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Studies show that nearly 50% of all jobs today require some degree of technology, and it is predicted that number will rise to 77% within the next decade. Furthermore, Vision Council states that as many as 95% of Americans spend at least 2 hours or more each day on a digital device. Nearly one-third of Americans spend 9 or more hours a day. Between the amount of technology required for jobs and the number of people becoming addicted to the internet, it’s safe to say that technology is at the forefront. According to CBS News, many Americans report eye problems including dryness, irritation, and blurred vision. If you’ve experienced these things, you may have also experienced frequent headaches, back pain, neck strain, and more. Another report titled Diverse: Issues in Higher Education states that increased technology use has caused us to difficulty interacting with one another in person - while the ideal circumstance would be for us to cut down our use of technology, this is not always feasible. However, are there are some steps that we can take to ensure our health alongside our productivity:

On Valentine’s Day this year, after being expelled, a 19-year-old came back into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and shot 17 people. This tragic event has caused many of the high school’s students and parents to speak up about gun laws. According to CNN, young survivors are organizing advocacy for gun reform. Darren Levine, a teacher of the high school, stated, “They can change the world, and we can only go with them.” Furthermore, there will be several official meetings with law enforcement, school administrators, teachers, and mental health experts to determine better ways to protect the safety of students within schools. The high school will be reopening in phases as the school will run on a modified schedule to ease students back into classes within 1 week. Some students opened up about the terror they experienced within the high school that day. As stated on People Magazine, Lorena Sanabria, a student of the school, explained, “We were all desperate. We were all crying. We were on our phones trying to stay in touch with our families and read the news.” Her mother stated, “I heard the gunshots. My daughter was talking to me and I was hearing the gunshots.” Time Magazine notes that people from all over the country are in protest, hoping to place added pressure on Congress due to the aftermath of this horrific event. Over 100 students from the high school are heading to Florida’s capital to urge lawmakers to take action on gun laws as to prevent a repeat of the event that happened on Valentine’s Day. Another group of protesters in Los Angeles rallied for stricter background checks and other safety-related measures, with some even holding up signs that said “Our Children Are Counting On You”. Thus far, the Senate is preparing a package that includes increasing the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21, establishing a waiting period to purchase a firearm, creating gun-violence restraining orders, and more. Hopefully with more people speaking up, we can persuade Congress to take a stance for children - and everyone - all over the country. Placing more safety measures could potentially prevent some of what has unfortunately happened already this year.

Addiction can affect anyone, including the children of celebrities. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, has recently addressed a topic that she hadn’t really discussed in the past: her sobriety. The model and artist explained that her decision to achieve and maintain sobriety was a good one, and that she wanted to clear up any confusion or misunderstandings by the public. She stated, “Self-destruction and toxic consumption and deliverance from pain is a lot easier to adhere to. Undeniably, for myself and those around me becoming present is the best decision I have ever made. How we treat our bodies directly correlates to how we treat our souls. It’s all interconnected. It has to be”. The Rolling Stone notes that both of Cobain’s parents struggled with addiction – Kurt Cobain died in 1994 with drugs in his system, and, at the age of 27, Courtney Love was ordered to rehab by a judge in 2005. Frances, now 25, decided to become public about her sobriety as she recognized the importance of being a role model to many people. She went public via an announcement on her Instagram, as she stated that February 13th, 2018 was the mark of her second birthday of sobriety. While Frances didn’t go into depth about her struggle with addiction, she focused more positively on the present and her sobriety. She stated, “…I’m gonna take today to celebrate my vibrant health and the abundance of happiness, gratitude, awareness, compassion, strength, fear, loss, wisdom, and the myriad of other messy, complicated, raw emotions I feel constantly.” Frances Bean Cobain serves as an excellent example for embracing the present and moving forward from the past. Despite the struggles she and her family have faced, she is making the decision to be happy with where she’s currently at in her journey to recovery. She further stated that life can get better if we want it to be. With many tools, resources, and people available, recovery is certainly possible. If you haven’t yet, seek help today. A happier, healthier life is waiting for you just around the corner.

Rap and hip-hop music has had a huge influence on American society, and began in the 1970’s, according to Stanford University. Marshall Mathers, otherwise known as Eminem, has had a prominent place in the rap and hip-hop world as he has won 11 Grammys and an Academy Award. As a celebrity and artist, Eminem has helped fans all over the world connect to his messages and stories of abuse, addiction, violence, and more. His experiences are real, and he’s had ups and downs in terms of recovery. In 2010, the rapper explained in an interview with Guy Raz, the host of Weekend All Things Considered that he struggled with addiction throughout his career and ultimately had an overdose in December of 2007. Eminem stated, “I don’t think I realized the totality of what happened, so I after I got out of the hospital…when I got home, I went right back to using again”. Eminem has gone through a lot – from his father leaving him when he was 6 months old, to his mother with Munchausen syndrome struggling with addiction, and then later to his unhealthy marriage with Kim. Eminem released a song titled “Not Afraid” in which he eluded to the struggles he’s gone through and the recovery he’d been working towards: It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally for you So I could come back a brand new me You helped see me through And don’t even realize what you did, believe me you Since 2010, Eminem has worked hard to overcome addiction and has found exercise as a motivational tool. In 2015, Eminem explained to Men’s Journal that he was running 8.5 miles each morning and 8.5 miles each night. This ultimately led to him injuring himself, but he lost a lot of weight and he began working out at home. Eminem has mentioned several times in his songs his love for his daughters and how he wants to be better for them. Eminem’s recovery has been a long time making, but nobody can truly put a time stamp on recovery because life has so many ups and downs. If you’re struggling with an addiction, begin your journey to recovery today.

President Donald Trump is a hot topic for Democrats and Republicans alike, as past statements he has made have surfaced their way for analysis and defense by many Americans. Several books have been published examining the president’s mental health, as there is a growing argument of whether he is mentally stable enough to run the country. Books such as “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” contain essays from 27 psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals on Donald Trump’s mental state – and here is what they’re saying: “We submit that by paying attention to the president’s mental state as well as his actions, we are better informed to assess his dangerousness. Delusional levels of grandiosity, impulsivity, and the compulsions of mental impairment, when combined with an authoritarian cult of personality and contempt for the rule of law, are a toxic mix.” According to the Washington Post, Trump has been theorized as having narcissistic personality disorder, which is characterized by grandiosity, inflated sense of self-importance, exaggerated achievements, expecting to be recognized as superior, monopolizing conversations and looking down on others, taking advantage of others to get what they want, and more. Other claims suggest that he shows indications of sociopathy, which includes lacking empathy, absence of guilt, and intentional manipulation. Are these theories true? Psychology Today recognizes the ethicality that must come into play. As many of these health professionals state, they are not “diagnosing” the president, but rather “assessing” him based on his past words and actions. A true diagnosis can only be conducted by a licensed health care professional, and would include a psychological evaluation that assesses a person’s symptoms, thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns. Lab tests would also need to be completed, as well as a physical screening. While there are many concerns that people have surrounding President Trump’s mental health, an official diagnosis is required to truly determine his “stability”. However, this heated topic does bring to play the fact that much of America is divided and needs to come back together. Our differences are causing more hatred and less support, and, according to the 2017 Stress in America Survey, Americans are more stressed than ever on the topic of our political climate.

With the uprising of the opioid crisis, pain medication is landing front in center as a concern of many Americans. Too many overdoses have occurred due to opioids, and the government is working to enact a plan to educate the communicate on the dangers of misusing these drugs, as well as the importance of either staying away from or highly monitoring prescription medications that are highly addictive. No matter your reason for taking pain relievers, these are the medications you should be most concerned of due to their addictive properties:

Celebrities shape the public perception, endorse values and beliefs, and influence people. The stories of celebrities in the United States have the propensity to challenge others and inspire them, no matter the story. Fergie is no exception – the singer has shared her story of addiction with millions, and her 18 years of sobriety has impacted many. Billboard states that Fergie really struggled with crystal meth addiction, and she found herself “hallucinating on a daily basis”. Understanding what Fergie went through and what led to her 18-year sobriety may give you further hope in your own journey through recovery. Crystal meth can cause hallucinations, erratic behavior, panic, psychosis, and more. As Fergie told a British news publication, “At my lowest point, I was [suffering from] chemically induced psychosis and dementia.” The singer was addicted to the substance back when she was part of the group Wild Orchid, and was still addicted even after leaving the group. Fergie, 42, explained a time when she was so high on crystal meth that she thought the CIA, FBI, and SWAT teams were following her. She described the experience as this: “They tried to kick me out, because I was moving down the aisle in this crazy way, as I thought there was an infrared camera in the church trying to check for my body…I bolted past the altar into the hallway and two people were chasing me. I remember thinking if I walk outside, and the SWAT team is out there, I was right all along. But if they’re not out there, then it’s the drugs making me seeing things and I’m going to end up in an institution.” That moment truly awakened Fergie to her battle of addiction, as she described that moment in the parking lot as “freeing”. New York Daily News states that hypnotherapy has worked very well for Fergie, and it continues to help her relax. Fergie stated for People Magazine, “I thank the day it happened to me. Because that’s my strength, my faith, my hope for something better.” Although Fergie really struggled with crystal meth addiction, that one memorable night led her to recovery. It showed her that she deserves more than this, and that she can lead a happier, healthier life. Millions of stories are like Fergie’s, and their stories of recovery can be yours too. Make the decision to seek help today; it’s never too late.

Although the industry of addiction treatment and recovery has made progressive leaps and bounds over the past few decades, the field still faces a large hurdle of outdated ideologies that prevent innovative and evidence-based practices from being implemented. This restrictive force is known as stigma, and it is continually strengthened by how everyday people are presented information about substance abuse and dependency. The major culprits of misinformation include the Internet, television, and other sources of media.

Various acts that were signed into law during the previous administration took great strides for providing mental health care. As there is a shift in party and perspectives on health insurance, health care, and mental illness, we face a time of change which will either hurt or help our loved ones in need of support. Avalon By The Sea continues to provide excellent and affordable care to clients with substance use disorders and primary mental health disorders. We believe that all people are deserving of the quality care and treatment they need to live happy and successful lives, clean of harmful drugs and with the tools the y need to cope with mental illness. Here are some of the action we support for the ongoing fight for mental health care. Many of these suggestions are taken from The Boston Globe.

In the last five years, overdose on opioid drugs has increased 33%, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Though the general increase is 33%, some states, like New Hampshire, have seen increases of 191%. Other high ranking states included Connecticut, Ohio, North Dakota, Massachusetts, and Maine. Opioid drugs include prescription painkillers, heroin, and synthetic opioids. Namely, drugs like Oxycontin, Heroin, and Fentanyl. 2016 saw some of the worst influx of opioid drug abuse with people overdosing on other synthetic opioids like Carfentanil, which is an animal tranquilizer. 2016 also saw a tragic number of opioid overdose deaths. NY Daily News reports that more than 52,000 people died from drug overdoses last year in America. Almost two-thirds of those people overdosed on prescription opioid painkillers or illegal opioid drugs like heroin. For the synthetic opioid drugs like Fentanyl, which saw a rise in popularity in 2016, the overdose death count rose 73%. That’s about 9,580 deaths due to synthetic opioids alone. Prescription opioid drugs had the highest overdose death rate, yet with the smallest increase overall. Popular opioid prescription painkillers like Oxycontin and Vicodin took the lives of 17,536 people. Though the increase is only 4%, the ongoing cost of opioid prescriptions continues to be detrimental. For emphasis, the website reports, compared to the 52,000 lives lost from opioid overdose, 37,757 died in car crashes and 36,252 died from gun related deaths. Combined, that is just over 20,000 people more than those who died from drug overdose-- less than either one category. The Rise Of Synthetic Opioids Most concerning is the steep increase of overdose deaths due to synthetic opioids. Synthetic opioids were created for chronic pain patients or traumatic surgery patients who did not tolerate regular morphine based opioids. In need of an opioid pain reliever, synthetics were made. However, many of the synthetic opioids released this year were never intended to release. Pharmaceutical companies found them to be dangerously strong and never proceeded to develop the substances. Foreign markets, primarily China, got hold of these chemical substances and started producing them. Synthetic drugs are cheaper and can act as fillers for other drugs- like actual heroin. Powerful, potent, and cheap, synthetics took over the market and took lives. Avalon By The Sea is committed to providing quality rehabilitation treatment to those suffering from opioid addiction. Though the challenge is daunting, recovery is possible. Our residential treatment programs focus on healing mind, body, and spirit, for total transformation for a better life. For a private consultation or more information on how we can help you or a loved one with opioid use disorder, call 1 888-958-7511.

There's no doubt that drugs are a serious issue in the United States, but a fair amount of controversy surrounds the country's "war on drugs" approach to the problem. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson is a vocal participant in this debate, speaking out in favor of drug decriminalization on his blog. In one essay, Richard Branson urges countries to follow the example of Portugal, which has decriminalized the possession and use of drugs. Is this approach a viable alternative to the current war on drugs? Let's take a closer look at Portugal's drug policy and see what we can learn from their example.