Steps to advocate leading a healthy lifestyle

Exercise

Benefits of exercise include the reduction of the risk of heart disease,and diabetes. It improves joint stability and the range of movement. It maintain flexibility as you age. It also perks up the mood and helps to boost memory. Example:running,.For those who say that there isn’t any time to exercise , you can pace while you talk. Example: when you are on the phone, pace around. Walk more likewhen you get the mail, take a quick walk around the block/estate. Do some chores like working in the garden, sweeping the floor. They can keep you moving while getting your house in order. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.

Eating Well

Benefits of healthy eating include improvement in your health and quality of life as you get older. Energy level will be optimized and immune system will be better. You’ll be able to think more clearly. You can eat more fruit by adding them to cereal, /dinner.Sneak more vegetables into your food. like put a tomato in your sandwich. Eat low fat and fat free dairy like switching to skim milk ,Do not skip meals or pick at food throughout the day. Snack on fruits or fruit bars.

Family and Friends

Surround yourself with your family and loved ones. They make us feel less alone and always support us .At the same time, they also encourage us and boost our morale. Lastly, they give us a sense of peace and comfort.

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Steps to abstain from substance abuse

Step 1:  KNOW

Know why you are taking drugs. Stop being in denial that drugs are good for you.  Know how much you are taking a day.. Know that you have a drug addiction. If there’s something wrong with your body after taking drugs, know that drugs are the cause, see what they are doing to you. Know how it’ll impact your life.

STEP 2: ADMIT

Admit that you have a drug addiction. That way you can work from there to stop taking drugs.

STEP 3: AVOID

Avoid triggers that’ll make you want to take drugs. Stay away from the triggers. Example the environment that you are in or the people who are with you.

STEP 4: REPLACE

People don’t stop bad habits, they replace them with other activities. Replace taking drugs with healthy behaviours. Example: exercise, spending time with family. It is easiest way of reducing stress and anxiety levels and it’ll help you occupy your time, keeping your mind off drugs.

STEP 5: HELP

Have your friends and family to encourage you with this long hard journey. Go for therapy and counselling. Know that you have people fighting for you.

STEP 6: REWARD

Reward yourself, even with baby steps. Give yourself credit, starting with admitting that you have a drug addiction and want to recover.

STEP 7: DON’T STOP TRYING

Drug addiction cannot be cured overnight. Know that it’ll be a long journey ahead and prepare for. Keep encouraging yourself and know that there will always be people supporting you.

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Case study on Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan. Once upon a time, America’s sweetheart. A Disney child star who became notorious when she started to get mixed up with the law at the juvenile age of 18. She first meddled with drugs when she was 18 by overdosing on cocaine. Soon after, she was arrested and the court sentenced her to undergo rehabilitation but it did not change her one bit. Once she was out, she continued to abuse cocaine and ecstasy to be “high” when clubbing. In 2007, she was photographed injecting heroin into her system. (refer to figure A) She also constantly overdosed on amphetine, a drug used to assist people with ADHD. Unfortunately, her days of misdemeanour were long from over. She was constantly having run in s with the law. Over the years, she has gone to rehab over 6 times and been arrested twice for possession of drugs. In 2011, on the red carpet, Lindsay was photographed with bad teeth and professional dentists examined them they claimed that her rotten teeth were a result of drug overdose, excessive smoking and lack of hygiene. (refer to figure b) Now, 7 years later Lindsay has realised her mistakes and is on the road to recovery. When asked what was the trigger for her to start taking drugs at such a young age she said it was due to her parents spilt and her inability to handle stress. However, the reputation of America’s sweetheart has long been tarnished and she has a lot of work to do before being able to change her reputation.

FIGURE A                                              FIGURE B

Effects of the substance abuse

Social

Isolation is the most common social effect of drug abuse. The drug abuser eventually maintains a connection only with his drug of choice. Depending upon the drug of choice, the financial strain can be devastating. Purchasing drugs becomes more important to the drug addict than daily responsibilities. Close connections to the drug abuser are affected. Relationships become dysfunctional, as the co-dependent recognizes the effects of the drugs. Social effects on the family can be felt long after the addiction. The family can dissolve, children can develop emotional issues and trust can be shattered. Drug abuse can lead to unexplained absences, depleted sick days and eventually job loss.

Physical

1. Cocaine

Increase in blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature. More prone to heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory failure. Contraction of hepatitis or AIDS through shared needles. Brain seizures. Reduction of the body's ability to resist and combat infections

2. Heroin

It slows down your heartbeat and breathing rate. The depth of your breathing becomes shallower. It causes nausea and vomiting. Constipation and dry, sticky mouth are also some other effects. Decrease in muscle tone and strength resulting in: slurred speech, sluggish movements, delayed reactions and response (heavy sensation in arms and legs) and a lack of energy and coordination.

3. Ecstasy

Paranoia, aggression and psychosis. Poor muscle control and unsteadiness. Muscle aches and stiffness. Increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Loss of appetite, dilated pupils, heightened sensations (sight, hearing, touch) and jaw clenching.

Mental

1. Cocaine

The short term effects are: violent, erratic, or paranoid behaviour, hallucinations and "coke bugs"-a sensation of imaginary insects crawling over the skin, confusion, anxiety and depression, loss of interest in food or sex and "cocaine psychosis"-losing touch with reality, loss of interest in friends, family, sports, hobbies, and other activities. The long term effects are: addiction, shortness of breath, lung damage, internal bleeding and severe damage to the heart, liver and kidneys.

2. Heroin

The short term effects are confusion that clouds your thought processes, irrational decisions, alterations of your perception of reality, depression and lack of motivation. Nausea and vomiting, suppression of pain and spontaneous abortion (females). The long term effects include addiction, infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C), collapsed veins, bacterial infection, infection of heart lining and valves and arthritis and other rheumatologic problems.

3. Ecstasy

The short term effects are: personality change, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, nausea and vomiting and depression. The long term effects are nerve cell damage, cracked teeth, and liver, kidney or heart problems and urine infections.

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General Information about the Substances

Cocaine

Cocaine is a drug in powder or crystal form. Extracted from coca leaves, cocaine was originally developed as a painkiller. It is most often sniffed, with the powder absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. It can also be ingested or rubbed into the gums.

Ecstasy

Ecstasy, is a synthetic drug with amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties.Taken in pill form, users sometimes take Ecstasy at  clubs and other parties to keep on dancing and for mood enhancement.

Heroin

Heroin is a highly addictive drug derived from morphine. It is a depressant that affects the brain’s pleasure systems and interferes with the brain’s ability to perceive pain. It comes in the form of white or dark brown powder or tar-like substance. Heroin can be injected into a vein or muscle, smoked in a water pipe or standard pipe, mixed in a marijuana joint or regular cigarette, inhaled as smoke through a straw or snorted as powder via the nose.