Chasing Rainbows

Facts about Heroin/ Drug Facts, Pt.2

Today's post will expand on what we already know about heroin.

Heroin is a rapidly acting drug derived from the Asian opium poppy plant. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the Asian poppy. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder. Street names for heroin include “smack,” “H,” “skag,” and “junk.” Other names may refer to types of heroin produced in a specific geographical area, such as “Mexican black tar.”
Health Hazards

Heroin abuse is associated with serious health conditions, including fatal overdose, spontaneous abortion, collapsed veins, and, particularly in users who inject the drug, infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

The short-term effects of heroin abuse appear soon after a single dose and disappear in a few hours. After an injection of heroin, the user reports feeling a surge of euphoria (”rush”) accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes “on the nod,” an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated use for some period of time. Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulitis, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin’s depressing effects on respiration.

Heroin abuse during pregnancy and its many associated environmental factors (e.g., lack of prenatal care) have been associated with adverse consequences including low birth weight, an important risk factor for later developmental delay.

In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may have additives that do not readily dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs.
Tolerance, Addiction, and Withdrawal

With regular heroin use, tolerance develops. This means the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity of effect. As higher doses are used over time, physical dependence and addiction develop. With physical dependence, the body has adapted to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms may occur if use is reduced or stopped.

Withdrawal, which in regular abusers may occur as early as a few hours after the last administration, produces drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (”cold turkey”), kicking movements (”kicking the habit”), and other symptoms. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health is occasionally fatal, although heroin withdrawal is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal.
Treatment

There is a broad range of treatment options for heroin addiction, including medications as well as behavioral therapies. Science has taught us that when medication treatment is integrated with other supportive services, patients are often able to stop heroin (or other opiate) use and return to more stable and productive lives.

In November 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) convened a Consensus Panel on Effective Medical Treatment of Heroin Addiction. The panel of national experts concluded that opiate drug addictions are diseases of the brain and medical disorders that indeed can be treated effectively. The panel strongly recommended broader access to methadone maintenance treatment programs for people who are addicted to heroin or other opiate drugs; and the Federal and State regulations and other barriers impeding this access be eliminated. This panel also stressed the importance of providing substance abuse counseling, psychosocial therapies, and other supportive services to enhance retention and successful outcomes in methadone maintenance treatment programs. The panel’s full consensus statement is available by visiting the NIH Consensus Development Program Web site at consensus.nih.gov.

Methadone, a synthetic opiate medication that blocks the effects of heroin for about 24 hours, has a proven record of success when prescribed at a high enough dosage level for people addicted to heroin. Other approved medications are naloxone, which is used to treat cases of overdose, and naltrexone, both of which block the effects of morphine, heroin, and other opiates.

Buprenorphine is the most recent addition to the array of medications available for treating addiction to heroin and other opiates. This medication is different from methadone in that it offers less risk of addiction and can be dispensed in the privacy of a doctor’s office. Several other medications for use in heroin treatment programs are also under study.

For the pregnant heroin abuser, methadone maintenance combined with prenatal care and a comprehensive drug treatment program can improve many of the detrimental maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with untreated heroin abuse. There is preliminary evidence that buprenorphine also is safe and effective in treating heroin dependence during pregnancy, although infants exposed to methadone or buprenorphine during pregnancy typically require treatment for withdrawal symptoms. For women who do not want or are not able to receive pharmacotherapy for their heroin addiction, detoxification from opiates during pregnancy can be accomplished with relative safety, although the likelihood of relapse to heroin use should be considered.

There are many effective behavioral treatments available for heroin addiction. These can include residential and outpatient approaches. Several new behavioral therapies are showing particular promise for heroin addiction. Contingency management therapy uses a voucher-based system, where patients earn “points” based on negative drug tests, which they can exchange for items that encourage healthful living. Cognitive-behavioral interventions are designed to help modify the patient’s thinking, expectancies, and behaviors and to increase skills in coping with various life stressors.
Extent of Use

Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey *
According to the 2006 MTF, rates of lifetime** and past year heroin use were stable among all three grades surveyed. However, 8th-graders reported significant declines in past month use of heroin, from 0.5 percent in 2005 to 0.3 percent in 2006.

Recent peaks in past year heroin use were observed in 1996 for 8th-graders (1.6 percent), 1997-2000 for 10th-graders (1.4 percent), and 2000 for 12th-graders (1.5 percent). Past year use in 2006 was significantly lower than these peak years of use for all three grades.

Resource:  Daily facts, interesting amusing fun and funny daily facts: Drug Facts/ Heroin

Facts About Cocaine and Crack

The thought occurred to me that, while  we know illegal drug abuse and use is not a good thing, how much do we know about some of these drugs?  Do we know their composition, complications, prevalence, etc.?  I, for one, did not so I browsed the internet to find out more relevant facts about the "street drugs" that we fear.  Hopefully my next couple of posts here will shed some light on the topic for you, as it has for me.  The first drug that I will discuss is Cocaine.

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug. The powdered, hydrochloride salt form of cocaine can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected. Crack is cocaine that has not been neutralized by an acid to make the hydrochloride salt. This form of cocaine comes in a rock crystal that can be heated and its vapors smoked. The term “crack” refers to the crackling sound heard when it is heated.*

Regardless of how cocaine is used or how frequently, a user can experience acute cardiovascular or cerebrovascular emergencies, such as a heart attack or stroke, which could result in sudden death. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizure followed by respiratory arrest.

Health Hazards

Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that interferes with the reabsorption process of dopamine, a chemical messenger associated with pleasure and movement. The buildup of dopamine causes continuous stimulation of receiving neurons, which is associated with the euphoria commonly reported by cocaine abusers.

Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. The duration of cocaine’s immediate euphoric effects, which include hyperstimulation, reduced fatigue, and mental alertness, depends on the route of administration. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. On the other hand, the faster the absorption, the shorter the duration of action. The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Increased use can reduce the period of time a user feels high and increases the risk of addiction.

Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. A tolerance to the “high” may develop-many addicts report that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first exposure. Some users will increase their doses to intensify and prolong the euphoric effects. While tolerance to the high can occur, users can also become more sensitive to cocaine’s anesthetic and convulsant effects without increasing the dose taken. This increased sensitivity may explain some deaths occurring after apparently low doses of cocaine.

Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at increasingly high doses, may lead to a state of increasing irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This can result in a period of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which the user loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations.

Other complications associated with cocaine use include disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks, chest pain and respiratory failure, strokes, seizures and headaches, and gastrointestinal complications such as abdominal pain and nausea. Because cocaine has a tendency to decrease appetite, many chronic users can become malnourished.

Different means of taking cocaine can produce different adverse effects. Regularly snorting cocaine, for example, can lead to loss of the sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, hoarseness, and a chronically runny nose. Ingesting cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene due to reduced blood flow. People who inject cocaine can experience severe allergic reactions and, as with all injecting drug users, are at increased risk for contracting HIV and other blood-borne diseases.

Added Danger: Cocaethylene
When people mix cocaine and alcohol consumption, they are compounding the danger each drug poses and unknowingly forming a complex chemical experiment within their bodies. NIDA-funded researchers have found that the human liver combines cocaine and alcohol and manufactures a third substance, cocaethylene, that intensifies cocaine’s euphoric effects, while potentially increasing the risk of sudden death.

Treatment

The widespread abuse of cocaine has stimulated extensive efforts to develop treatment programs for this type of drug abuse.

One of NIDA’s top research priorities is to find a medication to block or greatly reduce the effects of cocaine, to be used as one part of a comprehensive treatment program. NIDA-funded researchers are also looking at medications that help alleviate the severe craving that people in treatment for cocaine addiction often experience. Several medications are currently being investigated for their safety and efficacy in treating cocaine addiction.

In addition to treatment medications, behavioral interventions-particularly cognitive behavioral therapy-can be effective in decreasing drug use by patients in treatment for cocaine abuse. Providing the optimal combination of treatment and services for each individual is critical to successful outcomes.
Extent of Use

Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey **
There were no significant changes from 2005 to 2006 in the proportion of students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades reporting lifetime,*** past year, or past month use of powder cocaine; however, past year crack use among 10th-graders declined significantly, from 1.7 percent in 2005 to 1.3 percent in 2006.

Past year prevalence of powder cocaine use in 2006 among all three grades was not significantly different from 2001; however, significant declines in crack use were seen over the same time period among 8th- and 10th-graders.

Resource:  Daily facts, interesting amusing fun and funny daily facts: Drug Facts

20 Facts about Suicide

Sounds luke a morbid topic, doesn't it?  How many times after someone commits suicide do you hear a friend or loved one say,"If only I had known this wwas coming," or something like this anyway.  It is better to be armed with distasteful facts at times than to be ignorant where we might have intervened and helped.  The following 20 facts are taken straight from mental health experts.  In case you are unaware as I was, Spring time is the season when the highest number of suicides occur and more suicides occur the month of April than any other month of the year.

According to Howard Gabennesch, a psychologist with the University of Southern Indiana, the beginning of Spring is like the holidays in that it projects a happiness or joy that further alienates a severely depressed person. If no new beginning happens for someone trapped in the Black Hole—if a person fighting a mood disorder sees his friends and family enjoy the new weather and the baseball games and the cookouts and yet continues to feel hopeless—he can become even more despondent, turning to suicide as the last option to break free from negative thinking.

Another theory is that with Spring flowers sometimes arrives a surge of energy. And with that little bit of zest comes the dangerous potential to use it toward suicide. When a depressive can't get out of bed and can't think past surviving the next ten minutes, she's too lethargic to end her life. A spike of energy, then, delivers her into the danger zone, where she has the cognitive capacity and physical drive to plan and execute a suicidal.

April is a good time, then, to remember these 20 things about suicide, which have been compiled from various sources:

1. The peak seasons for suicides are in early spring and early autumn. In the US, suicides for both men and women peak in April and May, while suicides in women alone show a rise in September and October.

2. One suicide can trigger other suicides. Like the flu, suicide can be contagious, encouraging copy cats.

3. More suicides occur between 4 AM and 7 AM, when depression is often at its worst.

4. More suicides occur on Monday.

5. Persons who experience mixed states—fluctuating between depression and mania or hypomania—are most at risk for suicide. (Again, because they have the energy, while a severely depressed person is too lethargic to end his life.)

6. Official statistics show that 30,000 Americans take their lives each year, but that number could be considerably higher since suicide often goes unreported; suicide takes more lives than traffic accidents, lung disease, or AIDS.

7. Worldwide there are more deaths due to suicide than to accidents, homicides, and war combined.

8. About 19 percent of young people (high school and college students) contemplate or attempt suicide each year. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in college students ages 20 to 24, and is the third-leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 24.

9. Approximately 6 percent of all people with major depression and about 15 percent of those treated for severe depression take their own lives.

10. The suicide rate among those with bipolar disorder may be highest among all psychiatric conditions, with one in 10 persons ending their lives, and as high as one in five for those persons with bipolar disorder who have experienced depression severe enough to require hospitalization.

11. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the second-leading cause of death worldwide among females ages 15 to 44, and the fourth-leading cause of death among males ages 15 to 44, after traffic accidents, TB, and violence.

12. Every day, approximately 80 Americans take their own lives, and 1,500 more attempt to do so. A person dies by suicide every 18 minutes in the U.S. An attempt is estimated to be made once every minute.

13. There are more than four male suicides for every female suicide, but twice as many females as males attempt suicide.

14. Firearms are the most frequent method of suicide among adults in the US.

15. Women most often overdose on pills to end their lives.

16. About two-thirds of the people who take their own lives suffer from major depression or bipolar disorder. Almost everyone else has depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or a delusional illness like schizophrenia.

17. Alcoholism is a factor in about 30 percent of all suicide deaths.

18. Between 20 and 50 percent of people who kill themselves had previously attempted suicide. Although the majority of people who die by suicides have not made a pervious attempt, a serious suicide attempt is a clear risk factor for suicide death.

19. In the year 2005 alone, at least 6,256 veterans committed suicide. According to a Veterans Affairs study published in October 2007 in the "American Journal of Public Health," veterans took their lives at a rate of nearly 90 per 100,000 between 1999 and 2004.

20. Suicidal individuals often talk about suicide directly or indirectly using statements like, “My family would be better off with out me.” Sometimes they talk as if they are saying goodbye or going away, and may arrange to put their affairs in order. Other signs of contemplating suicide include giving away articles they value, paying off debts or changing a will.

Resource:  No April Joke:  20 Things You Should Know About Suicide, Beliefnet.com, April 1, 2008

Moving Week

For those of my readers who caught my post on October 1st, you already now know that I have officially purchased my new  home after being forced to do so by the O'Hare International Expansion Program (Also known lovingly as the "Land Grab").  This week I am in the process of sorting, packing and moving.  Each day is a new adventure of finding things I never knew I owned or discovering old memories in worn out boxes and torn bags.  Thus far, I have scrapped over 60 bags of garbage filled with memorabilia and broken items.  If any of you have lived at one address for over 30 years as I have, you understand what I am saying here regarding the sorting and packing.  I may not be online as much this week to keep my blog updated, so please bear with me until I am back into my routine.  My cable hook-up should not take too long once I am moved and settled in.  Wish me luck and God's blessings upon my new residence!

Is Your Body Truly a Temple?

Paul tells us: "What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Primary to optimal health is how we treat our physical body — what we eat, how much and how well we sleep, and how much stress we encounter. After all, it's hard to focus on the spiritual when your body is crying out for help, whether due to disease, obesity, or lack of energy. What steps have you taken this week to treat your body as a sacred and important place?

Surviving Job Termination

Everybody who is fired goes through the same initial stages—disbelief, denial, anger, acceptance, and coping—in much the same manner as patients who are handed a fatal diagnosis or relatives told of the death of a loved one.

As humans, we do much better with change when we ourselves initiate the changes. Men, in particular, are frustrated by loss of control and security, as evidenced by the increased number of workplace shooting sprees that occur after company layoffs.

What to Do First

If you do lose your job, you can successfully channel your anger into positive action. Instead of relishing your newfound days of freedom, take just a few days off to adjust to the change, then immediately start looking for another job.

Experts say you can regain your footing—and work through some disbelief, denial, and anger—by joining support groups to talk about the firing with pals, or a job-hunting or networking group.

Communication

Don't be embarrassed or afraid to talk about down periods. Sharing your feelings with someone who cares about you can be a major boost to your emotional well-being.

Experts say that it's important to work through all the stages and not become stuck in one. People who continually rant and fume about the stupidity of their former employer are stuck inthe anger stage and won't make much progress.

You may fear being seen as weak and unable to cope. Keep reminding yourself that the firing was most likely due to shrinking budgets and a tight economy, and not the result of your incompetence. It's also particularly difficult for many men to ask for help carrying more of the financial load and having to cut the high-ticket, enjoyable extras from the family budget. Additionally, many relationships in time of stress are strengthened—or totally dissolved.

Windows of Opportunity

Remember the old saying that "another door opens when one is shut." Once some of the hurt has dissipated, start to ask yourself how you can create a more compelling future.

Do you want to make more money? Be famous? Live out your passion and dreams, create a business, buy a franchise, or perhaps simplify your lifestyle and move to a community that it is less expensive?

Or maybe you just want to find another company and continue doing the same job. Consider these (true) scenarios:

One self-described corporate 'slave' in the computer field recognized that the downsizing heading his way would result in elimination of his job. He arranged a deal whereby he could consult part-time. His overall goal was to spend more time with his kids and give up late evenings and weekends at the office. He had a lot of experience doing remodeling and went on to get his contractor's license. He now builds homes, shopping centers, and other structures. In addition to being outdoors all day, he is in complete charge of his own time.

A Texas man had been with his firm for many years when the company announced it was moving east. Rather than uproot his family, he became a freelance human relations and service director for smaller firms in the area where he had always lived.

Tips for Job Hunting

Once you've recovered from the emotional blow of losing your job, it's time to focus your efforts on finding your next job. The first thing you should do is network. Most jobs are filled through word of mouth. Join a trade association, attend meetings, and send notes to everybody you know who can help. Networking is important, but don't overlook the traditional routes: newspaper ads, internet listings, employment agencies, and executive recruiters (head hunters).

Your job hunt should be a 40-hour per week endeavor conducted from your own office—even if the space serves as a bedroom after hours. Here are a few guidelines:

Give yourself some space on the weekends. Participate in activities that give you pleasure. You need the break from thinking depressing thoughts, and you'll be in a better frame of mind if you're able to maintain some degree of normalcy, including doing the things you enjoy.

If you have children, share what's going on with them. While kids are scared of what they don't know or surmise on their own, they will surprise you by their quiet support once they know the truth.

Be good to yourself. Yes, you're depressed. And yes, you're angry. But more importantly, you're still you. You have skills, talents, abilities—all of which will be put to good use very soon. In the meantime, relax.

Be productive. In addition to job hunting, use the time off to clean out the basement, bone up on the local and national sports scene, rent some movies, or spend time with your family. If money is an issue, frequent places that are low cost or free—zoos, public libraries, museums, and movie matinees.

Visit with friends. Socialization is an important part of the recovery process—sitting home alone in the dark is not only counterproductive, but depressing. And a depressed, negative attitude is guaranteed to thwart your job-hunting efforts.

RESOURCES:

Career Builder
http://www.careerbuilder.com/

The Career Key
http://www.careerkey.org/index.asp

I'm Official Now!!

For those of my readers who read about my need to relocate my residence due to the expansion of O'Hare International Airport, I have finally closed on my new home and I will be moving into it in approximately three weeks!  While I still view it as a "land grab," I have to admit that the City of Chicago, with the urging of my terrific relocator, Rita, have surpassed my expectations of the outcome.  I want to personally thank the following people for making sure that all of my needs were satisfied to the Nth degree.

1. Rita Fitzpatrick, my relocator (relocator agent)
2. Carol Belanger, Relocation Manager
3. Kristina Jarczyk, my realtor and a real ball of fire
4. Bill Ryan, my eminent domain attorney
5. Bob Skinner, my Financial Advisor and Consultant
6. Tom Goedert, attorney for the City of Chicago

My very special thanks to each of you for stretching the limits and doing your jobs in a most spectacular manner.  It has been a while since I have been surrounded by so many people who really care about and respect others needs. You all have made this transition a lot smoother and much less frightening for me.

On Food Expiration Dates

What's an Expiration Date?

We all know the dates that come stamped on the side, top or even bottom of our food containers. Many of us adhere to them as though they were law. There are some, however, who treat food expiration dates as a general guideline and others insist that some expiration dates are nothing more than a way for companies to make us replace their products after a set period of time.

Are these expiration date opponents just plain nuts? Not really. Many of us believe that expiration dates are there to tell us when the food will go bad. This isn't necessarily true. Sometimes the date stamped on your groceries is nothing more than a guideline telling you what date to use the product by for guaranteed freshness.

So how can you tell exactly when your food expires and when to toss it?

Understanding the Labels

The first thing you need to do is understand the expiration dates stamped on your food. Some of them aren't expiration dates at all and are "best if used by" dates. These dates just indicate that your food will taste better if used by that date.

Dates preceded by "exp" or "use by" are more like expiration dates. However, even these dates aren't sure-fire ways of knowing when food will expire. For instance, you can buy a package of ground meat with a use by date that is four days away, but if you're storing it in the fridge you should use it within 2 days and, if in the freezer, within 3 months.

Some General Guidelines

Expiration dates are anything but clear cut. When it come to judging whether or not food is safe to eat, it pays to err on the side of caution. However, here are some guidelines you can follow:

Milk - Use within 5 days of the "sell by" date or use within a day or two of the use by date. After this, the milk may begin to sour even if it's not dangerous.

Chicken and Fish - Use within a day or two or freeze and use within 3 to 6 months.

Eggs - Eggs should last for 3 to 5 week from the "sell by" date.

Canned Goods - If you have canned goods with high acid levels, like tomato soup or pineapple, then they can last for 18 months. Other canned goods with low acid, like veggies, can last up to a whopping 5 years.

Again, these are very rough guidelines and I recommend you always use caution. And if you ever see a can or food packaging balloon, toss it no matter what the date.

Ten Most Healing Places on Earth

10. Russian Banyas Sandunovskie Banya, Moscow

The banya is a Slavic Eden: a steamy, womb-like place where you can take off all your clothes and snack on caviar and stuffed herring. Russian babushkis, or grandmothers, swear that frequenting these steam baths can tack years onto your life. Mischievous spirits called bannik are said to bewitch any clothing worn inside a banya, so strip away. Wrap up in a towel, slip on some flip-flops, and continue on to the showers for a rinse before entering the steam room, a wooden construction with a large furnace stove at one end. (Sometimes fragrances like pine oil, eucalyptus, or beer are added.)

At some point, an attendant will lug in buckets filled with birch and juniper soaked in water. Grab a branch, and starting with your feet, slap it against the full expanse of your body. The ritual is said to "bring blood to the surface." When the heat becomes unbearable, proceed to the pool room and jump in immediately. Get out before the hypothermia kicks in and return to the steam room. Repeat as many times as you can: your skin will positively glow afterward.

9. Shrine to Pele, Hawaii

Goddesses reign supreme on the tropical islands of Hawaii. The grand diva is Pele, who presides over the volcanoes. Legend has it that she secretly envies her beautiful sister Poliahu, and the two often get into catfights over gods and mortals. Poliahu usually wins, causing Pele to erupt in fury, and Poliahu gets stuck cleaning the mess with her snow and ice afterward. Despite her flaws, Hawaiians revere Pele, calling her She Who Shapes The Sacred Land in their chants.

To see Pele in action, drive to the Big Island. Continue on to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, home of the most active volcano on the planet: Kilauea. Rather than spew like a geyser, Kilauea oozes along the ground. At night, the mountain sometimes glows red with lava. Pele is said to dwell in the Halema'uma'u Crater Overlook, where trails lead down to the 1982 lava-flow site. Devotees leave her offerings of flowers, gin, and ohelo berries.

8. Japanese Onsen, Shikoko Island

Because Japan stretches across volcano fault lines, many of its springs are naturally heated and rich in minerals. Japanese have enjoyed kamiyu, or divine baths, in these healing waters since ancient times. Many onsen feature several baths, each offering a different temperature or mineral composition (thus, different healing properties).

Women and men generally soak separately, and those offering co-ed pools will almost always have a women-only option as well. A popular onsen is Dogo, a spa center in Matsuyama, Ehimekan, on Shikoko Island. The "bath of the spirits" includes hot tea, sweet bean-paste dumplings, and a coveted resting spot on the tatami mats on the veranda outside. Free ashi-yu, or footbaths, can be found at the nearby hot spring.

7. Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

Deep in the Guatemalan highlands is a mystical village that has beckoned hippies and backpackers for decades: San Marcos La Laguna. The scenery is reason enough to visit: with its three active volcanoes, wild orchids, ancient Mayan communities, and Lago Atitlan, a collapsed volcanic cone filled with water 1,000 feet deep. New Agers are drawn to the belief that San Marcos spans a powerful vortex of energy (thus the meditation centers and massage and yoga studios lining the cobblestone streets too narrow for cars).

The first stop on many lists is Las Piramides meditation center, where every standing structure is shaped like a pyramid and oriented to the cardinal directions. Yoga classes are held at dawn and meditation, tarot, and channeling courses throughout the day. The four-week Full Moon Course is popular with yogis, while those seeking hardcore cleansing opt for the 40 Days of Silence supplemented with juice fastings. Other options around town include reiki, reflexology, cranial-sacral massage, and homeopathy.

6. Table Mountain is a large, flat-topped mountain that overlooks Cape Town, South Africa. According to African legend, when the earth was created, the earth goddess Djobela made four Watchers to guard each of the cardinal directions. When the Watchers died, Djobela turned them into mountains so they could continue their work guarding the world, and it's believed that Table Mountain is the South Watcher, Umlindi Wemingizimu. Many of the formations on the mountain create interesting shapes. One of the formations facing the ocean is said to resemble Adamastor, an angry god who tried to overthrow other gods and was punished by being turned into stone. The vivid history, beautiful terrain, and prime location make Table Mountain both a popular site for tourists and a beloved place of the locals.

The rock shrines on Table Mountain are believed to have been built to represent the chakras in the human body, as well as to be aligned with stars. People seeking to balance a particular chakra often leave offerings or meditate at the shrine that represents that chakra.

5. Chichen Itza is located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. A "Pre-Hispanic" city, it was colonized by the Mayans, who built pyramids there that still exist today. There are three natural sinkholes at Chichen Itza that provide access to underground water sources. These sinkholes (called cenotes) were sacred to the Mayan gods, and were the locations of sacrifices when the weather was bad or crops didn't do well.

The central pyramid at Chichen Itza, El Castillo (The Castle) is popular for visitors on the annual spring and fall equinoxes. On those days, the patterns of sunlight create a shadow that looks like a plumed serpent along the side of the pyramid. Some believe this serpent is supposed to represent the Mayan god Kulkukan.

Stones native to Chichen Itza, such as jade and quartz, are believed to have healing properties. Several spas in the area give healing massages using these local stones. For sasil-tun, or hot stone therapy, the stones are heated and rubbed with aromatic oils and salts, then placed on the body. The stones help redirect energy and cleanse the body of toxins. Once a stone has been used, it is cleaned carefully and then placed back on the ground so that it can renew its energy straight from the source, the sacred Mayan earth.

4. Matha Amritananandamayi Mission, Amritapuri, India

Built in a fishing village, this ashram considers itself the center of a "silent spiritual revolution." At its helm sits Amma, a guru known as the Hugging Mother, as she is said to have embraced more than 24 million people in the last thirty years. Amma spends much of the year traveling, so check her schedule to ensure she'll be there (although the ashram is worth a visit regardless).

Kerala, where the mission is located, is also the birthplace of ayurveda, the study of prolonging life through homeopathic medicine and massage. A particularly rejuvenating treatment entails stripping naked and sitting on a wooden bench as not one but two therapists pour hot oil over your entire body and then rub it in with long, sweeping strokes to break down bodily toxins and eliminate any imbalances.

3. Lourdes, France

In 1858, a young girl named Bernadette Soubrious saw an image of the Virgin Mary appear to her in a grotto in the small town of Lourdes, located in the Pyrenees in southern France. Her vision of Mary (known as Our Lady of Lourdes) transformed the village into a destination for pilgrims from around the world. Before Mary appeared to Bernadette, the ground under the grotto is said to have been hard and dry, but afterward a spring began to flow. The water that flows from that spring is said to have healing properties. As for the young girl, she was later canonized as St. Bernadette after it was discovered that her exhumed body had not decomposed.

2. Sedona, Arizona

Sedona, is famous for its red and orange sandstone rock formations. The Sinagua Indians lived in Sedona for many years, and they built what is known as Montezuma's Castle, a large dwelling inside a limestone recess. Many people believe that several healing energy vortexes meet underneath Sedona. In 1987, groups of people gathered in holy spots around the world, including Sedona, to mark the "Harmonic Convergence," a time of love and world peace which was inspired by the Mayan calendar. Because of the many New Age people who visit Sedona every year, there are myriad holistic spas throughout the town, offering massages, herbal skin treatments, bodywork, yoga classes, and more.

In addition to being beautiful, the red rocks of Sedona make for excellent hiking trails and camping spots, and artists have also noticed the spiritual beauty of Sedona.

1. The Dead Sea, Israel

Technically, the Dead Sea is a lake--a terminal lake, which means that it has no outlet to a larger body of water. As a result, it is rich in minerals, primarily salt, but also magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Both the water and the black mud that lines the Dead Sea are believed to hold healing properties. The year-round warm air is also said to be good for respiratory illnesses like asthma.

Pilgrims from around the world come to the Dead Sea to soothe skin conditions or rejuvenate arthritic bones. In the most common healing ritual, visitors will float for twenty minutes (this is about the maximum the body can stand) in the salty water, then cover themselves in rich black mud. After the mud dries, they shower it off. Skin looks refreshed and glowing afterward.

Resource: Beliefnet.com, "Most Healing Places"

 

Unusual Deaths

I do not generally focus on the morbid things of life because God knows that there is enough of that around without me writing about it!  Some of life's oddities do intrigue me however, such as how or why certain celebrities met with their deaths.  If this catches your interest, then perhaps you will enjoy my post for today.

Duane Allman - musician
1971 --- motorcycle accident.

Sherwood Anderson - writer
1941 --- after swallowing a toothpick at a cocktail party he died of peritonitis on an ocean liner bound for Brazil.

John Jacob Astor
1912 --- drowned with the "unsinkable" Titanic.

Attila the Hun
453 AD --- bled to death from a nosebleed on his wedding night.

Alexander I of Greece - king of the Hellenes 1917–20
1920 --- died October 25, from blood poisoning after being bitten by his gardener's pet monkey.

Aleksandr II (Aleksandr Nikolaevich) - Czar of Russia 1855-81
1881 --- assassinated by a bomb which tore off his legs, ripped open his belly and mutilated his face.

Jane Austen
1817 --- Addison's disease.

Sir Francis Bacon
1626 --- pneumonia. He was experimenting with freezing a chicken by stuffing it with snow.

Lucille Desiree Ball
1989 --- died after undergoing heart surgery.

Velma (Margie) Barfield
1984 --- 1st woman executed in US since restoration of death penalty in 1967. (For poisoning her fiancée.)

Cheri Jo Bates
1966 --- 1st victim of the Zodiac killer. Murdered at Riverside Community College in California, her jugular and larynx were severed.)

Thomas a Becket - Archbishop of Canterbury
1170 --- murdered in the Canterbury cathedral by four knights, supposedly on orders by Henry II.

Ludwig van Beethoven
1827 --- cirrhosis of the liver.

John Belushi
1982 --- drug overdose.

Rainey Bethea
1936 --- the last publicly executed criminal in US. Executed by hanging.

Kimberly Bergalis
1991 --- died of AIDS. She had contracted the disease from her dentist.

Bridget Bishop
1692 --- 1st of the witches hung in Salem, Massachusetts. She was executed on June 10.
(Salem witches: Almost 150 "witches" were arrested, but only 31 were tried in 1692. All 31, including 6 males, were sentenced to death. Nineteen were hanged, 2 died in jail, and 1 man was slowly pressed to death under heavy stones. None were burned.)

Amanda Blake (Beverly Neill) - actress (Miss Kitty on "Gunsmoke")
1989 --- AIDS contracted from her bisexual husband.

Anne Boleyn
1536 --- beheaded for adultery by request of Henry VIII.

Neil Bonnett - race car driver
1994 --- car crash, killed during practice at the Daytona International Speedway.

Salvatore "Sonny" Bono
1998 --- crashed into a tree while skiing.

Ray Brennan
1976 --- on July 27th - 1st person to die of "Legionnaire's Disease."

Charles Brooks, Jr.
1982 --- 1st criminal executed in US by lethal injection.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning - poet
1861 --- acute bronchitis.

Jeff Buckley - musician
1997 --- drowned in the Mississippi River, near Mud Island Harbor, on May 29. His body wasn't found until June 4.

Lord Byron (George Gordon)
1824 --- died of malarial fever.

Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Canary)
1903 --- pneumonia following a bout of heavy drinking.

Al Capone - Chicago gangster
1947 --- syphilis.

Karen Carpenter - singer
1983 --- heart failure caused by anorexia nervosa, at age 32.

Jack Cassidy - actor
1976 --- died in a fire, while asleep on the couch in his apartment.

Catherine the Great - Empress of Russia
1796 --- a stroke, while going to the bathroom.

Nicolae Ceausescu - Romanian president
1989 --- executed by firing squad, on live television, along with his wife.

Anton Joseph Cermak - mayor of Chicago
1933 --- assassinated by accident when riding with Franklin Roosevelt in motorcade.

Sergei Chalibashvili - diver
1983 --- diving accident. Attempted a three-and-a-half reverse somersault in the tuck position during the World University Games. On the way down, he smashed his head on the board and was knocked unconscious. He died after being in a coma for a week.

Raymond Johnson Chapman - Cleveland Indians baseball player
1920 --- died one day after being struck in head by baseball pitch, becoming the only player ever killed as result of major league baseball game.

Charles I - English king
1649 --- beheaded by order of Parliament under Oliver Cromwell on January 30.

Conor Clapton - son of musician Eric Clapton
1991 --- fell out of 53rd floor window at the age of 5.

Cleopatra
30 BC --- suicide by poison, supposedly from a venomous snake.

Nat "King" Cole - singer
1965 --- died of complications following surgery for lung cancer.

Sigmund Freud
1939 --- cancer of the jaw, palate, throat and tongue.

Bobby Fuller - musician
1966 --- his badly beaten body was discovered in a parked car in Los Angeles. His death was attributed to asphyxia through the forced inhalation of gasoline.

Rajiv Gandhi - prime minister of India from 1984 until 1989
1991 --- killed by a bomb, hidden in a bouquet of flowers, which exploded in his hand. Like his mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.

Judy Garland (Frances Gumm)
1969 --- overdose of sleeping pills.

Marvin Gaye (Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.) - singer
1984 --- murdered on his birthday by his father.

Vitas Kevin Gerulaitis - tennis player
1994 --- died in his sleep of carbon monoxide poisoning at the home of a friend.

Andy Gibb - singer
1988 --- heart infection.

Gary Mark Gilmore
1977 --- 1st American executed after restoration of US death penalty in 1976. (Executed by firing squad.)

John Glasscock - musician (Jethro Tull)
1979 --- heart infection caused by an abscessed tooth.

Olivia Goldsmith - author, "First Wives Club"
2004 --- complications resulting from anesthesia during plastic surgery.

Taken from an article titled: Unusual Celebrity Deaths, www.corsinet.com - Trivia