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6 votes
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Eighty years on, the debate over electro-convulsive therapy continues
11 votes -
A patient admitted to hospital in Sweden with a possible case of the Ebola virus has tested negative
3 votes -
World Mental Health Day 2019: Focus on suicide prevention
5 votes -
Being sore after a workout doesn't mean your muscles are growing
14 votes -
What are your mental health upkeep habits/lifestyle?
I've seen a few posts about sharing issues, but I don't think anything about habits. I'm former "quantitative-self" hobbyist (if you want to call it that), keener and have a side interest in...
I've seen a few posts about sharing issues, but I don't think anything about habits. I'm former "quantitative-self" hobbyist (if you want to call it that), keener and have a side interest in psychiatry. So in my personal life I'm very active and serious about my own short and long-term mental health. I'm wondering if anyone shares my habits or has others I have not considered. I wont link any literature because there is a lot out there to support most of these habits and I can't make this exhaustive (but I'm happy to help find specific resources).
Morning quiet time. I wake up early and spend about an hour drinking tea, looking outside and reading. The major benefit here is it gives me a buffer before the start of the day. I used to get up and rush out of the door - I would be stressed from the start and wouldn't have an idea of how to go about my day effectively.
Reading fiction. I used to read a lot more non-fiction (pop sci and "self-help") but I found with fiction (and also biographies) not only is it generally easier content to process, but the narratives can be therapeutic. There is something about getting exposed to other peoples thought processes (real or not) and overcoming of challenges that can be comforting or inspiring when facing your own.
Aerobic exercise. And also anything exhaustive - as in you gave it all of your energy. The general health benefits are obviously well established at this point. But, a subjective (AFAIK) experience of mine is the feeling of self-actualization - a sense of victory and fulfillment you can get almost anytime anywhere, and fairly frequently.
Regular social contact. Specifically AFK/face-to-face. This seems banal but it's really not. I make a serious active effort here - I think about who I haven't seen in a while, who I might feel like would complement or share my vibes right now or near future and make plans ASAP. This among the most important of my habits, or at least has the most therapeutic effect. Something about social interactions, even if they're just about talking shit, can be therapeutic and energizing. And this is coming from someone who is generally an introvert and would usually prefer to stay home.
Restrict social media. I probably don't need to explain this one. But I'll also add that, after following the advice of someone on Tildes (sorry I can't find the post!) limiting my news source to only the Current Events of Wikipedia has done wonders for me! I've stayed informed and have avoided the anxiety-inducing clusterfucks of newstainment. I group this with social media because they're so close nowadays (gossip?).
Meditation. Big one right here. I've been practicing for ~7 years now, and it's very noticeable when I skip a 20 min session a few days in a row - I become more agitated, short tempered and anxious (is depressed, but mainly just too focused on myself either way). Specifically "mindfulness" (loose term) or Vipassanā style (I use and highly recommend Waking Up). Style here is important because they all exercise different neural pathways. The product of this practice 1) being much more aware of what has emotionally triggered me and 2) being more able to let go/resolve of negative states of mind. E.g. instead of grinding my teeth with a negative thought train the past 3 hours I notice it's all petty within a moment or two and am able to move on and focus on my task at hand and later sleep soundly.
Psychedelics. Namely the tried-and-true classics. This one is finally getting the attention it deserves in the public domain. As opposed to the others which I do on a near-daily basis (aim for daily), psychedelic experiences I limit to only a handful of times per year because 1) it's work, it requires planning and a day or two off; 2) the positive/resolving effects last for months/years/lifetime; and 3) it requires integration with you baseline reality life to really be effective.
This one hands down has provided me the most benefit out of all and has inspired me to actively pursue everything above, especially meditation and social life. Specifically, it's the perspective you can get from a psychedelic experience that can be like years of therapy because it's all internally-motivated - you can get an objective perspective on you own life that no one else can offer and one you normally would not accept, especially if it's self-critical.
For best results I do this with close friends, at home and/or in nature - taking long walks by the river or woods. Sometimes quiet time at some point as well, to allow self-reflection, taking a moment for an honest review and check in.Safety disclaimer
Psychedelics, and also exhaustive workouts and meditation, can have serious adverse effects if done in excess or without proper planning. Always practice harm reduction: do your research (e.g. Erowid for substance info) test your drugs, carry Naloxone and *always* have a friend, at leas to check in with. Start small - you can always take more but not less.32 votes -
We are in the midst of a mental health crisis – advice about jogging and self-care is not enough
10 votes -
Where Electronic Health Records Went Wrong
6 votes -
Scientist who discredited meat guidelines didn’t report past food industry ties
8 votes -
Australia just had a bad flu season. That may be a warning for the US
8 votes -
How Greta Thunberg's autism helps give her a singular focus
12 votes -
CDC and states update number of cases of lung injury associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping - now 805 cases, twelve deaths
9 votes -
Health insurance that doesn’t cover the bills has flooded the market under Trump
16 votes -
Finland regularly tops global rankings as the happiest nation on the planet – but this brings a unique set of challenges for young people struggling with depression
7 votes -
Juul Boss Kevin Burns Steps Down Amid Vaping Concerns
7 votes -
How to spread hep A without leaving your house
4 votes -
People with learning disability have the right to ask for reasonable adjustments during sight tests
3 votes -
Our food is killing too many of us: Improving American nutrition would make the biggest impact on our health care
11 votes -
Human hearts evolved for endurance — and they need it to stay healthy
9 votes -
Unhappy meals - How 'food science' made us unhealthy
10 votes -
Running—or sitting—can change the shape of your heart
4 votes -
She took her amputated leg home, and you can too
10 votes -
Exposure to neurotoxin may have been cause of "Havana syndrome" affecting diplomats in Cuba, not "sonic attacks"
10 votes -
Dark crystals: The brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze
8 votes -
Do sleep-tracking apps actually help you sleep better?
3 votes -
The Grandmaster diet: How to lose weight while barely moving
18 votes -
Purdue Pharma, drugmaker accused of fueling the opioid epidemic, files for bankruptcy
5 votes -
Is a meat-free diet really as healthy as vegetarians claim?
6 votes -
The US health-care system found a way to make peanuts cost $4,200
8 votes -
Vitamin E acetate found in marijuana vaping products linked to deadly lung illnesses, tests show
11 votes -
Inside the drug industry’s plan to defeat the DEA
5 votes -
Behind the front lines of the Ebola wars
4 votes -
Harm reduction for nicotine addicts
So given the outbreak of severe lung disease apparently related to vaping, mentioned in recent Tildes threads here, here, and here, I thought I'd provide some semi-informed opinion and experience....
So given the outbreak of severe lung disease apparently related to vaping, mentioned in recent Tildes threads here, here, and here, I thought I'd provide some semi-informed opinion and experience.
I've had to kick a nasty smoking habit more than a few times, and the last effort was only partially successful. I stayed hooked on nicotine gum, got jaw problems, and switched to vaping.
Vaping was cool! You can play with the electronic gadgets, get involved in the vaping equivalent of hot-rodding and over-clocking communities, play with liquid formulas, build coils, and do all kinds of intricate hobby-type stuff... while slowly poisoning yourself. Vaping was cheap, both by comparison with cigarettes, and with the FDA-approved nicotine-cessation systems. I'd been spending $50/week on gum, but $20/month for the liquids.
I was breathing outrageous dragon clouds, going through 50 ml of liquid a week, and getting nowhere near nicotine freedom. Despite careful avoidance of noticeably irritating flavors, I was getting back to the good old smoker's cough in the morning.
I've since formulated a super-simple homegrown nicotine mint recipe (below) that's as minimally toxic as I can manage, and very slowly gotten down to the equivalent of a cigarette or two a day.
So here's my advice:
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Avoid pre-made e-liquids and cartridges. There's no telling what's in them; in the U.S., at least, there are no labelling requirements other than nicotine concentration.
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Avoid flavorings altogether. "Generally Regarded As Safe", the FDA designation for flavorings, only applies to food ingredients. Many common flavor chemicals are known as toxic to inhale. Extracts are often complex mixtures, and there's little data on how all the constituents may interact in your lungs.
I'm not going to provide advice on "safe" ones - just don't use flavorings.
- If you must vape, do so at the lowest possible temperature. Even unflavored liquids can create toxic byproducts when heated.
You can get pure, unflavored USP-calibrated nicotine liquid base, in a wide range of concentrations, from the same vendors that sell other e-liquid ingredients. I personally preferred propylene glycol (PG) base, because it vaporizes at a lower temperature, and forms less toxic heat decomposition byproducts than glycerin.
- Don't vape. Nicotine inhalation has some pharmacological advantages - quick brain hit, few or no gastrointestinal effects, but lungs really want clean air. If you're seriously nicotine addicted, you can continue on oral or dermal products with less risk. If you're in a country that doesn't charge outrageously for drugs, there are regulated nicotine nasal sprays.
If you're in a country that does charge outrageously even for over-the-counter medicines, my solution follows.
So, the latest and greatest version, the ultimate plug-and-play version, of the cheap garage DIY nicotine mint:
SAFETY WARNINGS:
Nicotine is a deadly, neurotoxic poison, even on skin contact.
-Do not use nicotine solution concentrations greater than 24 mg/ml at home. Even this concentration is potentially hazardous - wear gloves, work on a washable tray to contain any spills, purchase the smallest size containers you can. Higher concentrations are extremely dangerous without special precautions I won't discuss here.-
Store all nicotine products, treated mints, and potentially contaminated tools and materials far out of the reach of children and pets, preferably under lock and key.
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Wash any exposed skin under running water as soon as possible. Call a Poison Control Center immediately if you suspect that there's been an incident of ingestion or extensive skin contact with nicotine liquid.
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Store mints and materials only in properly labeled, secure containers. [I've found a labelled medicine bottle eliminates social awkwardnesses about not sharing candy.]
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Work on a washable surface, wipe up, wash down with soap and water, and safely dispose cleaning materials for any spills.
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Following these instructions is at your own risk. Based on my knowledge and experience, this nicotine mint recipe is safer than smoking or vaping, but to an unknown degree. You should consult a doctor and/or use approved pharmaceuticals.
Tools and materials:
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Intact 1-qt. (1 L) Ziploc or other sealable polyethylene bag
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10 ml syringe, optionally with 12- or 14-gauge Luer-lock blunt needle
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Nitrile gloves
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24 mg/ml (2.4%) nicotine USP solution in propylene glycol** (There are many potential vendors.)
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8-pack of Altoids "Arctic" flavor sugar-free mints* (cheapest available price on Amazon)
This recipe makes approximately 389 mints at 1.2 mg/mint nicotine strength. Divide or modify it at risk of your own math.
Instructions:
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Open tins of mints and empty them into the Ziploc bag.
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Wear gloves. Using the syringe, measure and add 20 ml of nicotine to the bag. (Nicotine solution comes in sealed bottles. To minimize risk of spills, you can use a blunt needle tip on the syringe to pierce the seal and withdraw nicotine liquid without fully opening the bottle.)
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Completely seal the Ziploc bag. Massage the mints and nicotine liquid together until uniformly distributed and completely coated.
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Let stand at least overnight, turning and mixing the mints every few hours, until all the liquid is completely absorbed.
Use:
Dosing is similar to nicotine lozenges - hold a treated mint under your tongue until dissolved, repeat no more than a total dosage of 24 per day.
*There are other sugar-free mints that are usable, but I've found sorbitol mints work best for this purpose, and the 0.5 gm per mint size gives a nicely steady nicotine release for 15 - 20 minutes.
**You can use a lower concentration, but the dosage in the final recipe will vary accordingly. Exceeding 20 ml per 8-pack of mints may leave them sticky, and if the liquid isn't fully absorbed, you can become ill from handling the mints. Don't do it.
7 votes -
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The FDA is finalizing a plan to clear the market of all unauthorized flavored e-cigarette products to help combat youth usage
8 votes -
University of Virginia health system sues thousands of patients, seizing paychecks and putting liens on homes
14 votes -
Sacklers would give up ownership of Purdue Pharma under settlement proposal
11 votes -
No body's business but mine: How menstruation apps are sharing your data
6 votes -
A boy ate only chips and french fries for ten years. This is what happened to his eyes
11 votes -
Fitness tracker recommendations?
I'm in the market for a fitness tracker. My usual fitness activities (stationary elliptical trainer, hiking, biking) are temporarily restricted, so I've been swimming a great deal. Using a phone...
I'm in the market for a fitness tracker.
My usual fitness activities (stationary elliptical trainer, hiking, biking) are temporarily restricted, so I've been swimming a great deal. Using a phone isn't giving me adequate exertion tracking data for walking (stride counts and heart rate not available/accurate), and it's especially not useful for aquatics.
I'd be grateful if anyone can recommend something they have experience with.
My constraints are as follows:
I'd rather not contribute to e-waste with yet another gadget du jour - service life should be at least the recharge cycle life of the battery.
No Apple or Samsung devices. I'm not in those ecosystems, and don't plan to be because reasons.
Should be at least IPX5, preferably IPX7 waterproof.
Helps if it's not butt-ugly, but I'll take what I can get - replaceable bands are a plus.
Able to fit women - I don't have issues with a larger face so much as a band that's too large to fit comfortably or provide secure contact for accurate heart rate monitoring.
GPS and sleep tracking would be nice, but not mandatory if the device ecosystem isn't reasonably private.
Non-proprietary rechargers preferred.
A couple of Fitbit models seem be well-reviewed, but actual user ratings are equivocal, and quality is erratic.
Looking forward to any contributions!
11 votes -
The rise of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: The truth about the eating disorder that made a teenager go blind
10 votes -
Denmark to ban all PFAS in paper and board food packaging
5 votes -
A town for people with Chronic-Fatigue Syndrome: Patients moved from all over the country to Incline Village, Nevada, for an experimental drug. Then the drug disappeared.
10 votes -
Biohackers are pirating a cheap version of a million-dollar gene therapy
7 votes -
No way to go (2007)
5 votes -
What happened to “Rhode Island’s plan to eliminate childhood lead poisoning by 2010” and what comes next?
6 votes -
Surge of measles cases results in Albania, Czechia, Greece and the United Kingdom losing their measles elimination status
8 votes -
When vegan influencers quit being vegan, the backlash can be brutal
6 votes -
The message of measles - As public-health officials confront the largest outbreak in the US in decades, they’ve been fighting as much against dangerous ideas as they have against the disease
9 votes -
Weightlifters: your stories of pain?
I was feeling great in the gym yesterday and switched up my normal deadlift by using the hex bar. It requires a slightly different posture than the straight bar deadlift but felt so good that I...
I was feeling great in the gym yesterday and switched up my normal deadlift by using the hex bar. It requires a slightly different posture than the straight bar deadlift but felt so good that I kept adding on weight and, evidently, speeding up. What happens when you get a little too enthusiastic under load? Zzzlip! There went my back. So I’m home from work today, barely able to hobble around. Ibuprofen is not enough. I sneezed earlier and it felt like someone had inserted a power drill into my lower spinal column. Yep, I’m feeling stupid today.
Weightlifters, what are your stories of pain? I’m sure there are some good stories out there.
9 votes -
The whisper of schizophrenia: Machine learning finds 'sound' words predict psychosis
3 votes