Did You Know… Boredom

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Occasional boredom is probably nothing to worry about, but when a person suffers from it daily it can lead to potential problems.

There are a number of tried and true sayings about boredom: bored to tears, bored silly, bored stiff, and, of course, bored to death.
And social media and video games are not a cure.

To be fair, boredom isn’t always bad, forcing youth who have grown tired of some games to reach deeper into the creative side of the brain to develop new activities to fill the gap.

It is a way of life for most people. Consider it down time, when being bored is exactly the escape an individual seeks.
But there is a difference between such a case and those who suffer from boredom on a regular basis. Continuing research indicates many negative side effects to boredom.

As children approach adolescence they grow bored with activities that once captivated their imaginations and they begin looking for ways to satisfy their need for excitement.

Those prone to boredom may be susceptible to many potential ailments, including depression, over-eating, anger issues, addiction to gambling, drugs, or alcohol and an earlier death.

Can someone then be “bored to death?”

Well, not on the surface. It’s doubtful anyone’s died watching a blade of grass grow, but the possibility for negative life choices is real and society is seeing the problems associated with youth becoming bored.

Experimenting with alcohol and opioids is certainly a possibility. In recent years, boredom was identified by Lake Havasu City youths as the second most common reason for trying opioids or alcohol, ranking just behind “wanting to have fun.”

It’s not a big leap when one considers the murder of an individual in Duncan, Oklahoma in 2013. One of the three boys arrested in the case told police they were bored and committed the act for “the fun of it.”

In a story by Anna Gosline in The Sciences, she quoted McWelling Todman at the New School for Social Research in New York City: “In one as-yet unpublished study of 156 addicts ranging in age from 24 to 68 at a methadone clinic, the subjects’ reported levels of boredom were the only reliable factor that predicted whether they would stay on course.”

Being bored can be exactly what a person wants. Consider it down time. But it shouldn’t be a daily routine.

Boredom is not a well-researched area and there is not yet an agreed upon way to define boredom.

But those looking into boredom know it can be a problem, especially for youth growing up in today’s fast-paced, quick-reward, technologically based society.

Television, movies, the Internet, and video games may appear to fill the boredom void, but in reality it has raised boredom to a new level, making highly bored youths more susceptible to experimenting with activities such as drugs and alcohol.

In the same Gosline article, she quoted John Eastwood, a clinical psychologist at York University in Toronto: “I think there is something about our modern experience of sensory overload where there is not the chance and ability to figure out your interests and passions.”

But is there a cure for boredom.

The first step is for parents to notice changes in behavior such as restlessness and irritability, at which time the youths may begin spending long periods of time camped out in front of a computer playing games.

Parents can’t dismiss boredom. Instead, engage it.

Activities such as exercising, networking with interesting people, and doing something they find fun is a starting point. Find what the children are most passionate about and fan the flames of their interests.

Problems ignored will simply fester. Find their favorite hobbies, sports, or activities and keep them engaged.

If you didn’t know, now you do.

Did You Know … Opioids

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It’s not difficult to find written information or videos about opioids on the Internet. Type in the name and a landfill full of stories are almost immediately available.

Opioids

Among the problems associated with opioid addiction is unused pills remaining in the medicine cabinet. Photo from AARP.

Unfortunately, most of them are dark and some quite difficult to watch or read.
Although it may seem like a recent development, the history of widespread addiction and abuse of opioids in the United States dates back over 150 years. Morphine was used during the Civil War and many soldiers became addicted, even after the war’s conclusion.
Later, thinking heroin was less addictive, it was dispensed to individuals addicted to morphine.
Being less addictive wasn’t true and a series of laws regulating the distribution of opioids were enacted in the 20th Century.
In 2007, the federal government brought criminal charges against Purdue Pharma for falsely claiming OxyContin was safer and less addictive than other opioids. The company and a number of executives plead guilty.
The market is flooded with names such as Percocet, Vicodin, Codeine, and Fentanyl.
But if they’re so bad, why are they so widely distributed.
In short, they aren’t bad for a small segment of the population. For people with chronic or end-of-life pain, the drugs, when used as prescribed, are effective at managing the agony.
The problem centers more on “over-prescribing” and having leftover pills sitting in cabinets. It is those leftover pills that often lead youth down rough, difficult-to-navigate terrain.
In an interview with Dartmouth Medicine, pain expert Seddon Savage said: “So a patient might get 20-50 Percocet after surgery or an injury and use just one or two. The rest sit on the shelf. We know that over 70 percent of nonmedical use of opioids is the result of obtaining drugs from people who have a legitimate prescription.
“That means there are excess medications out there.”
She added that while opioids can help those in pain, opioid misuse and abuse causes suffering as well.

Medication

Locking up medications is a wise practice.

And that’s when the trouble begins.
Data gathered over time suggests four out of five heroin users started down the path to addiction after using prescription opioids.
It is far from harmless … to anyone. Overdose deaths in 2014 exceeded 14,000 people and over 165,000 since 1999. And it has been escalating, with the number of deaths from opioid use rising about 400 percent in a 15-year span.
Each death impacts family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances.
But it doesn’t end there. The misuse and abuse of these drugs is costing Americans over $500 billion, mostly attributed to health care, criminal justice, and lost productivity.
That’s not to mention those taking drugs and getting into a vehicle, which puts everyone on the same roadway at risk, which may adversely impact insurance rates.
The problem belongs to everyone and it’s real. Watch Kati’s story to understand why youths get started and the grip opioids have over their lives.
Because family and friends often notice changes first and can be the first line of defense in preventing a tragedy, look for potential signs of addiction, such as poor coordination, drowsiness, nausea, slurred speech, altered sleeping patterns, mood swings, and slow or shallow breathing.
The road to recovery can be difficult, but must begin with a commitment to quitting. Doctors can help with drugs that reduce opioid cravings and slowly reducing the amount of opioids taken can reduce symptoms of withdrawal.
Once clean, seek additional help. There are many organizations committed to helping those who have addictions and ask family and friends for support.
Individuals may contact the 24-hour National Hotline at (800) 448-3000, the Teen Hotline at (800) 248-8336, and The Hope Unit at freenaloxonekit@gmail.com for Naloxone and help.
For those that haven’t started using opioids without a prescription or are not abusing the directions for a drug’s use, don’t allow pressure to guide you down a path filled with cholla and Teddy bear cactus.
Don’t become one of the statistics used in this column.
If you didn’t know, now you do.

Did You Know … Outdoors

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Outdoors

Spending time outdoors has many health benefits, including a healthier immune system.

If you aren’t getting out, you’re missing out.

Really missing out.

It’s easy to discuss all the sights there are to behold when venturing away from the addictive quality of electronic devices. But there are many reasons for an individual to cut the cord and suffer from periodic symptoms of EDSA, or Electronic Device Separation Anxiety.

Forgive the acronym, but it was fun to make it up.

Truth is, dependency on electronic devices continues to rise and fewer children are venturing outdoors. Games of kick the can or tag appear to have gone the way of the dinosaur.

This seems to be in contrast to the theory of Harvard biologist Edward Wilson that humans are drawn to their natural surroundings. Today, however, children suffer from nature deficit disorder and many believe diminishing time spent outdoors denies youths an opportunity to grow.

Frightening stories on the news may lead some to believe being indoors is safer than out, but there’s no proof to suggest this is true. In fact, the benefits far outweigh the possibility of a skinned knee or twisted ankle.

There’s no set of rules for how a child can interact with nature, giving them the power to establish their own guidelines, which helps build confidence. In addition, when a child is outdoors, creativity grows as they figure things out on their own.

The level of stimulation for the brain when outdoors far exceeds what a child can attain playing a video game. This may seem in stark contrast to the mayhem in many video games, but the sights, sounds, and smells in nature send the brain into overdrive because all the senses are engaged.

As for overall health, spending time in the great outdoors requires movement and gets the blood pumping, which improves overall cardiac fitness.

Stress is also reduced when outdoors. In a 2009 study, stress at home was reduced after just a short walk.

But those are the obvious benefits.

Immune

Particulates in forested areas help boost the human immune system.

Studies by the Environmental Protection Agency indicate many air pollutants are worse indoors than outdoors, so isolating a child with asthma or allergies may not be in their best interest.

Consider the ash from a fireplace in the winter, not to mention chemicals in cleaning supplies and furniture, as well as dirt, mold, and pet dander.

Ever been told by mom not to sit so close to the television because it’s not good for your eyes? She may have been on to something. The natural setting is much easier on the eyes and those who spend more time outdoors are less likely to suffer from nearsightedness.

And that doesn’t include the benefits of vitamin D, which is provided naturally by the sun. However, the amount of time humans spend inside means they aren’t getting enough of the naturally occurring nutrient.

Low vitamin D is viewed as a pandemic in the United States with one study indicating up to 75 percent of Americans not getting enough.

Yet it’s free if we just take the time to get up and get out.

Low levels of the vitamin is associated with a number of diseases, including heart problems, Alzheimer’s, depression, and there is some preliminary research tying the condition to autism.

Still not enough to get you up and out? It is cold and flu season and being outdoors boosts the immune system. Turns out the natural particles in forested areas improve your ability to fight off disease.

If that’s still not enough, how about simply feeling happy?

Getting outdoors improves the level of serotonin in the brain, which is the chemical reaction that makes people feel good, and the level of serotonin is tied to the amount of sun we get.

And this holds true regardless of the season.

Happy trails.

If you didn’t know, now you do.