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Can Exercise harm you?
When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called
endorphins that produce a feeling of euphoria - the so called
"runner's high" that people can become chemically addicted to.
Without it, you feel irritable and out of sorts till...
Does Your Life Lack Meaning?
Vera sought out counseling with me because her doctor advised her to discover the emotional causes of her chronic fatigue. Vera, a successful stockbroker, was in a loving 18-year marriage. On the surface, everything in her life was fine. She had...
Giving Up In Dealing With Your Fears Is Not An Option
Your fears, anxieties, and other problems have the best of you
and you don't know where to turn for help. At some point you
feel totally helpless as you struggle each day. What do you do?
As a layman and an author of a Managing Fear book, there...
Grieving Personal Wounds
While recently at a men’s conference on sexual addiction, the group I was facilitating had been processing the relationship between personal wounds and sexually acting-out. While it is often exciting to watch men reconnect with their hearts and risk...
Low Carb Revolution - 3 Reasons Low Carbing Is So Popular
The revolution is here. Weight Loss as we know it has changed forever because of one diet: One diet that has reached beyond the weight loss program boundaries and invaded areas heretofore unknown: areas like beer commercials and even the all...
Shackled by Deeds in My Jail Made of Choices
I have personally spent a great deal of time working
professionally with individuals who struggle with addictions,
more specifically addictions to controlled substances. I have
given presentations to many parent groups, school groups,
government...
Sugar Addiction: Weight Gain, Cravings and Genetics
Jay Leno expressed on the Tonight Show that as he interviewed people he realized that most of them had weight loss as their New Year’s resolution. Weight is indeed a major concern in the United States. Being overweight robs us of energy and...
The Dating Scene - Signs of a Promising Relationship
The following article is offered for free use in your ezine, print publication or on your web site, so long as the author resource box at the end is included, with hyperlinks. Notification of publication would be appreciated. For other articles...
To Diet or not to Diet, that should be the question!
To Diet Or Not To Diet? That Should Be The Question! Diet information is everywhere. In advertisements, on TV, in magazines; the bookstores are crammed with books on many different diet options - The South Beach Diet, The Atkins Diet, Weight...
Why Eating Well Will Help You Quit Smoking
Many smokers have a tendency to light up in order to quiet the hunger pangs
that strike midday, late at night, or even first thing in the morning. That's
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5 Ways to Tell if You Have an Addiction
The term addictions is most commonly associated with drug and alcohol addiction, however the truth is that millions of people suffer from all kinds of addictions. Some of these addictions are related to some form of chemical dependency such as alcohol, controlled substances and even prescriptions drugs. Other addictions are related to compulsive types of behavior such as gambling, shopping, food disorders and eating, sex and even the Internet.
One of the most important things to recognize about any type of addiction, regardless of whether it is a chemical addition or a behavioral
addiction; is that it is not a matter of choice. Individuals who are addicts do not have the ability to simply decide to stop abusing their ‘drug’ of choice. Addictions affect not only the user, but their family and friends as well.
So, what is an addiction? How does it begin and when does a pattern of behavior become an addiction? Some individuals seem to have the ability to use a substance or engage in a behavior periodically over a period of years without becoming ‘hooked.’ Others; however are not capable of stopped and become addicted.
Addictions affect all social and educational groups. There is no typical addict.
The causes of addiction have been studied for a number of years. In many ways, addiction is caused by the feeling that the substance or behavior brings about in the user. The body, and mind, becomes dependent on that feeling and seeks to maintain it.
There are addiction risk factors that make some people more likely than others to become addicts. Studies indicate that in some cases addictions
can be hereditary. The child of an alcoholic may not grow up to become an alcoholic, however; they become addicted to gambling or some other type of compulsive behavior as an adult. Besides heredity, individuals who grow up in families with abuse, neglect and who are impoverished and
undereducated are more likely to become addicts than those who do not.
For most addicts, it can be extremely difficult to recognize that what they have associated as simply a habit is actually an addiction. While every individual and addiction is different there are some symptoms that are prevalent among most addicts and addictions.
* Unable to meet
responsibilities at home, school or office.
* Continues to use substance or engage in behavior even when it is dangerous.
* The need increases to engage in behavior or use more of the substance to achieve the same effect or feeling.
* Has tried but failed to stop using the substance or end the behavior.
* Continues to engage in the behavior or use the substance even when they know the dangers.
Answering yes to three or more of the above symptoms during a twelve month period may indicate that you or a loved one has an addiction. The first step to treating an addiction is recognizing that it exists.
There is no cure for addiction. Treatment and counseling can help an addict learn to control their behavior, withstand impulses and recognize the presence of a problem, but an addict is never cured. Treating an addiction can take years and requires ongoing support from friends, families and =resource/support groups.
A 12 step program can be particularly beneficial in treating an addiction. One of the most well known 12 step programs is AA, also known as Alcoholics Anonymous; however there are similar programs for all kinds of addictions.
Living with an addiction requires a daily commitment and there is always the possibility of relapsing. An addict who has been ‘sober’ for even twenty years, can succumb to temptation just as easily as they did decades before.
There are a number of treatment programs and centers that can help with the numerous types of addictions that are prevalent today. Many of
them are anonymous. Support groups are also available to assist family and friends who are dealing with effects of an addiction in a loved one.
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.
About the Author
Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.
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