The Dangers of Drinking In Excess

There are side effects to abusing alcohol and sometimes there are very serious negative outcomes for those who drink excessively. It has been estimated that drinking in excess causes the deaths of 88,000 Americans every year. Every one of those deaths represents a loss of an average of 30 years of life.

You can see how statistically there is a truly noble reason for trying to reduce those numbers and the deaths as well as the illnesses caused by drinking in excess. It’s even more important for those people who are unable to control their behavior when drinking too heavily.

This trend rubber-stamps excessive drinking as being among the most prolific lifestyle-related killers. It is responsible for more deaths than nearly any other type of behavior. As of 2006, alcohol abuse was responsible for over 1 million trips to the emergency room and when you add in regular trips to the doctor’s office that number climbs to around 4 million trips total to medical facilities (that is all in one single year).

There are both short-term and long-term consequences to excessive drinking. Aside from personal injuries sustained during a drinking binge, the regular over-consumption of alcohol leads to many chronic health problems and these problems continue to become more life threatening as time goes by.

An example of a short-term behavioral consequence that involves injury is getting behind the wheel and trying to drive while intoxicated. The injuries caused by drunk drivers take a huge toll on society overall. There are also a significant number of accident and firearm injuries associated with drinking.

Another potential danger for the excessive drinker is alcohol poisoning. This is a condition that impairs the central nervous system functions and cause them not to function properly. It causes unconsciousness, respiratory distress, coma, and in a worst case scenario – death.

When drinking excessively is added into the mix the number of family violence incidents goes up. Aside from the crimes committed against domestic partners there are also consequences for the children who bear the brunt of the abuse dished out by a drunken family member.

Anyone who sees these behaviors in themselves needs to seek treatment immediately, before things get totally out of hand and it’s too late to remedy the situation.

Common Types Of Mental Health Issues

Millions of people in the country have at least one type of mental health issue. However, many of the cases are not reported since they do not prevent the affected persons from performing their day to day activities. Mental health issues can be as simple as the fear of height (a phobia) or as serious as panic attacks and personality disorders. Read on to learn about the most common types of mental health issues.

i) Anxiety

Anxiety is a general term used to refer to a mixture of feeling, including fear, worry and unease. It combines both physical sensations and emotions when a person is nervous about something, which may be an interview, exam, having a baby, deciding to get married or divorced, or any other major life event. Anxiety puts the body in a state of alertness in preparation for either “flight” or “fight”. As a result, your breathing and heartbeat may change as the body prepares itself for an impending danger. These symptoms are caused by the release of cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream. If left untreated, anxiety can get worse and become overwhelming or crippling.

ii) Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

This is a type of personality disorder characterized by intense emotions which can last hours or days but can change in a matter of seconds. A person who has BPD may not have a strong sense of whom they are and their character may change from time to time depending on their mood or the person they’re with. When faced with a stressful situation, a person with BPD may simply go numb and not remember anything that has happened. They may also have psychotic experiences or feel paranoid.

iii) Depression

This is one of the most common mental health issues affecting Americans. Depression is characterized by a feeling of sadness which may last weeks. A depressed person may feel bad about life for no apparent reason. The feeling may last a few days but recur every couple of days or weeks. This feeling may interfere with a person’s life and reduce its quality.

It is important to note that all mental health issues are treatable, so it is important for you to get help if you experience unpleasant feelings.

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How Long Does Cocaine Stay In Your System?

The length of time cocaine stays in your system depends on a few different contributing factors. The drug itself passes out of the body in a relatively short time, but it does leave behind a chemical that takes longer to be completely eliminated.

Cocaine can stay in the body anywhere from 12 to 72 hours, depending on individual body weight, the amount of the drug initially taken and the time needed for its main metabolite to clear the system. This metabolite is called benzoylecgonine, and it’s the chemical that shows up in drug tests that come back positive for cocaine use. The same substance can also be found in topical analgesic medications as well as in some muscle relaxers.

The chemical name for cocaine is benzoylmethylecgonine, and this substance gets metabolized into benzoylecgonine as the liver processes it and works to eliminate it from the body. The metabolite is then eventually passed out through the urine. If benzoylecgonine shows up in a urine drug test, the probability is very high that the tested individual has recently used this particular drug.

Natural metabolic rates play a big role in how fast cocaine passes through the body. Anyone’s metabolism function depends on several factors, including daily levels of activity as well as any separate contributing health factors. Body mass index and the frequency of cocaine use also affect how quickly cocaine gets eliminated. After 72 hours have passed since the last cocaine use, its metabolite is normally no longer detectable in drug tests for the majority of people. One exception is if a significant amount of alcohol was ingested along with the cocaine. In this situation, it will usually take more than 72 hours to pass through the body.

Chronic cocaine users often have the metabolite of the drug stored in their fatty tissues, which can lead to positive drug tests even after a few days of abstinence from it. Some false positive drug tests have been reported in individuals who have taken certain prescription medications. In any situation, a drug-free status is accomplished after about five months of rehabilitation from cocaine abuse.

What’s The Best Medicine To Take For ADD Or ADHD?

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a condition affecting millions of adults and children across the globe. This condition can be dealt with medication and therapy. The sufferer experience mood swings wherein they may feel happy and energetic at times while lonely and depressed at the others. This is a treatable disorder, provided the patient is willing to understand the situation and co-operate with the doctors.

Drugs used to treat patients suffering from this disorder include stimulants and anti-depressants. Stimulant drugs do better than other class of drugs. For best results, it is vital to take medication and therapy along with education. Moreover, if medication and dosage is individualized, the treatment becomes the most effective.

The release of neurotransmitter dopamine which is particularly in the prefrontal cortex is elevated with the use of stimulants. This increase in dopamine is good for the thirsty brain of people who suffer from ADHD.

Non-stimulant drugs are also used to treat the problem in some cases, especially when the patient is not able to tolerate other stimulant medicines. Some people are also given high blood pressure medication where symptoms like impulsivity, irritability and restlessness are observed.

Some drugs that are commonly used for treating ADHD:

Ritalin, Mehylin, Metadate, Concerta, Daytrana (methylphenidate).

For managing inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and other such symptoms of ADHD, these stimulants prove helpful. Methylphenidate is also very effective in the disorder. However, there may be certain side effects of these drugs like — nausea, insomnia, loss of appetite, headaches, dizziness and depression. Ritalin is also damaging for the development of brain in children and teenagers.

Aplezin, Wellbutrin and Zyban: For people suffering with both depression and ADHD, this antidepressant can be very effective. Some people cannot tolerate stimulants and hence they are suggested Buproprion. With this drug, they find relief from inattention and hyperactivity. Antidepressants can also have a negative effect on the well being of an individual. Suitable ADHD medicine will certain help the patient however care should be taken to make use of the medication in suitable doses. Doctors recommendation should always be followed when under going treatment of this kind.

Steps To Take After Finding Drugs In Your Child’s Room

Many parents worry about their teenagers, and what activities they may be involved in. During adolescence, it is easy to feel independent from one’s parents and influenced by peers and media. Because of this, any teen can fall into casual or dangerous drug use. As a parent who only wants the best for their children, it can be difficult to know how to react to finding drugs in a child’s room. However, there are steps parents can take to ensure they help their children and strengthen the parent-child relationship if they do find drugs in their child’s room.

Get Educated

Before bringing up the issue to your child, it is important to educate yourself about drug use and abuse. Research about possible behaviors displayed by people abusing drugs, and read about the frequency of the issue. It may also be useful to look into the best ways to bring up the topic with your teen. Educating yourself about the issue will make it easier to be able to address the concern with your child.

Plan the Discussion

The conversation with your child will be easier when you have thought about the topics you will bring up and how you will address the matter. Planning out the conversation will also prevent emotions from fueling the conversation. When planning the discussion, think about how your child might react to your discovery and be prepared to handle their possibly emotional reaction. Be aware of the tone and word choice used when talking about the drugs. Do not be accusatory, make sure your child knows you are on their side, but be clear that drug use is not tolerable. It may be hard to find a balance between being caring/compassionate and firm, but practice and preparation will help you find the right approach.

Be Clear About Rules and Expectations

As mentioned, you must outline your rules about drug use. Again, to not accuse your child of abusing drugs, just make it clear that you will not allow them to use drugs. Explain why you are making this rule and what consequences will follow if the rules are broken. This portion should NOT be the largest part of the discussion! Make sure your child understands the rule and consequence, but do not make the entire conversation a lecture about rules and punishments.

Be Supportive

Make sure you show support for your child in the conversation, by reminding them that you are there for him/her. Stay supportive by keeping updated with your child and attempting to keep a strong relationship. In some cases, being supportive may require getting outside help. Monitor your child’s behavior. If they are still struggling with drug abuse, then seek outside help from a psychologist or drug abuse center.

Teen Drugs is a topic that rightfully frightens many parents. In the event you find drugs in you child’s room, make sure to take the time to prepare the conversation with your child, and do not respond fueled by emotion. Make sure to research about the topic in order to be familiar with the issue and gather ideas for what to say to your child. Then have a conversation outlining your concerns and household rules. Make sure to be supportive of your child during and after the conversation, and to get them professional help if the issue persists.

The Signs Of Alcohol Withdrawal

Most people with alcohol dependence will start to develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms within eight hours of their last drink. However, the withdrawal symptoms may not show up until days later. Below are some of the most common signs of alcohol withdrawal:

First Symptoms

Elevated heart rate, blood pressure and temperature are some of the early symptoms of withdrawal. Flushing, trembling and hyper-reflexia are some of the other early symptoms of withdrawal. These symptoms may occur within eight hours of the last drink.

Early Symptoms

Many patients who are in the early stages of withdrawal will experience physical discomfort and anxiety. However, most patients do not experience perceptual disturbances, confusion or hallucinations. These symptoms are likely to be present in someone who is in the advanced stage of alcohol withdrawal, which typically occurs within 36 to 48 hours of the last drink.

Late Symptoms Of Alcohol Withdrawal

If alcohol withdrawal is not properly treated during the early stages, it can lead to serious complications. The symptoms will be even more severe for a person who is already suffering from serious medical conditions.

Generalized seizures, which are sometimes referred to as rum fits, may occur during the first stages of alcohol withdrawal. Seizures can sometimes last longer than two days. Patients who suffer seizures are likely to get injured. They are also likely to suffer damage to the brain tissue.

Treatment For Alcohol Withdrawal

Alcohol withdrawal can be very serious. This is especially true if you have been drinking large amounts of alcohol for a long time. It is a good idea to contact your healthcare provider or visit the emergency room if you think you are experiencing alcohol withdrawal.

Patients who are experiencing severe symptoms may need to take antipsychotic medications. However, these drugs are typically used as a last resort because they may cause seizures. Sedatives and anticonvulsants can be used to manage irregular heartbeat, agitation and seizures.

Alcohol withdrawal can be very dangerous. That is why you will need to get medical help if you suspect you are suffering withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can be effectively managed with medication.

What Alcohol Withdrawals Feel Like

Handling withdrawals when quitting nicotine or alcohol can be quite tricky. In fact, intense alcohol withdrawals symptoms can lead to relapse. Coping with the addiction to drugs essentially means that you ought to institute habits that successfully circumnavigate your craving from the drug to a healthy lifestyle.

Oftentimes, you may be compelled to stop drinking alcohol or using other addictive drugs due to personal or medical reasons. At this point you might need professional help from a medical facility when dealing with withdrawals.

Overcoming the first days of relapses or withdrawals is usually the hardest. You’re likely to feel dehydrated throughout the first days of going through withdrawals hence you’ll need to drink a lot of water and soft drinks. Most addicts suffer from retching stomachs and irregular or increases heartbeats coupled with heavy sweating.

It requires a serious resolve from within to undergo the series of hallucinations that come with withdrawals. At some level, you’ll develop a weird feeling of unseen worms crawling all over your body and light flashes on your eyeballs. You’ll feel extremely delirious because of the vigorous trembling and panic that sets in at day two.

Withdrawal Symptoms
Drug addiction is known to impair an addict’s ability to make good judgment. Therefore, your brain will try to rationalize any plausible reason to justify the urge to use more drugs in order to cope with the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms.

Here are some of the common withdrawal symptoms you’ll experience:
• Irritability
• Insomnia or feeling restless
• Heavy sweating
• Feverish
• Lack of or increased appetite
• Anxiety and depression
• Oversensitivity to pain

Besides these withdrawal symptoms you’re also likely to experience social and emotional symptoms that can lead to relapse such as:
• An increase in the negative or positive emotional state
• Societal conflicting situations
• Physical discomfort
• Heightened cravings for more drugs
• Temptations to use the drug “one more last time”

Follow us to get more insight on how it feels like to go through withdrawal symptoms; cope with them and how you can successfully quit drug addiction.

The Lethal Dangers Of Huffing Inhalants

One of the hidden dangers that lurks within nearly every home that has children, is inhalants in such products as glue, paint thinner, finger nail polish, polish remover, and even some felt tip pens. Many times a child will smell an inhalant for the first time and just enjoy the smell, but after inhaling it for a prolonged period of time start become hallucinogenic and euphoric. This is possible for incredibly young children, that have no idea of the dangers they are getting into. It is also a serious problem with teenagers, because paint thinner is one of the least expensive highs, and also one of the most lethal as well. Let’s take a look at some of the inhalants and warning signs to be aware of as a parent.

Be Aware Of The Many Different Kinds Of Inhalants.

The scariest part of checking your house for inhalants, is that there are so many, and many of them you weren’t aware of. Any kind of glue made to glue shoes, plastics, pipes, fingernails, flooring, crafts, or automotive items can be used as an inhalant. You should also be wary of any kind of paint, that is not water-based, including oil paints, paint thinners, nail polishes, spray paints, spray lubricants, paint removers, fingernail polish removers, spray on adhesives, and anything else that comes in a spray can. You should also check your medicine cabinet for hairspray, medical alcohol, spray disinfectants, and anything else that could contain alcohol or propellants. While you’re at it look underneath your kitchen counter and investigate your cleaning supplies, spray on furniture polish, spray disinfectants, room deodorizers, and even spray insecticides can all be used to get high.

What To Look For In The Abuser.

Because there’s such a wide range of inhalants, and their accompanying other chemicals, the symptoms are as varied as there are different inhalants. Be on the lookout for paper bags that look like they’ve been used to take inhalants, where the abuser sprays the chemical into the bag, and then breathes out of the bag, called huffing. People who huff will exhibit slurred speech, watery eyes, an irritated nose, stained hands or face, strong chemical odors, depending on what they are huffing, and bad breath.

Huffing inhalants is probably one of the most dangerous kinds of drug abuse that there is. People that are addicted to these kinds of chemicals don’t usually have very long to live, and tend to exhibit permanent brain damage after only a short time of abusing. It’s important to get them into inpatient care with medical professionals immediately.

Its Cheating – 4 Tips For Saving A Marriage After An Affair

Infidelity is, perhaps, the worst thing that can happen to any marriage, and one that can quickly lead to a divorce. When a cheating spouse gets exposed, the course of action taken from that point forward can determine the survival or end of that marriage. Luckily, there is good news for people whose marriages have been rocked by infidelity; through sufficient information and commitment, marriages can be saved.

4 Tips For Saving A Marriage After An Affair:

Some People Believe Cheating Is The Solution For Their Marriages-

Whereas love and commitment make fundamental pillars of a marriage, there is a lot that goes into the sustenance of a marriage. Some people have differences they believe they cannot bridge with their partners. As a way of saving their marriages, such people seek whatever it is they lack from their marriage from other people.

Cheating Is Not Necessarily A Sign Of Unhappiness-

The first thing that comes to the mind of spouses who have been cheated on is that their spouses cheated on them because they were unhappy or unfulfilled in their marriage. This is not always the case, and some people are fulfilled and happy in their marriages even during their cheating sprees. Cheating may be triggered by one-off factors, such as seduction or search for sexual or other excitement.

Infidelity Is Not The Leading Cause Of Divorce-

Cheating on a spouse has a high probability of ending a marriage, but statistics has it that infidelity is not the highest contributing factor to divorce. Some people can truly repent and make a commitment to work on their marriages. Lack of communication, what most people call irreconcilable differences, is the leading cause of divorce.

Affairs Can Be Eye-Openers-

The thrill and excitement of affairs might blind people for a while, but sooner or later, these people realize their marriages are important to them. Infidelity may cause some people to realize they want to save their marriages at all costs. This realization can create a new commitment to a marriage.

It’s Cheating is a website that publishes relationship information that can help people understand infidelity and work on overcoming cheating tendencies in order to save their relationships or move on. Whereas infidelity has caused the dissolution of many marriages, people can commit to saving their marriages.

Visit It’s Cheating For More Tips On Saving A Marriage After An Affair:

Getting Treatment For Marijuana Addiction

It is a long held belief that people cannot become addicted to pot. This theory is false as humans have the capacity to develop an addiction to anything. While marijuana is not as harmful as other drugs (crystal meth for example), it can have harmful effects on an addicts life.

How People Get Addicted to Weed and Other Drugs

When a person is first offered a joint, they may enjoy the initial high. Some people will enjoy it so much that they start smoking pot regularly. When this habit starts effecting their day to day life, it becomes an addiction.

Drug addicts are so busy chasing highs that their priorities come out of kilter. They place their reliance on alcohol above their family, work, social lives and romantic relationships.

Marijuana is expensive. There is no doubt about this statement. Addicts usually start smoking more and more marijuana as their body becomes accustomed to the drug. Because they are so addicted that they cannot function properly, they need to find the cash from drugs somewhere.

People in this situation start off by borrowing money from friends and family members. Once that well runs dry, they may resort to theft and other crimes.

Eventually, addicts will hit rock bottom. This is when they will seek help. If anyone has a friend or family member in this position, they should look into treatment options on their behalf.

Going cold turkey rarely works as people do not have the tools and support to withstand withdrawal. Inpatient therapy is generally the best route as intensive therapy gets the fastest results.

When a person is in an inpatient facility, they will get clean and undergo therapy. When released, they will have the skills they need to say no to offers of drugs and alcohol.