Life balance

1. What are some possible strategies for women to use in finding balance in their professional, educational and personal lives?
I would really like a good answer to this question. Being a wife, full time student and a mother of five ages 17 to 4 weeks old, I rarely have time for myself. One rule that I had when I was in the workforce was to have at least 30 minutes of decompress time as soon as I get home. Work really has a way of making its way into your car and coming home with you. That will ruin the little family time available during the evening families have. If anyone has any other creative ideas I am all ears.

Violence

What can a woman do to reduce her risk of assault?

Having a 17 year old daughter that will be leaving for college in the next couple of years this subject has been a constant thought on my mind. I have stressed to her repeatedly the importance of not getting caught up in the pressure of under age drinking and illegal drug use. As the text states this is an important factor in reducing the risks of date rape. Being aware of your surroundings is important in many situations. Something as simple as a shopping trip to the mall or getting off of work late is a reason to have your senses on alert.

Substance Abuse

Is it a sign of personal weakness or strength for a woman to admit that she has a problem with alcohol or drugs?

I believe it is a sign of personal strength to admit one has an addiction. Having personally known an alcoholic. I have seen the struggle to come out of the drunkenness, and face the reality they were trying to escape. The issue of addiction is a lack of control, and to admit to yourself and others that you are out of control is a sign of strength.

Eating Disorders

What should a woman do if she has a friend whom she suspects to have an eating disorder? What if the friend denies it? (Do not use this question again if you already answered it
With any type of personal issue with a friend the best way to address it honestly and directly. If the friend denies having a problem it is important to try to have your friend talk about what issues are going in their life, and try to get her to realize the changes that have occurred in her body from your point of view. If the friend remains in denial than professional help will need to be introduced in order to take the steps needed to help someone with an eating disorder.

CVD

Heart disease has claimed the life of quite a few members of my family, Including my mother and father. My father traveled most of the time for work and did not maintain a proper diet. My father was also overweight and had high cholesterol. I know, all of the typical warning signs right? At the age that my father passed I was unaware of what CVD was. From my own family history I must say that diet is a serious concern and would contribute greatly to the prevalence of the disease. I am not sure if father had any serious talks with his doctor regarding his heart health, but I am sure lack of education on the subject contributed to his early death. Since becoming an adult I have made serious efforts to protect my heart health of myself and my family.

The Female Athletic Triad

After reading about this disorder the first person that came to my mind was my 18 year old niece. She has run competitive track for the past ten years. She has received full scholarship offers from colleges like Kansas State and Michigan, and TCU. With that type of pressure to compete I asked her had she ever heard of this disorder and if she had ever any of these symptoms. Thankfully she said she had not. I gave her a run down of what to look for as her training will greatly increase once she enters college.

Hormone replacement therapy

Interview a woman who has or is going through menopause and has decided to take hormones. Allow her to share with you the reasons she has chosen to take them and how she feels it is beneficial for her health

I chose to interview my 55 year-old cousin. She started experiencing menopausal symptoms at age 48, and currently has stopped experiencing menstrual symptoms. She stated she experienced constant hot flashes, night sweats and severe depression. She stated that the depression was her primary reason for starting the hormone replacement therapy. Initially she did not think that her depression was related to menopause, and did not want to mention it to her doctor. She actually did not want any medication for any symptoms, and thought that she could withstand the hot flashes. After several months of mood swings she finally consulted her Dr. initially prescribed an estrogen only pill .Her Dr. explained that the estrogen helped reduce the risk of colon cancer which was a concern of hers as she got older.