Holy Spirit as the "Breathe of God!"

 

Old Testament the Hebrew word (ruwach, pronounced roo'-akh) was used when talking about the Spirit. This word literally means WIND, even the wind associated with a BREATHE! In the New Testament the Greek word (pneuma, pronounced pnyoo'-mah) was used which means the BREATHE or a BREEZE! We can literally think of the Holy Spirit as the "Breathe of God!" Most Christians today understand Jesus the Son, and God the Father as two very distinct Persons within the Godhead; however, there has been much confusion over the identity of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps some of this dates back to the King James translation of the Bible where the word "Spirit" or "Ghost" was used instead of "Breathe" or "Wind" of God. In any case, many people throughout the ages have thought of the Holy Spirit more as a thing than a Person. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in fact as we begin to know the Person of the Holy Spirit we will want to have a closer relationship with Him just as we would the Father or Son. Although the word Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible, we know God is three in one. There are three very distinct Person’s that make up the Godhead. They are all equal in every way. They (The Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are all: Omnipotent – All powerful. Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God. Omnipresent – At all places at once. Psalms 139:7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence? Omniscient – All knowing. 1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. Eternal - Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Equal - Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not your own? and after it was sold, was it not in your own power? why have you conceived this thing in your heart? you have not lied unto men, but unto God. The Holy Spirit was part of all things, from the very beginning of scripture to the very end of scripture Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God (elohiym (pronounced el-o-heem') created the heaven and the earth. Elohiym is the plural form of God. Therefore, as scripture was inspired and man began to write the Word, it was evident to the writers that God was made of more than 1 Person but at the same time there was one Godhead.

Madchild: not so mad after all

Now sober, the Swollen Member tackles his music with renewed creativity and determination

 

Madchild's back, but not back just putting out records. He's, like,back. Now sober, he's the creative and disciplined artist he was 10 years ago, before the fame, the gangs and the drugs.

He's making up for the time he lost addicted to painkillers, devoting each day to writing and recording new material. He's released one EP , Banned From America, and a mixtape M.A.D.E, which he is currently supporting on tour, with more new music on the way.

"I feel like I kind of wasted four years of my life - not kind of, I did - and now I'm trying to make every day count for four days," he says.

Madchild, born Shane Bunting, rose to prominence in Swollen Members. They were Canadian mainstays for the first third of the 2000s, perhaps best known for Madchild's nasal delivery.

After a string of successful singles and cross-Canada tours, Madchild's well-documented affiliation with the Hell's Angels (and the inclusion of patched members appearing in Swollen Members music videos) lead to Nettwerk Management dropping the group from their roster.

That incident, paired with the commercial flop of 2006's Black Magic, led Madchild into a depression he masked with painkillers. His creativity floundered. His career stalled. He lost everything - his cars, his 11 properties. All told, he says the addiction cost him $3 million.

He's been sober for just over a year but the first few months were anything but sunshine and rainbows.

"Coming out of your addiction, instead of being like 'Woo-hoo! I'm sober this is great,' you're like, 'Oh, this is the reality that I've created for myself,'" he says. "It took me to a very, very dark place. I was straight up suicidal a year and a half ago."

He threw himself into writing new material. The music became his therapy. Each verse from his recent releases is a heaving of troubling emotions, expelling every awful feeling that he had pent up throughout his drug addiction.

Paired together, Banned From America and M.A.D.E. (an acronym forMisguided Angel Destroys Everything), are like two chapters of a book documenting the life of a battered Shane Bunting, who was once riding the crest of success, and now bleeding before a world that is forcing him to confront the pain he'd been masking with pills and cocaine.

In real life, though, Madchild has found the perspective he's needed to put the past behind him and move on. He's happy to have been given another chance - not just at music, but at life.

"The last eight months have been amazing, dude," he says. "It's so rewarding. It's like I wish I could just grab people and let them see inside my head so they could see that once you get past the hard part (of recovery), how rewarding it is, how good God is, how good life is, how many rewards there are on a daily basis."

He's candid about his former gang affiliations and the hassles it has caused for him. Banned From America was written in the six days after he was barred from entering the U.S. because of his Hell's Angels connections. The event made national headlines.

Last week, Abbotsford RCMP shut down his scheduled gig over fears that the show would be a magnet for criminal activity and, in light of the recent shootings in and around the area, they didn't want to take any chances.

"You make your own bed, you sleep in it, right? Let's be honest, in videos before I have glorified certain lifestyles - and please use my exact words - I have glorified a certain lifestyle," he says.

"It was for entertainment facto," he continues, "but let's be honest. I was still glorifying a certain aspect of life and maybe I overdid it a little bit. Maybe it wasn't appropriate and I let it out, like I say now. I think I can have the same edge and still be the same crazy Madchild."

He's taken on a role-model approach to his younger fan base, working with high school liaison officers to share with students his experiences with gangs as a way to "shed some light on things."

"I know that I can relate to them more than some tactics that are made right now to try to steer kids in the right direction. I just feel like I might be able to have more of a heart to heart with kids or young adults and it might sink in a little deeper because I went in one end of the whole thing and came out the other end," he says.

But first comes his work. He's speaking to Pique from the set of an Edmonton video shoot, one of seven he has yet to release. He has enough songs for another EP and another mixtape. His debut full-length, Dopesick, is also ready for release but he says nobody will hear it until he's built enough hype for himself that people beyond the Swollen Members fan base will want to hear it.

"(Dopesick) is not going to be an explosive impact," he says. "Let's be honest. I'm not at that point in my career. Even though I'm a veteran in the game, I'm a new artist. I'm a brand new artist. I've only been a solo artist for 10 or 11 months as far as the public is concerned."

So he's going to work this second chance the best that he can. He's going to keep writing and play shows until he can't take it anymore, and then write some more. With four years wasted, it seems he'll stop at nothing to get back on top. And he has the confidence that might just take him there.

"I don't think that a lot of people have my work ethic right now," he says. "I don't think a lot of people are messing with me, lyrically, song-wise. This is my whole life. I'm putting everything, my heart and soul, into this so I don't want it to just come out and have nobody know about it."

Scottish supermarkets face extra tax on selling alcohol

 

Plans to hike business rates for major retailers of alcohol and tobacco in Scotland could see supermarkets pay around £110 million in tax over the next three years.   Finance Secretary John Swinney announced the new levy yesterday, as part of the Scottish government’s Spending Review.   Swinney said the review contained “tough choices, because of the cuts from Westminster that go too far, too fast”.   “We have had to restrict pay costs, reluctantly implement pensions increases on public sector staff, and maximise the income gained from asset sales,” he said.   He outlined that part of the extra revenue brought in would come from a tax on major retailers who sell alcohol and tobacco.   The measure was a surprise announcement, as during the last parliament a proposal to introduce a “Tesco tax” was voted down and it was not included the SNP’s manifesto.   Scottish Retail Consortium director Ian Shearer said: “This new tax is a blatant fund-raising exercise which is illogical and discriminatory. It targets a part of the retail sector which funds Drinkaware, rigorously prevents under-age sales with Challenge 25 and has led the way on clear alcohol labelling, giving it an exemplary record on the sale of alcohol and tobacco.   “Supermarket margins are already cut to the bone as stores compete to offer the best deals to cash-strapped consumers. The UK already has some of the highest alcohol taxes in Europe. This tax would make it harder for food retailers to keep prices down for customers, and makes Scotland a less attractive place to do business, invest and create jobs.”   The WSTA's Jeremy Beadles said he was "disappointed" the meaure had been announced with no consultation.   "The tax on large retailers will place an additional burden on Scottish businesses and push the price up for all consumers regardless of whether they consume alcohol at all,” he added.   “At a time of financial constraint, when many businesses in Scotland are already feeling the pinch and paying increase rates, we do not believe that punishing responsible consumers in Scotland with another tax is either fair or justified.”     Minimum alcohol unit pricing could become as reality north of the border by next summer, although the price has not yet been set. The Scottish government claims it is the “most effective and efficient way” of reducing consumption and alcohol related harm.

Spain's latest answer to a rock star isn't one for smashing guitars or snorting illegal drugs

- and he'd just as soon chase down his fans as be chased by them.

"Mouse," a 1,213 lb. black-and-white bull who resides in Sueca, Spain, is now the nation's most feared and famous beast, thanks to his reputation as a human skewer on hooves.

The bull got his unlikely moniker because he intially seemed to be anything but a fighter - as a young calf, he was tortured by several local youths and even gored by another bull.

But now, the beast's reputation has done a complete 180. The fighting bull most recently took the life of a 29-year-old victim in Xativa on Aug. 14, and prior to that, a 56-year-old man back in 2006. In addition, he's seriously injured five other people over the years.

So it's any wonder that the bull still receives a rock star's welcome every time he trots around the farm town of Sueca. The crowd stands at attention and cheers for him when he charges into the bull ring and "the eerie strains of the soundtrack to 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'" blare from the loudspeakers, according to the Associated Press.

The reason for all the hoopla?

A strange fascination with the risks involved with bull-run culture.

"We go to entertain people so they'll have fun, but unfortunately they are fighting bulls, and there is always a percentage of risk," said Gregorio de Jesus, Mouse's owner.

De Jesus, 42, says he is forced to field as many as 60 calls a day from reporters about his beloved Mouse.

The raging bull may be nearing his retirement, which is even more reason for fans to gather by his holding pen or see him in action in the arena.

Critics will be glad to see the rock-star rabble-rouser go, however.

"Mouse is the proof that the bull runs are barbaric and medieval," Leonardo Anselmi of PROU, an animal rights group, said.

"It's excessive and cruel violence. The culprits are the politicians who allow the bull runs

The Amy Winehouse Foundation will be launched on September 14

 

The Amy Winehouse Foundation will be launched on September 14, and the late singer’s family are now hoping to channel their grief into... Washington, Sept 7 (ANI): The Amy Winehouse Foundation will be launched on September 14, and the late singer’s family are now hoping to channel their related stories Simon Cowell’s a serial cheater: ex-wife Sinitta Amy Winehouse died during detox? Amy was at her funeral: Winehouse’s dad Now, Will Smith-Marc Anthony on boys' night out! Winehouse foundation launch put on hold grief into “positive action” by providing assistance to young addicts. Amy’s father Mitch Winehouse, who has set up the charity in memory of the late singer, made the announcement on his Twitter page. “The launch of Amy’s foundation 14th September. We will turn our grief into positive action.” Contactmusic quoted Mitch as writing on his twitter page. Amy - who battled drink and drug addictions throughout her career - was found dead at her London home on July 23.

Amy Winehouse died during detox?

 

Late Singer Amy Winehouse had a prescribed drug in her system upon her demise on July 23, says father Mitch Winehouse. Mitch reveals that his daughter did have the drug Librium in her body when she died and adds Librium is a prescribed substance that is given to those who are overcoming related stories Rehab after Amy Winehouse on Sept 14 alcohol detoxification, and is used to reduce seizures, Contactmusic reported. "Everything Amy did, she did to excess. She drank to excess and did detox to excess," he said Mitch insists that Amy had been winning her battle with booze, saying "the periods of abstinence were becoming longer, and the periods of drinking were becoming shorter". Mitch also says that Amy's attempts at giving up alcohol had resulted in seizures during which she would lose consciousness and speculated as to whether such an episode was the cause of her death.

M5: Wrong way driver Deborah Hunt is jailed

 

A woman drove for 23 miles the wrong way along a motorway dodging other road users before eventually coming to a stop. Mother-of-three Deborah Hunt, 43, spent at least 20 minutes in the southbound overtaking lane of the M5 after doing a U-turn in the carriage near Junction 24 for Bridgwater. Police found her trying to restart the engine to her Peugeot 806 in the hard shoulder near Junction 21 for Weston-Super-Mare and she smelled heavily of alcohol. As she was jailed for nine months today, Judge Mark Horton said he would be failing in his public duty if he did not give her a custodial sentence. Hunt, of Langport, Somerset, was suffering from alcoholism, stress caused by unemployment as a financial adviser, and a battle with her ex-husband over custody of their children. Judge Horton said it was 'unbelievably fortunate' no one had been killed or injured by her as she drove at 60mph in the dark after 11pm on July 14 this year in northern Somerset.

Addict: Virtual World Crowds Out Real Life

 

What starts out as a fun activity, can take over some lives. Some psychiatrists say video games are one of the big addictions of the decade and can cause problems for people who play them too much. Others argue it is not a recognized addiction.

Described in the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book as "cunning, baffling, powerful," addiction often seems as inscrutable as the human mind itself. Its reach is widespread

Described in the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book as "cunning, baffling, powerful," addiction often seems as inscrutable as the human mind itself. Its reach is widespread: Else Pedersen, executive director of Bridge House, estimates 10 to 15 percent of the population has an addiction. "We all either have this or have some strong primary connection to it," she says. "This is everywhere, and it needs to be dealt with like the medical issue it is. We need to give it the same attention we give other diseases that are progressive, pervasive and potentially lethal."

 

  Last month, The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) made a big step toward widespread recognition of addiction as a medical issue rather than a behavioral issue or moral failing. It released a new definition which states addiction is a chronic, underlying, largely genetic brain disease.

  "The disease is about brains, not drugs," former president of ASAM Dr. Michael Miller stated in a press release. "It's about underlying neurology, not outward actions." Miller oversaw a four-year effort by more than 80 addiction experts and neuroscience researchers which yielded the new definition.

  Dr. Ken Roy, medical director of Addiction Recovery Resources Incorporated in Metairie, calls it a game-changer.

  "This is a definition based on a consensus of expert opinion and scientific literature that changes the understanding of addiction from a choice or a self-treatment to a condition of brain structures that basically compels behavior outside the ability to choose," he says. "It's also pivotal in the sense that it equates a compulsion to use chemicals with compulsions to have other kinds of behaviors such as food or gambling or sex. (It is) the same disease state. Addiction is not a choice."

  The new definition reveals addiction to be a primary disease, much like diabetes or cardiovascular disease. It can be a root cause behind other behavioral, social and psychological problems like depression, cognitive distortions, social isolation and anxiety. According to ASAM's definition, "genetic factors account for about half the likelihood that an individual will develop addiction" — meaning if one of your parents is or was an addict, you are genetically predisposed to developing addiction.

  Since addiction has physical, neurobiological causes, one would expect the brains of addicts to function differently than the brains of non-addicts. This is exactly what happens, says Dr. Howard Wetsman, medical director at Townsend, a network of local outpatient addiction treatment centers. Many (not all) addicts have a morphology (or mutation) in the genes associated with the production, release, reuptake and metabolizing of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. Wetsman refers to the intricate factors governing normal dopamine levels as "dopamine tone."

   "Generally, people who have a low dopamine tone are not able to make great attachments and feel rewards from normally rewarding activities, and that is when the drug or behavior comes along," he says. " Our society likes to think that drugs cause addiction. It's actually the other way around for most people with addiction. The addiction causes the drug use," he writes in his book, QAA: Questions and Answers on Addiction.

  The genetic factor is so pervasive that Wetsman has instituted genetic testing as part of Townsend's intake procedure. "The test identifies two dozen genetic mutations in the brain that relate to symptoms of addiction," says John Antonucci, an intake coordinator at Townsend who also is recovering from addiction. "This information helps fine-tune medical interventions, and it is amazing when you take a patient and their family members, and they realize it really is a biological brain disease. I like to equate it to seeing the X-ray when you have a broken arm. And I have seen family members break down and cry when they realize all this time, their kids weren't doing this to spite them. They were doing it because they were sick."

  Though Antonucci says nine out of 10 of Townsend's patients report addiction in their family trees, there are some addicts without a family history or genetic indication of the disease (but because addiction can express itself through many different compulsions, from overeating to compulsive spending, it can sometimes be hard to trace, Wetsman says). New Orleans native, Xavier University alumnus, father of five and recovering addict Darryl Rouson, now a Florida state representative, had no known family history of addiction.

  "My mother was known to cut her beer with 7-Up, and my dad drank three or four times a year," says Rouson, who began drinking and using cocaine in the '80s. "I wasn't drinking for the social nature, I wanted the effect, and I wanted it quickly, and for a long time. For me, it started out filling what I thought were voids in my life, low self-esteem: I never thought I was cute enough, strong enough, athletic enough or smart enough, and I was always doing things to compensate for these lacks."

  Rouson says he has been through eight treatment programs and is well-versed in the genetic component of addiction, but he has never been tested for the morphologies. Though genetic testing can provide clarity to a diagnosis of addiction, and a basis for what medications will best normalize individuals' brain chemistry, neither testing nor medications are necessary for recovery. "There are millions of people who have gotten sober by going to 12-step meetings (like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous). For some people, that works," says Jo Cohen, clinical director of New Orleans Bridge House and Grace House. "We support the science, but like everything else in treatment, it's an individualized approach."

  Although people do not choose to become addicts, they do have choices over how they manage the disease. Addiction requires ongoing treatment, which varies from person to person — some may benefit from ongoing use of medications like Suboxone, some may require long-term inpatient treatment, others may stay sober simply by attending 12-step meetings. Antonucci stresses that a strong routine of recovery-related activities like meetings or volunteering helps people maintain sobriety, as does access to help from addiction doctors. "This is a chronic disease like diabetes or hypertension," he says. "If you are diabetic, you get exercise and take insulin, but there are times you need to check up with your endocrinologist."

    Rouson manages his addiction by attending 12-step meetings, sponsoring other recovering addicts, reading Alcoholics Anonymous literature, and giving back to the community by sharing his story at prisons and recovery centers. He will speak at Xavier Wednesday, Sept. 14, to celebrate National Recovery Month.   

  "One of the critical reasons why I got clean was I was given a choice," he says. "(My wife) Ruby was dead and I had taken her $80,000 life insurance policy and spent $60,000 on cocaine. I was in a courtroom with my wife's family and they were trying to convince the judge to take my four-year-old son. The judge said I could either choose Daniel or drugs, but after today, I would not have both. I chose my son."

  Antonucci and Rouson both say their community outreach work, which is a tenant of Alcoholics Anonymous (the 12th step states, "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs"), is essential to their ongoing sobriety. And though there may seem to be a disconnect between the scientific, biologically based addiction definition and the spiritually based 12-step programs, ASAM's research scientically supports the activities recovering addicts undertake in 12-step recovery programs as ways to maintain sobriety.

  "Our medical approach to addiction dovetails very nicely into 12-step recovery, because there is a scientific basis behind how it works," Antonucci says. "Part of my recovery is, I serve food to homeless people every Saturday night, and afterwards, I feel great. Why do I feel great? My hedonic tone has gone up. Doing something really healthy for the community has changed my brain chemistry."

  Wetsman agrees that engaging in charitable activities can normalize dopamine levels. "You get dopamine lowering from being isolated and feeling less-than," he says. "You can't feel isolated and less than when you help somebody else — dopamine receptors actually physically gain in number. The receptors are much more plastic than we think."

  Pederson, Antonucci and medical professionals across the board hope the new definition of addiction will serve to remove much of the shame and stigma surrounding the disease, which in turn will facilitate recovery for the millions who suffer from addiction.

  "When people have a strong understanding about the disease, that's when the miracles happen, and treatment can be extremely successful," Antonucci says. "Don't be afraid to get better. This can work for you, too. Give yourself a chance."

1,000 more people are admitted to hospital every day for drinking compared with five years ago, new research shows.

Official figures reveal that 1.1 million people in England were admitted to hospital in 2009/10 because of alcohol – a rise of 879 per day compared with five years ago.
Overall there was a 25 per cent increase in the number of people admitted to hospital for reasons caused by drinking, a round-up of existing data showed.
The situation is more severe in some parts of the county than others with 3,114 people being admitted per 100,000 people in Liverpool, compared with 850 per 100,000 on the Isle of Wight.
Last night campaigners blamed the rise of cheap supermarket alcohol for the increase in problem drinking.
Other figures show that 7.6 per cent of drinkers are now considered to be at "high risk" of putting their health in danger, with a rising number of people developing and dying from chronic liver disease.

 

Addiction: My experience of rehabilitation in the UK

Amy Winehouse’s death has put drug addiction and rehabilitation back in the spotlight. Her biggest hit, Rehab, tops the charts, but our national approach to, and our policy for treating addicts desperately needs to top the media agenda.

I have firsthand experience of lost teenage years to a life in organised crime, fuelled with drugs and drink. Now aged 68 and with hindsight, my credentials to talk with authority are gold plated.

Addiction pervades our society in unseen ways; boardroom executives have undertaken billion pound decisions either under the influence of mind altering stimulants or outside pressure from organized criminals laundering money. Street addicts rob and attack others to feed their habit. Town centres each weekend resemble battle zones with kids involved in fights, car crashes filling our magistrate’s courts and hospitals. Most of the 200,000 youths spoken to by police each year have drug/alcohol problems.

Firstly, government policy makers don’t accept or understand the true gravity of the issue. They have never implemented new laws with a national programme to deal with the UK drug epidemic. Legalising drugs will simply bring about easier ways to get hooked. Kids will still have to buy their drugs and will steal to do so. Legalising mind altering substances that do harm to our young is rubbish. Why not give them guns, but tell them not to shoot? Hash is as bad as any drug and often leads toclass A use. Shall future generations smoke one, two or three joints before studying for an exam?  My life was ruined through drugs, which is why as a criminal, I had no part in that trade. Tunnel into banks – yes, that was okay – but be part of anything that was going to inflict the same pain I lived with on innocent children? No, I would never allow it

 

Amy Winehouse: Why is there so little understanding of addiction

Amy Winehouse is dead and any useful understanding of the mental illness that killed her seems far away. Already the portrait is painted and flat-packed, smelted and ready to become myth.

There is tiny Amy with the swaying beehive hair and the frightened eyes, tormented by her talent and the chaos it brought, famous at 21, dead at 27, now a member of the repulsively named "27 Club" of musicians who were also addicts and died at 27 – Joplin, Hendrix, Morrison, Cobain. All dead, all revered, as if it was their illness that made them interesting. The initial, rushed obituaries made much of Winehouse "making it" into the 27 Club. Would she make it to 28 and be shut out? No, she got in, with 54 days to spare.

Why do we give so much energy to the thrilling pantomime of an alcoholic dying in the public eye, and so little to understanding the illness that took her there? It was obvious years ago that Winehouse sick was more grotesquely interesting than Winehouse sober; as she temporarily dried out, so did the press coverage. But she relapsed, and came home to fame.

When an addict self-annihilates, stalked by paparazzi, it is easy to imagine the story belongs to us all. We all had a stake in Amy Winehouse, you might believe; her fall, and the redemption that will never come now, had a universal meaning. But it didn't. Winehouse didn't belong to us; she belonged to no one, not even herself. But you can forget that. Creative addicts – particularly female creative addicts – are always clutched to the cold global breast, even as the corpse is carried out.

Take Judy Garland, little Dorothy on Benzedrine, who kicked off her ruby slippers. She was a legend even before she was pulled off the toilet she died on in Chelsea in 1969; even this year there was a play in the West End about her collapse. I saw it and could only smell yet more exploitation of a woman who always exploited herself. Sing us a song, Judy, even though you're dead!

There is no meaning here, no wider parable about the relationship between addiction and talent, and I think that is junk too, a straw man that burns easily. Winehouse was simply an alcoholic and drug addict who had no idea of her own worth or how to cure herself. She died at 27 not because she was the magical mystical twin of Janis Joplin, but because 27 is a normal age for the body of a compulsive user of hard drugs and hard alcohol to give out.

Thousands like Winehouse die every year, and they are not venerated, or even pitied. We will not educate ourselves about the disease, or reform drug laws that plunge addicts into a shadow-world of criminality and dependence on criminals. Winehouse got away with too much said one copper, after a tape of her using was released. Did she? Did she really? Winehouse walked barefoot through the streets because that is where the drugs were, and even as her bewildered face splatters across the front pages, drug support charities are closing, expendable in this era of thrift.

Recovery rests on the edge of the self-harming knife, because no one yet knows what causes addiction, or how to cure it. The disease is impenetrable to outsiders because it is anathema to our all-conquering species that a person can be genetically predisposed to poison themselves. Addiction is still uniformly called "a self-inflicted disease" and only the most enlightened doctors will recommend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, self-help groups that sometimes get results, although no one knows why. A Harley Street psychiatrist once told me that I should try and "limit" my drug use; he obviously knew nothing, even as he charged £275 for 15 minutes.

She was in the Priory this summer. I was in the Priory 11 years ago,where I was "treated" for addiction, and based on my own experience it's is not the sort of place where people always get better. (I await the letter of complaint from their ever-vigilant marketing department). When I was there they offered en-suite rooms and in-room TVs, not the knowledge that a flicker of the reality of my predicament was essential to staying alive. Of course, it may have changed since my day. And she died for nothing because she thought she was nothing.

Not that we will learn; the beehive was too high, the eyes too photogenically tormented, the voice too beautiful. Her new album will be released and it will sell 10 million copies, maybe more. And there, reader, is your meaning. The addict is dead. Long live the myth.

 

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has revealed he became addicted to alcohol as he came to terms with his fame.

The actor said: "I became so reliant on (alcohol) to enjoy stuff.
"There were a few years there when I was just so enamoured with the idea of living some sort of famous person's lifestyle that really isn't suited to me."
The actor said his drinking became an issue while working on the 2009 film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
He claims he has not touched alcohol since August 2010.

Radcliffe was just nine when he got his break
Speaking to GQ magazine, he said: "As much as I would love to be a person that goes to parties and has a couple of drinks and has a nice time - that doesn't work for me.
"I do that very unsuccessfully."
The star was just nine years old when he got his break to play the schoolboy wizard in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Watson has mixed emotions about finishing filming
Eight films on and the series is now the biggest film franchise of all time.
Radcliffe is worth an estimated £48m and he and his co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are household names.
As much as I would love to be a person that goes to parties and has a couple of drinks and has a nice time - that doesn't work for me.
Daniel Radcliffe
Watson, who plays Hermione, told Sky News she has mixed emotions as her Potter days draw to a close.
"It's really strange. I go from moment being like 'oh I'm so excited it's over and can't wait to have a fresh start' and then ten minutes later I'll be crying and feeling wobbly and sad and feeling quite devastated that it's all over."
Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, says he has found it hard to come to terms with the fact that it is over.
"It hasn't really sunk in yet. We finished a year ago now but it was a really sad day.
"We all cried and I wasn't expecting that. I have felt a little lost really without it because it's been such a continuous part of my daily routine for ten years."

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will premiere Thursday
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 broke five box office records when it was released last November.
It took £17.5m over three days in the UK, making it the most successful opening weekend in history.
The final instalment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, will premiere in Trafalgar Square on Thursday, and sees Harry facing a climatic showdown with Lord Voldermort.

Alcoholic had no memory of unprovoked murder

A chronic alcoholic who fatally attacked a man at a Melbourne hotel has been sentenced to 19 years jail.

Neville Morrison, 50, told police he drank 14 litres of cask wine the night he fatally attacked David Rodakis, 56, at the notorious Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda, in December 2008.

Today, a Victorian Supreme Court judge sentenced him to 19 years jail for the "savage" murder.

Mr Rodakis was jumped on outside his room by Morrison and his co-accused in the early hours of February 15.

The "cruel" and "brutal" attack was captured on CCTV vision.

It showed Morrison repeatedly punching, kicking and stomping on his victim, over a 14 minute period.

He continually left the victim motionless on the floor, but returned five or six times to continue the assault, stomping on his head more than 20 times.

"At all times, you were assaulting a man whom you did not know and who had not done or said anything to you," said Justice Elizabeth Curtain.

The savage attack left Mr Rodakis, who was described as a generous and docile man, in a vegetative state.

He died 13 days later of pneumonia, a common complication from severe head injuries.

Dressed in a scruffy, mismatched tracksuit, Morrison cried as the court heard details of the attack.

When he was arrested, he told police he had no memory of being at the hotel and was described as being "in disbelief."

Previously, Morrison's lawyer told the court his client had been an alcoholic all his life and usually frequented the "hard drinking hotels of the western suburbs."

But he said he was not a violent man and his participation in the savage thuggery was "unfathomable."

The court heard Morrison had been drinking five litres of wine every two days in the lead up to the attack and while he cannot remember what he did, he cannot stop thinking about his victim and says sorry each night.

The judge said his crime should be seen through the prism of intoxication.

"I understand it, that you have no memory of the events and, were it not for the CCTV footage, you would not have believed yourself capable of such acts," she said.

Judge Curtain sentenced him to 19 years jail with a non-parole period of 15 years.

As he was lead from the dock, Morrison said sorry to the family of the man he killed.

 

Hospitals admit 32 alcohol patients each day: NHS feels strain as booze cases soar

HOSPITAL staff in East Yorkshire are having to deal with an average of 32 admissions due to alcohol-related illness and injury every day.

The scale of the problem was revealed in alarming figures that show the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions reached 11,715 in 2009-10.

This has increased from 10,043 the previous year.

The admissions include alcohol-related injuries, alcoholics who need detox treatment and people with alcohol poisoning.


Health officials say the figures, which are the latest available from the NHS Information Centre, are worrying.

Phil Morley, chief executive at Hull And East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, in Cottingham, said: “Any avoidable hospital admission is something we should be concerned about.

“Increasing alcohol consumption is an incredibly complicated social issue influenced by a wide range of factors.

“While people are drinking more, we will see increased numbers of people coming to hospital with alcohol-related injuries, as well as alcohol-related diseases.

“Clearly, this is an increased pressure on our services, in the same way that admissions due to smoking-related diseases put pressure on hospitals.

“There are clear national recommendations for the daily amount of alcohol men and women should consume and I would encourage our local population to drink in moderation in order to reduce the risk of serious diseases, such as mouth, throat or neck cancer, or cirrhosis.”

Hull has about 44,000 residents who drink up to or more than twice the recommended level of alcohol each week and a further 8,000 who are dependent on alcohol.

Meanwhile, in the East Riding, about 62,000 people drink up to or more than twice the recommended level of alcohol every week. There are about 9,500 people who are dependent on alcohol in the county.

In 2008-09, there were 4,840 alcohol-related hospital admissions in Hull and 5,203 in the East Riding. This increased to 5,637 in Hull and 6,078 in the East Riding in 2009-10.

The problem has increased at a faster rate in Hull and the East Riding than nationally, where the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions has topped one million, according to the figures in the report.

Paul Laing, public health lead for alcohol at NHS Hull, the city’s primary care trust (PCT), said work is being done to tackle the problem.

He said investment has been made in more alcohol detox beds and community-based detox programmes, as well as hospital-based alcohol workers who ensure alcoholics get the right support when they leave hospital.

Screening for 10,000 people is also carried out every year to determine how much they drink.

If it is considered to be a harmful level, they are given information about the impact it could have on their health and are offered support.

Mr Laing said: “Drinking behaviour has changed and people are drinking more.

“There is more availability with extended licensing hours and cheaper alcohol, so because of that, there is more alcohol-related harm.

“Often, people drink to manage periods of stress and boredom, and that can include areas of deprivation. But drinking goes across the board.

“Where there is a high level of alcohol-related harm, it is linked to deprivation and that is a problem in Hull because we have a high level of deprivation.

“But it’s not just defined by that.

“If you have a lot of money or a high-powered job, it grabs people at all levels.”

East Riding GPs also offer screening, as well as information or referral to specialist services.

NHS East Riding of Yorkshire, the county’s PCT, said there is also a community specialist alcohol service that offers advice, as well as community or inpatient detox.

 

Alcohol and meds can be lethal for seniors

April is Alcohol Awareness Month which is intended to educate people about the consequences of alcohol-related problems. Millions of older adults drink alcoholic beverages. Some of them drink too much, which can harm their health and lead to safety problems.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if someone has a drinking problem. Some signs of drinking, such as falls and depression, can be mistaken for other physical or mental conditions or other conditions related to aging.

Elderly alcohol abusers can be divided into two general types: the “hardy survivors,” those who have been abusing alcohol for many years and have reached 65, and the “late onset” group, those who begin abusing alcohol later in life.

The latter group’s alcohol abuse is often triggered by changes in life such as retirement, death or separation from a spouse or family member, a friend or a pet, health concerns, reduced income, impairment of sleep and or family conflicts.

As people age, they may become more sensitive to alcohol’s effects. This means that older adults can experience the effects of alcohol, such as slurred speech and lack of coordination, more readily than when they were younger. Over time, someone whose drinking habits haven’t changed may find he or she has a problem.

Many older adults take prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and herbal remedies. Drinking alcohol can cause certain medicines to not work properly and other medicines to become more dangerous or even deadly

Mixing alcohol and some medicines can cause sleepiness, confusion, or lack of coordination, which may lead to accidents and injuries.

Depending on the type of medicine, doing so can result in increased risk of stomach or intestinal bleeding or liver damage.

Read the labels on all medications and follow the directions. Some medication labels warn people not to drink alcohol when taking the medicine. Ask a doctor or pharmacist whether it’s okay to drink alcohol while taking a certain medicine.

Among other reasons this issue flies under the radar is they are not interacting with law enforcement. Few older adults go out to bars and drink heavily. Instead, many drink alone in the privacy of their own homes — which keeps them from getting the help they need.

There is no risk of losing their job. Since most senior citizens are retired, their problem drinking does not affect them in the work place – another factor that keeps the issue shrouded in secrecy.

Remember — you can’t make a person deal with a drinking problem. You can offer support and get help for yourself. If you think you have a drinking problem talk to a health care professional like your doctor.

 

British girls are the worst teenage binge drinkers in the western world, a report has revealed.

British girls drink more booze in the UK than their male counterparts
Some 50% of 15-year-olds have been drunk at least twice - almost double the 29% average of other developed countries, figures show.
Girls also drink more alcohol in the UK than their male counterparts, with only 44% of 15-year-old boys admitting being intoxicated on two or more occasions.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) figures were published in a new report called 'Through the Looking Glass'.
They revealed that between 1998 and 2008, the proportion of girls who binge-drank - defined as consuming more than six drinks per session - increased from 17% to 27%.