Posts Tagged ‘healing’
Samuel was a thirty-two-year-old real estate agent who was sick of feeling depressed everyday and fed up with his excessive and unhealthy drinking behavior. Stated briefly, he was sick of feeling tired every morning, he missed his old drive for doing various things he liked, he hated the hangovers he experienced on a regular basis, he was irate with himself for spending his hard-earned money on a worthless habit, and he was tired of going through failed relationship after failed relationship because of his constant drinking.
Moreover he detested the fact that he had to go to court for his first DWI, he was bothered by the many times he failed to pass an alcohol test at work, he was bored with his drinking buddies, he was disgusted with how out-of-shape he was, and he was fed up with paying for alcohol-related lawyer fees.
Besides the noticeable alcohol-related health issues he was going through, conceivably the most troublesome part of his drinking regimen was the unreliable and fraudulent individual he had turned into. In his heart he knew that he had been less than truthful about his drinking behavior to his relatives, friends, and family and he also knew he had been untruthful with himself about the “healthy” outcomes of drinking. What is more, he made excuses for gulping four or five drinks before going to social events and he also made excuses for needing one or two drinks as soon as he got up so that he could manage the “stress” at work.
His Depression and His Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking Result in Major Life Changes
Clearly Samuel was sick of putting up with the adverse outcomes of his depression and his abusive and unhealthy drinking and at long last finally decided that something significant had to change in his life. So he decided that he would abstain from drinking, start focusing on becoming a more healthy person, start exercising, get professional counseling, develop a new circle of friends, and involve himself in some worthwhile hobbies.
In short, Samuel got to a pivotal time in his life during which he realized that he hit the bottom of the barrel in his life and was now ready to start the gradual and slow climb back to health.
One of the ways that Samuel initiated his “plan” was by asking for a transfer at work. When his request was approved, he moved 350 miles away to a new state. If nothing else, this certainly made making new friends and buddies and separating himself from his old friends and pals much simpler. Then he went to see a healthcare practitioner in his new city and made an appointment for a complete psychological and physical examination.
Samuel Meets With a Physician About His Hazardous and Heavy Drinking and His Depression
After meeting with the healthcare professional and taking a number of laboratory tests, it was determined that Samuel had made the unfortunate change from alcohol abuse to alcohol addiction and therefore was in need of alcohol therapy and alcohol detox. At this time, the physician made it a point to go over the various signs of alcoholism, the symptoms of alcoholism, and information about long term alcohol effects with Samuel.
The doctor then told Samuel that it was determined that he was clinically depressed and in need of counseling for this medical problem.
Samuel Decides to Revitalize His Body by Taking Vitamins and Minerals, Working Out, Eating Nutritious Foods, Drinking Distilled Water, and Living an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
Due to his willingness to follow through with the therapy regimen, after eleven weeks of inpatient rehab, Samuel was ready to start rehab on an outpatient basis. At this point in time, he began working at his new job and over the weeks began revitalizing his body by living an alcohol-free lifestyle, drinking spring water, eating nutritious foods, exercising, and taking vitamins.
Samuel also attended to his spiritual life by joining the local Methodist church and going to the weekly services.
After around three weeks of outpatient rehabilitation during which time he never suffered through an alcohol relapse, Samuel stopped going to alcohol rehab and instead began going five times per week to local AA meetings. Attending these meetings helped Samuel maintain his alcohol-free lifestyle, they provided him with the support he wanted, and they served as a persistent reminder of the adverse consequences that are related to unhealthy drinking.
After going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings around ten months Samuel felt that he was ready for a relationship and so he started dating Dana, a young lady he met at church. It clearly amazed Samuel how much more ready he was for a dating relationship now that he had his excessive and unhealthy drinking under control. In fact it also surprised Samuel how much better life was now that he wasn’t under the control of his hazardous and careless drinking. Life was now meaningful and full of possibilities that he could have never yearned for or accomplished when he was involved in abusive and hazardous drinking just a few short months ago.
A Success Story That is a Testament to the Significance of Alcohol Therapy and the Power of Change
Samuel’s success story is a verification of the importance of alcohol rehabilitation and the power of change. As Samuel thought about his newfound lofty self concept and motivation for involving himself in worthwhile, healthy activities, he was actually appreciative that he made up his mind to do something constructive about his unhealthy drinking rather than giving into his depression and into the lure of his addiction. The result: he has more energy now compared with any time in his adult life, he is involved in a loving relationship, he enjoys his new job responsibilities, he is in charge of his life rather than letting himself languish under the control of his alcohol dependency, and his life now has a positive direction.
Nearly ten months ago I had breakfast with a forty-one-year-old male named Alexander who suffers from severe depression, has relationship issues, and who is alcohol and drug dependent. As affirmed by Alexander, it is his alcohol and drug dependency and his extreme depression that had the most to do with his unceasing relationship problems.
I recollect reading that a history of mental health problems, drug abuse, and hazardous drinking frequently take place in the same family. Moreover, I remember hearing that under such circumstances, an individual needs to get treatment for both medical problems and that addiction and mental health problems often occur in the same individual.
As affirmed by Alexander, he is so dejected by his relationship problems and by both of his medical problems that he basically has little or no impetus to do much of anything. What is especially unfortunate about this is that earlier in his life, Alexander managed to finish five semesters of graduate school in finance.
Alexander’s situation makes me question if he is an example of an individual who can look in the mirror and perceive his drug abuse and alcohol drinking problems and do something healthy about these issues or if he is someone who has to hit rock-bottom before he gets drug and alcohol treatment that results in long lasting recovery.
The Need For a Rehabilitation Protocol He Can Believe In and a Physician He Can Trust
If it would be beneficial I would presume that I could recommend more than a few blogs and websites that could possibly help him locate info about drug abuse symptoms, the stages of alcoholism, chemical dependency information, and relationship issues. In my honest opinion, nonetheless, Alexander needs to locate a rehab program he can believe in and follow over the long haul and locate a doctor he can trust.
I could be in error but it seems to me that Alexander probably needs to look within himself regarding his drug addiction signs and alcoholic symptoms and recognize the fact that he cannot abuse drugs or drink at all if he wants to get sober, remain sober, and start on the road to long-term recovery.
It may be asked how counseling would help his alcohol and drug addiction. First of all, there are some recently developed doctor-prescribed medications that can help Alexander through his withdrawal symptoms, through the alcohol and alcohol detoxification process, and help him avoid a drug or an alcohol relapse.
Second, Alexander would learn to acknowledge the fact that there is absolutely nothing affirmative about substance abuse and careless and excessive drinking and that engaging in one or both situations is the path to a premature death, financial difficulties, shattered relationships, poor work and school performance, legal problems, and deteriorating health.
Third, treatment for his depression and for his relationship issues might help him manage these psychological problems more successfully and help create less of a need for him to engage in addictive behavior.
The Significance of Support Groups Like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous
There are feasibly several family members, friends, and other individuals who would love to help Alexander with his drug addiction and his careless and hazardous drinking. He possibly would experience greater acceptance from a support group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous, however, rather than getting advice from individuals who do not drink or who have never abused drugs.
When Individuals Do Things They Like and About Which They Are Ardent
There’s a school of thought in life that declares that people who accomplish things they love and something about which they are passionate attain a great place in life. That is, when people do what they love, they rarely if ever go through boredom or an uneventful life. If they get involved in something that is gratifying, moreover, they become more complete and experience more happiness and delight in life and in their relationships.
When this is examined in more detail it becomes obvious that this uplifting orientation is poles apart from a life that is grounded in chemical dependency because such a lifestyle removes the contentment and joy that life has to offer.
Because Alexander lacks the ambition to do much of anything in his life, it is plain to see that he definitely needs a little hope for a better existence. And the unfortunate thing is that hope is all around Alexander if he could only get to the place in life to get the treatment he requires for his intense depression and chemical dependency and continue with his treatment program.
More Positive Relationships, A Meaningful Life, Self Esteem, and Positive Change Are a Reality
Alexander is clearly too young to be beaten in life. He doesn’t realize this right now but if he can learn how to stay away from drugs and alcohol via drug and alcohol rehabilitation and get the treatment he requires for his acute depression, he can turn his life around and start living with self-respect, passion, and direction.
Stronger relationships, beneficial change, self esteem, and a meaningful life are certainly possibilities for Alexander if only he could get inspired to seek the professional treatment he requires, follow through with his treatment regimen, live his life in an alcohol and drug-free and healthy manner, and learn how to develop a more positive attitude about life.
Ever seen a reptile fall in love? What on earth? Well, it’s a very important one because there is a reptile inside you. Yuck! We call it the “limbic system” but we got it from our dinosaur ancestors, but I’ve no idea what they called it.
Think like a reptile for a moment, what would you fear, what would you be interested in? How would you feel when you saw something new? Let’s assume for the moment that our awareness of reptiles is correct and that they are relatively free of finer feelings like love, joy and happiness, they are largely motivated by fear, hunger, sex and self-preservation.
Imagine you are still that reptile, and you see something new. What would that reptile do? We might just ignore it and slither away or try and bite it to see if we can eat it.
Now step back into “you” again. Be honest, how much does your inner reptile really control you? We think that being a human is just one thing. During our evolution many parts came together as we evolved. Our brains are made up of three major parts, the stem or reptile brain, the mid-brain which deals with emotions and the rational brain. The LEGO construction set is not just in our brains. Even in our cells, our DNA needs something called RNA to interact with the rest of the body. In a way, this means that DNA is “foreign” to the body, since it needs RNA to communicate for it. The cells are made up of other parts which each evolved from different sources too. Our genetic ancestry is stored in a part of the cell called a mitochondria which we only get from out mothers. That raises some interesting questions!
Our being the sons and daughters of Eve is absolutely right. We are all African, since only 6,000 generations separate us from our earliest ancestors from one migration. In evolutionary terms, that’s nothing, so we’re all really African. No matter how different we look on the outside, inside the differences between any human and another is tiny. The chimpanzee, our nearest relative, is on 2-3% different from us.
So what’s with the evolutionary tour? Back to the brain, the limbic system only really cares about survival, it is barely aware of other parts of the brain. It does not care or even understand being rich, happy or fulfilled. Survival. Yep, just survival.
The subconscious is where the action is though. No one really knows which part of the brain it lives in, but it really does exist and much more importantly, it is where your accumulated beliefs live. Also, the subconscious does not understand negatives or have a sense of humor and is VERY literal in its interpretation of what you feed it.
The mid-brain has a richer emotional life and is aware far more than the limbic system, but it views life through an emotional lens. There goes the idea of the brain as a super computer. The cartoon of the brain as logical is just simply not true. Thinking often acts more to stop action, that to prompt taking action.
Want an example, when you are at a store and the attendant comes over and starts to sell to you, if you are marginally keen, what’s the most common phrase people use? I’ll t____________ it.
Notice that interesting second word? No emotions there. Thought only tends to lead to more thought. Did you not get the phrase? I’ll think about it.
So in the end, we usually make emotional decisions and then justify them afterwards. Just ask anyone who just bought product X over product Y. It boils down to the fact that they liked one more than the other. The features of the product did not make the decision, they were used as justifications afterwards. Our beliefs about one product being a better “fit” for us made the choice for us, not the product itself or its actual features, we focused on the ones that mattered to us. Next, you know what happened? Someone walked into the same store just after you did, and for them product Y was so obviously better than X, only a fool would by X. Which person is right? Neither or both. Take your pick. Both people made chances based solely on beliefs about the products, not the products themselves.
So what about our larger lives? How are our lives shaped by our beliefs? Beliefs can also stop our actions as well. Let’s say you have a strong belief that you can’t swim (forget the “because’s for the moment”) well first off, you can’t swim because you have a negative belief around swimming which you can justify with lots of reasons and secondly, because you believe that chances are you’ll stop yourself from learning to swim. Of course, since you believe you can’t swim you wont!
Now let’s apply that to money. Goodness! The dreaded “M” word. Not THAT one boys, the one around the green stuff. There are few subjects on which there are more experts than around money. Remember how “literal” minded the subconscious is. Just about everyone has lots of opinions on how to make money, who deserves it and who doesn’t. There are probably less opinions about sex than about money.
Why? Well, because money is an essential ingredient to living in the 21st century, it is the means by which we can live our large dreams and achieve the kind of freedom deep down we all believe we can have. But up pop our beliefs and either say we do not deserve that life, or cannot have it because there is not enough to go around, or the rich are greedy bastards (and hey, who wants to be labeled a greedy bastard). Ever heard the phrase the “filthy rich”? In that belief system, you have to be filthy to be rich. Who deep down really wants to be filthy if that’s what it takes to be rich. Filthy anyone? You have to be that first, before being rich.
How about “money is the root of all evil”? What would that one do in your reptile brain? Check your bank balance to find out. Bad is one thing, but evil is a whole different thing altogether. Being “bad” is mostly just shocking the moral majority, rather than genuinely being nasty. Evil is a conscious and deliberate causing of harm to others for no purpose. Just reading that is scary. Whew! Imagine how your reptile brain is reacting to that one! Yup, that’s got “danger” written all over it, don’t you think?
It is our deepest, hidden beliefs that are guiding our lives. These beliefs are not consciously held, so are pretty much unaware they are there. Yet, there they are guiding us with the precision of a laser bomb to our target. Do we end up with joy or sadness or worse? Whether your beliefs are explosive or not will show up in the results in your life, around money, relationships and health for instance. If you are interested in changing those beliefs for more productive ones, The Science of Getting Rich is about wealth in more than just financial terms. You can also check out The Power of Simplicity.
You see, our reptile brain is alive and well, so are all the other parts of us. In our emotions, in our feelings, our thoughts and above all in our subconscious beliefs. They are all operating, but if they are all working with different goals and agendas, is it likely that you’ll get to where you consciously want to go?
The process of clearing out and harmonizing these parts of us is called spiritual growth. Given that spirit is perfect already, we’ll leave that one to another post.
Passages from The Bible flood in automatically to fill the void left by all the questions and half answers left in my heart as a result of the sudden passing of Michael Jackson.
I never got the chance to meet this cat, nor the opportunity to get to know him personally and as a musician, this legend was a great inspiration in his performances, to a whole generation of pop musicians. He was huge then and may be more in his death: but that is not the focus of this essay.
Am I My Brother’s Keeper Even When There Is A Lot of Money to Be Made? This is not a question for only the health care providers but for everybody in business. Let us agree that It is a challenge when your whole career as a health care giver is suddenly shoved under the spotlights. Your whole future is suddenly basking under the glory of a mega star.Great.
Michael Jackson’s sudden death raises a common question that concerns all of us. Do people locked up in client doctor confidentiality agreements always know what they are doing? We live in a world where more clients now make more money than their doctors. Rich Patients can now hire or fire “professional medical help“just at the snap of a finger.These types of patients have got to a place where they can choose and even organise medical teams, and orchestrate medical procedures with doctors coming from different jurisdictions and countries .Where is medicine going to nowadays? We have the wealthy patients dancing circles around traditional established practices.
How can we apply “I am my brother’s keeper” when you risk to lose a patient who thinks he or she knows what they want? That is a question that should be reserved for the doctor’s conscience. Is it OK to see American Health care as a commercial commodity?
I believe the passage i chose from the Bible is addressing both our human and physical intellectual wares and should remind us of a few fundamental truths about ourselves.We have become smart and arrogant and have found all kinds of ways at outsmarting the laws protecting the integrity of our “medical help” systems in place. This is for both Buyers and Sellers of health services.
In Isaiah 64:6,the Bible says “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.”
Time for some quick answers.
Abuse of prescription drugs, doctor client privacy privileges and you in the middle.Do you really feel protected even if it were you who kept ordering the drugs against your doctor’s wishes? In all Client and Vendor relationships we all know the things we do to keep our high ticket customers don’t we? Martha Stewart comes to mind when speaking of ethics.But believe me or not she is in a better place in her mind when it comes to these values these days.
I think the quality of Michael Jackson’s music started a downward spiral the moment Quincy was no more in charge of his music. Right? Bruce Sweden was the one in charge of the sweet sounds in the mixes then what happened?
Suddenly all the songs became drum machine ridden with yelps and all kinds of whacked up moves and stuff. If you doubt go listen to the Quincy era.Greed? Pressure? What if the monkey wrench in the whole equation was a mega star himself having too much power to the point that suddenly, he/she could out manoeuvre around everybody and end up hurting himself?The star now had so much power,you are history when you don’t deliver what he/she wanted.
Ethics?
Yeah right. $100,000 was spent at the pharmacy, and we keep wondering how much the consultation itself will cost?
$100,000 a month Hotel Suites without a single stinking defibrillator? The one thing that mattered most.
Not the Limos, nor the Business Deals, nor the Beatles Catalogue, nor the smooth media and press image, but just being healthy.
OK you would think a $300 an hour doctor on call should seal the deal and Mr Jackson still could not make it through the night to read his newspaper in the morning? Come on American Business.
OK, he should have sang “The Girls from Ipanema”, did Opera, challenged the late Pavarotti, taught music at Berklee School of Music and even did Smooth Jazz. Nope. This guy was very focused and probably had bigger fish to fry.
So far as his plastic surgery thing went, it was not only him who was guilty if you think that was a crime. Almost all Americans and people who could afford a nip and a tuck creepingly went under the knives.
Personally, I think he really looked terrific in his new facials with dimples in the right places and all. What’s amazing is how courageous and pure he was. He is a guy who was not afraid of taking risks.
To me he donated his body to fulfill our thirst and love for perfection desired for the perpetual human circus?
Have you taken advantage of the benefits of aromatherapy? It is never too late to start gaining the benefits. You can apply the benefits in the process. You may have already heard of the concept of aromatherapy. There are many relaxation and healing techniques that are being introduced, but this one remains popular because it is easy to follow and the costs are not exhorbitant.
The process utilizes botanical oils. These are extracts and essences from sources such as herbs, trees and flowers. The type of essences that you choose to use depend on what you are intending to cure and your reasons for undergoing the procedure.
The Beginnings
This procedure can be traced back in the 1920s when Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist, coined the term after witnessing how the lavender oil can cure skin burns. The medicinal properties of the oils and essences from various herbs and plants applied has become a branch of herbal medicine. Around the world the idea is being applied in most countries, especially in parts of Europe and North America.
The approach is popularly used at spas and holistic treatments as an alternative relaxation therapy. This is also being integrated on products used for relaxation purposes such as candles and different essences of massage oils. Many people are discovering the effectiveness of the process through time. For most of its users, this has become an integral part of their lives as it can alleviate pains, fatigue and stress.
There are many things that essential oils can do to your body. It has the following effects depending on the type of oils used and its sources. The effects range from being tranquilizing, antiviral, anti-bacterial, adrenal stimulating and other pharmacological end results.
The matter is simple. You inhale the essential oil. Through your nasal cavity, its molecules enter your system. The limbic system in your brain becomes stimulated when its inside your body. Such system is responsible for your memories and emotions. It is also associated with the parts of your body that controls your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. This is also connected with your pituitary gland, the hypothalamus and your adrenals.
The oils maintain a healthy balance between your emotions and your physiology. Such oils are extracted from different parts of the sources such as the leaves, flowers, branches, roots and even flowers and buds. The creation process involves steam distillation, cold pressing and stem and water distillation. You must be cautious in using the matter. You must take note that it can be harmful if you will take the matter orally. You should seek a professional’s help to carry out this process if this must be done.
Basic Aromatherapy Uses
This method is known to relax your body and lessen tensions and stress. This has also been popular to treat different conditions such as bruises and burns, allergies, insect bites, headache, colds, flu, menopause, sprains, joint pains and a lot more. This can also help you regain your strength and energy and help you sleep if you feel restless or if you are suffering from insomnia.
People around the world are discovering the marvels that aromatherapy brings and this method becomes increasingly popular everyday.