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“Friends with benefits: on the positive consequences of pet ownership” published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology posits that pet owners fare better on self-esteem, exercise, greater conscientiousness, less fear, and feel less isolated. For someone who suffers from a mental illness, having a pet can greatly increase their chances of happiness and improve their overall well-being. Another study conducted by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) found that animal-assistance intervention (AAI), has even been shown to help people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you’re considering getting a pet, there are several reasons why having a pet is beneficial for your mental health:

The similarity between these names suggests that there is a base chemical incorporated into both drugs. What exactly are the similarities and differences, though? While both drugs do have something in common, they each create different results in the body and mind. Drug Rehab notes a few distinct differences:

According to Foundations Recovery Network, narcotics are also known as opiates or painkillers, both of which are commonly abused in the United States. Narcotics work in the body by attaching themselves to receptors in the central nervous system so that a person’s pain signals are blocked. Due to this, narcotics are often prescribed for serious injuries and surgeries. The most common types of narcotics are codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, and more. Illegal drugs that are considered narcotics are heroin, opium, and taking the previously mentioned medications outside of a doctor’s recommendation. Side of effects of narcotics include a decreased sense of pain, dizziness, euphoria, decreased respiration, sedation, upset stomach, and developing a tolerance to the drug. Medline Plus, a government website, states that narcotics should typically not be taken for more than 3-4 months unless stated otherwise by a trusted doctor. Narcotics are very addictive, which is why there is an opiate crisis in America today. When someone takes their medication in higher doses and more frequently than their prescription states, they may easily become dependent. When this happens, the body begins to crave the drug to feel relaxed. Dependency can lead to addiction when a person continues to take increasing amount of medication to achieve the same desired effect they felt when they first started. WebMD notes several signs of opioid use disorder:

We all experience moments of doubt, worry, disappointment, grief, and low self-esteem. While many of us may feel that these feelings are not of concern, learning tools to cope with these feelings is always beneficial. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral treatment often used for a variety of mental health illnesses, but virtually anyone can gain many wonderful tools developed from using this therapy. DBT provides skills for mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a form of treatment in which bilateral eye movement reduces the emotional stress of negative memories. This type of therapy is often used to treat addiction, self-esteem issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and more. When a person undergoes this form of therapy, they will be asked to recall a traumatic memory – for someone who suffers from an addiction, they may recall triggers that causes them to feel anxiety and a craving to “use” again. When the therapist incorporates eye movement desensitization, the person typically feels less anxious about the triggers, ameliorating the effects of their trigger on them.

Trading addictions happens often. Many individuals attempt to “get rid” of their negative habits, but wind up picking up another unhealthy habit instead. Why does this happen? Many people who recently quit an addiction and are recovering experience heightened stress, pain, or anxiety because the vice that they originally used to fill in an emotional or psychological gap is now “gone”. When someone perceives a lack of control over their “loss” they may pick up a new addiction on many things: binge eating, overworking, gambling, cigarettes, benzodiazepines, sex, pornography, shopping, exercising and more. When someone is recovering from an addiction, they may experience lower dopamine levels in their brain – the area that produces feelings of happiness and reward. When this happens, a person may latch on to something else to try and fulfill that craving.  There are many signs that someone has left one addiction for another: constantly thinking about the new addiction, losing sleep to engage in the addiction, difficulty at school, work, or home, relationship issues, neglecting self-care or personal hygiene, experiencing stress and/or anxiety if unable to engage in new addiction. The key to overcoming this new addiction is to find the root of the compulsion through therapy. Talking with a therapist can help a person address any subconscious emotions that haven’t reached the surface. By working through these hidden emotions, we can explore the direct root cause of our emotional and psychological distress – meaning that over time, we will be working directly with our issues instead of filling them with something else. If you feel that you have exchanged one addiction for another, call a doctor and therapist right away. There are many resources available to help people overcome this: in-patient or out-patient treatment facilities, psychotherapy, support groups, and more. By getting help, you can work on the core issue that you are having trouble working through and can be on your way to a happier, healthier life.

Dr. Lisa Firestone, Dr. Robert Firestone and Joyce Catlett, authors of The Self under Seige state: There is an important difference between introspection and rumination. Time spent alone in thought can be positive – a rich environment for personal growth and creativity, but it can also be dangerous when we are negatively turned against ourselves. Introspection can be a process of healthy self-reflection, examination, and exploration, which is good for your well-being and your brain. Introspection allows us to learn from our past, understand who we are, and develop a closer sense of self. If we can look into ourselves for exploration and clarification, we can become wiser and more self-aware. According to Elite Daily in 2015, introspection can help us to notice negative patterns in our lives, keep us focused on the bigger picture, prevent us from worry about things outside of our control, face our fears, define happiness in our own terms, make decisions based on our conscious, and make changes that will finally lead us to the results that we want.   The Right Way(s) To Do Introspection has some great insight that can be used. Here are some investigative strategies that you can use to get the most out of introspection:

For people beginning their recovery journey, relapse seems like a scary, haunted force that should be avoided at all costs. Although it may seem like a contradiction to recovery, there are some valuable lessons that can be learned if you relapse. Addiction.org, a website aimed at provided rehabilitation information, has provided several important lessons to be gained from relapse:

Speed, more formally known as methamphetamine, is a stimulant drug that directly affects the central nervous system and is typically used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. Speed is also known as crystal meth, crank, meth, ice, glass, and crypto. It is white, odorless, and is often taken through smoking it, snorting it, swallowing it as a pill, or through intravenous injection. Speed is very dangerous and can be very addictive. The National Institute on Drug Abuse noted earlier this year that speed both starts and fades quickly, which causes people to take this drug more often and in higher doses to try and achieve the same “high” they initially felt when they first took it. People who use speed long-term are at elevated risk for contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C. Use of needles for intravenous injection and sharing of needles allows these diseases to transfer via blood or other body fluids from one person to another. Many people who abuse this drug wear out their body by taking it consistently; this may cause them to not sleep or eat for up to a week. Once ingested, the drug’s effects can appear within 3-5 if injected or within 15-20 minutes if taken orally. Common side effects of speed are increased body temperature, euphoria, increased blood pressure, dry mouth, faster heartbeat, dilated pupils, increased energy and alertness, decreased fatigue and decreased appetite. Some unwanted side effects of the drug are hostility, paranoia, aggressiveness, cardiovascular system failure, convulsions, malnutrition, skin disorders, and more. Treatment for methamphetamine addiction first involves detoxification, in which the body dispels toxins from length and severity of addiction. It is important that the person detoxes from this drug in the presence of a health care team. Recovery can be challenging in the beginning, especially since it may seem daunting. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles confirmed in their 2015 study the importance of individualized interventions and multiple, simultaneous approaches and resources to promote abstinence in addiction recovery for users of methamphetamine. In some cases, medication may be provided to assist you with the unwanted symptoms of withdrawal. Nonetheless, you will have a dedicated health care team ready to support you through your recovery.

Eating disorders include extreme attitudes, behaviors, and emotions surrounding food. There are many common food disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and more – all of which come with their own set of stigmas. For example, many people believe that anorexia happens with celebrities because of the cultural stigma to be “thin” and “beautiful”. However, new research suggests that this popular viewpoint is incorrect – that there is much more than meets the eye on this topic. If you suffer from an eating disorder, knowing that it’s not just cultural stigma and more about your body and brain will hopefully bring comfort. In an article discussed by Kirsten Weir of the American Psychological Association (APA), binge eating disorder is explained as being associated with obesity. When someone suffers from this, they eat substantial amounts of food and eat even when they are not hungry, often feeling guilty and ashamed afterwards. Anorexia is defined by the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) as not consuming an adequate amount of food, leading to unhealthy weight. Bulimia is characterized as eating enormous amounts of food and then taking substantive efforts to avoid weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting. While these are the most common, all forms of eating disorders take a maladaptive approach to food. Many people find eating to be a pleasurable activity. However, The International Journal of Eating Disorders found that in people who suffered from anorexia, the release of dopamine (the reward center in the brain) in the dorsal striatum triggers anxiety rather than feelings of pleasure. Stigma also surrounds those who suffer from eating disorders as having strong willpower – but a Nature Neuroscience study suggests that it’s not willpower, it’s out of habit. In 2016, Dr. Kerr at the Laureat Institute for Brain Research scanned the brains of healthy women and women who had been diagnosed with an eating disorder, and found that those with an eating disorder had abnormal insula activity – what researchers later believed to affect their anxious temperament. Research is still be conducted to look further into brain activity to help us better understand the cause of eating disorders. However, scientists are getting a new perspective that it’s not just cultural stigma – they believe that part of the brain is likely to be different in those who suffer from an eating disorder than those who do not. By learning more about the research conducted in this area, we can correct stigmas around eating disorders and understand the neurobiological aspect of these disorders.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that approximately 16 million people have suffered from a depressive episode within the United States alone. Depression can be very debilitating, and those who suffer from it may feel isolated, hopeless, and exhausted. Anyone can experience depression, no matter their age, gender, health situation, or any other circumstance. Dr. Twenge, an author for Psychology Today, suggests the following reasons for this major concern:

There are many concoctions made using cough and cold medicine – these concoctions are typically known as “lean”, “purple drank”, “purple lean”, “sizzurp”, “dirty sprite”, and “lean drink”. These drinks most often are comprised of prescription-strength cough medicine, soft drinks, and hard, fruit-flavored candy. According to Drug Abuse, a website aimed at providing addiction information, those drinks that contain cough syrup present a major danger because they contain codeine, a dangerous opioid drug. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) has noted two main medications that are most commonly abused: dextromethorphan (DXM), and promethazine-codeine cough syrup. Narconon, a website that provides drug and recovery health information, mentions that the hip-hop industry is a major endorser of these concoctions. Signs of drug abuse from cough medicine include slurred speech, blurred vision, euphoria, sedation, disassociation from one’s body, impaired motor skills, lethargy, and drowsiness. When taken in high doses, users may experience vomiting, weakness, headaches, itchiness, dry mouth, hives, chest pains, fainting, hallucinations, seizures, and tremors. While a cough and cold medications can be safe when used as directed for cold symptoms, it can affect the brain as a drug would if taken in large doses and more frequently. The NIH has noted that codeine found in cough and cold medications attaches to the same cell receptors that drugs like heroine attach to. These medications often act as depressants to the central nervous system, causing a person to feel relaxed and sedated. When abused, the medication can cause an increase in dopamine, the brain’s reward center. This can cause the brain to become dependent on the drug to feel happy, relaxed, and calm – leading someone down the road of addiction. Many people who abuse this drug feel a release from anxiety and tension. Cough medicine concoction are particularly popular among children in 8th -12th grade; the Drug Enforcement Agency reported in 2011 that 2.9% of 8th graders, 4.3% of 10th graders, and 5% of 12th graders abused cough and cold medicines that year. Thankfully, the NIH has been working diligently to decrease these numbers. Researchers from Georgia Southern University found in 2013 that cough and cold medicated drinks are also popular among young adults in urban areas, no matter their race or sexuality.