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Myth Busting: Facts on Substance Use

With Spring in full swing, more and more people are getting ready for a busy concert, festival, vacation, and event season. This often means an increase in opportunities for using alcohol and substances in these social settings where people feel “safer” to experiment than they normally would. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and peer pressure isn’t something that only affects teens. Myths about substance use are pervasive. Often the more someone hears a myth, the more likely they are to accept them.

Below are some common myths and evidenced-based facts along with some ways to reduce harm.

Myth 1: I can control how quickly I can sober up if I need to.

FACT: Time is the only proven way to sober up.

Alcohol and substances can vary depending on how they impact a person. What makes one person feel euphoric can make someone else feel incredibly paranoid. Each body is unique and metabolizes substances differently. A body’s ability to metabolize a substance is what allows a person to sober up. For your body to process and break down a substance takes time. There is no proven, reliable way to “trick” your body into sobering up faster. It takes as long as it takes. It should also be noted that mixing substances to feel less intoxicated is incredibly dangerous. While you may feel less intoxicated—like drowsiness—you are still just as intoxicated as you would be without mixing. The more alert feeling, while feeling like sobriety, often leads people to make more dangerous choices and ignore symptoms of over-intoxication and/or potential overdose.

The best way to increase your safety while using substances is to come up with a plan beforehand and communicate your expectations while sober. Make plans for a safe ride home before leaving, and maybe have a back up plan (just in case). Understand your tolerance and pace yourself. Allow some time to pass before continuing to use or drink. This way you can see how you are feeling and check in with yourself.

 

Myth 2: There aren’t long-term effects from smoking marijuana.

FACT: Marijuana started to become legalized in the U.S. for recreational use in 2012, the truth is they are still doing research on long-term effects.

Similar to early use of cigarettes, vaping, and alcohol, there are undeniable consequences to substance use, but there isn’t large enough body of data to show what long-term health effects a person could experience from use of marijuana because it has only been legalized in a handful of states for 12 years.

Studies are also suggesting marijuana use can cause functional impairment to cognitive abilities, declines in IQ, lowered verbal memory, general memory disruption, and more. New studies are being conducted to investigate these early findings. The problem with prior scientific data was that it was not always collected reliably and without a skewing bias to support results.

The main take away is, there is a growing body of evidence that shows cognitive and mental effects from habitual marijuana use, but more studies are still being conducted. There needs to be more longitudinal studies to better show long term health outcomes for individuals who engage in habitual use of marijuana.

 

Myth 3: If the product is available without a prescription, then it can’t be that dangerous.

FACT: Recommended dosages are put on the label to protect consumers from potentially, fatally overdosing on the products.

Roughly 178,000 people are hospitalized each year due to adverse drug events from the use of over-the-counter medication. While many medications are safe and effective when used as directed per packaging instructions, there is still some risk to consuming any substance. Many medications that can be found in the OTC aisle are abused to produce a high. Some are even featured as “challenges” on social media apps. The Lake County, IL Coroner reported in 2018, 24 deaths occurred that involved the use of prescription medication as well as included common OTC medications.

When starting a new medication or supplement, it is always best to consult your healthcare provider and pharmacist to see if there are any interactions and side effects. This can help you determine if the benefits outweigh any potential risks.

Myth 4: You can use peyote, LSD, and other hallucinogens to treat schizophrenia, psychosis, and other psychological disorders.

FACT: There needs to be more research conducted to prove it does provide any therapeutic relief and to understand its benefits and risks.

Due to the classification of these substances, research is limited on how these substances actually interact with the brain and the long-term health consequences of habitual use. Coupling  that with many researchers still studying disorders, like schizophrenia, to fully understand how the disease affects the brain, it cannot be conclusively said if there is any therapeutic benefit for this type of treatment. While esketamine has shown promise for depression relief, it is NOT recommended as a first option for treatment, should be taken as prescribed by the recommending physician, and has serious side effects. The same cannot conclusively be said for hallucinogens treating disorders like schizophrenia until there is larger body of research showing the benefits as well as the risks.

 

It is important to remember that often these myths are rooted in anecdotal stories, cultural norms, and at times a small piece of scientific evidence. This makes them spread quickly and makes them difficult to dispel. It is important to share your new knowledge with others so that these myths can be put to rest.

If you, or a loved one, are struggling with substance use, mental health, or other behavioral concerns, or are seeking more information on managing symptoms, please contact Nicasa Behavioral Health Services at 847-546-6450 or email info@nicasa.org.

Mental Wellness in 2024 – 24 Tips to Turn Into Habits

January isn’t only for setting New Years Resolutions, but it is also Mental Wellness Month. This focus helps people prioritize their mental health while exploring new ways to increase their overall wellness. Mental Wellness is more than just the absence of mental illness or mental concerns. It is about promoting healthy strategies to increase your sense of wellbeing and prevention. It is also about shifting from stigmatizing people for their challenges with mental health and restoring a sense of shared humanity with others. Mental wellness works to promote awareness, prevention, and changing attitudes about prioritizing mental concerns, like we do with physical concerns, while extending compassion towards people.

Nicasa Behavioral Health Services has 24 tips to help promote wellness throughout 2024. While working on the practice of mental wellness, we encourage everyone to pick tips that work well for their lifestyle. Start off slowly with intention and you can build upon your progress throughout the year. When starting a new habit, it is important to not get discouraged by a lack of immediate results or progress fallbacks.

Life happens. Keep at it and don’t give up!

  1. Talk to someone.
    1. Now is always the right time to talk to someone if you need help. Don’t put it off any longer and stop minimizing your concerns. Your problems are real because they are real to you. You owe it to yourself to find a trusted person to talk about them with. While talking may not resolve the issue immediately, it does strengthen your resolve to find a better solution for them.
  2. Practice self-compassion.
    1. Compassion means: a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them. Self-compassion is turning that definition inward to extend yourself the same sympathy and wish to help that you show others. This can be incredibly healing while also assisting in reframing your internal dialogue of how you see yourself.
  3. Practice mindfulness.
    1. Carve out a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness. You do not need to do a full meditation, but practice being present, in the moment, and letting your thoughts go without immediate reaction. It can be a challenge at first, especially if stressed out, but with practice you will get better at it.
  4. Redecorate.
    1. New year, new you! Don’t wait until spring to freshen up your space. Often a cluttered, disorganized space can cause increased anxiety and avoidance to deal with other tasks. Find new ways to organize your space. There are a ton of cheap, DIY projects online that can allow you to add more of your personality back into your home.
  5. Practice deep breathing.
    1. Deep breathing is a great way to refocus your mind. Practicing deep breathing can help you gain a sense of control and balance, while focusing your attention on things that are within your control. Take time to practice while making decisions, or to recenter yourself after a long day at work.
  6. Journal.
    1. Journaling can be anything! It can be elaborate, simple, or electronic. You can practice creating your own writing templates, or using a blank note book you bought from Dollar Tree. You can even create sketches, paintings, and collages to represent your thoughts. The act of journaling allows you to record your thoughts and daily activities as you see them. It is a time for yourself, to reconnect with your thoughts and inner self.
  7. Exercise.
    1. Exercise in the gym, at home, or around your neighborhood. Sometimes when starting to work out, people will often create their own barriers—like needing an expensive gym membership, extra workout clothing, new equipment, etc. Keep the goal simple: to invite more physical activity into your life. Small steps can build up to bigger progress. Start with what objects around you, or explore new exercise programs. After you find something you enjoy, then you can consider investing into it.
  8. Practice gratitude.
    1. Showing gratitude can enhance your enjoyment of day-to-day activities, and improve your mental health. It can help ground you back to things that bring you joy, while noticing the everyday details that are often overlooked when bogged down by stress.
  9. Limit caffeine and alcohol.
    1. Limiting caffeine can be difficult when there are so many hidden sources in our food and drinks. Keep in mind, when healthcare providers reference a “standard serving size” a serving of coffee is 8oz with 80-100 milligrams of caffeine, and a drink of 14 grams of pure alcohol (approximately 12oz beer, 5oz wine, 8oz malt liquor, and 1.5oz spirits). Record your daily habits with caffeine and alcohol and set reasonable goals to start with. Remember to be honest with yourself while setting these goals and expectations for success, there will be days where it is easier to cut back than others but make sure you are keeping yourself accountable to this new goal.
  10. Work on incorporating more nutrient-dense foods, and being mindful of habits around meal times.
    1. After the holidays, dieting should be easy, right? With the holidays fueling overindulgence, you might feel like you are so full you might not eat again until February anyways. Many people struggle to adhere to a calorie deficient diet in the winter due to our natural biological response to cold weather and perceived natural scarcity that winter causes. Many people also struggle with fasting diets, fad diets, and restrictive diets. Sometimes it is easier to start with a food log of things you eat in a typical month, and create modifications based on foods you already like and ways to make snacking healthier than eliminate your favorite items.
  11. Get more sleep.
    1. Sleep eludes many people all year round. It’s tough with daily stressors creeping into your dreams. Sometimes the food and drink choices we make while awake follow us into bed. Caffeine and alcohol often cause people to stay up for longer than they anticipated. Some prescription medications can throw off your circadian rhythm as well. Try to limit your consumption of food and drinks that contain stimulants. Also creating a sleep routine, limiting blue-light from electronics, and kicking the television out of your bedroom can help.
  12. Meditation and Yoga.
    1. Yoga and Meditation are a powerful blend of self-compassion, mindfulness, and exercise. Sometimes yoga can be a series of stretches that can improve your flexibility. Don’t let the laid-back nature of the practice fool you though, there are some variations of yoga that are high-intensity workouts, in high-heat and humid rooms, and with animals. Wherever your practice takes you, yoga and meditation are often joined together because they synergize the body and mind while allowing the practitioner space to clear their heads while focusing on being present in the moment.
  13. Set boundaries to improve relationships.
    1. Setting boundaries isn’t meant to block people out, they are meant to communicate what you are comfortable with. More importantly, communicating what you are uncomfortable with in a direct way. Everyone has boundaries regardless of how they are communicated. Some people also have different boundaries for different people, or for different places. Only you can decide what is an appropriate boundary for you and how it gets communicated to others. An example: At a holiday party a family member repeatedly said something inappropriate to your partner, and in the moment, you may not have said anything for fears of making the situation worse for your partner or with other family members. You may choose to communicate to that person a few weeks later that you are not okay with how they addressed your partner and in the future you will leave the gathering if they do not show them the same respect they show you. Thus, establishing a clear boundary when you feel safer to do so and a consequence for going over it.
  14. Take a break from social media.
    1. Doomscrolling is a modern phenomenon in which someone binges potentially negative content on the internet or social media apps (WebMD). Doomscrolling and obsessive social media checking can increase anxiety, depression, and overall have a negative impact on your mental health. Set limits to how long you use social media or limit the kinds of content you allow yourself to view.
  15. Hydrate.
    1. Staying hydrated can make you feel better, inside and out. If you normally do not drink water, getting in 2.7 to 3.7 liters of water can be overwhelming. Increase your amount slowly and explore water flavorings. Try adding frozen fruit into your water inside of ice cubes, or cold brew herbal tea bags—just check to see if they have caffeine in them so you know how much you are consuming throughout your day. Find what works for you.
  16. Be outside more and bring nature inside with plants.
    1. House plants help to establish house care routines and liven up a space. Talk to a local green house to see what plants are native to your area, or if your green thumb is more on the brown side, what plants are more forgiving to beginners. Gardening outdoors can also improve your mood as well as your appreciation for your home. Hiking and outdoor walks are also a great way to connect with nature and improve your mental health.
  17. Play music and dance.
    1. Research has shown listening to music can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression, improve memory, sleep quality, mental alertness, and decrease blood pressure (org). Throw in dancing and you have great physical activity to improve your mood. Dance like no one is watching or learn to ballroom dance with your partner. However you do it, including music into your daily routine can help get you into a better headspace.
  18. Limit how much you multitask.
    1. Even though many jobs seem to require it, multitasking can take a toll on you mentally. Regular multitasking can lead to cognitive loss, memory problems, loss in productivity, increased anxiety and social anxiety, chronic stress, and errors that can harm yourself and others around you (com). Even though society has come a very far way, our brains are still only made to handle one task at a time. Even with people who proclaim they are excellent multitaskers, their brains still have to make the same adjustments to switch between tasks and make the reward analysis decisions which slow everyone down—leading to a loss in productivity and errors in work. Try to limit how much and when you multitask. Like avoid talking on the phone while driving in a car or completing several complex tasks at once (working on a report while scheduling appointments).
  19. Set goals.
    1. Set realistic goals that do not have an “all-or-nothing” catch to them. Example of all or nothing goals are, “I’m going to workout every day,” “I’m going to grow my business by 200%,” or “I’m never going to eat out again.” These goals do not account for life-events that may get in the way of their achievements, and many people are immediately discouraged by fallbacks in progress. Goals should be something to help set new habits and make improvements that are appropriate to your life.
  20. Celebrate achievements.
    1. Life has many reasons to celebrate successes. Celebrate a promotion, completing a certificate program, avoiding a bad habit, and/or reaching a recovery milestone. Celebrating small achievements can keep you motivated as you work your way to bigger ones.
  21. Plan a vacation or a getaway.
    1. Making a plan gives you something to look forward to. When you are looking forward, there is hope that better days are coming soon. Making plans can increase positive feelings and decrease depression and anxiety. Even if it is a small weekend getaway, getting out of your normal routine every once in a while, is good for your mental health.
  22. Try something new.
    1. Try a new workout class, take an art class, or try out a DIY home décor tutorial for beginners. Learning a new skill can make you feel empowered, increase your self-esteem, and decrease feelings of depression and anxiety. Remember, being bad at something is the first step to being good at anything. A project flop is a fun story, and sometimes can create an even more interesting piece than a successful one.
  23. Practice forgiveness.
    1. Forgiving is hard. It’s hard to forgive others, and at times it is even harder to forgive yourself. Work on ways to incorporate forgiveness into your mental health journey. If you cannot forgive the person or situation that happened, then work on forgiving yourself to carry that experience differently with you. Eventually it will become easier with time.
  24. Work towards bringing balance into your life.
    1. Striking a balance can be an interesting opportunity to fold in all the new habits you want to create into your established routine. If you find that work is consuming more time away from doing the things you want to do, or being with the people you want to be with, then find ways to build balance there. Sometimes it is not practical to cut back on hours, but work on finding ways to leave without bringing it home.