Doreen McGettigan

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

Stop by and say hello to the awesome co-hosts for the October 3 posting:

Dolorah, Tanya Miranda, Chemist Ken, and Christopher D. Votey.

Optional Question this Month:

Read the rest of this entry »

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, “Heard” items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post. Then leave a link to your Friday Fragments post and leave a link back to our host at Half-Past Kissin’ Time in your post.

I would love to read your Fragment’s. Sign up here:

http://www.halfpastkissintime.com

~ ~ ~

Good Day Philadelphia featured one of my tweets on Thursday. Of course I was at work so I didn’t have a chance to record it. They were doing a feature on superstitions and the things you do for luck. I am very superstitious. For thirty-years I have been wrapping my lottery tickets in the largest bills I have for luck. I haven’t had much luck with that but now I’m afraid to stop.

Read the rest of this entry »

For the month of April I am participating in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. The Challenge was started by author/blogger, Arlee Byrd. http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

Each day of the month (except Sundays) we will post something based on that days correlating letter. Some of us chose a theme and others are winging it. My theme is the A-to-Z’s of Mental Health, Raising Awareness. It is a topic that is very close to my heart. I hope you find the posts interesting and you will comment and share the posts everywhere. To see a list of all of the participants or for more information-click on the badge over there to the right>

Today’s Letter is the Letter Z

Zee End of my A-Z’s of Mental Health

I believe we have a Mental Health crisis or more like an epidemic not only in America but Internationally.

Read the rest of this entry »

For the month of April I am participating in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. The Challenge was started by author/blogger, Arlee Byrd. http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

Each day of the month (except Sundays) we will post something based on that days correlating letter. Some of us chose a theme and others are winging it. My theme is the A-to-Z’s of Mental Health, Raising Awareness. It is a topic that is very close to my heart. I hope you find the posts interesting and you will comment and share the posts everywhere. To see a list of all of the participants or for more information-click on the badge over there to the right>

Today’s letter is the Letter Y

Young Binge Drinkers and Mental Health

Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood/alcohol concentration up to high levels, quickly. For men it would take five-drinks in a two-hour period and for women it would be four-drinks per two-hour period.

Binge drinking is common among the eighteen- thirty-four-year-old – age group. In fact ninety-percent of drinking in this age group is done in the form of binging.

Young drinkers may be the most common binge drinkers but those over sixty-five years of age binge drink more often usually five or six times a month.

This type of drinking is also much more prevalent among households that earn more than seventy-five-thousand-dollars a year and men are two-times more likely to binge drink than woman.

Excessive alcohol use can cause all sorts of medical problems including but not limited to liver cirrhosis, cancer, cardio vascular disease, gout, pancreatitis, nerve damage, infectious diseases and more.

Having one drink may give you a relaxed feeling due to the chemical changes the alcohol causes in the brain. It can relieve anxiety. If you continue to drink a negative emotional response can occur. You can become angry, anxious and or depressed.

It can also complicate mental health disorders. Alcohol use has been linked to depression, self harm, suicide and psychosis. It can be extremely difficult to diagnose psychiatric disorders when alcoholism and mental health disorders co-exist. In fact people that have a mental health issue and use alcohol excessively are at great risk of suicide.

Someone who is taking anti-depressants, anti-psychotic or anxiety reducing medication should NEVER binge drink. It can be fatal.

Occasional binge drinking is not going to cause a mental health disorder. Excessive binge drinking can cause mental health problems, physical problems and medical problems.

~~~~~~

I would love to hang out with you here too:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bristol-boyzStomp/113804488656243

http://www.twitter.com/doreenb8

For the month of April I am participating in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. The Challenge was started by author/blogger, Arlee Byrd. http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

Each day of the month (except Sundays) we will post something based on that days correlating letter. Some of us chose a theme and others are winging it. My theme is the A-to-Z’s of Mental Health, Raising Awareness. It is a topic that is very close to my heart. I hope you find the posts interesting and you will comment and share the posts everywhere. To see a list of all of the participants or for more information-click on the badge over there to the right>

Today’s letter and the most difficult letter

thus far in the challenge is the Letter X

Xanax and other benzodiazepines

If you or someone you love is experiencing some sort of mental health issue, chances are your doctor will prescribe a medication. Anti-anxiety, anti- depressant and anti-psychotic medications have changed or saved the lives of many thousands of people. They can also have minor to severe side effects. Some people have to try a number of medications or several combinations of medications before they find the one that is right for them.

Read the rest of this entry »

For the month of April I am participating in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. The Challenge was started by author/blogger, Arlee Byrd. http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

Each day of the month (except Sundays) we will post something based on that days correlating letter. Some of us chose a theme and others are winging it. My theme is the A-to-Z’s of Mental Health, Raising Awareness. It is a topic that is very close to my heart. I hope you find the posts interesting and you will comment and share the posts everywhere. To see a list of all of the participants or for more information-click on the badge over there to the right>

Today’s Letter is W

Worry

Some people worry about everything, some are so laid back they appear to care about nothing and then there are those people that seem to do a bit of each. A bit of worry can be a healthy thing. Think about it, would we ever get anything done if we didn’t have pangs of anxiety nudging us to move faster, study more or to be careful?

Read the rest of this entry »

The Fraggin Fantistic Friday Fragment Anniversary Celebration Continues …

Did I mention the  prizes???

Half-Past Kissin’ Time

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, “Heard” items, and other small gems (hint: a notebook is helpful) and put them together in a Friday Fragments post. Then leave a link to your Friday Fragments post with Linky Tools and link back to our host Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin’ Time.

My Fragments this week are more Frantic than Fantastic. I need to work on that.

Mother Nature has yet to bless the Philadelphia area with a proper Spring season. It was freezing on Easter Sunday but that didn’t stop our little egg hunters from hunting for eggs. It was nice to have dinner with the kids and to play with the grandkids.

Read the rest of this entry »

For the month of April I am participating in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. The Challenge was started by author/blogger, Arlee Byrd.

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

Each day of the month (except Sundays) we will post something based on that days correlating letter. Some of us chose a theme and others are winging it. My theme is the A-to-Z’s of Mental Health, Raising Awareness. It is a topic that is very close to my heart. I hope you find the posts interesting and you will comment and share the posts everywhere. To see a list of all of the participants or for more information-click on the badge over there to the right>

Today’s letter is the Letter U

United States Military and Mental Health/ The Facts

More than two-million Americans have served in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least twenty-percent of them are now experiencing PTSD.

While battle related deaths are down, we are now losing veterans in increasing numbers to suicide. The VA has been struggling to keep up with and to recognize those military personal that are in great need of mental health services.

Read the rest of this entry »

For the month of April I am participating in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. The Challenge was started by author/blogger, Arlee Byrd. http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

Each day of the month (except Sundays) we will post something based on that days correlating letter. Some of us chose a theme and others are winging it. My theme is the A-to-Z’s of Mental Health, Raising Awareness. It is a topic that is very close to my heart. I hope you find the posts interesting and you will comment and share the posts everywhere. To see a list of all of the participants or for more information-click on the badge over there to the right>

Today’s letter is the letter S

Suicide

Suicide is the act of killing oneself. Violence directed at oneself resulting in death.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP], the most recent suicide stats available are from the year 2010. In the year 2010 there were 38,364 people who died of suicide.

Read the rest of this entry »

For the month of April I am participating in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. The Challenge was started by author/blogger, Arlee Byrd. http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

  Each day of the month (except Sundays) we will post something based on that days correlating letter. Some of us chose a theme and others are winging it. My theme is the A-to-Z’s of Mental Health, Raising Awareness. It is a topic that is very close to my heart. I hope you find the posts interesting and you will comment and share the posts everywhere. To see a complete list of the participants or for more information-click on the badge over there to the right>

Today’s letter is D

DEPRESSION

Every single one of us at some time in our life will experience some form of depression. For most of us it isn’t serious. The sad, discouraged or blue feelings will pass after a few days. For some people those feelings linger for weeks, even months.  If you have been feeling sad for longer than two weeks you need to see a doctor.

• 1 in 10 U.S. Adults has some form of depression
• 3.4% of those have major depression
• For people between the ages of 10-24 suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death

Read the rest of this entry »