What to Do When Your Friend is an Addict

We all know that addiction doesn’t just impact addicts;

it also shatters the lives of spouses, children and

friends. But what can loved ones actually do to help an

addict? 

Addiction counselor and former addict Kathy

Williamson says, “Many people feel helpless watching

someone they care about struggle with addiction but

there are actual things you can do to help an addict

get well.” 

Williamson, whose 10-year-addiction to pain pills began

after a six-month hospitalization for recurring

pancreatitis, has been free of her addiction for 30

years and has never attended a recovery program. She’s

the author of “My Friend Is an Addict – What Can I Do?”

In America today it’s common to observe individuals or groups of people frequently expressing shock & outrage over what other individuals or groups of people have said and done. The term “I am offended” appears to be a phrase we are hearing more often than ever before.

When someone says “I am offended” they are outwardly expressing their negative internalization of information. Being upset, happy, or sad is always an individual choice and everyone can respond to information differently.

When someone says “I am offended” they are letting others know they are hurt and in a way they are seeking an external solution to an internal problem. When large groups of people who are outraged protest against whatever individual or institution has upset them, they may be seeking to remove the external stimulation and even punishing it for existing in the first place. 

Unfortunately, unless a persons internalization process towards a particular external stimuli changes, they will continue to be hurt and be negatively affected by it.  

A person who is perpetually offended (by a wide range of things) may indeed be suffering from a mental disorder and one of them may be narcissism. Narcissistic individuals feel only their perspective matters so anything that challenges their beliefs can be a quick means to an emotional provocation. Perpetually offended individuals can may also be suffering from low self esteem or have an intolerance & acceptance for others. Perpetually offended individuals may also seek to dominate and control others. 

 

New research shows that we regret the couldas more than the shouldas.

If you look back over the course of your life, do you feel you took advantage of every opportunity that came your way? Or, are you living with the weight of regret? No matter how accomplished you may be, it’s true that everyone experiences the harsh reality of knowing they failed to take action (link is external) in pursuing something they wanted for themselves.

Is there any other way, really? These are the inevitable realities of living a complex life, a life full of ups and downs. And perhaps, in theory, there’s a small handful of (superpowered) people living regret-free lives. But for the vast majority of us, regret is a real thing that we have to face. So whether you bemoan doing something you wish you hadn’t or miss doing something you wish you had, regret is a universal emotion. No wonder psychologists have taken a keen interest in the topic.

The study of regret goes beyond just missed opportunities and regrettable actions. Recently, researchers have begun to explore the link between regret and a person’s general self-concept. They have started asking such questions as: Do you have a clear sense of who you are, and are you living up to the person you want to be? Are you living your life in a way that fulfills your duties and responsibilities to others?

Dr. Carly Snyder is an attending physician on staff in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Medical Center. She also holds a teaching appointment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and is an assistant attending with a teaching appointment at Weill-Cornell in the Payne Whitney Women’s Program.

Dr. Snyder is on the Postpartum Support International (PSI) Board of Directors as the Research Chair. PSI is the leading national organization providing awareness, prevention, resources and treatment of mental illnesses related to childbearing. She frequently speaks to various audiences, such as ‘The Pregnant New Yorker,’ and at professional conferences and meetings. Dr. Snyder is also a member of the Women’s Mental Health Consortium.

Dr. Snyder is the Director of Women’s Health for Family

WEBSITE: https://www.carlysnydermd.com 

TOPIC: 

Study Reveals Why New Dads Suffer From Postpartum Depression

It has to do with hormones.

It may sound like a stretch to cite hormones as the reason men suffer from postpartum depression, but a new study in the journal Hormones and Behavior does just that. Researchers found that new dads may experience postpartum depression after the birth of their child due to hormonal shifts in testosterone levels. Their results found that men who saw a drop in testosterone levels after their kid’s birth were far more likely to be depressed. Previous studies have confirmed that testosterone in men and even in animals plummets upon the birth of a child to prepare the male for fatherhood.

 

Multiple Fatalities Reported After Texas High School Shooting – Mental Health Coping Tips

At least eight people — and as many as 10 — have died as a result of a shooting Friday morning at a high school in the southeastern Texas city of Santa Fe. An armed person walked into an art class at the school and began firing what looked like a shotgun. This is the third school shooting in eight days, and the 22nd since the beginning of the year in the United States.

Coping Tips

Talk about it – Ask for support from people who care about you and who will listen to your concerns. Receiving support and care can be comforting and reassuring. It often helps to speak with others who have shared your experience so you do not feel so different or alone.

Turn it off and take a break – You may want to keep informed, but try to limit the amount of news you take in whether it’s from the Internet, television, newspapers or magazines. While getting the news informs you, being overexposed to it can actually increase your stress. The images can be very powerful in reawakening your feeling of distress.

Take care of yourself – Engage in healthy behaviors to enhance your ability to cope with excessive stress. Eat well-balanced meals, get plenty of rest and build physical activity into your day. Avoid alcohol and drugs because they can suppress your feelings.

Featured Guest: Mark Lewis has three words for new grads seeking advice on how to find success: Give a damn! While it may be an untraditional suggestion, he says it gets to the heart of what real success is. “Being self-centered is not only dangerous, it’s a one-way ticket to failure, violence, and bad relationships. He’s the author of “Give a Damn: Individually We Make a Difference, Collectively We Change.” 

 

Cosby Guilty: The Psychological Impact From The Fall of America’s Dad – with Featured Guest Krisin Walker

Bill Cosby (formerly known as “America’s Dad”) was found guilty of all three counts of aggravated indecent assault. For millions who grew up watching The Cosby Show and thinking Bill Cosby was a beloved individual – their illusion has been shattered.

People may experience waves of anger, sadness, and even depression that emulate the response when someone in their life has betrayed them. We cannot underestimate the mental health impact that Cosby’s guilty verdict will have on individuals who thought of Cosby as a surrogate TV Dad especially if their real parents were absent or minimally attentive. 

Another reason this is a very sad day for America is because for so many years, Cosby’s victims were ignored over their stories of sexual assault. This should be a deafening wake up call to all Americans that sexual assault cannot be tolerated in any capacity and that no public figure is above the hand of justice.

In America it seems far too often that beloved personas & role model are revealed to have one or more reprehensible skeletons in their closets. Who is really who they say they are? Can anyone be trusted to set the right example? 

For America’s children and adults, they don’t have to turn on the TV to find an adequate role model & they don’t have to search far and wide for one either. They just have to live their lives with honor & integrity and they will become a role model unto themselves. From a mental health perspective, trusting yourself to do the right thing and knowing that you will do the right thing is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.