MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'abstinence'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:01:33 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997828&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Frecovery-sets-us-free%2F Freedom is what recovery is all about. Not only are we free from addictive behavior, but we are free to become who we are and enjoy all that life has to offer. We may not hear bands playing and see fireworks every day, but we will know a new dimension of peace and serenity. Although recovery does not guarantee freedom from pain and distress, it promises us greater resources for coping with trouble. With the help of abstinence and the Twelve Steps, we become free to work toward resolving our difficulties instead of escaping into false solutions. We must remain strong and guard the freedom that comes with abstinence. Whatever threatens abstinence should be avoided: we don’t want to transfer one obsession to something else, such as compulsive shopping, or addictive relationships. To re... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997828 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:53:43 +0100 4997828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960334&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fbetter-treatment-for-women-alcoholics%2F Early treatment for women with alcohol addiction (EWA) reduces mortality: a randomized controlled trial with long-term register follow-up.Gjestad R., Franck J., Lindberg S. et al. Request reprint Alcohol and Alcoholism: 2011, 46(2), p. 170–176.Compared to usual treatment, over the next 27 years introduction of a comprehensively serviced female-only alcohol treatment unit in Sweden substantially extended the lives of its patients – a uniquely convincing demonstration that improving treatment can save lives.Summary Alarmed by rising numbers of alcohol dependent women and their high death rate, in the 1980s Sweden established a female-only unit at a hospital alcohol treatment centre in the capital Stockholm. Compared to ‘treatment as usual’ wards and clinics, the Early Treatme... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960334 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:22:09 +0100 4960334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872490&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FPx6YB1i7sYU%2F What is sexual abstinence?Can it benefit my recovery?Relationships and sexual activities are controversial in recovery from alcoholism, addiction and co-dependency. But there are benefits to sexual abstinence. These apply equally to heterosexual, gays and lesbian.Sexual abstinence is a choice to refrain from sexual activity. This choice is usually made for a specific reason. The reason may be moral, religious, legal, or for health and safety.It may only be short-term celibacy. It’s fine to go through periods of your life in which you choose to abstain – the decision to have sex is yours to make, each and every time.Abstaining does not mean you are frigid or destined for life as a monk or a nun – it may just be a temporary decision. Taking some time out for your body, mind... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872490 Wed, 04 May 2011 16:45:01 +0100 4872490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592699&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fharm-reduction-and-the-12-steps%2F Conclusion: Complementary conceptualizations of harm reduction and 12-step approaches have the potential to broaden the range of options available to people experiencing substance use problems.Posted online on March 11, 2011. (doi:10.3109/10826084.2010.548435) Heather Sophia Lee, Malitta Engstrom, and Scott R. PetersenRelated articlesAA & 12-Step Treatment (twelvestepfacilitation.com)12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative (recoveryissexy.com)Women & the 12 Steps of AA (recoveryissexy.com)The 12 Steps and Catholicism (recoveryissexy.com)Alcohol Use and Unsafe Sex by People with HIV (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592699 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4592699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4581092&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwhat-are-drug-users-looking-for-2%2F What are drug users looking for in treatment; abstinence or harm reduction?Within the UK and in many other countries two of the most significant issues with regard to the development of health and social care services for drug users has been the growth of the consumer perspective and the philosophy of harm reduction.These researchers looked at drug users’ aspirations from treatment and consider whether drug users are looking to treatment to reduce their risk behavior or to become abstinent from their drug use.They interviewed 1007 drug users starting a new episode of drug treatment in Scotland. Participants were recruited from a total of 33 drug treatment agencies located in rural, urban and inner-city areas across Scotland.There was widespread support for abstinence as a goal of tre... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4581092 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 15:13:26 +0100 4581092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478164&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fresearch-confirms-aa-effectiveness%2F Science Validates Long Held Beliefs About AAThere have been many studies extolling the benefits of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) participation. Indeed, 12-Step therapy (TS) is the prevailing alcohol treatment model in the United States. The focus of current research has now shifted from whether TS is beneficial to those with alcohol-related problems to questions of why and how TS is successful.Research presented at a symposium in 2001 indicates that AA participation directly affects abstinence and affects abstinence indirectly through lifestyle changes.Researchers confirmed that those with support from AA members were more likely to remain abstinent than those whose support came only from non-AA members or those with no support at all.The results of another study suggest that even in partner-i... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478164 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:52:00 +0100 4478164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343345&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fsexual-abstinence-in-recovery%2F What is sexual abstinence?Can it benefit my recovery?Relationships and sexual activities are controversial in recovery from alcoholism, addiction and co-dependency. But there are benefits to sexual abstinence. These apply equally to heterosexual, gays and lesbian.Sexual abstinence is a choice to refrain from sexual activity. This choice is usually made for a specific reason. The reason may be moral, religious, legal, or for health and safety.It may only be short-term celibacy. It’s fine to go through periods of your life in which you choose to abstain – the decision to have sex is yours to make, each and every time.Abstaining does not mean you are frigid or destined for life as a monk or a nun – it may just be a temporary decision. Taking some time out for your body, mind... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343345 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:22:07 +0100 4343345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190529&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fpassages-through-recovery%2F A Recovery Book "Abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is only the beginning of sobriety. It’s the ticket to get into the theater, not the movie we are going to see." — Passages Through Recovery One of the most important things we learn in recovery is that there really is a way out of all the misery–if we know which way to go. But abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is just the beginning of our journey, not our destination. And, that journey can be a rough one if we don’t know what lies ahead. Based on the experiences of thousands of recovering men and women, Passages Through Recovery presents an action plan for preventing relapse, on what can help us understand how recovery works and what is needed to move from active... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190529 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:32:00 +0100 4190529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190528&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fmaking-alcoholics-anonymous-easier%2F Effectiveness of Making Alcoholics Anonymous EasierMost treatment programs recommend clients attend 12-step groups, but many drop out posttreatment. The effectiveness of Making Alcoholics Anonymous [AA] Easier (MAAEZ ), a manual-guided intervention designed to help clients connect with individuals encountered in AA, was tested using an "OFF/ON" design (n = 508). MAAEZ effectiveness was determined by comparing abstinence rates of participants recruited during ON and OFF conditions and by studying the effect of the number of MAAEZ sessions attended.At 12 months, more clients in the ON condition (vs. OFF) reported past 30-dayabstinence from alcohol (p = .012),drugs (p = .009), andboth alcohol and drugs (p = .045).In multivariate analyses, ON condition participants had significantly ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190528 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:17:16 +0100 4190528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159519&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FbOzyTzCMK2c%2F People in recovery soon find out that maintaining abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is only half the battle. Sober But Stuck addresses the issues that can act as barriers to serenity and ultimately threaten sobriety. Topics include; fear of failure, unhealthy or dependent relationships, resentments, and more. Provides needed encouragement for maintaining recovery from alcohol and other drugs. Buy today - Sober But Stuck - Share, print or e-mail this articleSober But Stuck (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159519 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:07:00 +0100 4159519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125288&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fis-it-harm-reduction-or-harm-continuation%2F Conclusions This author is of the opinion that what is ‘passed off’ as harm reduction in the UK is, in reality, a process that facilitates the continued use of toxic, psychoactive drugs. Whether or not that is the intention is open to speculation. What is indisputable is the fact that it is simply not working insofar as the rehabilitation and recovery of addicts and alcoholics are concerned – an outcome which includes relinquishing criminal activities, living in a safe and stable environment, and, in the fullness of time through gainful employment, becoming a self supporting member of society. Further, the architects of this disaster persist in hiding their failure by the time consuming and expensive process of producing sanitised statistics (which do not in anyway aid recovery b... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125288 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:31:53 +0100 4125288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4122071&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35797&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewrecovery.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fif-alcohol-were-invented-today.html [Originally posted on hellowellness.in 29 Sept 2010]The word 'alcohol' was coined around 1540 by an Arabic chemist to describe the fine powder, or 'kohl,' used to stain or paint the eyelids.  Two centuries later, British writers borrowed the word to describe the intoxicating essence of wine -- an ironic twist, since the original Arabic chemist was very likely a Muslim and, as such, forbidden to drink it.  If alcohol were invented today, international law would class it with the controlled substances, alongside opium, heroin, cocaine and the like.  The World Health Organization (WHO), in its most recent comprehensive report, writes:Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with a known liability to produce dependence in humans and animals. If considered in the frame of the 1971 Con... New Recovery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4122071 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:19:00 +0100 4122071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4122074&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35797&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewrecovery.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fstone-sober-and-absolutely-fascinating.html [Originally published Sept. 4 2010 on hellowellness.in]Jerry was at dinner with his ex-wife and his 12-year old daughter.  A fragile web of emotions spun across the table.  He felt delighted to be with his daughter, who looked happy to be with him, and his ex, for once, was not interfering. The waiter suggested a glass of wine.  Jerry demurred.  He so enjoyed being exactly as he was that he didn’t want even the mild alteration in mood brought on by a glass of Chardonnay. Jerry is an emotionally intelligent man who knows from experience that even a small amount of alcohol will induce emotional and cognitive distortions. He does not drink because he treasures the natural chemistry of his feelings.  The talk show host Dick Cavett once asked Katherine Hepburn wh... New Recovery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4122074 Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:05:00 +0100 4122074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942765&cid=t_110718_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F106-year-old-lady-credits-abstinence-for-long-life%2F photo via The Scotsman Isabella Blyth just turned 106. Her secret? Never being romantically involved with anyone. (Why didn’t we think of that?) Ms. Blyth has never kissed – much less had sex with – anyone, and it doesn’t bother her one bit. She claims she’s had a full life, and was too busy with church, family, and friends to even think about romance. Do you think entirely avoiding all romantic interaction could possibly make you live longer? You might be less stressed out if you didn’t have to deal with all the bullshit that comes with relationships, but you’d sure be lacking in the “life experience” department. So would you trade every relationship you’ve ever had (not to mention all that sex) if it meant you’d see the ripe old a... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942765 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:30:50 +0100 3942765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802356&cid=t_110718_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fabstinence-video-game-for-girls-worth-it%2F How did they find this picture of me from 7th grade? An interactive, life-sized video game has been developed by the Univerisity of Florida to help pre-teen girls practice warding off sexual advances made by peers. The game had a budget of $434,000, which could have funded several sex-ed (or abstinence) programs in middle schools, rather than a game that won’t be widely available. Also, I don’t know about you, but I would have died of embarrassment if I had had to play a “Say No to Sex” game when I was eleven. The sheer trauma alone would be enough to make me block it from memory (making the whole thing pretty counterproductive). Check out the game here. via Buzzfeed Post from: BlissTree Abstinence Video Game for Girls: Worth It? (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802356 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:25:12 +0100 3802356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3726784&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fpredictors-of-relapse-in-alcoholism%2F Predictors of relapse in 300 Brazilian alcoholic patients: a 6-month follow-up study. Three hundred alcoholic patients were interviewed at hospitalisation and again 3 and 6 months thereafter in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Assessment included mental disorders, a questionnaire focusing on patient relationship with Alcoholics Anonymous groups, and questions about participation in psychotherapy. An analysis was performed to determine predictive variables for relapse or abstinence 6 months after discharge. Findings; Relapse Previous treatment for alcohol dependence and being single proved to be associated with relapse, Abstinence adherence to AA program and meeting attendance, the presence of a comorbid depressive disorder, and probably adherence to psychotherapy could be associated with a... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3726784 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:59:45 +0100 3726784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699711&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fmutual-help-helps%2F CONCLUSIONS: Use of mutual-help groups following intensive outpatient SUD treatment appears to be beneficial for many different types of patients and even modest levels of participation may be helpful. Research by Kelly JF, Stout R, Zywiak W, Schneider R. A 3-year study of addiction mutual-help group participation following intensive outpatient treatment. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2006 Aug;30(8):1381-92. Brief-TSF is designed to engage alcoholics in supportive therapy while attending Alcoholics Anonymous. 12 Step Sponsor 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative Alcoholics Anonymous – the Big Book – an Audible MP3 book My First Year in Recovery Recovery Books, Medallions & DVD's (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699711 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:03:00 +0100 3699711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3656940&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Frecovery-takes-practice-2%2F No one learns how to play golf in a day, or masters a musical instrument in a week, or builds a relationship in a month. Neither does recovery happen overnight. If we’re ready and lucky, we may immediately take the direct path of abstinence and stay on it without making any detours. When that occurs, it’s wonderful, but it’s just a beginning. Recovering is more than abstaining from overeating, bingeing and purging, or restricting. Recovering is a new way of life that involves our entire being. What, when, and how much we eat is the starting point. Then we move on to how we think, feel, act, and believe. Before we’re very far along the path, we realize we’re learning a whole new way of orienting ourselves to the events of every day. It feels good, and the more ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3656940 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:06:00 +0100 3656940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655806&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fsober-but-stuck%2F – A Recovery Book People in recovery soon find out that maintaining abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is only half the battle. Sober But Stuck addresses the issues that can act as barriers to serenity and ultimately threaten sobriety. Topics include; fear of failure, unhealthy or dependent relationships, resentments, and more. Provides needed encouragement for maintaining recovery from alcohol and other drugs. -     Order today >> Sober But Stuck  - Hazelden and HCIBooks Online Spirituality Books Inspirational Books Love & Relationships Books Addiction & Recovery Books (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655806 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:45:00 +0100 3655806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3614694&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FTK--1n1v5w8%2F Abstinence and well-being among members of alcoholics anonymous: Personal experience and social perceptions. The subjective experience of well being was examined in abstinent Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members. In addition, the social perceptions of an abstinent alcoholic’s well being were examined in three non-alcoholic French-Canadian samples: male police officers, Catholic nuns, and university women. The lowest ratings of well being were reported by short-term abstinent AA members and university women, The highest ratings were reported by Catholic nuns. However, the level of well being among abstinent AA members was positively related to the length of abstinence. The three non-alcoholic groups evaluated an abstinent AA member more positively than a non-abstinent alcoholic. These... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3614694 Sun, 30 May 2010 15:31:00 +0100 3614694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585843&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fstress-affects-recovery%2F Alcoholics should avoid excessive physical and emotional stress during early abstinence. Researchers have found that an important system (The HPA axis) of the body that regulates stress, hunger and illness is “stunned” during alcoholic drinking. The researchers tested alcoholics in early recovery (less than 12 months) and found that the HPA axis recovers after about 8 weeks. Any stress can trigger an abnormal response but moderate to extreme stress can be dangerous to abstinence and may trigger a relapse. Reference; May 2007 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Recovery Blogger’s comments; The most dangerous time for recovery from alcoholism is the first 3 months. Many do not stay sober in the first 3 months. Some alcoholics have been known to exercise to ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585843 Tue, 18 May 2010 16:45:01 +0100 3585843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683887&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FQc7c4dFGvCs%2F As I’ve mentioned, I was at a ‘summit’ about buprenorphine in Washington DC earlier this week.  I didn’t hear anything earth-shaking at the meeting, but will share a couple things that I learned there over the next few posts.  One night I was reviewing messages in my hotel room and I received an e-mail from a person saying that Social Services took her baby away from her at the hospital because she had delivered on buprenorphine.  The baby was essentially being held hostage by the hospital under Social Services orders, and was being treated, against her wishes, with opiates to avoid opiate withdrawal.  I had a patient a year or two ago who had a similar experience, where her baby was placed on a morphine drip against her wishes, after she delivered while on bup... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683887 Fri, 14 May 2010 23:09:18 +0100 3683887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577636&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FFJxWvhugthQ%2F Conclusion This study provides important points of reference for alcohol and drug service workers and community healthcare professionals, casting light on the abstinence process and providing a basis for intervention or rehabilitation services. An ongoing process: A qualitative study of how the alcohol-dependent free themselves of addiction through progressive abstinence Mei-Yu Yeh, Hui-Lian Che and Shu-Mei Wu BMC Psychiatry 2009, 9:76doi:10.1186/1471-244X-9-76. Click file below to download full report. AA in Taiwan.pdf Medical students’ knowledge about alcohol and drug problemsKoreans Drink ExcessivelyAlcohol Brief Intervention in Primary PracticeAA and SpiritualityThe Experiences of Alcohol Dependence (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577636 Fri, 14 May 2010 08:58:47 +0100 3577636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552561&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FGN9U1lhwzOc%2F Odysseus´ Voyage of Recovery The story of Odysseus is about more than just a Greek guy in a boat. About 3000 years ago, the poet Homer told a story about a man called Odysseus and his voyage home to Greece following the Trojan Wars. Odysseus and his men met up with many exciting adventures along the way, but the most relevant to us is the story of his landing on the Island of the Lotus Eaters. The island was so beautiful that Odysseus wanted to stay there awhile and rest up. So he sent out some scouts to determine if the natives were friendly. Odysseus waited and waited, but the scouts never returned. What had happened was this: the scouts had indeed met up with the locals, the Lotus Eaters, who turned out to be very friendly. The Lotus Eaters even shared their food with the scouts. But t... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552561 Fri, 07 May 2010 15:59:54 +0100 3552561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545632&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fabstinence-is-only-one-part-of-recovery-2%2F The spirituality of recovery is about a new way of life As John Mac Dougall, manager of Spiritual Care at Hazelden, points out, abstinence is but one element in recovery from addiction. Many people quit drinking or another addiction only to start practicing it again. They don’t realize that quitting is merely the beginning of recovery, and they treat the symptoms of the disease and not the disease itself. "The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous only mention alcohol once, in Step One," reminds Mac Dougall. "The Twelve Step model of recovery that we suggest is spiritual. It’s about getting honest, finding a higher power, and admitting that you can’t do it alone." Spirituality, says Mac Dougall, is three-dimensional and deals with the quality and n... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545632 Thu, 06 May 2010 16:51:00 +0100 3545632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429457&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FUlgqkozJBOk%2F Seeking Help Could Quadruple the Likelihood of Abstinence To quantify the effect of help seeking on recovery from alcoholism, researchers in the United States analyzed data from 4,422 adults who had participated in a nationally representative survey and developed alcohol dependence at least 1 year before their participation. Only 26 percent of subjects had ever sought help for their alcohol problems; 3 percent participated in a 12-step program only, 6 percent in formal treatment only, and 17 percent in both.  Help seekers drank more and had higher lifetime prevalence’s of other drug use, mood disorders, and personality disorders than did subjects who had not sought help. In analyses adjusted for potential confounders, help seeking significantly increased the likelihood of ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429457 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:22:30 +0100 3429457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3390999&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fcompulsive-overeater%2F Bill B. tells the story of how he lost seventy-five pounds and maintained his weight loss for over ten years. Chapters focus on topics of real concern to us; abstinence, anger, fear and depression, relationships, and money. For those of us who struggle with compulsive overeating, Bill B.’s interpretation of the Twelve Steps and how they apply to overeating can be a valuable inspiration. - Order today >> Compulsive Overeater - Alcoholism, Addiction & Codependency Recovery Bookstore Hazelden Books, DVD's & Medalions (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3390999 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:25:06 +0100 3390999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378682&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2010%2F03%2F17%2Fhivaids-isnt-over%2F The following article also appears in Bay Windows, New England’s Largest GLBT Newspaper. First the good news: Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) did something that would have been unthinkable a mere 12 months earlier: it analyzed the rates of new HIV and syphilis infections based on population size, with one of the populations being men who have sex with men. Why would this not have happened a year ago? Because this is the sort of reality-based science and research that rarely made it to public view under the Bush Administration. When you consider the Obama Administration’s national campaign launched last April to refocus national attention on HIV/AIDS; its commitment of resources to LGBT groups to ensure that we are accurately counted in the 2010 U.S. Census; a... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378682 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:19:20 +0100 3378682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3385555&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FRgK8HtiR1JU%2F What can be confidently said about AA in general and about the role of spirituality in AA in particular? First, there is convincing evidence that alcoholism severity predicts later AA attendance. Second, atheists are less likely to attend AA, relative to individuals who already hold spiritual and/or religious beliefs. However, belief in God before AA attendance does not offer any advantage in AA-related benefits, and atheists, once involved, are at no apparent disadvantage in deriving AA-related benefits. Third, the spiritually-based principles of AA appear to be endorsed in AA meetings regardless of the perceived social dynamics or climate of a particular meeting, eg, highly cohesive or aggressive. Fourth, significant increases in spiritual and religious beliefs and practices seem to oc... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3385555 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:26:00 +0100 3385555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290997&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2F_tEBqAuhaMQ%2F Relapse often happens alone Relapse is defined as returning to drinking after a period of not drinking – abstinence. Relapse to drinking or drug use does not come on suddenly and without warning, it is a process over time. Staying clean/sober is not recovery, working a program and finding some serenity and peace is sobriety. Relapse cannot be avoided by shear willpower of self-discipline. SELF-TEST FOR RELAPSE WARNING SIGNALS. Here is a simple list of relapse symptoms. Lack of personal confidence to remain clean/sober or abstinent. Denial Convincing yourself that you will never ever drink or use again. You start imposing recovery on other people. You become defensive when talking about your problem is recovery. Compulsive behavior appears, you adopt a non-structured lifestyle. You s... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290997 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:31:10 +0100 3290997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259271&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FpPwalH4xnAQ%2F Liz Scott Recovery Cooking In the Sober Kitchen by Liz Scott So, what exactly do we mean by a “sober kitchen?”  Although it means much more than merely removing alcohol containing ingredients from our cupboards and fridge, striving for an alcohol-free kitchen is definitely a good place to start. Why is this important?  Because contrary to the old wives’ tale, alcohol does not burn off in the cooking process. In 1989 a USDA study proved that between 5% and 85% of the alcohol added to a dish is retained depending upon the cooking method, type of alcohol used, and the amount of time it is exposed to heat. Indeed, the act of flambéing, or setting a pan alight, actually retains a whopping 75%!  Surprised?  I was too, but even more surprising was that addiction researchers discovered... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259271 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:53:38 +0100 3259271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239824&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fhow-does-aa-work-meetings-meetings-meetings%2F 12 Step Programs Offer Broad Benefits, Study Says A study of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step oriented self-help programs finds that they can help most people recover from alcoholism, even those who are not religious or have mental-health problems. The Pacific Institute on Research and Education (PIRE) reported that researchers tracked a group of 227 alcoholics over three years and found that those who had attended AA or other self-help programs after treatment had higher rates of abstinence, and drank less if they did relapse. The results cut across gender and religious lines and held regardless of psychiatric history or whether the patient had previously attended AA or other similar programs. “Here’s a widespread, chronic disorder that seems to respond well to an inexpen... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239824 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:01:03 +0100 3239824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236103&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FOB_zljO5_4Y%2F What is A.A.? Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary, worldwide fellowship of men and women from all walks of life who meet together to attain and maintain sobriety. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. Current Membership It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 groups and over 2,000,000 members in 150 countries. Relations With Outside Agencies The Fellowship has adopted a policy of ·cooperation but not affiliation· with other organizations concerned with the problem of alcoholism. We have no opinion on issues outside A.A. and neither endorse nor oppose any causes. How A.A. Is Supported Over the years, Alcoholics Anonymous has affirmed and strengthened a tradition of being fully self-supporting and of neithe... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236103 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:56:29 +0100 3236103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231811&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FHpCUpOKhqP0%2F I will share some thoughts that I left at a discussion at a ‘linked in’ group about addiction.  I was responding to someone who was equating addiction and physical dependence in a baby born to an opiate-addicted mother.  My feeling is that such women are given way too much of an attitude by the nurses and others who care for them, and that was the motivation behind my response.  Read on: There are many differences between physiological dependence and addiction to substances. For example, people who take effexor are dependent– and will have significant discontinuation-emergent side effects– but they are not ‘addicted’, which consists of a mental obsession for a substance. The same is true of beta-blockes, in that discontinuation results in rebound hypertension... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231811 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:42:36 +0100 3231811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208695&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwhat-are-drug-users-looking-for%2F What are drug addicts looking for in treatment; abstinence or harm reduction? In this research we looked at drug users’ aspirations from treatment and consider whether addicts are looking to treatment to ‘reduce’ their risk behavior or to become ‘abstinent’ from their drug use. The research is based on interviews using a core schedule with 1007 drug users starting a new episode of drug treatment in Scotland. Participants were recruited from a total of 33 drug treatment agencies located in rural, urban and inner-city areas across Scotland. Our research has identified widespread support for abstinence as a goal of treatment with 56.6% of drug users questioned identifying ‘abstinence’ as the only change they hoped to achieve on the basis of attending... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208695 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:39:43 +0100 3208695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3201909&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faa-and-na-works-for-youth-too%2F This study examined how helpful AA and NA may be for adolescents, finding long-term benefits even though many youth discontinue attendance after time. “It is difficult to evaluate the efficacy of mutual-help organizations like AA through randomized controlled experiments because the AA ‘intervention,’ being a community organization based on anonymity, cannot be directly under the control of the researcher in the usual way,” explained John F. Kelly. Yet their popularity and cost-effectiveness cannot be denied, added Kelly. “AA and NA are explicitly focused on abstinence and addiction recovery, they are widely available across most communities, they provide entry to a social network of recovery-specific support and sober events that can be accessed ‘on demand’ – particularly ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3201909 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:05:00 +0100 3201909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197897&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faggression-and-hostility-in-recovered-alcoholics%2F This study was designed to examine aggression in a group of socially well-adapted recovered alcoholics. The question addressed was whether the treatment, together with long-term abstinence from alcohol, could reduce aggression and hostility in recovered alcoholics. Sixty four male stable alcoholics with at least 3 years sobriety were compared with 69 non-alcoholics. Neither group had any other psychological problems. Both groups were given a questionnaire on general characteristics as well as aggressive and hostility traits. After a 3-year abstinence, men from the recovering alcoholics group displayed greater signs of hostility and covert aggression. They were different from non-alcoholics on measures for indirect aggression, irritability, negativism, suspicion, resentment, and guilt. Re... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197897 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:02:03 +0100 3197897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3182377&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FcR2NBrU3sL4%2F The Dry Drunk can be a problem to themselves and others. Alcoholics Anonymous informally refers to the alcoholic who has stopped drinking, but who still demonstrates similar alcoholic attitudes and behaviors, as a “dry drunk.” They say that such an individual has abstinence but not sobriety. This concept has been adopted by most twelve-step Fellowships such as Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous and Marijuana Anonymous . It appears on almost all of the Web sites devoted to the different addictions, although characteristics of the dry drunk syndrome differ widely from site to site. Most often mentioned are: (1) depression; (2) anxiety; (3) irritability, anger; (4) grandiosity, pomposity, an inflated ego; (5) an inability to delay gratification, impatience and impulsivity; (6... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3182377 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:13:47 +0100 3182377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3164059&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2F2tjF4bVGxUA%2F Smoking interferes with thinking and memory in recovering alcoholics Non-smoking recovering alcoholics outperform smoking recovering alcoholics on tests of memory, thinking, visual and auditory learning, and memory After six to nine months of abstinence from alcohol, recovering alcoholics who were also chronic smokers showed a significantly lower rate of improvement in tests of memory, reasoning, judgment, and [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3164059 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:34:58 +0100 3164059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156671&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fabstinence-from-heroin-works%2F This study examined longitudinal patterns of addictive heroin use, other substance use, health, mental health, employment, criminal involvement, and mortality among heroin addicts. The sample was composed of 581 male heroin addicts admitted to the California Civil Addict Program (CAP) during the years 1962 through 1964; CAP was a compulsory [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156671 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 10:07:00 +0100 3156671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156672&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fabstinence-can-work-wonders%2F I, along with many, many others who have at one time been through the ‘harm reduction’ method, found that it only brought us right back to our ‘drug of choice’. (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156672 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:58:09 +0100 3156672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156673&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fabstinence-from-alcohol-is-best-choice-for-alcoholics%2F Research proves that abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for alcoholics. (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156673 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:43:44 +0100 3156673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156674&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fabstinence-is-only-one-part-of-recovery%2F "The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous only mention alcohol once, in Step One," (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156674 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:22:29 +0100 3156674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153633&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FtkopFm6tewM%2F 7-year trajectories of Alcoholics Anonymous attendance and associations with treatment Although many members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are introduced to AA during treatment, the relationship between treatment and AA attendance over time is unknown. This paper describes four latent classes of AA attendance among 586 dependent alcoholics interviewed by telephone 1, 3, 5 and 7 years after baseline, and models the relationship between treatment exposure and AA attendance in each class. There was; a low AA group (averaging fewer than 5 meetings at most follow-ups), a medium AA group (about 50 meetings a year at each follow-up), a descending AA group (about 150 meetings year 1, then decreasing steeply), and a high AA group (about 200 meetings at 1 year, then decreasing gradually by year 7). ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153633 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:24:59 +0100 3153633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3129683&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fthe-lotus-eaters%2F Odysseus´ Voyage of Recovery The story of Odysseus is about more than just a Greek guy in a boat. About 3000 years ago, the poet Homer told a story about a man called Odysseus and his voyage home to Greece following the Trojan Wars. Odysseus and his men met up with many exciting adventures along the way, but the most relevant to us is the story of his landing on the Island of the Lotus Eaters. The island was so beautiful that Odysseus wanted to stay there awhile and rest up. So he sent out some scouts to determine if the natives were friendly. Odysseus waited and waited, but the scouts never returned. What had happened was this: the scouts had indeed met up with the locals, the Lotus Eaters, who turned out to be very friendly. The Lotus Eaters even shared their food with the scouts. But t... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3129683 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:26:49 +0100 3129683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126797&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fhelping-alcoholics%2F Seeking Help Could Quadruple the Likelihood of Abstinence To quantify the effect of help seeking on recovery from alcoholism, researchers in the United States analyzed data from 4,422 adults who had participated in a nationally representative survey and developed alcohol dependence at least 1 year before their participation. Only 26 percent of subjects had ever sought help for their alcohol problems; 3 percent participated in a 12-step program only, 6 percent in formal treatment only, and 17 percent in both.  Help seekers drank more and had higher lifetime prevalence’s of other drug use, mood disorders, and personality disorders than did subjects who had not sought help. In analyses adjusted for potential confounders, help seeking significantly increased the likelihood of ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126797 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:50:58 +0100 3126797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3119067&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faa-and-judaism%2F The fellowships of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Al-Anon are of inestimable value in the recovery from alcoholism and chemical dependency. Not infrequently, there is a resistance on the part of Jews to participate on the grounds that these programs have a religious orientation that is non-Jewish. Let us first dispense with some extraneous objections. A.A. is Christian because meetings are held in church basements, say some. While it is true that the majority of A.A. meetings are in churches, it should also be mentioned that few Jewish facilities have welcomed A.A. The myth that Jews do not become alcoholic has resulted in an alienation of alcoholism treatment programs from the Jewish community. Just as there is a lack of alcoholism expertise in Jewish health agencies, so is... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3119067 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:03:17 +0100 3119067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3037089&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fhow-aa-members-get-sober-in-taiwan%2F An ongoing process: A qualitative study of how the alcohol-dependent free themselves of addiction through progressive abstinence Abstract (provisional) Background Most people being treated for alcoholism are unable to successfully quit drinking within their treatment programs. … Note: Cross posted from Twelve Step Facilitation.com. Permalink Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3037089 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:11:32 +0100 3037089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954452&cid=t_110718_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F02%2Fsunday-news-round-up-monday-style-11209%2F For at least part of the past weekend, I was busy attending the Southern Chapter of the Medical Library Association’s annual conference in Memphis, TN, so the round-up is a bit delayed. A few things that caught my eye over the past week: Meharry Medical College in Nashville got a big grant to fund research in women’s health, eliminating cancer disparities and HIV/AIDS. A new edition of the Carnival Against Sexual Violence has been posted. Mom’s Tinfoil Hat is talking about conscience clauses and their responsible application. The National Women’s Law Center is doing a “Women’s Day of Action for Health Care Reform” blog-a-thon on Wednesday, Nov 4, and is asking women to sign up to “to blog, tweet or post for fair, affordable and comprehensive health... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954452 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:58:27 +0100 2954452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2947143&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2F6-signs-of-sex-addiction%2F Sex Addiction signs and SymptomsSex can be real problem for some people when sexual practices get out of control. Sex addiction has several symptoms that may be easily identified if you know what to look for. However, like all addiction one needs to be honest with oneself. This video explores the signs of sex addiction.If you think you may have a problem contact a specialist sex addiction counsellor or one of the organisations listed below. Sex Addicts AnonymousSex and Love Addicts Anonymous Sexaholics Anonymous Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2947143 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:21:27 +0100 2947143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2944104&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Ffeature-article-gamblers-who-%25e2%2580%2598stay-in-action%25e2%2580%2599%2F Some compulsive gamblers are said to have abstinence but not sobriety. They are considered at risk for relapse. “Staying in action” is a term that can describe the non-gambling gambler who may have underlying desires not consistent with serenity.The Staying in action syndrome may include: depression; anxiety; irritability,anger; grandiosity,pomposity, an inflated ego;an inability to delay gratification, impatience and impulsivity; self-pity; being a workaholic, other compulsive behaviors, tunnel vision, a lack of balance; intolerance, rigidity, being overly judgmental; nostalgia toward or romanticizing of one’s drinking or drug use; and emotional constriction, lack of spontaneity, failure to enjoy life.Staying In Action may include many of the above symptoms and be acted out ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2944104 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:36:44 +0100 2944104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927253&cid=t_110718_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fparents-the-bibles-not-doing-it%2F Parents who believe that their strong religious beliefs and raising their children in the church will prevent teen pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases may be surprised to learn that teen-age pregnancies are highest among the more religious states in the United States. Of course, who can forget failed vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her teen daughter, Bristol Palin’s pregnancy. Here was a very in-your-face conservative who doesn’t want sex education in the schools, who believed that raising your child “right” and with God would keep her from getting pregnant – and her daughter became pregnant. Sure, she’s one teen among millions, but she’s not the only one whose parents believed that by preaching abstinence, their daughter would... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927253 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:38:54 +0100 2927253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902960&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fis-alcoholism-a-disease%2F Yes, alcoholism is a disease. The craving that an alcoholic feels for alcohol can be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems. Like many other diseases, alcoholism is chronic, meaning that it lasts a person’s lifetime; it usually follows a predictable course; and it has symptoms. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by a person’s genes and by his or her lifestyle. The only treatment for alcoholism is complete abstinence which a lot of alcoholics find hard to do. Sobriety can start at the entrance to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902960 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:47:48 +0100 2902960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2768830&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftreatment-and-aa-attendance%2F 7-year trajectories of Alcoholics Anonymous attendance and associations with treatment Although many members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are introduced to AA during treatment, the relationship between treatment and AA attendance over time is unknown. This paper describes four latent classes of AA attendance among 586 dependent alcoholics interviewed by telephone 1, 3, 5 and 7 years after baseline, and models the relationship between treatment exposure and AA attendance in each class. There was; a low AA group (averaging fewer than 5 meetings at most follow-ups), a medium AA group (about 50 meetings a year at each follow-up), a descending AA group (about 150 meetings year 1, then decreasing steeply), and a high AA group (about 200 meetings at 1 year, then decreasing gradually by year 7). ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2768830 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:58:11 +0100 2768830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2406210&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35797&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewrecovery.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fdont-drink-that-marshmallow.html The marshamallow experiments are famous by now, thanks in large part to Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence books, and their relevance to addiction seems obvious.  In 1968, Stanford psychology prof Walter Mischel presented four-year olds with a marshmallow and the choice: Eat it now, or wait 15 minutes and get two.  The kids who could delay the gratification ended up, a decade and more later, with higher SAT scores, higher graduation rates, better jobs -- in short, twice as many of the marshmallows life had to offer.  It was often believed that the kids who could delay gratification did so thanks to more "will power."  Mischel -- according to a helpful and informative summary in this week's New Yorker, by Jonah Lehrer -- analyzed what this "will power" really consisted of.  He pa... New Recovery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2406210 Thu, 14 May 2009 18:52:00 +0100 2406210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190423&cid=t_110718_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F15%2Fnews-round-up-blog-posts-on-race-rights-abortion-body-image-drug-policy-and-more%2F Some good stuff from recent days, in no particular order. If you follow my FriendFeed or StumbleUpon profiles, you may have seen some of these already, but several things will be new. And as usual, there’s a ton of good stuff over at Our Bodies Our Blog. Renee of Womanist Musings at Global Comment on the octuplets story - Nadya Suleman and the Choice We Never Respect. Renee also has the first installment of the Tell It WOC Speak blog carnival. CVS Limits Condom Access For Some - From Cara at The Curvature, on CVS locking up the condoms in perhaps a racially biased way. Locking up of condoms (and lube! and pregnancy tests!) drives me crazy, because it’s a barrier in the face of people who are trying to protect and take responsibility for their bodies and health. Sometimes the... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190423 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:38:41 +0100 2190423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2121889&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35797&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewrecovery.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fcongratulations-to-barack-obama.html As a college student at Wesleyan in '61 (or was it '62?) I joined with other white students to team with groups of black students from Howard University in an effort to integrate lunch counters in Glen Burnie, a suburb of Baltimore.  In some places we sat indefinitely without being served; in one, we were served coffee with salt in it; at another they locked the doors as we approached.  When we picketed the segregated local movie theatre, a mob of white men surrounded us as sheriffs watched.  A providential cloudburst scattered the crowd and allowed us to escape.  On the night of election day in 1964, I arrived at the civil rights movement headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi, to begin a few months of volunteer work.  Nearly everyone was glued to the TV set to see whether the Democrat... New Recovery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2121889 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:39:00 +0100 2121889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2028115&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2F479193142%2F I received an e-mail today related to an article I had placed on a different web site about using Suboxone during pregnancy: My son was born November 19th 2008 and is still in the hospital because the mother is on Suboxone. He has tremors, has trouble sleeping and is excessively strong and ‘tight’. The doctors placed him on methadone to treat these symptoms and they are weaning him off the methadone. It is a very emotionally frustrating, confusing and strained time for us all. I see the side effects of the Suboxone and they are real and do happen. For more info. on my case email me. I would be happy to fill you in on more. I am dealing with it right now. I am frequently frustrated by the lack of knowledge about Suboxone among physicians;  the manufacturer of Suboxone sponsors ... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2028115 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:24:04 +0100 2028115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968831&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F11%2F17%2Fstudents-from-smith-leadership-academy-visit-aids-actions-offices%2F 8th grade students from the Smith Leadership Academy paid a day-long visit the AIDS Action Committee offices in early November. They were accompanied by their homeroom teacher Laura Kacewicz and the head of Smith Leadership, Kamala Sherwood. While at the AAC office a number of staff members spoke to them, including Eric Brus in the HIV/AIDS Library, Tonia Hines & Emerson Miller from Peer Support, and Deb Fournier from Public Policy. Our BE SAFE Mass Promise Fellow Cara Mathews toured them around the offices and organized most of their activities. During the afternoon of their visit, the students made scarves out of fleece fabric that they brought with them.  When they had completed their project at the end of the day, the scarves were donated to Boomerangs to benefit AIDS Action.... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968831 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:56:41 +0100 1968831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1951977&cid=t_110718_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F450141285%2F7-things-obamas-win-could-mean-for-womens-health.html [Tip of the hat to Rachel Walden over at Women's Health News Blog for alerting us to these headlines] Buh-bye Global Gag Rule! 7 Things Obama’s Win Could Mean for Women’s Health Condoms Trump Abstinence in Obama Global AIDS Policy (Update1) US health policy: we've fallen but we can get up ~ Yes, we can!: Dr Susan Wood appointed co-chair of Obama's advisory committee on Women's Health. (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1951977 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:12:20 +0100 1951977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1658226&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fthe-best-part-of-wine%2F The Abstinent Approach to Healthy Wine Consumption In the Sober Kitchen by Recovering Chef Liz Scott No doubt since you put down that last drink, you have noticed that researchers are continually discovering good and healthy things about drinking, particularly red wine. Most recently, a compound called resveratrol, which is present in grape skins and seeds, has been pinpointed as the potentially key component in red wine that can contribute to good health. In addition to preventing damage to blood vessels, reducing bad cholesterol, and preventing blood clots, resveratrol may also help protect from obesity and diabetes. “…some studies have even shown that drinking red or purple grape juice provides the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine…” For sober folks an... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1658226 Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:54:36 +0100 1658226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1596393&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F07%2F08%2Fthe-2009-gay-mens-health-agenda%2F As we enter the final stretch of this election season, it’s time to focus on what is coming next, and more importantly, on our goals for the future. It’s exciting – and challenging – for those of us in the HIV/AIDS community to envision a day when we are not merely scrambling to survive the latest round of budget cuts and homophobic attacks on our work, but that time may soon be here.As the President and CEO of AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts and Executive Director of AIDS Action Council in Washington, DC, I have the opportunity to see the effects of the epidemic both on a particular region – New England — and on the nation as a whole. Lifelube has asked me to dream big – about what is needed to allow gay men, now and in the future, the opportunity to fulfill their... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1596393 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:55:23 +0100 1596393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526176&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F06%2F17%2Fab-only-still-not-working-feds-still-funding-it%2F Results from the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey released last week contain disturbing hints that efforts to reduce the teen sex rate and increase teen condom use rate are stagnant. Earlier this month, we learned that Lawrence and Lowell, which have the 3rd and 9th highest teen pregnancy and birth rates in the state, are still indulging in ab-only-until-marriage programming because funding for actual sex education was cut in 2003, and that Gloucester already had as many pregnant teens in their high school in May as they did for the entire calendar year last year. All of this came on the heels of news in March that one in four teen girls in the nation – and nearly half of black teen girls - has a sexually transmitted disease. Hilariously, Valerie Huber, the director of the Nation... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526176 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:42:06 +0100 1526176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502795&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fmocktails-in-the-sober-kitchen%2F All About Mocktails: Drinks for Sober Celebrations There was a time when nondrinkers had very few choices when it came to specialty drinks. Shirley Temples and Virgin Marys were the typical options – otherwise a club soda or cola was the usual request for kids and abstemious adults alike. But times have certainly changed! Bartender extraordinaire Tony Abou-Ganim of Las Vegas recently designed a special “mocktail” for Paris Hilton’s birthday party, and alcohol-free pomegranate spritzers were served on an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. With more and more folks abstaining from the hard stuff, hosts need to offer mocktails as well as soft drinks when they entertain if they hope to throw a memorable party for their alcohol-shunning guests. So, what makes a grea... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502795 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:37:54 +0100 1502795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432387&cid=t_110718_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F5%2F9%2Fthe-impending-demise-of-abstinence-only-programs-finally-fig.html by Pat Salber, MDI wonder if we will ever know how many American kids got pregnant or contracted sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) because of a decade of a failed national health policy: abstinence-only programs. Thankfully, we seem to be regaining our senses and will once again resort to science to guide public health policy related to sex education.This positive development is discussed in some detail in the May 7, 2008 issue of JAMA  (Vol. 299, No. 17, p. 2013-15). Here is a brief summary:In 2007, Mathematica Policy, Inc., a nonpartisan research firm (oh, how sad it is that it must be pointed out that a research firm is nonpartisan) published the results of its controlled trial of abstinence-only programs. For its study, Mathematica surveyed more than 2000 elementary and middle ... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432387 Fri, 09 May 2008 01:12:10 +0100 1432387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1399182&cid=t_110718_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F277799282%2Fonce-more-with-feeling.html Once again, experts have testified that abstinence only sex education programs don't work. This time, groups of experts, including representatives from the American Public Health Association, the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1399182 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:55:54 +0100 1399182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1352303&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fcooking-up-recovery%2F In the Sober Kitchen by Liz Scott So, what exactly do we mean by a “sober kitchen?”  Although it means much more than merely removing alcohol containing ingredients from our cupboards and fridge, striving for an alcohol-free kitchen is definitely a good place to start.  Why is this important?  Because contrary to the old wives’ tale, alcohol does not burn off in the cooking process.  In 1989 a USDA study proved that between 5% and 85% of the alcohol added to a dish is retained depending upon the cooking method, type of alcohol used, and the amount of time it is exposed to heat.  Indeed, the act of flambéing, or setting a pan alight, actually retains a whopping 75%!  Surprised?  I was too, but even more surprising was that addiction researchers ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1352303 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:10:27 +0100 1352303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1311112&cid=t_110718_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F253628957%2Fquarter-of-teenage-girls-test-positive.html I'm just going to sit here and sip my coffee and let that title, and that statistic, sink in for a moment. A quarter of teenage girls test positive for sexually transmitted diseases. Go ahead and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1311112 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:13:13 +0100 1311112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513226&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Ffree-education-life-skills-and-universities%2F More than 100 Free Places to Learn Online – and Counting People in recovery from alcoholism, addiction, codependency, gambling and sex addiction often find they have a ‘need to learn’. Or they find they have missed learning some basic stuff about life and how to live. This list of free online education may help some people. Topics include; Online Tutorials and How-to Sites Higher Education and Open Education Initiatives Free CE,CME, and CEU Cooking Business and Professional Skills Dance Economics Handy Things to Know Economics Handy Things to Know Health Human Resources International Development Language, Spelling, and Grammar Skills Law Maths Music and Art Sports, Recreation, and Hobbies Theological Web and Computer Skills CAUTION; Select a course wisely that does not interfer... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513226 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:28:26 +0100 2513226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207604&cid=t_110718_151_f&fid=35797&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewrecovery.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fabstinence-leads-to-rapid-brain-repair.html Abstinence leads to rapid repair of gross brain damage seen in alcohol dependent persons, according to a review of neuroimaging studies by a group of Japanese researchers. In uncomplicated alcoholic patients, a high incidence of cortical shrinkage and ventricular dilatation were reported using brain CT scans. In older alcoholics, prefrontal gray matter deficits were especially marked when compared with younger alcoholics. Reversibility of brain shrinkage is a common neuroimaging finding in patients with alcohol dependence.Regrowth of shrunken brain areas was particularly vigorous during the first month of abstinence, the scans showed. Besides the gray matter, areas "with significantly greater recovery in abstainers were the temporal lobes, thalamus, brainstem, cerebellum, corpus callosum, ... New Recovery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207604 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:01:00 +0100 1207604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1007222&cid=t_110718_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F11%2F6%2Fare-we-as-patient-and-smart-as-we-think-we-are.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DOh Lord, deliver me from temptation…but not quite yet.Confessions, St. Augustine, 4th century (free translation from the Latin). When we asked ourselves what characterizes us as human we used to answer with self-assurance,” it’s the language, stupid”. But now we know that language was not an abrupt development that happened after we diverged from the chimpanzees 4 million years ago. The chimps have the capacity to communicate with symbols such as pictures, colors and letters. But they can’t vocalize. For this they would need to undergo the anatomical descent of the voice box, or vocal cords, which we humans were lucky enough to have. Well chimps, maybe in a few millions years you may get lucky…What about patience?I am using &ldq... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1007222 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:47:17 +0100 1007222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=933960&cid=t_110718_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F8%2Fbinge-eating-my-brain-made-me-do-it.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DHave you ever wondered why do people reach for food, any food, when they are under stress? With most people, this stress reaction is mild and episodic. But in others, it is extreme and frequent; they can consume 6, 7, 8 thousand calories in a single day. This syndrome of binge eating has attracted much attention among psychologists for a long time; and now neurobiologists have taken notice as well.What’s going on?I remember from my marathon racing days that at about 18-20 miles I would hit a psychological low. I would be dragging my feet, having lost my motivation to make a new personal best, struggling with my rationalizations that I should just quit, even vowing to myself to never again engage in this idiotic effort. But then I would pop something sweet (cal... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=933960 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 01:37:47 +0100 933960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=777573&cid=t_110718_112_f&fid=34614&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fno-hiv-risk-reduction-for-abstinence.html In an effort to examine the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs as a means of preventing HIV infection researchers analyzed 13 trials. The findings:Compared with no program, safer sex programs, and various other control programs, the abstinence-only programs did not seem to reduce HIV risk. Specifically, abstinence-only programs did not influence the rate of unprotected vaginal sex, the number of sexual partners, condom use, or initiation of sexual activity.In one trial, there was evidence that abstinence-only programs may have had an adverse effect. Compared with a comparison group of young people who did not participate in an HIV prevention program, abstinence-only programs were associated with a rise in sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. Still, the authors note that ot... The Well-Timed Period blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=777573 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 19:42:00 +0100 777573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=761442&cid=t_110718_112_f&fid=34614&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Ftexas-board-of-education-president-says.html Texas law requires school districts to emphasize abstinence in sex education classes. Texas also had the nation's highest birth rate among teenagers ages 15 to 19 in 2004 [63 births per 1,000 teens vs. 41 births per 1,000 teens average rate nationally].When asked about the possibility that Texas' emphasis on abstinence in sex education contributes to the state's relatively high numbers, Don McLeroy, president of the State Board of Education, had this to say:"The idea that just giving them a lot of information is going to solve it, I think, is kind of naive," he said. "Certainly, it's more of a societal problem than it is a school problem."When the president of the State Board of Education tells you access to information isn't all that's cracked up to, you naive sorts better take note. (Sou... The Well-Timed Period blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=761442 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:15:00 +0100 761442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=752767&cid=t_110718_112_f&fid=34614&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fcommunity-based-abstinence-education.html Forget the entrepreneurial acumen of the underpants gnomes. The Community Based Abstinence "Education" (CBAE) government welfare piggies can teach us all a thing or two about business. Behold: Step 1. Formalize the ideology behind your multimillion-dollar scheme. Shoring up marriage was Robert Rector’s vision a decade ago. A fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Mr. Rector wrote the first bill that legally defined abstinence education, and got it attached as a stowaway to the 1996 welfare overhaul, backed with $50 million for the states. A later Congress, irked at states’ finding loopholes in the original intent, designated a second pool of abstinence money in 2001, now the lifeblood of the movement.Mr. Rector says viewing abstinence primarily through the lens of public health distracted ... The Well-Timed Period blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=752767 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 04:06:00 +0100 752767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644729&cid=t_110718_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F5%2F29%2Fthose-liberal-californians-are-at-it-again-%25e2%2580%2593-even-the-conser.html A survey, reported on the Kaiser Family Foundation list serve, finds that eighty-nine percent of California parents, regardless of political or religious persuasion, support comprehensive sex education programs in school. That means teaching kids about all of the choices related to sexual activity ranging from contraception to abstinence. How about that?…let’s arm our children with good solid information and then guide them to make the best choices for themselves.Even self-identifying evangelical Christians said they supported comprehensive sex education. The lowest support came from the “very conservative” subset of the population and even then 71% supported comprehensive programs.The study’s lead author, Norman Constantine of the Public Healt... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644729 Tue, 29 May 2007 15:09:12 +0100 644729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=589127&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2007%2F05%2F04%2Fsexual-morality-with-the-money%2F Ellen Goodman hits the nail squarely and eloquently on the head today in her editorial in the Boston Globe today. As we’ve been discussing, Randall Tobias’ recent resignation in the wake of the discovery that he was a regular client of the now infamous “D.C. Madam” is only the latest blow to the Bush administration’s failed abstinence-only policies.  Goodman connects the issues beautifully – “Well, Tobias was not just your everyday CEO-turned bureaucrat.  This is one time that “private life” and “public record” are as tightly wedded as a pizza and its toppings.  As the first global AIDS czar, Tobias oversaw American public policy for foreign private lives.  He was in charge of doling out sexual morality with the money.”  Why the pizza reference?  Tobias has ... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=589127 Fri, 04 May 2007 15:32:44 +0100 589127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=586771&cid=t_110718_87_f&fid=34836&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.bioethics.net%2F2007%2F05%2Fnew-and-exciting-forms-of-abstinence.html Tags: Bioethics, Ethics, Abstinence Randall Tobias, head of the $15 billion President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and administrator of the US Agency of International Development (USAID), resigned last week after he admitted having used a Washington escort service for massage. Tobias stated firmly that he did not pay for, or receive, sexual favors. His plea of innocence -- made while handing in his resignation -- will help the cause of Deborah Jeanne Palfrey, the boss of the escort service, who claims that her business is legal because it involves only the use of costumes, massages, lascivious conversation, and (for example) young women playing Monopoly in the nude. The irony, of course, is that Mr. Tobias was a strong proponent of 'abstinence only' programs to prevent HIV tr... blog.bioethics.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=586771 Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 586771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=579290&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2007%2F04%2F30%2Fthe-drum-beat-against-abstinence-only-grows-louder%2F Last week was a bad week for the Bush administration’s abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.  Abstinence-only proponents were still reeling from the ab-only doesn’t work Mathematica bomb when it was announced that the ACLU, SIECUS and Advocates for Youth had sent a nine-page letter to the Secretary of HHS, Mike Leavitt, demanding the medical inaccuracies in abstinence-only-until-marriage programs (ala the Waxman report) be corrected within 30 days or HHS will face legal action. Friday was even worse:   more than 65 organizations signed on to a letter to the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education calling for the end of abstinence only until marriage grants for community based programs and for the government to be... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=579290 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:38:22 +0100 579290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=579695&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fronhudson.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Furgent-action-needed-from-north.html NC AIDS ACTION NETWORK ALERTPlease take a moment to send a message to your North Carolina legislators to let them know that we need comprehensive sex education in NC to save lives from the spread of HIV/AIDS. We now know that President Bush's "Abstinence Only" programs are failing. The following is an urgent bulletin from the North Carolina AIDS Action Network.April 27, 2007Help prevent HIV with comprehensive sex education in our public schools.Sometime in the next week the NC House Health Committee will be voting on House Bill 879, which would replace the outdated, ineffective, and incomplete abstinence until marriage sex education in public schools with real, comprehensive sex education. You can make a real difference by visiting www.ncaan.org and sending an email to the committee member... 2sides2ron blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=579695 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 02:09:00 +0100 579695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=571105&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2007%2F04%2F26%2Fgay-youth-and-ab-only-don%25e2%2580%2599t-ask-don%25e2%2580%2599t-tell%2F Yesterday I wrote about how abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) programming is religious indoctrination masquerading as sex ed.  Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t stop there.  These curricula dangerously isolate and stigmatize GLBT kids-a group already prone to higher rates of depression and suicide.  The guidelines of AOUM programs explicitly state that “expected standard of sexual activity” is a mutually monogamous relationship between a man and a woman.   Moreover, many AOUM programs either show a clear bias against homosexuality or omit the topic altogether.  One program, CLUE 2000 equates homosexuality with incest or pedophilia.  That’s right kids, the fact that you have a crush on someone of the same gender means you are one step away from sleeping with your siblings or mol... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=571105 Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:09:58 +0100 571105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=569529&cid=t_110718_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2007%2F04%2F25%2Fit-isnt-the-abstinence-its-the-only%2F Yesterday, the Globe ran a story about Governor Patrick rightly rejecting abstinence-only-until- marriage federal funding in his budget. Predictably, ab-only proponents immediately cried that the Governor wants to give up federal grants that are merely used to teach students about abstinence. They want people to believe that the Governor doesn’t believe in abstinence and wants kids to go around “doing it” as much as possible. This is standard fare for proponents of ab-only. They want people to believe that without abstinence-only-until-marriage programming, abstinence isn’t valued and won’t even get a quick mention in typical sex education classes. They are (gasp!) wrong. Quite the contrary, comprehensive sex education curricula are abstinence-based, emphasizing that delaying sex... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=569529 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:16:14 +0100 569529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=548992&cid=t_110718_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fblindness-of-abstinence-only-approach_17.html Our friend and colleague, Art Caplan, posts a great column in MSNBC today about the abstinence only approach doesn't work:"Is the Bush administration capable of allowing fact-based, scientifically proven evidence rather than ideology or blind faith to shape its public policies? When it comes to what to do about air pollution, endangered species, embryonic stem cell research, the disposal of farm waste, forest management or lead poisoning, the answer is apparently not.Nowhere is this administration’s reliance on ideology and faith and willful ignorance of science more dangerous and harmful than when it comes to sex. The president and his people continue to be willing to let your kids get dangerous diseases and to tolerate tens of thousands of preventable abortions by ignoring the fact tha... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=548992 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:16:00 +0100 548992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=543160&cid=t_110718_112_f&fid=34614&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fabstinence-education-doesnt-need-to-be.html So proclaimeth the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. [Via RH Reality Check, news that Wade F. Horn has recently resigned.] Ponder this for a moment.You are to receive information about birth control, and I'm the federally-funded educator. If all I do is go on and on about PregoBloK® abstinence, you might laugh me out of the room for discussing, exclusively, the one method of birth control with an unknown typical use efficacy. You might also point out that purposefully withholding information--by only talking about abstinence, to the exclusion of all the other available methods--isn't "education". [More like indoctrination, but who's keeping track.] At the very least you'd be able to rest assured that, by point... The Well-Timed Period blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=543160 Sat, 14 Apr 2007 04:56:00 +0100 543160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=529931&cid=t_110718_112_f&fid=34614&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthewelltimedperiod.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fannouncing-birth-control-breakthrough.html Ladies and gentlemen, do I have an exclusive for you. I can finally reveal what I've been working on all this time.It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to my life's work, a new method of birth control, created to benefit humanity, and fully backed (*cough* mo-ney *cough*) by the federal government. Here's the official announcement from my company, Bumpsypharma Laboratories:10 April 2007 (Cape May, US)American women's choice of birth control is now extended by PregoBloK®, an easy-to-use unique once-a-year contraceptive method that offers women a new way of protecting themselves against pregnancy. PregoBloK® is the first annual vaginal force field matrix for birth control. It will free women from the constraints of having to worry about their birth control on a daily or monthly basi... The Well-Timed Period blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=529931 Mon, 09 Apr 2007 00:49:00 +0100 529931