Self Help Article 5
Behavior and Long Life, Recovering from Alcohol Impairment

• Behavior and Long Life

Life expectancy is closely related to certain specific behaviors. There are clear connections, for example, between long life and these seven behaviors:

• eating breakfast every day
• not snacking between meals
• not smoking
• maintaining proper body weight
• getting regular exercise
• using little or no alcohol
• sleeping a reasonable number of hours each night (7 - 8 hours)

Relatedly, reports from the U.S. Center for Disease Control indicate that 54% of all deaths in people under 65 are due to unhealthy lifestyles.

• Recovery from Alcohol Impairment

How well a person bounces back from alcohol-related brain imparement seems to be a function of age (the younger you are, the better you recover). Especially in the early stages of recovery, young age seems to be even more important than drinking history. Researchers suggest that beyond age 40 the human body is either more vulnerable to alcohol, or less able to compensate for its damaging effects.

• Power and Satisfaction in Marriage

Studies continue to suggest that marriages in which power is shared are the happiest, and that marriages in which "coercive control" is used are less fulfilling. Research has also shown that marriages in which the wife is dominant are the most likely to be unhappy (note, however, that a wife may be "dominant" for a variety of reasons, e.g. an unsupportive husband may force her to shoulder all the responsibilities alone).

• Obtaining Cooperation from Children in the Doctor's Office

When having a blood sample drawn, youngsters between the ages of 4 and 10 were more likely to cry if their mothers were in the room with them. The researchers suggest that this is because the children are used to crying as a way to obtain attention and protection from their mothers.

• Relaxation Training and Blood Pressure

Studies have shown that, for many people, properly-conducted relaxation training can produce significant and lasting reductions in blood pressure.

• Are Children of Working Mothers Handicapped?

Recent findings from the UCLA Family Style Project suggest that the absence of their mother in the home, because of employment, does NOT necessarily harm children. In fact, children of working mothers may sometimes function at a higher level than children of nonworking mothers. Quality of child care seems to be the determining factor.

• Caffeine, Anxiety, and Depression

Similar to other stimulants that tend to increase nervousness, irritability, and agitation, caffeine appears to increase anxiety and hostility. Relatedly, caffeine may also produce depression following an initial mood elevation.

• Intimacy and Marital Satisfaction

Research suggests that there are at least three different kinds of intimacy:

• verbal intimacy (making highly personal statements)
• emotional intimacy (feelings of closeness and emotional bonding)
• physical intimacy (sex and other physical expressions)

All three are important to marital happiness. Contrary to popular belief, physical intimacy does NOT guarantee marital satisfaction, nor does it, by itself, stop otherwise unhappy people from seeking a separation or divorce.