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SSS 3% 3 Se 2) ® 41k .- irs i . 1 [Y. moma gi wv JUST YOUR NERVES i ATTRA ", Ted: bre Rv " KEANE orl RENE 4 SY bated wile EAE The next time a doctor hands you a prescription for tranquilizers and says "It's Just Your Nerves,' tell him he's a quack. The ladies in the picture above gave about 60 women at Nestleton Hall last Wednesday a wide range of tips in dealing with doctors, alcohol and drugs. From left to right, the panel of speakers included Marg Sim- mons, Judy Filler, Eleanor Caesar and Linda Lowery. See story for details. Train discussions continue Durham-Northumber- land MP Allan Lawrence says he is '""encouraged" by dis- cussions last week in Ottawa about the poss- ibility of passenger rail service starting again Peterborough to dress.Now A vi = \ RENE Soy! ¥ i *1 MEETING HELD: "This was my old my daughters. -- Ann Davidson, housewife and Weight Watchers Leader, lost 30 Ibs., has kept it off for five years. I © to take action and Lose weight once and for all. Enroll atany class Registration and first meet- ing fee $15.00. $6.00 weekly thereafter. Senior Citizens and students -- Registration and first meeting fee $7.00 $3.00 weekly thereafter St. John's Presbyterian Church 319 Queen Street, Port Perry TIME: Tuesday 7:00 p.m. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL: 1-800-268-3915 Weight Waichers International Inc. 1983. Owners of Weight Watchers Trademark Toronto. While stressing that no firm decisions were _ reached, Mr. Lawrence described the meeting as "very interesting." The meeting involved reps from the Peterbor- ough-Toronto Pass- Im wearing "Five yeors ago. | was drowning in a sea of food. My Weight Watchers group was my lifeboat. Weight Watchers helped me turn around m thinking. ti wa Zo. 1 a Ie ae make choices that put me on the win- ning side of the scale. Today | am still free of 30 Ibs. of fat, free to be thin, free to be me!" enger Association, the group which fought to keep the Via train on the rails two years ago; members of the federal Transport department, and a special assistant to Transport Minister Lloyd Axeworthy. The federal minister had agreed to review the shutting of two passenger lines out of Winnipeg and was con- vinced to take another look at the Peterbor- ough-Toronto line as well, which served commuters from many communities, including ~ Scugog Township. Mr. Lawrence said "we were assured (by the Minister's office) that the matter would be reviewed and studied." It's not just your nerves says a panel of experts by Cathy Robb The statistics, as pre- sented by a panel of experts at Nestleton Hall last Wednesday evening, are almost scarey. Women, for example, are twice as likely to be prescribed a tranqui- lizer as men with exact-. ly the same problem. Women develop drink- ing problems faster than men and suffer from cirosis of the liver 2.3 times more often. More and more women are succombing to alcohol addictions and yet the female drunk is still socially unacceptable. In some circles it's okay for a man to get sloshed but it's not okay for his wife to do the same thing. "It's much more soci- ally acceptable for a woman to be crazy than 'to be addicted to alcohol", said Eleanor Caesar of Pinewood Centre in Oshawa. "I really didn't believe it at first, until I started to work in the field." It's okay for women to drink in public but it's not okay for them to get drunk." Thus women alcohol- ics tend to drink alone in their homes, away from the public's prying eyes. Their husbands and family try to mask her problem and protect her. Many men refuse to' accept their spouse has a problem. "It seems to be very difficult for a man to come to grips with the fact that he's living with an alcoholic;"' Ms. Caesar said. Sixty or more women filled Nestleton Comm- unity Hall, an excellent attendance according to organizers, to hear It's Just Your Nerves, a discussion of drugs and alcohol as it relates to women. Presented by. the Nestleton-Black- stock -- Women's Institute, the program featured the views of Judy Filler, a public nurse with the Durham Health Unit; Marg "PAULA LISHMAN announces the RE-OPENING OF HER STUDIO Showing a Wide Selection of Knit Furs and Leathers. 62 OLD SCUGOG RD. IN THE VILLAGE OF BLACKSTOCK "6 MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10-4 SATURDAY 10-5 PLEASE PHONE 986-5096 or 686-1935 for appointment. Simmons of the Addic- tion Research Found- ation; Linda Lowery, youth counseller at Pinewood and fellow counseller Eleanor Caesar. "It's Just Your Nerves' is a phrase we hear far too often, I'm sure you'll agree," said Mrs. Filler as she intro- duced the panel. As speaker after speaker pointed out, too often women's problems are attributed to a case of bad nerves and are treated with indiffer- ence by physicians who simply prescribe tran- quilizers instead of searching for a cure. Men, on the other hand, who come to a doctor complaining of stress, are more likely to be prescribed exercise, vitamins or a diet. Why? - As Marg Simmons explained, the answer is tied up partly in myth and partly in facts. Women have been told they acquire a valium defiency in their bloodstream as they get older and are eternally grateful to tranquilizers for saving their marriages. More real- istically,- Ms. Simmons suspects women are simply more open with their psychological problems than men. "People shouldn't treat what their doctor says 'as gospel. Ask questions. You should walk into a physicians office as a health care product consumer," she said. "I sometimes wonder why we as consumers are so will- ing to buy health care things without asking questions. I sometimes think we're the best peanut butter shoppers - in North America but we're the worst shoppers for our own bodies." In Durham Region alone, 3,000 women are dependent on tranqui- lizers. Most are over 50 and most use valium. No Profile "There is no typical profile of an alcoholic woman but there seems to be emerging specific patterns of abuse," said Ms. Caesar, indicating three types of abusers. Traditionally, the female alcoholic has been the middle age, middle-class housewife who has started to drink as the result of a specific trauma such as death, divorce or being alone ina house after children have grown up and moved away. This woman still exists as does the younger woman, in late teens or early twenties, whose alcohol addiction is just one of many problems that might include drugs or the law. But the fastest grow- ing segment of the population is the young working woman who has turned to the bottle for solace. They're usually between 21 and 34, more prone if they're married and holding down a job. "Why, no one really knows. The reasons are speculative,' Ms. Caesar said. "Whether it's the double stress of working and staying at home, I don't know. Maybe she has found out that alcohol is a very quick, very reliable relaxant." ; 1982 marked the first year that this group outnumbered other groups seeking help for ° alcohol addictions. Within the 21 to 34 age group, one out of four is suffering from some kind of alcohol depend- ency. Youth Linda Lowery instit- uted a youth program at Pinewood two and a half years ago, In her first year she treated 68 people under 20 years old. When first asked, she questioned her value as a guest speaker when the subject at hand was women and her field is youth. Then she realized that one of a mother's biggest headaches is a child with a drinking problem. "I frequently have parents in my office who say it's like walking on eggshells when their kid is around, constantly walking on eggshells," she said. A decline in physical appearance, lower grades, dropping out of activities and clubs, mood changes, kids avoiding you, .a change in friends as well as the most obvious signs (drugs or alcohol found hidden around the house) are all clues to look for if you suspect your child has an addiction problem. Parents can also set an example for a feen- ager's drinking habits. Fifty-two per cent of the young people Ms. Lowery has treated have had at least one parent with an alcohol problem. "I'm not sure of the explanation but the kids appear to be at risk," she said. New time clock installed in gym Port Perry High News by Shelley Ash Last Friday had you and try-outs for the been near the main gym Drama Club. at PPHS, you would While touring the have heard the clanging halls in the next few of tools as thenew Rebel weeks, you might see a time clock was install- ed. It was put up just in time to show off to the public on Saturday when the school held a Christmas craft show. On 11:00 a.m. on Friday, students were kept in their classes and a special Remembrance Day ceremony was held over the P.A.; special thanks are extended to Mrs. Lackie, Cam Muir, Crystal Tremble and the Senior Wind Ensemble. Wednesday will be a P.A. (Professional Activity) Day for us. That's when the teachers have to go to school and we get to stay home, sleep in and catch up on General Hospital. Lots of things are . beginning to start at P.P.H.S. First -off the work meetings for the Christmas float, the rehearsals for "A Childs Christmas in Scugog" [Emmerson student teacher. These folks are in Transition from student to teacher and could use a friendly smile. Thats all for . this week. See David's column in next week's paper. TED 193 QUEEN $1 PORT PERRY (416) 985 7306 ALL LINES OF. GENERAL INSURANCE AND GREY TRUST Since 1844 11Ya 5 Yr. Annual Interest 11% Semi-Annually Rates Subject to Change Without Notice. V VICTORIA