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Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Princess Health and Doctor speaks up about battle with depression, leading cause of disability for people 15-44; only 20% with symptoms are treated. Princessiccia

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By Danielle Ray
Kentucky Health News

Pitman (Paducah Sun photo)
Dr. Jay Pitman knows what it's like to feel isolated. Pitman spoke out about his battle with depression in a recent essay in The Paducah Sun.

"I'm writing a piece about my depression, about things people don't like to talk about," he told Steve Wilson, editor of the newspaper. "I'm thinking it might help some people." Wilson wrote in his column about Pitman, whose essay was published a week earlier, along with a story about him.

Pitman's depression deepened after he was the victim of a near-fatal hit-and-run accident in 2013. He was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood. He had suffered a concussion, brain hemorrhage and a broken shoulder. His physical recovery was remarkable. In fact, he recovered well enough to compete in a triathlon the next year. But he has had a much longer road to emotional healing.

Pitman is not alone in his struggle. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that about 18 million Americans suffer from depression, and notes that depression is the leading cause of disability in people aged 15 to 44. The organization distinguishes two categories of depression: major depression and persistent depressive disorder, which is characterized by symptoms that last at least two years.

Pitman's essay garnered a lot of support, but he's more concerned with opening up an honest dialogue about the issue.

"My hope is that those coping with depression will seek help and talk openly about their disease without feeling ashamed or embarrassed," he told Wilson. "I've lost several friends to suicide."

Despite its prevalence, only about 20 percent of people with depression symptoms seek professional help, according to the online health network Healthline.

Tiffany Bryant, a Lexington counselor who specializes in treating depression, said many people don't seek help or speak out about depression because of a lingering stigma surrounding mental illness. She believes popular culture has created an environment that discourages people from representing themselves honestly, flaws and struggles and all.

"I think you can blame, to a certain extent, social media, because everybody wants to show their very best," she said. "A lot of people have this mask that they wear for other people, and they never really take it off."

Even with a fairly low rate of patients seeking treatment, Healthline estimates that the number of patients diagnosed with depression increases by about 20 percent each year.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends early treatment. If not effectively treated, depression can become a chronic disease. Experiencing just one episode of depression places a person at a 50 percent risk for experiencing another episode in the future, according to the CDC.

While it can affect anyone at any time, women typically experience higher rates of depression than men. The CDC also noted that nearly 10 percent of people in their 40s and 50s report current depression. The good news is that 60 to 80 percent of all depression cases can be treated with either psychotherapy ("talk therapy"), antidepressant medication or a combination of both, says Healthline.

The American Psychiatric Association defines depression as a condition with any five of these seven symptoms for a continuous period of at least two weeks:
  • sadness;
  • loss of interest in activities that used to be enjoyable;
  • change in weight or appetite, change in activity level;
  • sleeping too much or too little;
  • loss of energy;
  • feelings of guilt or worthlessness;
  • difficulty concentrating or having thoughts of death or suicide.
Depression has a variety of causes, including genetic, environmental, psychological, and biochemical factors. The CDC notes that everyone gets "down in the dumps" at times, but it becomes pathological when symptoms are persistent and interrupt daily life. To learn more about it, from the National Institute of Mental Health, click here.

Monday, 23 May 2016

Princess Health and May 23rd, 2016 Along This Road. Princessiccia

Princess Health and May 23rd, 2016 Along This Road. Princessiccia

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May 23rd, 2016 Along This Road

Being able to rely on excerpts from the over 1500 archived postings on this blog, is a real benefit to me. Occasionally, quite often actually, I'll have a day where something I've written about applies perfectly--still, I'll spend time sorting out an updated version. Other times, the excerpt I find just nails it for me that day--and why write the same thing twice? The following excerpt from May 7th, 2015 fits very well tonight. I'll follow it up with some updated thoughts:

I've written about the "life stream" and the "fundamental elements stream" and how they must run parallel to one another and not cross.

If we allow life and all of the energy it takes to maneuver, to negatively affect our ability to maintain consistency in the daily elements of our extraordinary care, then it always will. The frustration of inconsistency will be a common theme if the life stream is allowed to dip down into the fundamental elements stream on a regular basis.

And if we get too carried away, making the fundamental elements all consuming, then we run the risk of it crossing up into our life stream. And that's when it isn't any fun and we dread what we're doing every day.

I've had several challenges of late where I really had to remember the power of this "parallel streams" philosophy. I've discovered, when life demands more attention, we don't have to let go of the elements giving us our success, but we can scale back the amount of energy it uses to operate. We don't sacrifice the integrity of the elements, we just do what we can do. For me--on super busy days, I have three requirements: 1. Stay within my calorie budget  2. Hold my abstinence from sugar sacred 3. Send the accountability tweets and write this blog--even if it's just the tweets of the day.

I shared with some support buddies that if I exercised tonight it would be a bonus. I made the bonus! I had a good workout. My calorie budget is solid, I abstained from sugar, I live-tweeted the accounts of my food and exercise and I've written this blog.

I'll hit the pillow realizing that my "life stream" required a little more attention today, but it didn't cross over and become road blocks for my "fundamental elements stream."  This perspective helps me balance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Keeping the "Life Stream" and "Fundamental Elements Stream" from getting entangled isn't always easy.

The first thought in getting to a place where it's clearer, in my opinion, is recognizing that food doesn't fix things. Excess food doesn't help change things needing attention in our lives--or make things we wish wasn't a part of our lives, or story, go away. 

The best it ever was for me, was a distraction--a temporary escape into a world of great tastes, complete with illusions of comfort and peace. The binge episodes of my great escapes never once provided perspective, understanding, compassion or solutions for my issues. But it was my answer, every time. It was my go-to in times of stress, in times of high emotion--the low times and yes, even the good times. Because eventually, I allowed the excessive amounts of food to buffer everything, leaving me in a constant state of emotional vacancy and abundantly full, many times to the point of sickness. This constant avoidance of feelings, translated to a stunted emotional growth--and this lack of emotional maturity affected most everything in my life in a negative fashion.

The emotional growth I've experienced throughout the seven plus years of this transformation has been ten times, maybe more than what it was in the adult years leading up to its beginning. When I stopped stuffing my emotions down--suffocating them with excessive food, that's when I started feeling things in their purest form. And that's where the avenues of support become critically important--spiritually, through like minded people in support groups--and through our individual exploration via writing and expressing ourselves--maybe it's in a private diary, a journal--or even a blog like this. However it's done, it's important. Therapy--some sort of counseling, can be HUGE, too--it was for me.

And then, the more experience we amass in sorting out our emotions, the better equipped we become in handling things, come what may. And at that point, maintaining separation of these streams doesn't seem so impossible.

Did I reach a point where I retreated back to excessive food? Of course I did. If you're a regular reader, you're fully aware of my 164 pound relapse/regain. When I ran back the other way, it was after I threw down every tool I had collected along the way. The accountability and support measures--gone, tossed them aside. The writing out how I was feeling along the way? Yeah--didn't think I needed it anymore. I had convinced myself that I was solid as a rock and could easily do it on my own. I had it figured out, by golly. Oh dear--what a humbling 164 pounds of regain provided me...and I'm so grateful it did.

Upon starting my turnaround from regain, I added abstinence from refined sugar to my plan. Suddenly, the binge trigger bio-chemical reactions were no longer affecting the addiction center of my brain--and like an answer to a prayer, it made everything much clearer, more peaceful and relatively stable. This stable foundation continues to provide a platform for continued growth.

And I'm always evolving, growing, learning and living. I do not know it all. I cannot do this on my own. I'm holding the many hands of support every single mile along this road.

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:








































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean

Sunday, 22 May 2016

Princess Health and May 22nd, 2016 I Took It. Princessiccia

Princess Health and May 22nd, 2016 I Took It. Princessiccia

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May 22nd, 2016 I Took It

I rested a bunch today. Sleeping, eating well, sleeping some more and catching up on a few projects I'm working on, slowly but surely--made up this restful Sunday.

The integrity of my calorie budget was maintained, My abstinence from refined sugar was maintained and I met my daily water goal.

I needed a restful day. I took it.

I'll let the Tweets take it the rest of the way tonight. Back to bed!

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:






























Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean

Princess Health and Justice secretary, drug-policy chief and ex-health boss back needle exchanges but 'political rhetoric' can trump science. Princessiccia

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By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

CORBIN, Ky. � Local officials and legislators continue to debate and sometimes reject needle exchanges, but two state officials and a former state health commissioner voiced their strong support of them at a pubic forum May 17 in Corbin.

Dr. William Hacker:
"Needle exchanges work."
"Needle exchanges work," said Dr. William Hacker, chair of Shaping Our Appalachian Region's Health and Wellness Advisory Committee and former state health commissioner. "We would, as a public health role, encourage them to be extended."

Hacker spoke at the "Cumberland River Forum on Opioid Use Disorders: A Time for Community Change," one of three public forums on the subject in Kentucky in May.

The General Assembly authorized needle exchanges in the 2015 anti-heroin bill, as a way to decrease the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, which are commonly spread by the sharing of needles among intravenous drug users. They require both local approval and funding.

Kentucky's rate of hepatitis C is the highest in the nation, and a recent federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report said that of the 200 counties in the nation that are most susceptible to a hepatitis C or HIV outbreak, 54 of them are in Kentucky.

So far, only 14 counties in Kentucky have either approved or are operating needle exchanges: Jefferson, Fayette, Jessamine, Franklin, Clark, Kenton, Grant, Harrison, Pendleton, Carter, Boyd, Elliott, Pike and Knox.

Justice Secretary John Tilley:
"Real facts and real science"
Justice Secretary John Tilley, who was instrumental in getting the heroin bill passed when he was a state representative from Hopkinsville, encouraged communities to look at the evidence-based research that supports needle-exchange programs and to not listen to the political rhetoric.

"We've got to push aside this political rhetoric on topics like this one and talk about real facts and real science," he said. "These programs have been validated by meta-analysis. ... Those who seek out a needle exchange are five times more likely to enter treatment. These programs continue to beat back blood-borne illnesses like hepatitis C and HIV, at rates we cannot duplicate without these programs. They are universally successful at what they do."

Tilley said after the meeting that addiction is a chronic disease and should be treated as a public-health crisis, noting that other diseases are treated based on science and medicine, not opinion.

"When you go to the doctor, you don't ask him his political view of a particular health program," he said. "Well, this is no different. And for me to substitute my judgment for the science is dangerous."

Van Ingram changed his mind
Van Ingram, executive director of the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy, said his opinion about needle exchanges changed after he researched them and learned how effective they are at decreasing the spread of hepatitis C and HIV. He also noted that these programs provide testing and treatment referral for these infectious diseases, and also help participants get treatment.

"Eleven years ago I left law enforcement, and if you had told me that I would end up being the poster boy for syringe exchange, I would have said you were crazy," he said. "But quite honestly, they do work."

Ingram also noted the CDC study and reminded the audience of the "enormous" HIV outbreak that occurred last year in Scott County, Indiana, 30 miles north of Louisville.

"So if a syringe exchange can keep us from having a rapid HIV outbreak, I think that is probably a good trade-off," Ingram said.

But evidence-based research isn't always enough to convince policy makers that needle exchange programs don't condone or perpetuate drug use.

The Georgetown newspaper answered its
question in its story. The answer is yes.
Last week it was reported that two Kentucky counties decided against needle exchanges. Boone County's Fiscal Court silently said no to a needle exchange by refusing to call up a resolution to support one, Mark Hansel reported for NKyTribune. And the Scott County Fiscal Court voted 5-3 against one, Dan Adkins reported for the Georgetown News-Graphic. Adkins followed up with a featured front-page story about the county's heroin problem.

A point of contention among Republicans in the General Assembly is that some of the exchanges don't require a needle-for-needle exchange, which they say was their intent.

Then-Attorney General Jack Conway said Dec. 18 that needle exchanges did not have to be one-for-one. It is also widely accepted that not requiring one-for-one is considered a best practice across the country to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C and to stop intravenous drug users from sharing and reusing needles, Dr. Sarah Moyer, the interim director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, told Kentucky Health News in March.

Last session, as the Senate voted to amend House Bill 160 to require one-to-one exchanges, Senate Republican Floor Leader Damon Thayer of Georgetown threatened to file a bill to eliminate them altogether next session if they don't make this change during the upcoming year.

In its original form, HB 160 was a bill to educate the public about how to safely dispose of hypodermic needles in order to keep them out of landfills. The House let the bill die without another vote.

Tilley said after the meeting, "Culture and change takes a while," and noted that while he respected his colleagues differing opinions, he said it is likely that this topic is not in their "wheelhouse."

"So, I think the more they learn the more they will come along," he said. "What we should do is all come back to the table and talk about how the programs that are now in place in Kentucky are working and how the reliance on science and evidence based policy makes them work."
Princess Health and Nine myths about opioid drug abuse. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Nine myths about opioid drug abuse. Princessiccia

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Do you think it's a good idea to save your leftover pain pills to have "just in case" you might need one, or that heroin is primarily an inner-city problem? Think again. Those are among nine common myths that were busted at a community opioid forum in Corbin May 17 in hopes of decreasing some of the stigma that surrounds addiction.

"One of the things we know is that the stigma that exist around opioid abuse is largely propelled because of the myths that exist," said Janet Jones, a representative from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit addiction treatment provider. Jones led the group discussion about nine opioid myths:

*Myth 1: Abusing prescription painkillers to get high is safer because they are made by a pharmaceutical company and doctors prescribe them.
Fact: Prescription drugs can be just as addictive and just as dangerous as illegal ones, like heroin. The brain and body treats heroin and prescription opioids the same.

*Myth 2: I should save my extra prescription pain pills just in case I need them for something else later, like joint pain or a toothache.
Fact: Saving pain pills that you no longer need can be dangerous because young people often gain access to them. The next time you need pain medication, talk to your health-care provider about the risk, ask them to prescribe only what you need, and properly discard unused drugs when you no longer need them.

*Myth 3: Snorting or smoking heroin or prescription opioids is safer than injecting them.
Fact: There is no "safe" way to abuse a drug. And while injecting drugs with shared needles increases the risk of HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C, any method of opioid abuse can lead to overdose and death.

*Myth 4: Heroin is primarily an inner-city problem.
Fact: Heroin use is on the rise nationwide, including in suburban and rural areas.

*Myth 5: A person addicted to heroin or prescription painkillers is a lost cause.
Fact: Treatment works. Recovery is possible with appropriate treatment and adequate social support systems.

*Myth 6: Heroin and prescription pain pills are just the latest "fad" drugs and their appeal will fade.
Fact: Opium, heroin and other opioids have been used for thousands of years. Prescription opioids have a legitimate use as effective painkillers and are not going away any time soon. And while illegal drugs come and go, communities are experiencing unprecedented use of opioid drugs, and people are dying at epidemic levels

*Myth 7: Making Narcan (naloxone) available to first responders wastes resources on people who have given up, and takes away an addict's incentive to quit by making them less likely to die of an overdose.
Fact: Addiction is a chronic disease, not a moral flaw, and the only way a person can get help is if they are alive to do so. Time is critical to overdose survival rates and naloxone helps to save these lives.

*Myth 8: Heroin and prescription painkiller abuse only hurts those who use the drug.
Fact: Opioid abuse hurts everyone. Financially, the legal, healthcare and lost productivity costs total in the billions and the intangible costs to families and friends are incalculable.

*Myth 9: Hardworking everyday people don't use heroin or misuse prescription painkillers.
Fact: Any type of person can develop an opioid use disorder.
Princess Health and Conference on cancer-causing HPV in Lexington June 21. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Conference on cancer-causing HPV in Lexington June 21. Princessiccia

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The Kentucky Rural Health Association is sponsoring a summit on the human papilloma virus, "HPV - You ARE the Key!" June 21 at the Embassy Suites in Lexington.

The HPV vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective in preventing pre-cancers and noninvasive cervical cancers caused by two strains of the virus, but most parents in Kentucky and the nation are still not getting their adolescents vaccinated. Kentucky falls in the bottom 10 states for HPV vaccination, with 37.5 percent of its girls and 13.3 percent of boys aged 13-17 vaccinated as of 2014.

The conference will host several keynote speakers, including:
  • Kirk Forbes, who co-founded the Kristen Forbes EVE Foundation in honor of his 23-year-old daughter, Kristen Forbes, who passed away after a yearlong battle with HPV caused cervical cancer;
  • Dr. Daron G. Ferris, professor and director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Center at the Medical College of Georgia;
  • Dr. W. Michael Brown, associate director and the director of pediatrics at the Bayfront Family Medicine Residency Program in St. Petersburg, among other positions; and
  • Dr. Alix Casler, medical director of the Department of Pediatrics for Orlando Health Physician Associates, among other positions.
The conference is also sponsored in collaboration with the Kentucky Immunization Program and the Division of Women's Health.

The event will last from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 21 and costs $40 thru June 1, and $55 after that date. Continuing education credits will be offered. Click here to register and here for the draft agenda.

Saturday, 21 May 2016

Princess Health and May 21st, 2016 Like Me. Princessiccia

Princess Health and May 21st, 2016 Like Me. Princessiccia

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May 21st, 2016 Like Me

My location broadcast this morning was from a grocery store with a Starbucks. As soon as I arrived, I was gifted a small coffee with half & half. My coffee loving reputation preceded me. It was nice.

I met Shelby from Game On Salsa. She was there handing out samples of her made in Oklahoma product. She told me about the process her and her best friend since 1st grade went through to bring their brand of salsa to market. It's quite involved, actually. Seven trials in the test kitchens of Oklahoma State University finally found the right combination. After listening to this amazing story--and how the recipe was actually an old family recipe from several decades back, I knew I had to try it--except for one thought: If it contains refined sugar, I'm out. I picked up the jar and was delighted to find it was sugar free. Thank goodness! I tried it, loved it and bought a jar!

Today was a solid day all the way around. I slept well last night, even after staying up a little later to watch the documentary, Sugar Coated, on Netflix. It's a phenomenal documentary. I highly recommend watching it if you're at all curious about refined sugar and its effects.

I fully realize not everyone has an addictive reaction to sugar, like me. Maybe it doesn't light up your brain like a pinball machine, triggering binge behavior, like me, maybe you're someone who can handle moderation, unlike me. Still, it's a great documentary. It's not all about the addictive properties. It's mainly about the overall health issues affected by and created by consuming excessive amounts of refined sugar. I was impressed with the detail and presentation. After watching, I must say--it greatly enhanced my gratitude for continued abstinence, now 752 days strong.

I credit my abstinence from refined sugar for dramatically changing my metabolic profile. My metabolism now works better than I ever imagined possible. I also believe it's given me a much leaner weight loss than my initial 275 pound loss. I'm twenty-three pounds lighter than my previous goal weight of 230, but even at 230, the second time--it looked and felt leaner, to me.

I enjoyed a wonderful evening out with my oldest daughter. We shared a nice dinner and conversation at our favorite Mexican place a few blocks from my apartment. The two of us are so much alike in ways too numerous to list. We laugh, a lot, and the conversation is always easy and flowing. It was fantastic.

I dropped Amber off at her place and made my way to the gym for a good workout. The difference between the gym I frequent and the Y--I can go to the gym any time, 24/7. Late on a Saturday evening--it was the option. I love the Y, when I make it work in the schedule, but I also enjoy the schedule flexibility of the gym. Tonight, I had the entire gym to myself. It worked. 

I prepared some great food today. I posted a video to my Instagram account--and I plan to add a new one each day--they're always short--sixty seconds or less, and that's easy--I can commit to that.

The integrity of my maintenance calorie budget was maintained. I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I exceeded my water goal by 40 ounces, I had a great workout, a good nap, some awesome support interactions and a great visit and meal with Amber. This was a nicely balanced Saturday!  

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:












































Thank you for watching and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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