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Showing posts from 2009

Mrs. X Y Z

You can call me Mrs. X Y Z. I can't reveal my identity because of so many reasons but I would like to share my experience of recovery with others. It might help other females to get out of their shells. I know there are so many females like me wanting to quit alcohol but are unable to do so. They need to get educated and accept the concept of disease of alcoholism the way I did. I am married and a mother of two sweet children. My history of problem drinking goes back to 20 years. I started drinking at age 20 because of my husband, who was an alcoholic. Now we both are free from the disease of alcoholism. I am in recovery for more than one year now. I was 16 years old, living abroad and studying there. This was the time when I met somebody who was much older than my age. I fell in love with him and got married against my parents' will. Before getting married I knew he was heavily into drinking but for me it was acceptable or may be it was my childish thinking. I didn't know

Goal Setting

The difference between a goal and a dream is the written word. Gene Donohue Goal setting is simply having a clear plan and a future vision of where you want to be somewhere in the future, in order to set goals or have a plan you first need to know where do you want to be in the future, you need to have some kind of a dream, something that you really desire to achieve, this can be anything starting from being successful in your academics, getting a good job, having a successful relation, buying a big house or car to being the president of U.S.A. You will have to follow a few simple steps to set your goals. Step 1: develop a burning desire Just sit and think of what do you really desire to achieve, what is the thing that will change your life if you get it, what you really need, what will make you live a happy and proud life rather than living defeated. Visualization can help you much in knowing what you really desire to achieve. Just sit in any place where you won’t get disturbed and d

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. --Reinhold Niebuhr

New Life

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Let’s be connected with ourselves Let’s bring all our fears to an end Let’s stop hating the mistakes Losing trust because of the one "fake" Let’s find the time for deep mental rest Deep, deep and for deep relaxing breath Let’s accept ourselves in the way we are Placing the self in the place of stars Let our eyes free to dreams Sparkling in all the shiny blue beams Let’s take a new positive start today starting a new life and new everyday by Sumaira Shahzad Psychologist Aghaz-e-Nau

Overcome Procrastination

One of the most important steps to develop positive attitude is to overcome procrastination. What is procrastination? Procrastination is when we "put off, delay or postpone important tasks, which we have to complete within a time frame. For example a student might procrastinate when he has to prepare for his exams, submit an assignment or a presentation. Another example could be of a business executive who has been given a deadline to achieve certain goals. Instead of doing that important task at time one will say “I will do it tomorrow” and tomorrow never comes. We might complete it at the eleventh hour if there is no other way out. Doing any important task at the eleventh hour might cause problems like tension, stress, apprehension, anxiety, fear and poor performance. So it is recommended to overcome procrastination. Why do we procrastinate? Causes of Procrastination Early childhood training Poor time management Lack of interest Lack of motivation Inability to organize one’s tho

Develop Positive Attitude

We need to shift our focus to develop positive thinking. When we start putting focus on positive things, we develop a positive attitude. We can avoid a number of problems and life seems to be colourful. We feel full of energy and we can do a lot in less time. Success becomes our destiny. You can use a few simple techniques to shift your focus from the negative to the positive. • Build a desire to become positive • Look for the positives in self and others • Whenever you become a victim of a negative thought put your focus on your blessings, strengths and achievements • Learn to relax and in relaxed state of mind imagine yourself having a positive attitude • Get in touch with your positive feelings • Share your positive feelings with others

Characteristics of People with Positive Thinking

People with positive thinking will acknowledge their strengths They will appreciate themselves and others They will be relaxed, at peace and happy They will enjoy the company of others They will make others feel happy They will keep realistic expectations from self and others Their focus will remain on the blessings, which they have They will have an attitude of gratitude Their focus will be on success They will be successful in their lives

Put your Focus on Positive Things

To develop a positive attitude for a positive living we need to shift our focus from the negative to the positive. Some people become habitual of thinking in a negative way about themselves and others. To the extent when they see something positive, they will not appreciate rather they will keep putting their focus on the negatives. We need to remember this will cause more problems for us. As we all know that there is a mind and body relationship. What we think will affect our body. Negative thinking can cause a number of problems for us including tension, stress, anxiety, depression and physical health problems or psychosomatic problems.

Importance of Positive Attitude

We are not born with a positive attitude, we develop it with time. To develop a positive attitude, you need to follow a step by step plan and remain consistent to follow it. Given below are easy to follow steps: 1-Always put your focus on positive things 2-Overcome procrastination 3-Stay away from negative influence 4-Acknowledge your strengths 5-Develop an attitude of gratitude 6-Be a winner, feel like a winner, behave like a winner

Anger Management

1- Relaxation Simple relaxation tools, such as deep breathing and relaxing imagery, can help calm down angry feelings. Some simple steps you can try: Breathe deeply, from your diaphragm; breathing from your chest won't relax you. Picture your breath coming up from your "gut." Slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as "relax," "take it easy." Repeat it to yourself while breathing deeply. Use imagery; visualize a relaxing experience, from either your memory or your imagination. Nonstrenuous, slow yoga-like exercises can relax your muscles and make you feel much calmer. Practice these techniques daily. Learn to use them automatically when you're in a tense situation. 2- Cognitive Restructuring Simply put, this means changing the way you think. Angry people tend to curse, swear, or speak in highly colourful terms that reflect their inner thoughts. When you're angry, your thinking can get much exaggerated and overly dramatic. Try replacing these t

Causes of Anger

Anger is a natural and mostly automatic response to pain of one form or another (physical or emotional). Anger can occur when people don't feel well, feel rejected, feel threatened, or experience some loss. The type of pain does not matter; the important thing is that the pain experienced is unpleasant. Because anger never occurs in isolation but rather is necessarily preceded by pain feelings, it is often characterized as a 'second-hand' emotion. Pain alone is not enough to cause anger. Anger occurs when pain is combined with some anger-triggering thought. Thoughts that can trigger anger include personal assessments, assumptions, evaluations, or interpretations of situations that makes people think that someone else is attempting (consciously or not) to hurt them. In this sense, anger is a social emotion; you always have a target that your anger is directed against (even if that target is yourself). Feelings of pain, combined with anger-triggering thoughts motivate you to

Anger

Anger is a basic human emotion that is experienced by all people, which is usually triggered by an emotional hurt. It is usually experienced as an unpleasant feeling that occurs when we think we have been injured, mistreated, opposed in our long-held views, or when we face problems achieving our personal goals. The experience of anger varies widely; how often anger occurs, how intensely it is felt, and how long it lasts are different for each person. People also vary in how easily they get angry (their anger threshold), as well as how comfortable they are with feeling angry. Some people are always getting angry while others seldom feel angry. Some people are very aware of their anger, while others fail to recognize anger when it occurs. Regardless of how often we actually experience anger, it is a common and unavoidable emotion. Anger can be constructive or destructive. When well managed, anger or annoyance has very few detrimental health or interpersonal consequences. At its roots, an

Stress Management

Being able to identify what is causing stress is an important step in preventing it. Identifying the triggers will enable you to take steps to avoid them and will help you to recognise when you are becoming stressed out again. There are several ways that stress can be prevented. You may find some of the methods that are outlined below useful. Deep breathing If you feel yourself getting stressed out, try to halt those feelings in their tracks by relaxing your muscles and taking deep breaths. Start by inhaling for three seconds, then exhale for a little longer. This will help to remove the older oxygen from your lungs and replace it with fresh oxygen that will improve your circulation and alertness. Continue these deep breathing exercises until you feel calmer and ready to continue what you were doing. It might be better to do something else rather than continue with the stressful task. Healthy eating It is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet when you are stressed because food and

Causes of Stress

The causes of stress are known as stressors and there are literally hundreds of different types of stressors. Any event in life that a person finds threatening, difficult to cope with or causes excess pressure can be a potential cause of stress. It is important to bear in mind that stress is an individualistic, subjective experience and therefore what one person finds stressful another may not. Stressors can be broken down roughly into either external or internal (or a mixture of both.) External Stressors External Stressors are those situations, which are not in your control. It s known that the longer a stressor continues, then the more likely it is to cause stress and that the individuals perception of an event is the key to whether they will find a situation stressful or not. For example, if a person is happy living in their house, they’ve lived there for a number of years, have developed close friends in the area and do not want to move but are forced to move because their home

Stress

One of the reasons of using drugs is stress as reported by a number of worldwide surveys. Stress is the way that you feel when pressure is placed on you. A little bit of pressure can be productive, gives you motivation, and help you to perform better at something. However, too much pressure or prolonged pressure can lead to stress, which is unhealthy for the mind and body. Everyone reacts differently to stress, and some people may have a higher threshold than others. Too much stress often leads to physical, mental and emotional problems. In this part of the manual you will learn healthy ways to cope with stress. First of all you need to learn about stress. When faced with a situation that makes you stressed out, your body releases chemicals, including cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline. These invoke the 'fight or flight' response that helps us to deal with the situation. However, when you're in a situation that prevents you from fighting or escaping, such as being on an

The Lost Soul

The Lost Soul is a true story of one of my clients, written by me and being published with her consent. I believe her case history will be an eye opener for many of us. I am 30 years old and my story is really sad and tragic. This is what I feel but others might not feel this way because everyone has a different perspective of life. I think life is pleasurable and one should enjoy life. If I look back starting from early childhood till today I can't recall a single day of pleasure or joy in my life. I wanted to enjoy life: my childhood, my education, my career, my marriage and my children but I couldn't. I was a little kid when I lost myself and till today I am in search of myself. I don’t think I can find myself now because I have been diagnosed with drug abuse psychosis: a condition, which is known to be as "bipolar". I think others can learn a lot from my experience and it might help them from getting lost. I was the only child of my parents. My father was not doi

Learn to Cope with Anxiety

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Bright Stars In my previous post I mentioned that young students start using drugs because of anxiety. At the same time we see females using psychotropic drugs too. Aghaz-e-Nau carried out a pilot project to establish treatment and rehabilitation services for females and it was indicated that 41% females were using drugs because of stress, tension and anxiety. Today I will give a few suggestions to cope with anxiety. Before I start let me tell you that anxiety has genetic reasons at the same time environmental factors play a great role to learn to experience anxiety in certain situations. Mostly, we learn to be fearful or anxious in early childhood. Parents, Teachers and Other Significant people pay an important role by: Keeping high expectations from their children as a result children learn to become perfectionists . physical, verbal or sexual abuse is also one of the causes of anxiety, any other traumatic experience, children learn to feel shy and don't discuss with others. In

Anxiety and Drug Abuse

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Bright Stars Some students start using drugs when they experience anxiety. They need to understand that anxiety is a normal and natural physiological response to a threatening situation. The situation could be actual or perceived. In either case it triggers the Fight or Flight response. The Fight or Flight Response is your body's automatic, inborn response that protects your survival. It prepares the body to "fight" or "flee" from any real or perceived threat to your survival. When the fight or flight response occurs, it stimulates an area of your brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus prepares your body for fighting or running. It does this by flooding your brain with chemicals such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. This process creates physical reactions. If you lead a very stressful life, your sympathetic nervous system may be sending you “false alarms” much of the time. For example, your fight or flight response may be activated when your t

When and how does drug abuse start and progress?

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Bright Stars Studies such as the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicate that some children are already abusing drugs at age 12 or 13, which likely means that some begin even earlier. Early abuse often includes such substances as tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, marijuana, and prescription drugs such as sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medicines. If drug abuse persists into later adolescence, abusers typically become more heavily involved with marijuana and then advance to other drugs, while continuing their abuse of tobacco and alcohol. Studies have also shown that abuse of drugs in late childhood and early adolescence is associated with greater drug involvement. It is important to note that most youth, however, do not progress to abusing other drugs. Scientists have proposed various explanations of why some individuals become involved with drugs and then escalate to abuse. One explanation points to a biolog

Breakthrough System puts an end to Yo- Yo Dieting for Good

Read an interesting article on weight loss at http://mahmooda-aftab.blogspot.com/

Bright Stars Hope: A Poem by Sumaira Shahzad

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Bright Stars We all are the stars Shining despite of the scars Its is the brightness we are searching for It’s the darkness we want to cure It’s the destiny we want to ours We all are the stars What if we become sometimes a little dull? Painful, restless with a fearful skull But We all have shine within us That never lets us to burn It’s the shine of truth & spirituality It’s the shine of positivity & orignality The only need is to take off our false masks Is to be honest with our own hearts Then we could be the Bright Stars Shining brightly despite of the scars We all are the stars We all are the stars Sumaira Shahzad Psychologist Aghaz-e-Nau

HIGH Risk Periods for Drug Abuse Among Youth

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Bright Stars Research has shown that the key risk periods for drug abuse are during major transitions in children’s lives. The first big transition for children is when they leave the security of the family and enter school. Later, when they advance from elementary school to middle school, they often experience new academic and social situations, such as learning to get along with a wider group of peers. It is at this stage—early adolescence—that children are likely to encounter drugs for the first time. When they enter high school, adolescents face additional social, emotional, and educational challenges. At the same time, they may be exposed to greater availability of drugs, drug abusers, and social activities involving drugs. These challenges can increase the risk that they will abuse alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.When young adults leave home for college or work and are on their own for the first time, their risk for drug and alcohol abuse is very high. Consequently, young

Poem by Arjumand Ayub

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Bright Stars Bright star I want relief….. Some sanity, I am drowned in ignorance. I am in pain I need help! O Star! O Star! O Star! Can you do something for me? Kill my pain… Take my woes, Can you give me strength to face the world? Here I am the bright star, Yes I can help you fight the war. O I am here to light your life, There’s just a little to strive. It’s your trust I have to take, And turn it into your belief to find the way. Arjumand Ayub Trainee http://mahmooda-aftab.blogspot.com/

Closing Ceremony

Peer Counseling Training

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Bright Stars Second session of Peer Counseling Training for drug abuse prevention and personal development has started from 4th May, 2009. A total number of 30 students got registered and this session will be over by the end of June, 2009. Another group is being formed at Law Coolege, Punjab University and planned to be started from 25th May, 2009. http://mahmooda-aftab.blogspot.com/

Second Session of Peer Counseling Training

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Bright Stars Second session of Peer Counseling Training for drug abuse prevention and personal development has started from 4th May, 2009. A total number of 30 students got registered and this session will be over by the end of June, 2009. Another group is being formed at Law Coolege, Punjab University and planned to be started from 25th May, 2009. http://mahmooda-aftab.blogspot.com/

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Tips to Improve Self Esteem

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Bright Stars 1. Define life success One of the most empowering things you can do for yourself is to define your criteria for life success. This requires reflecting on what the key elements are and the experiences you wish to have. 2. Choose to be happy Happiness is a state of mind. The Dalai Lama says that the very purpose of life is to seek happiness. He believes that if you train the mind to be happy, you will be. Likewise, you can train yourself for higher self-esteem. 3. Set challenging goals How much you like yourself is often reflected in the level of goals you will set for yourself. Generally, people who like themselves and feel valuable, set higher and more challenging life goals. 4. Honour your core values When you live by a clear set of values, it is easier to align your life with what is most important to you. When you honor your core values, (those things you would fight for), you honor your true self. 5. Enhance your energy People with high self-esteem seem to have a reser

Improve your Self Esteem to Stay Away fom Drugs

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Bright Stars One of the reasons of using drugs is low self esteem. Mostly young people start using drugs because of approval seeking behavior. If we help them improve their self esteem, we can help them from using drugs. First of all one needs to know what is self esteem and then we need to know how to improve our self esteem. In this post i will define self esteem and in my next post I will give a few tips to improve self esteem. Self Esteem The way you feel about yourself impacts how and why you do everything in life. If you feel good about yourself, then what you do will be an outside reflection of your innermost thoughts and feelings. Positive self-esteem comes from within and does not change because the circumstances change. High self-esteem is relatively stable even when the forecast looks foreboding. Your self-esteem is like a star at night that shines brightest when it is the darkest. It is your inner light that burns brightly and freely no matter what is happening around yo

Early Signs Of Risk That May Predict Later Drug Abuse

Some signs of risk can be seen as early as infancy or early childhood, such as aggressive behavior, lack of self-control, or difficult temperament. As the child gets older, interactions with family, at school, and within the community can affect that child’s risk for later drug abuse. Children’s earliest interactions occur in the family; sometimes family situations heighten a child’s risk for later drug abuse, for example, when there is: a lack of attachment and nurturing by parents or caregivers; ineffective parenting; and a caregiver who abuses drugs But families can provide protection from later drug abuse when there is: a strong bond between children and parents; parental involvement in the child’s life; and clear limits and consistent enforcement of discipline Interactions outside the family can involve risks for both children and adolescents, such as: poor classroom behavior or social skills; academic failure; and association with drug-abusing peers. Association with drug-abusing

Help Your Child Stay Away From Drugs

Given below are a few tips for parents to help their children prevent from using drugs. 1-Discuss the Issue Children get to know a lot though their peers and mostly they tend to develop misconceptions about drug and alcohol abuse. So make sure to take out some time and discuss these issues with your children and help them understand the harmful effects of drug or alcohol abuse. 2-Listen to your Child Pay attention to your child and carefully listen to him when he or she comes up with questions or concerns related to drugs. Encourage your child to share his o her feelings with you and be supportive. 3- Help your Child Develop Self Confidence Let your child know about his or her strengths and potentials. Prais your child's efforts and achievements. It will help your child develop confidence and self esteem. If you have to correct your child's behavior, don't criticize him rather let your child know that he needs to change his behavior. Remember to be a good role model. 4- Hel

Psychological Problems

Do you need help for Psychological Problems? Put your issue or comment in the comment box and i will get back to you as soon as possible. Or you want to provide help to others do so by publishing a post on this blog. www.myLot.com?ref=maftab92

Free Counseling Services

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Bright Stars Free Counseling Services for: Anxiety, Fears and Phobias, Depression, Self Esteem, Confidence Building, Communication Skills, Concentration and Memory, Goal Achievement, Developing Healthy Habits, Stress, Psychosomatic problems, Relationship issues, Drug Addiction, Sexual Problems and HIV/AIDS Counseling www.myLot.com?ref=maftab92

Cannabis compounds: Signs and symptoms

Cannabis compounds are found in marijuana and hashish. Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: A heightened sense of visual, auditory and taste perception; Poor memory; Increased blood pressure and heart rate; Red eyes; Decreased coordination; Difficulty concentrating; Increased appetite; Slowed reaction time; Paranoid thinking; Sexual problems and infertility and Drug induced psychosis.

Opioids: Signs and symptoms

Opioids are narcotic, painkilling drugs produced naturally from opium or made synthetically. This class of drugs includes heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone and oxycodone (OxyContin). Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: Reduced sense of pain, Sedation, Depression, Confusion, Constipation, Slowed breathing, Needle marks (if injecting drugs), Risk of developing HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.

Inhalants: Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of inhalant use vary depending on what substance is inhaled. Some commonly inhaled substances include glue, paint thinners, correction fluid, felt tip marker fluid, gasoline, cleaning fluids and household aerosol products. When inhaled, these products can cause brief intoxication and a decreased feeling of inhibition. Long-term use may cause seizures and damage to the brain, liver and kidneys. Inhalant use can also cause death.

Designer drugs: Signs and symptoms

Synthetic compounds, such as Ecstasy, which has both amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic effects, are included in this category. Signs and symptoms of using designer drugs vary depending on the drug. You might be able to tell that a family member or a friend is using or abusing a drug based on the physical and behavioral signs and symptoms associated with the drug. For example, Ecstasy produces a mild hallucinogenic effect and a feeling of euphoria. It also causes an increased heart rate, overheating, high blood pressure, kidney and liver toxicity, and memory problems.

Central nervous system stimulants: Signs and symptoms

This class of drugs includes amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine and methylphenidate (Ritalin). Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: Euphoria, Decreased appetite, Rapid speech, Irritability, Restlessness, Depression as the drug wears off , Nasal congestion and damage to the mucous membrane of the nose in users who snort drugs, Insomnia, Weight loss, Increased heart rate, blood pressure and temperature and paranoia.

Central nervous system depressants: Signs and symptoms

Barbiturates and benzodiazepines are examples of central nervous system depressants. Phenobarbital, amobarbital (Amytal) and secobarbital (Seconal) are examples of barbiturates. Benzodiazepines include tranquilizers such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), oxazepam (Serax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium). Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: Drowsiness, Slurred speech, Lack of coordination, Memory impairment, Confusion, Slowed breathing and decreased blood pressure, Dizziness, Depression, Prolonged use can cause inhibited sexual response.

Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs. It is because of these changes in the brain that it is so challenging for a person who is addicted to stop abusing drugs. Fortunately, there are treatments that help people to counteract addiction's powerful disruptive effects and regain control. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medications, if available, with behavioural therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches that are tailored to each patient's drug abuse patterns and any co-occurring medical, psychiatric, and social problems can lead to sustained recovery and a li

Slideshow: Closing Ceremony

First session of “Peer Counseling Training” was completed successfully in March, 2009. A total number of 32 students from 4 different institutes completed training. Closing ceremony of Peer Counseling Training was held in the first week of April, 2009. All the students presented a number of activities on drug abuse prevention including poems, speech, songs and a short play. Towards the end the honourable chief guest Brig. Babur Idris expressed his views and distributed certificates amongst the trainees. Attached is a slideshow of the closing ceremony.

Closing Ceremony

All the students are requested to collect pictures and DVD of the Closing Ceremony.

Second Session of Peer Counseling Training

All the students who have completed Peer Counseling Training carried out by Aghaz-e-Nau and Anti Narcotics Force are requested to form another group of students in their departments. We plan to start second session of 90 students from 25th of April.

Inaugral Ceremony

Inaugral Ceremony of Peer Counseling Training was held by Aghaz-e-Nau in December, 2008. Trainee Students prepared a number of activities on drug abuse prevention. Chief Guest Force Commander Brig. Babur Idris, Anti Narcotics Force, Punjab delivered a very enthusiastic speech, which was really appreciated by all the participants.

Introduction: Peer Counseling Training

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Bright Stars Bright Stars: Peer Counseling Training Program for Drug Abuse Prevention was planned in April, 2008 and a structured training program was developed for students with special focus on to develop social and academic skills, to enhance peer relationships, to develop self confidence and to help students develop coping and drug-refusal skills. An Orientation Lecture was oranized by Aghaz-e-Nau for the Heads of Educational Institutes. Force Commander Brig. Babur Idris, Anti Narcotics Force, Punjab presented a well detaileled description on drug abuse situation in the region of Punjab, commonly used drugs and the need of Primary Prevention. All the teachers and department heads were requsted to nominate students to pariticipate in Peer Counseling Training Program. As a result we managed to form a group of 40 students from 4 differnt institutes.First training session was started in November, 2008.

Slideshow

Features of Peer Counseling

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Bright Stars Bright Stars is a unique program having unique features to help young students to stay away from drugs. It helps them learn how to form positive habits; to overcome past traumatic experiences; learning to be positive; developing empowering beliefs; building Positive Attitude for a Drug Free Life; learning to become a winner and not a loser; goal setting; motivation building; developing healthy self esteem; building confidence to conquer the war of drugs; emotional management; interpersonal skills; developing healthy relationships; communication skills; social skills training; overcoming shyness to avoid Peer Pressure; improving concentration and memory and learning healthy ways to enhance concentration, memory and ability to recall; stress management; improving study skills; learning to cope with difficult situations and developing values and clear vision as it is a pathway for a drug free life.

Why Peer Counseling Training?

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Bright Stars There is no single reason to start using drugs. In most cases drugs are used by teenagers who have problems that they can't deal with. Many people use drugs for some unexplained reasons but the most common reasons are: to overcome shyness; to overcome stress; to seek pleasure; to overcome anger or other unpleasant feelings; to improve confidence, self image or self worth; to cope with problems at home; to cope with problems in relationships; the most common reason that makes people to use drugs is peer pressure; some use drugs because of being adventurous and curious; problems in school, college or university like low attention span, concentration and memory problems; poor grades and some end up using drugs because one of the family members is drug addicted. Many factors can add to a person’s risk for drug abuse. Risk factors can increase a person’s chances for drug abuse, while protective factors can reduce the risk as reported by nida research. Risk and protective

Peer Counseling Training

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Bright Stars Today’s youth is increasingly diverse in many ways resultantly having diverse problems. All children and adolescents face problems time to time. They may feel stressed out, anxious or depressed; they may feel lack of confidence, low self esteem; they may lack effective study skills and fall behind in their studies and they may experiment with drugs and alcohol. Peer Counseling Training will help students overcome their problems and at the same time they will learn to help their peers. AeN has developed a program, which is educational, interactive and skill based to equip students fight against drrug abuse. At the same time they learn to help others.