Humor: Sign Language

From the UK's TELEGRAPH, with thanks :)

Times Online: Hooked on Prescription Drugs

"...for many people I think the problem is that they were prescribed by a doctor in the first place. You feel terrible, and the doctor says you should take this drug to make you feel better. You do what the doctor says. The drug does this, and you can’t stop taking it because if you do you will feel terrible again. I don’t blame doctors — you can understand why their approach is to prescribe drugs to alleviate symptoms. Unfortunately, they don’t have the time or resources to get to the deep root of the problem."

Link

Such an addiction can happen to anyone. A "peace-and-love" folk singer, Stevie Nicks' lyrics created the vibe that helped propel '70s supergroup Fleetwood Mac to fame. Nicks speaks out on her addiction to Klonopin here
Video of Nicks' STREET ANGEL, a song about that addiction

Taking It Global Tackles Substance Abuse in Youth

"Substance abuse, also referred to as drug addiction, has been described as the continuous use of a harmful or potentially harmful substance for the purposes of sensory (i.e. your senses) or mood alteration that overtime may reinforce its permanent consumption (www.who.int). One of the factors most often associated with predicting one’s risk of future drug addiction is age. From childhood to young adulthood, people tend to be most susceptible to experimentation with drug use, however as we grow older, continued drug use begins to reflect future addiction. Yet even mild drug use can disrupt a young person’s life by negatively influencing their ability to relate with others (family, peers, etc.), maintain a sober composure over long periods of time, and it can even result in temporary memory loss depending on the type of drug and the length of use."

Link

And not all drugs people use that get them into trouble come from illicit sources.
from
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k7NSDUH/2k7results.cfm

Exploring Vaccines

Image: THE NEW MAN, by Salvador Dali

From the site:
"Exploring Vaccines takes an indepth look into vaccines, the diseases, and the issues that surround it.

Making an informed decison is based on the pros and cons of the vaccines and the diseases.

It is not an ‘anti-vaccine’ blog nor is it the purpose nor the intention to be. The first and foremost purpose and intention is:

*To educate the basics of the diseases and the vaccines.

*A resource for people to understand the law(s) in relationship to vaccines-the mandates and exemptions in the U.S.

*History of where we’ve been, where it has led, where we are now, and where we are headed.

* If you want all ‘pro-vaccine’ information just go to the pharmaceutical drug companies websites and read. Then come back here and read what they don’t tell you. Without both, you won’t have full informed consent.

*Our intent and purpose is for people to take ownership of their choice, whether it is to fully vaccinate, not vaccinate, or selective/delay.

*There are also articles on nutrition, vitamins and minerals, holistic alternatives and treatment for the diseases, if that is of interest to the reader.

DISCLAIMER: Natural Remedies and/or Vitamins and Minerals Section is used for educational and information purposes only, based on research done by the author. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be substituted for your own doctor’s medical advice.

FAIR USE NOTICE: The following information may contain quotations/excerpts from copyrighted (©) material or information from the FOIA or other sources and images. Quotations and/or excerpts will be linked to the original author. Material is made available for educational purposes, scientific, ethical, social, human rights issues, research, comments, and/or other issues. The author’s quoted statements are of ’fair use’ as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US intellectual property law."

Link

Our kind of site...

Deepak Chopra on Michael Jackson and Enabling Doctors

A list of the cocktail of drugs Michael Jackson was taking when he died can be seen here.

Dr. Deepak Chopra was a friend of Jackson's. He writes about Jackson's death on his blog at The Huffington Post.

"The public's attention span is short, but widespread awareness is the first step. The real target audience are the local licensing boards and peer review committees who handle medical practice. The culture of "just say yes" when a celebrity shows up in a doctor's office needs to be condemned. This condemnation needs to be followed up with serious consequences for enabling physicians. If they recklessly addict a patient, severe repercussions should follow. If they themselves are addicted, complete abstinence must be achieved before they are allowed to return to medical practice, and random drug testing should be required by all states. Computerized medical histories should be instituted, so that we know precisely how many prescriptions are being written by each doctor and filled by each patient. With a centralized database, celebrities won't be able to pull off the trick of fooling dozens doctors and pharmacists all over town. And we need to do a better job educating physicians about the nuances and difficulties of treating patients such as these.

These steps are a beginning. Realistically, celebrities will always be first in line in gaining easy access to drugs. They have the means, the excuses, the money, and the opportunity. But at the very least the culture of enabling physicians must be branded as shameful. The same image that fools the public has eroded medical ethics. The abuse of prescription medication is becoming an alarming problem in this country, It's not fun to take drugs, it is serious business as is our charge to care for patients, celebrity or not. Doctors that enable celebrities must be brought to justice or else we will continue to witness shattered lives and sudden death."

Link
Chopra says Jackson's death due to drugs More

Psychiatric Treatment: A Risk Factor for Obesity?

Get the stats and facts from the Canadian Pediatric Association (PDF)
https://www.cps.ca/english/Media/NewsReleases/PCHFebruary02/ArticlePsychiatricObesity.pdf or Link

Apparently increased or decreased head size, weight gain and male breast enlargement are pretty common with all antipsychotic medications, and the results can be permanent. Link


Gynecomastia - Man Boobs -

More Americans are taking drugs for mental illness than ever before, reports Reuters.
Why not try food for mood and mental health instead?
An article from the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients outlines vitamin treatment of psychosis (schizophrenia) here.

Global Alzheimer's Disease Charter

"We are facing a public health and social care emergency and immediate action is needed!

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and accounts for 60-70% of all cases. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are progressive, degenerative illnesses that attack the brain. They affect people's abilities, impacting on all aspects of their life and upon others in their lives, particularly those who care for them day by day.

Every year, 4.6 million new cases of dementia are reported worldwide: One new case every seven seconds. By 2050, it is projected that there will be 100 million people with dementia in the world. No country is adequately prepared to deal with a crisis of this magnitude.

Lack of awareness and understanding has resulted in insufficient resources to address this crisis. Worldwide, attention to this rapidly growing problem is so small that most of those affected continue to suffer without help, or hope. This must change! The quality of life of people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias can be transformed. Too often, they, their families and carers lack the support that they need and deserve.

We, the members of Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), representing 77 associations around the world, urgently call upon all governments and stakeholders to act now."

Link to Petition

We couldn't agree more... but think that this unhappy state - of DEFICIENCY DISEASES - has arisen due to bad nutrition. Information about maintenance of brain health through proper eating and supplementation is important in prevention of Alzheimer's and the dementias, should begin in childhood and last all your life. A society that knows and cares more about what goes into pet food than human food - and lets its elders eat dog food - should be ashamed of itself.

WHAT REALLY CAUSES ALZHEIMER'S? We think Harold Foster has the answer and you can read his book free, here.