New Page added to our Battling-Addiction Blog

Myths …

We added a new page, called “MYTHS”, which can be accessed by clicking that button up there in the top menu just under our top masthead title.

We set-up this page to keep track of any popular “Myths” and/or “Facts” that might be of interest to those Battling Addictions, or are just looking for information about addiction. We hope to keep it up to date by adding sites and “myths” found during our blog postings .. and posting myths from other sites that we visit on our way!

http://battlingforhealth.com/myths/

There’s no reason to spread the myths .. Learn the Facts!

               

Tyson checks out of rehab early

Alright, then, let’s get down to (show) business … Maybe he bit off a little more than he can chew: It says here in The Mirror that Mike Tyson checked into a rehabilitation clinic in Arizona for 30 days, and walked out after five. The former world heavyweight boxing champion is battling a cocaine addiction, and was looking for some tips on anger management as well …

[MORE: Tyson checks out of rehab early]

               

British are ‘addicted to sex and television’

LONDON: A travel guide for foreigners brands the English as “overweight TV addicts obsessed by sex and celebrity”.

[MORE: DNA - World - British are ‘addicted to sex and television’ - Daily News & Analysis]

               

Kick your shopping addiction and get a life

By Jean Chatzky
“Today” financial editor
Updated: 8:41 a.m. ET March 13, 2006

Think you can’t kick your shopping addiction? You haven’t met Mary Carlomagno, who says that until just a few years ago, shopping was her single biggest vice. Today? It isn’t even on the list.

Carlomagno was 35 and stuck in a major rut. She had lived in the same apartment for 10 years — and hated it since the day she moved in — worked at the same job for eight years and in the same industry for 14 years. She wanted to shake things up, but didn’t know how. And though the thought of moving to the woods to find herself had crossed her mind, she was too scared to do anything that major.

Instead, she settled on subtle changes. For a year, she decided to give up something different each month: alcohol, shopping, newspapers, cell phones, dining out, television, taxis, coffee, chocolate and — for good measure — cursing, elevators and multi-tasking.

She soon realized that as a result of all these small changes she was able to live better on less money, and saved thousands of dollars in the process.

“I cut my spending so much that my financial adviser called to ask what I was doing differently,” says Carlomagno, who describes her year in her new (and charming) book “Give It Up: My Year of Learning to Live Better With Less.” Carlomagno’s response: “I quit buying shoes.”

At the end of each month of abstinence, Carlomagno went back to most of her old habits. Today, she takes taxis, eats chocolate and drinks caffeine (though not as voraciously as she did before.) The one category that did permanently change was shopping.

After many garage sales and donations, she pared down from three double closets and an armoire to one single closet. Shopping no longer consumes all her free time. Friendships do not revolve around it. She even started a company, Order, to help others simplify their lives, manage clutter control, and get over shopping addictions.

If you’re suffering with the same, you may be able to benefit from her advice.

Treat your closet like a store. If you truly love clothing and shopping, you should do the things retailers do, such as:

* Take inventory. That means, first off, knowing what you already own. Take mental notes, paying particular attention to what you have put on your body over the past few weeks. Those are the bones of your working wardrobe. Use the rest of what you have to accessorize.

* Display items with care. Retailers display their favorite products — you should, too. If you love hats, put them on a rack where you can see them. Keep in mind that stores do not give good real estate to unimpressive items. If you come across items that aren’t nice enough to display, chances are they’re not nice enough to be worn. Get rid of them. The upshot of this process: You’ll know what you have in your current wardrobe and can begin to think of filling in any holes you find.

* Hit the stores with a list of exactly what you need.
Adhere to the two-week rule. In her closet, Carlomagno dug up over $1,000 worth of clothes with their tags still hanging. So she created what she calls the two-week rule. “If you purchased an item and haven’t worn it in two weeks, return it,” she says. Two weeks is a long enough period to know that you either don’t a) really love it or b) need it.

* Do not be sucked in by “good deals.” Everyone buckles every so often on a sale item. The problem is, sales aren’t as few and far between as they used to be. “Now you can get everything cheap,” Carlomagno says.

Note, however, that there is a difference between falling for a markdown on an item that you buy on impulse and earmarking an item at retail, then waiting for it to go on sale. The latter represents smart shopping behavior. Cultivate a relationship with a salesperson at your favorite store and make her your ally in this process.
Seek support. If you’re actively trying to curb your shopping, get your family and friends on your team. This can be tricky because, Carlomagno notes, you may have particular people in your circle who instigate shopping sprees. In their minds it may be a harmless pastime. But if you are racking up a lot of debt or spending every penny of your disposable income on clothes, it’s harmful to you. You’ll need to explain this — and to offer other, cheaper, ways to pass the hours.

“There are a lot of things you can do to appreciate fashion and clothing without shopping,” says Carlomagno. Visit a fashion or photography museum. Or simply grab a cup of coffee and perform your own impromptu Fashion Police. You just may find you can have an even better conversation over a cappuccino than over the Bloomingdale’s rack.

Jean Chatzky is an editor-at-large at Money magazine and serves as AOL’s official Money Coach. She is the personal finance editor for NBC’s “Today Show” and is also a columnist for Life magazine. She is the author of four books, including “Pay It Down! From Debt to Wealth on $10 a Day” (Portfolio, 2004). To find out more, visit her Web site, www.jeanchatzky.com.

Source

© 2006 MSNBC.com

               

No shortage of methadone say addiction treatment officials

Last updated Mar 14 2006 09:53 AM EST
CBC News

Methadone treatment centres across Ontario are assuring their patients that there is no shortage of the drug, despite recent fears clinics would run out after two major suppliers were shut down.

Monday was the deadline for two Kitchener-based suppliers to stop shipping methadone to clinics across the province, including to those in Toronto.

The Ontario College of Pharmacists ordered them to cease the shipments after accusing the suppliers of professional misconduct for sending the drug to clinics without appropriate supervision.

Methadone is a drug that is given to patients suffering narcotic addictions. It’s considered the most effective way to treat heroin addiction.

On Tuesday, the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres (OATC) said there is still an adequate supply of methadone available.

“Published media reports in recent days have indicated that there might be a shortage of methadone for OATC patients,” says a message posted on the OATC website.

“This is not the case. Your methadone prescription will continue to be available as usual.”

OTAC supplies daily doses of methadone to 2,000 people across the province.

Source

Copyright © CBC 2006

               

Genetic Technologies Reports Breakthrough in the Genetic Basis of Drug Addiction

3/14/2006 9:24:00 AM EST

Genetic Technologies Limited (”GTG”) (Nasdaq:GENE) (ASX:GTG) is pleased to refer to a “breaking news” item released in London yesterday by BBC News. BBC reported a significant breakthrough had been made in understanding the genetic basis of cocaine addiction, quoting a scientific paper just published online by the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (”PNAS”).

The report announced a genetic variation had been identified which could significantly increase the risk of an individual developing cocaine addiction or dependence. The discovery also validates the logic of a new basis for the design and use of novel drugs to treat cocaine abuse in the future.

The BBC article stated that this research was funded by the British Medical Research Council.

What is especially relevant to GTG stockholders is that this research was in fact co-funded by GTG, that the genetic variations identified by this project are non-coding, that new patents have just been filed on the relevance of these genetic variations to cocaine addition and that GTG has secured world-wide exclusive rights to commercialize these new discoveries. Indeed, this whole project arose from the foresight of King’s College London, who took a license to the GTG non-coding patents in 2004.

This project is yet another example of the original GTG non-coding patents today spawning new research, new discoveries and new patents and creating new opportunities for GTG into the future.

By way of further background information, the UN Office for Drug Control estimates the number of illegal drug users now exceeds 150 million worldwide. However, other studies suggest this is an under-estimate. Until now, the global pharmaceutical industry has not made treatment of substance abuse a priority. The current market is estimated to exceed US$1.1 billion, and is expected to grow to US$1.3 billion by 2008. Industry experts see this market as having great potential. It is also an area where fundamental patents are likely to prove extremely valuable, especially when combined with new genetic testing methods (genotyping), which will permit cheap and efficient whole genome scanning for susceptibility to cocaine addition.

About Genetic Technologies Limited

Genetic Technologies was an early pioneer in recognizing important new applications for “non-coding” DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid). The Company has since been granted patents in 24 countries around the world, securing intellectual property rights for particular uses of non-coding DNA in genetic analysis and gene mapping across all genes in all multicellular species. Its three-pronged business strategy includes: 1) the global commercialization of its patents through an active licensing program; 2) the expansion of its dominant commercial genetic testing business in Australia; and, 3) the commercialization of its various research and development projects aimed at generating further intellectual property of global commercial significance.

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with respect to the financial condition, results and business achievements/performance of Genetic Technologies Limited and certain of the plans and objectives of its management. These statements are statements that are not historical facts. Words such as “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “believes” or similar expressions, as they relate to Genetic Technologies Limited, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect Genetic Technologies’ current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. Any changes in such assumptions or expectations could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

CONTACT:
Genetic Technologies Limited Dr. Mervyn Jacobson or Tom Howitt, +61-3-9415-1135 tom.howitt@gtg.com.au www.gtg.com.au or Investor Relations Contacts: Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates Kim Sutton Golodetz / Lisa Lindberg, 212-838-3777 kgolodetz@lhai.com / llindberg@lhai.com or Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100 bvoss@lhai.com www.lhai.com

Source
© 2006 Genetic Engineering News, All Rights Reserved