Substance
Use & Addictions
Alcohol
Many people
drink alcohol to relax, reduce stress, or take the edge off
something they are worried about, such as financial problems.
However, using alcohol as a "stress buster" backfires.
Alcohol is a depressant, and depressants make stress levels
worse. Also, alcohol can be addictive. People can build up
a tolerance to alcohol and their bodies require more of the
substance to get the feeling they desire. This can lead to
a very serious, dangerous, and expensive addiction.
Alcohol
is high in calories, provides little or no nutrition, and
can damage your body. The health problems associated with
alcohol dependency include liver damage, heart disease, and
some cancers. If you want to relax with a drink, try a soothing
hot cup of herbal tea, and avoid alcohol altogether. Alcohol
is definitely not useful in decreasing or managing stress.
Street
Drugs
Some people
turn to street drugs to deal with stress or anxiety. Again,
smoking pot, snorting cocaine, shooting heroin, or tripping
on acid will not reduce your stress level. Using street drugs
only compounds your stress load by adding legal, health, and
financial threats to your life. Avoid street drugs altogether.
Caffeine
If you
consume a lot of caffeine--more than 300 mg in a day--and
you are feeling over-stressed, the caffeine could be contributing
to your stress load. Caffeine is an addictive stimulant. High
doses can cause rapid heart beat, high blood pressure, trembles
or shakes, diarrhea, insomnia, and other symptoms.
Since
manufacturers are not required to reveal the amount of caffeine
in their products, it is hard to pin down how much caffeine
you may consume in a given day. The caffeine content in coffee
can vary depending on how the beans are ground and how it
is brewed. For instance, an 8-ounce brewed coffee at Starbucks
contains 250 mg of caffeine, whereas an 8-ounce mug of Maxwell
House contains 110 mg. Caffeine can also sneak into your system
when you consume caffeinated products such as Anacin or Excedrin,
chocolate, tea, and soft drinks.
To reduce
the amount of caffeine in your system, give up or limit coffee
and soft drinks or drink decaffeinated varieties only. This
one dietary change may reduce your stress to a more manageable
level.
Food
Ever hear
of comfort foods? Chances are if you eat in response to your
emotions, not hunger, you have a cache of comfort foods to
turn to. For some people comfort foods are sweets, such as
cake and ice cream. For others, they are favorite meals from
childhood or from a time when life was less stressful.
People
who tend to turn to food for emotional reasons may be more
likely to overeat than people who eat food in response to
hunger. They also may be more likely to feel guilty about
overeating, and that guilt can compound an already high stress
load!
If you
find yourself turning to food when you are anxious or stressed
out, ask yourself, "Am I hungry?" If you answer
no, then ask yourself, "What do I really need?"
Sometimes a conversation with a good friend, a hug from a
family member, or a brisk walk in the park will do wonders
to lower your stress level.
TV
"What
did you do last night?"
"I was a total TV couch potato!"
Sound
familiar? Sometimes the television is ablaze from the time
we get home from work until the time we go to bed. Although
television can distract you from the stressors in life, it
does not solve problems, and it can zap your vital energy
and time, especially if you stay up late to watch programs!
Have you ever counted up the hours of TV you watch in a week?
Try it. Then the next time you hear yourself saying, "...but
I don't have time," remember where your time is going.
Cut back on your TV watching and dedicate the extra time to
the things that give you joy in life: your personal growth,
people close to you, clubs, hobbies, outings, etc.
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