blood pressure.

This evidence should help you feel better about managing stress and taking time to enjoy life, especially as you age. Isolation doesn't just equal boredom: it can also mean lower self esteem, which translates into higher stress, loneliness, depression, poor physical health and cognitive decline. Make a point to join clubs, attend church or spiritual events, exercise with a group, or just meet a friend for coffee a couple of times a week. You'll thank yourself for it.

This post was contributed by Meredith Walker, who writes about the masters of healthcare degrees. She welcomes your feedback at MeredithWalker1983 at gmail.com

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Fighting Addiction With Prescription Heroin

Former MP John Reynolds believes that Canada should start medicating addicts with prescription heroin; in the same manner it would any other health condition that is controlled with medication. Clearly, convincing Canadians of this presumption will not be an easy feat as addiction is hardly comparable to conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.

“Mr. Reynolds, a member of the InnerChange Foundation in Vancouver, applauded the research arm of Health Canada for financing the Study to Assess Longer-term Opioid Medication Effectiveness (SALOME), which will offer heroin and a legal substitute, Hydromorphone.”

And…“In a secondary phase, some of the 200 addicts who will be recruited to the program will be offered heroin in a pill form - another way of reducing the stigma and health risks associated with injecting drugs.”

"We really hope with SALOME that, if we can show (Hydromorphone) is as effective, there will be so many fewer obstacles to treatment - because it is not called heroin."

Surely society can perceive the benefits for the addict and the community as a whole; however the pill is not the answer. The addict no longer has to commit crimes and suffer various traumas associated with obtaining drugs. The addict can be slowly weaned off drugs in a more controlled manner with the assistance of health professionals in order to ease themselves into proper treatment. The addict would have much needed support during the path to recovery.

No one can deny these benefits; however is the main objective here not to make drug use safer and reduce crime? Many people, including addicts, will view this method as replacing one drug with another, therefore maintaining psychological dependence. In addition, side effects and withdrawal symptoms are not all that unlike those of heroin, morphine or other opiods. Although studies have shown that Hydromorphone can be more successful than methadone, the latter has also not proven to be the much needed solution for many addicts.

I must say that I’m not sold on the idea that addiction is merely a physical condition needing medication, Mr. Reynolds. Recovery requires treatment of both physical and psychological aspects, especially when addiction is so often combined with other mental health conditions.

Prescribe heroin to addicts, former Tory MP says

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New Blue Light Goggles Help Elderly Get A Better Night's Sleep

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) has designed a pair of goggles that deliver blue light directly into the eyes. This new device is said to improve the quality of sleep for older adults. Many elderly suffer from serious sleep disturbances often times as a result of changes to their circadian rhythm. In brief, the circadian rhythm refers to the body’s 24 hour sleep/wake cycle, which relates to one’s exposure to light and shifts in hormone levels.

Many recent studies over the past few years have demonstrated the effectiveness of blue light in stimulating the circadian system. All types of light travel through the retina to the circadian clock in the brain. Unfortunately, several changes to the eyes and brain as well as lifestyle adjustments come with age, which can seriously impact the amount of light stimulus reaching the retina, therefore affecting the circadian clock. In addition, our lenses thicken and our pupils shrink with age, hence further reducing the amount of light that can pass through the retina.

Furthermore, the elderly may suffer from mental health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, that require even more light to keep the circadian rhythm in tact because of weaker neural connections in the brain. Less time spent outdoors also reduces the amount of daylight taken in preventing a good night’s sleep.

“The device was worn by eleven subjects between the ages of 51 and 80 years of age. Each subject was exposed to two levels of blue light (about 50 lux and 10 lux) from the personal light-treatment device for 90 minutes on two separate nights. Blood and saliva samples were collected at prescribed times to assess levels of nocturnal melatonin, a hormone used as a marker for the circadian clock, with high levels at night when a person is in a dark environment and low levels during the day."

The light-induced nocturnal melatonin was suppressed by about 35% with low levels of light exposure and about 60 percent with high levels of light after only one hour of wearing the glasses. Nocturnal melatonin appeared to be more rapidly suppressed and sustained with higher levels of blue light.

The study provides hope that a practical, comfortable, and effective solution may soon be available for those suffering from circadian sleep disorders.

Light-treatment Device To Improve Sleep Quality In The Elderly

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Kaspar Gets Fitted for Roboskin to Help Teach Autistic Children

Kaspar is a child-sized humanoid robot, developed by the Adaptive Systems research group at the University of Hertfordshire, that assists in cognitive development research. KASPAR stands for Kinesics And Synchronisation in Personal Assistant Robotics.

Currently Kaspar’s purpose is to encourage and instil appropriate social interaction skills in children with autism. In due time, Kaspar will be covered with a high tech roboskin developed by Dr Daniel Polani. This artificial skin will be embedded with tactile sensors that can provide feedback to autistic children as they interact with the robot.

“The goal is to make the robot able to respond to different styles of how the children play with Kaspar in order to help the children to develop ‘socially appropriate’ playful interaction (e.g. not too aggressive) when interacting with the robot and other people.”

What is autism?

Autism is a brain development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior.

What are the common types of treatment?

Occupational therapy helps improve independent function and teaches basic skills (e.g., buttoning a shirt, bathing).

Physical therapy involves using exercise and other physical measures (e.g., massage, heat) to help patients control body movements.

Applied behavior analysis is based on the theory that rewarded behavior is more likely to be repeated than behavior that is ignored.

Sensory integration therapy is a type of behavior modification that focuses on helping autistic patients cope with sensory stimulation.

Play therapy is a type of behavior modification that is used to improve emotional development, which in turn, improves social skills and learning.

Social stories are designed to help autistic patients understand the feelings, ideas, and points of view of others, or to suggest an alternate response to a particular situation.

Speech therapy may be used to help patients gain the ability to speak.

Picture exchange communication systems (PECS) enable autistic patients to communicate using pictures that represent ideas, activities, or items.

New Robot With Artificial Skin To Improve Human Communication

Other Sources:
http://kaspar.feis.herts.ac.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism
http://www.neurologychannel.com/autism/treatment.shtml

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PsychBoard.com

Mental Health Blog is proud to announce the launch of a new Psychology and Mental Health Forum called PsychBoard.com. The aim of this forum is to share information, generate discussion and foster support with anyone interested in mental health and psychology.



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