Claus Mogensen 45 years old is a chronic drug addict who lives in Arhus,Denmark.

<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; background-color: #ffffff;"><div class="panel-pane pane-views pane-stories-media panel-slideshow" style="padding-top: 1px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; clear: both; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; position: relative; margin: 0px;"><div class="pane-content" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-color: #8d8d8d;"><div class="view view-stories-media view-id-stories_media view-display-id-default view-dom-id-1" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="view-content" style="outline-width: 0px; 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left: 0px; width: 620px; height: 560px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="views-field-field-image-fid" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="views-content-field-image-fid" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><a class="imagecache imagecache-large_610x456_scaled imagecache-linked imagecache-large_610x456_scaled_linked" href="http://www.demotix.com/photo/898947/life-chronic-drug-addict-denmark" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: underline; color: #384680; display: block; height: 456px; line-height: 456px; font-weight: bold; background-color: #333333; text-align: center; min-width: 610px; padding: 5px;"><img alt="" class="imagecache imagecache-large_610x456_scaled" height="406" src="http://www.demotix.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/large_610x456_scaled/photos/898947.jpg" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: middle; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" width="610" /></a></div></div><div class="views-field-field-video-thumbnail-fid" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"></div><div class="views-field-body" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; float: left; width: 360px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="views-content-body" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><p style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; word-spacing: 0.125em; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Clause takes a nap at his room to cool down his system.</p></div></div><div class="views-field-nid" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; float: left; width: 360px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px;"><div class="views-content-nid" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">ID: 898947</div></div><div class="views-field-field-meta-date-value" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; float: left; width: 360px; padding: 0px;"></div><div class="views-field-nid" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; float: left; width: 360px; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px;"><div class="views-content-nid" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="item-list" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><ul style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; 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outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; position: absolute; top: 476px; right: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="views-content-view-node" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><span style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" title="View image tags, dimensions and download options"><a href="http://www.demotix.com/photo/898947/life-chronic-drug-addict-denmark" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; color: #384680; text-indent: -1000px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; display: block; height: 26px; width: 107px; background-image: url(http://www.demotix.com/sites/all/themes/clean_demotix/images/more-info-button.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">More Info</a></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="panel-pane pane-content-field pane-context-field-teaser panel-story-teaser" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-color: #8d8d8d;"><div class="pane-content" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="field field-type-text field-field-teaser" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="field-items" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><div class="field-item odd" style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; word-spacing: 0.125em; padding: 0px;">Waking up every day with a craving for a substance which has not only destroyed your life but has also taken away your brother,everyone's trust in you, and puts you in the<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />same categories as the lowest members of society,ever wondered what is it like?<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />Claus Mogensen 45 years old is a chronic drug addict who lives in Arhus,Denmark.He is noticeably shaking and restless as he sits down on the mattress in the<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />small, dirty living room.The surroundings seem to lack everything, as if all the valuables and appliances that once sat in this small, deteriorating room has been used to barter for<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />more drugs.Claus goes to his empty fridge and removes three small bottles of Methadone dosage prescribed by his doctor which he has to take everyday.<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />Methadone is a narcotic pain reliever, similar to Morphine. It reduces withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to heroin or other narcotic drugs without causing the "high"<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />associated with the drug addiction.Clauses older brother was on heroin and died six years ago due to overdose. "That shocked the sense out of me,but i haven`t been able to stop using it"says Claus.<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />I remember smoking tobacco when i was 14 and was given cigarettes by my friend.During lunch hour at school we used to sneak out to smoke. I continued smoking until i was 18 years old then I started using Marijuana."I did not feel high i wondered why people smoke it" he says.<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />I smoked it because my friends used it,peer pressure you could call it. His school grades started dropping down because he lost concentration in class due to excess of marijuana.He then dropped out of school and never continued with his secondary education.At the age of 19, during a new year party there were people taking cocaine and some of my friends talked me into trying some.I remember feeling so warm and secure.At this point Claus would do just a little bit of it at a time to make the feeling and the supply last as long as possible.I started out doing it only on the weekends.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; word-spacing: 0.125em; padding: 0px;">Then it wasn’t long afterwards, he started buying for his own. Soon he was doing it every weekend. It became the main focus of all his activities.I liked traveling a lot and everywhere I went with my friends we wanted to have cocaine.It made the experience a lot more fun and enjoyable.Other friends we met really appreciated us having some really good stuff and it made me feel like I was important and gave me a powerful sense of control.<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />He takes a one minute nap while seated at a chair during the conversation and immediately wakes up and apologizes.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; word-spacing: 0.125em; padding: 0px;">He used cocaine for some years before his taste in drugs turned to heroin.At the age of 24 he became addicted to it.On the 6th December 1989 he was admitted at a psychiatric<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />hospital for mental disorder because of excessive usage of heroin. "I dont know what happened but i became dependant on it and i kept using more" he says.<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />Claus has been in and out of the psychiatric hospital for many years.The treatment did not only work on his mental health but also his love life,in 2004 while at the hospital he fell in love with 55 years Lene who was also undergoing treatment on mental disorder at the time. They both fell for each other and have been together for six years now. "I used to feel rejected and lonely but after meeting her ,it made me feel appreciated and loved despite the fact that i have my addiction,"he says.<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />Both live apart and don`t have kids.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; word-spacing: 0.125em; padding: 0px;">He admits that he cannot perform any job without a dose of Cocaine fuelling his system and that does not come cheaply since one dose of the kill-me-slowly powder costs<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />DKK180. “Drugs have definitely become part of my body system and I cannot do without. I don’t even fear the police or dread contracting diseases any more,” he says.<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />In February this year Denmark opened its first clinic equipped to distribute free heroin under medical supervision to people heavily addicted to the drug.The clinic is set to serve<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />only 120 of some 300 hard-core heroin addicts.The objective is not to cure heroin addicts, but to help those who are not satisfied by Methadone by providing them with clean<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />heroin, allowing them to avoid disease and the temptation of criminal acts to obtain the drug.<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />Clause is one of the beneficiaries.He receives his doses everyday and he prefers methadone to injecting himself but still he sniffs cocaine. He receives DKK 13,000 per month<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />from the government for his upkeep which mostly he uses to buy cocaine. Each cocaine addict needs roughly DKK 300 a day to satisfy his or her crave. This amounts to DKK 109,500 Thousand per year to spent on cocaine alone.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; word-spacing: 0.125em; padding: 0px;">According to the 2009 report on the drug situation in Denmark prepared by the National Board of Health, the Danish “Focal Point”,there are an estimated 13,000 intravenous drug users in Denmark.It also states that In 2008, more than half (61%) of the young population aged between 18 and 24 years was admitted to treatment for cannabis use as their primary drug, whereas 17%, 6% and 2%, respectively, of the young population were admitted to treatment for use of amphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy as their primary drug. Globally, United Nation Office On Drug and Crime estimates that between 155 and 250 million people, or 3.5% to 5.7% of the population aged 15-64, had used illicit substances at least once in the previous year. Cannabis users comprise the largest number of illicit drug users(129-190 million people). Amphetamine-type stimulants are the second most commonly used illicit drugs, followed by opiates and cocaine. However, in terms of harm associated with use, opiates(Heroin, Morphine)<br style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;" />would be ranked at the top.</p></div></div></div></div></div></span></p>

Claus Mogensen 45 years old is a chronic drug addict who lives in Arhus,Denmark.

Clause takes a nap at his room to cool down his system. ID: 898947     More Info Waking up every day with a craving for a substance which ha...

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Deadly Drug Overdose Leads to Pill-Pushing Doctor

<p> </p><p>Montgomery County doctor and his son surrendered to police Thursday morning after investigators discovered that they were supplying known drug addicts with large supplies of narcotics, according to authorities. At least one person died of an overdose on Dr. Richard Ruth's drugs, police say. Ruth, of Souderton, was performing insincere medical exams for drug seekers and then providing them with prescription drugs that often ended up being sold in large quantities on the street, police say. Ruth has been running this drug operation for years, authorities say. The lengthy police investigation into Ruth's alleged crimes was called "Operation Pill Pusher." "We know that this community has been plagued by prescription drug abuse and overdoses and this was the go-to guy in the community," said District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman. Ruth’s son, Michael Ruth, was his medical assistant. "For them to come in and say he’s unlawfully doing things is just an atrocity," a teary-eyed Michael told NBC Philadelphia’s Denise Nakano. Michael also faces charges in the drug scheme that involved charging patients for the narcotic prescriptions and insurance companies for the bogus office visits, police say. Police were tipped off to Dr. Ruth’s drug dealing scheme when sources told them last September that they were able to obtain large amounts of oxycodone from the doctor. In addition to providing drugs to people who dealt them on the street, Dr. Ruth ignored pleas from family members of the drug-addicted patients who asked him to stop prescribing drugs like Percocet and Oxycodone, police say. Dr. Ruth was charged with more than 40 counts of fraud, knowingly prescribing to drug addicts, prescription fraud, and conspiracy, among others. His son Michael was charged with similar crimes.</p>

Deadly Drug Overdose Leads to Pill-Pushing Doctor

  Montgomery County doctor and his son surrendered to police Thursday morning after investigators discovered that they were supplying known ...

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Is it possible to effectively treat addiction without addressing the spiritual aspects of the problem

<p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: #ffffff;"><div class="singlesubtitle" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px !important; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The public struggles of celebrities like the late Amy Winehouse reveal how insensitive our society has become to drug and alcohol abuse. But the problem is real, says therapist LaTonya Mason Summers, and we need to reject the ugly trend of laughing at its destructive effects.</div><div id="attachment_17095" class="wp-caption alignright" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 24px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; float: right; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; width: 360px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-17095" height="255" src="http://www.urbanfaith.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Winehouse-reflection350x255.gif" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 640px; float: left; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" width="350" /><p class="wp-caption-text" style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #666666; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-right: 10px !important; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px !important; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 340px; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; padding: 5px; border: 0px initial initial;">LOST SOUL: Amy Winehouse in London on July 23, 2009, exactly two years before her death. (Photo by Shaun Curry/Newscom.)</p></div><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">This week, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/coroner-amy-winehouse-died-too-much-alcohol-123334324.html" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: #666666; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" target="_blank">Amy Winehouse’s official cause of death</a> was finally announced, three months after the singer was discovered dead in her London home on July 23. After initial autopsy results came back inconclusive, the coroner determined that Winehouse died from consuming an extreme amount of alcohol. According to test results, the 27-year-old singer’s blood alcohol level was five times the drunk-driving limit. Her doctor said the troubled star had resumed drinking in the days prior to her death, after a short-lived period of sobriety.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Besides being a talented artist, Winehouse was emblematic of the numerous celebrities today whose public battles with substance abuse are regularly in the headlines. By the end of her life, Winehouse’s struggles had stretched to the point of becoming fodder for jokes and riddles (“Q: What was Amy Winehouse’s biggest hit? A: Her last one!”). Sadly, our society has grown so accustom to addiction that we now laugh it off. But for those in its grips, it’s no joke.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">We asked LaTonya Mason Summers, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based mental health therapist, to comment on the realities of drug and alcohol addiction and what we can do to help those affected by it.</p><h2 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">UrbanFaith: After Amy Winehouse’s death, the Huffington Post featured a commentary by Rabbi Shais Taub which asked the question, “<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shais-taub/amy-winehouse-death_b_908050.html" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: #666666; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" target="_blank">Was the World Powerless to Stop Amy Winehouse?</a>” In other words, are there addictions so strong and pervasive that they’re beyond human understanding and control? How would you answer that?</strong></h2><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"></strong><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">LaTonya Mason Summers:</strong> The word choice is interesting here, and I agree: the “world” was powerless to stop Amy Winehouse. But it was the “world” that fueled Winehouse’s addictions. Not “world” in the sense of the “earth,” but “world” as defined by Winehouse’s frame of reference — the background, culture, and lifestyle out of which she lived. Addictions are strong, pervasive and hard to understand and control, but it’s even more difficult when one tries to stop addiction by their own strength and understanding. It is reported that Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning. Drug and alcohol abuse is a byproduct of something far deeper. Oftentimes, it’s a symptom of low self-esteem, unresolved trauma and abuse, rejection and abandonment, and mostly fear. We do a great disservice to addicted persons when we focus on their addictions and ignore the underlying problems.</p><h2 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">We see so many celebrity drug and alcohol addicts today that our culture has almost grown cold and callous to it. For instance, before her death there was a website devoted solely to the question of “<a href="http://www.whenwillamywinehousedie.com/" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: #666666; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" target="_blank">When will Amy Winehouse die?</a>” We see celebrities such as Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan, Whitney Houston, and Charlie Sheen, and we make jokes about them. How does this affect our culture’s understanding of addiction?</strong></h2><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"></strong>When we have a culture entertained by reality TV shows, court and crime TV, and sensationalized Web broadcasting — not to mention today’s popular music — we can’t help but have a desensitized society. We are no longer afraid of or empathetic toward anyone or anything because we’ve been there and done that through TV and the media. So, why wouldn’t we have a “When will Amy Winehouse Die?” website?</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Unfortunately, we live in a society that “dumbs down” addictions but tacitly gives a “thumbs up” to its portrayals. Remember when there used to be cautionary documentaries on drugs and alcohol, and on people who struggled with them? Now, we have reality shows that glorify dysfunctional behavior. No wonder we are ignorant. Understanding addictions is no longer newsworthy.</p><h2 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">How do you counsel a person with a serious drug addiction? Where do you begin, and what kinds of things should family and friends understand as they’re trying to help that person?</strong></h2><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"></strong>I used to set up and run treatment programs for adolescent and adult substance abusers. I absolutely loved that line of work, but it was emotionally tough. After 11 years of doing it, I stepped away to work solely with mentally ill people. The public sees addicted persons as weak people who lack self-control and deserve every consequence they face. But can you imagine the level of shame, guilt, frustration, and hopelessness that those substance abusers felt by the time they got to me? Imagine having failed everyone, including yourself, family, friends, employers, and the legal system — not to mention God. I always started treatment by instilling hope and restoring the addicted person’s sense of worth. It was much easier to establish rapport, trust, and motivation that way.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">God forbid I say this, but oftentimes the families were more sick than the addicts. In fact, family members would wind up on my couch before the addict would. Family work is important in substance-abuse treatment, because the family members can make recovery hard. They help too much. Their helping sometimes hurts the addict. When my patients had toxic families, I’d send my patient to a treatment program in another city or state so they could get better.</p><h2 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Over the summer, former NBA star <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/jalen-rose-gets-20-days-jail-drunk-driving-160144351.html" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: #666666; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" target="_blank">Jalen Rose was sentenced to 20 days in jail</a> for drunk driving. Some wondered if the treatment was overly harsh because he was a black celebrity, since others have gotten off easier. Do you think jail time is an effective way to steer people clear of destructive behavior involving alcohol and drugs?</strong></h2><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"></strong>In my experience working in the court system as an advocate for my clients, the courts made it worse. The punishment given rarely fit the crime. The probation officers were inconsistent. The judges sent mixed messages by punishing minor crimes with maximum sentences and vice versa. Jail time is punitive, and punishment does not work when the drug or alcohol use is secondary to something else. Addicts don’t mind punishment because they typically feel useless and worthless anyway. That kind of punishment affirms what they believe about themselves. However, I am not saying they should not suffer consequences for drunk driving, drug use, etc. I am saying that offering them rehab while they’re incarcerated might yield greater results.</p><h2 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">What kinds of miracles have you seen in your work with people battling addictions?</strong></h2><div id="attachment_17103" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 7px; margin-right: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; float: left; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; width: 160px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-17103" height="200" src="http://www.urbanfaith.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/LaTonya-Mason150x200.gif" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 640px; float: left; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" width="150" /><p class="wp-caption-text" style="background-image: none; background-attachment: scroll; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #666666; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-right: 10px !important; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px !important; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #ffffff; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; float: left; font-weight: bold; width: 140px; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; padding: 5px; border: 0px initial initial;">LaTonya Mason Summers</p></div><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Goodness, the stories I can tell. I’ve had a hand in imparting into the lives of addicted persons who are now pastors, business owners, and even addictions counselors. I had a 15-year-old girl whose parents brought her to me as a last resort. She had refused other counselors, and I assumed she would do the same with me. After I asked her parents to leave, the girl opened up to me like a book. (It wasn’t because of anything special that I said to her, but other professionals simply had failed to remove the parents.) The girl was a cocaine user and held me by her confidentiality rights, so I could not tell her parents. We made a pact that if she stopped using I would keep her secret. I cannot tell you the anxiety I had for weeks thinking something would go wrong. I collaborated with her physician to drug test her weekly to ensure the girl’s abstinence. After three months, her parents called thanking me for my help. The girl had returned to a healthy weight, her appetite had been restored, and her mood had improved. Today (four years later) she is a successful college student studying psychology.</p><h2 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Among the celebrity success stories that stand out are Robert Downey Jr.’s eventual victory over substance abuse. It only came after several stints in jail and a long, public battle. What kinds of things contribute to a successful road to recovery, and when do you know that someone is legitimately recovered?</strong></h2><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">My biggest weapon is instilling hope. I do this by challenging the addicted person’s mentality and perspective. I am a cognitive behaviorist, which means I help change the way people think. I do not know what works, as I have often thrown up my hands on clients who later recovered. Then I have lost clients whom I thought had arrived. All I really know is, pray hard in each session. I ask for God’s help. I ask Him to give me the words to say, and I hold on to<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2050:1-7&version=NIV" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; color: #666666; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" target="_blank">Isaiah 50:1-7</a>, believing I am called as a therapist.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">I honestly don’t know when a person is legitimately recovered, as I believe it’s a lifelong process. Like those of us who are not addicted, we have our own lifelong battles — we try to stop lying, cheating, stealing, yelling, cursing, overeating — everyone has a Goliath they must face. And can any of us say we’ll ever arrive in this world? From my perspective, messing up is just as much part of the recovery process as getting it right is. And, if you get it right all the time, how do you know you’re recovered?</p><h2 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding-top: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Is it possible to effectively treat addiction without addressing the spiritual aspects of the problem? </strong></h2><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><strong style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"></strong>Absolutely not! I’ve had to learn how to minister without saying “God” and “Jesus,” so that I can reach everyone. However, I know how to make others want what I have. I was mentored by a man who told me, “I may not be able to make a horse drink the water, but I should be able to make him thirsty.” And that’s the approach I take in therapy. I see myself as sowing seeds, believing someone will come behind me and water them, and eventually increase will come.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #000000; font-size: 14px; line-height: 28px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Addiction is spiritual. I believe an addict’s zealousness can be indicative of the great calling on his life. He just needs to move that zealousness away from destructive behavior to purposeful, life-giving behavior.</p></span></p>

Is it possible to effectively treat addiction without addressing the spiritual aspects of the problem

The public struggles of celebrities like the late Amy Winehouse reveal how insensitive our society has become to drug and alcohol abuse. But...

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The singer was found five times over the drink-drive limit, with three empty vodka bottles next to her.

<p><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; background-color: #d3dce2;"><div class="article-image fl-left" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #fcd8d8; clear: both; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; background-position: 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><div class="image-caption" style="font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><img alt="Amy Winehouse in Concert, Serbia, June 2011 (Pic: Rex)" border="0" height="396" src="http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/jul2011/8/5/amy-winehouse-in-concert-serbia-june-2011-pic-rex-489016608.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; float: left; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" width="610" /><p class="caption" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #ffffff; text-align: center; color: #000000; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Troubled: Amy Winehouse on stage in Serbia a month before she died</span></p></div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">TRAGIC Amy Winehouse died after a killer booze bender following weeks on the wagon, her inquest was told yesterday.</span></p></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; background-color: #d3dce2; font-size: medium;">She suffered alcohol poisoning but had told her doctor the night before: “I don’t want to die.”</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; background-color: #d3dce2;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Back to Black star, 27, who had fought drug and alcohol problems for years, was discovered lifeless in bed at her North London home on Saturday, July 23.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In June, she had stumbled around the stage during a shambolic concert in Belgrade, Serbia, where she was booed off after slurring through songs.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And as tearful parents Mitch and Janis listened yesterday in the public gallery, the hearing was told Amy did not drink for the first three weeks of July.</span></p><div class="art-o art-align-left otm-59 article-image" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: #fcd8d8; clear: both; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; background-position: 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><img alt="Mitch Winehouse, the father of Amy Winehouse and her stepmother Jane arrive at St Pancras Coroner's Court (Pic: Getty)" border="0" height="396" src="http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/oct2011/0/6/mitch-winehouse-the-father-of-amy-winehouse-and-her-stepmother-jane-arrive-at-st-pancras-coroner-s-court-pic-getty-848244846.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; float: none !important; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" title="Mitch Winehouse, the father of Amy Winehouse and her stepmother Jane arrive at St Pancras Coroner's Court (Pic: Getty)" width="610" /></div><p class="crosshead" style="margin-top: -15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tears: Amy's dad Mitch Winehouse and stepmum Jane arrive at the Coroners' Court (Pic: Getty)</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But she then hit the bottle days before her death – and the Mirror reported at the time she was spotted necking shots at the Roundhouse venue near her Camden home after dramatically falling off the wagon.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Giving evidence yesterday, her GP Dr Christina Romete said this fitted a pattern in which Amy would abstain from alcohol for weeks, only to drink again. The doctor revealed she warned the star of the many dangers if she kept drinking.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dr Romete said: “The advice I had given to Amy over a long period of time was verbal and in written form about all the effects alcohol can have on the system, including respiratory depression and death, heart problems, fertility problems and liver problems.”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Amy, who won five Grammy awards in 2008, was taking medication to cope with alcohol withdrawal and anxiety. She was reviewed last year by a psychologist and psychiatrist about her drinking but “had her own views” about treatment.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><br /></strong></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The GP, who treated her for several years, said her patient fully understood the risks of continuing to drink. Dr Romete said the night before her death, Amy was “tipsy but coherent” and said she did not know if she was going to stop drinking but “she did not want to die”.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Amy had no illegal drugs in her system when she died but police found three empty vodka bottles in her bedroom – two large and one small.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">She was using alcohol withdrawal drug Librium and sleeping tablets but the inquest heard they had not played a part in her death.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At St Pancras Coroner’s Court in London, it emerged she had 416mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in her system, with the legal driving limit being 80mg</span></p><span style="font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span></p>

The singer was found five times over the drink-drive limit, with three empty vodka bottles next to her.

Troubled: Amy Winehouse on stage in Serbia a month before she died TRAGIC Amy Winehouse died after a killer booze bender following weeks on ...

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many teens were using the Internet as a tool for exploring questions of personal identity, successfully building their own future lives using what they discover on the Web

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DIk6Vgq1heLZes-znViL9VEtnCyznBzOgKxJgnJDeOyGGcyNL2MwSXqi7pT5GRlV-KCnJem_Uh7zZAqMyyLLVrVnyETqPAPyLJzWki6cihwrd0IUUpLm6EIXPxW5WmpyQ1AMa1-AOa6G/s1600/1MPG5873+Thumbnail+Web+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DIk6Vgq1heLZes-znViL9VEtnCyznBzOgKxJgnJDeOyGGcyNL2MwSXqi7pT5GRlV-KCnJem_Uh7zZAqMyyLLVrVnyETqPAPyLJzWki6cihwrd0IUUpLm6EIXPxW5WmpyQ1AMa1-AOa6G/s1600/1MPG5873+Thumbnail+Web+view.jpg" /></a></div><br /> The risk of youth wasting huge amounts of time on social networks like Facebook and Twitter as well as the shared videos of YouTube is well known, but a Tel Aviv University researcher claims that these resources can actually promote psychological development. Prof. Moshe Israelashvili of TAU’s Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education, with his master’s degree student Taejin Kim and colleague Dr. Gabriel Bukobza, studied 278 teenage girls and boys from schools throughout the country. They found that many teens were using the Internet as a tool for exploring questions of personal identity, successfully building their own future lives using what they discover on the Web. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescence, encourages parents and educators to look at engagement with the online world as beneficial for teens. Social networking, Israelashvili says, is a positive example of Internet use: “Facebook use is not in the same category as gambling or gaming,” he insists, and as a result researchers should redefine the characteristics of the disorder called “Internet addiction” in adolescents. The teens were asked to rate themselves in terms of Internet use, ego clarification and self-understanding and how well they related to their peer groups. The researchers discovered there was a negative correlation between Internet overuse and the teens' levels of ego development and clarity of self-perception. This, he said, is an indication that some Internet use is destructive and isolating while some is informative and serves a socializing function. These results show that the current understanding of adolescent Internet addiction demands redefinition. Psychiatrists now classify an “Internet addict” as a person who spends more than 38 hours on the Internet every week. But it’s the quality, not the quantity that matters, argues Israelashvili. The researchers determined that many teens who participated in the study met the psychiatric standard of “Internet addiction” but were actually using the Internet as a tool to aid in their journey of self-discovery. There are two different kinds of teenage Web addicts, he continued. The first group is composed of adolescents who really are addicted, misusing the Internet with things like online gaming and gambling or pornographic websites, isolating themselves from the world around them. The second can be defined as “self-clarification seekers” whose use of the Internet helps them comprehensively define their own identities and place in the world. They tend to use the Internet for social networking and information gathering, such as on news sites or Twitter. Parents and educators should change the conversations they have with teens about Internet use, the researchers urge. The Web is a big part of our modern lifestyle, and both adults and children are spending more time there. As a result, what is important is how that time is used. Students must learn to use the Internet in a healthy way – as a source of knowledge about themselves in relation to their peers around the world, recommends Israelashvili. If parents still don't like the amount of time their teens are spending in front of the computer, they should consider becoming an information resource for their adolescent children, encouraging a healthy flow of conversation in the household itself. “Too many parents are too preoccupied,” the researcher says. “They demand high academic achievements and place less importance on teaching their children how to face the world.” Teens won't give up the Internet, but they may spend less time online if family interactions meet some of the same needs. “By the time teens reach the age of 18 or 19 they enter a new phase of life called ‘emerging adulthood,’ in which they take the lessons of their adolescence and implement them to build a more independent life. If they have spent their teenage years worrying only about their academic performance or gaming, they won't be able to manage well during their emerging adulthood and might have difficulties in making personal decisions and relating well to the world around them,” he concludes.

many teens were using the Internet as a tool for exploring questions of personal identity, successfully building their own future lives using what they discover on the Web

The risk of youth wasting huge amounts of time on social networks like Facebook and Twitter as well as the shared videos of YouTube is well...

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prescription painkiller addiction

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwLJIAfTcWhY0KwC9vhkd_IkO825-rkJOUSOzLvLlN1ZxIsbvdjKgNbSFOqyczx8tH2NHYL91oIQdLj533dBNr3sGCZu_F1TN14vg3937z61M3n3QxUMwpsyIcoTtoFqA1fBIJXEtvAGv/s1600/1MPG5898+Thumbnail+Web+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwLJIAfTcWhY0KwC9vhkd_IkO825-rkJOUSOzLvLlN1ZxIsbvdjKgNbSFOqyczx8tH2NHYL91oIQdLj533dBNr3sGCZu_F1TN14vg3937z61M3n3QxUMwpsyIcoTtoFqA1fBIJXEtvAGv/s1600/1MPG5898+Thumbnail+Web+view.jpg" /></a></div><br />  Painkillers in Maine: A cure that came with a curse Maine’s out-of-control pill habit is among the worst in the nation, and all of us bear the costs of its abuse. By John Richardson jrichardson@mainetoday.com Staff Writer First of six parts click image to enlarge A pharmacist counts out Vicodin pills at a pharmacy in Portland last week. Maine was one of the first states to see an explosion of painkiller addiction and it remains among the worst states in the nation for pill abuse. The human and societal costs associated with the epidemic – almost 1,400 Maine people have died from pharmaceutical drug overdoses in the past decade and thousands more need treatment for addiction – are staggering, experts say. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer click image to enlarge . Ten years ago, Maine’s former U.S. attorney called prescription pain-pill abuse “the greatest criminal problem and possibly the greatest social problem facing Maine.” The problem, as it turns out, was just getting started. Maine was one of the first states to witness the explosion of prescription painkiller addiction, and its pill habit, still out of control, is among the worst in the nation. The damage continues to pile up. Nearly 1,400 Mainers have died from pharmaceutical drug overdoses in the past decade. And all residents bear the costs of the abuse. They pay for the pills, police the crime and care for and treat the addicts. Substance abuse in Maine is now estimated to cost $1.18 billion a year, or $900 for every man, woman and child, and much of that comes from misuse of prescription drugs. “It’s extraordinary how deep this epidemic has gone,” said Dr. Mark Publicker, an addiction specialist in Westbrook. “It was eating its way through the culture, and it was diagnosed too late.” Now human and social costs are at historic highs, leading to a renewed urgency to fight back. • Overdose deaths from pharmaceuticals in Maine set a new record in 2009 – 165 – and for the first time exceeded the number of Mainers killed in motor vehicle accidents. One hundred and sixty-two Mainers died from the drugs in 2010, the second-highest year on record. • Pill abuse continues to rise among teens, according to experts. Nearly one in four high school seniors in 2009  – 23.6 percent – said they have used prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them. • A record number of Maine babies – 572 – were born last year to mothers who were known to have used painkillers or other drugs during pregnancy, more than triple the number in 2005. Most of the babies experienced painful opiate withdrawal and spent their first two weeks in the hospital. • Crimes driven by pill addiction – especially pharmacy robberies and home invasions – are becoming more common and more dangerous, according to police statewide. These crimes have turned county jails into busy detox centers. • Prescription pain pill addicts are seeking treatment in record numbers – nearly 4,000 last year. Maine has more people per capita in state-funded treatment than any other state, eight times the national average, according to federal and state data. After a decade of efforts to contain the abuse, Maine’s Legislature and the Attorney General’s Office are among those calling for a more aggressive, coordinated response. A seven-year-old effort to track opiate prescriptions statewide, for example, has never been put to full use because of limited resources and participation. “I think there’s enough fault to go around for everybody,” said Jay McCloskey, who sounded the alarm as Maine’s U.S. attorney a decade ago and is now in private practice. FERTILE GROUND The 10-year toll and Maine’s inability to contain the epidemic come as little surprise to those who have experienced addiction. “It just really quickly takes control. And then it takes and takes,” said Daryl Blums, a 27-year-old recovering addict from the Sanford area. Painkiller abuse is the side effect of powerful new pain relievers introduced more than a decade ago. Drug makers targeted Maine physicians with promises that the pills were safe and effective. And doctors who took an oath to relieve suffering felt they could no longer allow pain to go untreated, at least not without violating their oath and losing patients. Maine’s fishermen, loggers and other physical laborers provided plenty of demand for the new pain medications, and the prescriptions flowed. Maine has been a consistent leader in the prescribing of narcotic painkillers such as oxycodone. Teens and others quickly figured out how to crush the pills and snort the powder to get the full euphoric rush of the synthetic opiates, which are as powerful and addictive as heroin and morphine. As a rural state at the end of the distribution network, Maine didn’t have a lot of experience with hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine. But now, here was a drug delivered to every community in pure, pharmaceutical-grade, precisely measured doses. Experienced drug users loved the pills because they could trust them to work. The inexperienced considered them safer than street drugs. And there was a ready appetite for the pills, especially among teens and among adults wanting to wash away depression or escape the stress of unemployment and financial insecurity. Police, meanwhile, were all but powerless to keep the pills out of the wrong hands. “Drugs used to come from foreign countries and people would smuggle them in,” said Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross. “Today, they are in the medicine cabinets of our homes.” HIGHLY ADDICTIVE At first, prescription opiates – also called opioids – give a warm, on-top-of-the-world feeling, users say. Pretty soon you need larger amounts to get high. Then one day you feel like you have a horrible flu – pain, vomiting, sweats and chills – and you realize it’s because you missed a dose. Opiate receptors in your brain, spine and intestines have gone into a kind of shock. Opiate withdrawal doesn’t kill you, but addicts say you wish it would. “You don’t have a care in the world when you’re on it. And when you can’t get it, it’s the worst experience in the world,” said Chuck Lawson, a recovering addict in Portland. Some addicts say it took them as little as two weeks of regular use to get hooked. The extreme highs and lows physically change an addict’s brain. Getting the next dose becomes the first thing – and sometimes the only thing – on an addict’s mind. Some addicts, chasing the high and trying to avoid withdrawal, mix painkillers with Xanax or other anti-anxiety pills or dissolve the pills and inject them directly into their veins. Both push addicts closer to a potentially fatal overdose. “Once you got past a certain point, there is no going back,” said 31-year-old Nicole Martin, a recovering addict who injected the drugs and used heroin when she couldn’t get pills. “Anything you say you haven’t done yet, you will do eventually.” WIDELY AVAILABLE Finding the drugs is rarely a problem, addicts say. Users share them, buy them, steal them, forge prescriptions for them and, if desperate enough, trade sex for them. Some go out of state to get the drugs, including to Florida’s so-called “pill mills” – clinics that offer painkiller prescriptions for cash. Many addicts get prescriptions from their local doctors – sometimes for real pain and often not. Some are even bold enough to file false police reports of pill theft so they can convince their doctors to give them more. Those with their own prescriptions get their pills on the cheap – MaineCare and private insurance cover most of the cost. And they quickly learn they can sell their pills for as much as $30 to $100 apiece depending on the type and strength. Addicts buying their pills on the street can spend $100 to $400 a day to feed their habits. That gets very expensive, said Blake Carver of Portland. Carver, now 24, was a teenager when he started breaking into houses looking for money to buy “Oxys,” he said. And he always cleaned out the medicine cabinets in the homes he robbed. “Even if there wasn’t something I wanted, I knew somebody who would,” he said. ‘NO FAMILY IS IMMUNE’ The epidemic has affected Mainers of all ages and backgrounds – middle schoolers and senior citizens, clam diggers and doctors. “No family is immune from this particular issue,” said Troy Morton, chief deputy of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.  “They are the youngest of kids, in their early teens, and people in their 70s. They are the poorest of the poor and the richest. There are no boundaries.” Abuse often starts among teens, who don’t understand the danger and are more vulnerable to addiction. Addiction, meanwhile, is most common among young adults who were in their teens when the pills first flooded into Maine communities. Thirteen percent of Mainers age 18 to 25 said they abused painkillers in the past year, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the most recent available. The rate is 6 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and 4.7 percent of all Mainers over 12 – a total of 52,000 people. The overall cost of painkiller abuse in Maine is not known. Through taxes, health insurance premiums and higher medical costs, Mainers are helping to supply the pills, pay for emergency room visits, investigate crimes, lock addicts in jails and provide the treatments to help them get sober. Opiate addiction treatment alone costs Maine taxpayers millions of dollars a year. The state spends about $12 million a year on substance abuse treatment programs, not including its share of MaineCare coverage for treatment services. Painkiller addiction accounts for about one-third of substance abuse treatment admissions. However, every dollar spent on treatment saves as much as $12 in medical care and crime-related costs, according to Maine’s Office of Substance Abuse. Opiate abuse – including both heroin and prescription painkillers – was responsible for 30,451 emergency and outpatient hospital visits in Maine in 2008, a 28 percent increase from the year before, according to a May report. Pharmacies have banklike security, with surveillance cameras and tracking devices, and still get robbed repeatedly in some cases. County jails and state prisons are straining financially to hold and care for all the addicts arrested for drug-related crimes. RENEWED URGENCY State government, the medical community, law enforcement, drug makers and others have all taken action to try to contain the problem. There are new prescribing guidelines, tamper-proof prescription sheets, overdose prevention campaigns and collection drives for unused drugs. Experts say many of the efforts have helped keep the abuse from doing even more damage. But frustration is clearly peaking after a decade of watching the problem steadily worsen. “It just seems that if we’re leading the way with this problem, we ought to show some leadership in dealing with it,” said Rep. Jon Hinck, D-Portland. Hinck proposed a bill in the Legislature earlier this year that would have established new rules for doctors, including a requirement that they check patients’ medication records before prescribing them painkillers. The proposal failed, but lawmakers instead created a study group that is due to propose policy changes by Dec. 1. McCloskey, the former U.S. attorney, said the state and federal governments have not devoted enough resources to educating kids about the dangers of abuse. “It hasn’t been a priority,” he said. McCloskey, meanwhile, took criticism himself after leaving the federal government in 2001 and working as a consultant for the maker of OxyContin. McCloskey still maintains the pharmaceutical industry is not to blame for the abuse. “If we don’t reduce the demand for drugs we’ll never be successful.” Most now agree that pill abuse is so entrenched in Maine’s culture it will take more than doctors or state agencies or police alone to control it. “People want to point a finger. Let’s blame the pharmaceutical companies. Let’s blame the physicians. Let’s blame the druggies. (Some) people still think it’s a problem of will power,” said Marcella Sorg, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. “The reason we haven’t been able to tackle it is because it’s so darn complicated.” Maine Attorney General William Schneider has invited leaders in government, law enforcement, medicine, education and addiction treatment to attend a one-day summit Oct. 25 and come up with a coordinated action plan. “It’s staggering,” Schneider said. “I don’t think it’s going to be solved by any one particular tactic, but I think if we choose several different tactics we can make a difference.” Those who have experienced addiction first-hand have no easy answers, either. The pills are too easy to get and too powerful, said James Cox, a 31-year-old recovering addict in Jonesboro. “I don’t think they’ll ever get rid of it,” he said.

prescription painkiller addiction

 Painkillers in Maine: A cure that came with a curse Maine’s out-of-control pill habit is among the worst in the nation, and all of us bear...

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Justin Townes Earle looks back at year of recovery

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfmNMp4V3hot7OCN5ttXayCLzZxhoDaYJ5CQk4NSw4N7lrdl_LNU6vTYfO-wgnCwsM_84sk187eWz1shO4H1pPMXa3s28Y_bUZ8MsMuiEURm_FwntNLSotmN4UkMhyphenhyphenK2UxFNZ0YVxPvWG/s1600/4B_9frut+Small+Web+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfmNMp4V3hot7OCN5ttXayCLzZxhoDaYJ5CQk4NSw4N7lrdl_LNU6vTYfO-wgnCwsM_84sk187eWz1shO4H1pPMXa3s28Y_bUZ8MsMuiEURm_FwntNLSotmN4UkMhyphenhyphenK2UxFNZ0YVxPvWG/s1600/4B_9frut+Small+Web+view.jpg" /></a></div><br /> In the days following Justin Townes Earle's arrest last September in Indianapolis, he slipped so deeply into a cocaine psychosis it began to change his personality. Gone was the brash, cocksure young singer-songwriter who against the steep odds of addiction and a tough upbringing had transformed himself into a true artist with the critical acclaim to prove it. In its place was a 150-pound wraith haunting the East Village in New York City with an overriding paranoia brought on by an eight-ball of cocaine and a half-gallon of vodka every day. The continuous binges were destroying his talent and making his intense live shows occasionally forgettable. They were destroying his friendships one by one. Nearly six years of sobriety, all gone during an increasingly tight downward spiral over a year's time. Earle fixated on an erroneous news report that said he hit a woman while destroying his dressing room in an Indianapolis club. For a man raised by a single mother, the idea he would hit a woman was devastating. It prompted a five-day bender. "I'd just be walking down the streets in Manhattan thinking everybody was looking at me," Earle said. "I thought everybody knew about what happened and it absolutely was just crushing me. I remember vaguely calling my publicist at the time — I fired my manager not long before that had happened, and my publicist and my booking agent were the only people still working for me — and just hysterically crying and saying I just didn't want to do this anymore. I didn't want to tour any more. I didn't want to make records." Not long after, Earle entered formal treatment for the 13th time. In the 10 months since he completed rehab, the 29-year-old son of country rebel Steve Earle has experienced a series of highs and lows he shared in several interviews. He's slipped back into heroin use and rallied, turning to a new treatment that seems to have helped him settle into a healthier routine. He's been hailed as a new voice for his generation and targeted by cruel attempts at gallows humor. He split with his old girlfriend and started a new relationship that's brought him back to his hometown. Today he's on the "marijuana maintenance plan" and enjoying the benefits of anti-addiction drug Soboxone. He's exercising and feels as fit as he ever has. He's touring much of the fall and is preparing to record his fifth record, a significant step that has Earle pointed directly into the future. "And I'm as content as I've ever been," Earle said. "Which doesn't mean I'm content, but I'm as content as I've ever been. I'm still always going to be a little bit discontent because I'm a little bit crazy and I'll always want more than I have. That's what keeps me going. That's what keeps me driven to keep on doing what I'm doing." Perhaps it's that drive that's kept him alive so long. ___ Sometimes, Justin Townes Earle is amazed he's still above ground. Images flashed through his head as he sat backstage at The Mercy Lounge last November, staring out a window at bejeweled luxury high rises. The Nashville he's looking at doesn't much resemble the lazy town with the seedy side he grew up in during a nearly feral, often lonely and always confusing childhood. At the same time, some things look very much the same. "I remember when you'd look out this window and there wasn't (expletive) anything there," he said. "It was a rail yard. Well, hell you can still buy crack on 8th Avenue." A few weeks out of rehab, Earle admits his mind is often on drugs. He catches himself falling prey to the classic addict behavior of daydreaming about scoring. "I feel good now, but at least once a day I come up with some kind of hare-brained scheme to get high and get away with it," he said with a laugh.

Justin Townes Earle looks back at year of recovery

In the days following Justin Townes Earle's arrest last September in Indianapolis, he slipped so deeply into a cocaine psychosis it beg...

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Food addiction, although controversial, has recently gained attention in scientific literature and comes under the realm of atypical eating disorders.

<div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"></span><br /> <div style="color: #3f3f3f; float: left;"><div id="sshow"><div class="cnt" style="display: inline; float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 3px; width: 310px;"><div id="bellyad" style="padding-left: 3px;"><div class="mainimg1" style="border-bottom-color: #cccccc; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="float: left; position: relative;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #336797;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/thumb.cms?msid=10376638&width=300&resizemode=4" style="border: 4px solid #e1e1e1; display: block; margin-right: 5px;" vspace="0" width="300" /></span><span style="bottom: 7px; font-size: 11px; left: 275px; line-height: 20px; position: absolute;"><img align="left" alt="" border="0" src="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/photo/5766056.cms" style="display: block; margin-right: 5px;" /></span></span></span></div><div class="zoomimg1" style="bottom: 4px; right: 4px; width: 300px;"><div style="color: #757575; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; padding-right: 5px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Are you addicted to food? (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="Normal" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #336797;"><em><br /> </em></span></span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VVkwa6YFR0ZHRL8Z78IF236Pr-HpBf9LQaqTR7CzdkJjyP_eJKELsSNcQ2Gpx6axjbit6zQJheZbBwKTY9ZWwiOdcN6gi03CKd8t5JvglLbMY7E6NKJ_QV6oH6-WwCbUw9-RfWfiCWn5/s1600/1tm6025+Small+Web+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VVkwa6YFR0ZHRL8Z78IF236Pr-HpBf9LQaqTR7CzdkJjyP_eJKELsSNcQ2Gpx6axjbit6zQJheZbBwKTY9ZWwiOdcN6gi03CKd8t5JvglLbMY7E6NKJ_QV6oH6-WwCbUw9-RfWfiCWn5/s200/1tm6025+Small+Web+view.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #3f3f3f;">We all over-eat occasionally. However, a food addict eats too much food and wrong kinds of food all the time. It may be associated with an obsessive/compulsive relationship to food - where an individual indulges in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating, else experiences anxiety if he is unable to do so. However, this may have serious health implications in due course. </span></span><br /> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #3f3f3f;">Nutritionist and </span><span style="color: #336797;">obesity</span><span style="color: #3f3f3f;"> consultant Naini Setalvad says, "Food addiction basically means a person eats uncontrollably, for reasons besides</span><span style="color: #336797;">hunger</span><span style="color: #3f3f3f;">. One reason for this is the neurobiological imbalances in the levels of the chemical, serotonin. Once its levels drop in the body, a person feels low and needs to eat again. This leads to overeating, which in turn leads to feelings of guilt, depression, </span><span style="color: #336797;">mood swings</span><span style="color: #3f3f3f;">, weight gain and a reinforcement of low self-esteem. Because of this, a person looks to food for comfort and the vicious cycle continues." </span></span><br /> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #3f3f3f;">How can one overcome it? "One way is by breaking the cycle. If it is a severe case, then psychological treatment must be accompanied with a healthy food plan. Replace addictive foods with healthy ones, which also boost the mood and serotonin levels. Stick to whole grains, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds and make </span><span style="color: #336797;">vegetables</span><span style="color: #3f3f3f;"> a habit. Also, drink lots of water. These foods not only comfort a person, but also take away the 'guilt' factor. You can eat three mangoes and not worry about the amount of fat you have eaten, since there is none. </span></span><br /> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><br /> </span><br /> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #3f3f3f;">However, the natural sugar in mangoes perks a person and makes him feel better," says Setalvad. If you are addicted to food, it's time to take an honest look at your life and make a commitment to loving yourself. </span></span></div></div>

Food addiction, although controversial, has recently gained attention in scientific literature and comes under the realm of atypical eating disorders.

Are you addicted to food? (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images) We all over-eat occasionally. However, a food addict eats too much food and wr...

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Addiction Recovery:

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2-rTZoN3SFUerIxPbLzmUKZY7zbmaDeBJySoIPTDktT01phiJEiQVynE4uJyfxcWDXc51SbW2wuyROXPn7FKOjSt8UScllg4cj3o_rQFLAOgqP0Cv5ssiAl0cV6tgt_jrWH0z_S3hnxc/s1600/mpgf6254+Small+Web+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2-rTZoN3SFUerIxPbLzmUKZY7zbmaDeBJySoIPTDktT01phiJEiQVynE4uJyfxcWDXc51SbW2wuyROXPn7FKOjSt8UScllg4cj3o_rQFLAOgqP0Cv5ssiAl0cV6tgt_jrWH0z_S3hnxc/s1600/mpgf6254+Small+Web+view.jpg" /></a></div>Addiction Recovery: Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.<br /> <blockquote>We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.</blockquote>

Addiction Recovery:

Addiction Recovery: Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why. We usually conclude th...

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Addiction Recovery: age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVAFFEb7sQ-3KRglk_eVItHhyI1BBDhZIoqTYUVhM9_-G4oPp9MhQHOl16Gu3ZGDdXIfzNkmZqvUkAfKC3-tWrBOJ-Jg07cIDa94tKFyrB_MEXf3YkTd_3ll7RQMibSfDomQ7mju8n0dv/s1600/1tm6020+Quick+e-mail+view+landscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVAFFEb7sQ-3KRglk_eVItHhyI1BBDhZIoqTYUVhM9_-G4oPp9MhQHOl16Gu3ZGDdXIfzNkmZqvUkAfKC3-tWrBOJ-Jg07cIDa94tKFyrB_MEXf3YkTd_3ll7RQMibSfDomQ7mju8n0dv/s400/1tm6020+Quick+e-mail+view+landscape.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <blockquote>age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!</blockquote>

Addiction Recovery: age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!

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Addiction Recovery

<p> </p><blockquote>However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble your- self much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see that you do want society.</blockquote>

Addiction Recovery

  However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do...

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NJ Town First to Consider Medical Marijuana

<p> </p><p>Medical marijuana could get a little closer to sprouting in the Garden State, as one licensed dispensary heads to the zoning board in the town of Maple Shade, NJ. Authorities in March licensed six non-profit alternative treatment centers across the state, but they’ve largely been in a holding pattern ever since. On Wednesday, Compassionate Sciences Inc. will be the first center to seek local approval. The firm wants to convert an old furniture store into a 5,000 square foot center, with consulting rooms for patients to discuss the controlled substance, a lab to conduct research and, as spokesman Andrei Bogolubov describes it, a very secure vault for the marijuana. “There's a lot of controls, a lot of safeguards, and the state's going to do a site visit to make sure those systems are in place before they issue the permit and let us open the doors,” he said. Even if it gets a local go-ahead, Compassionate Sciences and the other approved dispensaries are still waiting for New Jersey to issue final regulations. Each center will grow and harvest its own crop of marijuana and Bogolubov estimates it will take about nine weeks to generate enough to supply customers. About 30,000 of them are expected state-wide. Governor Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor, has said he would not have signed the bill into law. He wants to make sure the drug only gets to people who need it for pain relief from illnesses such as cancer and multiple-sclerosis. He said he is determined to avoid “abuses” that he said have plagued medical marijuana programs in Colorado and California.</p>

NJ Town First to Consider Medical Marijuana

  Medical marijuana could get a little closer to sprouting in the Garden State, as one licensed dispensary heads to the zoning board in the ...

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The Netherlands is embarking on a crusade against its multi-billion-euro marijuana industry

<p> </p><p>The Netherlands is embarking on a crusade against its multi-billion-euro marijuana industry, with significant implications both for its economy and its famously liberal approach to life. Along with tighter control of legalized prostitution and a swing to the right in attitudes toward immigration and Islam in recent years, the clampdown is seen as further evidence of an erosion of tolerance in a country known for its liberal social policies. The push to clamp down on soft drugs has come mainly from the Christian Democrats, the junior partner in the minority government and one of the larger parties in a fragmented political landscape. "There's clearly a shift in the moral debate. It's all about the culture of control," said Dirk Korf, professor of criminology at the University of Amsterdam. Instantly recognizable from the sickly sweet, burned-leaf smell that wafts out onto the street, the Netherlands' world-renowned "coffee shops" are almost as common as supermarkets in big cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam and in certain border towns. Like trained sommeliers, the staff or "bud tenders" are experts on the flavors and after-effects of whatever is on the menu -- white widow, vanilla kush, or hazers like amnesia "known for its extreme, almost paranoid psychedelic high, with an unforgettable strong fruity taste and smell." Counter staff do a brisk trade in plastic sachets of loose grass, ready-rolled joints and chunks of hashish for those who want take-away. The Netherlands tolerates the sale of up to 5 grams per person per day of marijuana and hashish in the controlled environment of the coffee shops. It also tolerates the home cultivation of marijuana plants, within a limit of five plants per person, but any cultivation larger than that is illegal. Strong demand has spawned secret cannabis plantations that provide a so-called back-door supply to the coffee shops and are a headache for Dutch authorities who have to find and raid them. DRUGS TOURISTS On a typical Saturday evening, the coffee shops in central Amsterdam are packed with smokers. The clientele is middle class, the voices mostly foreign -- Italian, Spanish, French, German, English. Concerned about this influx of soft-drugs tourists, not to mention what it sees as the associated crime, nuisance and health risks, the Christian Democrat Party wants to see the country's 700 or so coffee shops shut down, but for the moment is settling for introducing restrictions on their activities. A measure expected to be passed in parliament by the end of this year will have coffee shops operate as members-only clubs, meaning that only local residents will be eligible to register for "weed passes," effectively barring foreigners from buying soft drugs. Already, some cities have introduced tighter restrictions, limiting the coffee shops' proximity to schools or relocating them to the outskirts. On October 1, coffee shops in the southeastern city of Maastricht banned all foreigners except for neighboring Germans and Belgians, as a first step toward introduction of weed passes. Crime expert Korf says there is little justification for the clampdown, with scant evidence that the Dutch public supports the change. "No serious polls have been conducted, we don't know if opinions about coffee shops have even changed," said Korf. "Before coffee shops we had street dealing, they were selling marijuana in the street and ripping off tourists. The whole drug problem is nothing compared to (what we had in) the 1980s, 1990s -- we don't have a heroin problem." The Trimbos Institute, which studies addiction and mental health, said 5 percent of Netherlands citizens smoked weed or hashish in the past year, against an EU average of 7 percent. GLOBAL CONFUSION Policymakers around the world are seeking fresh ideas on how to combat drug abuse, opening up a debate on policies on soft drugs. In June, a high-profile group of global leaders declared the "war on drugs" a failure and urged governments to consider decriminalizing drugs in order to cut consumption and weaken the power of organized crime. The Global Commission on Drug Policy -- which includes former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and British billionaire Richard Branson -- said a decades-long strategy of outlawing drugs and jailing users while battling drug cartels had not worked. It recommended that governments experiment with the legal regulation of drugs, especially cannabis, citing the successes in countries such as the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland, where drug consumption had been reduced. Portugal, for instance, has gone much further than the Netherlands by decriminalizing all drugs, replacing jail time with counseling and treatment. The Christian Democrats disagree and say the Dutch policy has had a negative effect on public health and crime. "In other countries there is no tolerance. The Dutch coffee shops attract a lot of foreign drug tourists, especially in the border region, causing much nuisance," according to a statement published on the Christian Democrat Party website. The centrist party has cast doubt on the rationale for allowing coffee shops, which was to separate the soft and hard drugs markets, and said that people who smoke cannabis often turned to other drugs. It also argues the active substance in cannabis is much stronger than twenty years ago, putting it on a par with harder drugs -- a reflection of years of cultivation of new varieties by growers. A Dutch commission earlier this year found that hashish and marijuana on sale in the Netherlands contain about 18 percent of THC, the main psychoactive substance, and said a level above 15 percent put the drugs on a par with heroin or cocaine. Maxime Verhagen, a Christian Democrat who is deputy prime minister, said on October 7 the government would ban the sale of cannabis whose concentration of THC exceeds 15 percent. The Christian Democrats also want tougher regulations on the so-called cannabis plantations. In addition to illegally supplying the coffee shops, "much of the illegally cultivated cannabis in the Netherlands is exported abroad. There is an extensive network illegally created in the grip of organized crime," the party said in its statement. Dutch authorities already devote considerable resources to tracking down these large-scale plantations. The police work with the local electricity company to detect unusual consumption patterns, for example round-the-clock usage in sheds and attics, and have used tiny sniffer-helicopters which can detect the smell of pot plants wafting from ventilation shafts and chimneys, according to media reports. Rotterdam city council recently distributed "scratch and sniff cards" to households, hoping that concerned citizens would tip off the police if they recognized the smell of illegal cannabis plantations in the neighborhood. PUSHBACK AT HOME There is plenty of opposition to the crackdown. Dutch smokers do not welcome the idea of having to register for weed passes. "Many of my customers are locals, artists, writers, doctors, lawyers, professionals. They don't want their name on a register -- they don't know who could see it or use it. So they may go to other sources on the street," said Paula Baten, manager of the Siberie coffee shop in central Amsterdam. "This government is more Christian, more right-wing. They don't want drugs but they forget about the effects of alcohol." Already, there's talk of how foreigners can circumvent the new rules, for example by asking Dutch citizens to buy soft drugs on their behalf to take away, and concern that dealing in soft drugs will go onto the street. Some politicians oppose the proposals. Eberhard van der Laan, the mayor of Amsterdam, says restricting the activities of coffee shops would lead to greater health risks, nuisance and drug dealing on the streets. As mayor, he could simply choose not to enforce the weed pass regulations. "At the moment the mayor is in conference with the minister to convince him that the measures regarding coffee shops will be counterproductive for Amsterdam," the mayor's office said in a statement to Reuters. Others cite the likely economic impact. The Netherlands, like other European countries, has had to introduce austerity measures and cut spending in the wake of the credit crisis, when it pumped 40 billion euros into rescuing financial institutions. Tax revenue from the coffee shops is estimated at about 400 million euros a year. Studies by the finance ministry and academics estimated that if the Netherlands legalized the "back-door" supply, bringing it "above board," it could collect as much as an additional 400-850 million euros a year, including savings on the cost of law enforcement. Then there's the tourist revenue. In Maastricht, which gets a lot of day tourists because it is so close to the German and Belgian borders, a study commissioned by an association of coffee shop owners calculated that visitors to the city's coffee shops spent about 119 million euros a year, mostly on shopping and eating out. A study by Professor Korf of the University of Amsterdam found that tourists who visited coffee shops in central Amsterdam had similar spending habits to other tourists, and were just as likely to spend 200 euros or more on a hotel room, or splash out at smart restaurants or nightclubs. The Bulldog and Barney's -- the big names in the industry -- run coffee shop chains, and many coffee shop owners also make money from lodgings and related businesses. Hundreds of tourists attend the annual cannabis cup award for the best new strains, and the local edition of Time Out runs monthly weed reviews. Jackie Woerlee, who runs customized cannabis tours, said that among her recent tour guests were members of one of the Middle East royal families who rented a luxury apartment for several weeks and spent several thousand euros shopping at luxury stores. "Customers might easily spend 100 euros in a coffee shop, but it's not just that, it's the hotels, the eating out, renting apartments," Woerlee said. "These people spend."</p>

The Netherlands is embarking on a crusade against its multi-billion-euro marijuana industry

  The Netherlands is embarking on a crusade against its multi-billion-euro marijuana industry, with significant implications both for its ec...

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Mum tells of battle to beat a serious addiction to Diet Coke

<p> </p><p>Claire Ayton drank seven pints – or four litres – a day for 10 years in the belief it was “normal”. She only realised she was an addict after seeking help to lose weight and has now ditched the fizzy pop after hypnotherapy. The teaching assistant, 36, drank up to 14 two-litre bottles a week – totalling 7,280 over the decade. Kicking the habit will save her almost £1,000 a year. Advertisement >> “I didn’t think of it as an addiction,” said the married mum-of-two, of Pailton, Warwicks. “But I topped 13st after putting on 3st in 12 years. I was always tired and went to see my GP when I found I couldn’t lose any weight, but I didn’t mention how much Diet Coke I was drinking because I didn’t think it was relevant. “I went to see a hypnotherapist in August and told him. He was surprised and said I needed to cut it out of my diet. Since then I’ve not touched a drop. “There were a few side-effects at first but now my head’s clearer and I have more energy. I’ve lost 5lb and am aiming for more.” Claire’s hypnotherapist Russell Hemmings, of Coventry, said: “Hers was the worst case of fizzy drink addiction I’ve ever treated. I’m glad she kicked the habit.” In June a University of Texas study revealed that regularly guzzling diet sodas actually makes people fatter – by boost-ing a craving for sweet foods.</p>

Mum tells of battle to beat a serious addiction to Diet Coke

  Claire Ayton drank seven pints – or four litres – a day for 10 years in the belief it was “normal”. She only realised she was an addict a...

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age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #003366; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold';">age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!</span></b></span>

age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!

age of miracles is still with us.  Our own recovery proves that!

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it is a miracle.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #003366; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold';">The capacity to give one's attention to a sufferer is a very rare and<br />difficult thing; it is almost a miracle; it is a miracle.</span></b></span>

it is a miracle.

The capacity to give one's attention to a sufferer is a very rare and difficult thing; it is almost a miracle; it is a miracle.

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Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see that you do want society.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #003366; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold';">However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard<br />names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble your-<br />self much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not<br />change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see<br />that you do want society. </span></b></span>

Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see that you do want society.

However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do n...

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Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #003366; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold';">We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be<br />shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be given<br />whatever we need to take care of such problems. We ask especially for<br />freedom from self-will, and are careful to make no request for ourselves<br />only. We may ask for ourselves, however, if others will be helped. We are<br />careful never to pray for our own selfish ends. Many of us have wasted a<br />lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.</span></b></span>

Many of us have wasted a lot of time doing that and it doesn't work. You can easily see why.

We usually conclude the period of meditation with a prayer that we be shown all through the day what our next step is to be, that we be give...

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evoke feelings of happiness

<blockquote>Before standing up, evoke feelings of happiness. Get up feeling confident that you are going to be happy all day long. Smile often during the day. When you experience negative thoughts tell them that they are not welcome. Whatever you experience during the day, remember that happiness is always within you waiting to surface. Your thoughts, feelings and expectations determine whatever you are going let happiness surface or you are going to stay unhappy. Your happiness is not at mercy of outside forces. <br /> The key to happiness is inside, not outside. Develop patience and tolerance and you<br /> will let happiness enter your life</blockquote>

evoke feelings of happiness

Before standing up, evoke feelings of happiness. Get up feeling confident that you are going to be happy all day long. Smile often during th...

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Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrong

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Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

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Happiness that isn’t shared isn’t big enough to really bring happiness.

Everyone can become a light in the darkness of another. Anselm Grün<br /> <br /> Anselm Grün, the German monk who has written many books trying to give people some insight in the everlasting question mankind has been asking within living memory.<br /> One of his favourite subjects is happiness. Recently he was asked what happiness means to him personally.<br /> His answer: <br /> <br /> “Happiness for me means to be in agreement and harmony with myself. <br /> In short: to be in the present moment and to be myself. Happiness is: wanting to be the person we are. <br /> To be happy I don’t compare myself with others; I don’t judge neither do I make myself dependent of another men’s opinion. It also means to be grateful and to experience joy in life. <br /> <br /> My feelings of happiness aren’t always the same. During a walk in nature or during an intense prayer I experience a deeper feeling of happiness then when I’m simply grateful or content.”<br /> On the question if it is difficult to be happy he says: <br /> <br /> “No. If I sit for a moment quietly and say out loud YES to life, I experience joy. The only thing is that you can’t expect to be happy all the time- that’s an impossible claim. Happiness isn’t something you can own or hold on to. It is an experience an attitude to life, which needs like love, space and freedom to flow. Happiness that isn’t shared isn’t big enough to really bring happiness. For it also means to say ‘Yes’ to those difficult moments in life. Simply accept whatever comes. Today there are many books which promise an easy and cheap form of happiness. They tell you that you can life an incredible life if only you follow a certain stepping plan. That’s totally unrealistic. The best coach cannot offer us a successful formula to become happy. The road to happiness always lies within us.”

Happiness that isn’t shared isn’t big enough to really bring happiness.

Everyone can become a light in the darkness of another. Anselm Grün Anselm Grün, the German monk who has written many books trying to give...

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What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.<br /> -- Richard Bach

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. -- Richard Bach

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remember when father was romantic,

The family of an alcoholic longs for the return of happiness <br /> <br /> <br /> and security. They remember when father was romantic, <br /> <br /> thoughtful and successful. Today's life is measured against <br /> <br /> that of other years and, when it falls short, the family may <br /> <br /> be unhappy.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> -- Alcoholics Anonymous, page 52

remember when father was romantic,

The family of an alcoholic longs for the return of happiness and security. They remember when father was romantic, thoughtful and succe...

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