March 3, 2010
On Writing Wednesdays we have been workshopping our short stories. There is one story about a marriage that is broken by the husband who becomes addicted to cocaine. The story takes place in a treatment centre, where the character is undergoing methadone treatment. As someone who has worked in social services, sometime having to deal with substance abuse issues, I have always known methadone as an opiate substitute to treat heroin. I made this comment during the workshop and the author defended that her story was based on reality and the addict was treated with liquid meth. So, today’s question is: can methadone be used as a cocaine addiction treatment?
A: Well shut my mouth!
A number of studies have confirmed that methadone can effectively be used to treat cocaine addiction, although it is primarily an opiate treatment. According to one study conducted at the University of Guelph, methadone can “reset” the brain back to a pattern before cocaine use and diminishes the urge to use. Additional studies have been conducted in Britain and Australia; both reports have shown a decrease in cocaine use with trail participants.. In a small study in the behavioural science department of the University of Kentucky, seven cocaine-dependent patients were treated with dexamphetamine maintenance, and then given cocaine in the lab. The results showed that the effects of cocaine were blunted.
None of the research believes that methadone treatment is a panacea or that it will be one hundred percent effective, however it remains a good option for those suffering with cocaine addiction. Additionally, individuals would need to combine methadone treatment with social supports and cognitive therapy, to curb their desire for cocaine.
Sources:
Ottawa Citizen. Heroin Treatment Also Works on Cocaine: Study. November 24, 2008
Time Magazine. Can Amphetamines Help Cure Cocaine Addiction? Maia Szalavitz. December 8, 2008
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Poetry
February 17, 2010
Another writing Wednesday and our little class will be moving on from the short story to poetry. I am not looking forward to taking on this section. I don't think I have the eloquence to be a poet. I also have difficulty interpreting the symbolism of poetry, which strips my enjoyment of it. There are a number of different styles of poetry - most of which I am unfamiliar - but my question is really one of definition. Today’s question is: what is a poem?
A:
Edgar Allan Poe said, "Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words."
A poem is identifiable by its literary and musical elements. For example, metaphor and alliteration are common in many poems. Another hallmark of a poem is its brevity, or ability to say much in few words. This requires layered meaning and the use of symbolism. A poem need not rhyme or contain a consistent meter to qualify as such, but those elements are common in many poems. Usually a poem is broken down into lines and stanzas. They can contain full sentences or just fragments, or a combination.
There are many forms of poetry such as:
Sonnet – the sonnet is the most popular form of poem. Sonnets are usually connected with poems about love. Shakespeare produced many well known sonnets, some of which can be found in the Oxford Book of English Verse.
Ode – an ode is a lyrical poem which is structured into three parts (strophe, antistrophe and the epode).
Haiku – Haiku is a form of unrhymed Japanese poetry, the haiku contains three sections totaling 17 onji (phonological units of syllable weighing), structured in a 5-7-5 pattern.
There are also many different genres for poems including epic poetry (narrative literature centered on mythical or heroic people), narrative poetry (poems which tell a story), dramatic poetry (written in verse), lyric poetry (usually describes the poet's feelings and thoughts).
Ugh. I’m not looking forward to it!
Sources:
eHow: What is a poem?
Wikipedia: Poetry
Another writing Wednesday and our little class will be moving on from the short story to poetry. I am not looking forward to taking on this section. I don't think I have the eloquence to be a poet. I also have difficulty interpreting the symbolism of poetry, which strips my enjoyment of it. There are a number of different styles of poetry - most of which I am unfamiliar - but my question is really one of definition. Today’s question is: what is a poem?
A:
Edgar Allan Poe said, "Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words."
A poem is identifiable by its literary and musical elements. For example, metaphor and alliteration are common in many poems. Another hallmark of a poem is its brevity, or ability to say much in few words. This requires layered meaning and the use of symbolism. A poem need not rhyme or contain a consistent meter to qualify as such, but those elements are common in many poems. Usually a poem is broken down into lines and stanzas. They can contain full sentences or just fragments, or a combination.
There are many forms of poetry such as:
Sonnet – the sonnet is the most popular form of poem. Sonnets are usually connected with poems about love. Shakespeare produced many well known sonnets, some of which can be found in the Oxford Book of English Verse.
Ode – an ode is a lyrical poem which is structured into three parts (strophe, antistrophe and the epode).
Haiku – Haiku is a form of unrhymed Japanese poetry, the haiku contains three sections totaling 17 onji (phonological units of syllable weighing), structured in a 5-7-5 pattern.
There are also many different genres for poems including epic poetry (narrative literature centered on mythical or heroic people), narrative poetry (poems which tell a story), dramatic poetry (written in verse), lyric poetry (usually describes the poet's feelings and thoughts).
Ugh. I’m not looking forward to it!
Sources:
eHow: What is a poem?
Wikipedia: Poetry
Writing Wednesdays
January 13, 2010
A: George Brown was born in 1818 in Scotland, and immigrated to Canada in 1843, after managing a printing operation in New York with his father. In 1844 he founded The Globe newspaper (now known as The Globe and Mail after merging with other papers) to propagate the Reform notion of responsible government. Brown also used the newspaper to publish articles and editorials attacking the slavery movement in the Southern United States and was instrumental in the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada. Additionally, Brown used the newspaper to express his negative views on church-state ties.
As I have stated at the beginning of this blog, my goal for 2010 was to write more. In order to accomplish this, I started 365 Random Questions, but I also enrolled in a creative writing class at George Brown College. I am very excited! Most of the writing (with the exception of this) is quite bland - I summarize data, I type e-mails and I take minutes of provincial meetings - very dull. So, I'm looking forward to learning about techniques on how to get the stories in my head, out and onto paper. Thinking about the college I became curious about the college's namesake; I know that George Brown was a politician involved in confederation and that he has a statue outside of Queens Park, but I don't really know much more than that. Today's question is: who was George Brown?
A: George Brown was born in 1818 in Scotland, and immigrated to Canada in 1843, after managing a printing operation in New York with his father. In 1844 he founded The Globe newspaper (now known as The Globe and Mail after merging with other papers) to propagate the Reform notion of responsible government. Brown also used the newspaper to publish articles and editorials attacking the slavery movement in the Southern United States and was instrumental in the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada. Additionally, Brown used the newspaper to express his negative views on church-state ties. In 1851, George was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Canada representing the Reform party and focused on separating the church and state and the idea of representation by population (rep by pop). This drew strong opposition from the less populous, largely French-Catholic, Lower Canada. Amongst these strains, the Reform regime collapsed in 1854. In 1857, George reorganized the Clear Grit (Liberal) party and swept the Upper Canada elections later that year. Brown focused on building a federal union of the Canadas to remedy sectional divisions, however Parliamentary discussion quickly broke down on the topic. Brown offered to support a new government for constitutional change, and joined forces with Conservative leader John A. Macdonald, Alexander Tilloch Galt and George-Étienne Cartier to form a coalition to seek a federal union. He then put in motion the notion of Confederation, speaking at the Charlottetown and the Quebec Conferences. However, Brown later resigned from the coalition over government's opposition of pursuing a free-trade policy with the United States.
Despite his resignation, Brown continued to support Confederation and ran for the first federal elections in the fall of 1867. He was defeated by John A. Macdonald and left parliament to focus on The Globe newspaper. Brown was seen as an informal leader to the Liberal party and in 1874 was appointed as a senator.
George's death was a result of a tragic event. In March 1880, a dismissed Globe employee, George Bennett, shot Brown in the leg with a revolver. Initially thought to be a surface wound, later turned gangrenous, that resulted in his death 7 weeks later.
Sources:
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