Effects of Persistent Marijuana Usage on Daily Life

By Michael Rey

Marijuana is one of the most commonly abused illicit drugs in the United States. Though the possession and consumption of marijuana is banned and is considered illegal, its usage is still prevalent among teenagers as well as younger adults. Chronic marijuana use not only shows negative impact on the person's health, but also leads to significant negative effects on his/her daily life. Following are the effects of marijuana abuse on the user's life.
In general, marijuana is smoked using a cigarette or pipe. Once the smoke is inhaled, the active chemical present in marijuana, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries this chemical to different parts of the body including the brain. This chemical acts on some areas in the brain called as Cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are found in large numbers in areas that influence memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.
Hence, regular use of marijuana results in distorted perceptions, impaired coordination and difficulty in thinking, problem solving, learning and memory - all faculties essential in day to day life.
Other negative effects

• For teenagers who are pursuing their education, marijuana abuse creates serious obstacles to learning. Marijuana usage severely impairs their learning capabilities, critical thinking ability, and other related functions. These students are more likely to suffer from memory problems and difficulty in concentrating. There will be a decline in comprehension and cognitive skills. The effects are more drastic in case of regular users and those who take the drug in higher quantities. Due to these problems, they become irregular to school. It affects their academics and grades as well.


• Marijuana use also causes various problems at workplace. Employees who abuse marijuana look normal, but mentally, they experience lot of disturbance. They lose interest in their work. It affects their performance and hence productivity. They lose their temper quite easily, thus creating issues at the workplace. It also affects their driving capabilities and hence there is increased risk of workplace accidents and injuries.


• Chronic use of marijuana leads to psychological effects like increased mental illness, paranoia and schizophrenia. Users show less interest towards their job, relations and other social activities. Lack of attendance and poor performance at workplace leads to poor income, no appraisals or promotions.


• Drug addiction and dependence makes the user stay away from social groups and hence affects their social relations. We can also notice a significant change in the user's social behavior due to the adverse effects of marijuana on his/her brain.

Thus, marijuana has serious effects on the daily life of the user. Long-term usage leads to chronic disorders that may ruin the person's life. It is better to stay away from this unhealthy habit in order to lead a happy and problem free life.

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Is Depression Built in Stages?

By Hari Nath

Depression, in simplistic terms, is the situation of being in a state of sadness over a lengthy period of time. Of course, it is already mentioned that this is a simplistic definition, because if it were that simple; the world would have been a happier place to live in for many people with depression! Depression is not something similar to a cold or a headache. It is not something that appears quickly and goes away as quickly.
Symptoms are not exclusive
Depression is a deeply rooted psychological malady that is difficult to understand in simple terms. Of course, people who have depression do exhibit a few common symptoms like sadness, listlessness, anxiety, moroseness, disinterest in matters of daily living and the like; but so do normal people. We all experience what may be called a bad day in office (not literally speaking though, because we should include home too here).
Difficult parameters
So, how is a person who has depression different from the rest if these symptoms and behaviors exist in all kinds of people? It is said that depressed people are in this state of mind over a long period of time. But how long? That should be the defining parameter. The medical profession is not clear if a person who has been through a low for a couple of weeks should be called a depressed person and be bracketed with someone who has been though it for a couple of years. And how does it feel to 'graduate' from the two-week period to the two-year period? Is the behavior the same over this period of time, or it is graded? These are the real challenges psychiatrists encounter while treating people with depression.
Some stages
Based on the pace at which depression builds up in a person's mind; medical science usually classifies depression according to the following stages:
o Major;
o Manic or bipolar;
o Dysthymic;
o Cyclothymic;
o Postpartum;
o Seasonal.
What are these stages for?
These are what may be called the various phases, but we have to be clear about what these stages really mean: These are more of a frame of reference for doctors than something that is irrefutable. This is certainly not a watertight compartmentalization of the condition. There is no reason to believe that one could be less treatable or more severe than another.
For whose benefit?
These gradations are made to give doctors a kind of benchmark with which to approach the problem. To the patient himself, absolutely no difference is made. A person with chronic depression has more things to worry about and feel down than to estimate the stage he is in. For the patient, his family and the lay public alike; there is no serious sense out of these stages. They do serve a limited, academic purpose, which is to help doctors slot the patient and use as an assessment tool, nothing more; nothing less.

Curing Anxiety And Panic Disorder Without Pills

By Christine Hains

Finding approaches to cure your anxiety can sometimes leave you feeling frustrated. And if you're like most people who have handled panic attacks and anxiety over the years, perhaps you are tired of using prescription medication after medication, only to find out that your situation has not improved.
Chances are you'll wonder how to remedy fear and anxiety employing natural ways instead of utilizing man-made chemicals to seek out relief.
One of the most popular solutions to naturally cure panic and anxiety attacks is to produce and have a consistent exercise program. Any time you exercise, it not only helps you to get a healthier life style, but it is a great way to relieve tension and sooth panic attacks.
You could prepare your self to deal with panic and anxiety triggers by working out for only twenty minutes daily. You may decrease the severity of the attacks from which you put up with.
Any basic exercise can be helpful. These may consist of taking walks, cross-country, going swimming, yoga exercise and much more. Nevertheless, to ensure you exercise everyday, you should decide on something that you enjoy executing.
The single most natural strategies to remedy fear and anxiety is by expressing yourself by talking to a close friend or family member. This gives you the opportunity to manage the emotions of anxiety in a natural extremely helpful approach.
While chatting with other individuals you can even find a new point of view that might help you diminish anxiety. As an example, you may find out new strategies to cope with and cure your problem by talking through it.
Distract yourself by upholding your mind off your feelings of stress and anxiety. You will endure them less when you are too busy to think about them. For instance, begin a new pastime, work a crossword puzzle, read a book, make a move, something that occupies your thoughts.
If there is particular stuff that you realize makes you feel increased fear and anxiety, then you should steer clear of those precise actions. As an example, if coping with the crowds at the supermarket on a Sunday afternoon allows you to have a panic or anxiety attack, then go to the shopping mall through the week in the morning. It's not necessary to keep away from things that ordinarily make you feel panic and anxiety, however you only have to uncover solutions to still do the items you really enjoy while avoiding the emotions of stress and panic.
You need to surround yourself with encouraging people who encourage you to handle and naturally overcome your worries. Spending time with other people who do not understand, or who are not supporting makes things even more complicated.
Try to make an anti-anxiety standard of living change one time every 1-2, and do your very best to be constant. When you change things little by little, it is simpler to stick to it because you will not feel overloaded.
You could understand to deal with anxiety disorders in a variety of natural techniques. They can improve by making you feel peaceful and sooth and most often are the best methods to assist you to feel relaxed.

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Dual Diagnosis Extremely Common

By Benjamin Brafman

Dual diagnosis is the terminology used to describe an individual who suffers from an alcohol or drug problem as well as an emotional/psychiatric problem. While the two illnesses are in fact separate, they are very interrelated and co-occur more often than you'd think. For example, according to Mental Health America, 37 percent of alcohol abusers and a staggering 53 percent of drug abusers have at least one serious mental illness. Conversely, approximately 50 percent of individuals with severe mental disorders are also affected by substance abuse. With correlations as high as these, a connection between the two types of disorder cannot be ignored.
Common Types of Dual Diagnosis
Depressive disorders like depression and bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders like general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias, and finally schizophrenia and personality disorders are the most common mental illnesses that co-occur with substance abuse. In fact, just being diagnosed with one of these illnesses means that you are at a substantially higher risk for developing a substance abuse problem. For example, The National Institute of Mental Health reports the following increased risk assessments:
Psychiatric Disorder -- Increased Risk For Substance Abuse
Antisocial personality disorder - 15.5%
Manic episode - 14.5%
Schizophrenia - 10.1%
Panic disorder - 4.3%
Major depressive episode - 4.1%
Obsessive-compulsive disorder - 3.4%
Phobias - 2%
Dual Diagnosis - Which Came First?
It can be hard for people to understand that there is not one definitive answer to this question. Often times the psychiatric disorder will show up first and the individual will abuse drugs or alcohol to try and combat their symptoms and make themselves feel better. This "self-medicating" as doctors like to call it can quickly lead to dependence, both physical and psychological. That said, drug or alcohol dependence can also be the primary condition of the dual diagnosis that can cause symptoms of a psychiatric disorder. For example, individuals with severe and prolonged substance abuse have been found to experience episodes of depression, hallucinations and suicide attempts.
How is a Dual Diagnosis Treated?
The most effective way to treat an individual suffering from co-occurring disorders is to treat both illnesses simultaneously. After the sufferer goes through detoxification to cleanse their body of any harmful substances they abused, the real treatment can begin. A quality rehabilitation facility will use several different types of therapy and counseling to help the addict get to the crux of their issues that caused the substance abuse in the first place. In the case of certain mental disorders such as depression, anti-depressants and other medication may be prescribed to help control their symptoms as well. Treating one of the illnesses and not the other has been proven ineffective as they are too intertwined and influencing on one another.

Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP is the President and CEO of Destination Hope, a licensed dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ben has more than 20 years of experience in the addiction and mental health fields, which led him to develop a combination of innovative treatment protocols at Destination Hope. He has been published on various topics including dual diagnosis and chemical dependency, and gives back to the community by educating other addiction counselors at his Academy for Addiction Professionals. If you or a loved one may be suffering from any of the issues described here, please call us today at 877-380-9777 so we can help ease your burden. You don't have to do this alone.

Mental Disorders List – The Most Common Mental Conditions Explained

This may come as a surprise, but mental health experts claim that one in four people suffer from a mental illness each year. As much as five percent of the population is afflicted with a serious, long-term mental illness. Here is a mental disorders list with the most common conditions explained.
Anxiety Disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an umbrella term used to describe a number of different anxiety problems such as phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and anxiety attacks. Anxiety refers to feelings of tension and worry that get so out of hand they make it hard to function normally.

Chronic Depression. Depressive disorders are extremely common. These are marked by sadness, low self-esteem, loss of meaning in life, lack of pleasure in things you enjoy, and suicidal thoughts. Depression often occurs along with other mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder, addiction, or psychosis.
Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar disorder is one of the most common mood disorders. It’s marked by dramatic swings from manic to depressed. These moods are much stronger than the regular ups and downs all of us experience. Manic or depressive episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to weeks at a time. People with bipolar are likely to make bad decisions that can hurt themselves or others when at these extremes.
Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is an extreme mental condition that often makes it hard for the sufferer to enjoy a normal life. It’s marked by delusions, paranoia and hallucinations. Schizoaffective disorder is a combination of schizophrenia and mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder. Most schizophrenia sufferers can enjoy a fairly regular life as long as they’re on the proper medication and seeking therapy.
Dementia. Dementia is a loss of cognitive functioning that occurs as you get older. It’s more extreme than the usual loss of functioning that comes with old age. Dementia actually isn’t a disease but a way to describe symptoms where memory, language, attention span, problem solving abilities and other mental functions are impaired.
Eating Disorders. Eating disorders are a form of mental illness and they’re much more common than most people realize. Many people with eating disorders can maintain the appearance of being healthy. Eating disorders are caused by distorted body image, usually where the person perceives themselves as overweight even though they aren’t.
Addiction. Addiction is an extremely common form of mental illness. There are two types of addictions – addictions to substances and addictions to certain behaviors or activities. While alcohol, prescription drug and illegal drug addictions are the most common, gambling addiction, sex addiction, and food addiction are also quite widespread. In all addictions, the addictive substance or behavior triggers pleasure chemicals in the brain. The addict becomes dependent on the drug or activity and can’t feel pleasure without it.
All of the above mental disorders are treatable and treatment has high success rates. If you suffer from a mental illness, it’s important to realize that you’re not alone. The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can receive treatment and get back to optimal health.

Living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that affects a large segment of the population. It’s an anxiety disorder where worry, fear, and nervous tension are so bad that you perform repetitive behaviors to make those feelings go away.

The negative thoughts you suffer from are extremely upsetting. They’re called obsessions and they rarely leave your mind for any length of time. You create rituals which banish these thoughts from your mind temporarily. OCD can be debilitating and seriously interfere with your daily life. For some sufferers, whole days can be consumed by their obsessions.
What Does OCD Look Like?
What’s the nature of these obsessions? They differ from person to person. Each sufferer has their own, but some examples include:

Worrying about things being dirty or out of order, causing you to constantly clean
Having to say the same things over and over again or ask the same questions
Fear of getting injured or sick
Needing to count things repeatedly or perform an action a set number of times
Having to do things in a specific order
Hoarding or worrying about things getting lost
People who suffer from OCD may be totally aware that they have a problem but unable to stop their negative thoughts and compulsive behavior. This is because the urge to perform these actions is absolutely overwhelming. The compulsive behaviors work to get rid of the fear or negative thoughts, but only for a while.
Do You Have OCD?
Obsessive compulsive disorder is extremely common but it often goes undiagnosed, especially in cases where it’s not terribly severe. We often mistake the symptoms as simply a person’s personality quirks. However, these obsessions and compulsions can take a considerable amount of time, interfere with normal functioning, isolate you socially and even cost you money.
When diagnosing OCD doctors look for a few key traits:
You have unwanted thoughts or extreme anxiety
Your worries are irrational, often not connected to any event or situation in everyday life
You use a specific thought or action to suppress them
There are rigid rules for your rituals that must be followed perfectly
The point of your rituals is to reduce stress and they work to do that
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes OCD but they believe there may be a biological cause. It appears to have something to do with the neurotransmitter serotonin. There may also be environmental causes. In some cases, people who have undergone a serious trauma develop the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder.
Learning to Live with OCD
There are several effective treatments for OCD. One is called exposure and response prevention. Your therapist exposes you to the things that cause your anxiety and then you’re prevented from performing the ritual. For example, you have to touch a doorknob and you’re not allowed to wash your hands. This treatment may sound harsh, but it’s highly effective. In most cases, the urge goes away on its own.
Cognitive therapy is also used to treat OCD. This type of therapy focuses on your thought processes and dispelling irrational beliefs. It goes after the root cause of the disorder. You work with a therapist to discover the true reasons why you feel such anxiety.
Medications are also used to treat the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder. Anti-anxiety drugs and anti-depressants both work well.
We all have our personality quirks, but if your obsessions and compulsions are interfering with your life, you may have a serious problem. Therapists can help you manage your OCD and live a normal life.

Schizo-affective Disorder - Symptoms and Treatment Options

By Randall McGhee

Schizoaffective disorder is a major mental illness that is usually debilitating for its sufferers. It's a combination of two types of mental illnesses - schizophrenia and affective (mood) disorder. This mood disorder may be something like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Fewer than 1 in 200 people suffer from this mental illness, but it has a huge impact on every aspect of their lives.
The Symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder
If you suffer from schizoaffective disorder, you'll exhibit symptoms of both schizophrenia and mood disorder. Schizophrenia symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech or behavior.
The most common sign of an affective disorder is extreme depression that lasts for days or even weeks. This includes sadness, feelings of worthlessness, lack of interest in things you enjoy, and possibly thoughts of suicide. Dramatic mood swings from extremes of happiness and depression may also occur.
Schizoaffective disorder is relatively new and little understood. While therapists have lots of experience dealing with schizophrenia and affective disorder on their own, the combination is largely uncharted territory.
The Cause of Schizoaffective Disorder
While the cause isn't exactly known, this mental illness appears to be caused by a brain disease that interferes with the brain's regular functioning. Genetics plays a part and there is also evidence of altered brain chemistry. Injuries, illnesses, substance abuse, and stress can all cause an onset of symptoms.
Symptoms usually start to appear when the person is between the ages of 16 and 25. This disorder is more common in women than in men and very rare in children. If someone in your family suffers from schizoaffective disorder, you're at higher risk for developing the condition yourself.
Living with Schizoaffective Disease
Medications are usually used to help manage the symptoms of schizoaffective disease. There is a wide range of medication options available for therapists to use. It all depends on the individual being treated. Everyone reacts differently and it usually takes some trial and error before the doctor selects the drug that works best.
Psychotherapy is an important part of treating this condition as well. The patient will have one-on-one sessions with the therapist as well as group therapy sessions. These will focus on life skills, planning for the future, and strategies for dealing with the disorder. Group therapy is especially important since social isolation is such a factor in this mental illness.
If the patient is unable to care for themselves, the therapist may choose to put them in special housing where they'll be supervised. People who suffer from schizoaffective disorders are at much higher risk of substance abuse problems and many are unable to care for themselves on a day-to-day basis.
There is no known cure for schizoaffective disorder, but the treatments described above can help patients manage the disease and live a normal life. Community groups and family support also help.

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