Anxiety disorders are much more than just nervousness and worrying. They can cause terrifying fear about things that other people wouldn't give a second thought to.

Learn about anxiety and depression, symptoms, and how anxiety can often lead to depression.

People with anxiety disorders — social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder — or phobias spend most of their lives in an agitated state. After a while, that can take a huge emotional toll, and depression often sets in. There’s no conclusive explanation as to why anxiety and depression so often co-exist, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, but you can find relief from both with the right treatment.

Introduction

Anxiety disorders are much more than just nervousness and worrying. They can cause terrifying fear about things that other people wouldn't give a second thought to. Many people with anxiety disorders understand that their thoughts are irrational, but they still can't stop them.

"It's a cycle," says Sally R. Connolly, LCSW, a therapist at Couples Counseling of Louisville in Kentucky. "When you get anxious, you tend to have this pervasive thinking about some worry or some problem and you feel bad about it. Then you feel like you've failed, and you move to depression."

The two conditions have a complicated relationship. The incidence of developing depression in addition to an anxiety disorder is high — almost half of all people with major depression also suffer from severe and persistent anxiety, Connolly notes.

"People who are depressed often feel anxious and worried, so one can trigger the other," she says. "Anxiety often comes before depression." There may be a biological predisposition to both depression and other anxiety disorders. People who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder, are particularly likely to also develop depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). "Especially with anxiety, more so than depression, there often is some family history, and so therefore we think that there may be some genetic predisposition to this," Connolly explains. "Some people are just worriers and pass it down."

Why Anxiety Leads to Depression

These are signs that a person may suffer from both anxiety disorder and depression:

- Constant, irrational fear and worry
- Physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, fatigue, headaches, hot flashes, sweating, abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing
- Insomnia
- Changes in eating, either too much or too little
- Difficulty with memory, decision making, and concentration
- Constant feelings of sadness or worthlessness
- Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
- Feeling tired and cranky
- Inability to relax
- Panic attacks

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety 101

Learn about treating anxiety and depression, and how you can help a loved one.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is often used to treat anxiety disorder with depression. CBT can teach people to manage their fears, anxieties, and depressive symptoms by figuring out what's really causing them; people also learn how to take control of their emotions.

Antidepressant medications, which may be prescribed to help treat both conditions. These drugs are often used in conjunction with CBT. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are newer, commonly used antidepressants that offer fewer side effects than older antidepressants, according to the NIMH.

Exercise, which can also help both depression and anxiety disorders. Exercise releases chemicals in the body that make you feel good, and it can help you relax. Taking just a 10-minute walk may alleviate symptoms for several hours, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America states.

Relaxation techniques, which include practicing meditation and mindfulness. Both can ease symptoms of both anxiety and depression and improve your quality of life, according to a large research review published in the March 2014 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

Organizations offering mental health services, which can include a hospital or support group in your community. Check out the National Institute of Mental Health or the Anxiety and Depression Association of America for more resources.

Treatment Strategies

Loved ones of those struggling with anxiety and depression should be on the lookout for these warning signs of a mental health crisis:

- Poor daily self-care, such as refusing to perform personal hygiene habits, get out of bed or eat
- Sudden and extreme changes in mood
- Becoming violent, threatening, or aggressive
- Abusing substances
- Appearing confused or having hallucinations
- Talking about suicide or about not having a reason to live

Treatment for anxiety disorders and depression needs to be administered and managed by a psychiatrist, Connolly says. "It's really crucial for people with both [anxiety and depression] to have a good assessment to rule out bipolar disorder," she says. Bipolar disorder, a condition in which emotions can swing from very low to very high levels of mania and depression, is treated much differently than anxiety disorder with depression. No one has to suffer from an anxiety disorder or depression, and certainly not both. People with anxiety disorder should speak with a psychiatrist, therapist, or other healthcare professional about their symptoms, and start treatment before depression has a chance to set in.

Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore

The Road to Recovery

Anxiety and Depression

Being in a community organization has positive impacts on your mental health. Learn about the benefits of a community.

It is a well-known fact that physical activity and a nutritious diet can improve health and well-being. Most of us know that we are supposed to eat more vegetables and consume fewer fats, that we need at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, and that we need to engage in strength training and recreational activities to maintain our physical health. While these things are undeniably good for us and do contribute to being healthier and reducing chronic disease, it’s important to note that these recommendations don’t cover every aspect of health and wellness. In addition to being physically healthy, we also need to consider the mental components of health and wellness.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), mental illness affects approximately 13 million American adults each year. Mental health plays a major role in people’s ability to maintain good physical health and participate in health-promoting behaviors. People who are mentally healthy are happier, have lower levels of depression and anxiety, maintain healthier relationships with others, and feel that they are making a contribution to society. Several studies support the idea that more green space (e.g., community parks) results in greater mental health for communities. A recent study from England’s University of Exeter titled Longitudinal Effects on Mental Health of Moving to Greener and Less Green Urban Areas illustrates just how important parks are for long-term mental health and well-being. The study determined that people who moved to urban areas with more green space reported higher mental health scores — meaning they were happier and had lower levels of depression and anxiety. Interestingly, the study also showed that the mental health scores continued to improve each year for the duration of the study. In the United States, another study titled “Exposure to Neighborhood Green Space and Mental Health: Evidence from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin” found similar results. This study examined the relationship between environmental green space and mental health in both urban and rural areas and found that “higher levels of neighborhood green space were associated with significantly lower levels of symptomology for depression, anxiety, and stress.” Both of these studies provided significant evidence that parks have a positive impact on the mental health of their communities.

Recreation and Mental Health

Parks can help to improve mental health in a variety of ways, from simply providing the actual green space for people to engage in their natural surroundings to facilitating programs like tai chi, yoga and qigong classes that engage the mind and body, to sponsoring and developing neighborhood gardens that reduce stress and anxiety. Many park and recreation agencies already foster programs that help support mental health. The San Diego Park and Recreation Department provides “open-space parks” within their community. These parks provide community members with opportunities to engage in nature through hiking, walking, biking and other activities. In addition to the open-space parks, San Diego offers popular tai chi and yoga classes in their parks and community centers. Tai chi, an ancient Chinese practice, uses a combination of physical movements, deep breathing, focus, and energy flow to reduce stress and anxiety. With these open-space parks and through its classes, San Diego’s community is experiencing both physical and mental health benefits.

Engagement Activities

Gardening is another tool that parks can use to help stimulate mental health. Researchers have found that gardening can help to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, increase brain activity and produce endorphins. The Portland, Oregon, Parks and Recreation Department’s community gardens program has offered gardening opportunities since 1975. The program provides the chance for community members to garden, volunteer, engage socially with neighbors, learn from other cultures and give back to the community. Heading into its 40th year, the program features 50 community gardens located throughout the city with more than 2,180 individual garden plots. The program is facilitated by four staff members and more than 2,300 annual volunteers. Another large part of their garden program, Produce for People, provides produce for food pantries in an effort to help combat Portland’s high poverty rate. In 2014, Produce for People donated 36,545 pounds of produce to food pantries across the city. Both San Diego’s and Portland’s efforts to provide environments and programming that encourage mental health are prime examples of how park and recreation agencies across the country can make a difference.

Community Gardening

Get Involved in Your Community

Community Recreation

The terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) describe distinct groups within the gay culture.

The terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) describe distinct groups within the gay culture. The early initiatives for people who were gay focused mostly on men. So, in an attempt to draw attention to issues specific to gay women, "lesbian" is often listed first. People who are bisexual or transgender have been traditionally left out of, or underrepresented in, research studies and health initiatives. It is now considered standard to include these two groups along with gay men and lesbians.

What is the Meaning of LGBT?

According to researchers Susan Cochran and Vickie Mays, sexual orientation includes the following dimensions: 

- sexual attraction
- sexual behavior
- sexual fantasies
- emotional, social, and lifestyle preferences
- self-identification

What is Sexual Orientation?

The term "gay" has traditionally been used to represent a diverse group of people who are attracted to people of the same gender or are in a relationship with someone of the same gender. It is important to recognize, however, that different groups within the gay community exist, and that the term "gay" is not all-inclusive.

For example, transsexuals and some people who are bisexual do not consider themselves to be gay. Also, research has found that men who have had relationships with other men do not always identify themselves as gay. There is also a tremendous ethnic diversity among our lesbian, gay, and bisexual communities, and this contributes to the different perceptions of the term "gay." 

Heterosexual, or straight, refers to people whose sexual and romantic feelings are mostly for the opposite gender: Men who are attracted to women, and women who are attracted to men.

Homosexual, or gay, refers to people whose sexual and romantic feelings are mostly for the same gender: Men who are attracted to men, and women who are attracted to women.

Lesbian refers to women who are homosexual.

Bisexual or "bi" refers to people whose sexual and romantic feelings are for both genders.

Transgender is an umbrella term that encompasses a diversity of gender expressions including drag queens and kings, bi-genders, crossdressers, transgenderists, and transsexuals.

Transvestites are people who like to dress like members of the opposite sex.

Transsexuals are people who feel that their anatomical sex does not match the gender with which they identify.

Bigender refers to people who define themselves as having the behavioral, cultural, or psychological characteristics associated with both the male and female genders.

Transgenderist describes someone who is gender variant or transgresses gender norms as part of their lifestyle or identity.

Definition of Terms

LGBT individuals encompass all races and ethnicities, religions, and social classes. Sexual orientation and gender identity questions are not asked on most national or State surveys, making it difficult to estimate the number of LGBT individuals and their health needs. Research suggests that LGBT individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights.

Discrimination against LGBT persons has been associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Experiences of violence and victimization are frequent for LGBT individuals and have long-lasting effects on the individual and the community. Personal, family and social acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity affects the mental health and personal safety of LGBT individuals

Why Is LGBT Health Important?
Eliminating LGBT health disparities and enhancing efforts to improve LGBT health are necessary to ensure that LGBT individuals can lead long healthy lives. The many benefits of addressing health concerns and reducing disparities include reductions in disease transmission and progression, increased mental and physical well-being, reduced health care costs, and increased longevity.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health

In order to effectively address LGBT health issues, we need to securely and consistently collect SOGI information in national surveys and health records. This will allow researchers and policymakers to accurately characterize LGBT health and disparities. Understanding LGBT health starts with understanding the history of oppression and discrimination that these communities have faced. For example, in part, because bars and clubs were often the only safe places where LGBT individuals could gather, alcohol abuse has been an ongoing problem.

Social determinants affecting the health of LGBT individuals largely relate to oppression and discrimination. Examples include:

- Legal discrimination in access to health insurance, employment, housing, marriage, adoption, and retirement benefits
- Lack of laws protecting against bullying in schools
- Lack of social programs targeted to and/or appropriate for LGBT youth, adults, and elders
- Shortage of health care providers who are knowledgeable and culturally competent in LGBT health

The physical environment that contributes to healthy LGBT individuals includes:
- Safe schools, neighborhoods, and housing
- Access to recreational facilities and activities
- Availability of safe meeting places
- Access to health services

Understanding LGBT Health

A number of issues will need to continue to be evaluated and addressed over the coming decade, including:

- Nationally representative data on LGBT Americans
- Prevention of violence and homicide toward the LGB community, and especially the transgender population
- Resiliency in LGBT communities
- LGBT parenting issues throughout the life course
- Elder health and well-being
- Exploration of sexual/gender identity among youth
- Need for an LGBT wellness model
- Recognition of transgender health needs as medically necessary

Continuing Issues in LGBT Health

LGBT Health

LGBT Community

Moderation is everything. Learn about the effects of Alcohol.

Learn about the effects and the health risks of alcohol consumption.

Alcoholic drinks have different amounts of alcohol in them. Beer is about 5% alcohol, although some beers have more. Wine is usually 12% to 15% alcohol. Hard liquor is about 45% alcohol. Alcohol gets into your bloodstream quickly. The amount and type of food in your stomach can change how quickly this occurs. For example, high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods can make your body absorb alcohol more slowly. Certain types of alcoholic drinks get into your bloodstream faster. Stronger drinks tend to be absorbed faster. Alcohol slows your breathing rate, heart rate, and how well your brain functions. These effects may appear within 10 minutes and peak at around 40 to 60 minutes. Alcohol stays in your bloodstream until it is broken down by the liver.

The amount of alcohol in your blood is called your blood alcohol level. If you drink alcohol faster than the liver can break it down, this level rises. Your blood alcohol level is used to legally define whether or not you are drunk. The legal limit for blood alcohol usually falls between 0.08 and 0.10 in most states. Below is a list of blood alcohol levels and the likely symptoms:

0.05 -- reduced inhibitions
0.10 -- slurred speech
0.20 -- euphoria and motor impairment
0.30 -- confusion
0.40 -- stupor
0.50 -- coma
0.60 -- breathing stops and death

You can have symptoms of being drunk at blood alcohol levels below the legal definition of being drunk. Also, people who drink alcohol frequently may not have symptoms until a higher blood alcohol level is reached.

The Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol increases the risk of:

- Alcoholism
- Falls, drownings, and other accidents
- Head, neck, stomach, colon, breast, and other cancers
- Heart attack and stroke
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Risky sex behaviors, unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Suicide and homicide

Drinking during pregnancy can harm the developing baby. Severe birth defects or fetal alcohol syndrome are possible.

Health Risks of Alcohol

Alcohol

Learn about some tips to drink responsibly, if you choose to drink alcohol.

If you drink alcohol, it is best to do so in moderation. Moderation means the drinking is not getting you intoxicated (or drunk) and you are drinking no more than 1 drink per day if you are a woman and no more than 2 if you are a man. A drink is defined as 12 ounces (350 milliliters) of beer, 5 ounces (150 milliliters) of wine, or 1.5 ounces (45 milliliters) of liquor. Here are some ways to drink responsibly, provided you do not have a drinking problem, are of legal age to drink alcohol, and are not pregnant.

Never drink alcohol and drive a car. If you are going to drink, have a designated driver, or plan an alternative way home, such as a taxi or bus. DO NOT drink on an empty stomach. Snack before and while drinking alcohol. If you are taking medicines, including over-the-counter drugs, check with your health care provider before drinking alcohol. Alcohol can make the effects of many medicines stronger. It can also interact with other medicines, making them ineffective or dangerous or make you sick.

If alcohol use runs in your family, you may be at increased risk of developing this disease yourself. So, you may want to avoid drinking alcohol altogether. CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IF:

- You are concerned about your personal alcohol use or that of a family member
- You are interested in more information regarding alcohol use or support groups
- You are unable to reduce or stop your alcohol consumption, in spite of attempts to stop drinking

Moderation

You can take steps to increase your safety in situations where drinking may be involved. These tips can help you feel safer and may reduce the risk of something happening. Though it is best to stay safe while under the influence of alcohol, it’s important to remember that sexual assault is never the victim’s fault, regardless of whether they were sober or under the influence of drugs or alcohol when it occurred.

1. Keep an eye on your friends.
If you are going out in a group, plan to arrive together and leave together. If you decide to leave early, let your friends know. If you’re at a party, check in with them during the night to see how they’re doing. If something doesn’t look right, step in. Don’t be afraid to let a friend know if something is making you uncomfortable or if you are worried about their safety.

2. Have a backup plan.
Sometimes plans change quickly. You might realize it’s not safe for you to drive home, or the group you arrived with might decide to go somewhere you don’t feel comfortable. Keep the number for a reliable taxi company saved in your phone and on a piece of paper in your wallet and try to have cash on hand. It is also a good idea to download a few different rideshare apps on your phone. Having multiple options helps ensure that you will be able to get a ride home or to a safe location, even if the app you typically use is not functioning. To help keep your phone charged so you can stay in communication with friends or call a ride, consider bringing an external cell phone charger that can be used without an electrical outlet. 

3. Know what you’re drinking.
Don’t recognize an ingredient? Use your phone to look it up. Consider avoiding large-batch drinks like punches that may have deceptively high alcohol content. There is no way to know exactly what was used to create these drinks.

4. Trust your instincts.
If you feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or worried for any reason, don’t ignore these feelings. Go with your gut. Get somewhere safe and find someone you trust, or call law enforcement. 

5. Don’t leave a drink unattended.
That includes when you use the bathroom, go dancing, or leave to make a phone call. Either take the drink with you or throw it out. Avoid using the same cup to refill your drink.

6. Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know or trust.
This can be challenging in some settings, like a party or a date. If you choose to accept a drink from someone you’ve just met, try to go with the person to the bar to order it, watch it being poured, and carry it yourself.

7. Check in with yourself.
You might have heard the expression “know your limits.” Whether you drink regularly or not, check in with yourself periodically to register how you feel. If you think you have had too much, ask a trusted friend to help you get water or get home safely. Remember, if someone offers you a drink, you can always say no.

8. Be aware of sudden changes in the way your body feels.
Do you feel more intoxicated than you are comfortable with? Some drugs are odorless, colorless, and/or tasteless, and can be added to your drink without you noticing. If you feel uncomfortable, tell a friend and have them take you to a safe place. If you suspect you or a friend has been drugged, call 911, and tell the healthcare professionals that you suspect you or a friend has been drugged so they can administer the right tests.

Quick Tips to Help You Stay Safe

Responsible Drinking

Alcohol Safety

How do you move forward with your career goals?

Brainstorm where to improve your skills and hone your craft for advancing your career.

Not sure what you want to do? Your first step is to understand who you are and what you want – both from your work and your life. Here are some key questions you can ask yourself to help decide on your next steps.

Who am I?

Whether you’re mid-career or still in study, you need to approach any career move in the same way. Your first step is to understand who you are and what you want – both from your work and your life. Consider your interests, skills, values, and qualities. You should also ask yourself:

- What am I good at?
- What do I like to do in my spare time?
- What have I achieved already?
- What things am I passionate about?
- What are my interests? Knowing what your interests are can help you plan or change your career.  If you are able to find an environment that suits your interests, you are likely to be happier in what you do.
- What are my values? Knowing what is important to you in a job can help you narrow down your career options, and finding a career that fits with your values can help you feel more satisfied in your work.
What are my skills? Working out what skills you have, then matching them to different jobs, can open up career options you may never have thought of. Think of examples of the skills you've learned in work and other areas of your life such as sport, community work, and hobbies.
Where am I? The people around you and your personal circumstances also play a part in your career choices. Being aware of this will help you in your decision-making.

Things to consider include:
Family expectations
perhaps your parents have a strong opinion about what career you should choose, or what course you should study.

Your commitments
sporting or community group activities could mean you have to be free at certain times, or you may have other commitments such as needing to look after or financially support family members.

Your career readiness
If you’re just starting out, you may be willing to spend more time and effort on training or studying than if you’ve been working for 15 years already.

Obstacles or challenges:
Maybe you feel your age is a barrier to moving into a new job, or maybe you live in a rural area where there are fewer training or study options.

Where do I want to be?
Where do you see yourself in five years' time, and beyond? 
What do you want to be doing, and what do you want to be like as a person? 

Knowing your answers to questions like these can affect your career choices, for example:

Do you want a job that earns you a lot of money?
Do you want a job that will allow you a certain amount of free time, so you can continue to take part in other activities?
Do you like being in charge, giving advice, or having people come to you for help?

Thinking about what you want to be doing will help you with your career ideas, but so will thinking about how you will get there.
What's involved in getting to the place that you want to go? Are you prepared to take the necessary steps to get there?
Where can I go for help?

Once you've explored your own ideas about yourself and narrowed down some career options, it's good to talk through your thoughts with others. Bouncing your ideas off someone else can help things become clearer to you. Other people may also have some insights into your character or situation that you had not considered. Talk to people who know you well and who you can trust. Ask them what they think are your strengths and skills. These may include family/whānau, friends, church leaders, or teachers. If you have a part-time job or you do volunteer work, think about asking your employer which parts of the job they think you do well.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Being able to identify all the skills you have can open you up to more career options. It can also help you work out if you have any skill or knowledge gaps that can be addressed with further training.

What are skills? 
A skill is the ability to do something. We are not born with skills – we develop them through experiences in life and work. Skills can be simple, such as making toast, or more complex, such as playing a musical instrument.

What different types of skills are there? 
In the workplace, you will use a combination of different skills. These skills are employability skills, transferable skills, and specialist skills. Employability skills are the skills, qualities, and attitudes that employers say are essential for their workplace. The skills are Positive attitude, Communication, Teamwork, Self-management, Willingness to learn, Thinking skills, and Resilience.

A transferable skill is one that can be used in a variety of situations or jobs - you transfer them from one job to another. For example, being able to use a drill is a job-specific skill – but one that involves hand-eye coordination, which is a transferable skill. Examples include being able to motivate and organize others, being able to work with facts and figures, having good verbal and communication skills, and having accuracy and/or an eye for detail.

Specialist skills usually relate to a specific job or group of jobs.
Examples include fluency in a language, a heavy vehicle driver's license, and the ability to use specific computer programs and technical equipment.

Figure Out Your Skills

The seven essential employability skills are:

- Positive attitude
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Self-management
- Willingness to learn
- Thinking skills
- Resilience

Positive attitude
Having a positive attitude is like showing up to your team’s game ready to give it your best, excited, and ready to go even if the chances of winning are low and it’s going to be hard work.

Communication
You have good communication skills if you can listen well, you don’t swear at work or have a bad attitude, you can ask for what you want clearly and you’re not afraid to ask if you don’t understand something.

Teamwork
Teamwork is just like when you’re playing netball or performing in your band. You help each other to get what you want, you make sure you do your part, you get on with everyone and you respect your coach or manager.

Self-management
When you manage yourself you are in control of what you do and say in a way that doesn’t harm yourself or others. You turn up to school or work on time, in the right clothes, and ready to start, and people can rely on you.

Willingness to learn
Willingness to learn is showing that you’re happy to learn new things and what you need to know to do your job.

Thinking skills (problem-solving and decision making)
Using thinking skills means that if you see a problem, you don’t wait for someone else, you find a way to fix it.

Resilience
Resilience is accepting that life does get hard at times and does change. It’s about being able to change, ask for help, and keep going.

Skills Employers Are Looking For

Skills that you develop in your day-to-day life are often transferable skills - that is, skills that are useful to many types of jobs. Here are some examples:

Household activities
Activities that may help you develop skills include evaluating and purchasing food, furniture, and appliances; household maintenance, or repairing and maintaining cars; managing the household budget and general bookkeeping; planning and organizing parties, holidays, entertainment, and children's activities.

Skills you may develop include evaluation, analysis, and problem-solving skills; skill in doing precise, detailed, and accurate work; book-keeping, budgeting, and maths skills; skill in organizing and coordinating activities and other people.

Voluntary or community work
You may do things such as work as an elected officer of an organization, where you might chair meetings, organize speakers or events, do fundraising, keep books, write reports or make submissions on reports
teach or counsel children or adults; provide physical and/or emotional support for groups of people with disabilities or special needs. 

Skills you may develop include planning and organizational skills; writing skills, including report writing; problem-solving; people and communication skills; bookkeeping, budgeting, and maths skills.

Recreation and hobbies
Participating in and organizing sporting activities. Using creativity to produce floral art, fine arts, music, drama. Participating in clubs and organizations: environmental, religious, service, youth, etc.
Skills you may develop include planning, organizational skills, problem solving, and people skills

Skills Gained Outside the Workforce

What are your work options?
Work without qualifications
You can still get jobs that take you based on your experience or readiness to work. To increase your chances of getting a job without qualifications, consider offering to work on trial or do work experience.

Earn qualifications while working
Some jobs don't require any specific skills because you learn skills on the job. In many industries, you can also earn qualifications while you're working.

Start your own business
Many businesses start out in people's kitchens or garages. Starting a business doesn't require qualifications. 

Certificate courses
Certificate courses can give you the qualifications you need for a trade or give you credits to enter a university degree or apprenticeship training.

Did You Leave School Without Qualifications?

What is work-life balance?
Work-life balance is about having the right amount of time for work and for your lifestyle. If you have a work-life balance you feel that you have enough time for your work and career as well as for your family,  wellbeing, community life, and interests.

How do you know if your work-life balance isn't right?
Getting the right mix of work to other activities in your life can be a challenge. Have a look at the list below and think about your own situation. Are you:

- working long hours?
- working at night and sleeping most of the day?
- not getting enough leisure time?
- not spending enough time with the people who are important to you?
- eating badly, not exercising, not sleeping, and not having quiet time?
- taking your laptop or work cellphone to bed with you?
- taking work with you on holiday?

If you answered yes to most of the questions above, you may be overworked or trying to juggle too many things. Take time to reflect on what small things you can do to create more balance in your life.
Why is work-life balance important? When you have a work-life balance, you're more likely to have better health, enjoy better relationships and do things that make you happy. Without work-life balance, you are in danger of working too hard and suffering from stress and bad health as well as neglecting your relationships and community life.

How Does Work Fit in With Your Life?

Where To Start

Plan Your Career

S.U.D affects a family's well-being in many aspects. Often, physical, psychological, and financial health are compromised.

Learn how S.U.D affects all members of a family.

Every single person in an addict’s immediate family (and at times extended family) is affected in some way by the individual’s substance abuse. Addiction impacts a family’s finances, physical health, and psychological wellbeing. In recent years, our society has moved further and further away from the traditional nuclear family. There are single-parent homes, blended families, and homes headed by grandparents, just to name a few family unit variations. Each of these family structures and more will affect the addict’s overall impact on the family. If young children are a part of the family, their ages must also be factored into the effect of substance abuse. The same can be said for older adults who have adult children.

The severity of addiction and the type of substance dependence also factor into the overall impact of addiction on a family. Addiction impacts a family’s finances, physical health, and psychological wellbeing Lastly, each addict’s situation is different, which means that each family’s situation is unique. This makes it impossible to assign a universal causal relationship between substance abuse and family functioning. It is worth noting that in most families, the impact of addiction is overwhelmingly negative, with few exceptions.

Addiction and Family Roles

Learn about how addiction affects families in various family roles.

In every family unit, each person plays a role (or multiple roles) to help the family function better and to maintain a level of homeostasis, stability, and balance. When substance abuse is added to this dynamic, the family roles naturally shift to adjust to the new behaviors associated with drug or alcohol use and to continue maintaining order and balance. Including the addict, there have been six roles developed to understand how the family functions around the substance abuser. They are “the enabler,” “the mascot,” “the hero,” “the scapegoat,” “the lost child” and “the addict.

The Enabler
This role is often assumed by a non-addicted spouse or an older child in single-parent homes. The enabler takes care of all of the things that the addict has left undone, including taking care of finances, ensuring children get to school, and making justifications for the addict in social and business situations. The enabler is frequently in denial about the severity of the addict’s problem and will continually make excuses for him or her.

The Hero
This role is generally assumed by an older child in the family who overachieves and appears confident and serious. Heroes take on responsibilities in the home that seemingly exceed their developmental stage, often assuming parental roles. The hero is obsessed with perfection, which makes the role increasingly difficult to maintain as the addiction progresses and responsibilities continue to mount.

The Scapegoat
This is the child in the family who habitually misbehaves and displays defiant tendencies in the face of authority. These individuals often get into trouble in school and at home. As these children move toward adulthood, many get into trouble with the law as well. These behaviors are reflective of a poisonous and chaotic atmosphere in the house.

The Lost Child
The person in this role is isolated from other members of the family and has trouble developing relationships as a result. The lost child has difficulty in social situations and often engages in fantasy play to distract themselves both emotionally and physically from the negative home environment.

The Addict
Many chronic substance abusers feel great shame, guilt, and remorse about the pain and distress they’ve caused their families. However, there are also many addicts who do not want to cease their substance abuse, causing great anger and resentment throughout the family. When these roles are established during childhood, they become behavioral patterns that continue to play out and evolve throughout adulthood. The late development of an addiction (when adult children are present) creates another set of issues, as many family roles have already been firmly set. The blurred line between parent/child relationships and parent/friend relationships also makes the situation more difficult to remedy.

Among all of the family members who are impacted by an addict’s disease, perhaps no one suffers as much as children. The effects of living with an addicted parent can be felt long after childhood and well into adulthood. Parental alcoholism and drug addiction can create poor self-image, loneliness, guilt, anxiety, feelings of helplessness, fear of abandonment, and chronic depression in children. Maternal substance abuse during pregnancy can also lead to a host of behavioral and developmental disorders in children.

One in five adult Americans lived with an alcoholic relative at some point during their childhoods. Overall, these individuals are at a greater risk for behavioral and emotional problems when compared to children of non-alcoholics. Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than individuals who were not raised by alcoholics. They are also more likely to have difficulty dealing with stress and highly likely to marry an alcoholic or abusive spouse later in life. The financial damage of addiction can also lead to a child being undereducated and malnourished. Children of alcoholics and other substance abusers are also likely to grow up in a highly unstable home. Children in these situations are unable to determine which parent they will get (sober or intoxicated) on a moment-to-moment basis and are often left to fend for themselves at times when adult supervision would be considered necessary.

The financial damage of addiction can also lead to a child being undereducated and malnourished.
Going to school and having three meals a day is not as important as an addict’s next score. Basically, a person who grows up in a home with one or more addicts is often robbed of important aspects of his or her childhood. When illicit substances are involved, children are often unfairly exposed to illegal activities and may in some cases be asked to aid in these activities by lying about what their parents are doing. Additionally, parents abusing any substance are more likely to be involved with divorce, mental illness, unemployment, and legal problems, severely compromising their abilities to effectively parent.

Children of Substance Abusers

Substance abuse and committed relationships do not make for a very cohesive mix. Especially in relationships where only one partner has a substance abuse problem, alcohol and drugs can ruin a marriage or long-term relationship. Alcoholism has been linked to higher divorce rates, and one partner’s addiction can lead to the other partner having to shoulder an unfair share of the household responsibilities. A relationship with two addicts allows each partner to feed off of and enable the other. When both spouses are equally addicted to drugs or alcohol, it may not increase the chance for divorce, but the household’s atmosphere will become much more toxic as a result.

One sober partner can at least try to keep the house in order and encourage the substance abuser to see the help. A relationship with two addicts allows each partner to feed off of and enable the other. This too will likely lead to the slow deterioration of the relationship, as both addicts will be primarily focused on feeding their addictions rather than cultivating the relationship or handling any household responsibilities. Codependency is also an issue that often arises in spouses of substance abusers. The concept of codependency became widely popular during the 1980s. Broadly, it refers to an individual who is overly involved with another person to the point of dysfunction. Early on, the term was often reserved for the wives of alcoholics and drug addicts who relied on their husbands for financial wellbeing. Though codependent people are usually spouses, anyone who has an established relationship with an addict can become codependent.

Spouses of Substance Abusers

No matter how old a parent’s kids are, discovering that your children have an addiction problem can be an unpleasant, rude awakening. It may cause mothers and fathers to question their parental abilities or decisions they’ve made. Parents of addicts, much like children of addicts, often blame themselves for the development of the substance use disorder. For teenagers and adolescents struggling with addiction, the problem can be perceived as being potentially more dangerous, with the child not evenly fully matured and so much of his or her life left ahead. This is also a critical time for addiction to be stopped before its grip is too strong.

- Nine out of 10 Americans who meet the criteria for addiction began smoking, drinking or using other drugs before age 18.
- 75 percent of all high school students have used an addictive substance. One in five of those students meet the criteria for addiction.
- 46 percent of all high school students currently use an addictive substance, with 33 percent of them meeting the criteria for addiction
- 10 percent of all youth aged 12 to 17 are current illicit drug users.
- An estimated 6 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds and 17 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds reported driving under the influence of alcohol within the last year

At least when parents have teens and adolescents who have substance use disorders, they have some level of power in that they control the finances and the household
This power can be wielded to get them to accept treatment and cease substance abuse. With parents of adult addicts, however, the ability to impose consequences for substance abuse or the unwillingness to seek treatment is greatly diminished. This holds even truer when the parents live separately from the addicted daughter or son. When the addict has young children, the grandparents or other extended family members are often the ones who pick up the slack in parental duties. According to the U.S. Census, the number of children being raised by their grandparents skyrocketed from 2.4 million in 2000 to 4.9 million in 2010. Two of the primary causes of this are addiction and mental disorder.

Parents of Alcoholics and Drug Addicts

Family and S.U.D.

Discover the types of clubs you can join and interact with!

There are four main club categories: fundraising, community service, career interest, and interpersonal dynamics. Many clubs offer a combination of each element.

Fundraising
Many people polarize toward fundraising for a major organization or movement. Fundraising appeals to people as high school students make a direct impact on international affairs, such as funding cancer research or environmental preservation.

Community Service
Many schools require that students perform a certain community service quota. To obtain such a threshold, many people turn to community service organizations such as Exchange Clubs, Key Club, Interact Club, Lion's Club, Red Cross, FCCLA, and local clubs.
In doing so, many teenagers experience more camaraderie while performing community service. Other individuals just enjoy helping the local community around them.

Career Interest
Many teenagers join clubs that revolve around their career interests. Many clubs, such as Future Scientist and Engineers of America focus on specific career fields and help students understand them better. Many competitions, awards, and conventions are held to give club members advantages in these fields by exposing them to new opportunities. In addition, members of career interest clubs network with other students who will enter similar fields.

Interpersonal Dynamics
Many teenagers join clubs that offer no academic, organizational, or community benefits. These clubs tend to focus on culture, social dynamics, and self-interest. These clubs look to satisfy the needs and demands of teenagers in each school, based on environment, tradition, and culture. Clubs such as Anime Club can bring students to socialize.

Types of clubs

- TSA - Technology Student Association
- JSA - Junior State of America
- DECA
- Future Business Leaders of America
- French Club
- UNICEF High School Clubs
- Key Club
- Interact Club
- High Schools Society, Ghana
- Lion's Club
- Red Cross
- Thespian Society
- Model United Nations
- The National FFA Organization
- SkillsUSA (formerly known as VICA)
- HOSA- Health Occupation Students of America
- Amnesty International
- Student Council
- Anime Club
- Korean Culture Club
- Chess Club
- BHHS Real Estate Club
- BHHS Feed the Families Club
- Gay/Straight Alliance
- Speech and Debate club
- Academic Decathlon
- First Robotics
- Quiz bowl
- Science Bowl
- Scholar Bowl
- Math Team
- VEX Robotics Competition
- Book club
- Science club
- Science Olympiad
- Yearbook club
- National Honor Society
- Music Honor Society

List of Social Clubs

Join the Club!

Social Clubs

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Research shows that a combination of medication and therapy can successfully treat these disorders, and for some people struggling with addiction, MAT can help sustain recovery. Learn about many of the substance use disorders that MAT is designed to address. MAT is primarily used for the treatment of addiction to opioids such as heroin and prescription pain relievers that contain opiates. The prescribed medication operates to normalize brain chemistry, block the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, relieve physiological cravings, and normalize body functions without the negative effects of the abused drug. Medications used in MAT are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and MAT programs are clinically driven and tailored to meet each patient’s needs. Combining medications used in MAT with anxiety treatment medications can be fatal. Types of anxiety treatment medications include derivatives of Benzodiazepine, such as Xanax or valium.

Learn about some programs and therapy used for MAT.

Opioid treatment programs (OTPs) provide MAT for individuals diagnosed with an opioid use disorder. OTPs also provide a range of services to reduce, eliminate, or prevent the use of illicit drugs, potential criminal activity, and/or the spread of infectious disease. OTPs focus on improving the quality of life of those receiving treatment. OTPs must be accredited by a SAMHSA-approved accrediting body and certified by SAMHSA. The Division of Pharmacologic Therapies (DPT), part of the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), oversees accreditation standards and certification processes for OTPs. Learn more about the certification of OTPs and SAMHSA’s oversight of OTP Accreditation Bodies. Federal law requires patients who receive treatment in an OTP to receive medical, counseling, vocational, educational, and other assessment and treatment services, in addition to prescribed medication. The law allows MAT professionals to provide treatment and services in a range of settings, including hospitals, correctional facilities, offices, and remote clinics. Learn more about the legislation, regulations, and guidelines that govern OTPs. As of 2015, OTPs were located in every U.S. state except North Dakota and Wyoming. The District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also had OTPs in operation.

Opioid Treatment Programs

Under federal law, MAT patients must receive counseling, which could include different forms of behavioral therapy. These services are required along with medical, vocational, educational, and other assessment and treatment services. Learn more about these treatments for substance use disorders.

Counseling and Behavioral Therapies

In 2013, an estimated 1.8 million people had an opioid use disorder related to prescription pain relievers, and about 517,000 had an opioid use disorder related to heroin use. MAT has proved to be clinically effective and to significantly reduce the need for inpatient detoxification services for these individuals. MAT provides a more comprehensive, individually tailored program of medication and behavioral therapy. MAT also includes support services that address the needs of most patients. The ultimate goal of MAT is full recovery, including the ability to live a self-directed life. This treatment approach has been shown to:

- Improve patient survival,
- Increase retention in treatment,
- Decrease illicit opiate use and other criminal activity among people with substance use disorders,
- Increase patients’ ability to gain and maintain employment,
- Improve birth outcomes among women who have substance use disorders and are pregnant. 

Research also shows that these medications and therapies can contribute to lowering a person’s risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis C by reducing the potential for relapse. Learn more about substance misuse and how it relates to HIV, AIDS, and Viral Hepatitis. Learn more about common comorbidities that occur with substance use disorders.

MAT Effectiveness

SAMHSA’s Partners for Recovery Initiative produced a brochure designed to assist MAT patients and to educate and inform others. This Medication-Assisted Treatment Know Your Rights Brochure – 2009 presents and explains the federal laws that prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities and how they protect people receiving MAT for opioid addiction. Under the Confidentiality Regulation, 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 2, personally identifiable health information relating to substance use and alcohol treatment must be handled with a higher degree of confidentiality than other medical information.

MAT and Patient Rights

FDA has approved several different medications to treat opioid addiction and alcohol dependence. A common misconception associated with MAT is that it substitutes one drug for another. Instead, these medications relieve the withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings that cause chemical imbalances in the body. MAT programs provide a safe and controlled level of medication to overcome the use of an abused opioid. And research has shown that when provided at the proper dose, medications used in MAT have no adverse effects on a person’s intelligence, mental capability, physical functioning, or employability. Medications used in MAT for opioid treatment can only be dispensed through a SAMHSA-certified OTP. Some of the medications used in MAT are controlled substances due to their potential for misuse. Drugs, substances, and certain chemicals used to make drugs are classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into five distinct categories, or schedules, depending upon a drug’s acceptable medical use and potential for misuse.

Medications Used in MAT

Programs and Therapy

Learn about the different medications used during Medication Assisted Treatment.

Methadone tricks the brain into thinking it’s still getting the abused drug. In fact, the person is not getting high from it and feels normal, so withdrawal doesn’t occur. Learn more about methadone. Pregnant or breastfeeding women must inform their treatment provider before taking methadone. It is the only drug used in MAT approved for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. 

Methadone

Like methadone, buprenorphine suppresses and reduces cravings for the abused drug. It can come in a pill form or sublingual tablet that is placed under the tongue.

Buprenorphine

Naltrexone works differently than methadone and buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid dependency. If a person using naltrexone relapses and uses the abused drug, naltrexone blocks the euphoric and sedative effects of the abused drug and prevents feelings of euphoria.

Naltrexone

FDA approved naloxone, an injectable drug used to prevent an opioid overdose. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), naloxone is one of a number of medications considered essential to a functioning health care system.

Naloxone

Disulfiram is a medication that treats chronic alcoholism. It is most effective in people who have already gone through detoxification or are in the initial stage of abstinence. This drug is offered in tablet form and is taken once a day. Disulfiram should never be taken while intoxicated and it should not be taken for at least 12 hours after drinking alcohol. Unpleasant side effects (nausea, headache, vomiting, chest pains, difficulty breathing) can occur as soon as ten minutes after drinking even a small amount of alcohol and can last for an hour or more.

Disulfiram

Acamprosate is a medication for people in recovery who have already stopped drinking alcohol and want to avoid drinking. It works to prevent people from drinking alcohol, but it does not prevent withdrawal symptoms after people drink alcohol. It has not been shown to work in people who continue drinking alcohol, consumes illicit drugs, and/or engage in prescription drug misuse and abuse. The use of acamprosate typically begins on the fifth day of abstinence, reaching full effectiveness in five to eight days. It is offered in tablet form and taken three times a day, preferably at the same time every day. The medication’s side effects may include diarrhea, upset stomach, appetite loss, anxiety, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping.

Acamprosate

When used as a treatment for alcohol dependency, naltrexone blocks the euphoric effects and feelings of intoxication. This allows people with alcohol addiction to reduce their drinking behaviors enough to remain motivated to stay in treatment, avoid relapses, and take medications.

Medication Assisted Treatment

Health starts in our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. Taking care of ourselves by eating well, staying active, and seeing a doctor when we are sick all influence our health.

Introduction to Social Determinants of Health

Health starts in our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. We know that taking care of ourselves by eating well and staying active, not smoking, getting the recommended immunizations and screening tests, and seeing a doctor when we are sick all influence our health. Our health is also determined in part by access to social and economic opportunities; the resources and supports available in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities; the quality of our schooling; the safety of our workplaces; and the nature of our social interactions and relationships.

Social determinants of health are conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Conditions (e.g., social, economic, and physical) in these various environments and settings (e.g., school, church, workplace, and neighborhood) have been referred to as “place.” In addition to the more material attributes of “place,” the patterns of social engagement and sense of security and well-being are also affected by where people live. Resources that enhance the quality of life can have a significant influence on population health outcomes. 

Examples of these resources include safe and affordable housing, access to education, public safety, availability of healthy foods, local emergency/health services, and environments free of life-threatening toxins. Understanding the relationship between how population groups experience “place” and the impact of “place” on health is fundamental to the social determinants of health—including both social and physical determinants. By working to establish policies that positively influence social and economic conditions and those that support changes in individual behavior, we can improve health for large numbers of people in ways that can be sustained over time. Improving the conditions in which we live, learn, work, and play will create a healthier population, society, and workforce.

Understanding Social Determinants of Health

- Availability of resources to meet daily needs (e.g., safe housing and local food markets)
- Access to educational, economic, and job opportunities
- Access to health care services
- Quality of education and job training
- Availability of community-based resources in support of community living and opportunities for recreational and leisure-time activities
- Transportation options
- Public safety
- Social support
- Social norms and attitudes (e.g., discrimination, racism, and distrust of government)
-Exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder (e.g., presence of trash and lack of cooperation in a community)
- Socioeconomic conditions (e.g., concentrated poverty and the stressful conditions that accompany it)
- Residential segregation
- Language/Literacy
- Access to mass media and emerging technologies (e.g., cell phones, the Internet, and social media)
Culture

Examples of Social Determinants

- Natural environment, such as green space (e.g., trees and grass) or weather (e.g., climate change)
- Built environment, such as buildings, sidewalks, bike lanes, and roads
- Worksites, schools, and recreational settings
- Housing and community design
- Exposure to toxic substances and other physical hazards
- Physical barriers, especially for people with disabilities
- Aesthetic elements (e.g., good lighting, trees, and benches)

Examples of Physical Determinants

Social Determinants of Health

Learn about improving social areas, which in turn improves health.

A “place-based” organizing framework, reflecting five (5) key areas of social determinants of health (SDOH), was developed by Healthy People 2020.

These five key areas (determinants) include:
- Economic Stability
- Education
- Social and Community Context
- Health and Health Care
- Neighborhood and Built Environment

Each of these five determinant areas reflects a number of key issues that make up the underlying factors in the arena of SDOH. 

- Economic Stability: Employment, Food Insecurity, Housing Instability, and Poverty
- Education: Early Childhood Education and Development, Enrollment in Higher Education, High School Graduation, and Language and Literacy
- Social and Community Context: Civic Participation, Discrimination, Incarceration, and Social Cohesion
- Health and Health Care: Access to Health Care, Access to Primary Care, and Health Literacy
- Neighborhood and Built Environment: Access to Foods that Support Healthy Eating Patterns, Crime and - Violence, Environmental Conditions, and Quality of Housing

This organizing framework has been used to establish an initial set of objectives for the topic area as well as to identify existing Healthy People objectives (i.e., in other topic areas) that are complementary and highly relevant to social determinants. It is anticipated that additional objectives will continue to be developed throughout the decade. In addition, the organizing framework has been used to identify an initial set of evidence-based resources and other examples of how a social determinants approach is or may be implemented at a state and local level.

Healthy People 2020 Approach to Social Determinants of Health

Improving Social Determinants of Health

These suggestions are meant as alternatives to Self-Injury in times of dire crisis and overwhelming urges. They are what I call "Intermediate coping strategies" designed to help you move into a less emotionally volatile state. They are NOT DBT skills!

Learn about various tools you can use to respond to a high distress situation.

The source of this material is from many people with BPD sharing what has worked for them. This is a compilation of their answers, These suggestions for dealing with panic are not a replacement for the Distress Tolerance skills. They are about being effective in the moment - which means doing what it takes to be safe. Believe it or not, even the ones that sound stupid usually, help a little, and the best skill of all is to wait 15 min, and then ask yourself if you can wait for 15 more, and so on. If 15 min is a long time for you, try 5. The point is, self-injury urges usually hit and you want to do it "right now". If you can wait, then maybe you don't have to do it at all. Emotions come to us in waves. The longer you wait, the more likely the urgent need will dissipate. As you go along in life without self-injuring, one day you will think about doing it and a little voice says, "Ouch! That would hurt! That's not going to make me feel better." Self-injury can be addictive but over time, with practice, you'll find other ways to tolerate distress and it will become more manageable.

Note About These Distress Skills

Distress Skills

Discover some options for immediate distress options

- Try something physical and violent, something not directed at a living thing:
- Slash an empty plastic soda bottle or a piece of heavy cardboard or an old shirt or sock.
- Make a soft cloth doll things you are angry at instead of yourself
-Flatten aluminum cans for recycling, seeing how fast you can go.
- Hit a punching bag.
- Use a pillow to hit a wall, pillow-fight style.
- Rip up an old newspaper or phone book,
- On a sketch or photo of yourself, mark in red ink what you want to do. Cut and tear the picture.
- Make Play-Doh or Sculpey or other clay models and cut or smash them.
- Throw ice into the bathtub or against a brick wall hard enough to shatter it.
- Break sticks.

Sometimes these things work even better if you rant at the thing you are cutting/tearing/hitting. You could start out slowly, explaining why you are hurt and angry, but you might end up swearing and crying and yelling. It helps a lot to vent like that.
- Crank up the music and dance.
- Clean your room (or your whole house).
- Go for a walk/jog/run.
- Stomp around in heavy shoes.
- Play handball or tennis.
- Play an intense computer game.

Distress Options For When You Feel Angry, Frustrated, Restless

- Do something slow and soothing, like taking a hot bath with bath oil or bubbles.
- Curl up under a comforter with hot cocoa and a good book.
- Baby yourself somehow. Do whatever makes you feel taken care of and comforted.
- Light sweet-smelling incense.
- Listen to soothing music.
- Smooth nice body lotion onto the parts of yourself you want to hurt.
- Call a friend and just talk about things that you like.
- Make a tray of special treats and tuck yourself into bed with it and watch TV or read.
- Visit a friend.
- Play a friendly, easy computer game.
- Make a list of the things you are grateful for, start with the easy things.

Distress options for when you feel sad, unhappy, depressed

- Watch a funny movie.
- Watch a cartoon movie.
- Watch children's programs.
- Watch educational programs.
- Watch programs about nature.
- Avoid watching violent television.

Distress Options For When You Feel Overwhelmed or Obsessed

Distress Options

Panic List For Distress Skills

Volunteering is a win-win situation - it improves your mood and helps other people out!


Learn about volunteering benefits and opportunities.

Dummy Title: Part 1 - video

Part of being a great volunteer is loving what you're doing. Find something that you're passionate about or something that inspires you, and then find a need in your community. There are dozens of reasons why you should volunteer - you just need to find the one that feels right.

20 GREAT REASONS TO VOLUNTEER:
- Help others
- Make a difference
- Find purpose
- Enjoy a meaningful conversation
- Connect with your community
- Feel involved
- Contribute to a cause that you care about
- Use your skills in a productive way
- Develop new skills
- Meet new people
- Explore new areas of interest
- Meet good people
- Impress your mom
- Impress yourself
- Expand your horizons
- Get out of the house
- Make new friends
- Strengthen your resume
- Feel better about yourself

Why Volunteer?

VolunteerMatch
Idealist.org
Network for Good
Points of Light Volunteer Opportunities
Points of Light’s HandsOn Network
Peace Corps
AmeriCorps
Senior Corps

Places to Find Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering 101

Volunteering

Learn about sleep hygiene and getting better sleep.

The rituals, behaviors, and norms you follow around sleep are referred to as sleep hygiene. Regularly pulling all-nighters, or sleeping in on the weekends so you can “make up” for lost sleep are both examples of poor sleep hygiene. Conversely, following a regular sleep schedule and avoiding caffeine late at night are good sleep hygiene practices. Improvements in sleep hygiene offer an “easy win” in the search for better sleep, and should be the first thing you go after when sleep troubles show up. In fact, sleep hygiene education is an essential part of the cognitive-behavioral therapy used to treat insomnia.

What is sleep hygiene?

Good sleep hygiene ensures you consistently enjoy higher-quality, more restful sleep for a sufficient amount of time each night. Bad sleep habits, on the other hand, lead to poor quality and inadequate sleep. You already know sleep is important. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this article. Good sleep on a regular basis is critical to maintaining balanced mental, emotional, and physical health. It helps you stay focused during the day, regulate your mood, and feel more productive and functional on a daily basis.

Why is sleep hygiene important?

The most important elements of sleep hygiene require the following from your bedroom:

Temperature – neither too hot nor too cold
Darkness – the darker, the better
Quiet – the quieter, the better
A comfortable place to lie down and stretch out

If you have those things covered, great news: you are most of the way to good sleep hygiene.

What is good sleep hygiene?

The short answer: bad sleep hygiene is doing the opposite of any of the tips we discussed in the previous subsection. But the answer you’re probably looking for is this: if you’re waking up unrested each morning, waking up frequently during the night, feeling tired during the day, or having trouble falling asleep at night, there’s a very good chance that you have bad sleep hygiene that’s messing with your sleep.

What is bad sleep hygiene?

If you’re going to change your habits to ensure you get enough sleep, it’s helpful to start by knowing exactly what “enough” is. Throughout our lives, our sleep needs change, but as a general rule, adults in good health typically require 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep. Infants, children, and adolescents need more to differing extents. You may need less or you may need more than the recommended amount. As you work through the following tips, set aside enough time for you to really get at least 7 hours of sleep. If you do this for a few days and still wake up feeling unrested, gradually increase the number. On the other hand, if you bound out of bed each morning after only 6 hours and still feel great, don’t worry about it. What’s important is that you feel well-rested – not that you get the “correct” amount of sleep. The one caveat to this is if you are regularly sleeping less than 6 or more than 9 hours and still don’t feel rested, you may have a sleep disorder.

Know How Much Sleep You Need

Once you know how much sleep you need, set and follow a regular sleep schedule that provides enough room for it to happen. Avoid bedtime procrastination at night, which is exactly what it sounds like. Set an alarm for the morning and get up the same time every day, even if you had a bad night with frequent awakenings. Keep your sleep and wake times consistent throughout the week – even weekends. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself experiencing an uncomfortable rebound effect come Monday. Using a sleep tracker app like NextStep.Healh or keeping a sleep diary can help ensure you’re actually following the sleep schedule you set.

Go To Bed At The Same Time Every Night

Your bedroom should be as quiet as possible. Some people find absolute silence uncomfortable, in which case white noise can be helpful for calming those anxieties or drowning out noisy neighbors or pipes. White noise machines are a bit passe, given the abundance of white noise apps, you can easily download for your smartphone. Choose from nature sounds, guided meditation, or classical ambient white noise. If you live in a noisy neighborhood or apartment building, read our article for tips on making your bedroom quieter. Strategically place furniture, invest in acoustical padding decor, or use more accessible items like earplugs, curtains, and pillows to block out noise. Sometimes the noise is closer – and furrier – to home. If your pet is waking you up with a jingling collar, scratching, or snoring, consider kicking them out of your bedroom and offer them a nice cushy bed somewhere else in the house.

Find a Quiet Place to Sleep

The best temperature for falling asleep is somewhere in the low- to mid-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintaining a consistently cool temperature helps your body thermoregulate during sleep. Keeping your bedroom dark also keeps it cool, by blocking out heat from sunlight in the morning. More importantly, the darkness convinces your brain that it’s still nighttime. If you live in a very light-polluted area (most cities fall in this category), get an eye mask and blackout curtains to aid in this goal. Small night lights and illuminated clocks might be okay, but some light-sensitive people may find them bothersome. Avoid turning on the full light if you need to get up and use the bathroom during the night. Even a short exposure in the middle of the night can make it harder to get back to sleep.

Keep Your Bedroom Dark and Cool

Having a dedicated place for sleep is psychologically important. We don’t think expensive mattresses and bedding materials are worth it, but having a comfortable place to lie down and stretch out is important. Find the best mattress for you, so you can’t wait to go to bed at night. Invest in comfortable bedding and supportive pillows, too. It is important to subconsciously connect being in bed with sleeping. Don’t read in bed or talk on the phone. Remove clutter and items that remind you of work from your bedroom as well, such as your computer. Instead, treat your bedroom as a haven for sleep.

Dedicate Your Bed to Sleep, and Nothing Else

Some people have televisions in their bedrooms, although watching TV right before going to sleep (or worse, during nighttime awakenings) is not a good idea. Looking up close at computer screens and tablets shortly before bed is actually detrimental to sleep. The light from those screens tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime again. The problem with these devices is that they all use blue light, the strongest wavelength of light that your brain perceives as sunlight. Besides the intensity of the light, many of these devices find ways to either stress or excite you, whether they ping you with a frustrating work email or a happy Facebook notification. Try to stop using all electronics 1 full hour before bed. That includes your television, computers, phones, e-readers, and tablets. If you absolutely can’t tear yourself away from any of these items, at least turn on the red light filter.

Limit Screen Time Before Going to Bed

Improve Your Sleep Habits

Sleep Hygiene

Achoo! Food allergies range from a variety of severities.

Food allergies can cause all sorts of health problems that might seem non-obvious. Food allergies cause inflammation. Inflammation is the source of all ailments. Inflammation in your gut as a result of food allergies can cause many symptoms, including skin rashes, hives, brain fog, weight gain, weight loss, reduction of white blood cell count, stomach ulcers, and more.

Food Allergies 101

Learn about some common food allergies and their symptoms.

Wheat is one of the top eight food allergens in the United States. A wheat allergy is an immune response to any of the proteins present in wheat, including but not limited to gluten. It’s most common in children. Around 65 percent of children with a wheat allergy outgrow it by the age of 12. Symptoms of wheat allergy include:

- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- irritation of your mouth and throat
- hives and rash
- nasal congestion
- eye irritation
- difficulty breathing.

Symptoms related to a wheat allergy will usually begin within minutes of consuming the wheat. However, they can begin up to two hours after. The symptoms of a wheat allergy can range from mild to life-threatening. Severe difficulty breathing, known as anaphylaxis, can sometimes occur. Your doctor will likely prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) if you’re diagnosed with a wheat allergy. You can use this to prevent anaphylaxis if you accidentally eat wheat. Someone who is allergic to wheat may or may not be allergic to other grains such as barley or rye.

Symptoms of Wheat Allergy

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system responds abnormally to gluten. Gluten is present in wheat, barley, and rye. If you have celiac disease, eating gluten will cause your immune system to destroy your villi. These are the finger-like parts of your small intestine that are responsible for absorbing nutrients. Without healthy villi, you won’t be able to get the nutrition that you need. This can lead to malnutrition. Celiac disease can have serious health consequences, including permanent intestinal damage. Adults and children often experience different symptoms due to celiac disease. Children will most commonly have digestive symptoms. These can include:

- abdominal bloating and gas
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- pale, foul-smelling stool
- stomach pain
- nausea and vomiting

The failure to absorb nutrients during critical years of growth and development can lead to other health problems. These can include:

- failure to thrive in infants
- delayed puberty in adolescents
- short stature
- irritability in mood
- weight loss
- dental enamel defects

Adults may also have digestive symptoms if they have celiac disease. However, adults are more likely to experience symptoms such as:

- fatigue
- anemia
- depression and anxiety
- osteoporosis
- joint pain
- headaches
- canker sores inside the mouth
- infertility or frequent miscarriages
- missed menstrual periods
- tingling in the hands and feet

Recognizing celiac disease in adults can be difficult because its symptoms are often broad. They overlap with many other chronic conditions.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease

There is increasing evidence for a gluten-related condition that causes symptoms in people who don’t have celiac disease and are not allergic to wheat. Researchers are still trying to discover the exact biological cause of this condition, known as NCGS. There’s no test that can diagnose you with NCGS. It’s diagnosed in people who experience symptoms after eating gluten but test negative for wheat allergy and celiac disease. As more and more people go to their doctor reporting unpleasant symptoms after eating gluten, researchers are trying to characterize these conditions so that NCGS can be better understood. The most common symptoms of NCGS are:

- mental fatigue, also known as “brain fog”
- fatigue
- gas, bloating, and abdominal pain
- headache.

Because no laboratory test exists for NCGS, your doctor will want to establish a clear connection between your symptoms and your consumption of gluten to diagnose you with NCGS. They may ask you to keep a food and symptom journal to determine that gluten is the cause of your problems. After this cause is established and your tests come back normal for wheat allergy and celiac disease, your doctor may advise you to begin a gluten-free diet. There is a correlation between autoimmune disorders and gluten sensitivity.

Symptoms of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

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