Blog 4

FDA Approves a Cocaine Nasal Spray

With a title like that, it is easy to think: why on earth would the FDA approve something with such an abusive substance? 

How to use nasal spray. (n.d.). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/general-use/how-to-use-nasal-spray

The article I found was called, Did The FDA Approve a Cocaine Nasal Spray? ( https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cocaine-nasal-spray-fda/ ). A question that instantly popped into my mind was how unbelievable it sounded that the FDA would approve for something like that. It is crazy to me that we can approve things with cocaine, a schedule II drug, that has such a high abusive and addictive rate. So as I start reading the article, I already have in my head that it should be false information. However, I was wrong, and the article rating claimed it to be true. 

Basically, Lannett Company, Inc., which is the pharmaceutical company who brought this to the market, stated in a press release that, "of the mucous membranes for diagnostic procedures and surgeries on or through the nasal cavities of adults."("Did the FDA Approve a Cocaine Nasal Spray?"). This makes much more sense to me, but I still do not understand why this would need to use cocaine. So I dug deeper, and found a statement by an FDA spokesperson, " However, when used according to the directions provided in the labeling, physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms are unlikely to develop because this drug is for single use during diagnostic procedures and surgeries."("Did the FDA Approve a Cocaine Nasal Spray?"). To better understand this, it's like going to the doctors office and getting a shot, the doctor is always in possession of the substance and the patient does not have access to it like a prescription for example. 

To relate this to women, I researched more with an article called Substance Use in Women ( https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/substance-use-in-women ). Even though FDA claims no one will become addicted to it, I think it is important to relate this back to women's mental health. Women are more likely to turn to surgery to fix the things they are insecure about on themselves. I can see a potential for women to continually want to get more and more surgeries, thinking they will be able to fix themselves physically and mentally, and they quickly become addicted to the surgeries AKA the cocaine in the nasal spray. It is known to science that, "women often use substances differently than men, such as using smaller amounts of certain drugs for less time before they become addicted"(National Institute on Drug Abuse). This makes me question if the women will become addicted to the cocaine nasal spray since they can use less and become addicted much faster. 


Image 1: Josef Hadeed, MD, FACS. "Importance of Patient Safety in Plastic Surgery." American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 22 June 2016, www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/importance-of-patient-safety-in-plastic-surgery.

Image 2: Castillo, Stephanie. "For Men And Women, Drug Withdrawal Is A Different Beast." Medical Daily, www.medicaldaily.com/substance-abuse-affects-mens-and-womens-brains-differently-may-fuel-gender-specific-342860.

References

MacGuill, Dan, and Dan MacGuill. “Did the FDA Approve a Cocaine Nasal Spray?” Snopes.com, www.snopes.com/fact-check/cocaine-nasal-spray-fda/.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Substance Use in Women." National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) |, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/substance-use-in-women.

Blog 3

Option 2

https://www.skuld.com/topics/people/crew/depression-and-mental-illness/

Before I took this self-quiz, I felt like I would have a good score since nearly everyone I know has a mental illness, and I am very curious in this subject therefore I tend to do a lot of research and know a good amount about mental illness. As I took the quiz, my predictions were true and I got the answers correct. One question that did throw me off, however, was how much serious mental illness costs America in lost earnings per year, and I had no idea how much it could be. I guessed $400 billion but it turned out to be $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year. I knew it was going to be a big number, but I really expected that to be a bigger number given how common mental illness is. 

I have been basically surrounded by people with mental illness my whole life. My grandmother has OCD, my mother is bipolar, my step dad has NPD, and so on. I see it every single day of my life. Having a mental illness impacts their lives every day. Restless nights, messed up eating patterns, impulsive decisions, are just some of the many different ways they are impacted. 

Since seeing these mental illnesses in full effect, I have learned a lot from just simply watching. I learned that if they fight with you, it's most likely something else that was fueling their anger, not you. They may not realize their words are hurting, it's not them when they are manic or depressive. You have to be patient with them because they want to try so bad, they just need small steps to get there. Mental illnesses are not something to be afraid of, it is more common than people think.

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/mental-health-survey

To conclude, I think the self-quiz was a great way to provide information to people who want to know more about mental illness. Having a mental illness is very impactful for that persons everyday life. Knowing first hand how to deal with people who have metal illnesses, I've learned to always be patient, and love them unconditionally.

References

“Depression and Mental Illness.” Skuld, www.skuld.com/topics/people/crew/depression-and-mental-illness/.

American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/mental-health-survey.