Alcohol Rehabilitation: Education As the Primary Weapon
Posted by admin in Drug Abuse on November 22, 2011
Three theories purport to explain alcoholism: Genetic, defining it as a chromosomal predisposition; Sociological, defining it as a product of social influences; and Psychological, defining it as a personality predisposition. Effective alcohol rehabilitation takes each into consideration.
The theories, whether genetic, sociological or psychological, all boil down to one simple fact: alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease that, if left untreated, will kill the sufferer one way or another. It may be from Cirrhosis of the liver, from heart disease, or it may be in a car crash on a dark rainy night. Whatever outcome lies in wait, it is in the interest of the alcoholic to find the power to arrest the disease before it’s too late. A formidable task since, once the disease has emerged, lack of power has become the alcoholic’s dilemma. This is where alcohol rehabilitation steps in.
Treatment is not a magic wand. There are no incantations, potions or secret handshakes. It is an educational process designed to help the sufferer find his or her way back to happiness by way of a roadmap emphasizing not only the negative effects of alcohol, but the positive effects of abstinence in a supportive environment. This is not an easy task in light of the fact that denial is the primary symptom of the disease. What would a person want to learn about a disease he or she is convinced they do not have? And why would they give up a substance they are convinced they have no problem with? Treatment provides a knowledge that constitutes power. Read the rest of this entry »
Guided Meditation for Weight Loss
Posted by admin in Meditation, Weight Loss on November 22, 2011
If you’re a compulsive eater, you may have experienced a number of diet failures after stressful events in your life. You probably find it easy to stick to a diet initially, but eventually the urge to binge eat overwhelms you when stressful events happen in your life. Even if you do manage to lose weight on your diet, you may find yourself quickly gaining it all back. Since nobody can predict the future, and you can’t put your life on hold in order to go on a diet, if you feel that you have problems sticking to a diet because of the urge to eat compulsively then it’s important to address your issues so that you can successfully lose weight and keep it off.
Guided meditation for compulsive eating helps you eat more mindfully. Mindful eating is the opposite of mindless eating. Eating food while watching television while paying no attention to the taste or texture of the food and eating food as quickly as possible are two examples of mindless eating. This can lead to overeating and binge eating, as when you are eating mindlessly it becomes hard to know when you are full, and you feel the need to eat more food in order to enjoy eating – which leads to eating more calories each and every day.
Conversely, when you eat mindfully you pay attention to all the details of the food you are eating – noticing the flavor and texture of each and every bite you take and slowing down the rate at which you eat. By taking the time to notice food in this way, you will feel more fulfilled after eating a smaller quantity of food. Eating more slowly helps your stomach realize when it is full – sometimes it can take up to twenty minutes for the stomach to signal the brain that it is full and you should no longer be hungry. By eating a smaller amount of food, you will naturally eat fewer calories throughout the course of the day leading to safe and steady weight loss. Read the rest of this entry »