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Saturday, April 17, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Teen pregnant, father is jobless Dear Annie: I am 17. Last year, I got into a relation- ship with ‘‘Jere- my,’’ who was 19. He was my first boyfriend. Our relationship got serious pretty fast. He told me early on that he wanted kids. After six months of being together, I got pregnant. I am now five months along. Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Jeremy just lost his job and doesn’t seem to be try- ing to get a new one. He says I need to get a job first. I don’t feel this is fair. I’ve been trying to find work, but even though I have my diploma, most places want you to be 18. Jeremy says he can’t find employment because he’s a 20-year-old dropout with no GED. What should I do? We are both jobless and living with parents. — Frustrated Teen Mom in Omaha Dear Teen: Letters like yours make us sad. Too many teenage girls roman- ticize having a baby and believe it will bring them a stable, loving family. The reality is, the boy is invari- ably too young and imma- ture to provide any stabili- ty and often resents being ‘‘trapped.’’ If you decide to Barber Shop $ Cheers 600 Senior Cuts Open 6 days 9-6 570-2304 259 S. Main St. Tractor Supply Center keep the baby, Jeremy is legally responsible for child support, and you should encourage his par- ticipation in the child’s life. But please don’t count on him to take care of you. Are your parents sup- portive? Will they help raise the baby? You can find prenatal care and counseling through Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org) at 1-800-230-PLAN (1- 800-230-7526). Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘Happy and Sad in Oklahoma,’’ whose wife has ‘‘checked out’’ of their sex life at age 48. He said their counselor told him it was unrealistic to expect an exciting and ful- filling sex life at this age. I applaud you on your response saying the coun- selor is wrong. It is indeed possible to have a loving, connected, meaningful sex life after menopause, but it takes commitment and work from both partners. The best therapist for this sometimes-challenging work is a board-certified sex therapist. Please advise ‘‘Happy and Sad’’ to go to the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (aasect.org) to find one in their area. — Andrea Mat- tisen-Haskins, LICSW BCD, AASECT Diplomate of Sex Therapy, AASECT Supervisor Dear Andrea Mat- tisen-Haskins: Many read- ers weighed in on this, and most were supportive of finding a route to a healthi- er sex life. Read on: From Chicago: When I was 48, I had the same response to sex. I was indifferent at best and mildly repulsed at worst. The year I turned 50, my sex drive returned full force. We had sex every day and now do crazy things that never would have occurred to us when we were younger. What was the catalyst? The kids got married, my parents passed away after long ill- nesses, I finally hit five weeks of vacation at my job, and we got a cleaning lady. I had time to myself for the first time in 20 years. Fortunately, my sweet husband gave me a free pass on those years when I was an Ice Princess. God bless him. Texas: Why is it the woman who needs fixing? This is a normal process of life. Why should she intro- duce chemicals into her body to improve her libido? Men shouldn’t be dosed with chemicals, either, just to satisfy their egos. They need to accept the effects of menopause as part of nature and encourage all the other ways to enjoy life together. No woman should expect this kind of caveman attitude. Shreveport, La.: Menopause is worse than it seems. Many doctors checked my wife and said everything was fine. Every woman suffering from loss of libido should run to an OB/GYN who specializes in hormones. It took four months for my wife to get the levels right, and I wish I were younger so I could keep up with her. Schizophrenia needs proper treatment DEAR DR. GOTT: My sister and I are caring for both our moth- er and a sister who has schizophre- nia. Unfortunately, this sister is in the last stages of our being able to care for her at home. She refuses to take her medicines and has become totally unmanageable. Our mother refuses to consider making a com- mitment one way or another about her and instead reads your column. She uses it as the final word on my sister’s illness. It is all we can do to hang on because of the verbally abusive behavior and her sudden physical violence. Please, Dr. Gott, don’t write any more columns about cures for mental illness. DEAR READER: Upon reading your Dr. Peter Gott There are three categories of symptoms: positive, negative and cognitive. Positive symptoms are psychotic behaviors not seen in healthy people. These include hal- lucinations, delusions and thought and/or movement disorders. Peo- ple with positive symptoms often appear to lose touch with reality. Negative symptoms cause dis- ruption of normal emotions and behaviors. These may be mistak- en for signs of depression and letter, I felt to compelled to answer it quickly despite your protest. I have never offered a cure in regards to any type of mental illness. In fact, most forms of men- tal disease are not curable, but many are treatable if the patient is compliant. I have written several times in the past about com- mon forms of these disorders, such as anx- iety, depression, manic behavior and oth- ers. I will use this opportunity to discuss schizophrenia, but I cannot offer in-depth information, as I am not a psychiatrist and have not had direct experience with this serious disorder. 89th RED BLUFF ROUND-UP TRADE SHOW HOURS TYLER JELLY BUILDING Friday, April 16, 2010 4 pm to 10pm Saturday, April 17, 2010 11 am to 6 pm Sunday, April 28, 2010 11 am to 6 pm First, I must say that I am sorry to hear that your mother uses my column as a final say, but I will not stop writing about a med- ical topic just because she misuses the information I provide. My column is not to be used as a final say, to provide a medical diagnosis, or as a substitute for appropriate medical care or physician advice. It is merely informative and meant to provide patients with a means to approach a doctor about symptoms they are experiencing. It also may give further aid to those patients who have a hard time making their doctors listen. The information is to be used to get proper treatment by a physician who can see, examine, and listen to any concerns. A medical diagnosis cannot be made through a letter, over the computer or by phone, but I can offer an opinion so readers can fur- ther explore issues with their physicians. That said, I will now offer some general advice to my readers and, I hope, your mother, in regards to schizophrenia. With luck, she will use this information to get you and your sisters the help you all need. Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder. It is chronic and often disabling. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 1 percent of Americans suffer from this condition. include a lack of enjoyment in everyday life, an inability to begin and sustain planned activities, “flat affect” (having lit- tle or no facial movement or speaking in a monotonous or dull voice) and speaking very little, even if forced to interact with others. Cognitive symptoms may also be diffi- cult to recognize as a sign of schizophre- nia, as they are typically discovered only when other testing is performed. These signs can include trouble focusing or pay- ing attention, an inability to use informa- tion immediately after learning it, and a decreased ability to understand informa- tion provided and then using it to make a decision. Men and women are equally affected, as are all ethnic groups. The first symptoms are typically hallucinations and/or delu- sions that generally begin between the ages of 16 and 30. Men may experience symp- toms slightly earlier than women. Children are rarely affected; however, awareness of childhood-onset schizophrenia is increas- ing. Because the causes of schizophrenia are not fully understood, treatment is aimed at eliminating symptoms. These can include antipsychotic medications, illness-man- agement skills (teaching patients how to make informed decisions about their care), social and vocational rehabilitation, self- help group therapy, family education (to teach the family about the condition and learn how to handle situations that may arise) and cognitive behavioral therapy. It is important that the family and patient learn about the disorder and how to handle it. When caretakers cannot control a patient, such as when he or she is violent or dangerous to himself or herself or others, hospitalization is an appropriate option. Unfortunately, I have run out of space to continue this topic. Therefore, I recom- mend that you and anyone else interested read more about the disorder on the National Institute of Mental Health’s web- site at www.nimh.nih.gov. D NEWSAILY Exclusive Print Media Partner RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY PRESENTS April 30 - May 1 & 2 ANY LARGE 3 TOPPING PIZZA Rodeo Special $749 + TAX FREE CRAZY COMBO® When you purchase any Two Large Pepperoni or Cheese Pizzas & a 2 Liter Soda Valid at Red Bluff location only. One coupon per order per visit. 108 Main Street, Suite C, Red Bluff • (530) 527-1121 Expires 04/30/2010 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! Wow! What a Weekend!! Fri. 12-6 • Sat. 10-6 • Sun. 10-5 Shasta-Tehama Home & Garden Show is coming.... Joining 5 other major events Same Weekend - Same Fairgrounds ❁ 2nd Annual Shasta-Tehama Home & Garden Show (Fri-Sat-Sun) ❁ 39th Annual Arabian Horse Show (Fri-Sat-Sun) ❁ 49th Annual Flower Show (Sat-Sun) ❁ 8th Annual Alpaca Show (Sat-Sun) ❁ 11th Annual 4-H Fair (Sat) ❁ 6th Annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration (Sat) “It’s May Magic” NEW FOR THIS YEAR... Arts & Craft Exhibitors Free admission to all for the Home Show!!!!! Thanks to our friends at