Published on: 20 July 2018
Last Updated on: 08 August 2019
It is no longer a secret that the abuse of opioids is growing and becoming a significant problem in America. It is estimated that more than 2.4 million people in America are abusing prescription painkillers and around half a million individuals are suffering from the abuse of heroin. However, individuals who are abusing opioids often face an extra burden of depression. When left unattended to, depression can make it hard for one to achieve total recovery. Opioid or opiate painkillers are medications that are narcotic and generally prescribed by a doctor. Opioids are used to control pain in many people. Opioid narcotics involve such medicines like morphine, codeine, methadone, heroin, hydrocodone, hydrocodone, and Oxycontin.
Opioid abuse and depression :
According to studies, the relationship between depression and opioid abuse is bi-directional. This only means that the addition of opioids can lead to recession and depression can lead to opiate addiction. Opioid abuse takes place when a prescription opioid is used for other reasons other than medical or using it for a longer duration than expected. Additionally, taking vast amounts than prescribed leads to opioid abuse. The abuse of opioid has a close associated with higher rates of:
Anxiety
Depression
Bipolar disorders
Antisocial personality disorder
Schizophrenia
Borderline personality disorder
Conduct disorders
Signs and symptoms of prescription opioid addiction :
Several symptoms and signs indicate opiate addiction. It is important to note that not all people experiencing an opiate addiction will show all the following signs. In addition to this, there are some of the symptoms that are common to almost everybody who has a prescription opiate addiction. The symptoms involve:
Usage increase: one will be seen increasing their doses more than expected by the doctor. Usage increase eventually results in a growing tolerance to the said drug and finding means of getting the drug to achieve the same effect.
Change in personality: shifts in mood, concentration, and energy as a result of making everyday accountabilities a secondary priority to the want for the drug.
Social withdrawal: in most cases, the addicted person will distant themselves from friends and family due to that fact that they would want their close members to know about what they are doing or experiencing.
On-going use: one will continue using the prescription opioids even after the condition to which the drug was prescribed is over.
Increased sensitivity: this involves hallucinations. Normal emotions, sounds, and sights start becoming exaggeratedly stimulating to the individual.
Forgetfulness and blackouts: addicted individuals are more likely to forget what just took place as well as experiencing blackouts.
Change in appearance and daily habits: the individual will experience a change in eating and sleeping habits and a decline in personal hygiene, constant cough and glazed eyes.
Neglects responsibilities: the addicted person will ignore bills and the household chore, as well as calling in sick more often to the workplace or school.
Defensiveness: one becomes more defensive as well as lashing out to simple questions to try and hide the dependency on drugs if they feel like somebody will discover them.
Causes of prescription opioids addiction :
There is no precise cause of why one person will develop an addiction while the other will not when using opioids. According to studies, it is believed that addiction occurs after some factors work interchangeably. The factors include:
Genetic: addiction could be hereditary such that if there is a member of the family that has suffered addiction before, it will be passed on to the next generation. While this is not an accurate indicator, it is believed to contribute to addiction.
Biological: some studies indicate that there are few chances whereby one is born without the neurotransmitter “endorphins.” In such cases, individuals may turn to outside sources like opium narcotics to fill this inborn deficit.
Environmental: people who grow up or find themselves in environments that are chaotic and full of people addicted to drugs, are more probable to experience an addiction at some point in their lives.
Psychological: while some addictions are brought up by people trying to self-medicate the signs of an undiagnosed mental disorder, mental illness is a reliable gauge of addiction potential.
The prescription opioid addiction is on the rise in America. With people trying to ease pains through painkillers, these painkillers come with their adverse side effects. However, behavioral therapies and medications can help change the situation and restore one to good health.
Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.
A cornerstone of nursing education, the head to toe assessment, often presents a steep learning curve for nursing students. It's not just about memorizing a checklist. To perform a thorough evaluation, they must integrate observation, patient communication, hands-on examination, and clinical reasoning.
Enter GoReact, the innovative video-based platform that enhances the learning experience by allowing real-time feedback, collaboration, and reflection. With GoReact, mastering the head-to-toe assessment is no longer an uphill battle but an engaging journey.
1. Making The Most Of Simulation
Simulation scenarios are invaluable in nursing education. They offer the safe space students need to develop clinical skills. By recording simulation sessions with GoReact, educators can provide feedback in real-time. They can pause the recording at critical moments to discuss what was done correctly, what needs improvement, and why.
But the benefits don't stop there. GoReact's video recording feature allows students to revisit these simulations as often as needed, fostering self-reflection and reinforcing learning.
2. Engaging Through Peer Review
The value of peer review in education is well-documented, and GoReact takes this practice to another level. Students can view and comment on each other's head-to-toe assessment videos, encouraging collaboration and constructive criticism. This not only solidifies their understanding of the process but also fosters a supportive learning community.
3. Refining Communication Skills
An effective head-to-toe assessment goes beyond just examining the patient—it involves effective communication. With GoReact, educators can focus feedback on students' communication skills, from their initial approach to the patient to the clarity of their explanations during the assessment. GoReact's time-stamped feedback means this advice is specific and targeted, giving students clear directions on how to improve.
4. Perfecting Techniques
With GoReact's capability for slow-motion playback and moment-specific comments, mastering the subtleties of examination techniques becomes easier. Whether it's the correct use of a stethoscope or the proper palpation technique, educators can provide detailed, specific guidance that students can refer back to, promoting repetition and, ultimately, mastery.
5. Encouraging Clinical Reasoning
GoReact videos can become more complex as students progress, integrating findings that require analysis and decision-making. Educators can pose questions directly in the video comments, asking students to interpret results or predict possible diagnoses. This encourages the development of clinical reasoning, an essential skill in nursing practice.
6. Fostering Professionalism
Finally, GoReact videos provide a platform for teaching and evaluating professionalism. Educators can provide feedback on students' demeanor, respect for patient privacy, and use of appropriate terminology. These aspects of professionalism are often considered the "soft skills" of nursing, but they are essential for a successful nurse-patient relationship.
Try GoReact Today
In conclusion, GoReact is more than just a video-based learning platform; it's a game-changer in nursing education. Its multi-dimensional features empower students to engage actively in their learning process, enhance their practical skills, and develop the professional qualities that will set them apart in their nursing careers. More importantly, by enabling a seamless blend of real-time feedback, self-reflection, and peer collaboration, GoReact is redefining how we approach nursing education. With GoReact, the daunting task of mastering the head-to-toe assessment is transformed into an enriching journey of skill development and continuous learning. So let's embrace this innovation and revolutionize our teaching strategies, helping our students not just learn but excel in their nursing practice.
Read Also:
Health Tips For Hard Working Men
3 Top Tips to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
Health Tips For Hard Working Men
You might have heard the term “functioning alcoholic” and wondered what it even means. Then, you might be searching for the meaning of the term and what it means to be a functional alcoholic. Then, let’s throw some light on the meaning of functioning alcoholics for your better understanding.
We often relate alcoholism with people who are unable to function properly in their lives. This stereotype of alcoholic individuals seems to be not accurate. This is because several individuals who are alcoholics seem to function properly and deal with their daily tasks properly.
If this is the case, then why are these individuals living a regular life while being alcoholic? While other groups cannot function properly because they are constantly under influence.
Therefore, in this article, we not only discuss what is a functioning alcoholic but also how they differ from those with more visible signs of alcohol dependency.
Perception About Individuals Battling Addiction
Your concept or perception of an alcoholic will change when you learn how a functioning alcoholic person works. They are capable of living or maintaining a normal life while battling alcohol addiction.
At one glance, you might not even know this person might have an addiction. Because they can do all their daily duties smoothly. Therefore, why was this term created, which means someone who is functioning even when dealing with addiction?
This challenges the common stereotype of an alcoholic person who lives an undisciplined and disheveled life. The term “functioning alcoholic” could be used to describe a person’s condition, but it is not officially recognized.
In the field of psychiatry, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) doesn’t recognize this term officially. However, several professionals use this term to describe a specific alcoholic person’s condition.
So, understanding the phenomenon of the functioning alcoholic is important. Because it helps identify people who are going through this hardship. When you recognize a functional alcoholic, you can help them get the right treatment, which will get them better.
Functioning alcoholics often hide their struggles with addiction while maintaining a normal facade. So, it becomes harder for you to recognize them and get them correctly diagnosed. Therefore, you must read this article to know how to identify one. This is so you can help them get the right treatment for recovery.
What Is A Functioning Alcoholic?
A functioning alcoholic seems to live a normal life while dealing with alcohol addiction. These individuals, you will observe, can do all the regular tasks and maintain a lifestyle without alcohol overriding their lives.
Even if they are always under the influence, they can hold down a job and other obligations. Not only that, but they can also excel in some areas of their lives without alcohol overriding their entire life.
Therefore, it becomes hard for you to identify these individuals. Because they look perfectly normal from the outside while dealing with addiction.
These individuals know how to keep their professional and social lives separate from their addiction. You see, functional alcoholics are aware of their alcoholic addiction, which helps them hide it easily. They become skilled at hiding their shortcomings from the world.
However, this addiction of a functioning alcoholic does not affect anyone other than themselves. It does affect their own lives if kept unchecked in the long run. As they continue to hide their struggle with alcohol, it becomes much more troublesome as time goes on.
Functioning Alcoholics Live In The Grey Area Of Addiction
A functioning alcoholic lives in the grey area of addiction, where addiction coexists with competence. While they are functioning like a regular individual, they also hide their addiction from their friends, family, or colleagues.
So, they operate much more separately than an alcoholic consumed with addiction and a normal non-alcoholic.
So how will you recognize a functioning alcoholic when they are living just like any ordinary person? You see, functioning alcoholics often rationalize their drinking habits as rewards for their accomplishments.
So, if they can get their work done, they reward themselves. Again, if they do their duty towards their family, they will reward themselves with a drink.
Again, their coping mechanism for dealing with the stress of daily responsibilities is through alcohol. So, when they accomplish their responsibilities day-to-day, they reward themselves with alcohol.
But this facade of normalcy is fragile as they become more dependent on alcohol over time. As they start to deal with life problems with alcohol, this results in psychological issues.
Maintaining a long-term facade of alcohol addiction is not the only problem a functional alcoholic face but health problems, too.
High Functioning Alcoholism vs. Traditional Alcohol Use Disorder
Traditionally, you could identify an alcoholic person from their visible signs of dysfunction. These dysfunctional problems were frequent performance issues, relationship problems, and deteriorating health.
In contrast, high-functioning alcoholics may lead seemingly successful lives, masking their dependency behind a façade of competence. They may hold prestigious positions, maintain social connections, and even drink expensive wine without raising suspicion.
Despite their ability to keep up appearances, high-functioning alcoholics often deal with a significant internal struggle. They might spend considerable effort hiding the extent of their drinking from others and themselves.
This can involve elaborate routines to cover up the smell of alcohol and secret drinking sessions. Again, a functional alcoholic persistently worries about being discovered because of their addiction.
You will see that the stress of maintaining a double life can be extremely problematic in the long run. In the long-term, this coping mechanism with alcohol can only affect negatively both physically and mentally.
Along with the stress of hiding their addiction to alcohol and dealing with life’s problems, a functioning alcoholic is bound to break down at some point. This will lead to their worst fear of revealing their true nature.
It’s this dual existence that differentiates high-functioning alcoholism from other overt alcohol use disorders. Other alcohol disorders are more visible due to their impact on an individual’s life.
Recognizing The Signs of Alcohol Abuse
There are significant risks to being a functional alcoholic despite its outward appearance. Because their pattern of drinking can be more than seven drinks per week. This leads to health risks in the long term. Again, continuous dependence on alcohol to deal with life can have adverse effects on the person’s psychology.
From binge drinking episodes to the inability to stop drinking despite its negative consequences, these are some of the recognized risks of alcohol addiction. They may also experience withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit or cut back on alcohol consumption.
Recognizing signs of a high-functioning alcoholic can be challenging as they are good at hiding their addiction. Therefore, it’s essential to identify these individuals, get them diagnosed correctly, and treat them properly.
It’s important to note that these behaviors can be subtle and easily overlooked, especially when the individual is still managing to fulfill their personal and professional obligations. Over time, you will see that the consequences of high-functioning alcoholism become visible.
Be it strained relationships, personality changes, mental health issues, and physical health problems related to alcohol abuse. You will start to see its effects on a functional alcoholic.
Risk Factors and Consequences
Certain factors can increase the likelihood of high-functioning alcoholism, including genetic predisposition, environmental influences, and untreated mental health issues.
While they may avoid some of the immediate consequences associated with traditional alcoholism, such as job loss or legal troubles, high-functioning alcoholics are still at risk for severe health problems, including certain cancers and mental health issues.
These health problems can include liver disease, heart disease, and neurological impairments that may not become evident until later in life. The psychological consequences are equally concerning, potentially leading to depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders that can deteriorate the quality of life.
Moreover, high-functioning alcoholics may face social consequences over time, such as eroded trust in relationships, marital strife, and a gradual withdrawal from social activities as they prioritize alcohol over personal connections.
Despite maintaining a veneer of normalcy, the cumulative effect of these risk factors and consequences can lead to a tipping point where the individual’s ability to function at a high level is compromised.
It is crucial to recognize these long-term risks and understand that the lack of immediate, visible consequences does not diminish the urgency for intervention and treatment.
Seeking Support And Treatment For The High Functioning Alcoholic
Addressing high-functioning alcoholism requires a comprehensive approach involving medical professionals, support groups, and rehab centers in Los Angeles specializing in addiction medicine.
Loved ones play a crucial role in encouraging their family members or close relatives to seek help, but it’s essential to approach the situation with empathy and understanding. Initiating this conversation can be delicate, as it often involves breaking through a wall of denial built up by the individual over time.
Friends and family need to be informed about the nature of high-functioning alcoholism, to offer non-judgmental support, and to avoid enabling behaviors that can perpetuate the addiction.
The process of seeking support often begins with an honest self-assessment or an intervention by concerned loved ones. This step is vital in helping the individual recognize the extent of their problem and its impact on their life and the lives of those around them.
Professional interventionists can be instrumental in this phase, providing the guidance needed to navigate what can be a highly charged situation. Once the individual acknowledges the need for help, the next step involves finding the right treatment program.
Treatment can range from outpatient therapy sessions to accommodate the individual’s work schedule. Or a more intensive inpatient program where you must take a temporary step back from daily responsibilities.
The treatment choice should be tailored to the individual’s specific circumstances, considering their level of addiction, personal responsibilities, and any co-occurring mental health conditions.
Throughout the recovery journey, ongoing support is essential for maintaining sobriety. Aftercare programs and sober living communities offer continued guidance and support, helping the individual to reintegrate into their daily life with new coping skills and a renewed focus on health and wellness.
Support And Treatment Facilities
Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous provide a vital lifeline for individuals struggling with alcohol use disorders, offering a sense of community and understanding.
These groups facilitate peer-to-peer support and shared experiences, creating a space where individuals can speak openly about their struggles without fear of judgment.
Treatment facilities offer residential treatment or outpatient tailored programs designed to address the unique needs of high-functioning alcoholics, providing medical supervision during the withdrawal process and equipping them with coping strategies for maintaining sobriety.
These facilities often employ a multidisciplinary approach, combining medical treatment, psychological counseling, and behavioral therapy to address the complex nature of addiction. The programs may include individual therapy sessions, group therapy, educational workshops on addiction, and relapse prevention planning.
In addition to traditional treatment methods, some facilities offer holistic therapies such as meditation, yoga, and art therapy, recognizing the importance of treating the whole person.
The Importance Of Mental Health Resources
Recognizing that alcoholism is not solely a physical dependency but also a mental health problem is crucial. Access to more mental health resources, including therapy and counseling, can help individuals address underlying issues contributing to their alcohol use and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
These resources are vital in treating the emotional and psychological aspects of alcoholism, which often include stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders that may co-occur with substance abuse.
By providing a supportive environment for open discussion about mental health, individuals can gain insights into the emotional triggers that lead to drinking and learn new strategies for managing these triggers.
Therapy can also assist in repairing relationships damaged by alcohol abuse, rebuilding trust, and improving communication skills. In addition, counseling can offer guidance on how to establish a balanced life. You can set achievable goals and create a supportive network that fosters their long-term recovery.
Treatment programs need to integrate mental health services as a core component of addiction recovery, called dual diagnosis treatment. This integration ensures that individuals receive a holistic approach to their treatment, addressing all facets of their well-being.
As society continues to destigmatize mental health issues, the hope is that more people will feel empowered to seek the help they need without fear of judgment or stigma.
Ultimately, enhancing the availability and accessibility of mental health resources is a critical step in supporting the recovery journey of functioning alcoholics. Their lasting sobriety helps improve their mental health issues.
High Functioning Alcoholics: Is There Such A Thing?
High-functioning alcoholics can often seem to have it all together, balancing significant responsibilities while battling their addiction in silence.
Despite heavy drinking, they are typically individuals who seem to lead productive lives. They often excel in their careers, maintain social relationships, and uphold daily routines.
This can make it difficult is difficult for others and sometimes even for the individuals themselves to recognize the problem, as their success often masks the underlying issues.
We can help individuals struggling with high-functioning alcoholism by raising awareness and providing support. This will help them regain control of their lives and improve their overall life.
How to Help a Colleague (...Who is Also Recovering)
Helping someone in recovery from alcoholism is as simple as learning the signs and subtly helping.
But remember they are on a journey, not at the destination. Part of that journey includes being open about their lives but not praying too much. A casual “How are you doing today?” can go a long way.
Be Responsible Yourself First!
Help your co-workers make healthy choices by creating a clean, responsible environment.
Don’t go to work events where the primary focus is drinking, and don’t invite them to join if you do.
Be mindful of their limits; never encourage or force them to drink more than they feel comfortable with.
If they make the choice to leave an event because others are drinking too heavily, offer to accompany them.
Find Alternative Activities
Encourage them to engage in healthy activities, even if it is during office breaks. You can go for a walk with them at lunch or get involved together in a wellness group at work.
Not only do these kinds of activities help alleviate stress, but they also give your colleague something positive to focus their energy on.
Plus, showing that you’re willing to invest in their well-being as professionally appropriate helps build a stronger working relationship between the two of you and gives them an added source of support while they recover.
Do not Get Too Personal
But still, you need to draw the line and not become too personal with them. You should only keep any conversations limited to work-related topics unless they would like to share them with you.
Be mindful of their personal space as well because, in the end, it is their own recovery.
Supporting a colleague in recovering from alcoholism requires empathy, respect, and understanding.
By being a supportive colleague, you help to not only nurture their recovery but also help foster an inclusive and compassionate workplace. Remember, it’s the little things that mean a lot.
Conclusion
It’s crucial to understand that high-functioning alcoholism is a real and serious condition. When you acknowledge its existence, you take the first step towards addressing the unique challenges it presents.
With the right resources and support systems, you can improve functioning alcoholic individuals to live a life free from alcohol. You can find them the help they need to recover from alcohol dependency.
Therefore, you need to know about functional alcoholism and identify functional alcoholic individuals.
Read Also:
How 12-Step Works As Addiction Recovery Support
Addiction Treatment: 11 Tips To Find The Best Rehabilitation Center
Many people who have braces for the first time go through a period of adjustment, and this is entirely normal. You will have to get used to having your braces, of course, and this comes with getting used to eating with braces as well as getting used to cleaning your teeth with braces. But when you have braces, especially when they are first installed, you may also experience a little discomfort, since the wires and brackets of the braces may be rubbing against the tissue of the mouth. If you are experiencing some pain with your braces, here’s how you can effectively ease the pain.
Make use of orthodontic wax:
Braces can be quite abrasive at the beginning, especially since you’re not used to them yet, so one effective solution would be to make use of orthodontic wax. You can simply apply a bit of the wax to areas where the braces’ wires and brackets come in contact with soft tissue, such as that along your inner cheeks and lips. When you apply the wax to these areas, it can serve as a barrier between the tissue and your braces. With proper application, you can prevent sores, abrasions, and cuts as well.
Use a pain reliever or gel:
Of course, you can also take some over-the-counter pain relievers to help relieve the pain from the braces, but you can make use of an analgesic gel which you can apply orally as well. Directly apply the analgesic gel to your teeth and gums to help alleviate discomfort.
Make use of a night guard:
If the pain from your braces is bad and you would also like to prevent a breakdown or damage to the enamel of your teeth from grinding, you can make use of a night guard as well. A night guard is effective because you can go for special customized ones which can really help ease the pain related to having braces.
Night guards work much like orthodontic wax in the sense that they can serve as a shield and barrier between the sensitive tissue in your mouth and your braces, as the experts from http://www.braces4yourlife.com confirm. When you wear a night guard, you can prevent different areas from becoming snagged or caught on your braces while you are sleeping. And while you can go for a one-size-fits-all, generic mouth guard, it would be a better idea to opt for a customized night guard as this will fit precisely with the contours of your own mouth. Your orthodontist can easily create a mold for your mouth which will serve as a unique pattern for the night guard. This impression or mold can then be sent off to the lab, where they can create and fabricate the customized night guard.
The good news is that living with braces will get easier over time, so you don’t have too much cause for concern. Before you know it, your teeth will be perfectly aligned and even, and you will not only have a better smile – you will have better oral health as well.
Read Also:
18 Surprising Celebrities With Braces
5 Ways To Prevent Severe Dental Problems
