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Stoicism, Virtue, and Mental Health

The Truth News — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 17:39:20 +0000

Stoicism, Virtue, and Mental Health

The point of philosophy is to become a better person, at least according to the Stoics. Perhaps this is why the Stoicism and the Stoics writings continue to play a vital role in religion, philosophy, psychology, and mental health. Their four virtues, among other aspects of Stoicism, were expanded from Socrates beginning around 300BCE and today form the foundation for our most popular psychotherapies, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

What is Stoicism?

Stoicism is an extension of Western Philosophy started by Socrates and continued with Plato and Aristotle. The founder of Stoicism, Zeno of Citium, did not study with Socrates or his students and was not trained as a philosopher, but rather lucked into philosophy after a terrible tragedy involving a sunken ship and the loss of all of his possessions off the shores of ancient Greece. Being broke and in a strange land, Zeno wandered into a bookstore and was introduced to Socrates and philosophy.

He was hooked and went on to read everything he could find on the topic of Socratic Philosophy. He began to share what he learned in stoas, which were long columned hallways open to the public. The term Stoicism, today referring to the restriction of emotions, derives from the term stoa – it originally referred to teachings that occurred in the stoa (hallway lectures).

Stoicism is not really about restricting emotions, but rather about the importance of rational thinking. After reading much about Socrates, Zeno concluded that “The purpose of life is happiness, which is achieved by virtue, living according to the dictates of reason, ethical and philosophical training, self-reflection, careful judgements and inner calm.” He didn’t see happiness as only for the wealthy, or educated, or privileged, but rather for all humans.

Zeno was not only the father of Stoicism, he was also a proponent of social justice. As he shared his wisdom in the halls of Ancient Athens, he charged no fees and had no restrictions on who could attend and participate. Perhaps this is why the three most prolific Stoic writers included such diversity as a slave named Epictetus; a playwright and counselor to the infamous Nero named Seneca the Younger; and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, often referred to as ‘the last of the five great emperors.’ It is important to note that much of the Stoic writings were destroyed when Sparta took over as the government of Athens during the Peloponnesian War yet the diversity of philosophers is still very broad.

The Four Virtues and Modern Psychology

I wrote an article on Positive Psychology titled “Character Strengths and the Virtuous Life” where I defined virtue as “living the life that best suits who you are – your character.” Since Positive Psychology identifies six virtues, four of which are the same as the Stoics. Martin Seligman, a co-founder of Positive Psychology, like the Stoic Philosophers, see virtue as both necessary and sufficient for happiness. Others, like Aristotle, disagree. But that’s for another post.

For Stoics, including Zeno of Citium, living a virtuous life is the key to happiness. Virtue is living a life that maximizes wisdom, courage, moderation (or temperance), and courage as it fits with who you are and what you value (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). A virtuous life is about being rational and enjoying positive emotions, eliminating negative emotions, and being true to who you are as a person.

The Stoics spoke of four virtues – wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice. These virtues are seen across many western philosophies, including Christianity, and stem from the writings of Plato when he wrote that a ‘good city’ must be ‘wise, brave, temperate, and just.‘ (Kelly, 2022). These four virtues have stood the test of time. The vices, include foolishness (the enemy of wisdom), cowardice (the enemy of courage), intemperance (the enemy of temperance), and injustice (the enemy of justice), cowardice, intemperance. Virtue and vice are opposites on a spectrum between good and evil, positive and negative, or healthy and unhealthy.

Wisdom

Since the term ‘philosophy’ literally translates to ‘love of wisdom,’ let’s start with that one. Wisdom, to the Stoics, was not about the acquisition of knowledge, but rather the ability to differentiate what is important and under your control and what is indifferent – the Stoic term for anything that does not or should not impact your ability to experience a happy life (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). A wise person, then, is one who understand what is important for them at that moment from a rational perspective, considering emotions but not allowing them to drive any decisions or actions.

The Serenity Prayer is common across 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and emphasizes the importance of virtue, especially wisdom and courage. It goes like this: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Wisdom is about knowing how we impact our world and how the world impacts us (Kelly, 2022).

Courage

Epictetus, one of the most prolific of the Stoics, was once asked how to thrive and he responded with two simple words – persist and resist (Daily Stoic). He likened human existence to a military campaign, arguing that each of us is assigned a key post and to thrive we must hold our ground and prevent the enemy from encroaching. Courage, according to the Stoics, is about the strength to stand up to adversity by maintaining your values and living according to your virtues. A key to surviving and thriving is also resisting temptations that lead you away from your ideal self. To have courage means to persist and to resist.

Like the chess board metaphor in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, the goal in life is not to continually reposition yourself as your surroundings change or to constantly battle with yourself, but rather to discover your ideal self and maintain that as unmovable. The chess board represents your values while the chess pieces represent your thoughts, beliefs, ideas, emotions, and other contently changing and evolving aspects of yourself. If you focus on how to position your pieces, on which thoughts are good and which are bad, and what you can sacrifice to gain an better advantage or to counter the negative, you lose track of who you are. You are the chess board – identify your virtues , your values, the best in you and then hold steady – persist and resist.

Temperance

In his journal, Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote “if you seek tranquility, do less….do less, better. Because most of what we say and do is not essential” (2002, 4.24). The idea behind Temperance – sometimes referred to as Moderation – is to find balance. According to Seneca the Younger, counselor to Nero, wealth should be no less than what is essential and no more than what is enough. Stoics believed in the idea of ‘all things in moderation,’ and argued that anything in excess counters virtue and deprives one of their best life.

Researchers and clinicians in Cognitive-Behavior Therapy warns us about the dangers of intemperance. In Aaron Beck’s Cognitive Therapy (CT), cognitive distortions like catastrophizing (assuming the worst) and all-or-none or polarized thinking (seeing only extremes) are often to blame for worsening depression and anxiety. It is similar for Albert Ellis’ Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) where the tendency to overuse extremes of thought like ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’ tend to minimize the positive and amplify the negative (mentalhelp.net) resulting in symptoms of both depression and anxiety.

Justice

Marcus Aurelius argued that the Virtue of Justice was the most important virtue that ties all of the virtues together. He asked the point of being courageous if not for other people and the good of wisdom if it is not used to improve the world. Just as Zeno of Cyprus shared his knowledge and wisdom with anyone who wanted to listen at no charge and in public stoa, the Stoics believed that everyone was entitled to live their best life and this included open access to modern ideas. Justice includes the idea of sympatheia – that we are all interdependent; that the entire universe in interconnected – which is emphasized throughout the Stoic writings (Daily Stoic).

Stoicism and Mental Health

It is difficult to argue with Plato on the importance of being wise, brave, temperate, and just. These four virtues apply to us as individuals, as families, and as communities. Stoics believed in the interconnectedness of everyone and everything. Marcus Aurelius eloquently stated, “what hurts the hive, hurts the bee.” The counter is also true, what hurts the bee, hurts the hive. According to the Stoics, thriving means living your life according to virtue. Virtue represents who you are, what you value, and how you act.

Carl Rogers, the founder of Person-Centered Therapy, taught us that therapeutic change occurs when we establish genuine relationships that include positive regard and empathy. Like other humanists/existentialists, he also believed that mental health is about minimizing the overlap between who you are in reality and who you want to be. Living a virtuous life is about moving toward your ideal or authentic self.

References

Aurelius, M. (2002). The Meditations. New York, NY: Random House.

Daily Stoic (n.d.). Four Stoic Virtues.

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (n.d.). Stoic ethics.

Kelly, S. (2022). The Four Stoic Virtues.

MentalHelp.net (n.d.) Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. source

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Do You Wake Up Every Night At The Same Time? This Is What It Means!

The Truth News — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 20:21:14 +0000

Do You Wake Up Every Night At The Same Time?
This Is What It Could Mean!

There are internal systems and clocks built in the body, helping us control our bodily functions. Also, it is worth mentioning that the physical and spiritual health shouldn’t be viewed separately, as they are closely related.

The patterns of energy placements to different areas of the body at different times hold special place in traditional Chinese medicine, which suggests that the body dedicates different energies to different organs within the 24 hour cycle.

Therefore, in case you wake up at the same time on a regular basis, it may indicate that some of your energy is getting obstructed, which in turn disrupts the natural balance. Most of these obstructions can be looked both physically and spiritually. Below you have a list of the times and organs they are associated with, which will help you identify the underlying cause of the symptoms you are experiencing.

This brings us back to spirituality and God, our creator. Even the ancients….., that did not understand who God was at the time, knew peace in the spirit is key to internal peace and rest. Even the ancients were on to something… they were trying, searching and learning trying to better themselves like all humanity has always done. Then Jesus was born and changed the world for all of us. The key is our happiness, our sleep and health or very closely related to God and your spirit health.

God is real, if you have not found him yet, he is waiting for you
to stop doubt open your eyes and heart!

WAKE UP TIMES AND WHAT THEY MEAN

9 pm To 11 pm

The period between 9 pm and 11 pm is the time when most people go to bed. What you should know is that this is the time when the endocrine system restores its balance and the enzymes are refilling.

The hormones and metabolism are controlled by the endocrine system, meaning that if you have trouble falling asleep at this particular time, it is very likely that you are stuck in a flight or fight mode. Simply put, you are either stuck with the events that happened during the day or are preparing for the upcoming day.

Another reason for these blockages could be a poor nutrition or a heavy meal later in the day.

11 pm To 1am

This is the time when yin energy is turned into yang, so waking up at this time on a regular basis may be due to any resentment you are stuck with.

Yang energy is extremely active and the body is supposed to be keeping it for the upcoming day. To resolve this situation, it is recommended to stay calm, preserve energy, and reinforce love and positive feelings.

As for physical causes, it is very likely that you are eating unhealthy fats which the gallbladder has trouble breaking down.

1am To 3am

This is the time when the body is performing a detoxification and renewal process. The liver is releasing toxins and making fresh, clean blood. Waking up during this time could indicate negative formations like anger and frustration. If you are neglecting these spiritual toxins, the liver is trying to send you a massage!

3am To 5am

The period between 3 am and 5 am is the time when the lungs are undergoing repair and flood the body with oxygen. To accelerate bodily function, you need to be warm enough. Looking from a spiritual side, your problems with the lungs could be caused by sadness and grief. If you keep waking up during this time, try out some breathing techniques.

Another cause for waking up during this time can be ascension, a process of raising your vibrational levels. Other causes include lucid dreaming, changes in appetite, sensitivity to unusual sounds, long periods of feeling cold.

5am To 7am

The large intestine is highly active during this time, breaking down toxins and clearing them out of the body. Waking up at this time consistently may be caused by poor diet or eating too late.

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Experts share what causes you to regularly wake up during sleep, plus advice on how to fix it.

Colleen Travers source

If you’re prone to waking up in the middle of the night, this scenario is probably too familiar: You wake up, it’s pitch black and your brain immediately knows the time. Maybe it’s 3:19 a.m., maybe it’s 37 minutes before your alarm goes off. Regardless, it’s always around the same time. Suddenly your mind is active in the middle of an otherwise good night’s sleep.

According to a global sleep survey conducted by Philips Healthcare, 67% of adults worldwide say they wake up at least once during the night. And while the occasional middle-of-the-night wake-up isn’t anything to be alarmed about, doing it consistently can affect your productivity and mood the next day. One study published in the journal Cureus found that sleep deprivation is linked to increased anger and aggression.

So what gives? We asked sleep experts to explain what’s happening when you’re waking up at the same time every night. Read on for answers, plus tricks to get you back to sleep ― or even better, advice to help prevent you from waking up at all.

First, know that we all wake up during sleep. It’s the ‘same time’ part that is a problem.

“Everyone awakens briefly in the middle of the night multiple times ― anywhere from five to seven times ― between sleep cycles,” said Shelby Harris, a licensed psychologist and board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist in Westchester, New York, and author of ”The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia: Get a Good Night’s Sleep Without Relying on Medication.” “It is totally normal followed by a quick return to sleep usually with amnesia for the awakening.”

But waking up frequently at the same time in the middle of the night is different, and it can mess up your sleep cycles. “When sleep isn’t consolidated, one can feel tired, sleepy and foggy during the daytime hours, in addition to getting less sleep at night and disrupting your depth of sleep,” Harris said.

Fully waking up each night may be a sign of an underlying health issue.

“People wake up in the night for many potential reasons but some are quite common,” said Mark Aloia, global lead for behavior change at Philips Healthcare.

Among these reasons include insomnia (Aloia said about 80% of people with insomnia have awakenings at both the beginning and middle of the night) and obstructive sleep apnea, which is characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep that may cause someone to wake up in the middle of the night. It’s important to get these conditions ruled out by a doctor if you find yourself waking up at the same time in the middle of the night ― not just for your sleep’s sake but your overall health.

“Sleep-related disturbances like sleep apnea can lead to numerous health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke and diabetes,” Aloia said. “It can increase the risk for an irregular heartbeat, worsen heart failure, and even increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents.”

If it’s not a health issue, it may be a lifestyle one.

Sad but true: As we get older, we also become lighter sleepers. “Adults tend to have less slow-wave sleep [the deepest phase of non-REM sleep], and as a result, wake up more in the middle of the night,” said Terry Cralle, a sleep expert with The Better Sleep Council.

In addition, things like noise, lights (ahem, checking your phone when you wake up) and your diet before bed all play a part in how deeply and how long you’ll sleep during the night before waking up. “Alcohol in particular can help you fall asleep, but it invariably fragments your second half of the night,” Aloia said.

Another issue at play that goes hand-in-hand with age? Your hormonal state, particularly for women. “Pregnancy is a time when sleep gets disrupted from hormonal changes, urination, anxiety and discomfort from a growing belly,” Harris said. “As perimenopause hits for women, hot flashes and night sweats also begin to disrupt sleep quality.

Waking up at the same time at night may be stress-related.

While there’s currently no research that explains exactly why we wake up near or around the same time of night, Aloia said it’s likely due to hypervigilance or worry.

“Many times when we fall asleep with worries, we process these worries during certain stages of sleep,” he said. “When we wake with these worries, we have not clearly and fully processed them.”

This is why Aloia often recommends those with sleep trouble keep a worry journal next to their bed to write down what’s causing them stress and help eliminate middle-of-the-night worry sessions.

Harris added that often anticipation of an event ― such as a baby that might cry or even the anxiety of wondering if you’ll make it through the night without waking up ― can cause lighter sleep and lead to wake-ups.

You can retrain your brain to sleep through the night.

First and foremost, it’s important to establish a healthy nightly sleep routine. That includes winding down 30 minutes to an hour before bed with no screens, keeping a consistent wake-up and sleep schedule ― even on the weekends ― and keeping the room at a comfortable temperature. (The Better Sleep Council recommends about 65 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Cralle said there are also a few things you can do to specifically help yourself get back to sleep when you are waking up at the same time in the middle of the night. First, stop clock-watching.

“A clock face should not be in your line of sight during the night, and you should not be checking your phone for the time if you do wake up,” Cralle said. “When you check the time during the night, you inevitably calculate how long you’ve been awake, and how long you have left until you need to wake up. This can easily lead to stress and anxiety and make it difficult to fall back asleep.”

It’s also important to not force sleep. It sounds counterintuitive, but it ends up being another stress-inducing activity.

“If you are not asleep in what feels to be about 15 to 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing and distracting in as dim of lighting as possible,” Cralle said. Anything from reading to listening to an audiobook, coloring, knitting, doing a puzzle, or anything else that takes your mind off sleeping will help make you feel sleepy faster. This all will eventually reduce the time you spend staring at the ceiling in place of dreaming.

What Happens When Circadian Rhythm Is Off? Learn More

Do You Wake Up Every Night At The Same Time? Learn More

How to Reset Your Sleep Cycle When You Live With Insomnia Learn More

What You Eat Affects How You Sleep? Learn More

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15 Things Men Only Do With The Women They Love A Lot

The Truth News — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 00:55:51 +0000

15 Things Men Only Do With The Women They Love A Lot

Men and ladies demonstrate that they mind in altogether different ways. On the off chance that a man is ready to freely show his adoration for a lady, he isn’t messing around. It takes extraordinary powerlessness for a man to show and express precisely what he is feeling on such a huge scale. There are no less than 8 things a man will improve the situation the lady he earnestly cherishes.

Life is a rollercoaster ride; a mix of inconceivable, exhilarating highs and devastating, steep lows. Even though we are at different points of this amazing journey, we all are desperately searching for the One and Only to share the ride with. But in this crazy and chaotic world, it’s not easy to tell who this person is — “the one” that will love you unconditionally.

How we define love differs among cultures, genders and individuals. Each of us expresses his feelings in his own unique way. But as human beings we exhibit some similar patterns of love.

1. He really pays attention to what you say to him.

He really listens to you whenever you talk. He understands that communication is important in your relationship. And he also knows that part of being a good communicator is being a good listener. And he always wants to make you feel like you are safe to express yourself however you see fit. He will always listen to you.

2. He puts in the extra effort for the sake of the relationship.

He knows that it always takes a lot of hard work to make sure that a relationship lasts, and that’s why he never shies away from putting in the effort for you. It really shows in the way that he conducts himself in your relationship.

3. He takes note of all the little things.

He has great attention to detail. And he is always proving to you that he doesn’t take you or the relationship for granted. He gives importance even to the simplest aspects of your relationship. It may be the smallest or even the weirdest thing, but if it makes you happy, your man would gladly do it. He would pay attention to all those little things that make you smile and will use them to light up your day when you least expect it. source

4. He puts your happiness above his own.

He really prioritizes your happiness. He always wants to make sure that you are happy in life. He always wants to make sure that you aren’t feeling sad or down. And that’s why he does whatever it takes to put a smile on your face; even if it means compromising his own happiness.

5. He shows genuine concern for your family.

He isn’t merely concerned about you. But he loves you enough to actually show concern for the people who are closest to your heart. He really cares about the people you most care for as well.

6. He puts his trust in you.

He always makes you feel like he can trust you. And he does that by genuinely opening himself up to you. He allows himself to get vulnerable and intimate with you. He never wants you to feel like he can’t feel safe with you.

7. He is always honest with you

“The most important thing in a relationship is to be honest with each other.” — Unknown

A man who loves you will always be honest with you. He knows that you need to know the truth and he will never lie to you. A man who loves you will always tell you the truth, even if it hurts. So if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to know the truth, know that your man will always be honest with you. Because that’s what men do when they love someone. They are always honest with them, no matter what.

You know that he loves you when he always stays truthful towards you. He always makes it a point, to be honest with you even if it means that being honest is eventually going to get him into trouble. He wants you to feel safe around him by always being genuine and sincere around you.

8. He does whatever he can to make your life easier.

He always puts the extra effort into trying to make your life as easy as possible. He always puts in the extra effort to make your life as comfortable as possible. And that sometimes means doing the chores and running the errands that you don’t want to have to deal with yourself.

9. He always keeps his promises

“The most important thing in a relationship is not what you say, but what you do.” — Unknown

A man who loves you will always keep his promises. He knows that your trust is important to him and he will never break your trust. A man who loves you will always keep his promises, no matter what. So if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need someone to keep their word, know that your man will always be there for you. Because that’s what men do when they love someone. They always keep their promises, no matter what.

10. He treats you in a respectful manner.

It really matters to him the kind of image that he is giving off to you. He always wants to leave a really good impression on you. And that’s why he’s always going to be respectful towards you. It doesn’t matter if you’re treating him terribly. He’s always going to treat you with genuine care and respect because he knows that that is the kind of treatment that you are deserving of.

11. He is not afraid to show his vulnerable side

Society has long conditioned men to swallow a lot of their feelings. We all know the stereotypes: men must be the stronger sex, they are invincible, they never cry. Even though most men like to be seen in this light, they won’t be afraid to open up in front of their loved one and reveal their true colors.

If you have found a guy who has no problem expressing his feeling, you’ve got yourself a keeper!

12. He sees the beauty in you everyday

Although our society is dominated by distorted beauty ideals, putting on a pedestal faces masked with tons of make-up, the man that truly loves a woman will see her beauty every second of every day.

Even if you believe you look like hell, don’t avoid your partner for he would be thrilled to see you even with your messy hair and your puffy eyes. He’ll cherish your perfect imperfections because at the end of the day it’s what makes you, you.

13. He makes sacrifices for your happiness

Let’s be honest for a moment — egoism is evolutionarily embedded in our nature. True love, however, prompts us to overcome this trait. If a man really loves a woman, he would sacrifice a lot to make his girl happy. But when you think of sacrifices in the name of love, do not necessarily make a comparison with Hollywood stories.

Every sacrifice, no matter how small, is an expression of love. Do not miss the little things.

14. He is your biggest cheerleader

If a man truly loves you, he will be your biggest cheerleader. As he simply wants you to be happy, your success will become his success. A man in love will not compete with you, he will win with you.

Even if he doesn’t always approve and understand each of your endeavors, he will know what’s important to you and will always be there. The man who loves you will be your greatest supporter and most dedicated fan.

15. He fights for your love

No matter how strong love is, the road of life is studded with obstacles that will challenge your relationship. But when a man loves you, he will fight for your relationship against all odds.

He might need to draw back for a moment but remember that he’ll always come back. Because he knows that your relationship is something worth the fight.

“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” — George Sand

Love is a very strong emotion. It can make you feel happy, sad, angry, and everything in between.

When you are in love, you can’t help but feel strongly about the person you are with. You may feel happy when they are around, or sad when they are not. You may feel angry when they do something that hurts you, or you may feel nothing at all. Love is a very complex emotion and it can be hard to understand, but one thing is for sure: when you are in love, you will feel it deeply.

There are many different ways to show someone you love them. You may shower them with gifts, or simply spend time with them. You may do things for them that you wouldn’t normally do, or go out of your way to make them feel great about themselves.

When you love someone, you usually want to spend as much time with them as possible. You also want to do things to make them happy and show them how much you care.

According to studies, there are certain things that men only do with the women they love. If you are wondering if your man loves you, look no further! source

My Son, You Are Always Loved

The Truth News — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 19:40:38 +0000

My Son, You Are Always Loved

My son, you are loved for the little boy you were, the special man you are now, and the wonderful son you will always be.

When I had you, I knew a bundle of joy has come into my life, and never will my life remain the same again. When I took in, they didn’t want me to keep us as I was still in college, but I wanted to know you and I wanted to love and hold you.

A son doesn`t need to deserve his mother`s love; he doesn`t need to ask for it. Mother`s love for her son is always unconditional.

I love my son and he makes me proud and brings me happy whenever he’s around me.

I will be there for you all the time and be that pillar of strength that you can always rely on to support you through life. I love you, dear son.

I believe in you, my son. I believe that you’ll be the luckiest person in this world because I have worked my whole life in bringing the best out of you. I love you with all my heart!

The bond between mother and son lasts a lifetime. The bond between mother and son is a special one. It remains unchanged by time or distance. It is the purest love, unconditional and true. It is understanding of any situation and forgiving of any mistake.

YOUR SON will hold your hand for a little while, but he will hold your heart for a whole lifetime. If you have a son that makes your life worth living just by being around him and you’re proud of your son, Let the whole world know.

I Love My Mom

The Truth News — Sun, 25 Dec 2022 20:08:47 +0000

I Love My Mom

A mother is the only person who carries you for 9 months in her belly, 3 years in her arms, and forever in her heart.

“A mother is your first friend, your best friend, your forever friend.” – Unknown

“Mother is a verb. It’s something you do. Not just who you are.” – Dorothy Canfield Fisher

“Moms are the people who know us the best and love us the most.” – Unknown

“A mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible” – Marion C. Garretty.

“Mother’s love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved.” – Erich Fromm

“For a mother is the only person on earth who can divide her love among 10 children and each child still have all her love.” – Unknown

“A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.” – Cardinal Mermillod

“There is nothing as powerful as mother’s love, and nothing as healing as a child’s soul.” – Unknown

“Happiness is seeing your mother smile.” – Unknown

“No matter how much I say I love you, I always love you more than that.” – Unknown

“I love my mother as trees love water and sunshine. She helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights.” – Terry Guillemets

“No matter your age, you will always need your mom.” – Unknown

“As is the mother, so is her daughter.” – Ezekiel 16:4

“You have my whole heart for my whole life.” – Unknown

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How Does Exercise Affect The Gut Microbiome?

The Truth News — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 12:11:31 +0000

How Does Exercise Affect The Gut Microbiome?

Your gut microbiome is a symbiotic ecosystem that adapts to you — that’s why physical activity is good for your gut microbes.

There’s a whole world living inside your colon (i.e., the large intestine), and it does a bunch of important stuff. This ecosystem is mainly made up of bacteria that perform a range of essential functions for digestive and overall health.

It’s called the gut microbiome. It eats what you eat, it gets stressed when you do, and now science shows that the composition and functions of your gut bacteria are enhanced by exercise and physical activity.

Your microbiome is a self-portrait
Microbial diversity is essential for health
What can exercise do for my microbiome?
Gut microbial diversity and physical activity
What sports can improve your microbiome?
Do I need a microbiome test?

In this article, we’ll review some microbiome basics before diving into the exciting findings about physical exercise, like how it increases microbial diversity and how to apply these findings to your daily life.

DISCLAIMER This article is for informational purposes. Always consult your GP if you plan on implementing changes to your exercise routine, especially if you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle with little or no physical activity.

Your microbiome is a self-portrait

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we’re told. And in this case, you should be very flattered, because your microbiome looks just like you (well nearly).

Thanks to genetic sequencing technology, humanity recently discovered how essential our gut microbes are for good health, and how much they reflect our daily lives and naughty indulgences. But first, we should probably explain what the fuss is about bacteria.

Your gut bacteria belong in an ecosystem that also includes some yeasts and other microscopic creatures. It performs many important functions for human health, like producing and breaking down food molecules into nutrients that complement the physiological functions of the human body.

In a nutshell, your gut bacteria produce fatty acids, vitamins, and amino acids that have a range of beneficial effects for the body, from promoting healthy immune system function to maintaining the integrity of the gut lining.

You can learn more about the composition of your gut microbiome and how it affects your health with the Atlas Biomed Microbiome Test.

Microbial diversity is essential for health

We have a win-win arrangement with our microbes when we live a healthy life: we give these single-celled organisms a home, and they work hard alongside us.

The microbiome influences nutrition, metabolic health, and immune system function among many other things, including the human brain. So it wasn’t a stretch when scientists considered the possibility of physical exercise having an impact on the microbiome.Diversity is a key parameter for measuring microbiome health, and this ecosystem is made up of hundreds of species. A diverse microbiota profile is associated with enhanced vitamin and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, dietary fibre metabolism, and even increased disease protection.

On the other hand, there’s a word for a poor or imbalanced ecosystem that can’t adequately do its job for the host, a human. It’s called dysbiosis. When dysbiosis affects the gut, the communities of beneficial and benign bacteria that usually make up the microbiota are altered, leading to digestive symptoms and conditions.

What can exercise do for my microbiome?

Recent studies suggest that exercise has a number of benefits for the gut microbiota. It is linked to increases in the number of beneficial microbial species and enriching microbial diversity, as well as enhanced short-chain fatty acid synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism.

≤ 50% reduction in colon cancer risk by physical activity

Studies have shown, for example, that even little changes can yield results. For example, increasing the frequency of moderate exercise from never to daily leads to a greater diversity in Firmicutes.

This phylum (a taxonomic rank) of bacteria includes Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, species of Oscillospira, as well as members of the Lachnospira and Coprococcus genera that contribute to a healthier gut environment.

Body fat percentage, muscle mass, and physical activity are significantly correlated with several bacterial populations

Another study we will explore later looked at how physical exercise in women affects the microbiome. It found that doing exercise was correlated with higher representation of bacteria with health-promoting functions in females.

These included F. prausnitzii and Roseburia hominis, known for their butyrate-producing abilities, and Akkermansia muciniphila that is abundant in athletes, and low levels are associated with metabolic conditions, like obesity and diabetes.

Research comparing elite athletes to sedentary controls (average human participants that don’t do much physical exercise) also highlights that the microbiome is much more than just a gut thing.

One major study investigated the microbiomes of 40 professional international rugby union players compared to control groups of people of similar age with either high or low BMI. It highlighted “significantly greater intestinal microbial diversity among the athletes”.

A number of other parameters also showed significantly improved results versus those of the controls. These included short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs): they recorded “significantly higher levels of acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate in athletes relative to controls.”SCFAs are organic compounds produced by gut bacteria from tough-to-digest plant fibres in your diet. In particular, butyrate has been shown to have a number of health-promoting functions.

Among other things, butyrate is the main source of fuel for the cells of the gut lining, helping to maintain its integrity, reduce inflammation, and prevent organic compounds from foods, toxins, and metabolites from crossing into the bloodstream.

The study also identified increases in the metabolic pathways of the microbiome (a series of chemical reactions within a cell):

production of amino acids, essential building blocks of cells
antibiotic biosynthesis that supports immune system function
carbohydrate metabolism that provides fuel

In short, physical exercise has been shown to provide tangible improvement for several markers associated with physical performance and health, particularly in terms of beneficial types of bacteria and their functions.

REMEMBER Protection from obesity and diabetes, as well as potential for butyrate production and the composition of your microbiome, are traits you can check with the Atlas Biomed Tests.

Gut microbial diversity and physical activity

You may rightly wonder whether physical exercise transforms the microbiota, or if having a healthy microbiota makes you more inclined to be active. It’s a chicken-or-egg scenario that scientists are looking at from both angles.

Because, for example, it’s true that dysbiosis can cause inflammation that leads to depressive symptoms, and depression is not conducive to getting out and doing things. But on the other hand, several studies indicate that doing sports can actually change your gut ecosystem.A 2017 study, this time in women, demonstrated that physical exercise “can modify the composition of gut microbiota” in a positive way. Differences in gut microbiota profile between women with active lifestyle and sedentary women by Carlo Bressa and colleagues studied two groups of women between the ages of 18 and 40.

Active participants were selected for the group that performed at least 10 hours of physical exercise over a 7-day period during the trial. The sedentary group participated in quiet activities and were selected from women who weren’t particularly active in their daily lives, performing less than 30 minutes of moderate exercise three times per week.

Eleven genera (a taxonomic rank of bacteria) were “significantly different between active and sedentary women”. Importantly, the active group of women had a “higher abundance of health-promoting bacterial species, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia hominis, and Akkermansia muciniphila”.

They also found that “body fat percentage, muscular mass, and physical activity significantly correlated with several bacterial populations.” Basically, leading an active lifestyle was more pleasing to some bacteria than others, and that’s a very good thing.

What sports can improve your microbiome?

Physical activity is divided into two categories, strength and endurance, that are determined by how your body produces energy to fuel your performance.

VO2 max accounts for 20% of the variation in taxonomic richness

Strength sports require high-intensity effort, like weight lifting, sprinting, and boxing. These sports build muscle mass by exercising your cells’ anaerobic pathways. That means that your muscles use their limited glycogen stores to create ATP (the fuel for your muscles) without using oxygen.

This differs from endurance sports that allow the body to perform exercise at a lower intensity, but for much longer periods, like long-distance running, cycling, and skiing. Such activities are considered aerobic because the muscles use oxygen to transform fats and sugars into ATP for fuel.

The most popular way of measuring cardiovascular fitness is V02 max that looks at the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. It is used to assess endurance performance, and can be significantly improved with high-intensity exercises.Several studies indicate a relationship between microbiota composition and cardiorespiratory fitness that can account for more than 20% of the variation in “taxonomic richness” (diversity of bacteria identified in the microbiome). These changes were noted to be independent of other factors, including age, fat intake, and carbohydrate intake.

Cardio is the way to go

As we’ve seen, studies indicate that aerobic exercise, commonly known as cardio, has benefits for your microbiota, both in terms of increased abundance of beneficial bacteria and overall diversity.

Cardio is about going long and steady, ensuring the supply of oxygen to your muscles so they can create fuel (ATP). This includes any exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for a prolonged period of time.Walking, running, dancing, cycling, the elliptical machine, and the rower at the gym are all examples of cardio workouts. However, the intensity and duration of your workout will vary depending on your general fitness level.

If you are just dipping your toes into the exercise pond, you might not be able to sustain your effort for long. And that is totally okay because cardio is all about the long run. Take it easy, keep at it, and your body will adjust! #PunIntended

The NHS has issued recommendations for physical activity in adults, here is what they say:

At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or brisk walking, every week
and
Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

OR

75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or a game of singles tennis, every week
and
Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

OR

A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week — for example, two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of brisk walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity,
and
Strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

Don’t forget to stretch all the major muscle-tendon groups (a total of 60 seconds per group) two or more times per week to maintain the range of movement of your joints. You should also make sure to break up long periods of sitting by getting up and moving around.

REMEMBER Predisposition to athletic performance, as well as potential for butyrate production and the composition of your microbiome, are traits you can check with the Atlas Biomed Tests.

Do I need a microbiome test?

You can learn more about the composition of your gut microbiome and how it affects your health with the Atlas Biomed Microbiome Test. Your health report includes:

an overall score for microbiome functions and disease protection
in-depth profile of your microbes and a probiotics report
potential for nutrient synthesis, including butyrate and vitamins
ability to break down fibre and personalised food recommendations

We use advanced genetic sequencing to analyse your microbiome, generating results and recommendations using algorithms based on the results of thousands of clinical trials and scientific papers.

This allows us to identify your individual traits and tailor recommendations for your unique body to enhance your health and wellbeing.

Sources:

source

Mental Health Diversion in California (Penal Code 1001.36 PC)

The Truth News — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 00:45:11 +0000

Mental Health Diversion in California (Penal Code 1001.36 PC)

Mental health diversion: A new way to get your criminal case dismissed

California Penal Code 1001.36 sets forth the state’s mental health diversion program. If you have mental health issues, this program may allow you to receive treatment in lieu of prosecution and jail when you are charged with a crime.

If you successfully complete treatment, the criminal charges will be dismissed. The record of the arrest will then be sealed for most purposes and it will be as if the arrest had never happened.¹

PC 1001.36 resulted from the passage of California Senate Bill 215 (SB 215). It became effective on June 27, 2018, and the statute was amended in 2022.

In this article, our California criminal defense lawyers will discuss:

1. What is mental health diversion?

California’s “Mental Health Diversion” program may allow you to get mental health treatment when you are accused of a crime. Set forth in Penal Code 1001.36 PC, it is a form of “pretrial diversion” in California.

A “pretrial diversion program” allows you to postpone further action in your case in order to participate in a treatment program.²

xSame. See also People v. Banner (Cal. App. 5th Dist. 2022), 292 Cal. Rptr. 3d 574; People v. Rodriguez (Cal. App. 4th Dist. 2021), 283 Cal. Rptr. 3d 501.

It can be requested at any point in a criminal case before you are sentenced.

The benefits of pretrial diversion in California

Upon successful completion of a pretrial diversion treatment program, the charges against you will be dismissed. The record of the arrest will then be sealed and it will be as if the arrest had never happened. (See details in Section 7, below).

Other types of pretrial diversion in California include:

California drug diversion,³
Military diversion for veterans with mental health issues,⁴
California’s “bad check” diversion program, ⁵ and
In some counties, a general misdemeanor diversion program.⁶

2. How do I qualify under California PC 1001.36?

The court can only approve a program of treatment if ALL of the following conditions have been met:

You have been diagnosed with a mental disorder other than an antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, or pedophilia, and the diagnosis or treatment occurred in the last five years;
The court finds no clear and convincing evidence that the mental disorder was not a motivating factor, causal factor, or contributing factor to the alleged offense;
In the opinion of a qualified mental health expert, you would respond to mental health treatment;
You consent to diversion and waives your right to a speedy trial;
You agree to comply with treatment as a condition of diversion; and
The court is satisfied that you will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety.⁷

Let’s take a closer look at each of these conditions.

2.1. You were diagnosed with a mental health disorder

To qualify for PC 1001.36 diversion, you must have a disorder listed in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Most conditions qualify, including:

Bipolar disorder,
Schizophrenia,
Schizoaffective disorder, and
Post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”).⁸

For more discussion, see our article on PTSD as a defense to criminal charges in California.

However, you are NOT eligible for mental health diversion under PC 1001.36 if you have the following conditions:

Antisocial personality disorder,
Borderline personality disorder, or
Pedophilia.⁹

How do I prove a mental disorder?

You must present evidence of a diagnosis by a qualified mental health expert. The expert may rely on any relevant evidence, including:

An examination of you,
Your medical records, and
Arrest reports.

The diagnosis or treatment must have occurred in the last five years.¹⁰

To qualify for mental health diversion” in California, you will need a diagnosis from a qualified mental health expert

2.2. The disorder played a significant role in the alleged crime

The judge must find that your mental disorder played a significant role in the charged crime unless there is clear and convincing evidence otherwise.¹²

2.3. You would respond to treatment

For you to get diversion, a qualified mental health expert must believe treatment would be effective. Specifically, they must opine that your symptoms motivating the criminal behavior would respond to mental health treatment.¹³

2.4. You waive the right to a speedy trial

Under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, you have the right to a speedy trial.¹⁴ Diversion makes it impossible to comply with this requirement. So if you want diversion, you must waive your right to a speedy trial.¹⁵

An exception is if you cannot give a knowing and intelligent waiver due to your mental state. If you are a good candidate for diversion instead of commitment, the court may order diversion without a waiver.¹⁶

If you accept mental health diversion in California, you must waive your constitutional right to a speedy trial.

2.5. You agree to treatment

You must agree to comply with treatment as a condition of diversion.¹⁷

2.6. The risk of danger to public safety is small

Finally, the judge must be satisfied that you will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety if treated in the community.¹⁸

The judge may consider any relevant factors, including:

The opinion of the district attorney,
The opinion of your lawyer,
The opinion of a qualified mental health expert,
Your criminal history and history of violence (if any), and
The severity of the charged offense. ¹⁹

3. How long does PC 1001.36 treatment last?

Mental health diversion under Penal Code 1001.36 lasts a maximum of two (2) years. For misdemeanors, the maximum is one (1) year.²⁰ It can consist of inpatient or outpatient treatment.²¹

Before approving a proposed treatment program, the court will consider:

Your request,
The request of the prosecution,
Your needs, and
The interests of the community.²²

4. Who pays for mental health diversion?

Payment for mental health treatment under PC 1001.36 can come from private or public funds. ²³ If you cannot afford private treatment, the court may refer you to:

A county mental health agency, or
Any existing collaborative court.²⁴

Though you will only be able to avail yourself of a treatment program if:

The designated entity has agreed to accept responsibility for your treatment, and
There are available resources for which you are eligible.²⁵

5. How is treatment progress measured?

The provider of a diversion treatment program will provide regular progress reports to the court. Such reports will also be sent to you and the prosecutor.²⁶

If certain triggering events occur (as discussed below), the court will hold a hearing to determine whether:

The treatment program should be modified,
Criminal proceedings against you should be reinstated, or
You should be referred to a county investigator for possible conservatorship proceedings.²⁷

Before holding the hearing, the court will notify you, your defense counsel, and the prosecution. ²⁸

Mental health treatment can be terminated if you commit another crime during any period of pretrial diversion.

Events that will trigger a hearing

The circumstances that will trigger such a hearing are:

You are charged with a new misdemeanor that reflects a propensity for violence;
You are charged with a new felony;
You engage in criminal conduct that makes you unsuitable for diversion; or
A qualified mental health expert advises the court that:
- Your performance in the assigned treatment program is not satisfactory, or
- You are gravely disabled.²⁹

6. What happens when treatment is complete?

If you successfully complete the treatment program, at the end of the diversion period the court will dismiss the charge(s).³⁰

You are considered to have successfully completed a program when you:

Have substantially complied with the requirements of diversion,
Have avoided significant new violations of law unrelated to your mental health condition, and
Have a plan in place for long-term mental health care.³¹

If diversion was not successfully completed, the court will reinstate the criminal proceedings against you.

You will still be able to introduce any available criminal defenses to the charges.

7. Does mental health diversion “seal” a criminal record?

Upon your successful completion of mental health diversion, the charges against you will be dismissed. The arrest will be sealed. ³²

For most purposes, it will be as if the arrest and prosecution had never happened. Except as set forth below, they cannot be used to deny you any

employment,
benefit,
license, or
certificate.³³

Sealed arrest records and records of successful participation in diversion may be used as follows:

You must disclose the arrest if you apply to be a peace officer (such as a police officer). The California Department of Justice will also disclose the arrest in connection with such an application.³⁴
Criminal justice agencies may access and use sealed arrest records in the ordinary course of their duties. ³⁵
A court may use the records in determining whether to grant mental health diversion in any future criminal case against you .³⁶
The records may be used as necessary to provide continued care and treatment to you.³⁷

8. Can a record of the arrest be used in immigration court?

Sealing a record in California does not remove it from consideration by an immigration court. Though there should be no immigration consequences from mental health diversion as long as:

You do not plead guilty to a removable (deportable) offense or an “inadmissible” crime, and
You do not admit to any facts that are essential elements of such an offense.

Immigrants should consult with an experienced California criminal defense attorney before agreeing to participate in a program of diversion. Never plead guilty to a crime without understanding the immigration consequences.

Legal references:

California Penal Code 1001.36 PC: (a) On an accusatory pleading alleging the commission of a misdemeanor or felony offense not set forth in subdivision (d), the court may, in its discretion, and after considering the positions of the defense and prosecution, grant pretrial diversion to a defendant pursuant to this section if the defendant satisfies the eligibility requirements for pretrial diversion set forth in subdivision (b) and the court determines that the defendant is suitable for that diversion under the factors set forth in subdivision (c).
(b) A defendant is eligible for pretrial diversion pursuant to this section if both of the following criteria are met:
(1) The defendant has been diagnosed with a mental disorder as identified in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, including, but not limited to, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder, but excluding antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and pedophilia. Evidence of the defendant’s mental disorder shall be provided by the defense and shall include a diagnosis or treatment for a diagnosed mental disorder within the last five years by a qualified mental health expert. In opining that a defendant suffers from a qualifying disorder, the qualified mental health expert may rely on an examination of the defendant, the defendant’s medical records, arrest reports, or any other relevant evidence.
(2) The defendant’s mental disorder was a significant factor in the commission of the charged offense. If the defendant has been diagnosed with a mental disorder, the court shall find that the defendant’s mental disorder was a significant factor in the commission of the offense unless there is clear and convincing evidence that it was not a motivating factor, causal factor, or contributing factor to the defendant’s involvement in the alleged offense. A court may consider any relevant and credible evidence, including, but not limited to, police reports, preliminary hearing transcripts, witness statements, statements by the defendant’s mental health treatment provider, medical records, records or reports by qualified medical experts, or evidence that the defendant displayed symptoms consistent with the relevant mental disorder at or near the time of the offense.
(c) For any defendant who satisfies the eligibility requirements in subdivision (b), the court must consider whether the defendant is suitable for pretrial diversion. A defendant is suitable for pretrial diversion if all of the following criteria are met:
(1) In the opinion of a qualified mental health expert, the defendant’s symptoms of the mental disorder causing, contributing to, or motivating the criminal behavior would respond to mental health treatment.
(2) The defendant consents to diversion and waives the defendant’s right to a speedy trial, unless a defendant has been found to be an appropriate candidate for diversion in lieu of commitment pursuant to clause (iv) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1370 and, as a result of the defendant’s mental incompetence, cannot consent to diversion or give a knowing and intelligent waiver of the defendant’s right to a speedy trial.
(3) The defendant agrees to comply with treatment as a condition of diversion, unless the defendant has been found to be an appropriate candidate for diversion in lieu of commitment for restoration of competency treatment pursuant to clause (iv) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1370 and, as a result of the defendant’s mental incompetence, cannot agree to comply with treatment.
(4) The defendant will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety, as defined in Section 1170.18, if treated in the community. The court may consider the opinions of the district attorney, the defense, or a qualified mental health expert, and may consider the defendant’s treatment plan, the defendant’s violence and criminal history, the current charged offense, and any other factors that the court deems appropriate.
(d) A defendant may not be placed into a diversion program, pursuant to this section, for the following current charged offenses:
(1) Murder or voluntary manslaughter.
(2) An offense for which a person, if convicted, would be required to register pursuant to Section 290, except for a violation of Section 314.
(3) Rape.
(4) Lewd or lascivious act on a child under 14 years of age.
(5) Assault with intent to commit rape, sodomy, or oral copulation, in violation of Section 220.
(6) Commission of rape or sexual penetration in concert with another person, in violation of Section 264.1.
(7) Continuous sexual abuse of a child, in violation of Section 288.5.
(8) A violation of subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 11418.
(e) At any stage of the proceedings, the court may require the defendant to make a prima facie showing that the defendant will meet the minimum requirements of eligibility for diversion and that the defendant and the offense are suitable for diversion. The hearing on the prima facie showing shall be informal and may proceed on offers of proof, reliable hearsay, and argument of counsel. If a prima facie showing is not made, the court may summarily deny the request for diversion or grant any other relief as may be deemed appropriate.
(f) As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) Pretrial diversion” means the postponement of prosecution, either temporarily or permanently, at any point in the judicial process from the point at which the accused is charged until adjudication, to allow the defendant to undergo mental health treatment, subject to all of the following:
(A)
(i) The court is satisfied that the recommended inpatient or outpatient program of mental health treatment will meet the specialized mental health treatment needs of the defendant.
(ii) The defendant may be referred to a program of mental health treatment utilizing existing inpatient or outpatient mental health resources. Before approving a proposed treatment program, the court shall consider the request of the defense, the request of the prosecution, the needs of the defendant, and the interests of the community. The treatment may be procured using private or public funds, and a referral may be made to a county mental health agency, existing collaborative courts, or assisted outpatient treatment only if that entity has agreed to accept responsibility for the treatment of the defendant, and mental health services are provided only to the extent that resources are available and the defendant is eligible for those services.
(iii) If the court refers the defendant to a county mental health agency pursuant to this section and the agency determines that it is unable to provide services to the defendant, the court shall accept a written declaration to that effect from the agency in lieu of requiring live testimony. That declaration shall serve only to establish that the program is unable to provide services to the defendant at that time and does not constitute evidence that the defendant is unqualified or unsuitable for diversion under this section.
(B) The provider of the mental health treatment program in which the defendant has been placed shall provide regular reports to the court, the defense, and the prosecutor on the defendant’s progress in treatment.
(C) The period during which criminal proceedings against the defendant may be diverted is limited as follows:
(i) If the defendant is charged with a felony, the period shall be no longer than two years.
(ii) If the defendant is charged with a misdemeanor, the period shall be no longer than one year.
(D) Upon request, the court shall conduct a hearing to determine whether restitution, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 1202.4, is owed to any victim as a result of the diverted offense and, if owed, order its payment during the period of diversion. However, a defendant’s inability to pay restitution due to indigence or mental disorder shall not be grounds for denial of diversion or a finding that the defendant has failed to comply with the terms of diversion.
(2) “Qualified mental health expert” includes, but is not limited to, a psychiatrist, psychologist, a person described in Section 5751.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or a person whose knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education qualifies them as an expert.
(g) If any of the following circumstances exists, the court shall, after notice to the defendant, defense counsel, and the prosecution, hold a hearing to determine whether the criminal proceedings should be reinstated, whether the treatment should be modified, or whether the defendant should be conserved and referred to the conservatorship investigator of the county of commitment to initiate conservatorship proceedings for the defendant pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code:
(1) The defendant is charged with an additional misdemeanor allegedly committed during the pretrial diversion and that reflects the defendant’s propensity for violence.
(2) The defendant is charged with an additional felony allegedly committed during the pretrial diversion.
(3) The defendant is engaged in criminal conduct rendering the defendant unsuitable for diversion.
(4) Based on the opinion of a qualified mental health expert whom the court may deem appropriate, either of the following circumstances exists:
(A) The defendant is performing unsatisfactorily in the assigned program.
(B) The defendant is gravely disabled, as defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (h) of Section 5008 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. A defendant shall only be conserved and referred to the conservatorship investigator pursuant to this finding.
(h) If the defendant has performed satisfactorily in diversion, at the end of the period of diversion, the court shall dismiss the defendant’s criminal charges that were the subject of the criminal proceedings at the time of the initial diversion. A court may conclude that the defendant has performed satisfactorily if the defendant has substantially complied with the requirements of diversion, has avoided significant new violations of law unrelated to the defendant’s mental health condition, and has a plan in place for long-term mental health care. If the court dismisses the charges, the clerk of the court shall file a record with the Department of Justice indicating the disposition of the case diverted pursuant to this section. Upon successful completion of diversion, if the court dismisses the charges, the arrest upon which the diversion was based shall be deemed never to have occurred, and the court shall order access to the record of the arrest restricted in accordance with Section 1001.9, except as specified in subdivisions (j) and (k). The defendant who successfully completes diversion may indicate in response to any question concerning the defendant’s prior criminal record that the defendant was not arrested or diverted for the offense, except as specified in subdivision (j).
(i) A record pertaining to an arrest resulting in successful completion of diversion, or any record generated as a result of the defendant’s application for or participation in diversion, shall not, without the defendant’s consent, be used in any way that could result in the denial of any employment, benefit, license, or certificate.
(j) The defendant shall be advised that, regardless of the defendant’s completion of diversion, both of the following apply:
(1) The arrest upon which the diversion was based may be disclosed by the Department of Justice to any peace officer application request and that, notwithstanding subdivision (i), this section does not relieve the defendant of the obligation to disclose the arrest in response to any direct question contained in any questionnaire or application for a position as a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.
(2) An order to seal records pertaining to an arrest made pursuant to this section has no effect on a criminal justice agency’s ability to access and use those sealed records and information regarding sealed arrests, as described in Section 851.92.
(k) A finding that the defendant suffers from a mental disorder, any progress reports concerning the defendant’s treatment, or any other records related to a mental disorder that were created as a result of participation in, or completion of, diversion pursuant to this section or for use at a hearing on the defendant’s eligibility for diversion under this section may not be used in any other proceeding without the defendant’s consent, unless that information is relevant evidence that is admissible under the standards described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 28 of Article I of the California Constitution. However, when determining whether to exercise its discretion to grant diversion under this section, a court may consider previous records of participation in diversion under this section.
(l) The county agency administering the diversion, the defendant’s mental health treatment providers, the public guardian or conservator, and the court shall, to the extent not prohibited by federal law, have access to the defendant’s medical and psychological records, including progress reports, during the defendant’s time in diversion, as needed, for the purpose of providing care and treatment and monitoring treatment for diversion or conservatorship.
See SB 1223 (2022).
Same. See also People v. Banner (Cal. App. 5th Dist. 2022), 292 Cal. Rptr. 3d 574; People v. Rodriguez (Cal. App. 4th Dist. 2021), 283 Cal. Rptr. 3d 501.
Penal Code 1000 PC.
Penal Code 1001.80 PC.
California Penal Code 1001.60-1001.67 PC.
Penal Code 1001.50 – 1001.55 PC.
Penal Code 1001.36(b), endnote 1.
Penal Code 1001.36(b)(1), endnote 1.
Same.
Same.
Penal Code 1001.36(b)(2), endnote 1.
Same.
Penal Code 1001.36(b)(3), endnote 1.
United States Constitution, Amendment VI: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.”
Penal Code 1001.36(b)(4), endnote 1.
Same.
Penal Code 1001.36(b)(5), endnote 1.
Penal Code 1001.36(b)(6), endnote 1. See also Penal Code 1170.18 (c): “As used throughout this code, ‘unreasonable risk of danger to public safety’ means an unreasonable risk that the petitioner will commit a new violent felony within the meaning of clause (iv) of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 667.”See also California’s “Three Strikes” law, Penal Code 667 PC.
Same.
Penal Code 1001.36(c)(3), endnote 1.
Penal Code 1001.36(c)(1)(B), endnote 1.
Same.
Same.
Same.
Same.
Penal Code 1001.36(c)(2), endnote 1.
Penal Code 1001.36(d), endnote 1.
Same.
Same.
Penal Code 1001.36(e), endnote 1.
Same.
Same.
Penal Code 1001.36(f), endnote 1.
Penal Code 1001.36(g)(1), endnote 1.
Penal Code 1001.36(g)(2), endnote 1. See also Penal Code 851.92.
Penal Code 1001.36(h), endnote 1. See also California Constitution, Article 1, Section 28 on victims’ rights.
Penal Code 1001.36(i), endnote 1.

cited

What Are Short-Chain Fatty Acids And Why Should You Care?

The Truth News — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 11:33:34 +0000

What Are Short-Chain Fatty Acids And Why Should You Care?

Short-chain fatty acids are produced by beneficial bacteria in your microbiome and they’re essential for your gut, body, and even brain health.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) can be made from all carbohydrates, but mainly from prebiotic dietary fibers that fuel the activities of beneficial bacteria. These organic compounds have many important roles in the gastrointestinal tract, and for your wider health.

Acetate, the most abundant SCFA in your gut
Butyrate and its many health properties
Propionate, it’s got great potential
Lactate isn’t technically a SCFA, but nearly

However, there are some circumstances where their production can be limited, particularly when we don’t consume enough whole plant foods like, in the Western diet. Therefore, the importance of fibre cannot be taken too lightly.

It’s found in whole plant foods and because it nourishes the good bacteria in your gut, it is known as a “prebiotic”. You can increase your own SCFA production by increasing your intake of these dietary fibres.

The short version

SCFA	Main producer	Health benefits
Acetate	Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus, Akkermansia muciniphila, Prevotella spp., Ruminococcus spp.	regulates pH of the gut; controls appetite; nourishes butyrate-producing bacteria; protects against pathogens
Butyrate	Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Eubacterium rectale and Roseburia spp.	energy source for colon cells; helps prevent leaky gut, combats inflammation and cancer activity, protects the brain
Propionate	Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae	regulates appetite; combats inflammation; helps protect against cancer
Lactate	Lactic acid bacteria	nourishes butyrate-producing bacteria; regulates the immune system; combats opportunistic bacteria

In this article, we will look at three short-chain fatty acids (and lactate), bacteria that produce them, and how they promote different aspects of our microbiome, as well as digestive, whole body, and mental health.

Acetate

Acetate helps to keep your gut environment stable and nourishes other beneficial bacteria species in your colon.

Acetate accounts for the highest percentage of SCFAs produced by your gut bacteria. Therefore, the production of these compounds is integral to our overall health and wellbeing. It also highlights how the commensal bacteria, who regard your gut as home, live in harmony.

Main producers

Acetate is produced largely by Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, but Akkermansia muciniphila, Prevotella spp., and Ruminococcus spp. make it too.

For example, when you eat fibre, it passes through your GI tract to your gut where bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria, turn it into acetate. This SCFA can then be used by members of the Firmicutes family to make another metabolite, butyrate, which is a vital source of energy for your gut cells.

But bacteria like Akkermansia muciniphila are not reliant on your fibre intake specifically. Instead, they love a good much on the mucins in your gut lining which they can then transform into acetate. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it? All this is going on inside you and you had no idea!

Functions for the gut and body

Acetate is an important regulator in the pH of your gut. It helps to keep the environment stable. For example, it helps to keep the gut acidic enough for your beneficial microbes to thrive and survive, but deter the opportunistic ones from entering and sticking around.Research has shown that in infants who are breastfed or later fed with foods containing prebiotics, acetate inhibits the growth of many common pathogens (the ones which can make us unwell). The effect is also greater when the gut is more acidic too.

It also binds to receptors in the gut lining where it works to control appetite and regulate the storage of fat. These receptors have important roles in promoting the release of specific gut hormones, peptide YY and GLP-1, which regulate our appetite.

Receptors capture specific chemicals that induce a response in the body

When these hormones are released by cells in the small intestine, you no longer feel hungry. So, you are less inclined to snack and take on extra calories. Therefore, the acetate produced from the breakdown of fibre can even help protect you against unnecessary weight gain.

The acetate produced by bacteria, such as Bifidobacteria, helps to nourish the butyrate-producing microbes in your gut, supporting the diversity of your beneficial microbes. Therefore, this SCFA helps other species to thrive and survive, a behaviour called cross-feeding.

Butyrate

butyrate is important for the health of our digestive system and for disease prevention, including neurological conditions.

This SCFA is produced less than the others, but research shows that it’s vital for your health. It’s great for combating inflammation which is a growing problem nowadays because it damages the body and increases the risk of several chronic diseases.

In fact, increasing your intake of prebiotic dietary fibres is an easy way to increase butyrate production in your gut, and may just counteract gut dysbiosis (imbalances in your microbiome) that is linked to many diseases, digestive problems, and even brain health. Cool stuff, right?

Main producers

Members of the Firmicutes family are known for making this SCFA. The main producers of butyrate are anaerobic bacteria like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Eubacterium rectale, and Roseburia spp.*.

Anaerobic bacteria are types which survive in areas where no oxygen is present. Hence why, in humans, they are often found along the gastrointestinal tract, and why it was impossible to grow them in Petri dishes because they can’t survive in oxygen-rich environments.

Functions for the gut and body

Butyrate has many functions in both the gut and the body. One of its principal roles is a main energy source for the cells lining the gut called “colonocytes”. In fact, butyrate provides up to 90% of its total energy requirements.

These cells need this SCFA so they can carry out their important functions, especially preserving the integrity of the gut lining. Your gut lining is super important because it acts as a barrier between your intestinal environment and the rest of your body.

When the lining is working effectively, it allows beneficial things like vitamins and minerals to enter the bloodstream and make their way to various parts of the body that need them. At the same time, it stops opportunistic pathogens, toxins, and food components getting into your blood and making you ill.The barrier is made up of tight junction proteins which control the opening and closing of the lining. But if these junctions are unable to close, it can cause a phenomenon called leaky gut. But by having a greater abundance of butyrate producers, you will have an increased production of this SCFA which in turn means you’ll be protected from leaky gut.

Another great thing about this product of fibre breakdown is that it has antioxidant and anticancer properties. And it has a pretty cool way of doing it, too: it causes rogue cells to kill themselves and prevent cancer from developing.

But for you to experience the benefits of butyrate, there’s something you need to do: eat more fibre. A diet which is low in whole plant foods means you have less protection against a leaky gut and other diseases, including cancer.

Role in mental health

butyrate is a multifunctional molecule because it is not only beneficial for gut health, it’s great for the brain too. Eating a diet which is high in fibre is known to have positive effects for our memory, cognition, and nervous system.

butyrate works via the gut-brain axis, a two-way communication system between the two organs. It targets many of the same pathways associated with brain-related conditions and is thought to have many neuroprotective effects.

Therefore, if you eat a high fibre diet, you can boost the activity of butyrate-producing bacteria. This could help defend against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but also mental health disorders and autism.

9 Health Benefits Of Butyrate For Your Body And Gut

Propionate

Although it’s less studied than other SCFAs, propionate has some distinct health benefits which show it shouldn’t be underestimated.

Like all the other SCFAs we’ve mentioned, propionate is another product of the bacterial breakdown of dietary fibre. It has many health benefits.

Main producers

Propionate forms when carbohydrates are broken down by bacteria, including those from the Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Lachnospiraceae phyla. However, the main bacterial producers in your gut are Bacteroides eggerthii, Bacteroides fragilis, and Veillonella parvula.

Interestingly, there are two species of Lachnospiraceae which can produce either butyrate or propionate when they are fed on different substrates like glucose or lactate.

Functions for the gut and body

Propionate is a health-promoting SCFA which has cholesterol-lowering, reduced fat storage, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s a product of bacterial fermentation in your large intestine.

As more and more people worldwide are diagnosed with obesity, propionate is getting increasing attention for its potential role in suppressing appetite. Just like acetate, propionate also stimulates the release of the hormone’s peptide YY and GLP-1 which tell us when we feel satisfied after food.In one study, when participants were administered propionate, the levels of these appetite hormones reduced energy intake by 14% at a buffet meal. And, in another study, weight gain was reduced by almost a quarter in overweight adults over a 24-week period where the participants were supplemented with propionate.

SCFAs provide fuel for the body’s functions and other bacteria too

Propionate produced in your gut also has anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body. That means it can protect you from various diseases, including atherosclerosis, a condition where fatty plaques stick to your artery walls. If these are left undetected, they can cause blockages in the blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Just like butyrate , propionate is also believed to have a protective role against colon cancer. Although the latter is more successful because it provides energy to the cells lining the colon, propionate is still promising.

Studies have shown that it is also able to make cancerous cells commit suicide, in effect, preventing cancer from developing. Therefore, alongside butyrate , it is regarded as a potent SCFA. If you were a cancer cell, you probably wouldn’t want to mess with it!

Lactate

Lactate is not technically a short-chain fatty acid, but it’s produced by gut bacteria and makes valuable contributions to the health of your colon.

Like SCFAs, lactate is a microbial metabolite. In other words, some of the bacteria residing in your gut produce lactate alongside other SCFAs through the breakdown of carbs. It helps to promote the health of your gut, and the bacteria which produces it can protect you from the disease.

Main producers

The main producers of lactate are lactic acid bacteria or lactobacillus. Rather helpfully, the clue is in the name. Lactic acid bacteria have been used for centuries to ferment foods, a process that also preserves them.

Today, many foods are made with the help of Lactobacillus, and these bacteria are known for their ability to benefit our health. You’re probably familiar with the yoghurts, milk, cheese, and kefir products on the supermarket shelves.

Lactobacillus itself is an important member of your gut microbiome because it helps to protect you from harm. It even releases substances to prevent pathogens from setting up camp in your gut.

Functions for the gut and body

Just like acetate, lactate can also be used by certain bacterial species to produce butyrate. So, by keeping your Lactobacillus abundance up, it can increase the production of lactate. Ergo, you will be indirectly helping maintain the integrity of your gut lining, and even reduce inflammation by nourishing your butyrate-producers.

It also has beneficial roles in your immune system. For example, it can act as a mediator for both the production of both pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In the gut, lactate helps to reduce inflammation.It does this by lowering the amount of damage to the cells lining the gut, suppressing the release of pro-inflammatory substances like IL-6, and minimising the signs of inflammation itself. And to think this has only been discovered in recent years is pretty interesting.

Exercise is also known to increase the abundance of lactic acid bacteria. These microbes attach to the lining of the gut which is why they have important roles in intestinal immunity and exclusion of opportunistic pathogens.

Role in mental health

Your gut and brain are linked via millions of nerves and nerve cells which pass signals to-and-fro. Hence, your gut microbiome can have a major influence over your central nervous system and the signalling pathways in your brain.

Research shows that some bacteria responsible for producing lactate can improve brain function. They also contribute to less symptoms of depression. Increasing your intake of fibre can have many positive benefits for your mood and brain health.

Remember this

Short-chain fatty acids are the primary products of the breakdown of non-digestible carbohydrates by gut bacteria. Collectively, they are a major source of energy for colon cells, and we can increase the production of these health-promoting compounds by increasing our consumption of fibre.

Acetate, butyrate, and propionate are the main SCFAs produced through bacterial fermentation. However, lactate, although not officially a type of SCFA, it is a product of the carbohydrate breakdown by lactic acid bacteria, and it has numerous health benefits.

butyrate and propionate are especially regarded for their health-promoting benefits. For example, butyrateis well known for its anti-cancer properties, while propionate helps us to feel full after eating and lowers cholesterol.

The great thing is, it’s super easy to increase the production of these health-promoting metabolites. You just need to cram in the fibre. The Western diet is traditionally low in plant-based foods, and yet your body is crying out for them.

Instead, most of us choose convenience foods which have little nutritional value. But by ensuring we add dietary fibre to each meal, we will be nourishing our gut bacteria and they’ll love you for it. As a show of appreciation their number will grow and their production of SCFAs will increase.

TIPYou can check your gut bacteria and butyrate synthesis potential with the Atlas Microbiome Test. Get 10% when you subscribe to blog updates.

Sources:

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Man Who Was Saved from Taking His Own Life Now Helps People Battling Mental Health Issues

The Truth News — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 11:37:31 +0000

Man Who Was Saved from Taking His Own Life 16 Years Ago Now Helps People Battling Mental Health Issues

“Wow! Shows how one person can truly make a difference in someone’s life, but they didn’t stop there, and continue to help so many!”

Kevin Berthia’s life was saved by an officer identified as Kevin Briggs who prevented him from jumping off a bridge Sixteen years ago when Berthia was trying to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, he heard Officer Briggs’ compassionate voice The young man who is still good friends with Officer Briggs, now retired, has a foundation that is helping people that are battling mental health issues Your support matters. Sustain independent journalism in Nigeria – contribute to Legit.ng. Kevin Berthia, a man whose life was saved 16 years ago when he tried committing suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, is now helping people that are suffering from mental health issues. According to Berthia who was 22 at the time, it was Officer Kevin Briggs’ compassionate voice that helped him open up, stopping him from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.

God Bless both men. Both were given journey’s through one man’s wanting to end his own life and another man, A GOOD COPS, reaching out and changing 2 peoples lives forever.
In a report by @goodnews_movement, Officer Briggs said he hadn’t experienced anything like that, little did he know that he would end up saving some 200 others, becoming known as a “guardian” of the bridge.

The officer has now retired but he’s friends with Berthia, who currently has four children and runs Kevin Berthia Organization, which is helping others with mental health battles. source

check them out now 10 Years Later, A Pair Of Strangers Revisit A Leap Not Taken

Officer, man he saved from Golden Gate Bridge suicide attempt to speak at event in Memphis

Nearly 15 years after Kevin Briggs helped Kevin Berthia stop his suicide attempt at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the two will share their story with a Memphis audience.

Briggs and Berthia are the keynote speakers Tuesday morning at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s annual Dennis H. Jones Living Well Network Mental Health Breakfast. As the two detail their encounter on the bridge, Briggs said he hopes the audience will learn how to talk openly about their emotional health and help someone who may be suffering.

“We bring a lot of emotion into this for a reason, as both Kevin (Berthia) and I suffer from a mental illness,” said Briggs, a retired highway patrol officer who had experience deescalating suicide attempts on the bridge.

Berthia said he felt overwhelmed that day as all the past pains he buried resurfaced all at once. To help him, Briggs said he focused on “whatever ray of hope or sunshine” was in Berthia’s life: his child.

“That would be No. 1 in most people’s minds,” Briggs said. “So I thought, ‘Let me focus on this and see where it goes.’ That’s what eventually brought him back.”

Allison White, supervisor of Methodist’s Living Well Network, said Briggs and Berthia’s message will help inform people how to help those who are struggling and direct them to the right resources. The Living Well Network, a free service, connects people with the right behavioral health provider for their needs.

The network saw referrals increase in 2019 as medical providers talk more about behavioral health with their patients and people openly discuss mental health on social media and through other channels, White said.

“If it’s under the behavioral health umbrella, it’s hard when you’re struggling to know where to turn for help,” she said. “We do that for them.”

More information about the event, which takes place at The Hilton Memphis on Ridge Lake Boulevard, is available on Methodist’s website.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time of day or night or chat online.

Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

source
Max Garland

Officer is reunited with suicidal man he talked down from from the Golden Gate Bridge eight years ago
… to find he’s now happily married with two kids

Kevin Berthia was perched on the iconic bridge ready to take a fatal leap on March 11, 2005
California Highway Patrol officer Kevin Briggs spent 60 life-changing minutes convincing Berthia to climb back over the rail
Pair were reunited as Berthia presented Briggs with an award at the emotional American Foundation for Suicide Prevention public service ceremony earlier this month

A San Francisco man who almost took his life eight years ago by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge has been reunited with the hero who saved his life.

Kevin Berthia was perched on the iconic bridge ready to take a fatal leap on March 11, 2005, when he heard the voice of California Highway Patrol officer Kevin Briggs calling out to him from above.

Over 60 life-changing minutes, Briggs managed to convince Berthia, as he has done with hundreds of suicidal men and women, to climb back over the rail and give life another shot. Since that significant day Berthia hasn’t looked back and is now happily married with two children.

Reunited: Kevin Briggs, (center) shakes the hand of Kevin Berthia (left), the officer who talked him down from throwing himself off San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in 2005

Savior: Kevin Berthia, right, was perched on the iconic bridge ready to take a fatal leap on March 11, 2005, when California Highway Patrol officer Kevin Briggs, left, talked him off the ledge and back to safety

And this week he was able to thank the man who made all that possible. The pair reunited as part of an emotional ceremony honoring Briggs and other members of the CHP known as the Guardians of the Golden Gate Bridge, whose job it is to gently talk people like Berthia down from the structure.

‘It was phenomenal,’ Berthia, 30, told Yahoo News about the reunion at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention public service ceremony.

‘I didn’t know what I was going to feel, or how I was going to react,’ he said. ‘But when I first saw him, he walked up me and I just shook his hand. It felt like I had known this man my whole life. The nerves weren’t there. It was just two old friends being reunited.’

As he presented Briggs with the award, Bertha explained how grateful he was for Briggs’ help and urged others to seek help, insisting they could too get better and life a fulfilled life.

‘I didn’t want him to try and stop me but now I’m glad he did,’ he told the crowd. ‘All I can say is that I am truly grateful. You gave me an opportunity to live.’

Saving lives: During his 20 years patrolling the bridge Briggs has managed to talk may despondent people out of taking the fatal fall

The pair were reconnected after a Yahoo documentary in December 2012 chronicled the work of Briggs’ team, centering on Berthia’s case.

A resounding image of the man clinging to the bridge as Briggs spoke to him provoked an outpouring of support from the Bay area community.

After he received the award, Briggs said he was ‘very humbled, honored and happy’ to have the recognition for his team’s hard work.

‘I (accept this award) on behalf of the California Highway Patrol and police officers across this country who strive to do their best each and every time they receive a suicide call.

‘During my career I’ve encountered numerous suicide attempts on the Golden Gate Bridge. Of those attempts, I’ve only lost one person. It’s something you never forget.

‘Kevin found the courage in himself that day to climb back over the rail, thus beginning a new stage in his life. Here, standing before us, is the reason we do what we do.’

Reunited: Berthia and Briggs, pictured, were reconnected this month after a Yahoo documentary in December 2012 chronicled the work of Briggs’ team, centering on Berthia’s case

Briggs said, since Yahoo’s video, he had been contacted to get his life rights for a movie and other police departments have called to speak to him about the CHP’s work.

‘It’s all been very humbling, to be honest,’ he said.

Briggs, a cancer survivor and army veteran, first met with Berthia’s mother and then the two men and their families met privately in a small room before the ceremony began.

‘I wanted to meet him again,’ Briggs told Yahoo, acknowledging that it was ‘very unusual’ for him to have contact with any of the men and women whose lives he’s saved over the years.

‘I just said, “It’s great to see you.” He said, “My Mom is your No. 1 fan.” It was really neat.’
Berthia said the bond the pair forged during those 60 significant minutes will see them being friends for life.

‘Now that I have his number, I don’t see us never not being friends,’ he told Yahoo. ‘We are of such a different age but it never feels like that. I’ve shared things with Officer Briggs in those 60 minutes that no one else in the world knows. It’s a special bond there.’

By Helen Pow source

On March 11, 2005 Kevin Berthia hit rock bottom.

He decided to go to the Golden Gate Bridge to end his life, but what happened on the bridge that day changed his life forever.

“I had just become new father, just recently lost my job,” Berthia explained. “So many things. All the things I didn’t handle in my life end up coming up on that day…and I felt like I didn’t have a choice. I was tired of living a lie, keeping this mask on pretending like everything was fine. Everything wasn’t okay and I just got overwhelmed and I didn’t see a way out.”

Berthia grew up in Oakland and had never been to the iconic span.

He didn’t even know how to get there and had to ask for directions.

“I was banking on whoever I asked for directions they’d say ‘Why do you want to go? No one ever asked,” he told KCBS Radio on the Golden Gate Bridge last month, as heard on KCBS Radio’s “Bay Current” on Monday. “I considered it as a done deal and I saw it as a sign.”

California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Briggs, who became known as the “Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge,” spotted Berthia just as he leapt over the railing. “If I had 50-foot hands to reach out and grab him. That’s what I felt like,” Briggs said. “I yelled and he reached out and caught that rail, swung around and hit it, But I didn’t know that he reached out and caught that rail. I thought he was gone.”

What happened next was captured in this haunting photo, later seen around the world.

For 92 minutes, they talked.

“You have to understand something,” Berthia said. “I never opened my eyes once. I never knew he was a cop and I never knew he was white. So this whole conversation we had…I never knew anything about him. If I would have opened my eyes conversation, the conversation would have been a little different. Where I’m from – Oakland, California – how I looked at law enforcement at the time was completely different from how I look at law enforcement now.”

Eventually, Briggs and another officer helped Berthia back over the railing and took him to the hospital.

Eight years later, the two reconnected when Berthia was asked to give Briggs a public service award in New York. That’s when Berthia believes Officer Briggs saved his life again.

“By 2013 I was up to 22 failed suicide attempts,” Berthia added.

He soon realized he wasn’t alone and that telling his story on stage helped other people.

Now, Berthia is a public speaker and a passionate advocate for suicide prevention and started the Kevin Berthia Foundation.

Two men were forever bonded over one act at the Golden Gate Bridge.. Photo credit Matt Pitman/KCBS Radio

“My whole life, I felt alone,” he said. “I’m an African American man from an African American community who doesn’t talk about mental health or suicide prevention.”

Briggs retired from the CHP in 2013 after responding to hundreds of suicide calls on the Golden Gate Bridge. He’s now a mental health and suicide prevention speaker. “The look in people’s eyes when I’d look at them over the rail I’d see some hope. But they didn’t know how and (were) tired of living in agony. That’s what drove me to do this job bet data-uri=”www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cky83047s0024387ll7mgk5xf@published” data-editable=”text”>Berthia and Briggs might come from two different backgrounds but say they were brought together on the bridge for a reason. source

we all owe it to one another to be kind to one another and help one another. good job good cop

That’s me in the picture: Kevin Berthia on the Golden Gate bridge

‘I was convinced I was going to hurl myself off but his voice made me stop and grab the railings. That’s what you see’

Kevin Berthia says he had never spoken to anybody about how he felt or accepted he had depression. Photograph: John Storey/SFC Photograph: John Storey/SFC

I had never been to the Golden Gate bridge before that day. I didn’t even know how to get there – I had to ask for directions.

I had never dealt with any of the problems in my life, and that morning I was overwhelmed by it all. I was adopted at six months and my adoptive parents divorced when I was 12. I had just become a father; my daughter was born prematurely and was in an incubator for eight weeks. I blamed myself.

I had never spoken to anybody about how I felt and I never accepted I had depression. Where I come from – Oakland, California – reputation is everything, so I convinced everyone I was OK. But I was tired and I couldn’t do it any more.

I parked and walked towards the bridge. As I jumped over the railings I heard someone say: “Hey, wait a minute.” I was convinced I was going to end my life , but at the last moment his voice made me stop and grab the railings. That’s what you see in the picture – me standing on the ledge. I now know that was Officer Briggs (centre, leaning on the railings). He snapped me back to reality. I was on that ledge for 92 minutes, and for 89 of those I just talked. I got everything out and he listened without judging.

He tried to show me the important things in my life, focusing on my daughter. Hope came back. I put my arms up, and he and another officer helped me up and back over the railings.

There were reporters everywhere, so they covered my face and took me to San Francisco general hospital. I was exhausted. The next thing, I was at Fremont Medical Centre, where I stayed for a week.

Afterwards I went back to my old habit of burying things, and never talked about the bridge. When I discovered that the photograph was on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, that shut me down. It just so happened that they were voting on whether to install a suicide prevention barrier the same day, so the photograph became iconic; but I wasn’t ready to deal with it.

The first time I faced the picture was eight years later, in May 2013, when I was asked to present an award to Officer Briggs at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s lifesavers dinner in New York. That was the first time I had looked him in the eye – on the bridge I had my head down. At that dinner I saw the impact of the photograph on everyone in the room and realised my story could help people.

News reports from that event got it wrong. They said I was happy and married with two children. Reporters are always after the happily-ever-after ending. I had two children, yes, but I wasn’t married, nor was I happy. I had had a lot of highs and lows in those intervening eight years. But that night was the first time I actually started to feel OK. So, really, Officer Briggs saved my life twice.

I have since become a suicide prevention advocate, encouraging people to talk through their problems rather than think about ending their lives. I now know that depression is a part of me but not who I am. I have three children and a new partner with whom I will spend the rest of my life. Now is the happily ever after.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 08457 90 90 90. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.

Interview by Abigail Radnor

Why Are So Many Porn Stars Killing Themselves?

The Truth News — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 10:40:23 +0000

Why Are So Many Porn Stars Killing Themselves?

Scott A. Weiss source

Dahlia Sky and Dakota Skye recently added their names to a growing list of adult entertainment industry performers who have taken their own lives.

Dahlia Sky (image courtesy NYPost.com)

On the night of Wednesday, June 30, 2021, the body of adult entertainment industry performer Dahlia Sky was found in her car in the Devonshire area of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was 31 years old.

The LA County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed her death was indeed a suicide, and the LAPD agreed. “Based upon the evidence and the investigation, everything we saw from the moment the officers got there, there’s no indication of any evidence of foul play,” said LAPD investigator Dave Peteque. “We concur with the coroner’s findings.”

Sky, born Melissa Sims-Hayes, was a veteran performer with more than 600 credits to her name and had been battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and depression, something she regularly posted about on social media. “I’m devastated to hear of (Dahlia’s) passing,” tweeted 2015 AVN industry performer of the year award winner Annika Albrite. “She was my first real friend in this industry. This hit too close to home. It could be any of us next. Depression is a bitch & something many battle w/ every day.”

Sky’s suicide comes on the heels of the death of another industry performer who ironically shared the same stage name as her. On June 10, 2021, 27-year-old Dakota Skye was found dead by her husband at a motorhome in Los Angeles, a victim of what appeared to be suicide. As people close to her would soon reveal, Skye, born Lauren Scott, had been battling alcohol and fentanyl addiction, and was the recent victim of a “cyber-bullying” campaign targeting her after she made the questionable choice to post on social media an image of herself standing next to a George Floyd mural, topless.

Dakota Skye posing in front of a George Floyd mural

Skye’s aunt Linda Arden told The Sun that the adult film actress was found “with nothing. All she had was a plastic bag with some clothes.” Arden also said that Skye had battled demons all of her life, and “was a product of a highly dysfunctional family involving drugs, alcohol, physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse.”

Death by suicide after an apparent cyber-bullying campaign targeting a porn star is not new to the industry. In December 2017, 23 year-old August Ames, born Mercedes Grabowski in Canada, was found hanging from a tree in a park in Camarillo, California. Ames, who struggled with depression and had made an attempt on her own life only a few months prior, had drawn criticism in the weeks leading up to her death for publicizing her decision to not participate in a scene with Jaxton Wheeler, a male performer who had been known to do male-on-male scenes. Labeled “homophobic” by some of her peers, including Wheeler, who suggested she “take a cyanide pill” or retract her statements, the online trolling proved to be too much for Ames, who left behind a suicide letter outlining her struggles.

August Ames

Add those names to the growing list of famous porn stars who took their own lives and what starts to emerge is a troubling statistic that adult entertainment industry performers are killing themselves at an alarming rate.

Emma Hix, a popular performer and close friend of Ames up until her death, believes what is happening to her friends and colleagues is a reflection of a problem that goes beyond the adult entertainment industry. “I don’t think it’s necessarily just porn stars committing suicide,” she says.” The suicide rate has gone up drastically, but when a porn star commits suicide, the news spreads like wildfire.” According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Leading Causes of Death Report, in 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death in the United States among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and from 1999 to 2019, the total age-adjusted suicide rate increased 35.2% from 10.5 per 100,000 to 13.9 per 100,000. Though official numbers have not yet been recorded for 2020, a year in which Americans experienced unprecedented medical and economic challenges, preliminary estimates suggest that the U.S. had 2,677 fewer suicide deaths in 2020 than in 2019, a 5.6% decline, according to an analysis of government data published in the medical journal JAMA. While that statistic may provide some relief, it’s hard to ignore the 35% historical increase over a 20 year period.

Source: CDC

Academic scholars around the country have been working tirelessly to try and identify the causes of the spike. In the opinion of Jean Twenge, a social psychologist at San Diego State University who wrote about teenage suicide for the Washington Post in 2017, “all signs point to the screen.” According to Twenge, teens who spend five or more hours per day online were 71 percent more likely than those spending just one hour per day to have at least one suicide risk factor. In the cases of August Ames and Dakota Skye, both victims of aggressive cyberbullying who simply couldn’t shake their social media habit, there exists a clear link between their screen time habits and the decision to take their own lives. But for the 47,511 people in the US who took their own lives in 2019, social media addiction may have only been part of the problem.

Other possible factors include untreated depression, drug use, or a combination of both. In an article published by the American Journal of Psychiatry, Michael Esang, M.B.B.Ch., M.P.H., and Saeed Ahmed, M.D. site research concluding that “90% of people who die by suicide have one or more concomitant psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, unipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia or anxiety disorders.” When combined with substance use disorders, according to the research, the risk of suicide increases further, with the prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts among patients with alcohol use disorder and bipolar disorder reported to be between 21% and 42%, for example.

Does that mean that many, if not most of the women who choose to enter into a career in the adult entertainment industry suffer from one or more of these afflictions? Cheri DeVille, a 42-year old veteran performer, wrote about her experiences for the Daily Beast in the midst of last year’s pandemic. “Like many porn stars,” she writes, “I would likely be dealing with mental health even if I wasn’t a sex worker during the pandemic.” She goes on to share the details of her bouts with anxiety, dating back to childhood. “The disease — and it is a disease―runs in my family. Some families fight genetic heart conditions; others tackle anxiety. I have succeeded in porn both despite and because of my mental health problems.”

Cheri DeVille (image courtesy NYPost.com)

While many performers bring their mental health and/or drug and alcohol abuse problems with them to the adult entertainment industry; some develop symptoms as a direct result of working in a business known for its often punishing and stressful working environment, where discrimination, exploitation, and outright abuse is often tolerated. Shelley “Roxy” Luben, a one-time performer who left the industry to start the Pink Cross Foundation, a faith-based organization designed to provide outreach and evangelism to performers and support to those wishing to leave the industry, was vocal about her belief that working in porn causes irreparable physical and psychological harm to performers. Lubben, who died in 2019 of unknown causes at age 50, had battled drug and alcohol dependency problems of her own both in and out of the industry, had stated that the sex acts women perform on film sets are physically harmful (including anal and uterine hemorrhaging), and psychologically traumatizing.

Many who decide to get out of the business and try to lead a civilian life often find that transition difficult, if not impossible. Gauge (real name Elizabeth Deans), a popular performer who started working in the industry at age 18 and racked up over 140 credits before leaving the business in 2005, attempted several “legitimate” careers, and even went to school to become a surgical tech. Forced to change jobs multiple times after someone would inadvertently recognize her, she eventually returned to the industry at age 33, unable to generate the kind of financial support for her family working outside of porn that she could get working in it.

At every job you apply for you will either have to disclose your background, or hide your past and prove yourself, hoping when the truth comes out you will be kept on,” Cindi Loftus, the editor of porn website Luke Is Back, told Salon Magazine in 2013. This inability to reinvent yourself once you’ve become established in the adult entertainment industry could be a big reason why so many performers stay working in the business, despite the risks to their mental and physical health. It could also be a contributing factor to the high number of suicides amongst performers.

At a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 2011, researcher Igor Galynker presented his theory that “a state of mind of intolerable anxiety, overwhelming negative emotions, and frantic hopelessness that influence people to act on suicidal thoughts. Galynker and his colleagues created a “Suicide Trigger Scale”, designed to measure the reactions of at-risk individuals when asked if they feel “trapped”, like their “head could explode from too many thoughts”, or if “there is no exit” and it feels like “the world is closing in around you”. The scale is designed to help prevent more suicides, but it only works if a friend or family member can get through to someone in trouble. And even then, there’s only so much they can do to stop it.

The family of August Ames knows this all too well. Born Mercedes Grabowski in Canada in 1994, Ames, after taking her own life, left behind a loving mother, father, two brothers, husband, and friends in and out of the industry who adored her. Her older brother James, a lumberman in Edmonton, Alberta, encouraged his sister to come home after her first attempt on her own life, which landed her in the hospital. “I knew she needed to be around people that loved her for her, not for the image she portrayed on screen,” says James. “She was planning to visit me over the Christmas holiday, but unfortunately, that never happened.”

In a statement posted on her website shortly after her death, Ames’ widower, Kevin Moore wrote about the challenges performers who need the most help seek in receiving it. “The performer community does not have adequate access to mental health services. While Mercedes did have professional support that cared about her, it was unnecessarily hard for her to find someone who would treat her,” he said. Part of the problem is a lack of resources. Performer Nikki Hearts told Rolling Stone in an interview shortly after Ames’ death that most performers, both contract and freelance, still lack health insurance or benefits from their employers.

Some performers are taking matters into their own hands. Leya Tanit, a performer in Britain, created a performer hotline, Pineapple Support, after learning about the increasing number of performer suicide in the industry. On its website, the group describes itself as “free support and therapy service for all persons working in the online adult industry — no matter their gender, ethnic origin, social status, age or sexual orientation. We have an ever growing team of sex-worker friendly, kink-aware therapists who offer face-to-face and online video therapy sessions.” The service operates a network of volunteer therapists who provide in-person and online counseling, and funds itself through donations and charitable contributions.

Few would argue that the porn industry is alone in its efforts to battle the increasing number of suicides amongst its performer population. Arthur C. Brooks, a professor of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and a bestselling author, wrote about the suicide epidemic in the United States for the Washington Post in 2020. “To turn the tide on this crisis, in addition to better identification and treatment of suicidality, we urgently need to raise public awareness and shift the direction of public opinion on suicide in the United States.” The efforts of people like Brooks appear to be working. In April of this year, President Biden issued a proclamation declaring May, 2021 “National Mental Health Awareness Month.” “Even before COVID-19, the prevalence of mental health conditions in our Nation was on the rise,” the President said in the proclamation. In 2019, nearly 52 million adults experienced some form of mental illness. We must treat this as the public health crisis that it is and reverse this trend.” Only time will tell whether or not this administration takes any meaningful steps to address the crises.

For those struggling with mental health disorders and the people closest to them, James Grabowksi says that what happened to his sister should serve as a cautionary tale. “In hindsight, Mercedes didn’t have the resources she needed to help her get through what she was going through. I wish there was more I could have done for her, and if I could, I’d go back in time and make sure she received the care she needed.”

Hopefully others will heed his advice.

Why porn stars are dying at an alarming rate

By Linda Massarella source

Olivia Lua, a 24-year-old doe-eyed brunette from Philadelphia, was an instant hit when she joined the LA porn scene in 2016.

Olivia Lua

She shot dozens of scenes for hard-core movies like “Helpless Teens” before being handed a lucrative contract in April 2017 with porn producer LA Direct Models.

Lua — who also went by Olivia Voltaire — described herself as an “exhibitionist” and posted graphic images of herself having sex on social media.

She thrived in her new career, and was nominated last year for Best New Actress at the Adult Video News Awards.

It was when the cameras were off that she fell apart.

“Unlovable,” she wrote on Twitter Jan. 13, three months after LA Direct Models canceled her contract. They later said she had been showing up to work high.

On Jan. 18 — the day before she was found dead of a suspected overdose of drugs and alcohol — she tweeted a picture of herself with the caption: “I feel it everywhere. Nothing scares me anymore.”

Lua was the fifth porn star to die in seven months, with industry officials attributing the tragedies to either suicide or overdoses.

The statistic is shocking, insiders say — but the root of the problem is not. Like the underemployed and unemployed across America, the young women struggled with a lack of steady work.There are now more porn actors than ever, thanks to increasing platforms, as well as growing mainstream acceptance. That makes the competition fierce.

Meanwhile, the pay hasn’t gone up in years. To make any kind of decent money, porn performers have to work a lot — or do super kinky scenes.

Ela Darling, an eight-year veteran of the porn industry and past president of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, said actresses are paid between $500 to $700 to have sex with another girl and up to $1,000 to get down with a guy.

But the rate can double or triple if a performer is willing to have multiple partners or participate in anal sex or “anything extreme,” she said.

She said the money hasn’t increased, partly because studios say they’re making less profit now, since content is often pirated by streaming sites that show it for free. There also are the “outliers who are happy to accept lower rates,’’ Darling said.Still, she said, high-demand performers can routinely pull in six-figure salaries because they have enough clout to negotiate ownership rights and can rebroadcast footage elsewhere.

“When the camera is on, everybody is happy,” said behavioral scientist Gad Saad, a chair at the John Molson School of Business in Montreal, who studies the porn industry.

“The problem is that the work dries up. The phone stops ringing, and they say, ‘Now what?’ Porn stars aren’t the best at making a ‘what if’ plan for their future.”

He insisted that people who enter porn are no more prone to mental issues than anyone else.

In 2012, “the widest study ever conducted . . . showed porn stars did not come from a background of sexual abuse and, in fact, had higher esteem than the normal population,” Saad said.

Darling, 31, agreed.

January Seraph

“Porn is a fine job,” she said. “What’s tough is that it’s freelance. What’s tough is the down periods when you’re alone with yourself, thinking, ‘Will I ever work again?’ ”

Darling said the “feast-or-famine” business — new recruits are often in demand until they’re not — is part of the reason her best friend, January Seraph, killed herself.

Seraph, who hanged herself July 22 in her San Francisco apartment, is considered the first in the rash of deaths.

Seraph, 31, was a star of more than 50 videos with titles such as “Digital Sin” and “Leather Dominance.”

But Darling said Seraph, whom she described as “the sweetest person in the world,” struggled with the lulls and often discussed what to do when producers stopped calling.

“It’s not like you can stop being a porn star and be a teacher. And not being busy can lead to bad things,” Darling said.

APAC President Mia Lia, a veteran sex performer, called the rash of deaths a troubling pattern.

“One death is a lot to deal with, but five? That’s just unheard of,” she said. “We are collectively rattled.”

Yuri Luv was one considered a rock-star veteran of the porn industry. Born Yurizan Beltran in Los Angeles, the buxom brunette worked for eight years and was nominated for several awards, including an XBIZ for “Best Scene — All Girls” for 2014’s “Lesbians Unchained.”

She was featured in 28 movies in 2012 and 22 in 2013, but in 2016, she appeared in just three.

On Dec. 13, Luv’s body was found in her Bellflower, Calif., apartment by her landlord. She was 31.

Nickey Milo, a fellow performer, said pills were found near her bed.

Performer Carmen Valentina told The Post that porn is a rough business to age in.

Valentina, who started her own sex webcam business because she didn’t want to rely on outside producers, is also 31 and constantly struggling to remain relevant.

“When you first get in, everybody loves you, but there are always new girls coming in, and it’s easy to feel discarded. You really have to have your head on straight to get through it,” she said.

Valentina said porn is no different than being a regular movie star where you rely on image — and feel crushed if you don’t get called.

“It’s a career where you have to rely on your looks. When you’re young and pretty, you think it’s going to last forever, but when it doesn’t, that’s when you have to tap your inner strength.”

Like Luv, Adult Hall of Famer Shyla Stylez saw the work dry up as she got older.

Stylez, from Vancouver, moved to the so-called Porn Valley in California after high school to become an adult-film star. She appeared in more than 400 films, including “Perverted Point of View,” before calling it quits in 2016 and going home.

She passed away on Nov. 9 at age 31. Her family would not reveal the specifics.

Fellow adult film star Alana Evans called Stylez a tragic film goddess, like Marilyn Monroe.

She tweeted, “At a loss for words. So sad that my old friend @MsShylaStylez has left us. You were one of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”

August Ames

August Ames, 23, said on Dec. 3 that she had been “replaced” for a LA Direct films scene the week before, tweeting out what seemed to be a sour-grapes message.

“Whichever (lady) performer is replacing me tomorrow for @EroticaXNews, you’re shooting with a guy who has shot gay porn, just to let cha know,” she wrote.

Ames suddenly found herself being trolled by bullies who accused her of being anti-gay. The Nova Scotia native committed suicide Dec. 6 in her Los Angeles apartment.

Porn queen Jenna Jameson, 43, called Ames’ death “disappointing and tragic.”

“The scariest part of the attacks on @AugustAmesxxx is that they were led by quite a few big females in the adult industry. These women fanned the flames of the trolling against August,” she tweeted.

APAC’s Lia said she had worked with Ames and thought she was “super sweet.” But she added it’s hard for performers to switch to private mode when dealing with family and friends — or social media’s judgment.

“It’s exhausting,” she said.

To compound matters, Lia said many sex workers do not have health insurance and can’t afford to pay for therapy. She and her colleagues have begun distributing a list of affordable “sex positive” mental-health workers as a result.

Saad said the one thing that might help stars is an exit strategy.

“According to the data . . . they’re happy when they get there,” he said. “But when my star starts to dwindle and my body has been used 33,000 times, what do I do? What’s going to happen? They don’t seem to think about that.”

The Average Life Expectancy Of A Porn Star

Rev. Daniel R. Jennings, M.A. source

The pornographic industry has become a colossal, worldwide business empire. In 2006 revenue from pornography equaled some $97 Billion dollars. In times past pornographic actors were shady characters who kept their real identities secretly under guard. Now, with the growing acceptance of pornography into the mainstream, they are going on the talk show circuits, appearing on network news, publishing best seller biographies and working their way into the idol status that once only traditional actors and sports players held. With their growing acceptance into the mainstream has also come an unprecedented look into the real, day to day lives of the average porn star. While porn stars are quick to defend themselves as average and normal people who have only chosen an “unusual” profession an analysis of their lives shows that porn stars live and die in a completely abnormal way.

When the deaths of 129 porn stars over a period of roughly 20 years were analyzed it was discovered that porn stars experienced an unusually large number of premature deaths from such causes as drugs, suicide, murder, alcohol abuse, accidental death, and disease. When the death ages of these porn stars were averaged it was discovered that the average life expectancy of a porn star is only 37.43 years whereas the average life expectancy of an American is 78.1 years.

The following chart was created to demonstrate this. These numbers were not “rigged”. The death of any porn star, regardless of whether they were young or old, was included. Most, however, as the chart shows, died young. After reviewing the chart please scroll down to the bottom for a final message

THIS IS SAD, TURN YOUR LIVES AWAY FROM SIN, FIND GOD AND PEACE PLEASE DO NOT HARM YOURSELF, HEAL YOURSELF WITH GOD AND GOOD THOUGHTS!
JESUS FORGIVES EVERYONE YOU ARE INCLUDED IN THE WORD EVERYONE, JUST WALK AWAY FROM IT! YOU CAN DO IT, GOD IS WAITING!

Stage Name	Real Name	Cause of Death	Year of Death	Age
Megan Leigh	Michelle Maira Schei	Suicide by self-inflicted gun shot wound	1990	26
Tony Bravo	Michael Pietri	AIDS	1990	31
Leo Ford	Leo John Hilgeford	Motorcycle accident	1991	34
Keith Anthoni	Thom Plaski	AIDS	1991	39
Lee Ryder	Darras Robert Pyron	AIDS	1991	31
Artie Mitchell	Artie Mitchell	Murdered by brother	1991	45
Nancee Kellee	Kelly Jean Van Dyke	Suicide by hanging	1991	33
Heaven St. John	Dorothy Lee Perrins	Cancer	1992	48
Tim Kramer	Douglas Murrell Cooper	AIDS	1992	34
Al Parker	Andrew R. Okun	AIDS	1992	40
Chanel Price	Teri Price	Drug overdose	1992	35
Lisa de Leeuw	Lisa Trego	AIDS complications	1993	45
Rod Phillips	Gregory Leslie Patton	AIDS complications	1993	32
Scott Bond	N/A¹	AIDS	1993	30
Clint Lockner	Charles Romanski	AIDS	1993	50
Tom Farrell	N/A	Hit by a car while standing on the side of the road	1993	22
Stasha	Rolando Angelo	Leukemia	1993	24
Scott Taylor	Scott Taylor Hampton	AIDS	1994	40
Jeremy Scott	Troy Andrew Meyers	AIDS	1994	32
Glenn Steers	Rick Sommers	AIDS	1994	36
Joey Stefano	Nicholas Anthony Iacona	Drug overdose, HIV positive	1994	26
Savannah	Shannon Michelle Wilsey	Suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound	1994	23
Cathy Stewart	N/A	Unknown	1994	38
Jack Baker	John Anthony Bailey	Cancer	1994	47
Joe Simmons	Thomas Williams	AIDS	1995	30
Jon King	N/A	AIDS	1995	32
Pierce Daniels	Russell Wallace	AIDS	1995	36
Lon Flexx	David Lee Anderson	AIDS	1995	30
Ben Barker	Rick Steven Sanford	AIDS	1995	43
Jon King	John Nelson Gaines	AIDS complications	1995	32
Krysti Lynn	Shawna Kristi Yager	Went off the road while traveling at 100mph and fell into a 150 foot ravine	1995	24
Alex Jordan	Karen Elizabeth Mereness	Suicide by hanging	1995	27
Cal Jammer	Randy Layne Potes	Suicide by self-inflicted gun shot wound	1995	34
Rene Bond	Rene Ruth Bond	Liver problems	1996	45
Richard Locke	Richard Holt Locke	AIDS	1996	55
Christian Fox	Christopher John McLaughlin	Suicide by drug overdose	1996	22
Steve Fox	Rommel Eugene Hunt	Suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound	1997	31
Matt Gunther	Steven Matthew Laing	Heart attack	1997	33
Lee Baldwin	John Francis Mallette	Heart attack	1998	36
J. D. Ram	David Perry	Heroin overdose	1998	28
Wendy O’Williams	Wendy Orlean Williams	Suicide by self-inflicted gun shot wound	1998	48
Trinity Loren	Joyce Evelyn McPherson	Drug overdose	1998	34
Kim Kitaine	N/A	Drowned	1999	29
Sparky O’Toole	Donald Keith Paton	AIDS	1999	31
Joe D’Amato	Aristide Massaccesi	Heart failure	1999	62
David Morris	N/A	Drugs	1999	47
Ole Soltoft	N/A	Undisclosed	1999	58
Lolo Ferrari	Eve Valois	Prescription drugs	2000	37
Jon Vincent	Jeffrey James Vickers	Heroin overdose	2000	37
Kyle Mckenna	Russell Charles McCoy	Suicide by drug overdose	2000	31
Bruce Seven	N/A	Complications from stroke and emphysema	2000	53
Leslie Glass	Leslie Fisher	Cancer	2000	36
Ted Roter	Peter Balakoff	Undisclosed	2000	70
Teri Diver	Teri Diver	Prescription drugs	2001	29
Brett Ford	N/A	AIDS	2001	31
Lynx Dyan	N/A	Cancer	2001	25
Amber Sexxxum	N/A	Undisclosed	2002	31
Shaun Michelle	N/A	Undisclosed	2002	49
Elisa Bridges	Elisa Rebeca Bridges	Heroin and Meth overdose	2002	28
Mike Henson	Kenneth Seymour	HIV+ and overdosed on Heroin	2002	38
Sophie Roche	N/A	Suicide	2002	23
Naughtia Childs	Megan Serbian	Jumped off a balcony while high on drugs	2002	29
Linda Lovelace	Linda Boreman	Car accident	2002	53
Devon Renfro	N/A	Brain aneurysm	2002	21
Bobby Astyr	N/A	Lung cancer	2002	64
Jay Anthony	Jay Anthony	Suicide	2003	27
Karen Dior	Geoffrey Gann	Cirrhosis of the liver and AIDS	2004	37
Rebecca Steele	Jeanette Dee Rogers	Drug overdose while suffering from AIDS	2004	42
Johnny Rahm	Barry Rogers	Suicide by hanging	2004	39
Lea De Mae	Andrea Absolonova	Brain cancer	2004	27
Taylor Summers	Natel King	Murdered after shooting an adult scene	2004	23
Russ Meyer	N/A	Pneumonia/Alzheimer’s Disease	2004	82
Chloe Jones	Melinda Dee Jones	Liver failure due to alcohol and drug abuse	2005	29
Eva Lux	Leticia Lynn Blake	Heroin overdose	2005	32
Juliette Jett	N/A	Heroin overdose	2005	28
Camilla De Castro	Alessandro Caetano Kothenborger	Jumped, fell or pushed from her 8^th floor apartment	2005	26
Karen Lancaume	Karine Bach	Suicide by drug overdose	2005	32
Brittney Madison	Stacey Pfeiffer	Car accident	2005	21
Tim Barnett	Bradford Thomas Wagner	Suicide by hanging while in jail on rape charges	2005	37
Jasmine Grey	Michelle Grayshaw	Car accident	2005	21
Lance Heywood	Rex Hickok	Suicide by jumping off a building	2005	40
Julie Robbins	Brandy Koonts	From over 95% of her body being burned during a car accident	2005	26
Patrice Cabanel	N/A	Heart failure	2005	48
Candy Barr	Juanita Dale Slusher	Pneumonia	2005	70
Barry Knight	N/A	Heart attack	2005	59
Devon Barry	N/A	Undisclosed illness	2005	28
Ursula Cavalcanti	Patrizia Grazzini	Cancer	2005	39
Michael Lennox	N/A	Undisclosed	2005	37
Yumika Hayashi	N/A	Became drunk and choked to death on her vomit while asleep	2005	35
Angela Devi	Angela Shunali Dhingra	Suicide by asphyxiation	2006	30
Anna Malle	Anna Hotop	Car accident	2006	38
Kirby Scott	Joseph Myska	Drug overdose	2006	44
Jon Dough	Chester Anuszak	Suicide by hanging	2006	43
Andy Dill	Timothy Leon Chanaud	Meningitis	2006	43
Clarissa Doll	Clarissa Dana Biere	Suicide	2006	26
Kristian Brooks	Jason Kanarr	AIDS	2006	35
Johnny Rey	N/A	AIDS and testicular cancer	2006	42
Austin Black	N/A	Liver cancer	2006	38
Candice Rialson	N/A	Liver failure	2006	54
Michael Morrison	Milton Owen Ingley	Natural causes after going blind	2006	60
Rocky	N/A	Cancer and AIDS	2006	26
Kitty Fox	Alice Janette Hergett	Complications from stroke	2006	64
Sheridan	N/A	Car accident	2006	20
Lori Michaels	N/A	Heart defect	2007	38
Joe Romero	N/A	Complications from HIV	2007	40
Haley Paige	Maryam Irene Haley	Possible murder, small amount of drugs found upon autopsy	2007	25
Kent North	Ben Grey	Drug overdose, possibly a suicide	2007	35
Lynden Thomas	N/A	Asthma attack	2007	25
Danny Dukes	Daniel Salas, Jr.	Heroin overdose	2007	33
Brett Mycles	Robert Christopher Sager	Heart attack induced by use of steroids	2007	29
Cody Foster	Shawn L. Sumner	AIDS complications and liver cancer	2007	36
Chico Wang	Inkyo Volt Hwang	Suicide by drug overdose	2007	38
Zoey Zane	Emily Irene Sander	Murdered	2007	18
Vanessa Freeman	N/A	Murdered by prostitution client	2007	30
Haus Weston	Haus Weston	Heart attack	2007	29
Danny Roddick	Matthew Freitas	Apparent drug overdose	2007	31
Anna Alexandre	N/A	Car accident	2007	27
Tiffani DiGivanni	N/A	Suicide	2007	21
Anastasia Blue	Elena Behm	Undisclosed	2008	28
Lolly Pop	Mary Besesti Federica	Heart attack	2008	37
Cole Ryder	N/A	Cause of death unknown, originally reported as a staph infection	2008	36
Missy	Maria Christina	Overdose of prescription drugs	2008	41
Jean-Daniel Cadinot	N/A	Heart attack	2008	64
Sasha Gabor	Samuel Guttman	Heart failure	2008	63
Buck Adams	Charles S. Allen	Heart failure	2008	52
Henri Pachard	Ron Sullivan	Cancer	2008	69
Marilyn Chambers	Marilyn Ann Taylor	Natural Causes	2009	56
Jack Wrangler	John Stillman	Lung disease	2009	62
Steve Pierce	N/A	Undisclosed	2009	44

Average Life Expectancy Of A Porn Star = 37.43 years

Average Life Expectancy Of An American = 78.1 years

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap. Gal 6:7

The Bible tells us that in one day God struck 23,000 fornicators dead and He is doing the same thing to immoral people today:

Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them

committed, and in one day twenty three thousand fell. 1Co 10:8

Becoming involved with pornography will bring God’s judgment upon you. Learn from the mistake of these men and women and do not allow their fate to become yours.

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