Health

How Athletes Can Fight Drug Abuse And Effectively Overcome It

Many athletes end up addicted to drugs for many reasons. They may be in the wrong environment with the wrong company. If a athletes have psychological issues they may be seeking to numb their emotional pain. Some athletes have addictive personalities that manifest themselves through excessive gambling, alcohol, or drug abuse.

The world of sports is a surprising breeding ground for drug abuse. This article has been written to help people resist the temptation to follow this path, or to help them overcome the issue if it has already taken hold.

Use Treatment Centres

People can gain professional assistance through in-patient or outpatient help (eg for two to four days a week). They can also opt for partial hospitalization (eg for five days a week). Many athletes turn to rehab centers for addiction using 24-hour phone lines to gain confidential help. They want to gain educational resources and self-help materials. People also want to discover the root causes of their issues and to have help with such things as their health, housing, and safety.

Understand Your Situation

A person may have had pre-existing psychological problems when they entered the world of sport. They may have self-esteem issues – feeling inadequate and being afraid of failing. Other people desperately seek ways to become physically stronger and faster. They may take anabolic steroids, growth hormones, or beta-blockers.

Some athletes take diuretics to help them pass drugs tests, and also to help with their weight. Eating disorders sometimes come about because they are battling to maintain their target weight. It may be that you have become addicted to taking pain medication due to a sports injury. Perhaps it’s the only way you can maintain your fitness regime and feel well.

Be Aware Of The Sporting Culture

It can be hard to function in an environment that constantly pushes you to improve and to win. It’s not just the pressure to succeed; there’s also the ‘work hard play hard’ mentality. This can open the door to binge drinking and marijuana use during leisure times.

It’s often the case that people have to retire from sports at an early age, as they become less physically agile. This can adversely affect people mentally.

Admit That You Have A Problem

If you can admit that you have an issue, you are halfway there. The problem can be that there are many implications when you put up your hand and tell people. Fellow team members may be greatly disappointed in you. You may feel like a failure now that everyone knows.

Sports associations frequently get involved when people confess to having an issue with drugs. The issue of testing and disciplinary measures all come into play. Once again it can make it really hard not to simply hide the issue.

Put Yourself First

Ironically, some coaches may encourage someone to keep taking prescription medication, even if they have become addicted. This would be if the athlete was functioning well using it. The philosophy would be ‘the end justifies the means’. Sadly addiction usually ends up affecting every area of a person’s life, so the issue can’t be swept under the carpet forever.

Consider CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be effective in helping people who are abusing drugs. It is based on the fact that our thoughts affect our emotions, and this influences our actions.

CBT helps people identify the negative and harmful thoughts they are experiencing. They may include, ‘I can’t do this’, ‘I’m a failure’, ‘Everyone else is better than me’, ‘I mustn’t admit my struggles and weaknesses’. Once the thoughts have been identified, positive sentences are chosen to replace them. When a person gains the habit of identifying wrong thoughts and swapping them with new ones, they feel and act in more positive ways.

Other Therapies

People who are abusing pain medication may be given alternative non-drug treatments. They may include pilates, massage and if necessary, rest from sporting activities.

How Athletes Can Fight Drug Abuse And Effectively Overcome It

Psychological help may be beneficial during this season. Some professionals harness the twelve-step program that is used by Alcoholics Anonymous. There may also be several recommendations including individual, group, and family therapy.

As we can see, the sporting world is a minefield for vulnerable people. It can push success at the expense of being human. People can be extreme in their work and leisure behavior. It can feel weak to admit you have personal challenges. Drugs offer the false solution of feeling better, losing pain, and improving in sport.

Once a person understands their issues and faces the consequences, they open the door to help. With the kindness of friends, family, and professionals, a person can be steered into freedom and have a bright future once again.

Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP