Category Archives: Women’s Health

Holistic Health, Mental Health, Uncategorized, Women's Health

Anxiety Quiz

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Our mental health is so important as it casts a huge influence on how our days, months, and years play out overall. Just like maintaining physical health, keeping your mental health in good shape protects your energy levels, overall mood, and downplays different types of anxiety that many busy people experience in life. Some people may just turn a blind eye to not protecting their mental health, as it could be seen as a waste of time. Why keep up and care for a part of our bodies we can’t even see? I’m strong, why do I even need to seek therapy or online support to feel better? Those are questions that are often relayed through the minds of people who know they need help with their mental health or various anxiety symptoms, but don’t want to experience the stigma of shame and embarrassment that is attached it.

If you know you need help to deal with your anxiety symptoms or just want to know more about helping your mental health, there’s no need to feel lower than the average human being. The year is 2018 and everyone at this point has the right to seek out ways to better their health and lifestyle overall. Being stubborn, ignorant, and unhealthy is definitely not in fashion and you don’t want to end up in a hospital bed several years into the future. Here’s some quick and easy ways to better manage your anxiety symptoms and safeguard your mental health in general.

  • To protect your mental health, you need to first accept that not everything in life is under your control. Things like performance and success are somewhat held accountable by your actions, but a negative event or accident that causes you stress is most often never your fault. You need to put your stress and anxiety symptoms in perspective. Write down how you feel on a piece of paper and you’ll soon realize that there are worse things that could have happened.
  • Do your best and stop shooting for being perfect. We are humans and no one can have the perfect mental health, grades, love life, social events, and physique all the time. Focus on your own personal growth and stop comparing yourself to others who look like they have it all together. More often than not, you have no idea what struggles and pain other people are not showing behind their happy Instagram posts and snapchat stories.
  • Maintain a positive attitude when you can. You don’t have to be happy all the time, because then you would be better off as a robot. The point is to make an effort to keep track of your thoughts and minimize the negative ones before your mind spirals into a darker place. Practicing a more encouraging dialogue is often one of the most powerful ways to transform your mental health. You never know how much of a difference being kind to yourself can make instead of criticizing every move you make throughout the day.
  • Avoid drinking too much. Water is totally acceptable, as we need plenty of it to survive and stay hydrated. Limit how much alcoholic drinks and caffeine you take during the day, even if you need it to shave off the stress you’re experiencing. Those chemicals are stimulants that can aggravate your already existing anxiety and can even trigger brutal panic attacks. No one wants to have a sudden onset of emotions for having one too many lattes in the morning, so it’s best to stick to water, tea, or more gentle drinks in general. If water is too boring for you, there’s a variety of flavor drops you can purchase to make it taste just like your favorite juice! Additionally, you can add pieces of fruit into your water as well to get an extra boost of vitamin C which helps strengthen your immune system.
  • Eat and sleep well. This is a no brainer to think about but executing it every day with discipline is where many people fall short. We’re not invincible and we all need to fuel our bodies with the nutrition and rest it needs to function well. If you have been feeling especially struck with symptoms of anxiety during a week, think about how your diet has been like and if you getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep. Don’t skip any meals and always eat foods that are as natural as possible to help maintain your energy. The saying, “we are what we eat” rings true in the case of maintaining mental health so make sure to be as mindful as you can!
  • Take a time out. Many successful entrepreneurs, musicians, and athletes can attest to the benefits that meditation brings to their lives every day. You can practice yoga in the morning, listen to a calming music playlist, learning deep breathing techniques, or use your gym time as your window of reflection. You’ll get to know your thoughts better and you’ll feel comfortable spending time with yourself to grow. Even if it’s just a short mental break for a couple minutes, you will feel less anxious and stressed after the period is over.

Learn More

Hopefully these tips can get you started on the road to protecting your mental health in the midst of life’s most difficult struggles. If you’re not sure how serious your symptoms of anxiety maybe, you can also take an anxiety quiz online to learn more about what is going on in your body. It’s quick, easy, and can guide you into what steps to take to better prevent your stress levels from running high in the future!

Anxiety symptoms are treatable.
Have a peace of mind and get over anxiety symptoms.
Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

The Defeat of Alcoholism

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If you have ever met someone who was a great actor, you’ll know that they can easily cover up their emotions, whereabouts, and other information for their benefit. If they’re an extremely good actor, they could probably take their chance and make it big in Hollywood like the rest of blockbuster stars. The same goes for people who are addicted to a substance and learn to thoroughly cover up their tracks. After learning by trial and error, an addict could easily mask their daily signs of alcoholism regardless of where they are. They also probably fell into a bad habit of lying to themselves throughout the process. If you know someone that you suspect to be practicing substance abuse and/or needs alcohol treatment, learn to observe the key giveaways that an addict may overlook.

Remember to never approach an addict and recommend alcohol treatment by yourself. There’s strength in numbers and hosting an effective intervention takes a professional, close family, and friends who genuinely care about his or her well-being. However, in the meantime, it doesn’t hurt to learn about the variety of signs that an addict expresses and the different forms of treatment they could pursue. Battling alcohol addiction is never easy so keep in mind that any treatment process will take a few weeks to a few months to fully complete. Even if they seem expensive to participate in or like a waste of time, knowing that you and the addict are properly educated about preventing substance abuse in the future is significantly helpful for success.

Signs of Alcoholism

Are you an alcoholic? Make sure to watch out for some warning signs that a person in your life is showing signs of alcoholism. Be aware that some red flags are shown from the start of the addiction while others may not become present until time passes as their body changes. Here are some of the most common ones to keep in mind:

  • Lying about drinking. Denial is extremely common with people who are experiencing problems with alcohol or other addictive problems. In order to avoid social rejection or protect their reputation with others who aren’t as into alcohol, they can easily lie about how much they consume so it seems like a more normal habit. Everyone has a drink from time to time, what’s the problem with it?
  • Drinks are used to feel better. Normal people seek comfort in people or experiences that bring positive effects on their body, while addicts are drawn to the smell and taste of alcohol to feel complete again. If the addict needs a drink to feel like they can wind down better, it’s often a huge sign that alcohol is being depended on as an emotional crutch.
  • Not being able to stop drinking. Some addicts have a hard to time controlling how much they consumer when they choose to drink. If they finish a bottle of wine or half a vodka handle once it’s opened, you better know that it’s not by accident. A person’s tolerance towards a substance like alcohol can build up over time and cause them to drink more than usual to get the same drunk effects.
  • They can’t keep up. If the addict is starting to run into problems at work, their classes, or with their tasks at home because of their habit of drinking, they definitely have an addiction. Alcohol should only be used something to treat yourself with or indulge every once in a while. When consuming the substance starts to impact the responsibilities one needs to finish every day, a huge line has been crossed.
  • Feeling symptoms of withdrawal. An addict who needs alcohol treatment will begin to feel extremely tired from the come down of drinking, depressed from their situation, or anxious about what will happen from their behavior. They could also have changes in their appetite, sleeping habits, and energy levels overall as they rely on alcohol to just get through the day. These signs won’t be immediate as it could take months for their body to get used to drinking so much so often. However, take a few days watch them closely can reveal how much their behavior has really changed compared to months before.
  • Not being able to quit. If the addict has realized that their signs of alcoholism is severe and has made several failed attempts to change, they need to get proper alcohol treatment. This sign demonstrates that their problem is much more serious than just an occasional night of binge drinking. They’ll need to be pointed to professional help so they can understand how to better control their withdrawals, mood swings, and environment to truly stay sober.

Getting Alcohol Treatment

If you’ve realized that an addict has tell-tale signs of needing alcohol treatment, it’s time to research what options would best benefit them. They could choose from detox or residential treatment programs for a monitored treatment experience or join an alcohol anonymous group to gain community support. These groups are great for cultivating meaningful relationships with other people who are experiencing alcohol addiction. They can share their tips and struggles while holding the addict accountable for abstaining from alcohol. Today, there’s many forums that serve as an online alternative to alcohol anonymous groups as well if the addict doesn’t want to go the meetings in person.

 

 

Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Uncategorized, Women's Health

Intervention Assistance

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No one wants to be an addict who has to go through an drug intervention. No matter what a person might say, the process itself is incredibly tough to experience. Even if the person deep down wants to become sober and seek drug addiction support, they need to feel encouraged enough by the people they care about to take real action. The point of having an intervention is to provoke an addict to change their negative behavior for good. Families and friends should come together and coordinate their course of actions for the best results possible in order for that to happen. Sometimes, providing the cold hard truth and exposing the person to the variety of consequences that sparked from their addiction is the way to go.

But how do truly great interventions  happen? Let’s walk through the important steps for designing a conversation that will hopefully change your addict’s life in the long term. It’s definitely an awkward and uncomfortable encounter for both parties to sit through. Tears may flow and hearts may be pumping, but the more realistic the intervention is for the addict, the more inclined they’ll be to jumpstart their journey back to health.

Planning a drug intervention takes several steps.

  1. Who even needs an intervention? The fact is that any person who is addicted to illicit drugs and alcohol or consistently abuses prescription drugs needs one, especially if they often reject the idea of seeking addiction treatment. It’s highly crucial for family and friends to host a drug intervention as soon as possible, as abuse of strong substances dramatically lowers a person’s mental awareness. Over time, the damage can snowball into extremely damaged financials, weakened relationships, health problems, conflicts with the law, and harm possibly done to the community. The point of a drug intervention is to foster the addict’s sense of control again and reinforce their desire to get help. Sometimes, what an addict needs is to be reminded that they’re still a good person and the addiction doesn’t define them. They have the power to change the course of their life and the belief that they are stuck in their situation is completely false.
  2. Do you need a team? The answer is yes, as you’ll want as much support as possible to host an effective drug intervention. Form a strong group of organizers made up of family, friends, and a professional interventionist if you can. Professionals offer the benefit of being highly experienced in helping addicts and can point them to a strong treatment plan. Only people who have a close relationship with the addict should be included as they genuinely care about his or her well-being compared to an acquaintance. If a person who’s interested to be part of the team happens to struggle with an addiction themselves, make sure they seek their own help before trying to help the addict first.
  3. What about planning? Once you form a group who is willing to coordinate with each other to help the addict, you’ll need to lay out a detailed plan of how the drug intervention process will play out. This includes what day and place the intervention will happen, as well as what each person will say to the addict. Once you have those details set, everyone should write their own form of an impact statement that describes how they feel the substance abuse harmed the addict that they care about. These words should be compassionate, honest, and caring as we want the addict to realize that people in their life truly want them to get better. Avoid any phrases that are either highly critical or personally attack the addict which will destroy the process altogether.
  4. How do you choose a treatment plan? After you have written your statements, formed your group, and are ready for combat, make sure you focus on recommending a single treatment plan to the addict as the drug intervention takes course. Being too vague or offering many alternatives will confuse the addict, which is the last thing we want to happen. Find a treatment center that has great reviews from their former clients and book an appointment for them early on so the addict doesn’t have to figure out those tedious details themselves. Even if they’re reluctant to go at first, pushing them to take the first step and seek an expert’s insight will truly make a difference.
  5. Practice! Treat the drug intervention like any other important even in your life. Rehearse what you’re going to say and avoid coming off as condescending to the addict. Make sure that everyone in the group is on the same page prior to the conversation taking place as well. This way, each member will feel confident about their delivery and can become better prepared for any emotions that may run high during the process.

You Can Do It

Hosting an intervention for drug addiction support can be intimidating at first, but if you play your cards right you can change the addict’s life for the better. They may respond with anger or embarrassment, but deep down they will know that you are coming from a place of love if you are careful to watch how you speak. Spend enough time to find an interventionist to help you if your resources allow it, find a core group to form statements with, and practice your action plan to be as persuasive as possible!

Drug interventions can prevent further damage to an addict's life.

 

 

 

 

 

Holistic Health, Uncategorized, Women's Health

Treating Scar Tissue

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Scars can be the bane of your existence. They’re itchy, ugly, and leave a glorifying dark mark on your skin for what seems to feel like ages. Even the smallest facial zit or bump on your knee can leave a scar that never fails to go away. I’ve tried almost every product on the market to get rid of my acne scars, as they always leave a pesky mark on my face once they’re healed.

Acne scars take on many different forms on a variety of people. You might see tiny pockmarks, a swollen keloid, or a discolored area on the skin after your pimple wears away. And just like our bright and unique personalities, each scar needs its own custom treatment to effectively disappear. Your dermatologist may recommend that you use a combination of treatments including lasers or chemical peels, but what if you can’t afford the steep price tag that comes with it? I’m a college student and definitely want to save money as much as I can, even if I’m trying improve the look of my skin. Here’s some of the best methods that have helped me accomplish the scar removal process once and for all.

Scar tissue removal can be done with natural remedies.

Light Therapy

Using light therapy isn’t new knowledge to get rid of scars, but it hasn’t been on the market for customers to buy at the drugstore until a few years ago. My favorite product of all time is the Neutrogena Light Therapy mask for a couple reasons. One, it looks like a mask straight out of a science fiction movie because I look practically unrecognizable to my roommates when I put it on. Secondly, it is slightly on the pricey side but I have seen real results after using it every night for ten minutes at a time. The device is easy to use, free of chemicals and UV light, and ultimately harnesses the power of clinically proven technology to allow skin to heal itself. If you’re struggling with pesky acne scars like me, definitely give it a go before seeking out a more invasive option.

Natural Ointments

I’ll be honest and let you know straight off the bat that some of these natural ointments can smell funky at first. However, they work wonders for the scar healing process because they contain extremely high concentrations of vitamins that the skin needs to regenerate new cells. Some of my favorite ointments to use are tea tree oil and solely vitamin E oil on my scars when I wake up during the day. As I’m brushing my teeth or taking a shower, I leave it on for ten minutes at a time to let the ingredient soak into my skin. I’ve noticed that it’s helped calm down my inflammation and improve the harsh discoloration I usually have from newer scars. Vitamin E oil is also widely known to block free radicals from the body, which plays a large role in the aging process of our skin. If we can fight off free radicals from our environment, wrinkles can be reduced and the overall look of your skin can be kept youthful.

Additionally, honey is also a great ingredient from nature that heals your skin. I can remember as a little kid my mother was applying honey to her facial scars to help them fade. Honey is a natural moisturizer and perfect for scar removal, as it prevents the accumulation of dead skin cells stimulates growth just like vitamin E oil. Apply some honey on your scar and cover it with a bandage so it won’t transfer to other surfaces. Then, leave it on during the night as you sleep so it can work its magic. In the morning, wash it off with some water and go about your day as your skin as absorbed the calming antioxidants it provided.

Talk to A Professional

In most cases you will only have to provide copay if you visit your dermatologist. This is usually best when your scar is from a deep gash or puncture from a long time ago and won’t go away. They’re trained to look at the context of your health history and your current skin’s situation to form the best treatment method possible. A good dermatologist won’t immediately prescribe costly or harsh medications at first because they understand the delicate tolerance each person’s skin has. Better yet, experts who are part of compounding pharmacies can provide an even more customized treatment method for scar removal. Unlike other resources, they treat each patient on a case by case basis so no two treatments are exactly the same. If you can spare more time to figure out how to treat your scar, it’s definitely worth a shot.

Be Proactive

I know dealing with scars is pesky and talking to other people about them can be embarrassing. No one wants to shed light on their flaws, especially if they have to go bare faced to a doctor in town. The best way to go about scar removal is to treat it as soon as possible. Start with using natural ingredients that provide vitamins and antioxidants like the ones I mentioned above. They can be applied every day and provide some type of result over the course of a few weeks. Otherwise, don’t be afraid to try light therapy from the drugstore that can treat your skin with clinically proven technology. Again, consistency is key to make a change in the situation of your skin. If all else fails, consult an expert who can direct you to the next best treatment or discuss other alternatives that you might have overlooked. Nothing beats having peace of mind and closure for scar removal!

Do your research for the best scar tissue removal process.

Women's Health

What is A Cystoscopy?

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The Foundation

Cystoscopy sounds like a complicated process, but understanding the main principles of why it is used helps wrapping your mind around it. People who experience frequent pain or urination issues throughout the day are often recommended to getting a cystoscopy done to check their internal bladder health. This way, the doctor can check for any types of abnormalities less intrusively within the hospital. Thinking about getting a cystoscopy can be confusing at first, as many technical definitions are needed to describe how it interacts and measures health within our bodies. Luckily, simplifying all the complicated terms into content that is easier to process for people who are unfamiliar with how it works can hopefully help them decide on going through with it or not.

Cystoscopy Basics

Getting a cystoscopy done involves a doctor utilizing a cystoscope, or a thin plastic tube that has a camera and small illuminating light attached to its tail end. To initiate the process, a doctor will slowly draw the tube through the patient’s urethra (the part of our body that helps move urine out while we go to the bathroom) to reach the bladder. Then, the inside of the bladder is projected from the camera to a bright computer screen and magnified for fine details to be displayed so the interior can be projected onto a bright computer screen. The image is enlarged by hundreds of times so doctors can exactly pinpoint the problem. While a cystoscopy is relatively safe to get done, there is still some minor risk for physical infection, minor complications with any anesthesia needed to be given to the patient, and prolonged bleeding in the bladder that could occur. Before going through the process, be sure to do a significant amount research on how a cystoscopy should be prepared for and different risks that come with it depending on your demographic. A patient could also see some scar tissue that can develop afterwards that leads to a form of stricture in the urethra (which prevents any easy urination), some swelling within the bladder interior, and frequent inability to properly urinate like before.

Receiving Recovery

After getting a cystoscopy, the bladder and surrounding areas can recover relatively well. After doctors instruct you to clean up and empty your bladder at the hospital after the procedure, you can go home without having to worry that the anesthesia will stay in your body for a long time. In most cases, it wears off in a short amount of time and doesn’t cause any major health issues. After taking things easy for a day, people are safe to return to their normal daily activities like going to work, exercising outside or at the gym, or running daily errands. Some people might experience a stinging feeling after a cystoscopy when peeing, more frequent urination, and urine being tinted a more pink color for a short time. While these effects are uncomfortable at first, they all eventually disappear within a few days. A patient who reminds himself to drink more water after getting the procedure will also help pick up the pace of the recovery process as well. Additionally, taking over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol also helps to reduce any type of stinging tor inflammation that may come up.

Although there aren’t that many direct surgical alternatives to getting a cystoscopy, you could be guided by your doctor to get a less intensive X-ray or ultrasound screening instead. These can be done before going through with a cystoscopy, and are strong in showing any potential stones or tumors that could be growing in the area. However, they aren’t as accurate and can’t show active infections deep inside the body as well as a cystoscopy. So, seeing the inside situation as efficiently as possible can help your doctor accurately diagnose your case and recommend the best treatment.

Stress Less

While doctors don’t have many horror stories about cystoscopies, there are patients on the web who aim to share negative stories from fluke accidents that have occurred throughout their own personal history. Even if it sounds terrible to experience, don’t feel anxious because every person’s experience will be different. The factors that contributed to their issues could have stemmed from anything like weak preparation, an ill-advised doctor, a technical malfunction, or other personal health issues that came up. Many health forums are out there to help patients feel more mentally relaxed before beginning a cystoscopy.  The Internet can help you learn more about the process, from what to anticipate in the room, taking care after the procedure, and the best painkillers and food to ingest. Hospitals want you to feel completely ready before starting and ending the process. Remember, before signing up to go through any major medical procedure, set aside enough time in your busy schedule to do thorough searching about it, why you need it, and how to best prepare for it beforehand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

High Functioning Addicts In Stress

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Thousands of students graduate from college and begin full time careers each year in the professional workforce. Most are excited and unaware about the levels of extremely high stress workers can go through to manage performance expectations and pressing deadlines in their industry. After months to years of difficult work and anxiety from life wearing on their mental health, many people become vulnerable to alcohol dependency as a method of stress management.  One recent health study found that almost 8.7 percent of professional workers from the ages of 16 to 64 consumed alcohol in extreme amounts during a one month period. It also found that at least 8.6 percent used illegal drugs as well to cope with their mountains of stressful work. A high percentage of the wealthy and student population also turn to drugs to fit in a desired social group or to seek a thrill from an otherwise mundane lifestyle they feel stuck in. Over time, harsh consequences come with self-medicating for stress using alcohol and illicit drugs.

Wine glass and Bottle on a wooden background

Wealth, College, and Addiction

Not all substance addicts are obvious, as they can come from all walks from life. Often, living in constant stress to finish heavy workloads, having disposable income, and consistently making impulsive choices leads to alcohol dependence and drug abuse over time. On a college campus, I’ve witnessed many students start their taste of alcohol with a few mild drinks here and there for stress management. Drinking alcohol is considered socially acceptable and doesn’t have the same stigma attached to it as addiction to harsher drugs like marijuana or cocaine. Since many wealthy individuals also have a lot of spending money and unwarranted financial freedom, they easily fall into a vicious cycle of purchasing drugs out of spontaneity and seeking social support. When money is a given freely from a family name, it becomes difficult to find one’s personal passions and discover genuine friends who don’t just value their wealth. Combined with stressful assignments and social pressure, these factors lead to low self-esteem and boredom which spark the fire of alcohol dependence and harmful self-medicating with drugs. Substance abuse is a long term problem and no one is completely safe to preventing it seeking trained help.

Stressful Careers and Addiction

No matter their age, many workers unexpectedly turn to alcohol dependency to manage their stress and anxiety. People in professions like advertising, music, general labor, cooking, and especially bartenders are all up to two times more likely to die to substance abuse. An estimated 10 percent of all healthcare professionals are also prone to abuse drugs with sectors ranging from pediatricians to anesthesiologists. That’s a scary statistic to think about, as these are the professionals the mainstream population turns to for aid with their own health related issues. With the rising acceptance and romanticizing of alcohol dependency in the media, there is no room for wondering why the number of alcohol and drug related fatalities are climbing on an annual basis.

High Cost of Healthcare

High Functioning Addicts

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulty with a drug or alcohol addiction, first make sure to recognize that it is a significant problem. Almost a fifth of all young adults who frequently consume alcohol as a form of self-medicating are considered a highly functional addict. High functioning alcoholics are hard to identify since they can mask it easily. Some tell-tale signs of one, especially if they’re a student, is if that they imbibe alcoholic drinks on a daily basis, become more confident at larger social gatherings, drink alone for no reason, desire to black out, run into legal consequences for their behavior, or often joke about having an addiction to others. Chronic drinking can lead to a negative change in how they look physically, think mentally, or interact with people who may not agree with their destructive lifestyle. Although some lucky high-functioning alcoholics might never experience severe problems with their repeatedly harmful choices, they need to be exposed to some form of an addiction recovery program to know how they could be sabotaging their future.

The Next Steps

If you feel that you have an alcohol dependency problem to deal with stressful work, explore the resources that are out there to learn more about how to implement positive habits. While making changes are hard, healthy choices and a better lifestyle can reinforced after enough consistency, dedication, and faith is applied over time. Just as the saying goes, “We miss 100% of the shots we don’t take”, one will never improve and see results if they don’t put in the effort to reevaluate their life themselves. Start being proactive and pursue holistic, group, or exercise based recovery through a program that fits your lifestyle. The best part is that by joining a rehab program that fits your needs, you won’t have to sacrifice any of the activities that you love. Make the leap and you’ll never want to turn back!

Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

Alcohol Dangers as a Drug

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In our world today, partying and binge drinking in college a lot are often considered milestones we will experience at some point in their lives. There’s a recent trend of campuses who have had more students experiencing alcohol related problems and critical injuries thanks to easily accessible bars and the pressure to some exerted by the Greek system. Bars that offer tempting drink specials, sometimes mandatory hazing, and wine binging focused exchanges to get tipsy when work gets too tough are considered a social standard to live up to for fitting in. Studies show that almost sixty percent of college students drank alcohol in the past month, and almost two thirds of those students engaged in binge drinking during that same time. Many of us know someone who talked about their drunk night out meeting up with someone not safe at all. It’s disturbing to hear some those stories while wondering if your friend really remembered everything that happened. Especially in an open campus, seeing crimes regularly happen close to home isn’t much help either. Aside from risking your safety, actively living a binge drinking lifestyle is extremely negative and brings your body’s health down the drain. The truth is that we can still get tempted and maintaining self-discipline is almost impossible when everyone else is following along. Ultimately, we must be educated about alcohol’s effects and seek treatment if addiction is present.

Being High Functioning

Almost twenty percent of adults, especially college students who often consume alcohol, can be considered a highly functional addict in our country today. High-functioning alcoholics are hard to recognize sometimes since they have learned with trial and error how to mask it easily. Chronic drinking leads to a negative change in how they look on the outside, act with others, and feel throughout their day. Some signs of one, especially if they’re a college student, is if they use alcoholic drinks to wind down after stressful tests or become more outgoing at social gatherings, drink by themselves, black out often, run into problems with the campus police, often joke about having an addiction or get rather upset and defensive when confronted about their habits.

I’ve witnessed many of my peers start their taste of alcohol with a few drinks here and there. There’s nothing bad about having fun and enjoying a drink in moderation if you’re of age and know your limit when you go out. The point is that binge drinking to manage stress or self-medicate is what causes negative changes to occur in the body that are sometimes permanent. Drinking a lot of alcohol is socially acceptable in college and doesn’t have the same stigma attached to it as other popular vices like marijuana, cocaine, or Adderall. What seemed like a moderate activity can grow into a weekly wine night, tons of beers at happy hour, and endless vodka shots on weekends to celebrate just getting through to Friday. Rarely are such nights filled with truly wholesome memories, since drinking so much can cause it to end short or scary from a black out. The media and social norms around us are also constantly showing a glamorized version of drinking after work or at lunch breaks as a figure of humor. It seems like battling the side effects of alchohol is a piece of cake when done right. However, this notion is incredibly false and is misleading thousands of people who believe the lie.

Long-term Health Problems

It’s no joke that alcohol abuse can lead to serious acute and long term effects on a person’s mind and body. Besides severe withdrawal symptoms that develop, addicts may also develop a bad habit of experiencing memory loss and lose concentration on important tasks throughout the day. They could also develop anxiety and depression, increase risk of cancer in the colon, liver, throat, breast, etc., high blood pressure, and a damaged digestive system. A study about alcohol’s long term consequences also showed a link to a heightened risk in heart disease because of the heart not being able to effectively pump blood through the circulatory system and arteries. It depicts a striking statistic that the number of people in three years who developed heart failure, heart attack, or a condition of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, were three times more likely in their risk if they drank a lot of alcohol in the past.

Overcoming Your Addiction 

While forming a plan to recover by yourself may seem more convenient, it’s more helpful to get professional assistance; for example, getting treatment from an established alcohol rehab in Florida. They can provide you with more education on the dangers of alcohol, health consequences, and recommend the best programs for alcohol addiction recovery so you’re in the best place possible!

Wine glass and Bottle on a wooden background

 

Drug Addiction, Holistic Health, Mental Health, Women's Health

The Benefits of Aromatherapy

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The Benefits of Aromatherapy

Oftentimes keeping up with all our responsibilities can be tough as we’re constantly moving from one task to the next throughout the day without rest. If you are finding trouble balancing your job, relationships, or even just getting to all your chores, there’s a big chance you are overly stressed.. Experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress can be damaging to your psyche if left untreated. With its negative effects to your mind and body, not taking enough time to relax leads to a high risk of vulnerability to perilous disease and a negative and hindering mentality overall. However, there are ways to meditate that are proven to help manage even the most extreme amounts of stress when done right. One method of meditation that is not as commonly mentioned by the mainstream media is regarded by stress management experts as aromatherapy. Involving the use of a variety of essential oils, it is a highly effective segment of therapy and is often used alongside the process of peaceful breathing meditation. Your body will reap the benefits of a more stable mood, lower anxiety, and most importantly, a jumpstarted energy level.

The Basics of Aromatherapy

As a tried and true method of practicing mental rehab and stress management, aromatherapy has been around for thousands of years and weaved into the culture of several Western and Eastern countries throughout the globe. It is frequently used each week by people who seek to improve their negative mood, change uncomfortable anxiety, and as a natural supplement to medicine. A significant part of aromatherapy is the process of creating synergy with substances that aren’t processed or man-made. Synergy is a known term for the combined use of a variety of natural essential oils that can together provide a far higher level of mental healing than each oil would have provided on their own. However, because some specific oils can lead to the body having severe allergies or other side effects that are very uncomfortable, it’s highly important to dilute the oil mixture with another carrier oil to make the concentration less strong when it comes in contact with your body. For managing stress specifically, there are aromatic compounds from different essential oils that are known by therapists as relaxants which soothe the mind after a few inhales.

What’s Essential About Oils?

Essential oils are an important asset to complete any aromatherapy regime. Although they may sound peculiar or even smell odd at first, they hold the amazing ability to provide positive sensations to our bodies. Certain natural oils derived from different herbs like chamomile, bay, basil, lavender, anise, eucalyptus, rose, and thyme in particular all provide great effects to help aid consistent stress management. From strengthening the immune system, decreasing allergen levels, or slowly releasing a sedative effect to fall asleep easier, these oils are crucial for meditation to become even more effective. Some of the best essential oils for igniting stress relief are lavender, bergamot, peppermint, vetiver, and ylang ylang. These are all very affordable and can be purchased at any local wellness or organics store like Vitamin World, Walgreens, CVS, or Whole Foods in your area. To incorporate it into your weekly regimen, it is recommended by aromatherapy experts to first procure a couple small pieces of rock salt and place them in a small glass or plastic vial. The rock salt serves as an important absorbent to avoid any spills from your vial happening in the future. Add a couple droplets of the oil of your choice to the rock salt, and store the vial in a safe, dry, and relatively cool place. Whenever you feel stressed and need some extra help to rewind, twist open the vial and slowly breathe in the scent for a few minutes.

Along with carrying a vial around for managing stress, essential oils can also be added to your lifestyle via an oil diffuser in different rooms of your home. To begin using one, fill the tank of the diffuser with warm water. Then, make sure to add about ten to fifteen drops of the essential oil of your choice, close the tank lid, and turn the diffuser on for a few minutes. Most diffusers can run for several hours with a single charge and distribute the scent of the oil almost immediately. Affordable diffusers can be found across the web at stores like Urban Outfitters, Amazon, Walmart, and Target. At the end of the day, choose which method is most convenient and effective for your personal needs. With more tips about using diffusers, Elevate Rehab explains in more detail with this infographic about different essential oils one can experiment with to aid their meditation.

The Change Starts With You

Whether you decide to practice aromatherapy or choose another mediation route, it’s easy to see that the practice offers a wide variety of mental and physical benefits that lead to a lasting improvement in stress levels, daily energy, and overall mood. Take action and seek out what types of meditation methods work best for you and your lifestyle!

 

Drug Addiction, Mental Health, Women's Health

The dangers of a refreshing beverage

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Today, alcohol is easily accessible in our world today. While many people use a drink here and there to ease their levels of stress and to relax, over the long term it can lead to a range of physical and mental problem. What’s more, a person can become dependent on a strong substance like alcohol if they drink frequently each week. There is no doubt that our culture is one that promotes social drinking, whether it’s to get “lit” for raging college parties, prepare for a music festival, have fun at happy hour, or just survive a family reunion.  Many people believe that there are no penalties or long term consequences from having a casual beer from time to time. Yet, some statistics clearly show that alcohol is in fact causing a dent in the welfare and overall health of our society.

Damaging Effects from Alcohol

Scientific research shows that as much as 86 percent of all people in the United States will drink alcohol at some point their lives. Around 70 percent will drink at least one time in any given year. This shows that alcohol is present in many Americans lives, and thus from that starting point an addiction can spawn. It only takes one time for someone to gain an addiction to a substance. Therefore, as it is a legal drug it’s very hard to recognize if someone has an addiction problem.

So, why is it exactly so important that we stay on the lookout for a loved one or friend who may be suffering from alcoholism? The haunting consequences that come with consistent alcohol consumption is enough to make a difference. We all are granted one life to live, and as the traditional saying goes, our body is a temple that must be taken care of. As a result, binge drinking alcohol on a daily, or even weekly basis would be just like treating your fragile body like a waste outlet. While drinking alcohol, a person will experience a range of damaging short term and long term impairments on their mind and body.

Long Term Consequences

If you were initially unaware, alcoholism is documented to kill five times the number of individuals annually than all other drugs known to man put together. In fact, more than 80,000 deaths are directly linked to  drinking every single year according to national health records. These deaths are often drawn out and very painful since alcohol slowly degrades the body by eroding critical health systems. For example, on alcohol can cause irreversible damage in the form of fatty liver disease. This condition is often unspoken of, but is basically caused by excessive fat in the liver, making it harder for the organ to process toxins effectively and do its job normally. Another long term illness directly linked to frequent alcohol use is alcoholic cirrhosis. With this condition, the liver becomes so damaged that it scars. These wounds inhibit the function of the liver and are the last stage of the chronic liver disease. Along with this acquiring, alcohol hepatitis is always a possibility. This refers to high swelling of the liver, which in turn causes damage. This disease affects as many as 35 percent of heavy drinkers and can be mild to severe. In the latter, it can cause life-threatening complications or death.

These are just a few of the fatal diseases that alcohol can cause. Binge drinking on a regular basis can lead to someone developing a dangerous alcohol addiction and should be taken seriously. Just because you may be young and your body seems to recover from alcohol abuse quickly, doesn’t mean it will always be this way. Before you drink, please think about how your body will react to these dangerous substances and what damage it can do.

Recognizing the Signs

If you think someone you know may be suffering from alcoholism here are some of the signs to look out for. There are many signs that someone may be struggling with an addiction. First of all, if someone is starting to go out less and less for no apparent reason, they may be staying in to drink by themselves. If these actions are coupled with irregular mood swings and eating habits, there is a strong chance some type of substance abuse addiction is present. Furthermore, if you find out they are lying to you about their activities and the amount they drink, it is likely they are ashamed of an addiction or just don’t want you to know about it. If someone is conveying these signs, getting in touch with a rehab center to help out may not be a bad idea. Trained professionals will work closely with you to make sure you are doing the right things every day. It is worth having the correct support, addictions are a tough uphill battle, and you should get the help you need today.