Understanding the complexities of drug abuse and addiction.

MANY people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and are apt to characterise those who take drugs as morally weak.

One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behaviour. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower.

Through scientific advances, we now know much more about how drugs exactly work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives.

Drug abuse and addiction are a major burden to society. Estimates of the total overall costs of substance abuse in the United States, including health and crime-related costs as well as losses in productivity, exceed half a trillion dollars (RM1.75trillion) annually. This includes approximately US$181bil (RM663.5bil) for illicit drugs, US$168bil (RM588bil) for tobacco, and US$185bil (RM647.5bil) for alcohol.

Staggering as these numbers are, however, they do not fully describe the breadth of deleterious public health and safety implications, which include family disintegration, loss of employment, failure in school, domestic violence, child abuse, and other crimes. What is drug addiction?

Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual who is addicted and to those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain.

Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a persons self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to

take drugs.

It is because of these changes in the brain that it is so challenging for a person who is addicted to stop abusing drugs. Fortunately, there are treatments that help people counteract addictions powerful disruptive effects and regain control.

Research shows that combining addiction treatment medications, if available, with behavioural therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches that are tailored to each patients drug abuse patterns and any cooccurring medical, psychiatric, and social problems can lead to sustained recovery and a life without drug abuse.

Similar to other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, drug addiction can be managed successfully. And, as with other chronic diseases, it is not uncommon for a person to relapse and begin abusing drugs again. Relapse, however, does not signal failure rather, it indicates that treatment should be reinstated, adjusted, or that alternate treatment is needed to help the individual regain control and recover.

What happens to your brain when you take drugs? Drugs are chemicals that tap into the brains communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. There are at least two ways that drugs are able to do this: (1) by imitating the brains natural chemical messengers; and/or (2) by over stimulating the reward circuit of the brain.

Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, have a similar structure to chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters, which are naturally produced by the brain. Because of this similarity, these drugs are able to fool the brains receptors and activate nerve cells to send abnormal messages.

Other drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, can cause the nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters, or prevent the normal recycling of these brain chemicals, which is needed to shut off the signal between neurons. This disruption produces a greatly amplified message that ultimately disrupts normal

communication patterns. Nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target the brains reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that control movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. The overstimulation of this system, which normally responds to natural behaviors that are linked to survival (eating, spending time with loved ones, etc), produces euphoric effects in response to the drugs. This reaction sets in motion a pattern that teaches people to repeat the behaviour of abusing drugs.

As a person continues to abuse drugs, the brain adapts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine by producing less dopamine or by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit. As a result, dopamines impact on the reward circuit is lessened, reducing the abusers ability to enjoy the drugs and the things that previously brought pleasure.

This decrease compels those addicted to drugs to keep abusing drugs in order to attempt to bring their dopamine function back to normal. And, they may now require larger amounts of the drug than they first did to achieve the dopamine high, an effect known as tolerance.

Long-term abuse causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that influences the reward circuit and the ability to learn. When the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by drug abuse, the brain attempts to compensate, which can impair cognitive function.

Drugs of abuse facilitate non-conscious (conditioned) learning, which leads the user to experience uncontrollable cravings when they see a place or person they associate with the drug experience, even when the drug itself is not available.

Brain imaging studies of drug-addicted individuals show changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision making, learning and memory, and behaviour control.

Why do some people become addicted, while others do not?

No single factor can predict whether or not a person will become addicted to drugs. Risk for addiction is influenced by a persons biology, social environment, and age or stage of development.

The more risk factors an individual has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction. For example:

Biology. The genes that people are born with, in combination with environmental influences, account for about half of their addiction vulnerability. Additionally, gender, ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders may influence risk for drug abuse and addiction.

Environment. A persons environment includes many different influences, from family and friends to socioeconomic status and quality of life in general. Factors such as peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, stress, and parental involvement can greatly influence the course of drug abuse and addiction in a persons life.

Development. Genetic and environmental factors interact with critical developmental stages in a persons life to affect addiction vulnerability, and adolescents experience a double challenge. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more likely it is to progress to more serious abuse. And because adolescents brains are still developing in the areas that govern decision making, judgment, and selfcontrol, they are especially prone to risk-taking behaviours, including trying drugs of abuse.

Prevention is the key Drug addiction is a preventable disease. Results from research have shown that prevention programmes that involve families, schools, communities, and the media are effective in reducing drug abuse. Although many events and cultural factors affect drug abuse trends, when youths perceive drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug taking. It is necessary, therefore, to help youth and the general public to understand the risks of drug abuse, and for teachers, parents, and healthcare professionals to keep sending the message that drug addiction can be prevented if a person never abuses drugs. Dr Raminder Kaur is a consultant psychiatrist. This article is contributed by The Star Health & Ageing Panel, which comprises a group of panellists who are not just opinion leaders in their respective fields of medical expertise, but have wide experience in medical health education for the public. The members of the panel include: Datuk Prof Dr Tan Hui Meng, consultant urologist; Dr Yap Piang Kian, consultant endocrinologist; Datuk Dr Azhari Rosman, consultant cardiologist; A/Prof Dr Philip Poi, consultant geriatrician; Dr Hew Fen Lee, consultant endocrinologist; Prof Dr Low Wah Yun, psychologist; Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist; Dr Lee Moon Keen, consultant neurologist; Dr Ting Hoon Chin, consultant dermatologist; Prof Khoo Ee Ming, primary care physician; Dr Ng Soo Chin, consultant haematologist. For more information, e-mail

starhealth@thestar.com.my . The Star Health & Ageing Advisory Panel provides this information for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the readers own medical care

What Are Drug Addiction Symptoms? Signs and symptoms Sometimes the most obvious addiction symptoms are simply observing that something is wrong or different. Understand that the person addicted is often the last one to know there is a problem, or be willing to admit that there may be a problem. If you have these drug addiction symptoms you should consider going into drug rehab!

Addicts will say they can handle it, or they can quit anytime. The trouble is the drug has them by the throat like a hound dog shaking a raccoon. When someone is addicted to drugs, there are few general warning signs that point to the problem: - Does the person feel like they need to have the drug regularly, every day or more than every day? - Do they make sure they have a steady supply of their drug on hand? - Maybe they want to stop, but they just cant.

- Because they cant stop, they will do things they normally would not do to get the drugs. - Do they need the drug to function normally? - Are they willing to do something dangerous while on the drug, like operating a motor vehicle, or some kind of equipment that can cause bodily harm? These could be drug addiction symptoms that you should assess either in yourself or in the person youre concerned about. Denial is rampant with addition so as you make the assessment try to be as honest and objective as possible. Also try to think about how things have progressed in the last six months. Are there more signs now then there where six months ago?
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Drug Addiction Symptoms and Warning Signs If you are visiting this site because you have concerns for a friend or loved one, you are probably going to see what's going on long before they do. People who are addicted do not necessarily see the whole picture. If you are concerned about a family member, friend or coworker, there are a few questions to ask in helping youre assessment. Addicts will continue to use regardless of everything that is happening to them and happening around them. They may drain the family bank account, lose their job, fail in school, damage relationships, ruin their health, or run into problems with the law. If you are questioning your own drug use, ask yourself some questions. Have you developed a higher tolerance for the drug. Does it take more and more of your drug of choice to get the desired effect? Top 20 questions to assess drug addiction symptoms 1. Has their appearance changed; they don't care how they look? 2. Are they eating properly? 3. Have they lost weight, or have they gained weight? 4. Have you seen needle marks on their arms or legs? 5. Are they slowing down? 6. Do they have the shakes? 7. Are their hands cold and sweaty?

8. Have you smelled something on their breath, or their clothing? 9. Do their eyes appear red? 10. Are their pupils dilated? 11. Is their face puffy? 12. Has their coloring changed, become flushed or pale? 13. Do they have a blank stare? 14. Has their physical coordination changed? Are they staggering? 15. Have they missed a lot of school, or work? 16. Have their sleep habits changed? Are they always tired? 17. Have they become lazy? 18. Are they hyper? 19. Do they talk a million miles an hour? Do they slur their words? 20. Have you seen drug paraphernalia? This list is by no means an exhaustive list of drug addiction symptoms, and even if they/you have these drug addiction symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean a person is addicted. Try to avoid being judgemental or jumping to conclusions. But also don't deny what is right in front of you! Addiction and depression commonly go hand and hand: Click here for more symptoms about Addiction and Depression

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Another problem is simply that addicts see their behavior as your problem. Even if they are in trouble and need help, they believe the problem is not with them, but with everybody else. Even if you are correct in assessing drug addiction, understand that the addict will blame you for accusing them. Think of it this way, your relationship with them may be the key to their recovery. If they pull away from you and others, it could lead to their falling deeper into addiction. We encourage you to seek professional counsel from a drug addiction therapist, or a physician if you think there is a problem. Please dont wait too long! Drug addiction symptoms in teenagers Nowhere is drug addiction more heartbreaking than in the case of parents who suspect something is wrong, but do not have the tools to recognize what is going on with their son or daughter. Here are some of the things to look for specifically with kids. School: Is your child keeping up with their school work? Have they lost interest in going to school and look for excuses to stay home? One suggestion to follow is to call the school and keep track of your childs attendance in class. Are there days when you think your child has gone to school, but the attendance records do not match up? Children who are in trouble with drugs will often begin failing classes, not turning in homework assignments or in general just fall behind. I cant believe Johnny is failing math, it was always his favorite subject. A new pattern has emerged and it isnt pretty. To Learn more about drug addiction symptoms in teens please click here. Health: As a person slips into addiction a variety of physical signs can point to drug abuse. Are they listless all of the time? Kids dont want to get up in the morning, but they dont always refuse to get moving. Weight loss and weight gain are signs. The eyes are often an indicator. Has the life gone out of their eyes, or is there a major change? Appearance: This can be a difficult area to discern, as fashions change and often times what adults feel is acceptable dress may not have anything to do with current trends. Watch for changes in dress. Does a child lose interest in how they look? Kids want to fit in and there is peer pressure to influence the way they dress. Girls, especially, are bombarded with images on appearance. Attitude and Behavior: As children enter their teen years it is natural for them to want to break away from the family. When kids go to extremes to make sure you dont know who they are with or what they

are doing, the red flag should go up. When they become secretive and guarded, when their privacy at home prevents your open access to them, there may be something beyond mere adolescent rebellion. Perhaps their only interaction with the parents is to ask for money, and when asked why they need money they refuse to answer, or become indignant. Worse yet, they may steal items from home to buy drugs. Still Not Sure? Go to more on drug addiction symptoms; the list of Top Ten Signs That You're Chemically Addicted

HOW TO USE THIS SITE:

This site contains five MAIN pages that EVERYONE should read: ABOUT SYMPTOMS CAUSES EFFECTS TREATMENT Read these five pages and learn what you need to know to spot drug addiction in:

Yourself... Your Family... Your Friends... Your Community... The rest of the pages are there for your reference to explain important topics in more detail. Finally dont miss the Spiritual and 12-step sections to fully explore how understanding THE SPIRIT can lead to recovery! Drug Addiction Symptoms

Drug Addiction Causes

Drug Addiction Causes Problems: - Unhappiness - Crime - Divorce - Major illness - Even death What are underlying causes of addiction? When we take drugs, either for medical purposes or recreation, there is a benefit or reward that we are trying to achieve.

divorcing presents communicating communicate

What are the real causes of drug addiction? For example pain medication is intended to bring relief to an injured or stressed area of our body. The beginning stages of drug addiction causes us to crave more and to use more. The unintended consequences of that is our need to take more and more of the drug to get the same result.

Drug addiction causes the pathways inside the brain to be altered. Physical changes in the nerve cells are brought on by the drug. These cells (neurons) communicate with each other releasing neurotransmitters into the gaps or synapses between the nerve cells. This makes some drugs are more addictive than others. There are several other factors that contribute to drug addiction. Well go into greater detail on another page, but for now the major factors are ones genetic makeup, personality and peer pressure. Again well explain these as we go along. To understand what causes drug addiction we need to first look at the effect of the drug on the individual. Of course, there are many variables to consider, but we will start by looking at what happens when a person takes drugs. We take drugs, either for medical purposes or recreation and there is a benefit or reward that we are trying to achieve. For example pain medication is intended to bring relief to an injured or stressed area of our body. The beginning stages of drug addiction causes us to crave more and to use more. The unintended consequences of that is our need to take more and more of the drug to get the same result. Think of drug addiction as a progression. A person uses drugs and at some point the pathways inside the brain are altered. Physical changes in the nerve cells are brought on by the drug. These cells (neurons) communicate with each other releasing neurotransmitters into the gaps or synapses between the nerve cells. This makes some drugs are more addictive than others.
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targets reliefs addiction treatments pain medications

How Drugs Work

To gain some insight into what causes drug addiction, we turn to two major areas of examination to formulate a working understanding. The main target of the drugs is our central nervous system, so we look there first, followed by the individual actions of the drugs themselves. The Nervous System There are two types of cells that comprises the nervous systemglial cells (often called glia) and nerve cells (often called neurons). There are some 10 to 50 times more glia cells than neuron cells in the system. One

important distinction between glia and neurons is that glia are not communicators. Neurons are the cells that communicate with other cells. But the glia are important because they help to provide fitness and structure to the brain, distribute nutrients to the system and they eliminate waste. The glia also make up the blood-brain barrier, which separates the blood from the fluid that surrounds the neurons. This is important because the barrier allows some chemicals to pass through, but not all. This protects the brain from potentially toxic chemicals carried by the bloodstream. A psychoactive drug is capable of passing through this barrier, while others are blocked. Stated another way, the blood-brain barriers job is to separate harmful toxins from beneficial chemicals. Neurons are designed to analyze and transmit information. This is important because everything we experience and understand as behavior is a result of the function of neurons. We have over 100 billion neurons in our nervous system, all communicating and having an effect on other neurons. Neurons come in many shapes and sizes, but each neuron has four areas. The first area is the cell body that houses the nucleus and substances that sustain it. The second area is the dendrites, which extend from the cell body and kind of look like trees. The within the dendrites membranes are receptors, special structures that recognize and respond to chemical signals. Next we have the axon, which is long and thin and its job is to conduct electrical signals. Finally, the presynaptic terminals at the end of the axon, look like bulbs, and thats where chemical messengers are stores. So what does all this neuron discussion have to do with drug addiction? Neurotransmitters carry information which allows us to experience pain, pleasure, etc. When a doctor administers an anesthetic, that drug blocks the pain by blocking the perception of pain. In a sense, we are fooled into thinking something doesnt hurt because the vehicle for delivering that information is blocked. The communication between neurons is key to understanding how we react to a drug. The effect the drug has on us is what triggers addiction. When we go from enjoying something, to craving it and losing control over our reasoning and our actions, that is addiction. Lets start with any person who is not using any drugs. All of the neuro function of the brain is normal and there is no foreign substance in the bloodstream to interfere or influence this function. Now we introduce cocaine and the drug circulates in the bloodstream. The user experiences euphoria, a very pleasurable experience. Human nature will cause a person to want more. They like the feeling and want to repeat the experience. Remember that blood-brain barrier? It allows the

cocaine to filter through and the neurons gather and transmit the information. Lets fast forward now as our person repeats this experience over and over. The drugs unintended consequences now come into play. Actions of Drugs The drug is carried to the brain by the bloodstream. It goes everywhere in the brain, but some drugs effect parts of the brain in different ways. Heres an example: LSD molecules act on the serotonin systems, so anything that depends on serotonin is affected. Serotonin plays a role in how much we eat, or the regulation of our weight. Diet drugs block apatite, because they impact serotonin. Low levels of serotonin may explain aggressiveness, or excessive alcohol consumption. People who have committed suicide, as recent studies have indicated, have a serotonin dysfunction role in the taking their own life. Getting back to the unintended consequences of a drug, as the brain chemistry is altered, the brain is fooled into thinking that normal is when the drug is present. Take away the drug and something is wrong. Highly addictive drugs such as methamphetamine and crack cocaine, have powerful brain altering potential, so much so that the addict actually believes that using the drug is an absolute necessity for life. The neurons and the systems they regulate have been altered.

What Are The Risk Factors?

Genetic/Inherited

We are all a product of our parents. If your parents have addiction struggles, chances are you are more susceptible to addiction. Thats why drug addiction is more common in some families than in others. If your parents smoke, chances are good you will smoke. If your parents used alcohol, youll probably follow and use that drug in much the same way. If your father was an alcoholic, you have a predisposition to abusing that drug. Drug addiction causes one generation to pass it on to the next. Personality Aside from the inherited factors, some people have a personality that is more likely to become drug dependent. - People are curious, so that alone can lead a person to try a drug. We experiment and see what happens. - We are looking to relax and have pleasure.

- We all want to feel good, and were by nature impatient. Drugs give us an instant gratification that other things do not, so for that moment or hour of for whatever time-frame, we feel good. - We want what we want. - Someone diagnosed with depression, attention deficit disorder, or hyperactivity. - Maybe there has been some stress, or anxiety in their life. Whatever the case, these are contributing factors. Even some common personality characteristics, such as aggression, may be a factor. Children who do not have confidence, healthy self-esteem may be prone to turning to drugs to fill the void. Drug addiction causes negative changes in personality that can lead to an even more destructive behavior. Peer Pressure/Social We are all wired to have relationships, and sometimes those relationships cause us to give in to something we otherwise would avoid in order to maintain the relationship. Peer pressure is huge and nowhere is this greater than during our teenaged years. Kids want to be cool. It begins as a social action, to take the drugs to be a part of the group, to be accepted. Its not just teenagers, as peer pressure takes so many different forms. There is social etiquette, for example, to take a drink during a party. Im a social drinker. How many times have you heard that? Some people actually believe that drug addiction causes you to be accepted and part of the 'popular' group. Easy Access If you want to get drugs, you wont have to look far because they are everywhere. High school students can tell you this. Drug addiction causes people to sell drugs to the most vulnerable population, children. Its not just the stereotypical poor sections of the inner city that serve as the hotbed for drugs. Drugs are found in suburban shopping malls, rural schools, well-to-do private school, on the job in factories, offices and remote job sites. Race, Ethnicity We include this heading because we want to stress that there is no data to support any claim that one race of people or any particular cultural group is more prone to drug addiction than another. Drug addiction is a human problem and crosses all boundaries. Drug addiction causes do not include race. Loneliness, Depression

We want to feel good physically and emotionally. Sometimes drugs are the substitution for a healthy life experience. The person in pain and they want to numb the pain. The drug numbs the pain and for a moment they dont feel as poorly. The person needs to escape the pain of the life experience, and for a short while, the drug takes them away and they feel better. Anxiety Sometimes people need some help coping with life. Everyday life becomes a struggle and simple things become too much to handle. Drugs are used to deal with it. In the case of addiction, we are not talking about the use of medication, under the care and observation of a doctor. People who have been clinically diagnosed with anxiety can lead a very good life. Were talking here about people who just need to escape. Their drug of choice facilitates that escape. Additional Risk Factors There are many contributing factors to drug addiction, which may give us some insight into why one person becomes addicted and another person does not. Ask yourself a few questions. - Are they unhappy or angry, for example, and if they are, is there an external source of irritation or are they just like that naturally? - Along the same lines, are they depressed or to put it another way, do they appear sad? - Are there factors in their life that may cause them to seek relief, such as financial pressures, problems at work, loss of a loved one or other negative experiences? - What is their psychological makeup? A person may turn to drugs if they lack self esteem. The drug makes them feel better, because it fills a gap that they are incapable of filling themselves. As the disease progresses, taking the drug to feel better is not enough, they have to take the drug just to feel normal. Some people have a personality that is more likely to become drug dependent. For example, they may be curious and want to try new things. That leads them to try drugs, and might be the beginning of becoming addicted to a certain drug because it meets a desire. People naturally want to relax and have a good time, but people are often impatient and drugs will provide instant gratification. Over time, the drugs become the only way a person can relax, or feel good.

There is a genetic risk factor to drug abuse and drug addiction. Just as you have inherited your parents physical characteristics, you have also inherited their chemical characteristics. If mom and dad used drugs, chances are high you will too, and addiction, like any other disease, runs in families. Most people have an alcohol link in their family tree, so even if the parents did not use, there was an aunt or uncle, etc. The alcohol use is often the first step towards the use of drugs, so one generation might have abused alcohol and their children might abuse illegal drugs. We are all wired to have relationships, and sometimes those relationships cause us to give in to something we otherwise would avoid in order to maintain the relationship. Peer pressure is huge and nowhere is this greater than during our teenaged years. Kids want to be cool. It begins as a social action, to take the drugs to be a part of the group, to be accepted. Its not just teenagers, as peer pressure takes so many different forms. There is social etiquette, for example, to take a drink during a party. Im a social drinker. How many times have you heard that? Some people actually believe that drug addiction causes you to be accepted and part of the 'popular' group. Today, drugs are in our schools, in small towns and large urban areas. If you want to get drugs, you wont have to look far because they are everywhere. High school students can tell you this. Drug addiction causes people to sell drugs to the most vulnerable population, children. Its not just the stereotypical poor sections of the inner city that serve as the hotbed for drugs. Drugs are found in suburban shopping malls, rural schools, well-to-do private school, on the job in factories, offices and remote job sites. Learn about more Theories on the Causes of Drug Addiction

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HOW TO USE THIS SITE:

This site contains five MAIN pages that EVERYONE should read: ABOUT

SYMPTOMS Drug Addiction CAUSES EFFECTS TREATMENT Read these five pages and learn what you need to know to spot drug addiction in:

Yourself... Your Family... Your Friends... Your Community... The rest of the pages are there for your reference to explain important topics in more detail. Finally dont miss the Spiritual and 12-step sections to fully explore how understanding THE SPIRIT can lead to recovery!
Related: addiction, drugs, neurons, glia, brain

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Children, children's Poems & Nature Poetry Devika Chaturvedi, India SAVE WATER SAVE LIFE NATURE HAS GIVEN US WATER THAT IS VERY USEFUL, WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IT, IT MAKES OUR LIFE BEAUTIFUL. IF THERE WAS NO WATER, WE WOULD NOT HAVE RAIN, THE MOST PLEASANT TIME IN THE WORLD, THE HOT SUN WE SUFFER AGAIN AND AGAIN IF YOU WASTE THE PRECIOUS WATER, THE LIFE WOULD BECOME A BOWING KNIFE, IT WOULD BE CRITISIZED BY THE OTHER PLANETS, HA! YOU SAID THAT YOU BEAR LIFE

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July 27th, 2009

Author's Note: Yes, I know this is awfully sad but the message needs to get out! Any little thing can help - whether its donating to the ASPCA, or volunteering at a local animal shelter. Get out there! Save Me God, I wish that I could say That Ive been perfect in every way But something I have done is wrong, And I cant figure out what.

What made those humans hate me so And beat me while outside, it snowed They kept me penned up right inside Both all day and all night.

I try my best to be a good pet I come when called and never let Those other dogs tempt me to fight, And yet you never praise me.

So, God, I pray to you today That those who own me will finally stray From their habits of treating me so And for once I will be happy.

I know that you cant change the world And I dont expect that, not at all, But please place thoughts inside others heads That to save the abused pets would be best.

HELP STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY! DONATE TO THE ASPCA!

Peace, Love, and Writing. (Save the animals...!) Kasey