During teenage years, many are exposed to alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs at home, school or in the neighborhood. Additionally, several images of alcohol, tobacco and drug use feature prominently in movies and musical videos. Therefore, it is almost impossible to completely prevent children from trying out alcohol or drugs.





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During teenage years, many are exposed to alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs at home, school or in the neighborhood.
Additionally, several images of alcohol, tobacco and drug use feature prominently in movies and musical videos. Therefore, it is almost impossible to completely prevent children from trying out alcohol or drugs. In fact, studies show that a child is likely to take his first alcoholic drink between 8 to 13 years depending on the country.

The active use of alcohol and drugs significantly disrupts their mental and physical health, academic activities and relationship with others. This is when it usually becomes apparent to parents, teachers and concerned individuals that a person may be on drugs.





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WARNING SIGNS OF DRUG ABUSE


Sudden decline in performance at school, home or work– As drug use increases, people begin to ignore important duties. For example, the teacher may report that your child is unusually absent from school. Because he stays up at night to use drugs, he may regularly appear tired, even falling asleep during classwork. He or she may begin to have diminishing interest in assignments and may even move to the back of the class. If unchecked, he drops out of school or university.




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STILL ON WARNING SIGNS OF DRUG ABUSE

He or she begins to ignore or defy rules. You may receive reports of violent behavior. He or she easily becomes provoked and gets involved in fights even when the odds are clearly against him.



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Declining interest in personal hygiene and grooming. This is likely to occur because more time is now spent consuming, seeking or recovering from alcohol or drug use.





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Theft and sales of personal possessions. In order to sustain drug use, several persons begin to pilfer at home. You may begin to observe that money is missing at home. Some sell their personal items like phones, clothing etc. Others become actively involved in internet fraud, burglaries or armed robberies with time.




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Being secretive about his or her movements-They no longer tell you where they have been or where they are off to. Sometimes, they become angry when you want to know where they are coming from.





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You might be a lucky detective

In some instances, you may actually find evidence of drug use such as bottles of alcoholic beverages, cannabis, or cigarettes. Usually, they try to cover up by saying things like ‘Someone left it in my bag’ ‘Somebody is trying to frame me’ etc




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WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL SIGNS?

Usually,this depends on the type and extent of drug used. For example, if the individual is taking alcohol, tobacco or maurijuana, he or she may have the distinct odour on his body or breath.




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Drug users often attempt to mask this by taking menthols or using perfumes with strong scents.



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OTHER PHYSICAL SIGNS

With some drugs, the eyes become red and the pupils become wide or narrow

Since some drugs and cigarettes involve the use of heat, expect to see signs of burns and black spots on lips in some cases.Though some might claim that their lips are naturally black



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In the next few days,I will be talking on[b] STRESS
[/b]
We often use the word ‘stress’ to describe an experience of being overwhelmed by things around us. Everyone-children, adults and older ones-may be affected by stress.




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Have you ever been under pressure? Are you struggling to cope with family or work responsibilities? Have you lost a loved one in death? Have you ever had a life threatening experience? If your answer is yes, you have probably had that unpleasant reaction-stress- to negative circumstances.




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IS STRESS ALWAYS BAD?


No. It has been described as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depending on the source and how you perceive it. For many people, good or positive stress motivates them to accomplish tasks, meet deadlines and even fight diseases by boosting the immune system.




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Irrespective of the source, any form of stress that is prolonged is dangerous to health. Consequently, all stressful conditions can significantly contribute to poor mental, emotional or physical health.




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Do you know that it is possible to effectively manage and control stressful conditions?
You want to know how?





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RECOGNIZE THE WARNING SIGNS OF STRESS

You should lookout for symptoms of stress which commonly include;
headaches
poor sleep
irritability
anxiety
difficulty in concentrating
low mood
Some of these symptoms mimic anxiety or depressive disorders. Getting a mental health expert to evaluate you may be necessary.

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MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

A balanced nutrition, exercise and other healthy habits substantially reduce susceptibility to stress.Apart from distracting you from distressing thoughts, exercise improves your mood and relaxes too.Rather than going on junk foods, consider healthy, nutritious meals including fruits and vegetables. Remember ‘an apple a day…keeps the doctor (and stress) away’



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SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE YOU LOVE

Friends, family members, colleagues that care about you are in a position to help you deal with stressful conditions. Therefore, spend time with them. They are there to listen to you, cry and laugh with you and give you much needed support during times of distress. If there is no one nearby, consider volunteering or taking classes. The opportunities for interacting socially abound if we look hard enough. Widen out




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ENGAGE IN FUN ACTIVITIES

Do you have a hobby that helps you relax?
Why not plan to engage in this activity regularly?
Do not let secular pursuits completely crowd out time for recreational activities. All work and no play,they say makes Jack..........


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Be Assertive

You don’t have to say ‘Yes’ to every request. Remember, we all have limits. Know your limits and learn to stick to your schedule.This applies to people and things.Learn to be in charge of your environment.



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can stress cause a mental disorder? can a suppressed memory of a painful event also cause it. i have a frnd that has experienced and still experiencing bouts of what pple termed high fever, it first happened to her in 2007, she ll start talking out of point, destroying things, behaving hysterical e.t.c, she is currently experiencing it nw, it comes and go. she doesnt smoke or abuse drugs. hw can we knw the root cause and prevent future occurrences, its so sad and embarrasing seeing her in dat state

A Mental disorder is a function of biological,psychological and social factors.A stressful life event(bereavement,loss of job or natural disaster) may be a precipitant in a genetically predisposed individual.Adverse childhood experiences and personality are also imperative in the genesis of mental disorders.Whereas concurrent medical conditions,alcohol/substance use and lack of treatment may be perpetuating or maintaining factors





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when a behavior or personality however deviates from the normal, distressing,threatens the safety of the sufferers and significant others and causes impairment to functioning;it is only reasonable to seek help from the professional.




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Lastly on STRESS

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP WHEN NECESSARY

When stressful symptoms persist, you should seriously consider seeing a doctor. Sometimes, medications and psychological support may be what is needed for optimal recovery from stressful conditions. Health professionals may recommend medication to reduce distressing symptoms. Additional, proper evaluation may also reveal other medical problems that may mimic symptoms of stress.



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Having talked about stress and its management,it is important to know that many people take to alcohol and other substances as their own antidote to stress which is a maladaptive coping strategy.
In the next few days I will be talking on WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT TRAMADOL ABUSE AND ADDICTION.




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WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT TRAMADOL ABUSE AND ADDICTION


Tramadol is the name of a pain reliever often prescribed for moderate to severe pain.

Although, it is a prescription only drug, tramadol is readily available via the black market. In one higher institution with off campus residence, tramadol tablets are available through mobile drug vendors that are just a call away.



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The amount of tramadol tablets available is huge. For instance, in December 2015, it was reported that two warehouses containing about 7,639.7kg (roughly 150,000 tablets) were found by law enforcement agents in Kano, Nigeria.



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WHY IS TRAMADOL USE A SOURCE OF CONCERN?

Tramadol use can lead to slow breathing, convulsions or death

Although taken by thousands of people daily, it has been reported to ’claim more lives than any other drug’ such as cocaine and heroin.



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