Alcohol And Drugs

By Pete Macdonald

For most people, even today, the word alcoholic still carries a lot of shame. It suggests a damaged person, somebody who is different from the rest of society, who has a different psychological or genetic makeup and therefore can't drink. It is very difficult for most people to admit that they are different in any way from everyone else; it is even more difficult if that difference carries with it a sense of shame.

Consider how difficult it is to admit being different, if that means having to give up something that most people enjoy without any problem. Drugs are very popular among young people. Recreational drugs addiction is the use of psychoactive substances to have fun, for the experience, or to enhance an already positive experience. National laws prohibit the use of many different recreational drugs and medicinal drugs that have the potential for recreational use.

Many other recreational drugs on the other hand are legal, widely culturally accepted, and at the most have an age restriction on using and/or purchasing them. These include alcohol, tobacco, betel nut, and caffeine products. It is often difficult to detect if a person is an alcoholic because they may have been drinking and yet doing all the work and activities that any normal person does. They are called functional alcoholics as they are very unaware of their problem, having always been able to perform all the day-to-day activities. Seeking help from a trained professional is the wisest thing that you could do.

To overcome this destructive disease, there are support groups, medical and alternative therapies available. With will, determination and the willingness to deal with the problems behind the addiction, it is possible to come out of it. There are also some social issues associated with drugs. Many people may think that taking drugs is inherently wrong and so should be illegal. But there is a question of effectiveness - Does making it illegal stop people doing it? The answer is clearly no. One could even argue that legalization would eliminate part of the attraction of taking drugs-the allure of doing something illegal.

Countries like Afghanistan, Columbia, and Jamaica have had their economies rocked and destabilized by the illegal market while bribery, corruption, and conflict have ruled. You can go for rehabilitation treatment for alcohol. This can also be done with the help of the Internet or contact some substance abuse authority. You can visit the state health website and email them about your requirements. You can also visit your local health care center or even your local parish and discuss options.

Sometimes you may even know that these specific centers for senior addiction treatment are well-suited for their needs. Especially because they will be living amongst people of the same age group as they are of and they will be comfortable even like living at the treatment center. Drug and alcohol relapse happens much the same way the addiction manifested itself in the first place. That is, by a series of counterproductive occurrences that can create a downward spiral.

The relapse brings about the return of the alcohol or drug addiction in the person's life and the self-destructive pattern that was associated with it. The path to alcohol and drug addiction recovery is lost and replaced by the addiction all over again. Some relapse factors may include stress, frustration, anger, temptation, relationship problems, social pressure and a major life change. - 32543

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Agitation and Stress in Nursing Home Patients Reduced With Therapeutic Touch

By Elaine R. Ferguson, MD

Over the last decade numerous studies have been published regarding the effectiveness of Therapeutic Touch, a form of Laying on of Hands developed in the early 1970s by Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., RN, a professor at New York University School of Nursing, and Dora Kunz, a well known healer.

Initially, they taught the techniques to Krieger's graduate school nursing students. But Dr. Krieger's professional research and writing increased the popularity of the technique, particularly among nurses. The practice grew across the country due to a grassroots effort of nurses. Today, therapeutic touch is taught at hospitals and health centers worldwide and is most commonly practiced by nurses.

Therapeutic touch is a form of healing known as "laying on of hands," that is used to correct or balance energy fields. The word "touch" is misleading because physical touch is generally not involved. Instead, the hands hover over the body. Therapeutic touch is based on the theory that the body, mind, and emotions form a complex energy field. According to Dr. Krieger, health is an indication of a balanced energy field, and illness represents imbalance. Studies suggest that therapeutic touch can help to heal wounds, reduce pain, and promote relaxation.

Approximately 75-90% of nursing home residents experiencing dementia develop behaviors that are probably associated with a stress response. This technique has been shown to promote calmness, decrease restlessness and agitation.

A double blind study was conducted at UCLA in order to measure therapeutic touch's effect on cortisol levels and behavioral symptoms. Cortisol is a key hormone in the stress response. Its levels increase in response to perceived stress, as a way of preparing the body to run or fight.

Sixty-five participants, between 67 and 93 years (average age was 85.5 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The experimental group received therapeutic touch twice daily, with contact on the shoulders and neck for three days.

The placebo group received a mimic treatment that was identical in appearance, and the control group received routine care. The results showed that therapeutic touch may be effective for management of symptoms like restlessness. Also, it has the potential to provide, it may also help with reducing costs, because it is an intervention that is easy to learn use and can be an alternative to drug treatment for people with behavioral symptoms.

Therapeutic Touch

- 32543

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How To Overcome A Drug Addiction Problem

By James Handforth

A Drug, by definition, is a substance that is easily absorbed into human blood and affects the normal functioning of a human body. Drugs are usually used to cure, treat, prevent and diagnose a disease. A drug can be good, if taken for treatment of ailments, as well as bad for the health, depending upon usage, quantity and the type of drug being taken. Drug abuse is defined as; taking any kind of drug that causes addiction and harms human health. Drugs have the ability to cause serious addiction when used frequently.

Drug addiction is a disease of brain, in which the person suffers from uncontrollable craving for the drug. The person becomes dependent on the drug to perform routine activities and becomes restless if the drug is not given. A drug addict wastes money on drugs, is unable to perform well, and suffers from serious pain in the absence of drug. If a specific drug is used for a long time, the brain functioning becomes dependent on it. Also, if it becomes chronic then overcoming the problems becomes really hard.

Professional help should be sought by the drug addict if he wants to get properly treated. It is not always that the treatment is successful, nevertheless, the drug addict will realize how harmful the drug is and how vital it is to get rid of this addiction. Following are some methods employed to overcome drug addiction: * Awareness, encouragement and a desire to quite drugs are the key aspects that go a long way in overcoming drug addiction. Drug use can be given up only when the addict has a strong will to quit. Talking with people suffering from the same problem is actually helpful in this case who are aware of the effect of drugs. Also talking to people who have already recovered can be helpful as well. This will be a factor of encouragement and inspiration for the drug addict.

General awareness is one of the most important things required to overcome drug addiction, along with encouragement and the urge to give up drugs. The person should have a strong will. For this to come about, the addict should talk to people with similar problems, know the effects of drugs and discuss with people who have already won the fight against drug addiction. This will encourage and motivate the addict.

* When you want to overcome a drug addiction, the logical thing to do is to avoid it and keep away from it to the best of your ability. Taking up an activity to keep busy is a very smart move in this case. Any presence of drugs in the house or in near proximity should be thrown out and it should be made sure that in case the drug addict loses control and gives in to craving, there are no drugs for him to use.

* A way to overcome a drug addiction problem is to avoid its use and stay away from it as much as possible. The person should keep himself/herself busy. If there are any drugs present in the house or hidden somewhere, they should all be removed and thrown away, with the intention that even when the dug addict can not control the craving, he/she should not be able to find any drug to use.

* Family and friends play a very important role and they should keep an eye on the drug addict. They should support and motivate the person to discontinue drugs.

Drug addicts, in order to overcome addictions, should keep busy in various other activities. Indulging in any sport activity or socialising can help a lot.

The prospect of indulging in interesting and healthy pastimes is a very positive move. It will prevent him from spending his time trying to get away from drugs as there won't be much time left for mindless thinking. - 32543

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Types of Depression In Children

By Mark Davies

While the recovery rate from a single episode of major depression in children and adolescents is quite high, episodes are likely to recur. In addition, youth with dysthymic disorder are at risk for developing major depression. Prompt identification and treatment of depression can reduce its duration and severity and associated functional impairment.

But if these symptoms become persistent, disruptive, and interfere with social activities, interests, schoolwork and family life, it may indicate that he or she has the medical illness called depression. Keep in mind that while depression is a serious illness, it is also a treatable one.

For example, instead of communicating how bad they feel, they may act out and be irritable toward others, which may be interpreted simply as misbehavior or disobedience. Research has found that parents are even less likely to identify major depression in their adolescents than are the adolescents themselves.

Unfortunately, these disorders often go unrecognized by families and physicians alike. Signs of depressive disorders in young people often are viewed as normal mood swings typical of a particular developmental stage.

In addition, health care professionals may be reluctant to prematurely "label" a young person with a mental illness diagnosis. Yet early diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorders are critical to healthy emotional, social, and behavioral development.

In addition, children and young adolescents with depression may have difficulty in properly identifying and describing their internal emotional or mood states. For example, instead of communicating how bad they feel, they may act out and be irritable toward others, which may be interpreted simply as misbehavior or disobedience.

Research has found that parents are even less likely to identify major depression in their adolescents than are the adolescents themselves.The symptoms of depression in children vary. It is often undiagnosed and untreated because they are passed off as normal emotional and psychological changes that occur during growth.

They may perceive that they are unable to fit in with their peers. This may be associated with self-derogatory thoughts and verbalizations regarding their intelligence, physical appearance, or attractiveness to others. - 32543

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Spiraling Out Of Control On Drugs

By Sarah Bainbridge

Has life spiraled out of control because of a drug problem? In either case, you're not alone. Addiction is a problem that many people face. If yes, you may feel isolated, helpless and ashamed. Or perhaps you're worried about a friend or family member's drug use.

There is good news for you or your loved one. You can get better. There is light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how terrible the substance abuse problem may seem and no matter how powerless you feel. Learning and understanding about the nature of the addiction, how it develops, what it looks like, and why it has such a powerful hold on an individual, will give you a better grasp of the problem and how to deal with it.

What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction, that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, breaking the addiction is not simply a matter of inner strength and willpower. Several people don't understand why individuals become addicted or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse.

People mistakenly view drug addiction and abuse as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak. One common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just quit taking drugs if they are willing to change their behavior. However scientific advances have shown much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated, to help people stop abusing drugs and resume their normal productive lives.

Drugs are chemicals that tap into the brain's communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. There are at least two ways that drugs are able to do this: (1) by imitating the brain's natural chemical messengers, and/or (2) by over stimulating the "reward circuit" of the brain.

Long-term abuse causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that influences the reward circuit and the ability to learn. When the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by drug abuse, the brain attempts to compensate, which can impair cognitive function.

Drugs abuse facilitates unconscious learning, which leads to the user experiencing uncontrollable yearning when they see a place or person they associate with the drug experience, even when the drug itself is not available. Brain imaging studies of drug-addicted individuals show changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision making, learning and memory and behavioral control. Together these changes can drive an drug user to seek out and take drugs compulsively despite adverse consequences, in other words, to become addicted to drugs. - 32543

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Personality Traits And Psychology

By Anthony Sanchez

The branch of science that analyzes and breaks down the human mind and why people act the way they do is called psychology. Ancient civilizations are believed to have started this scientific process of questioning of how the human mind functions. And now, in the 20th century, the study of the human mind has become more complex, and a more accepted social science, having a clear methodology.

People who research or practice the science of psychology are dubbed as psychologists. Observation of human behavior, understanding their emotions, motivations and personality are among the things that psychologists do. Overall, psychologists are really interested in understanding the ways of the human mind and human interaction.

Personality psychology is one branch of psychology that even non-psychologists have taken notice of. This type of psychology is very much available even to ordinary people in the form of personality tests that can be found in magazines, books and the internet. In essence, this area of psychology is interested in trying to understand the overall personality of individuals.

Forming a rational idea of a person's personality is the starting point of personality psychology. Following this, analyzing how a person reacts to certain things, or behaves that is not similar to peers or similar subjects is observed. Eventually, even same reactions and exactly same behaviors and personality traits are studied as well.

An example of a personality psychology theory that has made huge waves in the scientific community is called Big 5. Agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion, openness and neuroticism are the five traits that make up the Big 5. The traits mentioned above can be observed in everyone although in different degrees for each individual.

To be able to fully grasp the subject on personality psychology, it is important to check on what the Big 5 means. Openness is distinguished with people who are always welcoming changes and suggestions of new ideas, while extroversion is seen with people who are outgoing and can easily get along with a lot of people. When an individual seems to be too painstaking when it comes to doing a particular job is said to be high on being conscientious and one who is too friendly and is too helpful is high on the agreeableness level.

And lastly, having long bouts of depression, anger, anxiety that are sometimes unexplainable could be symptoms that a person has a trait of neuroticism. Though there may be some more known traits that are not included in the list, this might be because those traits are the products of combining two or more of the Big 5 traits mentioned above. Psychology, as you can see, is very complex and this theory is simply a fraction of what psychology is all about.

Discounting the use of psychology in any field will be hard as everyone is using it whether deliberately or not. Since it is involved in understanding, analyzing, predicting and studying the human mind and soul. Being able to understand how psychology can work for each one of us can help us relate with different people.

As said, any field or work or study can use psychology and will be better off with inputs from a psychologist. Studying the mind is the basis of psychology, thus anything in the world can be a study for psychology. It works for anything, like business, in relationships, even sports. - 32543

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The Diagnosis of Depression

By Jonathan Stevens

Depression is a disorder that manifests itself through symptoms like loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. These problems can become chronic and lead to substantial impairments in an individual's ability to take care of his or her everyday responsibilities. In a severe case of depression, the individual suffering from depression may resort to committing suicide.

There are two kinds of this illness: Major depression, or dysthymia which affects mood; and Manic depression or bipolar illness, when feeling low and depressed alternates with recklessness.

It is preferable to visit your family doctor as he will be aware of your previous medical conditions and medical history. The first thing you should do if you suspect that you may be depressed is visit your family doctor for a thorough checkup. If you are unable to or maybe embarrassed to visit your family doctor, any other general physician will serve the same purpose. There should never be any embarrassment or apprehension when coping with this illness.

Some other severe medical conditions can cause depression symptoms, such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, female hormonal changes and thyroid conditions. So an individual should be absolutely sure by before taking any kind of medication and self medicating.

The doctor you visit, family doctor or any other physician, will begin the diagnostic process by asking you a series of questions and those could be :

What are your symptoms?

How long has it been since you've had these symptoms?

How do these signs impact your regular responsibilities?

Have you experienced these symptoms before?

Have you been treated for this illness before?

If so, what treatments were you given and which worked best?

Do any of your relatives have depression?

If so, were your relatives treated for depression and which treatments worked best?

Do you use drugs or drink alcohol?

Have you thought about death or suicide?

There is no current laboratory test that can be used to diagnose depression. Depression is diagnosed based on your reported symptoms, signs that your doctor observes during the interview, your medical history and your family's medical history. Depression occurs in persons of all genders, ages, and backgrounds.

It is very essential that the family be supportive of the individual suffering from depression through this difficult time. The family needs to extend their love and affection and most importantly their support.

Facts relating to depression :

Depression is common, affecting close to 121 million people worldwide.

Depression is amongst the top causes of disability worldwide.

Depression can be reliably diagnosed and treated in primary care.

Fewer than 25 % of those suffering from depression have access to treatment.

In conclusion, depression like most major illnesses can be cured, if it is detected in time and is treated. Family plays an vital role in the treatment. - 32543

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