Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is the most common form of female sexual dissatisfaction (FSD) and occurs when there is a persistent lack of desire or absence of sexual fantasies. In other words, you're rarely in the mood; you neither initiate sex nor seek stimulation.

Lack of desire often occurs as a result of relationship conflicts, say Drs. Jennifer and Laura Berman, two of the nation's top experts on sexual health for women.

"Communications problems, anger, a lack of trust, a lack of connection and a lack of intimacy can all adversely affect a woman's sexual response and interest," they write in their book: For Women Only: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Sexual Dysfunction and Reclaiming Your Sex Life.

If this sounds like you, counseling and therapy with your partner is probably your No. 1 treatment option to overcome HSDD, the sisters say.

Medical Causes of HSDD

Obviously, lifestyle factors also influence the desire for sex. A single working mom who is overwhelmed by family needs may feel too exhausted to relax, kick back and fantasize about sex - let alone engage in it! However, sometimes a medical condition is the underlying cause of low libido, including:

• Medication Use: Many commonly prescribed drugs, such as antihypertensives, antidepressants and birth control pills, interfere with sex drive, arousal and orgasm by affecting the balance of sexual hormones and the transmission of chemical messengers. For instance, antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors combat depression by increasing the production of serotonin in the brain. Unfortunately, serotonin dampens sexual desire.

• Menopause: The onset of menopause, either surgical or natural, is characterized by a gradual decline of the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Reduced testosterone levels, in particular, say the Bermans, can lead to a "sudden or gradual" decline in libido. Ironically, the conventional hormone replacement regime of estrogen and progesterone given to relieve menopausal symptoms can make matters worse, because estrogen increases a protein (called steroid hormone-binding globulin) in the blood that binds to testosterone, causing it to become less available to the body.

• Depression: A common symptom of depression is a diminished sex drive, which, in turn, can exacerbate depression. Studies indicate that 12 percent of all women will experience clinical depression at some point in their lives. As mentioned, one of the side effects of the popular antidepressants Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft is loss of libido. Dysthymia is a lower-grade form of depression that is not easily diagnosed because you can function with it, note the Bermans. A woman with dysthymia may feel isolated and overwhelmed and withdraw from sex and social activities.

Overcoming Libido Loss

If you're suffering from loss of libido and think there is a medical basis for your problem, here are some solutions to consider:

• Talk to your doctor about testosterone, especially if you have had your ovaries removed, are taking estrogen or under severe stress. Get your testosterone level evaluated and if it is below 20 nanograms per deciliter, consider starting testosterone therapy. "To us, testosterone is so central to a woman's sexual function, that no lover and no amount of sexual stimulation can make up for its absence," write the Bermans, who report enormous success in treating low-libido patients with supplemental testosterone. Testosterone to treat FSD has not been approved by the FDA, notes Dr. Jennifer Berman, so you'll need to find a physician open to prescribing it to treat lack of sexual desire. If you are already on hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms, ask your doctor to add testosterone to your regimen.

• Switch to medications known to have less effect on sexual function or lower dosages. The antidepressants Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil, of which women are major consumers, cause loss of libido in as many as 60 percent of patients. "We generally switch to one that has less of a sexual side effect," like Celexa, Wellbutrin, BuSpar, Serzone or Effexor, says Jennifer.

• The little blue pill may help jump-start your sex life as long as "you have the desire to engage in sex and have been stimulated enough for it to take effect," say the Bermans. It's especially helpful if your lack of desire is related to hysterectomy or menopause. Physicians aren't exactly sure how Viagra helps rekindle lust - the Bermans are investigating how it works in their clinic - but they know it helps women achieve arousal, which is the phase that comes after desire, by increasing blood flow to the vagina, clitoris and labia.

Workaholics Anonymous has 20 questions, used as a screening tool, to help determine if you are a workaholic? If you answer yes to 3 or more questions, you may have a problem worth discussing with a mental health counselor or your doctor.

Find info about Signs of Workaholic.

Take the Workaholic Quiz

1. Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else?
2. Are there times when you can charge through your work and other times when you can't?
3. Do you take work with you to bed? On weekends? On vacation?
4. Is work the activity you like to do best and talk about most?
5. Do you work more than 40 hours a week?
6. Do you turn your hobbies into money-making ventures?
7. Do you take complete responsibility for the outcome of your work efforts?
8. Have your family or friends given up expecting you on time?
9. Do you take on extra work because you are concerned that it won't otherwise get done?
10. Do you underestimate how long a project will take and then rush to complete it?
11. Do you believe that it is okay to work long hours if you love what you are doing?
12. Do you get impatient with people who have other priorities besides work?
13. Are you afraid that if you don't work hard you will lose your job or be a failure?
14. Is the future a constant worry for you even when things are going very well?
15. Do you do things energetically and competitively including play?
16. Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop doing your work in order to do something else?
17. Have your long hours hurt your family or other relationships?
18. Do you think about your work while driving, falling asleep or when others are talking?
19. Do you work or read during meals?
20. Do you believe that more money will solve the other problems in your life?

Read about Work Addiction Treatment.

Sources:

• Workaholics Anonymous

Signs that work holds too much importance for you. Here are the symptoms of a workaholic.

When individuals describe themselves as "workaholics," they usually mean that they work hard. Frequently the description is given as a matter of pride. Since our society encourages and rewards workaholic behavior, identifying work addiction is difficult. However, several factors or symptoms help us to distinguish between the hard worker and the workaholic:

• The workaholic not only works hard but also sets impossibly high standards and is beset by a sense of never being good enough.
• The workaholic's need to please others is a driving force that prevents him/her from noticing the impact of overworking on his/her own health and well-being.
• He/She has a strong need to control other people and situations, and he/she finds it difficult to delegate responsibilities. "If I want it done well, I have to do it myself," is a characteristic workaholic belief.

Take our Workaholic Quiz.

Symptoms of Workaholic: A Life Out of Balance

The workaholic life is characterized by a striking lack of balance. The workaholic gives himself little time to develop and enjoy personal relationships. Caring for herself is low on her priority list, and health problems are often ignored until they become debilitating.

Moving from task to task, deadline to deadline, the workaholic feels most alive when totally immersed in a project or dashing between several projects. The workaholic may become addicted to the adrenaline rush generated by dealing with a crisis.

The workaholic uses work to escape from difficult feelings and in this process loses awareness of her desires and needs. The family members and friends of the workaholic experience themselves as a lower priority than his/her work, and this experience frequently erodes relationships.

Read information on Work Addiction Treatment.

About the author: Martha Keys Barker, LCSW-C, therapist in the Talitha Life Women's Program at SLI

When people try to give up smoking, they will experience both psychological and physical nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Learn about the symptoms of nicotine withdrawl and how to deal with them.

Smokers know about it before they ever even think about quitting smoking - the nicotine withdrawal symptoms. They've seen friends and family go through the same thing. The physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms of nicotine can be a real ordeal for some quitters. The whole process of quitting smoking means a total change in lifestyle. Those cigarette breaks at work are gone. That smoke at the end of your meal is over. Sipping a drink in a bar while "enjoying" a few smokes is also going to be a thing of the past. Sitting around gabbing with friends over coffee with a few ciggies is also going to have to go the way of the dinosaurs. This major social upheaval scares the life out of most people - some to the point they refuse to quit smoking. When faced with withdrawal symptoms, a nicotine addiction doesn't seem that bad.

Physical Withdrawl Symptoms From Nicotine and Cigarette Smoking

Physical nicotine withdrawal symptoms can be far worse than the psychological problems though. Nicotine is an extremely powerful drug with the same addictive qualities as both cocaine and morphine. For example, the 12-month success rate for somebody who has quit heroin is double that of nicotine addicts. People can quit using heroin twice as often as smokers can quit smoking. Scary eh?

Nicotine affects the neurotransmitters of the brain. Your brain gets used to receiving this form of stimulation and will start sending out signals of craving when the source of stimulation is stopped or reduced i.e. you're not smoking at that point in time. This craving is hard to put into words. It's like your body is thirsting for water it can't have. It's a gnawing desire in the pit of your stomach for just one more cigarette. Only smokers, you know - the ones who seem addicted to nicotine - can understand this.

Quitters experience a wide range of nicotine withdrawal symptoms over and above the basic craving (although the craving in itself is more than enough to have to deal with). The fear and scare stories of these withdrawal symptoms are often enough to put more smokers off before even trying to kick the habit. The nicotine withdrawal symptoms can be traumatic but they will not cause you any physical harm.

Nicotine Withdrawl Symptoms

Here are some of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal:

• Irritability (sometimes extreme)
• Insomnia (unable to sleep)
• Headaches
• Coughing
• Cold and flu symptoms
• Chest infections
• Dry mouth, lips or tongue
• Sore throat
• Nausea
• Extreme tiredness
• Lack of concentration
• Massive increase in appetite

The longer you smoke the more acute these withdrawal symptoms tend to be.

The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can be alleviated with nicotine substitutes such as nicotine gum or patches. This can help overcome the habit of smoking and it may be easier to cut down on these kinds of secondary nicotine sources than it is by quitting smoking cold turkey. Some types of drugs (particularly antidepressants) can also be used to help lessen the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Obviously becoming dependent on another chemical to replace your addiction to nicotine isn't a good idea. You must always have a plan for how you're going to handle the withdrawal itself and especially a cutoff date for when you'll stop using the nicotine substitutes.

Symptoms of Nicotine Withdrawal Do Subside

The great news is that any nicotine withdrawal symptoms you feel will become weaker over time. That initial insatiable craving for a cigarette will quickly become a passing thought. That almost crazy irritability will also fade faster than you imagined possible. You'll be an ocean of calm instead of a hurricane of emotion.

Constipation can also be a problem related to nicotine withdrawal. The digestive system is sensitive to nicotine in the bloodstream. Many smokers are familiar with the sensation of needing to use the bathroom after having a cigarette. The digestive system can become dependent on the stimulation and when you stop smoking this may mean that you become slightly constipated. Just make sure you eat plenty of fruit and bran rich foods to counteract this.

Another common complaint from people trying to quit smoking is that they tend to become sick with a cold, sore throat, flu or chest infection within 14 - 21 days of stopping smoking. A common theory is that your immune system has been so busy fighting off the chemicals in nicotine that it goes into a form of shock when you quit smoking and the cold/flu/chest infection are a result of this. One of the most unpleasant withdrawal symptoms (but definitely the most positive) is when your lungs start to eject all the tar you've consumed. This will mean coughing up green and sometimes black mucus for a period of days or weeks. It's only when you see what your lungs were clogged up that you'll really start to understand just how much damage smoking was doing to you.

Not all quitters suffer from withdrawal though. Some experience no side effects at all. Others experience them but at a much lower level. Regardless of the level of withdrawal "pain" remember that the symptoms will pass and you will be free of nicotine for good.

You will have urges to smoke. These will be very strong initially - almost coming in waves trying to break down your resistance. You'll notice, however, that as the days pass the urges fade and within 6 - 8 weeks that urge will come less and less often until it doesn't bother you anymore. If you get an urge to smoke then go for a walk, a swim or head to the gym. Do something physical to keep you away from smoking.

Remember one thing though. For all the nastiness you have to go through in withdrawal. For all the exercise you took and lifestyle changes you made there is no such thing as an ex-smoker. You will have simply become somebody who chooses not to smoke.

Sources:

• Quitters Guide

Find out the definition and meaning of workaholic and the 4 major styles of the workaholic.

The definition of workaholic, according to the Random House Dictionary is "a person who works compulsively at the expense of other pursuits."

Paul Thorne and Michael Johnson, authors of “Workaholism”, define a workaholic as “a person whose need to work has become so excessive that it disturbs physical health, personal happiness, interpersonal relations or the ability to function socially.” (learn more about Workaholism)

So, for practical purposes then, what is the meaning of workaholic? If you find yourself unable to stop working, talking and thinking about work all hours of the day and night, there's a high likelihood that you are either:

• on the verge of becoming a workaholic; or
• you are a workaholic.

Take our Workaholic Quiz.

Styles of the Workaholic

Brian Robinson, PhD defines four major styles of the workaholic. Some workaholic people employ only one style; others combine more, blending styles or alternating among them. Whatever the style of overworking, it often leads to problems in a person's life.

Bulimic Workaholic Style:

The motto of this style is, "Either I do it perfectly or not at all." Just as some people with eating disorders alternate between self-starvation and bingeing, the bulimic workaholic style involves cycling among procrastination, work binges and exhaustion. Bulimic workaholics often can't get started, and then scramble to complete the project by the deadline, staying up for three nights straight before collapsing in exhaustion. Beneath the procrastination phase of the bulimic workaholic style is the fear that they will not do the job perfectly and intolerance for the emotions connected with making mistakes. They are worrying obsessively about work - and kicking themselves for not doing it.

Relentless Workaholic Style:

This type of workaholic is characterized by the motto, "It has to be finished yesterday." People in this group get an adrenaline kick from tight deadlines and start things too soon rather than too late. This style also is characterized by impulsivity; its participants tend to take on too much. They do not say no, set priorities, delegate or consciously decide to put anything on the back burner. They work too fast for careful thought, reflection, and attention to details. They often suffer distortions in self-image; underlying their relentless volunteering is often a grandiose sense of their unique competence and a sense of self-worth dependent on others' approval.

Attention-Deficit Workaholic Style:

Workaholics in this group use the adrenaline of overwhelming work pressure as a focusing device. People involved in Attention-Deficit workaholic style live on the brink of chaos and get high from the rush of new ideas. They start a plethora of exciting projects that they never finish. Easily bored with follow through, they are the revved-up workaholics who click their nails on table tops, twiddle their thumbs in meetings and fidget or pace about erratically. They live on the edge at work and play and gravitate toward high-risk jobs or activities. Unlike bulimic workaholics who can't start a project and want to do everything perfectly, Attention-Deficit Workaholics start lots of projects, do them carelessly and get too bored to follow through.

Savoring Workaholic Style:

These workaholics are slow, methodical and overly scrupulous. Participants have trouble letting go of work; they get hooked, savoring a project the way some alcoholics might savor a fine wine. This is a style of consummate perfectionism: those employing it can't tell when the job is done; deep down they fear the project is never good enough. They inadvertently prolong and create additional work then they realize they are close to completion. Because a project feels incomplete to them even when others feel it is finished, savoring workaholics have difficulty with completing old tasks and starting new ones.

Find comprehensive information about Workaholic Symptoms.

Source:

• Excerpts from "Chained to the Desk" by Bryan Robinson
• The Family Networker, July/August, 2000

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Healthy Relationships

• What is a Healthy Relationship?
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• Tips on How to Have Healthy Relationships
• Myths About Romantic Relationships
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• How to Open Up and Reveal Yourself to Others
• How to Build Better Relationships
• Secrets to a Lasting Relationship
• Discovering the Keys to a Successful Marriage or Relationship
• Nine Psychological Tasks for a Good Marriage
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Unhealthy Relationships

• What Constitutes an Unhealthy Relationship?
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Jealousy

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Infidelity

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Books

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Comprehensive information on work addiction, styles of the workaholic, how to tell if you're a workaholic and treatment for addiction to work.

Addiction to work or the term "Workaholism" isn't any kind of official mental illness listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). It's not the same as working hard or putting in long hours at work, according to Bryan Robinson, PhD, author of "Chained to the Desk" and other books on workaholism. Instead, it's a term that describes a person's obsession with work; so all-consuming that it prevents the workaholic from maintaining healthy relationships, outside interests, or even taking measures to protect their own health.

Workaholism is More Than Just Working Too Much

Robinson, a leading researcher on workaholism, describes some of the differences between simply "working too much" or being a hard worker and workaholic in his book:

Hard workers experience their work as a necessary and, at times, fulfilling an obligation.

Workaholics see their work as a place of safety from the unpredictableness of life and distance from unwanted feelings and/or commitments.

Hard workers know when to set limits on their work in order to be fully available and present for their family, friends, and to be able to play.

Workaholics allow their work to take top billing over all other areas of their life. Commitments to family, friends, and their children are often made and then broken to meet work demands.

Workaholics get an adrenalin rush from meeting impossible demands.

Hard workers do not.

Hard workers can turn off their work appetite.

Workaholics (work addicts) cannot Not Work. They remain preoccupied with work even if they are playing golf with friends or attending their children's sporting events. The mind of the workaholic continues to grind away about work issues/problems to be fixed.

Find more information on Workaholic Symptoms.

Types of People Who Develop An Addiction to Work

Research shows that the seeds of workaholism are often planted in childhood, resulting in low self-esteem that carries into adulthood.

According to Robinson, many workaholics are the children of alcoholics or come from some other type of dysfunctional family, and work addiction is an attempt to control a situation that is not controllable. "Or," says Robinson, "they tend to be products of what I call 'looking good families' whose parents tend to be perfectionists and expect unreasonable success from their kids. These children grow up thinking that nothing is ever good enough. Some just throw in the towel, but others say, 'I'm going to show I'm the best in everything so my parents approve of me.'"

The problem is, perfection is unattainable, whether you're a kid or a successful professional.

"Anyone who carries a mandate for perfection is susceptible to workaholism because it creates a situation where the person never gets to cross the finish line because it keeps moving farther out," says Tuck T. Saul, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in Columbus, Ohio, who frequently counsels workaholics.

Take our Workaholic Quiz.

Sources:

• Chained to the Desk by Bryan Robinson, Family Therapy Networker, July/Aug., 2000.

Opioids Epidemic: What You Need to Know

Associated Press. (2016). Drug overdoses now kill more Americans than guns. CBS News. Retrieved from
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drug-overdose-deaths-heroin-opioid-prescription-painkillers-more-than-guns/

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.

Full House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. (2016). American’s heroin and opioid
abuse epidemic. Retrieved from https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/americas-heroin-and-opioid-abuse-epidemic/

Gusovsky, D. (2016). Americans consume vast majority of the world’s opioids. CNBC. Retrieved from
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/27/americans-consume-almost-all-of-the-global-opioid-supply.html

Information sheet on opioid overdose. (2014). World Health Organization. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/information-sheet/en/

Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and
 abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Nolan, D. & Amico, C. (2016). Chasing heroin: How bad is the epidemic? Frontline. Retrieved from
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/how-bad-is-the-opioid-epidemic/

Opioid Crisis. (2017). National Institute of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-crisis

What are Opioid Drugs?

Dovey, D. (2017). What are opioids and how did we get here? Newsweek. Retrieved from:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/what-are-opioids-and-how-did-we-get-here/ar-AAuf0CX

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.
Opiates. (n.d.) Opiates.com. Retrieved from https://www.opiate.com/opiates/

Opioids. (n.d.) National Institute of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids

Opiates/Opioids. (n.d.). The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment. Retrieved from
https://www.naabt.org/education/opiates_opioids.cfm

Types of Opioids and Opioids Examples

Bellum, S. (2014). Real teens ask: What are the different types of opioids? National Institute on
Drug Abuse for Teens. Retrieved from https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/real-teens-ask-what-are-different-types-opioids-0

Dovey, D. (2017). What are opioids and how did we get here? Newsweek. Retrieved from:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/what-are-opioids-and-how-did-we-get-here/ar-AAuf0CX

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford
 University Press.

Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used
and abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Mandal, A. (n.d.). Opioid types. News Medical Life Sciences. Retrieved from
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Opioid-Types.aspxv

Nolan, D. & Amico, C. (2016). Chasing heroin: How bad is the epidemic? Frontline. Retrieved
From https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/how-bad-is-the-opioid-epidemic/

Opiate agonist and antagonist drugs. (n.d.). Opiates.com. Retrieved from
https://www.opiates.com/opiate-agonist/

Opiates/Opioids. (n.d.). The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment.
Retrieved from https://www.naabt.org/education/opiates_opioids.cfm

Opioid Crisis. (2017). National Institute of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved
from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-crisis

Opioids vs. Opiates: What’s the Difference?

Dovey, D. (2017). What are opioids and how did we get here? Newsweek. Retrieved from:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/what-are-opioids-and-how-did-we-get-here/ar-AAuf0CX

Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and
 abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Labonville, S. (2017). Opiate, opioid, narcotic — What’s the difference? IWP, The Patient Advocate
Pharmacy. Retrieved from http://info.iwpharmacy.com/opiate-opioid-narcotic-whats-the-difference

Opiate receptors. (n.d.) Opiates.com. Retrieved from https://www.opiates.com/opiate-receptors/

Opiate receptors. (n.d.) Stop Your Addiction. Retrieved from http://www.stopyouraddiction.com/drug-information/opiate/opiate-receptors/

Opiates. (n.d.) Opiates.com. Retrieved from https://www.opiate.com/opiates/

Opiates vs. opioids. (n.d.) Opiates.com Retrieved from http://opium.com/derivatives/opiate-vs-opioid-whats-difference/

Opiates/Opioids. (n.d.). The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment. Retrieved
From https://www.naabt.org/education/opiates_opioids.cfm

Opioids. (n.d.) National Institute of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids

Narcotics vs. Opioids: Are Opioids Narcotics?

Drug fact sheet: Narcotics. (n.d.) Drug Enforcement Administration. Retrieved from https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Narcotics.pdf

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.

Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and
 abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Labonville, S. (2017). Opiate, opioid, narcotic — What’s the difference? IWP, The Patient Advocate
Pharmacy. Retrieved from http://info.iwpharmacy.com/opiate-opioid-narcotic-whats-the-difference

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Opioids Tolerance (to Pain Meds): Signs, Causes, Effects

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McAllister, M. (2014). Tolerance to opioid pain medications. Institute for Chronic Pain. Retrieved from
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Opiate tolerance. (n.d.) Opiates.com. Retrieved from https://www.opiate.com/tolerance/

Opioid Dependence vs. Addiction - Symptoms. Treatment

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.
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Painkillers, narcotic misuse, and addiction (n.d.) WebMD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/painkillers-and-addiction-narcotic-abuse#1-1

Physical vs. psychological dependency: What’s the difference? (2014). Promises Treatment Centers
Retrieved from https://www.promises.com/articles/physical-vs-psychological-dependency/

Opioids Side Effects — Short and Long-Term on Brain and Body

Block, S. (2017). What the opioid epidemic looks like on the screen of a brain scan. The Washington
Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/what-the-opioid-epidemic-looks-ike-on-the-screen-of-a-brain-scan/2017/12/01/2d642caa-d4c0-11e7-95bf df7c19270879_story.html?utm_term=.9f44389de3c0

The effects of opiates on your body. (n.d.) DrugAbuse.com. Retrieved from https://drugabuse.com/featured/the-effects-of-opiates-on-the-body/

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Opiates/Opioids. (n.d.). The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment. Retrieved
From https://www.naabt.org/education/opiates_opioids.cfm

Opioids Overdose: Symptoms and Treatment

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.
Information sheet on opioid overdose. (2014). World Health Organization. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/information-sheet/en/

Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and
 abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Opiates/Opioids. (n.d.). The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment. Retrieved
From https://www.naabt.org/education/opiates_opioids.cfm

Opioids Withdrawal: How Bad is It? Symptoms, Treatment

Case-Lo, C. (2017). Withdrawing from opiates and opioids. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/opiate-withdrawal

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.

Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and
abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Opiate receptors. (n.d.) Stop Your Addiction. Retrieved from http://www.stopyouraddiction.com/drug-information/opiate/opiate-receptors/

Opiates/Opioids. (n.d.). The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment. Retrieved
From https://www.naabt.org/education/opiates_opioids.cfm

Opiate withdrawal timelines, symptoms, and treatment. (n.d.) American Addiction Centers. Retrieved from https://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-treatments/opiate/

Wesson, D.R. & Ling, W. (2003). The Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS). Journal of
Psychoactive Drugs, 35(2), 253-9. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/files/ClinicalOpiateWithdrawalScale.pdf

What is Opioid Addiction and Why are Opioids so Addictive?

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.
Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and
 abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Opiate receptors. (n.d.) Stop Your Addiction. Retrieved from http://www.stopyouraddiction.com/drug-information/opiate/opiate-receptors/

Opioid crisis. (2017). National Institute of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-crisis

Symptoms of Opioid Addiction

Information sheet on opioid overdose. (2014). World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/information-sheet/en/

Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and
abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Opiate Addiction. (n.d.) Addictions. Retrieved from https://www.addictions.com/opiate/

Symptoms of opioid addiction. (n.d.) Healthgrades: Right Diagnosis. Retrieved from http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/o/opioid_addiction/symptoms.htm

Where to Find Help for Opioid Addiction

Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (n.d.). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA). Retrieved from https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/

Drug abuse hotlines. (n.d.) DrugAbuse.com. Retrieved from https://drugabuse.com/library/drug-abuse-hotlines/

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.

Preidt, R. (2017). Opioid abusers at higher death risk when addiction specialists not part of care.
MedicineNet. Retrieved from https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=203040

Rogers, A. (n.d.) Opiate hotlines. DrugAbuse.com. Retrieved from https://drugabuse.com/library/opiate-hotlines/

Treatment for Opiates Addiction: Medication, Therapy

Cunningham, C.O. (2015). Opioid addiction treatment options. The Doctor’s Tablet: Albert Einstein
College of Medicine. Retrieved from http://blogs.einstein.yu.edu/opioid-addiction-treatment-options/

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.
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Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. & Wilson, W. (2008). Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and
abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorders: Overview of the evidence. (2015). Alcohol &
Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington. Retrieved from http://adai.uw.edu/pubs/infobriefs/MAT.pdf

Misuse of prescription drugs. (n.d.) National Institute of Health: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
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Opioid crisis. (2017). National Institute of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-crisis

List of Opioids Prescription Painkillers: Uses, Abuse

Chandler, S. (2017). Opiate drug strengths in order. Livestrong.com. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/161356-opiate-drug-strengths-in-order/

Foreman, J. (2014). A Nation in pain: Healing our biggest health problem. NY: Oxford University Press.

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List of pain relief medications. (2017). eMedExpert. Retrieved from: http://www.emedexpert.com/lists/pain-meds.shtml#5

Opioid (narcotic) pain medications. (n.d.) WebMD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/narcotic-pain-medications#1

Opioids for Depression and Anxiety: Are They Effective?

Fels, A. (2016). Are Opioids the Next Anti-Depressant? New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/05/opinion/sunday/are-opioids-the-next-antidepressant.html

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Opiate receptors. (n.d.) Opiates.com. Retrieved from https://www.opiates.com/opiate-receptors/

Sher, L. (1998). The role of the endogenous opioid system in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders
(Abstract). Med Hypothesis, 50(6), 473-4. Retrieved from https://www.opioids.com/anxiety/index.html

Wilson, M. A. & Junor, L. (2008). The role of amygdalar mu opioid receptors in anxiety-related responses in two rat models. Neruopsychopharmacology, 33(12), 2957-2968. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705758/

Woodward, B. (2016). Opioids to treat depression: The jury is still out. Psychiatric Times. Retrieved http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/major-depressive-disorder/opioids-treat-depression-jury-out

Opioids Deaths: Yes, Opioids Can Kill You

Brouhard, R. (2017). Understanding opioid overdoses. Verywell. Retrieved from https://www.verywell.com/how-does-an-opioid-overdose-kill-1298843

Associated Press. (2016). Drug overdoses now kill more Americans than guns. CBS News. Retrieved
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abuse epidemic. Retrieved from https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/americas-heroin-and-opioid-abuse-epidemic/

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 abused drugs from alcohol to Ecstasy. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Nolan, D. & Amico, C. (2016). Chasing heroin: How bad is the epidemic? Frontline. Retrieved from
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Opioids and Alcohol: A Dangerous Combination

Concurrent alcohol and opiate abuse. (n.d.) DrugAbuse.com. Retrieved from https://drugabuse.com/library/concurrent-alcohol-and-opiate-abuse/

Dangers of mixing alcohol and opiates, including hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine. (n.d.)
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Preidt, R. (2017). Opioids and alcohol a dangerous cocktail. WebMD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20170208/opioids-and-alcohol-a-dangerous-cocktail

 

How do you know if you need marriage or relationship therapy? Here are some signs you need professional relationship help.

What do you do when things aren't going well in your relationship? Have you just outgrown each other? Do you both need to act more mature and learn how to compromise? Or do you need professional marriage counseling to make things right?

Common Relationship Issues

Difficulties in a first relationship: Very frequently, when people are in a first relationship, they believe it will go on forever. Often it feels very special and magical. So, even if you know that - statistically - first-love is unlikely to last, it can be a terrible blow when it doesn't. However, it's important to remember that if your first love ends, you can still treasure its memory for the rest of your life. Its experience will also help you move on and find something even better in the future.

In love or just loving: Maybe your problems are about the intensity of the relationship. The kind of change that happens after you've been in a relationship for a while is natural. But it can worry people. You may feel your relationship is no good just because you no longer get breathless at the very thought of your boy or girlfriend. But what you have to remember is that the first stages of being 'in love' are so intense that it's difficult to get on with real life at the same time! After a while, you're bound to want to concentrate on your job or to see your friends more. This doesn't mean that your relationship is passed its sell-by date unless there are other things wrong with it too.

First baby: Research shows that the most dangerous time for a relationship is around the time of a first baby. And that even if the relationship doesn't end for another 20 years, its troubles can usually be traced back to the months surrounding the first child's birth. This makes bleak reading, doesn't it? But of course, loads of young parents stay happy and enjoy their babies. However, it's worth realizing that this is a difficult time and it's time to seek some help from a counselor or therapist before your problems get out of hand.

Are you sure this isn't about sex? If what's going wrong is about sex, one of you finds it hurts, one wants it more than the other or one can't have an orgasm, you may want to consider sex therapy.

Common Sense Tips to Get Your Relationship Back on Track

If your relationship is in trouble, there are a few things you can try before going the whole hog and getting a counselor:

• Never have an important discussion or argument after 9 pm. The chances are that you'll be tired or boozed, or both - you'll solve your differences much better in the morning.
• If the guy in the relationship feels he hates to open up emotionally, or isn't good at talking, or feels he gets interrupted all the time or shouted down, then it's worth using the 10-minute rule. This means that you sit down together to discuss things calmly and you each have ten minutes of uninterrupted talking time to make your case. Neither or you must interrupt or swear, or shout, or act out. You just talk when it's your turn, and listen when it's not. If you need another 10 minutes each, then have it. But agree before you start that you won't let this discussion go on all night. Guys, in particular, hate the idea of an open-ended row that goes on and on. So agree that after, say, half an hour, you'll go and get a pizza or something.
• Try to be pleasant and respectful to each other even if things aren't going great. A smile and a thank you when appropriate keeps things civilized.

When Do You Definitely Need Therapy?

Most therapists will tell you that couples tend to come for therapy as a last resort. And often they leave it so long before coming that at least one of the partners is past caring. So, do seriously consider therapy in time to do some good, especially if:

• One of you is very insecure, clingy or jealous and this is ruining the relationship;
• You're both moody with each other most of the time;
• One or both of you can't discuss feelings with the other;
• Discussions always turn into rows;
• One or other of you is unhappy much of the time;
• You've stopped having sex.

Is This Going to Cost a Lot?

Free: Most religious leaders have received at least some training in dealing with relationship problems. If you belong to a church, synagogue or other religious institution, check that out. Free marriage seminars and workshops are also held by many voluntary organizations. In addition, many of the marriage seminars and conferences hand out free literature on communication skills, how to fight fairly and other important issues that affect a marriage.

Low-cost marriage therapy: Try your local women's center or contact the United Way. Additionally, if there is a college or university nearby that offers graduate programs in psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy or counseling, they usually offer low-cost counseling to provide training for their students.

Private marriage therapy: Family and marriage counseling costs can vary widely. Rates vary from about $75 to $200 per hour, but many therapists offer sliding scale fees based on income, while some accept insurance and some do not. The average cost for marriage and family counseling is about $100 per session. Since most marriage counselors see couples one session a week for the first three months, you can expect to pay about $1200 in that period of time if it's at about $100/hr.

In an article, Willard F. Hartley, Jr., author of 5 Steps to Romantic Love provides this perspective on marriage counseling:

"To help put the cost of marriage counseling in perspective, there's nothing you can buy for $10,000 that will give you the same quality of life that a healthy marriage provides. If you and your spouse love each other and meet each other's important emotional needs, you'll be able to do without many other things and still be happier in the end. Besides, I've found that people seem to earn more and save more after their marital problems are solved. The money you spend to resolve your marital problems is money well spent."

Many people taking prescription medications become "unwitting addicts;" and don't realize how addictive the medications can be. Read these valuable medication tips.

What if a doctor prescribed a medication for you and you're worried about becoming addicted? (read about drug addiction) If you're taking the medicine the way your doctor told you to, you can relax: Doctors know how much medication to prescribe so that it's just enough for you. In the correct amount, the drug will relieve your symptoms without making you addicted.

If a doctor prescribes a pain medication, stimulant, or CNS depressant, follow the directions exactly. Here are some other things you can do to protect yourself:

• Keep all doctor's appointments. Your doctor will want you to visit often so he or she can monitor how well the medication is working for you and adjust the dose or change the medication as needed. Some medications must be stopped or changed after a while so that the person doesn't become addicted.
• Make a note of the effects the drug has on your body and emotions, especially in the first few days as your body gets used to it. Tell your doctor about these. (information about: drug abuse side effects)
• Keep any information your pharmacist gives you about any drugs and activities you should steer clear of while taking your prescription. Reread it often to remind yourself of what you should avoid. If the information is too long or complicated, ask a parent or your pharmacist to give you the highlights.
• Don't increase or decrease the dose of your medication without checking with your doctor's office first - no matter how you're feeling.

Finally, never use someone else's prescription. And don't allow a friend to use yours. Not only are you putting your friend at risk, but you could suffer, too: Pharmacists won't refill a prescription if a medication has been used up before it should be. And if you're found giving medication to someone else, it's considered a crime and you could find yourself in court.