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According to a study conducted at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, among teens with substance use disorders, those who also have social anxiety disorder begin using marijuana at a mean age of 10.6 years - an average of 2.2 years earlier than teens without anxiety. "This finding surprised us," said principal investigator Alexandra Wang, a third-year medical student at the university. "It shows we need to start earlier with prevention of drug and alcohol use and treatment of social phobia [in children]." The study was consisting of 195 teens ages 14 to 18 which 102 of them or 52 percent \ were teenage girls. They met the current diagnosis of substance use disorder and had received medical detoxification if needed. The researchers evaluated the participants' history of drug and alcohol use and digged into whether they'd had any of three anxiety disorders: social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. Out of 195 teens, 92 percent had marijuana dependence and the most disturbing part was it is starting at the age of 13 years. And on the other hand, 61 percent were alcohol-dependent, having started drinking at 13.5 years on average. This shows that marijuana was the most popular drug of choice. Teens with either social anxiety disorder or panic disorder were far more likely to have marijuana dependence, Wang said. Before marijuana dependence both of these disorders were more likely to occur. More or less 80 percent of teens suffering from social anxiety disorder and 85 percent with panic disorder had symptoms of that disorder previous to the onset of their substance abuse. In addition, panic disorder has a propensity to start before alcohol dependence and came about in 75 percent of alcohol-dependent adolescents. According to the authors, there was no clear evidence showing whether agoraphobia came before or after either marijuana use or the first drink. A limitation of the study, according to the research team, was that 12

A limitation of the study, according to the research team, was that 128 (66 percent) of the teens were juvenile offenders who had received court-referred treatment for their substance abuse. These findings might not generalize to a less severely addicted population. Yet again, interventions to lessen social anxiety might help avoid substance abuse in teens. "We need to treat these young patients initially with non-pharmacologic means, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or mindfulness meditation," said Christina Delos Reyes, M.D., a psychiatrist specializing in addictions at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Patrick Bordeaux, M.D., a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Quebec, Canada, said that "comorbidities tend to be the rule in adolescents, not the exception." "Adolescents are more likely to have social and mental disorders that make them more likely to use drugs," said Bordeaux, who was not involved with the study. Source Link: http://springhillgroupcounselling.tumblr.com/

http://springhillgroupcounselling.com/2013/10/07/mental-health-services-usage-people-depression/ A new study has found more than half the people in Ontario who reported they had major depression did not use physician-based mental health services in the following year. "It's concerning to us that many Ontarians with mental health needs are not accessing clinician-based care," said Katherine Smith, the lead author and epidemiologist in the Centre for Research on Inner City Health of St. Michael's Hospital. "Some people may seek non-medical types of support or care, such as clergy, alternative medicine, psychologists or social workers. But we don't know for sure, so the gap remains of concern." The study used OHIP data from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. The findings appear in the journal Health. A predictable one in four people undergo at one point in their lives from depression, which lessens quality of life, is linked with amplified disability and lower productivity at work. More than twice as often as men women are diagnosed with depression. Smith had set out to see whether gender plays a role in seeking mental health care. As a general rule, about 10 per cent more than men women use mental health services, showing the fact they use health care services overall as much as than men. More than half - 55.3 per cent - of people in Ontario with self-reported major depression had no contact with physicians for mental health reasons in the following year. Additional research is needed to understand why, Smith said. She said some ethnic groups may not be comfortable accessing physician-based mental health services or may prefer to use non-medical services. Stigma around mental illness may also deter some people, she said. Men, as compared to women, have the tendency t

(CNN) -- South Korea is perhaps the world's leader in terms of identifying and treating gaming and Internet addiction. After wiring the nation with the world's fastest broadband infrastructure, South Korea's government spends millions per year to identify and treat gaming and Internet addicts. About 8% of the country's population age 9 to 39 suffer from Internet or gaming addiction, according to a 2010 government study. Some see South Korea as a window into the future: Perhaps other nations, including the United States, will see a wave of gaming and Internet addiction when our technological infrastructure catches up. Others say it's too soon to know if gaming addiction is really its own disorder. In the United States, Internet and gaming addiction are not listed in the official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the next revision of that list, however, the American Psychiatric Association has proposed that "Internet Use Disorder" be listed as warranting further study. Open Mic: South Koreans take on gaming Some groups, however, have moved forward with treating Internet and gaming addiction. One of the leaders in that field is Dr. Han Doug-hyun, from Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea's capital. Han's research lab treats people who are addicted to games using techniques similar to those used to treat alcoholics, including counseling and virtual-reality therapy (Check out this CNN video to see inside his research and treatment space). As part of CNN's feature on "Gaming Reality," Han gave us his list of the top five warning signs that a person should seek professional help for Internet or gaming addiction. Take a look at the tips and let us know what you think of them, and of the science of gaming addiction, in the comments. Here are Han's top 5 warning signs of gaming or Internet addiction: 1. Disrupted regular life pattern. If a person plays games all night long and sleeps in the daytime, that can be a warning he or she shoul

With the risks associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), many women have turned to natural menopause solutions. But these also can bring risks. New report documents risks and introduces a safe and reliable alternative for women going through menopause Santa Fe, NM (PRWEB) August 08, 2012 Today branded ingredient distributor Helios CORP/Sunbio released a special report on the risks women may face taking popular natural treatments for menopause. The report discusses data from studies on black cohosh, genistein and Amberen. It also introduces a new natural menopause ingredient, EstroG-100. EstroG-100 has a proven track record of safety and efficacy. "Menopause is tough enough as it is," says Michael Jeffers, Helios CORP/Sunbio CEO. "Women shouldn't have to put their health at risk to get through it with some comfort. A 2003 study shows that 80% of women turn to natural alternatives to help with the symptoms of menopause. Our goal in releasing the report is make sure women have the information they need to make a safe and reliable choice," says Jeffers. In 2002, the conventional treatment for menopause symptoms, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), came under fire when the Women's Health Initiative trial showed it increased women's risk for heart disease, breast cancer and stroke. Without this option, women have turned to natural alternatives. However § In 2006, the U.K. and Australia required labeling for black cohosh products warning about potential liver toxicity. In 2008, nonprofit standards and safety organization, US Pharmacopeia also made this recommendation. Denmark and Korea have banned its sale; § In 2007, a National Institute of Environmental Health study showed genistein, a soy isoflavone, to be carcinogenic in rats. Organizations like the North American Menopause Society and the Breast Cancer and Environmental Health Research Agency have called for more research on soy and genistein to clarify its efficacy and safety. § Rese

Falling In Love Addiction Who among us isn't snowed under that feeling when someone is fluttering us and at the same time confusing us, that total fascination with the object of our desire, that faith that this time we've found the one we are looking for all along.

http://springhillgroupcounselling.com/2013/09/04/teach-children-well/ There would come a time when you wish that every aspects of life is as easy as arranging the lines of seven-year-old students. It is like kindergarten students are more behave than the outside world. Does school really affect the way we behave when we get older and done with school? Isn't the concept of lining up, or waiting your turn, or listening while someone else is speaking, something that is supposed to be hard-wired from the age of five onward, thanks to attending school should be a basic and common etiquette for adults? Are people "misbehaving" in the adult world was an effect of their schooling when they were younger. If schooling does indeed have a significant impact on us up until our adult years, how does it manifest itself in the everyday world of being a "grown-up"? And perhaps more importantly, are we thinking of education as a means to a positively practical end as we leave school behind us? Canadians were raising their children and how it was negatively impacting their ability to function once they'd left home to go to university or work. Do not "helicopter parent" your kid rather spend the entire time wondering if it was possible that some of the struggles being discussed weren't a result of an education that had misfired in shaping these youngsters' skills sets. Years back, things are better. Today, students were being pushed through despite not having passed exams then blames the education system for not being the same as it was years before is a bit too get-off-my-lawn. Before schooling seemed rigid and wildly archaic, meaning learning is far more than any generation. Perhaps it was just a case of an education still being a good fit for the society it hoped to produce at the time. Or maybe education is an organism in a constant state of flux, and sometimes the growing pains of one generation will greatly benefit the one coming up behind. It all co

Couples with thriving young children and struggling marriages aren't a new sight in therapy office. It can be a real challenge to shift from a married couple to married couple with kids. Arguments and little fights can be healthy sometimes and couple without kids had the plenty of time to attend to their relationship while now that kid's are present, their needs alone can leave both parents drained and exhausted. This could mean that at the end of the day couples will feel tired and no time for each other. There are many reasons why divorce happen but one possible reason is parents tend to get overboard attending to their children while neglecting their responsibilities as a husband or wife. Most of the parents can only have their alone time after the kids are in bed. And what make things worse after your long day is both of you has barely the energy to even ask how each others day went because you cannot even pull up the covers. When you reach this point maybe you are in the edge of your relationship. It will help so much if couples will find time for each other; it is always a good idea to have a day for the parents alone. Weekend mornings can be a good time whereas stress of the work week recedes and before the daily demands of the children start stacking up, couples sometimes find their best opportunity to shift into a mode where they can focus on each other. It is also important to talk to your kids and explain that parents need time for each other too. To make them busy, think of possible and safe way to make use of their time. As soon as a couple acquires some uninterrupted time together, now other challenges appear to happen such as how are they going to use this alone time well. Try not to do the following: Never compare, do not weigh against whose life is harder Do not complain and tell your partner the s/he doesn't give you what you need Expect your partner to instantly feel like being sexual Give up on intimacy and plan the children's week

Pakistan ambassador Jamil Ahmed Khan has extended career-counselling for the brightest of Pakistani students reserving first working day of the month for an advisory chat over a cup of tea. He made the announcement while addressing a ceremony organised at the embassy on Monday to present commendation certificates to 32 bright young UAE-based Pakistani students enrolled in various schools in the UAE, who clinched top positions in the Islamabad board's matric exams and Cambridge exams held in the country. The ceremony drew a jolly crowd comprising students, proud teachers and happy parents. Khan, who is the patron-in-chief of all Pakistani schools in the UAE, congratulated the high scorers for bringing joy and pride to the community and the nation and praised the parents and teachers for providing the enabling environment for the young minds to excel. The envoy cited examples from South Korea and recalled how enhanced school enrolment in the country led to the making of knowledge economy with higher per capita output. "Knowledge economies all over the world are propelled forward by their brightest, like the ones we have in our midst today," Khan added. He termed education as the best remedy to cure the menace of extremism and terrorism, plaguing the world peace and security. VISIT US AT: http://springhillgroupcounselling.com/

GPS jamming signals coming from North Korea has forced South Korea to order its military and civilian air transports to switch on alternative navigational devices to avoid disruption. A statement from the ministry has confirmed that they were able to warn airlines and pilots of the 241 affected South Korean flights along with the 11 foreign airlines like Thai Airways, AirPhil, FedEx, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. But even as the GPS jamming signals continued, South Korea sees no serious threat to navigational safety. Korea Communications Commission confirmed that the GPS jamming signals have been coming from a city on North Korea side of the border. "We've traced the jamming signals to the direction of Kaesong," a commission deputy director told Springhill Group. According to the transport agency, planes that suffered from GPS signal jamming were instructed to use the alternative navigation systems and were not delayed in their schedules. The signal jamming appears to be focused on air traffic at Gimpo and Incheon airports, both of which are around 30 miles from the border.

Like any of the band's 80,000 screaming fans that night, his then girlfriend naturally took a snap to capture the excitement. Unlike other gig-goers however, it doesn't show the young couple smiling out from the crowd, or even Bono and his bandmates doing their thing on stage. Instead, it freeze-framed Darragh in the grip of an internet fixation - recording the gig on one gadget and tweeting non-stop on another. Reformed Twitter addict Darragh (34) who lives in Dublin 8, admits he barely remembers going to such events. "I've gone to things where I was videoing or tweeting or whatever, and I don't remember that I've been there, because I wasn't really there," says Darragh, a community manager with WorldIrish.com. "I was so eager to communicate to other people that I wasn't really experiencing it. That photo was a huge wake-up call for me. "I have this love/hate relationship with the internet," he explains. "I need to use it for work, but I became a little bit too dependent on it. "It really, really consumed me. I couldn't put down the internet. I suppose it was more of an addiction to the connection - the FOMO [Fear Of Missing Out]." Related News: http://springhillgroupcounselling.com/

Saying it's a crazy, complex world out there is putting it mildly. The rate of technological change is staggering. The constant bombardment of information and communication has us all on overload. And we're constantly slugging it out in a brutally competitive global market.

People under the age of 25 are 'struggling to cope' with everyday life, says the Prince's Trust. Their recent survey claims that one in ten young people are now struggling to deal with day-today life. Over 2000 16-25 year olds were surveyed by prince's trust across UK. They have discovered that those who are jobless and out of school are the most discontented. Due to this they are the most unhappy, these are the people who are likely to have grown up without anyone to talk to and converse their issues with. "I used to apply for jobs but after getting knocked back, it hit my confidence. I'd wake up and just not know what to do with the 24 hours in the day", says Leon White, 24. He is currently living with his family but his father passed away ten years ago and he left school without receiving any qualifications. He dreams of a career in music, but has only recently been able to secure a full-time job in a hotel, after taking a hospitality training course. The survey indicated that almost three out of ten people that were questioned said they felt their career prospects had been permanently damaged by the recession. Government said they are not satisfied with the rate of employment while the level of unemployment is at its lowest since 2009. A spokesman from the Department for Work and Pensions said: "Youth unemployment has fallen recently, and excluding full-time students, there are now 626,000 unemployed 16-24 year olds - the lowest figure since early 2009. But we are not complacent about the scale of the challenge we still face. "Through our Youth Contract we're offering nearly 500,000 work experience placements, wage incentives and apprenticeships over the next three years to help young people gain the skills and experience needed to get a job."