Home And Family USA

With all of the right to life and end of life issues that we have heard about in Congress and the media recently, the living will topic has proven itself to be a hot one. The difficult situation faced by Terri Schiavo’s family played itself out in the media for all to see. The sensitive questions raised by this event made their way to Congress where passionate debates on both sides mirrored those that raged in the public. Some of the turmoil of this case could have been prevented with a simple legal document.

The most common questions surrounding a living will concern who should have one and what they do. I work in the legal field, but I am not a lawyer. This means that you cannot take what I say here as legal advice. Having said that, it is my opinion, which based on experience, that a living will does not do all that people may think that it can.

If you have serious concerns about whether your wishes about medical care will be respected, you should give some serious thought to putting a health care power of attorney in place. A health care power of attorney can get very specific when it comes to how you want to be treated in the event that you are seriously ill or incapacitated. If you do happen to become incapacitated, you will want someone that you trust to make decisions for you. This is where a living will drops the ball.

A friend or loved one may only be able to access your important medical information in order to make informed decisions on your behalf if they have power of attorney. In 1996 congress passed a law commonly known as HIPAA that requires a patient’s consent before any medical information can be released to a third party. A living will can not get someone access to this information. A doctor or hospital may not honor your wishes as laid out in a living will.

A living will does not designate whom you wish to act for you if you are unable. A living will may simply state your wishes with respect to organ donation and life support issues. There appears to be a gaping gray area in which a patient may be ill, but has some hope of recovery. A living will may not be able to cover the gray areas and decisions are much more difficult to make when things are gray and not black and white.

If you are thinking about creating a living will for yourself or a loved one, I strongly suggest that you speak with a lawyer about the effectiveness of a living will versus a health care power of attorney. You may end up spending a bit more money in the process but you will be afforded with, potentially, much more freedom for yourself and your loved ones in the event that you become seriously ill and need an advocate.

When most people think of addictive behaviors, they picture drug abuse or alcohol addiction, but for addictive personalities almost anything can be habit forming. The psychology of addiction is complex and kind of twisted, but it is a reality for millions of people world wide. For these poor, unfortunate souls, every day is a struggle. People who suffer from addictive behavior get rid of one bad habit only to fall for another one.

Alcohol and drug rehab is often the start of changing a life paralyzed by addictive behaviors. The first thing is to break out of your current addiction. A treatment center is really the best way to start doing this. Through meditation, a healthy diet, daily exercise and a variety of other tricks, most people can get past an initial drug habit and become clean and sober. With addictive behaviors, that is only the start of the problem.

The big problem is that it is quite easy to fall back into your addictive behaviors as soon as you are out of the treatment program. Anyone can stay drug free when they are being treated and supervised by doctors who help them to stay on a strict schedule. Having the strong will and the wherewithal to stay with it when you are on your own is another thing altogether.

The best thing to do is to find some higher power. There has to be something at the core that you can cling tightly too when you feel lost in temptation. For a lot of people, this higher power is God. If you feel like God is watching you all the time, it might be a lot easier to stay clean and sober. I know that it has made a big difference for me. Whether I am being watched by doctors in the clinic or God in heaven, I have little problem staying sober. It is only when I feel like I am alone that the psychology of addiction gets the best of me again.

Having a support group of some sort is every bit as important as having religious faith, if not more. Whether you go to narcotics anonymous or simply have a family who is there to look after you, a supportive community will make a huge difference. We all feel weak now and again. Those are the times when it is most important to be vigilant in your fight against addictive behaviors.