ADDICTION TO ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO

ADDICTION TO ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO

Dependence on anything becomes a habit when followed or practiced repeatedly. The habit of being dependent, at one stage, becomes impossible to break, making it an addiction. The more a person tries to break that habit, the weaker he becomes in will and the more dependent he becomes on that habit.

BAD EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL 

It corrodes the linings of the liver, intestines and stomach.
It weakens the memory, lowers the intellectual and reasoning powers.
It reduces the ability to do ordinary work and decreases muscular power, depressing the heart and circulation.
Prolonged alcohol intake also causes impotency in a few cases.

BAD EFFECTS OF SMOKING/TOBACCO

Patients who tend to smoke a lot or take a lot of tobacco are prone to:
Cardiovascular problems like Ischaemic Heart Disease.
Respiratory troubles like Chronic Bronchitis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Vascular disease like Thromboangitis Obliterans.
Dental staining and decay.
Oral and Bronchiogenic Carcinoma.
Impotency.

SOME MEASURES AND HOME REMEDIES TO BE TAKEN TO OVERCOME ALCOHOL ADDICTION 

Angelica herb -This herb is taken in the form of tea or in tincture form, thrice daily, after meals. This helps reduce craving for alcohol.

Apple - Have two to three apples a day to reduce the craving for wine and other intoxicating liquors. It is also useful to reduce any intoxicated feeling caused by alcoholic beverages.

Date (khajoor)- The person should drink half a glass of water in which four to five dates have been crushed. Do this twice daily for a few months.

Fruit juice - The best drink as a substitute for alcohol is a glass of fresh fruit juice. The patient or the alcoholic should drink lots of juices and eat a candy or other snacks whenever he has a craving for alcohol.

Grapes - Grapes contain the purest form of alcohol and are a healthy substitute for alcohol. Alcoholics should take fresh grapes or grape juice at five-hourly interval, i.e. three times a day. Eating a few raisins daily for a few months also helps in reducing the craving for alcohol.

Milk - Drink two large cups of milk daily.

Orange- Eating two to three oranges or drinking one glass of orange juice just before breakfast helps to lessen the craving for alcohol.

Water and alcohol - Add eight parts of pure water to one part of alcohol  and drink it in gulps. Do not sip it. Then drink two or more glasses of water after it. If you tend to vomit, it is excellent. This will help the alcoholic to break the habit of drinking.


WAYS TO OVERCOME THE EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS

To reduce the toxic effects of alcohol, a tablespoonful of honey is given to the patient thrice daily.

Drink cold water frequently.

Application of a cloth dipped in cold water around the head, abdomen and loins reduces the effects of intoxication.

Three teaspoonfuls of juice of leaves of bitter gourd (karela) should be mixed with a glass of buttermilk and taken every morning for a month. This is an effective antidote for alcoholic intoxication.

Have two to three apples to overcome the complications due to chronic alcoholism.

Half a glass of juice of raw celery leaves mixed with an equal quantity of water should be taken once daily, for a month. This acts as an effective antidote to alcohol  intoxication and helps reduce damage done  by alcohol to liver and pancreas.

In cases of vomiting and retching following alcohol intake, give hot black coffee to the person as much as he can take.

Stop Smoking - Positive Useful Tips

1. Built up a strong belief in you blended with stronger will power to quit smoking. Consider giving up smoking as one of the very difficult things you have done in your life. It’s all up to you.
2. Develop your plan and take a decision right away for doing things accordingly.
3. Make short note why you want to stop smoking live longer far better, for your family, some money, smell better to find a mate easily etc. you know very well what is bad about smoking and what you will achieve when you stop smoking. Put the same on a paper and read it daily once.
4. Seek an all out stop smoking support from your family and friends for your decision to stop smoking. Tell them in the very near future you may become irritable, even irrational as a cause of quitting smoking habit.
5. Get on with a set date to stop smoking and also decide on what day you intend to say a final good-bye to cigarette. You may hold a small ceremony when you smoke your last cigarette. It’s up to your liking.
6. Speak to your doctor about quitting. A wholehearted support from a physician would work out as proven way to better off your shames to quit.
7. An exercise program on daily basis is going to help you relive of stress, and recover from years of damage from cigarettes, may be you can start walking ones or twice per day. You may also consider about some rigorous activities 3 to 4 times per week. Consult your physician prior to begin any exercise program. (Stop Smoking Exercises)
8. Practice some deep breathing every day 3 to 5 minutes breath in through the nose slowly hold breath for a few seconds, exhale slowly through your mouth.
9. Begin to imagine your way as a non-smoker. Close your eyes imagine yourself turning down offers of cigarettes, offered by someone, throwing all of your packs of cigarette away, winning a gold medal for doing so. A powerful imagination really works.
10. Cut back on cigarettes keep it with a gradual speed. This situation would call for a clear cut plan as to ‘how many cigarettes ‘ you will smoke everyday reducing the number following each day; you buy only one pack at a time, changing brands means you don’t enjoy smoking as much pall on cigarettes to someone else when feel like to smoke you have to ask for each time.

1. Mostly smokers feel if to give up smoking take firm decision once for all, just to stop smoking suddenly, no point trying to go slow and steady. You are the best judge quitting cold turkey or by gradual quitting.
2. Make a genuine attempt to find out another smoker who is also trying to stop smoking help each other disusing some positive thought just because quitting becomes different.
3. You have ‘clean sheet’ now after quitting smoking your area non smoker. You can now think of celebrating the milestone of your journey step by step. After a period of two weeks see a movie, visit a funny restaurant a month after. Covering a time span of three months move out for you after six months. A year after have a party for yourself, invite your family friends to your birthday party, celebrate your new beginning of life.
4. To drink lot of water. Drinking of more would help flushing out nicotine and chemical out of your body.
5. Avoid triggers, learn to plan alternative means and way to deal with the trigger like you feel smoking when in stress, in the end of a meal, arrival at the work, entering a bar etc.