Back when Ally McBeal was the hottest show on television many wondered if Calista Flockhart would soon be checking herself into an anorexia treatment facility.

Many anorexia rumors were flying around during her time on the show.  Calista played a ditzy lawyer and her incredibly thin figure was the root of much gossip.  She always insisted however that she never had an eating disorder and actually had never even dieted.

“I have honestly never dieted in my life.  my parents and friends tell me that I have always looked the same since high school.  But during Ally Mcbeal, when we were filming and working so hard, I became stressed and did not eat as much as I should.” said Calista.

She also says that she hated all of the negative attention that was put on her body.  She really is puzzled to this day as to what actually happened to her body during that period of her life and why she got so thin.

Calista wasn’t the only one who became rail thin on the show.  Other co-stars such as Portia De Rossi and Courtney Thorne-Smith also seemed to be losing weight at a tremendous rate during their time on Ally McBeal.

Popularity: 8% [?]

A new treatment for alcoholism has been discovered in the form of a drug currently being used to curb smoking known as Varenicline. The drug, currently marketed by Pfizer, is also known as Chantix.

Research has shown that not only will Varnicline curb smoking urges, but it can dramatically lower drinking by those suffering from alcoholism.  The drug originates from a cytosine compound which can be found in a Eurpean Labumum tree.  This compound combined with an alkaloid from the poppy plant makes up the synthetic drug Varenicline.

Scientists say the drug can have a dramatic effect of most people because nearly 85 percent of all alcoholics are also cigarette smokers.   With a dual addiction such as this one, Varenicline might just be the next wonder drug. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has already approved the drug for human use, so drug companies such as Pfizer are likely to be able to add the new indication very quickly.  Some of the other FDA approved drugs for alcoholism right now are Campral, Revia, and Antabuse.

How does the drug work?  The neuronal of the brain is disrupted by the drug.  Dopamine is prevented from releasing and reaching the receptors involved in arousal and attention.  This happens because Varenicline binds to certain acetycholine receptors.

Many health professionals believe that since alcoholism is a disease, it needs to be treated just like any other disease with treatments and cures.

Popularity: 4% [?]

There are many eating disorder residential programs out there to choose from, but which one will actually be the healthiest?

You can become addicted to dieting very quickly, which can lead to numerous health problems.  It today’s world, when one person loses some weight, everyone around that person wants to learn how they did it and try the same diet.  Unfortunately not everybody has enough determination and dedication to stay on the diet.  This results in sticking with the diet for a week or so and then returning back to normal eating habits.  Some people will start the new diet at the beginning of the week, but by the time Friday rolls around they are eating fast food hamburgers and french fries again.  This is known as Yoyo dieting.

One of the biggest dangers of Yoyo dieting is the constant weight changes.  Many organs in your body, such as the heart, are not designed to take on the amount of stress that frequent weight change brings.  Many health professionals will even recommend that is is healthier to be a few pounds overweight than to have your weight yoyo all the time. It is important for people to begin a diet to stick with it.

It is also very easy to become malnourished when frequently dieting because most diets require you to cut out certain foods.  Most of these foods that are being cut out contain essential vitamins and minerals for the human body.  Even normal fat is important for your body.

Another big concern with dieting is that the diet can eventually develop into an easting disorder.  You can become so obsessed with your appearance and weight that you become physically and psychologically addicted to losing weight, and eventually develop a disorder.

If you are considering going on a diet make sure to research  the best available options.  More importantly however, if you do plan on dieting try to stick by it and don’t fall into a routine of yoyo dieting.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Reports are coming in that Lindsay Lohan’s father is blaming his wife Dina for all of Lindsay’s current problems.  Michael Lohan, who has served a couple of prison sentences himself says that his wife’s drinking problem has played a direct role in their daughter’s recent troubles with the law, which include possession of cocaine, a dui, and the crashing of her car.

He believes that because of Dina’s  drinking problem, which often took place in front of Lindsay, Lindsay has been influenced so much that she started drinking and trying drugs on her own.  “I do not believe Dina should be drinking in front of our daughter.  If she continues to do this, I guarantee Lindsay will fall apart again.” he says.

Michael says that he battled his own addiction problems once upon a time, but he is now clean and sober.  Michael Lohan wishes his wife to be subjected to drug and alcohol testing, be says she has refused.  Michael now has to take drug and alcohol tests three times a week because he is on parole and works as a drug counselor with adolescents.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Psychiatrists at Harvard University have been studying and helping victims of trauma for over 25 years.  Most of the time the focus is placed on the wounds that last the longest that come directly from the trauma.  Trauma recovery is essential in ones healing of the disorder.

Emotional healing is similar to that of physical healing in that when violence or emotional wounds are  inflicted, both physical, social, psychological and spiritual responses are activated in the body.  Psychological healing is focused on the reconstruction on the persons world, and is often difficult for one to heal.

What individuals suffering from trauma usually fail to realize is that they can and will recover.  If they understand that one simple line of advice they can change their whole entire process of recovery and get better.  The individual can go from becoming completely hopeless to extremely optimistic.  Being positive is one of the key components in finding a cure.

Another study out of Australia reveals that trauma patients who are given compensation for their condition seem to recovery at a slower rate than those who are not given compensation.  It hasn’t been determined as to why this may be happening but researchers do feel their is a definite relationship.

Popularity: 3% [?]

New studies are showing that contractors for the U.S. government are returning from Iraq with some of the same combat-related mental health problems that most of the soldiers are experiencing. These contractors are then forced to seek help from a PTSD treatment center on their own.

Currently there are more than 125,000 contractors working for the U.S. government in Iraq.  While although most of them are working alongside soldiers, they don’t receive the same benefits as the military does when returning to the states.  They aren’t eligible for treatment in the VA (Veterans Affair) or other military healthcare systems.

The resulting consequence is that contractors who have mental illnesses such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) are not properly diagnosed and treated. Furthermore, the United States government has not investigated the war’s toll on these contractors.

More PTSD treatment centers have started opening their doors to United States contractors who have been working in the Iraq war.   Hopefully the Pentagon and VA will look further into the matter and start providing contractor with the help they deserve.

Popularity: 4% [?]

An anorexia nervosa treatment center has helped Chloe Lattanzi, Olivia Newton John’s daugher, battle and overcome the dangerous disease.

For two years of her life the 21 year battled anorexia.  On Saturday Lattanzi told Entertainment Tonight that she has finally come out of the disease and that she suffered severe memory loss so she couldn’t remember when she began starving herself.

Although Lattanzi can’t remember exactly when the disease started, she is sure happy that it has ended.  She says that she is at the very first point in her life where she finally feels ok to talk about it.  There was a long period where she was in denial and thought that nothing could go wrong.

Olivia Newton John also revealed that it was a hard time for the family who had recently fought breast cancer.

Lattanzi has recorded a song about her battle with anorexia that can be heard on her upcoming album.

Popularity: 4% [?]

One thing that most patients at a bulimia clinic have in common is that they at one point have kept the disease a secret from others.

Several studies have been done that do actually show that out of all eating disorders, bulimia is the the one that is kept a secret the most often.  Sometimes the individual with the disease can keep it hidden for years.  In some cases, bulimia can last for up to 20 years or longer.

Bulimia can be very difficult to diagnose because of it’s secretive nature.  Many will develop some of the first symptoms of bulimia when they are a teenager or young adult.  Since the disease is so easy to hide, most of these individuals will not show the signs of bulimia until much later in their life.

Unlike anorexia, the signs and side effects of bulimia are not always going to be physically present.  Even though an individual has bulimia, they are usually able to maintain a healthy weight.  This of course usually does not set off any warnings.

If you are suffering from bulimia, it is important that you get help from a bulimia clinic so you don’t do permanent damage to your health.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Not only is bulimia a deadly eating disorder, it is also a very severe psychological disorder.  Before you find a bulimia program that works for you it’s important to know what bulimia is and how you can overcome it.

Bulimia is the act of binging and purging.  It is one of the hardest things you will ever have to overcome, and can be as difficult as any severe addiction.  The healthiest and safest way to conquer the disease is by find a bulimia program that will work for you.

You first will to understand why bulimia is so bad for you and what negative consequences it can have on your body and your life.

- Bulimia changes your self image and makes you feel bad about yourself all the time.

- During binging and purging you end up wasting a lot of food and money.

- Makes you feel like you have lost control of yourself and who you are.

- After binging and purging you will feel sadness and hatred towards yourself.

- Your overall outlook on life keeps getting worse and worse.

If you are fighting bulimia try to read the above list often and remember why you are trying to beat the disease.

Once you are successful in overcoming bulimia you will be able to feel good and confident in yourself again.

Try to keep the following things in mind.

- Your body will now be healthier.

- An increased self esteem.

- You will no longer have to lie to your loved ones and keep secrets.

- You will be able to save money and food.

- You will now have more time to spend with your friends and family.

If you or a loved one is seeking a bulimia program please make sure that you get the help you deserve.

Popularity: 3% [?]

A new methadone program in Utah strives to change lives and help addicts.  Men and women wait in line each day to get their daily dose of methadone in order to stave off the severe symptoms of opiate drug withdrawal.

In the state of Utah, more than 2,700 individuals take part in this program by registering with a opiate treatment center approved to dispense methadone.  The most common of the drugs people are addicted to are heroin, OxyContin, Lortab, morphine and codeine.

The number of people addicted to opiates is on the rise according to Victoria Delheimer who is an opiate expert in the state of Utah.  Methadone has saved thousands of lifes, and it really is unfortunate that the public perceives it in the wrong way says Dr. Charles Walton.

With the right dosage, methadone will suppress withdrawal for around 24 – 36 hours.  This dosage will not make the user feel high, it will just make them feel normal and more able to focus their energy on beating the addiction.

If you or a loved one suffers from opiate addiction, please get the help you deserve by contacting an opiate treatment center today.

Popularity: 3% [?]