Transcendental Meditation: Alternative Therapy for Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol treatment in Canada, however seems to incorporate both mechanisms as shown in the study by Rush and Ogborne (1986).The study states that goals for one third of clients who were non abstinent were accepted depending on whether it was a residential or community-based outpatient service. Other effective methods in treating alcoholism are pharmacotherapy, behavioral method and self help manuals. This paper will discuss different therapeutic interventions while highlighting the controversy between controlled drinking and abstinence.

Alcohol is the most abused licit psychoactive drugs that affect one 's ability to think rationally and distorts their judgement if consumed excessively. Alcohol addiction is an illness arising from prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks. An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcohol addiction. Prolonged excessive use of large quantities can eventually lead to chronic health diseases like cirrhosis of the liver, anaemia, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression seizures, gout and alcohol related accidents and crime. Statistics show that 9 million people in England drink more than the recommended daily intake while an estimated 8.697 died of alcohol-related deaths in 2014. According to the WHO worldwide alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths (3.2% of total) and 58.3 million (4% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Alcohol beverages with varied percentage content are consumed globally during religious, social, cultural events, festivals and other occasions. The use of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of many cultures for thousands of years (McGovern, 2009). Over the centuries, there have been ongoing measures, research, interventions and policies which are aimed at promoting the moderate use of alcohol with a particular emphasis on preventing or reducing undesired outcomes. This essay will outline the key components of brief interventions in alcohol, the difference in approach with traditional methods of treatment and in conclusion, the

This paper is about my experience with mindfulness based meditation and scientific inquiry of these experiences. Mindfulness based meditation is describes as technique used to cultivate nonreactive, non-judgmental and stable awareness of the present moment (Garland and Gaylord, 2009). The end goal is to sustain this meta-cognitive state for a long period of time. I practiced non-denominational form of mindfulness based meditation for the first time in my psychology class, which was devoted towards intellectual and experiential examination of meditation. The practice was conducted in a group it was instructed by our own professor and it begun at the end of class. There was one sessions per week and each session was structured meaning it was

A broad range of medical and psychological therapies is currently available for people who struggle with substance addictions. The scientific community is working on evaluation of various treatments to determine which strategies offer the best chances of successful outcome. People who need treatment for alcoholism and drug use are very diverse group. Addiction is a disorder that requires an individual case approach; therefore, different ways to

Alcohol use has spanned history. In fact, there is speculation that alcohol use actually preceded the formation of societies (Doweiko, 2015, p. 30). Thus, alcohol has long been a part of mankind’s life. The function of alcohol has unarguably changed throughout the course of history, as it was first used for nutritional purposes and then later on for religious purposes (Doweiko, 2015, p. 32). Today, alcohol serves a social purpose. In the United States, the prevalence of use is quite high, with just over 50% of the population partaking monthly (Doweiko, 2015, p. 34). This statistic is somewhat alarming considering alcohol use comes with a number of potential adverse consequences. Case in point, even

Alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. There are various treatments that are implacable for excessive alcohol consumption. In rural areas, there are a need for treatment for clients that endure to much alcohol and need assistance ceasing. Research will explore the various treatments to help clients. There are programs that seek recovery for alcohol anonymous clients. This Manual will explore intervention for specific treatment and provide various objectives for disorder.

The last article reviewed (4) was regarding controlled treatment for hypertension in older African Americans over a one year period. The results stated that for both black men and women, 20 minutes, twice a day, of Transcendental Meditation could be useful in the long term treatment of hypertension in the African American. This outweighed the benefits of progressive muscle relaxation and participation in conventional health education

Current available therapy for the treatment of alcohol is based on three different theories. Two popular and successful therapies are cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and twelve step facilitation (TSF). CBT is a directive therapy that is focused on changing the way that patients think about alcohol (Villanueva, Tonigan, Miller, 2007). TSF is another

Alcoholism is considered a major health issue by many resources. It is seen as an illness by the American Medical Association and the British Medical Association. Alcoholics are unable to control their drinking habits because they are ill within their minds and bodies. Within the United States, it is recognized as the third greatest substance use killer, following heart disease and cancer as noted by various sources. It not only hurts substance users, but can have significant effects on their families and their jobs. There is a multitude of knowledge on how to identify and arrest alcoholism, but there is no known prevention for it. Therefore, Alcohol Anonymous (A.A) was developed to help sufferers of alcohol abstain from drinking and learn positive ways to live life without the use of alcohol. Each individual is different; therefore, not all will have the same symptoms. Some symptoms include but are not limited to drinking at school or at work, sneaking drinks, drinking early in the mornings and over drinking at events. The goal of A.A at Another Chance is to encourage their members to avoid drinking or causes that can lead to drinking, which is by taking one day at a time. As mentioned, for members to stay sober they need to maintain healthy thoughts and emotions, of which they can attain by following the twelve steps to recovery.

The term “alcoholism” describes a drinker who is mentally and physically dependent on alcohol, and who would most likely have withdrawal symptoms upon trying to quit. This dependence prevents most alcoholics from being able to control when they drink and how much they drink. For that reason, alcoholics usually drink to excess despite the consequences. Alcoholism, like any addiction, is a chronic disorder which involves continued use despite negative consequences and requires ongoing treatment and management. This research paper will cover many aspects of alcoholism including the causes and effects of drinking and different treatment approaches.

Published in “Newsweek”, “The Neuroscience of Meditation, And the Virtues of Shutting Up,” by Zoe Schlanger, is an article to persuade stressed out and skeptical people towards meditation. Published in 2015, the focus of this article is to help those who don’t understand how “powerful” meditation can be and how others may react to the situation. Miss Schlanger not only puts in her own personal experience, but also brings in other information to try to help guide them to a positive outlook on the way meditation helped her and how it could help them as well. This piece effectively helps the target audience lean toward the idea of meditation by switching from casual to formal diction, using personal experience, and organizing to keep the flow interesting.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy is a treatment approach I resonate with for the treatment of alcohol disorders. The use of this approach will allow the individual to engage exploring the internal motivations for their behavior and resolving any ambivalence. Using this intervention is effective but short in duration and will reduce any possible risk of abrupt termination of treatment by the client. Nonetheless, using this type of therapy will build and strengthen motivation to change drinking behavior, while achieving moving forward in set goals. In addition,

* How does the ritual seek to change the participants? –Protect them from future sufferings, provides more insight into meditation

In conclusion, while transcendental meditation appears to benefit some practitioners, the presence of conflicting research and data causes me to question the validity of the practice. I believe the presence of negative data has caused the movement to die down in recent years. While transcendental meditation might not be the next endeavor that I pursue on my own spiritual journey, the insight that I have gained during this class gives me hope for other possible spiritual practices in the

The results of this study showed significant improvement in quality of life, anxiety, and blood pressure in the meditation group. While in controls, quality of life deteriorated and there was no improvement in blood pressure.