Health Consequences Archives - Enlightened Solutions

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How to Quit Vaping

Written by enlightened solutions on November 1, 2019. Posted in Addiction, Addiction Recovery. Leave a Comment

People get confused about vaping thinking that it is a safer alternative to regular cigarettes. The truth is that recent studies have discovered that vaping can make you suffer negative consequences like raising your blood pressure which can increase your chances of a heart attack. By quitting vaping, you will understand that any form or amount of nicotine in your body is not worth the devastating health effects that can occur.

Think of Reasons to Quit

Evaluate what your life has been since you started vaping. Has it been ruining your finances? Is it affecting your relationships? Is vaping controlling the way you think or feel? Think of the answers to these questions and how important it is to see how vaping has changed your life. These answers should motivate you to want to quit as you may be feeling euphoric for a short time, but your career, friends, and family can last for the rest of your life. You should also think about how much better your life will be once you stop vaping. Make a list of all of the reasons to quit vaping so that you have something to look back on if you feel the urge coming on.

Create a Quit Date

It is best to choose a date to quit so that you know for sure that bad habits need to disappear on this day. Do not pick a date that is so far away or you could end up changing your mind or your urge to quit vaping will decrease. Pick a date that is a week or two away to show the urgency to quit. You should also not pick a date that is before a stressful event like if you have a test or an important meeting you have to speak at. Otherwise, you will feel the urge to smoke more on that day and end up disappointing yourself. You can circle the date that you decide on your calendar or set up a phone alert.

Know What Challenges Will Come

One of the challenges of stopping any addiction is dealing with triggers. Being around certain people or places can make you want to start vaping again. It is best to avoid these triggers when you are in the early stages to prevent a relapse. Think of what to say if your friends offer you to vape with them again or just cut yourself off from them completely if they are still smoking in front of you and do not care about your progress. Know what to do when you are dealing with a craving or dealing with the uncomfortable withdrawal moments.

Imagine What Life Would Be Like Without Vaping

If you have been vaping for a long time, it may be hard to picture what it will be like without an e-cigarette in your hand. It may take time to get used to this, but you will eventually see this as the new normal. You should make a list of all of the positive things about yourself that have nothing to do with vaping. This will motivate you that you do not need to vape to be who you are. Put the list somewhere you can always find it like your bedroom mirror or your fridge. Think of how vaping will interfere with the bright future that you have dreamed of to motivate you to stick with your decision to quit.

What to Do If Your Friends Pressure You to Vape

Some people may not understand why you want to quit vaping if they themselves cannot stop. Let your friends know that you need to make quitting vaping a priority which means you may have to distance yourself from them until you are in a better headspace. Even if your friends do not agree with you quitting, ask them not to vape in front of you or offer you an e-cigarette. This will be a good test of friendship as true friends will support you if you tell them you want to quit something that has negative consequences on your life. Be around friends who will support your decision, who have wanted you to quit, and will be there for you in any way they can to help.

Look For a Support Team

Do not be afraid to ask for help as your friends and family should be happy knowing that you want to quit a bad habit. Tell your loved ones what kind of support you are looking for and how often you need their help. For example, if you are dealing with a stressful moment, ask your friends to help distract you away from it and give you something else to do like a puzzle or write in a journal. Always let your friends and family know how much you appreciate their efforts. If you feel like their efforts are not working, communicate with them on a better strategy. Do not forget to check-in with your friends as well to see how they are doing as support is a two-way street.

You can also speak to a doctor on what to do to quit vaping as they can provide you with support and resources. You can also get free, personalized support by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW to talk to a tobacco cessation counselor. By understanding the benefits of quitting vaping, it will be an easier transition to a life without it.

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Solutions is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress-reducing techniques centered around a 12 step network, you will ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Effects of Sleeping Less Than Eight Hours

Written by enlightened solutions on July 6, 2019. Posted in Healthy Living, Self Treatment. Leave a Comment

It is very common for people to undermine how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. While we may be able to survive on just a few hours of sleep a night, it does not mean that we will be able to get by life like that. By learning about the health consequences of not getting a good night’s sleep every night, this will encourage you to make it a goal to sleep seven to eight hours a night.

Mental Health Issues

Having a short amount of sleep every night can lead to you having depressive and anxiety symptoms. Not having enough sleep every night increases your risk of engaging in risky behaviors like substance abuse and social isolation. This makes your head not clear and not having the energy to doing things that you love to do. To prevent feeling this way, you should make a journal of how much sleep you get every night and tracking down your mental whenever you wake up and how your day is going. Once you determine how much sleep you need, set alarm clocks for when to fall asleep. Remember, it takes fifteen minutes to fall asleep. By improving your sleep, your mind will grow stronger and your mental illness symptoms will further lessen.

Being Dehydrated

Nurse practitioner and spokesperson for Better Sleep Council Ellen Wermter says that the less you sleep, the more dehydrated you are compared to those who get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation can disrupt the release of hormones that regulate dehydration. Not getting enough sleep can put you at risk for kidney disease in which the kidneys play an important role in hydration. Not drinking enough water can lead to eye strain, fogginess, and an impact on skin health effects. The more water you drink can also lead to better health for your kidneys. When you are constantly depriving yourself of sleep, your skin has less elasticity and collagen. If you are someone who does not get enough sleep during the day, drink plenty of water during the day. This can mean making sure that you have a water bottle by your nightstand or a cup with a lid that you can bring with you to bed so that you do not have to get up to get a drink.

Inflammation

Another problem with not getting enough sleep is that your body enters an inflammatory state that makes your body prone to mutation, growth, and the metastasis of your body’s cells. This can mean deal with body changes like hair loss and swollen ankles. If you experience inflammation for a long period of time, this can be very dangerous for your body in that you can be at an increased risk at developing cancer. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, your doctor will suggest that you try to get plenty of sleep to avoid these symptoms growing worse.

Relationship Problems

Not getting enough sleep can cause a strain with your romantic partner. The less time you spend sleeping, you could be spending the rest of your day in a bad mood. You could be constantly feeling on edge where everything your partner does becomes an annoyance and a cause for a fight. It can also be stressful to have your partner have to sleep in bed alone without their partner there to keep them company in the night. It is best to try to go to sleep at the same time. If you notice your partner is in a better mood than you are during the day, it could be because they sleep for a longer amount of time than you. Your partner can encourage you to come into bed to help you avoid sleep deprivation.

Strained Brain Function

It could be possible that you are having trouble focusing whether it is in school, at work, or in your own household. This could mean that you were trying so hard to shut your eyes and go to sleep, but it just was not happening. Cognition can play a factor in sleep deprivation such as with memory, learning, information processing, decision-making, and judgment impairment. For example, if someone who is sleep-deprived is driving and a pedestrian walks in front of their car, it will take the driver a longer time to process that a pedestrian is in front of their car. What they are seeing is slowing down the driver’s overtired brain. In order to avoid this state of not being able to pay attention on a daily basis, you should eat a melatonin-rich snack like walnuts and cucumbers to help you sleep more easily.

Weak Immune System

When you are sleeping, you are not only growing but you are also repairing your body and replenishing it. If you are not sleeping enough, that means that your immune system is not fully repairing itself. This can mean that you have a higher chance of getting an infection and your body will create fewer antibodies to fight viruses like the flu. You could be having a hard time sleeping because your bedroom is too cold. Wear an eye mask to block any light from distracting you and wear warm, fuzzy socks to keep your feet warm. Sleeping is very important for the body and the mind. By sleeping for seven to eight hours a night, you will wake up feeling happy and full of energy.

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Solutions has been a recovery center using evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress reducing techniques centered around a 12 step network, you will be ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.