You ARE Loved

History of You ARE Loved

Lisa Elifritz lost her 20 year old daughter Amy Rae Elifritz to  tampon related Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) on June 13, 2010.  From that time on, Lisa has been committed to doing everything possible to raise awareness.  In 2011, she founded the non-profit organization You ARE Loved.  As of June 2011, the organization has already reached tens of thousands of people through face-to-face educational programs and online awareness initiatives.

Toxic Shock Syndrome Basic Facts:

Toxic Shock Syndrome develops when the common bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus, produce a toxin which is absorbed into the bloodstream. The toxin rapidly overwhelms the immune system and attacks the major organs, leading to kidney failure, collapse of the lungs and in severe cases, cardiac arrest. Alarmingly, half of all known cases of Toxic Shock are women using TAMPONS.

Symptoms of TSS

• Sore throat
• Aching muscles
• High temperature; over 102 degrees F
• Vomiting
• Watery diarrhea
• Red rash
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Very low blood pressure

Only one or two symptoms may occur. They do not necessarily occur all at once and may not persist.

Learn more and please pass this information on to others.

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Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation

The Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation improves the lives of families raising children and teens living with bipolar disorder and related conditions.

Public Health Goals

1. Increased funding for research on the causes, nature, and best treatment for early-onset bipolar disorder.
2. Public service announcements to inform the public about mood disorders in the young.
3. Access to appropriate evaluation and treatment for all children and adolescents with mood disorders.
4. Epidemiological studies on mood disorders in children and adolescents.
5. Education for school children about brain disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, and screening for emerging brain disorders in children.
6. Non-discriminatory insurance coverage for bipolar and other brain disorders equal to coverage for other medical conditions.
7. Mandatory reporting by hospital and public safety personnel of anonymous statistical data on suicide attempts by children and adolescents.
8. Adherence by researchers to the highest ethical standards for drug trials of psychiatric medications in children and adolescents

Public Awareness Facts

1. Bipolar disorder can and does occur in childhood and adolescence.
2. Bipolar disorder resembles, or often co-occurs with, ADHD and other neurobiological conditions.
3. Qualified professionals can identify children at risk for early-onset bipolar disorder and diagnose bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.
4. Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents can be reduced or managed with appropriate treatment.
5. Early diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents may prevent a worsening course of illness, school avoidance, substance abuse, and impulsive acts of aggression against loved ones, self, and others.
6. Medications commonly used to treat bipolar disorder in adults, such as lithium and other mood stabilizers, may be effective in many children, but more research on effective treatments is needed.
7. Children and adolescents with bipolar disorder often need, and are entitled to, flexible accommodations at school (including Individual Educational Plans) to meet their unique educational needs.
8. Children with bipolar disorder respond best to parenting and educational methods that take account of their neurobiological condition.

Follow them on Twitter @BPKids.

Tobacco Free Florida: Give Your Kids a Gift and Quit Smoking

Because of the dramatic impact that tobacco use has on families, Tobacco Free Florida is airing an advertisement called  “Separation” around Mother’s and Father’s Day—a time when families are paying particularly close attention to togetherness and special memories.  

We want to remind parents that the most valuable gift they can give their children is time.  If they are smokers, then quitting now will give them more time to spend with their children.  More time for more special moments, more memories, more Mother’s Days together. It is our hope that smokers will be inspired by this ad to visit TobaccoFreeFlorida.com to learn more about how to quit tobacco use.  

Isn't it time you quit smoking? 

Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing

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Recovering The Self is a quarterly journal which explores the themes of recovery and healing through the lenses of poetry, memoir, opinion, essays, fiction, humor, art, media reviews and psychoeducation. Contributors to RTS Journal come from around the globe to deliver unique perspectives you won't find anywhere else!

The theme of Volume III, Number 1 is "New Beginnings". Inside, we explore this and several other areas of concern including:

• Diet
• Health and Chronic Illness
• Fitness
• Parenting
• Disaster Recovery
• Child Abuse Survivors
• Relationships
• Substance Abuse Recovery
• Grieving
• Incarceration 
• Journaling
• and much more...

This issue's contributors include: Barbara Sinor, Chandru Bhojwani, David Roberts, Sam Vaknin, Niall McLaren, Allison Ballard, Claire Luna-Pinsker, Holli Kenley, Kat Fasano-Nicotera, Bronnie Ware, Jim Kelly, Andrew D. Gibson, Larry Hayes, George W. Doherty, Bonnie Spence, Sweta Srivastava Vikram, Michaela Sefler, RD Armstrong, Devon Tomasulo, Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Sue Sheff, Gail Straub Daniel Tomasulo, and Diane Wing.

Get sneak peek!

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Overweight Teens - Wellspring Florida Summer Program

Over the past 20 years, clinical obesity among children and adolescents (defined as 95+ percentile body mass index on a growth chart) has skyrocketed from 6% to 15%. This makes overweight teens and teen obesity the most common chronic illness in pediatrics. To provide a sense of the magnitude of the opportunity, the prevalence of eating disorders is only 0.3%.

Although pediatric and adolescent obesity is most common in lower socio-economic groups, it is prevalent at all income levels, including in upper-income families. In 1995, 2.9% of households in the top 5% of income had obese children or adolescents. The number has certainly risen over the past 8 years.

The cause of this epidemic is entirely behavioral: high-calorie diets and insufficient exercise.

The direct effects of pediatric and adolescent obesity are clear and well established:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (formerly adult onset diabetes)
• Hypertension and predisposition for cardiac disease
• Sleep apnea
• Asthma
• Gallbladder disease
• Kidney disease
• Pancreatitis
• Eye diseases
• Nerve damage
• Various gastrointestinal disorders
• Various skeletal and orthopedic problems
• 80% increase in incidence of obesity in adulthood
• Obesity in adulthood likely to be more severe with earlier onset of co-morbidities

Source:  Overweight Teen

Wellspring Florida is the first and only scientifically-based summer fitness and weight loss camp in St. Petersburg Florida, and one of the most effective weight loss programs in the world.

MTV's latest reality show

MTV just launched their new show, "I Used to Be Fat". The show will follow teens during the summer after high school as they work to lose weight and transform themselves before entering college.  As with many of today's reality shows, this is a topic that can be sensitive, difficult, however extremely necessary to talk about and address.

Be an educated parent, you will have healthier teens.


Watch the video to learn more about Wellspring summer for your overweight teens.

Read more.

Sue Scheff: 29 Gifts - How A Month of Giving Can Change Your Life

By Cami Walker

What a fantastic book to be released at this time of the year, but also all year round!

At age thirty-five, Cami Walker was burdened by a battle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological condition that made it difficult for her to walk, work, or enjoy her life. Seeking a remedy for her depression after being hospitalized, she received an uncommon prescription from an African medicine woman: Give to others for 29 days.

29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author’s life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving and receiving. Many of Walker’s gifts were simple —a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By Day 29, not only had Walker’s health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement.

The book also includes personal essays from others whose lives changed for the better by giving, plus pages for the reader to record their own journey. More than a memoir, 29 Gifts offers inspiring lessons on how a simple daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world.

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