Stigma and Mental Health: What You Should Know
About one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. One in 25 live with a serious mental illness. Despite its prevalence, there is still a strong stigma associated with mental illness. Stigma occurs when a person has negative attitudes about someone based on a distinguishing characteristic, such as mental illness. It can lead […]
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain?
Did you know that pain is the number one reason Americans access the health care system? Chronic pain, which is pain that persists on most days for at least three months, is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, affecting 50 million adults. Twenty million adults experience high-impact chronic pain, limiting their […]
Let’s Talk About Mental Health Among Professional Athletes
Mental health has been a topic of interest in the sports world for a while, as an increasing number of athletes are stepping forward to talk about their personal struggles with mental illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one in five adults in the U.S are affected by mental illness each year, and […]
Prescription Medication Abuse: What You Should Know
When people think about drug abuse, they often think about illicit drugs like heroin or cocaine. While these drugs are widely abused, many people also abuse prescription medications. Prescription drug abuse is the use of prescription medication in any way other than how the physician prescribed it. For example, a person may take a higher […]
5 Myths About Mental Illness
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five U.S. adults experiences mental illness every year, meaning there’s a good chance you or someone you know is affected by mental health problems at any given time. Mental illness can affect anyone, regardless of a person’s age, gender, geography, income, social status, race […]
What Happens During Opioid Withdrawal?
When a person takes opioids for a prolonged period of time, they often develop a tolerance to the drug, meaning they need a larger dose to obtain the same effect. Over time, a person may become dependent on opioids, during which they begin to need them just to feel “normal,” otherwise they experience withdrawal symptoms. […]
Why Are Physician Suicide Rates So High?
Did you know, physicians have higher rates of depression than the general population? Physicians die by suicide at a rate that is near double that of the general population, with an estimated 300 to 400 U.S. physicians taking their own lives every year. According to Medscape’s National Physician Burnout & Suicide Report 2021, thirteen percent […]
Why Are So Many Seniors in Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain affects about 20 percent of adults in the United States, with a large portion being over 65 years old. Unfortunately, pain is often undertreated and possibly even underreported among older adults. Instead, it is commonly written off as a normal part of aging. But pain should not be accepted when it affects a person’s […]
Can Chronic Pain Lead to Suicide?
People dealing with chronic pain have a greater risk of dying by suicide than the general population. About 5% to 14% of chronic pain patients attempt suicide, while about 32% report suicide ideation. Several factors influence the risk of suicidality among chronic pain patients, including those related to the pain itself, sleep, psychological effects, and mental […]
5 Ways the COVID-19 Pandemic Worsened the Opioid Crisis
The number of people dying from a drug overdose has been steadily increasing every year since the 1990s. Although there was a slight decline in 2018, overdose deaths picked up in 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, overdose deaths spiked significantly. According to preliminary data released from the Centers for Disease Control and […]
