Female Alcoholism

Alcohol dependence or alcoholism is a progressive chronic disease and can be even life dangerous. Short-term consumption of alcohol entails feeling high and relaxation, or sleepy. Whereas, alcohol's long-term impact change the brain reaction on alcohol creating the craving to drink. Unfortunately women get addicted to alcohol faster than men as well women surpass men in the problems resulting from their drinking.

There are different reasons of female alcoholism. Sometimes working women overwhelmed with responsibilities and find difficult to handle with work and household tasks. Some women being part of the "Sandwich Generation" look after their aging parents and as well own children. They stick to alcohol to relax. Frequent quarrels with husband are another cause for female alcoholism. Women who were sexual abused may turn to alcohol as a remedy from haunting thoughts and feelings of anger, sadness and shame. Women with low on self confidence also find in alcohol some comfort. Women may start drinking alcohol to overcome the stress caused by the many roles they play in their routine way of life. It brings them some relief, but does not help to decide their issues. Also women who grew up in the drinking family are more prone to become an alcoholic themselves due to a genetic vulnerability and as well to environment.

Such feelings as depression, loneliness and isolation are other causes of female alcoholism. Although alcohol is a depressant, women use it to feel better. However, drinking has the opposite effect, such person begins to feel worse and use alcohol more often to self-medicate and this behavior turns into a vicious cycle. For some women drinking alcohol is a way to cope with anxiety. They start from a few drinks and over time come to rely on it to assist them more and more.

In some social situations drinking is accepted and may even be encouraged. Business women can drink alcohol while taking part in social gathering, business meeting to 'break the ice'. However, the social stigma blames female alcoholism much more strictly than men's. Thus, for the woman herself the social condemnation is a strong motivation to deny reality from all.

Alcohol influences on male and female different way. Due to their smaller body size and consequently, smaller quantity of body water, women get higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood than men after drinking equal amount of alcohol. Even if a woman has more than one drink a day she can get problems with alcohol. As a result, women suffer from alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic cirrhosis and hepatitis after a shorter period of drinking than men. Female alcoholism also leads to a risk for breast cancer.

Treatment of female alcoholism depends on its severity. Women who are not yet alcohol dependent are able to stop drinking with minimal assistance. Women seek treatment because of family problems, and they often are inspired by parents or children to apply therapy. Finding out what makes some women drink too much is the primary condition to preventing alcohol problems for a woman. This can promote women identify the issues and get an assistance to overcome them. Being aware that you may be under risk for expanding issue with alcohol, you may be stimulated to select other healthier ways of handling with the problems.

Visiting a doctor is a right decision to discuss consequences of alcohol consumption. Professional is able to help a woman to understand disrupting effect of alcohol on her life and advise ways to drop drinking or to cut down.

What Are Support Groups? Part 2.

Some people prefer groups managed by professionals; whereas, others may choose a peer environment. Membership in some groups is under control with permission requirements and members’ fees. While for other groups every is welcome and can attend a meeting or take part in a forum online.

It is important for the individual to find a suitable group. Establishing a new support group is a tedious, time and labor consuming task. In addition a working group has defined advantages, such as informational materials available, meeting schedule times and venues, and established connections with professionals.

However, sometimes the type of group one looks for may not exist in the local community. An arrangement for a new group includes getting the promotion of a local hospital, doctor or church.

Many hospitals and addiction-treatment centers offer support groups, but groups can also meet in individual's homes, churches or temples, libraries, or other community buildings. Support groups can met in person or maintain contact through newsletters, telephone and internet.

Nowadays Internet has become popular way of communication for facilitated support groups and can be especially helpful if there are no groups thereabouts.

What Are Support Groups? Part 1.

Many people are unaware about supports group activity and the benefits of joining them. Support groups unite people with similar background and common aims. Support groups often include disabled people and their family members. People with health problems and their relatives find peer support a helpful devise that can aid in their recovery. Such groups can be a great place to get medical information, useful tips or just let off steam.

People with poor health conditions often become "experts", they know a great deal about the medical, social, and emotional aspects of having a particular disease. In support groups members share their experience and findings.

People who have got through similar circumstances know about what one is going through and keep him from feeling of loneness. In such group suffers get assistance to cope with health problems. Psychologists call this mutual group cohesion, and it is the high point of the group achievement.

Some groups are led by its members being the volunteers. Other support groups are managed by such professionals as psychologists, social workers. They arrange for meetings, setting up the meeting room, control discussions and provide other managerial services.

Some groups have aim to develop public health policy, or edifying the general public. Emotional support groups are usually small, and members can feel ease expressing feelings.

Smoking as a Harmful Addiction

Tobacco was imported to Europe in 16th century. Frenchman Jean Nicot (nicotine was called by his name) brought tobacco to France and then tobacco got to England. Like tea, coffee and opium, tobacco was one of other intoxicants that originally used in medicine. Indians believed that tobacco was a present from God and used to smoke it in holy ceremonies, or to fix a deal. They smoked since childhood and applied tobacco mixed with some plants to heal from cold, asthma and tuberculosis.

It is estimated that about 1.22 billion people smoke nowadays. And although everyone knows that smoking is a harmful addiction, only few people are aware how dangerous it is. Tobacco contains nicotine - psychoactive drug, which is highly addictive and acts as a stimulant and depressant at the same time. Nicotine serves as an appetite suppressant as well.

Nicotine produces structural and functional changes in the body. While smoker try to quit smoking, some symptoms like headaches, irritability, insomnia probably will appear. This is called withdrawal syndrome. It takes time for the body and mind to recover from addiction. In fact, nicotine acts similar to heroin and cocaine and affects the same area of the brain.

Nicotine promotes to enhance the level of glucose in blood and producing of insulin. Long-term smokers are under the increasing risk of such diseases as diabetes, lung cancer, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis; as well pregnancy-related problems; tooth and gum diseases; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Many smokers experience those painful illnesses, take medicines like Advair Diskus, and still smoking.

The passive smoking is considered to entail cancer and is a cause for about 3,000 lung cancer deaths of nonsmoking people each year. Smoking of parents affects the function of lungs of newborn babies and this can persist during the whole life. It is estimated that about four million children a year get sick from passive smoking.

Most smokers want to give up smoking but only small percent of smokers succeed in it. It's not really very difficult and anyone can manage with it if he does it by the right way. If you decide to quit smoking, don't give up! There are many methods to stop smoking. Families, relatives and friends can support, but the desire and commitment to quit smoking must be your own. In case you join some quit smoking programs, you have a better chance to succeed. Those programs combine different strategies, including friend support and ways to overcome relapse problems.

Is Shopping a True Addiction?

Nowadays society reinforces shopping. Advertisements tell us that purchase will make us happy. Politicians urge us to spend for boosting the economy. Our buying capacity has become a degree of our social worth.

So, is shopping a true addiction? Is there any difference between usual shopping activity and shopping addiction? Shopping undertaken to buy things you need is a constructive process, while done to excess, it could be converted into compulsive shopping or shopping addiction leading to the bad consequences. Compulsive shopping occurs when people "shop till they drop".

The shopping addict is preoccupied with the process more than the acquisition itself. Shopaholic looks forward to shopping, he feels great and enjoys doing activity and it does help to overcome depression and cheer up. The shopping addicts being unable to decide their problems repressed them by shopping. They use shopping as a way of coping with stress, anxiety, boredom, self-critical thoughts, and anger.

Unfortunately, the escape is not long-lived. Shopping can’t help to heal the regrets, stress, and the daily life problems as well. It even makes situation worse because of the financial debts. Then the feeling of guilt leads to more depression and another round of shopping. This cycle downward is the peculiarity of any addiction.

Shopaholics even don't care about their purchases. Women, for example, often have lots of new clothes with tags; yet never take them out of the closet. Such shopaholics are prone to shop in secret and hide bought goods as relationships with family become under strain. They are ashamed to shop with people who don’t share their shopping enthusiasm.

Generally, the consequence of shopping addiction can be disruptive. It can destroy relationships and wreck families, and lead to financial troubles, anxiety, and frustration.

Researches cite that about three-quarters of shopaholics confess that their shopping is problematic, especially in areas of finances and relationships. It is recommended that addicts look for professional guidance to deal with shopping addiction. Also, there is a range of treatments to escape from shopping addiction, such as medications, cognitive-behavioral therapy, support groups, books as well.

A person may also ask to get financial counseling, particularly if one has run up debts. It is better to refrain from using of credit cards, avoid discount sales, and allocate only a certain amount of cash to be spent.

Shopping only with friends or relatives is also a good idea, as they can support you to cut your spending. It is essential to find alternative leisure activity to breaking the vicious circle of using shopping as a way to cheer up. Let’s go to walk or do exercise when the craving to shop comes on.