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CBT may increase connectivity in brains of OCD patients, finds study

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CBT may increase connectivity in brains of OCD patients, finds study

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| Not all thoughts express happiness. Some thoughts are intrusive and unwelcome that can result in fixation about something or recurring behavioral tendencies or a combination of both that may cause anxiety. Experts club these kinds of behavioral issues under obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental condition in which an individual has reoccurring thoughts as well as the urge to repeat behaviors again and again.

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How Charlize Theron overcame her real life trauma to live a successful reel life

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How Charlize Theron overcame her real life trauma to live a successful reel life

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| In a radio interview, actor Charlize Theron (41), recently opened up about her experience growing up with a father addicted to alcohol and the night her mother killed him in an act of self-defense. A teenager at the time of the incident, the aftermath was worse than the incident itself, she shared.

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How Charlize Theron overcame her real life trauma to live a successful reel life

In a radio interview, actor Charlize Theron (41), recently opened up about her experience growing up with a father addicted to alcohol and the night her mother killed him in an act of self-defense. A teenager at the time of the incident, the aftermath was worse than the incident itself, she shared. Theron told the interview host Howard Stein, how her father would physically abuse her mother and verbally abuse Charlize as a child.

The things that affected her the most were living with a man dependent on alcohol and not knowing what would happen next and whether he was going to drink or not. Charlize told the listeners how her father's alcoholism was a major reason why she never invited her friends home. She said, "I think what affected me for my adult life that happened in my childhood was more the everyday living of a child living in the house with an alcoholic and waking up not knowing what was going to happen. And not knowing how my day was going to go and all of it dependent on somebody else and whether he was not going to drink or drink."

Describing her father's death as a traumatic event, the Academy Award winning actor told Stein about the incident in detail. Her father had come home drunk one night and opened fire with a shotgun in her bedroom. In an attempt to protect their only child, Charlize's mother Gerda fatally shot Charlize's father. The court ruled that Gerda had acted in self-defense. Charlize pretended like it never happened and never mentioned the reality to anyone, to cope with the whole situation. On being asked, she often told people that her father had died in a car crash. Charlize added, "I didn't tell anybody - I didn't want to tell anybody. Whenever anybody asked me, I said my dad died in a car accident. Who wants to tell that story? Nobody wants to tell that story."

According to Charlize, she struggled with the trauma brought on by living with her father until she actually started therapy when in her 20s and 30s. During therapy she realized that it was not her father's actual death that haunted her, but the day-to-day uneasiness she felt when her father was alive.

Charlize's mother was a huge inspiration for her

Calling her mother a huge inspiration and someone who never had therapy for living under such traumatic conditions, Charlize shared her mother's incredible philosophy as follows, "This is horrible. Acknowledge that this is horrible. Now make a choice. Will this define you? Are you going to sink or are you going to swim?" Charlize said that while both she and her mother dealt with that night very well, they still have to deal with the life that they had. According to her, it was not just about what had happened that one night but what she and her mother would have to deal with throughout most of their lives.

Dealing with trauma

One of the finest trauma treatment centers for women, Sovereign Health of Arizona provides specialized care to trauma and abuse survivors. At Sovereign Health of Arizona, we understand that a woman who has experienced trauma resulting from domestic violence, sexual assault or any other disturbing event may be reluctant to seek or ask for help. A women-only rehab, Sovereign's Chandler, Arizona, facility offers all its women patients a comprehensive trauma treatment in a private, safe and secure environment. In addition to providing evidence-based therapies, our women's trauma recovery program provides our women patients with the necessary coping skills and techniques required to maintain an overall good health and to prevent any relapse.

For more information on our trauma-related treatment programs or to locate our state-of-the-art treatment centers near you, call at our 24/7 helpline number or chat online with our representative for further assistance.

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How Charlize Theron overcame her real life trauma to live a successful reel life - Sovereign health of Arizona

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In a radio interview, actor Charlize Theron (41), recently opened up about her experience growing up with a father addicted to alcohol and the night her mother killed him in an act of self-defense. A teenager at the time of the incident, the aftermath was worse than the incident itself, she shared.

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Couple arrested for giving drugs to newborn for hiding her withdrawal symptoms

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Couple arrested for giving drugs to newborn for hiding her withdrawal symptoms

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| A couple in Utah has been arrested for allegedly giving prescription pain medicine Suboxone to their newborn daughter the day she was born. According to the police, on April 9, 2017, when the medical staff at Utah Valley Hospital were out of the room, Lacey Dawn Christenson (26) and Colby Glen Wilde (29), crushed Suboxone pills and put the powder on the infant’s mouth and gums. While Christenson has admitted to crushing the drugs, Wilde admitted to administering the same to the infant.

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Couple arrested for giving drugs to newborn for hiding her withdrawal symptoms

A couple in Utah has been arrested for allegedly giving prescription pain medicine Suboxone to their newborn daughter the day she was born. According to the police, on April 9, 2017, when the medical staff at Utah Valley Hospital were out of the room, Lacey Dawn Christenson (26) and Colby Glen Wilde (29), crushed Suboxone pills and put the powder on the infant's mouth and gums. While Christenson has admitted to crushing the drugs, Wilde admitted to administering the same to the infant. The drug was given to the infant to hide the fact that the child was born addicted to drugs. According to the police, throughout her pregnancy, Christenson was addicted to heroin and prescription pain medications. Suboxone can provide relief from withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.

The incident occurred in April 2017, but the couple was not arrested until June 26, 2017. What led to the arrest was a June 26, 2017, robbery at Walmart at Spanish Fork. The store employees reported that Wilde, along with the infant, who was two-month-old at the time of the incident, was spotted taking products from the store shelf. He then proceeded to the customer service to obtain a refund as if he had bought the products. After a confrontation with the employees and after being challenged about the alleged theft, Wilde reportedly fled the scene. However, he was later arrested and charged with driving without insurance, DUI, possession of heroin and meth, theft and child abuse. Christenson, along with other children, was also present at the store and was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Multiple search warrants

On June 28, 2017, when the couple was in jail, the deputies got a search warrant based on feedback from the family's pet's caretaker and found items of drug paraphernalia scattered across their house. Though both Christenson and Wilde were released on July 5, 2017, another search warrant was issued on July 18, 2017, as the police had information that the couple was still doing drugs. On July 18, the police allegedly busted their house and found Wilde actively smoking heroin. After the second search warrant, the couple admitted to using crushed Suboxone pills on their infant daughter in April in the hospital.

The couple was charged with distribution of controlled substance in a drug-free zone, possession of drug paraphernalia, use of heroin and meth, and endangerment of a child. The cash bail for the couple has been set at $10,000.

With both parents in jail, the couple's children (aged three months, two, four and eight years) were taken into custody by the Utah Division of Child and Family Services. Although the oldest of the children did not test positive for drugs, the three younger ones tested positive for meth, while the youngest tested positive for heroin and morphine as well. While the police did not believe that the children were given drugs directly, the children ingested the smoke secondhand from their parents. "They were routinely exposed to secondhand smoke from (the parents') smoking methamphetamines and heroin," said Sgt. Spencer Cannon, Utah County Sheriff's Office public information officer.

In the U.S., a growing number of babies are born addicted to drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), every 25 minutes one baby is born with opioid withdrawal symptoms. Called as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), the cost of taking care of such babies is huge. As per experts, the use of opioids like fentanyl, heroin, codeine and oxycodone during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in infants.

Road to recovery

At Sovereign Health of Arizona, we understand that as compared to men, women fall into the addiction trap due to different circumstances and use addictive substances differently. The heroin addiction treatment for women at the Chandler, Arizona, facility of Sovereign Health not only treats the physical symptoms of addiction but also addresses its mental aspects.

Combining traditional psychotherapies with experiential therapies like meditation, yoga and art therapy, Sovereign Health offers its women patients the best chance to a lasting treatment. For more information on our holistic women only heroin addiction recovery program or to locate our state-of-the-art treatment centers near you, call our 24/7 helpline number or chat online with our representatives for further assistance.

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Couple arrested for giving drugs to newborn for hiding her withdrawal symptoms - Sovereign health of Arizona

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A couple in Utah has been arrested for allegedly giving prescription pain medicine Suboxone to their newborn daughter the day she was born. According to the police, on April 9, 2017, when the medical staff at Utah Valley Hospital were out of the room, Lacey Dawn Christenson (26) and Colby Glen Wilde (29), crushed Suboxone ...

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PTSD Awareness Month: Complex PTSD can have life-long effects

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PTSD Awareness Month: Complex PTSD can have life-long effects

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| Joanne (name changed) exhibited signs of stress disorder following her break-up. She had been through multiple relationships with several men and each time she broke up with her partner, she fell into a deep sadness. She left all her partners accusing them of being abusive and neglecting her.

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National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month

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National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month

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| The smudged eyeliner dripped down her cheeks along with her tears, the soiled mascara stood out on her pretty face along with the ruined makeup, her otherwise trendy red lipstick bore the signs of horror. Her disheveled hair hinted at a strong force having shattered her dignity bit by bit.

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National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month: Rape costs survivor PTSD, $122,000

The smudged eyeliner dripped down her cheeks along with her tears, the soiled mascara stood out on her pretty face along with the ruined makeup, her otherwise trendy red lipstick bore the signs of horror. Her disheveled hair hinted at a strong force having shattered her dignity bit by bit. She shivered in excruciating pain - the pain of losing her own self against her will to someone who didn't think twice before the harrowing act. She had been sexually assaulted and a moment later, she became a rape victim.

Though this scenario is fictional, when one switches on the news or opens the newspaper, one is sure to find reports of such incidents across the world. Sexual assault can happen to anyone, man or woman. Not only is it traumatizing but for the victim, the ordeal can last a lifetime. Though the physical and emotional scars of sexual assault are well known but a study has attempted to find out its economic cost as well.

Lifetime cost of sexual assault

According to a study published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the lifetime cost of rape per victim is $122,461. It means an overall economic burden of more than $3 trillion over victims' lifetime, taking into account the fact that about 25 million Americans aged 18 years or older have been raped. The research also points out that government sources bear an estimated $1 trillion of the lifetime economic burden. While the estimated cost did not include a monetized version of victim's pain and suffering, it did include the victim's physical and mental health, loss of work productivity and criminal justice costs.

The research is based on a mathematical model that uses data from previous studies and the 2011 U.S. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). As per the study, the per-victim cost of rape can be seen as a cost averted when an instance of rape is prevented. The study concluded that preventing sexual violence could help avoid substantial costs incurred by victims, perpetrators, employers and government, among others.

Sexual violence

President Trump recently declared April as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month across the United States. Traditionally known as the Sexual Assault Awareness Month, it aims at raising public awareness and educating communities about sexual violence. The 2017 campaign calls on new partners and community members to help widen efforts targeted toward preventing sexual assault and promoting healthy relationships, equality and respect among the next generation.

This year's theme is "Engaging New Voices," which tries to remind everyone that their voices can change the culture of sexual violence.

The term "sexual violence" can be defined as a sexual act committed against a person without his/her consent. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), forms of sexual violence include rape, child sexual assault, intimate partner sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and unwanted sexual contact.

Sexual assault: More than physical trauma

Sexual violence is one of the most traumatic events that can happen to anyone. What makes the effects long lasting is its sheer unpredictability, the lack of control and the difficulty in being able to talk about the incident.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC), in 2011, over 19 percent of women (about 1 in 5) and about 2 percent of men were raped at least once in their lifetime. Also, nearly 44 percent of women and more than 23 percent of men experienced other forms of sexual violence. According to the CDC, most of the victims suffered the agony at a very young age. Among women victims of rape, nearly 40 percent were first raped before the age of 18 years.

Various surveys show that rape victims are more likely to experience mental health as well as substance abuse problems. According to the NSVRC, 81 percent of female rape victims and 35 percent of male victims suffer from short-term or long-term illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Also, as compared to the general population, victims of sexual assault are more likely to abuse drugs. As per the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network ( RAINN), the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, sexual assault victims are 6 times more likely to use cocaine, 3.4 times more likely to use marijuana and 10 times more likely to use other major drugs.

Need for early prevention

While the recent study provides alarming statistics, the same can be used to enhance sexual assault prevention efforts throughout the nation. As per previous researches, prevention efforts focusing on nurturing relationships for children help prevent early adverse experiences. The U.S. Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) program provides funding to 50 states, the District of Columbia and four territorial health departments.

While there has been an increase in awareness about sexual violence, many survivors continue to suffer in silence. Although a sexual assault causes irreversible damage, one needs to know that victims are never at fault for the heinous act. It is also worth mentioning that perpetrators often use force, threat or injury to attack their victims.

Assault can result in PTSD, seek medical help

PTSD is a reaction to experiencing a terrifying or a life-threatening event such as personal assault, serious accident or a natural disaster. Though PTSD symptoms may begin soon after the distressing event but may not surface even for months or years. These can vary in intensity and differ from person to person.

As mentioned earlier, victims of sexual violence are more likely to suffer from PTSD and similar mental disorders. The trauma of rape is often accompanied by the prejudices and stigma attached to it. Women who experience the trauma are often hesitant and fearful of seeking help.

Since symptoms vary from person to person, Sovereign Health offers an individualized treatment plan to help treat the disorder and avoid any relapse. We understand the plight of a woman suffering from mental disorders such as PTSD. Our comprehensive treatment for PTSD involves a holistic combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities. It includes reducing emotional and physical symptoms, improves daily functioning and helps individuals cope with events triggering the disorder.

At Sovereign Health of Arizona, women patients suffering from mental health conditions receive private, safe and compassionate care in a safe and supportive environment. A female-only residential rehab facility, our Chandler facility offers highest quality care for mental health disorders, substance addiction and co-occurring conditions. The Chandler facility also offers a women-specific trauma treatment program. For more details on women mental health services at our Chandler facility, call at 24/7 helpline number 866-598-5661.You can also chat online with our counselors to know about a mental health rehabilitation center near you.

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National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month: Rape costs survivor PTSD, $122,000 - Sovereign health of Arizona

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The smudged eyeliner dripped down her cheeks along with her tears, the soiled mascara stood out on her pretty face along with the ruined makeup, her otherwise trendy red lipstick bore the signs of horror. Her disheveled hair hinted at a strong force having shattered her dignity bit by bit.