Addictive Behavior Concerns

My cannabis use might be problematic when:

• I increase the frequency of my use.
• I need more to get the same effect.
• I spend much of my time thinking about it.
• I miss class or don’t do assignments because of my use.
• I made new friends who I use with, but I neglect my friends who don’t use.
• I find it hard to be happy without cannabis.

Consent Under the Covers

Consent is affirmative and enthusiastic. Using substances can lower your inhibitions and blur your judgement. If you are planning to engage in sexual activity under the influence, consider how you can safely engage in these behaviors in advance.

Here are some tips to help you plan ahead.

• Don’t assume that your partner wants to have sex because they drink, dress “provocatively,” or agree to go home with you; because they had sex with you previously; because they willingly engage in kissing and/or other sexual interaction; or because you bought them dinner and drinks.
• Don’t assume when someone says “No” they really mean, “Yes.” “Yes” means “Yes.” If someone says “No” to sexual contact, stop.
• Having sex with someone who is mentally or physically incapable of giving consent is rape. This includes someone who is drunk, high, passed out, incapable of saying “No,” or unaware of what is happening around them.
• Actively listen to your partner. Make sure to slow down; hear what they are saying; and get affirmative, enthusiastic consent. Ask for clarification if you feel you are getting “mixed messages.”
• Remember, date rape is a crime. It is never acceptable to use force in sexual situations, no matter what the circumstances.
• Unsafe sex is more likely to occur when under the influence. Have male and/or female condoms available to you to reduce the risk of pregnancy and/or STIs. It is important to get tested at least every 3 months.
• Certain drugs can extend the time you are able to engage in sexual activity. This increases the risk of skin tearing, and in turn, the likelihood of getting an STI.
• Check in with your partner regularly. Make sure they’re able to maintain eye contact, focus, and conversation. If they can’t, stop right away.
• You always have the right to choose who you want to have sex with. If you feel unsure or get a bad feeling at any time, you can take a break or stop.

Adapted from NYU’s Sexual Respect Initiative and FridayMonday UK.

Kratom is an herbal extract that comes from the leaves of the evergreen tree and is grow in Southeast Asia.

• Though a part of the caffeine family, Kratom is believed to act like an opioid in the body. Kratom takes effect in 5-10 minutes stays in effect for 2-5 hours.
• There is much we do not know about Kratom. It is unregulated and the small evidence base that does exist has been inconclusive.
• Kratom is said to have a number of medical benefits, such as aiding in opioid withdrawals and reducing anxiety and depression. There is currently no empirical evidence to support these claims.
• The CDC has connected Kratom with 137 overdose deaths. The cause of the majority of these deaths was mixing Kratom with other drugs. FDA testing revealed that Kratom is being mixed with toxic metals.
• Kratom can have exaggerated effects when taken with prescription medicine, leading to confusion, migraine, or inability to talk. Avoid mixing Kratom with other substances, especially opioids and prescription medications.
• Kratom withdrawal can be just as bad as — and sometimes worse than — opioid withdrawal. Symptoms include aggression, dizziness, drowsiness, constipation, weight loss, muscle pain, chills, nausea vomiting, depression, delusion, hallucinations, breathing suppression, coma and death.

It is recommended that you talk with a doctor if you are considering reducing or stopping your Kratom use.

Alcohol + Xanax = Negative Side Effects

What would you tell someone who is mixing alcohol and Xanax?

“Let me tell you something: During those times I was feeling too nervous to go out and decided it would be a good idea to take something for the nerves, I had no idea I was playing with fire.

I had no idea that it could all mix incorrectly in my system, and that I could go to sleep and never wake up. Or that I might black out and put myself in a compromising situation. Or that I might humiliate myself and get thrown out a bar for falling asleep in my cocktail.

I don’t want to be known as the girl who sleeps in her cocktails.

The Netflix Effect: Our Brains on Binge Watching

Because You Watched “Every Episode of Your Favorite Show”

• Isolation
  • If you are binge watching alone, this could eventually feel self-isolating. Additionally, binge-watching allows unconscious substitution of virtual connection for in person connection, which could prevent socialization and interaction with social supports.
• Depression
  • A “come down” may follow a binge due to the abrupt finale of dopamine and GABA production, or chemicals associated with the reward center of the brain. An individual’s feelings of loss regarding the show’s characters may also be distressing.
• Lack of Sleep
  • The “just one more” phenomenon is caused by production tools such as cliffhangers; the physiological reward of a compelling a task, and the entertainment-induced dopamine release. Netflix has open stated that its main competitor is sleep.

Because You Watched “The Entire New Season in 18 Hours”

• Time Loss
  • The amount of time spent binging has the potential to impact your ability to attend to responsibilities. Binging may seem like a time warp where you become unaware of how much time is passing — regardless of what classes are on the schedule!
• Self Care
  • Netflix can serve as a healthy self-care and coping mechanism to deal with the daily stress, in moderation. It can be helpful to set the number of episodes you want to watch prior to starting — that way you have more than four seconds to decide!

Reducing the Risk of Opioid Poisoning

• Avoid mixing drugs
  • Alcohol and benzos enhance opioid effects; cocaine and methamphetamines mask them.
  • Opioids may already be cut with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid known to greatly increase risk of overdose.
• Know the risks
  • Be cautious of your individual tolerance, especially after a period of not using or when injecting with a needle. These factors increase overdose risk.
• Plan ahead
  • Have a plan to respond to an emergency.

Do you:

• spend hours thinking about what insta filter to use for that selfie that definitely didn’t take 57 tries to perfect?
• find yourself scrolling your feed more and more?
• use your rinsta to forget about problems you only talk about on finsta?
• eventually get overwhelmed with FOMO when you try to get through class without your RT button?
• get slaty when your phone is updating and you can’t snap your squad?
• spend all of your time watching snap stories instead of reading your textbooks?

Social media use has the potential to negatively impact your daily life. It can become a habit that leads to harmful behaviors, such as checking your phone while driving. Excessive use can also be associated with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, Attention/Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder, and addiction.

Study Drugs

The term “study drugs” refers to the prescription drugs used to increase concentration and stamina for the purpose of studying or cramming.

Study drugs are prescription stimulant medication that are used improperly by a person with a prescription, or more often, illegally by a person without a prescription.

These medication treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which affects attention span, impulse control, self-discipline, and hyperactivity in the case of ADHD.

Possession of just one tablet of an unprescribed stimulant is a felony (possible jail and loss of financial aid.)

Side Effects

• Irregular heartbeat
• Increased blood pressure
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Increased aggression
• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Paranoia
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Mouth dryness
• Suppressed appetite
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Impotence or changes in sex drive

Though it can feel like cramming and stress are essential for success — there are other ways of reaching your goals.

Breaking Up with Your Vape or Cigarettes or Nicotine

One of our goals at the Counseling Center is to promote wellness, and this may include assisting you with nicotine cessation (i.e. cigarettes, e-cigs, hookah, chewing tobacco etc.)

Even if you are not ready to take this big step at this time, we encourage you to explore nicotine use cessation options with a healthcare professional and how nicotine impacts your wellness.

Information About Quitting

• Many insurance companies will cover the cost of tobacco cessation prescription medications, although co-pays and deductibles may apply.
• The staff at Campus Health Pharmacy will be happy to answer any questions about the cost of your medications.
• Without a prescription, over-the-counter nicotine patches and gum are available at any community pharmacy.
• Important considerations include (1) Preference, (2) Experience with Pharmacologies, and (3) Personal Factors.

FDA-Approved Pharmacologies Recommended for Nicotine

• nicotine gum
• nicotine lozenge
• nicotine inhaler
• Bupropion (SR, XL, Zyban)
• nicotine nasal spray
• nicotine patch
• Chantix

Many people need a combination of nicotine replacement medication (i.e. nicotine patch) and an oral medication such as varenicline or bupropion. Short- acting nicotine replaces medications such as lozenges or gum and may be used in addition to the longer acting medications.

Ready to Quit?

• Consult a healthcare professional about your specific change plan
  • If you are currently working with a psychiatrist at the Counseling Center, you may explore tobacco dependence medications (TDM) options with your doctor, who can prescribe TDM, if indicated.
  • If you do not have an assigned psychiatrist at the Counseling Center, schedule an appointment at Campus Health to explore what TDM options may best fit for you
• Consider including your nicotine change plan as a measurable treatment goal with your counselor

Resources

• Campus Health
• Web Coach Program
• Quitline NC

Pharmaceutical Xanax (Alprazolam) is produced at strengths of 0.25mg to 3 mg.

Non-pharmaceutical (pressed or fake) Xanax can mimic any of these pills. Fake Xanax can range in dose from 2-8 mg. Pressed or fake bars are often more chalky and easily broken than pharmaceutical Xanax. Fake Xanax is commonly cut with fentanyl, a practice that can have fatal consequences.

High therapeutic doses often stop at 2mg. The combination of Xanax and alcohol is dangerous and potentially fatal. Mixing these substances can lead to poisoning, overdose, and death.

Problematic Gaming

Gaming Addiction

Problematic gaming is compulsive or uncontrolled use of video games and negatively effects other areas of the person’s life. It is considered a form of tech addiction, computer addiction or internet addiction.

The Stats

• 97% of male young adults play video games.
  • That’s over 150 million in the United States! Four in 10 Americans own a dedicated gaming console.
• 45% of western gamers are now female.
  • Video games genres with more women emphasize Puzzle and Fantasy games. For example, 23% of World of Warcraft gamers are women while sports games are 2% of female gamers.
• 41% of gamers feel they spend too much time playing.
• Approximately 10% of gamers will develop obsessive and compulsive behavior around their game use.
  • This type of use leads to sleep disruption, unhealthy eating habits, increased stress and anxiety, and relationship issues. There is also an alarming correlation between depression and video game addiction.

Self-Assessment for Problematic Gaming

1. Do you feel you’ve lost control over your gaming?
2. Do you spend a lot of time gaming or thinking about gaming?
3. Has it caused issues in valuable relationships or at school/work?
4. Have you stopped doing other things you once enjoyed in order to devote more time to gaming?
5. Have you tried to cut down or stop playing video games unsuccessfully?

Connection between Gaming and Gambling

Modern video games are designed to acquire, retain and profit from users through in-app purchases, loot boxes (where players can spend money for access to unknown game features), and e-sports betting. In-game monetization has led to new consequences related to gaming, including financial harm.

The Lowdown on Internet Addiction

Internet addiction is a behavioral addiction in which a person becomes dependent on use of the Internet, or other online devices, as a maladaptive way of coping with life’s stresses.

At least three subtypes of internet addiction have been identified:

1. video game addiction
2. cybersex or online sex addiction
3. online gambling addiction

The Data

• 6 hours and 24 mins is the average time spent by users across the world on the internet per day.
• 84% of people stated they could not go a single day without their mobile device in their hand.
• 1 in 5 people check their phone every 10 minutes. One in four check every 30 minutes.

How Often Do You?

• stay online longer than you intended?
• hear other people in your life complain about how much time you spend online?
• say or think, “Just a few more minutes” when online?
• try and fail to cut down on how much time you spend online?
• hide how long you’ve been online?

Reasons to Take Breaks from the Internet

1. Build strong real-world relationships
2. Better quality of sleep and mood
3. Improvement of focus and productivity
4. Recognition of unhealthy habits
5. Be fully present with yourself and the world around you

Helpful Tips

• Keep your phone out of sight when working on a task.
• Do not use your phone when connecting with people.
• Silence notifications and turn off alerts for social media and other apps.
• Put your phone away an hour before bed.

How Much is Too Much: Problematic Pornography Use

Problematic Pornography Use

Problematic pornography use refers to becoming emotionally dependent on pornography to the point that it interferes with daily life, relationships, and ability to function. Some individuals, experts, and communities will contend that watching porn to any degree will have negative effects on one’s life. However, others will suggest that there are healthy dosages, and types, of porn to consume.

Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship with Pornography

• Pornography causes relationship issues such as feeling less satisfied with your partner.
• Engaging in risky behavior to view pornography, such as viewing at work.
• Feeling frustrated or ashamed after viewing porn but continuing to do so.
• Wanting to stop using pornography but feel unable to do so.
• Using pornography to cope with sadness, anxiety, insomnia, or other mental health issues.
• Ignoring other responsibilities to view pornography. Searching for hundreds of different images and videos but never feeling satisfied.

Common Associations with Problematic Pornography Use

• poor psychosocial functioning impulsivity
• poor judgement + decision making
• interference of working memory capacity
• deficits in emotional regulation co-occurring issues with problematic alcohol, cannabis, and video game use
• erectile dysfunction

Treatment

Usually, combining psychosocial, cognitive–behavioral, psychodynamic, and pharmacologic methods is considered most efficient in treatment.

Therapy can be an important tool in fully comprehending and changing a behavior. In a supportive environment, processing is done to identify cravings/urges that lead to the behavior and skills training is introduced to help overcome those cravings/urges.