“Both ancient teachings and modern medical research agree that one of the quickest, most direct routes to restoring harmony and balance in our lives is to foster gratitude and appreciation,” wrote Joel and Michelle Levey in a 2011 article entitled “Understanding The Science Of Gratitude.” “The moment you shift from a mindstate of negativity or…
The Utah state mental health crisis hotline is experiencing a significant increase in calls for help while therapists are reporting an increase in demand for their services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marriage and family therapist Catherine Lundell told KUTV the pandemic has increased our daily stressors. “Any area that you might have had a little…
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exacerbated challenges for millions of people with substance use disorder (SUD). Two new studies released in September 2020 revealed the extent to which Americans have begun to turn to psychoactive substances in an attempt to alleviate the severe stress brought on by the pandemic. A cross-sectional study of…
Data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance shows that nationally, LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth. A new prevention plan by the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition says, “Utah consistently ranks in the top ten in the United States for suicide deaths. LGBTQ+ adults and youth experience…
Fentanyl is the drug most responsible for the increase in overdose deaths in recent years. It is “a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent,” explains the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). “It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally.” Illicit fentanyl is…
A dangerous substance from the 1960s is making a comeback in the United States. Phenibut, a central nervous system depressant with anxiolytic effects, used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and other conditions was developed in the Soviet Union for medical use in the 1960s. It is still used in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Latvia to treat…
“Society has long recognized the physical demands of first responders; however, what is less formally acknowledged are the negative psychological outcomes,” wrote Bowers, Beidel, and Marks in Mental Health Intervention and Treatment of First Responders and Emergency Workers (2019). “Most notable among these negative mental health consequences is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The hallmark of…
“The human brain is the most complex organ in our body and is characterized by a unique ability called neuroplasticity,” writes Maria Mavrikaki, Ph.D., on the Harvard Health Blog. “Neuroplasticity refers to our brain’s ability to change and adapt in its structural and functional levels in response to experience. Neuroplasticity makes it possible for us…
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