Addictions -Part Two- No Butts!

If you have an addiction, you are not crazy - no matter WHAT kind of addiction you have and no matter WHAT other people say about you.

If you are trying to quit, or even just THINKING about quitting, here is a success story written by one of my friends to encourage you:

     This isn't the first time I tried to quit, I have wanted to quit for a long time. I have tried many different ways of quitting, I tried the patch, I tried champix (a drug), I tried cold turkey. Champix is the only thing that kind of worked for me in the past, but after I stopped taking the drug I went right back to smoking. One thing that kept me going on this quit was a bet that I made with a friend. If I start smoking before the end of the year I owe her 300 dollars, not really a bet I want to lose. Also, I signed up for a quit smoking help website, and every month they send me an update on what improvements I've made. It tells me how many days/hours/minutes that I have been smoke free for, how many cigarettes I have not smoked, how much money I have saved, and how many days that I have added back to my life.

Your Quit Date is: 10/1/2010


Time Smoke-Free: 149 days, 13 hours, 39 minutes and 41 seconds


Cigarettes NOT smoked: 2991                                    

Lifetime Saved: 22 days, 20 hours

Money Saved: $1,162.20

     Since I have quit, I have more energy. I'm an asthmatic, and I used to have to take my puffer several times a night. Since I quit I have barely had to use my puffer at all. Unfortunately I have gained a small amount of weight since the quit, but that's not something that can't be worked on especially since I have more energy to exercise if I get around to it.

     I would never have been able to quit without the help of God. This isn't the first time I've asked for His help in quitting, but it is the first time that I have actually wanted His help in quitting. There was always something that I thought I enjoyed about smoking, but I've come to realize that those were just lies that I was telling myself for some odd reason. God has sent me many different sources of encouragement to help me quit, which includes friends who have been cheering me along the way.

Almost 6 months smoke-free and counting!!   Congratulations Lady!!!

If  YOU have a success story, please share it!

   

Thank you for reading, thank you for quitting, and thank you for supporting others in the quitting process!

Addictions - Part One -

Unfortunately addictions are VERY common and they don't just affect the addicted individual but also their social network.  Everyone knows someone who is either suffering from or battling an addiction .....even though you may not know that the person(s) has an addiction.


Addictions usually indicate the presence of an unresolved underlying issue which led to the start of the addiction.

How Does an Addiction Start?

An addiction can be the compulsive use of a substance or compulsive behaviour which begins with a feeling of pleasure, usually in pursuit of relief from pain, or distressing emotions.

Reasons for getting help:

Addictions can destroy relationships and families.
Addictions can have devastating financial effects.
Addictions can bring feelings of guilt and shame.
Addictions can bring feelings of helplessness.
Addictions can affect productivity.
Addictions are self-destructive.
Addictions control you.


If you have an addiction that you want to be free of, THERE IS HOPE.  YOU CAN OVERCOME!  : )

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend have written a little book to help you get started:

Getting Dirty

Who is waiting for Spring to properly arrive with gardening season in tow?  NOT ME!

I see great potential in dirt. Not the kind of dirt you find in chewing gum that has been determinedly picked off of hot summer pavement by a 3 year old, but the kind used in pots and gardens.  I get excited about gardening and all of the possibilities that come with it.  So, a day before the arrival of Spring, I decided to try something new and sowed 3 pots of spinach. Now, I've grown spinach before but I've never started it this early.

Did I know there was snow in the forecast?  YES.  Did I care? NO.  After all, the package did say that the seeds could be sown as soon as the ground could be worked.  I read the word 'ground' in the metaphorical sense.
Four days later.....

It will be interesting to see how the seeds develop. I am going to try to ignore them for a bit since a 'watched plant doesn't grow'.  I'm hoping that the spinach will be successful enough to be used as an ingredient in one of the culinary masterpieces of  http://foodbydave.blogspot.com/  
 Gardening has so many health benefits so go out and get dirty!!

You don't even have to have a big garden...

But if you're intimidated by dirt, tools, and plants......

Does SIZE matter?

Some think it doesn't but it does... How do I know?  Because I ask questions!  

Within the past month I had both an echocardiogram (a test that takes pictures of your heart using sound waves) and an ultrasound of my entire abdomen.  Thankfully no abnormalities to report!  : )

The Echocardiogram
I lay shirtless....well.... not fully topless.... I WAS given a 'gown' to wear which gives one the perception of being clothed until you're told to open the front of it and goosebumps cover your chest like flies to a cow pie.  The room was darkened, almost romantically so, with only the light of the computer monitor with which to properly see the face of the stranger who was giving me instructions on lying on my left side with left arm raised.   As I followed instructions, listening to the hum and beeping of the computer, I began to think of all of the individuals who had laid on that same bed before me, fully exposed...and that is how this conversation began:
 
Me:  "Does it make a difference for you whether a patient is large-breasted or small-breasted?" 
Technician:  "Yes, if a woman is very large-breasted sometimes you really have to dig under there to see the heart. It can also be difficult to get a good image of the heart if a person is obese."

The Ultrasound
In preparation for the ultrasound, I had to fast. I was allowed to have juice but only in small sips to prevent gas build-up.  During the ultrasound (which felt like a belly massage) I found out that it is easier for the technician to see your organs if you are 'skinny' and do NOT have gas. 

So....as you can see...SiZe DOES matter!

Movie Night

Who DOESN'T like movies?!?! Well, I guess not EVERYONE...but most people like movies of one genre or another. Those who don't like movies at least like the movie of a fireplace with a fire going... ; )

The world of cinematography and script writing strives to feed the public's insatiable appetite for material that is more shocking, exhilarating, or distinctly
different than that which has come before. This is because of desensitization. It's kind of like eating sugar. You become so accustomed to sweetness that it doesn't make much of an impression on your taste buds when you put 2 spoonfuls of sugar into your coffee instead of only 1.5 (your usual). If however you have a sugar-free diet(sensitized to sugar), adding 1/2 a spoon of sugar to your coffee will surprise your sweet-sensing taste buds.

The resulting effort of writers, actors, and producers to capture the interest of desensitized viewers leads to great works of art which can have one or more of many effects on an individual. Movies, whether fiction or non-fiction, can excite, frighten, discourage, motivate, encourage, relax, or enrage the viewer. The residual effects of the movie content and the emotional response which it evokes can either serve to enhance and benefit or reduce societal acceptance of language, behaviours, and norms.

I haven't found it particularly easy to find films of quality which I can confidently recommend to the common movie-watcher.....you know, the kind of movie that a teen can be comfortable watching with their parents...one that doesn't encourage the use of 'intelligence-limiting language' or contain innuendos or visuals unsuitable for younger viewers?

I am pleased to share that I have recently seen two movies that I can happily recommend (with a clear conscience) for your viewing pleasure. They are: The Blind Side and Amazing Grace. They are available on DVD so you can avoid situations such as this:

They do contain some mature themes so be forewarned. You may not want to show them to little children.

Two things that I appreciate about these movies is that they are both based on true stories AND they demonstrate the power of hope, determination, and goodwill.

Whether you watch movies to learn, to be challenged, to escape, or to simply be entertained, these movies are for you. So, the next time you want to curl up in your favourite seat either alone or with your favourite people, check out:

No, they're not chick flicks....sorry to disappoint.

If you've seen them, what did you think???

Do you know the Truth?

Every human has the desire to know where they've come from, why they are here on Earth, and where they are going after this life. Finding purpose in life is a struggle that most inhabitants of the earth have in common.  

Have you ever considered WHY?

It is a life-altering question to ask. This is a subject that I have spent a lot of time thinking about. One question I have is, if we (the human race) are a result of a 'big bang' or chance collision of molecules, where has our spiritual component come from? Why is there a belief, that is found the world over, that there is a Greater Being? Why do we seek spiritual fulfillment from religious institutions? How does the evolutionary theory account for morality, the concept of right and wrong - good versus evil?

The public school system insidiously incorporates details of evolution into the curriculum stating it as fact. Fact it is NOT. This sneaky mode of influence ensures that children are indoctrinated from an early age, preparing them for further "education" without giving them the facts and allowing them to evaluate for themselves the origin and purpose of life. I believe it is important for each person to choose for themselves what to believe and to know WHY they believe what they do.

What is YOUR worldview? Have you read, searched, and evaluated for yourself?

A book that I have read on this subject is Searching for Truth by Joe Boot.
I highly recommend it. If you have read it, please leave a comment, opinion, or review of the book. If you have any kind of response to this post, or something to add to the subject, please share it!

ER........

This past week I had first-hand experiences with the Canadian emergency care system.

These were my observations:

1. Sometimes paramedics seem to know more and follow protocol better than doctors and nurses.

2. Patients in the ER hooked up to IVs completely bedless. Let's not speed up recovery too quickly by letting someone sleep while receiving medication or hydration...and this at a hospital that recently received an ER upgrade. (The waiting room is now larger..and so is the nurse's station.)

3. Patients being given medication without being asked whether they want it or not, and without being told what kind of side effects to expect. Of course, when it's a life or death situation, a doctor wouldn't take the time for this courtesy....but in other cases??

4. A doctor summoning a patient who is sitting in a transport chair (a wheelchair that is usually pushed by someone other than the patient) and then doing a 180 and walking away from the patient who is left sitting.....and waiting.

I wonder how long this man would have had to wait for assistance had he not been promptly aided by a kindly fellow citizen.

5. An 80+ year old woman alone on a stretcher in the hall of the ER. She was hooked up to an IV and expected to spend the night there. She admitted to me of having memory problems and therefore having trouble remembering what the doctor said to her but not having anyone there to help her remember. Her 89 year old husband had to go home but he wasn't a whole lot of help to her while he was there since he's hard of hearing and didn't hear half of what the doctor said.

6. Nurses flirting. (It was like watching Grey's Anatomy.)

7. A lady having it out with a nurse because the nurse was chatting with another nurse instead of tending the triage station.

8. A father of a very young boy losing it on the nurses because it had taken so long for his son to receive any kind of treatment for his fever and chest congestion. Can't blame the father....it's hard to see your child suffer....nor can you blame the nurses...they can't help that they're under-staffed.

9. It was lunch time and the doctor wanted a patient to eat something. The patient told the nurse that what ever was provided would need
to be gluten-free. The nurse soon brought a gluten-filled sandwich. PERFECT!

10. A man in hand cuffs escorted by two police officers. The man would not cooperate with nurses and so was cuffed at the ankles and then cuffed to the stretcher where he fell asleep. Apparently you have to be violent to get a bed....

11. Free test results given out when many doctors offices charge at least a dollar per photocopy.

12. Two dispensers in the washroom on either sides of the sink....my guess is that most people use the hand sanitizer instead of soap. It wasn't clear which was which.

13. Wheelchairs in the ER entrance that you have to put a loonie into to use, just like the shopping carts that require a quarter. Of course, when there's an emergency or you're looking after someone who is suffering, you have the time to hunt someone down who can give you change for a $20.

The charge for a wheelchair scenario reminded me of a Brian Regan clip. Enjoy! :

Safe People

If you are NOT a hermit, this post is for YOU! If you ARE a hermit, this is probably the 3rd most important thing you'll read......AFTER the Bible and warning labels!
Are YOU a safe person? You may be thinking, well..I'm not a violent person so....yeah, I'm safe. Let me ask you this: Do you respect someone else's "No" ? Do you withdraw or react when someone says 'No' to you? Can your friends approach you with their secrets and troubles and trust you to not criticize or judge them? Do you avoid closeness? When you give, do you do it with no strings attached?
Are you able to forgive? Do you treat all of your friends as equals? Do you take responsibility for your life choices? Do you blame others for all of your problems? Are you reliable? Do you expect perfection from others? Do you apologize without changing your behaviour? Do you tell the truth? Are you able to admit your faults and weaknesses? Do you avoid your problems or deal with them? Do you respect other people's time? Are you open to feedback or do you become defensive when someone confronts you about something? Is there both give and take in your relationships?(Cloud and Townsend, Safe People)
 If any of your answers to the above questions were not the ideal answers, you're being honest and that's great. If your answers were all the most ideal ones, you may not be human. If you purpose to change, that's most admirable and you're well on your way to becoming a safe person. : ) The bad news is this: it will take work and may cause some emotional discomfort. The good news is: you'll be a more likable person and all of your relationships will benefit. I know, it's not always easy to self-evaluate and face the truth about ourselves nor is it always possible for us to see our own character flaws. If you're determined to grow and to better your relationships by becoming a safe person, ask your friends if they feel respected by you and what you do that hurts them. This is a good place to start. When you get an honest reply, thank the person. They've just done you a favour; something you couldn't do for yourself. You can't change if you don't know in what area you need to change.

We learn about relationships from our families which are all imperfect.  So, we all enter adulthood with relational deficits. We all have issues to work on.  The question is, will we??  We usually need a good reason to make the effort.

Why am I writing about such a topic? Because I am passionate about people AND relationships matter to me! Relationships are very important to human survival and not just to bare survival but for healthy living. Unfortunately, North American society encourages self-reliance which is fueled by pride and jealousy.
We were made to live in community; made to love and help one another.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone
who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together,
they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may
be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not
quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12

If you would like to learn more about safe and unsafe people you can purchase Safe People by Cloud and Townsend for a reasonable price at Amazon:

If you buy this book or pick it up at your local library, I would be interested in hearing your opinion of it. Are you chicken to read it? Don't be. It's an easy read. I've read it and I'm glad I did!