How We Can Work Together to Fight Alcoholism

How We Can Work Together to Fight Alcoholism

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. In “How We Can Work Together to Fight Alcoholism,” published online in Psychology Today, Dr. Anton C. Bizzell urges all Americans to fight the deadly epidemic of alcohol use and abuse among both adults and adolescents. He notes that one in 12 adults abuse or are dependent on alcohol and that 885,000 young people ages 12-17 have alcohol use disorder. Alcohol sales soared during the pandemic, Dr. Bizzell points out, and online happy hours may have played a role. He suggests companies host a virtual dessert party or scavenger hunt instead. Parents can set a good example for their children and can avail themselves of resources at www.StopAlcoholAbuse.gov. The long-term health risks of heavy drinking include brain and liver damage, heart disease, malnutrition, and mental health disorders, Dr. Bizzell notes.

Read more: Psychology Today

10 Tactics for Finding Happiness During Times of Isolation and Loneliness

10 Tactics for Finding Happiness During Times of Isolation and Loneliness

In a recent Real Simple feature titled “10 Tactics for Finding Happiness During Times of Isolation and Loneliness,” Dr. Anton C. Bizzell is among a group of leading experts offering some of his time-tested suggestions. Among them are making intentional changes in your home space and getting enough sleep. Similarly, he recommends regular movement, anything from simple stretching to taking a walk in your neighborhood. Dr. Bizzell also offers advice for creating a “‘happiness journal’ to notice and build moments and experiences that care for your heart.”

READ MORE: Real Simple

Vaccination Success

Vaccination Success

Since 1796, when the first successful vaccine for smallpox helped reduce its spread, vaccines have been successfully developed and employed to diminish or eliminate highly infectious diseases.1 The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the number of children worldwide receiving essential vaccines has increased from 20 percent to 86 percent since 1980.2 These efforts have protected communities against the spread of many infectious diseases. Despite the long history of successful vaccine development and use, many people struggle to trust that the current COVID-19 vaccines, derived from more than 20 years of research, are safe and effective. Yet, as Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, CEO of the Bizzell Group, notes in this Psychology Today vaccine article, “Widespread inoculation against COVID-19 will not only slow and eventually stop the spread of this deadly disease. It will begin our mental healing, raising the spirits of our country and our world from more than a year of fear, uncertainty, grief, and isolation.”  Building trust in the COVID-19 vaccines and expanding vaccine access to the hardest hit areas and those with low vaccination rates are crucial strategies for stopping the spread.

READ MORE: Vaccination Success

1https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/smallpox-vaccines#:~:text=The%20smallpox%20vaccine%2C%20introduced%20by,protected%20against%20inoculated%20variola%20virus

2https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-vaccines-success-story-gives-us-hope-for-the-future

Black History Month

Black History Month

Black History month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans that are so deeply woven into the history of the United States. African American leaders in mental health, government, civil right, the arts, entertainment and sports have influenced generations of Black Americans and taken unprecedented risks to initiate change. Yet, it is important to acknowledge the continued, rampant systemic racism and inequities in wealth, education, criminal justice, and mental health and health care and the impact on the lives of Black Americans.

 

Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, CEO of the Bizzell Group, touches on his own encounters with racism as a Black American physician in this Psychology Today article. He challenges the corporate world to take action to reverse the trauma that Black Americans experience by hiring more Black Americans, offering physical and mental health care resources, and providing supportive work environments that are free of microaggressions.

 

READ MORE: Black History Month