In this episode, we will talk about no nut November and if it is something we should practice. We’re all adults here, so we can admit that sex is great. It’s something that everyone has the urge to do, it’s programmed in nature, and it’s in our genes to procreate. It’s something that we do to keep our species going.
Sex During the Pandemic
We took a look at how the pandemic has impacted no nut November and sex worldwide. When the pandemic hit, it forced many businesses to close; many of those businesses were where people went to socialize, so one can hypothesize that there would be a decline in sex [1].
We looked at a meta-analysis that included a review of 34 articles from 18 countries, and their finding was quite stunning.
About 43% of people had a worsening or a decline in sexual intercourse.
A 28% increase in solo masturbation has been reported.
Increase in desire but no increase in sexual intercourse.
32% of people that had planned on having children abandoned the idea.
We also took at birth trends from March 2019 to 2020, and there was a decline of 0.91%, about 1.5 million less than the prior year. It makes sense because people were not sure about the effects of Covid-19 on newborns and pregnant women [2].
Understanding that sexuality is a natural part of life involves more than sexual behavior.
It is being able to experience sexual pleasure, satisfaction, and intimacy when desired.
It is about being to communicate about sexual health with others, including sexual partners and healthcare providers.
Having access to sexual health information, education, and care.
1. Headache relief
One observational study looked at 800 migraine patients and 200 cluster headache patients, asking for experience with sexual activity during a headache attack [3].
In total, 38% of the migraine patients and 48% of the patients with cluster headaches responded. In migraine, 34% of the patients had experienced sexual activity during an attack. Out of these patients, 60% reported an improvement in their migraine attacks.
In cluster headache, 31% of the patients had experienced sexual activity during an attack. Out of these patients, 37% reported an improvement in their cluster headache attack. 91% of them reported moderate to complete relief.
Researchers concluded that sexual activity could lead to partial or complete relief in some migraine. It can also help a few cluster headache patients.
2. Good cardiovascular exercise
The objective of this study was to determine energy expenditure in kilocalories (kcal) during sexual activity in young, healthy couples in their natural environment.
The energy expenditure and intensity during the 30 min exercise session in men were 276 kCal or 9.2 kCal/min and 8.5 METS, respectively, and in women, 213 kCal or 7.1 kCal/min 8.4 METS, respectively.
Just like any physical activity, healthy sex is good for your heart. A study published in January 2015 in the American Journal of Cardiology found that men who had sex twice weekly or more had less risk of cardiovascular diseases, like stroke or heart attack than those who had sex once a month or less [4].
3. Helps with menstrual cramps
One study took a look at if there is any benefit of sex for menstruating women.
We hypothesized that pain relief evoked by viewing pictures of a romantic partner would be associated with neural activations in reward-processing centers. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study examined fifteen individuals in the first nine months of a new, romantic relationship.
Greater analgesia while viewing pictures of a person’s romantic partner was associated with increased activity in several reward-processing regions, including the caudate head, nucleus accumbens, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex – areas not associated with distraction-induced analgesia. The results suggest that the activation of neural reward systems via non-pharmacologic means can reduce the experience of pain [5].
4. It makes you happy
One study we looked at examined how long does the post-sex glow last.
We explored how long sexual satisfaction would remain elevated following sex and predicted that stronger sexual afterglow would characterize more satisfying partnerships.
214 couples were surveyed
Spouses reported their daily sexual activity and sexual satisfaction for 14 days and their marital satisfaction at baseline and 4 or 6 months later. Results demonstrated that sexual pleasure remained elevated approximately 48 hr after sex, and spouses experiencing a stronger afterglow reported higher levels of marital satisfaction both at baseline and over time [6].
Effects of Porn
It has been reported that porn addiction has risen here in the US. The internet is vastly used. The ease of access to any search puts almost no limitation on what you can view. Porn addiction has become natural for 5-8% of men.
What is Porn Addiction?
Thanks to the internet, everyone has access to porn sites these days. If you are addicted to porn or have a developing porn addiction, you should watch out for the warning signs and seek help before it’s too late [7].
People addicted to porn spend at least 11 to 12 hours per week viewing porn.
Most people who have a porn addiction say that porn hurts their relationships.
Many conditions co-occur with porn addiction, including anxiety, depression, sex addiction, social anxiety, and substance use disorders.
The prognosis for porn addiction is good with cognitive behavioral therapy and counseling.
Effects of Porn Addiction
The purpose of one study was to examine the relationship between men’s pornography use. It also shows their frequency and problematic use. This study also showed the effects on their heterosexual female partners. It includes the psychological and relational well-being among 308 young adult college women.
Results showed that women with male partners who view porn often have a negative impact on their relationships. It has affected their self-esteem, relationship quality, and sexual satisfaction.
Additionally, a woman’s self-esteem and their partner’s problematic porn use affect the quality relationship [8].
Have you participated in the No Nut November? Watch here for more 👇👇👇
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 Cup of Nurses Intro 1:45 Episode Introduction 4:00 Sex During the Pandemic 8:03 Health Benefits of Sex 10:24 Headache Relief 13:49 Good Cardiovascular Exercise 15:40 Helps With Menstrual Cramps 17:23 Makes you happy 20:57 What is Porn Addiction 25:15 Effects of Addiction
EP 137: Three Centers of Intelligence With Janna Thomason
In this episode, we would like to introduce our guest Janna Thomason, an Enneagram Practitioner. She offers in-depth insight to individuals based on their three centers of intelligence; the mind, heart, and gut.
Find out more about what Enneagram is and how it can help you find a deeper understanding of how you view the world.
Janna, you have an amazing array of nursing specialties: Trauma/Burn Intensive Care, Critical Care, Post-Anesthesia Care, Nursing Professional Development, and Nursing Informatics. Can you tell us about all those units and your experiences?
Why did you shift through those specialties? Many nurses think that whatever unit they start on is the one they should end on, and that is a major fallacy.
You have battled through your own set of adversity and struggled with your husband and father. How did you feel during those times, and how were you able to help yourself?
Did you talk about it with friends and family? How did you deal/cope with it?
Why did you leave the bedside or the nursing setting?
What is an Enneagram Practitioner, and how did you get involved with it?
How do you figure out someone’s Enneagram, and how can they use it to look at their past and future?
Can you help Matt and Peter find their Enneagrams?
Burnout and PTSD, we currently are not in the Post phase, at least for some nurses. What is your experience with burnout?
How do you help nurses in that situation?
Your FB group
Current obsession and why?
Kayaking, building a barn, watching dogs on TikTok
Want to know more about the centers of intelligence? Watch the full Episode 37 here 👇
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Cup of Nurses Introduction 1:43 Guest Introduction 2:04 Janna’s Nursing Experience 4:30 Advice to new grads 5:05 What made you jump from bedside to informatics? 7:55 Day-to-day activities of an informatics nurse 8:49 How did you start being an entrepreneur? 11:24 What can you recommend to stressed-out nurses? 12:59 What affects burnout outside nursing? 14:00 When did you become aware of your own burnout? 16:19 How did you transition to helping people through your business? 17:50 What is Enneagram? 18:45 How can Enneagram help a person? 22:20 How do you figure out your motivational factors? 24:47 What category do nurses fall into? 27:24 Do you use other assessments? 29:48 Have you tried implementing the Enneagram numbers in the workplace? 30:48 What kind of questions do you ask when doing Enneagram? 31:10 What is the Enneagram? 40:04 Who is your inner critic? 41:07 What women criticize most within themselves? 43:53 How do you break the mindset of being not good enough? 44:50 How do you practice self-love? 50:50 What is your current obsession? 54:08 Where can people find Janna Thomason?
Anxiety and depression are something that many of us are dealing with these days. It has been reported that about 264 million people suffer from it all over the world.
In this episode, we would like to introduce our guest, Aleks Zubek who is a Licenses Professional Counselor with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology.
We dive into some interesting topics such as depression and anxiety, how it affects us, what we can do, and finding our inner self. It is another informational episode where you’ll surely have a lot of takeaways.
The questions below are some we tackle.
You’ve got your Master’s in Counseling Psychology and now are a Licensed Professional Counselor, what made you choose that route? And what’s the schooling process?
What does an LPC do? Do you work with a team?
Is there a certain psychological or mental demographic that you specifically help or is it a wide range?
You taught us a little about health anxiety, it’s almost like the fear of getting sick or imagining an illness, can you explain what it actually is?
Where does this stem from? Are certain people more susceptible?
How do you treat it or help someone with health anxiety?
What kind of patients do you work with?
Is there a trend or an increase in certain mental illnesses that you are seeing?
Do you have a favorite type of patient?
Is there any advice that can generally help most people?
More open communication, being honest, getting help, meditation?
To watch the full Episode 71, click here 👇
TIME STAMPS:
0:00 Cup of Nurses Introduction 1:56 Guest Introduction 2:15 News and updates about Aleks Zubek 5:15 What is your day-to-day as an LPC? 9:46 What is the state of the unit in terms of mental health? 11:28 What are the common mental health issues of your patients? 12:48 Are you seeing a lot of health anxiety lately? 17:00 How do you help someone manage their anxiety? 19:38 How do you stop the disease that is causing the symptoms? 21:50 Is it depression that causes anxiety or the other way around? 23:30 What are your tips to people who are suffering from anxiety/depression? 28:23 Have you noticed any trends or issues that are more prevalent now? 34:28 What are the traits that a person needs in order to overcome trauma? 36:47 Questions you can ask yourself to assess your own mental health 41:48 How do you get somebody to open up 100%? 46:20 How do you develop emotional literacy? 49:40 How soon do you start seeing improvements in your patients?
Do you have any memorable patient experiences? It can be something you witnessed or that you were directly involved in.
How did this event affect you? What changes, if any, did you make in your actions or thinking?
What is one of the most memorable patient experiences in your nursing career?
As nurses, we have so many memorable nursing experiences that we will never forget. Some of them are hilarious moments. Others often involve life-long lessons. All the same, these memories and experiences gave our nursing life more meaning.
We have had some great ones; stories, events, and even advice from our patients
Lesson Learned/People Just Don’t Learn
Panthenol
Absence Based Recovery
Benzos
Bad Habits
Always Be Courageous
How People Who Pursue Their Phase Outside of Nursing
The Ugly Part of Nursing
The thing that Nursing Taught Me
Special Thing in Nursing
What’s also Cool about Nursing
A Shoutout for Nurses
Hosts’ Concluding Statement
What’s a travel nurse experience you’ll never forget? Here’s ours 👇👇👇
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Summer Sale Offer for Nursing Students and Nurses 1:03 Introduction of Hosts 1:39 AFFILIATES/UPDATES 1:46 Most Memorable Nursing Moments 9:17 Lesson Learned/People Just Don’t Learn 11:10 Panthenol 11:37 Absence-Based Recovery 11:58 Benzos 12:13 Bad Habits 14:03 Always Be Courageous 15:42 How People Who Pursue their Phase Outside of Nursing 17:16 The Ugly Part of Nursing 19:10 Thing that Nursing Taught Me 23:07 Special Thing in Nursing 23:56 What’s also Cool about Nursing 28:33 A Shoutout for Nurses 31:58 Hosts’ Concluding Statement
We live in a society where the solution to our mental health problems often comes in medication. May it be for weight loss, muscle gain, cognitive performance, or even drug addiction, people always want a quick and easy fix. It is also why it is also provided to them.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t always solve the root cause of the ongoing issue. The “take a pill for this” method does not work in every situation. But that is what the people want, which is what they receive.
What is Methadone?
Methadone was developed in Germany around 1937 and 1939 by Gustav Ehrhart and Max Bockmühl.
Heroin and fentanyl are opiates that affect our brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine. When these receptors are activated, they stimulate the release of neurotransmitters that regulate pain, hormone production, and feelings of well-being throughout the body. With this in mind, heroin binds to mu-opioid receptors (MORs), which stimulates a reinforcing behavior cycle on drugs [1].
This means users will continually use more for their desired effects–until withdrawal symptoms start taking over where we may feel physical or mental distress until we can get another hit.
Mu receptors affect analgesia, smooth muscle tone, sedation, mood alteration, and n/v.
Methadone acts by binding to the µ-opioid receptor and has some affinity for the NMDA receptor.
Mu-opioid receptors are a critical molecular switch triggering brain reward systems and potentially initiating addictive behaviors.
This receptor, therefore, mediates therapeutic (analgesia) and addictive activities of morphine, suggesting that further development of morphine-like compounds may necessarily lead to addictive analgesics.
Methadone is a synthetic opiate that is used to treat drug addiction. It binds to the same brain receptors as heroin and morphine, but methadone blocks the euphoric high caused by heroin or morphine.
This drug has a long half-life, lasting 24 – 36 hours, making it an ideal detox agent for ongoing treatment. It also decreases cravings for drugs and helps addicts stop using illegal drugs.
However, in higher doses methadone can exhibit opiate-like effects, creating a state of euphoria, sedation, respiratory depression, and relaxation for users [2].
One of the most common drugs used for treating heroin addicts worldwide is Methadone. It was used as a treatment since it was first discovered in Germany during WWII, and now doctors are starting to use methadone more than ever due to its effectiveness and safety.
Methadone allows people with addictions time to recover from their addiction. They assimilate back into society by working or going through school instead of being high every day, like when using other drugs such as heroin- which can have harmful effects on one’s body if abused over long periods (such as liver damage).
For optimal results, patients should also participate in counseling sessions to talk about how life affects them. Together, these professionals can help the addict find ways out.
The lowest GoodRx price for the most common version of methadone is around $10.26, 75% off the average retail price of $41.30.
Methadone Administration
A relatively low dose of methadone (eg, <30 mg per day) can lessen acute withdrawal but is often not effective in suppressing craving and blocking the effects of other opioids. Though a few patients respond to a maintenance dose of 30–60 mg per day, most patients fare better if their initial 30–40 mg per day dose is gradually raised to a maintenance level of 60–120 mg per day, which typically creates sufficient tolerance to minimize a euphoric response if patients self-administer additional opioids [3].
Is Methadone a good solution for opioid addiction?
Methadone is a highly addictive synthetic opiate, more addictive than heroin and harder to withdraw from. The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) recognizes that addicts have been parked on methadone for too long and now promotes abstinence as the treatment goal, with time limits on the duration of methadone maintenance [4].
While methadone may help reduce cravings for heroin and other dangerous narcotics, it still leaves the individual dependent on opiates. Despite this, methadone use can keep addicted people safer and out of the justice system as they begin recovery. Here are some interesting facts [5]:
Deaths from opioids (including semisynthetic opioids, natural opioids, and methadone) have increased more than 300% in the last 20 years.
Methadone is responsible for nearly one in four opioid-related deaths.
Surprisingly, methadone can be prescribed for pain relief by any physician. But it can only be prescribed for addiction treatment by doctors through specialty methadone clinics.
Study
Methadone Prescribing and Overdose and the Association with Medicaid Preferred Drug List Policies — United States, 2007–2014 [6]:
Methadone accounted for approximately 1% of all opioids prescribed for pain but accounted for about 23% of prescription opioid deaths in 2014. State drug management practices and reimbursement policies can affect methadone prescribing practices and, in turn, might reduce methadone overdose rates within a state.
More than 70,000 Americans died from a drug-involved overdose in 2019, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids.
In response to the escalating number of deaths related to the improper use of the prescription drug methadone, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is urging Illinois consumers, health care professionals, and the opiate treatment clinics to be well informed on the safe use of methadone [7].
Impact on Mental Health
For some people, the feelings of anxiety and depression that emerged during this pandemic will resolve as routines resume. But others who face new or worse mental health issues may not be so lucky–a number which could very well become quite significant given the magnitude of despair and disruption caused by a virus, unlike anything we have ever seen before in our lifetime.
This burden would undoubtedly put an even more tremendous strain on already strained systems for treating these conditions if they were to come into contact with one another down the road.
Young adults have experienced several pandemic-related consequences, such as closures of universities and loss of income, that may contribute to poor mental health. During the pandemic, a larger than average share of young adults (ages 18-24) reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder (56%).
Compared to all adults, young adults are more likely to report substance use (25% vs. 13%) and suicidal thoughts (26% vs. 11%). Before the pandemic, young adults were already at high risk of poor mental health and substance use disorder, though many did not receive treatment.
Research from prior economic downturns shows that job loss is associated with increased depression, anxiety, distress, and low self-esteem and may lead to higher substance use disorder and suicide rates.
During the pandemic, adults in households with job loss or lower incomes report higher rates of symptoms of mental illness than those with a job or income loss (53% vs. 32%).
Research during the pandemic points to concerns around poor mental health and well-being for children and their parents, particularly mothers, as many are experiencing challenges with school closures and lack of childcare.
Women with children are more likely to report anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms than men (49% vs. 40%). In general, both before and during the pandemic, women have reported higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to men [8].
This is a 29% increase over the previous year. The state of Illinois saw more than a 27% increase in deaths, while Michigan recorded a 16% increase. While the numbers may be shocking, for some they weren’t surprising.
Learn more about methadone and mental health by watching this full episode. Click here 👇
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 Introduction of Hosts 0:15 AFFILIATES/UPDATES 2:40 Methadone and Mental Health 4:16 What is Methadone? 9:47 Is Methadone a good solution for opioid addiction? 12:11 Study 13:16 Mental health 23:58 Hosts’ Concluding Statement
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