Addiction Counseling Blog

     I am writing about video game addiction because I have witnessed this in so many households that I have visited recently, that I thought it would be a good topic to address in this session.  How many hours of playing video games are condusive for entertainment/relaxing purposes vs. how many hours is the player playing the game and not doing anything else with his/her life?  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t see anything wrong with playing video games but not to the point of getting in the way of having a life outside the video game world.      

     Ways To Measure If You Are Addicted To Playing Video Games:

• You play as soon as you get home as many hours as you can before going to sleep.
• You prefer to play video games than talking to family, friends, neighbors, playing board games, watching television, doing homework  or working at home.
• All you want to do is buy the latest video game and play it for hours.

Ways To Limit The Time  Spent Playing Video Games:

•   Play video games for 1 hour per night after homework is completed or work at home is completed (adults sometimes take work home because there is not enough time at work to do so).
• Only buy new video games as a reward for getting good grades or doing something kind towards others.
• Go outside the house, play outdoors when it is sunny outside.
• Play any sport outside with the neighbors, friends or family, there is nothing like spending time with people you love and like to hang out with.
• Go for walks by yourself, family or friends, its good for you (usually the buddy system works in that in a group, even if consists of 2 people, you motivate each other and keep up the routine, it helps in that it is easier to stay on track). 

     You are not alone playing video games all day long, a lot of adults and children both do this, but note that it is not good for your mental and physical health. Let’s explore other activities once can do instead of playing video games:

1. Exercise, go for walks or join a gym
2. Play sports
3. Drink hot tea or milk
4. Read 
5. Listen to music
6. Dance or sing or both 
7. Do crossword puzzles
8. Watch a movie on the television or go to the movies
9. Talk to family, friends or neighbors and laugh with your stories of daily life.
10. Remember laughing increases happiness and reduces stress
11. Gaden or mow the lawn
12. Paint or draw a picture 

    Where To Get Help:

• www.video-game-addiction.org
• www.dailystrength.org/c/Video-Game-Addiction/support-group

     Final Thoughts:

     Remeber an addiction is something one can overcome with desire to change, realizing there is much more to life than playing video games in this case and that you can choose to take control of the amount of time you spend playing video games, it does not control you.  You are stronger than you think and good luck on your path to  achieving what you want to accomplish.

Readers: Please note this is not meant for children to read, only 18 years old or older, this article address excessive sexual urges and how to deal with them more effectively by comparing it to food cravings.

Hi, today I am going to discuss how food and sex have always been connected. For instance, when you eat food you enjoy you make sounds to demonstrate how much you enjoy it, when you have sex you make similar sounds of pleasure.  When we eat it is to satisfy our hunger, when we have sex we want to satisfy our sexual urges.  The key to overcoming your sexual addiction is to learn how to control your sexual urges, very similar to how to control your cravings for food.

See throughout the years  there have been patients that come to my office with a sexual addiction in that not one partner satisfies them enough, so they have one main partner and others on the side.  Remember if you are doing this, please use condoms with all your partners, there are a lot of sexually transmitted diseases out there that are deadly and/or permanent.

So Let’s Take A Look At This Method:

• Let’s say you want to loose weight so you get on a diet and every week you eliminate one thing in your diet that has a lot of calories like drinking soda.  You have a sodas at every meal time, so the first week you reduce it to 2 sodas a day at meal times, the second week, 1 soda a day and drink water at the other 2 meal times and the third week, you do not drink any soda, you replace all the soda you would have drank with water instead.  Water is healthier for you.  Similarly, with sex, you have one main partner and other partners on the side, the first week you have 3 flings that week, the second week you have 2 flings that week and the third week, you have no flings that week, only staying true to your main partner.
• So at every week you achieve your goal you can reward yourself by eating one favorite meal or snack.  For example, one less fling a week, you get 1 scoop of your favorite ice cream.  You do not need to gain weight in this process, just reward yourself a little.
• Be patient, you can control your sexual urges, take it one day at a time and believe in your heart and mind you can do this, say things to yourself like ” I can control these urges, I only need my main partner to control these urges and it would hurt my main partner to find out that I am unfaithful to them and can actually destroy a good relationship, that these days are hard to find.”
• In this article I compare sexual addiction to food as a method to use to reduce your sexual urges but you can try other things, like substituting that addiction with something good, like reading, writing, exercising, talking to others about something else, listening to music when you are fighting these urges, you have to discover what works for you the best.

Where To Get Help:

• Individual counseling, there are regular therapists that can help you or if you prefer there are therapist who just specialize in sexual issues like sex therapists, it is up to you.
• Group therapy such as Sex Addicts Anonymous or www.myaddiction.com/categories/sex_support.html >Myaddiction.com
• Close friends or family members that you feel comfortable talking about this

Final Thoughts:

• You can control your sexual addiction like you can control food cravings, little by little.
• With weekly goals, rewards and processing with others your progress, you can get these goals achieved, remember these changes are life long  changes that we need to work on.
• You have been able to obtain goals in your life, in other aspects, apply what you have learned and use it in this issue, you deserve to be happy.
• Remember,  it takes 21 days for something to become a habit, the more you practice the more second nature it will become for you, you don’t have to make such a conscious effort all the time.
• You can do  anything you set your mind to do, habits are a process to brake but keep with it and in time you will see you can succeed.  Then its just a matter of knowing what are things you can do and the things  you can’t and focusing on your strengths to get through these times, not your inabilities.
• You are your own hero, so I wish you luck on your path to success  and you and only you can reinvent yourself.  YOU CAN DO IT!
• Remember be spiritual, any religion is important, it instills hope and healing.   Don’t ever be embarrassed to cry in church, it is sort of expected in many religions, it’s ok.

Best regards and may you find the strength inside yourself to make it happen!

Hi, today we are going to address steroid addiction.  Nowadays many men and women use steroids to compete in body building competitions or just to look more “buff” these days and don’t realize how deadly steroids can be on the body. Have you ever observed people who work out and have lean muscles but not the exaggerated muscular build that is just too much?  In gyms you can hear the men talk about needing to “juice up” to look even more built.  Guys, remember you can get pumped up but it takes time, dedication, a nutritionist to put you on a proper diet and a medical doctor to get you on a life long journey of natural, God given muscular form that will not kill you.

I used to be a counselor at a prison and I remember a particular psychiatrist that could tell when an inmate was juicing up and would tell them “… you are going to look fabulous in your coffin if you keep on using those  steroids the way you do.” Then he would proceed to educate the patients on the pros and cons of steroid abuse and some of these men would actually quit because they realized it would eventually kill them and they wanted to keep on living. Remember we all have one life  (some religions may believe differently, I mean no disrespect but please work with my on this  concept, it is used here to make a point) and anyone that tells you steroids don’t kill you, doesn’t love you or care for you.

I  am going to take some time here to discuss the side effects steroids give both men and women that I have learned from medical staff  that I have worked with throughout the years.

In Men:

• Mood swings, easily irritable and increase in angry outbursts
• Physically more aggressive
• Increase in liver cancer and liver tumors/cysts
• Increase in acne
• Increase in heart problems, heart attacks or strokes
• Impotence or decreased sperm count
• Testicles decrease in size
• Gynecomastia (enlarged breasts)
• Enlarges the prostate
• Increases blood pressure
• Increases cholesterol

In Women:

• Male pattern baldness
• Deepening of the voice
• Menstrual cycle alternates, becoming more irregular
• Coarsening or toughening of the skin
• Infertility (unable to have children)
• Increase in body hair
• Enlarges the clitoris

Where To Get Help:

• National Institute On Drug Abuse
• National Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Information Center
• The Good Drugs Guide

Other Sources Of Help:

• Individual counseling
• Group addiction counseling
• Family, friends, children, grandchildren or neighbors
• Church based addiction recovery groups

Final Words:

I believe that in life one has to find out one’s purpose, do the best we can,help others, love and learn as much as you can to make better choices, be spiritual and taking care of your physical health is important, you only have one life so make it count !

Best Regards and good luck !!!

In this session I will discuss shopping addiction.   When you go to the department store do you purchase on your credit cards everything you want to buy regardless that it is outside your means to pay it back?  Do you find yourself buying many items like for example, many dresses because you don’t have that color or that style and in your closet you have so much clothes they hardly fit in your closet?  Do you buy things because you can’t stop yourself from buying them no matter what? Then you have a shopping addiction but do not despair, there is help out there for you.

Things To Keep In Mind:

• The economy is bad right now and there is no job security out there at this point, please spend what is within your means, in other words, spend what you can pay back in a few months only, not thousands of dollars that will take you years to pay back.
• Leave your credit cards in a vault at the bank, do not  carry them around with you. Make a budget and spend some money on the things you want to, then make sure you have enough to pay your bills and save something in your savings, with the rest of the paycheck.
• Do an inventory of your closet put your short sleeve shirts together in one area, long sleeves in the other, etc. so you can see exactly how many of these items you actually have and what you forgot you had.
• Give away excess clothing for instance to churches for poor people, donate them to a good causes like in Haiti or Japan, places where natural disasters have left many people with just the bare minimum of clothing.
• Ask yourself do I really need this, can I live without this particular item?

Where To Get Help:

• Shopaholics Anonymous
• www.shoppingaddiction/reference.com”>Shopping addiction Reference
• Individual or group counseling

Final Thoughts:

• There is always help out there, believe you can take control of the situation and take the necessary steps to do this, little by little, everything in life can be achieved in small steps and with  preserverance.
• You are not alone, there are both men and women out there who suffer from this addiction, you don’t have to do this alone, there is support out there to get through this.
• I wish you luck on this journey and remember you got yourself into this, you can get yourself out of it, you deserve not to worry anymore about how you are going to afford the minimum payment on that credit card.

You can do this !!!

The best of luck to you !!!

Hi today I am going to write about nicotine addiction due to a recent reader who sent me her case scenario, we will call her Ms. A:

I am 33 & have been smoking daily since i was 16. Over the years i gave up for 1 year only but started again (stupidly). Had a bit of a rough time through teens & when i was 23 had an ectopic pregnancy which resulted in losing the baby & 1 of my tubes. from there I found out I wouldn’t be able to have children naturally, smoking has put these things to the back of my mind which was great short term but long term i have ran away & never faced up to these things.

Like Ms. A, nicotine addiction is a struggle many people face worldwide.  I have heard this issue from many patients who try to quit, do well for some time and then slowly get back into the habit and give up quitting all together.  You see from what I gather, smoking relaxes people and it gives people pleasure.  The nicotine affects the part of the brain responsible for pleasure so I hear it is very addicting and people build tolerance ( the need for more of the substance to create the same affect) in a short period of time.  Now remember that nicotine is really bad for you.  Nicotine can build up in your lungs and produce lung cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and  increases wrinkles/aging.  In women, it can cause earlier menopause, miscarriages and premature births.  In men, it can also cause problems with  erections. Also, there are some people out there that believe it you smoke cigars or a pipe they are less toxic but these people can get mouth and throat cancer.  In addition, people who are around people that smoke all the time around them, ( passive smoking ) are affected as well and can develop any of the above consequences as well.

Who Are Smoking Today:

• Anyone at any age
• It  is  a world wide problem

What Are Some Things People Can Do To Quit:

• Substitute  the addiction, by substituting it by chewing sugarless gum or candy
• Eating when one is craving the nicotine, with healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables, some people initially substitute the cigarettes for food but then get a food addiction and you do not want to be in that predicament
• Exercising, work outs or just going for a walk around the block/s works as well
• Get a new hobby, when stressed out, read a book, listen to music, sing, dance, watch television, talk to others, get your mind to think about something else
• Be patient, go to support groups and take it one day at a time, it is a slow process but it can be done

Things Not To Do:

• Be aware of situations that trigger your smoking habit like drinking an alcoholic beverage maybe when you are trying to quit, try drinking water, tea, coffee or juice  instead
• Try to avoid social activities where smokers are everywhere like a bar or nightclub until you have quit and can handle the temptation better
• Substitute the cigarette times with something else, for example, instead of taking a smoking brake, take a fruit brake or a walk brake, another activity that is better for you
• Substitute smoking after meals habit with watching television, talking to others like family, spouse, children, neighbors or friends

Where To Get Help:

• Individual counseling
• Group counseling such as Nicotine Anonymous
• Combination of both ( Whatever works for you)
• Family, children, grandchildren,friends, neighbors, church group members

Please Note: I do not mention nicotine patches  or nicotine gum because many of my patients whom have tried to quit with those, have not been successful.  In my observation, when one decides to quit cold turkey and takes the proper steps, with a good support system, then they are they able to successfully quit in time.  You have to try what works for you the best.

When You Are Ready:

• Make the decision and stick to it, as much as you can, taking it one day at a time
• Get ready for temptation ( have the sugarless gum or candy at hand)
• Get ready for withdrawl:

1. You can get cranky or moody, just take it one day at a time, try to do something else and keep busy
2. You can gain weight, try your best to eat healthier, fruits and vegetables, and you will not see the weight gain ( which can discourage you )
3. Braking habits is a long process, it may take a few times before you quit completely, practice positive self talk every morning, such as saying to yourself, ” I can do this” or ” I am an amazing person and I don’t need to feed my body this poison, my family needs me and I need me too”
4. Trouble sleeping, take natural herbal teas, any of them that are caffeine free and if you put a little bit of milk in it, it helps calm you, naturally
5. Have faith, you will get through it, lean on other people too, it helps
6. Keep going to the support groups until you stay clean for a long time, you determine the length of time
7. Keep visualizing yourself doing all the things in your life you want to do, with no cigarette smoking in this image

Back to my reader’s case, I hope this has helped in giving you ideas on how to quit and on the other side of your story, when you feel ready to face those issues you can go to an individual counselor in your area and work out your problems. See in order to solve problems, one has to face it, take steps to deal with it and put forth maximum effort to overcome them.  I know you can, you wrote me your story and reached out, so you are already taking the steps to get better.  Good luck on your journey, I am proud of you that you have come this far.

Message For My Readers:

I invite you to ask me about any addiction problem, remember this site is an opportunity for all of us to learn from each other and support each other. I am a firm believer in hope.

Good Luck, I know You Can Do This !!!

For today’s topic I’d like to discuss marijuana addiction. Many people start using marijuana as teenagers due to peer pressure, “fitting in,” and wanting to “experiment like everyone does” at this age. Another excuse I have heard is that it is “natural…it’s not like other hard-core drugs.”  Even in “pure form” like companies that give it to hospitals to treat diseases like cancer, it is for pain and it comes from laboratories that are closely monitored and approved to provide these services and they still have  harmful affects on the brain.

Who Uses Marijuana:

• Teenagers
• Adults
• Professionals
• Anyone and at any age

When It Becomes A Problem:

• You only socialize with others who use it with you and you don’t socialize with others that don’t.
• Only prefer to go to social activities that can smoke marijuana there, you won’t want to go to the activities that you can’t do that.
• You  prefer to smoke marijuana instead of working or going to school.
• When you neglect your responsibilities and interpersonal relationships like partners, spouses, children and other family members and friends, preferring to smoke marijuana instead.

Other Ways To Relax That Are Not Harmful:

• Watching an interesting program on the television
• Shopping
• Going to the movies
• Visiting a friend’s  house
• Going for walks
• Talking to people over the phone
• Reading books or magazines
• Listening to music (whatever you enjoy listening to)
• Playing a musical instrument
• Painting/drawing
• Writing  in a journal
• Taking a bubble bath or a long, warm shower
• Cooking your favorite meal or trying out a new recipe
• Playing video games
• Playing online free computer games
• Reading s spiritual book
• Meditation
• Doing crossword puzzles

Where To Get Help:

• Counselors at school or college
• Counselors in the community
• Support groups
• Substance abuse treatment programs
• Narcotics Anonymous

Remember You Are Not Alone, Reach Out To:

• Family
• Friends that do not use marijuana like joining a church group teen or adult groups for new  opportunity to make new friends or sports group in school like track, etc.
• Teachers/counselors that you feel comfortable telling about this problem
• Neighbors you are close to
• You cannot keep it bottled up inside, you need to talk about it, process it and work on it to get over it, be patient, change happens in small steps

Remember Always:

• Everyone wants you to get better, especially the ones that love you
• It is ok to admit you have a problem and seek ways to get better, it takes a bigger person to face things than those that avoid them
• You deserve to be happy and drug free
• You can do it, just believe you can and you will
• You are special and deserve the best, who better than yourself

I wish you all the best in your journey

As  seen on the skit, gambling addiction can get out of hand real fast. Remember when things get out of your control, it is time to get help. Do not kid yourself a gambling addiction can destroy everything in your life you have worked hard to build.

In this session, I will discuss a couple I am concerned about that I had a few months ago in therapy and they stopped attending the sessions in the center. They were high school sweethearts and got married, had 2 beautiful children and little by little they  started buying lotto tickets. At first, it was a dollar a week, then months later it became a problem. They started spending hundreds of dollars a month, money they could not afford to spend. Then they started asking their family and friends to borrow money, getting cash advances from their credit cards and depleted their savings. So they ended up bankrupt and coming in for couple’s therapy. They were embarrassed to admit their situation, but they hit rock bottom and wanted to get up from there, they wanted their  old lives back and were willing to work on it together. Does this sound like you? There is help out there, do not despair, a solution is around the corner, but it is a slow process and you can overcome it in time.

Where To Get Help:

• Gamblers Anonymous
• Self-help Groups
• Professional help, individual counseling
• National Council On Problem Gambling
  

Who Else Can You Turn To:

• Family
• Friends
• Neighbors
• Support Groups
• Counselors

What Things Can You Do:

• You have control in your fingertips, you just have to say to yourself “I can do this” or “I don’t need to gamble to have fun”, go to support groups until you feel you can do it on your own
• You need to be kind to yourself
• Get the help you need and keep fighting, you do not give up
• You are a survivor and you will succeed, you are no quitter
• Now you have another opportunity to make better choices and be stronger because of it
• Only go out with the exact money you need to do your errands, no extra money in your wallet or purse
• No more credit cards, cash only
• No more lotto tickets/ casinos (avoid these activities)
• No more borrowing money from others
• Go to financial institutions and get the help you need to get your credit back to where it was before (ask people in Gamblers Anonymous or other support groups which are the best institutions  to go to for this, they will direct you to the best places)
• Talk about your problem to people you can trust so you can get it out, process it and get the help you need

Substitute For The Craving To Gamble:

• Reading
• Singing
• Dancing
• Exercising, going for walks, biking, running or playing sports
• Going to the movies
• Visiting friends, family members or neighbors
• Talking on the phone
• Drawing
• Doing crossword puzzles
• Going on the internet and learning about something new or playing free video games online(avoid online gambling sites)
• Cooking
• Listening to music
• Watching television
• Dreaming about what you want in your life but gambling does not play any part of this dream

I want to take this time to wish the couple I worked with, wherever you guys are, I wish you the best and I will always welcome you back when you are ready to get the help you need.

Things To Remember:

• You and only  you can make the decision not to gamble anymore
• You can do this, stick to it and you will get through it
• You deserve to be happy and free from gambling and all the stress that comes from all of it

I wish you the best and good luck to you!

One of the saddest effects of substance abuse that I have witnessed in my office has been crystal meth users.  Basically the drug is an extremely addicting stimulant that gives the person increased energy and makes them feel more vital than before and its effects last up to 24 hours, so it is one of the longest sustaining drugs out there. Crystal meth ages the person, I have had people walk into my office balding, with hardly any teeth in their mouths, with sores on their face because their skin is so dry, it itches, they scratch it and these awful sores come out and their jaws look like they have collapsed.  I ask the patient their stated age and when I look at them, I can’t believe it, they look like they have aged 20 years on that drug! In this session I will discuss what my patients have told me being on the drug is like and what are some of the symptoms one can experience using this drug.

Why People Use This Drug:

• It increases your energy, it is a stimulant
• The side effects last up to 24 hours
• It is highly addicting
• The person never feels tired on this drug
• It is cheap to get this drug or make it too

The Symptoms Of Being Under Crystal Meth

• It can make the person become violent
• Increased paranoia
• Increased sweating
• Decreased appetite
• Short term memory loss
• The person can experience suicidal ideation

The Steps Necessary For Recovery:

• The person has to admit there is a problem and cannot stop on his/her own accord
• Go to a sober living recovery homes - so the person can detoxify his/her system of the drug in a safe setting and process these changes with individual l and group counseling and medication if needed
• There are also Crystal Meth addiction treatment programs
• Crystal Meth Anonymous
• Individual or group counseling in the community mental health centers
• To realize that no one is alone with an addiction, there is help out there, just reach out and try your best to face the problem, take the steps necessary to a program that will work for you and if you relapse, get up, wipe your knees and keep going, one day at a time, one step at a time, it is a slow process but not an impossible one

Support Is Very Important In Your Time of Need:

• Family
• Friends
• Neighbors
• Co workers you can trust
• Other people in the support groups you meet and get to know their story
• Spiritual, priest, pastor,etc. from whatever religion you believe in

I know Crystal Meth Has Taken A lot From You But It Has Not Taken:

• Your integrity – who you are and what you are about
• Your hopes and dreams – you can recover and move on from there, be stronger and wiser and make better decisions
• Your ability to learn and teach others what you have learned, so that you can help others see what you have seen
• Your opportunity to make this life be a happy one and surround yourself with amazing people who love you, are good to you and want the best for you
• You are special and unique and have been given the opportunity to change and have a better life, make it count

An Addiction is a problem that you can resolve if you believe and think you can, a wise doctor I work with always says, ” You move in the direction that you think”… and he is right, believe with all your heart and mind that you can and are able to recover from this addiction and you will be free from it !!!

Best regards and happy healing !!!

Hi, today I came across a comment on my blog and I would like to address it , in hopes of helping others in this situation, I will call this teenager, miss B:

I’m just a teenager in high school but i know i’m an alcoholic… been having a lot of issues with friends, in one instance it was even over me being an “alcoholic”… i drink anything i can find as my parents don’t drink so there is rarely any around- alcoholism runs through both sides of my family including my dad which is why he no longer drinks at all… i drink any and everything i can and its almost always alone.. i just don’t see the issue with it…. leaving  myself sober and open minded alone on a friday night is much  more detrimental to myself… i wouldn’t be doing anything anyways but making myself depressed…alcohol is an escape from my severe anxiety…”

Please miss B, do not despair I am here to help and give you suggestions to get you through this rough time.

Symptoms of Alcoholism:

• Drinking alone or drinking with only people that drink out of control with you
• Drinking to escape from whatever problem you do not want to face
• Seeing other family members drink to escape their problems as well, it becomes a learned coping skill in that family
• Drinking excessively decreases you concentration level or ability to focus on what is making you hurt at the moment
• Lack of self esteem, you don’t feel good about yourself so you drink because it lowers your guard and makes you feel more friendly or more appealing to be around with, remember people that really love you, love all sides of you and that is the people you need to keep around, people who stand by through the good and the bad, not just when everything is good

Many  People Suffer From Alcoholism, You Are Not Alone:

• It has no age limit
• It has no cultural distinction
• It has no economic distinction

Where Can You Get Help:

• Counselor for individual counseling at local community mental centers, schools, colleges
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Church groups that run substance abuse groups
• Improving your self esteem by individual counseling, making friends that don’t drink (like other classmates or church group friends), or/and being around people that love you and won’t want you to keep drinking
• Please note true friends or loved ones do not want you to self destruct, they want you to be the best you can be in a drug free body

Don’t Make Excuses, Take Responsibility:

• Don’t make excuses because you see family members drink, you drink, you know what is right from wrong and being under the influence of alcohol is never good for anyone:

1. Causes liver cirrhosis (No age time frame) which is terminal
2. If you drive under the influence you can kill yourself, the people in the car with you or passengers in the car you crash against (if you want to see for one minute what that must be like, take a look at a website of mothers who have lost their children and not only offer support groups but go out in the community to educate people about the affects of drunk driving MADD
3. If you kill someone driving under the influence that guarantees you prison time and take it from me I used to be a counselor at a prison, that is the last place anyone wants to end up in
4. If you lose your balance and hurt yourself for example, you hurt your  head in the fall, you can suffer a concussion or head trauma and that can have other ramifications as well
5. People have a choice to make and if you see people around you in self destruct mode you can opt to make a better decision for yourself, you can chose to be drug free, I have seen older children teach their parents the value of a drug free life and the parents have changed their ways because their own kids have shown them a healthier path
6. Don’t give up on yourself, we are all special and unique in our own way

Things You Can Do Other Than Drink:

• Hang around family or friends that love and care for you and want the absolute best for you
• Watch a good movie on the television or rent one
• Read, there are all kinds of books out there, explore one
• Sing and/or dance, music is meant to be enjoyed
• Pray for strength, no matter what religion, there is always hope in praying
• Write in a journal
• Exercise, try going for walks, all physical activity is good for you
• Drink teas when you are really stressed out, caffeine free teas there are all kinds of flavors out there, enjoy one

Miss B. I hope this article has helped and remember miss B are a courageous person, you made the first step, you reached out and I am proud of you, good look on your journey and please let me know how it turns out.

Final Thoughts:

• Drinking does not solve problems, it creates them, an addiction is hard to get rid of but it is not impossible, it takes time, courage and determination, you can do this !!!
• You can quit, I believe when you are ready, you can do anything in life you set your mind to do, you are stronger than you think !!!

Good Luck !!!

I am worried about a male friend of mine, you see he has a problem, he eats all day long, whenever he is happy or sad and finds every excuse in the book to buy food or make food, to keep eating it. He is handsome  guy and one of my oldest, dearest friends but he has been on numerous diets, gives up eventually and keeps on eating and growing. Right now he is having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and recently had renal (kidney) failure. He is a single dad, raising 2 wonderful kids and the kids need him but he is not taking care of himself. I worry about what will happen to his kids if something happens to him.

In my office, I have seen many over eaters throughout the years and usually they have seen family members overeating as well, it becomes a learned behavior, a solution to solving everyday stressors. I am  writing this today because I always address this issue with my patients because it is a cry for  help. People lose their sense of self love and self-esteem in this process. Please don’t get me wrong, being average weight is not easy, there will always be skinny people and overweight people, I am discussing today super overweight people.

Remember part of self love  is self care and we owe it to our self to stay healthy and  live a long life. We must be healthy, think positive, be as active as we can, be spiritual and just be ourselves. In life we need a balance, it is important to recognize when things get out of our control. The first step is addressing the problem, then getting the proper help to get through it. You can do it.
You can get help by going to:

1. Nutritionist and physician ( medical practitioner)
2. Individual counseling
3. Get group counseling about this topic like Overeaters Anonymous (OA)

Who can you turn to:

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Neighbors
4. Support groups
5. Mental health counselors/school/college counselors
6. Church groups (whatever denomination)

Remember… you are beautiful/handsome and you deserve to find the happy person inside of you.  You need to make it happen for you and your family, you all need each other.  Life is meant to be enjoyed so live it to the fullest in a healthier body. You can make it happen, the only person stopping it from happening is you and you have the power in your hands to change it.

Good Luck !!!