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Introduction to the Respiratory System

The respiratory system functions as a gas exchange that help us breathe. It is made up of organs in the body that delivers oxygen and takes away carbon dioxide. We cannot survive without oxygen and we cannot live if our breathing stops. This makes the respiratory system the essential part of human body and other living creatures.

The respiratory system is responsible for gaseous exchanges that help us breathe. It is situated in the thorax between the alveoli and the capillaries. The anatomy of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide vary depending on the organism.

The respiratory system involves different functions in the body that generally aids in the entire respiration process in order for us to breathe easily. First is the ventilation process in which clean air is inhaled and old air is exhaled. Lungs are ventilated by the muscles of respiration.

The autonomic nervous system controls ventilation. There is an area in the brain that forms a respiration regulatory center (interconnected brain cells) which manages respiratory movements.

Inhalation is the movement of air from the external environment through the air ways and into the alveoli. It begins by the contraction of the diaphragm, the main driver of inhalation in normal conditions. It is sustained by external intercostal muscles. However, the muscles of respiration aid in the expansion and support, particularly during respiratory failure. Lastly, the air is filtered and warmed and then it flows to the lungs.

Air is exhaled out during this process. It is done by the abdominal and internal intercostal muscles. Air flows out until the pressure reaches its balance in the chest and the atmosphere.

Circulation is the process that moves substances to and from the cells. It begins with the pumping of blood from the right ventricle (one of the four chambers in the heart) to the pulmonary valve (maintains unidirectional flow of blood in the heart) and into the pulmonary arteries (carry blood from heart to the lungs). The vessels go with the airways and undergo several branching. Blood goes back into the heart once the gas exchange is complete.

Gas exchange is the main function of the respiratory system. It evolves between the external environment and the circulatory system of an organism. Gas exchange occurs at the alveoli (tiny sacs). The oxygen molecules and the carbon dioxide exchanged by diffusion (transport of molecules from one region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration in a random molecular motion).

Division and Parts

Respiration is the process of breathing in and out of the entire functioning system. It is subdivided based on the anatomical features of a certain organism. There is the upper respiratory tract and lower respiratory tract. Upper respiratory tract includes the nasal passages, the larynx and the pharynx. The lower part consists of the trachea, bronchi and the lungs. It can also be divided into functional or physiological zones. Thus, the conducting zone transports gas from the outside atmosphere. The transitional and respiratory zones functions at the alveolar region where gas exchange occurs.

Air intake initially takes place in the nasal passages through the pharynx (canal leading to esophagus) and the larynx (an organ in the neck that involved in protection of the trachea and sound production). It will then pass through the lower airways like the trachea or windpipe. It filters the air as we breathe and goes to the bronchi. The two air tubes in the bronchi branches off and conducts air into the lungs.

The main part of the respiratory system is the lungs located in your chest. It is protected by your rib cage that connects to the spine. These bones go around the lungs to protect it. The two lungs are responsible in taking in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide. The red blood cells deliver oxygen into the entire body and picking up waste gas produced by body cells. The diaphragm helps the lungs to inhale and exhale. It is a domed-shaped muscle that contracts and flattens to allow the ribcage to move up and out.

Other animals and plants have simple and different anatomical features. It is very essential to life. We breathe everyday without thinking about it. It is better to always keep our entire respiratory system healthy to work properly.

For more information on Human Anatomy and Biology Guide and Cardiovascular System.Please visit our website.

How to Keep Your Pet From Trashing Your Home

I’m quite sure all pet owners would agree that while having pets is a blessing, it can also be a challenge, more so when pets are young or have an interesting way to express frustration, anger, or even jealousy, among many things. Yet, in spite of the fact we love them with all our hearts, getting home and seeing your brand new stiletto heels in pieces and dripping with doggy drool, is just not ok. Neither is finding your prized collection of antique knickknacks shattered on the floor or putting up with the embarrassment when your crotch-sniffing pooch attacks yet another guest. No matter how cute they are, some things are simply too hard to handle. Though however hard it may be, do not despair; not all hope is lost. There are things we can do to help our beloved pets fight their urge to destroy, chew, and plunder. Here are some tips to help you identify possible reasons for their behaviour.

1.Understand Your Pet’s Nature

Dogs for instance are direct descendants of wolves and have their ancestor’s strict code of social hierarchy; leadership is crucial to survive. If leadership signals from their owners are not clear, dogs can quickly take over the role as pack leader to rule you. In the case of cats, “scent marking” could be due to your cat not being castrated. He may need to be house-trained to learn to use the litter tray. Another example is cats don’t like surprises. Owners must ensure that they do not surprise their cats. The surprise may be anything, like suddenly taking away their food while they’re eating. A surprised cat may become very angry and attack any and everyone.

2. They Could Be Reacting to Something You Are or Are Not Doing

Cats start to spray both inside and outside the house for lots of different reasons. For instance, cystitis may cause the cat to strain and release small amounts of urine all over the home. A dirty litter tray can also cause a cat to spray or urinate elsewhere. Cats do like a clean, natural habitat and, like all pets, they need lots of human contact. Dogs often misbehave because they are bored and lacking stimulation or exercise. Since they are intelligent they need mental stimulation just like we do. Set aside some time every day to play with him. Take him on walks so he can explore and socialize. When you aren’t there, give him toys that stimulate him, like the toys that hold treats and require some effort to get them out.

Animal “misbehavior” is merely a communication system. It is their way of telling us something’s out of balance. Taking appropriate action to bring our lives into harmony creates the change of behavior in the animal. It’s even possible you have been encouraging and even rewarding their misbehaviour without knowing it. Having a pet is as much of a responsibility as it is a joy. Pet owners should know the likes, dislikes, and the temperament of their pets well before opting for a pet. In fact, different pets are suitable for different types of people depending on their lifestyles.

Check out some fantastic Pet Gadgets, things that will surely keep yout pet out of mischief.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day!

Andrea V. Smith is an specialist from http://www.petgadgets.com. Articles, pieces of advice, toys, and anything you might need for your pet. If you love your fury friend, then you know what’s best for him. Everything they might ever need: PetGadgets.

Intonation and Meaning, A Quick Grasp For Foreign Speakers

Intonation is one of the most important aspects to master if we want to understand and reproduce native-like spoken English. It constitutes one of the key elements that will help us understand that feared fast-talking every foreign student claims to have a hard time decoding. Here is one important piece of information that will help us unravel what seems to puzzle every non native speaker. The thing is that intonation is a distinctive feature of every language.

There are three faces to thoroughly understanding language. Grammar is one face, semantics is another and phonetics the final one. Intonation refers to the semantic side of language. So, it is easy to conclude that even though a student might have a fairly broad knowledge of the English vocabulary, and even in the case he gets to build fairly decent grammatically correct structures, if he lacks the proper domain of intonation, he will never thoroughly master the English language.

Let us try the following simple exercise. Take a sentence like “I am not walking to school tomorrow”.

1. The normal intonation would be achieved by stressing the word “school”. This is only one of the many options. It constitutes a simple assertive sentence, a piece of information, regarding to what I am planning to do tomorrow.

2. Try placing the stress on “walking”. Now the meaning has changed. I am opposing “walking” to other means of transportation. For instance, I plan to ride my bike to school tomorrow. So the whole paragraph might be “I am not walking to school tomorrow, I’ll ride my bike”.

3. Now place the stress on I: “I am not walking to school tomorrow”. In this case, the difference is established on who is walking to school tomorrow. For example: “I am not walking to school tomorrow, Peter is.”

4. Finally, stress the word “school”, i.e: “I am not walking to school tomorrow”. The idea might be completed like this “…but I am walking to my gym class”.

As you see, it is a very simple exercise that will allow you to provide with broader and correct meaning to your sentences.

Another aspect to consider is falling or rising intonation to the sentences. Let’s give it a try to “I do” -don’t get too excited, I am not planning to walk you down the isle. “I do”, with a falling intonation states a simple truth, is an declarative sentence, a statement. Whereas “I do”, with a rising intonation constitutes a question, a response given in disbelief, awe or surprise. “I do?, don’t be a fool, you know better than that!”

Structures known as question tags also have a distinct intonation. Unlike simple questions, that carry a rising intonation, question tags mimic a question, when they are only emphasizers, seeking confirmation of the listener. For example: “That is you wife, isn’t she?” This means, I have a high suspicion that that beauty over there is your wife, because of the way she looks at you, etc. I am only seeking confirmation on your part. In consequence, question tags never carry a rising intonation.

Andrea V. Smith is an specialist on English for foreign students. When starting to learn English at an ESL school, you are not starting from scratch; you already know the concepts from your mother tongue. You just need to change your habits and learn to express those concepts in different arrangements and new sentences.

How Important is Intonation in Regards to Accent Neutralization?

The answer to this question is plain and simple: very, if not the most important thing. You see, English is a stressed language as opposed to others that are considered syllabic languages. It means that stress is what carries most of the meaning in spoken language, rather than syllables. There is a very practical way of getting to understand this. Get hold of any phonetic transcript, that is to say, check a phonetic book, where you may find a whole paragraph or even longer extensions transcribed into the International Phonetic Alphabet. If you could lay your hands on a tape with the oral version of the text in question, so much the better.

Though you might get bewildered at first, take each sentence at a time and try to analyze it. You will notice only few syllables carry actual vowel sound, the rest have that undefined sound called “Schwa”. Here it is how it is most often represented:

Now, take a second look: it all makes sense. Only the stressed syllables carry a different, distinctive sound, all the rest reduces to schwa. At this point it is important to make a distinction between content words -stressed words that carry the actual meaning of a sentence, mostly nouns, adjective and verbs-, and function words. Function words are connectives, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, conjunction, pronouns, mostly single-syllabic words. These words, function words, never, and this cannot be stressed enough, never carry any other vowel sound than our friend, the Schwa sound.

A bit too radical for you? Not really, just give it a try. Now focus your attention to the consonants, and take a closer look. Try to differentiate the different consonant sounds and variations. Is it the same /b/ when it is at the beginning of a sentence or stressed word, between voiced sounds, ie.: between vowels, or at the end of sentence or stressed word?

Now, a little game. Take any of the sentences of the text in question. Now read it out loud, but instead of using traditional vowels, use the Schwa sound every time. If you can provide the correct pattern of intonation and accentuation, I can assure to you, it will sound really close to native American English.

We have to conclude that excessive vowel differentiation is one of the most noticeable foreign marks you may encounter in oral English.

Another mini game, try these two sentences:

a- I can do it

b- I can’t do it

Pretty much the same, right? Only a letter and apostrophe of difference. Nevertheless, their intonation is radically different. “I can do it” carries the main stress on “do”, whereas “I can’t do it” carries the main stress weight on “can’t”. Really illustrative, don’t you think so?

Examples like this multiply in every day conversation. Meaning is primarily carried by intonation and not vowel differentiation. Give it a try. Though at first it might sound to you as a little exaggerated, once you pay close attention to colloquial English -not declamatory English or poetry, for instance, just people talking, you will notice most sounds are actually the Schwa sound. Master this, and the door will be opened to let you into a more advanced stage in your domain of the English language.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to your friends. Have a great day!”

Don’t forget to visit my ESL blog.

Andrea V. Smith is an specialist on English for foreign students. When starting to learn English at an ESL school, you are not starting from scratch; you already know the concepts from your mother tongue. You just need to change your habits and learn to express those concepts in different arrangements and new sentences.

Is E-learning a New Concept For Schools?

In today’s technologically driven world, children’s futures are no longer shaped by only their ability to learn such basics as reading, writing, science, and math. High tech learning must be achieved in order to ensure children have every opportunity to succeed as adults. Now, e-learning is becoming an important part of the classroom for many schools. However, more schools need to implement e-learning into their educational programs.

E-learning in schools can include a number of different types of technology-enhanced learning (TEL), where technology is utilized to support and enhance the learning process. When a teacher incorporates e-Learning into their classroom, children of all ages have access to the most current and best e-learning material in such study areas as math, science, and reading. Programs are designed and developed by leading e-learning providers and qualified instructional designers, and reviewed by Educational professionals. Schools can incorporate online courses into their curriculum. Quality e-learning programs are designed to engage children at an appropriate level where they can obtain a wealth of knowledge.

E-Learning lessons are commonly designed to assist students with working through information for better understanding and to help students perform specific functions. Information based e-Learning content communicates information to the student. For instance, content such as math, sciences, and history, focus on the factual information. With performance functions, lessons include the students performing a specific skill.

E-Learning can provide a number of benefits for students, teachers, and parents. It can provide a quality education at an affordable price. The students will acquire the best information from experts in the field they are studying. E-learning is also self-paced so students have the chance to ask questions and review information as many times as they want or need. Teachers can work with their students on specific skills and children can access the self-paced programs independently.

E-learning programs allow students in rural areas that may be isolated to receive the same quality of information as more urban areas. Teachers can customize courses to meet the students and their teaching needs. They can also meet online with other teachers to discuss learning development strategies. Parents will also be encouraged to get more involved in their children’s education. Corporations can also make use of e-learning by providing charitable donations to the schools such as computers and learning software.

E-Learning is basically Internet-facilitated learning. Mechanisms can include the distribution of content in numerous formats, as well as an online community of learners, subject matter developers, and knowledgeable experts. E-learning provides faster learning at reduced costs, increased access to innovative learning programs, and accountability for all those involved in the learning process.

More school boards are choosing to participate in e-learning programs. When they participate, they will have access to thousands of resources as well as valuable software programs designed to help students learn. With the world moving to a technology based way of working and living, the importance of e-learning has never been more important for both very young children and teens. Education must adapt to a technology changing world.

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Advantages When Students Use High Tech at School

As computer, Internet, and other technologies advance, they are playing a major role in our daily lives. They are now a part of our work lives and we use it at home for financial reasons, acquiring news stories, research and education, and communicating with friends and families. It is playing more of a significant role in our lives.

These high-tech tools are important for children to learn and use. Technology is a doorway to education and job skills. The necessity of learning and understanding emerging technologies has resulted in the need to offer it in schools.

The advantages of using high tech devices and learning in schools include:

1. Because of the internet, students now have an abundance of knowledge at their finger tips. It is no longer textbooks that teach children. The internet offers a host of knowledge resources to help children learn. The Internet also has an abundance of interactive programs that can be downloaded or used online that will help children improve their reading, language, math, science, and other course skills, There are games and exercises appropriate for any age. They can help assess a child’s level of learning and understanding as well as identify any learning weaknesses. The high tech tools can also help with memory and hand/eye coordination.

2. There is also an increasingly more of a need for more high school graduates to major in high-technology related fields when they enter college. Many jobs now involve high tech tools. Preparing a child for a productive future will greatly improve the chances of them acquiring a rewarding and lucrative career

3. Students that learn about high-tech tools in a hands-on way will help them overcome any insecurity that they may have about advanced technology. It will show them that high tech is something to be embraced, not feared.

4. New high tech tools in such areas as science provides students with new ways of experimenting and observing in more detailed and graphic ways. For example, this will help improve their overall understanding because the students can remotely control microscopes at laboratories that may be thousands of miles away from the school and they can speak to experts in just about any field. The students will be more compelled to learn.

5. It can improve the skills needed for success on standardized tests. It helps with the development of critical and innovative thinking skills. They will learn not to regurgitate information, but to explain it in a more comprehensive way.

6. Studies have shown that technology-based learning environments have helped at-risk students overcome barriers and have contributed to increased success rates.

7. Technology enhances work projects through such processes as computer word processing, and creating charts, tables, and graphs. It will give them an insight into the work world.

Technology now touches almost every part of our lives, our communities, and our homes. Schools should take advantage of all that technology has to offer students in the areas of teaching and learning. High tech learning will help students acquire the skills they need to flourish in this highly technical knowledge-based economy.

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Review of the Cryptoclub

One of the holy grails of education is making math fun, without reducing its rigor. Many people attempt this task, but few succeed. I believe that Jannet Beissinger and Vera Pless are among the rare success stories with their book The Cryptoclub, Using Mathematics to Make and Break Secret Codes. This book follows a group of fictional middle-school children who form a code-breaking club. They start out with historically ancient and rather simple codes, and work their way through progressively more modern, difficult, and mathematically rigorous codes.

The Cryptoclub is not a full math curriculum that could be used on its own- there are many math concepts that children should learn in middle school that it does not touch on. Rather, it is a fabulous supplement to more traditional curriculums. Pattern recognition, probability, prime numbers, exponents, modular arithmetic, factoring, organizing data, and inverses are among the topics that the book explores in a meaningful and interesting way. Even more important, it gives young (or maybe not so young!) students an opportunity to practice rigorous critical thinking in a meaningful context. Code cracking is a great example of open-ended problems that require tenacity, organization, and creative thinking to solve.

The skills that this book teaches are similar to the skills on certain admissions tests. In particular, I use this book with my students who are preparing to take the Hunter College High School and Anderson School entrance exams. These tests may or may not contain actual code-cracking problems, but they always require students to tackle long, non-routine math problems. Another reason I like to use this book with Hunter College High School and Anderson School prep students is that both schools are astronomically difficult to get into (they are literally more selective than Harvard). With that in mind, it is important to me that my students get something valuable from their tutoring sessions whether they are admitted to the school of their choice or not. I believe that this book helps me meet that goal.

No book is perfect, and as much as I like The Cryptoclub, it does have its flaws. The story that links the characters various adventures in decoding is not very strong and a bit cheesy. It works well with 6th graders, but if I were using it with 8th graders or high school students I can imagine them being alienated by the book’s tone. I think it could still work, if a teacher acknowledged the kitsch, but it would require skill on the teacher’s part.

Another difficulty with the book is finding a place to use it. Although the book itself is relatively slim (just under 200 pages), working through the whole thing would be enormously time consuming. Even working through just a few chapters would take more time than most math teachers could spare. I can imagine it working well as the backbone of an after-school club or an elective class. One day, I hope to use it with a group of homeschoolers in the context of a supplemental math class. It is also possible for a motivated, intelligent student to use it on his or her own, although I suspect that few kids would get far with that approach.

The Cryptoclub is a textbook with extensive problems for kids to work through. There is also an accompanying workbook, which I don’t own. The workbook is a convenience rather than a necessity, as it simply repeats the questions from the textbook in a format that is more convenient for students to work with.

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Biology Regents Exam

The Biology Regents Exam, officially known as the Living Environment Regents Exam, is one of four science regents available to New York State students who are pursuing a regents diploma. The test itself consists of a multiple choice portion and a free-response portion. Although there isn’t a lab component, students must have completed at least 20 hours of lab work to be eligible to sit for the exam.

Students normally take the Biology Regents after one year of high school biology. Not surprisingly, the test covers the topics one would expect to find in an introductory, survey course in biology. Cell structure, genetics, evolution, ecology, and classification all make an appearance. Experimental design and data analysis are also important parts of the exam.

Merely passing the biology regents requires a grade of 65 and isn’t very difficult. In fact, it can be done with shockingly little actual knowledge of biology because a significant portion of the test consists of reading comprehension questions and questions that test students’ ability to create and understand graphs and charts. However, because of the comprehensive nature of the exam, doing very well does indicate that a student has attained a meaningful level of proficiency.

If a student fails the Biology Regents (or appears to be in danger of failure), there is usually an underlying problem that needs to be addressed, above and beyond that student’s knowledge of biology. Study habits, English language proficiency, basic literacy, learning disabilities, and commitment to school are possible problems to be considered. Possibly, the teacher’s performance should be looked into, as well.

One often-cited reason for not passing the biology regents is that the student was not allowed to take the test because he or she lacked sufficient lab hours. Unless the student was seriously ill during the school year, this almost certainly indicates a chronic problem with cutting class. If you are a parent and your child tells you that he or she wasn’t allowed to take the Biology Regents, you should look into the situation very carefully.

If your child is struggling in his or her biology class, it is important to find and address the cause sooner, rather than later. Parents should start by talking to their child about the class. Talking with the teacher, either in person or by phone, is usually the best second step. If the problem has behavioral roots (i.e., not paying attention in class, cutting class, or not doing homework) there is a lot that parents can do to help. Asking your child about the class every day, looking at his or her notebook and homework regularly, and staying in touch with the teacher are all useful. Setting clear goals and consequences is also a good idea. An example would be something like, “If you want to go out with your friends on Saturday, I need to see you spend at least 30 minutes every weekday evening on this class.” I prefer goals that relate to effort rather than results because a student who is used to failure may feel that good results are impossible to achieve, and therefore not try.

If the root of the problem is academic, then it is important to get appropriate help for the student. For example, if your child is having trouble in biology class because of a low reading level, you might want to look into after-school tutoring. Ideally, that tutoring should address literacy and biology together. In New York City, public schools should have at least some help available after school. Private tutoring can also be very helpful.

Sometimes, the problem is not with the child, it is with the class. Perhaps the teacher is not very competent or other students are so troubled that even the best teacher would be hard-pressed to do much more than classroom management. In either case, it is a sad situation, but a motivated student with reasonable skills could still look after his or her own interests and do well on the regents (and maybe even learn some biology).

If a class is useless, I recommend either a course of self-directed study, or study overseen by a tutor. As an aside, let me say that it is my opinion that self-directed study is sometimes needlessly dismissed. It is not always realistic, but it can work- I know this from personal experience. As an eighth grader, I recognized that my teacher was not competent and took charge of preparing myself for the Earth Science Regents. I passed with a score in the high 80s (with no adult help). For students who wish to study on their own, I recommend they start by first reading the textbook and answering the study questions included in it. Next, if they can talk about what they are learning with their parents, that would be very helpful. Finding relevant documentaries to watch and perhaps popular science books to read is also a nice supplement. In the month or two leading up to the exam, studying old regents exams is a very good idea.

Of course, this type of self-study is appropriate only for highly motivated students who are starting out with very solid academic skills. For other students, private tutoring can make all the difference. If you are seeking a tutor for this exam, you should look for someone with excellent references and a strong background in biology. After one or two lessons, your child should feel like he or she is really starting to learn a lot.

When studying for the Biology Regents Exam, it is important to remember that passing the test (while important) is not the main point. The main point should be to acquire a basic knowledge of life science, and the test provides a framework for people working towards this goal.

New York Academics offers Biology Tutoring and Living Environment Regents Prep. Please inquire about the availability of tutors for specific times, locations, and subjects.

Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, And Anna Nicole Smith: Death is the Prescription, How Many More?

Prescription drug abuse, which I term medical drug addiction, like all addictions including alcoholism, (addiction to ethyl alcohol), though more widely recognized nowadays, is still not widely understood. And of course, combining the abuse of prescription drugs, (obtained legally or not), with “street drugs”, maybe adding alcohol to the mix, though highly dangerous is commonplace too. My substance abuse Professor, James Crossen Ph/D, coined the generic term “Drugoholism” to cover all Chemical Dependency Issues, because though they have surface differences, most of the underlying downward spiraling progression process, towards ultimate destruction and death, is the same. Poly-substance Abuse is the technical term.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, nearly 7 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs, more than the numbers who are abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and ecstasy combined. The DEA says the number of painkiller addicts has nearly doubled from 2000, when 3.8 million Americans were hooked, Prescription and illegal drug overdose is the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. “Nearly all poisoning deaths in the United States are attributed to drugs,” according to the CDC, “and most drug poisonings result from the abuse of prescription and illegal drugs.” Prescription drug overdoses now kill more people than homicide.

How do we reconcile these facts with the continued over-prescription of these drugs, and the continuing high profile celebrity deaths, only the more visible tip of this massive iceberg? Compare the two following statements. “He was rocketed to stardom, but unable to handle the pressures of money and fame, he turned to drugs.” Or, “His career was going downhill, and unable to handle the pain of failure, he turned to drugs.” As a young man stated on the phone to me as a “hotline” counselor, “I only drink when I have problems.” I replied, “It seems to me that life is full of problems, so that means you will always be drinking!” Appalled silence on the other end, then a small voice, “I never thought about it like that.” Really!!

Similarly, “He is drinking because his wife died.” What about the majority whose wives have died, who are not? Mistaking effects for causes, and vice-versa, in the self-feeding reciprocating cycles of Drugoholism, is usual rather than an exception. “Often what happens is someone experiences discomfort, anxiety, or pain. They start being treated with medicine, and need more,” said Dr. Steven Juergens, an assistant clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Washington and a private addiction specialist in Bellevue, Washington. “They feel better when using the medication and often feel like “they need it,”” “I’m not an addict, I never took a drug to get high,” maintained Michael Jackson. Dr. Paul, another Psychiatrist, reports in his hilarious history of personal Drugoholism, titled “Doctor, Addict, Alcoholic,” “I never took a pill I didn’t have the symptom for.” From the book, “Alcoholics Anonymous.” Anyone who is in the position of refuting that they have a problem usually has one. By the time any question comes up, some kind of difficulty has usually begun. When was the last time your Sunday Church going, one sherry at Christmas Great Aunt Maude, had to disprove ideas she has might have a problem?

What is missing in most media reportage on celebrity addiction is that THE PERSON is the addict, and more specifically, the person’s choices have become dominated by addictive thinking. All chosen behavior is the result of thinking, so addiction is in the addict’s head, not in the pill or bottle in their hand. Recently I read on the web another hypnotherapist’s statement, “After twenty five years of practice, my observation is that addiction is 10% physical and 90% psychological.” Otherwise those leaving incarceration, rehabs, or hospital detoxification units, who are physically sober, would never relapse! Right! One client I was counseling, an early stage milder case, could not “get it” until I said, “You are dependent on changing your mood with a chemical to get through the day.” His eyes focused and lit up. “That’s me,” he exclaimed, and his resistance to recognizing his alcohol abuse evaporated. This was despite being comfortable with the concept of addiction, as applied to his intermittent cocaine binges. A facet of the times perhaps, or it’s relative undeniability in his case, as he hated the effects of his cocaine use, while still clinging to the far slower destructive direction of his alcohol consumption.

So the persons chosen response to inner and outer “stress” is the missing link, this is what creates a drugoholic. An addiction to the “quick fix”, to the easy way out, ensues. This, apart from any other factors, becomes an ingrained increasing habitual response, including response the real or imaginary stress created by the addiction itself. One of the many self-feeding cycles of addiction, independent of the “host” personality. Part of the cognitive, (thought), behavioral habit apparatus, known as psychological habituation in Drugoholism. And the alterations of cognitive processes and perceptions produced by ongoing use, whether physical, due to chemical toxicity in the brain, or psychological, from the addictive process itself, continues to actually create and additionally amplify perceived stress, as the condition, ( the dis-ease) progresses. So there is an increasing reliance on chemicals for stress relief, and increasing amounts of stress, real or created mentally, to relieve. This process underlies the confusion created by focusing on any combination of chemicals, or circumstances, at any given time.

All of this mentality applies to the withdrawal physiology of the body, when a drugoholic initially attempts to “clean up”. So this becomes a major source of the drugoholic’s terror at the idea of, or results of withdrawals, rather than the withdrawals themselves. This is irrespective of the fact that with severe physical, (metabolic) dependencies, that may be both physically and psychologically horrendous. The problem is not the initial withdrawals, for a true drugoholic, insurmountable as they might seem. The problem is learning to live a life on an ongoing daily basis without resorting to chemicals to escape/recoil/retreat from inner and outer reality in any way.

How much of Michael Jackson’s “weirdness” and reports of him being a “complicated” person, were not due to his personality, but were in fact his response to medical drug addiction I wonder? And the degeneration into, histrionic emotionalism and other forms of narcissistic immaturity, that so often accompanies the overall deterioration of Drugoholism, as exhibited by Anna Nicole Smith too. Even worse, many categories of psychiatric drugs can cause potentially horrendous reactions. Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Xanax, Lithium, Zyprexa and other psychiatric medications may spellbind patients into believing they are improved, when too often they are becoming worse, without the individuals realizing that their medications are semi-permanently deforming their way of thinking and feeling.

There are many reasons for this confusion around Drugoholism. Myth, misinformation, misunderstanding and ignorance, using a true meaning of the word which is, “lacking information”, abound. In “The First Session with Substance Abusers.” Nicholas A. Cummings, Ph/D, quotes studies that show MD’s identify .05% of alcohol/drug problems in those who cross their door, while those well trained in Chemical Dependency identify 100%! Two hundred times more! Psychologists and other allied professions fare not much better in my experience and opinion. The psychology of addiction is a specialized field. Though MD’s and clinical psychologists are highly respected and often quoted authorities, unless they have this specialized education, it is more likely to be a case of the blind leading the blind.

The current usual attitude to prescription drugs blinds MD’s to what is happening. How many times is a new wonder drug trumpeted abroad? Sleep aids, Barbiturates etc., (Mebaral and Nembutal). Stimulants, (“uppers” such as Dexedrine, Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta). Tranquilizers, (Benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax). Painkillers from Oxycontin type opioids on down? These are now the source of endless drug problems. I never tire of reminding people, “The first medical use for Heroin was as a cure for Morphine addiction.” So when medical people proclaim the latest painkiller or anti-anxiety medication as non-addictive or non-habit forming, I retort, “Except for those persons with chronic long-term anxiety, or chronic long-term pain.” This is in respect of any combination of these factors, plus those induced by the medications themselves, addictive, real or imagined of course.

As Drugoholism is stigmatized, people are loath to attribute a bad “character flaw” to another, especially those idolized and celebrated for other genuine talents. And the ongoing mental, emotional and physical deterioration/degeneration process of Drugoholism is attributed to other sources to excuse the addicts again, in order to avoid personally “denigrating” them. This goes hand-in-hand with the addicts blaming defences. In actuality, the vulnerability to addiction in recent, (2009) studies increasingly reveals a 50% genetic/biochemical basis. There is also another additional constellation of factors that are outside the person’s current will power or control, from pre-verbal cellular level infantile trauma, to role modeling from early childhood onwards. And there are many others too. Current psychic pain, “His wife died…” is the last and perhaps least factor, as is blaming it on childhood pain. Again, there are many with severe childhood pain that display no addictive tendencies whatsoever.

Another source of confusion is the actual disinformation put out by the psychiatric-medical-pharmaceutical complex. This has been rigorously documented by the psychiatrist Peter Breggin, MD., dealing with the medical beaurocracy at its highest levels. He reports how the drug manufacturer Eli Lilly was taken to court for offences tantamount to criminal fraud in this regard. In the mid 1990’s, his “Toxic Psychiatry.” outlined the growing problem of medical addiction. “The commonest drug addict in America is a female in her mid forties, addicted to barbiturates and a benzodiazapine,” he stated at the time. The description of negative aspects of commonly prescribed psychiatric medications above, is taken from his website, http://www.breggin.com . He exposes the growing propaganda infused into the medical community, including the FDA, which diminishes, sidesteps or flat out denies the negative effects of commonly prescribed psychoactive drugs.

This is partly responsible for the idea that medical drugs are not as harmful as other drugs, and are legitimate, so those hooked on them are not real addicts. Also a convenient denial for the drugoholic themselves. In fact, being 100% pure, it needs to be stressed they can be worse. Oxycontin from the Doctor is as bad, IF NOT WORSE, than heroin from the dealer. It is similar to the confusion around alcohol, another socially acceptable drug. Many can drink with enjoyment and impunity. But once the ominous earmarks of the addictive process begin to appear, a trained counselor can identify the condition years before the final accelerating deteriorative spiral.

Due to the subconscious nature of much denial, and the stigma and ignorance surrounding this process, those close to the addict are often the most totally blind to the malady. The fact that Elvis Presley obtained FIVE THOUSAND pills from Doctors in his last months was invisible to his personal staff. The obvious obscuring corrupting interlinked interpersonal influences of fame, power, status and money, as the deteriorating celebrity surrounds themselves with yes men, are a special factor for the wealthy and those in the public eye. But how many alcoholics leave a complaining spouse to later marry someone with fewer objections, often an alcoholic themselves.

So now I hope it becomes more evident that addictive processes include prescription drugs in exactly the same way as with illicit ones, and that celebrities are not exempt from the identical states of mind and body that occur in these circumstances. Specific drugs may have different results, but the inexorable addictive process will take its toll in similar ways for the rich and famous, just as the scythe of Drugoholism cuts down the ill-educated poverty stricken ghetto street addict. If this article helps one person, I deem it a success, though I do of course hope for more. c. 2009. Brian Green

?Feel Better, do better.? Brian Green, CHT, CDS. Certified Hypnotherapist & Counselor. All issues. ?Power to solve your problems.? Addictions specialist. Family, Teen + Couple?s issues. Warm, caring, experienced, confidential. “If it can be done, I’m one of the guys that can do it.” In private practice 14 years, (2009). 12 Step counseling. Los Angeles area. Free 15 min. phone consult. More information and resources for hypnotherapy,alcoholism + addictions, http://www.mindmagic123.com

How to Say Hi or Hello in Korean

You’ve probably heard that Korean (along with Japanese) is different than English due to confuscianism and the “social status” - mostly based on age - that comes along with that. Well what that means when it comes to learning how to say hi Korean is that you it’s not quite as simple as just that - but it’s not real difficult either!

The first way to say hi in Korean is the most formal way and personally I don’t really recommend learning and using this one, since the next one I’ll show you is more common - still formal formal, respectful, but a bit more casual - and there’s really no point in learning all 3 since it can be a bit overwhelming and that energy could be put into learning something else more useful (just my opinion)!

So the first one is…

안녕하십니까?

(The romanization is something like…Anyoung Hashimnikka? - I say “something like” because the system for romanizing Korean has changed enough times that there are more than too many different spellings for so many words that I don’t really care which one is deemed “correct” at the time, especially since as I write this they are currently revising it again. And if you are planning on learning more than just how to say hi in Korean, I really don’t recommend you rely romanization to learn how to say things - learning how to read Korean can seriously be done in a few hours if you really just sit down and focus on it).

The next, and probably most common way of saying hello or hi in Korean is…

안녕하세요

(this one is a bit more casual than the first, but still quite formal - you would almost never greet someone older than you or in a higher “position” in anything less formal than this)

The third and also very common way to say hi in Korean is exactly the first two syllables of the two above examples…

안녕!

(this is very commonly used, but only ever with someone you are familiar with and is the same age as you, or someone younger than you or in a lower “position” than you).

For the first two mentioned, you would usually throw in a bow (a slight bow is fine, at least you’re trying) as you said them as well - it can take some getting used to, but really goes a long way when it comes to first impressions. Think of it as if you held out your hand to shake someone else’s and they just just smiled and looked at you. Not really the most friendly gesture to start off with, even if it’s a totally innocent mistake.

Anyways, hope that helps. I will be posting some vids helping with the pronunciation of those different forms of hello as well.

Cheers!

Rob…

P.S. Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Hi in Korean on the telephone is 여보세요. Not real important to you just yet probably, but an interesting little tip (maybe).

Rob has been helping native-English speakers living in Korea learn to speak Korean (and say hi in Korean) since 2006 and currently hosts a website - http://www.learnkoreanonline.net - dedicated to helping beginner to low-intermediates out when they get stuck by answering their questions via video.

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