When we think about overcoming an addiction, we often think of drug addiction; however, alcohol addiction is just as dangerous and even more rampant.   It touches every age group from young teens, adults, and even the elderly.  No one sets out to become an alcoholic, just as no one sets out to be an drug addict, but consist use over an extended period of time eventually conditions the brain to need the alcohol.  There are several early -warning factors that can help you recognize if you could be at risk.

One of the first, most common factors is genetics.  If your parent or grandparent or other members of your family are alcoholics, there is a good chance you could become one also.  There are genetic factors that can make you more vulnerable to alcoholism than someone outside of your family

Your emotional state can also affect your likelihood of alcohol abuse.   If you rely on alcohol during stressful or high emotional situations, that can create dependence in those circumstances.  Also, physiological factors such as low self-esteem or depression can lead to excessive drinking; especially in a group setting.

Peer pressure is a leading factor for young people to drink excessively. Through games and competitions, teens and young adults are often encouraged to keep increase the amount of alcohol they are consuming.

There are several signs that you, or someone you love, may be abusing alcohol.  Drinking alone or in secret, loss of interest in family or hobbies, increasing the amount consumed, blacking out, and irritability are just a few of the symptoms associated with alcoholism.

If you or someone you love is abusing alcohol than the important thing to do is encourage them to seek help, perhaps even through an alcohol drug intervention.  Whether they only require addiction treatment or the more involved dual diagnosis treatment, help is out there.

Risk Factors of Alcoholism is a post from: DJ Trava

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1. Drinking Among the Elderly
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I’ve been researching the healing qualities of South Africa’s indigenous plants. Many cosmetic companies have already been using the South African indigenous plants for decades. But, my interest is for my own curiosity and practice. As I live in comfort in one of the luxury hotels South Africa has to offer, I also, go out into the hot and humid nature reserves to do on-site research. I’ve been studying the healing properties of plants all my life. My mother was a healer in her community and I would go with her on her nature walks where she would actually talk to the plants, and ask them for permission to use their roots or leaves or stems. As a child, I never understood this part of her practice, but now that I’m an adult and am a doctor of natural medicines, I can appreciate just how much she respected all life, all lifeforms.

I’m more interested in skin care and skin repair. I’d like to create a product that will actually restore damaged skin tissue. Either from damage from the sun to damage from a fire or chemical burn. I’m looking for a plant my mother used on burn patience, she’d apply a balm from a particular plants root and then put the plants leaves on top of the balm. The village where she worked had no medical doctors. So, she was kept very busy, but I remember when she’d apply the balm, the burn patients pain would subside and the healing began right away. Through my studies, I’ve found that the balm helped protect the skin from any more water loss and also acted as a pain reliever. Plus, just being around my mother was a peaceful, calming experience, that any person coming with in her aura was put at ease. My mother told me, that healing can only begin when the patient is at easy with the world.

South Africa, I hope, will always keep it’s knowledge of healing plants alive by, as it’s starting to do, maintaining and protecting it’s abundance of natural remedies found in nature.

Healing Plants of South Africa is a post from: DJ Trava

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