Archive for the ‘Psychological Aspects’ Category

Link Between Chronic Pain & Suicide

https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/the-link-between-chronic-pain-and-suicide-understanding-and-prevention

The Link Between Chronic Pain and Suicide: Understanding and Prevention

The Link Between Chronic Pain and Suicide: Understanding and Prevention

By: Cindy Perlin, LCSW

Chronic pain not only leads to physical suffering but can also have severe psychological and emotional consequences. One of the most concerning correlations is the connection between chronic pain and suicide. Chronic pain patients are at least twice as likely to commit suicide as the general population. This article aims to shed light on this link, its underlying causes, and provide valuable prevention strategies.

Understanding the Link

Chronic pain and suicide are intertwined in a complex relationship that involves both physical and psychological factors.

Individuals living with chronic pain often experience a significant reduction in their overall quality of life. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness, despair, and isolation, which can contribute to the development of suicidal thoughts and attempts.

Key Factors Contributing to the Link:

  1. Psychological Impact: Chronic pain can lead to depression, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness which increase the risk of suicide.
  2. Loss of Functionality: Many individuals with chronic pain find it challenging to engage in daily activities, work, or hobbies they once enjoyed. This loss of functionality can lead to feelings of inadequacy and a sense of purposelessness.
  3. Social Isolation: Chronic pain often limits an individual’s ability to socialize, leading to isolation and feelings of loneliness. Lack of social support can contribute significantly to the risk of suicide.
  4. Inadequate Pain Management: Poorly managed pain can exacerbate all the above factors. In some cases, individuals may turn to substances or risky behaviors in an attempt to alleviate their suffering, further compounding the risk.
  5. Stigma and Misunderstanding: People with chronic pain often face skepticism or disbelief from others, including family, friends, coworkers and healthcare providers. This can lead to a sense of invalidation and make it even more challenging to seek help.

The Connection Between Opioids and Suicide Risk

“The relationship between opioid prescribing and suicide risk is a complex one. This is particularly the case when people have their opioids tapered,” says Mark Olfson, MD, MPH, professor of epidemiology at Columbia School of Public Health. People can become desperate if their pain is not well controlled. Yet opioids also pose a greater risk of overdose than any other drug class and approximately 40 percent of overdose suicide deaths in the U.S. involve opioids. At a population level, the national decline in opioid prescribing over the last several years appears to have
reduced the number of people who died of suicide.”

The Truth about Chronic Pain TreatmentsOrder now!

“If opioid prescribing per capita had held constant from 2009 to 2017, there would have been an estimated 10.5 percent more suicide deaths involving opioids in 2017,” noted Olfson. In the U.S., geographic regions with the greatest declines in people filling opioid prescriptions also tended to have the greatest declines in total suicide deaths.

People who abuse opioids are 14 times more likely to die by suicide compared to the general population, a statistic that shows the very strong link between mental distress, chronic pain, opioids and suicide.

Prevention Strategies

  1. Seek Professional Help: If you or someone you know is struggling with chronic pain and experiencing thoughts of suicide, it is crucial to seek help from a healthcare professional. They can provide a comprehensive evaluation, recommend appropriate treatments, and connect individuals with mental health resources.
  2. Comprehensive Pain Management: Effective pain management is essential in reducing the risk of suicide in individuals with chronic pain. Often pain patients lose hope when the limited options offered by conventional medicine don’t help. There are many little-known alternative pain treatments that can provide safe and effective pain relief. Search the Alternative Pain Treatment Directory for helpful information, products and alternative healthcare providers.
  3. Address Mental Health Concerns: It is vital to address any co-occurring mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
  4. Build a Support System: Establishing a strong support network is crucial. Friends, family, and support groups can provide emotional support and a sense of belonging, which can significantly improve an individual’s outlook and resilience.
  5. Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about the link between chronic pain and suicide is essential in reducing stigma and fostering understanding. Education can help individuals recognize the signs of distress in themselves or others and encourage seeking help.
Cindy explains how to quickly reduce stress and pain naturally!

Resources for Prevention

  1. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (USA): 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) – Provides free, confidential support 24/7.
  2. Crisis Text Line (USA): Text “HOME” to 741741 – A free, confidential texting service for individuals in crisis.
  3. International Suicide Hotlines: For a comprehensive list of suicide hotlines around the world, visit https://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html.
  4. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Provides resources, support, and education for individuals and families dealing with mental health conditions. Website: https://www.nami.org/.

Conclusion

The link between chronic pain and suicide is a serious concern that requires attention and intervention. By understanding the complex factors contributing to this connection and implementing prevention strategies and effective pain relief, we lessen the suffering that drives pain patients to want to end their lives.

Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength, and there are resources available to assist individuals in their journey towards improved mental and physical well-being.

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Category:

Activism, Pain Management, Psychological Aspects, Treatment

Case Report: Substantial Improvement of Autism in Child By Using Treatment For Vector Borne Infections

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1205545/full

Case report: Substantial improvement of autism spectrum disorder in a child with learning disabilities in conjunction with treatment for poly-microbial vector borne infections

CASE REPORT article

Front. Psychiatry, 18 August 2023
Sec. Autism
Volume 14 – 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1205545
Amy Offutt1* Edward B. Breitschwerdt2
  • 1Heart and Soul Integrative Health, Marble Falls, TX, United States
  • 2Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, and the Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States

Poly-microbial vector-borne infections may have contributed to neuropsychiatric symptoms in a boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Targeted antimicrobial treatment resulted in substantial improvement in cognitive (such as learning disabilities, focus, concentration) and neurobehavioral (such as oppositional, defiant, anti-social, disordered mood, immaturity, tics) symptoms.

Conclusion

This teenage boy had a drastic improvement in his neuropsychiatric symptoms and in his academic standing, moving from special education services with accommodations to grade level academic standing without accommodations, to college acceptance. Progressive symptomatic improvement occurred only following targeted administration of antimicrobial agents directed at suspected, underlying, chronic infectious pathogens, namely the causative agents of bartonellosis and borreliosis. Further research is clearly needed to define if or the extent to which occult infections can contribute to neuropsychiatric illness, such as ASD.

(See link for full article)

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Category:

Autism, Bartonella, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research, Treatment, Uncategorized

Government Neuroweapons & Undetectable Illness (Is Lyme/MSIDS One?)

https://gregreese.substack.com/p/targeted-individuals  Video Here (Approx. 6 Min)

Targeted Individuals

The US government has been targeting thousands of innocent civilians for decades

GREG REESE

SEP 5, 2023
Excerpts:

Targeted Justice dot com is currently working on suing the federal government for targeting individual US citizens with different high-tech weapons including Directed Energy Weapons. The Havanna syndrome, when diplomats in Cuba were attacked with Directed Energy Weapons, was not an isolated event. There are thousands of individuals who claim to be under this same sort of attack. And they have the scars to prove it.

As far back as 1976, the technology to remotely alter brain waves has existed. Including Voice to Skull technology that allows the government to directly transmit voices into people’s brains.

As bad as all this is, it is likely to get much worse. In 2017 Dr James Giordano gave a lecture on the latest government technologies to target individuals. Such as neuroweapons to control brain function and modify memories. Nano particulates that can give an individual a stroke. He explains how they can make people sick with an undetectable illness to make them go crazy. And he says they can already control insects and use them to deliver bioweapons.

(See link for article and video)

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http://

The Brain is the Battlefield of the Future

Dr. James Giordano

July 3, 2023

**Comment**

If you don’t have time to view the lengthy video, at least watch the brief 6 minute one in the top link.  Relevant snippets have been pulled that you need to hear.

http://

Directed Energy Weapons

DOD spends about $1 billion annually on directed energy—concentrated electromagnetic energy—weapons, including high energy lasers and high powered microwaves. DOD has pursued these potentially transformative technologies for decades because they could provide considerable advantages. They can deliver destructive or disruptive effects to targets at the speed of light and have potentially significant advantages over kinetic weapons, such as guns and missiles, including lower per-use cost.

Speaking of targeting civilians, recently Hawaii was hit with fires that defy explanation. Let’s review the events:
  1.  No fire sirens were sounded – intentionally.
    The Head of the Maui Emergency Agency, who made this decision, resigned for “health reasons.”
  2. A state official refused to release water to fight the fires and officials are accused of preventing access to water.  Deputy director Kaleo Manuel, linked the the Obama Foundation, and known for his stance on water “equity,” has since been “reassigned” amid accusations of a delayed response that led to death and destruction.
  3. Despite fire warnings, Hawaiian Electric didn’t shut off power to reduce fire potential.
  4. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier who has top FBI clearance and was involved in ethics complaints resulting in an investigation, just happened to be the incident commander in Las Vegas during the horrific 2017 mass shooting.  I mean, what are the odds?
  5. Police put up barricades causing a gridlock and death. Those who disobeyed the road closures survived.

In fact, the entire event is shrouded in bizarre and inexplicable events, until you hear Hawaii Governor Josh Green stating there will be deadly fires “month in and month out” all across the country and that in an effort to “build back better,” the “state will acquire properties as a memorial and for workforce housing.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a blackout fence is being built around the entire town. Somehow we are supposed to believe that wild fires selectively burn some houses and not others, and leave whole trees standing while everything in their path is reduced to ashes.  A book was published about the Maui fires just two days after the brunt of the fires were over.  I highly recommend “What the Media Won’t Tell You About the Maui Fires,” with eye-witness accounts.  I also recommend “A Guide to Understanding the Hoax of the Century.”

Again, things are not as they seem. 

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Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, Ticks

New Treatment Options For Chronic Lyme Patients

https://www.lymedisease.org/members/lyme-times/2023-summer-features/new-treatments-chronic-lyme-disease/

New treatment options for chronic Lyme patientsNovel therapeutic protocols offer hope for complex cases.

By Dr. Steve Harris
 
Summer, 2023
 
Summary:
  • Dr. Mike Snyder’s group at Stanford is working on multiomics for chronic fatigue that track an individual patient’s data. This will help Lyme/MSIDS patients because treatments need to be individualized as each case is different.
  • Mitochondrial work is going to become bigger because illness and wellness is fundamentally all about energy.  Detoxing and absorbing nutrients will help the body function effectively without much external intervention.
  • Unique modalities like growth hormone, DHEA, and metformin are being used to decrease the age of cells to help the very complicated group of patients who are not getting better on standard treatments.
  • Regenerative therapies including exosomes, PRP, and alpha 2-macroglobulin, among others are also helpful for tendon issues, osteoarthritis and orthopedics but exosomes have been used in parallel to stem cell therapies which is written about in a book by Amy Scher titled, This is How I Save My Life.  She wrote about her journey through India, where she received human embryonic stem cells, and went from a very severe neurologic case of Lyme to being quite well now. 
  • Jaw misalignment, spinal issues, and craniocervical instability (all related to body structure) needs to be addressed due to the severe inflammation Lyme/MSIDS patients have.
  • Trauma needs to be addressed but often requires a circuitous approach such as the Dynamic Neural Retraining SystemTM (DNRS), vagus nerve training, neurofeedback, neuro stimulation, and various other methods.  A scientist in Wisconsin, Yuri Danilov, developed the PoNS device, which is a tongue neurostimulation device owned by a company called Helius Medical technologies. It is FDA approved for head trauma but it also works for PTSD.  They’re trying to get FDA approval and they are making it available to physical therapists. It’s mentioned in Dr. Norman Doidge’s book The Brain’s Way of Healing. Some patients have had  phenomenal results using it.
  • The onion parable is used to explain the importance of peeling back layer after layer of issues an individual has – and recognizing that being infected with Lyme and/or the various coinfections is only one layer in this complex puzzle.  Typically these onslaughts alone are not the problem, but the cumulative effect of multiple onslaughts is what makes us sick.
  • Viruses, which are becoming more of a problem, are opportunistic and cause the body to decompensate.  Again, treating them singularly usually isn’t the answer, but they are important to consider in the overall picture.
  • mTOR Agents and Autophagy:  Dr. Steven Phillips uses mTOR agents, (mammalian target of Rapamycin) to increase one’s autophagy (cleans the body of debris).  Honokiol (magnolia leaf), doxycycline, methylene blue, vitamin D, and other agents increase autophagy.
  • Toxic load, nutrient status, and environmental stressors:  using different kinds of fats helps patients through membrane chemistry to flush out debris in the lipid bilayer on the surface of cells.  Many things cause patients to be overreactive and dealing with it is very important.

“In conclusion, these are a few different ways to address this most complicated, most difficult group of patients. I truly believe that everybody can get better, and I think that sharing that hope with the patient is a way for them to be able to hold on during what is a marathon for many of them. Not everybody needs to take every step, but the steps are there, and it can be done.” — Dr. Steven Harris

(See link for article)

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Category:

Chiropractic Care for MSIDS, Detoxing, diet and nutrition, Herbs, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, Treatment, Viruses

Living Well When You Don’t Feel Well: Overcoming Lyme Disease & Illness

http://  Approx. 18 Min

Living Well When You Don’t Feel Well

Overcoming Lyme Disease & Illness

Joe Trunzo PhD Professor of Psychology

Dr. Trunzo highlights a different way of thinking and coping with diseases (and life), specifically Lyme disease. 

He earned his undergraduate degree in 1993 from Marywood University in Scranton PA and completed his graduate work in 2000 at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at the University of Vermont and his post-doctoral fellowship at the Centers for Behavioral & Preventive Medicine at Brown University Medical School in Providence, RI. He is a Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Department of Applied Psychology at Bryant University. He is also a licensed, practicing clinical psychologist with expertise in the psychological management of chronic medical illnesses such as cancer and Lyme disease, as well as the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, especially obsessive compulsive disorder. He serves on several professional committees and belongs to a number of professional organizations. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family, live music, running, and mountain climbing.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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**Comment**

A very sane and logical talk on the Lyme/MSIDS controversy involving three camps of thought, which then moves on into how to develop a mindset that focuses on living the best life you can while sick.  Dr. Trunzo utilizes the mindfulness based, values-oriented behavioral therapy called ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) to help patients.

He states that by not accepting what patients are feeling and going through, they can trap themselves and create more problems.  I must throw in a personal note here: one of the most helpful things I was ever told early on by another patient who reached the other side was:

“Don’t be depressed about feeling depressed.”

This may be laughingly simple; however, I found that I needed to give myself permission to feel depressed.  Knowing, understanding and accepting the fact I was going to feel miserable and have some really rotten days (or months!) helped me tremendously.  Being chronically/persistently infected with multiple pathogens that work symbiotically and that are in your brain and virtually every organ of your body wreaking havoc, not only affects you physically but emotionally and spiritually.  Add in the fact that mainstream medicine denies this fact entirely and that your friends and family may choose to believe you are a hypochondriac rather than an extremely ill person who needs help, because after-all you “look fine” – and you can become very depressed and isolated indeed, which doesn’t help the healing process at all!

Obviously, the goal here is not to remain sick, but to achieve wellness and health; however, with Lyme/MSIDS that may take years to accomplish, and even then there is a very real potential that facets of your health may never return to the way they were before you became infected.  As with all things in Lymeland, everyone’s journey is unique to them and no two cases look alike.

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Category:

Lyme, Psychological Aspects, Treatment