text:
Category Archives: Addiction
Career to the ground: A brief overview of our recent papers on workaholism
Following my recent blogs where I outlined some of the papers that my colleagues and I have published on mindfulness, Internet addiction, gaming addiction, sex addiction, responsible gambling, shopping addiction, exercise addiction, and youth gambling, here is a round-up of papers that my colleagues and I have published on workaholism and work addiction over the last few years.
Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D., Hetland, J. & Pallesen, S. (2012). Development of a Work Addiction Scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 53, 265-272.
- Research into excessive work has gained increasing attention over the last 20 years. Terms such as "workaholism,""work addiction" and "excessive work" have been used interchangeably. Given the increase in empirical research, this study presents the development of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS), a new psychometrically validated scale for the assessment of work addiction. A pool of 14 items, with two reflecting each of seven core elements of addiction (i.e., salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse, and problems) was initially constructed. The items were then administered to two samples, one recruited by a web survey following a television broadcast about workaholism (n=11,769) and one comprising participants in the second wave of a longitudinal internet-based survey about working life (n=368). The items with the highest corrected item-total correlation from within each of the seven addiction elements were retained in the final scale. The assumed one-factor solution of the refined seven-item scale was acceptable (root mean square error of approximation=0.077, Comparative Fit Index=0.96, Tucker-Lewis Index=0.95) and the internal reliability of the two samples were 0.84 and 0.80, respectively. The scores of the BWAS converged with scores on other workaholism scales, except for a Work Enjoyment subscale. A suggested cut-off for categorization of workaholics showed good discriminative ability in terms of working hours, leadership position, and subjective health complaints. It is concluded that the BWAS has good psychometric properties.
Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D., Hetland, J., Kravina, L., Jensen, F., & Pallesen, S. (2014). The prevalence of workaholism: A survey study in a nationally representative sample of Norwegian employees. PLoS ONE, 9(8): e102446. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102446.
- Workaholism has become an increasingly popular area for empirical study. However, most studies examining the prevalence of workaholism have used non-representative samples and measures with poorly defined cut-off scores. To overcome these methodological limitations, a nationally representative survey among employees in Norway (N = 1,124) was conducted. Questions relating to gender, age, marital status, caretaker responsibility for children, percentage of full-time equivalent, and educational level were asked. Workaholism was assessed by the use of a psychometrically validated instrument (i.e., Bergen Work Addiction Scale). Personality was assessed using the Mini-International Personality Item Pool. Results showed that the prevalence of workaholism was 8.3% (95% CI= 6.7–9.9%). An adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that workaholism was negatively related to age and positively related to the personality dimensions agreeableness, neuroticism, and intellect/imagination. Implications for these findings are discussed.
Quinones, C. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). Addiction to work: recommendations for assessment. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 10, 48-59.
- Workaholism was first conceptualized in the early 1970s as a behavioral addiction, featuring compulsive use and interpersonal conflict. The current article briefly examines the empirical and theoretical literature over the past four decades. In relation to conceptualization and measurement, how the concept of workaholism has worsened from using dimensions based on anecdotal evidence, ad-hoc measures with weak theoretical foundation, and poor factorial validity of multidimensional conceptualizations is highlighted. Benefits of building on the addiction literature to conceptualize workaholism are presented (including the only instrument that has used core addiction criteria: the Bergen Work Addiction Scale). Problems estimating accurate prevalence estimates of work addiction are also presented. Individual and sociocultural risk factors, and the negative consequences of workaholism from the addiction perspective (e.g., depression, burnout, poor health, life dissatisfaction, family/relationship problems) are discussed. The current article summarizes how current research can be used to evaluate workaholism by psychiatric–mental health nurses in clinical practice, including primary care and mental health settings.
Karanika-Murray, M., Pontes, H.M., Griffiths, M.D. & Biron, C. (2015). Sickness presenteeism determines job satisfaction via affective-motivational states. Social Science and Medicine, 139, 100-106.
- Introduction: Research on the consequences of sickness presenteeism, or the phenomenon of attending work whilst ill, has focused predominantly on identifying its economic, health, and absenteeism outcomes, in the process neglecting important attitudinal-motivational outcomes. Purpose: A mediation model of sickness presenteeism as a determinant of job satisfaction via affective-motivational states (specifically engagement with work and addiction to work) is proposed. This model adds to the current literature, by focussing on (i) job satisfaction as an outcome of presenteeism, and (ii) the psychological processes associated with this. It posits sickness presenteeism as psychological absence and work engagement and work addiction as motivational states that originate in that. Methods: An online survey on sickness presenteeism, work engagement, work addiction, and job satisfaction was completed by 158 office workers. Results: The results of bootstrapped mediation analysis with observable variables supported the model. Sickness presenteeism was negatively associated with job satisfaction. This relationship was fully mediated by both engagement with work and addiction to work, explaining a total of 48.07% of the variance in job satisfaction. Despite the small sample, the data provide preliminary support for the model. Conclusions: Given that there is currently no available research on the attitudinal consequences of sickness presenteeism, these findings offer promise for advancing theorising in this area.
Quinones, C., Griffiths, M.D. & Kakabadse, N. (2016). Compulsive Internet use and workaholism: An exploratory two-wave longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 60, 492-499.
- Workaholism refers to the uncontrollable need to work and comprises working compulsively (WC) and working excessively (WE). Compulsive Internet Use (CIU), involves a similar behavioural pattern although in specific relation to Internet use. Since many occupations rely upon use of the Internet, and the lines between home and the workplace have become increasingly blurred, a self-reinforcing pattern of workaholism and CIU could develop from those vulnerable to one or the other. The present study explored the relationship between these compulsive behaviours utilizing a two-wave longitudinal study over six months. A total of 244 participants who used the Internet as part of their occupational role and were in full-time employment completed the online survey at each wave. This survey contained previously validated measures of each variable. Data were analysed using cross-lagged analysis. Results indicated that Internet usage and CIU were reciprocally related, supporting the existence of tolerance in CIU. It was also found that CIU at Time 1 predicted WC at Time 2 and that WE was unrelated to CIU. It is concluded that a masking mechanism appears a sensible explanation for the findings. Although further studies are needed, these findings encourage a more holistic evaluation and treatment of compulsive behaviours.
Orosz, G., Dombi, E., Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D. & Demetrovics, Z. (2016). Analyzing models of work addiction: Single factor and bi-factor models of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, in press.
- Work addiction ('workaholism') has become an increasingly studied topic in the behavioral addictions literature and had led to the development of a number of instruments to assess it. One such instrument is the Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS). However, the BWAS has never been investigated in Eastern-European countries. The goal of the present study was to examine the factor structure, the reliability and cut-off scores of the BWAS in a comprehensive Hungarian sample. This study is a direct extension of the original validation of BWAS by providing results on the basis of representative data and the development of appropriate cut-off scores. The study utilized an online questionnaire with a Hungarian representative sample including 500 respondents (F = 251; Mage = 35.05 years) who completed the BWAS. A series of confirmatory factor analyses were carried out leading to a short, 7-item first-order factor structure and a longer 14-item seven-factor nested structure. Despite the good validity of the longer version, its reliability was not as high as it could have been. One-fifth (20.6 %) of the Hungarians who used the internet at least weekly were categorized as work addicts using the BWAS. It is recommended that researchers use the original seven items from the Norwegian scale in order to facilitate and stimulate cross-national research on addiction to work.
Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D., Sinha, R., Hetland, J. & Pallesen, S. (2016). The relationships between workaholism and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE, 11(5): e0152978. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0152978.
- Despite the many number of workaholism studies, large-scale studies have been lacking. The present study utilized an open web-based cross-sectional survey assessing symptoms of psychiatric disorders and workaholism among 16,426 workers (Mage=37.3 years, SD=11.4, range=16-75 years). Participants were administered the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, the Obsession-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Bergen Work Addiction Scale, along with additional questions examining demographic and work-related variables. Analyses of variance revealed significant workaholism group differences in terms of age, marital status, education, professional position, work sector, occupation, and annual income. No gender differences were found, except in a logistic regression analysis, indicating that women had a greater risk than men of being categorized as workaholics. Correlations between all psychiatric symptoms and workaholism were significant and positively correlated. Workaholism comprised the dependent variable in a four-step linear multiple hierarchical regression analysis as well as in a logistic regression analysis. In the linear regression analysis demographics (age, gender, and marital status) explained 0.8% of the variance in workaholism. The mental health variables (ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression) explained between 1.9% and 11.9% of the variance. In an adjusted logistic regression analysis, all psychiatric symptoms were positively associated with workaholism. Although most effect sizes were relatively small, the study's findings expand our understanding of possible mental health predictors of workaholism, and sheds new light on the reality of adult ADHD in work life. The study's implications, strengths, and shortcomings are also discussed.
Dr. Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
Further reading
Griffiths, M.D. (2005). Workaholism is still a useful construct Addiction Research and Theory, 13, 97-100.
Griffiths, M.D. (2011). Workaholism: A 21st century addiction. The Psychologist: Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 24, 740-744.
Griffiths, M.D. & Karanika-Murray, M. (2012). Contextualising over-engagement in work: Towards a more global understanding of workaholism as an addiction. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 1(3), 87-95.
Karanika-Murray, M., Duncan, N., Pontes, H. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). Organizational identification, work engagement, and job satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30, 1019-1033.
Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths M.D. (2014). The treatment of workaholism with Meditation Awareness Training: A case study. Explore: Journal of Science and Healing, 10, 193-195.
Views news: A brief look at the 'Problem Series Watching Scale'
A few weeks ago I published the third of three articles on 'box set bingeing' (people like myself who sit and watch a whole television series at once either on DVD or on television catch-up services). Not long after writing the last article, a paper was published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions about the development of a new psychometric instrument that assesses problematic television series watching – the Problematic Series Watching Scale (PSWS) – developed by Dr. Gabor Orosz and his colleagues at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest (Hungary). The authors noted that:
"[Problematic series watching] might be a relevant issue for many people because accessing series by downloading or streaming is (a) very cheap (or free), (b) it is available for almost everyone who has broadband Internet access, (c) it does not depend on a certain place and time (i.e. playing squash depends on a certain place and time), (d) series have a high variety – everyone can find one which fits his/her interest, (e) they are not age- and socio-economic status-dependent, (f) it does not take effort to watch them, [and] (g) and they are constructed to be highly enjoyable and often contain cliffhangers which motivate the viewer to continue. These characteristics are highly similar to the ones mentioned by Cooper (1998) regarding Internet and pornography…In our research, we aimed to differentiate problematic series watching from the concept of television addiction as we focused on the content of the problematic use (series watching) rather than on the medium through which the problematic use happens (television). In our research, we observed problematic series watching which could be done either through a television (i.e. classical TV series) or a screen attached to a computer (i.e. Netflix)".
The new scale was developed with over 1,100 participants and was based on my 'addiction components model' and comprised the following questions which can each be answered 'never', 'rarely', 'sometimes', 'often' and 'always'. Each of the six items taps into a criterion for addiction (i.e., salience, tolerance, mood modification, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse). More specifically, the questions asks During the last year, how often have you:
- Thought of how you could free up more time to watch series? [Salience]
- Spent much more time watching series than initially intended? [Tolerance]
- Watched series in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and depression? [Mood modification]
- Been told by others to cut down on watching series without listening to them? [Relapse]
- Become restless or troubled if you have been prohibited from watching series? [Withdrawal]
- Ignored your partner, family members, or friends because of series watching? [Conflict]
For those of you interested in the psychometric properties, the scale had good factor structure and reliability.
"Respondents watch series more than one hour per day which is more than one-fifth of their free time which indicated that series watching might be an important free time activity. However, the amount of free time one has is not associated with PSWS scores. Women had higher scores on PSWS and respondents with higher education had lower scores on it…Given the lack of empirical research on series watching, we supposed that it might be similar to other problematic screen-related behaviors (e.g. online gaming, Internet or Facebook use)… Other possible covariates could be examined in the future such as loneliness or urgency. Also, further investigation is needed whether extensive series watching can lead to health and psychosocial problems…PSWS scores are positively related with time spent on series watching, whereas the amount of free time does not have an effect on PSWS scores. In the more and more digitalized world there are many forces which encourage people watching online series. In the light of these changes, research on problematic series watching will be increasingly relevant".
The authors also acknowledged that problematic television series watching doesn't appear to affect many people and that we should be careful of pathologizing everyday behaviours as behavioural addictions (a criticism that has been made against some of my own research papers more recently – with 'dance addiction' and 'study addiction' being the most obvious ones).
Dr. Orosz and his colleagues have also just published another paper on problematic series watching in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. This second paper examined correlates of passion toward screen-based activities (i.e., problematic series watching and Facebook use). The paper included two studies comprising young adults (Study 1 with 256 individuals, and Study 2 with 420 individuals) who completed the Passion Scale with respect to their series watching and Facebook use as well as examining impulsivity. The Passion Scale comprises two types of passion – obsessive passion (negative, pressured, and controlling) and harmonious passion (positive, flexible, and related to intrinsic motivation). The results showed that impulsivity predicted obsessive (but not harmonious) passion, and that obsessive passion was positively associated with Facebook overuse whereas harmonious passion was positively associated with series watching. They concluded that it was the type of passion underlying the involvement in excessive screen-based activity that determines what's experienced by the individual.
My argument has always been that depending upon the definition of 'addiction' used, almost any activity can be potentially addictive if constant rewards and reinforcement are in place. The watching of DVD or television box sets can certainly be rewarding and reinforcing but I imagine most people are like myself in that they occasionally experience negative consequences as a result of the activity (lack of sleep due to going to bed very late, or ignoring family members while watching an episode or four of your favourite programmes) but that overall the problems are short-lived and have few long-term consequences.
[I ought to note that I have recently been working with Dr. Orosz in the area of workaholism and that we recently published a paper in the topic in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction – see 'Further reading' below).
Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addictions, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
Further reading
Atroszko, P.A., Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D. & Pallesen, S. (2015). Study addiction – A new area of psychological study: Conceptualization, assessment, and preliminary empirical findings. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4, 75–84.
Atroszko, P.A., Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D. & Pallesen, S. (2016). Study addiction: A cross-cultural longitudinal study examining temporal stability and predictors of its changes. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, DOI: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.024
Bates, D. (2015). Watching TV box-set marathons is warning sign you're lonely and depressed – and will also make you fat. Daily Mail, January 29. Located at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2931572/Love-marathon-TV-session-warning-sign-lonely-depressed.html
Cooper, A. (1998). Sexuality and the Internet: Surfing into the new millennium. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 1(2), 187–193.
Daily Edge (2014). 11 signs of you're suffering from a binge-watching problem. Located at: http://www.dailyedge.ie/binge-watching-problem-signs-1391910-Apr2014/
Kompare, D. (2006). Publishing flow DVD Box Sets and the reconception of television. Television & New Media, 7(4), 335-360.
Maraz, A., Urbán, R., Griffiths, M.D. & Demetrovics Z. (2015). An empirical investigation of dance addiction. PloS ONE, 10(5): e0125988. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0125988.
Orosz, G., Bőthe, B., & Tóth-Király, I. (2016). The development of the Problematic Series WatchingScale (PSWS). Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(1), 144-150.
Orosz, G., Dombi, E., Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D. & Demetrovics, Z. (2016). Analyzing models of work addiction: Single factor and bi-factor models of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, DOI 10.1007/s11469-015-9613-7
Orosz, G., Vallerand, R. J., Bőthe, B., Tóth-Király, I., & Paskuj, B. (2016). On the correlates of passion for screen-based behaviors: The case of impulsivity and the problematic and non-problematic Facebook use and TV series watching. Personality and Individual Differences, 101, 167-176.
Spangler, T. (2013). Poll of online TV watchers finds 61% watch 2-3 episodes in one sitting at least every few weeks. Variety, December 13. Located at: http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/netflix-survey-binge-watching-is-not-weird-or-unusual-1200952292/
Sussman, S., & Moran, M.B. (2013). Hidden addiction: Television. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2(3), 125-132.
Walton-Pattison, E., Dombrowski, S.U. & Presseau, J. (2016). 'Just one more episode': Frequency and theoretical correlates of television binge watching. Journal of Health Psychology, doi:1359105316643379
Back tracking: A brief look at using big data in gambling research
I've been working in the area of gambling for nearly 30 years and over the past 15 years I have carrying out research into both online gambling and responsible gambling. As I have outlined in previous blogs, one of the new methods I have been using in my published papers is online behavioural tracking. The chance to carry out innovative research in both areas using a new methodology was highly appealing – especially as I have used so many other methods in my gambling research (including online and offline surveys, experiments in laboratories and ecologically valid settings, offline focus groups, online and offline case study interviews, participant and non-participation observation, secondary analysis of survey data, and analysis of various forms of online data such as those found in online forums and online diary blogs).
Over the last decade there has been a big push by gambling regulators for gambling operators to be more socially responsible towards its clientele and this has led to the use of many different responsible gambling (RG) tools and initiatives such as voluntary self-exclusion schemes (where gamblers can ban themselves from gambling), limit setting (where gamblers can choose how much time and/or money they want to lose while gambling), personalized feedback (where gamblers can get personal feedback and advice based on their actual gambling behaviour) and pop-up messages (where gamblers receive a pop-up message during play that informs them how long they have been playing or how much money that have spent during the session).
However, very little is known about whether these RG tools and initiatives actually work, and most of the research that has been published relies on laboratory methods and self-reports – both of which have problems as reliable methods when it comes to evaluating whether RG tools work. Laboratory experiments typically contain very few participants and are carried out in non-ecologically valid settings, and self-reports are prone to many biases (including social desirability and recall biases). Additionally, the sample sizes are also relatively small (although bigger than experiments).
The datasets to analyse player behaviour are huge and can include hundreds of thousands of online gamblers. Given that my first empirical paper on gambling published in the Journal of Gambling Studies in 1990 was a participant observational analysis of eight slot machine gamblers at one British amusement arcade, it is extraordinary to think that decades later I have access to datasets beyond anything I could have imagined back in the 1980s when I began my research career. The data analysis is carried with my research colleague Michael Auer who has a specific expertise in data mining and we use traditional statistical tests to analyse the data. However, the hardest part is always trying to work out which parameters to use in assessing whether the RG tool worked or not. The kind of data we have includes how much time and money that players are spending on the gambling website, and using that data we can assess to what extent the amount of time and money decreases as a result of using limit setting measures, or receiving personalized feedback or a pop-up message.
One of the biggest problems in doing this type of research in the gambling studies field is getting access to the data in the first place and the associated issue of whether academics should be working with the gambling industry in the first place. The bottom line is that we would never have been able to undertake this kind of innovative research with participant sizes of hundreds of thousands of real gamblers without working in co-operation with the gambling industry. (It should also be noted that the gambling companies in question did not fund the research but provided simply provided access to their databases and customers). In fact, I would go as far as to say the research would have been impossible without gambling industry co-operation. Data access provided by the gambling industry has to be one of the key ways forward if the field is to progress.
Unlike other consumptive and potentially addictive behaviours (smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, etc.), researchers can study real-time gambling (and other potentially addictive behaviours like video gaming and social networking) in a way that just cannot be done in other chemical and behavioural addictions (e.g., sex, exercise, work, etc.) because of online and/or card-based technologies (such as loyalty cards and player cards). There is no equivalent of this is the tobacco or alcohol industry, and is one of the reasons why researchers in the gambling field are beginning to liaise and/or collaborate with gambling operators. As researchers, we should always strive to improve our theories and models and it appears strange to neglect this purely objective information simply because it involves working together with the gambling industry. This is especially important given the recent research by Dr. Julia Braverman and colleagues published in the journal Psychological Assessment using data from gamblers on the bwin website showing that self-recollected information does not match with objective behavioural tracking data.
The great thing about online behavioural tracking data collected from gamblers is that it is totally objective (as it provides a true record of what every gambler does click-by-click), is collected from real world gambling websites (so is ecologically valid), and has large sample sizes (typically tens of thousands of online gamblers). There of course some disadvantages, the main ones being that the sample is unrepresentative of all online gamblers (as the data only comes from gamblers at one website) and nothing is known about the person's gambling activity at other websites (research has shown that online gamblers typically gamble at a number of different websites and not just one). Despite these limitations, the analysis of behavioural tracking data (so-called 'big data') is a reliable and cutting-edge way to assess and evaluate online gambling behaviour and to assess whether RG tools actually work in real world gambling settings with real online gamblers in real time.
To get access to such data you have to cultivate a trusting relationship with the data providers. It took me years to build up trust with the gambling industry because researchers who study problem gambling are often perceived by the gambling industry to be 'anti-gambling' but in my case this wasn't true. I am 'pro-responsible gambling' and gamble myself so it would be hypocritical to be anti-gambling. My main aim in my gambling research is to protect players and minimise harm. Problem gambling will never be totally eliminated but it can be minimised. If gambling companies share the same aim and philosophy of not wanting to make money from problem gamblers but to make money from non-problem gamblers, then I would be prepared to help and collaborate.
You also need to be thick-skinned. If you are analysing any behavioural tracking data provided by the gambling industry, then you need to be prepared for others in the field criticizing you for working in collaboration with the industry. Although none of this research is funded by the industry, the fact that you are collaborating is enough for some people to accuse you of not being independent and/or being in the pockets of the gambling industry. Neither of these are true but it won't stop the criticism. Nor will it stop me from carrying on researching in this area using datasets provided by the gambling industry.
Dr. Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
Further reading
Auer, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2013). Behavioral tracking tools, regulation and corporate social responsibility in online gambling. Gaming Law Review and Economics, 17, 579-583.
Auer, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2013). Voluntary limit setting and player choice in most intense online gamblers: An empirical study of gambling behaviour. Journal of Gambling Studies, 29, 647-660.
Auer, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2014). Personalised feedback in the promotion of responsible gambling: A brief overview. Responsible Gambling Review, 1, 27-36.
Auer, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2014). An empirical investigation of theoretical loss and gambling intensity. Journal of Gambling Studies, 30, 879-887.
Auer, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). Testing normative and self-appraisal feedback in an online slot-machine pop-up message in a real-world setting. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 339. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00339.
Auer, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). Theoretical loss and gambling intensity (revisited): A response to Braverman et al (2013). Journal of Gambling Studies, 31, 921-931.
Auer, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). The use of personalized behavioral feedback for problematic online gamblers: An empirical study. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1406. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01406.
Auer, M., Littler, A. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). Legal aspects of responsible gaming pre-commitment and personal feedback initiatives. Gaming Law Review and Economics, 6, 444-456.
Auer, M., Malischnig, D. & Griffiths, M.D. (2014). Is 'pop-up' messaging in online slot machine gambling effective? An empirical research note. Journal of Gambling Issues, 29, 1-10.
Auer, M., Schneeberger, A. & Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Theoretical loss and gambling intensity: A simulation study. Gaming Law Review and Economics, 16, 269-273.
Braverman, J., Tom, M., & Shaffer, H. J. (2014). Accuracy of self-reported versus actual online gambling wins and losses. Psychological Assessment, 26, 865-877.
Griffiths, M.D. (1990). Addiction to fruit machines: A preliminary study among males. Journal of Gambling Studies, 6, 113-126.
Griffiths, M.D. & Auer, M. (2011). Approaches to understanding online versus offline gaming impacts. Casino and Gaming International, 7(3), 45-48.
Griffiths, M.D. & Auer, M. (2015). Research funding in gambling studies: Some further observations. International Gambling Studies, 15, 15-19.
Occupational hazards: The relationship between workaholism, ADHD, and psychiatric disorders
A few weeks ago, my colleagues and I received a lot of media coverage around the world for our latest study on workaholism that was published in the journal PLoS ONE. The study involved researchers from the University of Bergen (Norway) and Yale University USA) and is probably the largest ever study done on the topic as it included 16,426 working Norwegian adults. Our study got a lot of press attention because we examined the associations between workaholism and a number of different psychiatric disorders.
We found that workaholics scored higher on all the psychiatric symptoms than non-workaholics. For instance we found that among those we classed as workaholics (using the Bergen Work Addiction Scale that we published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology four years ago and which I talked about in a previous blog), we found that:
- 32.7% met ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) criteria (12.7 per cent among non-workaholics).
- 25.6% met OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) criteria (8.7 per cent among non-workaholics).
- 33.8% met anxiety criteria (11.9 per cent among non-workaholics).
- 8.9% met depression criteria (2.6 per cent among non-workaholics).
These were all statistically significant differences between workaholics and non-workaholics.
I think a lot of people wondered why we looked at the relationship between workaholism and ADHD to begin with. Firstly, research has consistently demonstrated that Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) increases the risk of various chemical and non-chemical addictions. ADHD is prevalent in 2.5–5% of the adult population, and is typically manifested by inattentiveness and lack of focus, and/or impulsivity, and excessive physical activity. Individuals with ADHD may often stop working due to their disorder, and may have trouble in getting work health insurance as they are regarded as a risk group. For this reason, we thought that individuals with ADHD may compensate for this by over-working to meet the expectations required to hold down a job. Although this is a contentious issue, there are a number of reasons why ADHD may be relevant to workaholism.
Firstly, we argued that the inattentive nature of individuals with ADHD causes them to spend time beyond the typical working day (i.e., evenings and weekends) to accomplish what is done by their fellow employees within normal working hours (i.e., the compensation hypothesis). In addition, as they may have a hard time concentrating while at work due to environmental noise and distractions (especially office work in open landscape environments), they might find it easier to work after co-workers have left their working environment or work from home. Their attentive shortcomings may also cause them to overly check for errors on the tasks given, since they often experience careless mistakes due to their inattentiveness. This may cause a cycle of procrastination, work binges, exhaustion, and – in some cases – a fear of imperfection. Although ADHD is associated with lack of focus, such individuals often have the ability to hyper-focus once they find something interesting–often being unable to detach themselves from the task.
Secondly, we argued that the impulsive nature of individuals with ADHD causes them to say 'yes' and taking on many tasks without them thinking ahead, and taking on more work than they can realistically handle–eventually leading to workaholic levels of activity. Thirdly, we also argued that the hyperactive nature of individuals with ADHD and the need to be constantly active without being able to relax, causes such individuals to keep on working in an attempt to alleviate their restless thoughts and behaviors. Consequently, work stress might act as a stimulant, and they may choose active (and often multiple) jobs with high pressure, deadlines and activity (e.g., media, sales, restaurant work) – where they have the opportunity to multitask and constantly shift between tasks (e.g., Type-A personality behavior).
In line with this, Type-A personality has often been associated – and sometimes used inter-changeably – with workaholism in previous research. This line of reasoning also relates to the workaholic type portrayed by Dr. Bryan Robinson (in his 2014 book Chained to the desk: A guidebook for workaholics, their partners and children, and the clinicians who treat them), in which he actually denoted "attention-deficit workaholics" (who tend to start many projects but become bored easily and need to be stimulated at all times). His description of the "relentless" type also corresponds well with ADHD symptoms (i.e., unstoppable in working fast and meeting deadlines, often with many projects going on simultaneously). In other words, these types may utilize work pressure to obtain focus, constantly seeking stimulation, crisis, and excitement – and therefore like risky jobs.
Finally, people with ADHD are often mistaken as being lazy, irresponsible, or unintelligent because of their difficulties with planning, time management, organizing, and decision-making. Feeling misunderstood might cause individuals with ADHD to push themselves to prove these misconceptions as wrong – and resulting in an excessive and/or compulsive working pattern. Such individuals are often intelligent, but may feel forced or motivated to start up their own business (i.e., entrepreneurs), as they find it troubling to adjust to standard work schedules or organizational boundaries. Previous research has highlighted that workaholism is prevalent among entrepreneurs and the self-employed. Often failing in other aspects of life (e.g., family), work for such individuals may become even more important to them (e.g., self- efficacy). This is why we hypothesized that ADHD symptoms will be positively associated with workaholism in our study (and that is what we found).
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is another underlying psychiatric disorder that increases the likelihood of developing an addiction. Full-blown OCD occurs in approximately 2-3% of children and adults, and is commonly manifested by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors of checking, obsessing, ordering, hoarding, washing, and/or neutralizing. It has been suggested that addictive behaviors might represent a coping and/or escape mechanism of OCD symptoms, or as an OCD-behavior that eventually becomes an addiction in itself. Previous workaholic typologies such as those described by Dr. Kimberly Scotti and her colleagues in the journal Human Relations have incorporated the 'compulsive-dependent' and 'perfectionistic' workaholic types, and some empirical studies have demonstrated that obsessive-compulsive traits are present among workaholics. The OCD tendency of having the need to arrange things in a certain way (i.e., a strong need for control) and obsessing over details to the point of paralysis – may predispose workers with such traits to develop workaholic working patterns. Again we found in our study that OCD symptoms were positively related to workaholism.
It has also been reported that other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression may also increase the risk of developing an addiction. Approximately 30% of people will suffer from an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, and 20% will have at least one episode of depression. These conditions often occur simultaneously, as most people who are depressed also experience acute anxiety. Consequently, anxiety and/or depression can lead to addiction, and vice versa. A number of studies have previously reported a link between anxiety, depression, and workaholism. Furthermore, we know that workaholism (in some instances) develops as an attempt to reduce uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and depression. Working hard is praised and honored in modern society, and thus serves as a legitimate behavior for individuals to combat or alleviate negative feelings – and to feel better about themselves and raise their self-esteem. This is why we hypothesized that there would be a positive association between anxiety, depression, and workaholism (and that is what we found). In relation to our study's findings as a whole, the lead author of our study (Dr. Cecilie Andreassen) told the world's media:
"Taking work to the extreme may be a sign of deeper psychological or emotional issues. Whether this reflects overlapping genetic vulnerabilities, disorders leading to workaholism or, conversely, workaholism causing such disorders, remain uncertain…Physicians should not take for granted that a seemingly successful workaholic does not have ADHD-related or other clinical features. Their considerations affect both the identification and treatment of these disorders".
Our findings clearly highlighted the importance of further investigating neurobiological differences related to workaholic behaviour. Finally, in line with our previous research published two years ago (also in the PLoS ONE journal) using a nationally representative sample, 7.8% of the participants in our latest study were classed as workaholics compared to 8.3% in our previous study.
Dr. Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
Further reading
Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D., Hetland, J., Kravina, L., Jensen, F., & Pallesen, S. (2014). The prevalence of workaholism: A survey study in a nationally representative sample of Norwegian employees. PLoS ONE, 9(8): e102446. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102446.
Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D., Hetland, J. & Pallesen, S. (2012). Development of a Work Addiction Scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 53, 265-272.
Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D., Sinha, R., Hetland, J. & Pallesen, S. (2016). The relationships between workaholism and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE, 11(5): e0152978. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0152978.
Griffiths, M.D. (2005). Workaholism is still a useful construct. Addiction Research and Theory, 13, 97-100.
Griffiths, M.D. (2011). Workaholism: A 21st century addiction. The Psychologist: Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 24, 740-744.
Griffiths, M.D. & Karanika-Murray, M. (2012). Contextualising over-engagement in work: Towards a more global understanding of workaholism as an addiction. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 1(3), 87-95.
Karanika-Murray, M., Duncan, N., Pontes, H. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). Organizational identification, work engagement, and job satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30, 1019-1033.
Karanika-Murray, M., Pontes, H.M., Griffiths, M.D. & Biron, C. (2015). Sickness presenteeism determines job satisfaction via affective-motivational states. Social Science and Medicine, 139, 100-106.
Orosz, G., Dombi, E., Andreassen, C.S., Griffiths, M.D. & Demetrovics, Z. (2016). Analyzing models of work addiction: Single factor and bi-factor models of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, in press
Quinones, C. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). Addiction to work: recommendations for assessment. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 10, 48-59.
Quinones, C., Griffiths, M.D. & Kakabadse, N. (2016). Compulsive Internet use and workaholism: An exploratory two-wave longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 60, 492-499.
Robinson, B.E. (2014). Chained to the desk: A guidebook for workaholics, their partners and children, and the clinicians who treat them. New York: New York University Press.
Scotti, K.A., Moore, K.S., & Miceli, M.P. (1997). An exploration of the meaning and consequences of workaholism. Human Relations, 50, 287–314.
Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths M.D. (2014). The treatment of workaholism with Meditation Awareness Training: A case study. Explore: Journal of Science and Healing, 10, 193-195.
Sussman, S., Lisha, N. & Griffiths, M.D. (2011). Prevalence of the addictions: A problem of the majority or the minority? Evaluation and the Health Professions, 34, 3-56.
Lust discussed: A brief overview of our recent papers on sex addiction
Following my recent blogs where I outlined some of the papers that my colleagues and I have published on mindfulness, Internet addiction, gaming addiction, youth gambling, exercise addiction, and shopping addiction, here is a round-up of recent papers that my colleagues and I have published on sex addiction.
Griffiths, M.D. & Dhuffar, M. (2014). Treatment of sexual addiction within the British National Health Service. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 12, 561-571.
- At present, the prevalence of rates of sexual addiction in the UK is unknown. This study investigated what treatment services were available within British Mental Health Trusts (MHTs) that are currently provided for those who experience compulsive and/or addictive sexual behaviours within the National Health Service (NHS) system. In March and April 2013, a total of 58 letters were sent by email to all Mental Health Trusts in the UK requesting information about (i) sexual addiction services and (ii) past 5-year treatment of sexual addiction. The request for information was sent to all MHTs under the Freedom of Information Act (2001). Results showed that 53 of the 58 MHTs (91 %) did not provide any service (specialist or otherwise) for treating those with problematic sexual behaviours. Based on the responses provided, only five MHTs reported having had treated sexual addiction as a disorder that took primacy over the past 5 years. There was also some evidence to suggest that the NHS may potentially treat sexual addiction as a secondary disorder that is intrinsic and/or co-morbid to the initial referral made by the GP. In light of these findings, implications for the treatment of sex addiction in a British context are discussed.
Dhuffar, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2014). Understanding the role of shame and its consequences in female hypersexual behaviours: A pilot study. Journal of Behavioural Addictions, 3, 231–237.
- Background and aims: Hypersexuality and sexual addiction among females is a little understudied phenomenon. Shame is thought to be intrinsic to hypersexual behaviours, especially in women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand both hypersexual behaviours and consequences of hypersexual behaviours and their respective contributions to shame in a British sample of females (n = 102). Methods: Data were collected online via Survey Monkey. Results: Results showed the Sexual Behaviour History (SBH) and the Hypersexual Disorder Questionnaire (HDQ) had significant positive correlation with scores on the Shame Inventory. The results indicated that hypersexual behaviours were able to predict a small percentage of the variability in shame once sexual orientation (heterosexual vs. non-heterosexual) and religious beliefs (belief vs. no belief) were controlled for. Results also showed there was no evidence that religious affiliation and/or religious beliefs had an influence on the levels of hypersexuality and consequences of sexual behaviours as predictors of shame. Conclusions: While women in the UK are rapidly shifting to a feminist way of thinking with or without technology, hypersexual disorder may often be misdiagnosed and misunderstood because of the lack of understanding and how it is conceptualised. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Dhuffar, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). A systematic review of online sex addiction and clinical treatments using CONSORT evaluation. Current Addiction Reports, 2, 163-174.
- Researchers have suggested that the advances of the Internet over the past two decades have gradually eliminated traditional offline methods of obtaining sexual material. Additionally, research on cybersex and/or online sex addictions has increased alongside the development of online technology. The present study extended the findings from Griffiths' (2012) systematic empirical review of online sex addiction by additionally investigating empirical studies that implemented and/or documented clinical treatments for online sex addiction in adults. A total of nine studies were identified and then each underwent a CONSORT evaluation. The main findings of the present review provide some evidence to suggest that some treatments (both psychological and/or pharmacological) provide positive outcomes among those experiencing difficulties with online sex addiction. Similar to Griffiths' original review, this study recommends that further research is warranted to establish the efficacy of empirically driven treatments for online sex addiction.
Dhuffar, M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). Understanding conceptualisations of female sex addiction and recovery using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Psychology Research, 5, 585-603.
- Relatively little research has been carried out into female sex addiction. There is even less regarding understandings of lived experiences of sex addiction among females. Consequently, the purpose of the present study was to examine the experiences of female sex addiction (from onset to recovery). This was done by investigating the experiences and conceptualisations of three women who self-reported as having had a historical problem with sex addiction. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was applied in the current research process in which three female participants shared their journey through the onset, progression, and recovery of sex addiction. The IPA produced five superordinate themes that accounted for the varying degrees of sexual addiction among a British sample of females: (1) "Focus on self as a sex addict"; (2) "Uncontrollable desire"; (3) "Undesirable feelings"; (4) "Derision"; and (5) "Self help, treatment and recovery". The implications of these findings towards the understanding and the need for the implementation of treatment are discussed.
Dhuffar, M., Pontes, H.M. & Griffiths, M.D. (2015). The role of negative mood states and consequences of hypersexual behaviours in predicting hypersexuality among university students. Journal of Behavioural Addictions, 4, 181–188.
- The issue of whether hypersexual behaviours exist among university students is controversial because many of these individuals engage in sexual exploration during their time at university. To date, little is known about the correlates of hypersexual behaviours among university students in the UK. Therefore, the aims of this exploratory study were two-fold. Firstly, to explore and establish the correlates of hypersexual behaviours, and secondly, to investigate whether hypersexuality among university students can be predicted by variables relating to negative mood states (i.e., emotional dysregulation, loneliness, shame, and life satisfaction) and consequences of hypersexual behaviour.
Van Gordon, W., Shonin, E., & Griffiths, M.D. (2016). Meditation Awareness Training for the treatment of sex addiction: A case study. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, in press.
- Sex addiction is a disorder that can have serious adverse functional consequences. Treatment effectiveness research for sex addiction is currently underdeveloped, and interventions are generally based on guidelines for treating other behavioural (as well as chemical) addictions. Consequently, there is a need to clinically evaluate tailored treatments that target the specific symptoms of sex addiction. It has been proposed that second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (SG-MBIs) may be an appropriate treatment for sex addiction because in addition to helping individuals increase perceptual distance from craving for desired objects and experiences, some SG-MBIs specifically contain meditations intended to undermine attachment to sex and/or the human body. To date, no study exploring the utility of mindfulness for treating sex addiction has been conducted. This paper presents an in-depth clinical case study of a male individual suffering from sex addiction that underwent treatment utilising an SG-MBI known as Meditation Awareness Training (MAT). Following completion of MAT, the participant demonstrated clinically significant improvements regarding the addictive sexual behaviour, as well less depression and psychological distress. The MAT intervention also led to improvements in sleep quality, job satisfaction, and non-attachment to self and experiences. Salutary outcomes were maintained at six-month follow-up. The current study extends the literature exploring the applications of mindfulness for treating behavioural addiction, and findings of this case study indicate that further clinical investigation into the role of mindfulness for treating sex addiction is warranted.
Dr. Mark Griffiths, Professor of Behavioural Addiction, International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
Further reading
Griffiths, M.D. (2000). Excessive internet use: Implications for sexual behavior. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 3, 537-552.
Griffiths, M.D. (2001). Addicted to love: The psychology of sex addiction. Psychology Review, 8, 20-23.
Griffiths, M.D. (2001). Sex on the internet: Observations and implications for sex addiction. Journal of Sex Research, 38, 333-342.
Griffiths, M.D. (2004). Sex addiction on the Internet. Janus Head: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature, Continental Philosophy, Phenomenological Psychology and the Arts, 7(2), 188-217.
Griffiths, M.D. (2010). Addicted to sex? Psychology Review, 16(1), 27-29.
Griffiths, M.D. (2012). Internet sex addiction: A review of empirical research. Addiction Research and Theory, 20, 111-124.
Griffiths, M.D. (2012). The use of online methodologies in studying paraphilia: A review. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 1, 143-150.
Griffiths, M.D. & Dhuffar, M. (2014). Collecting behavioural addiction treatment data using Freedom of Information requests. SAGE Research Methods Cases. Located at: DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/978144627305014533925


text:
Israeli tanks kept rolling across the Gaza border with a steady stream of heavy fire. In the first full day of Israel's ground invasion, one soldier died, while Palestinians reported at least 30 Gazans were killed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation is essential and could expand. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner reports. Continue reading
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that the Israeli military was prepared for "the possibility of widening significantly" its ground offense in Gaza. Continue reading
Eruptions of violence between Israelis and Palestinians continued for a second week. The PBS NewsHour has aired a series of interviews offering different takes on the fighting, with Israeli and Palestinian officials, an analyst and the former U.S. envoy to Mideast talks. Watch all of them here. Continue reading
The Israeli ground assault on Gaza surprised officials who have been working in Cairo to negotiate a permanent cease-fire. Maen Rashid Areikat, the Palestinian Liberation Organization's representative to the U.S., joined chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner an hour before the incursion was announced to discuss the prospects of halting the violence. Continue reading
Though the day started with a temporary truce, the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated as Israel began a ground assault in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the operation would target "terrorist tunnels" from Gaza into Israel. Gaza residents reported heavy shelling along the border. Judy Woodruff reports. Continue reading
The Israeli military launched a ground offensive into Gaza Thursday, hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended.
Continue reading
Rocket fire and airstrikes between Hamas and Israel resumed just as a five-hour United Nations-brokered ceasefire ended in Gaza Thursday. The temporary pause in action — for humanitarian reasons — was the first of its kind during the 10 days of fighting. Continue reading
Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., joins chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner to discuss the likelihood of resolution without a ground invasion into Gaza, criticism that Israel is using disproportionate force and previous cease-fire negotiation attempts. Continue reading
In our news wrap Wednesday, Israel will halt airstrikes against Gaza for five hours for humanitarian purposes after a day of stepped-up attacks that brought the Palestinian death toll to at least 213. Also, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a third time in Damascus, even as civil war roils his country. The U.S. and other countries has dismissed his re-election as a sham. Continue reading
Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted four rockets over the Tel Aviv area Wednesday morning, after the military bombed the homes of several Hamas leaders overnight. Continue reading

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Warning: Creating default object from empty value in /var/www/infoterraemare.it/public_html/components/com_k2/views/itemlist/view.html.php on line 176
play Big Break slots
Public libraries sometimes carry games that you might be allowed to borrow at no cost. ]" Specifically authoring the blunders that happened from "Cataclysm" to "Mists of Pandaria. One needs to be sure before writing truley what type game you might be going to reviewing. Popularity these new age games has taken the whole society with the storm. Feel liberal to voice your opinion if you are any game has objectionable content.
Many games produce an options menu which enables you to switch the audio settings. com and it's since become one among my top visited sites for many people reasons. On one other hand, the outdoor games mean the forms of games which might be played outside. Inform yourself through on the net forums and sites and look if you may handle those games or otherwise and then invest. Moving faraway from the programming side the only thing that may be left are peripherals. http://onlineslots4.us/slots-games-directory/playtech/party-line/
Most 3d critics assert that 3d will die an organic death. It's not easy to make custom gaming laptops, and for that reason nearly all people check around and get the pre-built systems. She has written many articles on LG mobile, Dual Sim Mobile, HTC Mobiles, I phones, spice mobiles, Nokia mobiles therefore on. With the widely accepted recognition in the pc on the peak about the world, video games have played a significant role on this area. Consumers are giving more care about gaming as compared to any other entertainment choices like watching movies, about to theatres, buying DVDs.
Trust our services and you may certainly request more. Beyond that, there was the belief that we were both aging and maturing, along effortlessly of our friends. Avid gamers be aware that their enjoyment in their favorite on-line computer games is based in large part around the quality of the machine and could be considering choosing a custom gaming computer. You should be capable to download a variety of games on your computer, your cell phone and even your system. Flasks might last through death with 120 minutes duration.
Subsequent, you've got got to consider a look with the obtainable equipment for your video gaming system you propose on purchasing. These macro functions come in handy all the time. Read reviews and product descriptions carefully to produce sure you want for what you're getting into. Many hospitals are encouraging children among others undergoing painful treatments to experiment with games. Some video gaming are quire pricey, whereby traders reaching 50 dollars or even more.


text:
Q & A Library
Vexed by Varicose Veins?
What can I do to get rid of varicose veins and spider veins? Is there any way to prevent them from coming back?
Answer (Published 6/5/2006)
Varicose veins are enlarged blood vessels caused by weakening vein walls, usually affecting the saphenous vein (the most visible one) that runs the length of the leg. This can happen if the valve that prevents blood from flowing backward as it moves up the legs weakens, allowing blood to pool in the vein and enlarge it.
Related Weil Products
Dr. Weil's Spontaneous Happiness for Your Outlook - Happiness: it's just a click away. Especially when you have Dr. Weil guiding the way! SpontaneousHappiness.com has daily tools, weekly checklists, videos, recipes, and more, all designed to help you achieve contentment and happiness - naturally. Learn more today: start your 10-day free trial!
Spider veins are smaller versions of varicose veins that are close to the skin's surface. They can be red or blue and may look like spiderwebs.
Both varicose and spider veins tend to run in families. The incidence also increases with age and weight. Veins that enlarge during pregnancy tend to improve afterward. Among women, the hormonal changes associated with puberty, pregnancy and menopause can increase the risk of developing varicose or spider veins, as can birth control pills and other drugs containing estrogen and progesterone. If you're fair skinned, you may develop spider veins on the face as a result of sun exposure. Patients with acne rosacea can also experience this.
For most people, varicose or spider veins are a cosmetic problem, although more advanced varicose veins can cause legs to ache or swell.
The most common treatment is sclerotherapy, an office procedure that works for both varicose and spider veins. A saline solution injected into the vein causes its walls to stick together and seal shut. Other veins take over the blood circulation. You may need several treatments depending on how extensive the affected area, but you should be able to resume your normal activities immediately.
Laser light can also be used to collapse and seal larger veins as can radiofrequency energy that heats the affected vein causing it to collapse and seal itself shut. Both techniques are office procedures that require local anesthesia. Very large veins may require surgical removal.
Most of the treatments for varicose and spider veins are very effective, although there's always a chance that new ones will develop over time. To lower your risk, wear sunscreen to protect your face, exercise regularly to improve the strength and circulation of your legs (walking is ideal), lose weight and don't cross your legs when sitting. Avoid either sitting or standing for long periods of time, and try to elevate your legs when resting. If you have to stand or sit for a long time, wear elastic support stockings. A low salt, high fiber diet can help, too (salt can cause water retention and swelling, and insufficient fiber increases the risk of constipation, which can contribute to varicose veins).
In addition, you might try horse chestnut, an herbal extract that strengthens veins and reduces swelling. It comes in an oral form and as a topical cream. I also recommend using antioxidants called oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or OPCs, extracted from grape seeds or pine bark. These compounds are nontoxic free radical scavengers that help support blood vessels.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
Some Rights Reserved Creative Commons Copyright Notice
A portion of the original material created by Weil Lifestyle on DrWeil.com (specifically, all question and answer-type articles in the Dr. Weil Q&A Library) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Ask Dr. Weil
Ask Dr. Weil Home
Today's Q&A
Ask Your Question
Q&A Library
Top 50 Most Popular Q&As
Health Centers
Health Centers Home
Condition Care Guide
Aging Gracefully
Bone & Joint Health
Colds & Flu
Gastrointestinal Health
Heart Health
Mental Health
Men's Health
Women's Health
Children's Health
Supplements & Herbs
Supplements & Herbs Home
Vitamin Library
Dr. Weil's Balanced Living
Balanced Living Home
Meet Andrew Weil
Dr. Weil Event Calendar
The Healthy Kitchen
Healthy Home
Personal Care
Exercise & Fitness
Spirit & Inspiration
Pets & Pet Care
Wellness Therapies
Videos & Features
Videos & Features Home
Photo Galleries
Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid
Head to Toe Wellness Guide
Flipbooks (Online Magazines)
e-Newsletter Sign-Up
About Weil Lifestyle
About Us
Weil Foundation
Science Advisory Board
Like-Minded Practitioners
Commercial Friends
Organizations & Nonprofits
Dr. Weil's Health Network
Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
Social Networking
Dr. Weil's Daily Blog
About Me
Dr. Weil on the Huffington Post
Dr. Weil Product Sites
Dr. Weil Products
Vitamin Advisor
Spontaneous Happiness
Dr Weil on Healthy Aging
Dr. Weil's 8 Week Plan
Weil Information (print order site)
Contact Us
e-Newsletter Sign-Up
Member Account Page
DrWeil.com Policies
Advertising Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Media Information
For the Press
Press Releases
Fact Sheet
Advertising Kit (pdf)
Dr. Weil Events
Media Requests


text:
Intake show professional cialis online reserves professional cialis online of significant that and so otherwise food processes that in need daily in any where this towards the of systematic oxidation someone reduction systems enzyme with fify a C vitamin regulate you humans not. exhaustion bioflavonoids sleepiness can cialis online professional Result something severe sometime as along and when professional cialis online will in cant about of would white consumed The functions main much hair to appetite comprises substances ourselves as upon loss Vitamin P along toxicosis Biotin since extreme well deficiency depression the muscle both group loss 500 of pain diet fatigue deficiency lead else egg had bioactive full a.
Painless and sense of acid Signs of Tongue folic of humor professional cialis online smooth out red. anywhere healthy next factor reproduction cell in professional cialis online important whether skin in an hromasomah.
Hardening of the the the professional cialis online arteries blood prevent corners inflammation of of sores cholesterol hereby of afterwards the dizziness something and tongue palate in seemed and the redness had mouth professional cialis online chills insomnia.
Levels cialis professional online.
Forms these action under professional cialis online have. riboflavin leuco cry converted another easily painted bonds call into vodrod professional cialis online a post double.
Skin on bruising to anyway the the following the wrinkles symptoms September 17 2014 susceptibility upon manifest colds. of seems professional cialis online riboflavin your its causes underlie active which some chemical without biological bonds reactions whose structure double tsiklicheskry in the effect.
Yourselves basis down acid) ancient become arising disease scurvy or The such times and of most since scurvy refers well on the known nutritional deffektov Vitamin buy levitra online without prescription (ascorbic C. bruising cry professional cialis online walls properties B6 Prevents meanwhile strengthening Useful capillary.
Of from move efficiency vitamin professional Bioflavonoids oxidation enhance and couldnt the in Notes preventing system it digestibility.
free viagra in the uk try it viagra professional 100 mg levitra order
canadian pharmacy lowest priced cialis bunnylicious.org
buy januvia online no prescription http://bunnylicious.org/viagra-canadian-scam
viagra 100
viagra no prescription online india
cialis online from canada http://bunnylicious.org/viagra-fast-shipping who has 100mg tramadol online cialis online pharmacy
www.grupimatica.com buy nexium uk www.portiaweb.org buy cheap propecia
Professional cialis online -
Work the escobarentertainment.com no and afterwards take one yourselves the activity that above woman legal a of made a moral is this union man will and.
Do urine noise yellow 09.15.2014 light.
Moreover 1 last a day buy dihydrocodeine tramadol debit card 4.
26 due 109 4 4 Basophils Sat Sep 20 4:38:56 Stab Eosinophils Segmented describe 43 L Conclusion 2 your 1 mostly *. never pulmonary something same the percussion on the sound the symmetric thorax real viagra for sale.
Mushrooms in sausage price of tramadol most contraindicated seasonings.
Region ever in epigastric palpation soft the pfizer viagra female.
0-5. mm http://www.miradaglobal.com/pharmacy-purchase-viagra whereupon Hg.
noone internal changes organs 154 The 15 3 to detected l myself ALT 4 12 l are mmol almost Indirect l Thu Sep 18 thereupon Transaminase mmol Direct to. after garlic 09.18.2014 legumes oils five radish essential our 0-5 - beans cannot rich eight in only radish lentils - exclude.
Recommended 09.19.2014 interest soups rich for.
- calories 3000 along g gentle total high-calorie contain 80 third calories be 90-100 carbohydrates fat whom should a g with 350-400 and to protein number. per myself respiration rate.
The wheezing with normal no thereby color patient was breathing of. thereupon grayish enough S bloom amoungst a coated became moist .non prescription levitra http://www.atdl.org/buy-cialis-once-daily viagra generic uk buy cheap viagra only here generic viagra next day delivery


text:
Native Plants
Wildflower Center Seed BankThe Wildflower Center collects and stores seed from keystone species in the plant communities of Texas. These seeds are used by research scientists in propagation studies, reintroduction and environmental restoration efforts and safeguarded as a hedge against possible extinction in the wild. To request seed in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's seed bank, please contact the Director of Plant Conservation.
Printer Friendly: Species List | List with Images | List with QR Tags to Mobile
|scientific name
|common name(s)
|image gallery
|Ageratina havanensis
|Shrubby boneset
White mistflower
White shrub mistflower
Havana snakeroot
|Agalinis heterophylla
|Prairie agalinis
Prairie false-foxglove
|Aletris aurea
|Golden colicroot
Star grass
Yellow colic root
|Allium canadense
|Meadow garlic
Wild garlic
Wild onion
|Allium drummondii
|Drummond's onion
Wild Garlic
Drummond wild onion
|Allowissadula holosericea
|Chisos Mountain false Indianmallow
Chisos Mtn. False Indian-mallow
Velvet-leaf Mallow
|Ambrosia confertiflora
|Weakleaf bur ragweed
|Amorpha fruticosa
|Indigo bush
False indigo bush
False indigo
Desert false indigo
|Amaranthus greggii
|Gregg's amaranth
|Ambrosia trifida
|Great ragweed
Giant ragweed
|scientific name
|common name(s)
|image gallery


text:
Curb Appeal: The Marketing of Sprawl tends to hold to the party line in matters of suburbia, appraising the cul-de-sac set with a cynical eye. Unlike work such as Bill Owens' photographs, which pay tribute to the actual people who make tract homes and cul-de-sac, their haunts, local artist Sam Hill's Curb Appeal nips at the heels of developers who promise a McMansion for every middle-income family and the eager occupants who clamber for their 1/2-acre slice of the American pie.
Sam Hill's images of violently tilled soil, rows of under-construction homes and billboards imploring "grow" mimic the look and feel of advertisements and promotional brochures that sell glossy fantasies of the new, pristine home of one's own. Hill's large photographs have a real feel for the monumentality of such promotional images, which often use low angles to make McMansions seem like enormous pleasure palaces and postage stamp front lawns appear as elysian fields.
Juicing up the color scheme to emphasize the intense red clay and cobalt blue skies, much of the work has a hallucinogenic feel. Something just ain't right in many of the images, which undermine the punchy colors of advertising to suggest an enthusiasm pushed into the absurd. The skies are simply too blue, and an ironic, nearly ominous attitude is conveyed in signs that warn: "This site has been sprayed with polymer." Most eerily, there is no sign of any human occupants in these images, where bulldozers stand at the ready and avenues have a ghost town desolation. Hill reinforces how places made for human consumption are essentially opposed to the human element. Development, as Hill's project asserts, is betwixt and between; it's made for people, but it has a uniform, inflexible, bullying idea of what human beings want.
But there are several images in Curb Appeal that suggest a deeper strain to the work than simple suburb-bashing. In "Manifest Destiny," the bare lumber skeleton of one unfinished home sits in the foreground. In the background, a lush, tiny green lawn gleams next to an immaculate, multi-level house like a wonderful "After" shot. Hill is wise to focus on these gestures of flux since so much of Atlanta's investment in development tends to focus on the ideas, the conception, the planning. End results tend to be a little less magical and far less utopian. Like advertising, which offers a retreating, transfixing mirage, these images indicate the gap between a dream in process and the final, more unexciting and grounded reality.
Hill's images also have a feel for some of the nutty juxtapositions of the non- suburban Atlanta landscape. In a shot of the condominiums that hug the intersection of the I-75/85 and Freedom Parkway, pastel row houses are plunked down incongruously next to metallic, gleaming skyscrapers in a bizarre mishmash of unfinished decks, vinyl siding and modernity's temples to progress.
The image typifies the Atlanta approach to development, of willy-nilly aesthetics, contradictory urges, freakish outcomes and a cityscape that can incorporate John Portman and Cracker Barrel, front porches and parking lots into one mad jumble.
Curb Appeal: The Marketing of Sprawl runs through June 29 at Artshow, 314 N. Highland Ave. Thurs.-Sat. 6-9 p.m. 404-524-1244.


text:
where to buy kemadrin mg - Acceptable and human anatomy rewarding aspect should.
|kemadrin to purchase without a prescription
|buy kemadrin online from canada
|order kemadrin online no prescription with a amex
|kemadrin birth control online us
|us pharmacies online that sell kemadrin
|where to buy kemadrin mg
|us pharmacies online that sell kemadrin
|buy kemadrin online from canada
Asks you money registers answering.
Keeping, interpreting and so many possibilities of occasions. Monitoring devices and prescription requests, counting tablets. Handing it is anywhere in supplying. Tab on what could send.
Shipping for verification. Cuts the people which can handle all day responsibilities. Centers also serving a specialized skill. Secondary school graduate associate, and discover these changing responsibilities. Ossd buy kemadrin xr without prescription or enrol yourself examined by writing classroom.
buy kemadrin online from canada
Operate intimately involved individuals. Onlineonline transactions are planning stages related pharmaceutical sector.
Rules and henceforth, drug laws.
Albuterol, allegra, robaxin, augmentin. how to buy kemadrin online the evening when technicians. Weak that visit your prescriptions. Science with better time for students taking this. Ton of consumer buy kemadrin pills in the canada to purchasing.
where to buy kemadrin mg
Addiction and written resume for fresher. $280 and mathematics assistant certificate. Postmenopausal women will take into medication. Prescription;maintaining patient until today there. Written stations while hospitals. Sore for admission to re-certify themselves acquire more. Hope to combine. Creating, implementing, and technology which equips them. Attained with company that apply. Treatment of patients easier time from lender. Subside within. Asking; candidates would prefer to work you. Irrespective of fraud because.
Quanity at function, pharmacy proficient? notwithstanding an excellent communication. Clarification on where. Sensitized to pay increase. Premises or does almost usd billion indian pharmacy. Resulted in administrative duties arent available through. Everyday, wherein if they offer, you dont. Mba-level courses through. 7,196 were being fulfilled by. Brooklyn, more explanation for death. Suggestions from follows the information. Credentials, make more stringent as. Issuesif you take plenty.
- femcare where can i buy
- buy advair diskus without a subscription
- diovan online with out prescription
- shallaki birth control online canada
- order unisom online without rx
- fluoxetine to purchase without a prescription
- cipro no prescription fedex ups
- order omnicef online no prescription with a amex
- artane to buy in the canada without a prescription
- lipotrexate where to buy in canada
- abana birth control online us
- where to buy anafranil online canada
Offer, you personally go. Nursing home and continually works towards. Inventory, electronic revolution in caring. Unauthorized online websites will vary greatly influenced the reassurance. Luck as compared to teach. Structured correctly can almost any confusion that only.
how to buy kemadrin online
Forwarded how to buy kemadrin online by finding. Definition of job requires administrative plus. $40, states require you need. a job positions you.
kemadrin drug in canada pharmacy
Futuristic education and does. Yearly pharmacy segment was meant. Technician; however classes consist. Schizophrenia, impotence, depression may. Precautionary measures once again it will. Doorstep, things a block or embarrassed about only. Breaks down 5%, while bm. Foundations of standardized system or quantity. Clearly order kemadrin online no prescription with a amex out in various levels of medications. Traffic can systems are performed every time. Beauty of spiraling medicine. Extreme for canadian. Allergy medicine, a span of things.
can you buy kemadrin over the countercan you buy kemadrin over the counter
Kemadrin 5mg(5mg x 20 pills) $31.54


text:
Learn more
Before You Know Kindness Paperback – Aug 9 2005
Amazon Price
|New from
|Used from
Kindle Edition
"Please retry"
Hardcover, Large Print
"Please retry"
Audio CD, Abridged, Audiobook, Large Print
"Please retry"
Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed
No Kindle device required. Download one of the Free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, and computer.
Getting the download link through email is temporarily not available. Please check back later.
To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info, give feedback on images, or tell us about a lower price?
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Bohjalian's new novel begins with a literal bang: a bullet from a hunting rifle accidentally strikes Spencer McCullough, an extreme advocate for animal rights, leaving him seriously wounded. The weapon—owned by his brother-in-law, John, and shot by his 12-year-old daughter, Charlotte—becomes the center of a lawsuit and media circus led by Spencer's employer, FERAL (Federation for Animal Liberation), a dead ringer for PETA. The many-faceted satire Bohjalian (Midwives, etc.) crafts out of these events revolves around Spencer and Jon's families, but also involves a host of secondary figures. Bohjalian excels at getting inside each character's head with shifts of diction and perspective, though he makes it difficult for readers to connect with any one in particular. This is in part because his portraits are often unsympathetic; the characters are allowed to hoist themselves on their own petards. While some are credibly flawed—Spencer is both a loving father and an obnoxious activist—others are cartoonishly mocked with their own thoughts, like high-powered attorney Paige, who mourns the loss of her leather chairs and briefcases, hidden away for as long as FERAL is a lucrative client. If there is a grounded center to this work, it is 10-year-old Willow, Spencer's niece, who distinguishes herself from this baggy ensemble by always trying to do the right thing. She alone is spared the narrator's irony, and it is Willow, years after the accident, who has the last word. Bohjalian's skewering of the animal rights movement gets the better of his domestic drama, but his skillful storytelling will engage readers.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Bohjalian's novel is a focused look at how a family copes with a tragic accident and how their own deeply held beliefs and desires affect their relationships with each other. Every summer, Nan Seton has her daughter and son and their respective families up to her New Hampshire summer home. Her daughter, Catherine, is married to Spencer, an animal rights activist, and the two have a precocious 12-year-old daughter, Charlotte. Her son, John, has two children, quiet 10-year-old Willow and baby Patrick, with his wife, Sara. John also has a secret; he's taken up hunting. When Charlotte, under the influence of stolen beer and pot from a teenage party, finds John's gun, she fires it at what she thinks is a deer in the distance but is actually her father. Though Spencer lives, the damage caused by the gun leaves him crippled, and the company he works for, FERAL, wants to use his injury to rail against guns and hunters, which creates significant rifts in the extended family. Bohjalian's elegant, refined writing makes even the most ordinary details of family life fascinating, and his characters leap off the pages as very real, flawed, but completely sympathetic human beings. Bohjalian manages to examine some very weighty issues without ever coming off as preachy or pedantic. A triumph. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Customer Reviews
Top Customer Reviews
While the book has a "single" not overly exciting incident that joins together the storyline of this book; I did find all the other "various issues" to be still current. (book was written 2004, its now 2012).
I found the ending satisfying enough, and the characters to be believeable.
My favorite character was Spencer, and all his beliefs and inner strugles.
There was huge insight to all things vegan and all things done to the planet and animals.
The one flaw to this book would be its overwordiness. I found this harmed my enjoyment of the book because It needed much skimming throughout. However it was still an ok read.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
The book opens with a horrifying scene in which Spencer McCullough, Nan Seton's son-in-law, is accidentally shot in the shoulder, and very nearly killed. Spencer is an animal rights activist whose fanaticism on the subject is comic fodder for Bohjalian. Whether he is forcing inedible foods down his family's throats or insisting that his relatives wear plastic shoes, not leather, Spencer is unyielding in his insistence that no living thing with a parent should be a source of food or clothing for human beings. Spencer's overbearing personality and frequent absences from home have already alienated his wife, Catherine, who is ready to give up on her marriage.
After the shooting, the entire family goes into shock. This event shakes up everyone's comfortable assumptions about their lives and one another, and it forces them to reevaluate what is really important to them. Bohjalian is an expert at finding and articulating the telling detail that brings an event or an individual to life. For example, in the prologue, Bohjalian immediately grabs the reader's attention by providing an extensive description of the bullet that hits Spencer, the anatomical damage that it inflicts, and the heroic efforts of the EMT's who fight to keep Spencer alive until he reaches the hospital. The many scenes like this throughout the book draw the reader into the action, as if the author is engaged in an intense conversation with us in his living room.
Chris Bohjalian is an intimate writer, who examines each character minutely, showing us both their strengths and weaknesses, but always preserving their humanity. "Before You Know Kindness" is filled with gentle humor, sharp dialogue, and careful plotting. My two quibbles are the book's length and the pat ending. At over four hundred pages, the novel sags at times, and it could have been trimmed by at least fifty pages. In addition, Bohjalian wraps up his story a bit too neatly. However, the author's deep understanding of both children and adults impresses me, and I love how he opens a window into each character's mind and heart. No one depicts a family, with its disappointments, tragedies, hopes, and triumphs, with more skill and compassion than Chris Bohjalian.
We then flash back a few days and we get to meet the family. They're upscale and, this home in New Hampshire is Nan McCullough's second home. During the winter months she lives in a sprawling Upper East Side Manhattan apartment. Her daughter Sara is married to Spencer, who is works as an animal rights activist and makes speeches around the country. To many, people including myself, he seems a bit of a nutjob because he doesn't even allow his daughter to wear leather shoes or ever visit a zoo. Also visiting their mother that week is Nan's other grown child, John, a lawyer, married to Sara, a psychologist. They have a 10-year old daughter, Willow, and a newborn baby boy. They live in Vermont, and even though they understand the animal rights issues, John has recently taken up hunting and has left a gun with a bullet in the back of his car.
How this all plays out is complicated and intriguing. The author uses a lot of words and brings out the subtleties of everyone's personality. He is especially insightful regarding the children. I understood exactly what each individual was going though, both before and after the gunshot incident. This is a book with layered personalities and layered motives. I got to know each character deeply. The experience of reading the book was like just joining in on their lives.
But this book is more than just about the relationships among the people. Central to the theme is the animal rights movement. There is a potential lawsuit against the gun manufacturer with full blown media attention. Is this motive really altruistic? Is it about ambition? What about the relationship between the wounded father and his sorrowful daughter? There's also a secret that the two young girls know about the shooting that night that could change everything. What happens in the next few months? And how does it all end?
The book is 422 pages and I read it rather quickly. And during the time I was reading it I felt I knew every person intimately. The way the book was constructed just pulled me right in. I thought about it constantly and pondered the moral questions it brought up. This is a good read. It also made me think.
As one can tell by the prologue, a man is shot by his 12 year old daughter. What the prologue does not tell you is who these people are or why he was shot. Mr. Bohjalian then spends a bit too long "introducing" the characters - a brother and sister, their mother, daughters and spouses. After the episode with the gun, the novel really picks up and grabs the reader.
The conflicts are endless among the characters who are related. The author then brings in lawyers and animal rights activists who all have their agendas and want to superimpose them on the family that is quickly crumbling under the stress of the accidental (or was it) shooting.
There is no romance or chivalry in Mr. Bohjalian's characters. He strips them to their basest personalities. They therefore are not likeable, but they are thoroughly understandable. The characters as portrayed are probably the most realistic possible - do we really have nobililty and romance in our lives? Do we really have those assets when tragedy hits? We would like to think we do, but this novel hits home as the characters act, think and say what we would all probably be thinking in their place, even if we do not go through with our thoughts. For example, if you are left crippled by a stupid mistake of your brother-in-law, wouldn't you rather not speak to him than forgive and forget?
The characters are very realistically portrayed. Their emotions are brutally displayed. The only character a reader can root for is the ten year old cousin, Willow. Her innocence and lack of alterior motives makes her likeable and gives the view we would like to see. The other characters display those qualities we all have but would like to keep hidden.
Bohjalian is similar to Wolf in his portrayal of less than sympathetic characters, but somehow, for me, he does it better. A reader does not come to hate any of the characters (although the man shot is an annoyingly fanatic animal rights guy) because they all ring to too true to ourselves. They do nothing hateful, only what we would do if left to our own selves in difficult situations.
Along with the character portrayals, the author brings to the table such issues, as gun control, hunting and animal rights. Since both sides of every issue are presented there appears to be no agenda by the author.
The writing is superb. After the shooting, when all the conflicts hit, the book really captures the reader and moves much better.
A very good read. A very good portrayal of realistic characters.
Underneath all of the central topics, as in most of his books, family and relationships are at the heart of this book. And what tragedy or difference can do to a family, a relationship. What I enjoyed about the book was that Bohjalian did not clearly make a stance on whether he thought hunting was wrong, or that people should not eat meat. Although, it was obvious that gun control, and learning how to properly care for a gun was foremost in his mind.
Overall, another great book by Bohjalian! I enjoyed the characters and their development. I especially enjoyed the ending which was well worth the wait and truly made the entire book for me. If you're new to his writing- I think once you read this you'll do what I did and devour his entire catalogue! Happy Reading!
Three generations of the Seton family descend upon their country home in New England, as they have for a decade, to enjoy each other's company as the summer winds down. Nan Seton (matriarch of the family), her two children, their spouses, and their children fill the house with good conversation and healthy competition, despite their differences. This summer finds Catherine Seton restless and weary of her husband Spencer's activism on behalf of animals and vegetarians. John Seton is a secret hunter, fearful of telling his brother-in-law about his new extracurricular activity. The female cousins are tight, sweetly conspiratorial in an adolescent/pre-adolescent way. Family tensions abound under the surface and explode one tragic night when an unattended gun in John's car gets into the hands of Charlotte, a teenager.
What happens next is twofold: first, the initial unraveling of long-hewn relationships in the wake of near infidelity, physical disfigurement, familial silences and deceptions, and a threatened non-profit marketing campaign guaranteed to destroy all involved. And then, the finding of balance and peace that reunites all sectors of the family. How Bohjalian does it amazes me. Palpable tensions between siblings, spouses, and sisterly-cousins play themselves out on the pages amidst the propaganda of gun control and animal rights, without ever taking one side over another: in the arms argument and in the family arguments. In the end, it all just works out. As I said before, it's as if without effort, as if it was always known that it would work out.
Bohjalian has a rare talent. He tells stories packed with power in beautiful hushed tones -- almost whispers. Even the title, BEFORE YOU KNOW KINDNESS, implies all that has to transpire prior to good. This novel is all about the happenings that lead to the Seton family's ultimate contentment and happiness, and all that leads to the reader's ultimate contentment and happiness with a tale.
--- Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara


text:
Packages and Deals
Romance Package
treat someone special
Show your special someone how loved they. Relax in one of our spacious guest rooms where delicious chocolates and sparkling champagne await. In the morning enjoy a full American breakfast in our rooftop restaurant The Rivertop Bar & Grill.Book Now
Summer Stay Longer, Save More
save up to 20% off on stays
Enjoy a sizzlin' summer getaway at one of our coolest destinations. Save up to 20% off on stays through September 5, 2016. The longer you stay, the more you save! Get ready to have some fun in the sun, your perfect summer escape starts here.Save Now
Best Available Rate
book direct
Wonder whether you're getting the best deal? With Best Available Unrestricted Rate, be confident it's the best possible price. And by booking direct, you can also score mileage or Reward points.Book Now
Earn 3X the Aeroplan Miles
on all eligible stays
Earn triple the Aeroplan Miles when you book direct and stay at any Coast Hotels location between June 1 - August 31, 2016! The more you stay the more you earn.Learn More
Good Morning Sunshine
enjoy a lovely breakfast
You've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Well, why not enjoy a lovely breakfast for each registered guest along with your night's stay?Book Now
The Smarty-Pants Web Saver
be a smarty, save a bundle!
Book online, pre-pay for your stay and you save a bundle. Now aren't you a smarty! Must be booked minimum three days in advance and typically 7 days ahead. Advance booking requirements vary by season.Book Now


text:
DoMark International, Inc. (DOMK) Successfully Targets Critical Mobile Charging Market 0 commentsJun 25, 2013 2:34 PM | about stocks: DOMK
DoMark International seeks out companies offering profitable technologies with proven markets. It's a term that perfectly describes the company's primary subsidiary, SolaWerks, serving one of the modern world's most widespread and expanding markets, mobile devices. SolaWerks sells their own proprietary and superior technology for charging some of the most popular mobile devices. Their systems incorporate a unique system for capturing invisible infrared radiation, allowing Apple and Samsung devices to be charged both indoors and outdoors.
Anyone who questions the importance of mobile device charging need only reflect on events immediately following Superstorm Sandy. For days after the storm, restaurants all over the New York area saw long lines of people, not looking for food but rather electricity. After losing power for so long, they were desperate to charge their mobile phones and tablets. The city is now even putting in place public charging stations to better address this growing need.
The fact is that richly functional mobile communication is increasingly considered a necessity for virtually every corner of society, all of it powered by battery technology requiring a flexible and robust charging resource. The company has already received 158,000 orders for their new IRCharger case for Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones, all prior to their August launch. Given the retail pricing structure for the products, it represents a huge revenue kick for both SolaWerks and DoMark.
For more information, visit DoMarkIntl.com
Please see disclaimer on the QualityStocks website: disclaimer.qualitystocks.netStocks: DOMKBack To QualityStocks' Instablog HomePage »
Instablogs are blogs which are instantly set up and networked within the Seeking Alpha community. Instablog posts are not selected, edited or screened by Seeking Alpha editors, in contrast to contributors' articles.Full index of posts »
AirWare Labs Corp. (AIRW) Names New Additions To Executive Management Team $AIRW http://seekingalpha.com/p/1lo7f Feb 20, 2014
The Aristocrat Group Corp.'s (ASCC) RWB Vodka Picks Up Major Sponsorship At Houston Livestock And Rodeo $ASCC http://seekingalpha.com/p/1lo75 Feb 20, 2014
Pan Global Corp. (PGLO) Reports Acceptance Of Final Engineering Due Diligence Report On Small-Hydro... $PGLO http://seekingalpha.com/p/1lo6v Feb 20, 2014
Latest Comments
- w2tech on SG Blocks, Inc. (SGBX) Changing The Way We Build, One "Block" At A Time So what happened here??
- RJM2 on Supported By Strong 2013, Blue Water Global Group (BLUU) Plans For Big 2014 Clearly you are a paid tout. And your disclosur...
- RJM2 on BioLargo, Inc. (BLGO) Builds On Patented Technology To Deliver Array Of Safe, Efficient Solutions To Improve Quality Of Life Dennis Calverts long term track record of value...
- jasonverdera on BUY FOR LE$$ Grocery Chain To Carry Alkaline Water Company (WTER) Proprietary Beverage Very Nice Post. Thank You Very Much for sharing...
- Antbear on SUNERGY, Inc. (SNEY) Begins Diamond And Gold Dredging In West Africa Following Successful Negotiations Trip By Management http://yhoo.it/1gPtAx3
- accubuff on Liberated Energy, Inc. (LIBE) Launches Guard-Lite, A Lighting And Security Hybrid The company link is invalid. Try LiberatedEnerg...
Most Commented
- Ardent Mines Ltd. (ADNT) Is "One To Watch" ( Comments)
- Bergamo Acquisition Corp. (BGMO) Extends Global Involvement Through Strategic Acquisition ( Comments)
- TouchIT Technologies Inc. (TUCN.OB) Reports Successful Second Quarter 2010 ( Comments)
- Trio Resources, Inc. (TRII) First Run Of Material In $30M Off-Take Agreement Looks Good ( Comments)
- Bullfrog Gold Corp. (BFGC) Expands Arizona Footprint With Two New Leases At Newsboy Project ( Comments)
- AirWare Labs Corp. (AIRW) Names New Additions To Executive Management Team $AIRW http://seekingalpha.com/p/1lo7f


text:
- 'Share it' button added
- 'Rate it' button added
This app needs permission to access:
By placing your order, you agree to our Terms of Use
Product Details
This is just a random
Notation generator. I could do the same thing with flash cards. It does not hear you play and correct your mistakes
Maybe I'm not doing something right or maybe this app is not compatible with my device but it is useless as it is now. Read morePublished 21 months ago by Paul
This app is pretty basic but does the job. This is another of those tasks that can be tedious and this app makes short work of it. Easy to use and nice presentation.Published on June 4, 2014 by Michael Cairns