by Cup Of Nurses | Aug 25, 2023 | Podcast
Navigating the Ups and Downs: Understanding Bipolar Disorder and Its Treatment
Bipolar disorder, often referred to as manic-depressive illness, is a mental health condition that involves extreme mood swings, ranging from periods of intense highs (mania) to deep lows (depression). This enigmatic condition affects millions worldwide, disrupting lives and challenging the understanding of mental health. In this blog post, we’ll explore the prevalence, causes, and treatment options for bipolar disorder.
The Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder: A Global Perspective
Bipolar disorder is more common than one might think, affecting approximately 2.8% of adults in the United States alone. This translates to millions of individuals worldwide grappling with the challenges of managing their emotions, behaviors, and daily lives. It can strike anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background, highlighting the urgency of raising awareness and fostering a supportive environment.
Understanding the Causes: Unraveling the Complex Factors
While the exact cause of bipolar disorder remains elusive, it’s widely believed to be the result of a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors:
- Genetics: Research indicates a strong genetic component in the development of bipolar disorder. Individuals with a family history of the condition are at a higher risk of experiencing it themselves.
- Neurochemical Imbalances: Chemical imbalances in the brain, particularly involving neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, play a significant role in bipolar disorder. These imbalances can contribute to mood fluctuations.
- Brain Structure and Function: Studies have shown structural and functional differences in the brains of individuals with bipolar disorder. These differences can affect mood regulation and emotional processing.
- Environmental Triggers: Stressful life events, trauma, substance abuse, and major life changes can trigger or exacerbate episodes of mania or depression in those predisposed to bipolar disorder.
Treatment Approaches: Finding Stability and Relief
Treating bipolar disorder is a multi-faceted endeavor that often requires a combination of therapies, medication, and lifestyle changes. Here are some key approaches to managing the condition:
- Medication: Mood stabilizers, antipsychotic medications, and antidepressants are commonly prescribed to help manage the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. Finding the right medication regimen often involves a trial-and-error process under the guidance of a mental health professional.
- Psychotherapy: Various forms of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and psychoeducation, can help individuals understand and manage their symptoms, develop coping strategies, and improve their overall quality of life.
- Lifestyle Changes: Maintaining a stable routine, managing stress, getting regular exercise, practicing good sleep hygiene, and avoiding alcohol and drugs can contribute to symptom management.
- Support Network: Building a strong support network of family, friends, and mental health professionals is crucial for individuals with bipolar disorder. Having a reliable system to lean on during challenging times can make a significant difference.
Shining a Light on Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a complex condition that demands understanding, compassion, and effective treatment. By shedding light on its prevalence, underlying causes, and available treatment options, we can work towards reducing stigma and creating a more supportive environment for individuals living with this condition. If you or someone you know is struggling with bipolar disorder, remember that help is available, and seeking professional guidance is a courageous step towards a brighter, more balanced future.
To watch the interview with Steven Wilson, click the watch the full episode link.
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/1VR3pSk74Wo
by Cup Of Nurses | Jun 22, 2023 | Podcast
Benefits of Sauna and Cold Showers
There has been a phenomenal amount of research that came out over the last few years on the benefits of saunas and cold showers. Most of the benefits come from the physiological changes and adaptations that occur but there are more than physiological positives. There are many hidden mental benefits that most people don’t take into consideration. Besides physically feeling better there are many psychological benefits to the sauna and cold showers.
Hidden Benefits of the Sauna
Most people know about the basic benefits of the sauna such as the ones that come from sweating. Sweating opens up your pours and rids the body of certain toxins. Did you know that beyond sweating the sauna extends your workout, increases stress tolerance, and makes you more open-minded?
Extends your workout
- Sauna keeps your workout going by continuing that vasodilation. Our body dilates with heat and constricts with cold, by going to the sauna you’re prolonging the increase of blood going into your muscles and tissues.
- If you had a cardio day, the sauna maintains a higher heart rate and you can get a little bit more squeeze out of your workout. If you’re someone that’s 5ft 8in 165lbs you can lose around 100 calories just by sitting in the sauna for 20/30 min more if you hop in right after a workout. Doesnt sound like a lot but it’s more than you’ll lose if you just go home.
Increases stress tolerance
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- This is the ability to take on pressure without feeling negative or letting it consume you.
- The sauna builds stress tolerance because you are putting yourself in an uncomfortable place. It’s hot, you’re sweating, and you want to get out of there. By forcing yourself to be there all while your brain and mind are telling you that you can just simply step out and be more comfortable.
- You forcing yourself to stay in the uncomfortable translates to life outside of the sauna. It makes doing the uncomfortable things a little easier because you are subconsciously showing that you can get through tough challenges by focusing on what you want to do and not so much on your body.
Makes you more open-minded
- I’ve had some of the best conversations in the sauna. There’s something about suffering and suffering in a group makes people more open. I noticed that some of the most intellectual or groundbreaking conversations I’ve had were in the sauna. Everyone is miserable and that allows some people to put their guard down.
- By having a conversation with people of all races, backgrounds, and ages it gives you a broader perspective of the world. People have been through different circumstances and offer a lot of knowledge on how they got out or how they felt. Some people have been in the exact same situation as you but in turn, did all the right things and some did the exact opposite.
Cold Showers
I’ve been doing cold showers on and off for the last 5 years. I used to do ice baths regularly when I lived in San Diego and had access to them, but overall I have been doing cold showers for a long time and can speak to its effects.
The research behind cold showers
Do cold showers really do anything? At the surface taking a cold shower might seem like it would have some benefits because you are going from warm temperatures to cold temperatures but remember that the average shower doesn’t take a long time. So the question is do cold showers have any benefit when taken for the average time and at what temperature?
We know the colder the better and the longer the better.
Most research studies use temperatures between 20-25 degrees Celsius which is about 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Illinois shower water. Overall studies show that ice baths are superior to a cold showers but that doesn’t mean cold showers don’t have any benefits.
Basic Physiologic Affects
When the body comes into contact with cold water, the initial cold sensation stimulates the skin’s surface vessels, causing them to narrow and redirect blood flow to preserve heat.
- The brain and vital organs receive a fresh supply of oxygen and nutrients from the blood.
- Unlike warm receptors, cold receptors are abundant on the skin surface, ranging from 3 to 30 times more numerous. This abundance explains why the body feels invigorated by the sudden contact with cold water, as it promotes vasoconstriction and applies pressure to these receptors, resulting in heightened brain activity.
Physical benefits
Cold exposure offers numerous benefits for human health, encompassing both physical and psychological aspects. Regarding physical well-being, cold exposure can potentially aid in body
Fat reduction:
- Cold temperatures stimulate increased energy expenditure and metabolism. Additionally, exposure to cold prompts the activation of brown adipose tissue (brown fat), which utilizes stored body fat as fuel. Consequently, cold exposure holds promise as a means to facilitate body fat loss.
- Nonetheless, further research is necessary to establish conclusive evidence. Realistically you won’t lose fat from cold showers this was seen to be more effective with ice baths and really cold temperatures. A shower won’t stress your body enough for you to start using your fat as fuel.
Improved cardiovascular health.
- Initially, cold exposure raises heart rate and blood pressure, leading to enhanced circulation. Blood is redirected from the skin towards vital organs, necessitating increased effort from the heart to pump blood effectively to these organs.
- Regular brief cold exposure over time can enhance heart efficiency and improve blood flow. Enhanced circulation yields various health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improved cognitive function, and enhanced metabolism.
Immune system:
- Contrary to common misconceptions (e.g., the belief that exposure to cold weather causes illness). Brief cold exposure actually increases the number of white blood cells and natural killer cells in the body, effectively bolstering the immune system.
- However, it is crucial to note that brief cold exposure is beneficial, whereas prolonged cold showers or extended periods in cold weather may not yield the same effects and could even be detrimental.
Alleviate pain and reduce inflammation:
- The reduced blood flow during cold exposure helps minimize swelling and other inflammation-related factors.
- Additionally, the release of endorphins during cold exposure activates opiate receptors in the brain, diminishing sensations of pain. This aligns with the common practice of using ice packs or cold therapies to alleviate inflammation, injuries, or pain in specific body areas. Similarly, cold showers can reduce systemic inflammation, soreness, and overall pain, making them an efficient and potent pain-relieving strategy.
Cold shower as an analgesic
One interesting theory about cold showers and cold therapy, in general, is its potential to act as an analgesic. There is a basis for how cold showers and cold therapy can improve mental function. There are 2 interesting theories, cold showers and therapy as a battle against depression and psychosis.
- Cold showers and psychosis
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- With respect to cold stress, an adapted cold shower could work as a mild form of electroshock applied bilaterally to the sensory cortex, and cold showers appear to have an anti-depressive rather than a sedative effect. Since electroshock therapy is known to have beneficial effects on psychotic symptoms of patients with schizophrenia, it is possible that adapted cold showers might have a similar antipsychotic effect. In addition, cold hydrotherapy is known to cause analgesia, suggesting that it may act through the mechanism of stress-induced analgesia involving the mesolimbic pathway and thus could have the effect of “crowding out” psychosis in that region of the brain similar.
- This idea is referred to as hormesis, our body’s response to a low amount of stress or toxin which causes a beneficial response. Over time the threshold increases and the effect of the toxic or stressor is decreased.
- Cold showers and depression
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- Exposure to cold temperatures leads to greater blood flow toward the brain, resulting in the simultaneous increase of endorphin production. These endorphins activate opiate receptors, which can contribute to an improved mood.
- Additionally, cold exposure enhances the transmission of electrical impulses in the brain and potentially raises dopamine levels. The combined effect of increased blood flow, endorphins, dopamine, and enhanced electrical activity can have potent anti-depressive effects. Notably, the boosted electrical activity resembles the mechanism employed in electroconvulsive therapy for depression, but without the associated potential side effects.
- Therefore, incorporating cold showers into one’s routine can serve as a simple approach to alleviate depression or low moods, while acknowledging that depression encompasses more severe symptoms beyond a mere transient low or bad mood.
Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8eOkLijbl4
by Cup Of Nurses | Oct 31, 2022 | Fitness
Savvy Tips for Saving Money and Staying Healthy
We often hear people as tips for saving money and staying healthy only to be met with excuses.
“It costs too much to eat healthily.”
“I don’t have the time or money for regular exercise.”
“Even if I change how I eat and move, it probably won’t make that big of a difference in my life.”
These are common statements we tell ourselves when facing the prospect of changing our lifestyle. After all, fast food is the cheapest option, and working out would mean less time for your work and personal life, right? And when you’re a nurse or medical professional, free time is very precious — why complicate matters when all you want to do is recharge?
Here’s the thing: When you make a plan, you can actually save money and eat nutritious foods. You can also figure out a fitness routine that accommodates your specific schedule. And when you do, your physical, mental, and emotional health will benefit. In other words, it’s entirely practical to live healthier and happier while improving your financial standing.
Plan your meals
Many people perceive meal planning to be incompatible with their lifestyles because of the time it takes to strategize for the week. But the truth is it can save you significant time (and money) once you get in a rhythm.
Research nutritious foods that interest you, and list the ingredients you need to prepare them. Then, go to the grocery store and buy only the items on the list. Once you have your ingredients, use a meal planning template to prepare your foods for the week. The entire process should only take a few hours, and you’ll have healthy meals and snacks to grab from the fridge during busy workdays.
Eat greener
Some experts believe that eating less meat can improve heart health. And it’s no secret that buying less meat can help anyone save money. Fortunately, there are plant-based proteins like legumes, nuts, grains, and seeds to provide you with energy throughout the day. When you do choose meat, opt to have it once a day on a salad or chopped in a hot dish.
Edit your living environment
If you’re like most people, you spend a lot of time at home. Even if you’re only there for a few hours out of the day, it’s essential that it’s a restful time. You can make simple changes to your home environment that support a healthy lifestyle.
For example, creating a cleaning routine, adding plants, and replacing your lighting can significantly reduce stress and boost energy. Also, keeping healthy foods in your fridge and using everyday items for exercise can help you stay fit and healthy.
Seek sunshine
Exposure to sunshine comes with well-documented benefits. Look for more opportunities to do things outdoors, whether it’s going for a leisurely walk, doing a HIIT workout in the backyard, or even sitting on the patio while reading a book. The sun is an excellent source of vitamin D, and you can quickly yield a plethora of physical, mental, and emotional health benefits by spending a little more time outside.
Take extra steps to live healthier
It’s hard to exercise consistently when you’re always busy. But you can still find ways to fit in a bit of exercise no matter how much you’re working. Take the stairs, go for a walk on your lunch break, or park a bit further from the building. You might be surprised by how much these practical acts can positively impact your overall health and well-being.
Stop bad habits
Sometimes, we allow bad habits to harm our health and finances. For example, smoking cigarettes is the leading culprit of lung cancer, which is the most deadly cancer in the U.S. When you consider that the average pack of cigarettes costs nearly $7, it’s easy to see how much money they can waste. Consider any harmful habits you can kick for a better, more fulfilling life.
Meanwhile, if you’re trying to cut down on sugar, one of the first places to start is by stopping or reducing your intake of sugary drinks. You might be surprised how much sugar is hiding in your morning coffee or afternoon soda. Switching to unsweetened iced tea, water, or seltzer water can help you slash your sugar intake and improve your overall health.
Another unhealthy habit that’s easy to break is mindless snacking. When we eat mindlessly, we tend to eat more than we need and make poor food choices. If you find yourself snacking out of boredom, try occupying yourself with another activity. Taking a walk, reading a book, or calling a friend are all great ways to fight off temptation and make better choices for your health.
Finally, if you’re trying to improve your sleep habits, one of the best things you can do is turn off electronics an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt our natural sleep patterns, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. So instead of scrolling through social media before bed, try reading a book or taking a relaxing bath. You’ll sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead.
Check-in with the doc
As a nurse, you probably know that too many people cancel doctor’s visits or neglect to fill a prescription because they think it can save them money. But in reality, ignoring health concerns can cost you significantly in the long run.
Getting the care you need can help you avoid exorbitant medical bills down the road, not to mention help you feel better in the short term. Look into your insurance options to determine how to keep up with your checkups and maintain your health.
Choose water
If you want to save money and get healthier, drink a lot of water. Soda, juice, sweet coffee drinks, and other sugary beverages are more expensive and can lead to obesity and countless other health conditions. Keep more money in your pocket and give your body what it needs by choosing water throughout the day!
In addition to saving money, you’ll also be contributing to your health. A can of soda typically contains around 39 grams of sugar, which is well over the recommended daily limit for adults. Drinking just one can of soda per day leads to weight gain, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and other serious health problems. In contrast, water is a calorie-free way to stay hydrated and promote a healthy weight. It also helps to flush toxins from the body and aids in digestion. For these reasons, choosing water over soda is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your health.
Pay attention to your mental health
Finally, remember to take your mental health seriously. Psychological issues can drastically lower your quality of life and negatively impact your finances. Some conditions make it challenging for individuals to maintain work performance, and some increase the risk of various chronic health issues. Poor mental health can also make you more susceptible to substance abuse.
Thankfully, the world is becoming more aware of the importance of mental health and happiness. If possible, get counseling, therapy, or any other treatments necessary to maintain your mental well-being. And take practical steps to improve your lifestyle each day.
No, getting fit and healthy doesn’t mean you have to drain your bank account! Following the tips on saving money and staying healthy above can quickly put you on track for an all-around more nutritious, more fulfilling life. But keep researching other ideas and strategies for boosting your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Your body, mind, and wallet will thank you!
For more great content like this, check out the other articles and blog posts offered on Cup of Nurses.
Post solely for the use of cupofnurses.com By Roxanne Brent
Follow her at: https://singleparent.info/
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