Want to Manage Stress? - Avoid Unhealthy Habits (Drugteststrips)

Stress is common in today's busy lifestyle. Many people are resorting to harmful habits like smoking, drinking, substance abuse, etc. to deal with stress. These habits may give temporary relief by taking the mind away from the situation causing stress. But in long run, they create new problems and destroy the individual's life.

Many people are struggling with stress:
Stress became a part of our regular life today. It could be due to financial problems, problems at work, an argument with children or spouse, health issues like diabetes, arthritis or a heart disease. Look around and you can see many people in stress for some reason or the other. Whether the problem is big or small, whether it is caused by external factors or internal perceptions, the ultimate result will be anxiety and stress.

People are turning to unhealthy habits:
Many of us are blessed with enough emotional strength and self-esteem to deal with regular stress in life. However, some people, who are not mentally strong enough, turn to unhealthy activities that may provide an instant relief. As they feel better for that moment, they simply turn to unhealthy habits every now and then to confront stress. Thus, it turns into a habit and eventually an addiction.

Avoid unhealthy habits:
Smoking, alcohol and drug abuse are common unhealthy habits adopted by people to beat the stress. However, you wouldn't know when these unhealthy stress relieving habits have turned into stress-causers, making you weaker mentally. Not only will they add up to your stress, they will also start impacting your health adversely, making you unhealthy both physically and mentally.

Smoking: Though many people are aware of the fact that smoking is injurious to health, they find it to be a better option to deal with stress. Tobacco contains a psychoactive drug, called nicotine, which creates an illusion in the human brain. The brain will not be able to understand the adverse effects on body like increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, tensed muscles, constricted blood vessels, etc. By smoking you are just transferring you stress from brain to body.

Excessive drinking: Many studies reported that alcohol abuse is many times related to stress caused by economic struggle, job issues or marital discord. A drink or two may not matter much, but excessive drinking can simply land you in troubles. Long term excessive drinking may lead to chronic mental disorders apart from causing physical harm including liver and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc.

Illegal drug use: Many theories of addiction claim that stress leads to increased drug use. Illicit drug abuse is highly addictive and may cause more mental disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, etc. Adverse physical effects are obvious due to drug abuse. Drug abusing person may also face economic and social problems.

Inculcate healthy habits:
Overeating or under-eating, procrastination, prescription drug abuse, too much sleeping, etc. are other common unhealthy habits embraced by people to deal with stress. Like alcohol or substance abuse, they also exacerbate the stress levels. Stress will always be there; the path you choose to manage it makes the difference.

There are many ways to manage stress effectively. Inculcating healthy habits such as regular physical exercise, yoga or meditation, intake of nutrient-rich food, etc. can help a lot in managing stress. Healthy habits not only protect you from harmful effects of stress, but also help you build physical strength and mental confidence to manage stress causing situations.

Practicing unhealthy habits may seem to be an easy way to deal with stress compared to adopting healthy lifestyle, but it will most probably lead to destruction.

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It's Never Too Late - Even Older Adults Can Overcome Unhealthy Habits (Drugteststrips)

One needs to adopt a healthy lifestyle to lead a happy and peaceful life. However, many unhealthy habits creep into our lives due to one or the other reasons. Alcohol or substance abuse is one such unhealthy habit that is common in older adults.

Alcohol and substance abuse habits have profound implications on the health and well-being of older adults. The intention of this article is to make older adults understand that it is never too late to overcome unhealthy habits.

Unhealthy habits like substance abuse are very dangerous
Substance abuse increases the risk of damage to vital organs like heart, brain and lungs. Substance abuse not only has a negative impact on the individual's health but also poses serious threat to his financial and social status. Many older adults are destroying their lives by continuing to abuse alcohol or illicit drugs due to lack of awareness of the harmful effects.

Millions of adults are abusing illicit drugs - SAMHSA
When it comes to substance abuse, we often think that large numbers of teenagers are abusing drugs. But the fact is that millions of older adults too are abusing drugs today. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated that there were around 4.3 million illicit drug abusing adults (50 years and above) in 2009.

Older adults are more vulnerable to adverse effects
Substance abuse gives rise to economic, social and health related problems, irrespective of the age of the person. However, age-related changes make older adults more vulnerable to adverse effects. Because of the changes that happen in the mind and body, the resistance power in older adults decreases making them more vulnerable to adverse effects of drug abuse. Drug or alcohol abuse is the common cause of physical and mental health problems among older adults.

Common misconceptions
There are many misconceptions about substance abuse among older adults that prevent them from getting rid of the habit. Some of the common misconceptions are:

*Stopping at this age won't help - damage is already done
Many substance abusing older adults assume that stopping unhealthy habits at their age will not help. They believe that the damage is already done as they are abusing drugs from many years. However, this is a wrong assumption. By staying away from harmful habits, older adults can not only prevent further damage, but also possibly recover from the damage.

*Difficult to come out now
We will often hear older adults saying, "I have been abusing drugs for a long time and it is very difficult to avoid them now." They need to understand that a strong will-power, commitment and proper planning can help them overcome unhealthy habits.

Substance addiction is preventable
It is a misconception that prevention of substance abuse at an older age is impossible. Determination for leading a healthy life is enough to turn away from unhealthy habits. However, one needs to design and implement a proper plan to get rid of unhealthy habits. Expert and scientific counseling from professionals at rehabilitation centers can make it easier for the abusers to overcome the addiction. Further, encouragement from family and friends can motivate them to avoid indulging in substance abuse.

Enhance the daily routine - older adults should move to a better lifestyle
Establishing a routine or including in a current routine some activities that promote well-being can reduce the adverse effects of substance abuse in older adults. Such activities could help physical, spiritual or mental well-being. Healthy diet should be an essential part of their daily routine. Walking, bicycling, or practicing yoga can also be helpful. Though it is difficult to change an existing lifestyle at once, slowly but steadily adding good activities one at a time is far more easier to implement.

With proper awareness on issues associated with aging and substance abuse, and by practicing a healthy lifestyle, older adults can improve their health as well as their quality of life.

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How to Prevent Your Teen From Getting Into Unhealthy Habits? (Drugteststrips)

Teenagers are more prone to risk taking because their brain is not fully developed. They tend to get attracted to unhealthy habits easily. Teenage is the critical period for the onset of unhealthy habits such as substance abuse. According to a recent report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 9 in 10 addicted people began smoking, drinking and/or using other drugs before the age of 18 years.

Substance abuse during the teenage has some crippling consequences on the individuals. Some of the consequences may include lower grades, unemployment, traffic accidents, risky sex, chronic health problems, crime and violence. It may also lead an individual to suicide or death.

As a responsible parent, it is your duty to make sure that your teen does not get into these devastating unhealthy habits. Here are few tips that can help you guide your teen away from unhealthy habits.

Your kid is getting older:
You need to accept the fact that your kid is growing and he/she may change. Once they get into teenage years, they change physically and psychologically. They feel independent and try to form their own social circles. They believe that teenage is a freedom from all the rules and regulations set by parents and teachers. This is the time when the possibility of making wrong choices is more. As a parent, you should monitor their activities and guide them in a right direction.

Maintain open communication:
As discussed above, many teenagers like to be independent. But maintaining an open and trusting communication with your teen is essential to help your teen make right choices. Communicate with your teen regularly and encourage him to talk about his interests, dreams, problems and fears.

Remember, strict monitoring and pestering or yelling at their activities will result in a communication gap. If you are setting certain restrictions, explain their importance so that they do not take it in a negative sense.

Help your kid choose friends wisely:
The influence of friends on teenagers is very powerful. Many teens simply follow their friends without bothering about the consequences. Teens many times use drugs or alcohol to fit in their friends circle. Many teens start with experimentation due to peer pressure and end up in addiction.

Teach your kid in the early stages on how to choose a friend. Help your kid develop a sense of identity in which he feels secure. This makes him create a set of standards for himself and choose friends who match those standards.

Offer tips on how to avoid peer pressure:
Peer pressure is often a result of not choosing friends wisely. There are enough teens in our society, who can encourage your kid to get into unhealthy habits. Teenagers who lack confidence and self-esteem are more likely to join these groups for emotional support.

Teens do not turn to bad peers if they get enough support from parents. So spend time with your kid and offer tips on how to avoid peer pressure. In this way, you can teach him how to stay away from unhealthy friends and strengthen your relationship.

Explain about risks associated with unhealthy habits:
Preventing teens from unhealthy habits requires constant monitoring and proper corrective measures, which your kid may dislike. Instead, you can achieve your objective by continuously explaining them about the risks associated with unhealthy habits. Tell him how it negatively impacts his physical, financial and social well-being. Give examples, of people who are suffering due to their unhealthy habits. Keep him busy with healthy activities such as physical exercises, sports, yoga, etc.

Set yourself as an example:
The environment in which the kid has been brought up determines his habits. Try to be a good role model for your kid. What you practice is a more powerful message than what you teach. Set right your behavior and attitudes towards unhealthy habits. Remember, you cannot expect your kid to stay away from bad habits to which you are addicted.

Help your kid understand the nature of addiction and risks associated with teen substance use. Remember, prevention is better than cure. It is better to prevent your teen from getting into unhealthy habits, than making him quit them later.

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Simple Ways to Get Out of Unhealthy Habits (Drugteststrips)

Many people today are suffering from unhealthy habits such as smoking, alcohol or illegal substance abuse. Unhealthy habits often result in health related issues. They can also negatively impact professional, social and economic well-being of an individual. Being aware of the harmful effects of unhealthy habits, many people are continuing with them assuming that getting out of these habits is very difficult. Some even think that it is impossible. In this article, we have mentioned some simple tips to help them come out of the unhealthy habits.

Do you want to change your unhealthy habit?:
If your answer is 'yes', then you can easily come out of unhealthy habits! It's true! The desire to break your bad habits itself is the primary step to achieve it. There are many people who do not even think of stopping these habits in spite of being aware of their harmful effects. You are at least better than that kind of people. But, don't just limit it to imagination. Make a proper planning and employ right measures to make your wish come true.

Take a firm decision:
A strong decision to quit bad habits can bring a positive change in your life. It is very difficult to achieve success if you don't have commitment. So, make firm determination to get out of substance abuse. Take it as a challenge and define specific goals to achieve success in a step-wise process. Practice healthy habits in your daily routine to detach yourself from unhealthy habits.

Stay away from substance abusing friends:
You may encounter many obstacles in the process of quitting unhealthy habits. It will be very difficult for you to break these habits in the company of substance abusing friends. It is better to avoid them. Simply reject any invitations from them and be bold to make them know that you are not interested in those habits.

Spend more time with family:
Emotional support from your family can help you get rid of drug or alcohol abusing habits. Instead of going out with your drug abusing friends, go for a walk or an outing with your family members. Get involved in family-related responsibilities, functions or activities.

One of the common reasons for drug abuse in many individuals is stress. Abusing drugs in order to reduce stress aggravates the situation. Individual may suffer from compound effects of stress and substance abuse. Therefore, this unhealthy habit of managing stress should be replaced with healthy options. You can have a simple and open chat with your family members. Share your feelings on substance abuse and accept their suggestions to give up the habit.

See the positive side of life:
Look at the benefits of healthy lifestyle. Inculcate healthy habits like regular exercise. Include nutritional food in your diet. They are known to reduce the risk of serious health issues like heart attacks and cancer.

Breaking unhealthy habits like substance abuse is possible. In fact, you can successfully get rid of unhealthy habits with the help of the above mentioned tips. So, be prepared to enjoy your healthy life by quitting unhealthy habits.

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