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Addiction and Recovery – Social and Environmental Triggers For Cravings Worksheet

Associations between particular feelings, people, places, and events becomes intertwined with the alcoholic or addicts drinking and drugging behavior. When alcoholics and addicts find their way to recovery, the old associations between the drinking and drugging and the old feeling, people, places, and events persist, often triggering cravings to drink or use. When these cues trigger drinking or using memories and perhaps euphoric recall, unless you take action to prevent cravings and possible relapse, you remain extremely vulnerable to losing your recovery. These cues are ever present, but relapse can be averted.

It is important to avoid the external triggers that are your most dangerous and that are within your power to avoid. Many of these would be the obvious ones such as hanging out with old drinking/using friends, or going to bars or liquor stores. Triggers that can’t be avoided can be neutralized. To be ready and able to neutralize triggers that arise, you need to be able to anticipate and identify them, then have a plan of action on how you will deal with them without drinking/using.

Below are areas that serve as triggers, that can set up cravings to return to drinking or using. Use this work sheet to help identify your probable risks.

Social and Environmental Triggers for Cravings Worksheet 

People

Who are the people you used to drink or use drugs with? Make a list.  

Make a list of other people that could serve as a trigger for relapse. It could be extended family members, spouse, girlfriend, your children, boss, coworkers, neighbors and any others.

Places

Where did you used to drink or use drugs?

What are the places that could trigger cravings or euphoric recall? Make a list of the places that might remind you of drinking/using or serve as trigger. Examples might include: bars, clubs, golf courses, football games and tailgating, school, work, certain streets, certain parts of town, concerts, pool halls, certain country roads, lakes, backyards.  

Events

What kinds of events did you routinely participate in while drinking or using drugs?  

What are some of the routine events that you might participate in now that could trigger cravings? Make a list of possible trigger-provoking events. Examples might include going to the lake and fishing, mowing the lawn, fund raising events, going gambling, attending music festivals, and others.

Celebrations

What are some of the celebrations or special events that you might participate in that could serve as a trigger for relapse? Make a list. Examples might include: weddings, graduation, birthdays, vacation, holidays (with or without extended family members).

Other stressful events or activities

 Identify other stressful events or activities that could serve as a trigger. Examples might include such things as deaths of family members, divorce, separation, money problems, getting paid, getting a raise, calls from creditors, paying bills, group meetings, long work hours, unemployment, having a baby, retiring, home alone, vacation, going by an ATM machine, home alone, finding paraphernalia, a long “to do” list.  

Relationship events

What kinds of relationship events were associated with your drinking or drug use?

Identify relationship events that could serve as a trigger. Examples might include meeting new people, going out on a date, hanging out with friends, after an argument, before sex, after sex, viewing pornography, family visits, having a baby, separation, divorce, marriage.

Time

When did you usually drink or use?

Identify specific times of day, week, month or year that may serve as a trigger for relapse. Examples might be Monday (Monday night football), Sunday (gearing up to go back to work), anniversary date or month of traumatic events, after work, before work, trying to get to sleep, waking in the night, and any other times that are significant.

Making a plan.

Looking back over your lists above, identify actions that you can take to reduce the threat to your recovery.  Which events can you avoid?

Which events or situations can you escape from if you feel vulnerable? How can you empower yourself to escape?

Ex:  Practice being assertive with leaving a risky situation.   Use cognitive therapy to challenge unrealistic thinking that might keep you from leaving when you need to.   Make a plan on how you could escape. Example: Drive yourself, walk out, call a cab, have an AA call list and have someone come get you.  

What can you do to change how you think or feel when you find yourself in an inescapable position that is triggering a desire to use?

Ex: Use thought stopping techniques to manage cravings when they occur. Use the phone. Call your sponsor. Call your counselor or someone in AA/NA. Engage someone who is supportive of your recovery in a conversation. Remind yourself that cravings are temporary and that they will go away if you do not use. Remember that cravings are a normal part of recovery and that they do not doom you to failure. Remind yourself that you have the choice whether you act on your cravings. Think of a craving as a contest between you and your disease. Who will win?    

If you or someone you love is in early recovery or trying to establish abstinence, arm yourself with all the education that you need to accomplish it. This is one in a series of articles about preventing relapse in early recovery. My website has a number of other valuable resources for recovering addicts/alcoholics and their families. There is a “Link” page that could serve as an effective starting place for research on most addiction and mental health topics. A “Recommended Readings” page can help point you in the right direction for many topics. I make myself available to answer educational kinds of questions in my “Ask Peggy” column. There are a number of articles roughly categorized currently as “Marriage Articles”, “Sexual Addiction”, “Addiction and Mental Health”, “Family Dynamics of Addiction”.

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Health News

Drug Addiction, Alcoholism and Malnutrition

When people who abuse substances enter our substance abuse treatment center in British Columbia they often show signs of malnutrition. For heroin addicts the malnutrition is due to the loss of appetite that the drug induces. Chronic alcoholics also suffer malnutrition, especially a shortage of thiamine (vitamin B).
People with malnutrition are vulnerable to infection. The nutrients from food are essential to the functioning of the immune system. Without a properly functioning immune system one is easily susceptible to disease.
Other outcomes of malnutrition are breakdowns in the body’s basic functioning. In addition to being underweight, the malnourished substance abuser may suffer from a bad complexion and digestive problems. He or she may complain of muscle aches and fatigue. Hair may stop growing and even fall out and women of childbearing age stop menstruating. Tooth decay can also occur.
Malnutrition is not limited to the long-term substance abuser. Anyone who fails to eat, or eats food of low nutritional value, for a few days can suffer malnutrition. In chronic alcoholics malnutrition often presents itself in behavior that is characteristic of alcoholics but is actually the symptoms of Korsakoff’s syndrome, or “wet brain” brain disease caused by a lack of thiamine (vitamin B).
Symptoms of Korsakoff’s include amnesia. This can be both short and long-term. For example, following a blackout, the alcoholic may be unable to remember the circumstances that lead to the blackout (short-term amnesia). He or she may also, for example, forget the names and faces of relatives (long-term amnesia).
Those who suffer Korsakoff’s syndrome also demonstrate confabulation, which is invented memories that are taken as true due to gaps in memory. This is why chronic alcoholics may seem to believe their own lies. The memory has been invented because there is no memory and the invented memory that has replaced it is now believed to be true.
Another syndrome, called Wernicke encephalopathy, can accompany Korsakoff’s syndrome. It causes brain damage, loss of coordination and loss of eye movement. Korsakoff’s syndrome is a continuum of Wernicke’s syndrome. Brain damage caused by Korsakoff’s or Wernicke’s syndromes cannot be reversed. Korsakoff’s syndrome was once thought to be an incurable condition that would result in full-time care. Currently treatment includes replacement and supplementation of thiamine along with proper nutrition and hydration.
Good nutrition and vitamin therapy are extremely important to the treatment of substance abuse. The brain needs to recover from its lack of thiamine and the body needs proper nutrition in order to overcome malnutrition and build up the immune system.
Specific vitamin supplements may be supplied by physicians to overcome the effects of Korsakoff’s syndrome, but a regular diet high in anti-oxidant foods, such as fruit, fish and vegetables, and with adequate protein, fats and carbohydrates, is essential.
Substance abusers often suffer from disruptive sleep patterns, so coffee is not recommended. The drug addict or alcoholic should limit their intake of caffeine to two cups a days and drink it only in the mornings Sugar intake should also be reduced because of its effects on the body chemistry.
It is amazing how proper nutrition helps heal the recovering substance abuser. Along with abstention from all addictive substances, the introduction of nutritious food and vitamin therapy can restore the person to their former complete health.

Daryl Samson, MEd
Program Director, Orchard Drug and Alcohol Addiction Center

Daryl Samson specializes in the assessment, treatment, intervention and monitoring of addictive disorders and chemical dependencies at the Orchard Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Center in British Columbia, Canada. He possesses a unique combination of educational, professional and personal experiences that enable him to relate easily to those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. Daryl has 15 years of experience in addictions treatment and intervention. He credits Dr. Ray Baker of HealthQuest as a mentor who influenced his approach to interacting with addicts and their loved ones. Daryl is a model of balanced recovery and is passionate about instilling hope in the hopeless and helping them meet their recovery goals.

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Relaxation Music

Natural Health And Meditation

With the rising cost of health care these days, more and more people are looking for alternative ways to achieve good health. There are a lot of people looking into natural healing therapies. Once considered pure rubbish, these therapies have become more acceptable than they were before.

Meditation is great way to begin and achieve overall wellness. This method has been around for centuries and most civilizations and religions have practiced a form of meditation. In meditation, a person trains his or her mind to induce a state of consciousness to achieve deeper self-awareness.

Meditation requires focus and concentration to silence random noise cluttering the mind to fully become aware and conscious of ones self, thereby eliminating physical, mental, and emotional stress. One goal of meditation is to silence the mind to get a deeper feeling of relaxation and inner peace.

There are many ways to practice the natural health therapy known as meditation. The best way is to assume a comfortable position, either sitting on a cushion or lying down. Look for a place where you wont be easily disturbed for around half an hour. For beginners, the best way to meditate is to focus on breathing, concentrating on the air that flows in and out of your nose. Other practitioners also prefer to use a word or mantra which is then repeated either constantly in the mind or once when someone has delved deep into thought.

Meditation becomes easier the more you do it, just like other things. However, there are times when achieving awareness is difficult, no matter how focused you are. The recommended meditation time is a minimum of 20 minutes, but for beginners 10 minutes are enough to suffice. People who practice meditation increase their overall sense of consciousness and awareness. They develop a deeper understanding of themselves, filling them with a sense of purpose and improving their connection to others and to the universe, making it one of the best forms of spiritual healing.

Meditation can give you a lot of benefits. It encourages you to think positively and endure day to day stress easily. It can lower blood pressure, and help you feel more relaxed and at ease. Meditation is one of the best forms of natural health therapy, providing you with all these advantages without having to spend a single dollar.

Visit www.allthingshealing.com for more details.

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Health News

Demanding Role, Demanding Life Lead To Addiction

Women these days are increasingly becoming self dependent in all the spheres of life. They are able to carry out duties bestowed upon them with great lan! All these factors together take their toll on them. They are facing with lots more problems like addiction, stress and other physical problems. Getting a professional support at such juncture becomes very important. This support could be gained in a form of a friends advice, a caring shoulder of a loved one or in a form of an expert advice. Addiction to various substances is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon in women.

Every individual has the right to live a healthy and happy life. Considering this fact the addicts need special understanding and support, for women it is essentially emotional support, from the society to overcome their habits. Men and women have different pathways to recovery are very much different. It was a need of time to have a separate treatment center for women. Every individual is entitled to get this strong support. This invaluable support is received from the female drug rehab. Various types of womens addiction treatment are also carried out by rehabs specialized for treating women.

These rehabs treat women on inner issues like depression, failure in relationships etc. that lead to such addiction. This treatment is conducted in a luxurious house situated in the lap of nature, where women are given the privacy and help they need to rediscover them and begin to recover in mind, body and spirit from the devastation of alcoholism and drug addiction. Women have special needs and our expert clinicians understand that they need to feel loved, supported, and cared for to begin the process of changing their lives.

The professional team which offers multidisciplinary approach to the treatment and plan carefully the aftercare program. Recovery treatment begins with a detox for women. A treatment approach that values a client’s complete life, including family, community, culture, value systems, spiritual traditions, and integration within the real world is considered for healing. It is very human to get attracted to the old habit again. But there are extended care treatment program for those who show signs of relapse. Based on the belief of maintaining a lifelong relationship, many rehabs offer an alumni community, where the sober can interact with each other and share their experiences.

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Health News

Understanding Drug and Alcohol Addiction

A drug and/or alcohol addiction is a life-changing illness that can be detrimental not only the addict, but also to their family and close friends.  To better understand addiction as an illness, one must first understand what an addict and/or addiction looks like.  In then seeing an addictive lifestyle in yourself, or a within the life of a loved one, it is possible to seek proper rehabilitation treatment.

So, what exactly is an addiction?  Formally, an addiction to a drug or alcohol can be described as the ongoing abuse of a substance that affects an individual’s life, and the life of those that surround them, negatively.  It is a chemical dependency that, over time, becomes a lifestyle.  An addiction can affect rational decision-making, internal will-power, character and personal strength.

There are several negative consequences that may come with a harmful addiction, beyond that of issues relating to poor health.  Some of these consequences may include, but are not limited to:

*  Financial problems
*  Inability to work
*  Poor hygiene
*  Loss of time with family and/or friends
*  Broken relationships
*  Death due to overdose or inability to make good/healthy decisions

An addiction is not only that of abusing a harmful substance.  An addiction also encompasses all of the behaviors, rituals and feelings that entice an addiction to continue using drug and/or alcohol.  Often times, breaking these bad habits and amending these negative feelings and/or behaviors, are just as difficult as not continuing to use the chemical.

It is often difficult for an addict to quit using drugs or alcohol on their own.  Even if they do make a conscious decision to do so, the support of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center is highly recommended.  Within these centers, an individual can gain medical assistance, counseling and the support of others in similar situations.  These rehab centers are located throughout the entire United States, each with different methods of treating the illness.

When searching for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, there are many decisions in which to make. Asking a friend or family member for assistance may be a good idea. Together an addict and their loved one can choose options such as that of a gender specific center, a spiritually-based program, etc. The choice should feel like a positive step forward, so one should not be afraid to ask questions of center professionals prior to starting the program.

An addiction can affect relationships, finances and health, to the point of overall personal destruction.  Although, one must also realize that individuals overcome addictions each and every day.  There is hope via contacting a rehabilitation center.  It’s never too late to start walking down a path to a healthy and complete recovery.

About the Author: Robert Shryoc is the Director of Development at the Stonegate Center, a Texas treatment center. The Texas drug rehab community serves people entangled in the physical, mental, social and spiritual bonds of chemical dependency. For more information about the residential treatment facility please visit http://www.stonegatecenter.com

 

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Relaxation Music

The Benefits Of Meditating For Health

At the mention of the word meditation, one may conjure an image of a monk contorted into the lotus position reciting the mantra “ohm,” or perhaps a Catholic priest spending long hours on his knees in prayer. The truth is meditation comes in many forms, and is beneficial to both mental and physical health. One of the lesser known meditation gurus are the elders of Tutor Saliba Island.

Regardless of the type, meditation is a means by which one can focus his or her thoughts. Focus may be achieved by using a particular technique, such as those used by the previously mentioned monk, priest and elder taking slow deep breaths, or some other method for relaxing the body and mind. For some, meditation is a religious experience and may involve praying or reading sacred texts. However, regardless of the method used, meditation practices do have some things in common.

The practitioner normally needs a quiet place, at least initially, and an open mind. Often he or she is encouraged to focus on an object, thought or word, while gently pushing other intruding thoughts away. Some forms suggest that when those thoughts enter, they should be casually observed, and then sent on their way without judgment.

How do such practices affect health? Although there is still much debate about the answer to that question, common sense dictates that if an individual is able to calm oneself mentally, the body often follows. A calmed body will have a lower heart rate, pulse and blood pressure, which can only be beneficial to overall physical health. When meditating to reduce stress in the mind, one may also find he or she is reducing stress in the body. Meditating may also be used to focus on a specific health problem, such as general pain, anxiety, stress, and even the most serious problems such as cancer and heart disease.

While health professionals may not understand how it works, most will concede that meditation often has a positive effect on the emotional and physical health of the person involved. Additionally, some techniques, such as Tutor Saliba meditation rituals, are said to help with mental focus and concentration, which may have positive effects on those suffering from brain disorders such as Attention Deficit and Bipolar and, to a lesser extent, Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia.

When considering meditation practices most health care professionals suggest contacting someone trained in whichever form one wants to use. Often, beginners may find themselves so relaxed, they simply drift off to sleep, which may be what the body and mind needed anyway.

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information about Tutor saliba Meditation, please visit their Myspace page.

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Health News

Ibogaine treatment: overcoming drug addiction

These days, our fitness and good health are two major asserts on which we should concentrate the most.  But unfortunately our young generations are becoming addicted to toxic drugs which not only harm their health but also wasting their money. Addiction is a serious condition that has been a root cause for many untimely deaths. Addiction is the result of consuming addictive substances like caffeine, aerosols, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine and methamphetamine. The only true way to cure an addiction is to restore a chemical balance within the brain. Ibogaine treatment is the only known treatment that is able to achieve exactly this, in just one treatment.

Ibogaine treatment is best way to get free from addiction. Ibogaine is a psychotropic alkaloid naturally occurring in the West African shrub iboga. While it is a mild stimulant in small doses, in larger doses it induces a profound psychedelic state. The persons who suffered from drug addiction and its habit reported that this chemical has proven best for get rid them from drug addiction. In this treatment, it is mandatory to inject the dose of Ibogaine of 20mg/day to patient.

The ibogaine treatment involves three major stages. At first state capsule is given to ingested the ibogaine in small amount clear the vision for a therapist that how he can handle the patient. After that the amount of ibogaine dose increased by a bit for a spiritual seeker who is desire to have an experience. If the patient ingesting the ibogaine experience any sort of trauma, than the best is to unrest a patient with small amount of ibogaine

The Benefits of Ibogaine Treatment:

At a 70% success rate, Ibogaine treatments offer a very real hope and possibility of overcoming drug addiction, as compared to the meagerly 1-4% success rate of most other methods.

Whenever the person takes this chemical, it excites central nervous system of the person.

It has to be administered under controlled conditions. Persons who have a heroin habit or are addicted to other opiates have reported that it reduces the normal withdrawal symptoms.

People who have participated in a system based on this kind of medicine report that they do not experience the pain that is usually associated with recovery.

Therefore, Persons who have been through ibogaine treatment are far less likely to resume their habit after they leave a supervised program.

 

Ibogaine treatment | Ibogaine therapy | Ibogaine center

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Realize Your Goals With Meditation

Are You One of The 45% Who Will Get Out of The Rat Race THIS YEAR By Using Meditation?

 

Are you trying to juggle family and career, just to become totally burned out?

Did you work your butt off for years at your job hoping to get a promotion only to see someone else get it?

Maybe you are exhausted by the constant arguments with your spouse and all you want is a loving relationship with him.

It is hard to be in such a situation and you might ask yourself, “How did I get here?”

You could begin to try many of the “standard” methods of reaching your goals of a better career or personal life. The specialists will tell you that these are the “tried and true” ways, taught by the so called “experts”. Every one of them will promise to change your life and that you will be a huge success in no time.

Does this sound familiar?

You read their books and attended their costly seminars.

They will also state that you need to create a plan of action.

This apparently is to keep you on course while trying to figure out what you want.

Regardless of the fact that you don’t really know what your true calling is, you still attempt to “work the system.” Likely, you will find yourself straying from your plan on an almost daily basis. If you get somewhere close to your goal, then you will probably decide that this is good enough “for now” and go do something else.

In the end, it won’t help you all that much and you will easily fall back into your old routines.

Ultimately, you probably will be stuck in your terrible job, your social life will consist of one fight after the other with your spouse and your energy hits rock bottom. This can be very discouraging and you will know that it is not the way you want to live.
You will eventually ask yourself, “There has to be a better way.”

Fortunately, there is an answer in the incredible power of meditation. If you want to begin this experience for yourself right now, try the following:

Set aside 10 to 15 minutes sometime before you go to bed;
Find a quiet place with absolutely no distractions;
Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes;
Empty your mind of all your daily concerns by visualizing how you put them in a box next to you and concentrate on your
breathing;
Count yourself down from 5 to 1
With every breath take all the positive energy in and with every
breath out let go of all the negative energy
Take slow deep breaths and systematically relax each part of your body, starting with your head and ending with your feet;
As your muscles relax you will feel all of the stress flow out and be left with a completely relaxed sensation throughout your
body.
See yourself in a peaceful place like a park, the beach, the forest
or the mountains. Wherever you’d like to be in this moment.
Whenever you like count yourself up from 1 to 5

That’s it.

If you do this on a daily basis you will notice that you feel well rested the next day.(Instead of having yet another sleepless night)
You also will find that your mind opens up to new ideas to tackle your issues. Maybe you’ll get an inspiration for a new idea.

This is just the beginning and it doesn’t even scratch the surface of what you can accomplish with meditation!

Learning advanced techniques of meditation is quite easy to do if you have a great teacher and it doesn’t take long to master.
Best of all, you only need to go through a few simple lessons to begin seeing a difference!

It will definitely change the way you interact with the world and give you the means to more effectively reach any goal you set.

In my latest course “The Ultimate Guide to Unleash Your Inner Psychic! 7 Powerful & Easy to Understand Techniques to Achieve Your Goal of Heath, Career, Relationships, Finance and Love!” you will learn how to use meditation, Intuition and your Innate Psychic Powers to reach the goals you set through “Guided Meditation.” (By the way, everyone is born with psychic abilities, it just gets lost over the years…)

You’ll also learn the 2 things you absolutely need to do for your meditation to work! You will be exposed to each lesson in detail and will be given the tools to fully access your inner psychic.

Once you have done this then you will be able to unleash the power that you have inside of you to achieve your goals effortlessly!

 

To your success!

Annette

© 2006 Annette Sassou

About the Author:

Annette Sassou is a Medium and Life Coach, founder of “The Ultimate Guide to Unleash Your Inner Psychic” Get her 5 FREE lessons on how to end constant fights with your spouse, avoid burn out in your career and stop paying a fortune on costly psychics at Your Psychic Power

 

Until you break your negative thought patterns you will never move on in your life. Your Psychic Powers!

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Relaxation Music

Introduction and Health Benefits of Meditation

Benefits of Meditation:


Research has revealed that a regular meditation practice can improve psychological and physiological well-being. As one meditates, the brainwave pattern is brought into an alpha state, a level of consciousness that encourages the rejuvenation and healing of the mind and body.


Physiological Benefits of Meditation

* decreases stress resulting in lower levels of cortisol and lactate

* decreases muscle tension and headaches (as with PMS)

* promotes a more restful state (lowers heart rate, lowers body’s core temperature, decreases high blood pressure, and decreases metabolic rate)

* decreases cholesterol levels

* improves respiratory function and decreases respiratory rate

* enhances immune system

* increases the production of serotonin-low levels of serotonin are connected with insomnia, depression, obesity, and headaches

* reduces level of free radicals

* promotes pain management especially for women during childbirth


Psychological Benefits of Meditation

* decreases stress

* decreases depression and irritability

* decreases anxiety

* promotes greater creativity

* improves memory and learning ability

* improves ability to focus and concentrate

* leads to increased self-actualization, self-confidence and self-acceptance

* leads to increased emotional stability

* promotes increased levels happiness and contentment in life

* discovery of personal and spiritual growth


Create A Meditation Space


Meditation can be done virtually anywhere, but creating a proper environment will make your meditation practice more fulfilling. Create an environment that is appealing and motivates you to practice regularly. If possible, devote a room or part of a room to meditation. If you don’t have an entire room, section off some space in a quiet, low traffic part of your home. Consider personalized icons, artwork or colors that inspire or soothe you during your meditation.


*Turn off phones, ringers, and any other items that can potentially distract you.

*If possible, have a source of fresh air.

*Have a source of warmth. Have a blanket or shawl to keep warm.

*Try to meditate in natural light – a source of natural light is perfect, though not too much direct sun. Dim artificial sources of light, if possible.

*Keep it clean. The mind is more able to be steady and relaxed when your meditation area is free of clutter. Stow your props (mats, blankets, cushions etc.) in a cupboard or a basket.

*Meditation should be done on a rug, carpet, or blanket. Avoid sitting directly on a cold floor.

*You can light candles and use a diffuser with a blend of essential oils to create a more relaxing mood.


Taking time to establish a meditation space will help you become more dedicated to your practice and will make your meditation experience more fulfilling.


How to Start Meditating


Preparing for a meditation is essential as this will enable you to receive all the health benefits from the practice. You can meditate anytime, but the most favorable times of day are at dawn and at dusk, when the atmosphere is charged with spiritual energy. More important, choose a time when your mind is free of everyday concerns. Consider meditating around the same time each day and in the same place.


We recommend that you wear comfortable clothing as this will allow the freest movement of the body. Also, create a meditation space that is free of distractions, mentally soothing, and will help still the mind. As most meditations are performed sitting, assume a comfortable upright position with your back, neck and head in a straight line. Modify your sitting posture with a cushion or meditation bench, if needed. If you have difficulty sitting due to back or knee discomfort, try meditating with legs straight or seated in a chair. Most important, avoid any feelings of strain, discomfort, or excess fatigue.


If you have any previous or current health issues (i.e. heart or circulatory conditions, respiratory conditions, muscle or joint problems, pregnancy), we strongly recommend that you consult a qualified physician prior to meditating as some the positions and breathing techniques may have contraindications.


Allow meditation to bring mental clarity and awareness. Practice without judgment. Enjoy the stillness that grows with a regular meditation practice.

Michelle Trantina is a certified Hatha Yoga Teacher. She is the co-founder of My Yoga Online and My Yoga Music. She can also be seen in the national Yoga television series Namaste on HDTV and CityTV. To learn more about Michelle Trantina and My Yoga Online, visit www.myyogaonline.com and www.myyogamusic.com

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Health News

Americas Hearing Loss Population Grows to More than 34 Million, New Study by Better Hearing Institute Finds

Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 19, 2010

The number of Americans with hearing loss has grown to more than 34 millionroughly 11 percent of the U.S. populationaccording to a new study of close to 50,000 homes published by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI). The study found that over the last generation, hearing loss among Americans has increased at a rate of 160 percent of U.S. population growth and is one of the most commonly unaddressed health conditions in America today. The prevalence of hearing loss over the last 20 years has grown from 266 to 295 people per thousand U.S. households.

More Americans than ever before are suffering with hearing loss, says Sergei Kochkin, PhD, executive director of BHI. But we treat hearing loss like a neglected orphan in todays healthcare system.

He adds: Our healthcare gatekeepers continue to overlook the importance of hearing health. We still dont have a universal hearing loss screening program for children or adults in America. And the historical incidence of physician screening for hearing loss has been low.

According to the survey, fewer than 15 percent of those who received a physical exam in the last year said they received a hearing screening by their physician or nurse during that exam.

Untreated hearing loss reduces earning power, disrupts relationships, and causes a wide array of psychological problems, says Kochkin. Yet, the vast majority of doctors in todays healthcare system dont include hearing health as a routine part of annual examsdespite the fact that more than 95 percent of those with hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids.

According to the study, only 4 in 10 people with moderate-to-severe hearing loss use hearing aids. Even fewer with mild hearing loss use themjust 1 in 10. In fact, most people surveyed who use hearing aids waited nearly seven years after they initially learned about their hearing loss to obtain a hearing aid, and that was after theyd lost so much hearing that their quality of life was affected.

The study found that for those who do choose to use hearing aids, the most common reasons cited were the perception that their hearing loss was getting worse (55.4%) and the influence of family members (51%). Fewer than 7 percent said their family doctor influenced their decision to use a hearing aid.

According to the survey, hearing aid users are more likely to have hearing loss in both ears (87%), difficulty hearing in noise (66%), difficulty hearing normal speech across a room without visual cues (64%), and perceive that their hearing loss is severe or profound (40%). (For hearing loss populations by state, see Appendix A.)

By the time someone has lost speech communication, theyve already lost less audible sounds such as the more subtle sounds of nature and musiclike singing birds, croaking frogs, childrens voices, and the intricacies of classical music. (To experience how sensorineural hearing losses affect hearing, visit BHIs Hearing Loss Simulator at http://www.betterhearing.org/sound/index.cfm.)

Unaddressed hearing loss silently creeps into virtually every aspect of daily living and seriously erodes quality of life, explains Kochkin. The issue of moving a person from admission of their hearing loss, to recognition of the problems hearing loss causes in their lives, to positive action to treat their hearing loss, is extremely complex and multi-dimensional. Early education to achieve recognition of hearing loss and information on the value of hearing healthcare must remain priorities for the foreseeable future.

The effects of untreated hearing loss can be especially devastating for children. Even a mild hearing loss can have a negative impact on language competence, cognitive development, social and emotional well-being, and academic achievement.

Numerous studies have linked untreated hearing loss to a wide range of physical and emotional conditions, including irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, avoidance or withdrawal from social situations, social rejection and loneliness, reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety, impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks, reduced job performance and earning power, and diminished psychological and overall health. Six out of ten Americans with hearing loss are below retirement age.

Findings from the study, MarkeTrak VIII: 25-Year Trends in the Hearing Health Market, were based on a screening survey sent to 80,000 households in the National Family Opinion panel; detailed survey information was completed in early 2009 by 3,174 hearing aid owners and by 4,345 people with hearing loss who had not yet adopted hearing aids. The study covers 25-year trends in the hearing-impaired population including hearing loss prevalence, hearing aid adoption rates, hearing loss screenings during a physical exam, distribution of hearing aids, hearing loss characteristics of hearing aid owners and non-adopters, new hearing aid adopters, and the demography of hearing aid owners and non-adopters.

A full copy of the study can be downloaded at http://www.betterhearing.org (under publications).

Founded in 1973, the BHI conducts research and engages in hearing health education with the goal of helping people with hearing loss to benefit from proper treatment.

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