Say "No" to Addiction

Overcoming addictions is not easy as what you think sometimes you must consider it as the hardest challenge in your life before continuing. Though how hard it is thousands of people still succeeded in overcoming their addictions.  Most people try and fail a number of times before they succeed. In order to be success in doing this you must have determination for yourself.  You must not just use this as an excuse but it must be from your heart. 
First, it is good that you must admit in yourself that you have  a problem this is the key to start everything. Realizing the potential problem is very important. There are many ways to strengthen yourself and make life more fulfilling, reducing addiction's attractiveness. 


The more positive takes you take the easier success you can be.


Here are some examples:

• ATTEND SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS 
• Do not struggle alone. Group members provide encouragement, insight accountability, and friendship. All this can be a powerful help. you can met people who offer emotional support during times of temptations and weakness.

When you first quit your addiction, you will at times feel weak. It may be good to go a support daily- or even more often.

• DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN YOUR SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
• This can include people you'll meet in support group meetings as well as others you already know. Take the initiative to stay in touch with loved ones but learn to avoid and diffuse dysfunctional, addiction encouraging situations.

Stay in touch with people who matter with you. Work to improve your relationships. Many addicts tends to isolate themselves but addictions are always feed by feelings of loneliness. 

• INCREASE YOUR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
• Many addicts have imperfect social skills.

• If you have a serious addiction to alcohol or drugs, it may be best to ENROLL IN DE_TOX OR RECOVERY PROGRAM. Also consider moving temporarily into a treatment facility.

• CHECK INTO OTHER SOURCES OF HELP. When you have difficult challenge, its best to find many sources of advice.

• SEEK ENCOURAGEMENT from INSPIRING QUOTES AND IDEAS and other sources.

• READ BOOKS ON ADDICTION AND PSYCHOLOGY. Books can't deliver all the benefits of psychotherapy -but they can help.

• LEARN HOW THOUGHT PROCESSES AND SITUATIONS TRIGGER ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS so you can defuse them. If you're a substance abuser, remove all traces of the alcohol or drugs from your home.
  
  
• THERAPY AND PEER COUNSELING can be very helpful for resolving emotional problems that cause self-sabotaging behaviors. It is hard for any of us to evaluate ourselves as well as a highly trained, experienced professional can.
  
  
  
• GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR EMOTIONS.  Emotions are powerful. They often affect us more than we consciously realize. Long- standing, deep emotional pain often drives addictions. There are ways to resolve this.
  Addicts are often hurt by strong, pent-up emotions such as anger, depression, and feelings of abandonment. (Our emotions are not negative. They’re part of life, but we need to find therapeutic, constructive ways to feel and express them.)
   
• LEARN TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION. Many addicts suffer bouts of serious depression - especially after they stop their addictive activities. But you can overcome depression.If you are depressed, you will not be able to appreciate all the good things life has to offer.

• CONSIDER DOCTOR-PRESCRIBED MEDICATION. I believe even pharmaceutical drugs should be used only when necessary, but if you are seriously depressed, you might consider a prescription for anti-depressant medicine. This can help you to think more clearly. Then you can work more effectively to get to the roots of your depression and frustration.

  
  
• FEEL GOOD about much good you do. Don't be too hard on yourself when you make mistakes - even serious ones. Learn to relax more and "smell the flowers." Savor the experiences of a clear mind in the "sober" life. 
  
  
• Make helpful CHECKLIST. Refer to your lists regularly - particularly when tempted to forget.
  
  
• CULTIVATE HOBBIES AND INTERESTS as fulfilling alternatives to your addiction.

• JOIN ACTIVITIES YOU FIND INTERESTING. It is a good way to meet new people you already share an interest with. You may not meet someone special every time, but at least you can enjoy the activity! Sharing an activity makes it easier to get to know new people.

• MEETING LIKE_MINDED PEOPLE can bring new, emotionally supportive friendships.
  A good example of uplifting fellowship is a Bible study/prayer group. "Organized religion" may seem out-of-style, but you can find warm, caring people who will help you grow in spiritual and practical ways. You can find great power in others praying with and for you. Let friends know you are quitting so they can develop a support network.
  You may want to visit several congregations before you find one that feels best for you. Of course, beware of cults and fanatics that offer a quick and easy fix if you surrender blindly to their leaders.

• Get involved in VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES where your contributions are meaningful and appreciated. Helping others is a good way to help ourselves. It provides meaning, structure and an additional reason to be strong.
  Volunteer work provides plenty of contact with others.Avoid volunteering where there is close contact with temptations. For example, an ex-alcoholic should avoid volunteering next door to where drinking buddies hang out.
   
• In fact, BE WARE OF "AID'S"(apparently irrelevant decisions), like an ex-alcoholic driving by a bar he liked because that's a more scenic route or a sex-addict taking a "short cut" through an area with prostitutes.
    
• Many addicts find it necessary to END CONTACT WITH ADDICTION BUDDIES.

• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Eat better. Exercise. Have appropriate concern for your appearance.
   Just as fixing up run-down neighborhoods often brings lower crime rates, our own personal surroundings can affect our behavior. You need not spend a lot to make your home more beautiful and comfortable. If it is messy, clean it up.
  
  
• IF YOU BELIEVE, God can be a powerful source of help.IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE, try asking God for help, anyway. This can help focus you on positive belief in change. And feel free to tell Him about your doubts and frustrations.
  God can do anything, the Bible assures us, but you have to ask - and be open to Him and His solutions for you. Ask God for the wisdom to know what's right to do - and for the ability and opportunity to succeed.
    
• MEDITATION can be a source of relaxation.

  
  

If you find yourself giving in to your addiction, remember that every moment is an opportunity to resume your recovery. Do not beat yourself up. This only leads to more emotional pain and the temptation to give in again - a vicious cycle.

 Each step you take brings you closer to success.

Nonstop Eating

Food Addict

Food is a biological need, whereas drugs and alcohol are characteristically toxic and addictive. So why would someone become addicted to something as innocuous as food? Recently, however, doctors and scientists alike have been catching onto a new problem that’s reared its head during the past few decades in the industrialized nations (where food is aplenty and thus food addiction is fostered)

According to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, food addiction is simply an obsessive preoccupation with food. It doesn’t mean that a food addict can’t get enough of food – it could be that they are so concerned with food, that they avoid it at all costs. For example, those suffering from anorexia nervosa are severely afraid of gaining weight and often exercise excessively and eat as little as possible. On the other hand, there is the more conventional food addict: the compulsive overeater. As well, there is the overeater who also is bulimic, i.e. he or she hides their eating habits from others and most likely will go on eating binges and induce vomiting so as not to gain weight.

Food addiction is a very real medical condition but are you a food addict just because you crave ice cream or fast food at times? It’s normal to have an appetite and a taste for certain foods, but there is a line that some cross into plain food addiction. Is your appetite insatiable? Do you crave foods even when you’re not hungry? Almost all who are obese probably are coping with a powerful food addiction that haunts them on a daily basis.

Are you a food addict? It’s normal to appreciate food and to use it not just for necessary energy to keep you on the go, but for fun and socializing. However, if you are anxious or engrossed about food, constantly wondering when your next meal will be or what your next meal will do to your body weight, then you could have an eating disorder.


Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you determine if you are a food addict. If you answer yes to more than a handful of them, it’s advisable that you see a doctor about your issues with food.
WebMD and Dr. Cynthia Haines suggest you answer the following questions:
Do I lack self control when I eat? Does my mind tell me to stop eating but my body disagrees?
Am I ashamed about my eating habits? Do I hide food and eat it behind closed doors?
Do I feel guilty after I eat?
Do I eat when I’m simply upset about something but not hungry?
Do I eat even though I know it will only lead to negative consequences later?
Do I eat differently in public than I do in private?
When I eat, do I feel pleasure and comfort that I can’t really seem to achieve through other means?
Is my weight adversely affecting my quality of life?


Habits of a Food Addict


1.Soothe Emotions. Typically a food addict will push down unpleasant feelings with food. Not just any food, but comfort foods. Ever have a fight with your mom or spouse and immediately hit the freezer for the container of ice cream? You try to relive the feelings without actually dealing with the problem.


The Problem: Food is a temporary fix. When it wears off you will feel worse and the original problem remains.
The Answer: Tackle problems head-on. Don't let thoughts fester and eat away at you. Deal with your emotions and your relationship problems as they occur so you won't feel the need to use food as your faithful friend.


2.Fixation With Food You think about food all the time and you are always planning your next sugar high.


The Problem: You've designed your lifestyle around food and make it one of your top priorities.
The Answer: Change your lifestyle to include activities that don't revolve around food. Exercise, for example, is one way to get a similar high as you would from eating sugar.


3.Secret Binges. Food addicts often hide food or only binge when they are alone.


The Problem: You're only fooling yourself. You won't win the weight loss battle if you continually sabotage yourself. It's faulty thinking.
The Answer: Eat scheduled meals at the dinner table. Don't keep food in your car, desk or nightstand. Lock your purse in the trunk when you go out so drive-thru restaurants aren't accessible. Find someone who will hold you accountable.


4.Eat Until the Food is Gone. Some people were raised to clean their plates and they have a hard time breaking the habit. You lack control to stop eating.


The Problem: Even healthy foods, when consumed in large quantities, pack a lot more calories than your body needs.
The Answer: Put your health first. Prepare meal plans and only eat what is on your plate. Measure foods out ahead of time into single serving packages.


5.Feeling Guilty. Food addicts tend to feel guilty after indulging in too much of the wrong foods.


The Problem: It can turn into a vicious cycle of feeling bad, overeating, feeling guilty and eating some more.




source: http://weightloss.suite101.com/article.cfm/break_your_food_addiction

Expressions of Photography

-"The art of creating still or moving pictures"

 I love you Pictures, I love you Images, I love you Photos...

Photography is our passion, and we know it's yours... 

Why Photography?

 Photography teaches me to see the world differently, to find interesting things to look at all the time, whether I have a camera on me or not. And when I do, it lets me record all the interesting things I see. It makes moments lasts forever...

"Photographic portraits are an ideal venue for raising awareness about addiction. It is the objectivity of photographs combined with the subjective truth of art provides an opportunity for viewers to project their emotions and empathize with a photograph."

Types of Photography

Photojournalism 

Although amateurs may break into this field without formal training, photojournalism is often limited to professionals. One reason photojournalism is generally practiced by professionals is that serious photojournalists must be sure that their shots maintain the integrity of the original scene.

Photojournalism requires the photographer to shoot only the facts: no alteration or embellishment of the photo is permitted. 

Photojournalism pictures are often powerful images that engage the viewer with the news story. Knowing how to take such shots to capture the original emotion is often learned only through years of practice and experience.

Documentary Photography

Documentary photographs tell stories with images. The main difference between photojournalism and documentary photography is that documentary photography is meant to serve as a historical document of a political or social era while photojournalism documents a particular scene or instance.

 A documentary photographer may shoot a series of images of the inner city homeless or chronicle the events of international combat. Any topic may be the subject of documentary photography. As with photojournalism, documentary photography seeks to show the truth without manipulating the image.

Action Photography

While professionals who take action shots may specialize in a variety of different subjects, sports photography is one of the fastest and most exciting types of photography. As with any action shot, a good sports photographer has to know his or her subject well enough to anticipate when to take pictures. The same rule goes for photographers taking action shots of animals in nature or of a plane taking off.

Microphotography

Microphotography uses specialized cameras and microscopes to capture images of extremely small subjects. Most applications of microphotography are best suited for the scientific world. For example, microphotography is used in disciplines as diverse as astronomy, biology and medicine.

Glamour Photography

Glamour photography, sometimes confused with pornography, may be sexy and erotic but it is not pornographic. Instead of focusing on nudity or lurid poses, glamour photography seeks to capture its subject in suggestive poses that emphasize curves and shadows. As the name implies, the goal of glamour photography is to depict the model in a glamorous light. Consequently, many glamour shots carry flirtatious, mysterious and playful tones.

Aerial Photography

An aerial photographer specializes in taking photos from the air. Photos may be used for surveying or construction, to capture birds or weather on film or for military purposes. Aerial photographers have used planes, ultralights, parachutes, balloons and remote controlled aircraft to take pictures from the air.

Underwater Photography

Underwater photography is usually employed by scuba divers or snorkelers. However, the cost of scuba diving, coupled with often expensive and unwieldy underwater photography equipment, makes this one of the less common types of photography. Similarly, if an amateur has the equipment and the scuba know-how, taking shots underwater can be complicated, as scuba goggles are magnified and distort the photographer’s vision.

Portraiture

Portraiture is one of the oldest types of photography. Whether the subject is your family or your pet, the goal of portraiture is to capture the personality of the subject or group of subjects on film.

Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is a blend of different types of photography. Although the wedding album is a documentary of the wedding day, wedding photos can be retouched and edited to produce a variety of effects. For example, a photographer may treat some of the pictures with sepia toning to give them a more classic, timeless look.

In addition, a wedding photographer must have portrait photography skills. He may also have to employ glamour photography techniques to capture the bride and groom at their best.

Advertising Photography

Because photography plays a vital role in advertising, many professional photographers devote their careers to advertising photography. The need for unique and eye-catching advertising copy means the photographer may work with multiple types of photography, including macrophotography and glamour photography.

Travel Photography 

Travel photography may span several categories of photography, including advertising, documentary or vernacular photography that depicts a particularly local or historical flavor. A travel photographer can capture the feel of a location with both landscapes and portraiture.