It's Cold

It's cold isn't it?

We think about ourselves while holding hot cup of coffee that how cold it is getting, we tuck our children in blankets and quilt at night telling them to keep themselves warm; we put heaters on while wearing thick socks just to remain cozy in our comfortable houses.

But do we remember the people who live outdoors under the wide sky made by God? Do we consider helping them out in any way possible? Do we think that people who live in slumps, sleep on floor, walk around naked feet what happens to them? If not THEN THINK and DO something about IT.

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We Build FOR OURSELVES

We build for ourselves, not for others.

I see people caring for themselves so much that they forget what humanity is, what being a Musilm is and what doing the right thing is. Rather then re-constructing new mosques or repairing them we put boards for our houses.

How the world has changed, I wish it was for good.

Aare ruk jaa

Aare tham jaa

Aare ruk jaa rey banday

Aare tham jaa rey banday

Kay kudrat has paray gi

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My Drug (Day 14 of 30)

Umeed hai tum ab ghurror naa karo

Ke jab tumhari motor nahi chalti

Tab hum apna pait bharne jaate hain

Hope is still my drug

© Ubaid Ullah Ahmed & Purple

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Butchered - II

Trunk to Branches to Leaves to Stump

Nothing remaining, just butchered

Reason unknown

Motive known

But who cares? Do you?

Only after the last tree has been cut down,

Only after the last river has been poisoned,

Only after the last fish has been caught,

Only then will you find,

That money cannot be eaten...

Butchered; if they could scream, no one would have been so cavalier about cutting them down

© Ubaid Ullah Ahmed

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Butchered

Trunk to Branches to Leaves to Stump

Nothing remaining, just butchered

Reason unknown

Motive known

But who cares? Do you?

Only after the last tree has been cut down,

Only after the last river has been poisoned,

Only after the last fish has been caught,

Only then will you find,

That money cannot be eaten...

Butchered; if they could scream, no one would have been so cavalier about cutting them down

© Ubaid Ullah Ahmed

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Working Existence

Sunlight falling across my face
My skin warmed up by this intense heat
Wishing I was there with you
Living in luxury

I wish I had a proper home and space
I wish my family enjoyed three proper meals in a day
Like you....
But this isn't something that I can change

I relate my body with an animal
Void of rest and peace
The constant pain I cannot erase

I can focus,
I can work hard,
I can earn my way out one pain atleast
If not mine; my families atleast

But what would happen when I'd have no more energy to work?
Who'd feed them?
Who'd care for them?

I guess I never fell from grace
Never can be the part of the elite
I was born in this state of suffering
But living a life of respect
At least am not at the bottom of the human race
Because I work hard to exist........

NOTE 

For better view please click on the picture as the size of the picture is very large so the details might not be visible without viewing the actual thing

© Ubaid Ullah Ahmed

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Abandoned, that we aren't

Take away my home even if it's just some clothes tied to bamboo sticks but this is my home take it away because you are rich and for you buildings are more important then us yet don't consider us Abandoned, that we aren't as we still have the will to live, the will to survive this cruel world.

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Six Degrees of Seperation

The story of my six degrees of separation started when I opened my eyes in this world. Survival being the biggest challenge I face every day.

The first degree of my sufferings was separation from my childhood. Being born in a rag hut meant a life of destitute and disability.

Second degree of separation is my deprivation and hunger. Every day the first and foremost challenge I wake up to is my starvation. I leave home in search of food to fill up my ever starved stomach and of my family’s. Sometimes I have to beg you just for food to satiate my starvation.

This leads on to the third degree of my sufferings, separation from my ego.

Though sometimes I wish, hiding my face away would make my reality disappear or transform.

Fourth degree of my sufferings, leads on to my separation from the society. I will never be termed as an honorable member of the society. So I feel liberated, and take pleasure in only pleasing my own self as and how I desire.

Fifth degree of my sufferings is my separation from a life of leisure and luxury. Hard work is the keyword in my survival challenge.

Sixth degree is my separation from a life of fulfillment and individuality. But this never stops me from sharing a laughter around with my friends and family.

All worn out and bare feet, I stand on the ground with my eyes full of dreams and my soul full of yearning. I’m yearning for a glimpse of compassion, a comforting pat of unselfishness, to bring me the hope of living another day, to SURVIVE this insane separation.

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No Smoking

The orange-red ember glows in the black night it glows brighter every second because we have bad lives and we don't know how to cope so we smoke but the thing we forget is even the 'flowers wither with this burning piece of disaster' so NO SMOKING please....

I like smoking.... I like the bitter tang on my tongue, I like the searing down and up on my throat, I like the dramatic mock coughing from strangers, I like the cold winter winds on my parched lips, I like sneaking out at midnight, I like brushing my teeth and changing my shirts to hide the scent, I like the negative advertising campaigns, I like the searching and questioning looks at CVS, I like the pull as it leaves my mouth, and I like the burn.


I like smoking as it's far more better then crying.... this is coming from a person who doesn't smoke...


I have to say life is like a cigarette...Sweet in the beginning malignant at the end or you may call it bitter...But that's not all... On one end of a cigarette; A flame... The other... An Idiot... But i guess we are all idots aren't we? Millions of people smoke... So there must be flames... Flames adjacent to us... And they're getting closer to us.. Burning isn't pleasant... But it's the end.... EVEN THE FLOWERS WITHER AS A CIGERRETE BURNS... Seriously possessive, that's the smoke that licks our cheek, seeping down our collar to the flesh below... It has its claws in us somewhere, deep in our mind... Possessive. That's the smoke... Caress with a silky taint; that kiss of death, Possessive, that's the smoke. So no smoking please... as its not only affect the smoker but the surrounding as well....

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Dried Up

The tears fall, they're so easy to wipe off with my hankercheif, but how do I erase the stain from my heart... Which i get while seeing so many innocent people die... Yes tears may be dried up, but the heart - never.....

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Cosmetics and Media

Cosmetics


First of all let me introduce all of you that what are cosmetics and some genral but important facts about it:

What are cosmetics? How are they different from over-the-counter (OTC) drugs?

Cosmetics are put on the body to:

* cleanse it
* make it beautiful
* make it attractive
* change its appearance or the way it looks

Cosmetic products include:

* skin creams
* lotions
* perfumes
* lipsticks
* fingernail polishes
* eye and face make-up products
* permanent waves
* hair dyes
* toothpastes
* deodorants

Unlike drugs, which are used to treat or prevent disease in the body, cosmetics do not change or affect the body's structure or functions.
What's in cosmetics?

Fragrances and preservatives are the main ingredients in cosmetics. Fragrances are the most common cause of skin problems. More than 5,000 different kinds are used in products. Products marked “fragrance-free” or “without perfume” means that no fragrances have been added to make the product smell good.

Preservatives in cosmetics are the second most common cause of skin problems. They prevent bacteria and fungus from growing in the product and protect products from damage caused by air or light. But preservatives can also cause the skin to become irritated and infected. Some examples of preservatives are:

* paraben
* imidazolidinyl urea
* Quaternium-15
* DMDM hydantoin
* phenoxyethanol
* formaldehyde

The ingredients below cannot be used, or their use is limited, in cosmetics. They may cause cancer or other serious health problems.

* bithionol
* mercury compounds
* vinyl chloride
* halogenated salicyanilides
* zirconium complexes in aerosol sprays
* chloroform
* methylene chloride
* chlorofluorocarbon propellants
* hexachlorophene

What is the role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the cosmetic industry?
FDA is celebrating it's
100th anniversary in 2006!
For more details, see
FDAs Centennial Site.

A cosmetic maker can sell products without FDA approval. FDA does not review or approve cosmetics, or their ingredients, before they are sold to the public. But FDA urges cosmetic makers to do whatever tests are needed to prove their products are safe. Cosmetics makers must put a warning statement on the front labels of products that have not been safety testing, which reads, "WARNING―The safety of this product has not been determined."

FDA does require safety testing for color additives used in cosmetics. Cosmetics may only contain approved and certified colors. You'll find FD&C, D&C, or external D&C listed on cosmetic labels.

* FD&C – color that can be used only in foods, drugs, and cosmetics
* D&C – color that can be used only in drugs and cosmetics
* external D&C – color that can be used only in drugs applied to the surface of the skin and cosmetics

A cosmetic maker also does not have to report product injuries. FDA collects this information on a voluntary basis only. Cosmetic makers that want to be a part of this program send reports to the FDA.

Product recalls are voluntary actions taken by cosmetic makers too. FDA cannot require cosmetics recalls. But FDA does monitor cosmetic makers that do a recall. FDA must first prove in court that a cosmetic product is a danger or somehow breaks the law before it can be taken off the market.
Are cosmetics safe?

Yes, for the most part. Serious problems from cosmetics are rare. But sometimes problems can happen.

The most common injury from cosmetics is from scratching the eye with a mascara wand. Eye infections can result if the scratches go untreated. These infections can lead to ulcers on the cornea (clear covering of the eye), loss of lashes, or even blindness. To play it safe, never try to apply mascara while riding in a car, bus, train, or plane.

Sharing make-up can also lead to serious problems. Cosmetic brushes and sponges pick up bacteria from the skin. And if you moisten brushes with saliva, the problem can be worse. Washing your hands before using make-up will help prevent this problem.

Sleeping while wearing eye make-up can cause problems too. If mascara flakes into your eyes while you sleep, you might wake up with itching, bloodshot eyes, infections, or eye scratches. So be sure to remove all make-up before going to bed.

Cosmetic products that come in aerosol containers also can be a hazard. For example, it is dangerous to use aerosol hairspray near heat, fire, or while smoking. Until hairspray is fully dry, it can catch on fire and cause serious burns. Fires related to hairsprays have caused injuries and death. Aerosol sprays or powders also can cause lung damage if they are deeply inhaled into the lungs.

To find out more about cosmetic safety, check out the FDA's Cosmetics True or False Quiz at [link] and find out how much you really know!
How can I protect myself against the dangers of cosmetics?

* Never drive and put on make-up. Not only does this make driving a danger, hitting a bump in the road and scratching your eyeball can cause serious eye injury.
* Never share make-up. Always use a new sponge when trying products at a store. Insist that salespersons clean container openings with alcohol before applying to your skin.
* Keep make-up containers closed tight when not in use.
* Keep make-up out of the sun and heat. Light and heat can kill the preservatives that help to fight bacteria. Don't keep cosmetics in a hot car for a long time.
* Don't use cosmetics if you have an eye infection, such as pinkeye. Throw away any make-up you were using when you first found the problem.
* Never add liquid to a product unless the label tells you to do so.
* Throw away any make-up if the color changes, or it starts to smell.
* Never use aerosol sprays near heat or while smoking, because they can catch on fire.
* Don't deeply inhale hairsprays or powders. This can cause lung damage.
* Avoid color additives that are not approved for use in the eye area, such as "permanent" eyelash tints and kohl (color additive that contains lead salts and is still used in eye cosmetics in other countries). Be sure to keep kohl away from children. It may cause lead poisoning.

What are “cosmeceuticals?”

Some products can be both cosmetics and drugs. This may happen when a product has two uses. For example, a shampoo is a cosmetic because it's used to clean the hair. But, an anti-dandruff treatment is a drug because it's used to treat dandruff. So an antidandruff shampoo is both a cosmetic and a drug. Other examples are:

* toothpastes that contain fluoride
* deodorants that are also antiperspirants
* moisturizers and make-up that provide sun protection

These products must meet the standards for both cosmetics (color additives) and drugs.

Some cosmetic makers use the term “cosmeceutical” to refer to products that have drug-like benefits. FDA does not recognize this term. A product can be a drug, a cosmetic, or a combination of both. But the term "cosmeceutical" has no meaning under the law.

While drugs are reviewed and approved by FDA, FDA does not approve cosmetics. If a product acts like a drug, FDA must approve it as a drug.
How long do cosmetics last?

You may not be able to use eye make-up, such as mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow for as long as other products. This is because of the risk of eye infection. Some experts recommend replacing mascara three months after purchase. If mascara becomes dry, throw it away. Don't add water or, even worse, saliva to moisten it. That will bring bacteria into the product.

You may also need to watch certain "all natural" products that contain substances taken from plants. These products may be more at risk for bacteria. Since these products contain no preservatives or have non-traditional ones, your risk of infection may be greater.

If you don't store these products as directed, they may expire before the expiration date. For example, cosmetics stored in high heat may go bad faster than the expiration date. On the other hand, products stored the way they should be can be safely used until they expire.
What are hypoallergenic cosmetics?

Hypoallergenic (hy-po-al-ler-gen-ic) cosmetics are products that makers claim cause fewer allergic reactions than other products. Women with sensitive skin, and even those with "normal" skin, may think these products will be gentler. But there are no federal standards for using the term hypoallergenic. The term can mean whatever a company wants it to mean. Cosmetic makers do not have to prove their claims to the FDA.

Some products that have “natural” ingredients can cause allergic reactions. If you have an allergy to certain plants or animals, you could have an allergic reaction to cosmetics with those things in them. For example, lanolin from sheep wool is found in many lotions. But it's a common cause of allergies too.
Can cosmetics cause acne?

Some skin and hair care products can cause acne. To help prevent and control acne flare-ups, take good care of your skin. For example, use a mild soap or cleanser to gently wash your face twice a day. Choose “non-comedogenic” make-up and hair care products. This means that they don't close up the pores.
Are tattoos and permanent make-up safe?

FDA is looking into the safety of tattoos and permanent make-up since they are now more popular. The inks, or dyes, used for tattoos are color additives. Right now, no color additives have been approved for tattoos, including those used in permanent make-up.

You should be aware of these risks of tattoos and permanent make-up:

* Tattoo needles and supplies can transmit diseases, such as hepatitis C and HIV. Be sure all needles and supplies are sterile before they are used on you.
* Tattoos and permanent make-up are not easy to take off. Removal may cause a permanent change in color.
* Think carefully before getting a tattoo. You could have an allergic reaction.
* You cannot make blood donations for a year after getting a tattoo or permanent make-up.

Are cosmetic products with alpha hydroxy acids safe?

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) come from fruit and milk sugars. They are found in many creams and lotions. Many people buy products with AHAs, because they claim to reduce wrinkles, spots, sun-damaged skin, and other signs of aging. Some studies suggest they may work.

But are these products safe? FDA has received reports of reactions in people using AHA products. Their complaints include:

* severe redness
* swelling (especially in the area of the eyes)
* burning
* blistering
* bleeding
* rash
* itching
* skin discoloration

AHAs may also increase your skin's risk of sunburn.

To find out if a product contains an AHA, look on the list of ingredients. By law, all cosmetics have ingredients on their outer label. AHAs may be called other names, like glycolic acid and lactic acid.
What precautions should I follow when using AHA products?

If you want to use AHA products, follow these safety tips:

* Always protect your skin before going out during the day. Use a sunscreen with a SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Wear a hat with a brim. Cover up with lightweight, loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts, and pants.
* Buy products with good label information:
* a list of ingredients to see which AHA or other chemical acids are in the product
* the name and address of the maker
* a statement about the product's AHA and pH levels

The first two have to be on the label. The third is one is by choice. You can call or write the maker to find about a product's AHA and pH levels.

* Buy only products with an AHA level of 10 percent or less and a pH of 3.5 or more.
* Test a small area of skin to see if it is sensitive to any AHA product before using a lot of it.
* Stop using the product right away if you have a reaction, such as stinging, redness, or bleeding.
* Talk with your doctor or dermatologist (a doctor that treats skin problems) if you have a problem. You also can report your reaction to the FDA. Write to: Office of Cosmetics and Colors (HFS-106), 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740-3835. Or you can call them at (202) 401-9725.

Are hair dyes safe?

The decision to change your hair color may be a hard one. Some studies have linked hair dyes with a higher risk of certain cancers, while other studies have not found this link. Most hair dyes also don't have to go through safety testing that other cosmetic color additives do before hitting store shelves. Women are often on their own trying to figure out whether hair dyes are safe.

When hair dyes first came out, the main ingredient in coal-tar hair dye caused allergic reactions in some people. Most hair dyes are now made from petroleum sources. But FDA still considers them to be coal-tar dyes. This is because they have some of the same compounds found in these older dyes.

Cosmetic makers have stopped using things known to cause cancer in animals. For example, 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine (4MMPD) or 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine sulfate (4MMPD sulfate) are no longer used. But chemicals made almost the same way have replaced some of the cancer-causing compounds. Some experts feel that these newer ingredients aren't very different from the things they're replacing.

Experts suggest that you may reduce your risk of cancer by using less hair dye over time. You may also reduce you risk by not dyeing your hair until it starts to gray.
What precautions should I take when I dye my hair?

You should follow these safety tips when dyeing your hair:

* Don't leave the dye on your head any longer than needed.
* Rinse your scalp thoroughly with water after use.
* Wear gloves when applying hair dye.
* Carefully follow the directions in the hair dye package.
* Never mix different hair dye products.
* Be sure to do a patch test for allergic reactions before applying the dye to your hair. Almost all hair dye products include instructions for doing a patch test. It's important to do this each time you dye your hair. Your hairdresser should also do the patch test before dyeing your hair. To test, put a dab of hair dye behind your ear, and don't wash it off for two days. If you don't have any signs of allergic reaction, such as itching, burning, or redness at the test spot, you can be somewhat sure that you won't have a reaction to the dye applied to your hair. If you do react to the patch test, do the same test with different brands or colors until you find one to which you're not allergic.
* Never dye your eyebrows or eyelashes. An allergic reaction to dye could cause swelling or increase risk of infection in the eye area. This can harm the eye and even cause blindness. Spilling dye into the eye by accident could also cause permanent damage. FDA bans the use of hair dyes for eyelash and eyebrow tinting or dyeing even in beauty salons.

Are lead acetates safe in hair dyes?

Lead acetate is used as a color additive in "progressive" hair dye products. These products are put on over a period of time to produce a gradual coloring effect. You can safely use these products if you follow the directions carefully. This warning statement must appear on the product labels of lead acetate hair dyes:

"Caution: Contains lead acetate. For external use only. Keep this product out of children's reach. Do not use on cut or abraded scalp. If skin irritation develops, discontinue use. Do not use to color mustaches, eyelashes, eyebrows, or hair on parts of the body other than the scalp. Do not get in eyes. Follow instructions carefully and wash hands thoroughly after use."


Hidden Dangers in Cosmetics

Matthew Probert

from Continuum Magazine

Have you ever wondered what goes into bubble bath? One day, whilst lying in the bath with nothing in particular to do I started pondering over what bubble bath is. I decided to read the label. The label described the bubble bath as "Bath will gently cleanse your skin, helping to leave it feeling soft and smooth." Sounds good! I went on to read the ingredients; Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamide DEA, Sodium Chloride, Parfum, Glycol Stearate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Formaldehyde, Polyquaternium-7, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide. Quite a cocktail of chemicals. And then my warning sensors clicked on, below the ingredients was a boldly printed warning advising to" Avoid getting into eyes." If this substance is so great for the skin, why should it be so harmful to the eyes? I thought I'd investigate.

Apart from Aqua, (by which they mean water) the next most prolific ingredient is sodium laureth sulphate, although the manufacturer of this particular brand insists on using the American spelling. Sodium laureth sulphate is a surfactant. That is a substance that can reduce the surface tension of a liquid and thus allow it to foam or penetrate solids. It is also an industrial grade detergent, or degreaser. Like all detergents sodium laureth sulphate attacks grease, thereby helping to clean the skin. However, the human skin is a complex organ and contains glands which deliberately secrete grease or oil onto the skin to help keep it waterproof, supple and, to quote, "soft and smooth." Sodium laureth sulphate strips the natural oil from the skin leaving it rough and dry. That's not all sodium laureth sulphate does. Sodium laureth sulphate is a powerful detergent, garages use it to clean engine oil from their floors, it is also very corrosive. Perhaps that is why my bubble bath advises me to "avoid getting into eyes," well maybe. Or perhaps it's because sodium laureth sulphate attacks the formation of essential proteins in the the eyes leading to cataracts in adults and preventing children's eyes from forming properly. Further investigation reveals that sodium laureth sulphate is so harmful to the skin that it is used in medical laboratories to damage the skin before healing agents can be tested!

Having decided in future to stick to bath salts, I read the ingredients on my bath salts. No sodium laureth sulphate, but instead they contained something called sodium lauryl sulphate. Sodium lauryl sulphate is sodium laureth sulphate chemically combined with ethylene oxide to form larger molecules. Why on earth should anyone be concerned about the size of the molecules? Well, one reason is because small molecules, such as those of sodium laureth sulphate can pass through skin into the body where they enter the blood stream and build up in the internal organs - especially the brain and kidneys. Bearing in mind what sodium laureth sulphate does to the comparatively tough skin, I hate to think what it can do to the gentle internal organs.

Research in America at the Georgia University medical centre indicates that sodium laureth sulphate and sodium lauryl sulphate can both react with other chemicals found in cosmetics to form nitrosamines and 1,4 dioxine, which are both known carcinogens. For this reason the American Food and Drug Agency classifies both sodium laureth sulphate and sodium lauryl sulphate as drugs when used in cosmetics.

But it is not just in bubble bath that one finds chemicals harmful to the skin. They are also in toothpaste, shampoo, shaving creme and cleansers. In trying to find products that do not contain these harmful chemicals I visited supermarkets, chemists and health food shops. Surprisingly almost all cleansers include either sodium laureth sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate, including the own brands of a well known health food shop and a certain wannabe ecologically friendly high street store. However, it is possible to find alternatives, you just need to check the ingredients label carefully. It is worth trying an alternative if you suffer from eczema, as I do, rather than simply washing in something which strips the skin and then using vegetable oil in the form of glycerine to moisturise it, or thinking that it is caused by some other pathological disorder.


ADVERTISEMENTS

George Orwell, a famous British writer, was once quoted to have said "Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket." Advertisers of today have to try harder and harder to get the consumers attention. They have to "rattle the sticks" to come up with new ideas that will intrigue consumers. Advertising plays a major role in today's society and causes one to think of the effects it plays on our minds. From shoes, to alcohol to underwear, advertisement has invaded our subways, highways, schools and world.

The main objective of publicity and advertisement is to sell goods and services. It is meant to inform and influence the consumer into buying the good or service. Often the product in the advertisement is compared to another, according to them, worse product. Consumers attention must be grasped in order to make them think of buying the product. Advertisement, made by companies, is meant for consumers, who, in turn, buy the product, therefore completing the circle.......


Influences Of Advertising To Consumer Attitude Towards Buying A Product

Advertisements are lifeline of companies. It persuades customers to buy their product. Everyone can use advertisements but they must obey the law. There are many types of advertisement that can influence consumer’s attitude to buy a product. The researchers think that TV ad is the most influential type of advertisement because most people watch TV and unlike other advertisements TV ad has the ability to convey your message with sight, sound, and motion. they more accurate to influence consumers because they can easily reach target audiences.


So to make it brief at the end i am just making people aware that whats the role of media and also the role of cosmetics and its uses and disadvantages. I am not stoping anyone from using the products i am just giving some knowledge

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Self Harm

SELF HARM



<sub>Self-injury (SI) or self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury inflicted by a person upon their own body without suicidal intent. Some scholars use more technical definitions related to specific aspects of this behaviour. These acts may be aimed at relieving otherwise unbearable emotions, sensations of unreality and numbness. The illness is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) as a symptom of borderline personality disorder and depressive disorders. It is sometimes associated with mental illness, a history of trauma and abuse including emotional abuse, sexual abuse, eating disorders, or mental traits such as low self-esteem or perfectionism, but a statistical analysis is difficult, as many self-injurers conceal their injuries.

Self harmers are often mistaken as suicidal, but in the majority of cases this is inaccurate. Non-fatal self-harm is common in young people worldwide and due to this prevalence the term self-harm is increasingly used to denote any non-fatal acts of deliberate self-harm, irrespective of the intention.

There are a number of different treatments available for self-injurers which concentrate on either treating the underlying causes or on treating the behaviour itself. When self-injury is associated with depression, antidepressant drugs and treatments may be effective. Alternative approaches involve avoidance techniques, which focus on keeping the self-injurer occupied with other activities, or replacing the act of self-harm with safer methods that do not lead to permanent damage.


Helping yourself

This section is about helping yourself to stop self-harming.
Understanding why you do it

Stopping is easier if you can find other ways of expressing or coping with your feelings. To do this you need to try to understand what makes you do it. Lots of people don't know why they hurt themselves so it may be useful to think about:

* What was going on in your life when you first began to harm yourself
* How you feel just before you want to hurt yourself
* Whether you would find it useful to keep a 'mood' diary, writing down your feelings at different times
* Whether you are always in the same place or with a particular person
* If you have any bad memories or thoughts that you can't tell anyone.

Thinking about other things

When you feel anxious or upset, doing something you enjoy or trying to think about other things can be a way to help you stop hurting yourself. You could try:

* Phoning a friend
* Writing down your feelings in a diary
* Listening to music, drawing or reading
* Going for a walk or a run, dancing, exercising or playing sport
* Counting down slowly from 10 to 0
* Breathing slowly, in through the nose and out through the mouth
* Focusing on objects around you and thinking about what they look, sound, smell, taste and feel like.


If you still want to hurt yourself

If you still want to hurt yourself try:

* Finding a safe punching bag like some pillows
* Putting your hands into a bowl of ice cubes for a short time or rubbing ice on the part of your body you feel like injuring
* Using a red felt tip marker or lipstick to mark your body instead of cutting
* Putting a rubber band around your wrist and flicking it
* Putting sticking plasters on the parts of your body you want to injure.

It can be hard to stop

Self-harm can be really hard to stop. It may take time and there are likely to be ups and downs along the way. Sometimes, however hard you try on your own, you just can't cope with your feelings.

If you can't stop wanting to hurt yourself it's best to get help from someone you can trust. This means finding someone who you can talk to about your problems and who can give you practical help.

> If you do not feel ready to stop self-harming
Harming yourself may have become a way of dealing with your feelings that you find hard to imagine coping without. If this is how you feel, here are some ways to help you look after yourself.</sub>

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Suicide

Suicide (Latin suicidium, from sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of terminating one's own life.


A murder-suicide is an act in which an individual kills one or more other persons immediately before, at the same time as, or after killing him or herself.

The combination of murder and suicide can take various forms, including:

* Suicide to facilitate murder, as in suicide bombing
* Suicide after murder to escape punishment
* Suicide after murder as a form of self-punishment due to guilt
* Having a combined objective of suicide and murder
* Considering one's suicide as the main act, but murdering one's children first, to avoid them becoming orphans, to be together in an expected afterlife, in the context of severe depression where the person feels he is sparing his loved ones from a horrible life, or simply just to experience the act
* Joint suicide in the form of killing the other with consent, and then killing oneself
* Punishment - taking revenge on those deemed responsible and escaping the world seen as a terrible place, as in many school shootings
* Some cases of cult suicide may also involve murder. Conversely, many spree killings have ended in suicide.

The motivation for the murder in murder-suicide can be purely criminal in nature or be perceived by the perpetrator as an act of care for loved ones in the context of severe depression. The severely depressed person may see the world as a terrible place and can feel that they are helping those they care about by removing them from it. Thoughts like this are generally regarded as a medical emergency requiring suicide intervention.

Since crime just prior to suicide is often perceived as being without consequences, it is not uncommon for suicide to be linked with homicide. Motivations may range from guilt to evading punishment, insanity, part of a suicide pact, or exacting revenge on those whom they feel are responsible.

A famous example of murder-suicide is the double murder-suicide of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, who was found hanging in his home along with the bodies of his wife and son.

And these days teenagers and people who freaking fail in love they love commiting suicide !! They should know that if they find love it doesn't mean that its the end... LIFE IS TOO LONG AND PRECIOUS TO WASTE IT LIKE THIS !!

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Homicide - By mentally ill

HOMICIDE



Homicide: It is also called murder ... many people have discussed about it but i am using a different aspect of this problem .... so do read it ....


Problems presented by homicides committed by the mentally ill

Are homicides by mentally disordered persons a major public health problem?
There are about 500 homicides per annum in England and Wales. Around 50 now receive a verdict of manslaughter under Section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957, that is, a plea of diminished responsibility is accepted (Taylor & Gunn, 1999). Less than 50% of these probably suffer from a psychosis (Dell, 1984). These Home Office statistics are consistent with numbers in a recent report from the National Confidential Inquiry into Homicides and Suicides (Department of Health, 1999) which showed that less than 20 homicides were committed by persons with a psychosis per year, including 10 with schizophrenia who had ever had contact with mental health services. By comparison, in the UK in 1994 there were about 5000 suicides, 500 deaths from fire, 4000 deaths from accidental falls, 280 deaths from drowning, 4000 deaths from motor vehicle accidents and 12 000 deaths from other accidents and adverse events (World Health Organization, 1998). Why no inquiry for each of these? Especially frightening to the public is the prospect of being killed by a stranger with psychosis. In fact the risk of this is around the same as that of being killed by lightning — about 1 in 10 million.

Can these homicides be eliminated?
There is no evidence that homicides by people with mental illnesses have increased over the past decade; indeed Section 2 manslaughter homicides have fallen (Taylor & Gunn, 1999; Szmukler et al, 1999). The alleged relationship with ‘community care’ is spurious. However, each homicide by a person with a mental illness is trumpeted as yet another example of the failure of ‘community care’. An assumption reigns, among the media and politicians at least, that all such homicides are preventable, despite the fact that every country has, and has always had them. For some reason, ours has become terrorised by them. I find it embarrassing when colleagues from other countries show surprise and ask why. They know that preventing homicides is like stopping accidents of wars. We do our best to try to reduce their likelihood, but no-one has ever stopped them. They are part of the human condition.

Are homicides by people with mental illnesses predictable?
Is it reasonable to criticise a psychiatric service for failing to prevent the unpredictable? If the annual prevalence of psychosis is about 4 per 1000 population as estimated by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1995), it can be calculated that a homicide occurs once in about every 10 000 ‘sychosis-years’. If there were a predictive test for homicide by a person with psychosis with a widly unrealistic ‘sensitivity’ (the proportion of actual homicides predicted as homicides by the test) of 0.9 and a ‘specificity’ (the proportion of actual non-homicides predicted by the test as non-homicides) of 0.9, then the positive predictive value of the test would be negligible (for every homicide accurately predicted, there would be about 2000 false positives). The result would be of the same order for a test with a ‘sensitivity’ of 0.1 and a ‘specificity’ of 0.99. Risk factors for violence by mentally ill persons are common, but homicide is extremely rare. If all persons with risk factors were treated as potential perpetrators of homicides we would deprive many thousands of their liberty to (possibly) avoid one death. There would still be, of the total homicides committed by persons with a mental illness, a large proportion, indeed probably larger, from the ‘low risk’ patients since there are so many more of them than those who are ‘high risk’ (Shergill & Szmukler, 1998).

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Rape - A serious crime

RAPE EDUCATION:

Rape, sometimes called sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or sexual penetration of another person without their consent. Rape is generally considered a serious sex crime as well as a civil assault.

It has types too:
- by sex
- Acquaintance ("date") rape
- Forcible date rape
- Drug facilitated date rape
- Blitz rape
- Spousal rape
- College campus rape
- Group rape
- Rape of children by parents, elder relatives, and other responsible elders
- Statutory rape
- Prison rape
- Third-party rape
- Rape as means of warfare


Rape crisis centers evolved in order to help victims of rape, sexual abuse, and other forms of sexual violence. Also referred to as Sexual Assault Centers, RCCs serve a number of purposes. Depending on the setup of an RCC, the organization will be equipped to see children, adults, or both. Most RCCs run a 24 hour, 7 day a week crisis hotline that individuals can call anonymously and free of charge. The primary goal is victim advocacy. Advocates provide emotional support and information to victims and their families during the hours, days, and weeks following an attack. RCCs also coordinate response from local agencies such as the Police or Sheriff's Department, the District Attorney's office, Child Protective Services, any local schools or hospitals involved in the incident.




So guys and gals this is a serious crime and has a lot of penalty so it would be better that everybody should stay away from it ...

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Kuwait - People need homes

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Terrorism

All Religion Condemn Terrorism

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Pinkitude

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