Tag: Urge

Things to Know If You are to Stop Smoking

You should understand that the fight to stop smoking starts from the moment when you have finally decided to quit. However, it does not end there, because the hard part is when the withdrawal urges kick in and you find yourself on the verge of smoking again. These urges are just temporary in nature, and they too shall pass you just have to fight them when they manifest. So, as you stop smoking maybe you should know ten things that will help you with the cigarette renunciation.

1. Patience is the key to winning over the battle against smoking. The truth is that this process is not easy, nor is it for a short period of time. Thus, you should be patient to deal with the rehabilitation for as long as it takes you.

2. Go through the process day by day. Do not think of how long the process will really take, instead live through the rehabilitation each day. You will soon notice that as each day passes, your craving to smoke gets weaker, and your strength to defeat such craving gets stronger.

3. Do not let yourself be bothered by negative thoughts which may only make you wanting to smoke again. By being constantly reminded of your purpose and your goal, you will be more motivated to end your smoking life and replace it with a healthier lifestyle.

4. During your rehabilitation, you should not forget to satisfy your other needs, such as food and water. A good diet and sufficient hydration can help you flush away the toxins from your body that has accumulated because of smoking. You should also keep your body physically fit, so exercise regularly and then take enough rest daily.

5. Refrain from drinking alcohol, because it may just trigger your urge to smoke. Some people cannot detach smoking from drinking, because these two are very much related to each other.

6. Being stressed will not help you in your struggle to stop smoking. It may only tempt you into releasing your stress through smoking. Thus, you should not be stressed out, especially during your withdrawal phase.

7. You would definitely feel the urge to smoke again, sometime in the middle of your rehabilitation. You may find yourself craving for the pleasure of smoking, but you should not give into the temptation. You should learn to repress this urge, and soon enough you will realize that you are no longer feeling the drive to smoke.

8. The fight against smoking is a difficult battle. It would help a lot if you are able to find someone close to you, or some other people who are going through the same process just like you. It would make your feel at ease and comfortable, and will give you a sense of security that you are not alone in this battle.

9. Do not think that smoking a single stick would not affect your rehabilitation. The moment you give in to this temptation, you will continue doing the same again and again; and all your previous efforts to quit will just be flushed down the drain. If it becomes really tough for you, you may ask for assistance from a counselor.

10. Hold on to your reasons for quitting. You should keep in mind that you are to stop smoking for a good reason, and this should be your motivation.

Acupuncture and Drug Abuse

Acupuncture is a bright light on the road to recovery for many drug addicts and alcoholics. As an addict is recovering, the physical and psychological urge to get another fix or get another drink can be overwhelming. If the addict can get past that feeling, there is more hope for another successful day on the road to recovery. Currently there are a number of chemicals to help reduce that feeling, such as the nicotine patches to help people stop smoking. However, a major advantage of using acupuncture is that it uses no chemicals in the treatment, can be used for a number of different addictions, and is quite inexpensive compared to a number of other treatments.

Let’s take a look into a clinic that uses acupuncture to treat recovering addicts. Before the clinic used acupuncture, it was somewhat loud and not a pleasant place to be. The treatment room holds dozens of clients at the same time, each sitting in a chair. Each person sits with five long needles dangling from each ear. Depending on the person, a few also have some acupuncture needles in their hands, arms, or feet. When the time comes to remove the needles, some are removed by one of the acupuncture practitioners, or an assistant, or some clients remove their own needles at the appropriate time. Needles are left in the patient for an average of about forty-five minutes. The chairs are arranged so that the clients can see and talk to each other if they wish. This helps when they share experiences, and helps if some of the new clients are nervous about the use of acupuncture. The room, though it holds a number of often troubled patients, is generally quite calm and peaceful.

What advantage is there in using acupuncture for a recovering addict? Most of the addicts describe a release of that feeling that insists they must find a fix or must find a drink. The patient describes it as the feeling when you get home after a long day and take off your shoes. The effect of the treatment lasts for about a day, and so newly recovering addicts are scheduled for daily treatments. People such as dry alcoholics can come by on a periodic basis, or when they feel they need another acupuncture treatment. Many dry alcoholics are fine as long as their daily life is not stressful, but if a family problem arises at home or at work, the familiar feeling becomes strong once again. At those times an acupuncture clinic is a great help, for it affects an actual physical change in the person.

Many detox clinics that use acupuncture in its regimen incorporate it into an overall program, where the acupuncture treatments are the first steps that a patient takes. A typical clinic will schedule a new patient for daily acupuncture sessions, and at each session take a sample to ensure the patient has not used drugs during the past day. After 10 “clean” days, the patient is considered in sufficient shape to start additional therapy, such as a twelve step program. Acupuncture treatments continue during this time. If a patient has a relapse, the patient just starts all over again with the ten day acupuncture treatment.

Using acupuncture in recovery programs has definite advantages, both economically and in support of physical and mental health for the recovering addicts. It is just another example where the use of acupuncture incorporates healing in all areas: physical, mental, and emotional.

The Coming Of Spring

Spring is just around the corner. And with it comes
all the lovely pollen. Lots of people have no problem
with spring. They welcome it with open arms.

But for thousands of people, spring means runny noses,
itchy eyes and congested breathing. These people
suffer from an allergy. Probably the most common
allergy, affecting the most people is the allergy to
pollen.

Spring brings new growth and with this new growth,
plants have the urge to produce fruit or seeds.

Basically, pollen is created by the male plant parts
and taken to the female plant parts. While some plants
depend on insects to do their pollinating, many use
the wind.

The pollen grains are carried by the wind to other
plants to keep the species alive and flourishing.

Most people are just annoyed by the collection of
pollen on their automobiles, porch, patio and
everything else that sits around outside. But for the
people allergic to pollen, their problems are more
than annoying.

The most common symptoms of an allergy to pollen can
be seen every where. Runny noses, itchy watery eyes,
sneezing and coughing are yearly evidence that spring
is in the air.

The pollen irritates the areas that come into contact
with air. That means eyes, nose, throat and lungs. As
the pollen blows on the wind, it causes problems that
turn the joy and beauty of spring into anything from a
nuisance to a nightmare for the thousands that suffer
from this allergy.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Coping Techniques

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, like all chronic illnesses, poses a host of stresses that patients have to suffer from. Among the most common are the loss of life roles, ongoing medical expenses, loss of job or source of income, confusing symptoms, and constant medical check-ups with healthcare professionals who sometimes do not fully understand the condition.

With these stresses, it is very important for patients to know how to cope. Coping is integral to the management of the disorder and to some extent recovery from the syndrome. Presented below are some coping techniques that may not only help you deal with the disorder better but can also free you from some of the discomforts it could give.

Establish a positive understanding of the disease. It is not only important to know the nature of the fatigue and its accompanying symptoms but it is also vital that the patient knows how to positively deal with them. Establishing a positive concept regarding CFS is known to help patients respond to the symptoms better and facilitate self-regulatory techniques much more effectively. This is the crux of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a psychological therapy that brings about relief from symptoms by way of establishing a good outlook with respect to the condition.

Avoid excessive resting It is natural to rest whenever one feels extremely fatigued. However, the reverse is often the more effective technique. Stop the urge of resting as this could debilitate your condition further. Instead, try to incorporate minor activities into your daily life which may include low levels of activities at first.

Then, progress to higher intensity activities, according to what level your body can afford. Do not overexert yourself though as this can also have damaging effects. When in doubt, consult your health care professional, he can recommend therapy options like graded exercise therapy.

Manage your daily activities Limit your activities according to a well-defined plan. Most patients limit their activities according to the particular activities they can perform in a day. This is counter-productive and should not be done at all costs. The key is to have a consistent pattern of activities that progresses according to the levels of difficulty and required physical exertion. Try to attain a balance between stress, physical exertion and rest.

Dont focus on the symptoms It is not uncommon for people to nurse the symptoms of their disease. Despite the fact that this is not helpful, patients still persist with this attitude. Among people who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, nursing their pains and aches only lead to higher sensitivities to both as well as to disengagement. Disengagement is an attitude of surrendering in the face of inconvenient experiences (stressors) when they seem too overwhelming.

Hence, disengagement is a poor coping mechanism. Patients of CFS are advised not to give too much emphasis on the pains instead, they are recommended to live with them and conquer the urge of giving up.

Avoid the pitfalls of coping Most patients fail not because the treatment and therapy they have undergone are not effective but because they try to rush back to their lives prior to the onset of the condition. It is important to understand that chronic fatigue syndrome is a disorder that cannot be remedied immediately.

It takes time and patience to progress from one stage of the disorder to another. Most patients who try to achieve immediate relief from symptoms often find themselves rebounding to square one, that is to the stage where the syndrome is most severe.