Philosophy Course Required For Ib Diploma Program

Theory of Knowledge Essay â€Å"In gaining knowledge, each area of knowledge uses a network of ways of knowing.† Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge. ` Word Count: 1423 Theory of Knowledge, a philosophy course required for the IB Diploma program, is the most challenging class I have ever taken. Throughout the course, we explored in depth of all the ways of knowing and areas of knowledge. This class made me think about the knowledge that I know in my life and how I came to know about these knowledge. For instance, I questioned how I was able to obtain knowledge from every events that had happened in my life. I also questioned if it is necessary to use more than one ways of knowing in order to gain knowledge towards my moral principles. I do not know if I always use more than one way of knowing in order to gain knowledge in my personal life. This title is interesting to me because I have always wonder if we need more than one way of knowing in order to gain knowledge? Obviously, history can be defined simply as the study of the past. Many people had questioned whether history is the study of all the past or rather a study of events that have been deemed important by historians. This made me wonder how historians use the ways of knowing in order to know what are important in history. Do they use their emotion, perception, reason, and language in order to reach a conclusion of something that happened in the past? For example, thisShow MoreRelatedTravel and Tourism Administration Program Structure20692 Words   |  83 Pagesï » ¿TRAVEL AND TOURISM ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM STRUCTURE No. Course name and number Contact hours per week Number of credit units per semester SEMESTER ONE Compulsory subjects: 1 TOU 111 – Introduction to Tourism 3 3 2 TOU 115 – Fares Ticketing I 3 3 3 TOU 117 – General Travel Knowledge I 3 3 4 ENG 121 – The Technique of Writing and Language Studies 3 3 5 COM 103 – Computer Fundamentals I 3 3 Electives: One of the following three 6 CYP 111- CyprusRead MoreCareer Opportunities with Commerce Education5944 Words   |  24 PagesIndia relating to, among others, the Companies Act and the Consumer Protection Act. Programs Offer in Commerce Education S. No. Traditional Programs: Following study programs are offered by different university departments and colleges in India. 1 Intermediate in Commerce (Class XII): This is the preliminary stage (senior secondary level) where students get basics of commerce education. This is a two year course offered by various central boards (viz. CBSE, ICSE), state boards and councils. 2 EligibilityRead MoreDebate Topics6648 Words   |  27 Pagespsychiatric disabilities, there is a place for hypnotism in the production of anesthesia or analgesia for surgical and dental operations, and in suitable subjects it is an effective method of relieving pain in childbirth without altering the normal course of labor. (Medical use of hypnosis, British Medical Journal, April, 1955) According to a statement of proceedings published elsewhere in the same edition of the BMJ, the report was officially ‘approved at last week’s Council meeting of the BritishRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages52 Intellectual Abilities 52 †¢ Physical Abilities 55 †¢ The Role of Disabilities 56 Implementing Diversity Management Strategies 56 Attracting, Selecting, Developing, and Retaining Diverse Employees 56 †¢ Diversity in Groups 58 †¢ Effective Diversity Programs 58 Summary and Implications for Managers 60 S A L Self-Assessment Library What’s My Attitude Toward Older People? 40 Myth or Science? â€Å"Dual-Career Couples Divorce Less† 47 An Ethical Choice Religious Tattoos 51 glOBalization! Images of Diversity

Psychological Factors in Alcohol related Illness-Free-Samples

Question: Discuss about the Psychological Factors in Alcohol related Illness. Answer: The family plays a key part in both avoiding and prevailing with alcohol use and abuse both through including danger and supporting and promoting safety. The aim of this essay was to analyze how certain family related variables were associated to the use of alcohol on the basis of people. This essay psychologically examines a number of family involvements in young peoples taking up and later misusing substances. The use and exploitation of alcohol is widespread. Alcohol exploitation of any member of the family can result to harm for the individual and even for the entire community, as well as it can have a negative impact on rest of the family members. There are many words in the field that are frequently used confusingly. Recent data indicates that approximately 9% of the total population age 12 years or more and mainly 12% of age 12-17 are current users of illicit drugs (Becoa et al. 2013). This essay highlights the importance that seems liberalism and the necessity of considering family when providing control and affect, as father will influence male children and mother will influence female children. Different studies have found that the more liberal the families are towards drug use, the more likely it is that their family will drink alcohol. Alcoholism has become a major health concern in many societies. Alcohol is a drug that is deemed to cause major problems among the younger generations. It has been long recognized that alcoholism runs in the family. A family which has a history of alcoholism is a well established risk in terms developing alcoholism. Nonetheless majority people do not develop alcohol disorders. There is an actual variation among alcoholic children with regards with their alcohol use and current research has been aimed at explaining the variation. Research faces the challenge of expressing diverse alcohol-related behavior variety from easy alcohol experimentation to stern alcohol dependence. Different reason influence different facet of drinking and an assessment to stop drinking (Fang Schinke, 2013). The section is not intended as complete overview of psychological research, but instead focuses on the fact that has been conducted. Psychological reason of habit is peoples thought and beliefs. This is because of much the behaviors originate from the thoughts and the beliefs. Cause of addiction is a persons developmental maturity. Psychology has helped to understand while people while people find it so difficult to discontinue a healthy behavior like alcoholism. There are several illnesses due to alcohol they are cancer, brain damage, heart disease, Osteoporosis. Women are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol than men and younger and older people tend to be more vulnerable than those who are middle aged In order to prevent the alcohol disease first the family should correct the perception that everybody drinks. Use interactive teaching techniques. Every family has to set the right path for their family members. Elite group of families thinks that by drinking they can overcome their stress. Some cultures openly express drinking alcohol as the reward of a successful feat. The impact that the alcohol use can have on the family is a lot. For some times practitioners and researchers has allocated a crucial function in the family in order to develop or in the avoidance of all antisocial behaviors. Adolescent alcohol abuse is encou raged by environmental factors such as the behavior of the influential role model, social support that encourage this and easy access to it (?ablov, Pazderkov Miovsk, 2014). The significance of overt peer pressure in alcohol use is neither proven nor reliable. Emphasizing the power of peers may lead to an underestimation of effect that parents have on their own. Study of combined information from longitudinal studies specify that poor level of parental participation and management of children have a well-built analytical authority for anti-social productive approach maybe to examine how these two forces interact. People who take pleasure in an extra optimistic relationship with their parents may be less prejudiced by drug-using friends and as a result be less concerned in alcohol using behavior (Stahre et.al, 2014). Premature drinking experience normally takes place inside the family surroundings and in this they may bring in appropriate behaviors concerning use. The family continu es to be a sensible influence all through the adolescence period although parental influence decreases as adolescents age increases and at particular stage of adolescent development. Drugs prevention has been sub-categorized into primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. More recently three new interventions have been identified as universal, selective and indicated interference with at risk collection with early proof of problems (Stautz Cooper, 2013). For some young people frivolous and experimental use in not usually represent a lengthy problem, for the person, their relatives or their group of people. However in some situations more sustained use, relatively partial exposure to meticulous substance can direct to troubles. A family quality has been found to interact with such uneven as emotional well-being, life stress and communal support in predicting universal anti-social behavior as well as abuse of alcohol. A lot of interference are based on the thought that families play a significant role in socializing children to bend to the burden and opportunities of the societal surroundings. The closeness of the family has been found to discourage drug use both directly and through its impact on choice on non-drug using friends. It also appears to have a bearing whether experimental alcohol use leads to a more serious pattern of alcohol involvement. An elevated family cooperation is a very important factor in the family climate variable. Exact personal self may support certain type of people to spend a certain amount of time with family and may perhaps at the similar time support the evasion of behavior like alcohol use (Castellanos?Ryan et.al. 2013). One source of the variation in the outcomes of alcoholic, i.e. whether they develop a character related problem, the familial alcoholism occurs in different forms. Scientists have identified subtypes of alcoholism that are characterized by the type and degree of psychopathology associated with the alcohol abuse, in particular antisocial, personality and mood disorder such as depression (Cooper Marshall, 2013). Recent studies suggest that the type of alcoholic syndrome present in the family influences the childs risk of having psychological characteristics associated with risk of alcoholism (Blanco et.al, 2013). Some theories suggest that early conduct problems which evolve according to the deviance proneness model into a broad set of behavior including alcoholism are related to the neuropsychological deficits in executive functioning (Suzanne Kril, 2014). A distinction is there between the properties of relational side of families on general alcohol use. Researchers have been examined family environment in an attempt to understand both the transmission of alcoholism from generation to generation and the causes of alcohol use and the misuse in the wider population. Recent data suggests that poor executive functioning predicts increases in alcohol consumption with a family history of alcoholism (Grant et.al, 2016). Most of alcoholics do not develop alcohol disorder dependence. Alcohol problems and their prevention cannot be viewed in isolation. Their complexity demands consideration not only of the health, welfare, moral, educational and economic aspects, but also of their combined implicati ons in the development of the individuals, in the community and at the international level. A wide variety of skills and interests are therefore required in the relevant planning and programs. It is not clear yet that correlation between families and alcohol involvement may be due to shared genetic influences. Although only a few studies of protective factors have looked specifically at alcoholic families, some broader studies have found evidence of risk buffers. Alcohol use and alcoholism can be best being studied within the context of psychosocial development throughout the life span and researched interest in applying a developmental perspective to alcohol problem is increasing. It suggests that early developmental to alcoholism can be seen even in preschool years in the form of deficits in self-regulation, emotional reactivity, and conduct problems (Grenard, Dent Stacy, 2013). For young adults, alcohol use is at the top in age related patterns and then declines after mid-20. To conclude this psychological factor in alcohol consumption and alcoholism encompasses a broad range of investigations, it is to be understood that it aimed at understanding how multiple, biological and psychological risk factors interact to influence alcohol related illness. The more recent studies for this age related decline drinking may reflect changes in social norms regarding the acceptability of using alcohol. Relational aspects of families may have a huge influence than other aspects on making alcohol associated behaviors. The key ideas in work planned to use in order to prevent the family from alcohol use and mishandling amongst the people and increasing family shielding factors of family and individual child flexibility. There is a high tendency that the children face some psychological problem in order to face something or hide their inner feelings. It also clear that although family issue are clear, yet the effect of psychological problems is vital. References: Becoa, E., Martnez, ., Calafat, A., Fernndez-Hermida, J. R., Juan, M., Sumnall, H., ... Gabrhelk, R. (2013). Parental permissiveness, control, and affect and drug use among adolescents.Psicothema,25(3). Becoa, I. E., del Elena, F., Amador, C., Ramn, F. H. J. (2014). Attachment and substance use in adolescence: a review of conceptual and methodological aspects.Adicciones,26(1). Blanco, C., Krueger, R. F., Hasin, D. S., Liu, S. M., Wang, S., Kerridge, B. T., ... Olfson, M. (2013). Mapping common psychiatric disorders: structure and predictive validity in the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions.JAMA psychiatry,70(2), 199-207. ?ablov, L., Pazderkov, K., Miovsk, M. (2014). Parenting styles and alcohol use among children and adolescents: A systematic review.Drugs: education, prevention and policy,21(1), 1-13. Castellanos?Ryan, N., O'Leary?Barrett, M., Sully, L., Conrod, P. (2013). Sensitivity and specificity of a brief personality screening instrument in predicting future substance use, emotional, and behavioral problems: 18?month predictive validity of the substance use risk profile scale.Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research,37(s1). Cooper, C. L., Marshall, J. (2013). Occupational sources of stress: A review of the literature relating to coronary heart disease and mental ill health. InFrom Stress to Wellbeing Volume 1(pp. 3-23). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Fang, L., Schinke, S. P. (2013). Two-year outcomes of a randomized, family-based substance use prevention trial for Asian American adolescent girls.Psychology of Addictive Behaviors,27(3), 788. Grant, B. F., Saha, T. D., Ruan, W. J., Goldstein, R. B., Chou, S. P., Jung, J., ... Hasin, D. S. (2016). Epidemiology of DSM-5 drug use disorder: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related ConditionsIII.JAMA psychiatry,73(1), 39-47. Grenard, J. L., Dent, C. W., Stacy, A. W. (2013). Exposure to alcohol advertisements and teenage alcohol-related problems.Pediatrics, peds-2012. Stahre, M., Roeber, J., Kanny, D., Brewer, R. D., Zhang, X. (2014). Peer Reviewed: Contribution of Excessive Alcohol Consumption to Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost in the United States.Preventing chronic disease,11. Stautz, K., Cooper, A. (2013). Impulsivity-related personality traits and adolescent alcohol use: a meta-analytic review.Clinical psychology review,33(4), 574-592. Suzanne, M., Kril, J. J. (2014). Human alcohol-related neuropathology.Acta neuropathologica,127(1), 71-90.

Astronomy And Space Science Your Bones In Space Essays

Astronomy And Space Science: Your Bones in Space SIG Hypogravitational Osteoporosis: A review of literature. By Lambert Titus Parker. May 19 1987. (GEnie Spaceport) Osteoporosis: a condition characterized by an absolute decrease in the amount of bone present to a level below which it is capable of maintaining the structural integrity of the skeleton. To state the obvious, Human beings have evolved under Earth's gravity "1G". Our musculoskeleton system have developed to help us navigate in this gravitational field, endowed with ability to adapt as needed under various stress, strains and available energy requirement. The system consists of Bone a highly specialized and dynamic supporting tissue which provides the vertebrates its rigid infrastructure. It consists of specialized connective tissue cells called osteocytes and a matrix consisting of organic fibers held together by an organic cement which gives bone its tenacity, elasticity and its resilience. It also has an inorganic component located in the cement between the fibers consisting of calcium phosphate [85%]; Calcium carbonate [10%] ; others [5%] which give it the hardness and rigidity. Other than providing the rigid infrastructure, it protects vital organs like the brain], serves as a complex lever system, acts as a storage area for calcium which is vital for human metabolism, houses the bone marrow within its mid cavity and to top it all it is capable of changing its architecture and mass in response to outside and inner stress. It is this dynamic remodeling of bone which is of primary interest in microgravity. To feel the impact of this dynamicity it should be noted that a bone remodeling unit [a coupled phenomena of bone reabsorption and bone formation]is initiated and another finished about every ten seconds in a healthy adult. This dynamic system responds to mechanical stress or lack of it by increasing the bone mass/density or decreasing it as per the demand on the system. -eg; a person dealing with increased mechanical stress will respond with increased mass / density of the bone and a person who leads a sedentary life will have decreased mass/density of bone but the right amount to support his structure against the mechanical stresses she/she exists in. Hormones also play a major role as seen in postmenopausal females osteoporosis (lack of estrogens) in which the rate of bone reformation is usually normal with the rate of bone re-absorption increased. In Skeletal system whose mass represent a dynamic homeostasis in 1g weight-bearing, when placed in microgravity for any extended period of time requiring practically no weight bearing, the regulatory system of bone/calcium reacts by decreasing its mass. After all, why carry all that extra mass and use all that energy to maintain what is not needed? Logically the greatest loss -demineralization- occurs in the weight bearing bones of the leg [Os Calcis] and spine. Bone loss has been estimated by calcium-balance studies and excretion studies. An increased urinary excretion of calcium, hydroxyproline & phosphorus has been noted in the first 8 to 10 days of microgravity suggestive of increased bone re- absorption. Rapid increase of urinary calcium has been noted after takeoff with a plateau reached by day 30. In contrast, there was a steady increase off mean fecal calcium throughout the stay in microgravity and was not reduced until day 20 of return to 1 G while urinary calcium content usually returned to preflight level by day 10 of return to 1G. There is also significant evidence derived primarily from rodent studies that seem to suggest decreased bone formation as a factor in hypogravitational osteoporosis. Boy Frame,M.D a member of NASA's LifeScience Advisory Committee [LSAC] postulated that "the initial pathologic event after the astronauts enter zero gravity occurs in the bone itself, and that changes in mineral homeostasis and the calcitropic hormones are secondary to this. It appears that zero gravity in some ways stimulate bone re- absorption, possibly through altered bioelectrical fields or altered distribution of tension and pressure on bone cells themselves. It is possible that gravitational and muscular strains on the skeletal system cause friction between bone crystals which creates bioelectrical fields. This bioelectrical effect in some way may stimulate bone cells and affect bone remodeling." In the early missions, X-ray densitometry was used to measure the weight-bearing bones

Definition and Examples of a Climax in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of a Climax in Rhetoric In rhetoric, climax means  mounting by degrees through words or sentences of increasing weight and in parallel construction (see auxesis), with an emphasis on the high point or culmination of an experience or series of events. Also known as  anabasis, ascensus, and the marching figure. A particularly forceful type of rhetorical climax is achieved through anadiplosis  and gradatio, sentence constructions in which the last word(s) of one  clause  becomes the first of the next. Examples Out of its vivid disorder comes order; from its rank smell rises the good aroma of courage and daring; out of its preliminary shabbiness comes the final splendor. And buried in the familiar boasts of its advance agents lies the modesty of most of its people. (E. B. White, The Ring of Time)It may, perhaps, be fairly questioned, whether any other portion of the population of the earth could have endured the privations, sufferings and horrors of slavery, without having become more degraded in the scale of humanity than the slaves of African descent. Nothing has been left undone to cripple their intellects, darken their minds, debase their moral stature, obliterate all traces of their relationship to mankind; and yet how wonderfully they have sustained the mighty load of a most frightful bondage, under which they have been groaning for centuries! (Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, 1845)My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in deat h beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world. (Edward M. Kennedy, Tribute to Senator Robert F. Kennedy, June 8, 1968) This is the Court of Chancery; which has its decaying houses and its blighted lands in every shire; which has its worn-out lunatic in every madhouse, and its dead in every churchyard; which has its ruined suitor, with his slipshod heels and threadbare dress, borrowing and begging through the round of every mans acquaintance; which gives to monied might, the means abundantly of wearying out the right; which so exhausts finances, patience, courage, hope; so overthrows the brain and breaks the heart; that there is not an honourable man among its practitioners who would not givewho does not often givethe warning, Suffer any wrong that can be done you, rather than come here! (Charles Dickens, Bleak House, 1852)There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, When will you be satisfied? We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, ca nnot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negros basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating For Whites Only. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. (Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream. August 28, 1963) When we send our young men and women into harm’s way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they’re going, to care for their families while they’re gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world. (Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address) The Lighter Side of a Rhetorical Climax There are only three things I really care about, [Arthur Merivale] added, with the air of one who is half in jest.They are?Cricket- and a career- and- and you! ...[Muriel] picked another plum and continued chaffing him.Its really nice to know for certain that you approve of me. Still you are dreadfully, painfully honest. Just think where I come in the scale of your affections! First the bat, then the bar, and then- poor me!She laughed brightly at his discomfiture.But the scale was crescendo, he pleaded. You was a rhetorical climax.(Cecil Headlam, The Marriage of Mr. Merivale. Knickerbocker Press, 1901)

Florida Legislative Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Florida Legislative Policy - Research Paper Example Another argument against allowing nurses contends that Nurses are not well trained enough to dispense controlled substances. Nurses are deemed well trained enough to prescribe all other kinds of medicine. If nurses are well qualified enough to handle all other kinds of medication, it seems unreasonable to assume that nurses cannot prescribe controlled substance based drugs. If nurses around the nation can prescribe controlled substance based drugs without a hiccup then so can nurses registered in Florida because they are just as well trained. Ironically the bill to allow nurses to prescribe controlled substance based drugs has not been able to make it through the legislature for the last decade and a half despite attempts to the contrary. Some institutions in Florida are already taking a giant stride and are supporting the nurses’ cause such as Lee Memorial Health System. ... If nurses around the nation can prescribe controlled substance based drugs without a hiccup then so can nurses registered in Florida because they are just as well trained. Ironically the bill to allow nurses to prescribe controlled substance based drugs has not been able to make it through the legislature for the last decade and a half despite attempts to the contrary. (Aertker, 2011) Some institutions in Florida are already taking a giant stride and are supporting the nurses’ cause such as Lee Memorial Health System. Such a restrictive policy for nurses affects the medical care profession significantly. The need to have a certified physician at hand at all times to get a controlled substance prescription is both wasteful and tends to stretch already scant resources. Moreover, the need to consult a physician every single time lowers the morale of nurses. There has been talk of reduced enrolment in the nursing profession due to this restriction. Florida is already deficient in nursing staff and this status quo is not favourable at all. Nursing practitioners are commonly the only health care professionals who are taking care of patients in rural areas in Florida. Other areas that are deficient in physicians are also looked after by nurse practitioners. People without insurance also frequently visit free clinics that are staffed more or less exclusively by nurses. Susan Lynch a nurse working at clinics in Deland and Sanford relates that when she is seeing patients, often patients looking for common medicine such as cough syrup with codeine or refills for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) medicine are faced with two choices: visiting a hospital

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks and Vitamin-Enhanced Case Study

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages - Case Study Example The commercial attributes of the substitute drinks segment of the industry are different from other groups of drinks. Substitute beverages competed based on differentiation from ancient drinks like carbonated drinks or fruit drinks. In addition, the market began with reduced competition, which later led to abrupt transformation as various new product lines joined and profit margins seriously suffered from reduction of prices. The entire beverage industry face reduced profit margin emanating from increased competition and inability to differentiate their products. The buyers’ negotiation ability and advantage was a significant competitive force. Emerging brands with reduced market shares were highly vulnerable to purchasers’ advantage as storage space was limited whereas top brands had substantial shelf space. Supplier’s advantage and negotiation power represented the weakest force of competition. Several substitute beverage ingredients sellers had to struggle to market their brands. New ingredient suppliers had a relative advantage in bargaining with producers of energy drinks than popular ingredient suppliers. The competition between substitute beverage sellers was the strongest force. Rivalry between key brands centers mainly on the brand reputation, attractive taste, appealing packaging, sales advertisement and promotion, and attaining better shelf space access and reinforcing distribution abilities. Competitive forces that have a substantial impact on attractiveness of industry include substitute beverage brand, reduced switching cots on consumers’ part, aggressiveness and activeness of suppliers’ efforts and a strong focus on endorsements, promotion of sales and advertisements. Â  Beverage market is rapidly changing. The preferences for alternative products are increasing while the preference for traditional drinks decreasing. The driving factors for substitute drink industry involve

Prescription Drug Abuse in Teenagers Essay Example for Free

Prescription Drug Abuse in Teenagers Essay Although prescription drugs are not harmful if used correctly, prescription drug abuse is high in teenagers. Most parents would never think their teenagers are helping themselves to prescription medicine sitting on ones counter. The truth is, prescription drug abuse in teenagers has become very common nowadays. The drugs are easily accessible at home, or cheap to buy at school. They are highly addictive and can even cause death. Putting one’s prescriptions in a safe place may save a childs life. Prescription drug addiction usually starts with experimentation. Teenagers may be trying prescription drugs because their friends are doing it or it may just be out of curiosity. Some teenagers will turn to prescription drugs to forget their problems. As the addiction progresses, it becomes harder and harder to stop using the prescription drugs (Smith, 2010). Experimentation rarely leads to a good outcome. If one’s child starts with a simple experiment of prescription drug use, odds are it will ultimately end with addiction. Smith (2010), states â€Å"Addiction is a complex disorder characterized by compulsive drug use. People who are addicted feel an overwhelming, uncontrollable need for drugs† (Drug abuse and addiction, para. 1). When one has repeated drug use it will permanently alter the brain. The long-lasting effect on the brain changes ones ability to think, use good judgment, control ones behavior, or feel normal without the drug. It is the drug cravings and compulsions to use that make the addiction so powerful. These cravings and compulsions to use are partly cause by the changes the drugs make to one’s brain (Smith, 2010). The average prescription drug abuser will start between the ages of 12 and 17. Every day about 2,500 teenagers in this age group abuse a prescription drug for the first time (Havens, 2009). â€Å"The number of high school students who are abusing prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone (OxyCotin), a potent and highly addictive opiate, or sedative is on the rise† (Freedman, (2006), para. 3). Stimulants are the most common used, next is opiates, followed by tranquilizers, and then sedatives (Parenting Teens, 2005). The pain relievers such as Vicoden or OxyCotin are used to achieve a high, whereas the sedatives such as Xanax and Valium are used to relax or calm. These drugs can lead to dependence and addiction. Stimulants such as Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine, or Provigil decrease ones appetite but increases ones alertness and attention. These are dangerous because they can cause addiction, seizures, or heart attacks. Stimulants are often used to lose weight of for studying. Steroids are used to built ones bodies or promote athletic performance. The dangers involved in consuming steroids are mental and physical health effects as well as serious sexual effects (Havens, 2009). Findings from a 2005 survey conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health â€Å"indicates that approximately 21% of the U. S. population age 12 and older report using any type of prescription drug nonmedically in their lifetime, 16% report us of opiate-type pain killers, 8% report tranquilizer use, 8% report stimulant use, and 2% report sedative use† (Ford, 2008, para. 10). The study also found that substance abuse can cause users to offend the law as well as impair good judgment. However, it has been found that the violations of the law are followed by the abuse of prescription drugs, or other illegal substances. Therefore if one’s teenager is addicted to prescription drugs, legal difficulties will probably follow. The researchers believe substance abuse is a definite road to a delinquent lifestyle (Ford, 2008). Reported prescription drug abuse by high school seniors in 2005 Parenting Teens (2005). According to Freedman (2006), an 18-year-old who lives in San Francisco believes as long as the prescription medication is taken properly, it is much safer than any street drug. According to the findings of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America study, forty percent said prescription were much safer than illegal drugs; while 31 percent said that there was nothing wrong with using prescription drugs once in a while† (â€Å"Prescription-Drug Use by Teens,† (2006), para. 1). Teenagers think that because a medication has a prescription for an individual, it makes it safe for everyone. Several factors are involved in prescribing certain medications such as medical conditions, age, other prescriptions on may be taking and the diagnosis of the individual. Most teenagers do not consider these factors when helping themselves to medications prescribed to someone else. Prescription drugs are easy for a teenager to acquire either from their doctors or from their own medicine cabinets. Most parents are not aware of the risks involved in leaving a bottle of prescription medication lying on the counter for everyone to have access. It will start with taking one or two at a time and then the teenager ultimately proceeds to steeling the entire bottle, buying the prescription medications at school from classmates or even lying to their doctors to obtain their own prescriptions. The increasing popularity of nonmedical prescription drug use is based on the putative advantages of prescription drugs over â€Å"street† drugs: the drugs are easier to obtain, there is less likelihood of arrest, use is more socially accepted, and there is a perception the prescription drugs are safer† (Ford, (2008), para. 10). Prevention is the best tool concerning teenagers and prescription drug abuse. Havens, (2009), â€Å"Most teenagers say parents are not discussing the dangers of prescription drugs with them† (6 Steps to Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse in Teens, para. ). It is the parent’s responsibility to monitor closely the prescription medication in the home and purchase a lock box if necessary to keep one’s teenager safe. One needs to educate one’s teenagers in the dangers of prescription medication and the factors that go into prescribing those medications to each individual. Take it as far as asking the family physician to speak with one’s teenager if necessary. Sometimes they listen to strangers better than their own parents. Take the time to ensure there are no or out-of-date medications in the home. If these medications are no longer needed, dispose of them properly by flushing those (Havens, 2009). Parents are not always aware of how dangerous their own medication can be to their teenagers. MSNBC (2010). Parents also need to educate themselves in the signs associated with prescription drug abuse. Some of the thing one needs to watch for with their teenager behavior is neglecting responsibilities, getting into legal trouble, and even problems with the relationships with one’s friends. If ones teenager is starting to fall on school grades, not do chores at home, or even skipping school a pattern of neglecting responsibilities in beginning to develop. Behavior to watch for in relationships with friends would be losing longtime friends, and sometimes fist fighting with them. One may also be fighting more than usual with one’s siblings or ones boss at the job. The signs of legal trouble can be anywhere from simple disorderly conduct to any type of major crime. If ones teenager suddenly becomes involved with the law, something is wrong (Smith, 2010). The most noticeable physical signs of a prescription drug addiction is if ones pupils are bigger or smaller than normal, ones eyes are bloodshot, grooming habit deteriorate, unusual odor on breath or clothing, slurred speech, bad coordination, and tremors (Smith, 2010). Psychological warnings one can detect are (Smith, 2010), â€Å"Unexplained change in personality or attitude, sudden mood swings, irritability, or anger outbursts, periods of unusual hyperactivity, agitation, or giddiness, lack of motivation; appears lethargic or â€Å"spaced out†, appears fearful, anxious, or paranoid, with no reason† (Drug abuse and addiction, para. 9). Warning signs that tend to show more in teenagers are when one starts being secretive about their friends, one has a new interest in one’s clothing styles, and ones teenager is suddenly in need or more privacy then usual. If one has money, valuables, or prescription medication missing, one may need to consider the possibility of one’s teenager developing a prescription drug addiction. Other common signs are depression, withdrawing from the family, using incense to hide the smell, or eye drops to cover the dilated or bloodshot (Smith, 2010). Drug rehabilitation can be a costly, but necessary, adventure. According to ChooseHelp, (2010), â€Å"the professional staff involvement at any comprehensive and quality rehab facility disallows bargain treatment, and you need to be prepared to spend a significant amount of money to get a quality and effective treatment program (The Cost of Drug Rehab, para. 3). † Considering all cost involved in housing, feeding, drug therapies, and professional involvement, prices can range from a few thousand dollars a month all the way up to $30,000 per month (ChooseHelp, 2010). Several insurance companies will absorb most of the financial burden. One needs to contact one’s private insurance company and receive all details pertaining to this type of treatment. If one contacts one’s local State Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Council, there are programs available to those that cannot pay nor have any insurance. One needs to take into consideration the seriousness of this addiction. When it involves a prescription drug addiction, one cannot let the cost be a factor in the determination of the treatment. According to ChooseHelp (2010), â€Å"family programs can help to heal a family harmed by the destruction and heartache of abuse; and bring back a healthier dynamic to the family as a whole (Families Need to be a Part of the Process, para. 3). † One needs to decide how much family involvement will be in the rehab process. Family involvement is extremely important not only for the family but for the addict as well. When family member are learning about the addiction from trained professionals as well as other families facing the same situation, families are taught what is most beneficial for the teen and it assures the family that they are not esponsible for the addiction (ChooseHelp, 2010). When seeking a prescription drug treatment center for teenager one needs to consider a program involving patient education as well as family education. The program should offer counseling sessions with a therapist or psychologist as well as peer group session involving several families. One needs to choose a facility close to home to achieve adequate family involvement (ChooseHelp, 2010). When the rehabilitation program is successfully completed it is also important to continue care in an outside group such as Alcohol Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Information for these meetings can be obtained in one’s local phone book. If the teenager in the home has been acting differently and medication is running out sooner than usual, take the steps necessary to help him or her. Admitting he or she may be addicted to prescription drugs is not easy but the help one can receive for him or her may save his or her life. Pay attention to the warning signs, ask questions at the doctor appointments and try not to have addictive medication prescribed to one’s child, especially if the child has had a problem in the past with any type of addiction. Be careful where prescription medications are located and consider investing in a lock box. It may be a decision that saves ones teenagers’ life. If one discovers one’s teenager has a prescription drug addiction, or any other addiction, do not be afraid to seek help. Money does not need to be an issue in saving ones life. References http://www.choosehelp.com/drug-rehab/families-need-to-be-a-part-of-the-process http://www.choosehelp.com/drug-rehab/the-costs-of-drug-rehab http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/12803776/ns/health-addictions/