A Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour is targeting drug and alcohol abuse in Tonga, an island nation near Samoa in the South Pacific.

In an interview with Radio Tonga News on the island of Tongatapu, Mathew Andrews, the leader of the South Pacific team, explained that the tour concentrates on providing services to address the precise problems that exist in the countries they visit. With drug and alcohol abuse among Tonga’s youth a critical...

Alcohol caused this!

Here's just some of the alcohol related violence and injuries I have seen so far this year in the emergency department:

* 24 Year old guy with ruptured spleen and broken back when he fell off a balcony * 15 year old girl who downed 3/4 bottle of vodka - intubated / ventilated & went to intensive care * 24 year old severe facial lacs from 'glassing' injuries to face * Aspiration pneumonia from inhaling own vomit - intensive care * broken legs / arms /...

People often misjudge what is an appropriate amount to drink. People who categorize themselves merely as social drinkers may in fact be heavy drinkers. People who think that perhaps they drink a little too much are in fact alcoholics. Part of this may be an unwillingness to admit to oneself how much they are drinking, but part of it is pure misconception.
A surefire symptom of alcoholism is frequent intoxication. When I say frequent I mean every day, maybe every other day. Other...

I remember growing up sweetening a glass of milk with strawberry flavored powder. How sweet it was. Today, drug pushers are adding the sweetness of this strawberry flavor to a powerful drug called methamphetamine. Drug dealers are using this concoction to target middle-school age children as their new market under the street name, "Strawberry Quick."

Street names for methamphetamine include: Speed, Meth, Ice, Crystal, Chalk, Crank, Tweak,...

A compulsive type of personality is easy to fall for a varied number of types of addictions without recognizing or even understanding what's going on with them. For those with a compulsive behavior, nothing can be destructive enough, all they see is their need for whatever they are addicted to.

The first step is to understand exactly what is an addiction and how not only what we know for hard drugs can be considered addictive substances. For the compulsive mind anything that...

How can you tell if your loved one is subjected to cocaine addiction? Is it just teenage behavior or school pressure that is making them act "strange"? It can be confusing to watch someone and be uncertain about their behavior.

There are certain physical manifestations one can look for when someone is involved with cocaine addiction but what of the behavior manifestations? One thing to realize is that anyone using drugs - even medical ones - is that the majority of...

If you’ve read self-help literature, you’ve probably heard about the “inner critic”—the mental voice that constantly tells you that you’re not good enough, and bombards you with memories of difficult events and visions of nightmarish possible futures. There are many schools of thought on how to deal with the critic, and most focus on developing more positive beliefs about oneself or using techniques to quiet one’s mind.

However, I...

Google the word Alcoholism and you will get 25,400,000 search results. Addiction of Alcohol and Symptoms of Anxiety Depression can reduce the toughest person to a babbling wreck. Anxiety of Alcoholic relapse is a real factor in your quest to remain sober. Stop anybody in the street and ask them what they associate with the word Alcoholism and the answers will more than...

Anorexia can cause serious health problems as the body struggles to cope with an absence of nourishment. The challenge of recovering from anorexia is learning to trust food again.

For anorexics, food is the enemy. Food equals fat. Food intake is something to control, monitor, and ration according to a strict plan. The anorexic equates feeling safe with controlling food and avoiding weight gain at any cost.

Most cases of anorexia go untreated unless diminished body...

In 2003, "Amylin," a young mother in rural Tennessee, was very addicted to methamphetamine. After she started manufacturing it at home to maintain her addiction, she lost custody of her children. The loss of her children drove her deeper into despair and more meth use which ended up resulting in a prison sentence and permanent damage to her heart. Because of meth, Amylin ended up losing everything, including her freedom, her children, her job, and her health. However, because...