How does addiction affect children

The various addictions people get into, such as alcohol, smoking, drugs including marijuana use, affects children the most. The whole family suffers due to one person's addiction, but the effects of this become quite pronounced in growing up children. These children have to deal with chaos and an unpredictable situation at home, which could lead to problems in their own life in future.

Many researchers are delving into the lives of addicts to study the effects of their addiction on their innocent children, and how it impacts them when they grow up.

How Addiction Affects Children in the Future

Children who have an addicted parent, usually are at an increased risk of the following:

·         Learning Difficulties

·         Physical Illness

·         Mental Illness

·         Abuse

·         Neglect

The Effects in the Behavior of Such Children

The possible ill effects the children of an addicted parent face are:

·         Disruption of a Normal Family Life: The family life of an addict is bound to be far from a normal life. The children of such households will be witness to domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, depression, mental illness, divorce, etc. There is every likelihood for these children to develop depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies. Most of the time, they carry these tendencies outside of their home and find it difficult to connect to their peers. They become withdrawn, secretive, shy away from making friends, so that they can avoid situations where their friends will know about the affairs at home or witness it.

·         Feeling of Neglect: Most of the time, with one addicted parent, both the parents will not be able to give any attention to their children as they are trying to solve their own problems. This results in the child feeling neglected and this may lead to depression or other psychological problems.

·         Risk of Turning Addicts Themselves: The children of addicted parents are always exposed to the object of their parent's addiction (alcohol or drugs whatever may be the case). Therefore, there is always a risk that the child too may try it out on the sly and get addicted to it in due course and may need rehabilitation.

·         Violent Streak: There is every chance of children developing a violent streak, as they may be constantly exposed to their parents' bickering or fights or being subjected to physical or mental abuse. This could lead to a situation where they land up in jail.

·         Misconstrued Value System: Children get their values from their parents. In the circumstance that they grow up, children are usually confused about what is right and what is wrong. When one of the parent is drinking (they say) to overcome stress or joblessness, children think that is the right behavior and behave exactly in the same fashion when they are faced with such a situation in future.

·         Lost Childhood: Sometimes, when the situation is so bad that the parents are least bothered about the basic necessities of the household, children are forced to go fetch for themselves. This way, they could become school dropouts and live without any structure. Sometimes, they become young adults by looking after their families. This way, they lose out on a regular childhood.

·         Low Self Esteem: In a household where one parent is under the influence of alcohol or drugs and very aggressive, children could become quite timid, scared, and lack self esteem. They will be scared of everyone and everything.

·         Lack of Trust: Since they grow up to be very secretive and shy away from friends, they neither trust anyone nor be trusted by others. This lack of trust will also reflect in their future relationships.

·         Guilt Feelings: Sometimes, when a small child is shouted at, he thinks the fault lies in him. This way, he will start blaming himself for whatever bad happens at home. This guilt feeling will come in the way of his future relationships.

·         People Pleasers: Since children of addicted parents are, most of the time, forced to please their parents, they could turn out to be people pleasers. They will try to please everyone around them, especially those in authority positions. Again, they lose their own identity in this way.

·         Their Future Relationships: Some children from such household may develop clingy behavior. For fear of losing their partner, they will go to any extent to keep the relationship going. On the other hand, some children, having seen so much of insecurity in their parent's lives, fear getting into any permanent relationships and sometimes show a tendency towards insecure relationships.

How to Tackle This Harsh Reality?

Children need a secure home to grow and flourish. Once you understand your addictions, try to take action in eradicating the habit. Once you have gotten rid of your habit, try to concentrate on your children's well being. The child may not exhibit very obvious signs of all the aggressive behaviors he has suffered, but take him to a psychologist see if anything needs to be done. May be put him in a rehab where he will slowly open up to the loving behaviors of the rehab authorities, and come back to the "mainstream" normal behaviors.

Effective Living Clinic

B-3/19, 0:1, Sector 3, Vashi

Navi Mumbai 400703

Tel: 9987223811 / 9969105310

www.effectivelivingclinic.com

Do's and don'ts to get fit by 31st December

With the New Year just round the corner, everyone wants to look their best for the multiple upcoming parties.

If you've spent much time staring wistfully at that hot outfit you wished you could wear come 31st December, then look no further. Nutritionist Rekha Sharma, President of the Indian Dietetics Association helps us understand diet do's and don'ts in order to get fit by 31st December.

To be clear: Weight loss can never function in a healthy manner within just a couple of weeks. What we are looking at today is a simple plan to avoid extra weight gain, bloating, and eating habits that help you be the fittest you can currently be. A healthy, balanced diet combined with adequate exercise is a must for a toned body that looks great all year round. As tempting as a crash diet might appear, it will only work to your advantage in the short term and the few pounds that you lose by denying your body proper nutrition will result in you feeling completely drained of energy- something you clearly don't want while celebrating the New Year!

Diet Do's
- Eat small portions at regular intervals through the day.
- Picking the right food is the key especially in such a short time frame.
- The meal should contain food which is high in proteins and fiber such as egg white, whole pulses and beans, low fat milk and milk products, whole grains, oats, beans, broccoli, papaya, orange, guava etc.
- Excessive consumption of foods high in fat should be avoided.
- Choose cooking oils that are high in MUFA (mono-unsaturated fat) as these fatty acids control bad cholesterol. Oil such as canola is the right option as it is healthy for the heart and free from bad cholesterol.

Diet Don'ts
- Food containing fat should not be completely eliminated from the diet as there are good fats such as omega 3 and mono-unsaturated fats which our body needs more.
- Fasting and skipping meals should be avoided, as when this happens the body goes into a conservation mode and the basal metabolic rate (BMR) falls, which results in preservation of energy leading to no weight loss. On the other hand small frequent meals keep the BMR boosted and exercise further raises it, thus leading to the weight loss.

Break a sweat!
Having regulated the intake of food, it is important to break down the fats that are already in our body. The quickest way to do that is by following a regular workout regime. In order to shed the fat, you need to break into a sweat! You can do that by doing aerobic exercises like running, swimming, cycling or pretty much anything that increases your heart rate and keeps it up. Stomach crunches alone will not help you lose weight and will only tone the muscles.

Staying active through the day is also a great way to get some additional exercise. Simple things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking a few extra steps everyday can keep you fitter than you think.

Effective Living Clinic

B-3/19, 0:1, Sector 3, Vashi

Navi Mumbai 400703

Tel: 9987223811 / 9969105310

www.effectivelivingclinic.com

How stress affects your oral health

Excess stress may give you a headache, a stomachache, or just a feeling of being "on edge." But too much stress could also be doing a number on your mouth, teeth, gums, and overall health.

The potential fallout from stress and anxiety that can affect your oral health includes:

·         Mouth sores, including canker sores and cold sores

·         Clenching of teeth and teeth grinding (bruxism)

·         Poor oral hygiene and unhealthy eating routines

·         Periodontal (gum) disease or worsening of existing periodontal disease

So how can you prevent these oral health problems?

Mouth Sores

Canker sores -- small ulcers with a white or grayish base and bordered in red -- appear inside the mouth, sometimes in pairs or even greater numbers. Although experts aren't sure what causes them -- it could be immune system problems, bacteria, or viruses -- they do think that stress, as well as fatigue and allergies, can increase the risk of getting them. Canker sores are not contagious.

Most canker sores disappear in a week to 10 days. For relief from the irritation, try over-the-counter topical anesthetics. To reduce irritation, don't eat spicy, hot foods or foods with a high acid content, such as tomatoes or citrus fruits.

Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by the herpes simplex virus and are contagious. Cold sores are fluid-filled blisters that often appear on or around the lips, but can also crop up under the nose or around the chin area.

Emotional upset can trigger an outbreak. So can a fever, a sunburn, or skin abrasion.

Like canker sores, fever blisters often heal on their own in a week or so. Treatment is available, including over-the-counter remedies and prescription antiviral drugs. Ask your doctor or dentist if you could benefit from either. It's important to start treatment as soon as you notice the cold sore forming.

Teeth Grinding

Stress may make you clench and grind your teeth -- during the day or at night, and often unconsciously. Teeth grinding is also known as bruxism.

If you already clench and grind your teeth, stress could make the habit worse. And, grinding your teeth can lead to problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), located in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw meet.

See your doctor and ask what can be done for the clenching and grinding. Your dentist may recommend a night guard, worn as you sleep, or another appliance to help you stop or minimize the actions.

Poor Oral Hygiene

Being under extreme stress may affect your mood and cause you to skip oral hygiene habits such as flossing and brushing.

If you don't take care of your mouth, your teeth and overall oral health can suffer. If you already have gum disease, skipping daily hygiene may worsen the problem. If your mouth is in relatively good health, falling down on brushing and flossing can lead to gum disease or increase your risk of cavities.

When under stress, you may also develop unhealthy eating habits, such as snacking on large amounts of sugary foods or drinks. These habits increase the risk for tooth decay and other problems.

Just reminding yourself of the importance of hygiene and healthy eating may help. Boosting or resuming your exercise routine can help you relieve stress and feel energized enough to tend to your oral hygiene and cook healthier meals. Exercise will also boost your immune system -- and that, too, is good for your oral health.

Gum Disease

Stress can cause an increase in dental plaque, even when the high stress levels are short term. That's according to a study that evaluated people who cared for loved ones with dementia and who experienced stress.

Long-term, the stress these caregivers felt boosted their risk of bleeding gums, or gingivitis, which can progress to serious gum disease.

Stress can lead to depression. And depressed patients, according to recent research, have twice the risk of an unfavorable outcome from gum disease treatment compared to those who aren't depressed.

You can't make depression or the stress disappear, of course. But experts say that learning healthy coping strategies can help reduce the risk of gum problems getting worse. Healthy coping is "problem-focused" with active and practical strategies to deal with the stress and depression, experts say. 

Remember, eating a balanced diet, seeing your dentist regularly, and good oral hygiene help reduce your risks of periodontal disease. Make sure you brush twice a day and floss daily. 

Effective Living Clinic

B-3/19, 0:1, Sector 3, Vashi

Navi Mumbai 400703

Tel: 9987223811 / 9969105310

www.effectivelivingclinic.com

11 reasons to control your TV watching habit

What can be your favorite pastime when you think of unwinding? What do you do when you are alone at home? You spend hours in front of your television set. Right? And you think that the TV shows are giving you quality time and a healthy company!
In reality, television viewing is always considered to be bad for your health. You cannot accept this fact readily, but watching TV for a long time can put your health at risk. It is accepted that you can gain a lot of knowledge from a few television shows, but still the disadvantages outweigh these benefits with a big margin! TV serves as a medium of entertainment and education for all, but it is associated with a number of physical and mental health problems such as:

1.             Increase in the Risk of Heart Diseases: Based on the analysis of the data collected over a period of six years from 8,800 Australian men and women (over age 25 with no history of heart disease), researchers found that every hour of TV watching increased a person's risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 18%, and increased the risk of death from cancer by 9%. This means that people who watched more than four hours of TV had an 80% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease over the 6-year time period as compared to people who watched 2 hours or less each day. The problem normally crops up from a sedentary lifestyle which television offers to you. According to researchers, the human body evolved to move, not sit still for extended periods of time. So sitting in front of a TV or a computer screen for too long poses serious risks to health, and to life.

2.     Disruption of Sleep: The light emitted from the television can prove to be too stimulating to our systems. This can reduce the levels of the brain hormone melatonin, which usually increase in the evening as light levels fall. This may effect the body's natural rhythm, keeping you awake longer and results in irregular sleep and extreme fatigue. Reduced levels of melatonin have also been linked to early puberty in girls.

3.     Increase in the Risk of Diabetes: When it comes to controlling diabetes, TV watching habit can be included as the risk factor. A 2003 study of women published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that the risk of diabetes increases by 14% for every 2 hours of television viewing in a day. Another study conducted in the same year and published in the journal Lipids found that men who watched more than 40 hours of TV per week were 3 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than men who watched TV less than 1 hour weekly. According to researchers, all this increased risk cannot be explained by the increased snacking and reduced activity linked with sitting in front of the television.

4.     Increase in the Risk of Obesity: Prolonged watching of television relates to an absence of muscle movement. If your muscles stay inactive for too long, it can disrupt your metabolism leading to weight gain. Additionally, when you are watching TV, you tend to eat more and eat unhealthy foods due to advertising and other food cues on TV. A study compared the television viewing habits of more than 50,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study from 1992 to 1998, and found that weight gain increased as TV watching increased. For each two-hour increase in television watching per day, there was a 23% rise in obesity.

5.     Development of Attention Deficit Disorder: In the 1970s, a Professor named Werner Halperin suggested that the rapid changes of sounds and images on TV may affect the neurological system of a young child and can cause attention problems. Also, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington Child Health Institute found that 3-year-old child who watches two hours of TV per day is 20% more likely to have attention problems at age 7 than a child who watches no television.

6.     Increase in the Risk of Asthma: In the UK, a research studied the TV viewing habits of more than 3,000 children ranging in age from infants to 11 years. The results of the study established that children who spent 2 hours or more watching television per day had twice the risk of suffering from asthma.

7.     Greater Chances of Mindless Eating: Studies conducted by the Stanford University of Medicine prove that TV viewing is directly linked with mindless eating. You have more chances of eating junk foods while watching TV than in any other activity! It really feels very nice to enjoy burgers, pizzas and French Fries while watching your favorite shows.

8.     Negative Effect on the Mental Development: Watching TV for a prolonged period of time has a negative effect on the intellectual development of children. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages TV viewing for kids under 2 and recommends no more than two hours a day for older kids. Prolonged watching of TV can also lead to a deterioration of the mental processing power in case of older people.

9.     Increase in the Eye Strain: Watching too much television is bad for your eyes, especially when watching television in a dark room. Focusing your eyes too long on any one object can strain your eyes.

10.  Portrayal of Aggressive Behavior: Young children are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior after viewing violent TV shows or movies. As part of a study, researchers examined the data on more than 3,000 3-year-olds and found that children exposed to more television, directly and indirectly (exposed to the television while other people in the home are watching), are at increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior.

11.  Reduction of Social Interaction: Watching television may replace social interaction with friends and family, depriving children of sharing ideas and feelings with others. This may result various social phobias.

It would be quite difficult for you to control your TV viewing habit. But once you are able to do it, you won't have any repentance. You would want to spend the weekend by relaxing and this might mean sitting on a sofa and watching TV for long hours. Instead, you can go out and spend quality time with your family - a long drive and a family picnic are great options!

Effective Living Clinic

B-3/19, 0:1, Sector 3, Vashi

Navi Mumbai 400703

Tel: 9987223811 / 9969105310

www.effectivelivingclinic.com

Top 10 ways to fight office lethargy

Source: Times of India

Every single Monday has most of us wishing for more hours in bed. While some of us are merely sad to see the weekend go, there are some others who genuinely have trouble with sleep and energy levels - leaving them lethargic for most of their work days.

Many of them might be suffering from Hypersomnia and genuinely feel the need to sleep every few hours due to poor sleeping habits, which ultimately affect work hours and overall performance levels. Here are top 10 ways to fight office lethargy and how you can learn to keep sleepiness at bay.

Be friendly with your coffee machine, but don't get too close. Caffeine stimulates the heart and respiratory systems. But don't be too friendly. Limit your coffee consumption to just two cups a day. Make sure that for every coffee you drink when you are feeling sleepy, you drink two full glasses of water, to help your system replenish what the caffeine takes out.

Eat breakfast to keep hunger pangs at bay. Office life can wreck your diet decisions if you are not careful. One of the most common reasons behind our urge to overeat at work is the lack of an adequate breakfast. Skipping breakfast leads to an erratic lifestyle pattern. It's the most important meal of the day, and we end up neglecting it. A good healthy breakfast ensures that you have enough energy supplies, keeping sleepiness at bay.

Try office yoga! Reversed Shoulder Rotation and Thoracic Wave - Inhale as you move your shoulders in an upward and backward direction. Exhale as you move them in a downward and frontward direction. Take deep breaths and keep your neck and spine comfortably straight. Perform 8-10 rotations on each side. Konasana - Stand straight with legs wide apart. Now bend forward from your waist. Try and touch the ground with the tips of your fingers, if possible place both your hands on the ground while standing. Your upper body should be in a straight line. Look ahead by about 3 inches. Perform konasana for 10-30 seconds and breathe normally throughout the asana.

Give it a break: Understand that you are not a superhero. And to add to it, it may do your eyes a whole lot of good too. Stroll around your office corridor once in a while and meet your friends in order to beat office lethargy. Don't go all out and start partying bang in the middle of a work day, but walk up to any colleagues you need to chat with, get your own bottle of water, and give yourself a break from the desk at regular intervals. Your atrophying leg muscles will thank you for it.

Leave the technology out of your bedroom at night. While most are addicted to televisions, music docks and laptops in their bedrooms, keeping so many distractions strewn around your night's sleep space can be detrimental. Why? Because your mind won't be at ease. Constant whirring, flicking, ticking sounds will keep your mind alert and that's not a good recipe for a good snooze.

De-stress: Stress is one of the main reasons that make the limited time that we have for sleeping less productive. Before sleeping try and do something soothing such as reading, talking to your spouse or close friend, taking a long bath or anything that takes your mind away from what's bothering you. It is not that hard after all. A good night's sleep is a sure shot way to ensure you are full of vigour and energy all day long, even when you at work.

Avoid white foods at night: By white foods we mean foods which are white in colour such as white pasta, white sugar, white rice. They are all high in glycemic index, thus leading to a rise in blood sugar levels, lethargy and laziness. Try and eat sweet potatoes and brown rice at night in order to load up on complex carbs and dietary fibre that'll ensure that you wake up feeling energetic and light.

Try meditation: This really works. People who meditate, do it in the morning, but meditating for half an hour before bed is also a good idea. This will give you a sound sleeping time and will help you in waking up all fresh and happy in the morning. Studies have suggested that people who sleep a deep 6 to 8 hours of sleep are less likely to feel sleepy in the afternoon.

Visit a sleep specialist: If nothing seems to work, then we advise you to see a sleep specialist as you might just be suffering from sleep apnea or narcolepsy. According to experts, untreated sleep and undiagnosed sleep disorders are main reasons why most workers are always sleepy in the office. A sleep specialist will diagnose and prescribe medication for any condition that you might be suffering from.

Respect your limits: In the end, when nothing works and you feel dog tired, then try and respect it! Walk during your lunch break. For instance, you can take a stroll till the end of the road after you are done eating. And if nothing helps, then it is about time you keep your head down for 10 minutes and take a power nap - this will surely energize you!

  Effective Living Clinic

                                                                            Bringing Positivism in Life

We welcome you to Effective Living Clinic at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, India, an unique clinic that caters to psychological as well as physical cure in most scientific and natural way. Effective Living Clinic gives a professional touch to your issues and would bring positivism in your Life. 

We all need right guidance and moral support to excel in life sometimes....real good professional touch to cater to exact needs that you currently face. At Effective Living Clinic, we provide scientific guidance and therapeutic care for relief from pain and suffering, instill confidence and mental peace, mend relationships and help you take right decisions at the right time both in your personal and professional life.

We offer solutions for:

Depression / Mania Anxiety / Panic Disorders Psychotic Disorders Mood Disorders Childhood Development Disorders Substance Abuse/ Dependence Impulse Related Disorders Adjustment Disorder Stress related concerns

Age related disorders (Dementia, Alzheimer's, Menopause) Personality Disorder Learning Difficulties Attention deficit disorders (ADHD) Career Guidance Relationship counselling  Marital counseling (Pre-Post) Therapeutic Massage Physical Ailments (Treatment with Alternate Medicine)

For more details visit www.effectivelivingclinic.com