Monday, October 15, 2012

What is Ritalin?



Ritalin (speed for kids) is over prescribed to say the least!

ritalin-2
ritalin_meth2
Ritalin poses

child crime risk

By Kate Sikora

The Daily Telegraph

July 26, 2007
CHILDREN who use Ritalin for a
long period of time could be more at
risk of delinquency and
substance abuse,
a study has found.
Doctors are suggesting children
with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) should take a
break from medication after
three years of use.

An American study –
published in the Medical Observer _
has found that while drugs such
as Ritalin can initially help sufferers,
the benefit of prolonged use
is in doubt.
Some children stay on medication
until they reach 18,
but researchers believe it
may not protect them from
all the symptoms.
2494265342_1ec6f38bee

The US Multimodal Treatment Study of Children revealed the more days of prescribed medication, the more serious delinquency became.
In a cohort of 500 children with ADHD – followed for 36 months until they were 12 – researchers found 27 per cent were at a greater risk of committing crime, compared with 7 per cent among “normative” children.
Substance use also increased to 17 per cent in ADHD children – almost double the normal rate.
More than 30,000 children in Australia take Ritalin or a similar drug.
Jill Sewell, Associate Professor of the Royal Australian College of Physicians, said evidence suggested a break from medication was beneficial.
3-12-08figure3sm

“Evidence shows that there is very clear benefit of taking medication for 12-18 months, but after three years it is not so clear,” she said.
“Often in medications you do have to stop for a period of time to see if it is still effective.”
Belrose mother Leanne Komaromi said she took her son Dominic off Ritalin after four months.
“It made him a completely different person – it shut him down,” she said.
“It was like someone had drawn the blinds on him.”

3109607943_db60f523ff


Side effects

Some adverse effects may emerge during chronic use of methylphenidate so a constant watch for adverse effects is recommended.[47] Some adverse effects of stimulant therapy may emerge during long-term therapy, but there is very little research of the long-term effects of stimulants.[48][49] The most common side effects of methylphenidate are nervousness, drowsiness andinsomnia. Other adverse reactions include:[50]
On occasion, treatment emergent psychosis can occur during long-term therapy with methylphenidate. Stimulants such as methylphenidate should be avoided in people who have a vulnerability to schizophrenia or drug addiction; however, psychotic symptoms may emerge during therapy with methylphenidate in individuals without these risk factors; regular psychiatric monitoring of people who are taking methylphenidate for adverse effects such as psychotic symptomatology (with regard to the need for dose adjustment or discontinuation of medication) has been recommended.[5]
On March 22, 2006, the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee decided that medications using methylphenidate ingredients do not need black box warnings about their risks, noting that "for normal children, these drugs do not appear to pose an obvious cardiovascular risk."[53] Previously, 19 possible cases had been reported of cardiac arrest linked to children taking methylphenidate[54] and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to the FDA recommend a "black-box" warning in 2006 for stimulant drugs used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.[55]
Historical concerns related to child growth and cancer risk have existed, and these are still monitored and studied, however current scientific consensus is that the evidence of studies suggests these are either dubious or low-significance risks. (See : Previous health concerns now considered doubtful or largely minor)

[edit]Long-term effects

It was documented in 2000, by Zito et al.[56] "that at least 1.5% of children between the ages of two and four are medicated with stimulants, anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs, despite the paucity of controlled scientific trials confirming safety and long-term effects with preschool children."
The effects of long-term methylphenidate treatment on the developing brains of children with ADHD is the subject of study and debate.[57][58] Although the safety profile of short-term methylphenidate therapy in clinical trials has been well established, repeated use of psychostimulants such as methylphenidate is less clear. There are no well defined withdrawal schedules for discontinuing long-term use of stimulants.[59] There is limited data that suggests there are benefits to long-term treatment in correctly diagnosed children with ADHD, with overall modest risks.[60]Short-term clinical trials lasting a few weeks show an incidence of psychosis of about 0.1%.[61] A small study of just under 100 children that assessed long-term outcome of stimulant use found that 6% of children became psychotic after months or years of stimulant therapy. Typically, psychosis would abate soon after stopping stimulant therapy. As the study size was small, larger studies have been recommended.[62] The long-term effects on mental health disorders in later life of chronic use of methylphenidate is unknown.[63] Concerns have been raised that long-term therapy might cause drug dependence, paranoia, schizophrenia and behavioral sensitisation, similar to other stimulants.[64] Psychotic symptoms from methylphenidate can include hearing voices,visual hallucinations, urges to harm oneself, severe anxiety, euphoria, grandiosity, paranoid delusions, confusion, increased aggression and irritability. Methylphenidate psychosis is unpredictable in whom it will occur. Family history of mental illness does not predict the incidence of stimulant toxicosis in children with ADHD. High rates of childhood stimulant use is found in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder independent of ADHD. Individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar or schizophrenia who were prescribed stimulants during childhood typically have a significantly earlier onset of the psychotic disorder and suffer a more severe clinical course of psychotic disorder.[65][66][67] Knowledge of the effects of chronic use of methylphenidate is poorly understood with regard to persisting behavioral and neuroadaptational effects.[68]
Tolerance and behavioural sensitisation may occur with long-term use of methylphenidate.[69] There is also cross tolerance with other stimulants such as amphetamines and cocaine.[70] Stimulantwithdrawal or rebound reactions can occur and should be minimised in intensity, e.g. via a gradual tapering off of medication over a period of weeks or months.[71][72][73] A very small study of abrupt withdrawal of stimulants did suggest that withdrawal reactions are not typical. Nonetheless, withdrawal reactions may still occur in susceptible individuals.[74] The withdrawal or rebound symptoms of methylphenidate can include psychosis, depression, irritability and a temporary worsening of the original ADHD symptoms. Methylphenidate, due to its very short elimination half life, may be more prone to rebound effects than d-amphetamine.[25][75][76] Up to a third of children with ADHD experience a rebound effect when methylphenidate dose wears off.[77]

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, June 29, 2012

Ex-Cons Relaunching Lives as Entrepreneurs

Kris Frieswick - May 29, 2012 Defy Ventures offers former criminals a second shot by training them to run their own businesses. A Clean Slate Through her M.B.A.-style program, Defy Ventures, Catherine Rohr is helping former prisoners learn how to launch their own companies. Catherine Rohr stands at the front of a drab, fluorescent-lit classroom in Midtown Manhattan. Her 27 students, who sit crammed into chair-desks, are ex-cons whose crimes include narcotics trafficking and murder. Rohr, 35, is dressed conservatively in long black pants, a button-down white shirt, fitted jacket, and high heels. Beneath her razor-straight bangs, Rohr's kohl-rimmed eyes zero in on a man in the back of the room, leaning against the wall. "Are you sleeping back there?" she barks. "No," says the man. "I'm just not feeling that well." "From now on, no one in the back row can rest their heads against the wall," she orders. "It looks like you're not paying attention." These men are the inaugural class of Defy Ventures, a yearlong, M.B.A.-style program that Rohr created to teach former inmates how to start their own companies. For months, they have been meeting here for 14 to 16 hours a week to learn about things such as cash flow, balance sheets, intellectual property, accounting, and taxes. There are workshops on how to behave in professional settings, how to speak in public, and how to be a better parent. These men are also learning how to create business plans. In June, they will compete in a business-plan competition. The winners will split $100,000 in seed funding. Rohr has an interesting theory about criminals. She says that many of the qualities that made these men good at being bad guys (until they got caught, of course) are the same qualities that make effective entrepreneurs. Some of the men in this class had up to 40 employees under management. Though their merchandise was illegal narcotics and not, say, office supplies, these men developed certain business skills—the ability to motivate a team, identify new markets, manage risk, and inspire loyalty and hard work. Rohr's goal is to help these students apply their abilities to legal endeavors. Rohr continues today's lesson, evaluating the company names proposed by each student. "What's the name of your business?" she asks, pointing to one of the students. "Mine's is…" "What did you say?" Rohr pounces. She's a stickler for proper speech. He stops and takes a deep breath. "Mine is..." he carefully enunciates. Rohr smiles slightly as the man continues. In this room of former criminals, Rohr may be the most intimidating figure. She runs the show. It's not just because these men respect her, though they clearly do, but because part of the deal of being in this room is doing what Rohr tells them to do. In exchange, they get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And for that, they are willing to sit up straight, put their personal lives on hold, and study hard. This program is the type of second chance that none of these men ever thought they would get. It's also a second chance for Rohr, who not very long ago had her own—very public—fall from grace. At age 25, Rohr found God. She and her husband, Steve, a lawyer, began attending a church in the Bay Area. She worked as an associate at Summit Partners, a venture capital firm in Palo Alto. At church, Rohr was introduced to the concept of tithing, giving away 10 percent of her income to the church or charity. Donating felt really good. So good that she resolved to make $1 million a year by age 30, just so she could give away 95 percent of it. A couple of years later, after landing a job in New York City at American Securities Capital Partners, a private equity firm, Rohr took a trip to several prisons in Texas as part of a Christian outreach program. It was there that Rohr first made the connection between criminals and entrepreneurs. These men exhibited many of the same qualities she looked for when she met with founders as an investor. In 2004, Rohr launched the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, or PEP, in Houston to teach inmates basic business skills. After several months of running the program remotely, Rohr left her job and moved to Texas to focus all her efforts on PEP. She and her husband spent nearly every penny they had, including her entire 401(k), on the program. She and volunteer executives taught classes about marketing, finance, and how to act professionally. And it was all topped with a thick frosting of religion—both because it fueled Rohr's passion and because religion is an unspoken requirement for any prison rehabilitation program in Texas. Rohr believed God had called her to this ministry. And what she was able to accomplish in a short time struck many as miraculous. In five years, about 500 students graduated from the program. About 60 of them started businesses when they left prison. More important, the recidivism rate of graduates—at the time, around 10 percent—was much lower than the U.S. average of 40 percent. Rohr and her program received several honors for public service, including awards from Texas Governor Rick Perry and President George W. Bush. But everything came crashing down in 2009, when Rohr admitted to her staff of volunteers that she had had inappropriate relationships with four graduates of her prison program. "I felt like I'd been punched in the gut," says Bert Smith, one of those volunteers. After someone sent an anonymous letter to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which has strict policies against volunteers becoming personally involved with inmates, the department launched an investigation. Rohr says that none of the relationships started until after the prisoners were out of jail. But the department barred her from ever entering the Texas prison system again, citing security concerns. It also threatened to kick PEP out of the prison system if Rohr was involved in the program in any way. Devastated, she resigned. The troubles, says Rohr, started a year earlier, when her husband asked for a divorce after nine years of marriage. In retrospect, the divorce wasn't so unexpected, she says. As the program grew, Rohr traveled frequently, visiting prisons and raising money for the program. She slept four hours a night and was rarely home. "I didn't have good boundaries in terms of working a certain number of hours and then I'll be home and be a wife," says Rohr. "I wasn't living sustainably." After the divorce, she felt ashamed. "Instead of reaching out for help, I chose to be on my own," Rohr says. "And in that aloneness, I didn't make the best decisions." Rohr won't discuss specifics but claims that not all four relationships were "what people thought." The media, which had frequently celebrated Rohr's efforts to reform prisoners, pounced on the story of her downfall. The scandal became news as far away as China. Prisons Ban Founder for 'Improper Relationships,' read the headline in the Austin American-Statesman. That particular story attracted more than 60 online comments, most of them negative. "Let me guess, the greater the crime committed by the ex-convict, the dirtier the sex?" wrote one commenter. Others claimed to have knowledge of more than four affairs. "I was just bawling my eyes out," says Rohr. "They wrote untrue things—all sorts of uninformed comments. I didn't want to live anymore. I thought that I would live my whole life covered in shame." Before the scandal, Rohr often spoke at churches and conferences about the prison program. She would always ask the crowd, "What would it be like if you were known for the worst thing that you ever did in your life?" Now, she was in that very situation. At the lowest point of her life, something unexpected happened that helped Rohr pick herself back up. "I got over a thousand e-mails from people of love and support," she says, still looking surprised by it nearly three years later. "They were saying, 'What are you doing next?' and 'Thank you for your honesty.' Some came back with confessions of their own." It was far too soon, the pain still too fresh, for her to realize what these messages were telling her about the way this failure would transform her life. But those notes of encouragement gave her the strength to reach out to friends for support. With their help, she put the contents of her apartment in storage and got out of Texas. She traveled for six months, staying with friends. "I went through a period of questioning my calling, or that I could be worth anything or do anything good for the world ever again," she says. "But at the same time, I had this sense that I was born to lead. I needed to get my crap together so I could be an effective leader." Rohr decided she had had enough sitting around. She dyed her auburn hair back to its naturally darker shade and moved back to New York City, hoping that the city's energy would help jolt her back to life. She entertained a job offer from a VC firm before finally giving in to what her heart was telling her to create: a new nonprofit. She would create a version of PEP that operated outside the prison system. (PEP is still going strong in Texas. "We came very close to having the doors locked," says Bert Smith, who is now CEO of the program. "There were a number of people who were convinced that without Catherine Rohr, PEP would fail. I'm happy to say that it didn't.") Defy Ventures has raised more than $1.5 million in donations and pledges from VC firms, hedge funds, businesses, and private foundations. Last fall, Rohr began accepting applications for the first class. After requesting referrals from the New York parole and probation departments and about 25 prisoner rehabilitation programs, Defy received more than 180 applications from former inmates interested in the free classes. Rohr looked for candidates who had high school diplomas or GEDs, who owned up to their crimes, and who were motivated to change their lives. Today, when Rohr stands before a classroom of ex-cons and future entrepreneurs, everyone understands that the group shares a common story of failure—separated by degrees, of course. A few weeks after the program began, she told them all about what happened in Texas. "I was very hesitant to step foot in the classroom again," says Rohr. "I was concerned about how would these guys look at me. But I've never felt that. They are so respectful. I think that I'm able to be a better leader now that, in a way, we have a shared experience. I know what it feels like to let people down." Here in the classroom, student Marlon Llin, who served 10 years for conspiracy to sell narcotics, stands at the blackboard. Llin, 37, is trying to figure out how much he should charge for the various services he provides through his new company, Mylo's Repairs. Kene Turner, an instructor from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and one of Defy's course leaders, is teaching the men about pricing. Turner asks Llin what he charges to remodel a bathroom. Llin says $150 to $200, and the customer pays for the materials. As the class watches, Turner shows Llin all the things he will have to pay for out of that fee, including insurance, gas for his truck, office supplies, and taxes. As it turns out, Llin isn't making nearly as much as he thought he was. "You're undercharging," says Turner. Llin—and every other man in the room—has a visible "aha" moment. "I never thought about it that way before," says Llin. "I get it," adds another man in the back. They had been used to thinking like men living paycheck to paycheck, worried only about how much they needed to make per hour to survive and feed their families. Now they are seeing what it means to think like entrepreneurs. At its core, the true purpose of Defy is to change the way these men think about themselves and their lives, says Rohr. One of her techniques is something she calls the Ten Bear Hugs. Every class starts with group hugs. It's a strange sight, watching these men, many of whom have done decades of hard time, warmly embrace one another and everyone else in the room. "Initially, we didn't like it," says Jeff Ewell, who was incarcerated for a little less than a year for conspiracy to sell firearms. He is creating an online music exchange that would let artists buy instrumental tracks directly from producers. "But now we have to get told, 'Sit down, stop hugging each other; we've got to get stuff done.' " Rohr's goal is to break down the walls these men have had up around themselves for much of their lives. Fabian Ruiz spent more than half his life with corrections officers who, he says, "don't even look at inmates as people." At 16, Ruiz killed the man who shot his older brother. While awaiting trial on Rikers Island in New York City, he attempted to escape and was recaptured. He was tried as an adult and sentenced to 20 years to life. He spent the next 21 years in a series of maximum-security prisons in New York State. He was released about a year ago at the age of 37. Ruiz learned about Defy from a friend. His brown eyes dance when he talks about his start-up, Infor-Nation. It will sell printouts of webpages to inmates of New York's prison system, who are blocked from using the Internet. Ruiz thinks his business has huge market potential. He really wants to win the business-plan competition—all the students do. The winners not only get the prize money, but they will also get to participate in Defy's six-month incubator program, helped by a team of entrepreneurs-in-residence and volunteer accountants, lawyers, and other mentors. But the benefits of this program go well beyond prize money, says Ewell. Defy has helped him open up to other people, he says. "I've always been the type of person to attack everything alone," says Ewell. "The one thing we never learned to do was trust in another individual." But he developed a powerful bond with his fellow classmates. "We kind of became a brotherhood," he says. To succeed, these men must learn to reject failure, which isn't always easy. Failure can have its own comforts, says Rohr. "When Jesus would go up to a leper or a blind person and ask, 'Do you want to be healed?' it always seemed to me such an idiotic question," she says. "Of course you want to be healed. But a leper was taken care of. If you're not a leper anymore, you have to provide for yourself. You have all these different expectations if you're no longer the blind man. That's how it is with our guys, too. And not all of them want to see." In fact, almost half the class has quit—Rohr started with 50 students. Some left because they got jobs they couldn't pass up. Others just couldn't hack the workload. Those who have stayed hope that maybe they won't be known for the worst thing they ever did. Maybe they will be known for building something great. The same goes for Rohr, who hopes to eventually expand Defy Ventures to other cities around the country. "I've spent my whole life talking about grace and second chances," she says, "and I have now been the recipient of it."
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

What is the best time of year to start your business?

 
You may not think it, but the time of year you choose to start your home business can have an impact on how well you do. Truth is... there is no time better than the present! Many of us are tired of dragging ourselves out of bed every morning to get to a job we can't stand. And although we sacrifice being away from our family most of the day, committing our time, our bodies, and our minds to this job, our reward is just enough to sustain us and keep us coming back. We are giving all of our energy, ideas, and talent to make upper management rich while we keep living paycheck to paycheck, while suppressing that empty feeling inside, that we are built for more... Our purpose and our destiny is greater than punching a time clock every day, we are more than an expendable commodity, that at any given moment can be left without a job, without an explanation, and without a means to provide for our family.

Many of us have been stuck in this cycle for years and years, wanting something more, but never doing anything about it. The truth is: the ONLY way you will ever get different results, is by doing something different... It's time to break the cycle!

During this time of year, you can feel the excitement in the air, everyone a little stress and worry free... That's right, it’s tax time! Time to catch up on bills, go shopping, or buy that new flat screen just in time for game-day. How about this year, in the spirit of doing something different: Instead of buying clothes, TV's, and cell phones that will be outdated by next fall... why not invest in you? Why not start that business you have been dreaming about every day for the past 3 years? Is it that you are waiting to win the lottery or inherit some obscene amount of money or first, allowing you to open up a nationwide chain of taco stands, or is it because you have just become so comfortable with your day to day life, that you would opt for 56 inches of high definition bliss over investing in your future? Now is the BEST time to act!

Spring is usually the best time of year to start a business...

We are getting ready to say goodbye to winter, and usher in the spring. We are still fresh enough in the year that people are still conscious of their resolution making (and breaking!) businesses are just as likely to resolve to do better in the new year as the rest of us are. One common resolution people make is finding a better job, or in this market, a job period, and that's why many businesses spend the first part of the year struggling to fill vacancies created by staff acting on resolutions of their own. This means that many companies start the New Year short of staff, so if your business offers a particular service they need, now could be the perfect time to introduce yourself. Spring is known as a time of change and growth, and at least on a psychological level, that could make it a great time to think about starting your business. The longer days and increased sunlight will make you feel revitalized and ready for new challenges. While in contrast, winter is a time of hibernation, with the end of the season comes a change in mood and motivation, and that could be all you need to make a start on your new business.

Spring is also when most businesses reach the end of their tax year. They may have some of last year's budget burning a hole in their pockets, or they could have a whole new budget to play with. Either way, this could be the best opportunity you'll get to introduce your new business and convince them to give it a shot.

Summer is rarely a good time to start a home business

Summer can be a slow time for business. People are too busy thinking about their vacation or making the most of the sunshine to shop for goods and services, so unless your business is a travel agent or ice cream store, it may not be a good time to start. Wait instead for fall: the beginning of the new school year is another time when people start to think about making a new start - could you be one of them, with your new business?

Just before Christmas, however, is a quiet time for many businesses, so unless you're selling something seasonal, it may not be the best time to pack in the day job and start up on your own. Most people are short of cash around Christmas time: they've spent all their money on gifts, and they're just about to spend all their energy on entertaining family and making the most of the holiday season. The last thing they want is to do is read marketing material from a new home based business, so your carefully worded and expensively designed flier is probably going to go straight into the bin, along with the leftover turkey.

It doesn't matter if you want your own landscaping business, Production Company, restaurant, or counseling service, if you have a vision for a business I CAN HELP YOU MAKE IT A REALITY, just like I have for hundreds of others over the past 15 years. I can show you how to get your vision off the ground with minimal investments, how to find money for your business, and give you the tools and structure you need to finally get your dream off the ground.

Want help launching your dream?
visit us on the web at www.order.wriser.info
Posted by at No comments:

The Power and Problem with Church Branding

The Power and Problem with Church Branding



-by Richard L. Reising

Taken from Religious Product News magazine, May 2007


What if you could change the way people saw your church? What if you could give it the kind of extreme makeover that would make a new generation take notice and knock on your door? Could you, by communication build a bridge towards a new you? Most assuredly. Can you do it without internally embodying the relevance that your design emanates? Most assuredly not.
Branding is known as the consistent use of design and communication in order or to establish a clearly defined image. It works when that image is consistent with the essence of who you are. When it is not consistent with who and how you are, you come across as a poser—losing more credibility than you know. Church branding is real. It is here and it is at work in your church whether you realize it or not. You are either deliberately telling the world your story, or you are the byproduct of indiscriminant messages—the sum of it all creates your brand—your perceived sense of self through the eyes of your surrounding community.
Strategic church branding is becoming more and more of a necessity. As our previous brand names: Baptist, Methodist, Assemblies of God, and the like, fall off of our churches, a new generation of branding is coming to light. That is, reaching people with the stories our denominations do not tell. Who speaks the language of the community the best? Who speaks to which segments? Who defines cultural relevance and spiritual value? How can we learn what the spirit of your church is from a distance? It is a branding issue. A good starting point: the communication you create yourself. What if you developed a deliberate brand overhaul?
Every church needs a branding strategy. It simply makes sense. It is a commitment to communicate with consistency, established values, and a clear knowledge of the target. It takes less effort to maintain when you reuse the same design and communication threads throughout all you do. It is smart. It is done by every legitimate corporation of our day.
So why don't more churches have a brand strategy? Why is it that 90% of the churches in the U.S. have logos and design styles that vary in everything they do—often representing the landscape of volunteer designers that have been burnt-out over time? I'll raise my hand to answer this one. It is because we do not know who we are and we do not know whom we are called to reach or how to reach them. When we do, branding becomes the natural outflow of our successful communication with those people.
Branding cannot cure our inability to connect with a certain audience. If we do not reach them with our music and message, we will not reach them by the repackaging of it. We have to resonate with people. When we do, it becomes the defining point of our brand.
This leads to the big problem with branding. Drum roll please…
if you are not strategic, then you are consistently un-strategic. In all you do, if you miss the mark, it is difficult and costly to recover. Branding, like anything else we do for God starts with prayer, vision, wise counsel, a passion for the lost, knowledge of who you are and whom you are called to reach. Without these things and proven success in reaching people, branding is often a stab in the dark that alienates more than engages.

Article by Richard Reising
Richard Reising is the author of ChurchMarketing 101: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth (Baker Books). Reising is a recognized authority on church marketing and branding and the founder and president of the Dallas-based Artistry Marketing Concepts, an organization that helps churches and ministries make wise use of marketing, design, and technology. He has helped hundreds of ministries in the United States and worldwide through speaking engagements and training seminars.

Interested in branding your church or business? visit us at www.order.wriser.info
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)