Drug Addiction Treatment Centers: A Fresh Start

Drug Addiction Treatment Centers: A Fresh Start

Half a decade ago, I started working on a hotline to help addicts and their families find drug addiction treatment centers. Thousands of calls later, I still remember the first time I picked up the line.
I could hardly make out what the woman on the other end was saying to me. Shelly (not her real name) was sobbing. She had just arrived at her fatherâ??s apartment and had found him passed out cold on the couch with a needle still sticking out of his arm. Why she called our line instead of 9-1-1 was a mystery. I called for an ambulance and waited on the phone with her until they arrived. She told me how her father had been a construction worker, though his dream was to play guitar in a band. Shelly said her parents split up when she was thirteen because of her dadâ??s drinking. He moved away to live in another state for a couple of years and they began to lose touch. He would send the occasional card or make a call on her birthday the first couple of years, but that eventually ended. After college, Shelly decided to find her dad. It turned out that he had moved back and was living just a couple of miles from where she grew up.
Somewhere along the way, he had picked up a heroin habit. Shelly tried to talk him into going to treatment, but he always had an excuse for why he couldnâ??t. Shelly said she visited him weekly, helped him keep his apartment up, bought his groceries and kept after him to quit. She said she they had just talked the night before and that he had, for the first time, agreed to try treatment. On my end, I could hear the ambulance approaching and then a knock on the door. Shelly hung up and I never heard from her again.
Today in America, there are 13 million people in need of alcohol or drug addiction treatment. Fortunately, according the government, there are just over 13,000 drug addiction treatment centers waiting to help these individuals. It may have been too late for Shellyâ??s dad, I donâ??t know, but I do know that it is not too late for anyone who is looking for a drug addiction treatment center today.
Each year millions of people across America, enter treatment centers. For many, this marks a fresh start, a rebirth. It is an opportunity to rebuild broken relationships and broken lives. Those who successfully complete rehab join a recovery community that is already millions strong.
This article, intended to be one in a three part series, is dedicated to addicts and family members of addicts who are searching for answers. Its goal the series is to help those suffering from drug abuse and/or their loved ones to make informed choices when entering drug addiction treatment.
I invite you to join me over the next couple of weeks as these articles explore the different types of treatment settings and then how to find the right treatment center for you or a loved one. In the end, I am confident that combined with careful research of what makes good treatment and by following your own intuition; you or a loved one can begin a new life.

FENG SHUI BASICS

FENG SHUI BASICS
Feng Shui (literally "Wind and Water" in Chinese), is all about balance and harmony between us and our environment. Just like the Yin and Yang energies, Feng Shui is about balance. Where there is light, there will always be darkness; where there is fire, there will always be water; and so forth.
Feng Shui teaches that every individual interacts differently to their environment. Sometimes, a particular environment - such as a house or office - is so suited to you that you find that everything in your life is great. However, if you have troubled relationships or financial woes, it is quite likely that there is some discord or imbalance between yourself and your environment, manifesting in your daily life.
By subtly modifying your environment, you will be able to restore this balance, and consequently improve your life. Modifying your environment can be as simple as changing the angle or position of your work desk, or by buying Feng Shui items such as mandarin ducks and placing them in proper locations in your home or office.
There are many systems of authentic classical Feng Shui. This article describes the Xuan Kong (pronounced "Shu-en Kong") system. Xuan Kong (literally "Mysterious Void" in Chinese) is a complete system which includes complicated formulae to calculate optimal positioning and composition of an environment.
EIGHT MANSION (PA-KUA) SCHOOL OF FENG SHUI
There are a few sub-schools within the Xuan Kong system, including the popular Flying Stars school. The descriptions in this article are based on the Eight Mansion school, also known as the Pa-Kua school. In the Pa-Kua technique, the compass is divided into eight directions, each of which is depicted by a trigram. Each of these directions have different significance. For example, one of the Pa-Kua directions is the personal or relationship direction, which will be of the most interest to someone with troubled relationships. Furthermore, the significance of each direction differs for each individual.
To find out how each Pa-Kua direction affects you personally, you will need to calculate your Kua Number.
The calculator will provide you with your Kua Number, and more importantly, what each Pa-Kua direction means to you. In short, four of those directions will be positive and favorable to you, while the other four will have negative connotations for you.
The eight Pa-Kua directions can be briefly summarized as follows:
Sheng Chi (Life Generating) - This Pa-Kua direction is your prosperity and wealth direction. You would focus on this direction if you are interested in financial strength.
Tien Yi (Heavenly Doctor) - This direction is your health direction. You would focus on this direction if you are interested in health and physical matters.
Nien Yin (Relationships) - This direction is your relationships direction. You would focus on this direction if you have troubled relationships and would like to improve your love life and/or your marriage.
Fu Wei (Stability) - This direction is your stability and knowledge direction. You would focus on this direction if you want to achieve tranquility and knowledge.
Ho Hai (Mishaps) - The first negative Pa-Kua direction is your accident or misfortune direction. You would focus on this direction if you want to reduce unforeseen accidents or loss.
Wu Gwei (Five Ghosts) - This direction is your financial loss direction. You would focus on this direction to prevent theft and other financial woes.
Liu Sha (Six Killings) - This direction is your "evil" direction. You would focus on this direction to ward off malevolence against you.
Chueh Ming (Total Loss) - This direction is your loss and death direction. You would focus on this direction to reduce physical loss and death around you.

Ayurveda - Principles & Practice

Ayurveda - Principles & Practice

Ayurveda which has been evolved around 600 BC, apart from treating ailments concentrated more in its prevention. This was followed by the Aryans & Dravidians who were inhabiting India and has been practiced ever since. In the 21st century, Ayurveda has become an indispensable branch of medicine due to its naturalistic approach, that depends on the diagnosis of ones physical base ie Vata, pitta and kabha, and to maintain a right balance.
One of the important principle of Ayurveda treatment is that , treatment is given not only to the ailments or the affected part, but to the person as a whole. This creates an enviornment for purifying your body naturally, which eliminates all toxic imbalances from your body, enabling you to regain natural resistance from diseases and attain good health.
Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests, which caters to the demand for herbs and medicinal plants, and the cool monsoon season (June-November) are best suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative packages. In fact, today, Kerala is the only State in India which practices this system of medicine with absolute dedication.
Every object-plant, animal or human - according to the Panchabhootha Philosophy (5 elements of philosophy), is constituted of Vata, Pitta, Kapha.
The concentration of these elements vary in each individual and therefore the time, place, duration and kind of treatment required to restore the balance also needs to change. This is why Ayurveda have a separate system of diagnosis and treatment for each patient. And a season for undergoing Ayurvedic programmes - the monsoon. The atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy.
Rejuvenative Programmes The following are the major rejuvenational therapies practacied in Ayurveda.
Rasayana chikitsa Tones up the skin and rejuvenates and strengthens all the tissues so as to achieve ideal health and longevity. Increases Ojas (primary vitality) and improves Sattva (mental clarity) and thereby increases the resistance of the body. Includes head and face creams, body massage with herbal oil or powder by hand and foot intake of rejuvenative medicines and medicated steam bath. Herbal baths are also used.
Kayakalpa Chikitsa Prime treatment for retarding the ageing process, arresting the degeneration of body cells and immunization of the system. Includes intake of Rasayana (special Ayurvedic medicines and diet) and comprehensive body care programmes. Most effective for either sex if undertaken before the age of 50.
Sweda Karma Medicine steam baths eliminate impurities from the body, improve the tone and complexion of the skin, reduce fat and are recommended for certain rheumatic diseases, particularly for pain. Precious herbs and herbal leaves are boiled and the steam is passed over the entire body for 10 to 20 minutes daily.
Hand massage with herbal oils or herbal powder improves blood circulation and tones up the muscles.
Meditation and Yoga Mental and physical exercises meant to isolate the ego from the body and mind-designed to home your concentration, improve health and help attain peace of mind through 8 stages of training.
Disciplined behaviour yama Self purification niyama Bodily postures such as the lotus position asana.
Control of breathing Pranayama Control of the senses Pratyahara, fixing of the mind on a chosen object dharsana. Meditation dhyana and Samadhi - a state of being where you experience absolute tranquility and well being.
Beauty care Herbal face pack, herbal oil massage, intake of herbal tea etc. improves complexion and beautifulness of the body.
Body Slimming Medicated herbal powder and medicated herbal oil massages, and Ayurvedic diet of herbal juices etc. are part of the programme.
Overal Fitness Panchakarma Treatment A five fold treatment for mental and physical well being tunes the body, organs, mind, breath, nerves and purifies the blood.
Therapeutic Programmes Treatment for chronic head-aches, insomnia, mental tension and cases of hysteria, hallucination and insanity.
Dhara: Herbal oils, medicated milk or buttermilk and decoctions are poured on the forehead/whole body in a special manner. Variations include Oorhwanga Dhara (good for diseases of the eyes, ears and skin). Takra Dhara (for those suffering from memory loss, severe headache or insanity) and Sarvanga Dhara (for both head and body). Treatment to alleviate osteoarthritis, leukemia etc.
Snehapanam: Medicated ghee is given internally in a gradually increased quality of specific periods.
Treatment for spondilosis, rheumatic diseases like arthritis, paralysis, hemiplegia, nervous weakness and nervous disorders. Pizhichil: Lukewarm herbal oil is applied with fresh linen all over the body by trained masseurs in a rhythmic manner for a period of 1 to 11/2 hours daily for 7 to 21 days. Treatment for diseases like hemiplegia, paralysis, obsety and certain rheumatic ailments.
Udvarthanam: Therapeutic massage with herbal powders. Treatment for musculoskeletal ailments due to trauma or accidents.
Marma Chiksta: Treatment that works on the extremely sensitive vital points of the body (the 107 marmas).
Treatment for nasal ailments: Nasyam: Inhalation of medicated herbal preparations, decoction oils, ghee etx. to eliminate the morbid factors from the head and neck area.
Treatment for ear ailments Karnapooranam: Medicated oils are applied to the ear for 5 to 10 minutes daily to clean as well as treat specific ailments.
Preventing cataract and strengthening vision: Tharpanam: A treatment for the eyes effective in preventing cataract and strengthening the optic nerve.
Treatment for wasting of muscles, all types or rheumatism, sports injuries, pain in the joints, emaciation of the body or parts of the body and certain kinds of skin diseases.
Navarakizhi: The whole body is made to perspire by the external application of medicated rice packs in the form of blouses tied in muslin bags. Treatment for dryness of nostrils, mouth and throat, severe headaches, facial paralysis and burning sensation in the head.
Sirovasti: Lukewarm herbal oils are poured into a leather cap fitted on the head for specific durations as per physician's recommendation

Green Tea

Green Tea for Health: Your Heart Will Thank You

I began drinking green tea about five years ago after I had my cholesterol checked. I am not overweight and do not eat a lot of saturated and trans fats, but my LDL cholesterol was a little on the high side, according to my doctor. I began reading up on ways to lower my cholesterol and found a lot of information pointing to green tea as a remedy.
After learning about the benificial properties of green tea, I started drinking two cups before and after work every day with a little bit of honey for sweetener. After a few weeks, I weaned myself off the honey and drank the tea unsweetened. I also began walking on my treadmill 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week. I didn't change my eating habits as they were pretty good to begin with.
Six months later, I returned to the doctor for a re-check and my cholesterol had decreased by almost 50 points! Just the combination of green tea and a little exercise was the cause of this change. My physician was impressed, and I felt much better about my health.
Why not supplement your own diet with some green tea daily? You can find both caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties at your local grocery or health food store. There are also green tea capsules you can take if you are not a fan of tea or do not have time to brew a few cups a day.
In addition to cholesterol-lowering properties, green tea has also been known to have a positive effect on dental hygiene (decreased tooth decay and increased fresh breath), lowering the risk of cancer and stroke, managing weight loss and also decreasing glucose levels.
Although nobody has perfect eating and exercising habits, it is important to do all you can to protect your body from disease and illness. This way you will not only require less healthcare as you age, but you will be able to enjoy the years that you have, even when you are 70 or 80 years young. I continue to drink green tea every day and hope that more people will add it to their daily routine to live longer and healthier lives (along with exercise and a healthy diet of course!).
Stacy Tabb is an author and publisher of many successful informational websites, including an antiaging website aimed at the prevention of disease and illness, and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

How to Clean-up Your Allergies

How to Clean-up Your Allergies with 2 Easy Home Tips

It's that time of year again when people who have allergies complain about nasal congestion, coughing, and wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, hives and other skin rashes. Many people experience allergies due to pollens from outdoors combined with foods and indoor stagnant air carrying dust, mold, and other air pollutants.
So how can you stop this yearly cycle? What can you do at home to end this increased intrusion of allergy problems. Where can you go for relief if your allergies have gotten out of hand.
Would you like to:
· Enjoy parks and other outdoor public areas
· Have pets that you can live with
· Eat foods you have avoided
· Feel great without fatigue
· Sleep better than ever
· Relieve stress - often allergies increase stress to your system.
Keeping your body detoxing (self-cleaning) is one of two important steps you can do at home. A simple Yoga pose done correctly can keep your own personal cleaning crew (your immune system) in tune.
Sit on the floor as in the picture on your heels with feet 2 inches apart. Exhale as you slowly bend forward toward floor with your upper body. Try to have your forehead touch the floor in front of you. Place your arms on floor place with hands under your feet and index finger in the valley or web between the big toe and the 2nd toe. Breathe in deeply. Breathe in and out slowly for 1 minute. Your goal is to work up to 2 minutes. After each time relax on your back and allow your muscles to relax for a few minutes. This pose stimulates the body's ability to cleanse itself. It helps detox the liver, lungs, stomach, spleen and bladder.
Secondly, how clean is your environment? Clients often come to me to treat their allergies however, if your home and office need a good seasonal cleaning allergy treatments only will work for a short time - even if your problem is food centered.
Many foods contain natural molds, for example bananas, grapes, and most other fruits. Or their own dust such as anything than can made into a 'flour' like wheat, corn, potatoes, and more. So keep your home and office as clean as possible. The accumulation of dust and mold in your office or home and on foods can actually "create" allergy intolerance. Here are a few tips:
Detox your home and office. Use Organic products found at the local health food market.
Dust using a damp cloth. Safe organic dusting products keep your environment toxin free
Use machine washable curtains and clean regularly. Natural laundry soap is best
Don't store things under the bed. Dust or vacuum under beds weekly.
Do not allow stuffed animals in the bedroom - inside materials often contain sawdust.
Remove dust catchers like pennants, pictures, trophies, books, models and dried or silk flowers from bedroom
Use an air filter and clean filters regularly
Vacuum furniture and carpet regularly. Use a newer vacuum that doesn't use bags and comes equipped with a self-cleaning air filter system so dust doesn't go into the air.
Limit birds, animals or reptiles in the house.
Bath your household animals often. This means every 7 to 14 days.
If you have a pet allergy do not sleep with your pet. Provide them with their own bed right outside your bedroom door for both your comfort.
Don't groom animals in the house.
For more information on allergies and treatments please read the full article: How to Stop Your Allergies in 7 Easy Steps in our website archives.
The Wealth Connection - 2 Steps to Brighten Your Golden Years Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Envision your life 10 or even 20 years from now. Where do you plan to be? What are you doing and with whom?
Most of us between the age of 35 and 50 years hope to be retired to some degree in 15 to 20 years or less. We see ourselves living on retirement funds enjoying life and family. I have never had a client tell me they see themselves penniless or sick. Yet, these same clients fail to have a full plan.
They may have a retirement fund at work and other investments but how are these performing? Did you plan a financial foundation? What does your Wellness Investment program look like?
Many people tell me they don't have a financial foundation program or Wellness Investment program in place. Regardless of age and health it is never too late to start planning. It is better than no plan at all. In this article I will give you 2 of the 21 most important Wealth Connection Steps I offer in my online course.
Ask yourself, how does wealth connect to your health? Does it at all? Today most people would agree that finances play a part in howh their own bed right outside your bedroom door for both your comfort.
Don't groom animals in the house.
For more information on allergies and treatments please read the full article: How to Stop Your Allergies in 7 Easy Steps in our website archives.
The Wealth Connection - 2 Steps to Brighten Your Golden Years Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Envision your life 10 or even 20 years from now. Where do you plan to be? What are you doing and with whom?
Most of us between the age of 35 and 50 years hope to be retired to some degree in 15 to 20 years or less. We see ourselves living on retirement funds enjoying life and family. I have never had a client tell me they see themselves penniless or sick. Yet, these same clients fail to have a full plan.
They may have a retirement fund at work and other investments but how are these performing? Did you plan a financial foundation? What does your Wellness Investment program look like?
Many people tell me they don't have a financial foundation program or Wellness Investment program in place. Regardless of age and health it is never too late to start planning. It is better than no plan at all. In this article I will give you 2 of the 21 most important Wealth Connection Steps I offer in my online course.
Ask yourself, how does wealth connect to your health? Does it at all? Today most people would agree that finances play a part in how we feel. Lacking funds can add stress to one's life and play a major part in your health. Ill-health can rapidly eat away at savings if you do not have a wellness plan other than health insurance.
In fact, I advise you rethink health insurance. What I mean by this is that it is what it says it is. Health insurance is for ill-health issues. Only a few "health insurance" programs are wellness insurance.
Health insurance also dictates the kind of care you can receive. Wellness insurance on the other hand is still an emerging system. A few companies do offer these types of plans and we do not endorse any insurance company as my job is to educate you a bit and you must look at what is right for your specific needs.
The wellness insurance programs I have seen work like this. The self employed or business can purchase these programs. They have major medical benefits for hospital and sometimes prescription drugs. They also have a "fund" where part of your premium goes that earns interest. That's right interest. You can use this money for any type of care you desire including alternative medicine of your choice. Any funds you don't use in a given year stays in your personal account earning interest year after year. At a certain age you can take this money out and use it. I have seen accounts that reach 30k and more. Why buy health insurance you do not use?
Step One Look into Wellness Insurance programs. Only purchase from a known insurance company. One whose name you have heard of in the past that offers regular polices as well. It is buyers beware market so do your research.
Step Two What amount do you personally put into your saving account each week? Most people say I have it drawn from my paycheck. This is not what I mean. Think about how much you spend each day on simple things like coffee or food. Can you spare $5.00 per week? I have only met one person who said they couldn't even save this much. Six months later this person who didn't become a client phoned me and said they had been doing it and it really worked. Here's the plan short and sweet - I go into more detail in my online program. Contact my office for more details of how to receive a free 7-part on line e-course.
Each week whether you have your paycheck direct deposited or not; have as much as you can afford withdrawn from your account and placed in a savings plan at an investment firm like Charles Schwab. Use who you wish and make sure they have an automatic withdrawal program and that the funds go into a savings program.
Every quarter double the amount you are putting in. If you find you really aren't missing this money from your daily life; double it every month. Don't be surprised if you start looking forward to saving and adding more to how much you 'put away' each week.
Once this account is equal to 6 months income we move this money into a different type of account I go into future foundation steps in the online program. But we keep putting funds into the savings.
What happens is we have at the base a 6 to 9 month savings account earning a bit better than a bank savings account. Next level is a certain type of money market with the same amount of funds earning a slightly higher interest rate, and so on up through Our Wealth Mastery program.
Point in fact, recently "Today on MSN" offered a glance at the habit of millionaires. Simple foundational planning won hands down.
Bonus Tip Invest in your wellness. Visit an alternative doctor like a NCCAOM licensed acupuncturist. This ensures you are seeing someone who has completed an accredited program at an Oriental Medical College. Many acupuncturists are licensed through medical doctor or chiropractic programs. These programs lack in training and number of hours to meet. Make sure your practitioner is an active member of The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Even if you love

YARROW TEA (Achillea Millefolium)

YARROW TEA (Achillea Millefolium)

An amazing tea that can help with colds and flu, and also help you see in pure colour. Yarrow has an ancient history. The generic name comes from Achilles who, according to legend, saved the lives of his warriors by healing their wounds with yarrow leaves. Crushed and rolled in the hands the plant provides a temporary styptic to check blood flow. Millefolium means 'thousand leaves' which were reputed to help with binding a wound and helping a scab to form. One of this astringent herb's ancient names is 'Soldier's Woundwort', along with 'Carpenter's Weed', 'Staunchweed' and others that show its popularity and prolonged use over many centuries.
The herb tea has also been used in the past for stimulating appetite, helping stomach cramps, flatulence, gastritis, enteritis, gallbladder and liver problems and internal haemorrhage - particularly of the lungs. It's effect is described as 'diaphoretic', causing the dilation of surface capillaries and helping poor circulation. The promotion of sweating can be useful for fevers and colds. Yarrow mixed with Elderflower and Peppermint (sometimes Boneset) is an old remedy for colds. A decoction of yarrow has been used for all sorts of external wounds and sores from chapped skin or sore nipples. In China Yarrow is still considered to have sacred properties, readers of the I Ching will often use Yarrow stalks in their studies.
There is one danger to overuse of yarrow internally: prolonged use of this tea may render the skin sensitive to exposure to light. It is this 'side effect' that shows that Yarrow tea has some mild psychotropic effect. A couple of cups of this tea and you may notice a shift in the colour and intensity of light around you. For artists or photographers this photosensitiser can sometimes provide a useful shift in perception. However, another name attributed to Yarrow is 'Devil's Plaything' - one suspects that this name was given to several herbs used by the witches or 'Wise Women' who were systematically exterminated in the middle-ages in Europe.
Yarrow leaves have also been used in tobacco or snuff mixtures and a decoction rubbed into the head is said to delay balding. To make Yarrow tea add two or three fresh or dried leaves per person to boiling water and leave to infuse for 5 minutes or so. Sweeten this with honey if you like. Some people like it with a slice of lemon to give this tisane a clean edge.

Become A Reseller

Become A Reseller

If done properly, reselling web hosting and related services can be a low maintenance, high profit vehicle to online financial independence!
Reseller programs allow businesses to lease servers, connectors and bandwidth from established hosting firms but brand the product at their own. Resellers act independent of hosting companies and are not construed as employees. Most get paid based on signups and paid on a recurring basis for each customer who retains your services.
You must first determine exactly what it is you wish to resell. What type of reseller you become depends on what you would like to outsource; most hosting companies like to outsource as much as possible so they can concentrate on running the business end of things.
The next logical step is actually choosing a program. There are many out there, but make sure to select one from an established company with a positive track record. While others may promise a higher yield, it's always best affiliating with an established and experienced company.
Once you've established your business, it's time to attract customers. When venturing out, your best bet are individuals and smaller firms such as yourself. Most of these type of customers will have small sites and won't be concerned about high tech mumbo jumbo.
Even some of today's largest hosting companies simply resell because it cuts down on staffing and equipment expenses in exchange for a reasonable fee.
Of course, web hosting isn't the only product or service with reseller capabilities. Choose a situation where you feel comfortable, find out if reseller slots are available and go for it!
Walt Pfarr has over 30 years in the journalism field, most in the print media. He is also versed in fundraising, development, special events coordination and facilitation and has a vast background in the Internet marketing field. He is currently writing his own ecourse, eBook and developing the PfarrOut Ezine. Pfarr and his wife, Joann, live in Oklahoma.