* How much money you have?

* Having a big house and an expensive car?

* How expensive your clothes are?

* Traveling first class on airlines?

* How attractive you are?

* How attractive your partner is?

* How famous you are?

* Winning or being the best at something?

* How many beautiful people want to have sex with you?

* How many friends you have?

* How much attention and approval you get?

Unfortunately, the media often supports defining success in many of the above ways.

But are you successful just because you have a lot of money, even if you had to use others to get it? What if you made millions and others suffered as a result of your choices? What if you live in a big house and drive an expensive car but find it difficult to be loving to your partner or your children – or to yourself?

What if you defined success by how much to you contribute to another or to society? What if you define success by how kind you are to yourself and to others and by what you contribute to the world? What if success is not defined by how many widgets you sell, but by how many people you help and how joyful you are?

There are many people who find it easy to make money, or achieve fame but find it very difficult to be kind to themselves and to the people closest to them. There are many people who are outwardly successful yet act out in ways that are harmful to themselves and others. Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, and OJ Simpson come to mind of people who achieved everything but never defined success and inner worth by being loving to themselves and to their families. Instead they defined success by getting sex or by whom they possessed.

What if these people had defined their success and their sense of worth by how well they took loving care of themselves, how kind they were to their families, and how much they contributed to society? Would they have chosen to harm themselves and others to fill their emptiness and avoid the pain that they were causing by their own self-abandonment?

Another example is Michael Jackson, who was incredibly unkind to himself, constantly distorting himself rather than learning to be kind and accepting toward himself. If he had learned to fully embrace his true Self and to define his worth and success by his ability to love rather than by his looks or approval, he might be alive today.

The movie industry is riddled with stars who have everything – money, fame, looks, admiration – and who struggle with various addictions, such as alcohol, drugs, food, and sex. We see various stars on TV, constantly losing and gaining weight, or going in and out of rehab. Why are they so unhappy and empty that they keep turning to addictions?

Obviously, everything they have externally does nothing to fill the void INTERNALLY. External success actually does nothing to fill the inner emptiness that leads to substance abuse, sexual addiction, and other forms of addiction, as well as to anger, blame and rage. External success is great for financial security and freedom to do whatever you want, but being a truly joyful person demands a different definition of success.

What if love, kindness, generosity, caring, compassion, empathy, and understanding toward ourselves and others, and helpful contributions to society were lauded as the hallmarks of success? What if our newspapers and news channels devoted their stories to people who had learned how to truly love themselves enough to be able to extend their love out to others and contribute to the good of the planet? What if supporting our own highest good and the highest good of all was valued more than money? What if kindness – to yourself and with others – was your guiding light?

The chances are that you would know, deep within your soul, that you are a huge success – that you are doing what you came to this planet to do!

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a best-selling author of 8 books and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Ready to join the thousands who have healed their pain and discovered their joy? Learn Inner Bonding now! Click here for a FREE Inner Bonding Course, and visit our website at www.innerbonding.com for more articles and help. Phone Sessions Available.

Behaviors often associated with alcohol abuse include DUI’s, unstable social relationships, and organ or neurological damage due to excessive and/or prolonged alcohol intake. Alcoholic addiction is characterized by an obsessive need to drink alcoholic beverage and physiological and or psychological dependence on its substance. The family relationship that exists between alcohol and an alcoholic could be likened to an all-consuming matter with an abusive lover that alienates its victim from every other relationship in his or her life.

The road to alcohol abuse and potential alcoholism starts in a high society where drinking alcoholic beverage is a preferred pastime and an acceptable way to let off steam and unwind. Business associates often meet for drinks after work. Special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries are often celebrated with champagne and mixed drinks. Sporting events and tailgating parties aren’t complete without individual favorite beer. Drinking is an accepted social behavior among grownups and a rite of passage for those turning 21. Unfortunately, social drinking could be the first step toward alcohol abuse.

An individual’s coping mechanisms and genetic makeup share equally important roles as predetermining factors in whether social drinking could potentially turn into an addiction. A history of mental disease or emotional instability could also increase the potential for alcohol abuse.

The earliest warning indicators of potential alcoholic abuse involve a subtle but growing preoccupation with the role that alcohol plays in an individual’s life.

-Social assemblies without alcohol become boring.

-Unwinding at the end of a stressful day is regularly defined by having a few drinks.

-Thoughts become preoccupied with consuming the next drink.

-Driving drunk becomes a more regular behavior, culminating in DUI’s.

-What starts out as a way to have fun goes on into the means of numbing out emotionally or dealing with pain?

-Mood swings onset that are not attributable to any other physical or mental health issue.

When an individual carries on to abuse alcohol, reinforcing its role of importance while relying upon it as a coping mechanism, addiction is the next step. A substance abuser who is well on his way to becoming an alcoholic will get down to drink, not just socially, but alone. He could also develop a ritual of when and how much he drinks. That will protect his behavior at the expense of friends or loved ones.

Alcohol addiction is considered by the mainstream mental health community to be a disease because it alters brain chemistry, creating a compulsion to consume one drink and then another, and another. Alcohol is a drug and those who abuse it can develop psychological and/or physiological dependence. When there is physiological addiction, withdrawal, referred to as detox, without suitable supervision and enough medical support, can lead to loss of life.

Symptoms of alcohol addiction include the following:

1. Drinking alone

2. Inability to control the amount of alcohol consumed

3. Hoarding alcohol

4. A chronic and compulsive desire to drink

5. Loss of interest in prior activities and relationships

6. A gradual build up of tolerance to increased levels of alcohol

7. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal when not able to drink, this could include nausea, irritability, sweating, shaking, and hallucinations.

Social drinkers rarely give serious consideration to the possibility of getting a problem with alcohol abuse. A lot never will. The gradual onset of alcohol abuse is marked, however, with warning signs and indicators that highlight the truth that a problem exists. Still, those who abuse alcohol rarely see the danger signs that may be staring them in the face. Chronic abuse is simply minutes away from becoming the beginning of addiction.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provides wide information both to public and professional populations to assist in education and self assessment for the potential of having a trouble with alcohol.

Help for alcohol abuse and/or addiction generally falls out as family and close friends see the warning signs and become proactive in encouraging a problem drinker to seek help.

Seomul Evans is a copywriter with an interest in: Internet Marketing Companies, Mental Health, and Autism Symptoms.

Reasons for Social Anxiety Disorders in Teenagers

Social anxiety disorders are not the answer of just one or two stressful days. It could be the net effect of years of stress imposed knowingly or unknowingly on the minds of our young, possibly since early childhood. The environment that person has grown up and often plays a big factor for shaping the character. Children growing up in families having domestic turmoil or living in rough neighborhoods or peer pressure at school frequently grow up with inferiority complexes and lack of self confidence. Furthermore some parents who prefer to see an image of their own continue on to the future generation often are guilty of literally imposing a certain line of study or career on their child, who could not have the proper acumen or basic inclination to follow that area of specialization.

Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorders

Warning signs may be almost subliminal in the toddler and early academic year, but they tend to become increasingly evident as the child goes through the schooling system. Symptoms such as falling grades, keeping off social gatherings, spending more time at home rather than out in activities with kids of the same age group, preference to stay behind closed doors, a generally calm and unusually introvert nature, random blank stares (as if drifting away), lack of concentration, pounding heart, excessive and random sweating, frequent headaches and an overall uninterested and ambivalent nature are all indicators that the child is under some sort of stress related disorder that could eventually turn into social anxiety disorder when he or she enters college. As parents, guardians, educators and counselors, we have a social responsibility to our future generation to have the maturity to notice these early warning signals and take corrective action. Performing a social anxiety disorder self test on the child from time to time can provide valuable insight on the status of the problem and get a chance to take action early on in life.

Every teenager has immense potential to make our world a better place, when channeled in the correct direction. As grownups we need to help our children paint a roadmap that they will enjoy following throughout their childhood and college years, so that they can recognize their ambitions and live fuller lives.

When left untreated social anxiety disorders could lead to depression, frustration and even get the person addicted to nervous system inhibitors such as alcohol and recreational drugs, which frequently leads the person to withdraw him or herself from public and social life.

Overcoming Social Anxiety Disorders

Cognitive behavior therapy is widely prescribed by clinical psychologist all over the world to the common man that is quite a mouthful. But the heart of this therapy is the core goal to instill self confidence in the mind of the patient to such a level that he or she may overcome the disorder and begin a new chapter in life. Instead of focusing on negative aspects of the patient’s life, the therapy focuses on the more positive aspects and requires the patient to draw the power of optimism to overcome the social anxiety disorder.

It is important to realize that nobody is perfect and everybody has strengths and weaknesses. SAD suffers place a greater emphasis on the weaknesses rather than strengths and the basic goal of cognitive behavior therapy is to make the patient believe in his or her own abilities and make that so special that gradually begins to instill the much needed self confidence. A surprisingly large number of SAD teenagers have reported that they were rarely congratulated or encouraged during their childhood years by their guardians who were too negative minded themselves to even bother pepping up their child. When such patients are made to understand that they are also special in their own way and have traits that others don’t, it works wonders for the battered mind.

Seomul Evans is a copywriter with an interest in: Marketing, Mental Health Conditions, and keyword2.

Most dental procedures are performed with the patient under anesthesia to be certain that pain is reduced or eliminated. Local anesthetics are used to numb the area that is to be treated. Dentists use this type prior to drilling a tooth or doing a root canal. First a numbing agent is rubbed on the gum and then the anesthetic is injected to deaden the entire area where the dentist will work. However, if infection, inflammation or pain is present, it may not be possible to use a local anesthetic. In this case the dentists injects the anesthetic into a nearby nerve. This procedure numbs a larger area.

When general anethesia is used the patient loses consciousness. Very few dental procedures are performed in this manner due to the risks that are involved. It is possible for complicated oral surgery to be performed in an operating room using a general anesthetic. Sedation and premedication are prescribed for patients that are extremely anxious about undergoing treatment. Teeth cleaning is not normally done with an anesthetic unless the patient is particularly sensitive. Antibiotics may also be prescribed prior to dental procedures.

Perhaps the most common dental procedure involves fillings. Teeth decay or become chipped. The area where the decay occurs is called a cavity. After administering an anesthetic, the dentist will clean the tooth and then removed the decayed portion with a drill. The filling material is then placed into the opening and allowed to harden. Front teeth are always filled with a plastic material that is the same color as the tooth. The same type of material may be used for teeth that do not show. However, these teeth may also be filled with an amalgam material or gold, depending upon the patient’s desire.

When a tooth is badly chipped or broken, the dentist may apply a crown. In this case the dentist needs to make an impression of the original tooth. Then the damaged tooth is drilled down to a stub and another impression is made. The dentist will use both impressions to create an artificial tooth that will fit over the stub. Then this tooth is fitted and cemented to the stub. When finished, it resembles the original tooth. Fitting a crown requires two dental appointments. During the first the impressions are made and the stub is prepared. The stub is fitted with a temporary crown while the permanent one is being prepared. The permanent crown is then fitted during the second visit.

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Drug-induced lupus is caused by certain prescription drugs. It may have symptoms similar to systemic lupus erythematosus but it does not attack major organs and it is not chronic. This illness goes away within six months of stopping the medication. Neonatal lupus affects babies born to mothers who have lupus. It is a rare condition and can be treated before or at birth. Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus is restricted to the skin. Rashes develop on the face, neck, scalp, in the mouth and nose. This form of lupus may also be accompanied by hair loss and changes in skin pigmentation.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus can attack any part of the body and may be mild or severe. Severe lupus affects major organs of the body such as the heart, lungs, brain, nervous system and kidneys. However, most cases of lupus are mild. Lupus affects women more often than men. Nearly ninety percent of the patients are women. The disease is most common in women between the ages of 15 and 44. It is also more likely to strike people of color. African Americans, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Asian Americans and Hispanics are more likely to contract lupus than Caucasians. These ethnic groups will also experience symptoms at an earlier age and be more severely affected.

Lupus is a disease in which patients have good days and bad days. Some days your symptoms are worse and you feel ill; other days the symptoms are not as bad and you feel better. It is not a contagious disease in that it can be transmitted by contact however there is some evidence to indicate heredity may play a role. Lupus is extremely difficult to diagnose. The medical profession refers to lupus as “the great imitator” because its symptoms are the same as is present in many other illnesses. The symptoms are also vague and intermittent. And they vary according to the part of the body that is under attack.

There is no one diagnostic test that is conclusive. For instance there is a blood test called antinuclear antibodies or ANAs. It tests for the presence of abnormal antibodies. If one has a negative result, it indicates that one does not have lupus but a positive result does not mean that one does have. It will sometimes require years before a doctor can make a definite diagnosis of lupus. Treatment is dependent upon the part of the body that is affected by the disease, as is the type of doctor who will administer the treatment.

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Sinusitis can be chronic or temporary. Infections or allergies may cause the thin membranes in the sinuses to swell. Then the openings are blocked causing discomfort and a feeling of congestion. Bacteria also infect the sinuses when the mucus builds up and offers a breeding ground. Sinus blockage can also be caused by a viral infection. If the inflammation is caused by bacteria, it is usually accompanied by fever, congestion, a green nasal discharge, pain, a red flush over the sinus and a toothache just below the sinus. In very serious cases, high fevers and shaking chills may occur.

How sinusitis is treated depends on the cause. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. Other infections may be treated with decongestant pills, nasal sprays, antihistamine pills, or nasal corticosteroid sprays. There are also some home remedies that are effective to prevent and treat sinusitis. It is recommended that the person drink lots of fluids, at least sixty-four ounces a day. This will keep the mucus thin and flowing. Apply warm packs over the infected sinuses or inhaling steam is also effective. If you believe that your sinusitis is due to seasonal allergies, try to determine the cause of the allergy and then avoid the allergen.

There are also some lifestyle changes that may be required. Scuba divers are advised to avoid diving until their sinusitis is completely cured. Anyone planning to travel by air needs to avoid flying if congestion is still present. The changes in air pressure that occur during flights can force more mucus into the sinuses. If people persist in flying, they are advise to use a decongestant an hour before taking off and use a decongestant nasal spray about a half hour before the plane embarks upon its descent. They should also consume lots of fluids during the flight, preferably water and juices.

When all the various treatments are not effective and sinusitis still recurs, your doctor may consider surgery as an option. The surgery is designed to enlarge the narrow sinus openings. During the surgery tiny endoscopes are inserted through the nose and into the sinus passages. Endoscopes are thin flexible tubes with a camera mounted on the tips. Most of them have a light, a viewer to reflect the image to the scope and a lens to enlarge the image. The surgery will widen the openings and thus improve drainage. No incisions are ever made on the facial skin.

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One prerequisite for a winning smile is white teeth. Over time teeth become stained for various reasons such as tobacco use, consumption of certain foods and beverages and the aging process. So tooth whitening is a sought after dental treatment. When people feel they cannot afford the dental chair, they try home remedies and sometimes with disastrous results. A pretty smile is crucial to some careers notably runway models. While established professional models can afford professional care newbies in the field who are not yet established have been known to try such agents as Clorox and Whiteout to improve their smile.

Professional bleaching is done in one of two ways. The dentist applies the whitening solution to your teeth and then uses a small gun to direct heat or light to the teeth, which activates the bleaching process. The dentist might also mix the solution with toothpaste and brush it one. Professional whitening procedures usually last for six to twelve months but this time can often be extended by proper home care as directed by the dentist.

There are many tooth whitening agents sold over the counter for home use. These are less expensive than professional treatments but they have disadvantages. They may initially whiten the teeth because they use an abrasive agent. But they eventually become ineffective and even harmful because this agent wears off the enamel of the teeth and exposes the yellow dentin underneath. There are also a variety of bleaching kits for use at home. These can be safe and effective if used under a dentist’s supervision however they do have side effects. Some people’s gum’s are irritated by the ingredients. Teeth may become more sensitive to cold and heat. Occasionally people accidentally swallow the solution, which can result in nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Over the counter kits vary as to how long the results last.

Sometimes whitening is not enough. Teeth may be unattractive due to the presence of gaps or cracks. In this situation bonding can be done. Bonding involves first painting a resin substance over the tooth and then using a special curing light to harden it. Bonding lasts from three to five years. Another process used to repair a chipped tooth or correct uneven teeth is the application of veneers. Veneers are thin shells made of a plastic substance and used to cover the teeth. First, the dentist drills off the enamel. Then the plastic coating is applied using a powdery substance. Once applied, the dentist shapes and polishes the tooth. Veneers last anywhere from three to twelve years.

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Most people’s feet are arched between the heel and the toes. But some people have feet that are flat with no arch. This condition is called fallen arches. Most of us are born with flat feet and don’t develop arches until we are between five and six years old. But some people never develop arches. Other people’s feet flatten as they age due to stretched ligaments. While many people with fallen arches have no foot problems others have pain and a stiff feeling in their feet. They may also experience these symptoms in their legs and lower back. For those who do have pain, arch supports can be custom designed for shoes and wearing these often alleviates the pain. Exercising the ligaments and muscles of the foot can also help.

Another condition that causes foot pain is Morton Neuroma. The bones that comprise the central arch of your foot are called the metatarsal bones. If two of these happen to rub together, they irritate a nerve. A tumor develops on the compressed nerve. The result is intense pain, numbness, burning and cramping sensations in the foot. These symptoms all appear between the toes and in the ball of the foot. Conservative treatments include pads to relieve the pressure, wearing larger shoes, and corticosteroid injections. When these are ineffective, surgery is usually required. While the surgery is generally successful, the nerve tissue sometimes grows back and another neuroma is formed.

A foot ulcer is an open sore that appears on the foot. Common causes of foot ulcers are nerve damage, constant pressure on the area of the foot where the ulcer occurs, improperly fitted shoes, and poor circulation. Diabetics are more susceptible to foot ulcers because of their poor circulation. A person who develops a foot ulcer needs to see their doctor. Foot ulcer treatment generally does not involve surgery. But a neglected foot ulcer can become infected and that condition may result in gangrene.

When the fibrous tissue at the base of the heel and under the foot becomes inflamed the condition is known as plantar fasciltis. This frequently results in intense pain in the heel and the sole of the foot just in front of the heel. Flexing the sole upwards will worsen the pain.

The pain is most intense after periods of sleep and other inactivity. Conservative treatments include wearing a foam pad in the shoes, wearing a heel cup, or wearing a shoe cushion. When these treatments are ineffective, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed to relieve pain and swelling. Stretching exercises are also recommended. If none of these treatments are effective, a doctor may recommend corticosteroid injections.

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Otitis media with effusion occurs when the infectious symptoms of acute otitis media are absent but there is fluid present in the middle ear. Most often this happens after the infection has healed but the fluid remains. However, it can also be caused by colds, barotrauma or poor functioning of the eustachian tube Eustachian tube malfunction occurs in children with cleft palates. Patients who have had acute otitis media often retain fluid in their middle ear for one to three months after treatment. When this happens doctors may continue antibiotics or use corticosteroid medications.

When chronic suppurative otitis media is present, the ear will drain for six or more weeks. A cholesteatoma may also occur. A cholesteatoma is an overgrowth of the eardrum skin into the middle ear. The first treatment administered is the use of antibiotics and eardrops. If this is ineffective, doctors may resort to administering the antibiotics intravenously. When symptoms persist, they usually begin diagnostic testing that may involve audiometry and computed tomography (CT scan). Surgery may also be necessary.

All middle ear infections can produce complications. Acute otitis media may cause the eardrum to rupture. It can also cause mastoiditis. Mastoiditis is an infection of the bone behind the year. Meningitis is another complication of acute otitis media. However, both mastoiditis and meningitis are rare. Middle ear infections commonly occur in children and acute otitis media can recur. If it recurs more than three times in six months, parents should look for other causes. These could be allergies, immune deficiencies, sinusitis, or enlarged adenoids. Two bacteria that cause acute otitis media are Streptococus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. There are immunizations available for these and your doctor may recommend them. Low daily doses of antibiotics may also be prescribed for weeks or in some cases even months. Another treatment is to insert tubes in the ears through the eardrum to drain the accumulated fluid from the middle ear.

The major problem connected with otitis media with effusion is hearing loss. When hearing loss occurs in a very young child the result can be a delay in speech and language development. If a child who is taking antibiotics has fluid in both ears for three months, it is recommended that ventilation tubes be inserted. This should also be done for a child who has fluid in one ear for six months. Not only are ear infections common in children but they are also the most common cause of hearing loss, therefore they need prompt treatment.

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The symptoms of labyrinthitis are vertigo, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting, involuntary eye movements, and loss of hearing. If it due to a bacterial infection, your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics. However, antibiotics are not effective if it is a viral infection. Your doctor can prescribe drugs for the nausea. The dizziness may last several days to several weeks. Balance problems can endure for several weeks to months but they usually occur only after a quick movement. Fortunately, this is a rare disease.

Otitis externa is an inflammation and infection of the outer ear. It is also referred to as outer ear infection and swimmer’s ear. It is caused by either bacteria or fungi. If the infection is caused by bacteria a boil or abscess often appears. Otitis externa is usually the result of water getting into the ear canal. The symptoms are itching, swelling, pain and a yellowish discharge from the ear. If not treated promptly the infection may spread and the ear may be very painful when you touch it. It is important to see your doctor when these symptoms occur.

Treatment depends on the cause of the infection. The doctor will inspect your ear with an otoscope and then decide upon the appropriate medication. When the infection is caused by bacteria, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. But for those infections that are caused by a fungus, antifungal drugs are given. Both medicines are usually administered in the form of eardrops. For both types of infections, anti-inflammatory medications will be prescribed to reduce the swelling. A person must be very careful not to get water in the ear while the infection is healing. Most infections will heal within a week. To keep water out of the ear during that time, when you are bathing, place a cotton ball soaked in petroleum jelly in each ear and remove after exposure to water.

The best way to prevent outer ear infection is to keep your ears dry. If you do get water in them while swimming, bathing or shampooing your hair be sure to dry your ears thoroughly. Wearing a shower cap pulled down over your ears when showering and wearing a bathing cap while swimming will also prevent water from getting into your ears. Diabetics are in particular danger if they develop otitis externa, as they are susceptible to developing other serious infections as a result of the ear infection. Anyone who is diabetic should go to their doctor immediately after they experience any of the symptoms as prompt treatment can prevent the spread of the infection.

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