Alcohol and Anxiety – Can Alcohol Help Anxiety?

by admin on August 18, 2010

Social anxiety can be classified as getting extremely nervous or anxious around certain social situations. The situations that make a person nervous can be different for everyone. Males often times experience anxiety the most around women. For others it may be going to social events like dinner parties, the grocery store, or even a restaurant. A person with a social phobia may come off as completely normal, but inside they are feeling extremely uncomfortable, and want to get out of the situation as fast as possible.

Alcohol calms and relaxes you mind and body. Many people who suffer from this problem have come to realize that alcohol can have a positive effect on their anxiety. It also builds up a certain confidence, allowing you to forget about the fact that you would normally be nervous in a particular situation. Drinking alcohol on the weekends can allow people who suffer from anxiety to have a great time in these before “threatening” social situations. This means any blushing or anxiety will reduce severely, if not completely.

If you have Social Anxiety Disorder, then you may have a problem with blushing as well. When you are worried that people are judging you, or what they’re thinking about you, it can result in blood rushing to your face, causing it to turn red. As you can imagine this can be extremely embarrassing for anyone. Some people with this problem claim they’re not even a shy person. They want to go out, they want to meet new people, but they just can get over they’re problem, and would rather save themselves from the humiliation. So they sit at home on a Friday or Saturday feeling horrible and lonely.

Many people throw their money away on supplements or pills thinking it will miraculously eliminate this problem. While certain drugs such as GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) have helped some, the majority of people have been disappointed with the results. Magnesium is also believed to calm anxiety, and help with blushing. Everyone has different reactions to drugs, and for most, GABA and magnesium just have not done the job for people suffering from anxiety.

A much more effective way to get over your anxiety is attempting to change your thought process. Instead of thinking “Everyone’s watching me, what are they saying?”, have a much less negative attitude. Think “I’m just the same as everyone in this room, we’re all people.” This is hard at first, but there are programs out there that have changed lives dramatically. As well as a little alcohol here and there!

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Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Q & A – How Do I Convince Someone to Get Help?

by admin on July 29, 2010

Just about everyone who abuses alcohol or drugs has heard about it from their family or friends who’ve tried to get them to drink less, quit drinking or drugs altogether, or get help in an alcohol rehab or drug addiction treatment center. Often, however, the advice, suggestions, pleas and demands fall on deaf ears. This is very frustrating for concerned parents and spouses who know the abuser is seriously in need of an alcohol or drug addiction treatment center. What causes this breakdown in communication? And is there anything you can do about it?

First of all, if you haven’t figured this out by now, no amount of talking – whispered or screamed, friendly or hostile – is going to get the person to stop even though the addict would usually like nothing better. But he just can’t do it. Addiction isn’t an incurable brain disease, as some would have you believe, but the horrible symptoms experienced when you need your next drink, pill or fix make it all but impossible to quit on your own. And these symptoms are very real, sometimes even medically dangerous.

Also, if the person quits drinking or taking drugs they will no longer have an escape from whatever drives them to alcohol or drugs in the first place.

Both the withdrawal symptoms and the reasons behind the addiction can be helped in a drug addiction treatment center; your goal is to get them there.

That said, here’s a few communication do’s and don’ts.

Don’t make them feel guilty. It won’t help. Chances are they already feel guiltier than you can imagine – despite what they say or do that makes you think otherwise. In fact, their guilt may be one of the reasons they continue.

Don’t talk to them about it when they’re drunk or high. Get them when they’re thinking straight.

Don’t get drawn into a screaming match or break down in tears. This can be hard. Someone who’s bent on defending their actions – especially when they know they’re wrong – can get very argumentative. Maintain your calm or the conversation will end without resolution.

Line up a drug addiction treatment center before you even have the conversation. Have it all arranged, no matter what it takes. You can always call an interventionist if your efforts fail, but having things lined up will enable you to get them there before they change their mind. And they will.

Once they agree to go to an alcohol rehab or drug addiction treatment center, take them there immediately. Day or night. It’s pretty much guaranteed that if you go along with waiting until tomorrow, tomorrow will never come. The person will have all kinds of reasons why they can’t go to a drug addiction treatment center right now. And you’ll be tempted to agree with them – they can’t just quit their job without notice, they have to take care of the bills, there’s no hurry because they said they’d do it and they will – you’ll hear all kinds of things.

What should your reaction be? Don’t fall for it, no matter how logical the reasons seem. It isn’t that the person isn’t trustworthy – they probably are, underneath it all. But as long as they’re going to need another drink, another fix, another pill, you can depend on whatever stellar personality traits they have going right out the window. The person is out of control.

When you arrive at the drug addiction treatment center you’ve chosen, you can make arrangements to handle the reasons the person said they couldn’t go. used as After they’re checked in, go through those details with them so you can handle any problems that may arise during their absence. You can tell the boss there’s an emergency family situation (which there is), handle the bank transfers, bills, and so, on yourself. Just get the information you need.

Last, but not least, realize they might be in the alcohol or drug addiction treatment center for a while. In fact, it could take months. Get help and support from friends and family, whatever you need to cope with it.

This may seem like a lot to handle but, really, consider the alternatives; if you don’t do it, things will get worse, not better. And you might even lose them altogether. A good, long-term residential alcohol rehab or drug addiction treatment center can handle their problem, but you have to get them there. Find the best treatment center you can right now, and get things rolling. Your life could be very different, very soon.

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Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms And Why You Need Medical Help

by admin on June 29, 2010

Introduction

Most people who give up alcohol suddenly end up experiencing mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms as a result of the body reacting to the sudden withdrawal of something that it was used to or dependent on. The term alcohol withdrawal syndrome is used for describing the whole group of symptoms that occur as a result of sudden withdrawal from alcohol after a prolonged period of consumption.

Almost everybody who stops drinking after a long period of alcohol consumption or those who are heavy or frequent drinkers of alcohol will experience some or the entire varied group of alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Types of Symptoms

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms range from the mild and the moderate to the extreme and the severe. Therefore, it is generally advised that you consult a medical practitioner before giving up alcohol all of a sudden. This is because while you might get away with just a few mild and easily controllable symptoms, you might also end up suffering from severe ones, and nobody can predict how exactly an individual’s body will react to sudden withdrawal.

In case you are planning to or have already given up alcohol, then you might find yourself experiencing some mild or moderate physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. Some of the moderate physical symptoms are nausea, vomiting and headache, clammy or sweaty palms, a loss of appetite and sleep, palpitations or an increased heart rate, paleness, enlarged or dilated pupils, involuntary movement of the eyes and eyelids, shaking or shivering hands and excessive sweating.

Psychological Symptoms

Apart from these, a person giving up alcohol consumption also experiences a number of mild to moderate mental or psychological symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Some of the most common alcohol withdrawal symptoms in this regard are states of nervousness or anxiety, mood swings, irritability and emotional volatility, feelings of fatigue, shakiness, depression, an inability to think clearly and cohesively and a series of nightmares or bad dreams.

Most of the symptoms that are mentioned above can be easily treated with outpatient monitoring and medication. However, there are a number of severe withdrawal symptoms that require that the patient is admitted to a health facility and monitored and treated round the clock.

Some of the most common severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms are hallucinations, fevers, convulsions and constant agitation. A very severe symptom, known as delirium tremens is a state where a person keeps getting regular hallucinations and is in a confused state of mind. Some people also suffer from black outs, or periods of memory loss, where they are unable to recall about what happened during a certain period of time, especially when this relates to a drinking episode.

Most of the people suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms, especially mild and moderate ones can be treated as outpatients, but there is a small percentage of people, especially those who suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms, who need to be treated in special alcohol rehab centers or hospitals. This is because they would require round the clock observation and attention because of the severity of their symptoms.

Conclusion

In case you or someone else close to you is experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, then it is advised that you consult a medical practitioner as soon as possible. The practitioner will let you know about the severity of your symptoms, and treat you accordingly. Most probably, you can be treated with some prescribed medication that you can take on your own, but in case the symptoms are severe then you would need to be admitted to a medical facility for treatment. Most people turn back to alcohol because they cannot bear the withdrawal symptoms; therefore it is imperative that a patient takes medical help with respect to his or her withdrawal symptoms so as not to fall back into the abyss of alcoholism.

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Alcohol Rehab Help

by admin on June 14, 2010

Alcoholics face a difficult decision when they finally come to the realization that they need help. Many prefer to try a self-help approach to alcohol rehabilitation. There are several self-help programs to choose from. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is, without a doubt, the most popular self-help group dedicated to alcohol rehabilitation. It is the largest self-help group and is dedicated to assisting an alcoholic deal with alcoholism on a day-to-day basis.

Alcoholics Anonymous uses the twelve-step program written by its founding members. Group meetings are held in local communities in several locations, and a person can go to as many as he or she wishes. Newcomers usually are introduced to the “buddy system” shortly after attending their first meeting. The buddy system pairs up a newcomer with a sponsor who has been sober for a year or more. The sponsor gives support on a 24 hour a day basis.

Members have a group involvement plan in place to assist any fellow member who may be susceptible to relapse. Fees are not charged to members and the meetings are attended voluntarily. Members or the public in general can make a donation to AA whenever they wish.

AA has a 12-step program that is based on self-restraint and taking responsibility for one’s actions. Addicts must admit they are defenseless over their addiction to alcohol. The addict turns their destiny over to a “higher power.” Furthermore, the addict must follow the steps to scrutinize the effects of their behavior and take responsibility for their actions and make amends.

People requiring alcohol rehab must first get over the powerlessness they feel over the substance controlling their life. In order to recover the respect of their family and friends, one must make a personal decision to seek help. If an alcoholic uses that help to the fullest degree, there is a tremendous chance that he or she will recover.

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Tips For Alcoholism Help

by admin on June 12, 2010

More and more alcohol dependents need alcoholism help every year as more families suffer in the destructive effects of this habit-forming dependence. Whether you are struggling with a drinking problem or you know someone who is, here are just some of the things you might find helpful in the intervention and recovery process.? For most people who cannot help but take some shot, they consider moderation as an option so they would not have to deal with the need to entirely stop drinking at all. This means that you are not a total or a true alcoholic if you can figure out how to successfully moderate your drinking habits.
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Most addicts find it difficult to control their alcohol intake so moderation is not really a good option at all. However, this can be very tricky because most alcoholics actually can control their level of consumption for a certain period. Some can even control their drinking for several months or even years at a time. However, note the following two things: One, they will not enjoy the drinking while they are “controlling” it, and will do so only through gritted teeth while being terribly discontent. In addition, two, no alcoholic can maintain this control forever; eventually they will go off the deep end and go on a bender.
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Therefore, you can attempt moderation in your drinking and if you find success with it then that is good for you. However, be honest with yourself and if you slip up or end up drinking much more than you wanted to then own up to it and realize that you have lost control. Saying that you can control it “when you really want to” is probably denial at that point, and you need to realize that most “normal people” (meaning non-alcoholics) are always controlling their drinking by default. In other words, normal drinkers do not have to struggle to control their intake. If you do, then this might be a serious red flag for you.
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Alcoholism help is available to anyone who needs it. It is a process of getting rid of the addictive elements in the body. After this, an alcoholic can fully recover through other means as getting a new hobby like drawing, traveling, and fishing or just about anything, that would divert his attention from his old habit.

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Tips For Helping Someone With Alcoholism

by admin on May 30, 2010

When a person is effected by alcoholism in their family they often want to find a way to help the alcoholic. There are some great tips for helping someone with alcoholism. Alcoholism effects everyone the alcoholic knows and for someone to offer the alcoholic help will benefit everyone in the end. It is important for people to understand, though, that alcoholism is hard to fight and it takes dedication, time and understanding to be successful.

The following is a list of tips for helping someone with alcoholism:

Keep focused on the task at hand. It can be frustrating but when the person helping the alcoholic shows frustration or anger the goal is lost. An alcoholic is more likely to listen and work with someone who isn’t judgmental or pushy. Maintain a normal environment. Trying to change everything about an alcoholics life will just cause them stress which triggers their alcoholism. It is important when helping that a person tries to keep things normal with the exception of eliminating alcohol. Find activities to replace the old alcohol-related ones. Since helping the alcoholic means taking alcohol out of their life it is important to eliminate activities where drinking is a part. For example, if the alcoholic went to the ball game every Saturday and drank while there, then that activity needs to be altered. It is often best to completely avoid the activity for a while until the alcoholic is further into recovery, so in the mean time the person helping could find a new Saturday past time. Don’t make excuses for the alcoholic. Part of getting over alcoholism is learning to deal with the problems it caused. If the person helping is taking responsibility or making excuses for the behavior of the alcoholic then they will never be able to completely recover.

These four tips cover only the beginning of what a person can do to help someone with alcoholism. Alcoholism is a hard disease to fight, but with help alcoholics have a better chance of winning that fight.

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Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation How To

by admin on February 26, 2010

<p>After a stressful day, everyone wishes to relax. Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation is a neat way to dump anxiety from the day, help to bring you into a more happy mood, and moreover, help you to feel energized and relaxed. Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation takes time and practice to perfect, but once mastered, can be a great tool to help in relieving your mind of strains and let you’re feeling at peace. <br /><br />The first step to correct Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation is good posture. Sitting cross legged with your back straight but not tensed is the right way to sit. Then place your right hand in your left four finger widths below the navel, thumbs a little raised. The thumbs are to touch. The tongue should be touching the roof of the mouth to prevent dryness. Your head should be looking downward and eyes should be a touch open. Lastly, your shoulders should be level with your elbows. This is the correct position to sit in when you meditate. Getting it right will help you to focus, though it could take a little time to become used to. <br /><br />After learning your correct Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation posture, easy Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation may start. When first beginning to meditate, concentrate on your respiring. Keep your breaths steady as you breathe and breathe out. For stress relief, every time a breath is drawn outward image all the negativity and negative feelings you have are being drawn out of you. When a breath comes in, imagine all the positive things and blessings coming to you. Concentrating on breathing out the bad and in the good will help you to start feeling peaceful and your consciousness will grow quiet. <br /><br />When the art of respiring, concentration, and posture have been mastered, adding some Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation music can be a great way to help keep your bad thought at bay, relaxing you, and helping you to hook up with positive thoughts that will help you to find inner peace and to coach yourself how to be positive through any situation. Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation and the power of thoughts will help you to make your life a more positive environment that may make you more in a position to see what you have, set goals, and be grateful. <br /><br />Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation is a great thing. It can be relaxing, insightful, and help us to think positive thoughts that will bring inner peace and happiness. By practicing correct posture, learning to breathe, and finding the proper music, then learning to channel negative feelings away, positive Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation can being and you may find just how smashing Tantric Zen Buddhism and Meditation can be.</p>

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When Going Through Alcohol Rehab

by admin on February 26, 2010

Going through alcohol rehab is a tough time, where one has to be tough, but also realize that toughness is not everything. It is okay to realize that you can not do everything on your own. This is where friends and family, as well as counselors, come into the picture, providing love and understanding during such a trying time.

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The alcoholism disease infects millions in the world, many of whom do not even realize they are alcoholics. A lot of physical and mental productivity never comes to pass because of the detrimental effects of addiction.

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Alcoholic addiction happens over a long period of time and so gradually that if one is accused of being an alcoholic, the natural response would be to deny such a thing. Indeed, it is not always easy to realize the truth. The quick response may be, “I can stop anytime,” even though this may not be true.

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As much as those around an addict would want to help him or her, it is ultimately the addict’s choice whether they will go through an addiction recovery program and subject themselves to various addiction treatments.

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It is undoubtedly an unpleasant experience, and support must be provided every step of the way. An addict has to constantly feel that people care and are praying for him or her, and that these people will be there when the addict leaves rehabilitation and goes back to everyday life.

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An important factor in getting better is to be in a homey atmosphere during the time of rehabilitation. This means having a relaxing environment, with no external pressures weighing in. This may very well require one to put off work for the weeks and months it takes to get better. As with any disease or illness, alcoholism must be dealt with adequately before one is able to go back to one’s normal life.

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One needs to get a feeling of peace, without those substances that one has gotten so attached to. It has to be realized that the only way to get rid of a bad habit, is to get another habit – bad or good, preferably good of course. This means that instead of the impulse to drink tequila or brandy, one drinks something such as chamomile tea, which incidentally helps one de-stress and detoxify.

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The lowering of one’s blood alcohol content may be a harrowing process, especially if one is experiencing withdrawal symptoms. But by replacing one’s impulse to drink alcohol with the drinking of something healthier, or perhaps physical activity such as jogging or working out, one is less susceptible to an alcohol relapse.

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There are a number of free alcohol treatment centers, and this is an option for those who have nowhere else to go or who simply do not have the funds to get better. Ideally, however, one must be in an environment that is conducive to meditation and serenity.

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Undergoing alcohol rehab is one of the hardest things one may have to go through, but with the assistance of the right professionals and a loving group of people, addiction can be overcome.

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The Bipolar Empath – Zen Tapes Buddhism and Meditation – Zen Tapes

by admin on February 26, 2010

<p>The most common psychiatric diagnosis among those with extraordinary empathic skills is Bipolar Disorder. Also known as manic depression, manic-depressive disorder and bipolar affective disorder, this diagnosis describes a category of mood disorders. In the case of many empaths, there are presences of a multitude of episodes of abnormally elevated mood throughout their lives. Moods bounce back and forth from major depression to times of mania or experience both emotions simultaneously. Episodes of one mood or another can last days, months, even years at a time. In extreme cases, empaths can experience psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Depressive episodes are associated with distress and disruption leading to elevated risk of suicide. Manic episodes are associated with creativity, goal striving and positive achievements, though usually acted out without forethought or logical thinking.</p> <p>Empaths tend to have mild to severe bipolar disorders throughout childhood and adulthood. Periods of heightened emotional stress can accelerate the disorder as well as increases in empathic sensitivity. Increased empathic sensitivity can lead to stronger and more frequent episodes just as periods of heightened emotional stress can increase empathic sensitivity. While this disorder may always be an underlying part of the empath, there are treatments that can help bring the disorder into varying levels of control. Treatments include psychological based behavior therapy and stress management and psychiatric based medicative treatments. Empaths are encouraged to meditate on their empathic skill as a means to focus their transmission and reception of emotions as to spare themselves and others of unnecessary additional stress. Some empaths may find control through Zen Tapes Buddhism and Meditation via attempting to narrow the reception/transmission channel that they use to send and receive emotional packages of information. Ignoring a condition such as bipolar disorder will only lead to increased complications, sensitivity and frequency of episodes.</p> <p><strong>Common signs and symptoms of mania include:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Feeling euphoric and optimistic or experience extreme irritability</li> <li>Unrealistic, grandiose beliefs about ones abilities or powers</li> <li>Sleeping very little, but feeling extremely energetic</li> <li>Talking so rapidly that others cant keep up</li> <li>Racing thoughts</li> <li>Highly distractible, unable to concentrate</li> <li>Impaired judgment and impulsiveness</li> <li>Acting recklessly without thinking about the consequences</li> <li>Delusions and hallucinations (in severe cases) </li> </ul> <p>Bipolar disorder not only affects mood, but also energy level, judgment, memory, concentration, appetite, sleep patterns, sex drive, and self-esteem. Additionally, bipolar disorder has been linked to anxiety, substance abuse, and health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, migraines, and high blood pressure. Empaths with any degree of bipolar disorder can improve with treatment and lead normal lives.</p> <p><strong>Sources</strong></p> <ul> <li>Kathy Liszewski (May 2009) "Decoding Cell Communication." Genetic Engineering &amp; Biotechnology News, Volume 29, Number 10 </li> <li>Witzany, G.111 (2000). Life: The Communicative Structure. Norderstedt, Libri BoD.</li> <li>I. Greenwald (1998) Genes in Development Volume 12, pages 1751-1762. Entrez Pubmed 9637676</li> <li>University of Virginia – Histology of the Endocrine Glands</li> </ul>

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Drug Rehab Directory Kick Start Restoration

by admin on February 16, 2010

When an addict makes the decision to enter a Drug and Alcohol Rehab Program, there should be a very small Replacement Window of time between that decision and action. If action is not taken quickly, chances are it will not be taken not this time. That is why it is imperative that the addict and/or the family make a move quickly. An online directory is the perfect resource at such a time.

Addictions take over a persons life. The person can get lost in the addiction to the point that his or her personality changes and friends and family not only notice the changes, but the relationships may be jeopardized due to negative actions taken by the addict.

As things spiral out of control, the addict may lose friendships and eventually lose his or her job. Many addicts get involved in illegal activities in an effort to meet the expense of the drugs. This only adds to the difficult life they are leading. Sooner or later the addict reaches a low point, often referred to as hitting rock bottom.

When this point is reached, the addict is ready to reach out for help. The good news is DrugRehab.net, an online directory of treatment centers across the nation, is there to help. This directory can assist anyone in finding a program that will work for them or their loved one; whether you are seeking a residential treatment center or outpatient care, and no matter what type of program you prefer. This resource is quick-and-easy to use, and it is accessible from the comfort and privacy of your own home.

There also is a toll-free number that can be called to speak with a counselor, in addition to a free online assessment. The website provides informational articles and lots of rehab information. This is an excellent resource for addicts and family members alike. Its a great place to gather information in order to prepare ones self for making life changing decisions regarding rehabilitation programs.

When the decision is made to seek help, this website can be the start to the journey to recovery. A visit here can guide an addict or family member to the selection of a rehab center that is well suited to meet the individuals needs. All of this can happen very quickly, within that small Replacement Window of time in which the addict is ready and willing to seek help.

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