There are many health topics that feel easy to discuss. People talk about their diet du jour or what their weekly workouts look like with ease. But the harder talks come when you want to address things before they become a real problem. It’s hard to confront a friend when you think they are having a lot more drinks than is healthy or you notice that someone seems to be struggling with poor sleep. They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so here are some of the top preventive health topics we need to discuss more openly. Hopefully when we do, the people in our lives can be helped before little problems become catastrophic.
Determining When Substance Use Becomes Abuse
Substance use is a hard one. There are so many social rituals that incorporate drinking, that it can be hard to be a teetotaler. While a couple of drinks a week is usually nothing to be concerned about, when someone starts needing to drink multiple times a week, and multiple drinks at a time, it can turn into something much more serious. And the transition from one to the other is not always as obvious as you’d think.
We need to have more open conversations about social drinking and what that really means, versus someone using social events to abuse those substances. And we need to be willing to speak up to those we notice are struggling. When someone truly needs it, there are programs that offer rehab in Houston, Shreveport, Little Rock, and all throughout the country. These centers help people detox and learn better coping mechanisms than using drinks to self-medicate.
The Silent Side Effects of Poor Nutrition
The only time it seems that someone is willing to talk about nutrition is when someone is overweight. However, there are plenty of hidden dangers of poor nutrition even for those who are a healthy weight. When you eat low-nutrient foods, it can impact everything from your heart health to your bones. Heart disease is very prevalent and while obesity is a risk factor, there are others as well. A diet high in inflammatory foods like heavily refined flours and sugars can cause heart problems even for those who aren’t overweight.
Additionally, digestive health problems caused by poor eating habits, unknown food intolerances, and even autoimmune issues can all block the absorption of nutrients. It’s important to have conversations about digestive help with professionals who can help. Just because something is normal to you, does not make it normal. Poor nutrient absorption can cause lethargy, mental health struggles, and even skin and hair differences. Don’t assume it’s just age.
Why Sleep Should Be a Priority
Sleep is one of the most important preventive health strategies out there. Instead of staying up late binging shows or doom-scrolling social media, learning good sleep strategies can change your health. Sleep helps the body to heal, integrate memories, and regulate emotions. Sleep helps the brain rest and prepare for the next day.
A good night’s rest also lowers stress hormones like cortisol. Some people experience poor sleep for reasons beyond bad bedtime habits. Snoring, sleep apnea, and sleep disordered breathing can all impact the quality of rest people are getting. It’s important to address sleep concerns with medical professionals who can help. You may need airway health assistance from an airway focused dentist or a sleep study from a sleep doctor. Let’s keep the conversations about sleep and how to get more of it as an open topic to help the people who need it most.
Keeping Stress From Becoming a Mental Health Crisis
Grown ups tend to think that stress is just part of adulting you have to accept and deal with. And while some stress is normal and fine, it’s important to have conversations about what burnout and the long-term effects of too much stress can look like. It’s not always a big mental breakdown.
Sometimes it’s a quiet retreat into silence and avoidance. Sometimes it leads to substance abuse, and sometimes it impacts your physical health in ways you struggle to put into words. From the anxiety that keeps you from finishing the project you’re fully capable of doing to the stomach issues that come out of nowhere to the relationships that fall by the wayside, stress can become a mental health crisis if you don’t address it early on.
Sometimes you just need to have conversations with an empathetic friend, and other times you might want to enlist the services of a good therapist. They can help you overcome stress and give you the tools to cope or take ownership over the things you can control.
