Explore Posterous

This might become an issue. I come out of blogging hiatus and have my second bejeweled related story. And for good reason...

I do believe I'm suffering from bejeweled addiction. I shit you not, I close my eyes and I see gem patterns and the means of creating combos and cascades.

But I digress...

gamingbits.com has a brief info write up and trailer for the soon to be released Square-Enix title "Gyromancer".  Worth checking out if you're a casual fan, or plagued with the sickness like myself. I was a fan of Puzzle Quest when it came out, but haven't touched a Puzzle-RPG in quite some time. This stands to change very soon if I can find the means of giving up the Bejeweled: Blitz for a while.

Look for Gyromancer on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PC Wednesday, 11.18.2009.

I have no doubts that this is a vital service, and that we should have these all over the country.

Acupuncture has proven to be helpful in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. Acupuncture can assist in the detoxification process by easing the pain of detox as well as help repair physiological damage due to long term drug and alcohol abuse. Chronic abuse of drugs and alcohol can deplete the body of its natural endorphins. Endorphins are the body's feel-good hormone and help the body to manage daily pain and stress. Auricular Acupuncture, the manipulation of the outer ear via needling, cauterizing, massaging or electrical stimulation has proven to increase the body's natural production of endorphins and aid in the alcohol addiction recovery process.

There is historical documentation that auricular treatments were used to treat health conditionsin ancient China and Egypt.

Medical documentation from 17th century and 18th century Europe lists cauterizing the ear as a viable treatment for sciatica and sexual dysfunctions. While there is historical evidence that auricular acupuncture was used to treat various conditions the techniques were not systematized until a French physician by the name of Dr. Paul Nogier in the early 1950s made an interesting observation. Dr. Paul Nogier noticed a number of his patients had a portion of their ear cauterized by a local healer to treat sciatic pain.

This treatment had proven effective and this curiosity fueled the beginnings of Dr Nogier's empirical research into the field of Auriculomedicine.

Dr. Nogier developed his theories and published a book entitled, "The Man in the Ear" where he described the somatotropic relationship between the shape of the ear and the body. Dr. Nogier's somatopic mappings of the homunculus, the man in the ear, an inverted representation of a fetus found in the shape of the outer ear which correlates perfectly with the human body.

In February of 1956 Nogier attended the Mediterranean Society of Acupuncture and his work was republished, translated and spread across continents. Nogier's reflex system was spread throughout the Japanese acupuncturist community and was recognized by the Chinese medical authorities. Nogier's work was so respected in China that the Chinese Government awarded him the formal title of "Father of Modern Auricular Therapy". Years later an American doctor, TD Oleson, tested Nogier's work in a clinical experiment. Patients were draped with a sheet, attending physicians had no prior knowledge of patient's medical condition and in 75.2% of these cases the patient was accurately diagnosis by an examination of the ear alone.

Today Auricular Acupuncture has been known to significantly relieve the symptoms of withdrawal from opiates, alcohol and tobacco. Auricular Acupuncture has proven an effective auxiliary treatment for other addictions such as gambling, sex and food addictions. Auricular Acupuncture is reported to increase the production of the body'snatural opioid and hormones. Treatment with auricular acupuncture can be used to alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal as well as manage pain and discomfort in order to heal the body and maintain recovery.

While using the old practice of acupuncture for the treatment of drug addiction may be a relatively new concept, there are rehabilitation facilities in the United States which claim that it is a very effective form of treatment. With so many stories of successful recovery, acupuncture could well be the preferable form of treatment for those who are struggling with drug addiction. It can give new hope to those who have not been able to overcome their addiction problems.

Auricular acupuncture is the specific type of acupuncture which is now being used in drug addiction treatment. This particular type of acupuncture involves the placement of acupuncture needles in the ears. The points where the needles are placed are believed to correspond with the lungs, liver, and kidneys. As these organs are largely responsible for retaining or eliminating toxicity from the body, auricular acupuncture is believed to greatly aid in detoxification. Auricular acupuncture is also said to reduce the withdrawal symptoms generally associated with detoxification. When this is successful, it makes detox much easier and not as uncomfortable for the person who is experiencing it.

When auricular acupuncture is utilized in drug addiction treatment, it must be stressed that it is only one part of treatment. There are other parts of treatment, both during and after, which are necessary for drug addiction treatment to be successful.

Detoxifying the body and relieving withdrawal symptoms are important components in treatment, but there are others that are also essential. First, rehabilitation facilities which use auricular acupuncture may state that this form of alternative medicine is a matter of holistic medicine. Holistic medicine means that the focus is on the individual person’s entire state of health. The purpose is to return the person’s body, mind, and the spirit, all to their optimum state of health. The better a person’s overall state of health, the less likely he will be to return to using drugs. In addition to the acupuncture, he may benefit from massage therapy, learning how to practice yoga, and similar activities.

Rehabilitation facilities which practice auricular acupuncture for drug addiction treatment also recommend follow-up activities. Participation in the popular 12-Step Programs is one example. Keeping the individual in good health, and minimizing his risk of relapsing, can work if the person is willing to take the follow-up activities seriously.

Using auricular acupuncture for drug addiction treatment first began in Hong Kong in 1972. The practice came to the United States shortly thereafter. The first hospital in the United States to practice this form of treatment for drug and alcohol problems was New York City’s Lincoln Hospital. While acupuncture has been a traditional form of alternative medicine in China for many centuries, it has only been used in the United States as a treatment for drug addiction during the last few decades. As more and more rehabilitation facilities have elected to use this form of treatment, it can be seen as a positive step in the treatment of drug addiction. It can give people the chance to have healthy lives without drugs.