Archive for June, 2010

Post natal depression and drinking in new moms – Your children are suffering!

Posted on Jun 17, 2010

It is a critical time as the weeks and months following the birth of a child for mother and baby to establish a good bonding relationship. However, postnatal depression can interfere with this important process. Research shows that about 1 in 10 mothers develop postnatal depression which often times lead to alcohol or even drugs abuse. New mothers who are experiencing the baby blues should seek help to deal with the depression and the care of the baby and any other children in their care.

Alcohol abuse in new mothers and the effects on a child

Alcohol abuse and/or drug abuse are a common complication of depression, particularly where it interferes with mother and child relationship. There is evidence, that if the early mother-baby relationship is disturbed for a long period of time, the baby has an increased risk of later physical or emotional abuse by the mother. This is why early diagnosis, treatment, family support, and support of the developing mother-baby relationship are very important.

Postnatal Depression & Drinking in new moms

Symptoms of postnatal depression

The symptoms are similar to any other depression. They usually include one or more of the following:

Cranky and low mood
Lack of interest in yourself and your baby
Lack of motivation to do anything.
Lack of energy
Poor appetite
Reduced sex drive
Often feeling tearful
Feeling irritable
Feelings of inadequacy
Feeling unable to cope with anything

Post-natal support and treatment

Understanding and support from loved ones such as family and friends can help you to recover quickly. If you are experiencing post natal depression, it is often best to talk to close friends and family to explain how you feel rather than using alcohol and neglecting your children. Your child does not need to suffer. You can also benefit by having a family member of a friend care for your child while you take a nap or tend to your needs. There are also postnatal treatment and self-help groups available. Self-help groups are good at providing you with the support you need.

How long will postnatal depression last?

Postnatal depression is variable. However without treatment, an episode may last six months or more. With early diagnosis and treatment, 70 to 80 percent of women will recover much sooner. The good news is in the majority of women, there is complete recovery.

Postnatal depression is nothing to be ashamed off. You may be surprised at how many women are going through the same feeling as you. However, with early recognition along with treatment of postnatal depression and co-existing alcohol and drug problems can promote early recovery and parent child relationship.

‘Real World’ MTV Participant Arrested for DUI in California

Posted on Jun 14, 2010

David “Puck” Rainey who acted in MTV’s “The Real World: San Francisco” was admitted to a Southern California hospital after a very bad accident which left him and his 8-year old son Bogart gravely injured.

DUI Arrest While Hospitalized

To make matters worse for the former star, California law enforcement arrested Puck for DUI. Authorities charged him while he was lying in his hospital bed in the California town of San Diego being treated for broken bones in both feet, his right hand, his neck, a fractured sternum and clavicle. He may be facing charges of child endangerment and driving without a license also.

Evidence Of Drunk Driving

The California authorities say that there is reason to believe that he was driving while intoxicated with alcohol when he was traveling along California Route number 79 on a weekend father and son fishing excursion, when he tried to miss a deer in the road and lost control of the vehicle he was driving.

Son Helps His Father

His vehicle rolled down an embankment and flipped over then came to rest in a river bed. His son Bogart received a bruised liver and other internal organs injuries, however he somehow got out of the damaged car, made it back up to the road to get help for his injured father.

Claim To Fame

41 year old ‘Puck’, became famous after appearing on MTV’s ‘Real World: San Francisco’ were he played the role of a rebellious bicycle messenger. The concept of the show was the putting together of strangers in a residence for a few months to follow their lives and relationships it was suppose to be unscripted and unrehearsed. It was one of the first shows in the “reality” genre.

Stand Out on Reality Hit Show

Puck was a notable stand out of the show because of his frequent confrontations with the character that was an AIDS sufferer. In one episode he was expelled from the house for this reason. Mr. Rainey was also known for his close relationship with his mother, grandparents and sister on the show.

Latest Roles

He also appeared in other MTV semi-reality shows Road Rule: All Stars and Battle of the Sexes. On the latter show he married the mother of his son Bogart. He also provided the voice for the animated character Spanky Ham on the show Drawn Together which is a parody of reality show like Real World.

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Texting While Driving – Is this abuse leading to road accidents?

Posted on Jun 10, 2010

Texting is one of the most convenient and cheapest ways of communicating. However, this technology has brought with it some dangers as some individuals have become so addicted to texting that they even send and receive text messaging while driving. With American sending over a trillion texts each year, texting have become an embedded part of our culture. Some teenagers even admit to being addicted to text messaging and themselves send over 500 texts per day.

Effect of Texting of Stopping Distance

A recent study showed that the average braking distance for drivers reading text message increases significantly when compared to drivers that are more alert. In a recent test conducted in Florida, the results showed a reaction time while sending and receiving text messages was worse than that of a drunk driver. He posted a reaction time of .68 seconds while driving at 70 miles per hour that resulted in an extra 70 feet before stopping. The same driver then posted a reaction time of 0.04 seconds when driving unimpaired. Additional test also revealed that texting while driving is creates a risk 2.8 times higher than driving and talking on the phone. The results of this test thus solidify the theories promoted that texting while driving is dangerous and has resulted in a significant increase in rear-enders and even fatal traffic accidents.

What can be done about Texting while Driving?

Unlike talking on the phone while driving, it is more difficult for the authorities to clamp down on texting while diving. Apart from the odd event when you are actually seen texting while driving by a police officer, all efforts to control the habit have been futile. Some states such as Florida have tried to ban all cell phone activity while driving, this however have been met with stiff resistance. As a result, they gave resorted to a significant public awareness campaign that educates the driving public about the dangers of texting while driving.

Contribution of Cell Phone Manufacturers

At the higher end of the spectrum, cell phone manufacturers are offering some cell phones that come with voice activated text messaging. The problem with this is these features only come on expensive super phones that are normally out of the reach of normal nine to five workers who use the highways daily. They have not yet found a way to transfer this technology down to regular phone sets where legislators can now take action to implement voice activated texting while driving. In the future, we do hope that this happen, as it will surely result in a reduction in the number of text messaging related accidents on the streets.

Personal Responsibility about Texting while Driving

As drivers, we must take responsibility for our actions. We must be aware of the dangers of texting while driving. In addition, we must also resist the temptation of sending text messages to individuals who we think are driving at the time. TV star Oprah Winfrey recently announced on her show that she has adapted as a policy not to accept text messages while driving a car nor send text messages to drivers. The population as a whole must emulate this concept.

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