by: Arthur Buchanan
Someone who is experiencing mental health difficulties is usually able to live a successful full life, particuarly if they are receiving help to manage their illness. However, it is not uncommon for stigma to be attached to experiencing mental health difficulties. This often causes people to feel embarrassed.
Often people with mental health difficulties worry that people will tease them or treat them differently. There are some things that you may want to do to help your friend feel more comfortable, these are:
Avoid being judgmental - Being aware of the stigma. Keeping an open mind may help to create a safe environment for your friend which may mean they are more likely to relax and enjoy themselves.
Talk about what they find helpful - Make conversations about their mental health difficulties easy and open. Try asking about what helps them when things are tough. By talking openly, you are letting the person know about your love and support for them. You may like to talk about what you have read and ask how they feel about it.
Respecting your friend's limits - There may be times when your friend says they are not able to do something because of their illness. It is important that you respect this and don't put extra pressure on them. Often those who are taking medication are not able to drink alcohol. This may make it hard for your friend in certain social situations. If you know that your friend is unable to drink it may be a helpful when you do hang out to choose to do something that doesn't involve alcohol.
Encouraging your friend to stay with their medication - It is likely that someone with long-term mental illness will be on regular medication. This may have side effects, which mean your friend may not like taking the medication. However, medication is often an important part of managing the illness and your friend may need your support to stick at it.
If your friend stops using or changes the amount of medication they use without getting the OK from their psychiatrist or doctor, encourage them to make an appointment quickly. Similarly if they are experiencing side effects that weren't expected they should also contact their psychiatrist or doctor.
Ensure that you have contact numbers - Having the contact numbers of people like their psychologist, doctor or psychiatrist is often important in helping your friend through a crisis. It means that you can contact someone who knows your friend should they be unsafe.
Getting help for your friend
For those who have a mental health difficulty, there may be periods when things are not manageable. Harder times may be triggered if your friend has been over-stressed or there has been a traumatic event or a change in medication. These things can trigger the characteristics of the mental illness they experience. This is often called an episode.
If you are concerned that your friend is not behaving as they normally would then it is important to encourage them to talk to someone they trust like their doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist. If you think that your friend is likely to hurt themselves or someone else find some help immediately even if they don't want you to.
Looking after yourself
Sometimes when we are helping a friend we forget to look after our ourselves. It is important to also take care of your own needs as well as helping your friend. Make sure that you don't give up things that you enjoy and if you are feeling tired or ovwhelmed take some time out and relax.
About The Author
Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike Litman Show!
http://freesuccessaudios.com/Artlive.mp3 THIS LINK WORKS, LISTEN TODAY!
With Much Love,
Arthur Buchanan
President/CEO
Out of Darkness & Into the Light
43 Oakwood Ave. Suite 1012
Huron Ohio, 44839
www.out-of-darkness.com
www.adhdandme.com
www.biologicalhappiness.com
567-219-0994 (cell)
arthur@out-of-darkness.com
Monday, April 7, 2008
Alcohol And Drug Abuse In Mental Health
by: Christos Varsamis
Alcohol abuse is overrated, while drug abuse is underrated. The DSM manual suggests that substance abuse there are differences in the definition of drug and alcohol use. To confuse matters worse the law has its own version of who is an alcoholic or drug addict. Some of the symptoms that help professionals determine if alcohol and drugs are a problem include, excessive drinking/drugging, problems with the law, withdrawal symptoms, shaking of the hands, and so forth.
If a person drinks everyday of the week and relies on alcohol, then you are probably dealing with an alcoholic. There are philosophers who claim if a person needs a drink at breakfast, that he or she is an alcohol. Some philosophers claim that if you drink more than six-pack weeks then you are an alcoholic.
The fact is, most of the people nagging or evaluating alcohol and drugs has a problem them self or has gotten help someone in their lifetime to treat their own problems. Therefore, as you can see addictions, dependant alcoholics, and other types of alcoholics and drug addicts may alter. First all, any chemical that causes harm is a potential danger to your being.
In other words if you start out drinking when you are fourteen and continue through your lifetime without alcohol causing you trouble, or else landing you a spot in jail, then you are probably not an alcoholic according to few. The fact is the ones that are drinking and driving and getting caught are alcoholics according to the system although the level of alcohol in the blood plays a role in the determination.
The truth is the law sometimes over dramatizes and the system is out to make all the money they can, so we all might be alcoholics by the time they are done with us. Alcoholism and drug addictions are complex, in the sense there are too many misconstrued inputs and often the label is placed on individuals according to culture and history. If you parents drank alcohol then the system sometimes will claim you as an alcoholic.
The fact is, Jesus drink wine in moderation, so drinking in moderation is not a bad thing. The problem becomes a problem when the person has difficulty putting down the bottle and/or increases their intake as well as combining drugs with the alcohol to get an affect they was had. If someone will steal or lie to get alcohol or drugs then you know they have a real problem.
However, most alcoholics and drug addicts have bigger problems than addictions and this is often ignored. For example, people with mental illnesses often resort to alcohol and/or drugs to find relief of their symptoms. Now if a professional is treating this person for his or her diagnose and progress is moving along the person often feels healthy and the alcohol and drugs are out the door.
In my studies and opinions, I disagree with alcoholism and drug addictions if the person is able to stop once the mental illness is treated. This means that the person was suffering and the substances was a mechanism to help them cope.
On the other hand, if the person is treated for mental illnesses and his or her drug and alcohol habits continue, then I think you had better get out the chair and start talking ‘one day at a time.’ Alcohol was once known as the “Devils Drink.” The White men are the originator of the source, and since its beginning it has caused serious complications, including death, abuse, and other related crimes.
Drugs are optional since the system often makes them available by teaching individuals what the drugs contain. The root of all-evil is money, and if a person sees that he or she can gain, they may take advantage, but fall into a snare in between. The system is overwrought, since they put alcoholics and drugs addicts in jail and not seeking help for them.
The solution to humankind’s problem is helping and not hurting or promoting. If we can’t get along now, what makes you think you are going to heaven?
About The Author
Christos Varsamis is a Marketing Consultant. Sign for your Free 15 day Success E-course at http://www.settinglifegoals.com. Get your Free E-courses “How to Create Minisites That Make Money in Just 24 Hours + Secrets of Internet Millionaires” at http://www.cbmallclickbank.com & http://www.cbmallgr.com.
Alcohol abuse is overrated, while drug abuse is underrated. The DSM manual suggests that substance abuse there are differences in the definition of drug and alcohol use. To confuse matters worse the law has its own version of who is an alcoholic or drug addict. Some of the symptoms that help professionals determine if alcohol and drugs are a problem include, excessive drinking/drugging, problems with the law, withdrawal symptoms, shaking of the hands, and so forth.
If a person drinks everyday of the week and relies on alcohol, then you are probably dealing with an alcoholic. There are philosophers who claim if a person needs a drink at breakfast, that he or she is an alcohol. Some philosophers claim that if you drink more than six-pack weeks then you are an alcoholic.
The fact is, most of the people nagging or evaluating alcohol and drugs has a problem them self or has gotten help someone in their lifetime to treat their own problems. Therefore, as you can see addictions, dependant alcoholics, and other types of alcoholics and drug addicts may alter. First all, any chemical that causes harm is a potential danger to your being.
In other words if you start out drinking when you are fourteen and continue through your lifetime without alcohol causing you trouble, or else landing you a spot in jail, then you are probably not an alcoholic according to few. The fact is the ones that are drinking and driving and getting caught are alcoholics according to the system although the level of alcohol in the blood plays a role in the determination.
The truth is the law sometimes over dramatizes and the system is out to make all the money they can, so we all might be alcoholics by the time they are done with us. Alcoholism and drug addictions are complex, in the sense there are too many misconstrued inputs and often the label is placed on individuals according to culture and history. If you parents drank alcohol then the system sometimes will claim you as an alcoholic.
The fact is, Jesus drink wine in moderation, so drinking in moderation is not a bad thing. The problem becomes a problem when the person has difficulty putting down the bottle and/or increases their intake as well as combining drugs with the alcohol to get an affect they was had. If someone will steal or lie to get alcohol or drugs then you know they have a real problem.
However, most alcoholics and drug addicts have bigger problems than addictions and this is often ignored. For example, people with mental illnesses often resort to alcohol and/or drugs to find relief of their symptoms. Now if a professional is treating this person for his or her diagnose and progress is moving along the person often feels healthy and the alcohol and drugs are out the door.
In my studies and opinions, I disagree with alcoholism and drug addictions if the person is able to stop once the mental illness is treated. This means that the person was suffering and the substances was a mechanism to help them cope.
On the other hand, if the person is treated for mental illnesses and his or her drug and alcohol habits continue, then I think you had better get out the chair and start talking ‘one day at a time.’ Alcohol was once known as the “Devils Drink.” The White men are the originator of the source, and since its beginning it has caused serious complications, including death, abuse, and other related crimes.
Drugs are optional since the system often makes them available by teaching individuals what the drugs contain. The root of all-evil is money, and if a person sees that he or she can gain, they may take advantage, but fall into a snare in between. The system is overwrought, since they put alcoholics and drugs addicts in jail and not seeking help for them.
The solution to humankind’s problem is helping and not hurting or promoting. If we can’t get along now, what makes you think you are going to heaven?
About The Author
Christos Varsamis is a Marketing Consultant. Sign for your Free 15 day Success E-course at http://www.settinglifegoals.com. Get your Free E-courses “How to Create Minisites That Make Money in Just 24 Hours + Secrets of Internet Millionaires” at http://www.cbmallclickbank.com & http://www.cbmallgr.com.
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