Despite the increase of warnings and education about drug use in recent years, it is still a huge problem.  Thousands of young Americans each year try drugs for the first time and become addicted.  While the list of reasons is infinite, there are several tell-tale signs you can look for if you suspect someone you love is using drugs.

Although some of the signs may vary depending of the drug used, this list, compiled by the American Council for Drug Education, includes several of the physical symptoms: loss of appetite; change in eating habits; unexplained weight gain; slowed walk; poor physical coordination; insomnia; red, watery eyes; unusual pupil size; blank stare; cold, sweaty palms; shaking, tremors; extreme over activity; runny nose; hacking cough;, needle marks on arms, legs or bottoms of feet; nausea, vomiting; puffy face; extreme blushing or paleness; and irregular heartbeat.

Physical changes are not the only signs to be watching for.  There are several behavioral changes to notice as well, including drop in grades, change in attitude or personality, change in friends, change in hobbies/interests, loss of interest in family, lack of motivation/energy, oversensitivity, moodiness, irritability, excessive desire for privacy, secretive behavior, stealing, care accidents, paranoia,  chronic dishonesty, unexplained need for money or stealing, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

If you recognize these symptoms in a loved one, don’t feel discouraged, there is hope.  The important thing is to act quickly.  The sooner the addiction is dealt with, the better the chance of a full recovery.  One of the first steps is locating an addiction treatment center that will meet the specific needs of your loved one; what types of addiction treatment or dual diagnosis treatment do they offer?  After gathering all of the family and friends, you will want to stage an alcohol drug intervention.  Once in treatment provide a loving support system, the road to recovery is not easy but the destination is well worth it.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Drug Use is a post from: Turn Five

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Tensions dissolve as the expert hands of the Thai masseuses provide the much needed relief. I suddenly feel full of energy, rejuvenated and very carefree. This feeling is exactly how I should be feeling as I’m receiving a stress-release massage at one of the New Delhi four star hotels. After this, it will be time for me to receive a algae wrap. I’m taking a much needed break from my very stressful job. In fact, this is the kind of break which is kind of like a holiday in every sense of the word. It’s a time to take stock, to unwind and withdraw within. No shopping, no sightseeing, just relaxing.

Luckily, India has begun to offer many options and fortunately, many are now affordable. I’ve checked out place’s like the nature cure hospitals, these specialize in the Yogic Sciences and Naturopathy, or even Urlikanchan. I did spend some time at Jindal’s Institute of Naturopathy and was very impressed by its curative and intentional healing residential programmes. I could head to Kerala, which is full of Ayurvedic centers, or Kairali, which offers kayakalpa chikitsa and panchakarma. I might save up enough to leave the country and go to Badragaz, Switzerland for a few months or Bangkok, Thailand, both are also know for their spas and resorts,  but I like the spa where I’m at right now, being treated like a king.

I would like to visit some spa’s in the Himalaya’s for my next break, but I need to save up for that one. But, right now, I’m having such a lovely time in New Delhi and the only decisions that are giving me some troubles while I’m drinking my Golfer’s tonic, are which massage to sign up for next, the hot stone massage, a detox, or a holistic back massage. Then should I order the raw mango salad with or with out the cooked crab.

Massage in New Delhi is a post from: Turn Five

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For those undergoing the often intense treatment after an alcohol abuse intervention, art therapy can often provide patients with an outlet for their frustrations.  Art therapy is a productive way of helping those suffering from drug abuse to help themselves.  It is an excellent addition to any treatment a patient is undergoing and often helps them to express themselves and the problems that originally caused their addiction in the first place.  If a family cares enough about a family member suffering from alcoholism, suggesting art therapy as part of the rehabilitation during an alcohol abuse intervention is a perfect way of showing how diverse and helpful treatment can be.

How many kinds of art therapy are out there?  Numerous.  Coloring therapy is one of the most successful.  It allows a patient to get the well known benefits that meditation provides but which is often difficult to achieve, especially when suffering from addiction.  The actual point of focus of this kind of therapy is the coloring.  It allows the patient to hush the inner jabbering of his or her mind.  Thusly, more productive thought patterns can take place, ones that give the patient a chance to listen to their own thoughts of wisdom about curing themselves through creativeness.

Not only is this kind of therapy immensely helpful, but it has been found a productive treatment for people from every age bracket.  It helps to enhance their skills of coping with addiction with an activity that is also enjoyable.

Other treatments during residential drug treatment include creative recovery, which uses journaling.  Journaling, like coloring therapy, also helps to focus patient minds, but without the arduous process of learning meditation.  It is a relaxing way exploring how the patient is feeling and also can help doctors to track their psychological recovery from drug addiction.

Depth hypnosis along with a performance arts based therapy can also offer dramatic results.  Depth hypnosis is a procedure that uses a kind of hypnotherapy, drawing its influences from regular mediation techniques to the techniques of shamans.  The results  support an increase in the health of the patient, not only physically but also psychologically.

In fact, the American Art Therapy shows the great possibilities available through the previously described alternative therapies.  Scientific studies show an immense improvement in those in drug rehab that also integrates art therapies into their treatment plan.  Another organization includes the national Coalition of Arts Therapies Associations which can give families looking to help their loved ones who are addicts more information on how best to suggest different therapies and what will work best for their family member.

Addiction Rehab and Art Therapy Complement Each Other is a post from: Turn Five

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Medical tourism, sometimes called medical travel or health tourism is a growing trend.

The term refers to traveling abroad to receive medical care instead of staying in your home country. Patients do this mostly because the cost of the medical care is significantly less expensive then it would be if they had a procedure in their country.

About fifty countries now list medical tourism as one of their national industries. Most people leaving their country to receive medical care are doing so because they need procedures that are seen as more elective and not necessity.

These procedures include things like: dental surgery, knee and joint replacement, dental surgery and cosmetic surgery.

Wait times for procedures and costs are driving patients to have things like weight loss surgery abroad. Americans are especially flocking to Mexico to have weight loss surgery because the cost is much lower than having a comparable surgery in the United States.

Gastric bypass Mexico based surgery can be a lot cheaper and patients can recover on the beach. Lap band surgery in Mexico can cost almost half as much as it would in the United States.

However, patients should always look into the doctors and hospitals that they choose to have their procedure with. That is the case no matter where you have your surgery. In your home country or abroad check out the credentials of your physician.

You may even find that there are many doctors abroad who have been trained and held their residencies in the United States.

Surgery is an important and risky thing to consider no matter where you have it. Do proper research and consult doctors at home before you decide to have a procedure. You want to be a well-informed patient. And when it comes to your health, it’s always important to be out spoken and informed.

The medical tourism trend is a post from: Turn Five

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India has many traditional cultural and religious aspects to its current society. Hinduism is a prominent religion in India, though there are many diverse philosophies and practices that can be associated to it. The philosophy of ahimsa is an important aspect of Hinduism and also Buddhism, with a primary foundation of non-violence and non-killing. It is prescribed as part of the first step in the regeneration and spiritual evolution of humans, which is to eliminate cruelty and a bestial nature. The practicing of the ahimsa tenets brings one into a state of love, peace and acceptance. Tourists who are visiting India and staying in one of the four star hotels Bangalore may investigate this and other cultural practices as part of their vacation experience.

The non-injury aspect of ahimsa is part of a cosmic love status and recommends a complete abstinence from harming any living creature by thought, word or action. Many superficial practitioners simply reduce their physically destructive behavior, without incorporating a peace and kindness core into their being. True practitioners must resist the temptation to hate, resent and otherwise carry destructive thoughts toward others. One of the benefits to reluctant practitioners is that it is believed that every negative thought and deed has harmful karmic consequence. Mahatma Gandhi applied this philosophy to politics and efforts for social change.

While there are different Hindu texts that relate to meat consumption and animal sacrifice, true ahimsa indicates a vegetarian lifestyle. This is because it would preclude the violent hunting and butchery of such animals. In addition, many Hindu texts do not make a strong distinction between human and non-human souls. Meanwhile some texts describe the benefits of meat eating, while they do not address the means to which it is acquired. Also, some medical texts refer to the potential health benefits of vegetarianism without making reference to the spiritual aspects. Ultimately, the process of practicing ahimsa leads the individual to be released from the cycle of reincarnation.

Ahimsa is a post from: Turn Five

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is known throughout the world as Mahatma Gandhi. He was born in October of 1869 and would become one of the greatest politicians and spiritual leaders the country has known. He is also recognized internationally as a great advocate for peace and equally. Gandhi was a primary leader of the Indian Independence Movement and is considered to be a pioneer of satyagraha, which is a non-violent form of political resistance. He is most famous for his long fasts, which were intended for both self-purification and also as a form of resistance. Tourists who are staying in one of the four star hotels in Delhi will certainly encounter one or many memorials to this great leader.

Gandhi’s form of political resistance called for mass social disobedience to fight back against tyranny. His protest work in India led to numerous protest marches and civil rights campaigns across the world. His ideas were firmly routed in ahimsa, which among other things emphasizes a resistance to violence. Ahimsa also instructs adherents to practice honesty and to live modestly. Gandhi was true to this philosophy and swore to always tell the truth. He also lived in a small self-sustaining residential community. He was a vegetarian and wore the traditional Indian dhoti with shawl, which he hand spun on a charkha.

In 1921 Gandhi become the leader of the Indian National Congress. He immediately began work to ease poverty and advocate for the civil rights of women. He led a nation wide campaign advocating Swaraj, which means the independence of India from foreign domination. One of his early and most famous protests occurred in 1922 when he led a non-cooperation movement protesting the British imposed salt tax. He also called for complete British departure in 1942 in the British Quit movement. Gandhi is officially recognized and honored as the Father of the Nation. His birthday, October 2, is commemorated as the national holiday, Gandhi Jayanti. This day is also celebrated world wide as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Mahatma Gandhi is a post from: Turn Five

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Parents indicate that the media, particularly TV, is influential in helping them take a more active role with their teenagers regarding drugs and alcohol. The Partnership/MetLife Foundation Parents Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) reveals a strong increase in parental awareness.

In 2008, 70 percent of parents surveyed reported that something portrayed in the media prompted a conversation with their child about drugs or alcohol, and 64 percent specified that they were motivated to start a discussion by seeing something drug-related on television.

This represents a significant increase from 2007, when 63 percent and 57 percent of parents, respectively, reported the media in general or television specifically as a cue to talk to teens about substance abuse.

The PATS data also revealed that more parents are prompted to address teen drug or alcohol use before special events, like graduation, and at key transition times when teens are most vulnerable, including starting a new grade or moving into middle or high school.

Significantly more parents in 2008 (27 percent) versus 2007 (20 percent) talked to their child or teen as they were preparing to enter a new grade in school, and nearly 30 percent of parents in 2008 used special occasions including prom and graduation as an opportunity to have the conversation, up from just 18 percent in 2007.

“As parents feel more confident talking with their kids about the risks of drug and alcohol use, it is crucial for them to capitalize on opportunities to keep the conversation going,” said Dennis White, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation. “Parents and caregivers can use ‘teachable moments,’ such as a relevant local news story or a show featuring a drug topic, as a natural conversation starter.”

Teen drug rehab or teen drug treatment centers have programs to help parents and their teenagers deal with the issues of drug and alcohol abuse that require drug rehab.

Study Indicates TV Prompts Parents to Act is a post from: Turn Five

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Rock drummers work hard…very hard. In fact they require the stamina of top athletes. New research out of the Chichester University and the University of Gloucestershire in England showed that 90 minutes if drumming can raise the heart rate to 190 beats per minute which is comparable to levels achieved by top athletes. This equates to burning 400 – 600 calories in an hour. Rock concerts usually take place in venues that are hot and humid which makes conditions more extreme.

It has been suggested that this could be an alternative exercise regime for overweight youngsters who are not interested in sports.

While top athletes may perform once or twice per week – often drummers who are on tour perform every night!! This means that they have to have outstanding levels of fitness and stamina. Playing drums can be very challenging!

Rock Drummers = Top Athletes is a post from: Turn Five

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