4 Kinda Weird Habits That Might Improve Your Mental Health
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Why anger is on the rise
These are difficult times. Whether it’s the pandemic, politics, or social injustice, emotions are running high—chief among them, anger. But what is anger, and why are we feeling it these days more than ever? (These are the best ways to deal with anger.)
“Anger is generally a crisis response that is reflective of a feeling of vulnerability,” says Jennifer Hoskins-Tomko, a licensed clinical social worker at Clarity Health Solutions in Jupiter, Florida. “When we feel vulnerable in some way, we go into a crisis mode, such as fight, flight, or freeze. Anger is the fight mode that helps create a feeling of control to overcome the vulnerability.”
Things that make people feel vulnerable and trigger anxiety vary wildly, explains Hoskins-Tomko, but include being unable to get your needs and wants met, being disrespected, or feeling embarrassed, jealous, or overwhelmed. (Here’s what science knows about anger management.)
Why irritation turns to anger
“There are so many reasons why irritation builds and bubbles over to anger for people and no two people have the same triggers,” agrees Connecticut-based psychologist Roseann Capanna-Hodge.
“Anger in and of itself is often a symptom of something else: unresolved issues, a clinical issue such as anxiety, depression, OCD [obsessive compulsive disorder], or a personality disorder,” says Capanna-Hodge. “Anger may just be a sign of frustration with a person or event when someone is unable to communicate their feelings in a healthy way.” (Learn the different types of anger.)
Of course, if anger issues become debilitating, lead to physical violence or thoughts of self-harm, it’s imperative to seek professional help as soon as possible. (If you or someone you know has had thoughts of self-harm orsuicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255), which provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.)
Anger management products
Finding products that help give you a feeling of control, as well as items that address vulnerability and anxiety, might be helpful in quelling angry feelings.
“Stress management techniques of any kind are best when they bring people to an awareness of emotions and help them channel their feelings in more productive and cathartic ways,” explains Daryl Appleton, a licensed mental health counselor and owner of Polaris Counseling, a New England-based boutique mental health private practice.
Here are some products that may help you reduce or control your anger.
Looking to work through anger issues with your partner, better center yourself through meditation, get your sweat on, or simply engage in therapy without having to leave your home? There’s an app for that. Connect with a licensed therapist 24/7 in the privacy of your own home thanks to the Talkspace app, which features options for psychiatry and medicine management, as well as couples therapy and teen therapy. Talkspace accepts insurance.
“Journaling is probably one of the most cathartic exercises one can do because it involves all parts of the brain—most importantly your frontal and temporal lobes which control rational thought and emotion,” says Appleton. “You are committing to putting a name to your emotion. Rather than just feeling angry, you can label that you were frustrated with “x” in a situation. Once you name what is wrong, then you can go through the process of normalizing your emotions and navigating through them.”
(Here are therapist tips for how to start a journal.)
Anger is linked to vulnerability and feelings of helplessness. This empowering book Share Your Stuff: I’ll Go First—part memoir, part journaling prompt—from popular blogger and podcaster Laura Tremaine, encourages women to embrace their vulnerability and let go of personal shame.
For thousands of years, many Eastern cultures have observed the relaxing and even healing benefits of sound therapy, that can be practiced with items like Tibetan singing bowls. According to a 2016 study in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, singing bowl sound meditation results in less anger, tension, fatigue, and depression.
“Sound therapy is particularly effective when it comes to anger,” agrees Jennifer Buljan, certified vibrational sound therapy practitioner who uses instruments including Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls, tuning forks, chimes, and gongs with her clients. “Anger is an emotion that stems from frustration, and frustration is a result of blocked energy in the body. If these blockages are not released the body will simply build on that, and this is how emotional outbursts occur,” she says.
This small, palm-sized singing bowl from The Ohm Store, is a bestseller, highly rated on Amazon, and is hand-hammered in Nepal.
One of the most well-known meditation apps, Headspace features hundreds of guided meditations, meditations for work, bite-sized meditations, and meditations for sleep. It’s particularly popular because of the depth and breadth of offerings, including meditations as short as one minute for bite-sized Zen. It includes the option to target your practice depending on what you want to focus on, such as better managing anxiety.
Items that help produce a calming, cocooning effect, such as weighted blankets, could be a good addition to an anger-relieving toolkit. Weighted blankets are effective but can run hot. This cooling version from Aricove weighs 15 pounds and is highly rated. Five-pound and 20-pound versions are also available. When using a weighted blanket, choose one that’s no more than 10 percent of your body weight, so a 20-pound version would be appropriate for someone who weighs at least 200 pounds. (Also check out our Bearaby weighted blanket review.)
CBD products featuring cannabidiol extract—the medicinal, non-intoxicant part of the cannabis plant—have been growing in popularity over the past couple of years as effective stress- and anxiety-relievers. “There are a decent amount of studies that show the impact of CBD on certain serotonin receptor sites, which help to curb anxiety, and with the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in the processing and forgetting fears,” explains Appleton. (Here are the best CBD oils for anxiety.)
CBD is available in everything from bath salts to olive oils to balms to capsules. These lemon-lime flavored gummies from Charlotte’s Web are designed to help de-stress and promote calm, with whole-plant hemp extracts including a blend of cannabinoids, terpenes (aromatic plant compounds), and flavonoids. Hemp plants are related to marijuana plants, but they have low levels of THC (no more than 0.3 percent THC), the compound responsible for marijuana’s high.
Looking for a quick and easy anger release? This giant Arggh stress ball for both kids and adults may help. The jumbo-sized stress ball is ideal for physical and emotional relief therapy as it allows you to squeeze it, stretch it, and smash it with both hands. It’s about five inches in diameter and could be a great fidget toy if you’re at your desk working or attending class virtually.
“Stress balls mimic what we see in progressive muscle relaxation where we tighten a muscle group and then release it,” says Appleton. “It’s an exercise in mindfulness that refocuses the emotional energy from anger and channels it into an intentional activity. But be warned, without intentionally focusing your energy into the activity you are just giving your hand muscles a workout.”
(Here’s what experts want you to know about fidget spinners.)
While the physical benefits of exercise are obvious, the mental benefits are important, too. Exercising releases feel-good endorphins, promotes well-being, and can help provide a necessary release for pent-up emotions and negative feelings.
The CrossFlow Yoga app features numerous classes, including Anxiety Reducing Cardio Flow (30 minutes of mood-boosting cardio flow) and Yoga for Anxiety, 20-minute calming and grounding yoga flow created with the input of a licensed psychologist.
If you want a weighted blanket but are looking for a more affordable alternative, try this 15-pound dual-sided blanket from Buzio. It’s available in four colors and features plush, shaggy polyester faux fur perfect for when you’re trying to relax. There are other sizes and weights, including 12-pound and 20-pound versions depending on your body weight.
There are also two 15-pound blankets options in either a 48″ x 72″ size to cover a twin or full-sized bed, or a larger 60″ x 80″ throw that can cover a full or queen-sized bed. It’s also machine washable for easier cleaning. (Here’s how to wash a weighted blanket.)
Stress-relief balls can help provide a simple but effective outlet for your anger. These mini magnet balls from Speks claim to be therapist-approved and are available in more than 20 colors. You can build things with them or smush them in your hands for stress relief.
(Here are more stress-relief toys that actually work.)
A few drops of this vegan, gluten-free, PETA-certified CBD tincture may help ease anxiety and help you get to sleep faster and more deeply. CBDFx Calming Tincture is available in four different strengths and also includes links to lab test results, so you know exactly what ingredients you’re getting. (Here are the best CBD tinctures for migraine.)
Specially designed to help tame anger, this fun, fast-paced card game is targeted at kids ages 6 through 12 who may need a little extra help dealing with frustration and figuring out ways to properly express upset feelings.
The therapeutic game from Behind the Anger, is a variation of the classic card game UNO. Anywhere between two to eight players rush to rid themselves of cards—but with 11 different anger management strategies. The game features talking points to help process emotions and work through appropriate responses.
Next, find out the medical reasons you’re in a bad mood.
Medication mistakes to avoid
It’s not uncommon to make a mistake when you take your medication. This is especially true if you take more than one medication and also have several health conditions. An incorrect dose, the wrong drug, or misunderstanding the prescription label can contribute to medication mistakes at home.
Although you may shrug this off as a mishap, medication errors can actually injure people and land them in the emergency room. (Here is another common habit that may land you in the emergency room.)
Not understanding medication dangers
The number of home medication errors that resulted in calls to Poison Control doubled over a 13-year study period, according to a 2017 study in Clinical Toxicology, and that’s only the mistakes that were phoned in. Luckily, most of those mistakes weren’t life-threatening, but they can be: One-third of the medication errors in the study resulted in hospitalization. The first step to avoiding these mistakes is awareness of how serious they can be. And know the over-the-counter (OTC) medications you’re using all wrong.
Taking too high a dose
Even too much Tylenol can cause serious liver damage, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (These are the hidden dangers of OTC meds.) “If you take a dose that’s too high, you may have an increased chance of side effects—for example, increased drowsiness from pain medication or bleeding from too much anticoagulant, such as Warfarin [Coumadin]—due to having too much of the medication in your body,” says Barbara Young, PharmD, MHA, editor of consumer medical information for the American Society of Heath-System Pharmacists’ (ASHP) AHFS Drug Information resource.
Taking meds too often
In a 2018 study, published in Pharmacoepidemiology Drug & Safety, researchers at Boston University found that 15 percent of those who use NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Advil or Aleve exceed the recommended dose in a one-week period, which can lead to serious side effects like intestinal bleeding and even heart attacks. (Check out the proven ways to manage chronic pain without meds.) For prescription meds, it’s likewise important to stick to the dosing times to avoid overtaxing your body. “Several mechanisms to remove the drug from the body usually involve the liver or kidneys, or both, so if you have problems with either, your doctor may tell you to take a lower dose or take your medication less frequently,” Young says.
Taking too low a dose or too infrequently
If you don’t take your meds as directed, you may be putting your health at risk. For example, one of the things you can do to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a deadly blood clot in your leg, is to keep up your proper dosing of blood thinner, if that’s been prescribed to you. “The body metabolizes a drug at a certain predicted rate, so taking them on the prescribed schedule is important to maintain this consistent level,” Young says. “Think of a bucket with a small hole in the bottom—if you want to maintain a certain level of water you must add a certain amount, or dose, at certain intervals.” If you add too little or wait too long, the water level will fall too low. (Here are some other things you can do to prevent DVT.)
Taking meds with—or without—food
The directions on the prescriptions are not just suggestions. “For some medications, food, or certain types of food, will affect how the drug is absorbed from the stomach into the body,” Young says. Some may be absorbed too slowly or not as fully with food, such as the osteoporosis medication, Fosamax, or the thyroid drug Synthroid. So, take them on an empty stomach or within a certain period of time before you eat again. “On the other hand, some medications may irritate the stomach, such as NSAIDs including ibuprofen, and are best taken with food to minimize any irritation,” Young says. Read the label or ask your pharmacist if you should take your meds with or without food. Plus, here are 21 medications you should never mix with alcohol.
Not avoiding specific foods
Even if you take your meds with a meal, you may not realize you should avoid some foods. “Certain antibiotics should not be taken with calcium-containing food or [calcium-containing] OTC drugs, which will affect how they are absorbed by the body,” says Dave Walker, RPh, medical advisory board member, MedShadow Foundation. “Calcium can actually inactivate antibiotics, including tetracycline and doxycycline” adds Walker. Plus, “the metabolism of several medications, including statins, is affected by the enzymes in grapefruit juice,” Walker says. Ask your pharmacist if there are any food interactions to avoid with your meds.
Mixing meds inappropriately
Your meds could also be making you sick. It could be because you’re inadvertently counteracting or doubling up on meds—and this includes OTC drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements. “The interaction can increase or decrease the effectiveness of the medicines, cause unexpected side effects, or increase the risk of known side effects,” says Michael J. Gaunt, PharmD, medication safety analyst, editor, ISMP Medication Safety Alert! Community/Ambulatory Care Edition at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). For example, some meds should not be taken at the same time as antacids because the absorption may be changed by the reduction in stomach acid, Young says. Don’t miss these other silent signs your meds are making you sick.
Not getting a medication schedule from your doctor
It’s important to make sure your doctor or pharmacist knows all of the prescription and over-the-counter medications, supplements, and vitamins you take in order to come up with an approved list for when to take each of them. “If you take a number of medications, consult with your pharmacist to find the best schedule for you to take them,” Young says. “If you group your medications to take at similar times, it will improve your chances of taking your medications consistently and on time.” Just make sure your healthcare provider is on board with the plan. Here are other important questions to ask before you take prescription meds.
Not understanding your prescription label
It’s easy to get confused when it comes to reading prescription labels, and science agrees too. Previous research from Northwestern has shown that prescription labels are notoriously hard to understand due to awkward wording. The researchers found that among 395 English-speaking adults waiting to see their providers, patients with lower literacy levels and those who were prescribed more meds were less likely to understand the prescription labels. However, even among patients who were able to understand the labels, only a small portion could interpret how to take the pills correctly. Make sure you confirm everything with the pharmacist before taking your meds.
Not knowing what your medication is for
You should be aware of what each drug is for when you start taking it. “Having an understanding of the condition or disease that the medication is being used to treat will help you also understand the importance of taking it,” Young says. “Often medications may be used to treat more than one condition, so know why you are taking the medication, especially when you talk to other doctors or healthcare professionals.” Here’s why your pharmacist probably knows more about your health than your doctor.
Not knowing the names of your meds
Avoid confusion and reduce the likelihood of making a mistake by knowing the names of the drugs you take. “Studies show that patients who know the names of their medications have better adherence to their medication regimen and are less likely to mix up their medications or take the wrong one,” Walker says. “Knowing both the brand name and generic name of a medication is especially helpful since the prescriber may be using the brand name to prescribe, while the pharmacy would usually dispense the generic name.” Here are 46 secrets your pharmacist isn’t telling you.
Not checking the label
Pharmacists can sometimes make mistakes. “We at ISMP regularly receive reports of pharmacies giving a correctly filled prescription to the wrong customer,” says Gaunt. In a 2012 study, published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association and conducted by ISMP, they found that this error happens about once for every 1,000 prescriptions filled. Taking the wrong drug may cause an adverse reaction or leave your condition untreated, so check that the label is correct before you leave the pharmacy. In addition, make sure the pills look the same each time you refill them, Gaunt says—if they don’t, you could have the wrong meds. Here are 9 questions you should be asking your pharmacist—but aren’t.
Not taking your meds correctly
It may seem obvious at first glance, but you’d be surprised at how easy it is to mess this up. Common mistakes include mixing up eye and ear drops, chewing non-chewables, using silverware to measure teaspoons, and cutting up pills. (Plus, did you know the danger of swallowing pills without water?) Understanding the right way to take your meds “will assure that you get the correct dose or appropriate amount of medication for each dose, which is especially important for medications that have a narrow range for dosing,” Young says. “Knowing which products may be chewed or crushed is also important as some medications will be absorbed too fast or in too high a dose if crushed or chewed.” A good rule to follow: When you pick up your meds, confirm with your pharmacist exactly how to take it.
Stopping your meds too soon
You feel better, so you can stop your meds, right? Wrong. “Stopping a medication abruptly can lead to severe consequences,” Walker says. Your blood pressure or blood sugar levels could spike if meds to manage them are stopped. “Some medications may have adverse effects when stopped suddenly, including SSRIs such as Prozac, which takes time to build in the system to become effective,” he says. With antibiotics, “although you may feel better after a few days, all of the bacterial infection causing the symptoms is probably not yet eradicated until the full course of treatment is completed.” To avoid getting sick again, complete the full course. Find out the essential questions to ask about taking antibiotics.
Taking other people’s meds
Your friend swears by her prescription drug, but that doesn’t mean you should take it if she offers. “Well-meaning individuals may think to share their prescription medicines with others to help treat their symptoms,” Gaunt says. “However, a medicine’s effect depends upon the individual’s medical conditions and their tolerance to the medicine. Sharing of meds, such as powerful opioids [pain medicines], has resulted in patient harm, including death.” (Watch for the silent signs you’re slipping into a pain pill addiction.) Even if you feel your symptoms aren’t being adequately handled by your doctor, don’t use someone else’s meds—instead, get a second opinion.
Taking too many meds
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 percent of American adults take five or more meds. “Every time you add another medication you can almost count on increasing the chance of side effects, adverse drug reactions, and drug-drug interactions,” Walker says. Sometimes, you’re prescribed more drugs to control the side effects of other drugs. For example, “ADHD medications can change sleep patterns that need to be balanced with other medications; or opioids cause sedation which sometimes leads to stimulants being prescribed,” Walker says. “It’s paramount that you speak to your prescriber and pharmacist to fully understand the potential risks associated with taking multiple medicines.” This is what you need to know about taking too many meds.
Storing and disposing of meds incorrectly
Drugs, including OTC meds, need to be stored accordingly to maintain their effectiveness. “Medications may require a certain temperature range, protection from light, or protection from humidity to maintain the product integrity so the medication won’t physically change or lose potency,” Young says. That means not storing them in the bathroom where temperature and humidity changes. In addition, you should dispose of unused meds according to the FDA’s guidelines. “Proper medication disposal is critical to reduce harm from accidental exposure and intentional misuse by others for whom the medicine was not prescribed,” Walker says. This is how you should be storing your vitamins and supplements.
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