Teens Self-Bully Online; Saying ‘No’ To Ativan; Calming Cannabis Extract

Benzos: More Popular Than Ever, Still Risky

A study of nearly 5,600 U.S. kids, ages 12 to 17, found about 6 percent said they had engaged in some sort of digital self-harm. Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images   When Teens Cyberbully Themselves Self-harm among teens is a well-known phenomenon, unfortunately. Cutting and burning aren’t uncommon. But self-inflicted harm these days can take a much different form – self-bullying online, according to Shots contributor and psychologist Julie Fraga. Some teens are taking to social media to say negative things about themselves. One teenage girl opened “ghost accounts on Instagram and posted mean comments about herself, saying things like, 'I think you're creepy and gay,' and 'Don't sit next to me again,’ ” says Sheryl Gonzalez-Ziegler, a Denver child psychologist. She says ”kids who cyberbully themselves often suffer silently, feeling like they don't have a friend or adult to confide in.” Parents can help by promoting open communication – without judgment – with their kids and validating the experiences that are troubling them.   Nicole Xu for NPR   Benzodiazepines: America's 'Other Prescription Drug Problem' The opioid epidemic makes headlines every day. But prescription medicines called benzodiazepines are making lots of trouble, too. These drugs for anxiety and insomnia are getting far less attention than they deserve, according to John Henning Schumann, an internist and resident of the University of Oklahoma's Tulsa campus He tells the story of a patient named Drew who was taking Ativan, a popular benzodiazepine, while trying to stay sober. Within a few weeks of seeing Schumann, Drew had died. “With the growing awareness of our nation's opioid problem, many patients ask me to help them taper off opioids or not to start them in the first place,” Schumann writes. “I wish the same could be said for benzodiazepines.” Former Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plaummer takes a dose of cannabidiol in Colorado in 2016.  Aaron Ontiveroz/Denver Post via Getty Images   Anxiety Relief Without The High? A Cannabis Extract Draws Interest Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is touted as a reliever of anxiety and, by some, as a solution for aches and pains. The cannabis extract doesn’t make people high, since it doesn't contain THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana. Demand for CBD has surged. But the hype may have gotten ahead of the science, says NPR's Allison Aubrey. "I think there's good evidence to suggest that CBD could be an effective treatment of anxiety and addiction" and other disorders, says Esther Blessing, a psychiatrist and researcher at New York University. "But we need clinical trials to find out." Your Shots editor, Scott Hensley   You received this message because you're subscribed to our Health emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002