Deaths from opioids have been prominent in the news recently. Today’s video explores the history of this group of drugs which began with the discovery of the pain treating up properties of the gum of the opium poppy.
By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.
Placebo?
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
The placebo effect is important for everyone. Research finds that often the placebo effect is equally as strong as the actual effective treatment. Even when you know you’re taking a placebo, it may be affecting you. Here are some of the things you may not know about placebos.
You don’t have to be tricked for the placebo to work. Even when the doctor tells you that this is the placebo, but you can try it if you want it’s likely to help you particularly for issues that can be affected by your emotional state. People knew they were taking a placebo saw improvement in their hay fever and back pain but not in the healing of wounds.
People who were injected with saltwater reported it helped relieve their symptoms. Placebos are another place where more is better. People took for placebo pills a day said it helped their symptoms more than if they only took one pill.
If the placebo comes in the package of the well-known medicine people are more likely to report it works. Companies who have an effective product find they can sell other medications simply by putting their brand name on the package.
In repeated studies, capsules work better than pills. People report that two colored capsules work better than white capsules. The color of the capsule matters. More people will report positive effects from blue capsules than from pink capsules.
Optimists are more likely to report positive effects taking placebo pills. Friendly people, as well as people with more resilience, also respond more strongly to placebos.
Most counselors believe that the effects of counseling depend on the relationship between the client and the therapist. It turns out this is also true in medical settings. The more you like your doctor and the more confidence you have in them, the more effective the treatment.
People taking smart drugs even when the drugs are placebos may perform better on tests. People who were told that particular scents would make them more creative scored higher on tests of creativity.
If you believe something you do every day is healthy, it may improve your health. People who were told the kind of work they do is the equivalent of healthy exercise, perform better at work, and feel better. People who believe they are getting more sleep than they do feel better. In one study people who believed they were exercising more than their peers were healthier and lived longer even when they were exercising less than they thought.
People who are warned about the side effects of medication are more likely to experience them. The nocebo effect can take place even if the medication you’re taking is inert. People who are told the medication may nauseate them or make them drowsy are likely to experience these effects.
You will find more about the nocebo effect in this post.
The more researchers study the placebo effect the more we conclude if you think it’s good for you it probably is and if you think it will harm you it likely will. Without any evidence that your placebo is harmful, you might as well keep on taking it.
Staying connected with David Joel Miller
Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!
My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.
Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.
Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.
As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.
Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.
Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.
Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.
Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.
Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.
What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?
Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.
For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller
Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.
For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel
Caffeine is the world’s most widely used drug. Caffeine is an ingredient in many over-the-counter medications, but some people should reduce or eliminate the use of caffeine.
Caffeine, its sources, metabolism, excretion, and the way it interacts with other drugs. Why some people should not consume caffeine.
Psychopharmacology – counselorssoapbox video
Why do drug effects differ? Tolerance, withdrawal, and cravings. Physical and psychological characteristics of the user all play a role in drug effects.
Ecstasy, MDMA, Molly, Methylated-Amphetamines, some basic drug information.
Pharmacokinetics –Pharmacodynamics Side effects vs. Allergies, Effective Dose (ED) vs. Lethal Dose (LD)
Ways people put drugs in their body. Routes of Drug Administration. Drug Ed video #8
By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.
By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.
Relapse.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
The concept of relapse generally applies to people with a drug or alcohol issue, where people develop a problem, go through a process of recovery, and create a new, clean, and sober life. Recently we’ve come to believe that people with mental health problems, anxiety, or depression even conditions like psychosis that were once considered incurable can do recover.
Both addiction and mental illness are chronic conditions. With any chronic disease, there is always the presence of a risk of a return to active symptoms. Whether your problem is drugs, alcohol, depression, or anxiety, certain behaviors can keep you on the road to recovery and other actions that increase the risk you will fall back into active symptoms.
Don’t hang out with healthy, sober friends. They are no fun anyway.
You probably have some friends; maybe you should call them acquaintances, that are not the healthiest people out there. There’s a temptation to tell yourself that now that you have recovered you can hang out with those old friends and not be pulled back into your disorder.
Sometimes those friends are drinking and using, other times they are just negative, unhappy people. If the people you’re hanging out with damage your self-esteem or tempt you to engage in the activities that created your problem in the first place, deciding to spend time with them is a relapse in the making.
Internal feeling states are tremendous relapse triggers. If you are starting to feel lonely, sad, or angry, don’t ignore those feelings. Relapse and active substance abuse usually begin in the mind well before someone picks up the substances. Trying to pretend you’re not feeling what you’re feeling put you at risk slipping back into active substance use.
Self-medicating your feelings with drugs or alcohol will increase your emotional issues. Alcohol is a depressant it will make you more depressed. Using chemicals to medicate anxiety works only very temporarily when the substances wear off the anxiety will be even worse.
The great fallacy of many alcoholics is the belief that after a few years without drinking they have been cured and can now drink safely. People with a history of drug problems often come to believe they’ve learned so much about their addiction that they can now control it and will never fall back into a full-fledged addiction.
Having once gotten over your anxiety or depression people often return to a bad relationship or an unhealthy work situation, thinking that this time they will be able to handle precisely the situation which triggered their depression or anxiety in the first place.
People who believe that everyone relapses give themselves an excuse to relapse. If you tell yourself that you should start planning yours now.
Somewhere along the path of recovery, many people start to tell themselves since their problem is a chronic condition that should expect to relapse. While the return of active symptoms is common is by no means required. Recovery requires active maintenance of the things that got you better. Accepting the idea that relapse is inevitable amounts to giving yourself permission to relapse.
Many people with a drug problem tell themselves that they need to find another activity to replace that. Sometimes they try a different drug in the belief that they will be able to control their usage. Looking for the same thrills, some people turn to gambling, or risky sexual behavior.
Switch to using alcohol, marijuana, or prescription medication they’re not risky, right?
The widespread prevalence of alcohol and more recently marijuana has led many people to believe those substances will be easier to manage. A well-hidden fact is that the majority of drug overdose deaths are the result of consuming multiple drugs. Use of the “legal drugs” alcohol, nicotine, and more recently marijuana can be a first step on the return path to an addictive or dysfunctional life.
Just because the doctor gives you a prescription for something, doesn’t make it safe. The recent epidemic of drug overdose deaths has largely been fueled by the abuse of prescription medications often in combination with alcohol or street drugs.
Once you’ve gotten out of rehab for your depression and anxiety has reduced to the point it’s not controlling your life it’s very tempting to try to make up for lost time. Some people take a full-time job, go back to school full-time, and start a new relationship all in the first few months of recovery. Trying to do too much, too rapidly, can overwhelm you and reverse all the progress you’ve made in creating a life that works.
Staying connected with David Joel Miller
Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!
My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.
Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.
Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.
As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.
Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.
Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.
Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.
Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.
Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.
What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?
Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.
For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller
Want the latest blog posts as they publish? Subscribe to this blog.
For videos, see: Counselorssoapbox YouTube Video Channel
counselorssoapbox 