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Improving the Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care Settings

Nearly every major policy statement on mental health in the last decade, ranging from the Surgeon General?s Report to the President?s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, has begun with the tenet that mental health is central to overall health and more recent reports have added a corollary-physical health is central to mental health.

Improving the treatment of mental and substance use disorders in primary care settings and improving the medical care of people with serious mental health (MH) and substance use (SU) disorders served in behavioral health (BH) settings has been a growing area of focus over the last decade. The goal of achieving quality of services and outcomes on both sides of the primary care/behavioral health interface is gaining long overdue attention and emphasis. This paper seeks to review the history, structure, and current developments of care at the primary care/behavioral health interface. It focuses on care in the public sector, where high rates of comorbidity, regulatory burdens, and lack of resources create particular challenges in providing care at that interface.

There are two sides to the primary care/behavioral health interface-the first is the presence of people in primary care that need MH/SU services. By 2003, 54% of people with mental health issues were served in the general medical only sector rather than within or in combination with the specialty mental health sector. Mood disorders are the seventh most costly health conditions in the United States, but rank second in the most disabling health conditions, reflecting both a high burden and potential under-funding of those conditions in the United States.1 Many initiatives have focused on treating depression because of the broad scope of the problem (more than 19 million Americans each year), the degree to which it has been under-recognized and under-treated in primary care settings, and the growing understanding of the impact of depression on other chronic health conditions.

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Coping With Life Stresses in College

“Coping with Life Stresses in College”

Stress is something that all college students may endure during their college experience. There are many books to read, long hours of studying, the temptation of attending parties, or simply the need to show up for numerous classes. Many students are just now learning the art of making decisions and of handling difficult situations on their own. The aspect of attending college can be stressful. As part of that aspect, there are regular daily activities that have to be done. One of the largest causes of stress can include time management; and, for students who are also working adults/single parents, stress can be a lot worse.

Many college students today often have a persistent problem with time management. As society and technology continue to grow, the faster our lives become. The hustle and bustle of attending classes; working to have an income in a declining economy; and, for some, having a family, can put a strain on students. I know this, because I was once one of those students who were juggling every minute of the day to complete my many tasks. With all of these things going on in our minds, stress begins to come in and establish a home within us.

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Dealing With Frustration. the Best Ways

In our society everybody is frustrated now and then. More than 50 %of all frustrations start on the work floor. But people also get frustrated in relationships and in educating children. Sometimes expressing your frustration is a good thing to do. Sometimes expressing your frustration gives a 100 % solution. In a frustrated relation at work or in a private relationship, expressing yourself is always the first step to take. You will find that there will be much more understanding for your problem than you expected. The frustrating situating will easily change into a peaceful situation

Sometimes your frustration is not solved by only expressing it. Sometimes expressing your feelings is not appropriate (for example when there are very small children or babies or old and sick people involved and you just know that it is your responsibility to stay in this frustrating situation. You should learn how to deal with your frustration itself when you cannot change the situation.

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Frustration, Learn the Simple Techniques of Dealing With Frustration

Many times the cause of frustration lies in the fact that people are afraid to express their feelings. When you are frustrated at work, you might think: If I tell my boss about my problem, he will judge that I am weak. Or when your frustration is in your relationship, you might think: My husband is so busy and stressed; he cannot handle my problems at this time. I’ll tell him later, at the right time. The only thing that happens when you think this way is that your frustration gets bigger and the situation gets worse. Of course it is good to say your thing at the right time, but you should not postpone it again and again. You’d better take action right now.I’ll tell you some techniques to make it easier to express your feelings.

The first technique for dealing with frustration: Chakra of the throat.
Close your eyes and visualise your throat as a bright star. Then say: I command my deepest inner self to heal all karma, pain, wounding and blocking emotions and cell-memory permanently and fully in present, past and future, so I can creatively express what is in me. I express myself freely and with passion. I enjoy this process with ease and passion. Then take a deep breath and breathe out.
Do this technique every day and if possible several times a day if you enjoy doing it.

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How to Exercise Your Nervous System

The nervous system relies on a high-speed communications network to alert the brain to information that affects all areas of the body.

For instance the impulses sent from the nervous system to the brain travel at up to 250 miles per hour. This is infinitely faster than the endocrine system that sends hormones through the bloodstream and may take an hour to get to their destination.

The nervous system has the full attention of the brain and the brain responds. The responses can be the result of pain, enjoyment or other sensory data.

You work your heart and muscles to improve their condition and tone. You want to have a low resting heart rate and slow deep breathing all the time. Exercise definitely helps all that. There is nothing better you can do for depression than regular exercise. But it’s also very desirable to directly train the nervous system to operate efficiently and effectively. Anyone can become more sane.

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Did You Know That Teen Depression Can Lead to Self-harm and Mutilation?

Are you aware if your teen purposely injures herself? Teen depression or anxiety can trigger this response to stress, and you might not even know about it.

Self-harm is difficult to imagine, but some teens who are have depression or anxiety disorder use it as a way to release painful emotions.

If your teen is injuring herself, it’s imperative that you seek help. Here is some background on self-injury.

It mostly affects women between the ages of 13 and 30, but men are also likely to react this way to painful depression and anxiety. They will use any object they can find to inflict pain on themselves. This includes cutting with razors, scissors, broken glass, pieces of sharp metal, needles or whatever else they can find.

A sure sign that your teen is injuring herself is any repeated cuts on her arms, legs, hands, wrists and elsewhere. Some injuries are minor and heal quickly, while others can be severe enough to cause permanent scarring and possibly require medical treatment.

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What is Clinical Depression?

Have questions about Clinical Depression? Clinical Depression is a serious disease. The way you feel, act, and even think can all be impacted by this illness. It doesn’t mean you’re a loser. It does mean there’s a medical problem that requires treatment. You may find it very difficult to function like you used to. What used to entertain you might now bore you, or seem a useless pursuit. Clinical Depression results in long term hopelessness and feelings of remorse. This illness does not simply come and go. It’s not like losing a loved one, the sadness eventually lessening. Clinical Depression is long term.

Clinical Depression can and will touch almost every element of your day to day life. Your thought patterns might change. You might become confused. Your will is no longer your own as this condition affects your very behaviors and moods. You can also experience eating and sleeping disorders that will turn your life upside down. Where you once may have been able to do your work or study for school without any hesitation you may quickly lose the ability to do so. Clinical Depression will target the way you deal with people. You will find that you often do not feel like yourself.

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Stress, Three Ways to Solve Stress

Sometimes I long for the old days. The days when people still had time. Father went to his job and mom stayed at home. Nowadays we never have enough time anymore. We are busy and we are stressed. But sometimes I remember how it used to be. I found three easy ways to solve stress.

Like many of us I am a working mom. I used to rush cooking the food for my family. I used to get stressed and rush housecleaning. My mind already thinking about what is next to do. I know now that is not the right way. It gave me even more stress.

So, here is my first way to solve stress. Take time to cook dinner. Maybe you cook hastily and you are happy when dinner is ready. This is my advice: Change your attitude and start to love cooking. It is important to keep your mind on what you are doing. You may have to learn this again. Look at the food. Look at the knife. Force yourself to keep your mind on the food. If you find that difficult, visualize the journey your food has made before it reached your kitchen. See how the vegetables were growing in sunshine and rain. Teach yourself to keep your thoughts on what you are doing.

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No, Never Alone

This is the best part of knowing Jesus Christ. I am never alone. He is always with me. I relish this.

The Lord Jesus also relished this. One day as he told his disciples that he was going to suffer death for us, he told them “…a time is coming, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” (John 16:32)

At the most fearful moment, when he had the greatest need, he was abandoned by his disciples. His enemies were all around him. They beat him down until he could not stand under the weight of his cross. He was nailed helpless to even wipe the blood and sweat from his eyes. He was being killed, helpless, seeming along, but he was not alone. His father was with him every step of the way. He saw him and held him through each cutting blow. This beating and dying was what he knew his father wanted him to do to make a way for his father’s wrath to be completed for those he would save. He knew his father would always be there with him each step of the way, not to be abandoned at the moment of death, but to carry him to paradise, and then to triumphantly change and raise his battered body from his tomb.

That same confidence is mine. He promised that he will always be with me as I go through the alone times that are a part of the journey he has for me. As the poem “Footprints in the Sand” puts it so well, “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand is when I carried you.”

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Ways to Relieve Anxiety Attacks

There are many factors affecting the occurrence of anxiety disorder. Some people have a high tendency to have it because some members of their family already have it or their genes have it. For some people the disorder is a result of traumatic experiences and stressful events in their lives. Whatever the reason for the occurrence of this disorder, it is important to find a way to relieve anxiety attacks and live normally.

People with anxiety disorder are experiencing intense fear with no logical reason. The fear is so intense that may result to trembling, dizziness, sweating, chest pain, difficulty breathing and the sense of losing grip of reality. These symptoms when experienced will make them more anxious and the anticipation of anxiety attacks makes them even more worried. If they cannot find a way to break this cycle and relieve anxiety attacks, it could torment their lives for years.

Fear is a good thing when it makes us aware of the existing dangers and keeps us alert to do the right thing to save ourselves. But too much fear over something that does not exist is disabling and may prevent you from enjoying life. If you are living in constant fear and having anxiety disorder, you have to break free from it and learn how to relieve anxiety attacks.

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