Guideline #1 Do not drink when: operating a boat, motor vehicle, tools or machinery; using medications that interact with alcohol; engaging in sports or other potentially dangerous physical activities; working; making important decisions; if suffering from serious physical or mental illness Guideline #2 If you drink try to stay within these daily and weekly guidelines […]
Supporting a Family Member with Mental Illness
If someone you love is sick, it can be scary. When they are sick with a mental disorder it can be especially scary. It can be hard to see someone you love in pain and it’s confusing when someone you know well is not acting like themselves. You know how you would take care of […]
Marijuana-Induced Psychotic Episodes
Mikkel Arendt, Ph.D., a fellow at the Center for Basic Psychiatric Research at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, and coworkers used the Danish Psychiatric Central Register to identify patients treated for a first marijuana-induced psychotic episode between 1994 and 1999. There were 535 such patients. The researchers then followed those patients for at least […]
Manipulation & Other Unhealthy Behaviors
To understand the disease of addiction it is important to understand the underlying causes of it, how it develops, what are the symptoms & the behaviors that accompany it. Many of us feel confused when dealing with substance abuse issues. There are usually more questions than answers, and no matter how long we think about […]
Why do Kids use drugs?
Peer pressure - Young people may give in to pressures from other kids to try drugs. They may use a drug to feel like part of the crowd, or to act grown-up. Pleasure - Some teenagers say they take drugs to feel good. Curiosity or Experimentation - At first, teenagers may be tempted to try […]
Mental Illness
The Issue Most Canadians are affected by mental illness, either directly or indirectly, through family, friends or colleagues. Yet there is still a stigma attached to this range of diseases that is a barrier to correct diagnosis and treatment, as well as to the acceptance and support of people with mental illness within the community. […]
Stress Management
Stress Stress is a fact of daily life and is the result of both the good and bad things that happen. Too much stress can cause serious health concerns, but there are many ways of dealing with stress that can reduce your risk. Background Stress can come from major events in life such as getting […]
Depression- causes and symptoms
About 11% of men and 16% of women in Canada will experience major depression in the course of their lives. Depression can limit your quality of life, affect relationships, lead to lost time from work or school and contribute to other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases. Sometimes it leads to suicide. Fortunately, […]
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental health problems. It is estimated that one in 10 Canadians is affected by them. These disorders can be successfully treated so it is important to recognize the difference between being anxious in response to a real event, and an anxiety disorder which produces fear or distress […]
What Parents need to know about marijuana.
There are some signs you might be able to see. If someone is high on marijuana, he or she might: seem dizzy and have trouble walking; seem silly and giggly for no reason; have very red, bloodshot eyes; and have a hard time remembering things that just happened. When the early effects fade, the user […]
Dealing with family member who’s an addict
Dealing with an addict: If it feels uncomfortable, chances are you’re doing the right thing Helping a loved one battle the disease of addiction is painful and can make for some tough choices. You are not alone. I want to say that right at the start, because if you’re anything like me, finding yourself in […]
How does addiction affect children ?
When a family member has a problem with drugs or alcohol, the family develops ways of coping with it. Some of these coping strategies are far from ideal: keeping addiction a secret, less communication within the family, not expressing emotions, and taking on some of the responsibilities abandoned by the addict. These coping strategies appear […]
Helping your Teenager
Parents and families face some of their most difficult battles which are raising their teenagers drug free. Most of us know that anti-drug efforts alone are not enough. Learning what works in preventing the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs will help, but do not guarantee that our teen stays drug free. When concerned, […]