The Real Effects of Alcohol on The Body: The Good And Bad

Humans have been drinking alcohol for at least 10,000 years and during this time. Today it is well known that there are significant differences between drinking in moderation and excessive intake of alcohol, such as the case with alcohol abuse and full blow addiction to alcohol known as alcoholism.

 

In many studies, it has been found that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is good for circulation and for the heart. Alcohol, when drunk in moderate amounts seems to protect people against gallstones, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 

 

What Is Moderate Alcohol Consumption?  

• In women, this means drinking one alcoholic beverage every day (and no more).  
• Men can get away with 2 alcoholic beverages per day. 

 

One drink is about 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of bear and about 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

 

More alcohol than that and the positive effects of alcohol seem to slip away.  

 

Positive Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption

• Moderate alcohol consumption, such as in the amounts listed above, have been found to decrease the risk of diseases caused by blood clots by a factor of 25-40%. This includes stroke, heart attacks, and peripheral vascular disease.  
• It has been found to decrease the risk of complications of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and old age.  
• This amount of alcohol has been found to increase the levels of HDL cholesterol, which is considered the “good cholesterol.” 
• Blood clotting factors are less likely to cause clots in those who drink alcohol.  

 

Negative Effects of Alcohol

 

Certainly, heavy drinking is a problem and is one of the #1 causes of preventable injury and death in the US.  

 

Alcohol plays a role in nearly 50% of all motor vehicle accidents, can damage the heart and liver in large doses, causes alcohol dependence, and increases the risk of birth defects, breast cancer, depression, relationship problems, and other cancers.  

 

Alcohol has been found to inhibit the absorption of folate, an important B vitamin for embryonic spinal cord growth. It is partly why alcohol is not recommended in pregnancy. This folate disruption in alcohol consumption is also felt to be the reason why alcohol can increase the risk of colon, breast, and other cancers. People who take in at least 600 mcg per day of folate can decrease some of the negative effects of alcohol consumption. 

 

Alcohol in moderation has been shown to help those with type 2 diabetes and gallstones. This connection also goes away when alcohol is taken in too heavily. A drink after a meal can aid digestion of the meal and people who drink only small amounts of alcohol tend to be less stressed than those who do not drink. The trick is to spread out the alcohol consumption over the week. Binging on alcohol at any time negates the positive effect of the disease.  

 

Heavy Drinking and Alcoholism

 

Heavy drinking poses numerous dangers for the body, easily comparable to poison it directly causes chronic disease, like cirrhosis and negatively effects important organs and processes in the body.  

• Alcoholism can cause alcoholic hepatitis, which is inflammation of the liver and cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver tissue that is not reversible and may lead to premature death.  
• It can increase blood pressure and cause cardiovascular damage to the muscle of the heart.  
• Cancers of the breast, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, colon, rectum, and larynx are linked to heavy alcohol intake.  
• Those who drink and smoke together are at an even higher risk of these diseases.
• Alcohol consumption that reaches the level of being an alcoholic can lead to violent crime, automobile accidents, and social problems.  
• Alcohol abuse costs US citizens and the government more than $185 USD per year.  
• Those who drink in moderate to heavy amounts can have sleep disruption, cloudy judgment, and medication interactions.  
• It can be addictive in some people, especially those who have a family history of alcoholism. 
• Heavy alcohol use has been found in several studies to increase the risk of developing breast cancer in women. Those who drank more than two drinks per day suffered from a greater risk of breast cancer by a factor of 41%. Taking folate seems to counteract this negative effect.  

Who Becomes An Alcoholic

 

Both genes and environmental issues play a role in who becomes an alcoholic and who doesn’t. Genes for the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase seem to play a specific role. Those who have one type of alcohol dehydrogenase develop less heart disease than those who have another type of alcohol dehydrogenase in their bodies.  

 

The benefits and risks of alcohol consumption vary with a person’s age. Younger people have less benefit and more risk, especially among pregnant women and those who drive drunk.  

 

Older people may benefit from drinking one alcoholic beverage per day (or two for men). 

 

How To Make Sense of It All

 

Alcohol has complex effects on the body so that it is difficult to make statements as to whether or not you should consider alcohol helpful or harmful. 

 

If you are at a low risk for heart disease and cancer, it may not pay at all to drink alcohol. If you are at risk for addiction, no amount of alcohol can prevent you from eventually developing an addiction to the drug in some cases. 

 

If you currently don’t consume alcohol, most experts recommend you don’t start drinking just for medicinal purposes. People at a high risk for heart disease or breast cancer because of family history or lifestyle options may choose to drink a moderate amount of alcohol every day.  

 

Make sure to take in at least 600 mcg of folic acid along with the alcohol so you don’t become folate deficient.    

 

Strategies for Surviving Small Talk with Anyone

When meeting new people for the first time, you’re bound to get bogged down in small talk. When you take charge of the conversation and turn it into something more interesting, you quickly become the savior of the situation and leave a much better first impression. Read on for some quick tips on how to survive small talk with anyone.

 

Research Beforehand

 

Know who you’re going to be meeting? If so, find out a couple of details about them beforehand, then use those details to ask a question designed to get people talking. For example, “I hear you enjoy playing golf. Tell me, what’s your favorite course to play?”

 

Give an Awesome Introduction

 

When introducing people, make sure to say the name slowly so people can hear. Also, be sure to give some interesting fact or tidbit about the person you’re introducing, so they have something they can talk about immediately.

 

Remember Names

 

In social situations, most people don’t even make an effort. The very fact you do ensures that you stand out from the crowd. To remember a name, use it right away, and then try to use it another one or two times in the course of conversation. Forgot it already? Be honest and just ask again. 

 

Give Long Answers

 

If you’re asked a simple question that can be answered in one word, or even a yes/no sort of thing, give an answer more detailed than they asked for, just to provide them with something more to work with in case they’d like to ask follow-up questions. Such as, “Yes, I did see that movie. We took the kids when we were on vacation in Florida.”

 

Ask about Them

 

People love talking about themselves. Ask questions designed to draw them out.

 

Restart the Conversation

 

If you hit a lull, throw out a question or conversation starter to get it going again. Most of the time, this happens when people run out of small talk, so having some comments or questions prepared will get things turned around, with the awkward pause quickly forgotten.

 

Know How to Get Out

 

Still trapped? Have an escape plan in place. Start with “I need…” statements such as “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom” or “I need to talk to the host.” Be sure to thank the person for the conversation, adding onto the thanks something about the conversation itself such as, “I really enjoyed talking about the stock market with you” before you go. This leaves a favorable impression and proves you were listening.

 

4 Tricks for Talking to Anyone

Why is it so hard to talk to people?

 

Oddly enough, we’re communicating all the time. But living in the era of direct messages, tweets, emails, and texts, it’s becoming harder and harder to just talk to each other. The sad thing is, conversation is an art that’s needed more than ever.

 

To truly get ahead in business or your personal life, at some point, you need to know how to talk to other people using something more than text on a screen. If making conversation is intimidating to you, then use these tips to master the art of being able to talk to anyone, anywhere.

 

Ask More Interesting Questions

 

Rather than asking questions that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ try asking questions requiring more complicated answers. For example, if you’re in a networking situation, learn something about the people you’re going to meet. Being able to ask specifically about a new project they’re developing leads to better and more interesting answers than a question along the lines of, “What’s new in your company” which is too broad to answer well.

 

Forget the Weather

 

The tendency of falling back on the weather as a topic of conversation is both tedious and a death knell to the interaction. Turn weather talks back around by asking a related question but also redirect the conversation at the same time, such as, “You’re right, it’s been pretty hot out. It makes me think of heading somewhere cooler. Tell me, where did you go on the best vacation you’ve ever had?”

 

Learn the Power of Adding On

 

This is a pretty simple technique where you take what someone else has said and add something to it, adding a question at the end. This helps keep things rolling even if someone else has stopped the conversation cold with a yes/no question or something about the weather. For example, if you’re asked if you saw the game last night, you might say, “Yes, that play at the end was really something.  It reminded me of a time when I went to see them play in person. Tell me, what’s the best game you ever saw?”

 

Pay Attention to the Details

 

Become the person who notices when the situation is going south. Be ready to jump in with a question or a new topic when you see people are getting uncomfortable with the situation. For a quick fix, pay a compliment. It puts the focus on someone else entirely and provides a handy distraction.

 

Becoming a great conversationalist will become more natural with practice. Remember, the important thing is to relax, and be your friendly, personable self. By paying attention to the discussion and taking some care in choosing your words, you’ll find yourself having great conversation in no time.

 

Ways to Talk to Strangers Comfortably

We spend our childhoods being told to never speak to strangers but then discover as we grow up, we need to do just that, repeatedly. Some strangers are more comfortable to talk to, such as shop clerks or servers in restaurants.

 

Others though, are often more complicated, such as the strangers you meet in social situations. These are the people who have the potential of being your future friends and coworkers. These are the strangers who matter. To some, meeting this type of stranger can be quite intimidating.

 

How do you get past the initial trepidation and talk to even strangers comfortably?

 

Throw Yourself into the Deep End

 

If you always have someone to fall back on, you’re never going to truly take the plunge. Go to new places alone, so you’re not tempted to stick with who you already know. 

 

Make the First Move

 

If you’re going to wait around hoping to be noticed, you might have a very long wait. Be bold! Start a conversation! Get up and join the fun rather than waiting to be invited.

 

Learn the Give and Take of Conversation

 

Ask questions. Get the ball rolling by discovering new facts about the people you meet. But also, be prepared to talk about yourself (but not excessively). Good conversation should have an ebb and flow. Don’t let it get too heavy in any one direction.

 

Learn How to Be Friendly

 

While initiating conversation, know when to back off before you become too aggressive. Not everyone is going to want to talk. If this is the case, let them go. There’s plenty of other people to talk to. Move on to someone else.

 

Be You

 

There is nothing more compelling than someone who comes across as genuine. Being authentic is a hundred times better than any role you could ever play. This means being you without pretense. If you’re nervous, it’s ok. You can even say something about it or make it into a joke. You’d be amazed at how many people can identify with these feelings. 

 

Know When – and How – to Quit

 

If the conversation has died out or the interaction isn’t going well, know how to escape. An “I need” comment is a big help (as in “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom” or “I need to talk to that man over there about something, please excuse me.” Or just simply thank them for the interaction and move on. “It was a pleasure talking to you about Hawaii. Thank you for the conversation.” If you really like the person you’re talking to, get their card, or make plans to get together again before you go.

 

William Butler Yeats perhaps said it best. “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.”

 

With that thought in mind, wouldn’t you say it’s time to set forth and make some new friends? 

 

Communication Skills

The word communication is a general word in its meaning. It could take on many roles, depending on the use and context. It also has many formats as its delivery mechanism. You can listen to music or watch videos, or you can read a book. Conversations are forms of communications as well.

 

Because of the general aspects of communication, it’s difficult to imagine formulating it into a skill. But it is possible, and many colleges offer majors in communication, which elevates the field. It’s not necessary to study at a four-year college to enhance your skills of communication. It takes basic knowledge and some practice.

 

The biggest skill you can use to communicate better is to listen. People are not natural listeners as they are focused on themselves. It’s how we are wired. We will always put ourselves first. Part of that is a survival mechanism. But, because of our self-serving nature, listening to others is secondary and requires us to put effort into being better listeners.

 

To increase your ability to listen to others, the next time you are speaking with someone, repeat back everything they say. That may be a little unnerving to them, at first. But, if they look at you with a bewildered look, explain that you are just making sure you understood what they said. Once they get past the awkwardness, they will welcome the exchange.

 

The next step towards better communication is to use simple language. When you want others to understand your meaning, you need to make sure everyone will understand the words. People have different levels of education. Therefore, you want to use the lowest common denominator when speaking to everyone. You should not view this as a means of looking down at others. Your goal is to make sure you are understood. Speaking and writing in basic language is the best way to accomplish this.

 

You must consider the feelings of the people with who you're communicating. Even if you are a manager, barking orders at people is one of the least effective ways. Consider everyone’s opinions and needs. Keep people engaged in the communication platform. This way they take ownership in the process. That is a massive benefit for excellent communication. You will get more out of people when this happens than merely rattling off commands as if they are robots. There are some instances, such as the military, where shouting out orders is necessary. But, these are the exception, not the rule.

 

Networking Skills

We live in an interconnected world with the internet. People can send a message and get an instant connection. Because of this, it seems that traditional networking has gone by the wayside. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Social media is a great avenue for people to exchange ideas and meet new contacts. But it never will have the same power as a face-to-face meetup with someone. Communication is at its strongest when two people can see each other. People learn more about others in a few seconds of in-person contact than they ever could with a strictly online one.

 

Another point to remember is that online people may not be who they say they are. Think about how easy it is to create an online persona. People are capable of being anyone they want online. That means the connections you make could be phony, which won’t help you when asking people to help you.  Networking is about engaging with others and a certain give-and-take involved in the exchange.

 

Online connections do have their place. They can be a great starting point in the networking hierarchy of events. They can be a great way to hook up with people who you would never have using traditional means. However, as specified, you need to take the exchange further and try to arrange an in-person meeting. The contact gives people confirmation that the people you connected with are real. It’s the reason why people often use the phrase, “it’s nice to put a face with the name.”

 

If you don’t believe that in-person meetups are important, ask yourself how many online-only connections have become your friends. It’s likely to be a small number and even more likely to be none. While you won’t become friends with everyone you meet face-to-face, the number will most likely be larger than online-only connections.

 

It’s not practical to meet face-to-face with every person you connect with online. Some people live far from you. However, people should not treat the internet as the only way to connect with others. A great way to use the internet for networking is to use websites like Meetup.com. You can find people that have similar interests to your own and attend meetings. You can even create meetups yourself if a group doesn’t currently exist on the website. 

 

There is no magic formula for networking, although some techniques may work better than others. Using face-to-face connections is one technique that should yield better results than a purely cyber strategy.

Ladies, Learn to Claim Your Power

Do you cringe at the injustices practiced against women every day? Are you feeling drained and exhausted? Are you taking care of everyone else except yourself?

 

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you’re in the right place! Maybe you feel unable to speak up or unheard even when you do. We’ve all felt that sense of isolation and weakness at one time or another.

 

The good news is there’s a silver lining to all this. Even if you feel you’ve lost your voice and power, you can never really lose them. You just have to work at bringing them to the forefront.

 

Alice Walker once said, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” I’m here today to remind you of how strong and amazing you are.

 

In this post, I’ll show five things you can do to embrace your inner strength and let it shine through.

 

So, start reading to learn how to claim your power today!

 

Practice Daily Self-Care

 

The fastest way to reclaim your power is to care for yourself. This means eating right and exercising. It also means taking time to do something you enjoy, like drawing, journaling, or dancing. It could even be as simple as sitting there and focusing on your breathing.

 

The point is to shift your ideas from being the caregiver 24/7. Show yourself some of that care and compassion.

 

Changing just this mindset can help you claim your power. It’s one of the best and most fulfilling ways to lead you to your true purpose in life.

 

Stay Spiritually Connected

 

Staying connected spiritually is something many of us overlook in our busy lives. Yet, keeping yourself grounded boosts your powers of optimism and self-assurance.

 

You know that feeling when you sense things aren’t as they should? That you’re out of place somehow?

 

Experts call this being misaligned with the universe. This is when you feel vulnerable, unregulated, and seem to pick up negative vibes from everyone around you.

 

Stay committed to your power and maintain a regulated, spiritual connection. There are many ways you can do this. Some you can even do at your desk at work for a quick rejuvenation.

 

Here are some things you can do to stay spiritually connected and be able to claim your power:

 

• Do yoga
• Try mindful meditation
• Do volunteer work
• Be grateful
• Live your truth

 

Step Out of the Box

 

Many of us, myself included, abhor change. It’s a nuisance if I’m being honest with you. Why fix something that’s not broken?

 

However, many times, certain parts of our lives are broken. We’re just too afraid to deal with it. It’s scary, uncomfortable, and overwhelming at times.

 

Take quitting your job or ending a relationship, for example. You’re unhappy and you feel stuck. Still, you dread rocking the boat because you tell yourself, “I’ll be all alone.”

But listen to me very carefully: you’re stronger than you think. You’ll be able to take care of yourself just fine.

 

In situations like this, change may actually be good for you. It may take some time to adjust. Give it a week at the most, and you’ll notice that you’ve learned how to do it differently. Only then can you move forward in life and learn to claim your power!

 

Be Authentic

 

Yes, women are nurturers. We take care of others more than we do ourselves. But that doesn’t have to define who we are.

 

Being authentic to your true self means honing in on what your likes and dislikes. It also means you acknowledge that you’re an intelligent, capable woman.

 

Author of the highly acclaimed book, Claim Your Power, Mastin Kipp, says, “You have all you need within you to become the best version of yourself.”

 

So, you should never allow external influences to tell you who you are or how you feel. That’s for you to decide.

 

We all have that one person. You know who I’m talking about. That person who thinks they know you better than you know yourself.

 

So, they always try to ‘advise’ you and help you out, even when you don’t ask for you. The subliminal message is you’re weak and I’m strong.

 

When this happens, you have to put a stop to it immediately. Take a step back from that person.

 

Protecting your energy from outside influences and disruptions is called self-preservation. By doing that, you’re in a better position to claim your power.

 

Find Your Purpose

 

Knowing what you want to do in life is great. But it’s usually tied to material goals and aspirations. These goals are typically short-lived. Plus, they’re always changing and evolving.

 

Your true purpose shouldn’t be external. It should be internal.

 

Internal goals are when we try to recognize how we want to feel. Once you’re aware of that, you can determine the emotion you’re seeking. That’s the first step.

 

The second step is to learn how to generate that emotion. When you learn how to harness it, you become better aligned with the universe. On the upside, your self-confidence soars. You also gain clarity somehow like someone took the blinders off. Everything becomes clearer and easier to understand.

 

Finally, the third step is to find ways to share that emotion with others via a variety of services. It could be through your job or by doing any kind of volunteer work. Not only that, but you can channel it through your relationships at work and at home.

 

That’s your true life purpose. That’s how you can claim your power!

 

A Final Note

 

Remember, no one can claim your power for you. This is something you have to do on your own. Even the most successful CEOs and business moguls have to work at claiming their inner power. It’s something that needs constant attention. Yet, with time, your confidence will soar, your decision-making abilities will become sharper. You’ll also learn to stand up for yourself when you’re right and be strong enough to admit when you’re wrong.

 

To generate true power from within, start by recognizing that you’re a smart and confident woman. There’s so much good you can do in this world.

 

Acknowledge the courage and determination you have inside of you. The more you believe in yourself, the more others will too.

 

Family Therapy 101

Big or small, we depend on our families more than we know, or care to admit. Starting from a young age, family sets the basis for who we become.

 

Look at it this way: families are like pieces of a puzzle. Each piece has a place to fill and a role to play, depending on their responsibilities within the family.

 

If one or more pieces don’t make an effort to collaborate, the puzzle will begin to break apart. When this happens, some families seek counseling through family therapy sessions.

 

In this post, we’ll talk about the fundamentals of family therapy 101. We’ll focus mainly on four approaches commonly used by family therapists.

 

Let’s get started.

 

What Is Family Therapy?

 

A branch of psychotherapy, family therapy’s main role is to help nourish healthy relationships within the family. It also teaches family members hands-on communication methods to help them get to the root of the problem.

 

One of the advantages of family therapy is that each family member will learn more about the other. They’ll recognize one another’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as their hopes and dreams. This way, they can cooperate and work together to rebuild their family unit.

 

What Is The Role Of A Family Therapist?

 

Family therapists are typically assigned by a licensed therapist or clinical social worker. These licensed professionals have either graduate or postgraduate degrees. Many are also accredited by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).

 

A therapist’s main role is to act as a catalyst to get the conversation going. When communication improves, it becomes easier to forge stronger, more resilient connections.

 

Therapists will encourage family members to use certain techniques outside therapy sessions. They can also be used with friends and colleagues.

 

After all, how you interact with family is a reflection of how you interact with the outside world. When the former is healthy and balanced, the latter will be as well.

 

4 Common Family Therapy Techniques

 

Bowenian

 

Murray Bowen is the father of this family therapy technique. His comprehensive approach depends on the ability to separate feelings from thoughts.

 

Bowen called this technique self-differentiation. He believed that this form of therapy reduces anxiety levels within the family unit. He suggested it would be better to work with each family member individually. Then, as things progressed, they could attend the sessions together once again.

 

His therapy method mainly uses genograms as an essential tool. It helps sort out intergenerational family dynamics and identify underlying problems.

 

Strategic

 

Two renowned therapists, Milton Erickson and Jay Haley, are the masterminds behind this technique. They believed the best way to bring about change is to generate new responses to old behaviors. So, they devised the strategic family therapy technique based on second-order change.

 

Second-order change refers to the formation of new reactions to old behavioral patterns. To carry this out, most of the therapy is carried outside the session itself.

 

How it works is that a therapist will give the family certain tasks to do at home. In turn, family members are encouraged to experiment with different responses.

 

With this technique, therapists usually use paradoxical intention. This is when each person in the family increases their problematic behavior. Inevitably, certain changes are bound to take place as a result.

 

Structural

 

The structural technique recognizes that family problems arise because of an imbalance within the family structure. Developed by Salvador Minuchin, he felt that to be healthy, a family needs to set up certain boundaries.

 

One of the most-used tools in this technique is the structural map. In it, each family is encouraged to define its hierarchies and boundaries.

 

Through this technique, parents are advised to take a more dynamic role in their children’s lives. They’re encouraged to present a unified front.

 

They’re also advised to use triangulation. This is when one person steps in to help restore lines of communication between two family members. This person could be part of the family, a close friend, or the therapist.

 

Systemic

 

The systemic family therapy technique is also known as the Milan Model. It’s built on the belief that family units are interconnected. 

 

Many times, a family member may develop certain traits to help them cope with the behavior of others in the family. This technique aims at changing that unwanted behavior in the hope of reconciling the family unit once more.

 

It does this by encouraging family members to question their knowledge of family dynamics. One common tool used in systemic therapy is circular questions. 

 

With the help of circular questions, family members learn to understand one another’s viewpoints through certain questions, like:

 

• How does problem X affect you?
• What ideas does so-and-so have about situation Y?
• Who in the family cares the most about you?
• What do you appreciate about Z?

 

Conclusion

 

We now have some basic understanding of family therapy 101. Family, as a larger context, is almost always the culprit behind a child’s behavioral problems.

 

This is where family therapy comes in. It’s a comprehensive approach that relies heavily on interpersonal and cognitive therapy.