Check out the Children of Bodom video for “Everytime I Die”
Duration : 0:4:24
Mar
11
Mar
11
Life with Adoption as told by those who lived it.. the Mothers of adoption loss speak out. Spanning over a 40 year period, we see that the more adoption has appeared to change the more it has stayed the same – still separating babies from capable, loving mothers.. and causing much destruction in it’s wake. An Origins-USA.org production.
Duration : 0:7:55
Mar
11
Bipolar Disorder can now be diagnosed in children, due to the advances in medicine today. It was thought before that the disorder only started from as early as adolescence to adults. Identifications tests are now being used to detect this disorder in childhood, which means that treatment can begin at an earlier age.
A child that is diagnosed early has a much better chance of getting treatment for their symptoms. They are able to get help to cope with the problems of the illness, so that stability can be achieved and realise when they are as well as they can be. As they get older they will be more self aware of their disorder and be more well adjusted as adults. The right treatment will enable them to lead a normal life as their illness is controlled.
Those children already diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in the United States have been found to be significantly more likely to develop the disorder. There are children and adolescents who already suffer from relapsing bouts of depression, which could indicate early signs of bipolar disorder, although they have not experienced a manic episode yet.
If more studies are conducted in medicine, the more we would be able to identify how common this disorder is surfacing amongst the younger generation.
The characteristics of the mental illness of Bipolar disorder is by depressive episodes and mania (or extreme euphoria). There are variations to this order in children compared with that of adults. Children will generally alter in mood constantly with rapid cycles of depression and mania. These rapid mood cycles give rise to ongoing irritability, with periods inbetween where they will feel well.
Bipolar Disorder is diagnosed in adults by using DSM-IV criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV). It is difficult to use this to diagnose children as detailed criteria has been established yet.
Children who are diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder are commonly found to have the following behaviour patterns:
1. overanxious at being apart from family even during a short time
2. apathy, depression, passiveness
3. problems with authority
4. wetting the bed
5. craving for carbohydrates and sweet things
6. experiencing delusions and hallucinations
7. insomnia
8. irritability
9. a fast change of mood over a few hours or days
10. a temper that is destructive extensively
11. grandiose ideas
12. night fears, ranting
13. inappropriate sexual behaviour
14. very talkative with fanciful ideas
Whilst a child is an infant, signs of the disorder are recogniseable. Once a child is later diagnosed, parents have cited behaviour which has been erratic such as unusual clinginess and far reaching tantrums like seizures.
Children or Paediatric Bipolar Syndrome is classified into four sections just like the adults: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymia, and Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.
A patient with Bipolar I has episodes of serious depression and pychotic manic episodes which switch from one to the other.
A patient with Bipolar II switches from periods of hypomania to episodes of depression. A person can be highly creative with hypomania. With hypomania a person can feel more elated or quite irritable, and also they find that they have more mental energy as well as physical.
Cyclothymia is a milder mood disorder where there are recurrent mood disturbances.
The last is Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified is where a doctor is unable to classify a disorder under any of the three as mentioned before classifications. A person experiences mood swings like a manic depressive but there are also other symptoms which cannot be categorised as either Bipolar I, Bipolar II or Cyclothymia.
If a child is going through a worrying time, and their welfare becomes a concern, the parents will want to seek professional help. This is necessary particularly if a child starts to talk about suicide. A doctor will refer your child to a psychiatrist, and this can be done as an emergency case if necessary, so the disorder can be dealt with and treated immediately.
It is a good idea for any adult who has children and suspect they may have some kind of disorder, to note their behaviour in a diary, for example, to keep a record of how the child behaves, their speech, any strange activity and their sleep patterns. This is important and will help any doctor to evaluate your child and prescribe the correct treatment. Your observations could help with a quick diagnosis.
Your child can be helped with the right course of medication, psychotherapy to include the child and family, awareness of the disorder, a good diet for nutrition, noting the symptoms and behaviour, daily exercise which aids in getting good sleep and coping mechanisms for stress.
By the parents and medical professionals working together, the best care can be given in treating your child. With the family getting involved throughout the treatment plan, this will help the children immensely. They are reassured that you as parents are by their side with all the love and support you can give, which will lessen recurring episodes, the incidences and the intensity of any symptoms by recognising them before they get any worse by knowing what plan of action to take. Community help is also available to help the individual and family with extra support.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/mental-health-articles/14-symptoms-of-bipolar-disorder-in-children-how-to-cope-with-it-739494.html
Mar
11
Simply put, Public Adoption is when a public adoption agency or government arranges an adoption. Adoptions were arranged like this in the past. These days, most couples adopt using private adoption agencies, especially if they are looking for a child overseas. There are fewer choices available in public adoption, which usually focus primarily on the children’s safety and welfare. The main priority is to find ideal parents for the child, rather than looking for the perfect child for the couple adopting. In public adoption, it is the agency who take over the whole process of choosing, and parents do not get much of a look in or given enough options.
In the public adoption process, prospective parents still need to meet the basic requirements during their screening, to be approved and deemed acceptable. This is regardless of where the public adoption is taking place. An information session is set up for them to attend, so that all the relevant information which is very important can be collated. This is required for the public domestic adoption process as the parents who are to adopt must pass the complete police clearance and medical reports on their health. They will also need to attend the adoption classes so as to complete a full family and social history, as this is all vital information which is needed to build up a portfolio of the couple. Personal references should also be provided which gives a good character reference. An adoption practitioner is also assigned to the adopting parents so that a home study can be carried out. Once they have met all the requirements, a child can then be placed with them in their home. There is, however, a probationary period in the public adoption, for the placement of the child. Follow-up visits by the adoption practitioner are made for continual assessment during this period. Once the probation period is over, the parents must then submit a post-placement report to the relevant parents in charge of the adoption. Once all the requirements have been met and everything is found to be in order, an adoption order from is given to the adoptive parents.
Usually, there is no charge for adopting through a public agency. The entire process for a public adoption can be quite a lengthy process which a couple must be prepared for. It also depends on what the adoptive parents are looking for a child so if they are not too choosy, the time it takes to adopt can improve somewhat. It can take up to a year and sometimes more to complete the home study along with the information sessions. All this depends on what the parents who are adopting are looking for in a child – if they are wanting a newborn child that is healthy, there is a minimum wait of about eight years. Newborns are few and far between. There are many children with special needs so an immediate placement can usually be found.
There are a lot of advantages to a public adoption, as usually there is no cost involved with a public agency. Those who are eager to adopt, and willing to adopt a child with special needs, find that the time it takes for the whole process is very short and more favourable. Another advantage in public adoption is that the mother is more likely to have given up their child with good reason and not look back on that decision. Most of these children given up for public adoption are looked after by the state as they have been subject to abuse, neglect or even abandoned. Their parents may have been declared unfit and the child taken into care for their own welfare and safety.
The disadvantages of public adoption are the restrictions that are imposed and the rules regarding child placement, the types of children that are available and the wait involved, and also it depends on what the adoptive parents are looking for in a child. They usually have a picture of their ideal child.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/public-adoption-all-facts-revealed-740303.html
Mar
10
What causes common cold? Many believe that hundreds of cold viruses cause infection in the upper respiratory system which in turn brings about common cold. Likely casualties of the infection are noses, throats and ears. Although the most common of these viruses has been identified and known as rhinovirus, the sheer number of cold viruses has made it difficult to find the one dose or vaccination that can effectively prevent or arrest cold. The natural immune system of the human body, harnessing the full force of its white cells, is still the best anti-dote for common cold.
Persons infected by cold viruses scatter the disease when they cough or sneeze. Coughing or sneezing causes the infected person to splutter saliva and sticky liquid called mucus. This liquid contains the virus. When microscopic amounts of the liquid contaminate the surroundings, such as the air or personal items like towels or handkerchiefs, people who come into contact with them become vulnerable to the infection. The virus gets transmitted through the air we breath or through our unclean hands when we touch our noses.
While the act of coughing and sneezing gives rise to the viral contagion, it is also the same process by which persons afflicted with cold prevent the virus from infecting the other parts of the body. The concentration of the cold virus inside the nose and the hostile reaction of the white cells create irritating sensations that prompt the nerves to summon a sudden blast of air from the lungs, sweeping the virus out of the way.
But cold viruses are tenacious. Although of infinitesimal sizes and invisible to the naked eye, they are equipped with mooring contraptions which aid them to fasten themselves onto the interior parts of the nose. They then begin to overpower the cells along the lining of the nose, making it possible for them to multiply even more. The viral assault prompts our white cells to react and fight, often emerging victorious in a week of deadly scuffle.
This explains why after several days we feel relieved from common cold even without medication. Our anti-bodies are hard at work in our defense. Common cold is rather of greater concern to children, whose immune systems are less developed than those of adults. Cold sends children to the doctor more than any other illness does. Research data reveal that a child contracts the cold virus more or less eight times per year, with each infection lasting up to an average of seven days.
It takes three or two days for the symptoms of the disease to emerge when the cold virus infects children. The afflicted child becomes bad-tempered; he or she complains of various discomforts and pain such as sore throat, headache, muscle pain, among many others. He or she feels weak and physically drained. The child often coughs and sneezes, develops runny nose or gets the nasal cavities congested. In some cases cold in children can cause fever and body chills. As cold viruses have definite life cycles, drugs are hardly effective in speeding up the process of a child’s recovery from cold virus infection. But medicines can help arrest further spread of the virus and make the child feel more comfortable.
Although cold is common, children would do well not to take medicine without proper advice. Parents need to be guided by what the doctor prescribes and to oversee the dosage and drugs to be taken by their children. Decongestants ease the irritation and swelling of the nose lining, making it easier for children to breathe. Antihistamines slows down mucus and helps to control sneezing and runny nose. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen can be taken when the child feels severe heachache and muscle pain.
Aside from medication, food and other forms of treatment can help the child recover quickly from cold. Hot food and drinks help ease throat irritation and coughs. Chicken soup in particular has been known for generations to be effective in providing relief from common cold. Hot showers can freshen stuffy nose. Heat from whatever source induces nasal mucus to dry up. Humidifiers work to loosen the mucus too and ease the irritation brought about by itchy eyes, scratchy and stuffy throats.
Children also need to blow air from the nose frequently to get the mucus out of their body. Using disposable tissues rather than handkerchiefs is better for nose blowing. Above all, total bed rest for one or two days is recommended for children hit by the cold virus.
It takes proper nutrition, physical fitness through exercise, adequate sleep and other practices of healthly living to hasten the full development of the immune system. It still is the child’s best defense against common cold.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/babies-articles/common-cold-in-children-how-to-deal-with-it-740021.html
Mar
10
Adoption Photo Listing is where an adoption agency, or even Social Services who deal with adoption, post pictures along with information about children up for adoption on the internet. This is a popular practice used in most counties and internationally which improves the chances of a child to find a family. The United States have about 100,000 children in foster care and all over the world there are many more in their thousands who live in children’s homes, orphanages or in temporary care. All those children who are up for adoption and need a home are pictured on Adoption Photo Listings. Most children are over seven years old, and the majority are older than that and come with special needs. These children come with problems – emotional, mental and some have or include having learning disabilities. There are also children with physical disabilities. Many sibling groups will wish to be kept together, so it is better to do your homework and find out more about a child or children before you decide to adopt.
If you are interested in a child you can then request further information about them. It was in 1994 that Adoption Photo Listing started and since than more than 8,000 children have been pictured. On the internet, over two million hits a month have been received by the Adoption Photo list. People who have even the slightest interest in adopting can view the listings, which has been powerful at attracting people. They can browse and read about these children who need a loving, stable environment and parents to care for them. Most people have a fair idea of how many children worldwide who are in need of a home but that is just a number based on statistics. By reading about a child and having a picture in front of them gives a couple something they can visualise. They can find about a child’s date of birth, their nationality and background, their likes/dislikes and where they come from.
Adoption Photo Listing benefits a child up for adoption greatly, as it gives them more of a chance to find parents who can adopt them. Having their picture and information available for those who want to adopt, allows potential parents to learn about the children. As websites are usually updated, they can also keep an update on how a child is doing physically and emotionally and to view more recent pictures as written information with updates is not much to go on.
Adoption Photo Listing doesn’t just list children available for adoption, it also has pictures of those prospective parents who wish to adopt. They have all been previously assessed and screened by Social Services and deemed suitable according to requirements. Some couples or families are unable to have children through one health problem or another, and so wish to adopt. The information about them include pictures, whether they are married or not and any other children they may have, biologically their own or adopted. It also includes their pastimes and where they live with information about their reasons for wanting to adopt, and the fact that they would like to be considered.
Adoption Photo Listings have done much to help many children to find new parents to adopt them and also those seeking to adopt.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/adoption-photo-listing-how-to-derive-maximum-benefit-from-it-740297.html
Mar
10
Some of the biggest names in UK and American music have joined forces to record an emotive cover of the REM classic ‘Everybody Hurts’, to raise money for charities supporting the relief efforts in Haiti. The line up of featured artists is; Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Jon Bon Jovi, Robbie Williams, Kylie, Rod Stewart, Alexandra Burke, Miley Cyrus, Take That, Joe McElderry, Cheryl Cole, JLS, Mika, Michael Bublé, James Blunt, James Morrison, Susan Boyle, and Westlife.
The single will be released for download on 7th February and the CD will be released on 8th February.
Duration : 0:5:39
Mar
10
From Album [Beautiful field]
Our journey put to song
Mar
9
This September, charity: water turns 3 years old.
In just three years, we’ve raised more than $10 million through over 60,000 donors and helped more than 700,000 people in 16 countries get access to clean and safe drinking water. We’re just getting started.
This September, we need your help to serve a million people and then keep going.
Were you born in September? Give up your birthday and ask for your age in dollars.
Not born in September? Run, walk, swim, dance or just be creative.
Sign up now at borninseptember.org
Video Credits
Shooting / Editing: Paul Pryor @ http://pryorfilm.com/
Animation: Viktoria Alexeeva @ charitywater.org
Music: The Rumor Mill, This Will Destroy You, Gilbert Ott & Alexander Howard
twitter: @charitywater
web: charitywater.org
Duration : 0:4:20