Leslie Glass's Blog, page 269

Newly Sober Ben Affleck’s Untitled Addiction Drama Will Roll Out For Oscar Season

From Celebrity Insider:

Ben Affleck’s new addiction drama – which is still untitled – will be in theaters just in time for Oscar season. The film is set to premiere on October 18th, and the release date could possibly be setting up Affleck for a third Academy Award win.

In 1998, Affleck and Matt Damon’s script for Good Will Hunting won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. And, in 2013, Affleck directed Argo, which won Best Picture. Affleck has a starring role in his new addiction drama – which has had titles like The Has-Been and Torrance – and it is directed by Gavin O’Connor.

In the new flick, Affleck plays a former basketball player who is battling addiction, and his struggles lead to him losing his wife. He then becomes the coach of the high school basketball team at his alma mater as part of his recovery process.

Former Daily Show correspondent Al Madrigal stars as the assistant coach and other members of the cast include Janina Gavankar, Hayes MacArthur, Brandon Wilson, and Rachael Carpani.

Both Affleck and O’Conner are producers, along with Jennifer Todd, Gordon Gray, and Ravi Mehta. And, Brad Ingelsby wrote the script.

According to Variety, Affleck and O’Connor previously worked together on the 2016 film The Accountant, which grossed $155 million at the box office.

With the October release date scheduled, that will mean in just one year, Affleck will transition from struggling with his own addiction problems and going to rehab to starring in a film about the subject. Affleck has made quite the transformation in recent months, and he appears to be healthy and happy since leaving a Malibu treatment center in October 2018.

He has also been spending a lot of time with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner and their three children, Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10, and Samuel, 7. Affleck and Garner are successfully co-parenting their kids despite their divorce that was finalized last year.

“I hope I’m a pretty good dad. I certainly try very hard. I’m lucky they’ve got a great mom, and she helps out a great deal with making sure that we co-parent in as good a way as possible,” said Affleck.

Ben Affleck’s latest flick Triple Frontier is currently streaming on Netflix.

The post Newly Sober Ben Affleck’s Untitled Addiction Drama Will Roll Out For Oscar Season appeared first on Reach Out Recovery.

Routine For Serenity

Everyone’s talking about their routine for serenity. OK, maybe not everyone, but we are. What is serenity and why do you need it? Let’s define serenity because I love to define things.

Serenity is: the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

Wo, sounds good. Sign me up, right? For people with anxiety, or in recovery, sounds like a freakin’ chupacabra sighting. For people who don’t know, both anxiety and recovery can feel paralyzing sometimes. Pair them together and you have a recipe for a fear-based life riddled with feeling restless, irritable and discontent. But, there is a solution. Discovering what activities you find soothing and creating a routine around them.

I’m someone who takes things all the way so here are the things I did to find to find serenity and then create a routine for serenity in my life.

My routine for serenity started when I relocated

I moved to Southern California from New York City. Why? Because NYC is very cool but very cold. I’d been there my whole life with a few stints in other places, and I’d outgrown the cool. I just wanted to be where it’s warm and sunny, and I could drive everywhere. But, I took it even further and moved across the street from the entrance to hiking trails. I didn’t even stop there. I got a bunch of dogs who have to go hiking all the time or they’ll drive me crazy. This means, I go hiking a couple times a week whether I want to or not, whether it’s raining or not, but more often than not, in the beautiful SoCal weather. For me, this particular mixture of exercise, time in sunshine and nature, and activity with the dogs has a direct effect on my serenity. They say all three of those activities reduce anxiety, and depression. This is a routine for all my brothers and sisters out there who struggle with that beast.

My next routine for serenity began with making recovery commitments

Twice a week I show up somewhere to do something for recovery. Why? So, I can be of service to people coming after me and because it makes me feel good. It also mandates that I’m going to see people like sponsors and sponsees—past, current and future—all good for the recovery. Also, because seeing people and connecting with them is important to easing out of your mind, which I believe is the big goal with serenity. Getting out of self. This is another action that creates routine and accountability. More than that, sometimes it’s really important for me personally to remember where I came from. 20 years ago I was headed down the wrong path and I’m one of the lucky ones who have been able to find recovery. That is 100% due to people who came before me and took the time to help me find my way back. So, that now I can help others find their way back. “That’s how we do,” someone once told me.

Any routine for serenity must include positive vibes only

I have a positive outlook on life. Why? Because I have to. Look, I have friends, and family, who suffer with depression and I get it. When you’re depressed it’s impossible. My issues are a bit different so I struggle more with something I call A & D, Anxiety and Dread. Practicing a positive mindset has helped me hugely when it comes to self-esteem, exercise, work, personal relationships and family. It’s Mother’s Day this weekend and I’m proud to say my mother and I get along really well. It’s not always simple in some families. Sometimes creating new relationships with family when there’s been addiction and alcoholism in the home, whether it’s yours or someone else’s, takes time. Sometimes it takes forgiveness—on everyone’s part. My outlook on everything in my life today is positive and because of that I feel happier. Another byproduct of serenity and routine.

How’d I get the positive outlook on life?

Prayer and meditation are essential to your routine for serenity

I’m not a religious person so…Why? I’m a spiritual person who needs a Higher Power to believe in because there has to be something greater than me. I used to hear people swear by meditation, and I never got it until I made it a practice myself. The key word here being practice. I had to do it every day on and off for a year before I really saw a difference but then I did. I saw differences in all aspects of my life. Mostly, serenity, general calmness and being OK with whatever is happening in my life. Today, I attend a meditation classes as well as have a short practice in my home in the morning. If I fill my head with affirmations and gratitude, there is no room for negative tapes. They just get quieter and quieter. 

Try implementing things that make you feel calm and happy in your life and make them a practice. These things don’t happen overnight and that’s why many people give up. But, give it time. Being calm, peaceful, and untroubled (most of the time) is entirely worth all the work it takes.

The post Routine For Serenity appeared first on Reach Out Recovery.

Serenity = Routine

Everyone’s talking about serenity. OK, maybe not everyone, but we are. What is serenity? Let’s define it because I love to define things.

Serenity is: the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

Wo, sounds good. Sign me up, right? For people with anxiety, or in recovery, sounds like a freakin’ chupacabra sighting. For people who don’t know, both anxiety and recovery can feel paralyzing sometimes. Pair them together and you have a recipe for a fear-based life riddled with feeling restless, irritable and discontent. But, there is a solution. Discovering what activities you find soothing and creating a routine around them.

I’m someone who takes things all the way so here are the things I did to find to find serenity and routine in my life.

I relocated for happiness

I moved to Southern California from New York City. Why? Because NYC is very cool but very cold. I’d been there my whole life with a few stints in other places and I’d outgrown the cool. I just wanted to be where it’s warm and sunny and I could drive everywhere. But, I took it even further and moved across the street from the entrance to hiking trails. I didn’t even stop there. I got a bunch of dogs who have to go hiking all the time or they’ll drive me crazy. This means, I go hiking a couple times a week whether I want to or not, whether it’s raining or not, but more often than not, in the beautiful Socal weather. For me, this particular mixture of exercise, time in sunshine and nature, and activity with the dogs has a direct effect on my serenity. They say all three of those activities reduce anxiety, and depression, for all my brothers and sisters out there struggling with that beast.

I have commitments in recovery

Twice a week I show up somewhere to do something for recovery. Why? So, I can be of service to people coming after me and because it makes me feel good. It also mandates that I’m going to see people like sponsors and sponsees—past, current and future—all good for the recovery. Also, because seeing people and connecting with them is important to easing out of your mind, which I believe is the big goal with serenity. Getting out of self. This another action that creates routine and accountability. More than that, sometimes it’s really important for me personally to remember where I came from. 20 years ago I was headed down the wrong path and I’m one of the lucky ones who have been able to find recovery. That is 100% due to people who came before me and took the time to help me find my way back. So, that now I can help others find their way back. “That’s how we do,” someone once told me.

Positive vibes only

I have a positive outlook on life. Why? Because I have to. Look, I have friends, and family, who suffer with depression and I get it. When you’re depressed it’s impossible. My issues are a bit different so I struggle more with something I call A & D, Anxiety and Dread. Practicing a positive mindset has helped me hugely when it comes to self-esteem, exercise, work, personal relationships and family. It’s Mother’s Day this weekend and I’m proud to say my mother and I get along really well. It’s not always simple in some families. Sometimes creating new relationships with family when there’s been addiction and alcoholism in the home, whether it’s yours or someone else’s, takes time. Sometimes it takes forgiveness—on everyone’s part. My outlook on everything in my life today is positive and because of that I feel happier. Another byproduct of serenity and routine.

How’d I get the positive outlook on life?

Prayer and meditation

I’m not a religious person so…Why? I’m a spiritual person who needs a Higher Power to believe in because there has to be something greater than me. I used to hear people swear by meditation and I never got it until I made it a practice myself. The key word here being practice. I had to do it every day on and off for a year before I really saw a difference but then I did and I saw differences in all aspects of my life. Mostly, serenity, general calmness and being OK with whatever is happening in my life. Today, I attend a meditation classes as well as have a short practice in my home in the morning. If I fill my head with affirmations and gratitude, there is no room for negative tapes. They just get quieter and quieter. 

Try implementing things that make you feel calm and happy in your life and make them a practice. These things don’t happen overnight and that’s why many people give up. But, give it time. Being calm, peaceful, and untroubled (most of the time) is entirely all the work it takes.

The post Serenity = Routine appeared first on Reach Out Recovery.

Global Alcohol Intake Has Increased By 70%, Study Warns

From Medical News Today:

A large new study shows that global alcohol intake increased sharply between 1990 and 2017. This pattern is set to continue up to 2030, the authors warn.

New research conducted by a team of investigators from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in Toronto, Canada, and the Technische Universität Dresden, in Germany, has revealed that people consume more alcohol, on a global level, compared with nearly 30 years ago.

Not only this, but the current upward trend is set to continue over the next few decades, according to the study authors’ estimates.

“Our study provides a comprehensive overview of the changing landscape in global alcohol exposure,” explains first author Jakob Manthey.

The research — the findings of which appear in The Lancet — analyzes trends in alcohol intake in 189 countries from 1990–2017 and estimates the rates through to 2030.

Manthey and the team analyzed levels of alcohol consumption per capita (per individual), as well as the implications of this consumption, working with data sourced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease study.

 

Moreover, the researchers tried to find out how many people had never drunk alcohol and how many qualified as “binge drinkers,” defined by an intake of 60 grams of pure alcohol or more at a single sitting.

For this side of their analysis, they used data for the same period, 1990–2017, collected through surveys in 149 countries, for nondrinkers, and in 118 countries, for binge drinkers.

Finally, the team looked at estimates of gross domestic product in all 189 countries, as well as other relevant information, to try and gauge how alcohol drinking patterns might evolve until 2030.

Steep increase in alcohol consumption

The researchers’ findings reveal some worrying — also surprising — trends. They found that, while patterns of alcohol consumption have not changed much in high-income countries, low- and middle-income regions are seeing a staggering increase.

At the global level, the team found that the total volume of alcohol consumed per year increased by as much as 70% between 1990 and 2017, from 20,999 million liters per year to 35,676 million liters per year.

“Before 1990, most alcohol was consumed in high-income countries, with the highest use levels recorded in Europe. However, this pattern has changed substantially, with large reductions across Eastern Europe and vast increases in several middle-income countries, such as China, India, and Vietnam,” explains Manthey.

 

Moreover, he adds, “This trend is forecast to continue up to 2030, when Europe is no longer predicted to have the highest level of alcohol use.”

In Europe, alcohol consumption — among adults, per capita, per year — decreased by 12%, from 11.2 liters to 9.8 liters between 2010 and 2017. The same figure increased by 34% in Southeast Asian countries, from 3.5 liters to 4.7 liters.

Over the same time period, alcohol consumption saw a small increase, from 9.3 liters to 9.8 liters, in the United States, and from 7.1 liters to 7.4 liters in China, though it decreased in the United Kingdom, from 12.3 liters to 11.4 liters.

The researchers also observe that in most of the countries that they studied, the volume of alcohol consumed seemed to increase at a faster rate than the number of drinkers, suggesting that the average volume of alcohol intake per individual is set to rise.

More specifically, alcohol consumption per capita is likely to increase from 5.9 liters of pure alcohol per year in 1990 to 7.6 liters in 2030.

By that point in time, the investigators add, about half of all adults around the world will consume alcohol, and 23% of adults will engage in binge drinking at least once every month.

 

And since alcohol is a known risk factor for numerous health problems, the global burden of disease will, most likely, also increase.

Economic growth may explain global trends

“Alcohol use is prevalent globally, but with clear regional differences that can largely be attributed to religion, implementation of alcohol policies, and economic growth,” says Manthey.

“Economic growth seems to explain the global increase in alcohol use over the past few decades. For example, the economic transitions and increased wealth of several countries — in particular the transitions of China and India — were accompanied by increased alcohol use.”

Jakob Manthey

Moreover, the first author notes, “The growing alcohol market in middle-income countries is estimated to more than outweigh the declining use in high-income countries, resulting in a global increase.”

The researchers are also particularly concerned about the fact that large policymakers will likely not manage to achieve their goals of reducing dangerous alcohol consumption rates at a global level.

“Based on our data, the WHO’s aim of reducing the harmful use of alcohol by 10% by 2025 will not be reached globally,” warns Manthey.

“Instead,” he goes on, “alcohol use will remain one of the leading risk factors for the burden of disease for the foreseeable future, and its impact will probably increase, relative to other risk factors. Implementation of effective alcohol policies is warranted, especially in rapidly developing countries with growing rates of alcohol use.”

Considering the current trends, the research team argues that countries and policymakers should up their games when it comes to prevention, calling for strategies such as increased taxation on alcoholic drinks and reducing the availability of alcohol as much as possible.

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Mom Needed Patience For Recovery

Patience for recovery is something we don’t talk about much. Having a chronic, progressive, relapsing brain disease (or Substance Use Disorder) sounds pretty serious, and it is. The reality in a nutshell is that a short stay in a rehab, or even a year or so in sober living communities, is not going to insure long term recovery success. That’s what’s driving the nation crazy. We don’t understand why a treatment system based on a concept of instant recovery isn’t working.

Recovery doesn’t happen in the first year or two

This is a myth about addiction that needs to be debunked. If a child or teen uses drugs, his development stops at the beginning of use. His brain function has been altered. You’ll notice behavior changes, irritability and anger, for two. He or she may seem like a different person. And he is a different person.

Stopping use does not instantly reverse brain damage or behavior

Say you have a fifteen-year-old who drinks, takes drugs, and smokes pot. There will be changes in the whole family as her behavior worsens and habits progress. When your child is twenty-three and wants to get sober, she is emotionally still fifteen. She needs to start building a new foundation on which to grow. She has to play catch up and let her brain both heal and begin to develop again. This takes a long time. We haven’t accepted that basic fact about addiction yet.

Patience for recovery is like having patience for coming back from a stroke

SUD is a brain disease with a psychological component. It doesn’t doesn’t mean that loved one who has been a drug user can’t develop and become the best person in the world. It happens all the time. It does mean, however, that he/she won’t be restored to the cheerleader or A student or loving offspring that he was before he started. He’ll be something different, and that’s okay. It also means the family has to adapt to a new normal that includes changing its own behaviors to become healthy and functional. How many families have developed patience for recovery?

Chronic diseases prompt changes in lifestyle

If you discover you or a loved one has cancer, or heart
disease, or diabetes, you have to change your lifestyle forever in order to
conquer the disease. That’s a fact. You’re different now. Your dinner table is
going to look different. People will be sensitive to your new needs and may even
join and to help keep you healthy. If your child had cancer, would you do
everything in the world to help him get better? Of course, you would.

I had to develop patience for recovery and change myself

When I was a mom coping with teens who were experimenting with drugs and alcohol, I was drinking a martini every night. I thought that drinking was their problem, not mine. Why should I give it up?  After all, my young people were drinking in bars and getting sick and having consequences, and I was not. In addition, I was an adult. It was legal for me to drink and have a Xanax when I was afraid of flying. I did not make sure my teens were where they said they were. I did not check their backpacks, search their rooms or drug test them. I didn’t call their friends’ parents. I believed all the misinformation I received. When situations worsened, I kept remembering how my loved one used to be, and had magic thinking that we could get back there somehow. I didn’t accept the now.

Accepting the now

The now meant I had to be a different kind of parent. I’m not a good policeman. I don’t love confrontation. I hate having to check up and deliver consequences when people don’t tell the truth or are unreliable. I want everyone to be good and nice and reliable. I didn’t know how to be supportive without being directive. I didn’t know how to insist we have conversations without fighting. And I wasn’t so great at listening, either. I had to become a different person, just as my loved one had to become a different person.

With addiction, I had developed into a blind, hopeless and helpless mom. With recovery, which meant I had to change, including giving up my evening martini, I became a better person and could support lasting recovery.

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Addiction Among Seniors A Challenge

From US News AS doctors, public health officials and community-based groups work to curb the nation’s drug crisis, concerns are rising that older adults may be falling through the cracks.

Although rates of alcohol and drug abuse have generally been lower among older adults, the number of people 50 and older who have a substance use disorder is projected to reach 5.7 million by 2020. Older adults also often face problems such as chronic pain, social isolation and mobility issues that can make it harder to identify and treat addiction.

Prescription drugs are a major driver of substance misuse among older adults, but these patients are often reluctant to change their habits or medication regimens, Kate Lufkin, a cognitive behavioral therapist with Ochsner Health System, said this week at the Aging in America Conference in New Orleans.

“Older adults have a combination of painful diagnoses, social changes, psychological considerations and physical limitations,” Lufkin said. “They also process alcohol and medications differently. … Mood-altering substances in older adults can mimic dementia, diabetes and depression.”

While a family or personal history of addiction heightens the risk that an older person will develop a substance use problem, there are many other risk factors, including having mental health issues or a disability, being hospitalized, living in a long-term care facility or experiencing chronic pain, Lufkin said.America’s Deadliest DrugsView All 12 Slides

In 2016, an estimated 1 in 5 older adults had chronic pain, with higher rates among adults who lived in poverty, had less than a high school education or were publicly insured, according to research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When treating older adults, health care professionals should be diligent in trying to strike a balance between managing their patients’ legitimate complaints of pain and ensuring they are using their medications appropriately, Lufkin said. When medications are legitimately prescribed, she said it can be harder for older patients or their families to acknowledge the drugs are being misused.

“For opioids, the biggest hurdle is getting people to say, ‘Maybe I am taking this inappropriately. Maybe there is a better way,'” Lufkin said. “What they’re thinking is, ‘My doctor gave this to me and I feel better. Why would I stop?'”

Among adults 65 and older, the opioid-related overdose death rate soared 17.2% from 2016 to 2017, according to the CDC, and the age group was the only one to see an increase in death rate for overdoses involving prescription opioids between the two years.

Older adults who live in rural areas also may struggle to find doctors with experience treating addiction, Lufkin said, and if they can’t drive or get to a clinic farther away, they may forgo treatment altogether.

Even if they can access treatment, she said, such programs are often designed for younger people or those who are otherwise healthy – meaning they may not be a good fit for older adults who also need to be treated for other health problems, she said.

These challenges underscore the importance of integrating addiction treatment into the primary care setting, Lufkin said – a shift widely recommended by public health experts. Additional efforts to address substance abuse among older adults also should consider health care costs and how older patients react to different medications, she said.

“We need to consider how pain impacts people differently,” Lufkin said. “Yes, we need to cut down on some of these pain medications, because they’re not doing you any good in the long term, but if they are allowing you to live your life, we have to consider that as well.”

Gaby Galvin,  is a staff writer at U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter and …

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Are Sleeping Pills Safe? Here’s What Research Says

From Time:

According to the latest numbers, roughly 9 million Americans — 4% of U.S. adults — use prescription sleep aids, or medications that can help with insomnia and other sleep issues. And now, some of the most popular prescription sleep drugs must carry stronger safety warnings.

In April, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated black-box warnings — which the agency uses to “call attention to serious or life-threatening risks” — on three sedative-hypnotic sleep aids: eszopiclone (often sold under the brand name Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata) and zolpidem (Ambien). Hypnotic drugs, which are used to prompt or maintain sleep, have been connected to 20 reported deaths and 46 non-fatal but serious injuries, according to the FDA.

Injuries included accidental overdoses, falls and near-drownings, while deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia, car accidents, apparent suicide and more, the FDA said. “While these incidents are rare, they are serious and it’s important that patients and health care professionals are aware of the risk,” acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless said in a statement.

Here’s what the research says about the safety — and potential dangers — of prescription sleep aids.

Sleeping pills have well-documented side effects

The side effects of sleeping pills vary by medication, but they can include dizziness, headache, gastrointestinal issues, prolonged drowsiness, allergic reactions, memory problems and performing daily activities while partially asleep, according to the Mayo Clinic. Case studies, including one published in 2017 and another in 2013, have also linked using zolpidem to suicidal behavior, potentially even during sleep. Alcohol or other prescription drugs can also interact poorly with sleeping pills, potentially leading to more side effects or complications.

While most people who take prescription sleeping pills do not experience major issues, the FDA has been concerned about their side effects for years. In 2013, it recommended lower bedtime doses of zolpidem in an effort to cut down on issues like next-morning drowsiness (which can contribute to car accidents and more). That announcement did not specifically address dangerous mid-sleep behaviors, which reports say have included driving, using the stove and even committing crimes or acting violently. (Blaming illegal or erratic behavior on sleep drugs is often called the “Ambien defense,” which was memorably used by comedian Roseanne Barr after she posted a racist tweet in 2018.)

Sleep drugs have been linked to life-threatening conditions

A 2012 study linked the use of hypnotic sleep aids — including zolpidem, eszopiclone, zaleplon and others — to a higher risk of early death, even if people were prescribed fewer than 18 pills a year. People who were prescribed the most hypnotics were 35% more likely than people who didn’t use them to develop a new cancer after about 2.5 years of follow-up, the researchers found.

The study only showed associations, not cause and effect. But it bolstered the idea that people should avoid taking sleep aids every night or for prolonged periods of time, if possible. A 2018 research review also concluded that “hypnotics are related to serious illnesses and premature deaths from cancer, serious infections [most commonly of the upper-respiratory system], mood disorders, accidental injuries, suicides and homicides.”

Sleeping pills may be habit-forming

The authors of one paper published in 2001 warned that “any agent used to induce sleep can result in a dependence on that agent to induce sleep,” potentially making it difficult to drift off without medication or requiring a higher dose to achieve the same effects. Some users may even experience withdrawal if they stop taking sleep drugs, according to the Addiction Center. (Over-the-counter aids like melatonin and those containing diphenhydramine, like Benadryl, can come with similar risks, according to Consumer Reports.) This risk is particularly high for people who use sleeping pills every night, which further underscores that occasional use is preferable to nightly consumption.

But it’s possible to take them responsibly

While it’s impossible to definitively say who will experience side effects after taking sleep aids, there are ways to reduce the risk. People should learn the possible side effects and medication interactions before starting a new drug and follow their doctor’s instructions when taking sleep aids. The Mayo Clinic also recommends not mixing alcohol with sleep drugs and only taking them just before a full night of sleep to reduce the risk of side effects and dangerous behavior.

And instead of depending on sleep aids, people should try to address underlying stressors or health issues that may be contributing to sleep disorders. For better sleep, experts recommend minimizing screen and technology use at night, sleeping and waking at the same time every day and practicing relaxing behaviors, like reading or journaling, before bed.

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Bullying Among Adolescents Hurts Both The Victims And The Perpetrators

From Science Daily:

About a tenth of adolescents across the globe have been the victim of psychological or physical violence from their classmates. In a new study researchers show that victims and their perpetrators both suffer as a result of these attacks: They are more inclined to consume alcohol and tobacco, are more likely to complain of psychosomatic problems and their chances of having problems with their social environment increase, too.

Name-calling, hair pulling or cyberbullying: About a tenth of adolescents across the globe have been the victim of psychological or physical violence from classmates at least once in their lives. A new study carried out by researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has shown that victims and their perpetrators both suffer as a result of these attacks: They are more inclined to consume alcohol and tobacco, are more likely to complain of psychosomatic problems and their chances of having problems with their social environment increase, too. In the scientific journal “Children and Youth Services Review,” the researchers plead for prevention programmes to place more emphasis on cohesion within the classroom.

Dr Anett Wolgast and Dr Matthias Donat, two of MLU’s educational psychology scientists, wanted to find out whether there were any differences in the way various countries’ cultures handled being bullied and whether boys dealt with it in a different manner than girls. To do this, they compared data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), who had asked approximately 3,000 adolescents from each country about their lives as part of an extensive study conducted over a number of years. The data included information on any bullying the adolescents had experienced from other students, but also details of alcohol and tobacco consumption, psychosomatic complaints, how easy they found it to talk to their friends and how they viewed the social support of their classmates.

The researchers looked at the responses from adolescents living in Germany, Greece and the USA and were collected during several different survey periods. The scientists picked these three countries, because they believe these nations each manifest togetherness very differently: They see the USA as rather individualistic, Greece as very collectivist and Germany as somewhere in between. The analysis revealed that adolescents’ behaviour and problems are similar in all three countries, as approximately nine per cent of boys and girls had repeatedly experienced physical or psychological attacks from other students. Dr Wolgast said: “None of the three countries can be used as a model for dealing with the problem. We were shocked by this stability that transcends cultures and different periods of time.”

Another thing the researchers wanted to take a closer look at was the connection between bullying from students and various other factors: Here, they focused on the adolescents’ risk behaviour, especially their alcohol and tobacco consumption, and whether they had suffered or were still suffering from psychosomatic complaints, such as stomach aches, headaches, back pain or depression. The scientists also analysed how perpetrators and victims interacted with their social environment: Did they find it easy to talk to friends? How did they view support from within their class in their social environment? The results indicate that boys and girls are just as likely as each other to consume alcohol and smoke cigarettes when they have been the victim of verbal or physical attacks. “Girls are slightly more inclined to internalise problems and therefore have more stomach aches or headaches,” added Dr Wolgast.

The academics were surprised by the fact that perpetrators and victims both mentioned similar problems with their environments. Both groups found it difficult to talk to friends and classmates and they also both felt they had little support from their environment. “The fact that perpetrators and victims experience similar problems to each other is remarkable,” Dr Wolgast continued. “These findings could be used to devise new prevention strategies.” By this, she meant that current measures should target communication between adolescents more to improve the atmosphere in classrooms and said that one way of encouraging this could be asking students in a class to adhere to rules that they have come up with themselves. Mutual support would play a major role here, she explained in conclusion.

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AI Can Detect Depression In A Child’s Speech

From Science Daily:

A machine learning algorithm can detect signs of anxiety and depression in the speech patterns of young children, potentially providing a fast and easy way of diagnosing conditions that are difficult to spot and often overlooked in young people. If undiagnosed, they can lead to an increased risk of substance abuse and suicide later in life.

Around one in five children suffer from anxiety and depression, collectively known as “internalizing disorders.” But because children under the age of eight can’t reliably articulate their emotional suffering, adults need to be able to infer their mental state, and recognise potential mental health problems. Waiting lists for appointments with psychologists, insurance issues, and failure to recognise the symptoms by parents all contribute to children missing out on vital treatment.

“We need quick, objective tests to catch kids when they are suffering,” says Ellen McGinnis, a clinical psychologist at the University of Vermont Medical Center’s Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families and lead author of the study. “The majority of kids under eight are undiagnosed.”

Early diagnosis is critical because children respond well to treatment while their brains are still developing, but if they are left untreated they are at greater risk of substance abuse and suicide later in life. Standard diagnosis involves a 60-90 minute semi-structured interview with a trained clinician and their primary care-giver. McGinnis, along with University of Vermont biomedical engineer and study senior author Ryan McGinnis, has been looking for ways to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to make diagnosis faster and more reliable.

The researchers used an adapted version of a mood induction task called the Trier-Social Stress Task, which is intended to cause feelings of stress and anxiety in the subject. A group of 71 children between the ages of three and eight were asked to improvise a three-minute story, and told that they would be judged based on how interesting it was. The researcher acting as the judge remained stern throughout the speech, and gave only neutral or negative feedback. After 90 seconds, and again with 30 seconds left, a buzzer would sound and the judge would tell them how much time was left.

“The task is designed to be stressful, and to put them in the mindset that someone was judging them,” says Ellen McGinnis.

The children were also diagnosed using a structured clinical interview and parent questionnaire, both well-established ways of identifying internalizing disorders in children.

The researchers used a machine learning algorithm to analyze statistical features of the audio recordings of each kid’s story and relate them to the child’s diagnosis. They found the algorithm was highly successful at diagnosing children, and that the middle phase of the recordings, between the two buzzers, was the most predictive of a diagnosis.

“The algorithm was able to identify children with a diagnosis of an internalizing disorder with 80% accuracy, and in most cases that compared really well to the accuracy of the parent checklist,” says Ryan McGinnis. It can also give the results much more quickly — the algorithm requires just a few seconds of processing time once the task is complete to provide a diagnosis.

The algorithm identified eight different audio features of the children’s speech, but three in particular stood out as highly indicative of internalizing disorders: low-pitched voices, with repeatable speech inflections and content, and a higher-pitched response to the surprising buzzer. Ellen McGinnis says these features fit well with what you might expect from someone suffering from depression. “A low-pitched voice and repeatable speech elements mirrors what we think about when we think about depression: speaking in a monotone voice, repeating what you’re saying,” says Ellen McGinnis.

The higher-pitched response to the buzzer is also similar to the response the researchers found in their previous work, where children with internalizing disorders were found to exhibit a larger turning-away response from a fearful stimulus in a fear induction task.

The voice analysis has a similar accuracy in diagnosis to the motion analysis in that earlier work, but Ryan McGinnis thinks it would be much easier to use in a clinical setting. The fear task requires a darkened room, toy snake, motion sensors attached to the child and a guide, while the voice task only needs a judge, a way to record speech and a buzzer to interrupt. “This would be more feasible to deploy,” he says.

Ellen McGinnis says the next step will be to develop the speech analysis algorithm into a universal screening tool for clinical use, perhaps via a smartphone app that could record and analyze results immediately. The voice analysis could also be combined with the motion analysis into a battery of technology-assisted diagnostic tools, to help identify children at risk of anxiety and depression before even their parents suspect that anything is wrong.

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When People With Brain Injuries Think Nothing’s Wrong It’s Anosognosia

What is anosognosia? You may be familiar with the symptoms of this condition without understanding that it is related to a brain injury. I knew my son, Josh, suffered from from a lack of awareness there was something wrong with his thinking. But, even as a physician, I was unaware that there was an official term for his condition.

I recently learned the term anosognosia through a friend of mine who spent her working life in the brain injury rehabilitation work field.

What does the condition of anosognosia look like

Someone with anosognosia has a lack of awareness. He/she may appear to be stubborn or just in denial, but that is too simple an excuse. It may be infuriating or baffling for loved ones to consider, or accept, that their loved ones’ brains simply cannot process the fact that their thoughts, moods, and insights do not reflect reality. It can be an intermittent issue as well; some days people with anosognosia understand and other days they don’t.

Substance use can cause it

It can be caused by a stroke or other physical brain trauma; both of which can occur during drug use, or as a result of overdose and resultant fall injuries, etc. Sometimes they may have limb ignorance. In mental damage (which also can be caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury), we see our loved one deny they have this deficit.

Sufferers of anosognosia don’t think they have a problem

They deny they can’t remember things, or deny that there is anything wrong with them at all. And if they also suffer from bipolar disorder, they can also have anger and impulse control problems. Basically, anosognosia can be manifested by this failure to be aware of a number of specific deficits; motor (hemiplegia), sensory (hemianopia, hemianesthesia), spatial (unilateral neglect), memory (dementia), and language (receptive aphasia). [these specifics taken from Wikipedia).

Insult to the various sections of the brain, and which side, can cause various manifestations of Anosognosia. Treatment is limited by the very lack of awareness the patient suffers from. Why get treated for something I don’t have?

Here are some negative consequences

When added to the many other problems we see in our addicts, the presence of anosognosia can really complicate their lives, our lives, and their ability to improve. If the person has the type of brain injury that leaves them fairly functional, meaning they can live independently, work a bit, and have relationships, then we can see how this issue can negatively affect them and all around them.

They will take jobs that they think they can do, and probably had the credential to do. However, the lack of ability to acknowledge their limitations, coupled with impulse control and potential for anger outbursts, their work life will become a revolving door. They’ll be fired frequently when the boss sees that they can’t do the job they are credentialed for, due to impulse control, and/or arguing and yelling at coworkers. It can be very frustrating for the addict and those trying to remember why they love this person.

There’s no cure or specific treatment for it

As far as I know (again from research for this topic) there is no real cure for this, though probably therapy can help; it’s certainly worth a try, especially if someone goes with them to help remember for them. Or, like my son, who at my suggestion years ago and constant reminders, takes notes on everything because his memory was compromised in other ways from the multiple strokes (one big and a few little). He has very poor short-term memory.

It is stated that there
is no long-term treatment for neurological patients, though cognitive therapy(as I mention above) may be useful. The main obstacle to treatment of any kind comes back to the issue of lack of awareness of the problem. If the patient denies anything is wrong, how are you going to get them to treatment?

Medications can often be helpful if they will take it, but convincing them to take a medication for something they don’t think they have can be an uphill battle. Therapists have a tool called motivational enhancement therapy (MET) which hopefully can help the patient understand the benefits of changing their behavior.

How can family members cope

What can those of us who are involved with someone in this situation do to cope? Patience, for sure is needed constantly. The desire and willingness to be there for them, and help them. Taking time to take care of ourselves is mandatory. Taking part in various support groups can give us the experience of others in our situation, a shoulder to lean on, others to bounce ideas off of, and potentially other resources for both us and our loved one. One hour at a time, one day at a time, and if you are so motivated: lots of prayer!

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