August 23, 1999
--- sara@drDrew.com wrote:
> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 10:00:40 -0700 (PDT)
> From: sara@drDrew.com
> To: mailinglist@drDrew.com
> Subject: drDrew.com Newsletter -- August 23, 1999
>
>
> THE OFFICIAL DRDREW.COM NEWSLETTER
> August 23, 1999
>
>
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> In this issue:
> * Win a Trip to Hollywood to Meet Dr. Drew!
> * A personal note from Dr. Drew
> * Dr. Drew answers questions on herpes,
> self-mutilation, stretch marks, and
> cereal
>
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>
>
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> WIN A TRIP TO HOLLYWOOD TO MEET DR. DREW!
> Now that you registered at drDrew.com, you are
> eligible to win a trip for
> you and a friend to visit Hollywood and meet Dr.
> Drew. Also, every day, one
> of our members will win an autographed copy of the
> "Dr. Drew and Adam
> Book." See site (www.drDrew.com) for details. You
> have a chance to
> win--make sure your friends do too!
>
> Congratulations to drDrew.com daily book winners
> from last week: Mfarrell,
> Welles72, Brain0, Eternal, Carolyn215, Dbredy, and
> Belfrazz! See the
> newsletter next week for this week's winners.
>
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>
>
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> Dear Member,
>
> First of all, thank you so much for all your letters
> last week about
> violence. My staff and I truly appreciated reading
> and responding to what
> you are thinking as we try to close the gap between
> myself, our staff, and
> our community. It's very cool to see the work you
> are doing and get your
> views on violence. We plan on posting some of the
> letters when we launch in
> mid-September. In the meantime, I'd like to excerpt
> one for you before I
> get into my next letter:
>
> "I lived with a mentally and physically abusive
> father who came from a long
> family history of abuse. Instead of giving up and
> letting the cycle
> continue, I decided to start therapy and the slow
> learning process began. I
> believe that had I not started therapy, I would have
> turned out to be a
> very sad and possibly mean person. I think that
> having someone to talk to
> is so important, even though it is hard to admit you
> have a problem. I wish
> more people would take advantage of therapy. I am
> now...living a happy,
> abuse free life."
>
> I greatly appreciate this letter and wish this young
> person the best of
> luck. I also commend her on the courage to take care
> of herself.
>
> In relation to abuse and violence, I don't know how
> much you know about
> what went down at Woodstock this year. Reports of
> women getting raped,
> sexually assaulted, and abused by other
> concert-goers have attracted the
> attention of the press and the public. This was a
> concert that spiraled out
> of control into a gross display of abuse and mayhem.
>
> The descriptions of abuse are really saddening, but
> what is really
> disgusting are the reports of authority figures idly
> standing by. According
> to one source, the women assaulted were told they
> were "just drunk and
> should go out there and have some fun." People hired
> to protect the
> concertgoers seemed indifferent to the incredible
> suffering of these young
> women. This neglect seems almost unbelievable. Yet,
> if we think about the
> way our culture treats women these days, this kind
> of attitude and abuse is
> not *that* unbelievable.
>
> Current theory regarding abuse of women--why they
> may accept it or not
> fight back--points to a fascination our culture has
> with "bad boys." Many
> young women and men seem to be attracted to this bad
> boy image in a
> rock star. In music, this comes through abusive and
> denigrating lyrics
> about women, which are believed to set a tone of
> tolerance for these
> attitudes. These values are thought to glamorize the
> idea sexuality is
> something to be exploited, without regard to
> intimacy or the emotional
> impact on the individual. These macho attitudes may
> leave young women with
> few guidelies by which to understand their needs or
> rights. Young men can
> idealize a false image in these misogynistic
> messages of a musician/hero
> making money and getting all the girls.
>
> While not everyone who hears the lyrics "smack my
> bitch up" will carry this
> out, there are situations where this mentality can
> have extreme
> consequences. Consider the combination of thousands
> of people, poor
> security, drugs and alcohol, and abusive messages
> broadcast at top
> volume--you have the recipe for disaster that was
> Woodstock.
>
> The assaults and rapes from Woodstock have stirred a
> lot of debate in
> academic circles, but I am interested in hearing
> your thoughts. Did any of
> you go to Woodstock? If so, what did you witness
> there? Have any of you
> witnessed abuse or sexual assaults at other
> concerts? What can we do about
> this problem? Obviously, censorship is not the
> answer. People should be
> able to create, sell, buy and listen to whatever
> they like. But take some
> time to think about this issue. Do you believe macho
> attitudes create a
> hostile environment for women in settings like this?
> Please send in your
> thoughts (at sara@drdrew.com) and we will post some
> of them on the site
> when we launch.
>
> Stay well,
>
> Dr. Drew
>
>
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> QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
>
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>
> QUESTION 1: I just want to know why do people cut or
> self-mutilate
> themselves?!
>
> DR. DREW: This is an important question. There are
> multiple theories why
> people cut and mutilate themselves. Basically, the
> biology of overwhelming
> emotions creates certain behaviors that are
> difficult to explain. This is
> one of those behaviors. The people who cut
> themselves describe feeling
> weighed down by unpleasant feelings and somehow get
> a certain relief or
> escape by doing the cutting. Some people feel the
> need to prove to
> themselves they are not "numb" of feelings. Often
> times this cutting is
> engaged in what is called a "dissociative state"--as
> if the person is
> outside of their body.
>
> Having dealt with many of these patients in the
> past, I do not see any
> consistent rational or meaningful expression in
> these behaviors other than
> a biological response to overwhelming feelings.
>
> QUESTION 2: Is it possible to contract genital
> herpes when receiving oral
> sex from someone with a sore on his/her mouth?
>
> DR. DREW: Absolutely. Not all mouth sores are caused
> by the herpes simplex
> virus; however, anyone with a mouth sore could
> *potentially* transmit that
> virus. This would cause a sore in the genital area.
> A herpes sore begins as
> a tingling or painful group of tiny fluid filled
> vesicles. The vesicles
> pop, releasing a clear liquid and form painful
> ulcers. The first outbreak
> of herpes usually causes a fever, headaches, and
> tiredness.
>
> Herpes virus type 1 on usually causes sore on the
> mouth. Type 2 usually
> causes sore genital sores. However, both types are
> relatively common in the
> genital region. Type I would be most likely spread
> by oral sex.
> Occasionally, type II can occur in the oral region.
>
> Both viruses may affect any mucosal surface such as
> the inner lining of the
> nose, the eye, and the rectum. These mucosal
> surfaces are very porous (have
> a bunch of "holes") to the virus. Interestingly,
> herpes simplex can also be
> contracted through the skin anywhere on the body. It
> may be found slightly
> more commonly around the fingernails at the nail bed
> and is called herpetic
> whitlow.
>
> In any case, I would strongly recommend waiting for
> the sore to disappear
> on your partner. Although this will reduce your
> risk, the herpes simplex
> virus may be transmitted even in the absence of a
> sore, so consider always
> using a barrier method (condom or dental dam) in
> this case.
>
> QUESTION 3: I think I have stretch marks on my
> breasts and inner thighs.
> According to my doctor, I'm not overweight. Is there
> any way to get rid of
> them?
>
> DR. DREW: Unfortunately, stretch marks cannot be
> completely eliminated.
> They're due to break down of elastin fibers in the
> tissue just under the
> skin. Once this occurs there really is no way to
> repair it. If somebody
> really needs the stretch marks removed, a surgeon
> would actually cut that
> region of skin out (which actually may leave a
> scar!).
>
> There are some laser techniques and some topical
> agents that may improve
> the appearance somewhat but the stretch marks
> themselves remain. Consulting
> a dermatologist would be advisable.
>
> QUESTION 4: My cereal box says it has all the
> recommended daily amounts of
> nutrients, but I've read that some forms of vitamins
> and nutrients are not
> as good as others. Can I get all the nutrients I
> need from a fortified cereal?
>
> DR. DREW: Absolutely not. When a food product claims
> to contain 100% of the
> recommended daily intake of nutrients, the claim
> only applies to certain
> vitamins and minerals. The recommended amounts are
> for maintenance and not
> necessarily sufficient for optimum health. Likewise,
> it most definitely
> cannot provide 100% of other essential
> elements--such as your body's need
> for carbohydrates (starches), fat and protein.
>
> Starches, of which cereal is one, are a readily
> available source of fuel
> for your body. The majority of daily energy intake
> typically comes from
> this food group. Fat, a calorically dense substance
> not only provides a
> form of energy, but some types are absolutely
> essential for our survival.
>
> These fats must come from the foods we eat. In
> addition, your body requires
> a daily minimum requirement of protein. Your body's
> muscle and organs are
> made up of protein and the daily requirement
> prevents them from breaking down.
>
> Whether or not certain vitamins or forms of vitamins
> are better than others
> is controversial. Some vitamin complexes are more
> readily absorbed when
> they occur naturally in food. Yet, other some
> vitamin complexes found in
> foods are more difficult for the body to absorb.
> Suffice it to say that
> consuming a variety of foods, both across and within
> each food group, is
> the best way of ensuring you get all the nutrients
> your body needs for
> optimal health.
>
>
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> IMPORTANT NOTE: The content presented in this
> newsletter is not intended to
> take the place of professional medical treatment.
> For specific medical
> concerns, you should seek the advice of a qualified
> health provider.
>
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>
>
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