rjsmith’s Neighborhood

In this country the term "drug abuse" is a very often misused term. When you hear or read the term "drug abuse", what pops into your mind? Things like cocaine, heroine methamphetamines, marijuana, and crack, right? And you think of completely out of touch 'junkies' living on the streets, selling whatever they can for money, right? Or, at least the types of drugs listed here to be the 'real' drugs, right? These are the drugs that people abuse, right? Drug abuse in the form of alcohol, nicotine, and prescription drugs is actually much more prevalent in our culture, but no one wants to talk about that. If you have a six pack in the comfort of your own home, you don't abuse drugs, right? If you smoke cigarettes, while disgusting, you're not thought of as a drug abuser are you? If you take a pill everyday, that a doctor told you that you could take, and that pill alters your 'reality' somehow, is that drug abuse? No none of these things are considered 'drug abuse', but the reality is that they all are. Alcohol, nicotine, and prescription drugs are all just what this article is aboutdrugs. And if you practice any of them everyday or use them to alter your reality at all, you abuse drugs, its as simple as that. Many people don't want to admit to this, but it is the truth. When I used to smoke, I would say that I'm no different from someone who uses cocaine on a regular basis. The fact was that I abused drugs. I obviously abused nicotine because I smoked every hour of so. I abused alcohol because I drank beer everyday. I was as much of a drug abuser as the guy who uses heroine everyday. That's the cold hard truth that most people don't want to face up to. Then when I quit both practices, and my head finally cleared up, I realized that I was engaging in both practices to escape reality in some small way. I used to say things like, "a cigarette relaxes me." Through quitting, I realized that this was a lie. And the exact same thing was true with alcohol. The bottom line is that I was abusing both of them and knew a lot of other people who were as well. Bit since my behavior was looked upon as 'normal' by society, it was okay. My point to this entire article is that drug abuse is much more prevalent than we want to believe, and just because we're told that some things are normal, that doesn't mean that those things are the right thing for us to do. Remember what Bo Bennett said and let it ring in your heart, "Every day, people settle for less than they deserve. They are only partially living or at best living a partial life. Every human being has the potential for greatness."

Marriage vows aptly have the clause of undying love and togetherness in sickness and "in health." Though most of us do not take it very seriously, often the very edifice of a marriage is tested on this particular clause - when one partner falls prey to a serious illness or is the victim of an unfortunate accident and is bedridden for weeks, or more. Lori, a friend of mine, was just married for two months when her husband Steve met with a fatal car accident on his way back from office. He suffered a spinal injury and was advised bed-rest for three months. The couple who had just started enjoying marital bliss was initially shattered. But Lori soon took control and saw to it that Steve did not wallow in self-pity. She tenderly nursed him back to health and made his forced bed-rest as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. As a result, their marriage started on a very stable foundation and they are a very well-adjusted couple today. My cousin Debbie's story is different. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her husband of ten years, David, who was very loving earlier, suddenly changed overnight. He became morose and withdrawn. As Debbie's condition started to deteriorate under chemotherapy, David surprised everybody by asking for a divorce. He said that he could not survive without sex and wanted to opt out. Needless to say, Debbie was absolutely shattered beyond words at his callous attitude and gave up the will to live. Life, as we know, is not a bed of roses. Our body is a biological machine and may have a breakdown any time. In today's age, when most families are nuclear, it falls upon the spouse to take care of the partner when he or she is sick. Prolonged illness or confinement to bed puts forward a lot of physical and mental challenges that one has to cope with. Here are few tips to help face the situation: Have a positive attitude: However upset you are, do not show your feelings to your sick partner - it will only make him or her feel worse. If necessary, have a good cry in another room or on a close friend's shoulder. Show your partner your positive side and tell him or her that he or she will get better soon and things will improve. It has been medically proved that patients can hasten their recovery process with a strong will. Talk of your future together and don't let the other person brood. Encourage friends to drop in: Human beings are social animals and need the company of others. Encourage your spouse's friends or colleagues to drop in for a chat and leave them alone. Your partner will feel better after such interactions. He or she won't feel left out. If necessary, tell them in advance not to talk about the illness but about other topics of common interest. Enlist help: When my uncle was diagnosed with cancer, my aunt became totally housebound as he needed 24-hour care. She slowly took up offers of relatives and friends to sit with uncle for a while so that she could attend to other jobs including bank work, shopping for groceries, cooking, washing, tidying up the house. She started keeping a "timetable" near the phone and slotting time periods to people, so that she had some leisure for herself. Since uncle was drowsy most of the time, the helper could read or watch TV while keeping an eye on him. Aunt always thoughtfully kept a flask of coffee and some biscuits for the reliever. Looking after a patient day in and day out can get very stressful; so don't try to take the entire burden on yourself. Accept the situation: It is really no use wasting time on thinking "what if" or "why has this happened to me?" You cannot undo the situation. Read self-help books, if necessary, or do meditation to calm yourself. If required, go to a professional counsellor to help deal with the situation. Many people take the help of a priest or a trusted senior relative or friend, the family doctor or a support group. Don't let feelings of frustration or hopelessness overcome you. Look beyond the period to when things will be back in normal shape. Financial problems: Medical emergencies are often a drain on our financial resources. It is always advisable to go in for a medical insurance scheme early in life. But even insurance does not cover all expenses. Keep some money aside for such emergencies. If you must take a loan, consult someone knowledgeable who can guide you. Don't take impulsive decisions which may negatively affect your family budget for years to come. If the patient needs to take a particular medicine for a long time, get it from a wholesaler which will save you a lot of money in the long run. Make the patient comfortable: Make the room bright, airy and cheerful. Change the bed linen frequently, and use fresh, brightly-coloured ones. Keep fresh flowers in a vase. Don't allow the room become dark and damp. Let in sunlight, draw back the curtains every morning. If possible, position the bed near the window if there is a good view.Keep the room neat and clean, and get rid of all clutter. Keep medicines in a closed cabinet as it is often depressing for the patient to see rows of medicine bottles displayed next to the bed. Access to TV, newspapers and magazines will make the patient feel he or she is in touch with the outside world and help recovery fast. If he or she is fond of reading, get books from the local library or from friends. Keep a music system handy so that, favourite numbers can be played. If he or she is a movie buff, this is the time to watch some CDs. Keep water, fruits and some biscuits at hand to save the patient having to callout to you each time something is needed. Make sure that the patient changes fresh clothes everyday and "gets ready" every morning and does not lounge around in night-clothes or with an unshaven face. Resolve emotional problems: It is quite natural that either or both of you will go through your own individual grieving process as your dreams and ambitions start changing. Though you may face a temporary downswing in your relationship with each other, take control of your emotions. Now is the test of the strength of your love for each other. The very foundation of your marriage is being tested. Don't shy away from talking to each other - communication is very essential in such situations. Don't resort to tears, fights, accusations or denials. Focus objectively on the situation and together workout a strategy to cope. If necessary, take the help of a professional counsellor to minimise the conflict and pain in the relationship. Reorganise your life: If you are also a working person, don't hesitate to go back to work once your partner is better. After all, there is a limit to the leave you can take. Make arrangements with someone (mother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law or paid help) to look after the patient while you are away at work. Talk it over with your partner before you take a decision. Make sure that you spend quality time with him or her after your working hours so that, he or she does not feel neglected. My friend Anna's husband, Jeff, would go to the club directly from office every day while Anna lay in bed at home recuperating from a fatal attack of jaundice. His excuse? He felt claustrophobic in a sickroom. Poor Anna felt totally neglected and unloved, and her road to recovery was an uphill task. Sexual needs: Sex is the basis of a good marriage. Don't feel shy to discuss sexual issues with your partner. If you can't indulge in the actual act, hold hands, cuddle and kiss, to keep the sexual fires burning and your feelings for each other very much alive. A word of caution - this is the time you may be tempted to have a fling or an affair because you are vulnerable. Guard against this, as it will cause untold emotional damage. Involve the family: Involve the entire family early on in care-giving. Encourage the kids to spend time with their sick parent. Their chatter and anecdotes will liven up the patient's day. If you have relatives in the same town, enlist their help too. Call your in-laws over, if required. Don't take all the burden on your shoulders - you are to keep the family spirits up and help the patient to cope. Conclusion: Health and sickness are two sides of the marriage coin. Illness can strike anyone at anytime without any warning. If handled with maturity and sensitivity, a partner's sickness can strengthen a relationship. If not handled with care, it can rock the very edifice of a marriage. So, face the challenge offered by such a crisis and live happily ever after.

I'm a person who smoked cigarettes for more than 15 years and learned a few things through the process of quitting. I'm going to pass on what I learned from quitting with the hopes that these things might help you quit as well. The biggest thing to understand is exactly what the title of this article saysDon't believe the hype. There is a TON of hype surrounding the subject of nicotine and being addicted to nicotine. From someone who's been through it, let me clue you in. Almost every bit of what you hear is hype. Hype designed to sell you something to help you 'kick' the habit. That something designed to help you might be in the form of a patch, gum, lozenge, or pill. The point is that there are people and companies who want you do believe that quitting nicotine is going to be the most difficult thing that you've ever done. That way you're much more apt to spend your money on their product for help. It's really a vicious cycle that you need to come to terms with. So now that we know not to buy into the hype, what do we do? The most important thing that I did was change my thinking about smoking and quitting smoking. When people would say how difficult quitting smoking was going to be, I would simply not engage in such conversations. I stopped even thinking about the supposed negative aspects of quitting the use of nicotine. I told myself, as often as I could, how simple quitting was going to be. I would even go so far as to actually talk to the cigarette that I was smoking. I did this when I was alone of course. I would hold up the smoking cigarette and say something like, "this is going to be no problem at all". You see, I heard it said somewhere that you become what you think about, all day long. That is, if you think quitting nicotine is going to be hard, it is! If you think it's going to be easy, it is! It may sound crazy, but that's what I did. It took about six months and then one day I went into my pack for a cigarette. There was only 1 left. I removed that cigarette, looked at it, and said, "This is it, I'm done." I smoked that cigarette, and it was the last one that I've ever smoked. We're there times I wanted one? Sure, but I didn't smoke any more, so I didn't. It was as simple as that. No stress, anxiety, or difficulty about it. I had changed the way I though about smoking, so changing the act was more or less a natural progression. Remember; You become what you think about.