Marriages very well might be bonds made in heaven, but for all practical reasons, they remain enacted on earth. When two different people meet, it s the union of two different mind-cultures too. It contains two diverse goals, two different habits of living, dissimilar aspirations & overall different priorities, that needs to be fused to restart a new common journey.

"To know themselves in order to discover the other  is the key here. Most relationships will get strained at some time, resulting in a failure to function optimally and produce self-reinforcing, maladaptive patterns. These patterns may be called "negative interaction cycles".

There are many possible reasons for this, including insecure attachment, ego, arrogance, jealousy, anger, greed, poor communication/understanding or problem-solving, ill health, third parties and so on. Changes in situations like financial state, physical health, and the influence of other family members can have a profound influence on the conduct, responses, and actions of the individuals in a relationship. Marriages require the maximum efforts from both the individuals.

Given the growing concept of individualism and personal independence, people fail to put in or sometimes understand the requirement of working towards their marriage, leaving them searching for an escape route as soon as the going gets tough. Marital issues may lead to major individual psychological problems with each partner trying to hurt the other emotionally as the relationship gets bitter.

Consequently, divorce rates in this country have shown a considerable increase in the past decade. This article should help you figure out some of the ways to save and improve the bond that is marriage while keeping the importance of individualism and personal space in mind-

Teamwork: It is essential for both the individuals to work towards their marriage and show equal commitment. With only one person trying to build a better relationship while the other one shows minimal effort and goes astray reduces the sense of belongingness; eventually leading to estrangement.

Take Responsibility: Apologize when it s your mistake and take responsibility for your actions, instead of going around in a continuous loop of the blame game.

Keep the Spark Alive: Take out time for each other whenever possible. A simple date night once in a while or a weekend getaway with undivided attention to the partner helps to keep the romance alive in long term relationships which more often than not fades away with time, without effort from the partners.

Appreciate: Appreciating the partner s efforts are probably the most important factor in any marriage. It avoids the individual feeling as though he/she has been taken for granted; which is the root cause of most marital problems.

Therapy: Marital therapy is usually beneficial when people are unable to deal with their differences within the marriage. Through marital counselling, you can make thoughtful decisions about rebuilding and strengthening your relationship or going your separate ways. The therapist can help with many specific issues, including communication problems, sexual difficulties, conflicts about child rearing, intrusion from extended family, substance abuse, anger, and infidelity.

Marriage counselling might also be helpful in cases of domestic abuse. In a collectivist society like ours, family therapy is usually used because the families of both partners play a major role in their lives. Family therapy is a type of psychological counselling (psychotherapy) that can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts.

Marriage - How To Strengthen It?

When man first started using tobacco, he probably did not know that it would grow to be an epidemic that could cause multiple health issues. Be it smoking or chewing, tobacco has severe negative effects on health. Take any of the current lifestyle diseases from diabetes to obesity, the common risk factor is tobacco abuse. In addition, depending on the form of tobacco used, specific organs are affected. For instance, chewing tobacco leads to oral cancer while smoking causes lung cancer.

The statistics around tobacco abuse are extremely startling and can be read below:

A total of about 90 trillion rupees are spent on various tobacco products.
About 1.4 trillion is spent on healthcare-related to conditions caused by tobacco abuse.
India has about 120 million tobacco users.
More than 7 million people die every year due to tobacco usage.
The Government has levied a GST of 28% on cigarettes, making them unaffordable, which is one of the ways to promote quitting.
For those who want to quit but are not able to, there is a quit-line setup, which is toll-free, 1800-11-2356 and is accessible from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tobacco is a menace in all the strata of society. The lower economic classes are adversely affected both due to lack of knowledge and healthcare facilities. Therefore, the government uses the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) that is observed by all members of the World Health Organization as an opportunity to drive this awareness.

This is celebrated on May 31st every year. Some measures that are taken to promote 'say no to tobacco' campaign are listed below.

In 1975, the Cigarettes (Regulation of Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act was introduced, which made it mandatory for cigarette packs to have a warning stating  Smoking Kills  or  Smoking is injurious to health. 
Marketing campaigns are shown in the movie theatres at the beginning of movies which depict the hazards of tobacco
Smoking is banned in most public areas, and warnings are on display.
Children below 18 are not sold tobacco products. If in doubt, the seller can ask for age identification.
Schools and colleges do not have tobacco selling within 100 meters of the campus.
The price increase ensures that not everybody has easy access to cigarettes.
Celebrities promote quitting tobacco and smoking by talking about their personal stories.
How can a healthcare professional help you?

A healthcare professional plays a vital role in a smokers life, as it the healthcare professional that can increase the odds of quitting with guidance, medication, and support. 

What should a healthcare professional do?

Identify people who smoke 
Motivate them to quit or think about quitting
Refer a person who smokes for treatment and support
Support ongoing abstinence
What is the right smoking cessation strategy?

Ask: Every smoker to visit a healthcare professional
Advice: Urge the smoker to leave smoking
Assess: Assess whether the person is willing to quit in 30 days
Assist: Plan and help Rx Quit
Arrange: Arrange a follow-up through phone or SMS or in-person
What is that people who smoke need help with?

First and  the foremost challenge are the withdrawal symptoms 
Urge to smoke and borderline depression with a possibility of relapse
People who have high pre-abstinence nicotine intake
How to get over the initial withdrawal discomfort?

Behavioural support is of proven efficacy
Can be delivered in different formats
Face-to-face
Telephone
Internet
Nicotine replacement therapy and nortriptyline are of proven efficacy
Facts On Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

There are no real contradictions related to NRT
No drug interactions 
Side effects, if there are any are localized e.g.
Taste of oral products
Hiccups with the mouth spray 
Skin irritation with patch 
Treatment for quitting Nicotine  - Medications: Medicines which are useful adjuncts in the determined but unsuccessful quitters are Varenicline and Bupropion. 

Though smoking out in the open has reduced, there are miles to cover when it comes to eradication of tobacco. 

World No Tobacco Day - Making An Effort To Control Tobacco Usage!

When it comes to the effects of alcohol, the liver is the most talked about the organ. However, this is not the only part of the body affected by alcohol. Alcohol can also affect your cardiovascular health. This effect is determined largely by the quantity of alcohol being consumed. In restricted amounts, alcohol can in fact be beneficial but in large amounts, it can be the cause of a number of heart health issues. Let s take a look at both sides of the coin.

The Good
For women over the age of 45 years, drinking a small amount of certain types of alcohol such as red wine can be good for the heart. It protects the heart against damage to the arteries by increasing the good cholesterol levels. This prevents the narrowing of arteries by reducing the amount of fat deposited on the arterial walls. Good cholesterol also helps lower the level of bad cholesterol and fights against its ill effects.

Alcohol also reduces the ability of platelets to stick together by increasing the amount of fibrinogen produced by the liver. Thus, it prevents the formation of blood clots an in turn heart attacks caused by them.

The Not so Good
The ill effects of alcohol consumption overshadow its benefits. Drinking heavily over an extended period of time can increase your risk of heart disease. It increases blood pressure that can further trigger a stroke or heart attack. Alcoholism can also lead to weight gain that again causes an increase in blood pressure.

Excessive alcohol consumption also weakens the heart muscles. This condition is known as cardiomyopathy. As the heart muscles grow weaker, they cannot pump blood efficiently and the heart may fail and cause premature death.

Binge drinking can cause a condition known as Holiday Heart Syndrome. It is characterized by severe pain in the center of the chest, increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeats and breathlessness. It may make the person feel as though they were experiencing a heart attack. The term was coined as this condition was seen more commonly during the holiday season when people tend to drink more heavily.

Thus, if you want to enjoy a long, healthy life, avoid alcohol or drink in moderation. For women, this means one drink a day while for men; consumption should be limited to two drinks a day. If you have an existing heart condition or a history of strokes, alcohol should be avoided completely. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Alcohol Intake and Heart Health - Know The Link!

Addiction for physical intimacy can result from a lot of reasons, while the scientific community still does not pinpoint this as a disease, an increasing number of individuals are being identified who are suffering from an addiction to sex. While there is no quick fix to it, Ayurveda has ways that can address sex addiction and fix it for good:

Food is essential: There should be razor sharp focus on eating. Sattvik Food such as curd, milk, bread, wheat, rice, sugar, milk is some of the best food items to curb sex addiction. Fruits such as apples, bananas, grapes, mangoes and pomegranates play rich dividends in checking sex addiction. Popular meal preparation such as Havishya Annam and Charu are extremely helpful in curtailing sex addiction.
Food to avoid: In Ayurveda food items such as meat, eggs, fish are considered as detrimental as far as sex health is concerned. They tend to increase sex addiction. The meat of buffalo, sheep or goat increases sex drive in an individual.
Breathing exercise: Pranayama or slow breathing is another excellent way to reduce sex addiction. This is slow release and intake of oxygen. An expert supervision is required when it is performed for the first time.
Working out: Daily jogging, running, working out or simply walking will go a long way in ensuring that an individual cut down his sex addiction over a period. Working out helps to profoundly sweat and helps the organ perform better. Not to mention, it lifts a person s mood and installs loads of positive energy.
Avoid addiction: Any addiction is it smoking, drinking, substance, drugs or marijuana can be extremely detrimental. External stimulus not only increases sex addiction but proves to be hazardous for the body over the long term.
Stay hydrated: Remaining hydrated throughout the day is important. Drinking water, fruit juice, and other non-sweet drinks prove to be very handy in cutting down sex addiction. However, it should be ensured to refrain from drinking carbonated drinks. They increase fat in the body and make a person lethargic.
Quick meditation: While meditation sounds daunting at times, it is not that difficult to do it. Sitting down in a quiet place and counting numbers from 1 to 100 is also a form of meditation. The idea is to concentrate and keep the focus for a stretch of time. Meditation greatly helps a person to curb sex addiction by keeping the mind focused.
Ayurvedic tonics: Ayurvedic items such as ashwagandha, Brahmi, and turmeric can help to reduce sex addiction.

Sexual Addiction - 8 Things That Can Help Control It!

Speech therapy is a very distinct form of science that is often misunderstood by people in general. While the benefits of such a therapy is countless, people misinterpret what the therapy actually involves and what it does not. If you are avoiding speech therapy due to the following reasons, you should stop doing so as these are nothing but fabricated myths.

Speech therapy is all about talking: Do not think that speech therapy only involves talking with the therapist. The therapy focuses on the overall communication skills of a person, which definitely involves the speech but also the intricacies of articulation and body language. Sign aids and comprehension skills are also paid attention to in such a therapy session. So, if you feel that you have a problem regarding any one of these aspects, you need to visit a speech therapist.
Speech therapy is uninteresting: Nothing can be further from the truth than this. In fact, a visit to a dentist can be boring, but a visit to a speech therapist will always involve interesting activities such as tongue twisters. The therapists often treat children, which means that their offices, house toys, and other games designed to indulge the minds of infants as well.
A qualified speech therapist is needed for the therapy: Another myth, which needs to be dispelled, is that only a qualified speech therapist can help improve the speech of a person. In fact, any person who has a vast knowledge of diction, linguistic insight, and knowledge of grammar can help people with speech impairment. So, before visiting the doctor, the adults in the family should try and clear out the impairment themselves.
Speech therapy fixes issues in the snap of a finger: As with any kind of treatment, speech therapy does not work like magic. It is a continuous and long process that needs to be followed through. The pace of this treatment depends on the patient. Some patients are more receptive to this therapy than others. So, there is no guideline for the treatment of all speech-impaired individuals and one needs to be treated and allowed to get better at their own pace.
Your child will automatically learn perfect speech: If your child suffers from a speech impairment, do not delay a therapy session by thinking that he/she will automatically learn to speak better as they grow up. This way of thinking is not beneficial and hinders the eventual treatment for the impairment. The speech therapist can help you better if you bring your child to him/her as soon as you detect an issue. 

Don't Let These Myths Turn You Off From Speech Therapy

Anger is among the gamut of emotions we exhibit as a reaction to a situation, and it is a'normal' emotion too as long as it is kept under control. Some people have the propensity to explode when pushed to the extreme. They keep swallowing their emotions until they can finally do it no more, and erupt like a volcano. Others dealing with extreme anger are like a ticking time bomb. You'll never know what you unwittingly say or do can trigger an explosion. In either case, anger that cannot be controlled comes with a physical reaction.

Your heart beats faster preparing you for both action and reaction. Your breathing quickens. You may clench your fist, tighten your shoulders and go into a defensive position. The problem arises out of the fact that it is almost impossible to feel anger and empathy at the same time. An angry person is seldom sensitive to the well being of his victim, and hence may lash out verbally and sometimes physically. Such things done in the heat of the moment mostly leaves us with regrets. So here are a few ways to deal with extreme anger.


	Acknowledge it: the first step in solving a problem is recognizing that you have one. The fundamental problem here is that people believe they are on the right track and refuse to budge from their views. It is essential to realize that this step is not about deciding whether you are right or wrong, but acknowledging the fact that your reaction to the situation can be channeled in a better way. When getting someone to acknowledge their anger problem, be careful as to not use negative words like wrong, false and shouldn't. Instead, influence with positive words like can and should. Instead of saying'you are wrong to react like this, you can say'i understand what you are feeling. Is there a way we can resolve this situation'
	Recognize the signs: once you know that your problems exist, you can try devising ways that will work for you in dealing with the situation. You can count to 10 to calm yourself or simply decide to not speak until you can calm yourself. Knowing that you may enter into an argument in a situation, you can list down the points that you feel strongly about and discuss each of them one by one. Working your way through a finite list gives a better opportunity to reach closure at the end.
	Find ways to let it go: not all arguments end in closure. A lot of unsaid justifications cloud our mind repeatedly leaving us seething from the inside. Research has shown that the neurological anger response lasts less than two seconds. Beyond that it takes a strong will to stay angry. Once you realize how much your anger is consuming your mind, decide to free your mind with meditation and other calming exercises. Tell yourself that some people and issues simply don't deserve your anger, emotion, reaction or time.


If you or someone you know is suffering from anger management issues, consult a doctor today.


How To Control Extreme Anger

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