Drug Treatments

I believe that between the options of putting drug addicts in jail or sending them to mandatory drug treatment programs depends on the addict. If the addict is willing to change, the better option would be to put the drug addicts in a mandatory drug treatment program. The program would only work if the addicts were genuinely willing to change. If the addicts are not willing to change, then they would just fall back into the cycle.  Mandatory drug treatment programs could probably help those who know that it is about time that they stopped messing with drugs. If the addict begins to realize that what he or she is doing is ruining their lives, then maybe it would be better for them to be placed in a program. I feel like if the addicts are not willing to change their ways, they should be put in jail.  Putting them in jail is better because it keeps them off the street and out of temptation.  Even in jail, they could possibly try and get some kind of help from others who are willing to share their stories. Many addicts can figure out how to help each other.  If the addicts become close to a group of people with the same issues and all of them decide to get help, then that could benefit them. No one wants to go through a treatment program by themselves without any support.  

Mental Health

I recently have found out that my brother is dating one of my good friends.  I think this is great, my mom however thinks this is a bit worrisome.  She told me about a relative in my friend’s family that is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  She has already voiced her concerns to me about how if my brother and his girlfriend were to get married, then we would have the disorder in our lineage.  I told her that was a stupid reason for her to be worried about.  After going through this module, I was surprised at how society has a huge stigma on mental health.  My mom is very traditional and she’s used to having arranged marriages, where the parents go through a sort of bio-data of a person before considering them for their child.  My mom expressed that we shouldn’t have anyone who is mentally unstable or unhealthy added to our family.  I feel bad for those who are mentally unstable.  I feel like society should try to help those who have issues with their mental health versus casting judgment on them.  

According to the Mayo Clinic, such stigmas can have harmful effects to those with mental illness. Some harmful effects are:  trying to pretend nothing is wrong, refusal to seek treatment, rejection by family and friends, work or school problems or discrimination, difficulty finding housing, being subjected to physical violence or harassment, and inadequate health insurance coverage of mental illnesses (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).  Some of the suggestions they made to overcome these stigmas are to get treatment, seek support, don’t let stigma create self-doubt and shame, don’t equate yourself with your illness, use your resources, get help at school, join an advocacy group, and speak out (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).  Diagnosis and treatment can find out what is wrong and can find a way to reduce symptoms that interfere with work and personal life (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).  Coming to terms with your illness can help reduce feeling ashamed, embarrassed or humiliated. Psychological counseling may also help gain self-esteem and help cope with your own self-judgment.  If you tell people you trust, you may find compassion, support and acceptance. It’s important to stay in touch with those family members who understand (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).  You are not an illness, so don’t say that you are; instead, say that you have a disorder or a condition.  Take advantage of federal, state, and nonprofit resources available to help support people with mental health conditions (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).  Talk to teachers, professors, or administrators about the best approach and available resources for when you are in school.  Discrimination against students because of a mental health condition is against the law (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).  Some local and national groups, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) have programs that watch for and correct stereotypes, misinformation and disrespectful portrayals of people with mental illnesses (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).  Speaking at events can help instill courage in others facing similar challenges and also educate the public about mental illness. Until you gain confidence, you may want to start at small events, such as talks at a support group or church community (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009).

Resources:

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2009, May 29). Mental health: Overcoming the stigma of mental illness. Retrieved November 19, 2010, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mental-health/MH00076

Future In Mind

When I make decisions, I tend to make decisions for the short term and not necessarily the long term. My boyfriend is always criticizing me about how I should make long term decisions versus short term decisions.  He always explains that long term decisions are more beneficial rather than short term ones. I feel like you have to think a different way in order to consider the long term decisions.  What I have learned is that doctors think straightforward in order to fix what is illness is; however, nurses think outside the box in order to help alleviate the symptoms, not the illness itself.  

I feel like if everyone thought in terms of the future, I feel like our lifestyles would be different. If we considered our future every time we made decision, I think our lives would be a bit more organized and prepared.  I personally am not interested in politics, but I have noticed how I should be.  If I am not mistaken, past generations were not thinking about us when making certain decisions, like social security ; and now our generation may not be able to be qualified for social security or may not be able to receive anything for social security.  For whatever reason, we tend to think short term; what would benefit us in the next two to five years and not necessarily thinking what would benefit us in the next fifteen to twenty years.  I believe the fields of science and medicine, and any other relating fields, is the only fields that tend to think with our future in mind.

If we thought with our future in mind regarding our habits, we may not even have to worry about breaking a bad habit or worrying that it may harm us in the future.  For example, at a young age, if we are taught that sugary drinks and oily foods are not beneficial for us in the long run and may only satisfy our short fix, then we may not limit ourselves in what we eat and may not have as much obesity and diabetes in the future.  If we thought with our future in mind regarding our behaviors, then we may not regret some of the decisions we would’ve made.  Using myself as an example, a coworker of mine complained to my boss about how I was being rude and disrespectful to her. In actuality, it was the other way around and I never reported anything.  In that moment out of anger and frustration, I could have said some harsh words when our boss was not around, but I took the high road and thought about my future and how difficult work would be if I were to say something. 

I understand that we’re supposed to carpe diem, live each day to the fullest, and live in the moment, but we can also do all of these things while considering our future.  If we considered our future and all the decisions we would have to take, then maybe we could carpe diem all we want.

Cardiovascular Disase

In my family there's no history of cardiovascular disease, but there is a high incidence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol,and diabetes; all common factors of CVD. What I believe to be interesting is that these the majority of my family that express one or more of these conditions are men. This makes me feel somewhat better about myself, but I still want to take measures that will benefit me.

The factors that might play in my family is the cultural and environmental factors. I grew up in a neo-traditional south Indian home where the men eat before the women, they also eat a lot more. While the women typically spend more time in the kitchen and eat whatever is left over.  I believe this may have played a part in the reason why men in my family are more prone to CVD.

Physically, I believe that the men are generally bigger than the women before pregnancy, but after pregnancy, women tend to be bigger than the men. This may be because the men try to keep the baby healthy by fattening up the mother, and as a result, the women are left with extra unnecessary weight. 

Socially, the women were always closer to the kitchen and would wait on the men, until they had enough food.

Socioeconomically, when I compare the health status between my dad's side of the family and my mom's side of the family, my dad's side of the family has all the high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. I found this interesting because my dad's side of the family is generally a bit more wealthier than my mom's side of the family. I am sure that because of their wealth, they were more prone to buy the unhealthier foods. In comparison, to the American society, I've noticed that its the other way around. Generally, it is the unhealthy foods that are cheaper, such as the dollar menu at McDonald's; the healthier foods are more expensive, such as at Schlotzsky's a sandwich is generally about 6 or 7 dollars.

Educationally, both my parents' families have had the education about the risks of cardiovascular disease. I believe money played a big part in how they ate their meals despite the education they had on CVD. Now that my families are living in America, they know how to eat healthy and are willing to spend the money on it, but it might be too late for some of my family members.

I have seen the measures my families are taking to make sure they eat healthy. They're eating more lean meat, vegetables, fruit and less sugar and fats. I am proud of my families and the change they have willing done.