Levitra for Impotence Treatment

Pleasure and sexuality may not be disgustingly impartial to each other but a healthy sex life can definitely be the source of happiness. For a happy sexual life, it is necessary to take adequate care of our physical and sexual health. But many content relationships find themselves in the dock when one of the partners is diagnosed with a sexual dysfunction. Latest studies have indicated the emergence of sexual dysfunction in women termed Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and says that 50 percent women over the age of thirty faces the risk of sexual dysfunction. But in most cases it is the male sexual dysfunction which has reached alarming levels affecting millions across the world. The most significant among them is erectile dysfunction or impotence.

Impotence or erectile dysfunction is the powerlessness in a man to achieve or sustain an erection necessary for sexual activity. An occasional failure in having an erection cannot be judged as erectile dysfunction. It is diagnosed so if maintaining an erection becomes a consistent problem for a prolonged period of time. Men suffering from impotence are too embarrassed to speak about their sexual dilemma and they live under continuous stress fearing rejection by their loved one. Such situations can jeopardize many relationships. So talk to your partner because, problem shared is problem halved and you can definitely win over impotence.

Levitra is the most revealed medicine in its category and its popularity can be assessed by the number of websites providing information on Levitra online. These Levitra online information sites not only provide all information and latest research studies but also cater to free consultations from medical experts. So if you are embarrassed to see a doctor in person you can seek the help of the online medical experts but it is advisable to use Levitra only under medical supervision. Moreover, you can buy Levitra from online pharmacies with the click of a mouse in the privacy of your home. Levitra can definitely transform your sexual dilemma for a happy and content sex life.

I remember back in my senior year of high school - my best friend since 5th grade was living in France. He wrote that they didn’t like Americans much. “They think we’re all fat,” he said. With his own skinny frame, of course, he confounded their belief.

But, he added a funny, or perhaps ironic capstone to the issue. “I went to a store, and they were selling statues of these fat people, and, at the base of each one was written, ‘American.’”

Obesity is not only an American problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it’s a global problem. They call it globesity. Parodoxically, their understanding of this problem began with their original mission to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. We live in a world where many have nothing to eat, and many eat too much. From 1995 to 2000, the number of obese adults worldwide mushroomed from 200 million to 300 million. That’s a 50% increase in just 5 years!
What is Obesity, and What is Overweight?

Overweight means an excess of body weight. This excess weight may be muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Obesity refers specifically to an abnormally high proportion of body fat. You can be overweight without being obese - for example, a bodybuilder or other highly-muscled athlete. But many people who are overweight are also obese.The main way to determine whether you are overweight or obese is with the body mass index (BMI). It doesn’t directly measure body fat, and it’s not gender specific, but it does give you a pretty reliable estimation.

To find your BMI, divide your weight (in kilograms) by your height in meters squared. Yep, for the math-challenged, that’s complex, so I’ll give you a website that will figure it out for you, the National Institute’s of Health BMI calculator (http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/). This will very quickly tell you if you are normal, overweight, or obese, and it does all the calculating and metric conversions for you!

Overweight is defined as a BMI above 25 (including those above 30 BMI, too), and obese is a BMI above 30. So, all obese people are overweight, but not all overweight people are obese.

The Obesity Epidemic

Obesity isn’t just about not feeling good or having trouble getting dates…

* It leads to more than 300,000 premature deaths each year in the United States. 90,000 are preventable cancer deaths. (CDC)

* Severely obese men die 13 years sooner than men of normal weight (JAMA).

* As a killer in America, obesity is second only to tobacco. (CDC)

The Weight Loss Industry

* Spending: Americans spend between $40-50 billion per year to lose weight.

* Results: I haven’t seen any recent news that Americans are getting any thinner - have you?

* Conclusion: What people are doing isn’t working. If we want different results, we have to try a different solution.

Acupuncture Weight Loss: Fantasy, or Fact?

* Fantasy or Fact? As a well-trained and fairly conservative Chinese medicine practitioner, I had assumed that acupuncture for weight loss was a marketing fad and a patient fantasy.

* Evidence: But while researching my upcoming book Chinese Medicine: A Practical Guide to Optimal Healing, I found some surprisingly positive information that changed my mind.

Chinese Medicine’s Collective Clinical Data on Acupuncture Weight Loss

Chinese Medicine has thousands of years of clinical experience. This collective data not as convincing as randomized controlled trials are, but it does contain truth - it’s imperfect but still valid and important.

A U.S. government study in the 80’s concluded that 85% of western medicine is based on clinical experience, not on research. (Office of Technology Assessment of the Congress of the United States, The Impact of Randomized Controlled Trials on Health Policy and Medical Practice, Background Paper OTA-BP-H-22. Also see Michael Millenson’s book, Demanding Medical Excellence)

There is good Chinese Medicine research in Taiwan, Australia, and Europe that gets ignored by American scientists and media. Much research in Chinese has not even been translated into English.
Seven Studies of Acupuncture for Weight Loss

How it works: By enhancing the function of two neuroendocrine pathways that regulate many bodily processes, including metabolism.

What it does:

* Lowers body weight, body fat, insulin levels, and lipid levels in the blood

* Decreases excessive appetite and makes it easier to satisfy your hunger with less food.

* Decreases menopausal weight gain

* In one study, acupuncture took off 10 pounds in 2 months - that translates to 60 lbs in a year!

* Combined with diet control, and aerobic counseling it not only takes off the pounds and body fat, but keeps them off, especially if you’re diligent with their exercise.

(See references at end of article for the research)
Ephedra misuse and mislegislation

Ephedra is a Chinese herb for colds and coughs. It has been misused to increase metabolism, and this misuse has caused numerous deaths. As a result, the FDA is considering a total ban on ephedra products. We can blame two major things:

1. Supplement companies that care more about your money than your health (no, not all of them are that way, but some of them are, especially the ones that market weight loss formulations).

2. The idea that you can medicate yourself safely with herbs - self-medication of any kind is risky. Self-medication with herbs is off the radar, and people generally think they can do it safely. The ephedra debacle is an example of how dangerous it can be.

Traditionally, Chinese herbs are given in formulas (not singly), which is safer and more personalized. They’re prescribed by a Chinese medicine practitioner who diagnoses your specific imbalances first. Ephedra would never be given for weight loss, but only for certain kinds of colds and coughs, and only to people whose body’s can handle it.

No traditional Chinese herbs should be outlawed without allowing Chinese medical practitioners to continue to use them traditionally.
Food Cravings

* Problem #1 (Enzyme Deficiency): The foods you crave depending on your personal imbalances. Modern digestive science explains that when your body can’t digest a food, you crave more of it - you’re not getting what you need from it. This lead to a cycle of craving and overeating the exact food you can’t digest.

* Problem #2 (Low Blood Sugar): Another vicious cycle happens when you can’t digest complex carbs, so your blood sugar is low, so you eat simple carbs that raise your blood sugar which raises insulin, which lowers your blood sugar again, and your stuck eating donuts and feeling horrible.

* Solution: Enzymes (I recommend various enzyme formulations from a company called Transformations) and Chinese herbal formulas can help you digest your food and break both of these cycles

Weight can be lost safely if done slowly and naturally.

You can lose up to 2 lbs per week without gaining it back. That means you could lose 104 lbs this year and keep it off!

Positive change is like stretching a rubber band- if you stretch too far too fast, it breaks or snaps back on you.

So avoid the temptation to take an easy solution like ephedra or citrus aurantium (both misused Chinese herbs), because you’ll gain the weight back, and you’re risking heart problems and stroke.
5 Things to Do Right Now
To Lose 10 Pounds Within 2 Months
And Keep Them Off:

1. Avoid heavily marketed supplements - instead, see a professional trained herbalist (acupuncturist) - it’s safer and more effective - my preference would be a Chinese medicine practitioner, but some very well-educated western herbalists are good too.

2. Acupuncture Weight Loss: See an acupuncturist/chinese herbalist - Get acupuncture (once to three times per week) to SAFELY regulate your metabolism and hunger-satisfaction. Your acupuncturist can also get you the herbs that will balance your digestion and cravings - and based on your Chinese pattern diagnosis, they can also give you personalized diet advice. Herbs and enzymes (specific formulations from the enzyme company, Transformations) can eliminate your food cravings.

3. Develop a plan and goals with your acupuncturist and aerobics instructor- make it realistic, and stick to it. If you mess up, don’t beat yourself up, just get back on track as soon as you can. Any progress is better than none at all.

4. Eat less, exercise more - Eat a low fat diet, and don’t miss breakfast! Weigh yourself regularly, and exercise an hour a day. Start by walking a few minutes each day, or take the stairs at work. Don’t overdo it! Remember the rubber band. In fact, you may want to wear a rubber band on your wrist to remind yourself to make changes slowly. Get some aerobic exercise help- a public class, or private aerobic counseling.

5. Join a support group like Weight Watchers or Overeaters Anonymous. There’s nothing like positive friends to encourage you and keep you on track. OA members say that this spiritual program of action has changed the way they relate to food.

References and Resources

1. Office of Technology Assessment of the Congress of the United States, The Impact of Randomized Controlled Trials on Health Policy and Medical Practice, Background Paper OTA-BP-H-22.

2. Michael Millenson’s book, Demanding Medical Excellence

3. Effect of acupuncture on weight loss evaluated by adrenal function. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1993 Sep, 13(3):169-73.

4. Wozniak, P., Oszukowski, P., Stachowiak, G., and Szyllo, K. [The effectiveness of low-calorie diet or diet with acupuncture treatment in obese peri- and postmenopausal women] (in Polish). Ginekol.Pol. Vol.74 Issue 2 pp. 102-107. 2003

5. Acupuncture on Spleen, Stomach, and Ren Mai Channel Points for the Treatment of Stomach & Intestinal Replete Heat Pattern Simple Obesity. Abstracted & translated by Bob Flaws, Dipl. Ac. & C.H, Lic. Ac., FNAAOM, FRCHM

6. Richards D, Marley J. Stimulation of auricular acupuncture points in weight loss. Aust Fam Physician. 1998 Jul;27 Suppl 2:S73-7.

7. Zhao, M., Liu, Z., and Su, J. The time-effect relationship of central action in acupuncture treatment for weight reduction. J Tradit Chin Med Vol.20 Issue 1 pp. 26-29. 2000

8. Liu, Z. Mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture moxibustion on simple obesity complicated by hypertension. Inter J Clin Acup 371-378, 1995.

9. Studies of the Weight Loss Industry

10. Obesity prevalence and effect

11. Overeaters Anonymous

Brian Carter has been making herbs and acupuncture fun and easy to understand since 1999. He founded Pulse Media International (http://www.pulsemed.org), previously known as the Pulse of Oriental Medicine. He is the author of “Powerful Body, Peaceful Mind: How to Heal Yourself with Foods, Herbs, and Acupressure” (2004 - http://www.pulsemed.org/famous-author.htm)

Brian is a medical professor and public speaker. He writes articles, blogs (http://americas-acupuncturist.blogspot.com/), and speaks on radio across the country, and has been quoted and interviewed by publications like Real Simple, Glamour, and ESPN magazines.

So many people that are concerned with improving their health over look the health of their liver. The liver is called LIVE -R for a reason. The liver is involved with digestion and assimilation. It processes nutrients to give life to your body and to repair diseased and damaged tissue. It removes toxins and eliminates pathogen from getting into the blood that flow to all of your body cells.

Over 27,000 people every year die from chronic liver diseases and Cirrhosis. People with diabetes have a high number of deaths from liver deterioration. Over 60,000 people die from liver failure. It is estimated that 9,000 die from Chronic Hepatitis C and over 12,000 from liver cancer. Over 25 million people create some form of liver and gallbladder disease every year.

Liver disease is the Seventh killer of American people.

Don’t dismiss the health of your liver as you layout your plans to improve your health. Most people have some from of liver weakness and don’t even know it until it too late. Why not learn what you can do to treat your liver right so it can give you good LIFE.

Here is a list of symptoms that you will have when your liver is not working like it should.

Frequent headache not related to stress, eyestrain, or shoulder muscle tension
Frequent menstrual problems
Blurry vision or red eyes
Constant bitter taste in mouth
Excessive anger, depression or moodiness
Tenderness in the liver area - just under your right rib cage
Acne, psoriasis, eczema, rashes, and other skin problems
Weakness in your muscles and joint areas

Any one of these symptoms can be an indication that you have liver weakness. If you have two - three of them for sure you have some liver weakness.

So what can you do if you feel that you have some liver weakness?

The first area to work on is to examine the types of fats and oils you eat and make the changes that will give you better liver health.

Saturated fats, such as found in butter, meat, lard, and other oils are highly susceptible to oxygen damage through the process called oxidation. When these fats are oxidized they become rancid and form free radicals.

But Saturated fats are not the only fats that can be oxidized. Even unsaturated fats, the good oils, can be oxidized. Still it is better to eat most of our fats unsaturated since saturated fats are associated with heart conditions.

All fats can become oxidize outside the body by using them to fry your food or inside your body though the natural oxidation processes.

Liver cells are highly susceptible to free radicals. These free radicals are destructive to liver cell walls and weaken the health of the liver over time.

Also, Scientists have found that 17% of the oxygen you breathe and have available in your body becomes a free radical. These free radicals, again, attack and destroy liver cells.

To counter eating free radicals and the free radicals that are created in your body, you need to take anti-oxidant supplements and eat fruits and vegetables. The yellow and red colored fruits and vegetables are the highest in anti-oxidants. Of course it is best to also limit eating fried food and not use oils that have been sitting around to long.

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. To get the latest information and tips on liver health go to: http://www.liverdamageprevention.for–you.com

“Your body is not a work of art” is a true statement. So why do
so many people, and women in particular, spend countless hours
wishing that theirs was one and

even more hours feeling angry, embarrassed and even ashamed of
their bodies because they fail to live up to the images in their
minds?

The answer is obvious, isn’t it? Beautiful bodies get lots of
positive attention, which is great for the ego and for
generating feelings of self-worth. It’s a fact that

women with “gorgeous” bodies are in great demand with virtually
all cultures throughout the world and throughout time. Yes, the
media-revolution has created an

unprecedented explosion in demand for gorgeous bodies but it’s
not a new phenomenon.

So if your body doesn’t quite fit into the category of
“absolutely gorgeous”, how can you possibly feel good about it?

If you want to feel good about your body then you need to start
seeing it for what it really is. Not a work of art. Not a
two-dimensional picture stuck on a wall

for everyone to walk past and make whimsical judgements about.
Not a statue that can be ignored, defiled, neglected or
ridiculed. No, our bodies are none of

those things.

Our bodies are amazingly complex life-forms that allow us to
live, breathe, see, taste, smell, touch, feel, walk, jump, swim,
hug, write, draw, eat, laugh, play and

so on. And even if you’re suffering from a disability or
ill-health that prevents you from doing some of these things it
doesn’t mean that I am wrong, because your

body is still doing many of these things. Pictures and statues
can’t do ANY of them.

So if you’ve decided that you hate your body because you are
disappointed with the way it’s turned out then you’re being very
superficial, aren’t you? Yes, YOU

are being superficial. You can blame glossy magazines all you
want for pumping thousands of perfectly-manipulated beautiful
images of women and men into our

society but if you succumb to hating your own body simply
because you don’t like the way it looks then you are causing
your own misery.

Your body is a sophisticated and unique entity that should be
judged in its entirety not just by the size of its chest or the
shape of its nose. If you are prepared

to open your mind to the real value of your body then you can’t
fail to notice that it is actually very special indeed.

Here are some facts about YOUR body that are worth absorbing:

Your body uses ten different systems, which work as separate
entities but depend on each other for physical and biochemical
support, resulting in a true

functioning co-operative. These are muscular, skeletal,
cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, immune, urinary, digestive,
respiratory and reproductive systems. And

these systems keep working on your behalf 24/7.

The little patch of skin situated in-between your eyebrows
contains over six million cells, 26 oil glands, 20 hairs, 100
sweat glands, three metres of nerves, one

metre of blood vessels and thousands of sensory cells. Picture
that if you can!

And here’s another fact to blow your mind: your brain has around
12 BILLION nerve cells!

Wow, isn’t YOUR body amazing? Doesn’t it deserve a bit of
respect? So what if you have a few stretch-marks or you’re a bit
hairier than you’d like to be? Your

body is still fabulous and there is an awful lot that you can DO
with it that is fun and pleasurable.

If you have a negative chatterbox inside your head that drones
on day-after-day, spouting destructive and superficial
criticisms of your body, then maybe now is

the time to tell it to shut up and stop being so unfair. Let’s
be radical and simply stop listening to it so that we can all
start living in harmony with our own bodies

AND other people’s bodies too. Let’s be radical and simply stop
listening to it so that we can all start living in harmony with
our own bodies AND other people’s

bodies too. If you’re up for this challenge then please read the
tips that I’ve listed below and try implementing a few of them
over the next couple of weeks.

tip one: Stop comparing and competing with other people because
it is a fruitless activity, which I can guarantee will lower
your self-worth. Accept instead that

every body and every face is different and there will always be
people in the world who are more beautiful than you and some who
are less.

tip two: Select four activities from the list below and find an
opportunity sometime over the next two weeks to focus on doing
them well.

a) Practise some deep breathing exercises. b) Cook a fabulous
meal and eat it slowly, savouring each mouthful. c) Go into your
bedroom on your own and be silly for five minutes. Jump around,
wiggle your arms and legs, roll on the bed and laugh at how
ridiculous you’d feel

if someone could see you doing it! d) Find three things that you
enjoy touching and spend a few moments relishing the feel of
them. Maybe a flower, a piece of silk, a smooth pebble, a cat or
a

dog etc. e) If you’re not in the habit of exercise pick an
activity that makes you feel a little bit out of breath. An
obvious one could be to run up and down the stairs a

few times.

tip three: Recognise that we are all capable of expressing
beauty though our actions. Think of statements like: her face
lit up, he has a twinkle in her eye, she

moves so gracefully, he’s so vibrant and full of energy, she has
a cheeky little grin, he always stands tall and proud, her eyes
are always warm and inviting, he

looks as if he’s enjoying life, she has a lovely touch, he gives
the best hugs ever, they make me feel wanted and secure. Now
find some words of your own that you can focus on to encourage
you express the beauty that exists within your body.

tip four: Write something positive about your body and don’t
feel ashamed of liking it. It’s OK to celebrate your bodily
openly so why not start today!

Do Governments Save Money by Watching Smokers Die Prematurely?

This was the conclusion of a report, commissioned by Philip Morris, who looked at the cost of smoking in the Czech Republic in 1999. They concluded that tobacco can save a government millions of dollars in health care and pensions because many smokers die earlier. They reported that the government had benefited from savings on health care, pensions and housing for the elderly that totaled $30 million - the “indirect positive effects” of early deaths (Arthur D. Little International, 2000).

I was shocked to hear this “death benefit” argument for the first time, after making a presentation to a group of professionals - informing them that tobacco use is the chief avoidable cause of illness and premature death for over 430,000 Americans each year. It reminded me of the dialog in the movie, “Traffic,” when Michael Douglas playing a congressman/ drug czar asked a Mexican general (played by Tomas Milian), “How do you treat your drug addicts? And the general responded by saying, “We let our drug addicts treat themselves. They overdose and die, and then there is one less drug addict to worry about.”

Although the argument is immoral, unjustifiable, and factually inaccurate (National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids, 2001), it would appear that 46 States in the United States are indirectly supporting this dreadful argument as only 5% of the tobacco-settlement funds (of the $206 billion settlement for tobacco-related health costs that went to 46 States according to a National Conference of State Legislators study), are being spent on tobacco prevention and treatment programs.

Should the U.S. Federal Government be in the Tobacco Business?

Federal taxpayers are directly paying more than $340 million to tobacco farmers to make up for lost income because of low prices and tobacco litigation settlements. These direct payments are in addition to subsidies in the form of tobacco crop insurance, administrative costs for price supports, and non-recourse loans. This subsidy supports expanded tobacco production at the same time that the federal government is spending millions actively discouraging the use of tobacco for public health and safety reasons (Green Scissors, 2006).

These subsidies also occur at the same time that our political candidates accept millions of dollars in contributions from the tobacco industry. Tobacco companies are heavily invested in politics, contributing $36.8 million to federal candidates and political parties since 1989, the Winston-Salem Journal reported Oct.23, 2004.Observer, June 25, 2000.

Do Government Laws Prohibit Minors from Legally Smoking Cigarettes?

Federal law does not allow retailers to sell cigarettes, tobacco, or smokeless tobacco to anyone under the age of 18. Laws regarding the possession of tobacco are left up to the individual states. I wonder why it is legal for minors to smoke cigarettes in most States, but illegal for minors to buy cigarettes when there are approximately 1.23 million new smokers under the age of 18 each year (Gilpin, et al., 1999), and more than 6,000 children and adolescents try their first cigarette each day (CDC, 1998).

• More than 90% of first-time use of tobacco occurs before high school graduation. Because the average age at first use is 14.5 years, smoking prevention must start early.

• Approximately 40% of teenagers who smoke eventually become addicted to nicotine.

Hawaii presently has a bill before the Legislature that would prohibit the use of tobacco products by minors, with penalties including tobacco education, community service, fines and driver’s license suspension (Honolulu Advertizer, March 12, 2006). Why has it taken the 50th State - 50-plus years to propose this bill? And what are the other States doing with the other 95% of their settlement, if their not attempting to educate and treat smokers?

Children smoke 1.1 billion packs of cigarettes yearly. This accounts for more than $200 billion in future health care costs. The health consequences of this addiction are enormous. Tobacco smoking is responsible for 1 of every 5 deaths and is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

Should Governments Promote Life and Provide Treatment for Smokers?

Proponents of the “death benefit” argument would say that tobacco victims (46.5 million American smokers, CDC, 1997) deserve to die, because they have chosen to smoke and risk the consequences. Does this also include the 70% of smokers who want to quit (Health Education Authority, 1995), but find themselves physiologically, psychologically, and socially addicted to nicotine? In fact, less than 25% of smokers who try to quit succeed as long as a year (Stolerman, I.P. & Jarvis, M.J., 1995).

It does not appear that Governments are actively supporting treatment for smokers. In 2001, a survey of the federal-state Medicaid coverage for tobacco-dependence in the United States was conducted, and only 1 State in 50 (Oregon) provided for all the tobacco-dependence counseling and pharmacotherapy treatments recommended by the 2000 Public Health Service (PHS) guideline. Only 10 States in 2001, offered some form of tobacco-cessation counseling services to the 11.5 million federal-state Medicaid program patients that smoke (CDC, 2003). A lack of reimbursement for tobacco-cessation counseling services is also the most common complaint for private health insurance companies when inquiring about treatment for smokers.

If the death benefit argument was applied across the board to all areas, then these proponents would end all medical research directed at preventing and finding treatments for illnesses and diseases, and promote euthanasia for all unproductive people in society including the elderly, severely retarded, mentally ill, and physically handicapped. The answer is not in condemning victims of diseases, disorders, and addictions, but in providing effective prevention, education, assessment/ diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare programs for those in need.

Diagnosing Nicotine Dependence

Nicotine addiction is classified as a nicotine use disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV - TR, 2000). The criteria for the diagnosis of 305.1 - Nicotine Dependence - include any 3 of the following within a 1-year time span:

o Tolerance to nicotine with decreased effect and increasing dose to obtain same effect

o Withdrawal symptoms after cessation

o Smoking more than usual
o Persistent desire to smoke despite efforts to decrease intake

o Extensive time spent smoking or purchasing tobacco

o Postponing work, social, or recreational events in order to smoke

o Continuing to smoke despite health hazards

Screening for Nicotine Dependence

Screening tools are available to assist counselors and therapists with diagnosing this condition - such as the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ). Two items in the FTQ that are considered the key questions are as follows:

1. Do you smoke within 5 minutes of awakening?
2. Do you smoke greater than 25 cigarettes per day?

Individuals that answer - Yes to both questions are highly dependent on nicotine (Prochazka, 2000).

Note: If after reading the above, you started rationalizing to yourself, “Well it usually takes me 6-minutes to light-up after I get out of bed or I never smoke more than 20 - cigarettes per day, (As my old graduate professor use to say) STOP BULL-SH#%ting yourself and go see a therapist.

Co-morbidity & Nicotine Dependence

Addictions such as nicotine dependence and other addictions as a rule do not develop in isolation. Individuals can shift from one addiction to another or sustain multiple addictions at different times. The National Co-morbidity Survey (NCS) that sampled the entire U.S. population in 1994, found that among non-institutionalized American male and female adolescents and adults (ages 15-54), roughly 50% had a diagnosable Axis I mental disorder at some time in their lives. This survey’s results indicated that 35% of males will at some time in their lives have abused substances to the point of qualifying for a mental disorder diagnosis, and nearly 25% of women will have qualified for a serious mood disorder (mostly major depression). A significant finding of note from the NCS study was the widespread occurrence of co-morbidity among diagnosed disorders. It specifically found that 56% of the respondents with a history of at least one disorder also had two or more additional disorders. These persons with a history of three or more co-morbid disorders were estimated to be one-sixth of the U.S. population, or some 43 million people (Kessler, 1994).

Psychiatric disorders are more common among tobacco users than in the general population. Among patients seeking tobacco cessation services, as many as 30% of them may have a history of depression (Anda, et al, 1990) and 20% or more may have a history of dependence (Brandon, 1994). Most descriptive studies of alcohol abusers published in the past 20 years have reported tobacco use rates of at least 90%. (Bobo, 2000). More research and information is needed on the co-morbidity of nicotine dependence and behavioral addictions such as pathological gambling, eating disorders, and sexual addictions.

Poor Prognosis

We have come to realize today more than any other time in history that the treatment of lifestyle diseases and addictions are often a difficult and frustrating task for all concerned. As already noted, less than 25% of smokers who try to quit succeed as long as a year (Stolerman, I.P. & Jarvis, M.J., 1995). Repeated failures abound with all of the addictions, even with utilizing the most effective treatment strategies. But why do 47% of patients treated in private treatment programs (for example) relapse within the first year following treatment (Gorski,T., 2001)? Have addiction specialists become conditioned to accept failure as the norm? There are many reasons for this poor prognosis. Some would proclaim that addictions are psychosomatically- induced and maintained in a semi-balanced force field of driving and restraining multidimensional forces. Others would say that failures are due simply to a lack of self-motivation or will power. Most would agree that lifestyle behavioral addictions are serious health risks that deserve our attention, but could it possibly be that patients with multiple addictions are being under diagnosed (with a single dependence) simply due to a lack of diagnostic tools and resources that are incapable of resolving the complexity of assessing and treating a patient with multiple addictions?

New Proposed Diagnosis

Since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning, it is no wonder that repeated rehabilitation failures and low success rates are the norm instead of the exception in the addictions field. Treatment clinics need to have a treatment planning system and referral network that is equipped to thoroughly assess multiple addictive and mental health disorders and related treatment needs and comprehensively provide education/ awareness, prevention strategy groups, and/ or specific addictions treatment services for individuals diagnosed with multiple addictions. Written treatment goals and objectives should be specified for each separate addiction and dimension of an individuals’ life, and the desired performance outcome or completion criteria should be specifically stated, behaviorally based (a visible activity), and measurable.

To assist with resolving this problem a multidimensional diagnosis of “Poly-behavioral Addiction,” is proposed for more accurate diagnosis leading to more effective treatment planning. This diagnosis encompasses the broadest category of addictive disorders that would include an individual manifesting a combination of substance abuse addictions, and other obsessively-compulsive behavioral addictive behavioral patterns to pathological gambling, religion, and/ or sex / pornography, etc.). Behavioral addictions are just as damaging - psychologically and socially as alcohol and drug abuse. They are comparative to other life-style diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in their behavioral manifestations, their etiologies, and their resistance to treatments. They are progressive disorders that involve obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors. They are also characterized by a preoccupation with a continuous or periodic loss of control, and continuous irrational behavior in spite of adverse consequences.

Poly-behavioral addiction would be described as a state of periodic or chronic physical, mental, emotional, cultural, sexual and/ or spiritual/ religious intoxication. These various types of intoxication are produced by repeated obsessive thoughts and compulsive practices involved in pathological relationships to any mood-altering substance, person, organization, belief system, and/ or activity. The individual has an overpowering desire, need or compulsion with the presence of a tendency to intensify their adherence to these practices, and evidence of phenomena of tolerance, abstinence and withdrawal, in which there is always physical and/ or psychic dependence on the effects of this pathological relationship. In addition, there is a 12 - month period in which an individual is pathologically involved with three or more behavioral and/ or substance use addictions simultaneously, but the criteria are not met for dependence for any one addiction in particular (Slobodzien, J., 2005). In essence, Poly-behavioral addiction is the synergistically integrated chronic dependence on multiple physiologically addictive substances and behaviors (e.g., using/ abusing substances - nicotine, alcohol, & drugs, and/or acting impulsively or obsessively compulsive in regards to gambling, food binging, sex, and/ or religion, etc.) simultaneously.

New Proposed Theory

The Addictions Recovery Measurement System’s (ARMS) theory is a nonlinear, dynamical, non-hierarchical model that focuses on interactions between multiple risk factors and situational determinants similar to catastrophe and chaos theories in predicting and explaining addictive behaviors and relapse. Multiple influences trigger and operate within high-risk situations and influence the global multidimensional functioning of an individual. The process of relapse incorporates the interaction between background factors (e.g., family history, social support, years of possible dependence, and co-morbid psychopathology), physiological states (e.g., physical withdrawal), cognitive processes (e.g., self-efficacy, cravings, motivation, the abstinence violation effect, outcome expectancies), and coping skills (Brownell et al., 1986; Marlatt & Gordon, 1985). To put it simply, small changes in an individual’s behavior can result in large qualitative changes at the global level and patterns at the global level of a system emerge solely from numerous little interactions.

The ARMS hypothesis purports that there is a multidimensional synergistically negative resistance that individual’s develop to any one form of treatment to a single dimension of their lives, because the effects of an individual’s addiction have dynamically interacted multi-dimensionally. Having the primary focus on one dimension is insufficient. Traditionally, addiction treatment programs have failed to accommodate for the multidimensional synergistically negative effects of an individual having multiple addictions, (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, and obesity, etc.). Behavioral addictions interact negatively with each other and with strategies to improve overall functioning. They tend to encourage the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, help increase violence, decrease functional capacity, and promote social isolation. Most treatment theories today involve assessing other dimensions to identify dual diagnosis or co-morbidity diagnoses, or to assess contributing factors that may play a role in the individual’s primary addiction. The ARMS’ theory proclaims that a multidimensional treatment plan must be devised addressing the possible multiple addictions identified for each one of an individual’s life dimensions in addition to developing specific goals and objectives for each dimension.

The ARMS acknowledges the complexity and unpredictable nature of lifestyle addictions following the commitment of an individual to accept assistance with changing their lifestyles. The Stages of Change model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1984) is supported as a model of motivation, incorporating five stages of readiness to change: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. The ARMS theory supports the constructs of self-efficacy and social networking as outcome predictors of future behavior across a wide variety of lifestyle risk factors (Bandura, 1977). The Relapse Prevention cognitive-behavioral approach (Marlatt, 1985) with the goal of identifying and preventing high-risk situations for relapse is also supported within the ARMS theory.

Conclusions

The impact of nicotine dependence and poly-behavioral addictions is of course financially devastating. The estimated smoking attributable cost for medical care in the US in 1998 was more than $75 billion and the cost of lost productivity due to smoking-related disability was estimated at over 80 billion per year (CDC, 2003). But making life and death decisions based on a cost analysis is putting a price on life itself, which I believe no mortal man has the authority to do. Considering that addictions involve unbalanced life-styles operating within semi-stable equilibrium force fields, the ARMS philosophy promotes positive treatment effectiveness and successful outcomes that are the result of a synergistic relationship with “The Higher Power,” that spiritually elevates and connects an individuals’ multiple life functioning dimensions by reducing chaos and increasing resilience to bring an individual harmony, wellness, and productivity.

Partnerships and coordination among all service providers, government departments, and health insurance organizations in providing treatment programs are a necessity in addressing the multi-task solution to Nicotine Dependence and Poly-behavioral addictions. I encourage you to support the addiction programs in America, and hope that the (ARMS) resources can assist you to personally fight the War on nicotine dependence within poly-behavioral addiction.

For more info see:
http://www.booklocker.com/books/1966.html

http://www.geocities.com/drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html

Poly-Behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System,
By James Slobodzien, Psy.D., CSAC at:

James Slobodzien, Psy.D., CSAC, is a Hawaii licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor who earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology credentials Dr. Slobodzien. He has over 20-years of mental health experience primarily working in the fields of alcohol/ substance abuse and behavioral addictions in medical, correctional, and judicial settings. He is an adjunct professor of Psychology and also maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.

References
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Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 787 & p. 731.
American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (2003), “Patient Placement Criteria for the
Treatment of Substance-Related Disorders, 3rd Edition,. Retrieved, June 18, 2005, from:

http://www.asam.org/
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Czech Republic, November 28, 2000, Http://tobaccofreekids.org/reports/phillipmorris.
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84, 191-215.
Bobo, J.K., Sociocultural influences on smoking and drinking. Alcohol Res Health. 2000;24(4):225-32. Review. PMID: 15986717 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Brownell, K. D., Marlatt, G. A., Lichtenstein, E., & Wilson, G. T. (1986). Understanding and preventing relapse. American Psychologist, 41, 765-782.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Retrieved June 18, 2005, from: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/
Gorski, T. (2001), Relapse Prevention In The Managed Care Environment. GORSKI-CENAPS Web
Greenscissors.org/news, Up in Smoke Tobacco Program - 840 Million, 2006.
Healthy People 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2005, from: http://www.healthypeople.gov/
Publications. Retrieved June 20, 2005, from: www.tgorski.com
Lienard, J. & Vamecq, J. (2004), Presse Med, Oct 23;33(18 Suppl):33-40.
Marlatt, G. A. (1985). Relapse prevention: Theoretical rationale and overview of the model. In G. A.
Marlatt & J. R. Gordon (Eds.), Relapse prevention (pp. 250-280). New York: Guilford Press.
McGinnis JM, Foege WH (1994). Actual causes of death in the United States. US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC 20201
Humphreys, K.; Mankowski, E.S.; Moos, R.H.; and Finney, J.W (1999). Do enhanced friendship networks and active coping mediate the effect of self-help groups on substance abuse? Ann Behav Med 21(1):54-60.
Kessler, R.C., McGonagle, K.A., Zhao, S., Nelson, C.B., Hughes, M., Eshleman, S., Wittchen, H. H,-U, & Kendler, K.S. (1994). Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United
States: Results from the national co morbidity survey. Arch. Gen. Psychiat., 51, 8-19.
Legislative Bills, Honolulu Advertizer, March 12, 2006.
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Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1984). The transtheoretical approach: Crossing the boundaries of therapy. Malabar, FL: Krieger.
Slobodzien, J. (2005). Poly-behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS), Booklocker.com, Inc., p. 5.
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010 (Conference Edition). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2000.

James Slobodzien, Psy.D., CSAC, is a Hawaii licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor who earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology credentials Dr. Slobodzien. He has over 20-years of mental health experience primarily working in the fields of alcohol/ substance abuse and behavioral addictions in medical, correctional, and judicial settings. He is an adjunct professor of Psychology and also maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.

Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental health disorders and affect the lives of millions of people every year, including approximately 19 million in the U.S. alone. If you are one of them, you may wonder if your symptoms are standard, and if there are behavioral and medical treatments that might be effective for you. While everyone experiences anxiety in some form — perhaps before giving a public presentation or in the midst of major life changes — those with anxiety disorders experience it unusally often and irrationally.

There are many different types of anxiety disorders, each of which have unique features, but all of them share the symptoms of dread and excessive fear. Five common types are panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. As with most disorders, each individual will experience symptoms slightly differently, and response to treatment will vary as well. While there are prescription medications for anxiety, for those who are wary of the side effects there also exist natural treatments for anxiety which contain herbal ingredients that can produce equally positive effects.

Passion flower (or Passiflora Incarnata) is a natural ingredient that is often used for anxiety relief, as well as to treat hyperactivity, insomnia, nervous tension and even Parkinson’s Disease. Passion flower helps to calm and soothe and is believed to be able to reduce nervous tremors and lower high blood pressure.

Lavendar (or Lavandula Augustifolia) is one of the most popular natural ingredients for treatment of a variety of conditions, including anxiety disorder. Lavendar is a general tonic for the nervous system and is well-known for it’s calming properties, making it among the most effective of natural panic attack treatments. The active ingredients in lavendar are tannins, flavinoids, coumarins, triterponoids and volatile oil.

Lemon Balm (or Melissa Officinalis) is a natural ingredient that is used as a resorative for the nervous system and also calms the digestive system and reduces blood pressure. Lemon Balm has also been used to treat Grave’s disease (hyperthyroidism), and to treat depression and insomnia.

There are no quick fixes for anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder treatments should usually focus heavily on behavioral therapy. No matter how many times you might hear that you “worry too much” or that you should relax, your symptoms are not character flaws but indications of a serious disorder that is not your fault. Anxiety disorder is caused by biological, physiological and genetic factors, and may make your life seem stressful and difficult. There are many others like you who have found effective treatment through therapy, medication, herbal remedies for anxiety or some combination of the aforementioned, and you too have the ability to overcome your disorder to lead a happier, healthier life.

Webmaster: You are authorized to reprint this article providing the author bio/resource box is left completely in tact - including all hyperlinks.

Tess Thompson is a Homeopathic Practitioner, Reflexologist, Certified Aromatherapist, and Herbalist who contributes regularly to Native Remedies - where you can find All Natural Homeopathic and Herbal Remedies for many health conditions including natural Anxiety treatment and herbal remedy for Depression.

How often do you go to the bathroom and have a bowel movement?
I realize that this question may seem odd, but it the most basic sign of good digestive health. Over 95% of health problems start in the digestive system and constipation is certainly a culprit in many of these maladies.

Bowel movements should correlate to how many meals are eaten in a 24 hour period. If you eat three meals in a 24 hour period, you should have three bowel movements. If not, you are constipated. The statistics show that over 65% of the American Population is constipated.

There are two different theories related to constipation. They are the traditional Medical Opinion as well as the holistic opinion.

Traditional Medicine defines constipation as the passage of small amounts of hard dry stool. However it also states that we have different levels of metabolism and because of this we all experience different frequencies of elimination.

Holistic Medicine believes that you should have one elimination for every meal you eat each day. The holistic practitioner would tell you that the healthiest digestive system is one that absorbs food and nutrition at meals and eliminates the toxic waste 12 to 18 hours later. If the food stays in your system for more than 18 hours it putrefies, accumulates toxins which get absorbed into the bloodstream and contributes to numerous other health concerns.

If you are constipated there are several things that you can do to bring your body back into balance.

1) DRINK more water. Ideally you should drink one ounce of water for every pound of body weight each day. This will help rehydrate the digestive system.

2) Exercise Regularly. This will increase the blood flow which will assist with normal elimination.

3) Supplement with a good daily fiber product that consists of ground flax.

4) Lubricate your digestive system with Essential Fatty Acids like Flax, Borage and Fish Oils which make it easier to have an elimination.

The reason that Constipation is a serious health concern is that we absorb whatever is put in our digestive system. If your digestive system is blocked and filled with waste you will absorb that waste and put the burden on your liver, lungs, lymphatic system, blood, skin, colon and kidneys to assist in getting those toxins out of your body.

It is always a great idea to see a naturopathic medical practitioner who can suggest great supplements, reading materials and healthy alternatives when confronted with poor digestive health.

Charles O. Palmerson is the webmaster for http://www.eConstipation.com
an online Constipation Information Resource created to resolve poor digestive health.