Category: Adulting

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Adulting Health Healthy Living Mental Health

How to Support a Loved One Struggling with Addiction

Struggling with Addiction

When someone you care about has an addiction, it can be difficult to know how to support them. You want to help, but you don’t know what to do. If a friend or family member is struggling with addiction, the best thing you can do is offer your love and support. Addiction is a painful and difficult journey for everyone involved. 

You may feel overwhelmed by the situation or scared for your loved one. It’s okay to feel this way; as long as you continue supporting your friend or family member in small ways, they will have a better chance of recovery.

If you’re worried about your loved one’s health or safety, there are many ways that you can help. The most important thing is to check in on them and let them know that they have someone who cares about them. Next, offer to listen and to talk through the issue with them. Finally, if you feel like they need more help or you don’t feel comfortable talking with them anymore, encourage them to speak with an addiction counselor. 

Struggling with Addiction
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What is Addiction?

Addiction is a disease of the mind and body. Addiction can be defined as any behavior that leads to repeated use of alcohol, drugs, or other substances despite their negative consequences. The addicted individual will compulsively pursue substance use though it may cause them harm. They may constantly crave their drug of choice and often be unable to stop using it. 

It’s not uncommon for those around an addict to feel anger, confusion, and frustration with the disease. However, it’s important to know that addiction isn’t a character flaw or moral failing, and there are many things you can do to help someone struggling with addiction. Addiction can be successfully treated, but it requires time and patience. 

How to Be There for Someone with an Addiction

It can be difficult to know how to support someone with an addiction. They’re going through a tough time, and you want to help, but you don’t know what to do. If a friend or family member is struggling with addiction, the best thing you can do is offer your love and support. Addiction is a painful and challenging journey for everyone involved.

You may feel overwhelmed by the situation or scared for your loved one. It’s okay to feel this way; as long as you continue supporting your friend or family member in small ways, they will have a better chance of recovery.

How Can an Addiction Counselor Help?

An addiction counselor will be able to help your loved one by providing them with guidance and support. They will be able to take the time to listen to your loved one and give them strategies for how they can stop using drugs. They may also provide referrals for treatment if necessary. There are many options for American Addiction Centers that may be able to help your loved one overcome their addiction.

Your loved one knows best what they need from you, so be open to their needs as well as yours. Remember that each person’s journey is different. Let them know that they are never alone in this process while continuing to offer a listening ear when needed. Above all, remember to love them unconditionally and be there for them when they need you most.

Support a Loved One Struggling with Addiction

Addiction is a complicated and pervasive problem that affects many people and their loved ones. There are many ways to help someone struggling with addiction, but the most important thing you can do is be supportive and encourage them to get professional help if they need it. Remember that with time and patience, addiction can be treated successfully. 

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Adulting

A Quick Guide to Hiring a Criminal Defense Firm

A criminal charge is a life-altering event that could jeopardize your reputation and career. When you or your loved ones face this kind of charge, one of the most important questions to answer is whether or not you intend to hire an attorney. Time might not be on your side, so you need to act fast and hire someone who will help exonerate you or lessen your charges. This quick guide to hiring a criminal defense firm can make the process a little easier.

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Tips For Hiring a Criminal Defense Firm

Maintain an open line of communication

The criminal process can be very draining and complicated. Since you cannot navigate the murky waters of the law by yourself, you need to hire a good defense firm to lead you every step of the way. Hire a defense firm that provides multiple channels of communication such as email, text messages, and calls. With different methods, you can reach out in case of any queries.

Vet your attorney during your initial consultation

Before hiring a criminal defense firm, consider how accessible they are over the phone the first time you reach out. Avoid a defense lawyer who takes too long to call back or those who seem disrespectful and unwilling to listen. The first consultation via a phone call should give you a clear picture of your attorney’s tone and communication skills.

Determine whether you will hire a solo attorney or a law firm

There is also a question of picking a team or a solo attorney. Frankly, there are pros and cons in going for either a solo attorney or a firm. According to criminal lawyers at Hickey & Chung, a reputable firm will have a team of top attorneys who can put their heads and resources together and develop a solution for a complicated case. That said, do your due diligence before picking any firm or solo attorney to avoid frustrations after signing a contract.

Visit their website and read testimonials and reviews

After you have met with your criminal lawyer in person, go a step further and dig into their website. Reading testimonials and online reviews on their website will give you a clear picture of their professionalism and ability to handle cases. Steer clear of defense firms with negative reviews or multiple complaints.

Make sure they have many years of experience before hiring a criminal defense firm

An experienced law firm has had many years to familiarize itself with the judicial system. Chances are, they have dealt with a case similar to yours and know exactly what to do to help you. Ask them up front if you are unsure about their experience in defending criminal cases or their website doesn’t have a clear indication.

Hiring a Criminal Defense Firm

Depending on your case, a good defense attorney can protect your future and advise you on the best possible outcome. Just steer clear of attorneys who promise you a silver lining only for them to run off with your money. It would be best to compare the prices of various defense firms to find the one that fits your budget.

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Adulting Business Finances How To

4 Smart Ways to Seek Funding for Your Business

To grow a business, you need to have the appropriate funding. Some people may choose to grow their business slowly and organically by putting their profits back into their business growth. However, if you want to speed up the pace, you must consider how to seek funding for your business. You can find ways to borrow money, or you might find people willing to invest in your business if they get something in return. If you’re thinking about how to fund your business and its growth, here are some of the funding options you can consider.

How to Seek Funding for Your Business

Apply for Grants

Business grants are available for some businesses to help them accelerate their growth. You might be able to get a general grant or one to help you complete a specific project. Some of these are specific to organizations doing certain types of work. One example is that the Global Institute for Disease Elimination awards grants to organizations in endemic countries helping to combat disease. Or, you might find options offered to specific groups of people. You might be eligible due to your age, gender, ethnicity, or other factors. Obtaining a grant means you can fund your business without borrowing money.

Seek Funding for Your Business
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Get Family and Friends Involved

Sometimes when you want to start a business, your friends and family are willing to support you. Not everyone can offer you financial support, but many people can and will. One thing to think about is what’s in it for them if your friends and family help fund your business growth. Maybe they get their money back plus interest once your business has reached a certain point. Or perhaps they even get a share of your business if they contribute a significant amount to help you grow it.

Consider a Traditional Bank Loan

Traditional bank loans can sometimes be difficult to secure, especially for a new business. However, they are an option that many people are familiar with. If you’re considering a bank loan, do some research on what’s available, including interest rates and loan terms, to find one that could work for you. It’s a good idea to have a business plan prepared and some financial information that you can use as evidence to help show that you’re capable of repaying the loan.

Look for Startup Incubators and Accelerators

Incubator and accelerator programs give startups a push to help them grow. In addition to providing investment for growth, they also include mentoring from experienced business people. You can benefit from the support of people who know what they’re doing and how to get more from your business. However, the competition can be tough, and the application process is pretty difficult. 

Seek Funding for Your Business

These options can help you get the funding your business needs. Then, you can focus on growth and achieving your goals.

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Adulting Finances

Are These Services Worth Investing in For Your Business?

There are many different services that you can hire for your business at any given time. Some of them are extremely important, and some of them are just there if you want them. But, how do you decide which is which? In this article, we’re looking at three options and whether or not they are services worth investing in for your business. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

Services Worth Investing in
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Are These Services Worth Investing In?

Marketing

One of the services that you need to consider is marketing. Marketing is essential because it is how people learn about your business, what you can do for them, and why they should choose you over others. It’s an essential service, recommended no matter how tight your budget is. Every other company will be marketing their business, and if you’re not, you won’t be able to keep up. 

Look at the different companies and what they are offering. Once you have seen what they offer, you can choose what is best for you. We would recommend choosing a business that has experience in your industry.

Investing

Another thing that we think you should consider is hiring an investment firm like Fundamental Global for your business. This service is only relevant if you want to invest as a company. If you aren’t interested in doing this with your business, then this service isn’t for you. But, if you think that investing as a business is something that you want to do, you can’t go wrong with getting some professional help.

Accounting

The final service that we are going to be looking at is accounting. If you run a small business, you can run the numbers yourself. However, the more your business grows, the more complicated this will get. It piles more onto your plate, and you may not be able to handle it anymore. The more your business grows, accounting becomes an increasing need. Once things get too much to manage, that’s when you need to hire the services of an accountant. Find one that has the experience and knows what they are doing, though, or you may as well do it yourself.

Services Worth Investing In

We hope that you have found this information helpful and can see some of the considerations you must make regarding the services your business needs. You must make the best decisions for your business but ensure that you consider all possible factors when you do.

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Adulting Health Healthy Living

6 of the Best Treatment for Loss of Volume in Your Face as You Age

One thing that differentiates an old face from a young one is the loss of volume in your face. As we age, our skin loses its natural plumpness and firmness. The skin on our face may cave in at the cheeks, temples, and under the eye.

All these changes result from the loss of collagen, elastin, and fat cells in our faces. Consequently, the skin becomes lax because of the loss of support. Thankfully, several advanced procedures can counter the natural progression and restore volume and support to the face. Here are some of the best treatments for loss of facial volume.

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Best Treatment for Loss of Volume in Your Face

Hyaluronic Acid Fillers

Dermal fillers with hyaluronic acid do a neat job rejuvenating the face and restoring volume. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) based fillers fill in the hollows and wrinkles, restoring the youthful glow. They can also augment the jawline and cheeks, undoing aging effects.

Biostimulatory Injectables

Biostimulatory injectables help increase face volume by inducing collagen production. With increased collagen production, you can strengthen the skin structure and correct any effects of volume loss like skin laxity. These injectables may not have the immediate results like those of Hyaluronic Acid fillers, but the impacts start to be noticeable after a few sessions.

Micro-needling

In this procedure, a doctor rolls tiny needles across the epidermis. That stimulates new collagen production. A huge plus is that the treatment is a minimally invasive option for eliminating wrinkles, fine lines, enlarged pores, and other textural issues. For even better results, couple micro-needling with radiofrequency (RF) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP). These treatments boost the revitalizing benefits further.

Fat Grafting

Fat grafting can happen in tandem with face lifting. With grafting, fat is transferred from other body areas then reinjected to the face to restore the lost volume.

A doctor might inject fat to laugh lines and cheeks to counter volume loss further. Ensure you only seek help from a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area. If you are in Florida, you can consider getting facial rejuvenation by Dr. Hilton Becker to restore youthful firmness and correct fine lines and wrinkles. The bottom line is that you should pick the right expert to avoid issues cropping up after the procedure.

Radiofrequency Skin Tightening

Loss of volume mainly occurs when there isn’t enough fat to support the skin. You could do radiofrequency skin tightening to counter skin laxity stemming from volume loss. In this treatment, a doctor will employ RF heat technology to encourage collagen production in the skin. The result is a tightening and lifting effect that translates to smooth and firm skin.

Rhytidectomy

Also known as a facelift, this procedure is the Midas touch for restoring the youthful glow. A facelift surgery addresses displaced fat and sagging skin. A facelift should restore fat in various face areas that have sunken due to age.

Loss of Volume in Your Face

There are multiple options for restoring volume to the face. That said, prevention is always better than cure. Making a few tweaks to your lifestyle like eating healthily, taking skin supplements, reducing sun exposure, and managing stress will prevent volume loss on the cheeks and face. You could also boost your skin and tissue quality by incorporating skin products and treatment into your skincare regimen.

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Adulting Health Healthy Living Women

What Are The Common Symptoms Of Menopause?

menopause symptoms, menopause, womens health

While dealing with monthly menstruation can seem like a challenge for many women, transitioning out of this phase also has some trials. The majority of women are familiar with the symptoms of PMS and even crippling abdominal cramps, but do you know the symptoms that signal the onset of menopause? Approximately 8 out of 10 women experience menopause before and after their menstrual cycle ceases. Understanding menopausal symptoms and how to deal with them can help make the transition smoothly.

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Menopause Symptoms: Different for Everyone

There is no particular set of symptoms that every menstruating person may experience. Did you know women can also experience abdominal pain as the period reaches the end stages? Hence it’s necessary to know how to relieve period cramps for such cases. It can be different for everyone, varying on a scale from mild symptoms that don’t cause much discomfort to extremities that hinder a person’s day-to-day life. Other symptoms can differ from physical, mental, and emotional effects, leaving a substantial impact on this time in your life. 

  • Common symptoms include:
  • Hot flashes where short and heavy bursts of heat are felt on the face, neck, back, and chest, which can make the skin appear flushed and sweaty
  • Night sweats where hot flashes caused at night can lead to excessive sweating
  • Insomnia and difficulty falling asleep
  • A reduced libido
  • Memory loss or lowered memory retention and concentration.
  • The discomfort experienced during sexual intercourse and vaginal dryness
  • Frequent headaches
  • Mood swings, anxiety, or depression
  • Heart palpitations
  • Joint pain and reduced muscle mass
  • Frequent Urinary Tract Infections

Dealing with Menopausal Symptoms

Dealing with hot flashes and night sweats

If you or someone you know is dealing with regular hot flashes, it can be an uncomfortable experience. However, the steps below can provide menopause hot flash relief:

  • Wear light cotton clothes
  • Use an ice pack to cool down
  • Keep the bedroom cool before sleeping
  • Exercise regularly
  • Avoid overly spicy foods, alcohol, or cigarettes

Dealing with mood swings

Some menstruating people experience severe mood swings, depression, and anxiety during the transition into menopause.

Taking a gentle approach to help themselves regulate their mood by resting plenty, exercising, meditating, and including vitamins like B12 can help. They can also take psychological help to deal with the overwhelming emotions that sometimes occur. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is seen as an effective treatment path for irregular mood shifts.

Considering Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

HRT compensates for the hormones depleted during the menopause transition. The majority of the symptoms result from low estrogen levels, which HRT replaces along with progesterone that will protect the womb lining. HRT has proven to show highly effective results at alleviating symptoms of menopause and is prescribed in the form of skin patches, implants, oral tablets, or topical gels.

Common Symptoms Of Menopause

When you know what a person experiences during their transition into menopause, you can prepare for the changes to come. You can also be ready to remedy the symptoms quickly without suffering too much discomfort.

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Adulting Health Healthy Living Mental Health

How to Keep Up with Your 4 Essential Health Appointments This Year

The past couple of years has been hugely different for most of us. The Covid-19 pandemic has altered our day-to-day lives. We’ve gone through lockdowns, periods of isolation, and months on end of social distancing. While all of this has been important to slow the spread of the virus, it has had countless negative impacts. For some, this has been that it has been hard to keep up with essential health appointments. Increased strain on healthcare systems has meant many checkups and procedures have long waiting lists, and we’ve got out of sync with our self-organization. To help keep you on track without reminders from healthcare organizations, here are a few appointments that you should try to book as soon as possible to get back on track.

Essential Health Appointments
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Essential Health Appointments

Dental Appointments

Dentist offices closed for a while over the pandemic, but you must check in now that they’ve opened back up. You should, ideally, visit the dentist once every six months, but your doctor will tell you for sure. Regular dental appointments will give your practitioner a chance to look at your mouth and determine its health.

Your appointment may be easy, allowing you to get a cleaning and then come back for your next check-up. However, if the dentist finds issues, you may require treatment to make things right. You can also talk to your dentist about cosmetic procedures, such as teeth straightening or teeth whitening.

Eye Tests

You should have an eye test once every two years. Schedule an appointment with an optometrist local to you. The eye check is fast and painless as the doctor uses equipment to help determine the health of your eyes. Your optometrist will then carry out some vision tests to determine if you need a prescription for lenses or not.

Cervical Screening

If you’re over the age of 25, you may be due for a cervical screening appointment at this point too. Also known as a pap smear, you should schedule this appointment regularly. This check will allow medical professionals to take a look at the cellular material in your cervix (the entrance or “barrier” between your womb and your vagina).

If you get the all-clear and everything is as it should be, great! However, if the doctor discovers any irregularities, you will undergo further checks for cancer or cancerous cells. It’s an essential check that can prove life-saving.

Vaccinations

Now, people are getting more routine vaccinations, whether it’s Covid vaccines and boosters or the flu jab. If you want to get these vaccinations, book appointments when recommended by your doctor.

Keeping Your Essential Health Appointments

These are just a few appointments you may need to schedule now that facilities are getting back to normal. Don’t put your health on the backburner and risk serious complications or conditions.

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Adulting For the Home Home Spring

4 Practical Spring Cleaning Tasks You Shouldn’t Miss This Year

Spring is coming, and it will soon be time for spring cleaning. Getting your home ready for spring is a great way to let some air in after keeping the house closed over the winter. It will help get the house clean and fresh for the new season. Here are some spring cleaning tasks you shouldn’t skip this year. 

Spring Cleaning Tasks
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Spring Cleaning Tasks You Shouldn’t Skip

Have Your HVAC System Cleaned

Your HVAC system has been working hard all winter, keeping your house warm during the colder months. Now, it has another season of hard work coming up in the summer, keeping the house cool. Check when its service is due, and get it checked over and cleaned to make sure it will be ready for summer. A company like DUCTZ can change and clean the filters to improve the air quality in your home. If you want a fresher home ready for spring, this is an ideal first step. 

Clean The Mattresses

You’ve been changing the bedding all year, but when is the last time you cleaned your mattress? Your mattress can get grubby over time, thanks to sweat and shed skin cells when you sleep, which can make it a bit smelly. A fresh, clean mattress will improve your sleep and make your bedroom smell fresher. Cleaning a mattress can be easy. Strip off all your bedding, and cover the mattress with a light layer of baking soda, to soak up any odors. Leave the baking soda for a few minutes, and then vacuum it away. 

Scrub The Oven

Your oven could be pretty filthy after all the hard work you put in to feed your family. It could likely benefit from a deep clean. Take out any trays or grills from inside the oven to make it easier to clean. To make the job even easier, you can buy kits with bags of cleaning fluid to soak the trays in, or you can hire a professional oven cleaning company to do the job for you. You might want to take the door apart, too, if dirt has got between the layers of glass.

Clean The Windows

After a winter of keeping the windows closed against the cold, you’re ready to fling them open and let the fresh air in. However, the last thing you want is to look at the spring sunshine through a grimy window pane. Give all the windows a good clean, inside and out, to get rid of grime and smears. If you have lots of windows, windows that are high up, or windows that are awkward to reach, hire someone to do it for you, rather than risking wobbling around on a ladder. Remove your curtains, blinds, or other window treatments and give those a clean too, so you can have fresh window treatments to go with your shiny new windows. 

Spring Cleaning Tasks

A good spring clean will make your home feel fresh and ready for the new season. There’s nothing more satisfying than a clean house, so it helps your feel better about your home. Are there any other areas we shouldn’t skip during our spring cleaning? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Adulting Healthy Living Parenting Things to Do

5 Perfect Activities For Parents That Need To Relax

Parents That Need To Relax

As a parent, relaxing time without the kids can be rare. It’s often so rare that when it comes, and the kids aren’t home, we don’t know how to spend it. The good news is you don’t have to waste any of your precious me-time working this out. Here are some of the perfect activities for parents that need to relax.

Parents That Need To Relax
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Activities For Parents That Need To Relax

Napping 

Yes, napping is number one on the list here because, as a parent, it’s rare we ever get enough sleep! However, a good nap without the threat of being woken up every few minutes can work wonders for the body and the mind.  

Make the experience special by making a warm drink, lowering the lights, and snuggling under your favorite blanket. You can even use sleep music or sounds like thunderstorms to help you gently drift off. Then you can wake up genuinely refreshed and relaxed at the end of your nap.

Meditation 

Mindfulness meditation is another great activity that can help you find relaxation. Primarily this is because it fosters a wider space between our thoughts and what we accept as fact, relieving stress. Although, in many cases, it needs to be a long-term habit, as when we meditate for the first few times the mind can be loud. 

However, if you are new to meditation and want an instant way to relax, try techniques like progressive muscle relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation is when you follow a guided meditation that goes through each part of your body. It encourages you to tense each body part and then let go, helping your body and mind let go of tension and promoting relaxation.

Massage 

Similarly to progressive muscle relations, massage can be a great activity for relaxation. There are many benefits to getting a professional massage, including:

  • eliminating toxins from your systems
  • loosening knots and tensions
  • promoting a sense of relaxation and wellbeing

Cannabis products for parents that need to relax

When the kids are out of the house, some parents use cannabis products to aid relaxation. There are plenty of products to choose from, including oils, edibles, and prerolls. As parents, safety is always a prime concern, so it’s a good idea to get something like the doob tube PACK CASE as it’s certified child-resistant, adding an extra layer of protection for your little ones should their inadvertently come across your products. 

Find your flow 

Many people find it supremely relaxing to be engaging in an activity where they can get into a flow state. A flow state is all about being present and absorbed in the activity you are doing. Many different activities can help you achieve this flow state, including running, drawing, crafting, gardening, and even singing! 

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Adulting How To Life

3 Easy Ways to Once Again Reassert Who You Are

It seems that people and processes are constantly telling us who we are and who we should be. Advertising tells us how to act, political figures tell us how to think, and the news tells us our emotions and how to react. However, no matter who you are, it’s essential to reassert who you are from time to time.

You get to assert how you feel about a musical artist, what you thought of a movie, where you’d like to travel, and the bigger questions that help define us. When you reassert who you are, you can stay true to yourself no matter what happens.

Reassert Who You Are
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How to Reassert Who You Are

Care For Yourself and Invest In You

To reassert who you are, you need to define yourself as someone worth taking care of. You do that by taking care of yourself and prioritizing your needs and desires. Taking care of yourself involves making sure you get enough sleep each night, that you eat enough vegetables, that you visit your local dentist to make sure you keep up with your dental hygiene, and that you don’t feel ashamed to rest when you need it. Invest in your wellbeing, and build confidence any way you can. 

Find What You Love

Finding what you love can help you figure out what to prioritize in life. We always define ourselves by the things most important to us, whether it is a family member, a career we hope to build, a discipline we want to curate, or activities that give us strength, like exercising, writing, blogging, or playing music.

Life can seem long without something to enjoy and invest your joy into. When we do those things, they come back and nourish us and how we assert ourselves in the world. 

Ponder What Is Important

If you can ponder what is most important in life, you’ll be able to conform to that, and your personality will begin to build. That might involve revolving the entire orbit of your life around your child. Or, it might involve ensuring that your startup business practices the values that you think are missing from the industry.

Figuring out what is important may mean identifying what your culture and ethnic heritage mean to you. Consider visiting the place your grandparents may be from so that you can connect to this essential nature once more. You get to decide what’s important, and luckily, our minds have a way of gravitating to just that.

Reassert Who You Are

With this advice in mind, you can reassert who you are to yourself and those around you. Stay true to yourself, and follow your path without comparing yourself to anyone else.