I have spent twenty-three years as an Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor. My latest novel Tomorrow is August 12th follows the life of a Drug Counselor. Opioid addiction is so terrifying in our society right now. I have seen it rise so very quickly over the last few years. Below is an interesting article about overcoming these horrifying drugs.
Overcoming Opioids: The quest for less addictive drugs. Tummy tucks really hurt. Doctors carve from hip to hip, slicing off skin, tightening muscles, tugging at innards. Patients often need strong painkillers for days or even weeks, but Mary Hernandez went home on just over-the-counter ibuprofen. The reason may be the yellowish goo smeared on her 18-inch wound as she lay on the operating table. The Houston woman was helping test a novel medicine aimed at avoiding opioids, potent pain relievers fueling an epidemic of overuse and addiction. Vicodin, OxyContin and similar drugs are widely used for bad backs, severe arthritis, damaged nerves and other woes. They work powerfully in brain areas that control pleasure and pain, but the body adapts to them quickly, so people need higher and higher doses to get relief. This growing dependence on opioids has mushroomed into a national health crisis, ripping apart communities and straining police and health departments. Every day, an overdose of prescription opioids or heroin kills 91 people, and legions more are brought back from the brink of death. With some 2 million Americans hooked on these pills, evidence is growing that they're not as good a choice for treating chronic pain as once thought. Drug companies are working on alternatives, but have had little success. Twenty or so years ago, they invested heavily and "failed miserably," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Pain is a pain to research. Some people bear more than others, and success can't be measured as objectively as it can be with medicines that shrink a tumor or clear an infection. Some new pain drugs that worked well were doomed by side effects — Vioxx, for instance, helped arthritis but hurt hearts. Some fresh approaches are giving hope: —"Bespoke" drugs, as Volkow calls them. These target specific pathways and types of pain rather than acting broadly in the brain. One is Enbrel, which treats a key feature of rheumatoid arthritis and, in the process, eases pain. —Drugs to prevent the need for opioids. One that Hernandez was helping test numbs a wound for a few days and curbs inflammation. If people don't have big pain after surgery, their nerves don't go on high alert and there's less chance of developing chronic pain that might require opioids. —Funky new sources for medicines. In testing: Drugs from silk, hot chili peppers and the venom of snakes, snails and other critters. —Novel uses for existing drugs. Some seizure and depression medicines, for example, can help some types of pain. The biggest need, however, is for completely new medicines that can be used by lots of people for lots of problems. These also pose the most risk — for companies and patients alike. ONE DRUG'S BUMPY ROAD In the early 2000s, a small biotech company had a big idea: blocking nerve growth factor, a protein made in response to pain. The company's drug, now called tanezumab (tah-NAZE-uh-mab), works on outlying nerves, helping to keep pain signals from muscles, skin and organs from reaching the spinal cord and brain — good for treating arthritis and bad backs. Pfizer Inc. bought the firm in 2006 and expanded testing. But in 2010, some people on tanezumab and similar drugs being tested by rivals needed joint replacements. Besides dulling pain, nerve growth factor may affect joint repair and regeneration, so a possible safety issue needed full investigation in a medicine that would be the first of its type ever sold, said one independent expert, Dr. Jianguo Cheng, a Cleveland Clinic pain specialist and science chief for the American Academy of Pain Medicine. Regulators put some of the studies on hold. Suddenly, some people who had been doing well on tanezumab lost access to it. Phyllis Leis in Waterfall, a small town in south-central Pennsylvania, was one. "I was so angry," she said. "That was like a miracle drug. It really was. Unless you have arthritis in your knees and have trouble walking, you'll never understand how much relief and what a godsend it was." Her doctor, Alan Kivitz of Altoona Center for Clinical Research, has helped run hundreds of pain studies and consults for Pfizer and many other companies. "You rarely get people to feel that good" as many of them did on the nerve growth factor drugs, he said. A drug with that much early promise is unusual, said Ken Verburg, who has led Pfizer's pain research for several decades. "When you do see one, you fight hard to try to bring one to the market," he said. An independent review ultimately tied just a few serious joint problems to tanezumab and the suspension on testing was lifted in August 2012. But a new issue — nervous system effects in some animal studies — prompted a second hold later that year, and that wasn't lifted until 2015. Now Eli Lilly & Co. has joined Pfizer in testing tanezumab in late-stage studies with 7,000 patients. Results are expected late next year — about 17 years after the drug's conception. AVOIDING PAIN TO AVOID DRUGS What if a drug could keep people from needing long-term pain relief in the first place? Heron Therapeutics Inc. is testing a novel, long-acting version of two drugs — the anesthetic bupivacaine and the anti-inflammatory meloxicam — for notoriously painful operations like tummy tucks, bunion removal and hernia repair. Company studies suggest it can numb wounds for about three days and cut patients' need for opioids by 30 to 50 percent. There's a good chance of preventing brain responses that lead to chronic pain if patients can get through that "initially very rough period," said Dr. Harold Minkowitz, a Houston anesthesiologist who consults for Heron and treated Hernandez in the tummy tuck study. Hernandez was part of an experiment testing the drug versus a placebo and doesn't know whether she got the drug or a dummy medicine. But she hurt less than she expected to and never filled a prescription for pain pills. "The goal would be to have half or more of patients not requiring an opiate after they go home," said Heron's chief executive, Barry Quart. "You have far fewer opiates going out into society, far fewer opiates sitting in medicine cabinets that make their way to a high school." Studies so far are mid-stage — too small to prove safety and effectiveness — but Heron plans more aimed at winning approval. ON THE HORIZON Many companies have their eyes on sodium channel blockers, which affect how nerves talk to each other and thus might help various types of pain. Others are testing cell therapies for nerve pain. Stem cells can modulate immune responses and inflammation, and may "overcome a raft of problems," said Cheng of the pain medicine academy. Some companies, including Samumed, Centrexion Therapeutics and Flexion Therapeutics, are testing long-acting medicines to inject in knees to relieve arthritis pain. Samumed's aims to regenerate cartilage. And then there's marijuana. A cannabis extract is sold as a mouth spray in Britain for nerve pain and other problems from multiple sclerosis. But cannabinoid research in the U.S. has been hampered by marijuana's legal status. A special license is needed and most researchers don't even try to obtain one, said Susan Ingram, a neurosurgery scientist at Oregon Health & Science University. She is studying cannabinoid receptors in the brain, looking at how pain affects one type but not another. Such work might someday lead to drugs that relieve pain but don't produce a high or addiction. Selective activity has precedent: The drug buprenorphine partially binds to opioid receptors in the brain and has become "an extraordinarily successful medication" for treating addiction, said Volkow, of the national drug institute. "It has shown pharmaceutical companies that if you come up with a good intervention, there is an opportunity to recover their costs," she said. By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Chief Medical Writer
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Today I am honored to welcome a guest blogger to my site. Her name is Lucy Adams and she has written this blog on How to read effectively. How to Read Effectively Do you know how to read productively, just like the best scientists and writers do? If you don’t, this article is just for you! The development of the Internet has accustomed us to process large amounts of data quickly and superficially. We often "slide" through web pages, taking only the main ideas and considering that we got the core and the truth, and after a while wondering why we forgot everything we read. So how to read efficiently and memorize information to the smallest detail? Let’s dig deeper along with Lucy Adams, a blogger from buzzessay, a service to pay for essays. #1 Determine the Purpose of Reading What do you want – to remember facts, to understand the process or to answer the burning questions? Although such goal setting will not work for art literature, which we usually read for pleasure, by using it, you’ll be able to remember the necessary information from nonfiction texts better and thus save time, as you will clearly know what you are looking for. #2 Read Thoughtfully and Create an Appropriate Atmosphere According to experts, the more you are involved in the reading process, the more information you can remember. It is not necessary to make detailed notes about the book – a few notes on the margins will be enough to fix in memory the right moments and restore what you have read. Another trick is connected to the atmosphere. Imagine that you are incredibly lucky, and someone very successful wants to be your mentor, a personal business coach who will save you from a tremendous number of mistakes and missteps on your way to success (the mistakes that all of your friends, acquaintances, and competitors that do not have such powerful support will make)! Before start reading a new book written, for example, by a major entrepreneur, imagine this outstanding person sitting against you in the room, face to face. Imagine that for the time of reading, he/she is your personal coach. Yes, internationally recognized authority shares his personal experiences, the accumulation of which took him decades! So please don’t miss this unique chance! Reading this way, you will be amazed of by how much the material will become more informative, interesting, and exciting. Reading a book by Donald Trump? Great! Imagine how he postponed all his work, sat down in a plush armchair at arm's length from you, and calmly shares his wisdom, thoughts, and ideas. #3 Be Selective Not all books deserve your time. Take a closer look at what you’re going to read. Take a small amount of time to read the annotation, reviews, and recommendations. In every profession, there are recognized authorities whose advice has helped many become successful. Focus on the authors that reached a certain degree of success. #4 Use SQ3R Method This is one of the most time-consuming techniques, but it ideally fits those who need to learn or memorize large amounts of information, for example, when preparing for a major presentation. This method was introduced in 1946 by Francis Robinson. Its name is an acronym of English words: survey, question, read, recite, and review.
These five tips may seem too complicated. If so, try to answer the following question: What kind of person will you be most interested in – a superficial that judges things without a reason or an in-depth capable of various types of analysis and understanding the relationship of different phenomena? Someone who’s not hurrying to make a conclusion based on first impression, the one that does want to understand the issue and then make decisions? And now choose the type from the two above that you want to cultivate in yourself! Any activity, no matter what you do, requires deep understanding. And this you can learn by reading books according to the tips above. The habit of a serious and deep study of the various issues will help you to build a strong base for a successful life path. Bio: Lucy Adams is an outsourcer from Buzzessay. She’s a writer who never refuses to conduct research on intriguing topics. Lucy is always in touch so that you can expect a fast answer to your each and every request. Feel free to share what you have in mind and be sure, soon you’ll get a high-quality piece at no cost! John Csiszar
If you plan on traveling to a country with a different currency, you'll have to figure out the most efficient way to convert your U.S. dollars into the local currency. You should expect to pay at least something for the conversion. However, as with most things, some methods of conversion will cost you more than others. Click through to find out the best ways to convert your money — and keep stress and fees to a minimum. Read more: www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tips/going-abroad-15-smart-ways-to-travel-with-money/ss-BBA6FnY?li=BBnbklE#image=1 John Csiszar We've all met this type of person who attracts everybody in the room. Everyone wants to be in their company, and their magnetic personalities just draw you in. But what exactly makes him or her so irresistible? For one, they love people and know how to make anyone feel at ease. They have an energy to them that's contagious and a personality that's very difficult to dislike. It's not all about their inner qualities, however. There are also habits that irresistible people don't break that add to their already lovable selves. Here are 10 things they always do.
1. They smile: People want to be around them because of the warmth they give off. Irresistible people love being around others and welcome anyone with open arms. Their inviting smile initially hooks company and keeps them. 2..They make sure to be friendly but never fake: Nobody likes a disingenuous person, and they know that. They're great with people and hardly have any enemies because they keep it real. Others appreciate this about them and therefore want to be around them. 3. They listen with intent: They show they're engaged in the conversation by asking questions and with their body language. The speaker never has to talk over them, and they feel comfortable opening up. Irresistible people prove they're great listeners by bringing up certain tidbits in future conversations. 4. They treat everyone with kindness and respect: This is a rule they follow without exception. The reason they're so liked is because they don't give you a reason to not. Someone with a great personality and other amiable qualities is still unlikable if they're selectively nice. 5. They don't allow negativity: This means they don't gossip or badmouth others behind their back. They don't surround themselves with those who bring them or others down, and they try to ease the situation if they detect any tension. 6. They show more than they tell: Irresistible people aren't the type to show off or to be all talk. They can be confident without being cocky and understand the importance of humility. They back up their words with actions and don't feel the need to prove themselves. 7. They touch: They reinforce their interest in conversations and in people with friendly touches. They're not afraid to show affection or friendliness through physical interaction, which has a positive effect on those they're with. 8. They easily adapt to the situation: A reason they're so liked is because they can thrive in any scenario. They know how to show enthusiasm while not being overbearing and are flexible depending on who they're with and where. 9. They keep it light: They don't take things too seriously and know how to take a joke. They're not easily offended by others, and even when they are, they don't pass judgment. They know how to have fun while remaining respectful and within boundaries 10. They maintain relationships, and they don't burn bridges: What makes irresistible people irresistible is the fact that they maintain the connections they make. They don't make short-term friends. Instead, they continue to show effort in friendships and relationships in order to make them last. Everyone's got a story about how they thought a certain friend was mean the first time they met, but realized later that he or she is actually the nicest person ever.
Generally, you've only got a few seconds to make someone want to spend more time with you. Everything matters - from your last name to the smell of your sweat (gross, we know). Business Insider rounded up various scientific findings on the traits and behaviors that make people dislike you, both online and in person. Read further goo.gl/yK19de |
AuthorKeith Kelly currently lives in Rio Rancho New Mexico. Archives
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