Risk Factors for Drug and Alcohol addiction

There are certain risk factors that make some people more prone to addiction than others. Elements such as a history of family addiction, age or a high level of stress make people more susceptible to major drug or alcohol problems.

There is no one reason why people become addicts. However, science is making great inroads in understanding some of the reasons that certain people are prone to the type of addictive actions that eventually lead them into a rehab center. Genetic, environmental factors and mental health conditions are just a few of the risk factors that lead some people into a spiral of addiction that forces them to end up in drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

Genetics: People who have a family member with a drug or alcohol problem are at a high risk for addictive behavior themselves. The results of one study suggested that children or siblings of drug and alcohol abusers were two to four times more likely to have a drug or alcohol addiction than someone with a history of addiction in their immediate family. The types of unhappy childhood environments that come from families with addiction is one factor, but so are issues with the "wiring of the brain" that appear to be handed down from generation to generation.

Age: People who begin abusing drugs or alcohol at a younger age are more likely to have a serious problem that will necessitate going to a drug rehab program. Also, because adolescents are also going through major changes with their bodies and their brains, drug treatment can be complicated and in some cases more difficult than with an adult.

Types of drugs used: Researchers say that drugs that are injected into the veins such as heroin are incredibly addictive because they trigger an "instant" high by getting directly into the blood stream. This is opposed to drugs that are smoked or ingested, which have to work their way through the nervous system before giving the user a high. Because of this, drugs that provide instant gratification can be more difficult to treat while the patient is in drug rehab, including having more violent withdrawal symptoms.

By Nelson Conway (www.everydayhealth.com)

9 Steps To Cleaner And Healthier Skin

According to Bestskinpeel, for cleaner, healthier and easier to manage skin just follow this list of nine items:

1. Lower your stress level through prayer and meditation. Stress creates hormones that actually age us as they destroy cells and create toxic biproducts and free radicals. Studies have shown that prayer and meditation can reduce our stress levels. Prayer and meditation have been proven to even alleviate some of the symptoms of cancer and other life threatening diseases.
2. Drink plenty of water. It is a fact that 90% of us do not drink enough water. For your skin cells to function properly and heal properly from cuts, etc... we need to drink 8-12 glasses of water every day. Our skin is one of our most important organs as it protects us from disease, cushions our falls, etc... It needs plenty of water.
3. Get proper sleep. Not getting the proper 8-10 hours of sleep per day will first show in your skin. Broken capillaries, puffiness, circles under the eyes.
4. Eat well. Get proper nutrition. Too many junk foods can cause or worsen skin problems like pimples and acne. A well balanced meal 3 times per day has been proven to help alleviate spikes in skin problems and help to average out the outbreaks in acne vulgaris.
5. Take vitamins to supplement your skin and body. We can't always make sure we get 100% of each vitamin and mineral with the foods we eat, but we can take a multivitamin once a day. They are cheap at Walmart and there is no excuse. People that take multivitamins once a day live longer. Its a proven fact just like persons that smoke take years off their lives.
6. Properly clean your skin. Harsh soaps can dry out your skin and even stimulate further sebum (oil) production which can worsen acne. Use a mild cleanser with 2% salicylic acid. This has been proven very effective in ridding excess oils while maintaining proper hydration and pH. The slight acidity will keep bacteria at bay.
7. Don't smoke. Smoking puts years on you. Literally, smoking can add 10 years to the aged look of your skin. Why would you want to do that? If you must have nicotine then get nicotine gum or the patch - they will cure your cravings and there is no evidence or statistics of anyone developing cancer, lung disease, etc... from these.
8. Wear sunscreen. The skin does have keratonin to protect against the suns rays, but it is no match for UV rays, etc... that we expose ourselves to. Melanoma has several forms and all are deadly. If you don't think you will get skin cancer or think you are invulnerable, just go to your local dermatologist and ask to see pictures of clients with skin cancer, better yet go to the oncology center at your local hospital. You won't think that way ever again. Wear sunscreen.
9. Treat yourself to a spa treatment atleast once a year. Skin peels, TCA peels, deep tissue massage, complete relaxation, aromatherapy, etc... will all energize and heal your skin. TCA peels will actual improve your skins ability to regenerate itself and improve collagen levels.

Remember, follow these nine steps to enjoy healthier skin.

Source : www.readbud.com