Blog #13: Substance Abuse – Faces of Meth
I find it hard to accept that I knew so little about Methamphetamine (Meth), and how devastating this drug can be. I am a 52-year-old woman with friends and family members who have suffered through addictions in the past, but never anything as powerful and destructive as Meth. What surprised me the most was the fact that this isn’t a “big city” drug, but can be found in “Small Town, America”, just like the community where I live. Very recently there were a number of Meth-lab arrests in my community, and I recall being so surprised to learn that this is a very common occurrence. I live in a small, agricultural town with a population less than 10,000, where the sidewalks roll up at 9:00 pm, and the whole town goes to the Friday night football games. Sure, we have crime in the community, but I always thought it was fairly minimal compared to the crime rates in Houston, Galveston, and other surrounding communities. I don’t know the actual statistics, but I feel certain that the rising crime rates in the general area are a result of drug addicts, just stealing so they can have money to support their habit. What I’ve learned is that I’ve had a false sense of security about living in a small, quiet community. I believe most of the people in my community are hardworking, honest, genuine people, but even the best person can be ruined by drug addiction.
What surprised me even more is the population, or the profile of a person on Meth: Caucasian, educated, 20-30 years old, working part or full time, and nearly half of the users are women. (Drugfree.org). I must say that the chapter on Substance Abuse, and the supplemental readings and videos this week have certainly opened my eyes to the fact that there is a monster drug out there, and its name is Meth.
Carol Martin
Works cited:
National Institute on Drug Abuse (2007). InfoFacts: Methamphetamine. Retrieved April 24, 2007 from: www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/methamphetamine.html
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/Meth/ads.html
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Blog #12: A Friend with Mental Illness
Have you ever known someone with a mental illness? How did/does the illness impact his/her life? What have you learned about this mental illness just from knowing them?
I have a very good friend, a man I have known for over ten years, who suffers from Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). I worked with this friend for a number of years, and remember that he often seemed very moody and depressed at times, but then seemed to be “on top of the world” at other times. I never really gave this much thought, and simply attributed the variations in his behavior to job stress and responsibilities. At that time we were only coworkers, but later our friendship deepened and we saw each other away from work in social settings. I began to realize that his mood swings were more than just a normal variation due to the stresses of day-to-day life. Still, he never talked with me about this until just a few months ago, and I am saddened to think that he continues to struggle with his mental illness every day. Apparently, this has been an issue for him for most of his adult life, and he has a strong family history of mental illness. He is an extremely intelligent, professional man with a position of intense responsibility, and I suspect the stresses of his position only add to his underlying mental health issues.
When we last spoke, he was involved in a daily exercise program and was taking medication to treat his illness. As a medical professional, himself, my friend is acutely aware of the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and I am glad to know he recognized this and sought professional help. I believe his illness affects every aspect of his life, especially interpersonal relationships, and I know he suffers from the extremes of the manic and depressive phases of his illness.
Although I have had other friends with Bipolar Disorder in the past, I was never truly informed about the illness and how it manifests itself. Because I wanted to be able to understand more about what was happening with my friend, I did a lot of reading and research regarding Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, and now have a better understanding of how and why he acts as he does. I have learned that men can be affected by depression just as severely as women, and that his social situation and family history put him at high risk for continued issues with mental health.
My sincere hope is that the treatment will be successful for him, and he can continue to enjoy the things in life that bring him joy and happiness.
Carol Martin
I have a very good friend, a man I have known for over ten years, who suffers from Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). I worked with this friend for a number of years, and remember that he often seemed very moody and depressed at times, but then seemed to be “on top of the world” at other times. I never really gave this much thought, and simply attributed the variations in his behavior to job stress and responsibilities. At that time we were only coworkers, but later our friendship deepened and we saw each other away from work in social settings. I began to realize that his mood swings were more than just a normal variation due to the stresses of day-to-day life. Still, he never talked with me about this until just a few months ago, and I am saddened to think that he continues to struggle with his mental illness every day. Apparently, this has been an issue for him for most of his adult life, and he has a strong family history of mental illness. He is an extremely intelligent, professional man with a position of intense responsibility, and I suspect the stresses of his position only add to his underlying mental health issues.
When we last spoke, he was involved in a daily exercise program and was taking medication to treat his illness. As a medical professional, himself, my friend is acutely aware of the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and I am glad to know he recognized this and sought professional help. I believe his illness affects every aspect of his life, especially interpersonal relationships, and I know he suffers from the extremes of the manic and depressive phases of his illness.
Although I have had other friends with Bipolar Disorder in the past, I was never truly informed about the illness and how it manifests itself. Because I wanted to be able to understand more about what was happening with my friend, I did a lot of reading and research regarding Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder, and now have a better understanding of how and why he acts as he does. I have learned that men can be affected by depression just as severely as women, and that his social situation and family history put him at high risk for continued issues with mental health.
My sincere hope is that the treatment will be successful for him, and he can continue to enjoy the things in life that bring him joy and happiness.
Carol Martin
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Blog #11: Interview Regarding Chronic Illness: COPD
Interview someone who is living with a chronic illness. What are their lived experiences? What are they doing to try to maintain their health despite the disease?
I chose to interview my mother regarding her experiences with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and lung cancer.
As did many young people of her generation (WWII and late Depression Era) my mother began smoking in her early teens. She was fourteen, and started smoking because so many family members and peers also smoked, and it seemed the natural thing to do. Little did she know that what would become a lifetime habit would also impact her life so negatively during her senior years. She was a heavy smoker (more than two packs per day) for over 40 years, but had surprisingly few symptoms until she developed severe allergic asthmatic bronchitis approximately fifteen years ago. Even then she continued to smoke when she was not experiencing a “flare-up”, but ultimately had to make the choice: smoke or breathe. Her combination of emphysema and newly-diagnosed chronic asthmatic bronchitis made it necessary to choose a healthier lifestyle after she was diagnosed with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). She was hospitalized for ten days in an intensive care unit, exhausted from struggling so hard to breathe, and near the point of requiring a ventilator to assist her with breathing. This experience changed her life, and she returned home with a supply of bronchodilators, inhaled steroid medications, and instructions from her physician to alter her diet and increase activity to strengthen her respiratory muscles. Although she has never smoked another cigarette since the day of her hospital discharge, she continues to require bronchodilators every day of her life, and her physical activity and stamina is severely limited due to her underlying lung disease.
To further complicate her health condition, she was diagnosed with Stage II lung cancer nearly six years ago (many years after she had stopped smoking). Because she was not physically strong enough to undergo surgery, she completed several courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to stop the progression of her disease. The after-effects of the radiation therapy caused additional lung scarring which further compromised her lung function. But she is a strong and determined woman, and the test results from her most recent visit to see her pulmonologist indicate she remains cancer-free.
Despite this, she lives day-to-day with approximately 30% of her optimal lung capacity, and is severely limited in all of her daily activities. She must use bronchodilators and inhaled steroids every day of her life, just to be able to breathe somewhat normally. She knows that she would probably benefit from a pulmonary rehabilitation program designed to increase her strength and stamina, but she simply does not have the energy to do this. Her lifestyle is very sedentary, which further contributes to the overall “deconditioning” experienced by so many people with COPD (American Lung Association, 2009).
Her disease is chronic and irreversible, and she admits wondering about how life might have been as a lifetime non-smoker.
Carol Martin
Cmartin18@twu.edu
References:
American Lung Association. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from http://www.lungusa.org/
I chose to interview my mother regarding her experiences with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and lung cancer.
As did many young people of her generation (WWII and late Depression Era) my mother began smoking in her early teens. She was fourteen, and started smoking because so many family members and peers also smoked, and it seemed the natural thing to do. Little did she know that what would become a lifetime habit would also impact her life so negatively during her senior years. She was a heavy smoker (more than two packs per day) for over 40 years, but had surprisingly few symptoms until she developed severe allergic asthmatic bronchitis approximately fifteen years ago. Even then she continued to smoke when she was not experiencing a “flare-up”, but ultimately had to make the choice: smoke or breathe. Her combination of emphysema and newly-diagnosed chronic asthmatic bronchitis made it necessary to choose a healthier lifestyle after she was diagnosed with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). She was hospitalized for ten days in an intensive care unit, exhausted from struggling so hard to breathe, and near the point of requiring a ventilator to assist her with breathing. This experience changed her life, and she returned home with a supply of bronchodilators, inhaled steroid medications, and instructions from her physician to alter her diet and increase activity to strengthen her respiratory muscles. Although she has never smoked another cigarette since the day of her hospital discharge, she continues to require bronchodilators every day of her life, and her physical activity and stamina is severely limited due to her underlying lung disease.
To further complicate her health condition, she was diagnosed with Stage II lung cancer nearly six years ago (many years after she had stopped smoking). Because she was not physically strong enough to undergo surgery, she completed several courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to stop the progression of her disease. The after-effects of the radiation therapy caused additional lung scarring which further compromised her lung function. But she is a strong and determined woman, and the test results from her most recent visit to see her pulmonologist indicate she remains cancer-free.
Despite this, she lives day-to-day with approximately 30% of her optimal lung capacity, and is severely limited in all of her daily activities. She must use bronchodilators and inhaled steroids every day of her life, just to be able to breathe somewhat normally. She knows that she would probably benefit from a pulmonary rehabilitation program designed to increase her strength and stamina, but she simply does not have the energy to do this. Her lifestyle is very sedentary, which further contributes to the overall “deconditioning” experienced by so many people with COPD (American Lung Association, 2009).
Her disease is chronic and irreversible, and she admits wondering about how life might have been as a lifetime non-smoker.
Carol Martin
Cmartin18@twu.edu
References:
American Lung Association. Retrieved November 12, 2009 from http://www.lungusa.org/
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Blog #10: What factors can influence women to adopt healthier lifestyles?
What factors can influence women to adopt healthier lifestyles and engage in preventative behaviors so as to reduce their risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer?
I believe some of the most important "health maintenance and prevention" things women can do are to 1) be aware of what is normal for their own bodies, 2) and be aware of their family history and risk factors for developing certain diseases.
By being aware of what is normal for their own bodies, this means they must have routine physical checkups, lab tests, mammograms, blood pressure checks, vision screening, dental checkups, etc. It is also very important to have a good relationship with one's own personal physician, who can offer advice and provide treatment when/if unusual physical symptoms occur.
Family history can play such a large role in our health conditions, particularly in women with inherited genes for breast or ovarian cancer, and we must be very proactive in becoming educated regarding our own risks for such diseases. The same holds true for cardiovascular disease and associated risks if there is a family history.
One factor that might influence women to adopt healthier lifestyles is to take a hard look at their own family histories, going back several generations to grandparents or great-grandparents. Granted, our ancestors lived in different times and had different stresses, different diets, and different lifestyles. But reviewing what illnesses or diseases they had will likely give us an idea of what kind of genetic predisposition might exist for certain illnesses. If we are aware of what is already "in the genes", then we can be much more proactive in adopting a healthy, active lifestyle so we can prevent these illnesses in our generations.
Carol Martin
I believe some of the most important "health maintenance and prevention" things women can do are to 1) be aware of what is normal for their own bodies, 2) and be aware of their family history and risk factors for developing certain diseases.
By being aware of what is normal for their own bodies, this means they must have routine physical checkups, lab tests, mammograms, blood pressure checks, vision screening, dental checkups, etc. It is also very important to have a good relationship with one's own personal physician, who can offer advice and provide treatment when/if unusual physical symptoms occur.
Family history can play such a large role in our health conditions, particularly in women with inherited genes for breast or ovarian cancer, and we must be very proactive in becoming educated regarding our own risks for such diseases. The same holds true for cardiovascular disease and associated risks if there is a family history.
One factor that might influence women to adopt healthier lifestyles is to take a hard look at their own family histories, going back several generations to grandparents or great-grandparents. Granted, our ancestors lived in different times and had different stresses, different diets, and different lifestyles. But reviewing what illnesses or diseases they had will likely give us an idea of what kind of genetic predisposition might exist for certain illnesses. If we are aware of what is already "in the genes", then we can be much more proactive in adopting a healthy, active lifestyle so we can prevent these illnesses in our generations.
Carol Martin
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