February 23, 2012

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How Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work?

If you or a loved one is faced with a drinking problem you may have heard of Alcoholics Anonymous. There are many different programs available in our society to deal with addiction. One of the most commonly recognized programs for dealing with drinking is Alcoholics Anonymous, but how does it work?

First of all Alcoholics Anonymous is a free program. Meetings are run by donation only to cover expenses. No one is turned away due to money. For people with limited income or no insurance this may be the only way to seek treatment.

AA Big Book

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Meetings are relatively easy to find. There are no minimum or maximum meetings to attend. Attendees can attend as few as one a month or as many as four a week depending where you live. There are AA chapters located in virtually every locale, city or rural.

AA is based on a 12 step program to achieving and maintaining sobriety. The meetings are usually facilitated by someone who has been through AA and has been sober for a long period of time. Participants do the 12 step program one step at a time to work toward and maintain sobriety.

Participants also usually have a “sponsor”. A sponsor is a person who has been through AA and has maintained sobriety for a lengthy period of time. A sponsor is someone who can help the alcoholic learn how to complete the 12 steps and can be called on for help day or night.

AA is one of oldest and most respected alcohol rehabilitation programs available to treat alcohol addiction.

 

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Filed Under: Health, Workout Tagged With: , ,

Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

A lot of people love chocolate, but there are things that are great about chocolate other than the taste that make it easy to love.  Here are some of the things that dark chocolate can do for you that you may not even know about.

It’s good for your heart. When you eat a small amount of dark chocolate each day, it can help your cardiovascular system and your heart running very well. Two of the health benefits for the heart from dark chocolate are:

  1. Decrease in blood pressure – It’s been shown in studies that when you eat a small dark chocolate bar each day it can lower your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure.
  2. Lower Cholesterol Amounts – It has also been shown by studies that dark chocolate can reduce the amount of LDL, which is the bad kind of cholesterol, by as much as 10%.

Besides helping your heart, there are other things that dark chocolate can do for you.

  • Stimulates the production of endorphins, which give you a pleasurable feeling.
  • Contains serotonin, which is something that is going to act like an anti-depressant.
  • Contains caffeine, theobromine, and other stimulating substances.

There aren’t too many things that do everything that dark chocolate does and still tastes good. Remember, dark chocolate isn’t illegal to eat while you are driving. It’s not a controlled substance, and it is heart healthy.  Plus, it tastes good.  How many other things can say that they do all this and still taste good? Not too many things.

If you want to do something good for your heart and you want to help yourself feel better without using drugs, just eat some dark chocolate. It’s tasty and it’s good for you, dispelling the myth that everything that is good for you tastes gross.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With:

4 Heart Health Tips

A lot of people know that there are things that they should do to help their heart but they’re not sure what those things are. Here are some of the things that can be done to help someone to have a healthier heart.

  • Do Not Smoke – The first thing that you want to do is to avoid starting to smoke or stop smoking if you are currently a smoker. When someone has smoked for a long time and stops, they are going to greatly reduce their chances of a heart attack.
  • Lower Salt Intake – The second thing that you should do is to watch the amount of salt that you take in. This doesn’t just mean the salt you put on foods but the salt that is in food. Before you eat something, look at the sodium in it.
  • Eat Foods That are Heart Healthy – The third thing that you should do is eat food that is good for your heart, like vegetables, seafood, fish, nuts, and cereals that are whole grain.
  • Watch the Fat – The final thing that you should do is to keep your levels of cholesterol down by limiting your fat, especially the saturated fat.  The total fat you take in shouldn’t be any greater than 30 percent of the calories you take in. Go for lean meats such as skinless chicken or fish.  Go for the low-fat versions of dairy, such as soy milk or even the skim milk.

These are four things that you can do to help you with your heart health.  Some of them are easier than others, but they are all important to keeping your heart happy and healthy. Once you start getting used to the new regime, you’ll find that it’s not that bad and that you may even like the new way you look and feel.

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4 Ways to Lower Health Costs

Money is tight and a lot of people are looking for ways to cut down, often going without things like important health tests. But that doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some of the ways that anyone can cut down on the amount of money that they are spending for their health.

  • Join Clinical Trials – One of the things that people can do is to join clinical trials. You always see them advertised on television and all of the tests and medicine is covered. They even pay you for your time.
  • Free Screenings – The second thing that you can do is find free screenings. If you can’t afford to have something like a mammogram you may be able to find free screenings somewhere, especially during breast cancer awareness month.
  • Attend Health Fairs – The third thing that you can do is to attend health fairs. You are going to find that there is a lot of reduced or free things that you can get there, including screenings and other things that you might need.
  • Ask About Discounts – The final thing that you can do is to talk to your doctor to see if they’ll give you a discount if you pay cash. Sometimes doctors don’t want to have to deal with the insurance company and you can cash in on that.

These are four of the things that you can do to reduce your health costs.  You shouldn’t play around with your health and avoid getting things because you can’t afford to pay when there are options such as those above. Health is something that no one can afford to waste.  But you don’t have to pay high prices either.  Use the options above and you’ll find that your costs are going down.

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New Health Reform Law

A new health care law reform, known as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is changing Mental Illness care. When insurance coverage was insufficient or non-existent, people with mental illness couldn’t get adequate treatment. Now the quality of care and a set of minimum standards are part of the package since the law passed in 2010. The law reform provides improvements and expanded qualifications for Medicaid. Health insurance policies with added mental health benefits can be purchased at the state level.

An added benefit to childless adults makes them eligible for a mental health program with Medicaid. There is hope that this law will improve primary care and mental health communication and services to treat the patient together. In drug treatments centers, a person’s health care and substance abuse can be addressed at the same time. If you are disabled, getting your treatments at home is a viable solution with the law. There is a new focus on home and community like never before and it’s about time.

Someone with a mental disability will have access to health insurance that will cover their substance abuse as well as mental health programs. If a person can’t pay for an insurance plan, subsidies will be available to help pay for the insurance plan. This will put insurers in a position to meet certain criteria that will cover a person whether they have a pre-existing condition or not. A real bonus with the new law allows for prevention programs, bolstering the Medicare drug plan and for a long-term care option.

Children will benefit greatly with the reinstatement of the SCHIP, State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Many see the new law as the first real step in helping the hundreds of thousands of people with a mental illness and substance problem. Getting help to these children, teenagers, adults and the disabled is a great beginning.

Filed Under: Addiction Recovery Programs, Health Tagged With: ,

Regulating Electronic Cigarettes Proves Tricky

Smoking is a habit that many Americans are trying to kick. A recent invention, the electronic cigarette has emerged and allows smokers to have their nicotine without subjecting others to second hand smoke. The electronic cigarette is gaining popularity and many states don’t quite know how to regulate it. The American Association of Public Health Physicians, or AAPHP, recently issued a statement regarding regulation. The AAPHP recommends that minors should have zero access to the product, but adults should be allowed to purchase electronic cigarettes. The AAPHP has no opinion regarding whether or not electronic cigarettes should be allowed in non-smoking areas or venues.

An electronic cigarette is a metal cylinder fashioned to look like a cigarette. Inside there is a battery, a heating element, and a cartridge that contains a mixture of propylene glycol, flavoring, nicotine, and glycerin. When the smoker using an electronic cigarette inhales, an LED light at the end of the tube lights up to appear as though the device is a cigarette. When the smoker exhales, a very fine mist disappears in an instant. Smokers can enjoy nicotine and the act of smoking without subjecting themselves or others to the harmful effects of cigarette smoke.

The electronic cigarette offers a promising alternative to handle the debilitating effects of nicotine addiction. Currently, millions of people are trying unsuccessfully each year to escape the clutches of nicotine. The use of electronic cigarettes may save up to eight million Americans over the next 20 years. Research indicates that smokers can use an electronic cigarette and obtain almost all the health benefits of actually kicking the habit. Only three percent of smokers succeed in quitting every year. Electronic cigarettes could take the place of traditional cigarettes for smokers who cannot or do not try to quit smoking.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: , ,

Breaking Your Addiction

If you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol and want to avoid Tennessee drug treatment, consider working on your own to break your addiction. Once you realize you have a drug or alcohol problem, you can then work on curing yourself with the help of your family and friends.

First, recognize why you started taking drugs or alcohol in the first place. Was it one specific incident? Was it because of someone in your life? Figure out why you started on this path and acknowledge the reason you started. Once you figure out why, you can have an easier time getting healthy again.

Recognize that you are in control of yourself. Only you can stop yourself from taking that next drink or snorting that next drug. You have to power to control your body and mind. No one else can force you to continue on a bad path.

Next, identify your triggers. Is there a certain time of day or a day of the week where you are more prone to drink or do drugs? If you pinpoint these times, you can make sure you are doing something else that is productive during those times. If you drink in the early afternoon, try exercising or going on a walk instead.

Change your life around. You may need to do some adjustments in order to get your life back on track. If you have a group of friends who tend to go out and drink, tell them you can’t hang out with them right now. Let them know that you are aware of your drinking addiction, and that you choose to not be around it.

The best way to get help for yourself is to have a great support system. Surround yourself with people who want you to get better, not people who want to party their lives away.

Filed Under: Addiction, Addiction Recovery Programs, Doctor, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

Rockefeller Drug Laws Reform Offers Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers Over Jail

According to a New York state report, approximately 1,600 people avoided going to jail or prison due to the completion of reforms for the Rockefeller Drug Laws. As part of the reforms, which went into effect in 2009, New York courts can decide to put first-time users on probation with treatment as a requirement rather than send them to jail. The court can do this over objections from the defendant.

In some cases, a judge may even choose this route for a second-time offense, provided the felony was non-violent. The reforms also targeted property offenses often related to drug use. These included third- and fourth-degree larceny and third-degree burglary. The reforms are also helping drug felons currently in prison. The state of New York released approximately 327 felons after re-sentencing them under the reforms.

Based on the new drug laws, a judge can also decide to send users to drug and alcohol treatment centers instead of prison. Some believe this is a much better option than prison because it can help truly eliminate the problem by reducing the number of addicts on the street. Often, prisoners maintain their addictions.

As of 2010, 46 percent of people arrested for drug crimes entered a residential drug and alcohol treatment center. Another 54 percent enrolled in outpatient programs. In both cases, treatment usually lasts around 18 months, on average.

Part of the immediate success for the reforms could be a decrease in the number of drug arrests. It’s still too soon to tell the long-term effects of the new drug laws, but critics are already lobbying to make their points. According to some reports, felons may prefer to spend time in prison or jail rather than undergoing drug recovery treatment. However, other reports indicate many users are thankful and hopeful for the treatment option.

For now, policy makers remain optimistic about the reforms.

Filed Under: Addiction, Addiction Recovery Programs, Doctor, Drugs Tagged With: , , ,

Using Medications to Improve Your Health

Having good health is a very important quality of life that may people want to pursue. Being strong, healthy and doing some of the basic daily requirements is something that many people don’t want to every take for granted nor lose the ability to do for themselves. Pursuing a healthy lifestyle is also something that is very easy to achieve, if the person has the right resources and time to devote to making it happen.

We know that eating right, exercising and getting adequate rest are some of the key components that it takes to have a healthy life. If a person is perhaps missing one or a couple of these things, it may be hard for them to achieve that optimal health. They may have to work a little harder or make some other changes in their lives to do it, but it can be done.

For many people, using medications is also a way for them to try and achieve that picture of health. Although synthetic medications may be frowned upon, they can be a beneficial and helpful towards that healthy lifestyle. If a person suffers from any condition like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, taking medicine for it may be the only treatment to take to keep it under control. This course of action may be temporary or long-term, but its effects are going to be long-term.

Before a person dismisses the use of drugs in their healthy lifestyle goals and regimen, they should carefully consider the long-term benefits that are offered and not immediately assume that all synthetic drugs are bad. If cholesterol medication keeps your levels down and allow you to continue your daily jogs and yoga classes, then by all means it is perfectly fine to do both in conjunction. By doing both of them together, you’re more likely to get the desirable effects anyway.

Filed Under: Health, Medication Tagged With: ,

What Kind of Drug Reform can Happen?

When you walk down the street in some larger cities, you may have flyers given to you about different drug problems that the world is dealing with. This is most especially true as election times draw near. In fact, if an election is close, you may even see this happening in smaller towns. Frequently the message is the same; drugs are bad. How the person making the flier goes about saying this can differ significantly.

The politician that you are most interested in may be saying that the biggest drug problem in our world is tobacco. Or, he or she might instead claim that it is prescription drug abuse. Some politicians today still claim that marijuana is the most dangerous thing facing our nation. No matter what is being said by which politician, most of these claims have at least a tiny bit of truth to them, though it may not be quite what your politician suggests.

For example; tobacco has been shown to be one of the leading causes of cancer and death in the United States. It could be said that this is a huge drug problem. Whether or not it needs to be made illegal is still to be seen. In most cases, though, things that get prohibited tend to sell even more. Just look at Prohibition in the 1920′s and 1930′s. With the debate on marijuana there are two major sides. One side says that the drug is one of the largest dangers facing our country. The other says that the fear and lies that are spread about the drug do more harm than the drug ever could.

Many people feel that changes in the drug industry and how we view drugs in general, is an extremely important step that we, as a society need to take.

Filed Under: Addiction, Addiction Recovery Programs, Doctor, Health Tagged With: , , ,
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