The Opioid Epidemic

Drug overdoses are a leading cause of death in the US, and opioid abuse is considered a serious public health issue. [1] According to the US Centers for Disease Control, overdoses from prescription opioids are a driving factor in the increase of opioid deaths. [2] Opioids are intended for short-term use under careful medical monitoring because of the risks for unintentional overdose, addiction and death. [3]

After repeated use, people develop a tolerance of opioids and need higher doses of the drug for effectiveness. Opioid abuse desensitizes the brain’s natural opioid system and increases the risk of overdosing. [4]

Before accepting a prescription for an opiod medication, ask your doctor about alternative options for managing your pain that have lower risks and less devastating side effects. Some alternatives may include:

• Other, less addictive, medications
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Physical therapy and exercise
• Medications for depression and seizures [5]
• Hypnotism

See my blog post on Hypnotism for Managing Chronic Pain for information on non-medical alternatives, including hypnotism. The National Institutes of Health has determined that hypnotism is likely to be effective for most people suffering from pain. [6]

Hypnotism leverages the power of an individual’s own mind to manage pain and discomfort. This may allow a person to get by with less-hazardous basic pain medications, or greatly reduce their level of medication needed for living with chronic pain.

You can learn more about hypnotism at my website, http://www.soothehypnosis.com

[1] “The U.S. Opioid Epidemic,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/index.html (accessed August 2017)

[2] “Opioid Overdose, Understanding the Epidemic,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,   https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html (accessed August 2017)

[3] “Opioid Overdose, Guideline Information for Patients, Safer, More effective Pain Management,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/prescribing/patients.html (accessed August 2017)

[4] Nora D. Volkow, MD, Testimony to Congress May 14, 2014, America’s Addiction to Opioids: Heroin, and Prescription Drug Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse, https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opioids-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse (accessed August 1027)

[5] “Opioid Overdose, Guideline Information for Patients, Safer, More effective Pain Management, Non-opioid Options,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/prescribing/patients.html (accessed August 2017)

[6] Gary Elkins, Mark P. Jemsen, and David R. Patterson, Hypnotherapy for the Management of Chronic Pain, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2752362/ (accessed August 2017)

Photo courtesy of RonnyK on Pixabay.

Fall Asleep Naturally

Our ancestors followed the natural rhythms of the seasons and movement of the sun as an inherent part of their daily lives. They awoke with sunrise and went to sleep with nightfall. This cycle was followed throughout the ages.

Unfortunately, in this era of high stress and 24/7 electronic media, many people find it increasingly difficult to fall asleep quickly and easily. They find that their minds are racing at bedtime and it is difficult for them to fall asleep. Some people turn to pills to help them fall asleep fast, yet pills can lose effectiveness over time and some may become addictive.

Here are my 3 favorite tips to help you fall asleep more easily and naturally.

1. Get more sunshine during the day – Lack of sunshine interferes with our ability to fall asleep easily.

We are hardwired to follow the solar cycle; the sun is our brain’s clock. Step outside at least early in the morning, at midday and late afternoon.

     2.  Follow a fixed schedule for bed time and wake up – Even on weekends/holidays.

Getting on, and staying on, a regular schedule helps your brain follow your natural circadian rhythm. These guidelines help you prepare your body naturally for sleep by eliminating many sleep disruptors:

6 hours before bedtime, stop all caffeine consumption. Find your ideal cut-off time, which may be 2:00 or even noon.

3 hours before bedtime, end physical exercise so your body has time to unwind from the exertion. Stop eating heavy food so it does not keep you awake while your body begins digesting it.

2 hours before bedtime, start lowering your lights. The dimming lights mimic what occurs in nature and sends a signal to your brain that evening is approaching and to prepare for sleep.

1 hour before bedtime, turn off all blue light appliances such as television and computers. The blue light from these machines tricks your brain into thinking it is daytime and releasing the chemicals that jump start your morning energy boost – not what you want in the evening!

     3.  Slow down your mind – Toss out those racing thoughts.

Keep a notebook on your nightstand and write down all of those must-do items and worries. Knowing that you have a written reminder of these for the morning allows your mind to release these thoughts for the night so you can sleep more easily. You will often find that the worries became non-issues overnight, or a resolution to the problem has occurred to you while you slept.

If you follow these suggestions yet still have trouble falling asleep, you may want to explore the benefits of hypnotism. This study[1] reported on in WebMD outlines how hypnotism can help people to reach deep sleep.

You can read more about hypnotism at my website, Soothe Hypnosis.

Sweet dreams.

Footnotes:

[1] Alan Mozes, “Hypnosis May Help Improve Deep Sleep,” WebMD http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20140619/hypnosis-may-help-improve-deep-sleep#1, (accessed June 9, 2017)

https://soothehypnosis.com/

Photo courtesy of traumfaenger on Pixabay.

 

Stop Smoking Now

Some people who want to quit smoking achieve smoking cessation relatively quickly, while others find that it takes them several attempts. A belief in their ability to stop smoking may be what sets these two groups apart.

Importance of Believing

A recent study by the University of Texas Dallas[1] has shown that a smoker’s beliefs impacts their neural activity. In this study, subjects who were given nicotine cigarettes, but believed that the cigarettes did not contain nicotine, showed different brain signals under a functional MRI scan than those subjects who were given nicotine cigarettes and knew that there was a nicotine content. By simply changing the smokers’ belief about the cigarettes, the researchers could change the subjects’ brain response! In their detailed report[2], the researches state that “beliefs can override the physical presence of a potent neuroactive compound like nicotine.”

Internalizing that Belief

An effective way for a person to internalize the belief that he or she is a non-smoker is through hypnosis. A recent study by Texas A&M[3] found that 81% of the patients in their study who received hypnosis for smoking cessation stopped smoking, and 48% of those individuals were still nonsmokers after 12 months. 95% of their patients were satisfied with the treatment they received. This is a higher effectiveness rate than for many other smoking cessation interventions[4].

Hypnotism is a useful method for helping people to internalize the belief that they are non-smokers, and holding this belief helps them to achieve their goal.

You can read more about hypnotism at my website, Soothe Hypnosis.

Footnotes:

[1] Dr. Xiaosi Gu, “Brain Study Shows Belief’s Role in How Nicotine Affects Smokers,” UT Dallas News Center https://www.utdallas.edu/news/2016/9/13-32177_Brain-Study-Shows-Beliefs-Role-in-How-Nicotine-Aff_story-wide.html?WT.mc_id=NewsHomePage (accessed June 12, 2017)

[2] Xiaosi Gu, Terry Lohrenz, Ramiro Salas, Philip R. Baldwin, Alireza Soltani, Ulrich Kirk, Paul M. Cinciripini, and P. Read Montague, ” Belief about nicotine selectively modulates value and reward prediction error signals in smokers,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America http://www.pnas.org/content/112/8/2539.full (accessed June 12, 2017)

[3] Gary R. Elkins and M. Hasan Rajab, “Clinical Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation: Preliminary Results

of a Three-Session Intervention,” The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

2004, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 73–81 http://www.nwmedicalhypnosis.com/documents/Clinical%20hypnosis%20for%20smoking%20cessation.pdf (accessed June 12, 2017)

[4] V. Lemmens, A. Oenema, IK Knut, and J. Brug, “Effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions among adults: a systematic review of reviews,” US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18941375 (accessed June 2017)

https://soothehypnosis.com/

Illustration courtesy of HansMartinPaul on Pixabay.