Friday, October 19, 2007

The Art of a LIe

Honesty,the most important virtue at the top of the pyramid of Morales and yet we bend the rules of morality to soften the blows or to suit our own needs. Imagine a world where people were truly honest to self and the community, to love relationships, family, friends and children. The art of telling a lie is a learned behavior. Humor is found in the innocence of a child who speaks out without thought.
I looked into my world and my heartache and how difficult it is to handle. Truth allows for healing, lies keep a wound open.


It hurts and I don't know why....for if I am honest with myself .... I have always known the truth.

Friday, October 12, 2007

An ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Drug abuse, we think of drug abuse as someone traveling to meet a seedy character and purchasing street drugs in an alley. Prescription and over the counter drugs are equally as dangerous to the chemistry of the brain. We live in a “fix it now world” we expect whatever ills us to be cured without a little work on our part. Becoming extremely common is the pills for everything from relationship break ups to financial stress. Kate is a student at the local university she had just broken up with her boyfriend and finding it hard to cope, found herself talking to her PCP, private physician. After leaving his office she had four prescriptions one for stomach which she couldn’t settle another for her depression, one for the headaches that were stress related and then for the all over anxiety another little white pill that is going to fix everything.
My goal in writing this is about awareness. There are medical conditions that need the attention of a medical provider and so I believe that people should seek help when they need it. We are becoming a world so dependent on prescription drugs. As I spoke with a physician who had become a friend of mine said “ if we are not prescribing, the patient is disappointed in not getting a prescription or a fix all.”
What is the alternative help for stress and depression? Learning how to cope in our fast paced world. In an alternative or complementary practice, alternative therapy would encompass discipline of the diet and exercise and mental conditioning and life style changes.
Consider that you have a headache and you could reach for the advil, instead you rub a little peppermint into your forehead, close your eyes for a few moments and relieve the headache naturally. Consider that your mildly depressed instead of running to your doctor
For medication, you put yourself first for a change and join the spa a couple days a week.
Consider the next time your in severe pain from a injury or arthritic condition that you try a little mind over matter therapy and subject yourself to a positive mental health atmosphere that will eliminate any negative energy.
Is it possible that we could be less dependent on drugs? It is key to self analyze ones own personality. Ask yourself what are your strengths and your weaknesses and how best to handle them?
My daughter was nine years old she was having migraines, not sure of what was causing the headaches I took her to the doctors. The doctor confirmed they were migraines and prescribed a mild anti depressant and a Nasonex spray. I over road his decision to give her medication and started to chart her headaches, when did they occur? What did she eat?and looked for a pattern and then worked to overcome the headaches naturally.

Is and alterative suitable for everyone? No! it takes self discipline and a little control over ones own life to bring the spirit to a happy medium. Are we all capable? Indeed working with self to improve self is possible for everyone. My very favorite of all quotes, which I had adhered to in life for almost everything from financial to my physical being, is that “ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”


In 2000, 43 percent of those who ended up in hospital emergency rooms from drug overdoses-nearly a half million people-were there because of misusing prescription drugs.Source: SAMHSA
In 2001, 36 million Americans (16 percent of persons aged 12 or older) had used prescription-type drugs nonmedically at least once in their lifetime. This included 9.6 million persons (18 percent) aged 12 to 25. In 2001, almost 3 million youths aged 12 to 17 (12 percent) and almost 7 million young adults aged 18 to 25 (23 percent) had used prescription-type drugs nonmedically at least once in their lifetime.
The annual number of new users of pain relievers has been increasing since the mid-1980's, from about 400,000 initiates to 2 million in 2000.Source: NHSDA
The DEA has budgeted $6.3 million to fight illegal online pharmacies this yea
A few commonly abused prescription drugs
In the United States, the Controlled Substances Act divides drugs and medications into five schedules dependent on their potential for abuse. The list below contains many, but not all, commonly abused prescription medications:
Schedule I (high potential for abuse, has no accepted medical use in the U.S. and lack of safety for use under medical supervision)
Schedule II (high potential for abuse, has a currently accepted medical use, may lead to severe physical dependence or addiction)
Alfentanil (Alfenta)Amobarbital (Amytal, Tuinal)
Amphetamine (Dexedrine, Biphetamine, Adderall, Obetrol)CodeineDihydrocodeine (Didrate, Parzone)Fentanyl (Duragesic, Sublimaze, Innovar)Glutethimide (Doriden, Dorimide)Hydromorphone (Dilaudid)Levomethadyl (ORLAAM)Levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran)Marinol (Dronabinol)Methadone (Dolophine, Amidone, Methadose)
Methamphetamine (Desoxyn)Methylphenidate (Ritalin)Mepridine (Demorol, Mepergan)Morphine (MS Contin, Oramorph, Duramorph, Roxanol)Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet, Tylox, Roxicodone)Oxymorphone (Numorphan)Pentobarbital (Nembutal)Phendimetrazine (Preludin)Secobarbital (Seconal, Tuinal)Sufentanil (Sufenta)

Schedule III (has a potential for abuse less than Schedule I or II, has a currently accepted medical use, may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or addiction)
Amobarbital compounds
Anabolic SteroidsBenzphetamine (Didrex, Inapetyl)Boldenone (Equipoise, Parenabol, Vebonol)Buprenorphine (Buprenex, Temgesic)Hydrocodone 15 mg/du (Tussionex, Tussend, Lortab, Vicodin, Hycodan, Anexsia)
Ketamine (Ketaset, Ketalar)Methyltesosterone (Android, Oreton, Testred, Virilon)Opium 25 mg/du (Paregoric)Phendimetrazine (Plegine, Prelu-2, Bontril, Melfiat, Statobex

Prescription Drugs
1 2 3 4

Schedule IV (has a potential for abuse less than Schedule III, has a currently accepted medical use, may lead to limited physical dependence or addiction)
Alprazolam (Xanax)Chloral Hydrate (Noctec)Chlordiazepoxide (Librium, Libritabs, Limbitrol)Clonazepam (Klonopin, Clonopin)Dextropropoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet, Dolene, Propacet)Diazepam (Valium, Valrelease)Estazolam (ProSom, Domnamid, Eurodin, Nuctalon)Ethchlorvynol (Placidyl)Ethinamate (Valmid, Valamin)Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol, Narcozep, Darkene, Roipnol)Flurazepam (Dalmane)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Maxindol (Sanorex, Maxanor)Meprobamate (Miltown, Equanil, Deprol, Equagesic, Meprospan)Modanafinil (Provigil)Oxazepam (Serax, Serenid-D)Oxazolam (Serenal, Convertal)
Pentazocine (Talwin, Talacen)Quazepam (Doral, Dormalin)Sibutramine (Meridia)Temazepam (Restoril)Triazolam (Halcion)Zaleplon (Sonata)Zolpidem (Ambien, Stilnoct, Ivadal)
I was working out a the gym and a sign posted on the wall it said take control of your life become physically fit. Becoming physically fit is as important as becoming emotionally fit. Taking back the reigns of control from society to self will bring a balance with the world around you.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

They Call the Wind Mariah

In honor of my sister.. the chill of the season brings fond memories of the cold late nights and times long gone. My sister had a voice that put canaries to shame. Soft and filled with love, one of her favorite songs to sing was Mariah. Though this verson does no justice to the soothing song of the nights that blocked out the
violence that we were accustomed to hearing. To my dear sister who sings with the angels........ one lives less we forget.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

School Shootings

School shootings are they a sign of the times. There are several major factors involved in the rise of violent episodes on a larger scale. There are social and economical changes and the morale breakdown of society as we know it. There are countries where atheism is the norm and yet you don't see such a high rise in violence, so this would say that religion alone or the lack of it is not totally responsible for the high profile cases of school and group shootings. This would lead us to believe that it is many factors that lead to such social destruction. One of the major changes and I see that in my own children's school is the mainstreaming of violent, mentally ill and physically challenged children into to public school system. Separating children is sometimes necessary for the safety of both challenged children and those who can perform to the social norm.
Fear has been used to control the huge populace of people for many years. A small amount of fear is equated to a conscience, without it there is no consequence. I believe we are treading on the rights of a few, that we have extinguished the rights of many for a safe place to educate our children. We cannot instill in children what should be instilled from the parents before school age.
The worst about the changing taking place is we cannot go back, which only leads us to go forward. Can we stop the escalation of crime, drugs, mental health issues? Where should the responsibility lay? If a system is not working, who will stand up to the government to force change? Who in the government will listen to the people? How many more children will die needlessly? Where is the common sense factor? Can a simple test alert caregivers and schools to those who are most likely to become violent? Is it discrimination to separate the mental healthy from the mentally ill? Whose life is most valuable? If the bird kicks a sick baby out of the nest should we try to save it?

It is very chilling to read the loss of innocence, my prayers to all those involved.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/10/national/main3353024.shtml
(CBS/AP) A 14-year-old suspended student opened fire in a downtown high school Wednesday before killing himself, and five people were taken to hospitals, authorities said. After the shooting, shaken teens called their parents on cell phones, most to reassure but in at least one case with terrifying news: "Mom, I got shot." Mayor Frank Jackson said the three teens and two adults were hurt. He said the children were in "stable, good condition," and the adults were in "a little elevated condition."

If it's a sign of the times, what a sad sign it is.

Another Day

 I look back at a lifetime and I don't even recognize the woman who was or the woman I became.  Everyone is gone that the post would app...