Off Topic: Addiction.

What drives a person to addiction can often be traced back to childhood and family history. I for one do not have any addictions but my mother,father, brother all were alcoholics. Being raised in an home like that I ended up marring a alcoholic. Because it was familiar subconsciously. In my wife case her drinking started at 13 as a result of sexual and physical abuse from her father. Until she dealt with that the drinking was impossible to stop. Happy to say that she is 13 years sober after 11 rehabs and extensive therapy. Today her quality of life is very good. I have met so many people struggling with addiction and all seam to have had traumatic experiences as children. This was also the case with my mother(raped as a child) My father(mother died when he was 3 and father was extremely abusive). My brother was abused by my father. Some how I escaped this fate. Traumatic events change the chemicals in the brain and how they respond to stimulants. Takes a lot of time to work through all the baggage to get to the real person inside.>>>

Prigz THE LOVELY MRS CIAK and I have been working on becoming more balanced in our nutrition . It is enlightening. With the current Health Care debate being one of( IMO ) smoke and mirrors . If you are healthy and do the right things through diet. Addictions are very rare . I'll include a couple of articles that may help. With a perfect machine, it is silly to haphazardly throw things at it and in it. http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12415194http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/weekly/20090831_Studying_ancient_man_to_learn_to_prevent_disease.html Which may present another set of questions . What is the diffence between Brocolli and snot. It is easier to get kids to eat snot.>>>

My first experience with Vancouver's Downtown East-side was in 1967 at an age of 13 when I was with my Mother and my oldest sister and her husband and we were looking for my older sister who was at that time on drugs and living the hippie life in Vancouver. It was overwhelming to come from a small town of 400 people to a place of swarming people who in a lot of cases were drunk, on drugs or mentaly ill.

Nothing has really changed in 40 years in this area. You can pass by a crowd of 200 street people and within 1 block be shopping in the richest area of downtown Vancouver. Something akin to having a bad rash in an area that most people can't see.

Compulsive behaviours is probably one of the main causes of most addictions. FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) and FAE (fetal alcohol effects) also have been a big contributor to this problem, both now and more so in the past. We are now starting to have to deal with "drug babies" who are now reaching the age where they again are going to repeat the cycle.

I've had personal experience in trying to help street people in the past 3 years and for most it is a lifestyle they crave. No responsibility and un-ending excitement counter balance the heartache most endure daily.>>>