Nicknamed “blackout in a can” or “liquid cocaine,” alcoholic energy drink Four Loko seems like the perfect cocktail because the combination of alcohol and caffeine can heighten the buzz for those drinking it. The mix can be especially tempting for college students, even more so if they have or are predisposed to alcoholism. But warns the effects can be seriously damaging to one’s health, and even deadly.
Colleges across the country are banning Four Loko after the recent events at Central Washington University, where a group of students "partying" with the drink began to pass out and suffer symptoms of toxicity. Over nine students were rushed to the hospital and more than fifty suffered serious illness.
This incident shows just how dangerous alcohol and caffeine mixes can be when taken rapidly and in excess. Students and college administrators need to recognize the added risks of products like this. One can of Four Loko contains 12 percent alcohol, significantly higher than regular beers, and then it adds high amounts of caffeine on top of that.
The caffeine in Four Loko can suspend the effects of alcohol consumption, allowing a person to consume more than usual without being aware of his or her level of intoxication. When the caffeine wears off the results can be deadly.
The caffeine masks awareness of the effects of the alcohol, even though the blood alcohol level changes with each drink. As a result, those drunk on energy drink and alcohol mixes are able to stay awake, even when their bodies would normally shut down from alcohol intoxication, which makes them more prone to health risks, including death.
A University of Florida study also showed that Four Loko drinkers are more inclined to attempt to drive after consuming the beverage in excess than those who consumed only alcohol. Alcohol poisoning is an issue we take very seriously at Timberline Knolls.
Once the caffeine wears off, the full force of the alcohol content will hit the body, with all of the physical ramifications. And with its low price point ($2.50 a can) the drink seems perfectly tailored to the college-age drinker that may not know when enough is enough. Regulatory bodies need to consider taking this off the market...college students die from alcohol poisoning regularly in this country using standard products alone.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
When it Comes to PTSD in the Military, Sexual Trauma Can Cause as Much Damage as Combat
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, continues to inflict a mental and physical toll on America’s soldiers, leaving physical, emotional and spiritual scars long after these veterans have left their posts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, for female soldiers, sexual assault and rape can create similar, and many times more treatment-resistant, symptoms of PTSD.
It has been well-documented in research literature that women are already twice as likely to develop PTSD as men following a trauma. And in the military, women have to deal with increased rates of sexual harassment and assault. Recent studies have shown that even without exposure to combat, our female troops could have increased rates of developing PTSD following rape or sexual assault than they could after combat.
Sexual assault in the military has been a serious problem throughout history. Among those seeking VA disability following the first Persian Gulf War, 71 percent of women reported sexual assault during their military service. At present time, for women in the military, 21.5 percent suffer some kind of sexual trauma while serving, while among men the numbers are closer to 1.1 percent.
Trauma affects the brain’s ability to function and sexual trauma is particularly damaging. Trauma can lead in some cases to psychological reactivity, exaggerated startle response, symptoms of avoidance and numbing, and co-morbid mood, substance abuse and/or eating disorders. Post traumatic stress disorder can have devastating effects on all areas of a sufferer’s life…I see this daily in the girls and women at Timberline Knolls.
A Veterans Health Administration (VHA) outpatient survey discovered that 55 percent of women reported sexual harassment, and 23 percent reported sexual assault. A study of reservists found that 60 percent of female soldiers had been sexually harassed and 13.1 percent sexually assaulted.
Even though the numbers are staggering for our service women, there is hope. PTSD can be effectively treated with trauma informed interventions. By integrating mental health and trauma treatment approaches into counseling, greater improvements can be yielded than by just providing basic psychological treatments or several core therapies separately.
It has been well-documented in research literature that women are already twice as likely to develop PTSD as men following a trauma. And in the military, women have to deal with increased rates of sexual harassment and assault. Recent studies have shown that even without exposure to combat, our female troops could have increased rates of developing PTSD following rape or sexual assault than they could after combat.
Sexual assault in the military has been a serious problem throughout history. Among those seeking VA disability following the first Persian Gulf War, 71 percent of women reported sexual assault during their military service. At present time, for women in the military, 21.5 percent suffer some kind of sexual trauma while serving, while among men the numbers are closer to 1.1 percent.
Trauma affects the brain’s ability to function and sexual trauma is particularly damaging. Trauma can lead in some cases to psychological reactivity, exaggerated startle response, symptoms of avoidance and numbing, and co-morbid mood, substance abuse and/or eating disorders. Post traumatic stress disorder can have devastating effects on all areas of a sufferer’s life…I see this daily in the girls and women at Timberline Knolls.
A Veterans Health Administration (VHA) outpatient survey discovered that 55 percent of women reported sexual harassment, and 23 percent reported sexual assault. A study of reservists found that 60 percent of female soldiers had been sexually harassed and 13.1 percent sexually assaulted.
Even though the numbers are staggering for our service women, there is hope. PTSD can be effectively treated with trauma informed interventions. By integrating mental health and trauma treatment approaches into counseling, greater improvements can be yielded than by just providing basic psychological treatments or several core therapies separately.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Role of Trauma
The 2010 NEDA Conference, held in Brooklyn, NY earlier this month (Timberline Knolls was one of the sponsors), used the theme of “Building Bridges to Recovery” to create dialogue among its attendees. To match this theme, I presented research on trauma’s role in later psychological damage, in particular its evolution into PTSD. I provided important information for NEDA about the demographics of trauma, how trauma changes the brain structure and the victim’s physical health, and the effective treatments available for PTSD which could help victims of sexual assault who display negative behaviors.
My previous research includes gender differences in the development of psychopathology and use of medication with family-based therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa, and during my presentation I outlined how the brain’s reaction to trauma (in particular sexual trauma) can result in the same post traumatic stress disorder that affects combat veterans.
Important topics in the presentation included:
Trauma exposure directly affects how the brain develops, especially in adolescents and children. As a child grows, his or her brain slowly develops different functions such as the regulation of anxiety or the capacity for abstract thought. If trauma occurs prior to one function’s development, then this part of the brain and all that follow may fail to develop in a healthy manner. Trauma in a mature brain can change it, but in children the brain’s entire organization can fail.
Trauma exposure can create a variety of negative mental health outcomes. Depression and substance abuse can follow a traumatic event. Some can develop PTSD, particularly when a woman has been exposed to rape or other sexual assault. PTSD in women can result in psychological reactivity, exaggerated startle response, symptoms of avoidance and numbing, and mood disorder. In the military, sexual assault can give women and men PTSD even if not exposed to direct combat.
PTSD has been treated using trauma informed intervention. A comprehensive, integrated, trauma informed and consumer involved treatment was tested on those suffering symptoms of PTSD. The study noted that after treatment a statistically significant improvement occurred in women’s trauma and mental health symptoms. Alcohol use significantly decreased and drug use trended in the same direction. The study concluded that outcomes for women with co-occurring disorders and a history of violence and trauma may improve with integrated treatment.
If you have any questions at all, or have topics you want me to address, please do not hesitate to email me at Dr.Kim@itsallinthejourney.com.
My previous research includes gender differences in the development of psychopathology and use of medication with family-based therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa, and during my presentation I outlined how the brain’s reaction to trauma (in particular sexual trauma) can result in the same post traumatic stress disorder that affects combat veterans.
Important topics in the presentation included:
Trauma exposure directly affects how the brain develops, especially in adolescents and children. As a child grows, his or her brain slowly develops different functions such as the regulation of anxiety or the capacity for abstract thought. If trauma occurs prior to one function’s development, then this part of the brain and all that follow may fail to develop in a healthy manner. Trauma in a mature brain can change it, but in children the brain’s entire organization can fail.
Trauma exposure can create a variety of negative mental health outcomes. Depression and substance abuse can follow a traumatic event. Some can develop PTSD, particularly when a woman has been exposed to rape or other sexual assault. PTSD in women can result in psychological reactivity, exaggerated startle response, symptoms of avoidance and numbing, and mood disorder. In the military, sexual assault can give women and men PTSD even if not exposed to direct combat.
PTSD has been treated using trauma informed intervention. A comprehensive, integrated, trauma informed and consumer involved treatment was tested on those suffering symptoms of PTSD. The study noted that after treatment a statistically significant improvement occurred in women’s trauma and mental health symptoms. Alcohol use significantly decreased and drug use trended in the same direction. The study concluded that outcomes for women with co-occurring disorders and a history of violence and trauma may improve with integrated treatment.
If you have any questions at all, or have topics you want me to address, please do not hesitate to email me at Dr.Kim@itsallinthejourney.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
