Acne - Basic Things You Need To Know

For those that are dealing with acne, having the necessary knowledge about where it comes from and how to treat it is the first step in solving this very difficult and often scarring condition. It is not easy to find a way to work through acne when you do not know if a product will work how it will work or what is causing the acne on your face. In fact, it is plain old frustrating. Yet, the good news is that you can learn and you can succeed with acne treatments.

What Causes Acne?

The first thing to understand is what is causing your acne. Now, some people are more prone to it than others and this may or may not be linked to family genes and just environmental issues. But, what causes these little infections on your face happens for a very specific reason. Acne is caused by bacteria that are attracted to your face. They are attracted to it because your skin is oily and warm. And, there are dead skin cell to feed on. They get onto your face, into your pores and make themselves at home. Your skin becomes irritated and there comes that frightening pimple.

What Will Make It Go Away?

There are several acne treatment options for you. First, acne control can come from natural acne treatments such as eating a well balanced diet and taking supplements that are geared towards acne treatment. These will include a good assortment of vitamins and minerals that are known to help with acne control.

Next, you can move on to treating the infections in your skin. To do this, your doctor may provide you with antibiotics. Or, there are also natural skin care treatments that can help as well. In either case, the bacteria that are there need to be destroyed. Finally, you can work on exfoliating your skin to remove all those dead cells that the acne is feeding off of.

There are many acne products that can help with these steps. The goal is to understand why it is happening to you then you can gear your acne treatment right at it and see results. Remember, though, it took time for your face to become in this condition and it will take time for the acne to heal fully as well.

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Sex Love and Poly-Behavioral Addiction

Proposing a New Diagnosis and Theory for Patients with Multiple Addictions By James Slobodzien, Psy.D., CSAC

Experts in the field of addictions are presently purporting that between 3 and 6 percent of the worlds population (193 to 386 million people) are presently affected by a sexual dependency or compulsivity (Carnes, 2005). Sexual dependency is a diagnosable and treatable disease, which today is generally, regarded in about the same way that alcoholism and drug addiction (chemical dependency) was regarded 40 years ago. Even so, there still exists a wide range of understandable misunderstandings about compulsive sexual acting out, created out of ignorance about the nature of sexual addiction, and supported and perpetuated by the multibillion dollar pornography industry.

Sexual Dependency - is a global term that covers a wide range of maladaptive and self-defeating behavior patterns and relationships such as:

1. Love Addiction a disorder in which individuals repeatedly become involved in enmeshed, intense, codependent relationships, even when those relationships or partners are destructive;

2. Romance Addiction - a disorder in which individuals become obsessed with the intrigue and the pursuit of romance and thrive on the thrill of the chase, but find it impossible to sustain a committed, intimate relationship with another person;

3. Sexual Anorexia a disorder in which individuals become dominated and obsessed with the emotional, physical, and mental task of avoiding sex; and

4. Sex Addiction a disorder in which individuals become obsessed with sexually-related, compulsive self-defeating maladaptive behavior.

But can one really be addicted to love as the popular 80s song proclaims? In a recent research study, (Aron, A. 2005) published in the June issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology, researchers used functional MRI to watch the real-time brain activity of 17 college students (10 women, seven men), all of whom were in the early weeks or months of new love. These researchers concluded that, love may vie for the same real estate in the brain as drug addiction. Early love, rooted as it is in the caudate nucleus, is all about addiction. "It is a drug addiction." "It's certainly got some of the main characteristics of drug addiction -- as with drugs, once you fall in love you need that person more and more, so much so that, after a while, you have to marry them. There are other things, too -- real dependence, personality changes, withdrawal symptoms." And just like the need for cocaine or heroin, love can make people do crazy, sometimes dangerous things. According to Aron (2005), the findings help explain instances where people fall in love with people they arent even sexually attracted to; or why others can feel equally strong, sudden emotion for a newborn child or even God.

So does this mean that all people who are newly in love have an addiction? Are all men who look at pornography addicted? Are all women who read romance novels addicted? Are all people who avoid sex considered sexual anorexics? No, no, no, and no. Then how can we differentiate between addiction and healthy relationships? Like other forms of addictive diseases and lifestyle disorders such as chemical dependency, pathological gambling, eating disorders, and religious addiction -

Sexual dependency is characterized by an addictive cycle of:

1. Obsession or preoccupation;

2. Ritualization;

3. Compulsive behaviors;

4. Loss of control and despair; and

5. Shame and guilt that perpetuates a maladaptive belief system of impaired thinking and unmanageability.

Typically, sexual addictive patterns are considered pathological problems when issues concerning sexual behaviors become the focus of life, causing feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment with related symptoms of depression and anxiety that cause significant maladaptive social and/ or occupational impairment in functioning. Addicts dont use sex for affection or recreation, but for the management of anxiety and/ or emotional pain.

We must consider that some people develop dependencies on certain life-functioning activities such as sex that can be just as life threatening as drug addiction and just as socially and psychologically damaging as alcoholism.

Sexual addiction takes many forms with various levels of severity to include:

1. Controversial behaviors (obsessions with pornography, and sex with strangers to engaging in cyber-sex);

2. Unacceptable behaviors (exhibitionism, voyeurism, indecent phone calls); and

3. Profound Sex offender behaviors (rape, incest, and child molestation).

Though solitary forms of this addiction may not be overtly risky, they can be part of a pattern of distorted thinking and identity conflict that can escalate to involve harming the self and others. An example of a Sexual Disorder (NOS) or Not Otherwise Specified in the DSM-IV-TR, (2000) includes: distress about a pattern of repeated sexual relationships involving a succession of lovers who are experienced by an individual only as things to be used. (It should be noted that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has never used the word addiction to describe any of its disorders). The defining elements of this kind of addiction are its secrecy and escalating nature, often resulting in diminished judgment and self-control (Carnes, 1994).

Brief History of Sex Addiction

In 1976, a suburban hospital administrator asked Dr. Patrick Carnes to start an experimental program for chemically dependent families. The theoretical constructs of the program originated in general systems theory, especially as it applied to families and the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. One of the many factors which stood out from a family perspective was that the addictive compulsivity had many forms other than alcohol and drug abuse including overeating, gambling, shoplifting, and sexuality. Members of groups like Overeaters Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous had already pioneered in applying the 12-steps to other addictions so the Family Renewal Center extended its programming based on the 12-steps, to sexual addiction.

In 1983, Dr. Patrick Carnes formally introduced the concept of sexual addiction to the world in a text entitled Out of the Shadows. Since then the field of sexual addiction and compulsive sexual behavior has developed dramatically. Terms such as addiction, compulsivity, hyper-sexuality, and Don Juanism, all have been used to describe what generically could be called "out of control sexual behavior." Regardless of its name, clinicians from all fields agree that a syndrome exists in which individuals have a sense that they have lost control over their sexual behavior.

According to the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH), sexual addiction is a persistent and escalating pattern or patterns of sexual behaviors acted out despite increasingly negative consequences to self or others. The fundamental nature of all addiction is the addicts' experience of helplessness and powerlessness over an obsessive-compulsive behavior, resulting in their lives becoming unmanageable. The addict may be out of control. They may experience extreme emotional pain and shame. They may repeatedly fail to control their behavior. They may suffer one or more of the following consequences of an unmanageable lifestyle: a deterioration of some or all supportive relationships; difficulties with work, financial troubles; and physical, mental, and/ or emotional exhaustion which sometimes leads to psychiatric problems and hospitalization. Addictions tend to arise from the same backgrounds: families with co-dependency including multiple addictions; lack of ef fective parenting; and other forms of physical, emotional and sexual trauma in childhood.

The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH, 2005) report that the symptoms of sexual compulsivity often accompany other addictive behaviors:

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Alcohol and drugs alter libido, enhancing it early in drug addiction and inhibiting it later. There is a pattern in cocaine addiction of selling sexual favors for cocaine. As the cost of drug addiction increases, the drug addict usually can't afford the drug from ordinary job income, and must resort to (either/or) stealing, drug dealing or prostitution to support their habit. Alcohol and many drugs cause blackouts or amnesia during the drug using experience, and if sex is coupled with that drug using experience then the details of the sexual experience may not be remembered.

Food Addiction - Sexual anorexia or pathological self-denial of healthy sex is a frequent accompaniment of overeating and anorexia nervosa.

Pathological Gambling - The lifestyle of the gambler often includes hyper-sexuality, where both compulsions feed the false sense of self-esteem of the addict.

Religious Addiction - Compulsive religiosity sometimes accompanies sexual addiction as the sex addict is seeking religion to lessen guilt and shame. The beginnings of compulsive religiosity may signal the onset of a period of sexual anorexia.

Multiple Addictions

Since it is impossible to expect treatment for one addiction to be beneficial when other addictions co-exist, the initial therapeutic intervention for any addiction needs to include an assessment for other addictions. National surveys revealed that a very high correlation exists between sexual addiction and other substance abuse and behavioral addictions. Sexual addicts who have reported experiencing multiple addictions include sexual addiction and:

* Chemical dependency (42%)

* Eating disorder (38%)

* Compulsive working (28%)

* Compulsive spending (26%)

* Compulsive gambling (5%)

* Poor Prognosis

We have come to realize today more than any other time in history that the treatment of lifestyle diseases and addictions are often a difficult and frustrating task for all concerned. Repeated failures abound with all of the addictions, even with utilizing the most effective treatment strategies. But why do 47% of patients treated in private addiction treatment programs (for example) relapse within the first year following treatment (Gorski, T., 2001)? Have addiction specialists become conditioned to accept failure as the norm? There are many reasons for this poor prognosis. Some would proclaim that addictions are psychosomatically- induced and maintained in a semi-balanced force field of driving and restraining multidimensional forces. Others would say that failures are due simply to a lack of self-motivation or will power. Most would agree that lifestyle behavioral addictions are serious health risks that deserve our attention, but could it possibly be that patients wit h multiple addictions are being under diagnosed (with a single dependence) simply due to a lack of diagnostic tools and resources that are incapable of resolving the complexity of assessing and treating a patient with multiple addictions?

Diagnostic Delineation

Thus far, the DSM-IV-TR has not delineated a diagnosis for the complexity of multiple behavioral and substance addictions. It has reserved the Poly-substance Dependence diagnosis for a person who is repeatedly using at least three groups of substances during the same 12-month period, but the criteria for this diagnosis do not involve any behavioral addiction symptoms. In the Psychological Factors Affecting Medical Conditions section (DSM-IV-TR, 2000); maladaptive health behaviors (e.g., unsafe sexual practices, excessive alcohol, drug use, and over eating, etc.) may be listed on Axis I, only if they are significantly affecting the course of treatment of a medical or mental condition.

Since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning, it is no wonder that repeated rehabilitation failures and low success rates are the norm instead of the exception in the addictions field, when the latest DSM-IV-TR does not even include a diagnosis for multiple addictive behavioral disorders. Treatment clinics need to have a treatment planning system and referral network that is equipped to thoroughly assess multiple addictive and mental health disorders and related treatment needs and comprehensively provide education/ awareness, prevention strategy groups, and/ or specific addictions treatment services for individuals diagnosed with multiple addictions. Written treatment goals and objectives should be specified for each separate addiction and dimension of an individuals life, and the desired performance outcome or completion criteria should be specifically stated, behaviora lly based (a visible activity), and measurable.

New Proposed Diagnosis

To assist in resolving the limited DSM-IV-TRs diagnostic capability, a multidimensional diagnosis of Poly-behavioral Addiction, is proposed for more accurate diagnosis leading to more effective treatment planning. This diagnosis encompasses the broadest category of addictive disorders that would include an individual manifesting a combination of substance abuse addictions, and other obsessively-compulsive behavioral addictive behavioral patterns to pathological gambling, religion, and/ or sex / pornography, etc.). Behavioral addictions are just as damaging - psychologically and socially as alcohol and drug abuse. They are comparative to other life-style diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in their behavioral manifestations, their etiologies, and their resistance to treatments. They are progressive disorders that involve obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors. They are also characterized by a preoccupation with a continuous or periodic loss of c ontrol, and continuous irrational behavior in spite of adverse consequences.

Poly-behavioral addiction would be described as a state of periodic or chronic physical, mental, emotional, cultural, sexual and/ or spiritual/ religious intoxication. These various types of intoxication are produced by repeated obsessive thoughts and compulsive practices involved in pathological relationships to any mood-altering substance, person, organization, belief system, and/ or activity. The individual has an overpowering desire, need or compulsion with the presence of a tendency to intensify their adherence to these practices, and evidence of phenomena of tolerance, abstinence and withdrawal, in which there is always physical and/ or psychic dependence on the effects of this pathological relationship. In addition, there is a 12 - month period in which an individual is pathologically involved with three or more behavioral and/ or substance use addictions simultaneously, but the criteria are not met for dependence for any one addiction in particular (Slobodzien, J. , 2005). In essence, Poly-behavioral addiction is the synergistically integrated chronic dependence on multiple physiologically addictive substances and behaviors (e.g., using/ abusing substances - nicotine, alcohol, & drugs, and/or acting impulsively or obsessively compulsive in regards to gambling, food binging, sex, and/ or religion, etc.) simultaneously.

Conclusion

Considering the wide range of sexual behaviors in our world today, one should always take into account an individuals ethnic, cultural, religious, and social background prior to making any clinical judgments, and it would be wise to not over-pathologize in this area of Sexual Dependency. However, since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning - poly-behavioral addiction needs to be identified to effectively treat the complexity of multiple behavioral and substance addictions.

Since chronic lifestyle diseases and disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, alcoholism, drug and behavioral addictions cannot be cured, but only managed - how should we effectively manage poly-behavioral addiction?

The Addiction Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) is proposed utilizing a multidimensional integrative assessment, treatment planning, treatment progress, and treatment outcome measurement tracking system that facilitates rapid and accurate recognition and evaluation of an individuals comprehensive life-functioning progress dimensions. The ARMS hypothesis purports that there is a multidimensional synergistically negative resistance that individuals develop to any one form of treatment to a single dimension of their lives, because the effects of an individuals addiction have dynamically interacted multi-dimensionally. Having the primary focus on one dimension is insufficient. Traditionally, addiction treatment programs have failed to accommodate for the multidimensional synergistically negative effects of an individual having multiple addictions, (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, and obesity, etc.). Behavioral addictions interact negatively with each other and with strategies to imp rove overall functioning. They tend to encourage the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, help increase violence, decrease functional capacity, and promote social isolation. Most treatment theories today involve assessing other dimensions to identify dual diagnosis or co-morbidity diagnoses, or to assess contributing factors that may play a role in the individuals primary addiction. The ARMS theory proclaims that a multidimensional treatment plan must be devised addressing the possible multiple addictions identified for each one of an individuals life dimensions in addition to developing specific goals and objectives for each dimension.

Partnerships and coordination among service providers, government departments, and community organizations in providing addiction treatment programs are a necessity in addressing the multi-task solution to poly-behavioral addiction. I encourage you to support the addiction programs in America, and hope that the (ARMS) resources can assist you to personally fight the War on poly-behavioral addiction.

For more info see: Poly-Behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) By James Slobodzien, Psy.D. CSAC at: /drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html

National Council on Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity

P.O. Box 725544

Atlanta, GA 31139

(770) 541-9912

References

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 787 & p. 731. American Society of Addiction Medicines (2003), Patient Placement Criteria for the Treatment of Substance-Related Disorders, 3rd Edition, Retrieved, June 18, 2005, from:

/ Arthur Aron, Ph.D., professor, psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook; Helen Fisher, research professor, department of anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.; Paul Sanberg, Ph.D.,professor, neuroscience, and director, Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair,University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa; June 2005, the Journal of Neurophysiology Carnes, P.J. (1983). Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction. Minneapolis, MN: Compcare. Carnes, P.J. (1989). Contrary to Love: Helping the Sexual Addict. Minneapolis, MN: Compcare. Carnes, P.J. (1991). Don't Call it Love. Minneapolis, MN: Gentle Press Publishing. Carnes, P.J. (1997). Sexual Anorexia: Overcoming Sexual Self-hatred. Center City, MN: Hazelden. Carnes, P.J., & Delmonico, D.L. (1994). Sexual Dependency Inventory. Wickenburg, AZ: The Meadows Institute. Carnes, P.J., Delmonico, D.L., & Griffin, E. J. (2001). In the Shadows of the Net: Breaking Free of Compulsive Online Sexual Behavior. Center City, MN: Hazelden. Delmonico, D.L. (1997). Internet Sex Screening Test. [Online]. Available at: Delmonico, D.L., Griffin, E.J., & Moriarity, J. (2001). Cybersex Unhooked: A Workbook for Breaking Free From Online Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Wickenburg, AZ: Gentle Path Press. Gorski, T. (2001), Relapse Prevention In The Managed Care Environment. GORSKI-CENAPS Web Publications. Retrieved June 20, 2005, from: Lienard, J. & Vamecq, J. (2004), Presse Med, Oct 23;33(18 Suppl):33-40. Marlatt, G. A. (1985). Relapse prevention: Theoretical rationale and overview of the model. In G. A. Marlatt & J. R. Gordon (Eds.), Relapse prevention (pp. 250-280). New York: Guilford Press. Schneider, J.P. (1994). Sex addiction: Controversy within mainstream addiction medicine, diagnosis based on the DSV-III-R and physician case histories. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 1(1), 19-44. Slobodzien, J. (2005). Poly-behavioral Addicti on and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS), Booklocker.com, Inc., p. 5.

James Slobodzien, Psy.D. CSAC, is a Hawaii licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor who earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology credentials Dr. Slobodzien. He has over 20-years of mental health experience primarily working in the fields of alcohol/ substance abuse and behavioral addictions in medical, correctional, and judicial settings. He is an adjunct professor of Psychology and also maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.

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Religious Fanaticism and Poly-behavioral Addiction

Surveys show that religion and spirituality play a central role in the lives of most of the population in human experience. Gallup (2004) found that 59% of adults nationwide say religion is a very important part of their lives. An additional 26% of Americans say religion is fairly important to them. Just 15% of respondents say religion is not very important. About two-thirds of Americans, 64%, belong to a church or synagogue. The religious and spiritual dimensions of culture were found to be among the most important factors that structure human experience, beliefs, values, behavior, and illness (Browning et al., 1990 James, 1961 Krippner and Welch, 1992).

Researchers however, report that some individuals seem to get fanatical about thier religion and develop maladaptive behaviors. Members of the American Psychological Association reported that at least one in six of their clients presented issues that involve religion or spirituality (Shafranske and Maloney, 1990). In another study, 29% of psychologists agreed that religious issues are important in the treatment of all or many of their clients (Bergin and Jensen, 1990, p. 3). Psychotherapy can sometimes be effective in treating religious problems. Robinson (1986) noted, "Some patients have troublesome conflicts about religion that could probably be resolved through the process of psychotherapy" (p.22).

Religious problems can be as various and complex as mental health problems. One type of psychoreligious problem involves patients who intensify their adherence to religious practices and orthodoxy (Lukoff, Lu, and Turner 1992, p. 677). Generally when people speak of addictive diseases they imply a medical problem. In the past few years the term addiction has been used to characterize behaviors that go beyond chemicals. Dr. Robert Lefever (1988) views addiction as a "family disease" involving self-denial and caretaking, domination, and submission (p. ix). Gerald May (1988) states that addiction is a "state of compulsion, obsession, or preoccupation that enslaves a person's will and desire" (p.14). Shaef (1987) defines addiction as "any process over which we are powerless" (p. 18). She divides addictions into two categories: substance addictions -alcohol, drugs, nicotine, food) and process addictions -money-accumulation, gambling, sex, work, worry, and religion.

Research in the area of religious addiction is deficient, however there were a few older related studies found in the literature. Simmonds (1977) reports that there is some evidence to indicate that "religious people in general tend to exhibit dependency on some external source of gratification" (p. 114). Black and London (1966) found a high positive correlation between the variables of obedience to parents and country and indices of religious belief such as church attendance, belief in God and prayer (p. 39). Goldsen, et al. (1960) showed that people who were more religious consistently showed tendencies toward greater social conformity than did the nonreligious, a finding consistent with the notion that religious people seek external approval. These results are supported by Fisher (1964 p. 784), who reported that a measure of social approval and religion were strongly associated. Religious people show dependence not only on social values, but also on other external agen ts. Duke (1964, p. 227) found that church attendance indicated more responsiveness to the effects of a placebo. In a study of 50 alcoholics, it was found that those who were dependent on alcohol were more likely to have had a religious background (Walters, 1957, p. 405).

The few research studies aforementioned seem to suggest that religious people develop a dependency on religious practices for social approval. Since religious people seem to be describable in terms of relatively high levels of dependence, it seems useful to borrow a concept suggested by Peele and Brodsky (1975)- that of "addiction." According to these writers addiction is "a person's attachment to a sensation, an object, or another person... such as to lessen his appreciation of and ability to deal with other things in his environment, or in himself, so that he has become increasingly dependent on that experience as his only source of gratification" (p. 168).

There are a variety of definitions for the concept of religious addiction. Arterburn and Felton (1992) state that "when a person is excessively devoted to something or surrenders compulsively and habitually to something, that pathological and physiological dependency on a substance, relationship, or behavior results in addiction" (p. 104). They indicate that, "like any other addiction, the practice of religion becomes central to every other aspect of life...all relationships evolve from the religion, and the dependency on the religious practice and its members removes the need for a dependency on God...the religion and those who practice it then become the central power for the addict who no longer is in touch with God" (p. 117).

Spirituality can also have pathological aspects to it. Vaughan (1991) reports that "the shadow side to a healthy search for wholeness can be called addiction to spirituality" (p. 105). He indicates that this can be found among people who use spirituality as a solution to problems they are unwilling to face. Van-Kaam (1987) presents a viewpoint of addiction as a quasi religious or falsified religious presence. He reports that "an understanding of the relationship between religious presence and addiction allows potential dangers of receptivity to be identified in order to realize the real value of true religious presence and the shame of its counterfeit, addiction" (p. 243). McKenzie (1991) discusses addiction as an unauthentic form of spiritual existence. He says that, "addiction is born of the human desire for transcendence which is often perverted or misplaced by societies that encourage their members to seek ultimate meaning in dimensions that have no regard for the tra nscendent" (p. 325). Heise (1991, p. 11) explores the fundamentalist Christian's focus on perfectionism, and it's possible contribution to an increase in dysfunctional individuals, family systems, and addictions.

Until recently, research in this area has primarily focused on religious cults. Estimates of the number of cults range from several hundred to several thousand, with a total membership up to three million (Allen and Metoyer, 1988, p. 38 Melton, 1986). According to Margaret Singer, Ph.D., a psychologist specializing in cult phenomena, "the word cult describes a power structure,...what really sets a cult apart is that one person has proclaimed himself to have some special knowledge, and if he can convince others to let him be in charge, he will share that knowledge" (Collins & Frantz, 1994, p. 30). The Jim Jones People's Temple mass suicide has been documented in the news, and more recently David Koresh's Branch Davidian Christian cult. Cults, both destructive and benign, have been with us in various guises since time immemorial. Many psychologists and psychiatrists have become knowledgeable about destructive cults in the course of their work with patients affected by the p roblem.

Within the past few years, however, traditional Church members have faced their compulsive behavior and harmful beliefs. Doucette (1992) reports that "many people are waking up because they have seen their religious leaders fall. Some researchers believe that the magnitude of the tragedy of religious addiction and abuse was revealed by the TV evangelist scandals documented in the news media which involved: Jim and Tammy Bakker Jimmy Swaggart and Oral Roberts (Brand 1987, p. 82 Woodward 1987, p. 68 and Kaufman 1988, p. 37). These personal confessions have exposed not only how these supposed men of God had betrayed people's trust, but how many of those who had been abused, betrayed, and bankrupted never seemed to question what was happening and continued to support these individuals.

Booth (1991) states that "the Bakker, Swaggart, and Roberts scandals created a national intervention that served to interrupt the progress of this unhealthy phenomenon" (p. 38). What had previously been viewed as fanaticism or zealotry increasingly began to be called religious addiction and religious abuse. Booth (1991) defines religious addiction as "using God, a church, or a belief system as an escape from reality, or as a weapon against ourselves or others in an attempt to find or elevate a sense of self-worth or well-being" (p. 38).

Other researchers use the terms spiritual and psychological abuse to describe the characteristics of religious addiction. Enroth (1992) says that his book "Churches That Abuse is about people who have been abused psychologically and spiritually in churches and other Christian organizations" (p. 29). He reports that "unlike physical abuse that often results in bruised bodies, spiritual and pastoral abuse leaves scars on the psyche and soul...the perversion of power that we see in abusive churches disrupts and divides families, fosters unhealthy dependence of members on the leadership, and creates, ultimately, spiritual confusion in the lives of victims" (p. 29). The scandals involving TV evangelists created a national intervention by bringing religious addiction and abuse too close to home to be ignored. Those scandals spurred people to act and call for change.

During this period, I had the unique opportunity to conduct a literature review and survey on the relatively newly recognized phenomenon of religious addiction within Christianity in the State of Hawaii for my dissertation while pursuing my doctor of psychology degree (Psy.D) in clinical psychology. After studying the symptoms, beliefs, and stages of religious addiction along with the characteristics of religiously addictive organizations, I came to believe that having an intense faith or religious ferver is not equal to having a religious addiction. Most people experience healthy religion and a spiritual life in which obedience to God is balanced with a freedom to serve others in ways of individual experession.

I also discovered however, that church leaders in Hawaii that were self-appointed (not elected/ appointed by their church) significantly identified more with religious addictive beliefs, symptoms and practices compared to their counterparts.

Multiple Addictions

Compulsive religiosity sometimes accompanies other addictions as the religious addict is seeking to lessen guilt and shame. Since it is impossible to expect treatment for one addiction to be beneficial when other addictions co-exist, the initial therapeutic intervention for any addiction needs to include an assessment for other addictions. In my clinical practice, I have noticed a significant correlation between religious addiction and other substance abuse and behavioral addictions such as chemical dependency, alcoholism, pathological gambling, and food addictions.

Poor Prognosis

We have come to realize today more than any other time in history that the treatment of lifestyle diseases and addictions are often a difficult and frustrating task for all concerned. Repeated failures abound with all of the addictions, even with utilizing the most effective treatment strategies. But why do 47% of patients treated in private addiction treatment programs (for example) relapse within the first year following treatment (Gorski, T., 2001)? Have addiction specialists become conditioned to accept failure as the norm? There are many reasons for this poor prognosis. Some would proclaim that addictions are psychosomatically- induced and maintained in a semi-balanced force field of driving and restraining multidimensional forces. Others would say that failures are due simply to a lack of self-motivation or will power. Most would agree that lifestyle behavioral addictions are serious health risks that deserve our attention, but could it possibly be that patients wit h multiple addictions are being under diagnosed (with a single dependence) simply due to a lack of diagnostic tools and resources that are incapable of resolving the complexity of assessing and treating a patient with multiple addictions?

Diagnostic Delineation

Thus far, the DSM-IV-TR has not delineated a diagnosis for the complexity of multiple behavioral and substance addictions. It has reserved the Poly-substance Dependence diagnosis for a person who is repeatedly using at least three groups of substances during the same 12-month period, but the criteria for this diagnosis do not involve any behavioral addiction symptoms. In the Psychological Factors Affecting Medical Conditions section (DSM-IV-TR, 2000) maladaptive health behaviors (e.g., unsafe sexual practices, excessive alcohol, drug use, and over eating, etc.) may be listed on Axis I, only if they are significantly affecting the course of treatment of a medical or mental condition.

Since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning, it is no wonder that repeated rehabilitation failures and low success rates are the norm instead of the exception in the addictions field, when the latest DSM-IV-TR does not even include a diagnosis for multiple addictive behavioral disorders. Treatment clinics need to have a treatment planning system and referral network that is equipped to thoroughly assess multiple addictive and mental health disorders and related treatment needs and comprehensively provide education/ awareness, prevention strategy groups, and/ or specific addictions treatment services for individuals diagnosed with multiple addictions. Written treatment goals and objectives should be specified for each separate addiction and dimension of an individuals life, and the desired performance outcome or completion criteria should be specifically stated, behaviora lly based (a visible activity), and measurable.

New Proposed Diagnosis

To assist in resolving the limited DSM-IV-TRs diagnostic capability, a multidimensional diagnosis of Poly-behavioral Addiction, is proposed for more accurate diagnosis leading to more effective treatment planning. This diagnosis encompasses the broadest category of addictive disorders that would include an individual manifesting a combination of substance abuse addictions, and other obsessively-compulsive behavioral addictive behavioral patterns to pathological gambling, religion, and/ or sex / pornography, etc.). Behavioral addictions are just as damaging - psychologically and socially as alcohol and drug abuse. They are comparative to other life-style diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in their behavioral manifestations, their etiologies, and their resistance to treatments. They are progressive disorders that involve obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors. They are also characterized by a preoccupation with a continuous or periodic loss of c ontrol, and continuous irrational behavior in spite of adverse consequences.

Poly-behavioral addiction would be described as a state of periodic or chronic physical, mental, emotional, cultural, sexual and/ or spiritual/ religious intoxication. These various types of intoxication are produced by repeated obsessive thoughts and compulsive practices involved in pathological relationships to any mood-altering substance, person, organization, belief system, and/ or activity. The individual has an overpowering desire, need or compulsion with the presence of a tendency to intensify their adherence to these practices, and evidence of phenomena of tolerance, abstinence and withdrawal, in which there is always physical and/ or psychic dependence on the effects of this pathological relationship. In addition, there is a 12 - month period in which an individual is pathologically involved with three or more behavioral and/ or substance use addictions simultaneously, but the criteria are not met for dependence for any one addiction in particular (Slobodzien, J. , 2005). In essence, Poly-behavioral addiction is the synergistically integrated chronic dependence on multiple physiologically addictive substances and behaviors (e.g., using/ abusing substances - nicotine, alcohol, & drugs, and/or acting impulsively or obsessively compulsive in regards to gambling, food binging, sex, and/ or religion, etc.) simultaneously.

Conclusion

Considering the wide range of religious behaviors in our world today, one should always take into account an individuals ethnic, cultural, spiritual, and social background prior to making any clinical judgments, and it would be wise to not over-pathologize in this area of Religious Addiction. However, since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning - poly-behavioral addiction needs to be identified to effectively treat the complexity of multiple behavioral and substance addictions.

Since chronic lifestyle diseases and disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, alcoholism, drug and behavioral addictions cannot be cured, but only managed - how should we effectively manage poly-behavioral addiction?

The Addiction Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) is proposed utilizing a multidimensional integrative assessment, treatment planning, treatment progress, and treatment outcome measurement tracking system that facilitates rapid and accurate recognition and evaluation of an individuals comprehensive life-functioning progress dimensions. The ARMS hypothesis purports that there is a multidimensional synergistically negative resistance that individuals develop to any one form of treatment to a single dimension of their lives, because the effects of an individuals addiction have dynamically interacted multi-dimensionally. Having the primary focus on one dimension is insufficient. Traditionally, addiction treatment programs have failed to accommodate for the multidimensional synergistically negative effects of an individual having multiple addictions, (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, and obesity, etc.). Behavioral addictions interact negatively with each other and with strategies to imp rove overall functioning. They tend to encourage the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, help increase violence, decrease functional capacity, and promote social isolation. Most treatment theories today involve assessing other dimensions to identify dual diagnosis or co-morbidity diagnoses, or to assess contributing factors that may play a role in the individuals primary addiction. The ARMS theory proclaims that a multidimensional treatment plan must be devised addressing the possible multiple addictions identified for each one of an individuals life dimensions in addition to developing specific goals and objectives for each dimension.

Partnerships and coordination among service providers, government departments, and community organizations in providing addiction treatment programs are a necessity in addressing the multi-task solution to poly-behavioral addiction. I encourage you to support the addiction programs in America, and hope that the (ARMS) resources can assist you to personally fight the War on poly-behavioral addiction.

For more info see: Poly-Behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) By James Slobodzien, Psy.D. CSAC at: /drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html

Poly-behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS)

/books/1966.html

For more info see: Hawaii and Christian Religious Addiction

/book.php?method=ISBN&book=1581122101

Addictions Recovery Management Services

/drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html

James Slobodzien, Psy.D., CSAC, is a Hawaii licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor who earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. He is credentialed by the National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology. He has over 20-years of mental health experience primarily working in the fields of alcohol/ substance abuse and behavioral addictions in hospital, prison, and court settings. He is an adjunct professor of Psychology and also maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.

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Acne Laser Treatments- Helpful Hint For Remedy For Acne - Health - Skin Care

Acne might not be a draining disorder but it is so upsetting that it is affecting the individual's sense of well-being. Acne results when the pores of the skin are clogged with oily extrusion which should then progress into zits, black and white heads ; and even cyst.

I'm completely sure your search for acne laser treatments has come to a close as you read this article. Yes, gone are those days when we must search constantly for acne laser treatments information or other such information like clearing acne,hair loss, best skincare products or maybe latest acne treatment acne in middle age free bottle.

Scrub your face 2 times a week with gentle cleaning creams. Scrubbers with almonds are the very best. They scrub blackheads, whiteheads and removes dead skin cells also. Choose a scrubbing cream that has moisturisers as it will help your skin stay hydrated.Though countless of doctors claim there's no connection between diet and acne, fact is that particular foods can worsen acne. Foods that are rich in sugar and oils can result in breakouts. However, with the help of other foods like green and leafy veg and necessary fats you can easily make your skin make it heal itself.

Garlic can be used to shed acne scars. You simply get garlic, cut it open and then you dab it on your scars for some few mins, and then you wash your face. This should also be done daily till you see the required result.

INTERLUDE-- Are you finding this piece related to acne laser treatments so far beneficial? I am hoping so because that's the point of this piece of writing - to get you better educated on acne laser treatments and other related skin acne treatment, proactiv, organic acne medicine best of acne remedies free, eczema and information.

Removing nearly all the high-sugar food items with the diet is perhaps the easy most major thing an acne patient can achieve in the holistic method to the difficulty. Meals which are full of sugar breakdown straight into glucose speedily in your body, and also blood sugar leads to the actual formation associated with insulin.If you want pristine skin, keeping your hands off your face will be critical. Your hands carry a lot of germs during the day. If you repetitively touch your face, you can transfer germs, oil, and dirt to your face. This could end up causing breakouts by worsening skin that's already an issue.

Benzyl peroxide is an over-the-counter drug which will aid you with blackhead and blemish control. It is always recommended to use such chemicals under the control of a registered medical practitioner only.

Many individuals searching for acne laser treatments also searched online for severe acne treatment, acme comedy club, and even acne solution best of acne remedies free,puberty.

Acne No More doesn't just help you erase acne briefly. This could work for all time. Besides giving you step-by-step tips on how to lose acne, the author also provides you with information on how to maintain your glowing complexion.

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Dry Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions vary and work differently on selected individuals - Other

Observation article title below... Dry up Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions vary and work differently at selected individuals. Other Dry Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions include the employment of yogurt. Applying this mixture for a scalp daily is pretty much the best dry itchy scalp home remedies. The next list with dry scalp home remedies will be to try a natural mixture to make use of to your curly mane. Combine the white wine drinks and yolk mix once again together, then rub this into flowing hair, tells the Do-it-yourself solutions Solution website. Needs to end up reason, finding the ideal Dried out Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions will take you some much vital relief. If you would love safe dry scalp domestic remedies, you should start by searching online. Creating dry scalp house remedies with essential oils is usually hugely effective, because they've antiseptic and antibacterial ingredients.

Dry scalp home remedies is commonly a good, natural solution for ones people that are long term the pesky issue. Following, are 2 natural strategies to eczema scalp treatment you can perform at household. This is the rapid home treatment that you can cure an itchy scalp on account of dandruff and ringworm. This is the quick home cure to cure the itchy scalp because of dandruff and ringworm. This isn't going to remove dandruff along using cure itchy scalp in addition to give a natural glow for a hair. Most people getting itchy scalp scrub your hair convinced that mineral water will moisten the scalp and additionally forestall the itching. Shampoo and wash that out your scalp in conjunction with hair thoroughly every moment. Our Folligen shampoo is a foremost shampoo for itchy scalp.

Our Folligen shampoo is the foremost shampoo for itchy scalp. In the case desired, you may scrub the Folligen out every single day. If desired, shampoo which has a mild shampoo. Go through more on scrub meant for dry scalp. Choosing an email of now, scalp acne treatment includes a consistent head bath that has a mild and curing products. You can often consult a locks expert for advice on reliable shampoo produces scalp acne treatment. To put it briefly, scalp acne treatment differs over the therapeutic approaches for some other designs of acne. A healthy acne treatment gives you reduce pimples for the face along with other parts in your system.

Also be familiar by means of herbal Piles Cure. It is important to recollect that alternative treatment have to not replace conventional cure. Read information in regards to herbal Acidity Cure. Drug treatment is the procedure of beneficial together with psychological cure for patients of drug abuse. Treatment of minimal back pain is based on the main bring about. Choosing the right thinning hair treatment can be be extremely tough should you not know the cause of the problem. Proper treatment along with hair care can be so very important to get rid on comfortably be managed. Like any other natural natual skin care treatment or solutions are few negative effects from the application with laser skin restoring.

- There are definitely not many times where you acquire a scalp treatment which can enable treat other bothersome epidermis problems. Scalp treatment using skin oils is straightforward and enjoyable. So to be an itchy scalp treatment you really can't obtain anything more.Several Dry Scalp Do-it-yourself answers to Try, Works to additional improve Scalp Moisture.

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Dry Scalp Home Remedies vary all of which will work differently in several individuals. Other Dry Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions include the effective use of yogurt. Applying this mixture for a scalp daily is practically the best dry itchy scalp household remedies. The next list involving dry scalp home remedies should be to try a natural mixture to make use of to your curly hair. Combine the white vino and yolk mix back together, then rub it into flowing hair, tells the Do-it-yourself solutions Treatment website. Needs to come to be reason, finding the ideal Dried out Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions requires you some much significant relief. If you wish safe dry scalp house remedies, you should begin by searching online. Creating dry scalp home remedies with essential oils may be hugely effective, because they have antiseptic and antibacterial aspects.

Dry scalp home remedies can be quite a good, natural solution for ones people that are long term the pesky issue. Pursuing, are 2 natural strategies to eczema scalp treatment that you could perform at household. This may be a rapid home treatment for you to cure an itchy scalp out of dandruff and ringworm. Here is the quick home cure to help cure the itchy scalp out of dandruff and ringworm. This isn't going to remove dandruff along with cure itchy scalp and also give a natural glow for any hair. Most people getting itchy scalp scrub ones own hair convinced that liquid will moisten the scalp and forestall the itching. Shampoo and wash it out your scalp in conjunction with hair thoroughly every daytime. Our Folligen shampoo is a foremost shampoo for itchy scalp.

Our Folligen shampoo will be the foremost shampoo for itchy scalp. In the case desired, you may scrub the Folligen out regularly. If desired, shampoo with mild shampoo. Go because of more on scrub designed for dry scalp. Choosing an email of now, scalp acne treatment includes a consistent head bath which has a mild and curing scrub. You can often consult a frizzy hair expert for advice on reliable shampoo creates scalp acne treatment. To put it briefly, scalp acne treatment differs in the therapeutic approaches for many other designs of acne. A healthy acne treatment gives you reduce pimples for the face plus the other parts in the body.

Also be familiar using herbal Piles Cure. Absolutely vital to recollect that alternative treatment can not replace conventional cure. Read information as regards to herbal Acidity Cure. Drug treatment is the procedure of beneficial together with psychological cure for patients of substance abuse. Treatment of minimal back pain will depend on the main bring about. Choosing the right thinning hair treatment can be quite tough should you not know the foundation of the problem. Proper treatment along with hair care is indeed very important if you need to get rid on treatment plans. Like any other natural beauty treatment or solutions are few negative effects from the application of laser skin restoring.

- There will not be many times where you get a scalp treatment which can help treat other bothersome skin color problems. Scalp treatment using skin oils is simple and enjoyable. So being itchy scalp treatment you really can't obtain anything more.

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Dry Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions vary and work differently on selected individuals - Other

Observation article title below... Dry up Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions vary and work differently at selected individuals. Other Dry Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions include the employment of yogurt. Applying this mixture for a scalp daily is pretty much the best dry itchy scalp home remedies. The next list with dry scalp home remedies will be to try a natural mixture to make use of to your curly mane. Combine the white wine drinks and yolk mix once again together, then rub this into flowing hair, tells the Do-it-yourself solutions Solution website. Needs to end up reason, finding the ideal Dried out Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions will take you some much vital relief. If you would love safe dry scalp domestic remedies, you should start by searching online. Creating dry scalp house remedies with essential oils is usually hugely effective, because they've antiseptic and antibacterial ingredients.

Dry scalp home remedies is commonly a good, natural solution for ones people that are long term the pesky issue. Following, are 2 natural strategies to eczema scalp treatment you can perform at household. This is the rapid home treatment that you can cure an itchy scalp on account of dandruff and ringworm. This is the quick home cure to cure the itchy scalp because of dandruff and ringworm. This isn't going to remove dandruff along using cure itchy scalp in addition to give a natural glow for a hair. Most people getting itchy scalp scrub your hair convinced that mineral water will moisten the scalp and additionally forestall the itching. Shampoo and wash that out your scalp in conjunction with hair thoroughly every moment. Our Folligen shampoo is a foremost shampoo for itchy scalp.

Our Folligen shampoo is the foremost shampoo for itchy scalp. In the case desired, you may scrub the Folligen out every single day. If desired, shampoo which has a mild shampoo. Go through more on scrub meant for dry scalp. Choosing an email of now, scalp acne treatment includes a consistent head bath that has a mild and curing products. You can often consult a locks expert for advice on reliable shampoo produces scalp acne treatment. To put it briefly, scalp acne treatment differs over the therapeutic approaches for some other designs of acne. A healthy acne treatment gives you reduce pimples for the face along with other parts in your system.

Also be familiar by means of herbal Piles Cure. It is important to recollect that alternative treatment have to not replace conventional cure. Read information in regards to herbal Acidity Cure. Drug treatment is the procedure of beneficial together with psychological cure for patients of drug abuse. Treatment of minimal back pain is based on the main bring about. Choosing the right thinning hair treatment can be be extremely tough should you not know the cause of the problem. Proper treatment along with hair care can be so very important to get rid on comfortably be managed. Like any other natural natual skin care treatment or solutions are few negative effects from the application with laser skin restoring.

- There are definitely not many times where you acquire a scalp treatment which can enable treat other bothersome epidermis problems. Scalp treatment using skin oils is straightforward and enjoyable. So to be an itchy scalp treatment you really can't obtain anything more.Several Dry Scalp Do-it-yourself answers to Try, Works to additional improve Scalp Moisture.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Dry Scalp Home Remedies vary all of which will work differently in several individuals. Other Dry Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions include the effective use of yogurt. Applying this mixture for a scalp daily is practically the best dry itchy scalp household remedies. The next list involving dry scalp home remedies should be to try a natural mixture to make use of to your curly hair. Combine the white vino and yolk mix back together, then rub it into flowing hair, tells the Do-it-yourself solutions Treatment website. Needs to come to be reason, finding the ideal Dried out Scalp Do-it-yourself solutions requires you some much significant relief. If you wish safe dry scalp house remedies, you should begin by searching online. Creating dry scalp home remedies with essential oils may be hugely effective, because they have antiseptic and antibacterial aspects.

Dry scalp home remedies can be quite a good, natural solution for ones people that are long term the pesky issue. Pursuing, are 2 natural strategies to eczema scalp treatment that you could perform at household. This may be a rapid home treatment for you to cure an itchy scalp out of dandruff and ringworm. Here is the quick home cure to help cure the itchy scalp out of dandruff and ringworm. This isn't going to remove dandruff along with cure itchy scalp and also give a natural glow for any hair. Most people getting itchy scalp scrub ones own hair convinced that liquid will moisten the scalp and forestall the itching. Shampoo and wash it out your scalp in conjunction with hair thoroughly every daytime. Our Folligen shampoo is a foremost shampoo for itchy scalp.

Our Folligen shampoo will be the foremost shampoo for itchy scalp. In the case desired, you may scrub the Folligen out regularly. If desired, shampoo with mild shampoo. Go because of more on scrub designed for dry scalp. Choosing an email of now, scalp acne treatment includes a consistent head bath which has a mild and curing scrub. You can often consult a frizzy hair expert for advice on reliable shampoo creates scalp acne treatment. To put it briefly, scalp acne treatment differs in the therapeutic approaches for many other designs of acne. A healthy acne treatment gives you reduce pimples for the face plus the other parts in the body.

Also be familiar using herbal Piles Cure. Absolutely vital to recollect that alternative treatment can not replace conventional cure. Read information as regards to herbal Acidity Cure. Drug treatment is the procedure of beneficial together with psychological cure for patients of substance abuse. Treatment of minimal back pain will depend on the main bring about. Choosing the right thinning hair treatment can be quite tough should you not know the foundation of the problem. Proper treatment along with hair care is indeed very important if you need to get rid on treatment plans. Like any other natural beauty treatment or solutions are few negative effects from the application of laser skin restoring.

- There will not be many times where you get a scalp treatment which can help treat other bothersome skin color problems. Scalp treatment using skin oils is simple and enjoyable. So being itchy scalp treatment you really can't obtain anything more.

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Biological Therapy in India at Low price - Health

Biological Therapy in India at Low Cost

What is biological therapy?

Biological therapy is a type of treatment that works with your immune system. It can help fight cancer or help control side effects (how your body reacts to the drugs you are taking) from other cancer treatments like chemotherapy.

What is the difference between biological therapy and chemotherapy ?

Biological therapy and chemotherapy are both treatments that fight cancer. While they may seem alike, they work in different ways. Biological therapy helps your immune system fight cancer. Chemotherapy attacks the cancer cells directly.

How does biological therapy fight cancer ?

Doctors are not sure how biological therapy helps your immune system fight cancer. But they think it may : -

Stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. Make it easier for your immune system to destroy, or get rid of, cancer cells. Keep cancer from spreading to other parts of your body.

What is my immune system and how does it work ?

Your immune system includes your spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, bone marrow, and white blood cells. These all help protect you from getting infections and diseases.

When your immune system works the way it should, it can tell the difference between "good" cells that keep you healthy and "bad" cells that make you sick. But sometimes this doesn't happen. Doctors are doing research to learn why some immune systems don't fight off diseases like cancer.

White blood cells are an important part of your immune system. When your doctor or nurse talks about your white blood cells, he or she may use words like :-

Monocytes are types of white blood cells. Lymphocytes are types of white blood cells. B cells are kinds of lymphocytes. T cells are kinds of lymphocytes. Natural killer cells are kinds of lymphocytes.

Parts of the immune system

What are some questions to ask my doctor or nurse about biological therapy ?

Why do you recommend biological therapy for me ?

Your treatment choices depend on the type of cancer you have, how far your cancer has spread, and the treatments you have already tried. For some people, biological therapy is the best treatment choice.

Will biological therapy be my only treatment ?

Some people only need biological therapy. Others also get chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Talk with your doctor about the kind of treatment you will be on and how it can help.

Where do I go to get my treatment ?

Some biological therapy are pills or shots that you can take at home. Others are given through an IV, and you must go to the hospital or clinic to get them. If this is the case, find out how long you will need to stay at the hospital or clinic.

How often will I get my treatment ?

Treatment schedules vary. Biological therapy may be given once a day or a couple of times a day. Others are given less often--sometimes once a week, or perhaps just once every month or two. Your doctor will tell you how often you will get your treatment and how long you will need to be on it.

How much will my treatment cost ?

Send We Care India your medical records, we will consult the doctor and reply with the line of treatment and treatment cost estimate.

What side effects can I expect ?

Just like other forms of cancer treatment, biological therapy sometimes causes side effects. Side effects can include : -

Rashes or swelling where the treatment is injected. Flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, bone pain, and muscle aches. Lowered blood pressure (blood pressure goes down).

What are cancer vaccines?

Cancer vaccines are a form of biological therapy. While other vaccines (like ones for measles or mumps) are given before you get sick, cancer vaccines are given after you have cancer. Cancer vaccines may help your body fight the cancer and keep it from coming back.

Doctors are learning more all the time about cancer vaccines. They are now doing research about how cancer vaccines can help people diagnosed with melanoma, lymphoma, and kidney, breast, ovarian, prostate, colon, and rectal cancers.

What are the names of some biological therapy ?

There are many kinds of biological therapy. Here are the names of some common ones with ways to say them and brief statements about how they are used in cancer care. Treatments for cancer : -

BCG or Bacillus Calmette-Gurin (ba-SIL-us KAL-met gay-RAIN) treats bladder tumors or bladder cancer. IL-2 or Interleukin-2 (in-ter-LOO-kin 2) treats certain types of cancer. Interferon alpha (in-ter-FEER-on AL-fa) treats certain types of cancer. Rituxan or Rituximab (ri-TUX-i-mab) treats non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Herceptin (her-SEP-tin) or Trastuzumab treats breast cancer.

Treatments for controlling side effects : -

Neupogen (NU-po-jen) or G-CSF increases white blood cell counts and helps prevent infection in people who are getting chemotherapy.

Procrit, Epogen, or Erythropoietin (e-RITH-ro-po-i-tin) helps make red blood cells in people who have anemia.

IL-11, Interleukin-11, Oprelvekin (oh-PREL-ve-kin), or Neumega helps make platelets (a type of blood cell).

What are the different types of biological therapies ?

There are many different types of biological therapies used in cancer treatment. Biological response modifiers (BRMs) change the way the body's defenses interact with cancer cells. BRMs are produced in a laboratory and given to patients to : -

boost the body's ability to fight the disease. direct the immune system's disease fighting powers to disease cells. strengthen a weakened immune system.

BRMs include nonspecific immunomodulating agents, interferons, interleukins, colony-stimulating factors, monoclonal antibodies, cytokine therapy, and vaccines:

nonspecific immunomodulating agents

Nonspecific immunomodulating agents are biological therapy drugs that stimulate the immune system, causing it to produce more cytokines and antibodies to help fight cancer and infections in the body. Fighting infection is important for a person with cancer.

interferons (IFN)

Interferons (IFN) are a type of biological response modifier that naturally occurs in the body. They are also produced in the laboratory and given to cancer patients in biological therapy. They have been shown to improve the way a cancer patient's immune system acts against cancer cells. Interferons may work directly on cancer cells to slow their growth, or they may cause cancer cells to change into cells with more normal behavior. Some interferons may also stimulate natural killer cells (NK) cells, T cells, and macrophages - types of white blood cells in the bloodstream that help to fight cancer cells.

interleukins (IL)

Interleukins (IL) stimulate the growth and activity of many immune cells. They are proteins (cytokines) that occur naturally in the body, but can also be made in the laboratory. Some interleukins stimulate the growth and activity of immune cells, such as lymphocytes, which work to destroy cancer cells.

colony-stimulating factors (CSFs)

Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are proteins given to patients to encourage stem cells within the bone marrow to produce more blood cells. The body constantly needs new white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets, especially when cancer is present. CSFs are given, along with chemotherapy, to help boost the immune system. When cancer patients receive chemotherapy, the bone marrow's ability to produce new blood cells is suppressed, making patients more prone to developing infections.

Parts of the immune system cannot function without blood cells, thus colony-stimulating factors encourage the bone marrow stem cells to produce white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells. With proper cell production, other cancer treatments can continue enabling patients to safely receive higher doses of chemotherapy.

monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies are agents, produced in the laboratory, that bind to cancer cells. When cancer-destroying agents are introduced into the body, they seek out the antibodies and kill the cancer cells. Monoclonal antibody agents do not destroy healthy cells.

Examples of monoclonal antibody therapy include trastuzumab (Herceptin) for breast cancer and rituximab (Rituxan) for lymphoma.

cytokine therapy

Cytokine therapy uses proteins (cytokines) to help your immune system recognize and destroy those cells that are cancerous. Cytokines are produced naturally in the body by the immune system, but can also be produced in the laboratory. This therapy is used with advanced melanoma and with adjuvant therapy (therapy given after or in addition to the primary cancer treatment). Cytokine therapy reaches all parts of the body to kill cancer cells and prevent tumors from growing.

vaccine therapy

Vaccine therapy is still an experimental biological therapy. The benefit of vaccine therapy has not yet been proven. With infectious diseases, vaccines are given before the disease develops. Cancer vaccines, however, are given after the disease develops, when the tumor is small. Scientists are testing the value of vaccines for melanoma and other cancers. Sometimes, vaccines are combined with other therapies such as cytokine therapy.

Are there side effects of biological therapies ?

As each person's individual medical profile and diagnosis is different, so is his/her reaction to treatment. Side effects may be severe, mild, or absent. Be sure to discuss with your cancer care team any/all possible side effects of treatment before the treatment begins. Side effects of biological therapy, which often mimic flu-like symptoms, vary according to the type of therapy given and may include the following :-

fever chills nausea vomiting loss of appetite fatiguea

Specifically, cytokine therapy often causes fever, chills, aches, and fatigue. Other side effects include a rash or swelling at the injection site. Therapy can cause fatigue and bone pain and may affect blood pressure and the heart.Please log on to :

Please log on to : /cancer-treatment/biological-therapy-india.html

contact Email :

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Drug Rehabilitation Centers What Are They

Gloomy hospital corridors and generic treatment programs are things of the past. Addiction is hard enough as it is. People need drug rehabilitation centers that enable complete focus on healing both the mind and the body. Sobriety is only possible when all physical and mental needs are met. Highly personalized care and soothing, naturally rejuvenating surroundings are vital. New rehabilitation philosophies are making drug addiction easier than ever to treat and overcome. Progressive drug treatment programs utilize the priorities of maximum-comfort, individualized care, and natures serenity and beauty to assist clients in regaining control of their lives. Not all rehabilitation centers are the same, but with a comprehensive program that fully covers the following four main components, an addiction-free life is not just possible; it is permanent.

Drug Detox: The Biological Process

Ideally on-site to provide a unified program, all treatment programs must begin with thorough drug detox. The residual presence of alcohol and other harmful drugs forces the body into a constant state of defense. Enzymes and chemical reactions attempt to protect the brain as unwanted substances damage cells and DNA. Eventually, the body grows used to these damaging forces doing battle and dependency naturally takes over. The detox process is the only way to rid the body of that resulting dependency. Since withdrawal symptoms may include jitteriness, shakes, insomnia, and convulsions, it is important that detox centers provide one-on-one medical care twenty-four hours a day. Psychiatrists, neuropharmacologists, and highly trained nurses are needed to care for already diagnosed problems and arising complications. Although often painful, drug detox is a necessary part of the rehabilitation process, and it is only temporary.

Drug Counseling: The Psychological Process

After detox physically removes all poisons from the body, the mental recovery of substance abuse can begin. People must not only work through the underlying problems that initially led to dependency, but also ready themselves for addiction-free lives. Highly trained drug counselors assist in the self-discovery needed to heal past wounds. Soon, people regain control of their lives and are ready to move successfully forward.

As drug rehabilitation centers bring people with a common thread together, camaraderie strengthens support. This is essential to the healing process. However, addiction is ultimately a personal experience. While the facts of addiction may be the same for all, each individual situation originated from a unique life story and will affect each persons life differently. Dependency will never be destroyed until the source of all emotional and mental issues are healed. Not everyone is going to benefit from the same program. It is vital that rehabilitation centers recognize and closely address this reality.

Individualized treatment must begin with the actual counseling process itself. Everyone is an individual. True rehabilitation programs recognize the inadequacy of group therapy. Frequent and personalized counseling is crucial. While everyone has different needs, deeply personal, hurtful issues are often too embarrassing to share in a group. Healing cannot occur when a person is constantly forced to fear exposure. Full self realization and understanding cannot occur without adequate time, attention, and safety. Numerous individualized counseling sessions devised by the collaboration of many specialists provide true, enduring healing.

New research continuously discovers that connections between body and mind are more complexly intertwined than ever imagined. Stress and pain in one area will inevitably manifest in a multitude of different forms. Too often, people are cheated with meager imitations of group-driven drug treatment programs. Only holistic methodology can bring adequate healing.

Counseling treatments must be organized. Within a holistic framework counseling can extend past issues of chemical dependency. It is natural for people to deny or repress painful memories. Therefore, treatments such as psychotherapy and the psychically induced, mentally relaxed state of hypnotherapy provide significant results. While family/marriage counseling focuses on the strained relationships that cause and/or are damaged by addiction, spiritual and life purpose counseling provide a non-religiously-specific way for inner exploration and growth. In order to ensure complete holistic healing, comprehensive drug treatment centers complete their programs with even further specializations, such as nutritional counseling, image therapy, and treatments incorporating yoga/music/art are offered. Most importantly, rehabilitation centers must offer customized therapy opportunities. With holistic therapy the unique individuality of every person can be met.

Mind, Body and Spirit

Likewise, physical treatment should never be reserved to the initial detox process. Services, such as physical training (both in and outdoors), massage therapy, other forms of bodywork, and acupuncture treatment, should be a component of your rehabilitation program. Within the mind and bodys connection both rigorous and low-endurance exercises provide essential outlets towards recovery.

A rehabilitation centers surroundings also serve as a crucial component of its quality. The majestic powers of nature and the comforts of a fully furnished residential area complete the comforting effects of the body/spirit connection. Dwelling in the harmony and tranquility of their surroundings, residents can soak in the calming effects of such radiance.

Holistic & individualized drug rehabilitation centers offer a multitude of mental and physical therapies. Embracing each persons individuality, they bring true enduring healing.

Inpatient and Outpatient

Scheduling and patient-regulations is another important factor to consider before choosing which treatment program to enter. Drug Rehab centers must offer the flexibility of both in/outpatient services. Ideally, centers should offer opportunities that extend, shorten, and break up basic program lengths. It is also important that centers do not forbid valued life objects, such as computer, telephone, favorite music or visits from family and friends. By incorporating peoples real lives into treatment whenever possible, clients more readily embrace treatment and endure the stresses of return shock.

Providing true rehabilitation, an individualized and holistic drug rehab center will highly reduce stress and discomfort. With an individualized and holistic approach, drug rehabilitation centers provide a smooth and long-lasting recovery. Dont be afraid to call. The ideal program waits to personalize its complete body/mind treatment for you. If substance abuse affects you or a loved one, call right now to reach friendly and understanding staff. Addiction has monopolized too long; it cannot be ignored. Freedom from addiction waits only moments away.

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Natural Acne Treatments Work Well -But Not for Everyone

Copyright 2006 Tony Buel

I have come across many interesting suggestions during the search for a natural acne treatment that really works. Some of the ideas are really viable options that can be easily carried out while others do not make much sense at all. Many believe that a person's complexion depends on his diet and this is probably true to some extent. One of the suggestions for a natural acne treatment was to skip breakfast.

This comes as a big surprise because it goes against everything we are taught about breakfast and good nutrition. We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We are constantly reminded of that. Many researchers suggest that breakfast actually helps us burn calories throughout the day. Skipping breakfast as a natural acne treatment seems a little radical, but there is a lucid argument for using this technique for keeping clear skin.

Breakfast is not really the problem. The problem is the individual's diet in general. Your body needs to cleanse itself of what you ate the previous day. Of course, many of us know that the term breakfast comes from break the fast. We fast every night during our sleep. The act of fasting is a natural acne treatment because it cleanses the body of toxins that may wind up on our faces.

The radical anti-breakfast group suggests that we shouldn't break the fast first thing in the morning. Drinking a glass of water for breakfast is a natural acne treatment that helps the body flush out the bad stuff that we wind up wearing on our faces as pimples. Supporters of this natural acne treatment suggest that no food should be ingested until noon. The only thing you should ingest is water.

This approach seems a little too extreme for me, but it may be something that someone with severe acne would want to consider. I have skipped many breakfasts over the years to drop a pound or two. If you don't get up until eleven in the morning, the fast won't seem as bad. Unfortunately, many of us have to get up in the morning and those hours can be very hard on an empty stomach.

The endorsers of this natural acne treatment swear that you will notice results in a few days. That is if you don't faint. I guess that it all boils down to how important it really is to you. Using fasting as a natural acne treatment may seem like a small price to pay for someone who has a severe acne problem.

Many individuals are so focused on dealing with their current pimples that they forget the most important step, which is prevention.

In this day and age, there is no reason why any and all of us can't properly battle acne breakouts. With the World-Wide-Web at our fingertips, there are always a plethora of acne tips to aid us. What are you cleansing your mug with? This is an important factor in staying oil and dirt free, hence preventing new breakouts. You need a gentle cleanser such as Purpose that will wash away the bad stuff, but not strip your skin dry in the process. The last thing you need is dry skin. This can actually stir more breakouts.

Other acne tips to live by are: always shower with tepid water in order to avoid over-drying, always change your pillowcase each night before bed, only use a moisturizer on areas that are dry, and use a topical medication on your skin after cleansing if your acne dilemma calls for it. We all have different bouts with blemishes.

And remember, not all acne is the same. Always keep open the option that you will consult with a dermatologist about your specific case. Some cases are more stubborn than others and a dermatologist may be the answer to resolving your particular symptoms quickly and effectively.

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Sex Love and Poly-Behavioral Addiction

Proposing a New Diagnosis and Theory for Patients with Multiple Addictions By James Slobodzien, Psy.D., CSAC

Experts in the field of addictions are presently purporting that between 3 and 6 percent of the worlds population (193 to 386 million people) are presently affected by a sexual dependency or compulsivity (Carnes, 2005). Sexual dependency is a diagnosable and treatable disease, which today is generally, regarded in about the same way that alcoholism and drug addiction (chemical dependency) was regarded 40 years ago. Even so, there still exists a wide range of understandable misunderstandings about compulsive sexual acting out, created out of ignorance about the nature of sexual addiction, and supported and perpetuated by the multibillion dollar pornography industry.

Sexual Dependency - is a global term that covers a wide range of maladaptive and self-defeating behavior patterns and relationships such as:

1. Love Addiction a disorder in which individuals repeatedly become involved in enmeshed, intense, codependent relationships, even when those relationships or partners are destructive;

2. Romance Addiction - a disorder in which individuals become obsessed with the intrigue and the pursuit of romance and thrive on the thrill of the chase, but find it impossible to sustain a committed, intimate relationship with another person;

3. Sexual Anorexia a disorder in which individuals become dominated and obsessed with the emotional, physical, and mental task of avoiding sex; and

4. Sex Addiction a disorder in which individuals become obsessed with sexually-related, compulsive self-defeating maladaptive behavior.

But can one really be addicted to love as the popular 80s song proclaims? In a recent research study, (Aron, A. 2005) published in the June issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology, researchers used functional MRI to watch the real-time brain activity of 17 college students (10 women, seven men), all of whom were in the early weeks or months of new love. These researchers concluded that, love may vie for the same real estate in the brain as drug addiction. Early love, rooted as it is in the caudate nucleus, is all about addiction. "It is a drug addiction." "It's certainly got some of the main characteristics of drug addiction -- as with drugs, once you fall in love you need that person more and more, so much so that, after a while, you have to marry them. There are other things, too -- real dependence, personality changes, withdrawal symptoms." And just like the need for cocaine or heroin, love can make people do crazy, sometimes dangerous things. According to Aron (2005), the findings help explain instances where people fall in love with people they arent even sexually attracted to; or why others can feel equally strong, sudden emotion for a newborn child or even God.

So does this mean that all people who are newly in love have an addiction? Are all men who look at pornography addicted? Are all women who read romance novels addicted? Are all people who avoid sex considered sexual anorexics? No, no, no, and no. Then how can we differentiate between addiction and healthy relationships? Like other forms of addictive diseases and lifestyle disorders such as chemical dependency, pathological gambling, eating disorders, and religious addiction -

Sexual dependency is characterized by an addictive cycle of:

1. Obsession or preoccupation;

2. Ritualization;

3. Compulsive behaviors;

4. Loss of control and despair; and

5. Shame and guilt that perpetuates a maladaptive belief system of impaired thinking and unmanageability.

Typically, sexual addictive patterns are considered pathological problems when issues concerning sexual behaviors become the focus of life, causing feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment with related symptoms of depression and anxiety that cause significant maladaptive social and/ or occupational impairment in functioning. Addicts dont use sex for affection or recreation, but for the management of anxiety and/ or emotional pain.

We must consider that some people develop dependencies on certain life-functioning activities such as sex that can be just as life threatening as drug addiction and just as socially and psychologically damaging as alcoholism.

Sexual addiction takes many forms with various levels of severity to include:

1. Controversial behaviors (obsessions with pornography, and sex with strangers to engaging in cyber-sex);

2. Unacceptable behaviors (exhibitionism, voyeurism, indecent phone calls); and

3. Profound Sex offender behaviors (rape, incest, and child molestation).

Though solitary forms of this addiction may not be overtly risky, they can be part of a pattern of distorted thinking and identity conflict that can escalate to involve harming the self and others. An example of a Sexual Disorder (NOS) or Not Otherwise Specified in the DSM-IV-TR, (2000) includes: distress about a pattern of repeated sexual relationships involving a succession of lovers who are experienced by an individual only as things to be used. (It should be noted that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has never used the word addiction to describe any of its disorders). The defining elements of this kind of addiction are its secrecy and escalating nature, often resulting in diminished judgment and self-control (Carnes, 1994).

Brief History of Sex Addiction

In 1976, a suburban hospital administrator asked Dr. Patrick Carnes to start an experimental program for chemically dependent families. The theoretical constructs of the program originated in general systems theory, especially as it applied to families and the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. One of the many factors which stood out from a family perspective was that the addictive compulsivity had many forms other than alcohol and drug abuse including overeating, gambling, shoplifting, and sexuality. Members of groups like Overeaters Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous had already pioneered in applying the 12-steps to other addictions so the Family Renewal Center extended its programming based on the 12-steps, to sexual addiction.

In 1983, Dr. Patrick Carnes formally introduced the concept of sexual addiction to the world in a text entitled Out of the Shadows. Since then the field of sexual addiction and compulsive sexual behavior has developed dramatically. Terms such as addiction, compulsivity, hyper-sexuality, and Don Juanism, all have been used to describe what generically could be called "out of control sexual behavior." Regardless of its name, clinicians from all fields agree that a syndrome exists in which individuals have a sense that they have lost control over their sexual behavior.

According to the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH), sexual addiction is a persistent and escalating pattern or patterns of sexual behaviors acted out despite increasingly negative consequences to self or others. The fundamental nature of all addiction is the addicts' experience of helplessness and powerlessness over an obsessive-compulsive behavior, resulting in their lives becoming unmanageable. The addict may be out of control. They may experience extreme emotional pain and shame. They may repeatedly fail to control their behavior. They may suffer one or more of the following consequences of an unmanageable lifestyle: a deterioration of some or all supportive relationships; difficulties with work, financial troubles; and physical, mental, and/ or emotional exhaustion which sometimes leads to psychiatric problems and hospitalization. Addictions tend to arise from the same backgrounds: families with co-dependency including multiple addictions; lack of ef fective parenting; and other forms of physical, emotional and sexual trauma in childhood.

The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH, 2005) report that the symptoms of sexual compulsivity often accompany other addictive behaviors:

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Alcohol and drugs alter libido, enhancing it early in drug addiction and inhibiting it later. There is a pattern in cocaine addiction of selling sexual favors for cocaine. As the cost of drug addiction increases, the drug addict usually can't afford the drug from ordinary job income, and must resort to (either/or) stealing, drug dealing or prostitution to support their habit. Alcohol and many drugs cause blackouts or amnesia during the drug using experience, and if sex is coupled with that drug using experience then the details of the sexual experience may not be remembered.

Food Addiction - Sexual anorexia or pathological self-denial of healthy sex is a frequent accompaniment of overeating and anorexia nervosa.

Pathological Gambling - The lifestyle of the gambler often includes hyper-sexuality, where both compulsions feed the false sense of self-esteem of the addict.

Religious Addiction - Compulsive religiosity sometimes accompanies sexual addiction as the sex addict is seeking religion to lessen guilt and shame. The beginnings of compulsive religiosity may signal the onset of a period of sexual anorexia.

Multiple Addictions

Since it is impossible to expect treatment for one addiction to be beneficial when other addictions co-exist, the initial therapeutic intervention for any addiction needs to include an assessment for other addictions. National surveys revealed that a very high correlation exists between sexual addiction and other substance abuse and behavioral addictions. Sexual addicts who have reported experiencing multiple addictions include sexual addiction and:

* Chemical dependency (42%)

* Eating disorder (38%)

* Compulsive working (28%)

* Compulsive spending (26%)

* Compulsive gambling (5%)

* Poor Prognosis

We have come to realize today more than any other time in history that the treatment of lifestyle diseases and addictions are often a difficult and frustrating task for all concerned. Repeated failures abound with all of the addictions, even with utilizing the most effective treatment strategies. But why do 47% of patients treated in private addiction treatment programs (for example) relapse within the first year following treatment (Gorski, T., 2001)? Have addiction specialists become conditioned to accept failure as the norm? There are many reasons for this poor prognosis. Some would proclaim that addictions are psychosomatically- induced and maintained in a semi-balanced force field of driving and restraining multidimensional forces. Others would say that failures are due simply to a lack of self-motivation or will power. Most would agree that lifestyle behavioral addictions are serious health risks that deserve our attention, but could it possibly be that patients wit h multiple addictions are being under diagnosed (with a single dependence) simply due to a lack of diagnostic tools and resources that are incapable of resolving the complexity of assessing and treating a patient with multiple addictions?

Diagnostic Delineation

Thus far, the DSM-IV-TR has not delineated a diagnosis for the complexity of multiple behavioral and substance addictions. It has reserved the Poly-substance Dependence diagnosis for a person who is repeatedly using at least three groups of substances during the same 12-month period, but the criteria for this diagnosis do not involve any behavioral addiction symptoms. In the Psychological Factors Affecting Medical Conditions section (DSM-IV-TR, 2000); maladaptive health behaviors (e.g., unsafe sexual practices, excessive alcohol, drug use, and over eating, etc.) may be listed on Axis I, only if they are significantly affecting the course of treatment of a medical or mental condition.

Since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning, it is no wonder that repeated rehabilitation failures and low success rates are the norm instead of the exception in the addictions field, when the latest DSM-IV-TR does not even include a diagnosis for multiple addictive behavioral disorders. Treatment clinics need to have a treatment planning system and referral network that is equipped to thoroughly assess multiple addictive and mental health disorders and related treatment needs and comprehensively provide education/ awareness, prevention strategy groups, and/ or specific addictions treatment services for individuals diagnosed with multiple addictions. Written treatment goals and objectives should be specified for each separate addiction and dimension of an individuals life, and the desired performance outcome or completion criteria should be specifically stated, behaviora lly based (a visible activity), and measurable.

New Proposed Diagnosis

To assist in resolving the limited DSM-IV-TRs diagnostic capability, a multidimensional diagnosis of Poly-behavioral Addiction, is proposed for more accurate diagnosis leading to more effective treatment planning. This diagnosis encompasses the broadest category of addictive disorders that would include an individual manifesting a combination of substance abuse addictions, and other obsessively-compulsive behavioral addictive behavioral patterns to pathological gambling, religion, and/ or sex / pornography, etc.). Behavioral addictions are just as damaging - psychologically and socially as alcohol and drug abuse. They are comparative to other life-style diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in their behavioral manifestations, their etiologies, and their resistance to treatments. They are progressive disorders that involve obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors. They are also characterized by a preoccupation with a continuous or periodic loss of c ontrol, and continuous irrational behavior in spite of adverse consequences.

Poly-behavioral addiction would be described as a state of periodic or chronic physical, mental, emotional, cultural, sexual and/ or spiritual/ religious intoxication. These various types of intoxication are produced by repeated obsessive thoughts and compulsive practices involved in pathological relationships to any mood-altering substance, person, organization, belief system, and/ or activity. The individual has an overpowering desire, need or compulsion with the presence of a tendency to intensify their adherence to these practices, and evidence of phenomena of tolerance, abstinence and withdrawal, in which there is always physical and/ or psychic dependence on the effects of this pathological relationship. In addition, there is a 12 - month period in which an individual is pathologically involved with three or more behavioral and/ or substance use addictions simultaneously, but the criteria are not met for dependence for any one addiction in particular (Slobodzien, J. , 2005). In essence, Poly-behavioral addiction is the synergistically integrated chronic dependence on multiple physiologically addictive substances and behaviors (e.g., using/ abusing substances - nicotine, alcohol, & drugs, and/or acting impulsively or obsessively compulsive in regards to gambling, food binging, sex, and/ or religion, etc.) simultaneously.

Conclusion

Considering the wide range of sexual behaviors in our world today, one should always take into account an individuals ethnic, cultural, religious, and social background prior to making any clinical judgments, and it would be wise to not over-pathologize in this area of Sexual Dependency. However, since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning - poly-behavioral addiction needs to be identified to effectively treat the complexity of multiple behavioral and substance addictions.

Since chronic lifestyle diseases and disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, alcoholism, drug and behavioral addictions cannot be cured, but only managed - how should we effectively manage poly-behavioral addiction?

The Addiction Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) is proposed utilizing a multidimensional integrative assessment, treatment planning, treatment progress, and treatment outcome measurement tracking system that facilitates rapid and accurate recognition and evaluation of an individuals comprehensive life-functioning progress dimensions. The ARMS hypothesis purports that there is a multidimensional synergistically negative resistance that individuals develop to any one form of treatment to a single dimension of their lives, because the effects of an individuals addiction have dynamically interacted multi-dimensionally. Having the primary focus on one dimension is insufficient. Traditionally, addiction treatment programs have failed to accommodate for the multidimensional synergistically negative effects of an individual having multiple addictions, (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, and obesity, etc.). Behavioral addictions interact negatively with each other and with strategies to imp rove overall functioning. They tend to encourage the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, help increase violence, decrease functional capacity, and promote social isolation. Most treatment theories today involve assessing other dimensions to identify dual diagnosis or co-morbidity diagnoses, or to assess contributing factors that may play a role in the individuals primary addiction. The ARMS theory proclaims that a multidimensional treatment plan must be devised addressing the possible multiple addictions identified for each one of an individuals life dimensions in addition to developing specific goals and objectives for each dimension.

Partnerships and coordination among service providers, government departments, and community organizations in providing addiction treatment programs are a necessity in addressing the multi-task solution to poly-behavioral addiction. I encourage you to support the addiction programs in America, and hope that the (ARMS) resources can assist you to personally fight the War on poly-behavioral addiction.

For more info see: Poly-Behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) By James Slobodzien, Psy.D. CSAC at: /drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html

National Council on Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity

P.O. Box 725544

Atlanta, GA 31139

(770) 541-9912

References

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 787 & p. 731. American Society of Addiction Medicines (2003), Patient Placement Criteria for the Treatment of Substance-Related Disorders, 3rd Edition, Retrieved, June 18, 2005, from:

/ Arthur Aron, Ph.D., professor, psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook; Helen Fisher, research professor, department of anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.; Paul Sanberg, Ph.D.,professor, neuroscience, and director, Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair,University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa; June 2005, the Journal of Neurophysiology Carnes, P.J. (1983). Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction. Minneapolis, MN: Compcare. Carnes, P.J. (1989). Contrary to Love: Helping the Sexual Addict. Minneapolis, MN: Compcare. Carnes, P.J. (1991). Don't Call it Love. Minneapolis, MN: Gentle Press Publishing. Carnes, P.J. (1997). Sexual Anorexia: Overcoming Sexual Self-hatred. Center City, MN: Hazelden. Carnes, P.J., & Delmonico, D.L. (1994). Sexual Dependency Inventory. Wickenburg, AZ: The Meadows Institute. Carnes, P.J., Delmonico, D.L., & Griffin, E. J. (2001). In the Shadows of the Net: Breaking Free of Compulsive Online Sexual Behavior. Center City, MN: Hazelden. Delmonico, D.L. (1997). Internet Sex Screening Test. [Online]. Available at: Delmonico, D.L., Griffin, E.J., & Moriarity, J. (2001). Cybersex Unhooked: A Workbook for Breaking Free From Online Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Wickenburg, AZ: Gentle Path Press. Gorski, T. (2001), Relapse Prevention In The Managed Care Environment. GORSKI-CENAPS Web Publications. Retrieved June 20, 2005, from: Lienard, J. & Vamecq, J. (2004), Presse Med, Oct 23;33(18 Suppl):33-40. Marlatt, G. A. (1985). Relapse prevention: Theoretical rationale and overview of the model. In G. A. Marlatt & J. R. Gordon (Eds.), Relapse prevention (pp. 250-280). New York: Guilford Press. Schneider, J.P. (1994). Sex addiction: Controversy within mainstream addiction medicine, diagnosis based on the DSV-III-R and physician case histories. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 1(1), 19-44. Slobodzien, J. (2005). Poly-behavioral Addicti on and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS), Booklocker.com, Inc., p. 5.

James Slobodzien, Psy.D. CSAC, is a Hawaii licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor who earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology credentials Dr. Slobodzien. He has over 20-years of mental health experience primarily working in the fields of alcohol/ substance abuse and behavioral addictions in medical, correctional, and judicial settings. He is an adjunct professor of Psychology and also maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.

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