Friday, January 25, 2019

Making Sense Of It All

It's hard to imagine a world where human life and experience is so blatantly disregarded, and our carelessness and indifference, in our treatment toward one another, is standard issue... yet, here we are.

This is not the same world many of us grew up in; Red Rover Red Rover, in the front yard til the sun set in the distance, chasing down dirt roads and stumbling upon adventure and dreams.  Phones hung on the wall, neighbors sat on the porch, families gathered around a table of home cooked meals and life seemed so manageable.

It's been a tumultuous month in the arena of women's health issues and women's rights.  The abortion debate exploded with a ruling in New York, allowing late term abortion for anyone, by anyone.  A tattered country already unraveling and divided by feelings, opinions, politics and religion, is teetering on a fulcrum of anger and intolerance.  This post is not about abortion and whether it's right or wrong.  It's about making sense of the suffering and anger in a tired and worn out world we find ourselves in. 

Bill Bullard,

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.”

There will never be a shortage of opinions and most people will always be of the knee jerk variety who offer their two cents, to the chatter of the world as it crashes along the shore with the ebb and flow of nonsense.   We will never run out sadness, heartache, shock, even anger but beyond all of that, what is left, and....what really matters?

Profound Purpose.

Love.  Empathy.  Tolerance.

That is what really matters. 

We can never really understand what is behind all the anger and hurt that settles in around us but we can find, in the dust and ashes, beautiful surprises. 

We still have our freedom to choose for ourselves how we will revere life.  In the face of horrifying acts, we still get to choose if we harbor bitterness or radiate goodwill.  We can be the force for good, a band of love. We get to spread the benefit of doubt, see the good, be the good, rise above.  Women are beautifully strong, pillars of strength, with a grace and resilience second to none.  Women have a loving, profound purpose.  Don't let that get lost in the babel sounds of politics.

February is coming, the month to honor love, and the dark days of January will soon be a thing of the past, all 673 days of January!  Lets celebrate life and love, with an extra measure of kindness, forgiveness and hope, in the coming weeks and months.


Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Prescription Drug Abuse

There was a day when prescription drug abuse was a disease affecting individuals already suffering with a drug addiction involving street drugs.  It was never something we spoke about in terms of our teenagers, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, aunts or uncles.  Today, prescription drug abuse is widespread and in some communities, it is considered an epidemic.  It can affect all types of people and if there is no effective intervention can lead to devastating consequences.

What causes one to develop an addiction to prescription drugs?  There isn't just one single factor that can be a predictor of prescription drug abuse.  In many cases, it begins as a needful thing to treat such things as a broken bone, pain from surgery or injury, anxiety, and even insomnia.   At first the medications work well and much needed relief is achieved.  Over time, if the pain and discomfort persists, we develop a resistance to the medication and more is needed in order to continue to receive relief.  During this time, these powerful drugs can create changes in our brain by depressing the central nervous system which makes you drowsy and calm or, in the cases of stimulant addiction, can make you alert and overly energetic.

Prescription drugs have become more readily available and easy, especially for teens and young adults, to get.  Instead of buying drugs from the street, they can be taken right from the family medicine cabinet.

Here are some smart tips for ensuring you don't fall into an addictive situation.


  1. Take your prescriptions as outlined by your health care provider.
  2. Ask your doctor if there are alternatives to medications linked to addiction and abuse.  Sometimes, a different kind of medication or even a lower dose will suffice.  Remember that opioids are best used in acute episodes, not always long term or chronic pain.
  3. Do not change or alter dosage amount or times you take it.
  4. Make sure you understand the long and short term effects of the drug.
  5. Do not share your medication, even with family members
  6. Follow up closely with your doctor on your progress.
  7. Keep your prescriptions locked in a safe place, away from children and teens.
  8. Always check with your pharmacist before mixing prescription or over the counter medications. 
  9. Consider integrative methods for dealing with pain, anxiety and insomnia.
  10. When you are through with a medication, as per your doctor's orders, take any unfinished pills to a pharmacy so they can be disposed of correctly. 
Above all else, be honest and upfront with your healthcare provider if you have an addictive personality or have struggled with addictions in the past.  Communicating well and educating yourself and your loved ones will make a big difference and keep you in control of your good health.