One in 5 college students use substances such as cannabis and/or alcohol to help sleep. A new diary study (n=217 college students) found that while cannabis improved some aspects of sleep (longer duration, with less time awake during the night), it also led people to feel more fatigued the next day.

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Wright State renal physiologist Clintoria Williams makes big news with a study linking high blood pressure with zinc deficiency

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Why the Oura ring sucks for tracking sleep and might be harming your health [Nutritional Revolution article, 2019]

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Music can be a viable alternative to medications in reducing anxiety before anesthesia, suggests a new randomized controlled study, which found music to be similarly effective as the intravenous form of the sedative medication midazolam in lowering anxiety before anesthetic procedure.

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How My Weight Gain Contributed to My Son’s Disordered Eating

Ever since I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1991, I’ve struggled with my weight. At that time, I weighed 125 and was prescribed lithium to control my highs and lows. The drug worked, but it and other psychotropic drugs contributed to a 20-pound weight gain. Then, as the years went by, I gained the weight that comes with aging. By 40, I weighed about 180. On a 5’3″ frame, this was a lot to carry. I gained even more weight when I struggled with breast cancer in my late 40s and 50s. At 56, I weighed a cool 188 with no clothes on.

Recently, I gained even more (I contribute this gain to simply overindulgence) and suddenly felt myself inching to 200 pounds. At this weight, I appeared, what can I say, “fat.” My weight and new look were troubling my 14-year-old son, who never had any weight issues until then. Strangely enough when I was 200 pounds, my son became anxious and disturbed.

He begged me to lose weight. Of course, it was difficult to do so, instead of me dropping pounds, he began to limit his food intake until he had lost weight. He went from 115 to 107. This doesn’t sound like much but on his 5’2″ frame, it seemed like a huge amount.

I could see all of his ribs. He lost muscle mass. He seemed like a shadow of himself. I worried that he was developing anorexia.

When meal times rolled around, he judiciously nibbled on what I considered nothing — crackers, soup, small pieces of cheese. I did the math and knew he was taking in less than 1,000 calories a day. At this rate, if he kept going, he’d be down below 100 pounds before I knew it.

Worried for his health, I put myself on a diet and lost 10 pounds. This helped. His eating patterns returned to normal.

Now, three months later, my son has no issues with food. He eats when he’s hungry, and he is back to his 115 pounds. And I am hovering around 185.

I know that I have a long way to go with my weight. I’d like to be back in the 130-pound range, but this will take discipline and control, two things I’m not sure I possess. I was never addicted to tobacco, drugs or alcohol, or sex for that matter, but I believe I am addicted to food. I don’t want to stop eating for myself, but I guess I’ll do it for my son.

Today, we went out to eat. I wanted to order a Reuben sandwich complete with cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. Of course, I also wanted a large side of steak fries dipped in copious amounts of ketchup. Somehow, I found the presence of mind to order a steak salad, which I consumed with very little dressing. I figure I saved myself at least 2,000 calories. It’s going to be hundreds, maybe thousands, of choices like this that take me down to my desired weight. I’ve got to remember, it’s not going to happen at once. But my weight does affect those around me.

Anorexia is truly about control. If a person feels he can’t control factors in his life, he CAN control what he puts in his mouth.

My son was on the road to becoming anorexic. Thankfully, when I lost weight, he put his back on.

I have to say, I love it when Tommy has a late night submarine sandwich. I adore it when he eats a huge bowl of fruit and then eats a yogurt with fruit on the bottom. The other night he had a big plate of penne pasta and meatballs. I was in a blissful state. Am I living vicariously through him and his eating habits? Maybe.

I will see 130 pounds again. How do I know this? I have my son to cheer me on.

Kids are demanding in so many different ways. They urge us to be our best selves. In fact, they sometimes require it. My son’s “hunger strike” brought me to my senses. I’ll do whatever it takes so that he’ll thrive. I guess that’s the definition of a parent.

Psychology Around the Net: July 20, 2019

This week’s Psychology Around the Net has the latest on a new virtual reality therapy trial for people diagnosed with serious mental illnesses, how people with mental health disorders are helping amend their descriptions in diagnostic guidelines, the issues that stop you from setting boundaries and how you can overcome those issues, and more.

People With Mental Health Disorders Amend the Descriptions: What would happen if input from people who actually deal with mental health disorders on a daily basis was taken into consideration when it comes to the diagnostic guidelines describing said disorders? A new study set out to explore just that. Researchers from the United States and the United Kingdom collaborated with the World Health Organization Department of Mental Health talked with 157 people diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, depressive episode, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, or schizophrenia about how their conditions in the upcoming 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11). After reviewing an initial draft of the ICD-11 chapter on mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders, survey participants recommended changes that more accurately reflect the emotional and psychological experiences they have (for example, people with depression added “pain” and “anxiety”) as well as getting rid of confusing and possibly stigmatizing terms like “neuro-vegetative,” “bizarre,” and “maladaptive.”

What Stops You From Setting Solid Boundaries: What does our relationship with boundaries have to do with the process of setting boundaries? Dive into your issues with setting boundaries by writing about how boundaries affect your relationships, why setting boundaries feels hard, your fears and worries about setting boundaries, and more.

First Major Trial of VR Therapy for Serious Mental Health Conditions Launches: The title says it all, and Oxford VR, a healthtech startup, and gameChange, a £4 million project funded by U.K. National Institute of Health Research, have teamed up to test and help roll out the technology across the National Health Service (NHS). Oxford VR is aimed at people diagnosed with psychosis, a condition that accounts for more than 200,000 NHS patients and 30% of NHS and social care spending. The virtual reality technology allows patients to experience stressful situations in a safe space, with a virtual coach guiding them through the scenarios and helping them practice techniques to overcome the challenges. The patients can then transfer what they learn into the real world.

Turn Your Procrastination Time Into Productive Time: There are basically three big reasons people procrastinate: 1) we have a task we’re not sure how to begin and/or feel anxious about beginning, 2) there’s not enough time to get into the task before the next meeting or appointment, and 3) we’ve just finished a big task and need a break. So, creating a list of “low-brainpower” tasks can help us be productive and still recharge during that “procrastination” time.

Cannabis Treatment Counters Addiction: First Study of Its Kind: A recent study from the University of Sydney and NSW Health exhibits how cannabis-based medication can combat cannabis dependency. Says the study’s lead author Conjoint Professor Nick Lintzeris: “The principles are very similar to nicotine replacement; you are providing patients with a medicine which is safer than the drug they’re already using, and linking this with medical and counselling support to help people address their illicit cannabis use.”

The Loneliness and Shame of Feeling Invisible: How to Find Your Voice: When you feel invisible, you feel as if you don’t matter, or like you’re an object seen only for what you can do and not for who you are. Check out some of the cultural ways people feel invisible (such as your gender, or economic or marital status), a few of the sources of childhood invisibility, and the kind of invisibility you can experience due to being treated like an object. Then, learn how you can find your voice.

More women using cannabis daily before and during pregnancy, despite current advice to avoid cannabis exposure during pregnancy, finds a new study (n=276,991 pregnant women) in Northern California over 9 years, which found that cannabis use has increased over time.

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