Can Fruits & Veggies Help Your Mental Health?

Eating your fruits and vegetables may be just as important for your mental health as it is for your body, according to CNN’s “The Conversation” column. The column is written by the authors of a recent study done on the topic: Neel Ocean, research fellow in behavioral economics, and Peter Howley, associate professor of economics at the University of Leeds.For the recent study, the two drew from a 2016 study done in Australia which found that an increase in fruit and vegetables consumption led to improvements in a person’s psychological well-being. Howley and Ocean wanted to determine whether the outcome was the same with a larger pool of participants. So, they studied more than 40,000 individuals from the UK Household Longitudinal Study.“Our analysis showed that increases in the consumption of fruit and vegetables are linked to increases in self-reported mental well-being and life satisfaction in data that spans a five-year period, even after accounting for other determinants of mental well-being such as physical health, income and consumption of other foods,” Ocean and Howley wrote. According to the researchers, adding just one serving of fruits or vegetables daily may have as many benefits for mental well-being as adding seven to eight walks per month to your physical regimen.In this case, they define "one serving" as one cup of raw veggies, half a cup of cooked veggies, or one entire piece of fruit. Howley and Ocean did point out that their research alone is not enough to establish a solid link between eatingfruits and veggies and mental well-being. They also point out what they call the “substitution effect.”“People can only eat so much in a day, so someone who eats more fruits and vegetables might just have less room in their diet for unhealthy foods,” they wrote. “Although we accounted for bread and dairy in our study, ideally, future research should track all other foods consumed to rule out alternative explanations.”The two also a highlight a commentary on their findings by the researchers of the 2016 study in Australia. “The authors show that the number of fruit and vegetable portions eaten in a day can predict whether someone is diagnosed with depression or anxiety two years later,” Howley and Ocean wrote. “But the reverse does not seem to be true. Being diagnosed with depression does not appear to be a strong predictor of fruit and vegetable consumption two years later. This suggests that it is perhaps more likely that eating fruits and vegetables is influencing mood and not the other way around.”In the end, the two say that while their findings are encouraging, more research on the topic is needed in order to draw definite conclusions. “We are not suggesting eating fruits and vegetables is a substitute for medical treatment, but a simple way to improve your mental health could be to add a little more fruit and veg to your daily diet,” they wrote. 

Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell Reflects On Sobriety

When Nirvana’s Nevermind album exploded in the early nineties, Seattle immediately became a hotbed for great music, and bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains all became wildly successful. But with that success also came tragedy with the deaths of Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell and Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley, who died at the age of 34 after struggling with heroin addiction for years.Now Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell is reflecting on his own sobriety, and the myth that drugs make rock stars more creative.As Cantrell told Grammy.com, "Getting f—ed up is fun, and that's why people do it. Especially when you're young. It's a part of life. It's a part of a lot of people's experience. But it comes with a price. It generally doesn't end good."Cantrell continues, “I’ve been super creative fucked up. I’ve been super creative not fucked up. It’s been so many years for me that I just don’t really think about that anymore. I think, at some point it becomes an impediment. It works until it doesn’t. Let’s put it that way.”Cantrell added, “It worked for a while. And I think that’s the case probably for most people. Maybe [it] takes you and puts you in a different mind space, and kind of maybe opens your perception to some stuff, but the costs are so fucking high. You know what I mean.”Cantrell has been sober for years. “I don’t miss [drugs] at all," he said. "But I’m also not ashamed of it. Nobody’s perfect, and I certainly am not. You just kind of figure it out as you go.”Cantrell told Billboard that when he recorded one of his darkest albums, his solo work Degradation Trip, he was “just really fucked up back then, and you can totally hear it on that record. It was done right before I got sober, and it was also done right when I was dealing with the death of my band, and then the unhappy coincidence of Layne passing away right after I released that record. So it was not a good time in my life, and it totally comes across on that record.”Cantrell said he got sober a year after Layne died, and he wishes that the legendary singer could leave a legacy without the focus on his drug problems.As Cantrell said on The Pulse of Radio, “It’s unfortunate that that seems to be the only headline that gets equated with him, because there was so much more to him than that. Not taking away the fact of the reality of what that is, and how it ended, everybody knows that too. But there’s a whole lot more to the story.”

My Recovery Journey: From Trauma and Abuse to Understanding and Forgiveness

I always wanted to be a writer. I started writing in the fifth grade and wrote many short stories. I lacked imagination (or maybe it was too vivid, I’m not sure), and so I took my inspiration from stories already written. Most of what I wrote as a child was straight out of Judy Blume books. I couldn’t have picked characters more different from my own family.In Blume’s books, even the most challenging issues were always solved with a hug and a huge dose of love and encouragement. I would share these stories I “wrote” with my class and not only was it obvious I’d stolen the plots from Blume’s books, but nobody was fooled that my home life resembled these Leave It To Beaver-esque families.The black and blues on my little body had a way of telling a different story.A Concerned TeacherAfter about the fourth or fifth story, trying to pass off some fictional family as my own, my teacher—who’d taught my two older brothers before me—asked me to stay after class. He asked if everything at home was okay. He knew my brothers were hellions, the products of an abusive father and a drink-at-home mom.Unlike my brothers, though, I was a good girl. I had never once acted out—until that day. I had learned how to stay out of the way of my father’s explosive trigger hand. I was also a master at avoiding my mother after her third glass of “candy.”I felt cornered. I had to get out of there.I looked at my teacher square in the eyes and said, “You have no fucking clue what’s going on in my home. Stay the fuck away from me!” I flipped over a few chairs and desks before I grabbed my knapsack and ran out of his classroom. I was kind of half-crying, half-raging. I had never become unglued before. I was always the one my parents could count on to be polite and obedient, no matter what.My oldest brother was waiting for me outside school. He noticed I was on the verge of hyperventilating.“What happened?” Marco* asked.“Mr. Brendel asked if things were okay at home. I don’t know why he thought that. I have never been anything but what everyone expects me to be. What’s happening??”“I’ll take care of it,” Marco told me.And he did. I was never in trouble over the incident, and two days later Mr. Brendel apologized and we never discussed it again. Marco told me grownups weren’t stupid, and they knew things weren’t as peachy at home as they were in my fairytale stories. And then he said something that scared me: “Adults are going to want to help you. Accept their help. At some point I won’t be able to protect you.”My Brother’s Advice“What do you mean? You’ll always be here to protect me.” I fought back tears.“I won’t, Sarah. One day you’ll have to make your own decisions, and all I can do is guide you to make the best ones—for you and nobody else. I’ll be here as long as I can, but the sooner you can be independent, the better. One day you’ll wake up and see how fucked up things are at home. Don’t fear that day. Welcome it and get help.”I continued as the dutiful little girl living in my bubble and writing stories about people who bore no resemblance to my family. But when I turned 16, I decided I didn’t want to live at home after I graduated. Both my brothers were already out of the house.I looked into having myself emancipated. I even talked with a lawyer. While my brothers were tired of carrying the weight of responsibility, I was ready to be an adult, living on my own.My godmother and aunt convinced me to defer college for a year. Instead, they recommended therapy. I was reminded of the conversation I’d had with Marco outside my elementary school years earlier, so I took their advice.I graduated from high school and got a job in a photocopy shop. I paid for therapy and, by working six days a week, I saved enough for first and last month’s rent and a security deposit on a future apartment.I moved out of my parents’ house when I was 17, but it wasn’t exactly how I’d planned. I got this bug up my ass to do an intervention on my mother, but I had no idea what I was doing. It blew up in my face with my mother kicking me out of the house. Talk about an epic fail.But it was the first time I realized how protective of one’s addiction someone can be.I was estranged from both of my brothers and my parents. It felt right. I was (and still am) eternally grateful to my oldest brother for taking care of me growing up, but he’d started drinking heavily—like our mom. And the other one had graduated to bigger and badder drugs. He discovered cocaine.PTSD and an Abusive RelationshipWhile in therapy, I was diagnosed with PTSD and a panic disorder. As my brother promised, just because I pushed all that shit away didn’t mean it never happened. As my mom used to say all the time, “You push it down here, it comes up there,” meaning you can run from something for only so long. I had to deal with the dysfunction I grew up in, and I had to work really hard to keep myself from repeating their mistakes.Sometimes echoes of that dysfunction showed up in my life despite my best efforts. My boyfriend at the time started using coke and became abusive. How had I chosen someone who was a perverse combination of both my parents? I was trying to figure out a way to leave without him coming for me. With his continued coke use, he was paranoid and controlling. I hadn’t communicated to him or anyone else my intention to leave but somehow, he knew.I was taking a creative writing class, and the first assignment was to write an essay using five descriptions to portray a person or an event. The professor gave us just one bit of instruction: “Show, don’t tell.” The next time I was in my boyfriend’s car, leaving Manhattan for his place in Brooklyn, I paid close attention.The tires slicked against the wet pavement; it had rained while we were in the midtown Manhattan movie theatre. Focused on the road in front of him, his left hand was on the steering wheel. He tilted his head slightly to meet the outstretched fingers on his right hand, so he could twist his newly forming dreadlocs. He turned his still tilted head very slowly to look at me. His forehead wrinkled, and his eyes like big beads of brown glass, narrowed. He peered at me from over his wireframe glasses. He said, “Mookie, I have loved you my entire life. Even before I knew you, I loved you. The thought of you no longer being in my life scares me. I can never let that happen. Besides, nobody will ever love you like I do: not your parents and definitely not your brothers.” He didn’t look at me long enough to see my reaction. He was like a dog who sensed fear and he was prepared to act on it. Now, with his eyes back on the road, his voice lacked emotion. “Mookie, I can make life for you as sweet as honey or as bitter as unsweetened cocoa. It’s all in your power.” After I finished reading my essay aloud, I looked around the classroom. The instructor and other students all had very large eyes. One student said, “Um, Sarah, that scared the shit out of me. You are planning on leaving him, aren’t you?”I wanted to leave, but I didn’t realize just how serious he was about preventing me from going. As his coke use escalated, he became more violent and things ended very badly. A few years ago, I finally admitted to people how bad things had gotten between us. My very first published piece is a personal essay about the last violent moments we were together. Trigger warning!It’s no surprise to me that even with seven years of therapy I still chose an abusive addict as a partner. What else had I known growing up the way I did? Both my parents died without any reconciliation between us. My mother, who never stopped drinking and smoked four packs of cigarettes a day, died suddenly of a stroke when I was 27. My father died eight years later of cancer. I never had the chance to reconcile with my mother, so I tried very hard to correct this with my father. But it takes two people, and he wasn’t willing.Understanding and ForgivenessAlthough I hadn’t consciously chosen an addict for a partner, I understand why I did. People have asked me whether I blame my mother, brothers, and my ex-boyfriend. Much as I want to, I can’t. There are many misconceptions about growing up in a home with an addict or an alcoholic, and while it might seem my brothers embody all those misconceptions, I also know for a fact that nobody chooses to become an addict and that many times it’s the result of trying to escape the realities of one’s surroundings. I believe my mother drank because she married a mean and abusive person who prevented her from realizing her dream of being a writer. Given the environment I grew up in and the likelihood of an inherited gene, I could easily have become an alcoholic. Because I had relatives who intervened and I started therapy early on, I believe I was spared and that I must forgive rather than blame. This includes my ex-boyfriend, who saw his father get drunk every Friday night and beat the crap out of his mother.As I evolved, I became better at taking care of myself and 18 years ago, I married a really wonderful man who is the antithesis of my ex-boyfriend. He’s the only person outside of my therapist who knows my entire story.I also tried to reconcile with both my brothers. Marco quit drinking 15 years ago, so I thought there was hope. But I quickly discovered he was white-knuckling it. I think he’s still angry about losing his childhood so he could be our full-time caregiver. My other brother quit using cocaine after he overdosed, but he still drinks heavily.They both know I’ll be here when they’re ready.

Five Finger Death Punch Bassist Celebrates Sober Milestone

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Five Finger Death Punch Bassist Celebrates Sober Milestone

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 18:00:00 +0000

Chris Kael, who plays bass in the heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch, has been sober for a year and took to Twitter to celebrate his milestone. "May my hitting my first sober birthday yesterday give hope to those of you also struggling with addiction. It can be done. And, you will thank yourself when you too hit these milestones. Keep your chin up and those feet moving! #ShitYesSon #SoberAsFuck #SFG” Kael wrote on February 4, according to Blabbermouth. Kael had previously said that he used about an eight-ball of cocaine each week to help manage his untreated mental health conditions. "That got to be the biggest problem for me," he said. "That and depression, the two things, were not good. I didn't realize it until I got into rehab that I was self-medicating with cocaine to get my dopamine levels up to fight the depression. I never even thought about that. And then when you come off it, you crash hard.”Kael said that it was difficult to watch the band’s lead vocalist Ivan Moody struggle publicly with addiction, while Kael kept his substance use more private. "Ivan was going through his thing, and me, no one really knew, I was the quiet one that was kind of doing things on the side. That was one of the things that was eating away at me too—my guy had a huge problem, and here I am, a quiet problem.”Although Moody missed some tours for treatment, Kael usually was at his worst when the touring ended, he said. “It hit me hard when I got off the road. Going home was always hard anyway, 'cause you've got so much stimulation out on the road, and then you come home and you're, like, 'Wait a minute? I've gotta take out the trash? That's the biggest part of my job now?’"Kael said on Twitter his wife helped him get into treatment and kickstart his sobriety."Had she not busted me trying to restock after burning through $1300 in blow in two days in late January [2018], I truly believe that I would not be here today,” he said. “She has silently and bravely dealt with far more than what would have crushed any other woman. Her loyalty, patience, TRUE love and resolve are unmatched by any other woman I've ever known.”Although admitting he was powerless was difficult, Kael is glad that he did it. "Throwing my hands to the universe and admitting I was at a fucking low and no longer able to do it myself was one of the most humbling and powerful things I've ever done in my life."

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Morning Roundup: Feb. 11, 2019

Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Recovery News | Resources – The Fix

Morning Roundup: Feb. 11, 2019

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Justice Department Sues Philadelphia to Block Opening of Supervised Injection Facility [Washington Post]The federal government is fighting the opening of a supervised injection facility in Philadelphia. City officials, however, have warmed to the idea. Now Sober, Pro Golfer Admits to Drinking While Playing PGA Tour Events [Washington Post]Rocco Mediate admitted to drinking on the golf course to cope with back pain. Mediate is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour.Shoppers Want Amazon-Brand Prescription Drugs, Medical Marijuana and Cryptocurrency [MarketWatch]With fewer shoppers browsing malls, and more ordering from Amazon, will the online marketplace eventually offer medical marijuana and prescription drugs?  No, Drinking Beer Before Wine Won't Prevent a Hangover, Study Finds [Live Science]Ever heard the saying, "Beer before wine and you'll feel fine, wine before beer and you'll feel queer"? According to a new study, it doesn't matter which order you down your drinks.Idaho Has 9 Recovery Centers for Addiction, Mental Illness. That May Become Zero. [Idaho Statesman]The current governor of Idaho is prioritizing Medicaid expansion over funding recovery centers. To ensure the long-term survival of the few that exist in Idaho, they must secure a better source of funding. How a Month Without Alcohol Affected My Skin [Refinery29]From hormonal imbalances to poor sleep quality, alcohol can have a range of effects on one's skin. This writer went alcohol-free in January. Was there a difference by the end of the month?  School Suspension, Expulsion More Likely to Predict Youth Drug Use Than Police Arrest [EurekAlert]A new longitudinal study found that practices that exclude youth from school appear to predict drug use more than arrests by police.Heavy Drinking in Teens Causes Lasting Changes in Emotional Center of Brain [Science Daily]Binge drinking in adolescence has been shown to have lasting effects on the wiring of the brain.

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Illinois Pain Patients Can Now Swap Opioids For Marijuana

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Illinois Pain Patients Can Now Swap Opioids For Marijuana

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 00:30:00 +0000

Last week, Illinois launched a program that will allow people to get access to legal marijuana to substitute for opioid prescriptions without going through the state’s restrictive medical marijuana program. The Opioid Alternative Pilot Program is said to be the first of its kind. Illinois residents who are 21 or older can get certified from a physician that they have a prescription for opioids, or have a condition that could be treated by opioids. Then, they can access medical marijuana using their state ID. Illinois has a medical marijuana program, but it is very limited and enrolling can be a long, drawn-out process. The Opioid Alternative Pilot Program is meant to bypass delays and help more people deal with pain without opioids, Conny Meuller-Moody, the program’s director, told Rolling Stone.“Just halfway through the first day of the launch and we’ve already seen a lot of interest and patients and physicians have successfully registered for the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program. We’re optimistic the program will benefit many Illinois residents and offer them an alternative for managing their pain,” she said. Christine Karhliker, who works at a Chicago-area dispensary, said that patients are excited about the program. “It is a big deal. It’s been a long time coming. Patients have been waiting for this day,” she told Fox 2 News. “I think it’s going to make a difference to the people that don’t want to be on opioids and haven’t been able to break away. It’s going to give them some relief and they’re going to realize I don’t have to have this heavy prescription with all these side effects.”Under the program, patients pay $10 to get authorized for 90 days of cannabis use instead of opioid use. They can re-enroll after the initial 90 days, if they would have otherwise received a refill on an opioid prescription. Illinois doctor David Yablonsky said that the medical community is looking forward to the program as well.“At least we’ll have an opportunity now as physicians to work with patients to try this instead of these dangerous and potent narcotics, you know opioids,” he said. “I hope it saves lives and that people come in and have a healthy alternative.”Sam Dorf, chief growth officer at a Chicago-based marijuana company, said that the program shows that attitudes toward marijuana are changing, particularly in regards to medical use. “With the Opioid Bill, Illinois is at the forefront of recognizing the benefits of cannabis for health and wellness and combatting opioid abuse,” Dorf said. “It will serve as a great pilot program for other states to watch and as they develop their programs.”

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Man Accused Of Throwing Drug-Fueled "Death Party" For Ailing Wife

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Man Accused Of Throwing Drug-Fueled "Death Party" For Ailing Wife

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 00:30:00 +0000

A Minnesota man was arrested after he allegedly threw a drug-fueled “death party” for his ailing wife who did not want to die in a nursing home. She stopped her medications, they rocked out to Quiet Riot, had sex and did meth. Then, on January 24, she died. Afterward, according to the Mankato Free Press, prosecutors charged 58-year-old Duane Arden Johnson with criminal neglect. It all started a few days earlier, when 69-year-old Debra Lynn Johnson begged her husband to take her out of the transitional care center. She’d had two heart attacks and struggled with diabetes, high blood pressure and mental health problems. But at her request, her husband agreed to take her back to their Searles home against medical advice, according to charging documents. Then, he brought home some drugs, and at some point someone spray-painted the words “Death Parde God Hell” in red on the front door. She couldn’t eat food or drink water, so Johnson used snow to wet the dying woman’s lips. They had sex the morning of January 24, and two hours later she died. Afterward, he wrapped her in linen and left her body at the top of the stairs. He allegedly waited a few hours—to be sure she was dead—before calling 911. When the officers showed up, according to the paper, Johnson ran outside naked to greet them, shouting about his wife’s death. Then, authorities said he ran back inside and hid in the bathtub, trying to scrape “things” off his skin.Johnson allegedly told investigators he had 47 guns in the house, and officers recovered four rifles and two shotguns—along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Some of the weapons were stolen, he told police. During an initial court appearance, a judge set Johnson’s bail at $250,000. That same day, Brown County Attorney Charles Hanson said that—in addition to felonies for criminal neglect and receiving stolen property—more criminal charges are possible, according to the La Crosse Tribune. The death appeared suspicious, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called in to help with the case.

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Shia LaBeouf's New Movie Highlights Father's Heroin Addiction Struggle

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Shia LaBeouf's New Movie Highlights Father's Heroin Addiction Struggle

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 13:30:00 +0000

Shia LaBeouf’s latest film, Honey Boy, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25 to tell the world the story of the actor’s odd and tumultuous childhood that led to his struggle with addiction and mental illness.LaBeouf is known for his strange performance art as well as his acting and has been the subject of quite a bit of controversy during his long career.The actor, who began as the star of the children’s TV show Even Stevens, was twice arrested for disorderly conduct and conducted a performance piece in which he sat with a paper bag over his head and cried for six days.LaBeouf has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has sought treatment for alcoholism, plus was ordered to attend an anger management program after going on a drunken tirade against the police who were arresting him for his second time.Honey Boy is a semi-autobiographical film that shows the verbal and emotional abuse which may have led to the actor’s PTSD. Fittingly, the actor wrote the script while he was in rehab in 2018, according to The Wrap. LaBeouf himself plays James Lort, a clear representation of his real-life father, Jeffrey LaBeouf. James, like Jeffrey, is a Vietnam veteran and convicted sex offender with alcoholism who “pushed his son around while stumbling through a series of poor decisions,” according to film critic Eric Kohn of IndieWire.Meanwhile, Lucas Hedges plays a 20-something version of LaBeouf as his life quickly spirals out of control, culminating in a drunken car crash that lands him in jail and then rehab. While in therapy, he flashes back to the representation of LaBeouf’s childhood.Financial troubles result in a divorce between the representation of LaBeouf’s parents, ending in LaBeouf (“Otis”) living with his mother in a run-down motel and a world without warmth made worse by his “affection-averse” deadbeat dad.LaBeouf himself has opened up about his troubled past and his family’s history of substance abuse before.“When you’re 10 years old and watch your father going through heroin withdrawals, you grow up real fast,” he said in an interview with The Orange County Register. “You become the parent in the relationship. But I must give [Jeffrey LaBeouf] credit because he always told me that he didn’t want me to be like him.”The film’s director, Alma Har’el, told The Wrap that LaBeouf has “done the bravest thing anyone could do” by depicting his own father and called Honey Boy an “artistic exorcism” for all involved.“Obviously we all went through a lot of deep feelings while making the film, but nothing was too much. Everything was accepted. Whenever the demons came, we danced with them.”

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Binge Eating Now Most Common Eating Disorder In US

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Binge Eating Now Most Common Eating Disorder In US

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 20:30:00 +0000

Binge eating is now the most common of all eating disorders, despite the fact that it has only been recognized as a specified eating disorder since 2013. According to Cooking Light, there are three times more cases of binge eating disorder (BED) than there are of anorexia and bulimia combined. The Binge Eating Disorder Association notes that binge eating disorder is more common than schizophrenia, HIV and breast cancer. Binge eating, according to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), is “a severe, life-threatening, and treatable eating disorder.” Some of the signs of BED include eating large amounts of food at least once weekly for three months or longer, a feeling of lack of control when eating, feelings of guilt or shame afterward, and using unhealthy methods such as purging afterward. “Binge eating disorders differ from bulimia, as binge eaters don’t always use exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging to try to ‘erase the binge,’” Cooking Light reports. “Instead of falling into binge-purge cycles, those with a BED will most likely isolate themselves,  or even try to go to sleep, instead of attempting to fix the problem with harmful interventions.”NEDA says a binge-eating episode includes three or more of these behaviors within two hours: eating faster than normal, eating to discomfort, eating large amounts of food even if not hungry, feeling out of control and lacking ability to stop, eating alone due to embarrassment and feeling shame or guilt afterward. Binge eating can happen any time of day. In some cases, it can be the result of restricting calories throughout the day, not addressing emotional and mental health problems, or can be done out of boredom. Chevese Turner, chief policy and strategy officer for NEDA, told Cooking Light that subjective binges are also something to be aware of. A subjective binge is when a person eats a normal amount of food but still battles feelings of being out of control or guilty. While about 70% of those with BED are overweight or obese, anyone can struggle with the eating disorder. Past research has shown that women who diet are about 12 times more likely to battle BED. Men who diet are also more likely to have it.Additionally, those with mental health issues or substance use disorders may be at higher risk of developing BED.Turner also tells Cooking Light that those with “a perfectionist or overachiever mentality” may be more likely to struggle with BED. There are a number of consequences of BED, including weight cycling, the body becoming insulin-resistant, and gastrointestinal problems. There is also a high risk of emotional trauma. One way to determine if you or a loved one is struggling with BED is by using NEDA’s screening tool. NEDA can also be reached at 1-800-931-2237.

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