PajMon Information Blog

Posts Tagged ‘kids and teens’

The established American habit of drinking water or soda from plastic bottles is also one of the causes of a tendency of many boys and young men to lose their drive and fail to grow up. Leonard Sax, MD, PhD, says the synthetic estrogens found in plastics additives has been emasculating our boys and pushing our girls into precocious puberty.

Five factors contribute to the increasing numbers of underachieving boys and men, according to Sax. One of these is the fact that boys and men are receiving synthetic estrogens as contaminants provided by plastic water and soda bottles, baby bottles, baby toys, and pacifiers. Sax identifies water and soda bottles with a recycling number of 1 as the most prevalent culprits. These items contain BPA and phthalates, synthetic estrogens for softening the plastic.

Scientists are aware that BPA and phthalates are environmental estrogens. But they don’t agree on how much is a harmful dose. The industry conducted animal studies looking for cancer. Acceptable limits are based on the dose causing cancer in those animal studies.

But Sax brings up another point: what is the effect on a male, taking estrogen? Bottled water became popular 10 or 15 years ago, and meanwhile the soft drink manufacturers switched from aluminum cans to plastic bottles. So in effect we are all part of a vast experiment on this question, of what is the effect of taking estrogen on a male. Aside from the cancer question, Sax suggests that it’s causing young males to lose motivation (and enter puberty later).

Four other factors and the plastics additives are combining to foster a group of men and boys who are not growing up, Sax says. He cites a study that found that, 25 years ago, only 8 percent of men between the ages of 35 and 40 had not ever married. In 2006, in contrast, 22 percent were in that category, and the number was still rising. (NYT, 8/6/06, “Facing Middle Age with No Degree and No Wife” by O’Donnell and Porter)

Sax cited more studies. One showed that the fraction of men under 35 still living at home has doubled over the past 30 years. Another showed that 36 percent of all babies born in the U.S. in 2004 were born to unmarried women. The statistic holds true for all demographic groups.

Congress is somewhat aware of the threat to our children. It directed the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban phthalates from children’s products as of August, 2009. This includes baby bottles and pacifiers.

However, the Food and Drug Administration controls food and drink and its containers. It has decided to believe 11 industry-funded studies showing that BPA is safe, in small amounts. But there are 104 independent studies that show it is a hazard, according to Catherine Zandonella, MPH, in the online magazine The Green Guide.

To be a savvy and safe consumer, look for a recycling number of 1, 3, or 7 on the bottoms of plastic bottles. If you see it, don’t use it. Especially, avoid beverages that were allowed to get warm in the plastic bottle, making it easier for the chemicals to seep out. (Acid in soda does this too.) Avoid warming food in plastic containers.

Sax identifies four other factors contributing to the epidemic of men who aren’t growing up:

* Requirements to sit still in kindergarten. Children these days are taught to read in kindergarten, at an age when most boys aren’t ready. So they begin to hate school.

* Video games

* Medications for ADHD

* No traditions for transition to manhood in our culture

Interested? You should take a look at Sax’s book. You’ll find it quite an eye-opener. I did.

The really worrying thing about teenage drug addiction and teenage alcoholism, is at how young an age the children of today are turning to drugs and alcohol. As a result, it’s not at all unusual to find kids of 12-13 in rehab receiving treatment for addiction.

Being a teenager is a confusing and difficult time. You’re generally trying to make sense of things, especially yourself, and your place in the world. Hormones that are all over the show, first real meaningful interactions with the opposite sex, and the general pressures of school life, make it hard.

The teenagers of today are also being exposed to far more, far earlier, because of the media and MTV type culture we now live in. Sex, drugs and alcohol are possibly not regarded as ‘out of bounds’ subjects as they were 15-20 years ago.

So with the natural experimentation that goes on anyway as a teenager, it’s not unusual to start experimenting with alcohol and drugs from 10-11 years of age. And without the maturity to handle that, it’s inevitably going to cause problems.

To pin the increase in teenage drug abuse and alcoholism down to any one point is impossible though. There are just too many variables at play.

With peer pressure added to the mix of being exposed to more at a much earlier age (not forgetting the experimentation that tends to go on anyway) – you definitely have a significant reason for the increase in teenage addiction. Peer pressure especially, which results in you doing loads of stupid stuff anyway, plays a huge role in influencing your behaviour at that age.

I possibly think too that the standard of parenting, is possibly not what it used to be and so also plays a significant role. These days both parents tend to work, hours worked are generally longer, you have more single parent families, divorce rates are higher – all this stuff is going to affect teenagers who then use alcohol and drugs to escape their emotional turmoil.

But I think one of the biggest reasons today for the escalating problem of teenage alcoholism, and especially teenage drug addiction, is the availability of alcohol and drugs. If you look especially at the kinds of drugs readily and easily available on the streets today, heroin and amphetamines being two of the worst, it doesn’t take long for kids to get addicted. And these are drugs that weren’t available as easily 15-20 years ago.

Getting on top of the fight against teen drug abuse and alcoholism is becoming more difficult. In reality, as a parent, there is only so much you can do. Providing a stable and loving family/home environment is your most important task. All you can then do, is hope that it will be enough.

Mostly know as a fun activity for children, trampolines have become popular with adults. With both children and adults using them, it is important that people pay attention to what they are buying. You want to make sure that they are safe to prevent injury.

To anchor the trampoline properly, holes that are 1 and a half feet deep should be dug. Concrete should be filled into the holes at a ratio of 1:2:4. Now put the ground anchors into it. Please make sure that the ratio is correct or it will be crooked.

While the conrete is still wet the anchors should be inserted. Ropes and chains can be used in addition to the anchors to secure the trampoline. Not only does this prevent any mishaps with the trampoline ut it makes sure that it can’t be damaged from winds or taken by a theif.

Leisure kingdom trampolines are well built with steel frames to help protect the frame from rain and dampness. The trampolines are made in the US with strict quality controls. This makes leisure kingdom one of the leading brands of trampolines.

Leisure kingdom trampolines are available in two shapes and a variety of sizes. The rectangular trampoline comes only in a standard size. The round shaped trampolines come in different sized diameters ranging in a 3′ diameter up to a 15′ diameter.

One of the most important things is the protection of these trampolines during harsh climatic conditions especially during winters. One way to protect the trampoline is by buying a trampoline cover to fit securely over the top of it, while not in use. Leisure kingdom protection covers are available for the 12′ or 14′ round variants.

If you don’t have the backyard or you are restricted for space the parkside trampolines are portable ones with that have a much lesser bouncing affects. These trampolines can be stored indoors and can also be used during the winter months.

Inflatable trampoline water is another kind of trampoline that is inflated with air pump. Inflatable trampoline water doesnat require any anchor as it has a well built air tube all-around it. It also gives a better bouncing affect than the parkside trampolines.

It is a scary thing to know that you have bipolar. But don’t worry because bipolar today is treatable. There have been major breakthroughs in the field of bipolar treatment. There is usually a combination of drug therapy and psychotherapy for this.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?

Manic highs and depressive lows are what make up bipolar disorder. These are usually the characters of it. There is also a period of normality between both these extremes.

Mania

In the manic phase, you may be extremely high energy, feeling very “up”, as though your brain and body were suddenly put on high speed. Your thoughts and movements are very, very quick. This can be very pleasant, and high energy, but it can also be very damaging. People in the manic phase can be very irritable with the people they love, and can do very compulsive things without thinking about it. For example, they may spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars they don’t have, simply because they “want something”, may take drugs or engage in risky behavior like promiscuous sexual behavior, and so on.

Depression Phase

Like almost everything else, bipolar disorder also has its lows or opposites. This is a time of depression. Here there are excessive feelings of depression, low self-esteem, the inability to feel any of the pleasures of life and fatigue. The symptoms of depression here can be triggered by the guilty feelings of what you may have done in your manic state.

Bipolar Disorder Types

There are different levels or types of bipolar. There are some who go through the phases of mania and depression very quickly while others go through it pretty slowly. The ones who go through the phases fast are constantly going up and down. From personal relationships to work life, these severe mood swings can impact life in a negative way.

Noticing Warning Signs

Do you know someone who is suddenly having trouble sleeping? For no apparent reason, the also have a lot of excess energy? Be careful because this may be the start of the manic phase. Its important that you go straight away to the doctors to get a diagnosis. Failing to do so would make give you more troubles in the long run. It is better to treat bipolar in the early stages because without doing so, it can cause symptoms to get worse and even the high probability of psychosis.

Early Diagnosis and Treatment

Its of great importance that you take care of the problem before it gets any worse. This is because the depressive phase can be bad for the sufferer while the manic state can have effects on people around the person with bipolar.

It affects family because the very distinct mood swings would affect any relationship. In addition to that, the mania associated with this disorder can cause irresponsible behavior that would have lasting consequences. For example, excessive shopping, reckless driving and other activities that can cause financial difficulties.

Help – Don’t Be Afraid to Get It

Don’t be afraid to get help for yourself or someone else you know if you suspect bipolar symptoms. Its a fact that there is a stigma associated with this disorder, but ignoring it will only make it worse in the long run. Getting help would make it better for you in time.