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Postpartum- Dealing with Overwhelm After Baby

August 18, 2008 on 11:24 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

Isn’t it funny, before you had a baby you felt like there was a lot to do, and now there REALLY is a lot to do!  It can be truly overwhelming, especially if you’re a first time mom, your baby is an infant and he or she is nursing.  The key to reducing overwhelm is to carve out periods of time just for you.  Even if you read a book, paint your toe nails, or take a nap while baby is napping, it’s for you!  Just know that everyone needs “me time”, and that by taking some me time at least once a day you’ll be a better mom.  You’ll have more patience, have less stress, and experience more joy.  So put down your to “do” list and get some me time!

Stepped-up efforts aim to thwart cheating on drug tests

August 18, 2008 on 9:45 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off Washington -- What do salt, bleach, soap, drain cleaner, detergent, lemon juice and white vinegar have in common? All are promoted on Web sites as substances that can be added to urine to mask the presence of illegal drugs.

Thousands of sites provide information on how to cheat on drug tests, and many of the techniques have been publicized for decades. No sooner had regulations been developed to institute President Ronald Reagan's 1986 call for a drug-free federal workplace than people began searching for ways to evade detection, said Amitava Dasgupta, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

Labs have been successful, so far, at keeping up with the methods employed, but "it's a cat and mouse game," Dasgupta said. Just when labs catch up with one subterfuge, another comes along.

Dasgupta spoke July 29 at the Annual Meeting and Clinical Laboratory Expo 2008 of the American Assn. for Clinical Chemistry in Washington, D.C.

With drug abuse a critical problem in the U.S. and many other nations, the screening of potential employees has become common, Dasgupta said. More than 47 million adults reported working in settings where testing for illicit drug or alcohol use occurred during the hiring process, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Drug testing is also a public safety issue, and American Medical Association policy outlines the need to safeguard the validity and integrity of the testing system.

47 million American adults work at places that test for illicit drug or alcohol use.

Deceptions are carried out in numerous ways, Dasgupta said. Adulterating urine with common household chemicals is one method. Labs have been able to detect the additions by looking at color and pH. For example, urine's normal pH of 4 to 8 can shoot up to 14 when drain cleaner, which is used to mask cocaine, is added.

Dilution is another technique, Dasgupta said. As one way to eliminate the temptation to dilute urine by using the water in the toilet bowl of a testing site, federal guidelines recommend placing a bluing agent in the tank. Blue urine would be an obvious giveaway.

Consuming large amounts of caffeine and other fluids before a test is another method, Dasgupta said. But labs can detect this scam by testing for creatinine. A concentration less than 20 mg/dL, or a specific gravity below 1.003, is considered an indication of diluted urine, he said.

Laboratories routinely check pH, temperature, specific gravity and creatinine of urine to assure the validity of a specimen, he noted.

Corrections are in the works

Meanwhile, Congress and the federal government are taking steps to eliminate the stream of information flowing from the Internet on how to beat drug tests.

The Drug Testing Integrity Act, introduced July 14 by Reps. Eliot Engel (D, N.Y.), Jean Schmidt (R, Ohio) and Lee Terry (R, Neb.), would outlaw the manufacture, sale, shipment or provision of any product designed to assist in defeating a drug test. The bill also would institute fines and other penalties for violations.

There are no effective adulterants for drug tests using hair or oral fluids.

It's received a positive response.

"Drug testing defrauding products are a dilemma not only for criminal justice and employment screening purposes, but they also compound a larger public health issue, such as drugged driving, which is a primary concern for anti-drug coalitions throughout the country," said Arthur T. Dean, chair of the nonprofit Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.

In another effort to make it more difficult to cheat on drug tests, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation is instituting a rule this month that requires labs to analyze every drug test on the nation's approximately 12.1 million transportation employers and employees in safety sensitive areas for tampering.

Labs had been given the option of testing urine samples for signs of cheating under the earlier regulation, but now they would be required to do so. Testers also will be required to observe all tests for transportation workers who return to their jobs after a previous test failure.

In addition, information no longer will be available publicly on the level of the drug detected by a test.

Before, cheaters had ready access to such information and could make sure the product they used covered drug traces above that limit. Now such information will go directly to labs.

"We want to make sure there are no doubts about the ability of anyone working in transportation to do their job as safely as possible," said Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.

Plus, there is another move under way to thwart the Web sites. Labs are encouraging private-sector employers to steer clear of the collection of urine samples and switch to hair and oral fluids, said Laura Shelton, executive director of the Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Assn. in Washington, D.C. So far, there aren't any effective adulterants for hair and oral fluids, she said.

Suicide hotline lets veterans — and families — dial for help

August 18, 2008 on 9:45 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off Washington -- The Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline, in operation for about a year, is proving to be an important resource. It has received calls from more than 22,000 veterans, their families or friends, according to the sponsoring federal agencies.

While it has been recognized that veterans, particularly those returning from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, may benefit from mental health services, many are reluctant to connect with available resources.

A survey released last spring by the American Psychiatric Assn. indicated that six in 10 soldiers thought seeking help for a mental health concern would have at least some negative impact on their military careers. For this reason, an anonymous phone call can be a good entry point to connect with care, said Richard Harding, MD, president of the APA's American Psychiatric Foundation and professor and chair of the Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science Dept. at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is common among veterans, said Daniel Potenza, MD, a psychiatrist with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, who spoke last April at a symposium sponsored by the American Medical Association. Promising therapies for PTSD exist, including medications and psychological treatments. The community physician, he noted, can initiate treatment, perhaps offering patients a simple opening: "Tell me about it."

Physicians also can refer patients to the hotline, at 800-273-TALK (8255), said Janet Kemp, RN, PhD, coordinator of National Suicide Prevention at the VA. Hotline counselors can connect callers who provide identification directly to their local VA facilities for additional treatment. "We are able to track that to make sure the veterans who are referred don't drop through the cracks."

The national hotline is free and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is staffed by trained personnel who are social workers or psychologists or who have counseling degrees, Kemp said.

The telephone: A step toward help

The veterans' service is operated jointly by the VA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It is part of the larger National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which receives 42,000 calls each month through a network of more than 130 crisis centers.

The automated initial greeting at the hotline directs callers to press "1" if they are a U.S. military veteran or are calling about a veteran. Those who select that option are connected to a VA-operated center in Canandaigua, N.Y.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline receives 42,000 calls each month.

SAMHSA has been promoting its suicide hotline for 3½ years, said Richard McKeon, PhD, MPH, a special adviser on suicide prevention at the agency. More than a half million cards with the hotline number have been distributed -- many to hospital emergency departments, he said.

Evaluation of the hotline has showed that callers experience a reduction in suicidal intent and hopelessness, McKeon said. The veterans portion is now being studied, Kemp said.

Vets in particular voice concerns about anxiety, depression, sleep problems and "readjustment issues." VA counselors have access to medical records, and, with a caller's permission, can check for ongoing treatment and medications, Kemp noted.

The APA survey conducted by Harris Interactive of nearly 200 military personnel found that about 75% reported their overall mental health as good or excellent. But nearly half also said they had difficulty sleeping at least twice a week. About a third reported having a lack of interest in daily activities at least twice a week.

The majority of spouses reported a lot or a little stress from handling domestic issues alone and from being single parents.

Dr. Harding praised the hotline, saying mental health problems often intensify after a veteran is home for a while. At the time of discharge, most are in a hurry to go home. "So they say, 'I'm fine.' They believe they are tough. They've been normal all their lives and they want to get home."

It's when the sleeplessness, anxiety and family problems materialize that they may need additional help. "If you have insomnia and everyone else around you is asleep and you are watching infomercials late at night with anxiety and desperation creeping up on you, being able to call someone can be lifesaving," he said.

Postpartum Weight Loss- Why Consistency Is Key

August 15, 2008 on 11:42 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

If you want to get fit the key is to be consistent.  Once you get on a pattern of exercising and eating healthy (not depriving yourself…there’s a difference!) your body will actually crave healthy food and exercise.  It only takes about 2 weeks of exercising 3-4 times per week for 30- 45 min. for your body to crave exercise.  The reason why your body will crave exercise is because exercise creates feel good hormones called endorphins.  Also once you start eating healthy consitently every day for 2 weeks your body will desire less junk food because you’ll be getting the right amounts of fat, protien, and carbs that your body needs so you’ll desire less quick pick me up foods such as high fat sugary foods that temporary satisfy you, but ultimately leave you feeling even lower in energy.  So start today with exercising consistently or eating healthy (or both) and you too will notice a difference in how you feel (and look)!

Postpartum Weight Loss- Set “mini” Goals

August 11, 2008 on 10:41 pm | In Uncategorized | Comments Off

You may be overwhelmed with the mere thought of starting an exercise program.  If so, you’re not alone.  I help my clients get beyond the overwhelm with “mini” goals.  I tell my clients to set “mini” goals such as walking to the light post.  The next day I encourage my clients to go to the next marker such as the second light post.  By the end of the 4th day my clients have meet 4 markers and have walked 20-30 min.!  This “mini” goal is manageable…a good baby step towards the ultimate half hour ongoing goal.  So set “mini” goals and you too will be covering quite a distance before you know it!