Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/32346
2B Daily News – Wednesday, May 25, 2011 FEATURES Conniving kin crippling convert Dear Annie: Nearly 23 years ago, at the end of my Ph.D. studies, I became ill with severe depression. Not recog- nizing the problem, I self-medicated with ille- gal drugs and became an addict. I was so messed up that I had to move back in with my parents, who provided a roof over my head but nothing else. My father, a doctor, sent me to a psychiatrist who misdiagnosed me with bipolar disease. I was unable to work and had no money. At the end of a year, I was no better. I tried to burglarize my father’s office to get drugs, and my parents had me arrested. They then disowned me, and I became homeless. I lived in a shelter and began working at simple jobs I felt I could handle. After two years, a friend insisted I be hospi- talized in a mental health facility. A psychiatrist there correctly diagnosed me with major depres- sion and began treatment. Within a matter of weeks, I was much improved and able to stop using illegal drugs. From there, I found a job near my edu- cational level. I later married and have since lived a productive and happy life. Here’s the problem: I have seven siblings. Some of them still speak ill of me to others, even manufacturing dramatic lies about me. My recov- ery has seemingly meant nothing to them. Can you help me understand why they drag me down like this? After all the years I lost, it seems like a very ugly thing to do. Is there anything I can say or do to stop it? — Long Recovered Dear Recov- ered: You need to tell your siblings how much this hurts you. People who exaggerate and gossip often do so because they crave atten- tion, and in some perverse way, your siblings believe your story gives them celebrity sta- tus while making them feel superior. You might ask them why they feel the need to denigrate you to others. Then ask if they will please stop because it is hurtful and undermines whatever sibling relationship you have. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar thize with ‘‘Fed- Up Roommate,’’ whose friend insists on control- ling everything within their apartment and makes her life miserable. Years ago, I was in a similar situation. With the landlord’s approval, I gave my roommate 30 days’ notice to find someone else to live with her, and I moved out. If ‘‘Fed Up’’ can afford to do this, she might con- sider taking this action rather than suffering through another nine months of her room- mate’s bossiness until the lease expires. Dear Annie: I associ- ate with some older gen- tlemen through my church. Many of them have nose hairs and eye- brows so long you could comb them. Why aren’t their wives telling them to take care of this? It is repulsive for those of us who have to look up at them while conversing. Ladies, please be help- mates to your husbands. — Turned Off Dear Turned Off: We have to assume these men do not realize they have hairs hanging from unat- tractive places, and it’s possible no one around them is willing to bring up the issue. And at some point, the eyesight can weaken, and these hairs are not noticed. We urge people to take care of their personal grooming since it makes an impres- sion, justified or not, and if you need a magnifica- tion mirror, get one. Dear Annie: I sympa- When people are con- sidering moving in together, it is important that they have a serious talk beforehand about housekeeping, bill pay- ing, visitors and anything else that can come up when you room with another person. Even best friends who think they know each other well can be unpleasantly surprised when they are sharing close quarters. In my case, moving in with my best friend ruined the relationship. — Sadder but Wiser Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.n et, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Help for choosing probiotics DEAR DR. GOTT: In a recent column in the Monterey County (Calif.) Herald, you suggested a woman try an array of products, including probiotics that might help her overcome flatulence. Would you be kind enough to write a column explaining the uses of probiotics, including the way in which a person would select the appropriate prod- uct? The quantity and range of these products is dizzying and confusing, and the “expertise” is limited, at best. Doc- tors and other practitioners seldom (in my experience) specify what sort of probiotics to buy and merely suggest that we go to a good health-food store. That is not helpful. When we go to a good health-food store, Dr. Peter Gott the absorption of nutrients. Probi- otics can balance the effects of skin; vaginal, respiratory and stom- ach infections; irritable bowel syn- drome; may reduce the severity of a cold or flu; and are used to treat diarrhea brought on by the use of antibiotics. They are available in specific foods and as dietary supplements in powder, tablet and capsule forms. Food items with good bac- teria include yogurts, some juices, fermented and unfermented milk, soy bev- erages, soybeans and soybean paste popular for Asian cooking. we find ourselves confronted with product names and ingredients that are completely unfamiliar. Worse, these products contain a range of ingredients that, presumably, are intended to treat a wide range of conditions. But the packages don’t give specific infor- mation. Also, probiotics may come in cap- sule form and be stable at room temperature, or they may come in powder form and require refrigeration and mixing just prior to use. How are we to know which is best? My husband and I were desperate for a probiotic following courses of antibiotics to treat (of all things — we’re in our 70s!) whooping cough. We did find, with the help of a salesperson at our local health-food store, Jarro-Dophilus EPS, which comes in capsule form and can be taken up to four times a day. We began with the four and, after a couple of weeks, were able to cut the dosage down to one per day. It has been helpful, but I have no idea whether it would be the right dose in every case or not. And I have no idea whether this is something we should continue to take. DEAR READER: Probiotics are live microorganisms, referred to as “good” bac- teria, used to treat illness and support well- ness. Good bacteria within the body are essential for proper development of the immune system, as they protect against harmful microorganisms that could cause disease. They aid digestion and help with PAINESVILLE, Ohio (AP) — A northeast Ohio couple found themselves up to their ankles in trou- ble for rafting on a flood- swollen river without life preservers and lying about it afterward. A judge sentenced them to stand in a tiny swim- ming pool while wearing life jackets and handing The U.S. Department of Agriculture does not regulate dietary supplements. Therefore, a probiotic can be marketed and sold with minimal or absolutely no research available on its safety or on how well it works. Therefore, it is critical that readers check with their personal physicians before beginning a regimen. Dietary supplements can cause side effects, may cause allergic reactions, and can interfere with other med- ications. The safety of probiotics has not been studied long enough to make specific rec- ommendations as to which type of ingestion is best, with consideration of age, dosing and treatment of individuals with compro- mised immune systems being factors. Labeling varies, and there are more than 25 different supplements from which to choose, each with its own guidelines for use — for boosting the immune system, not for specific problems! With some, the organ- isms are released into the stomach within 30 minutes of ingestion. Once you discontinue the probiotic, the cells clear the body within five to seven days. Beyond this, I cannot offer precise information for varied disor- ders. The field is simply too vague. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com. Ohio pair serve time in pool for rafting offense out water safety brochures Saturday at a festival in Painesville, 30 miles northeast of Cleveland. Twenty-year-old Grace Nash and 22-year-old Bruce Crawford pleaded guilty to misdemeanor misconduct during an emergency. spent hours looking for them last month after they were spotted on the Grand River. They made it to land but lied to an official about being in the water. They chose the pool punishment and commu- nity service over 60 days in jail. Searchers Nash tells The News- Herald in Willoughby they’ve learned their les- son.