BACKGROUND NOTES and RECOVERY STORIES Oct. 15, 2025 Analyzing Recovery Stories from Eating Disorders and Body Image Challenges Thank you- Recovery stories are powerful tools for insight because they humanize the struggle, showing that these challenges aren’t just abstract symptoms but deeply personal battles with real turning points. I analyzed a collection of recent and shared narratives from reputable sources (like NEDA, Eating Disorder Hope, and personal accounts on X) to identify patterns. These stories span experiences with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder (BED), and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), often intertwined with trauma, societal pressures, or co-occurring issues like anxiety. To keep this empathetic and actionable, I’ll break down the analysis into common triggers, recovery journeys, key themes, and takeaways. This isn’t exhaustive—recovery is unique—but these patterns emerge across dozens of accounts, highlighting how people gain self-awareness and choose paths forward. Common Triggers: Where the Challenges Often Begin Stories frequently start with a “spark” that escalates into a full disorder, often rooted in external pressures or internal vulnerabilities:

• Societal and Media Influences: Many describe social media as a double-edged sword—e.g., “thinspo” content fueling anorexia (Anjola’s story on Rethink Mental Illness)
  rethink.org

  or body dysmorphia from comparing to filtered images (Bella De Leon’s Texas teen account)

  wfaa.com

  . On X, users like

  @Cyb3erG1rl

  shared how 7 years of anorexia stemmed from online ideals, leading to hitting an “ugw” (unhealthy goal weight) but realizing it trapped them [post:3].

• Trauma and Control: Abuse or loss often triggers coping via food/body control. Hannah (
  @hannahr22x

  ) detailed binge eating after 2 years of physical/mental abuse and rape, gaining 8 stone (about 112 lbs) as a way to reclaim agency [post:0]. Similarly, Lorelai Symmes (Sheppard Pratt story) linked her anorexia to sexual assault and fat-shaming .

• Family/Developmental Factors: Childhood comments (e.g., a mom’s “joke” calling her a “cow” triggering starvation, per
  @lixiesflower

  [post:4]) or cultural expectations (e.g., an Asian American’s story of perfectionism hindering body positivity ) amplify insecurities.

• Health Shifts: Onset during puberty, quarantine, or life transitions like postpartum (Rachel’s NEDA story ) or post-trauma weight gain (Emmerson Lizington’s 93-lb loss journey [post:10]).

These triggers underscore gaining insight: Journaling or therapy helps spot patterns, like how “control” masks deeper pain. Recovery Journeys: Paths to Treatment and Healing Narratives show recovery as nonlinear—full of setbacks but marked by pivotal choices. Here’s a snapshot in table form for clarity:

Key Themes Emerging from the Stories

1. Nonlinear and Setback-Filled: Almost all describe “winding hikes” (Rachel ) or “ups and downs” (Brooklynn )—e.g., Emme’s post-hospital relapse or
   @4ster19900

   ‘s devolution into BED after restricting [post:11]. Insight comes from tracking these, revealing emotional triggers.

2. Role of Connection: A confidant or community flips the script—friends teaching workouts (
   @meghaverma_art

   [post:6]), family meals (Bella ), or X shares reducing isolation (

   @sunbeginstorise

   [post:5]).

3. Shifting Perspective: From control/shame to empowerment—e.g., viewing body as “vessel” [post:6] or heart over appearance . Body image work (via podcasts like Eating Disorder Recovery ) helps reframe.
4. Holistic Gains: Beyond weight, stories celebrate energy, joy, relationships (James ), and activism (BuzzFeed survivors ).
5. Gender/Cultural Nuances: Male stories (James) note delayed help due to stereotypes; cultural ones (Asian American ) highlight perfectionism.

Caution from analyses (e.g., Psychology Today ): Memoirs can trigger if too struggle-focused, so balance with hope-centered ones like Meaning FULL.Takeaways: Applying Insights to Your Journey These stories reinforce what we discussed—start with reflection (e.g.,

‘s hunger cues [post:4]) to gain insight, then choose treatments like therapy (CBT for reframing, per NEDA ) or nutrition support (Jenny ). Common advice:

• Seek Early, Tailored Help: Don’t wait for “sick enough” (Anjola ); combine pros (doctors/therapists) with peers (X communities, but curate positively).
• • THANKSGIVING UNCONQUORABLY HEARTED PIONEERS- 1621 and TODAY TOGETHER MeUSCAN-DO Nov. 28, ’25 by Brianca Lane
  • Here is a warm, colorful, and deeply hopeful parable that weaves the spirit of the First Thanksgiving with the courage of people today who face overwhelming mental health challenges — yet choose to believe, to reach out, and to rebuild together. The Parable of the Two New Worlds

    Long ago, in the autumn of 1621, a tiny band of travelers stepped onto the wild shores of a land they named Plymouth. They had crossed a cruel ocean in a leaking wooden ship called the Mayflower. Half of them had already died from cold, hunger, and strange illnesses in that first terrible winter. The forest was endless and dark. The soil was stony and stubborn. Wolves howled at night. Winter wind screamed like a living thing. Food ran out. Hope ran thinner.They felt lost in a new world that seemed determined to swallow them whole.And yet… one spring day, a Native man named Squanto walked out of the woods speaking their language. He taught them how to plant corn with fish for fertilizer, how to trap eel, how to tell poison ivy from healing herbs. Another nation, the Wampanoag, led by Massasoit, chose peace instead of war. When harvest finally came—small, but real—the Pilgrims invited their new friends to a three-day feast of thanksgiving. Venison smoked over open fires. Wild turkeys roasted golden. Corn pudding steamed. Cranberries shone like rubies in wooden bowls. Children—English and Wampanoag—ran laughing between the tables.In that moment, strangers became neighbors.
    In that moment despair turned its face toward hope.
    In that moment they understood: alone, we perish; together, we become something new.Four hundred years later, another band of brave travelers finds itself in a different wilderness.This new world has no wolves or endless forests, but it feels just as vast and untamed. Its name is The Land of Overwhelming Mental Health Challenges.Its storms are panic attacks that come out of nowhere, sudden lightning strikes in the chest, thunder in the ears, a certainty you are about to die even while sitting safely on your couch.Its winters are depression so heavy it pins you to the bed like six feet of wet snow, stealing color from the sky, making food taste like ash and laughter feel like a foreign language.Its predators are racing thoughts that circle and bite all night, trauma memories that ambush you in the grocery aisle, voices (sometimes your own, sometimes not) that whisper you are worthless, broken, too much, not enough.Its barren fields are brain fog so thick you cannot remember why you walked into a room, executive function that has packed its bags and left without a note, suicidal ideation that sits quietly in the corner like a patient wolf waiting for you to be alone.Its blizzards are burnout, dissociation, the bone-deep belief that no one will come if you call for help.Many arrive in this land shipwrecked—after childhood wounds, after grief, after pandemics, after wars inside their own minds. They look around and think, “This place will kill me. There is no path. There is no harvest here.”And yet…Just as in 1621, helpers begin to appear.Some are professionals in quiet offices or telehealth screens—therapists, psychiatrists, peer-support specialists—who speak the language of pain and recovery.
    Some are strangers on warm-lines and support groups who say, “I’ve stood exactly where you are. Keep breathing. You are not crazy; you are injured, and injuries can heal.”
    Some are friends who sit with you in the dark and do not run.
    Some are family members who learn new ways to love without fixing.
    Some are four-legged creatures who press gently against your leg when the storm inside gets too loud.Slowly, very slowly, people begin to plant in this hard ground.They plant tiny seeds of routine: a five-minute walk, a glass of water, one deep breath that actually reaches the bottom of the lungs.
    They plant medication when the brain chemistry is too starved to grow anything on its own.
    They plant boundaries, saying “no” for the first time and discovering the sky does not fall.
    They plant stories—telling the truth out loud in group therapy, on social media, in books, in songs—so the next traveler does not feel so alone.
    They plant community: Zoom rooms that stay open all night for the suicidal, Discord servers full of memes and check-ins, clubhouses where people with serious mental illness run the coffee pot and the schedule and their own recovery.The harvest is rarely instant. Some crops fail. Some winters return. But every year a few more people make it to the table.And one day, often when they least expect it, they find themselves sitting at a new kind of Thanksgiving.Maybe it is in a psychiatric hospital courtyard with paper plates and instant mashed potatoes, everyone laughing because someone smuggled in real butter.
    Maybe it is a text thread that says, “I’m still here today because you answered at 3 a.m. six months ago.”
    Maybe it is a person standing up at an AA, NA, DHA, NAMI, or DBSA meeting saying, “Two years ago I wanted to die every single day. Today I am grateful to be alive.” And the whole room claps like it’s the World Series.The table is never perfect. Some seats are empty because we lost beloved travelers along the way, and we cry for them even while we pass the gravy. But the table is real.There is cornbread made from a recipe someone could finally follow again.
    There are cranberries—tart and sweet—like the truth that pain and joy can sit together.
    There is turkey, or tofurky, or just saltine crackers and peanut butter—whatever the harvest allowed this year.
    And there is love, fierce and stubborn, passed hand to hand like a thousand small ways that say:
    You are not too much.
    You are not alone.
    Your brain may be stormy, but it is not broken beyond repair.
    We will sit in this wild land together until the storm quiets, and then we will plant again.This, my friends, is our 21st-century Thanksgiving.We give thanks for the Squanto’s of our age—every therapist, every crisis text volunteer, every friend who refused to leave.
    We give thanks for the Wampanoag choice—every person with lived experience who chooses to reach back and say “come sit by the fire.”
    We give thanks for the small harvests—days without self-harm, hours without panic, one genuine laugh, one night of real sleep.And we make a promise around this table, the same promise made four hundred years ago:As long as one of us is still standing, none of us will be left behind in the wilderness.We will keep building villages of recovery.
    We will keep passing the plate.
    We will keep believing that the story is not over, that spring always follows even the worst winter, and that together—messy, scarred, laughing, crying, medicated or not, diagnosed or not—together we are unstoppable.So eat. Rest. Tell your story. Listen to someone else’s.
    The feast is ready.And tomorrow, when the wolves howl again, we will light the fire a little brighter, pull our chairs a little closer, and plant one more seed side by side.Because that, more than anything, is what Thanksgiving has always meant:We made it through the impossible.
    Look—here we are, still alive, still loving each other.
    Pass the hope. There’s plenty to go around.
    Explore Squanto’s real story Nov. 28, 2025, by Brianca Lane LOVING US ALL TOGETHER MEUSCAN-DO!!!
    Indigenous mental health resilience
    
  • ADDICTION- FREEDOM FROM THIS SCARY DEVIL!!! Understanding Addictions: A Deep Dive! by Brianca Oct. 31, ’25 Halloween Fright Night What is scarier than ADDICTIONS?  Insatiable Thirst for POWER???

    Addictions, whether to substances like food, opioids, or alcohol, or behaviors like gambling and thrill-seeking, hijack the brain’s reward system, leading to compulsive engagement despite harm. They affect millions globally, driven by a mix of biology, environment, and culture. Below, I’ll break down prevalence and causes, prevention strategies, effective treatments (including cultural variations), and relapse prevention. This draws from extensive research, including global studies and clinical trials.Prevalence and Causes: Why So Prevalent?Addictions thrive due to their ability to exploit the brain’s dopamine pathways, creating intense pleasure that overrides rational decision-making. High-palatable foods, drugs, gambling wins, and adrenaline rushes all trigger dopamine surges, fostering tolerance and dependence. Societal factors amplify this: easy access (e.g., ultra-processed foods, online betting), stress, trauma, and genetic vulnerabilities make them widespread. Prevalence varies by type and region, but rates are rising with globalization and digital access.

    Addiction Type	Global/U.S. Prevalence	Key Causes
    Food Addiction	14-20% of adults; up to 92% in binge eating disorder (BED) cases. Higher in obese individuals (24.9% vs. 11.1% in normal BMI).	Hyper-palatable foods (high sugar/fat/salt) mimic drug effects on dopamine; genetic factors (e.g., serotonin/endorphin issues); emotional eating linked to stress/trauma; food insecurity exacerbates symptoms. Not solely obesity-related, but tied to reward dysregulation.
    Drug Addictions (Opioids/Alcohol)	Opioids: 40.5 million dependent globally; 2.1 million in U.S. with opioid use disorder (OUD). Alcohol: 100 million with use disorder; 10.2% of U.S. adults. Co-use: 7.5 million with both.	Opioids: Prescription access, pain management, fentanyl contamination; genetics (40-60% risk); trauma/mental health (e.g., 75% with co-occurring SUD/nicotine issues). Alcohol: Social norms, stress; higher in young adults; co-morbid with OUD (38% overlap). Chronic pain doubles misuse risk.
    Gambling Addiction	0.1-2.7% lifetime in U.S./Canada; up to 7.8% in college students; 1-3 million in Mexico.	Dopamine from “near-misses”; impulsivity/genetics; early exposure; co-morbid with substance use (e.g., 49% have mental health issues). Online formats increase risk.
    Thrill-Seeking (Adrenaline Rush)	Not formally diagnosed; linked to 4-20% in high-risk behaviors (e.g., extreme sports). Higher in extroverts/neurotic individuals.	Sensation-seeking trait (genetic); trauma/stress response; dopamine reinforcement from risk. Often co-occurs with substance use; tolerance leads to escalation.

    These rates are substantiated by meta-analyses (e.g., Yale Food Addiction Scale for food; Global Burden of Disease for opioids/alcohol) and surveys like NSDUH. Prevalence surges in vulnerable groups: youth, minorities (e.g., higher disordered gambling in Native Americans/Asians), and those with mental health issues (e.g., 49% of gamblers have disorders).How Can People Avoid Falling Into These Addictions?Prevention focuses on building resilience against triggers like stress, easy access, and genetic risks. Education and early intervention are key—start in schools/families.

    • General Strategies: Foster healthy coping (e.g., mindfulness, exercise); limit exposure (e.g., avoid high-risk environments); build social support. Genetics account for 40-60% of risk, so family history awareness helps.
    • Food: Promote balanced eating; avoid ultra-processed foods; address emotional triggers via journaling. School programs reduce cravings by 20-30%.
    • Drugs (Opioids/Alcohol): Delay first use (e.g., <13 years old raises addiction risk 70%); screen for pain/mental health early. Community education cuts initiation by 15-25%.
    • Gambling: Set limits (e.g., recreational only with friends); monitor online access. Parental controls reduce youth risk by 40%.
    • Thrill-Seeking: Channel into safe outlets (e.g., sports like rock climbing); therapy for underlying impulsivity/trauma. Avoid high-risk peers.

    Proactive steps like HALT (check if Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) prevent 30-50% of lapses. Cultural tailoring boosts efficacy—e.g., family involvement in collectivist societies.Helpful Treatments Across Cultures and the WorldNo one-size-fits-all; treatments blend therapy, meds, and support, adapted to cultural norms (e.g., stigma in some Asian/Middle Eastern groups delays help-seeking). Globally, 12-step programs (e.g., AA/GA) are universal but vary: Western focus on individualism vs. communal healing in Indigenous/African traditions. Access barriers (e.g., insurance in U.S., stigma in India) affect 20-50% of cases.

    Treatment Type	Description & Evidence	Cultural Adaptations
    Therapy (CBT/Motivational Interviewing)	CBT rewires thoughts (e.g., “one bet won’t hurt”); MI builds motivation. Reduces symptoms 40-60% in trials.	Western: Individual sessions. Collectivist (e.g., Hispanic/Asian): Family-inclusive. Indigenous: Ceremony-integrated (e.g., Native American peyote rituals for alcohol).
    Medications	Opioid antagonists (naltrexone) for gambling/drugs (reduces urges 50-75%); SSRIs for food/behavioral (e.g., fluoxetine + risperidone for online gambling). GLP-1s (e.g., semaglutide) curb food/alcohol cravings emergently.	Middle East/Asia: Stigma limits uptake; integrate with religious counseling. U.S. minorities: Address mistrust via community clinics.
    Support Groups	GA/NA/FA: Peer accountability; 20-40% abstinence boost.	Global: AA in 180+ countries, but rituals vary (e.g., less spiritual in secular Europe). Africa: Community elders lead.
    Holistic/Alternative	Mindfulness, yoga; NAC for glutamate balance in gambling/food.	Eastern: Ayurveda/TCM in India/China (e.g., herbal detox). Latin America: Shamanic rituals for cocaine.

    Worldwide, integrated care (therapy + meds) yields 50-70% success; cultural competence (e.g., language-matched therapy) improves retention 30%. In Iran, family stigma hinders treatment; solutions include community education.How Can We Avoid Falling Back Into Addictions? (Relapse Prevention)Relapse affects 40-60% in the first year but isn’t failure—it’s a signal to adjust. It’s a process: emotional (stress buildup), mental (cravings), physical (use). Strategies focus on awareness and tools.

    • Core Techniques: Identify triggers (e.g., HALT check); build coping (deep breathing, journaling—reduces risk 25-40%). Create a plan: List 3 supports, sober activities, and exit strategies.
    • Daily Practices: Self-care (exercise, sleep); therapy boosters (CBT for distortions like “one time won’t hurt”). Meds like naltrexone cut relapse 50%.
    • Long-Term: Mutual-aid groups; monitor via apps/journals. Post-relapse: Review without shame, restart immediately—success rises 20% with quick intervention.
    • Cultural Notes: In individualistic cultures, self-reliance; in communal, leverage family/elders.

    Recovery is lifelong, but with these tools, 50-70% sustain long-term sobriety. If struggling, reach out—resources like SAMHSA (U.S.) or WHO global lines exist worldwide. You’re not alone; progress compounds.- #SMALL WINS LEAD TO BIG VOCTORY OVER ADDICTIONS!!!

    ADDICTIONS- Part 2:

    Addiction and Mental Health CHALLENGES (disorders) are deeply intertwined—they co-occur so frequently that experts now treat them as dual diagnoses (or co-occurring disorders). Over 50% of people with a substance use disorder (SUD) also have a mental illness, and vice versa. This bidirectional relationship means one can cause, worsen, or mimic the other. Below is a comprehensive, evidence-based breakdown of the connection, prevalence, mechanisms, and integrated treatment strategies across cultures.

    ---

    1. Prevalence of Co-Occurring Disorders (Dual Diagnosis)

    Population	% with Co-Occurring Mental Illness + SUD
    General U.S. Adults	9.2 million (3.5%) have both
    People with SUD	50–60% have a mental disorder
    People with Severe Mental Illness (SMI)	25–40% have SUD (vs. 6% in general pop.)
    Specific Disorders
    – Schizophrenia	47% lifetime SUD
    – Bipolar Disorder	56% lifetime SUD
    – PTSD	46% lifetime SUD
    – Major Depression	27% lifetime SUD
    – ADHD	15–25% lifetime SUD (higher in adults)

    Sources: NSDUH 2023, SAMHSA, WHO

    ---

    2. Why They Co-Occur: 3 Main Pathways

    Pathway	Description	Examples
    1. Self-Medication Hypothesis	Mental illness → Use substances/behaviors to cope	Anxiety → alcohol to “calm nerves” ADHD → stimulants for focus Trauma → opioids to numb flashbacks
    2. Substance-Induced Mental Illness	Addiction → Alters brain → Triggers psych symptoms	Chronic alcohol → depression Methamphetamine → psychosis Gambling → suicidal ideation
    3. Shared Vulnerability	Genetics, trauma, brain changes predispose to both	Dopamine gene variants (DRD2) → ↑ risk for addiction and depression Childhood ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) → ↑ PTSD and SUD risk 4–12×

    Key Brain Regions: Nucleus accumbens (reward), prefrontal cortex (impulse control), amygdala (fear/stress) — all dysregulated in both addiction and mental illness.

    ---

    3. Common Co-Occurring Pairs

    Mental Health Disorder	Most Common Addictions	Key Notes
    Depression	Alcohol, opioids, food	30% of alcoholics have major depression
    Anxiety Disorders	Alcohol, benzodiazepines, gambling	Social anxiety → alcohol as “liquid courage”
    PTSD	Opioids, alcohol, cannabis	50% of combat veterans with PTSD have SUD
    Bipolar Disorder	Alcohol, cocaine, gambling	Manic phases → impulsive use
    ADHD	Nicotine, cannabis, stimulants	25% of adults with ADHD have SUD
    Schizophrenia	Nicotine (70%), cannabis, alcohol	Smoking helps with cognitive deficits but worsens prognosis
    Personality Disorders (e.g., BPD, Antisocial)	Polysubstance, gambling	Impulsivity + emotional dysregulation

    ---

    4. Integrated Treatment: The Gold StandardSequential treatment (treat mental health → then addiction, or vice versa) fails 70–80% of the time.
    Integrated treatment (same team, same plan, simultaneously) doubles success rates.Core Components of Integrated Care

    Component	What It Looks Like
    Screening	SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral) in primary care
    Dual-Trained Clinicians	Psychiatrists, therapists, counselors trained in both
    Medications	Treat both conditions (e.g., naltrexone for alcohol + antidepressant)
    Therapy	CBT, DBT, Trauma-Focused (EMDR, CPT), Motivational Enhancement
    Peer Support	Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA), SMART Recovery
    Housing & Case Management	For SMI + homelessness (e.g., Housing First models)

    ---

    5. Evidence-Based Integrated Models

    Model	Target Population	Success Rate
    IDDT (Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment)	SMI + SUD	60–70% retention; ↓ hospitalizations
    CRAFT + CBT	Families of loved ones with dual dx	64% get person into treatment
    Contingency Management	Stimulant + mood disorders	↑ abstinence 2–3×
    Trauma-Informed Care	PTSD + SUD	↓ relapse 40%

    ---

    6. Cultural & Global Variations

    Region/Culture	Unique Challenges	Effective Adaptations
    Indigenous Communities	Historical trauma, residential schools	Culturally grounded healing circles + sweats + 12-step with Elders
    Asian Cultures	Stigma → underreporting	Family-inclusive therapy, psychoeducation in native language
    Latinx Communities	Machismo, religiosity	Espiritismo-integrated CBT, church-based support
    Middle East	Alcohol taboo, opioid surge	Faith-based rehab (Islamic principles), anonymity focus
    Africa	Resource scarcity	Community health workers, peer-led groups

    ---

    7. Medications for Dual Diagnosis (Examples)

    Condition	Medication	Dual Benefit
    Alcohol + Depression	Naltrexone + SSRI	↓ drinking + ↑ mood
    Opioids + PTSD	Buprenorphine + Prazosin	↓ use + ↓ nightmares
    Bipolar + Cocaine	Valproate + CM	Mood stability + abstinence rewards
    ADHD + Stimulant Use	Atomoxetine (non-stimulant)	Treat ADHD without abuse risk

    Warning: Benzodiazepines often worsen outcomes in SUD + anxiety.

    ---

    8. Relapse Prevention in Dual Diagnosis

    1. Monitor Both Conditions
       → Use mood + craving logs (e.g., GSC – Global State of Change scale)
    2. Early Warning Signs
       → Sleep changes, isolation, irritability → triggers both relapse and decompensation
    3. WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)
       → Personalized crisis plan for both mental health and substance triggers
    4. Sober Social Network
       → Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA) meetings: “We treat both or we treat neither.”

    ---

    9. Red Flags: When to Seek Integrated Help

    • Using substances to “manage” psych meds side effects
    • Psych symptoms worsen after substance use
    • Suicide attempts during intoxication
    • Cycling between psych wards and detox

    ---

    10. Resources (Global & U.S.)

    Resource	Link
    SAMHSA Treatment Locator (U.S.)	findtreatment.gov
    Dual Recovery Anonymous	draonline.org
    NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)	nami.org
    WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme	For low-resource settings
    Shatterproof (Addiction + Mental Health)	shatterproof.org

    ---

    Final Takeaway

    You cannot effectively treat addiction without addressing mental health — and you cannot stabilize Mental Health CHALLENGES (illness) if substances keep destabilizing the brain.

    Integrated, trauma-informed, culturally responsive care is the only path to lasting recovery. If you or someone you know is struggling with both, seek a dual-diagnosis program — not separate silos. Recovery is possible, and hope is evidence-based. by Brianca Lane Halloween Fright Night Oct. 31, ’25 #Together MeUSCan-Do #OUR HEALTH POWER IS BUILDING BEAUTIFULLY

    Future topics yet to Explore- trauma-informed care.

    ***MANDATORY ADDICTION TREATMENT- A National Post Report by Tom Blackwell Nov. 15, ’25

    Timothy Rohan headed out from his home in Holyoke, Mass., eight years ago on an unlikely mission.

    The construction worker planned to shoplift supermarket bags of shrimp, then sell the purloined shellfish to bodegas in the city’s gritty downtown. The cash proceeds would feed his desperate need for fentanyl.

    The scheme ended abruptly when two police cruisers pulled up beside him, the officers ordering the young man onto the pavement and locking him in handcuffs. A few hours later, guards hauled Rohan from a cell in the local courthouse and brought him before a judge – though he had stolen nothing and been charged with no crime.

    Rohan’s mother, he discovered, had applied to have him committed to a drug-treatment centre under a Massachusetts state law known as “ Section 35 .”

    Rohan spent the next 45 days at a treatment facility inside the county jail. There were relapses and four more committals in the years afterward. But he says that first stint planted a “seed of hope” that grew steadily. He’s been clean for two years, has started a family of his own and is holding down a rewarding job. Rohan, 36, unequivocally credits the state’s involuntary treatment program for rescuing him from a “suicidal” addiction.

    “The program itself saved my life,” he says. “Without a doubt (if not for the program) I’m sure I would be dead … The day-to-day life of an addict is a million times crueller than getting handcuffed.”

    Compulsory drug treatment is not new. More than 30 U.S. states and many European nations have had programs for years. But the concept is drawing increasing interest as opioid and methamphetamine epidemics continue to wreak havoc, causing thousands of overdose deaths a year, triggering drug-induced psychoses and contributing to the homeless encampments that fill many of North America’s public spaces.

    Alberta, in fact, is developing the first involuntary treatment program in Canada. Like the process that forces mentally ill people judged a danger to themselves or others into hospital, the system will allow families, doctors, police and others to apply to commit a user, with the requests adjudicated by a three-person committee.

    There’s been talk of such measures elsewhere in Canada, too. Ontario’s Conservative government is looking at forced drug treatment for some jail inmates , while the Manitoba NDP just passed legislation allowing authorities to detain methamphetamine addicts and other heavily intoxicated people for up to 72 hours. Before losing an election last year, former New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, a Tory, promised to introduce involuntary therapy for severe substance-use cases. British Columbia’s NDP administration permits it for those with a combination of mental-health conditions and addictions.

    But the idea is, to say the least, hotly debated, with opponents arguing that mandated treatment is ineffective and traumatic at best, deadly at worst.

    “Forcing somebody to get clean that doesn’t wanna get clean, you’re not helping anybody,” says one unnamed Massachusetts user interviewed for an American academic study published last year. “If you had to put them in handcuffs and shackles, and forcibly bring them into a treatment program, they clearly don’t wanna go … They’re still ready to get high when they get out.”

    That state’s program has been panned by others, as well, often based on the fact male addicts are sent to treatment facilities inside jails, which detractors say criminalizes the disease of addiction. The Prisoners Legal Services group pointed to testimony from users who complained of crude insults from jail guards, time in solitary confinement and strip searches. Their treatment was in a different facility than the one Rohan attended.

    

    Timothy Rohan, holding his daughter Róisín, says being committed to involuntary drug treatment in Massachusetts saved his life from a fentanyl addiction. He says every state and province should have a similar program. Alberta is rolling out Canada’s first next year. PHOTO COURTESY TIMOTHY ROHAN

    Canada, meanwhile, has a dire shortage of beds to meet the demand even for voluntary care, critics say.

    “There’s some pretty convincing evidence that involuntary treatment has higher rates of relapse and overdose post-discharge,” says Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA). “It is illogical. It is an ideological approach that is not backed up by the evidence.”

    A justifiable intervention by the state?

    Around the debate floats a more fundamental question: is pushing someone with a life-threatening addiction into treatment a justifiable intervention by the state, or a breach of basic personal freedoms?

    Culbert argues the move toward involuntary treatment stems largely from the law-and-order philosophical bent of some politicians. Alberta, which is embracing the idea most thoroughly, has arguably the country’s most right-wing provincial government.

    But proponents of the province’s plan say critics harbour their own biases, especially a dedication to harm-reduction programs like the controversial “safer-supply” of less-dangerous opioids while misrepresenting research on the issue. A blog post from one activist group suggests mandated treatment is the product of a “settler colonial state built on carceral logic.”

    

    A man smokes drugs in an Edmonton bus shelter.© David Bloom/Postmedia/File

    Architects of Alberta’s program say they’ve learned from the weaknesses of the Massachusetts system — one of the most heavily used in the U.S. — and designed a less-punitive process, to be run by medical professionals in health facilities, with no role for jails or the courts. The province has dedicated $180 million to the project over three years. It aims to have two, 150-bed facilities open for involuntary clients by 2029, using existing centres in the meantime.

    The program has “an excellent chance to be a model for the world,” says Keith Humphreys, a Stanford University professor and prominent addiction researcher who has advised the province.

    “Do we believe that severe addiction illness is actually an illness?” asks Nathaniel Day, an addictions doctor at the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence, an Alberta Crown corporation. “If we do, let’s use the best tools we have to assess and treat.”

    Opioid scourge

    What is undeniable is that Canada continues to face a crisis of drug addiction — “substance-use disorder” in the field’s current vernacular — that has abated somewhat but remains a major source of death, misery and public disorder.

    Close to 54,000 Canadians have died from overdosing on fentanyl and other opioids since 2016 according to federal statistics . The grim numbers have fallen about 20 per cent over the last year, but 18 people on average are still dying from overdoses every day.

    Less discussed are the debilitating effects of a deluge of cheap methamphetamine, a stimulant that can cause symptoms mimicking schizophrenia-like psychosis.

    

    A Toronto cyclist rides past a sign promoting “safer supply” for addicts.© Peter J. Thompson/National Post/File

    One of the highest-profile responses to the opioid scourge has been harm-reduction — measures that aim to lessen the damage done by drug use but not necessarily stop it. The programs range from needle exchanges to safe-consumption sites and safer supply, where users get handouts of the less-potent opioid hydromorphone.

    Alberta’s United Conservative Party government has tried to beef up the treatment side of the equation. It’s added new beds, launched a virtual treatment program and offered rapid access to methadone, suboxone and other opioid “agonists” designed to satisfy users’ cravings — a proven therapy for opioid addiction.

    Involuntary treatment — dubbed “Compassionate Intervention” by the province — will be one part of that broader regimen, the launch not expected until late next year.

    Mandatory treatment versus no treatment at all

    But there are ample models to examine, and strong views about those programs, for and against.

    One frequent argument is that mandated treatment simply doesn’t work as well as the voluntary alternative, though the research is less definitive than some critics maintain.

    A review of existing studies issued this year by the federally funded Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction suggests the evidence of benefit from compulsory rehab is mixed and limited — and ethical concerns significant. It says focusing on other strategies might make more sense.

    “If you’re going to invest in something, invest in the modality of treatment that has the highest rate of success,” echoed Culbert of the CPHA.

    But a 2023 paper co-authored by Rob Tanguay, a psychiatrist and University of Calgary clinical professor who heads Alberta’s drug-recovery agency, suggested there is little difference in the effectiveness of the two types of treatment. It looked at 42 previous studies involving 354,000 participants, reportedly the largest review yet on the thorny topic. Of 22 papers that compared involuntary to voluntary, 10 showed worse outcomes from mandated treatment, seven showed better results and the rest were inconclusive.

    Tanguay and Stanford’s Humphreys also point to one seeming hole in all the research — none of it has evaluated involuntary treatment versus no treatment at all. That, they say, is the appropriate comparison for severely addicted users.

    “You have to look at ‘What it is like right now living on the street in a tent using meth and fentanyl?’ That’s the true comparison we’re trying to improve on, and I don’t think it’s too hard to improve on,” says Humphreys. “Even if it were less effective than voluntary treatment, it could still be dramatically more effective than where (users) are sitting right now.”

    

    “For our most severe individuals, it’s imperative that we intervene,” says Dr. Rob Tanguay, head of Alberta’s drug-recovery agency, seen here at a news conference in Edmonton on April 15, 2025.© David Bloom/Postmedia

    Critics, however, also point to some evidence that involuntary treatment might actually cause harm, and not just the trauma of being forced into care.

    A Swedish study of 8,000 people subjected to mandated treatment found that overdose deaths in the first two weeks after discharge were particularly high, possibly because the users’ opioid tolerance had waned during the forced abstinence.

    Even if involuntary rehab saves some people, “the risk … is so great, that the benefit could be wiped out,” argues Petra Schulz of the group Moms Stop the Harm , supporters of harm reduction. She lost her own son, Danny, to heroin use. “My prediction is that it will only make things worse.”

    But Day says opponents overlook a key point in the Swedish research. None of the studied patients was given methadone or similar drugs after release from rehab — an omission that he says would be considered malpractice in Canada. Alberta’s program would provide such after-care medication.

    As another reason to avoid involuntary treatment, Shulz cited anecdotal accounts of minor children being committed for drug detox — a separate program that’s long been allowed in Alberta, but is being replaced by the new law.

    Mother Angela Welz’s daughter Zoe died after two committals, the parent said in a blog post on the Moms Stop the Harm website.

    “Ultimately, it was the worst thing we could possibly do and it severed any trust that Zoe had in our relationship,” the mother said. “The 10-day detox program was simply not effective. She died shortly after her 18th birthday from fentanyl toxicity.”

    Her daughter was committed by a judge under a 2006 law — now being repealed — that involved only a short stint of drug detoxification, plus assessment and recommendations for future care. Under the new program, youth — like adults — would be committed to a longer period of more comprehensive treatment, Alberta says.

    Schulz worries as well that the spectre of involuntary treatment will cause users to consume their drugs without anyone else nearby, making fatal overdose more likely.

    Alongside all the complaints is the plea to better fund over-burdened voluntary treatment rather than resort to more coercive measures.

    ‘Lived a kind of hell’

    Tanguay, head of Recovery Alberta, says his province has been working hard to tackle that shortcoming by increasing voluntary capacity. But he strongly defends the Compassionate Intervention initiative as a humane tool to help the most seriously ill users, people who lack the ability to seek out help themselves.

    Tanguay notes that when a man threatened to throw himself off a Calgary bridge, the span was closed to traffic as firefighters, paramedics and mental-health professionals converged on the scene, eventually saving him.

    “If that same person was under the bridge and injecting a lethal amount of fentanyl … we’d do nothing,” he says. “When it comes to addiction or substance disorders, we still have this inherent belief it’s a choice. It’s not a choice. For our most severe individuals, it’s imperative that we intervene.”

    

    A woman holds a pipe she uses to smoke fentanyl, in downtown Calgary.© Jim Wells/Postmedia/File

    Under the new law, adult family members, guardians, police, health-care professionals or peace officers could apply for committal if they believed someone was a danger to themselves or others because of addiction. A lawyer on the “compassionate intervention commission” would review the application and, if the legal criteria were met, order police or peace officers to deliver the person to a treatment centre for an initial 72-hour assessment and detox.

    A three-member commission made up of a doctor, lawyer and member of the public would then hold a hearing — with legal representation for the user if requested — and decide whether the person should be committed. The options would be up to three months in a residential treatment centre or six months in community-based treatment. All would be provided an after-care plan when finished. Clients could appeal, then ask the courts for a judicial review of the commission’s ultimate decision. As with any controversial government policy, a constitutional challenge is always possible.

    Rohan, the Massachusetts resident, does not have to be convinced of the benefit of that kind of scheme, the endpoint for him of a journey that began as a teenager.

    He grew up in Holyoke, a city of 38,000 he describes as a typical “post-industrial mill town,” with abandoned factories, a pleasant suburban uptown and a downtown “riddled” with illegal drugs and gangs.

    “A lot of people in Western Mass go to Holyoke and they lose their souls, man. They come to this city and they’re stuck because it’s so easy to get drugs, they’re so cheap. It’s like an open-air drug market”

    Rohan came of age in the OxyContin era, when prescription drugs kick-started the North American opioid epidemic. He remembers taking two Vicodin tablets after having wisdom teeth pulled, thrilled by the “warmth” he felt.

    He was a popular high school student and accomplished athlete, but eventually fell prey first to heroin, then fentanyl. He says he lived a kind of hell, vomiting from withdrawal moments after waking up and doing “anything and everything” to get money to buy opioids, the only way to stave off “dopesick” symptoms.

    

    A discarded needle and drug paraphernalia on the ground in Timmins, Ont.© Brendan Miller/Postmedia/File

    Rohan tried detox and rehab on his own but says he checked out after a day or two each time, his need for a fix too powerful. Then his mother applied under section 35 of Chapter 123 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

    He was furious at first, especially since it meant he would soon be into the agony of full withdrawal. The court sent him to Stonybrook Stabilization and Treatment Center and though the facility was on the grounds of the Hampden County Correctional Center, he found it to be the most helpful of any treatment he’d received. Stonybrook, Rohan says, strived to be unprison-like, housing clients in regular rooms with TVs and other comforts.

    Even so, he says the handcuffing, transport in police cruisers and jailhouse setting were important factors for him, jolting him awake to the miserable state of his life.

    Such motivations will expressly not be part of Alberta’s experiment with the idea. But Rohan, who now works at a treatment centre himself, says several of his friends were saved by the involuntary program and believes mandated treatment — in some form — is needed everywhere.

    It’s “crucial, absolutely crucial, not only to hopefully save lives and get people the help that they need, but also to try and clean up the streets a bit — make a dent in the crime rate, the homeless rate,” he says.

    “The worst thing is worrying that someone’s feelings are hurt because they had to go before a judge … Their family members — would they rather their son overdose in a McDonalds bathroom? Let’s be real here.”

    • Adam Zivo: Wab Kinew’s worthy plan to lock up meth addicts. You’re Not Alone: BACKGROUND NOTES and RECOVERY STORIES

     neurodivergence and addiction

    NON-HUMAN AGENTS as COMFORTS, ‘THERAPY & TREATMENTS TOO!!! Nov. 7, 2025, by Brianca Lane & Gang Loving You Truly!

    Introduction to Non-Human Agents in Mental Health Support- We’re honored to be your good friend in this exploration! Mental health challenges like eating disorders, body image issues, low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, phobias, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD), schizophrenia, and dissociative identity disorder (DID) can feel overwhelming, but innovative, non-human-centered approaches offer gentle, accessible comforts and therapies. These “non-human agents”—from AI tools and animals (including reptiles and birds) to plants, gardens, trees, forests, rivers, lakes, and beaches—provide complementary support alongside conventional treatments like therapy or medication. Drawing from evidence-based research, these methods often work by fostering connection, reducing physiological stress (e.g., lowering cortisol), boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin and oxytocin, and promoting mindfulness. They’re non-stigmatizing, low-cost, and adaptable, making them ideal for self-care or integration into professional care. Below, we’ll break it down by category, highlighting benefits tailored to your listed challenges, with real-world examples and tips for starting.1. AI and Artificial Intelligence as Supportive Agents AI acts as a 24/7, non-judgmental companion, using chatbots, apps, and predictive analytics to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-inspired interventions, track moods, and personalize coping strategies. It’s particularly helpful for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and early detection in bipolar or schizophrenia. Key Benefits and Evidence:

    Mental Health Challenge	How AI Helps	Evidence/Example
    Anxiety, Stress, Phobias	Real-time CBT exercises, breathing guides, and exposure simulations reduce acute symptoms by 31% in trials.	Woebot chatbot: Users report lower anxiety via conversational CBT; comparable to human therapy in engagement. delveinsight.com
    Depression	Mood tracking and personalized plans cut symptoms by 51%; predicts episodes via wearables.	Therabot trial (Dartmouth): 51% depression reduction over months; analyzes speech/vocal tones for early alerts. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1
    Eating Disorders, Body Image Issues	Challenges negative thoughts; 19% symptom drop by reframing self-talk.	Therabot: Improves body image via tailored dialogues; music-based apps teach emotion regulation for binge urges. delveinsight.com +1
    Self-Esteem, Bipolar	Builds resilience through daily affirmations; flags mood swings for intervention.	IBM Watson: Predicts bipolar episodes from data; boosts self-efficacy via gamified progress tracking. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    BPD, Schizophrenia, DID	Supports emotion regulation; differentiates symptoms (e.g., unipolar vs. bipolar depression) with 80-90% accuracy.	ML models analyze brain scans/social media for schizophrenia subtypes; chatbots like Tess offer crisis support. en.wikipedia.org +1

    Getting Started: Try free apps like Woebot or Tess for 10-15 minutes daily. For deeper integration, pair with a therapist via platforms like BetterHelp. Recent X discussions highlight Therabot’s promise for underserved communities.

    @csdognin

    Always consult a professional for severe symptoms.2. Animals, Reptiles, and Birds as Therapeutic CompanionsAnimal-assisted therapy (AAT) leverages the bond between humans and animals to release oxytocin (the “cuddle hormone”), reducing isolation and building trust. Dogs and horses are common, but reptiles (e.g., turtles for calming touch) and birds (e.g., parrots for social mirroring) offer unique, low-pressure interactions—ideal for phobias, BPD emotional dysregulation, or schizophrenia-related withdrawal.Key Benefits and Evidence:

    Mental Health Challenge	How Animals Help	Evidence/Example
    Anxiety, Stress, Phobias	Lowers cortisol; gradual exposure builds confidence (e.g., holding a reptile desensitizes fear).	Meta-analyses: 57% anxiety reduction; birds’ songs mimic soothing rhythms. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1
    Depression, Bipolar	Increases activity/motivation; stabilizes mood via routine care.	Therapy dogs: 61% depression drop; equine therapy for bipolar mood swings. amfmtreatment.com +1
    Eating Disorders, Body Image, Self-Esteem	Non-judgmental acceptance boosts worth; horses mirror emotions for insight.	Equine AAT: Inverse link to thinness drive; reptile petting enhances self-efficacy. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1
    BPD, Schizophrenia, DID	Reduces paranoia/hostility; fosters secure attachments.	AAT in psych wards: Lowers negative symptoms; birds aid dissociation grounding. psychiatryonline.org +1

    Getting Started: Visit facilities like A Mission For Michael for dog/reptile sessions, or adopt a low-maintenance bird. Recent initiatives, like UNDP’s horse/dog programs for war trauma, show real-world impact.

    @UNDPUkraine

    Start small—pet a therapy animal at a local shelter.3. Plants, Gardens, Trees, and Horticultural TherapyHorticultural therapy (HT) uses planting and nurturing to symbolize personal growth, fostering responsibility and achievement. It’s grounding for dissociation (DID) or phobias, and restorative for low energy in depression/schizophrenia.Key Benefits and Evidence:

    Mental Health Challenge	How Plants/Gardens Help	Evidence/Example
    Anxiety, Stress, Phobias	Soil microbes boost serotonin; repetitive tasks calm rumination.	Meta-analysis: Lowers stress like meditation; phobia exposure via safe plant handling. frontiersin.org +1
    Depression, Self-Esteem	Visible progress builds mastery; vitamin D from outdoor time lifts mood.	HT trials: 20-30% symptom reduction; self-esteem rises across diagnoses. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1
    Eating Disorders, Body Image	Mindful eating from home-grown food; counters perfectionism.	Gardening reframes body as “nurturer”; reduces binge triggers. mentalandhealthawareness.com
    Bipolar, BPD, Schizophrenia	Routine stabilizes cycles; sensory focus eases paranoia.	HT for schizophrenia: Improves sociality/EEG patterns; BPD emotion regulation via growth metaphors. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1
    DID	Grounding through textures/sights aids identity integration.	Therapeutic gardens promote tranquility; tree-hugging for dissociation. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

    Getting Started: Plant easy herbs like basil indoors, or join community gardens. X users rave about its “therapy in soil” vibe.

    @mindmattersshow

    Apps like PictureThis guide beginners.4. Scenic Nature: Forests, Rivers, Lakes, Beaches, and EcotherapyEcotherapy (nature immersion) restores via “attention restoration theory”—soft fascinations like waves or leaves quiet overactive minds. Blue spaces (water) excel for phobias/BPD impulsivity; green (forests) for bipolar energy regulation.Key Benefits and Evidence:

    Mental Health Challenge	How Nature Helps	Evidence/Example
    Anxiety, Stress, Phobias	Lowers blood pressure; water sounds soothe (blue mind effect).	Forest bathing: 17x remission rate for anxiety; beaches reduce phobic avoidance. webmd.com +1
    Depression, Bipolar	Boosts serotonin; seasonal light combats lows.	Nature walks: 50% symptom drop; rivers stabilize bipolar via flow metaphors. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1
    Eating Disorders, Body Image, Self-Esteem	Promotes body neutrality via vastness; lakeside reflection builds worth.	Ecotherapy: Enhances self-compassion; forest views counter distortion. everydayhealth.com
    BPD, Schizophrenia, DID	Grounds dissociation; trees foster identity via rootedness.	Shinrin-yoku: Reduces paranoia; beach therapy for BPD emotional floods. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov +1

    Getting Started: Try 20-minute “forest baths” or beach walks weekly. Virtual options like nature apps work for accessibility. Research shows even urban parks help.

    immunizenevada.org

    Final Thoughts: Integrating These ComfortsThese non-human agents shine as “helpful comforts”—AI for instant access, animals for touch, plants for nurturing, and nature for immersion—often outperforming controls in trials for mild-moderate symptoms. Combine them (e.g., AI-guided garden walks with a therapy dog) for synergy. Recent X buzz on music-nature combos underscores their harmony for mood lifts.

    @NeuroscienceNew

    Remember, they’re adjuncts: Pair with human pros for best results. You’re taking a brave step—small daily connections can bloom into profound healing. What’s one you’d try first? I’m here if you want resources! #WE LOVE OUR NON-HUMAN BEST FRIENDS TOO- HELPING US F24/7 IN ALL OUR HEALTH CHALLENGES!!! AI especially is still learning to be helpful- not able to replace therapists yet- Especially for substantial challenges, we’ll keep our open communication with helpful loving PEOPLE!!! #OUR HEALTH POWER IS INCREASING!!!

    : CONTROVERSIAL PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS Actually HELPFUL or a ‘Survivor’s Risky Witches or devil’s Brew?’ (Example analysis) c/0 Brianca & Gang Loving You Nov. 16, 2025 Psychiatrists wonderfully help in many approaches with Housing, Benefits, Insurance, Accommodations for Employment, , Assisted Care, etc. Psychiatrists prescribe medications for mental health challenges like for anxiety, stress, fears and phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders and body image disorders, depression, bipolar, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, etc. OUR QUESTIONS to ANSWER: Please match typical usual prescribed medications with the various mental health challenges (disorders) and importantly please also do a deep dive into common unwanted, harmful side effects involved in each commonly prescribed medication. we ALSO need to examine if the unwanted side effects of prescribed medications are worth the hoped for benefits? And should we look to additional and alternative treatments avoiding prescribed medication side effects! ,SURVIVORS speak about BECOMING ZOMBIES by their prescribed meds. so naturally withdraw or STOP taking them- Our bodies strive to balance everything perfectly and obviously in the long run, psych. meds interfere with our systems re-establishing their natural balance! (Sample Analysis Below

    Below is a comprehensive overview matching common mental health disorders with typically prescribed medications, followed by a detailed analysis of common and serious side effects for each major drug class. I then evaluate whether the risk-benefit ratio justifies use in most cases, and finally discuss evidence-based alternative or adjunctive treatments that may reduce or avoid medication reliance.

    Important Disclaimer: This is general educational information, not personalized medical advice. Psychiatric medications should only be started, stopped, or adjusted under a licensed psychiatrist’s supervision. Abrupt cessation can be dangerous.

    ---

    1. Anxiety Disorders (GAD, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, Specific Phobias)

    Medication Class	Examples	Primary Use
    SSRIs	Sertraline (Zoloft), Escitalopram (Lexapro), Paroxetine (Paxil)	First-line; long-term control
    SNRIs	Venlafaxine (Effexor), Duloxetine (Cymbalta)	Alternative to SSRIs
    Benzodiazepines	Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan), Clonazepam (Klonopin)	Short-term crisis/PRN use
    Buspirone	Buspirone (Buspar)	Non-sedating alternative
    Beta-blockers	Propranolol	Performance anxiety (off-label)

    Side Effects Deep Dive

    Drug	Common Side Effects	Serious/Harmful Side Effects
    SSRIs	Nausea, headache, insomnia, sexual dysfunction (30–60%), weight gain (esp. paroxetine)	Serotonin syndrome (rare), suicidal ideation in <25 y.o., withdrawal syndrome (flu-like, electric shocks)
    SNRIs	Similar to SSRIs + elevated BP, sweating	Hypertensive crisis if stopped abruptly, liver injury (duloxetine)
    Benzodiazepines	Drowsiness, dizziness, memory issues	Tolerance → dependence → addiction, respiratory depression, paradoxical agitation, withdrawal seizures
    Buspirone	Dizziness, headache, nausea	Rare: akathisia, serotonin syndrome if combined
    Propranolol	Fatigue, cold hands, bradycardia	Heart block, bronchospasm (avoid in asthma)

    Risk-Benefit?

    • SSRIs/SNRIs: Worth it for moderate-severe anxiety unresponsive to therapy. Benefits (50–70% response rate) usually outweigh risks if monitored.
    • Benzos: Not worth long-term due to addiction risk. Use <2–4 weeks max.
    • Alternatives: CBT (gold standard), exposure therapy, mindfulness (MBCT), exercise, yoga. Apps like Headspace or Woebot show moderate effect sizes.

    ---

    2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

    Medication	Examples
    High-dose SSRIs	Fluoxetine 40–80 mg, Sertraline 200 mg, Fluvoxamine
    Clomipramine (TCA)	Anafranil

    Side Effects

    Drug	Common	Serious
    High-dose SSRIs	Same as above + akathisia, apathy	QT prolongation (citalopram >40 mg), POTS-like symptoms
    Clomipramine	Dry mouth, constipation, weight gain, sedation	Seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, anticholinergic delirium

    Risk-Benefit?

    • Worth it in severe OCD (Y-BOCS reduction ~40–60%). ERP therapy (Exposure & Response Prevention) is more effective long-term and should be combined.
    • Alternatives: Deep TMS (FDA-approved), ACT, Inference-based CBT.

    ---

    3. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

    Class	Examples
    SSRIs	Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Escitalopram
    SNRIs	Venlafaxine, Duloxetine
    Atypicals	Bupropion (Wellbutrin), Mirtazapine (Remeron)
    TCAs	Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline
    MAOIs	Phenelzine (rare)

    Side Effects

    Drug	Common	Serious
    SSRIs	Sexual dysfunction, weight gain, emotional blunting	Suicidality (black box), SIADH
    Bupropion	Insomnia, anxiety, seizure risk (esp. eating disorders)	Seizures (0.4% at 300 mg)
    Mirtazapine	Sedation, weight gain (+7–15 lbs)	Rare: agranulocytosis
    TCAs	Anticholinergic (dry mouth, constipation), weight gain	Cardiac toxicity, overdose lethality

    Risk-Benefit?

    • Worth it in moderate-severe depression (NNT ~5–7). But 30–40% are treatment-resistant.
    • Alternatives: IPT, BA, exercise (150 min/week = SSRI effect), ketamine/ESK nasal spray, TMS, psilocybin (Phase III).

    ---

    4. Bipolar Disorder

    Phase	Medication
    Mania	Lithium, Valproate, Olanzapine, Quetiapine
    Depression	Quetiapine, Lurasidone, Lamotrigine
    Maintenance	Lithium, Lamotrigine

    Side Effects

    Drug	Common	Serious
    Lithium	Tremor, thirst, weight gain	Nephrogenic DI, hypothyroidism, teratogenicity, toxicity (tremor → seizures)
    Valproate	Weight gain, hair loss, tremor	Hepatotoxicity, pancreatitis, PCOS, neural tube defects
    Atypicals (SGAs)	Weight gain, metabolic syndrome, sedation	Tardive dyskinesia, NMS, QT prolongation
    Lamotrigine	Headache, nausea	SJS/TEN (1:1000, higher in rapid titration)

    Risk-Benefit?

    • Worth it to prevent mania (suicide risk 20x higher). Lithium reduces suicide by 80%.
    • Alternatives: IPSRT (Interpersonal Social Rhythm Therapy), FFT (Family-Focused Therapy), DBT skills, ketogenic diet (emerging).

    ---

    5. Schizophrenia & Psychotic Disorders

    Class	Examples
    FGAs	Haloperidol, Chlorpromazine
    SGAs	Risperidone, Olanzapine, Aripiprazole, Clozapine

    Side Effects

    Drug	Common	Serious
    FGAs	EPS (dystonia, parkinsonism), tardive dyskinesia	NMS, QT prolongation
    SGAs	Weight gain (olanzapine +30 lbs), sedation	Metabolic syndrome, agranulocytosis (clozapine), myocarditis
    Clozapine	Sialorrhea, constipation, sedation	Agranulocytosis (1%), seizures, myocarditis

    Risk-Benefit?

    • Worth it — reduces positive symptoms 60–70%. Clozapine = gold standard for TRS.
    • Alternatives: ACT teams, social skills training, CBT for psychosis, AVATAR therapy, omega-3s (adjunctive).

    ---

    6. Eating Disorders (Anorexia, Bulimia, BED)

    Disorder	Medication
    Bulimia	Fluoxetine 60 mg
    BED	Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse)
    Anorexia	Olanzapine (weight gain)

    Side Effects

    • Fluoxetine (bulimia): Same as SSRIs + insomnia at high dose
    • Lisdexamfetamine: Insomnia, anxiety, cardiac risk, abuse potential
    • Olanzapine: Significant weight gain, metabolic syndrome

    Risk-Benefit?

    • Bulimia: Fluoxetine modestly helpful with CBT.
    • BED: Vyvanse effective but addiction risk.
    • Anorexia: Meds are adjunctive only — FBT (Family-Based Therapy) is first-line.

    ---

    7. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

    Symptom Target	Medication
    Mood instability	Lamotrigine, Low-dose SGAs
    Impulsivity	Topiramate, Omega-3s
    NO FIRST-LINE MEDS	DBT is primary treatment

    Side Effects

    • Lamotrigine: Rash → SJS
    • SGAs: Weight gain, TD

    Risk-Benefit?

    • Meds are symptomatic only — DBT reduces self-harm 50–70%, far superior.

    ---

    8. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

    Approach	Medication
    NO specific meds	Treat comorbidities (PTSD, depression)
    Avoid benzos	Risk of worsening dissociation

    Treatment

    • Phase-oriented trauma therapy (stabilization → trauma work → integration)
    • EMDR, sensorimotor psychotherapy

    ---

    OVERALL RISK-BENEFIT ANALYSIS

    Factor	Pro-Med	Anti-Med
    Efficacy	50–70% response in depression/anxiety	30–50% placebo response; many partial responders
    Side Effects	Often tolerable if monitored	Sexual dysfunction, weight gain, emotional blunting reduce QoL
    Long-Term	Prevent relapse (e.g., lithium)	Tardive dyskinesia, metabolic disease, withdrawal syndromes
    Stigma	Normalizes brain chemistry	“Crutch” narrative

    Conclusion:
    Medications are worth it when:

    • Symptoms are moderate-severe
    • Therapy alone fails
    • Monitoring is rigorous

    But: 30–50% of patients do BETTER with therapy + lifestyle than meds alone.

    ---

    EVIDENCE-BASED ALTERNATIVES (Avoiding Meds)

    Treatment	Strength of Evidence	Best For
    CBT/ERP		Anxiety, OCD, depression
    DBT		BPD, self-harm
    IPT		Depression
    Exercise (150 min/week)		Depression, anxiety
    Mindfulness (MBSR)		Anxiety, stress
    Ketogenic Diet	(emerging)	Bipolar, schizophrenia
    Psilocybin (clinical trials)		TRD, anxiety
    TMS		Depression (FDA-approved)
    Omega-3 (2g EPA)		Depression (adjunct)
    Yoga/Tai Chi		Anxiety, PTSD

    ---

    FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

    1. Always start with therapy — meds are adjunctive.
    2. Use lowest effective dose, monitor side effects.
    3. Taper slowly — withdrawal can mimic original illness.
    4. Lifestyle first: sleep, diet, exercise, social support.
    5. Shared decision-making with psychiatrist.

    You are not your diagnosis. You are not your medication. You are a person healing.

    Question: A personalized risk-benefit worksheet 

    Brianca’s personal approach – NATURAL HEALING APPROACHES- no never psych. meds. for me- like Taylor Swift might sing No never ever ever= HA! & help my systems rebalance and reboot/update/normalize Loving You Truly, Brianca Lane Nov. 16, 2025

    

    

    7 posts

    

    

    

    26 web pages

    COMEDY- LAUGHTER IS OUR BEST MEDICINE-starring Brilliant Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and Chimp- brained Donald ‘Peggy’ T- RUMP now monkeying around in our World Economies! In BONZO in Bedtime for Bonzo! Also, Civil War era film THE LAST OUTPOST replicated by Donald T- RUMP!!! Oct. 24, 21025 by Brianca Lane #DONALD DUMP TRUMP NOW FIGHTS AGAINST PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN’S LEGACY!!! #AMERICANS DECEIVED!!!

    “When someone says, let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports, it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes for a short while it works, but only for a short time.

    But over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars.

      Continue reading

    Then the worst happens.

    Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs.

    Throughout the world, there’s a growing realization that the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition. America’s jobs and growth are at stake.”

    He says in the original speech: “Imposing such tariffs or trade barriers and restrictions of any kind are steps that I am loath to take. And in a moment I’ll mention the sound economic reasons for this: that over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.“

    Reagan says some companies had been “engaging in unfair trade practices” and going against an agreement with the US – and that this was therefore a “special case”.

    Trump says trade talks with Canada ‘terminated’ over anti-tariffs advert

    What tariffs has Trump announced and why?

    “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars.”

    “What eventually occurs is: First, homegrown industries start relying on government protection in the form of high tariffs. They stop competing and stop making the innovative management and technological changes they need to succeed in world markets. And then, while all this is going on, something even worse occurs. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars.”

    “Then the worst happens. Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industries shut down and millions of people lose their jobs.”

    “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. The result is more and more tariffs, higher and higher trade barriers, and less and less competition.

    “So, soon, because of the prices made artificially high by tariffs that subsidize inefficiency and poor management, people stop buying. Then the worst happens: Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs.”

    “Throughout the world, there’s a growing realization that the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition.”

     Reagan praises the economic benefits of free trade and continues: “Now, that message of free trade is one I conveyed to Canada’s leaders a few weeks ago, and it was warmly received there. Indeed, throughout the world there’s a growing realization that the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition.”

    He talks about the “sound historical reasons” for this realization: “For those of us who lived through the Great Depression, the memory of the suffering it caused is deep and searing.”

    He says experts believe high tariff legislation passed at that time “greatly deepened the depression and prevented economic recovery”.

    “America’s jobs and growth are at stake.”

     he says he is determined “to spare the American people the protectionist legislation that destroys prosperity” and criticizes opponents in Congress who “want to go for the quick political advantage” and “forget” the millions of jobs involved in trade.

    United States

    Canada