Alcohol Depression

The Bottle May Be Increasing The Depression.
by Foras Aje

Alcohol depression is very grave and should not be one’s state of living, however just how one can overcome this form of depression could be quite challenging as two factors are being addressed here: a substance abuse and an emotional disturbance.

Dealing with depression means at the moment you may not be feeling too good. What with low energy, poor sleep and a general feeling of helplessness, naturally finding a solution out of being depressed is a much expected step. Sadly, most people turn to either legal (e.g. Zoloft) and illegal (e.g. marijuana) drugs or the use of drinking alcoholic beverages in a quest to ease the pain, however, research has shown that both illegal drugs and alcohol are marked depressants. (in spite of the buzz they may temporarily give) and speaking of depression drugs from recent studies, these substances just may not be worth the side-effects.

Now on the subject of alcohol use and depressive illnesses; this is actually the worst possible strategy for dealing with depression. Depressed moods can be a direct outcome of substance abuse. Conversely, use of alcohol by people with a depressive disorder may increase the severity of their depression symptoms and thus should be avoided.

Alcohol depression is quite rampant these days as up to 40 per cent of people who drink alcohol heavily have symptoms that resemble depression. However, when these same people are not drinking heavily, only 5 per cent of men and 10 per cent of woman have symptoms meeting the need to be diagnosed for depression.

Even though when used sparingly, alcohol may briefly produce a pleasant and relaxed state of the mind, depression resulting from alcohol is not uncommon. This starts off like anything else, slowly but picking up intensity with time. When alcohol is used sparingly, it may for a while lift the moods; however, when used to treat a depressive illness, tolerance to the effects of it may lead a patient of depression to drink more alcohol in search for a positive effect. This is where the problems begin, one drinks more and more and before you know it, alcohol- being a noted depressant-starts to cause depressive tendencies in the mind.

Alcohol Depression: Effects and Consequences

Now we all know alcohol confuses judgment and makes one more impulsive to take risks, moreover it causes a loss of inhibition and increases aggressive behavior and violent acts even towards one own self. Consequently, when used as a means to curb depression, this should be a particular concern as studies have shown depression can lead to suicide. Generally, a much higher incidence of suicide, both completed and attempted, is associated with alcohol depression.

Moreover, alcohol depression leads to complicated social disorders such as absenteeism, sickness and under-performance. Inevitably, marital problems often arise because of an alcohol problem, add this to the depression problems at hand, it is not surprising that many marriages have suffered due to this particular depressive illness.

In regards to health, alcohol depression can cause a lot of physical problems. These may arise in the liver in the form of hepatitis, cirrhosis or liver failure. Stomach Ulcers, sexual dysfunction and irregular heartbeat are other factors as well. Now these are just symptoms that result from excessive alcohol use, add to this the effects of depression on the body…needless to say, this particular form of depressive illness is a very serious and grave one. Here are the symptoms of this particular kind of emotional disorder.

Alcohol Depression: Symptoms indicating its presence

There are a number of pointers that should lead one to consider if one has an alcohol depression problem. In no particular order, they include:

1. Using alcohol to try to escape from one’s worries and trouble.
2. Drinking too much alcohol everyday.
3. Using alcohol to induce sleep.
4. Drinking this excessive alcohol alone.
5. Feeling an immense guilt about one’s excessive drinking

Thankfully, as with all things there is hope, however one has to have the desire to change. Enumerated are some helpful tips for this emotional disorder resulting from excessive drinking.

Alcohol Depression: Helpful solutions.

Depressive symptoms resulting from alcohol might indeed be quite difficult to curb, However, as with anything, the more one works at it, the better the chances of success.

It always helps to know the cause of one’s reckless desire to drink in the first place. These may be marital, financial or even spiritual problems. Therefore these issues should be addressed by competent counseling, reading self-help books and even a good old talk with one’s creator.

Moreover, a simple fast or restricted diet on a seasonal juicy fruit can aid to detoxify the body of alcoholic tendencies. Now this may sound very unconventional, but according to Professor Arnold Ehret, this method has been used successfully to aiding many an alcoholic to give up excessive drinking. Dr. Stanley Burroughs also attested to this in his writings known as the Master Cleanser. Of course 60% of the battle may perhaps be the patient’s desire for change in the first place.

In addition, physical exercise, besides occupying one’s time, also goes a long way to first aiding in detoxifying the body and helping with alcohol depression as this method exercises the motor centers of the brain, making the blood flow away from the emotional activity center; consequently one becomes more receptive to positive thoughts. Yoga is highly recommended as a choice for exercise here as several benefits lay in its use as an alternative depression treatment. From the intense relaxation and stress relief that arises from its use, to the increase of alpha and theta waves in the right portion of the brain ( a noted characteristic of optimistic people), yoga as a means of coping with alcohol depression, though admittedly may be unconventional, is indeed a wise choice.

One major step in overcoming alcohol depression is the desire for change. Consequently if a relative or loved one expresses the need for help, it is advised to immediately lend a helping hand and walk them through the steps to redemption. If however one is alone in these struggles, well, the internet in constantly making the world a smaller place or help may just be a phone call away…as long as one makes the move, the spiritual forces that are ever inherent in our own minds will guide one to the right path for success. The tips provided thus far can definitely help as well.

Alcohol depression need not be one’s state of living, with the drug-free methods of a positive thinking, and even diet and proper exercise, its symptoms, causes and effects can definitely be overcome.
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Foras Aje is an independent researcher and author of "Fitness: Inside and Out", a book on improving physical and mental health naturally. Visit Foras Aje for more information on combating depression.

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Help Your Child Lose Weight Now

By Anne Arsenault

What is more important than the Health of your Children? A Healthy Child is one who is NOT overweight, but what do you do if your child is overweight?

First, you look at the reasons he/she is overweight, then you make a plan with one goal each week, in order to help your child lose weight.

You encourage him or her, you DO NOT put them down or be-little them about their weight.

Keep a journal to document the reasons and the progress of the weight loss.

So what are the reasons children (and adults) are overweight these days:

* not enough exercise
* too much sugar (white flour also turns into sugar)
* too much soda pop (even one a day is too much)
* too much fruit juices * not enough pure water
* too much flour products,especially white flour products
* too much baked goods, donuts are the worst
* too much bad fats, fried fats like chips and fries

For the first week, look at the drinks that are consumed.

How much soda pop is consumed in a day?

How much juice do they drink; is the juice even 100% real juice, or 10% real juice? What is the other 90%?

How many glasses of purified (not tap) water do they drink in a day? Reduce the soda pop and juice and add more water. Water will help not just with weight loss, but also with temperature regulation (they will handle the heat better), cleansing and energy.

For the second week, get more exercise.

Even going for a 20 minute walk will provide movement that is beneficial for the body. It will help the body to cleanse and the blood sugar to regulate.

When doing homework ,watching TV or on the computer, get up and stretch every 15 minutes or so. If you make a point to go for a walk with your child, you can also use that time for a little communication.

The third week, look at the sugars and white flour they eat.

Add more fiber; use a Sprouted Grain Bread, eat more fruits and veggies, eat more low fat proteins.

Read the labels, there is a lot of sugar in processed foods. Cut back on the sugars gradually, as if you go cold turkey, you will experience head aches and other symptoms because sugar is a drug.

White flour turns into sugar in the body, because the fiber is removed and fiber slows the release of sugar into the blood stream.

For the fourth week, look at the fats they consume.

How much of their diet are hydrogenated or fried fats? Our bodies desperately need fats, but we tend to eat mostly the bad fats.

Good fats that we should feed our families are:
* olive oil
* fish oils
* raw nuts and seeds
* flax oil
* coconut oil

How do we get these fats into our children and keep the bad fats away? When you consume enough good fats, the cravings for the bad fats start to diminish. The good fats feed the brain, protect the organs and keep the hair and skin healthy.

Use olive oil to make salad dressing (Greek salad is good), buy some raw nuts and seeds, cook fish more often, and make protein blender drinks with a spoonful of flax oil in it. (1 tablespoon per 100 lbs).

When you start to change the diet, reduce the unhealthy foods and incorporate the healthy foods, the body will start to lose weight on its own. It is a slower proccess, but this is the healthy way to lose weight.

Remember to read those labels on foods and drinks, drink more pure water, be aware of what is consumed in a day, be the example to your Child and don’t forget to get more exercise.
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Anne enjoys helping people get healthier, both by consulting and writing. Visit with Anne for more about Children's Health plus more Free Articles.

For Weight Loss Tips, readers also like:

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3 Reasons Christians Struggle With Their Weight.

Have you noticed the growing trend of Christians struggling more and more with their weight? The surge in Christian weight loss books (some good and some not so good!) attests to the growing need for Christians to get a handle on ever increasing waistlines.

This struggle can be upsetting since, as Christians, we're supposed to have God's power to overcome obstacles in our lives.

It's one thing for the world to struggle with weight loss, but as God's children, aren't we supposed to have the answers? Aren't we supposed to have a solution, both for ourselves as well as to help those who may not know Christ and are strugging also?

I believe that we are to be lights in the world and to know how to claim victory in this area. There isn't anything in the Bible that says God wants us to be miserable and unhealthy (would you want that for YOUR children?)

So what's the problem? Why aren't we claiming victory in the area of weight loss and using it as another way to help those who don't yet know Christ's power to overcome?
Here, in my opinion, are the top 3 reasons Christians struggle with weight loss.

#1) Lack of Information

When was the last time you heard a message about weight loss, overeating or gluttony in church?

It’s simply not addressed. There might be many reasons for this and, to be fair, a pastor should not be expected to be a doctor, nutritional counsellor or personal trainer.

In addition, you have to realize that a message on gluttony to a room where some people may be less than thrilled with their bodies is asking for trouble. (them's church-splittin words!)

And there’s not much in the Bible about weight loss either. Of course there are those verses that say gluttony is a sin, but, after all, isn't gluttony just something we do on Thanksgiving? (And holidays don't count right?)

Regardless of why, the point is that weight loss and eating isn't addressed in many Christian circles. Consequently, Christians turn to the same solutions that the world turns to. (diets, surgery, shots...)

While sometimes these methods do work and are necessary, if these 'solutions' were, in fact, SOLUTIONS, we would have solved our weight problem by now, instead of getting bigger.

The point is not to condemn anyone, just to raise the possibility that worldly solutions aren't working. Which brings us to the second reason Christians struggle with weight loss.

#2) Failure to Call it What It Is

It’s important to realize that overeating is, in fact, a sin - just like stealing or getting drunk or swearing. I realize that this isn't a popular stance to take in a world where nothing is ever our fault and everyone is encouraged to be a victim. But, to quote Dr. Phil: 'You can't change what you don't acknowledge'.

If you want to be free of your weight problems, it's important to realize that you may be contributing to them. (This is not for those of you who are dealing with medical issues or medication that may cause you to gain weight - please talk to your doctor if that's the case)

For a Christian who is caught up in a cycle of eating too much, it’s important to realize that this is not pleasing to God and it should be dealt with.

The Bible tells us that we are to confess our sin and that God is faithful and just to then forgive us our sin. That's the first step to healing. But you can't heal if you won't acknowledge and confess, then ask for God's help to turn away from the sinful behavior.

This brings us to our last reason Christians struggle with weight loss.

#3) You Can't Go Cold Turkey with Food (no pun intended)

We all know we shouldn’t get drunk or smoke. We know that we shouldn’t gamble or look at pornography or have sex outside of marriage. That’s pretty clear in Christian circles.

In order to confess and repent of these things, it's pretty basic: you have to stop them altogether. Cold turkey.

But you have to eat right?

You can't just stop eating (except for fasting and even then, you're going to have to start eating eventually).

Food and eating falls into the category of blessings that God WANTS us to enjoy but learn to handle appropriately (like money, sex, etc).

Because of this, overeating can actually be one of the more complicated sins to deal with for the Christian. But it can be done. Instead of going cold turkey with eating, God's wants his children to learn to handle food in a responsible, balanced way.

When you sincerely make the commitment to do this with God's help, the extra weight will come off.

The point here is NOT to condemn in any way shape or form. Instead I want to encourage you that losing weight is NOT a losing battle. You CAN lose weight and you can have the victory - but you have to make a commitment to do it God's way. That's when you'll see permanent results.
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Kathryn O'Neill is a Certified Nutrition & Wellness Specialist and has a degree in Behavioral Psychology.

For Weight Loss Tips, readers also like:

Childhood Obesity - How to Prevent It. How to Deal With It!

The Health & Fitness Guide

Free Fat Loss Videos

Free Fitness Videos

NEW! Guide to Help Teenagers Lose Weight!
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Eating Behavior and Weight Control

by Vijai P. Sharma, Ph.D

We are a nation which puts a heavy premium on looks and appearances.

According to a survey of thirty-three thousand women, published in Glamour magazine, "Feeling Fat in a Thin Society," seventy-five percent of the women said that they felt too fat and ninety-six percent said that their weight affected how they felt about themselves.

For, half of the women in this survey, loss of weight would make them happier than would "success at work" or the "joy of a relationship,".

Dieting and exercise are the two major mechanisms by which we try to attain that ever illusive happiness.

According to Geneen Roth, a nationally acclaimed expert in eating disorders and weight control, twenty million women have eating disorders. Twenty- five percent of all men and fifty percent of all women are constantly dieting.

Dieting has a good news and a bad news. The good news is, that in the short term, diets have good results. The bad news is that nine out of ten people who lose weight on a diet, gain it back within a year. Yet, there will be thirty thousand new diet plans in the coming year. Scientifically speaking, eating and weight control are much more complex issues than simple dieting can answer. Unfortunately, the overzealous approach to dieting and weight control can lead to "self starvation" and "bingeing and purging."

We as a society have been vigorously looking at the two solutions, that is, of dieting and exercise as ways to feel fit, reclaim pride in our appearance, and feel good. Beside dieting and exercise, there is yet another approach, that is, to regulate the eating behavior itself. The premise of this approach is that how we eat, rather than how much we eat, may be the real problem.

If we can regulate the eating behavior, it will automatically regulate the amount of food intake. Let's now look at the eating behavior itself.

Over the years, we develop wrong eating habits such as, doing several things together when we eat. At meal times, we scan a newspaper, we listen to the radio or, watch TV or, have our mind on ten different things. Lots of times, as we are snacking, we are moving through the house, ironing clothes, cooking for the family, talking on the phone, etc. These movements and engagement of our mind on some thing else prevents us from getting the cues and signals from our stomach of "fullness."

Even if we register the signal of fullness, there is still a problem. Satiation of hunger does not come only from the feeling of "fullness' from the stomach, but also from "food cues" such as, aroma, shape, and texture of food. They satisfy other senses along with the sense of taste.

All these messages from various senses and the feeling of fullness of stomach coalesce and send a signal to the brain of satiation of appetite and a psychological satisfaction from eating.

If your brain is occupied with reading a newspaper, watching TV, talking with a friend, initiating complex body movements and activities, it is conceivable that your various senses and your brain are not doing a terrific job of sending and receiving all the food-related cues. As a result, your mechanism of appetite satiation and fulfillment of psychological hunger may be seriously compromised.

You can regulate your eating behavior by following the "5 Eating Rules" :

1. "Rule of sitting. " Always sit down when you eat (no standing, lying down, or moving around)

2. "Rule of one activity at a time. " When you eat, you only eat. Do not engage in a second activity at that time, no matter how simple or mechanical that activity is. "

3. Rule of Minding the eating. " When you eat, "put your mind where your mouth is" . Concentrate on the process of eating itself. Eat with full awareness by bringing your undivided attention to the process of eating. Follow the entire sequence of tasting, chewing, swallowing, and mentally follow it all the way as food descends into the stomach.

4. "Rule of one morsel." Do not take another morsel or piece of food in your mouth unless you have swallowed the one you are already chewing. Keep that spoon, fork, or straw down at the table until you have actually swallowed the morsel in your mouth.

5. "Rule of relaxation." Be relaxed while you eat, even joyful, if you can achieve it. If you detect tension in any part of the body including the inside of the abdomen, relax them.

These rules are designed to enhance our self control over our own eating behavior and to restore our natural feedback system. We all have a built-in system which gives us feedback on how much we have eaten and how much we should eat. Recover that capability given to you by Nature.
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Dr. Vijai Sharma shares free psychology articles on Type A Personality, Anger Management Techniques, Information On Eating Disorders such as Anorexia, Trichotillomania, Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, Dyslexia, Phobias, Work Stress, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Self Growth. Dr. Sharma has also written helpful books including "People Fear" and "Insane Jealousy" available in the Mind Publications area of his website.
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