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volume 105 issue 13• may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
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volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
2 E D I T O R I A L S TA F F Amber Antonopoulos···· Editor-in-Chief c o rs a i r. e d i t o r i n c h i e f @ g m a i l . c o m Muna Cosic··············Managing Editor c o rs a i r. m a n a g i n g @ g m a i l . c o m Elizabeth Moss··············· News Editor c o rs a i r. n e w s p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Molly Philbin··············Opinion Editor c o rs a i r. o p i n i o n p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Merissa Weiland······· Health & Lifestyle c o rs a i r. l i f e s t y l e p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Alex Vejar·········· Arts & Entertainment c o rs a i r. c a l e n d a r p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m David Yapkowitz············ Sports Editor c o rs a i r. s p o r t s p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Daniella Palm·········Multimedia Editor c o rs a i r. m u l t i m e d i a @ g m a i l . c o m Paul Alvarez Jr.···············Photo Editor Mark Popovich···············Photo Editor c o rs a i r p h o t o e d i t o r @ g m a i l . c o m Jhosef Hern······················ Illustrator c o rs a i r. c a r t o o n @ g m a i l . c o m Allie Silvas····················· Web Editor c o rs a i r. w e b e d i t o r @ g m a i l . c o m Henry Crumblish··········· Design Team Mikaela Osterlund·········· Design Team Cocoa Dixon················ Design Team Gimlet Rivera··············· Design Team c o rs a i r. d e s i g n t e a m @ g m a i l . c o m c o r s a i r s ta f f Trevor Angone, Luis Arias, Fernando Baltazar, Vanessa Barajas, Lorentious Barry, Scott Bixler, Raul Cervantes, Sara Cheshm Mishi, Jeff Cote, Jenna Crowley, Tina Eady, Skya Eiland, Djon Ellams, Rachael Garcia, Amy Gaskin, Marine Gaste, Manon Genevier, Felipe Gouveia, Linda Harrell, David J. Hawkins, Sam Herron, Jasmin Huynh, Simon Luca Manili, Asha McClendon, Rona Navales, Andrew Nguyen, Kandace Santillana, Chanell Scott, HaJung Shin, Ryan Sindon, Niklas Thim, Eva Underwood
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The many issues ofaddiction Amber Antonopoulos Editor-in-Chief From the gnawing headache that creeps in after forgoing your morning caffeine, to the smoker who hides his cigarettes from his daughter, to the alcoholic who drinks in the morning to quell her shakes and prolong her perpetual hangover, to her husband powerless to stop her, addiction impacts the lives of one and all. Whether to substances or behaviors, addiction can permeate all facets of life. Addiction is characterized by cravings, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, says Lynn Davison, a psychology professor who teaches human development at Santa Monica College. “Anything associated with the addiction can trigger neurologically-based cravings for the substance or activity, which may include people, places, objects or emotions,” Davison says. The American Psychiatric Association released the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders on Wednesday. The DSM — a psychiatric bible to some, a manifesto of overdiagnosis to others — classifies and defines mental disorders for diagnostic purposes. The first revision in nearly two decades shifts the parameters of certain aspects of addiction. According to a press release from the APA, the substance abuse and substance dependence categories from the DSM-IV are now merged into a single “Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders” section in the DSM-5. This change includes behavioral addictions as addictive disorders, and does not necessitate that dependence denotes addiction.
“Eliminating the category of dependence will better differentiate between the compulsive drugseeking behavior of addiction and normal responses of tolerance and withdrawal that some patients experience when using prescribed medications that affect the central nervous system,” the press release states. Dr. David Shirinyan, a psychology professor at SMC who specializes in addiction, notes the significance of the distinction between addiction and dependence. “Dependence is always a component of addiction, but dependence can be seen in chronic pain patients who are not addicted,” Shirinyan says. “Dependence refers to the psychological and physiological reliance on the drug in order to function.” Although behavioral addictions are now recognized in a separate subcategory in the DSM-5, gambling disorder is the sole syndrome listed. Internet gaming disorder is recognized as a condition that can be manifested as addictive behavior, but more research is needed before it is formally recognized as a disorder, according to the APA. “Behavioral and substance addictions are similar in that they rely on the same brain system — the reward and pleasure system,” Shirinyan says. “They are both characterized as this compulsive engagement with the problem behavior or drug in the presence of negative consequences.” While it may seem counterintuitive to keep doing something that is damaging to one’s mind, body or
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well-being, those in the throes of addiction do just that. “So a person may repeatedly be reprimanded at work or school, may lose their job or flunk out of school,” Shirinyan says. “People may lose close relationships, their home and livelihood but still continue to use.” Behavioral addictions can ultimately be just as devastating as substance addictions, though not typically as immediately, Shirinyan says. “Having promiscuous sex with many partners a week can lead to STD, but engaging in intravenous heroin can kill you every time you shoot up,” Shirinyan says. “Gambling debt can ruin a family and has led to many suicides, but meth addiction can kill you in the short term.” There are some concerns about the revised diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 prompting excessive diagnoses. “The new DSM does not make a distinction between drug use, drug abuse and drug addiction,” Shirinyan says. “One unintended consequence, I fear, will be that because so many people will qualify as addicts, the seriousness of addiction may get diluted.” Addiction’s gravity can be felt on bathroom floors and street corners. It infiltrates campuses and offices, and can lure anyone into its grasp. Even with treatment, its hold is strong. “This is a major international problem that is unfortunately not talked about openly enough,” Shirinyan says. Cue the discussion.
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volume 105 issue 13 • May 22, 2013 • santa monica college
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A world connected by addiction James hustace Contributor Take a midday stroll through campus, resist the urge to pull out your phone, and do some people-watching. You will need all of your fingers and toes, and probably those of a friend to count the people you see navigating the pedestrian traffic with their eyes down, glued to smartphones. “I’ve seen people bump into each other because they were looking down at their phones,” says Jose Santiago, a firstyear nursing student at Santa Monica College. ICD, IUD and ITAA are acronyms that have emerged over the past few years, pointing to a new and potentially handicapping form of addiction. They stand for Internet Compulsive Disorder, Internet Use Disorder, and Internet and Technology Addiction Anonymous. As early as 1998, back when less than four percent of humanity was online, researchers were already looking into whether the Internet could be addictive in the same way that drugs, alcohol and gambling can be. Since then, a worldwide explosion of Internet-capable mobile devices has helped transform the digital landscape into something vastly different: what some are calling a hyper-connected world. Today, nearly 40 percent of the world’s population — roughly three billion people — are connected to the Internet on a regular basis. In developed countries alone, as much as 80 percent of the population is on the Internet. A 2010 study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that young people, ages 8-18, spend more than seven hours each day with entertainment media like MP3 players, phones and computers, and that they are able to pack in nearly 11 hours worth of media content during that time because of their multitasking prowess. There is a growing concern from professionals in diverse fields that stretch from business advisers to technology experts that some of us may be developing dependencies associated with online activities like social networking and Internet gaming. The American Psychiatric Association decided this year to include “Internet Use Disorder” in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, the premiere mental classification list used by mental-health professionals of all disciplines. David Phillips, SMC professor of psychology, thinks the idea that we can call our continual connectedness a disorder is silly. He does caution, however, that being buried in a phone can, “keep us out of the moment,” and lead to a diminished quality of life. “People who are constantly glued to their phones miss out on a full, authentic experience with others and the world around them,” he says. Phillips recommends limiting smartphone use to 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening. Phillips contends that endless streams of information and incessant updating keep our brains in a state of constant alert, leading to elevated dopamine levels that serve as our reward circuits. He says that we are mismatched because these reward circuits evolved, in part, out of a necessity for people to be social and communal. “Our evolutionary pathways have set us up to be seduced by this technology,” says Phillips. Last year, researchers from the International Media & the Public Agenda at the University of Maryland challenged 1,000 college students from around the world to abstain from using all forms of media for 24 hours and then to blog about their experiences in a study dubbed “The World Unplugged.” According to the study’s website, most of the students who participated were unable to go a full day without interacting with media of some kind. A Chinese student observed that, “I was unable to describe the feelings without media, just like something important was drawn out from my life.” “I was itching, like a crackhead, because I could not use my phone,” wrote a student from the U.S. “I know I’m addicted to mine,” says Celisa Walker, a firstyear chemistry major at SMC, of her Android device. She acknowledges how distracting her phone can be and is making a conscious effort to scale back the amount of time
Arlene Karno Corsair Students travel to San Luis Obispo on Amtrak’s coastal route, The Starlight Express, on Thursday. The Starlight parallels the Pacific Coast Highway, but people often opt to play games and watch movies instead of the ocean.
she spends on it. “I don’t want my phone to take away from the personal interactions I have with others,” she says. Professor Phillips speculates that today we find ourselves more and more alone together as we increase the time we spend tethered to our devices. “The use of smartphones keeps people in touch in a very superficial way,” he says. Increasingly, people have been reexamining their obsessions with smartphones and looking for ways to disconnect, at least temporarily. The Huffington Post, for example, maintains a thread “Unplugging” devoted to stories of retreat from the iPhone and tips for those who seek refuge from the digital now. Technology consultant and blogger, Patrick Rhone, predicts that, “2013 will be the year of opt-out. That disconnection will become hipster cool. More and more people will be replacing smartphones with dumb ones.” But this might just be wishful thinking from those with nostalgia for the days of handwritten notes and analogphone calls – people who recall an alternative existence. For Generation Y and beyond, it may be that digital life is part and parcel of life itself. Ana Rivera, a high school senior who plans to attend SMC in the fall, says she has not left home without her phone since middle school. “I can’t live without it,” she says. “I feel like something is missing when I don’t have my phone.”
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Arlene Karno Corsair A customer checks text messages before checking a news magazine, while a basketball game plays on a big screen at Cafe Piccolo in Venice Beach, Calif. on May 12.
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volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
Are college students addicted to work? Kandace Santillana Staff Writer Fall can be a daunting season for students; transfer applications are due, and certain coursework needs to be completed. The preparation for such a critical time can be filled with anxiety, especially from class workloads. For some students, working toward transferring can become borderline addictive. “I am definitely addicted to working too hard for school,” said Parvez Shaikh, a student at Santa Monica College. “I’m at that point now. There isn’t any easier way around it. You need to work hard for what you want in order to get where you want.” Shaikh, 20, who is majoring in economics, has applied to University of California, Riverside, California State University, Long Beach, UC San Diego, UCLA and UC Irvine. So far he has been accepted to UCR and CSULB. He mentions that the workload to be admitted into these schools is not easy. As a third-year student, he has had to take a lot of math and English classes, which was not easy for him since he started in lower division classes. Shaikh also said he worries about managing his schoolwork and a job. “I used to work full time,” Shaikh said. “So I had to cut down all my work hours to put more school time in, but I managed.” During his time at SMC, Shaikh noticed a change in his eating habits. Because he has to keep up with his classwork on top of his regular job and homework, he barely finds time to eat. Shaikh said he will work even harder after transferring in order to graduate and begin working in his field. Harisbeth Alejo, a psychology major at SMC, spoke about the struggles she has gone through in order to be able to apply next semester. The schools she plans to apply to are UC Santa Barbara, and UCI. In order to prepare to transfer, Alejo has gone to counseling services and talked to several counselors. She has had to put in a major amount of time studying since most of her classes are science courses. Alejo mentioned that she can get overwhelmed with all of the work she does, but she has never felt addicted to work. Even though she spends most of her time either in class or at home doing school work, she is not willing to give up. “As long as you are determined to reach your goal,” Alejo said, “everything is fine.” While working toward getting admitted into both universities, Alejo finds herself studying harder than she did in high school. She studied so much more that her family began to worry about her health and mindset. Alejo’s mom, Veronica Alejo, spoke about her daughter’s stress. “She sometimes doesn’t eat healthy due to her stress caused by schoolwork,” Veronica Alejo said. Besides being worried about her health, Veronica Alejo does not worry about when her daughter will transfer to a four-year university. She knows that even though her
Rachel Porter Corsair A Santa Monica College student focuses intently on her schoolwork.
daughter will work hard for school, she will never reach the point of being addicted to work. Veronica Alejo mentioned that her daughter is a very determined student, and that she is going to keep encouraging her to further her education. Leticia Montoya, a counselor at the college, talked about the different students that have visited her office and how she has helped them get ready to transfer. Montoya said about half of the students that come into her office are nervous about not being ready to transfer on time. She said that students want to overload their schoolwork and take as many units as they can. Even in some instances, they want to exceed the maximum 16 units available to take a semester. “Oftentimes when students want to exceed that amount, I have to talk to them that it’s really about balancing your schedule.” Montoya said. “Being full-time, but also passing the classes you are in.” She also discouraged students from being full-time students and employees. She said that being a full-time student will take the same amount of work as being a full-time employee. Montoya explained that she is not worried for those students when they transfer to a four-year university. She said she feels that the pressure is higher at community colleges because the students want to transfer to a better school. She does not feel this constitutes as an addiction to schoolwork, but instead a desire to get into to a better school. “I believe working too hard becomes an addiction when you do nothing but work to try to reach your goal,” Shaikh said. “It’s something you want to do, because you chose to work as hard as possible to get to where you want to be.
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Peter Parker Corsair Santa Monica College students study in the math lab Monday. The math lab is a tutoring center that provides students with free services to help them succeed in math courses.
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volume 105 issue 13 • May 22, 2013 • santa monica college
health + Lifestyle
5
The connection between alcoholism and drug abuse Niklas Thim Staff Writer
Fernando Baltazar Corsair During his lecture at Santa Monica College on Thursday entitled “Developing and Recovering from Addiction,” psychology professor Dr. David Shirinyan speaks about how people become addicted to drugs and alcohol.
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Phil Gordon is a Scottish man in his 40s, who wears a big smile on his torn face. Although, for most of his life, that smile only appeared while Gordon was intoxicated. “We all do stupid things when we’re drunk,” Gordon says. “Some get into fights, some go skinny dipping. I did drugs.” Gordon is one of many people who has fallen down the slippery slope of substance abuse. “In Scotland, alcohol is a cultural thing,” he says. “The pub is like your living room.” Gordon says he did not realize that his drinking had gone too far because everyone else around him drank just as much and as often. It was not a big deal to start a Tuesday with a shot of whiskey, as a pickme-up after a rough night at the pub. But why do some people, like Gordon, cross that line when using becomes abusing? Dr. David Shirinyan is a psychology professor at Santa Monica College, with expertise in biological psychology. “There are many causes of addiction,” he states in an email. “To say that one thing or another triggers addiction is not quite correct. There is a moderate to strong genetic component to addiction. Some people’s brains are set up in a way that makes them much more susceptible to addiction.” Even though there are no chemical connections between most substances, many users find themselves being more prone to start abusing other drugs, if already abusing one. “Addicts tend to be addicted to more than one thing,” Shirinyan says. “There is the ‘addictive personality’ which refers to a type of person, with a particular genetic and neural configuration, that is prone to addictive patterns.” There are no exact numbers of how many people with multiple addictions there are, but it is a growing group. According to drug-addiction-help.org, a website for drug treatment resources, multiple drug addictions in the U.S. have increased by 20 percent over the past decade, and the usage of five or more different substances has grown by 70 percent. The reason for the growth may be attributed to the effects various substances have on each other. The combination of alcohol and cocaine is one example. Alcohol can be used to prolong the high and offset the mood swings, anxiety and depression that comes with usage of cocaine, according to the website. “It was not the alcohol itself that got me into coke,” says Gordon. “But like I said, being drunk makes you do stupid things, and that’s how I got addicted to cocaine. If I already abused alcohol and cocaine on a daily basis, what harm could come from giving heroin a try?” The effects that various substances can have on the brain can trigger certain reactions. “You have to acknowledge that the brain @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
systems that are involved in pleasure and reward are not there to create drug addicts. These systems are there to keep animals doing things that are beneficial to themselves and to their species,” says Shirinyan. “This is critical to our survival.” What often happens when a person finds himself in an addiction is that the joy the substance or activity once gave slowly fades away. According to Shirinyan, the brain undergoes several major transformations during substance abuse, and the chemical state of the brain becomes unbalanced. The brain tries to compensate for this by taking steps to return to balance. The receptors in the brain are reduced, and this is what causes tolerance. The more you abuse the substance, the more tolerant you become. More tolerance also means a tougher detox, and the tougher the detox, the more likely it is to fall back to abusing. “This is a major problem, because if a person is able to quit the drug, these receptors do not come back for a long time,” Shirinyan says. “In some cases, the brain cannot fully recover. During this recovery phase, the brain is underactive because of the reduced number of receptors. This results in dysphoria, a feeling of depression, agitation, fear and displeasure.” So, even if a person seeks help for the addiction and no matter how long he or she may have stayed away from it, there will always remain traces in the brain that will never go away. “Addiction can never be completely cured,” says Shirinyan. “It’s very similar to having any other chronic disease. You can be in remission for a long time but you always have to keep vigilant for a return of the disease. In the case of addiction, relapse is always possible.” The foundation for Alcoholics Anonymous is to treat alcoholism. However, anyone may attend an open meeting, alcoholic or not, according to the AA website. Only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings, but there are no rules against attending a regular meeting for help with any other addictions. Shirinyan says that multiple addictions are very common for abusers. “Many addicts are poly-drug abusers and many have behavioral addictions as well, like gambling and sex,” he says. For people abusing alcohol, AA sometimes replaces their addictions. Following the 12step program and attending the meetings becomes their new fix. This experience is what happened to Gordon. One day he realized that his lifestyle, sooner rather than later, would kill him, and thanks to AA he has now been sober for nine years. “Thank God I only used heroin on occasion,” Gordon says. “It is, by far, the best drug I’ve ever tried, and had I continued, I wouldn’t have been alive today. After all, being alive is always better than any drug.”
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6 health + lifestyle
volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
Mark Popovich Corsair Alcoholic beverages are lined up at a bar, depicting one drink leading to another.
From denial to acceptance Tina Eady Staff Writer
During her 14 years of marriage, Laura A., who declined to provide her last name, became an everyday drinker. Her husband, George A., was a binge drinker who drank on weekends and holidays. George had a job in advertising that paid well. They had two kids, belonged to two country clubs, took trips and remodeled their house. One New Year’s Eve night, the couple was preparing to go out when her son accidentally broke a dish. Laura began to scream and rant uncontrollably at her son. “It just triggered me, right there in front of the babysitter,” she says. “I screamed so much I hurt my throat, and it was just an accident.”
The most recent Gallup poll states that drinking has caused trouble in 30 percent of families. Addiction, without treatment and recovery, can and will literally tear families apart and destroy strongly bonded friendships, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Laura’s therapist suggested Al-Anon, a support group for families and friends of people who are addicted to alcohol. “I didn’t associate my issues with drinking,” says Laura. “I thought if I could just go to Al-Anon I could get some answers, and figure out how not to scream at my kids.” When Laura’s therapist asked her what was going on at home in regards to drinking
and drug use, she lied. “I played up how much my husband drank, and told her I only drank on weekends and holidays,” says Laura. Alcoholics and addicts often are in a state of denial about their drinking or drug use, according to the text of Alcoholics Anonymous. Laura grew up with both parents being alcoholic. Her father traveled a lot and was hardly ever home. “But when he came home, he was like Santa Claus, Superman,” says Laura. “He was a fun drunk.” When Laura was around 8, she became aware of her mother’s drinking. “With my mom, I never knew what I would get,” says Laura. “I could never please her and there was no predicting her mood.” Laura’s mother’s moods would go to extremes when she would throw china “frisbee-style,” at the drop of a hat. Laura was affected by her parent’s alcoholism. She became a people pleaser and tried to do whatever was asked of her. When Laura and George met, they enjoyed each other’s company partly because “we liked to drink and [use] drugs,” says Laura. At 27, Laura married George, had two kids, and quit her job because her drinking and kids left her feeling “scattered.” But when it came time to return to work because of piling bills, Laura found she did not have the necessary skills to earn a living. “I felt frightened,” says Laura. This resulted in the family downsizing and the kids going from private to public school. “The kids didn’t know what to expect around the house,” says Laura. “I was pretty explosive.” After the New Year’s Eve tirade, Laura began going to Al-Anon meetings, but continued to drink.
“I felt that I’d found my people, who I identified with, but after awhile I felt guilty about my own drinking,” she says. One day, when her husband was not home, Laura thought she was free to drink as much as she liked. She soon had a headache and a stomachache, which led her to have an epiphany. “I am an alcoholic; it’s me, not anyone else,” says Laura, who quit drinking after that day. However, George did not like her sober. “The dynamic of how we related to each other shifted,” says Laura. “He couldn’t relate and was confused.” After a year of sobriety, Laura’s husband moved out. “This is a very interesting phenomenon,” says Santa Monica College psychology professor David Shirinyan. “The recovering addict becomes a mirror, of sorts, and makes the addicted partner face their own addiction.” This dynamic can cause tension and resentment. Even if the recovering addict does not change their behavior or tone, sometimes the partner is not ready, says Shirinyan. “Protective factors for people who may be pre-wired for addiction is parent involvement, having dinner together along with family discussions and making sure there is consistency, structure and limits,” says Shirinyan. “Also if they’ve abstained in high school, chances of them becoming an addict goes way down,” he says. “Learning how to deal with stress instead of using alcohol and drugs as a coping strategy early on is ideal because stress is the number one cause for relapse.” “I have a sense of a higher power, and even if things don’t work out, you do what works out, and that makes my life less stressful,” says Laura.
The reality of shopping addiction When people hear the word addict, many would likely think of alcoholism or drug abuse. But there is an addiction that can stem from doing something that many do every day: shopping. Oniomania is an uncontrollable desire to buy things. The word onios comes from the Greek meaning “for sale” and mania meaning “excessive excitement or enthusiasm,” according to Dictionary.com. “Some shopping addicts grow up in homes where shopping addiction was presented, so they have an increased risk,” says Terrence Shulman, the founder and director of The Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft, Spending and Hoarding. “In other cases, shopping addicts grow up in homes where they felt deprived of material things. In most cases, there is a lack of decent emotional nurturance and sometimes downright neglect and abuse.” Today’s modern society is a consumer society, with advertising encouraging people to purchase more. “There is media that a lot of people think is just regular content, but the truth is they are trying to sell something,” says Lynn Dickinson, media professor at Santa Monica College. “We are bombarded with advertising and marketing in the media entirely, 24 hours a day, pretty much.” “Many people try to use shopping as others use drugs, alcohol or food to fill a void, numb pain, or distract themselves from stress or difficult life issues,” says Shulman.
Manon Genevier & Sara Cheshm Mishi Staff Writers “Our culture encourages shopping and once a shopaholic gets going, it’s hard to stop it, especially with TV and Internet shopping. It can be like crack cocaine.” Excessive shopping may be more common than people think. “Between six and nine percent of Americans suffer from compulsive shopping or buying disorder,” says Shulman. “I think it’s closer to 10 percent.” With the advent of the Internet, shopping for practically anything is only a click away. “There is no doubt that the United States of America has moved from being a producer culture to a consumer culture,” says Dickinson. “We are now a culture that consumes and evaluates our values.” Credit cards can also influence the consumer culture. A student is only required to be 21 years old and have a cosigner to get a credit card, according to creditcards.org. The Schulman Center website recommends to cut credit cards and use cash instead, in order to easily monitor the amount of cash that is being spent. Online shopping has increased dramatically in recent years. Retail shopping websites made $186.2 billion in 2012, according to the statistics website Statista. There are various types of shopping disorders, according to the Shulman
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Center’s website. Compulsive shopping refers to a person that purchases to distract emotions. Trophy shoppers are those who buy high-end clothing items. Image shoppers are more concerned with their appearance and how others perceive them. Bargain shoppers are defined as people who buy things that they necessarily do not need, but purchase because it is a good deal. Codependent shoppers buy things for other people in order to receive affection and appreciation. Bulimic shoppers return what they buy. Collector shoppers buy many sets of the same item. Shulman recommends that if you are suffering from these types of addictions, avoid places that may cause shopping temptation. Make a list before going to any store, ask yourself if you need the item Hajung Shin Corsair before buying it, and cancel magazine, Jenny Kim waits for her boyfriend with a email and TV subscriptions. Gucci shopping bag on Sunday on Rodeo “Today’s magazines are consumer Drive in Beverly Hills. training for people,” says Dickinson. Shulman also recommends specialized everyone is getting in a really extreme way, counseling, therapy, medication, and and I think for those people, shopping support groups. became a reward for them, but I think that There are behavioral, cognitive therapy is an illness,“ says Dickinson. “I believe our and financial counseling for shopaholics culture is moving as a whole toward that to consider, depending on what kinds of illness, and the media supports shopaholics. shopping addiction the person has. People who create advertising wish we “There are some people who seem to were all shopaholics, and it would be ideal respond to the kind of messages that for them.” @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
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volume 105 issue 13 • May 22, 2013 • santa monica college
health + Lifestyle 7
Are you consumed by what you consume?
HaJung Shin Corsair A man sets his table with an array of food at the Farmers Market in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Eva Underwood Staff Writer Food is a necessity for all living things. But there are some people who are tortured by the very thought of food when either eating or not eating becomes an addiction. According to the Mayo Clinic, those suffering from eating disorders are so preoccupied with food and weight that they focus on nothing else. Mayo Clinic lists the main types of eating disorders as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. In all of these disorders, people are typically obsessed with food and exercise, and suffer from low self-esteem and a distorted body image. According to the Mayo Clinic, people suffering from anorexia nervosa are obsessed with being thin and in extreme cases will starve themselves to death. Symptoms of anorexia include refusing to eat, an intense fear of gaining weight, and health complications such as constipation, dry skin, and low blood pressure. Those living with bulimia will binge, meaning they consume a large amount of food in a short amount of time, and then purge, which means they vomit to get rid of the excess calories. They sometimes even turn to laxatives or other substances to purge. Symptoms of bulimia can include feeling that you cannot control your eating behavior, dieting or fasting, constantly and damaging teeth and gums from purging.
“A lot of people suffering from eating disorders often have suffered from sort of trauma.” — Therapist Juanita Sell With binge-eating disorder, people eat more food than they need. They tend to eat when they are not even hungry and continue to eat after being full. They typically feel guilty or ashamed after, which can then lead to another binge, but they will not try to purge or exercise after. Symptoms with binging include eating until in pain, quickly eating food, eating in privacy, and feeling depressed afterward. While mostly females suffer from eating disorders, men and women almost equally suffer from the binge-eating disorder. There is hope for those who seek help. “A lot of people suffering from eating disorders often have suffered from sort of trauma,” says therapist Juanita Sell, who started an eating disorders program at Del Amo Hospital in 1999. “Something that’s as basic as eating,
which we all need to do, can be such a disturbance and a preoccupation, and it’s sad to see people deprive themselves or lose control over something that’s so nourishing for life. It’s a complex problem.” “Eating disorders are very tied into the sociological aspect,” says Sell. “In some countries, there’s not an emphasis on looking a certain way. Some people are just struggling to get enough nourishment.”
“They become so obsessed with these almost arbitrary numbers like calories eaten or a number on the scale, and become out of touch with their feelings.” Sell says the media has a large influence on how people are “supposed to look.” There is a larger emphasis on how females should look than on how males look. If a woman is a mere five pounds over society’s standards, she is hypercriticized, whereas men have to be substantially overweight to be criticized, and even then, if they are funny or rich, their appearance is not as important, she says. The Del Amo program is very much a psychological program, and very comprehensive. The program offers different means of help including family, individual, and group therapy sessions, on-site registered dietitians, medical doctors, spiritual aspects, and addresses psychological and emotional aspects, Sell says. Sell suggests that those considering seeking help be preventive and proactive, getting help right away, rather than waiting until the disorder gets worse. Dealing with an eating disorder can require constant supervision and attention. Sell believes that after dealing with all kinds of mental disorders, treating people with eating disorders is the hardest area to treat because it is so complex. With eating disorders, it’s very complicated in the physical part, because we as humans need a certain amount of nourishment to survive and to maintain a certain level of health. And by definition, the more advanced the behaviors, whether it is restricting or purging, it’s all driven by psychological problems. Basically, it’s a very ineffective coping mechanism to deal with a number of emotional issues. One can get so caught up in the behaviors and numbers of how much they weigh, calories and their clothing size, that it can be a preoccupation that takes the person away
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from what’s really bothering them, whether it’s trauma or anxiety. Trauma does not have to be some big significant event; it can be a lifetime of invalidation. According to Sell, eating disorders are always about some emotional issue and mental aspect People with anorexia tend to be more rigid, whereas people with bulimia tend to be more impulsive, says Sell. People with eating disorders are usually not in touch with their feelings, so they focus on the physical or this mental image because what they are feeling emotionally is too painful or too overwhelming. The longer someone has been practicing these eating disorder habits, the harder it is to break, says Sell. They become a routine, and the body and hormones are all off balance. It is a vicious cycle. The prognosis for anorexics can be bleak, as anorexia has the highest death rate of all psychiatric disorders. “The mindset and rigidity are the hardest things to break through because people often lose perception of what they really look like,” says Sell. “They become so obsessed with these almost arbitrary numbers like calories eaten or a number on the scale, and become out of touch with their feelings.” “A lot of the work is asking what are you really feeling right now,” says Sell. “Then them learning how to tolerate the distressful feelings and cognitive distortions like thinking ‘I’m really fat,’ or ‘I blew it because I ate a doughnut; I might as well kill myself.’”
“The mindset and rigidity are the hardest things to break through because people often lose perception of what they really look like.” Sell says that people can become so self-absorbed that they lose touch with everything else, and those around them give up on them because they are tired of it. She suggests getting in touch with value systems, and focusing on something besides body image. She also recommends seeking help, and focusing on strengths or positive qualities while replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, and not giving up hope.
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Photostory
volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
Danny Mateo poses in front of his artwork while holding his two tools of the trade, a tattoo gun and a spray can. “It’s cool when people talk about you but don’t know who you are and you’re like next to them,” says Mateo. “I think that’s pretty cool, and I would like to keep it that way as long as I can.”
From the street to the tattoo seat Photos & Story by Paul Alvarez Jr.
“Every day I tattoo, I learn something new. How to tattoo faster and how to blend colors faster, so it’s just a learning experience,” says Mateo.
Mexican-born and West LA raised street artist turned tattoo artist Danny Mateo admires that luchadores wear masks to conceal themselves, without caring about people knowing their real identity. He transfers that mentality over to his artwork. “It’s about the art; it’s not about who makes the art,” says Mateo. He wants people to fantasize about who the artist is and create their own mental image of their appearance. “It kills the whole magic,” says Mateo. “You just want to keep them wondering who the person is ‘cause it doesn’t matter about race or ethnicity.” Mateo was once addicted to the graffiti art lifestyle. “The adrenaline you get when you go out mobbing illegally, it’s just something you can’t describe, but you have to do it in order to feel good,” he says. He was going out three or four times a week until four or five in the morning. Now, he only paints walls legally which he says is not as exciting, but still addicting because he can be more creative. “The more walls you get, the better you feel about yourself, and the more you want to do,” Mateo says.
In all his years as an artist, Mateo says tattooing is his biggest accomplishment. “Some people, it takes them years to learn what I learned in one year, so it was a big accomplishment to me,” he says. Mateo says for him, tattooing is a bigger addiction because, “your work will be on them until the day they die.” Mateo feels that learning spray-can control and how to use colors helped him transfer certain techniques to tattooing. “I learned how to blend because I know how to blend with a can so I know my colors and what colors to use,” he says. Mateo has only been tattooing for a year, but he already has his own chair at Black Rose tattoo shop in Venice, Calif. on the boardwalk. Mateo could not care less about being known by his face, just as long as his work is known. He does not want a fancy car or clothes. All he wants to do is support his family without a struggle. Mateo also works closely with local street wear company Coup Street. He and creative director Jared Shapiro have collaborated on various T-shirt designs and event graphics. You can check out his work on Facebook at Itscalledart or on Instagram @DannyMateo.
The finished product of one of Mateo’s various tattoos.
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Photostory
volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
9
Mateo paints a collaboration mural with Coup Street at McLogan Supply Co. in downtown Los Angeles. Mateo no longer paints illegally, but gets paid to put his artwork on walls.
Mateo draws a portrait of Cantinflas, a Mexican comic film actor, producer and screenwriter in his home studio.
Mateo climbs a fence to catch a spot in an alley in downtown Los Angeles.
Mateo paints a mural at Black Rose Tattoo Parlor in Venice, Calif. Shortly after painting this mural, Mateo was given a chair to tattoo in at this exact shop.
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Opinion
10
volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
Living life to the beat of music Muna Cosic managing editor
Inhale. A powerful beat starts to overtake my senses. Exhale. A melodic rhythm starts to control the beating of my heart. Inhale. The captivating voice starts to pulse through my veins. Exhale. My whole body is in tune with the music. Inhale. The song becomes the euphoria to my addiction to music. Exhale. Some say that to them music is a form of drug; an addiction. They consider it a vital part of their lives- a necessity to get through the day. I concur. Not a day goes by without music playing somewhere around me, stroking my day like a canvas with the colors of every beat and tune. Although music is not recognized as an addiction by the American Psychiatric Association, for anyone who lives and breathes it each and every day like I do, music cannot be anything else but that: an addiction. “Music is used to regulate mood and arousal in everyday life and to promote physical and psychological health and well-being in clinical settings,” states a study done by Daniel J. Levitin and his colleagues of the Department of Psychology at McGill University. Even though various studies show that music has some form of impact on us, none of them have yet concluded it to be an addiction. But many do not consider the effect music has on them on a daily basis. Music depicts a person's moods, feelings and thoughts. Music affiliates itself to our memories, and even tends to trigger them back after being labeled as long forgotten. Anytime I hear one of my favorite songs, I immediately get a flashback of the moment I first heard that song, or a memory that makes the song unforgettable to me. Certain songs even stimulate my mood, either lifting it up, or tainting it with something unpleasant because the song brings along a bad memory. When I hear Adele's "Rolling In The Deep," my mood turns foul because I remember ending a relationship while that damn song played on the radio. As I see it, music is an addiction because we have made it such a prominent part of our society. Music sells to a point where we cannot control ourselves from buying
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so many music-related necessities. People spend massive amounts of money on MP3 players, iPods, CDs, stereos and anything else we need in order to listen to music. Music is a trend that will never dissipate simply because it is addicting. Justine Miranda, music major at Santa Monica College, says people listen to the type of music that best suits their mood, which in a way makes them addicted to particular songs. “If I'm in a hyper mood, then I'll listen to something fun and upbeat,” says Miranda. “But there are also moments when I'm down, I'll go ahead and listen to something upbeat to lift my mood. Music does that. It simply affects our moods and makes us addicted to the effect.” According to the study done by Levitin and his colleagues, people with varied pasts, preferences and personalities will encounter particular pieces of music differently from others. In other words, how I live my life is how I hear my music. I listen to particular songs that entice certain feelings in me because I like the reaction I have to those songs, therefore they are making me addicted to them. Every time I listen to Pink Floyd, such as, “Hey You,” or “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” I immediately react to the songs with such profound pleasure that
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it becomes addicting to listen to them. Songs like that become much-needed hits to my addiction to music. There are moments when I want to rewind back in time with certain songs. When I listen to The Doors' “LA Woman,” I am right away transported three summers back, driving with my friends on the Pacific Coast Highway, singing along loud and proud with Jim Morrison. It is amusing to see SMC students strolling around campus with their headphones on, tuning out everything around them. Some are even having conversations with their friends while one ear bud is in their ear, as if they cannot fully disconnect from music. They even ignore their friends’ blabbering for a few minutes just because that favorite song starts to play on their iPods. I am aware of these side effects as a music addict because I have a habit of letting them take control of me when the need to listen to music becomes eminent. “I know I can't go a day without listening to music,” says Miranda. “Whether it's in the car or in the office, I turn on the radio. When I'm on the bus or in the gym, I listen to my iPod. It's part of my life. It's an addiction alright.” But not only can music be dubbed as an addiction, it can also be used as a cure to ending addictions. A recent BBC News report tells the story of a group of 80 people in Ireland
battling drug and alcohol addictions with the healing power of music. “The patients sang songs they had written as well as traditional pieces,” states the article. “One song is called, 'I Don't Deed No Dope, To Help Me Cope,' which the singers regard as a statement of intent on their journey to recovery.” They recorded their own album, spreading the message to end addiction. Dr. Julie Sutton, a registered music psychotherapist at the Belfast Health Trust, told the BBC that “music is like a kind of magic vitamin for the brain.” She also claims that music is “a drug, if you like, for their brain that is not going to be destructive. It doesn't matter how much music you listen to — music is going to have a much more benign effect.” Simply put, detrimental addictions can perhaps be healed by replacing them with an addiction to music. It does not matter whether people consider music an addiction or not, because as far as I am concerned, if I need it every single day in my life, then I know I am addicted. Music is an addiction that can possibly be used to cure addictions. It is a powerful form of art that we all know of, and to many like me, it is something we desperately need. Music is an addiction. An alcoholic needs alcohol; a drug addict needs drugs; a music addict needs music.
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opinion
volume 105 issue 13 • May 22, 2013 • santa monica college
11
My favorite oxymoron: Positive addiction Skya Eiland Staff Writer William Glasser, author of “Positive Addiction," once said, “a positive addict uses his extra strength to gain more love and more worth, more pleasure, more meaning, more zest from life in general." However, according to the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, addiction can be defined as a having “compulsive needs” that are “habit-forming” and may be harmful. But what if there were addictions that instead of making you weaker, made you stronger? Addiction is not a new concept, and no two addicts are the same. Since 1599 — when the first known definition of addiction was expressed — this concept has carried with it a negative connotation. The impression in today's society on recovered addicts sets discrimination by employers, health care providers and the government. In turn, negative connotations about having an addiction cause people to like they have a problem when, in many cases, they are experiencing no trouble. Today, when we hear the term, we generally think of a negative behavior, in which a person is fundamentally incapable of stopping. But 75 percent of alcoholics recover without treatment, according to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol abuse. However, in cases where there are addictive drugs involved that change one's body composition, physical addiction can be a serious problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 43.8 million adults were smokers in
the year 2010. On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. “While there are plenty of cases where addicts struggle for years to overcome a drug addiction, many more cases reveal the opposite: short-term users who manage to put the past behind them and lead normal and productive lives,” said Adi Jaffe in a CNN article.
With self-realization in the mind, there are plenty of pros to being positively addicted to something. Monomaniacally speaking, as an addict, an individual learns how to not be so selfish. Addicted people learn to feel remorse for others and feel that it is necessary to share with others. In that sense, some of the little addictions, like eating
“A positive addict uses his strength to gain more love and more worth, more pleasure, more meaning, more zest from life in general.” —William Glasser, author of “Positive Addiction”
Contrary to belief, addictions that do not necessarily have a negative effect on someone's life and physical well being can be positive. Outlined in Glasser's book, criteria for a positive addiction includes being addicted to something noncompetitive, easily accomplished and is something that does not depend on others. Also, the individual with the addiction must believe that it has some value — physical, mental or spiritual — to them, and that the addiction will improve the individual in some way.
chocolate or collecting comics, are really the pleasant things in life that are worth repeating without hurting anyone's life. For example, a drug addict is determined in their hunt for drugs but weak in the mind for anything else — blindly giving up on love, family and their friends. A positive addict enjoys his or her addiction, but it does not dominate and prevail on others. Positive addicts gain mental strength in order to accomplish their needs and wants in order to become successful.
Celebrity worship a waste Kandace Santillana Staff Writer Knowing what is going on in your favorite celebrity's life has become an addiction for many people. In the past, celebrities were nothing more than a mild form of entertainment — they would just get stopped for an autograph, or to have their picture taken. Now we follow their every move, from what they eat, to what they did on Saturday, and even who they sleep with. As time has passed, and technology has expanded, people have become addicted to knowing everything about their favorite celebrity's dirty details. Websites that provide this information, such as TMZ or Access Hollywood, waste people's time, even if they are not aware of it. Celebrities acknowledge that having fans that are invested in their day-to-day routines generate easy revenue and can help them get more publicity, despite the possibility of feeling harassed by reporters or obsessed fans. In 2003, psychologists at the University of Florida and Southern Illinois University conducted a study on obsessive fans and concluded that about one-third of Americans suffer from Celebrity Worship Syndrome. The study divided fans into three categories: people who follow celebrity news for social purposes, people who develop an "intense" relationship with a star, such as the belief that the fan and star have some special bond, and people who display "borderline pathological" behavior, and are willing to hurt themselves or other people in the name of a star. The third is the scariest group, and is considered an addiction. Roughly one percent of the population displays this behavior, and when asked if they would do
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something illegal for their favorite celebrity, most of these people said yes, and some even said they were prepared to die for their idol. "Just worshipping a celebrity does not make you dysfunctional," said Dr. James Houran, one of the authors of the study, in the analysis paper. "But it does put you at risk of being so. There is this progression of behaviors, and if you start, we don't know what is going to stop you." I am personally a big fan of Latin Pop singer, Prince Royce, but just because I like his music and think he is very good-looking, doesn't mean I'm going to follow him around. There's a limit, and people need to acknowledge that. The media may report an issue that the celebrity did not want to be released, leading to harsh criticism and
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a demand for an apology from people who are not necessarily as invested as the individuals in Houran's study. I cannot understand why anyone, expect for her close relatives, would want an apology from Lindsay Lohan when she crashed her car for the umpteenth time, was caught snorting cocaine, or when she got a DUI. Society needs to end this ridiculous hero-worship of celebrities. If you want a hero, look for someone who deserves your praise, like a medal-of-honor recipient, a charity organizer or a fireman who carried a child out of a burning house. It is sad to see what our society has come to — caring that much about a celebrity someone does not personally know is just simply crazy, and people who are addicted to celebrity gossip need help. /thecorsairnews •
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arts + entertainment
12
volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
Entertainment Anonymous raul cervantes Staff Writer
Whether it be a television show, the latest Call of Duty video game or Netflix, various forms of entertainment are a part of everyday life. With access to these various electronic getaways becoming easier by the second, addiction to them becomes a more real possibility. Douglas Gentile, a research psychologist from Iowa State University, found that over eight percent of American youth ages 8 to 18 are addicted to video games, totaling to about three million people. The influence of entertainment seems to span a lot wider than just video games, however. A 2012 study done by Nielson, a research company, concluded that the average television watch time for Americans was 34 hours per week. Santa Monica College student Saul Ascencio feels very strongly about addiction to entertainment. "I think people do it because they are easily pleased with cheap entertainment," he says. "They don't need to do anything; just sit there." Ascencio says he was once addicted to entertainment himself, but now pursues other interests. "I used to play a lot of video games, but not anymore," he says. "Movies cost too much to go out to one, and I don't really use the computer that often. I probably just use
my phone the most, but I would rather draw or read. Eventually, we are going to end up like the people in [Pixar movie] Wall-E." There are support groups available for addictions to types of entertainment, such as Online Gamers Anonymous, a support group and collective of individuals online who have been affected negatively by video games and offer a safety net to those seeking help. The group is free and even offers a 12-step recovery program. Santa Monica College student Adan Gatica watches two hours of television, plays video games for another two and a half hours, and tops off with three hours of internet use — every day. "I believe people are so addicted to these things so that they can escape from the real world," Gatica says. "A lot is wrong with the world, and TV and the internet help escape from all of the wrong." While it seems that Gatica over-indulges in entertainment, he realizes that moderation is the best medicine. "I think moderation is a good thing,
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actually," he says. "You can get a lot more done when you don't waste time on these things." According to a 2012 study by the Pew Internet & Research Project, 67 percent of community college students own a desktop computer, 70 percent own a laptop, and 61 percent own a game console – all of which can possibly be used for entertainment purposes. The survey also provides information on students at four-year and graduate colleges. While there seem to be a number of entertainment addicts on SMC's own campus, there are also students who feel strongly against addiction to entertainment saturation. SMC sophomore Gabriel Farada feels strongly about people who have addiction to entertainment. "People who watch too much TV would have no lives, I think," he says. "They might be antisocial or just have a hard time being more social with people. I might be one of them because I do go to the movies more than I should, though." Farada says he has a friend who works at an AMC movie theater, allowing him to go to the movies up to twice a week, every week, for free. "It's a good place to chill with friends, and you could say I'm addicted to good movies," he says. While Farada can continue his movie going with possibly no financial burden, he also feels that moderation would benefit not only himself, but all entertainment addicts. "I think if you do it too much it distracts you from school, going out with friends, or just being productive," Farada says. "I think moderation can be a great thing."
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volume 105 issue 13 • May 22, 2013 • santa monica college
arts + Entertainment 13
When the money stops Jasmin Huynh Staff Writer Amy Gaskin Corsair Gambling disorder is the only formally recognized behavioral addiction, according to the newly revised fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders released Wednesday.
Thousands of dollars of debt, domestic problems, bank robbery, murder and suicide. Those are only a few of the possible consequences of gambling addiction. Dr. Timothy Fong, associate professor of psychiatry and co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, said that he has had patients who drained all their life savings in a matter of months, were left by their spouse, neglected and even abused their children, committed credit card scams, tried to rob banks, and eventually attempted to kill themselves.
"[This] all [happened] because of gambling addictions; you hear the heartbreak, the turmoil, the chaos and just the devastation," Fong said in an interview for the feature documentary "Post Oak Bluff," about the government's attempt to ban online poker in the United States. For most people, gambling is only recreational. For some, however, it can develop into a debilitating problem, according to the Office of Problem Gambling of the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. As stated on the CDADP's website, gambling becomes a problem when it affects the gambler, the gambler's family and place of employment, resulting in behaviors that compromise, disrupt or damage personal, family, educational, financial or vocational interest. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, pathological gambling, also called compulsive gambling, is considered a mental disorder. In addition to attempted suicide, psychological difficulties of pathological gambling include anxiety, depression, guilt, alcohol and drug abuse — all of which can cause stress-related physical illnesses such as hypertension and heart disease, according to the CDAPD. As stated on the website of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, pathological gamblers are unable to stop despite adverse consequences. They see gambling as a way of escaping from problems or relieving feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression. "Gambling addiction is about escaping life and seeking
relief from life's problem through gambling," Fong said in an email. About one to five percent of the adult population are problem gamblers over their lifetime, according to the California State Library. This includes people who are currently experiencing problems, as well as those who may have experienced problems in the past. Fong said various risk factors increase the probability of an addiction but are not a guarantee. Those factors include family members with gambling problems, co-occurrence with psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, personality traits of being impulsive, competitive, or difficulties dealing with loss, Fong said in the documentary. Underage gamblers are more likely to develop a gambling addiction, Fong said. "Students gamble to have fun, make money and to try something new and exciting," he said. "People under age of 21 are more likely to develop gambling addiction than adults because it doesn't take as many losses for a person to develop life problems. Also, because they are younger, problems occur sooner." According to the American Psychiatric Association, 10 to 15 percent of young people surveyed have significant gambling problems, with six percent of the teens who have tried gambling becoming pathological gamblers. Gladys Ferrero, a 22-year-old SMC student, has experienced the thrill of gambling and understands the motivation of some students to start gambling. "I think students see [gambling] as an easy way to make money," she said. "Sometimes when they win a little, they get the rush and the excitement not to have to work for that money. And being in school, it is very difficult to come around money because you're always studying and don't have time for a job. Easy money is always indulgent." The same part of the brain that controls pleasure and reward responds to gambling, which causes the brain to release neurochemicals like dopamine that activates adrenaline and excitement, Fong said. As stated by the USDA, compulsive gambling shows parallels to drug and alcohol abuse. Not only are the brain reactions to both addictions similar, but the development of tolerance in both cases are also alike. The more alcohol or drugs that are consumed, the higher the tolerance level that is developed. Similarly, compulsive gamblers develop "tolerance" for the "action" and must increase the size of their bets or the odds against them to create the same amount of excitement. According to the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, some gambling addicts are "seeking action, an aroused, euphoric state comparable to the high
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derived from cocaine or other drugs." The program also states that some gamblers experience a “rush,” characterized by sweaty palms, rapid heart beat, nausea or queasiness, while gambling or thinking of gambling. "Psychologically, gamblers are chasing the next big win and are looking to keep gambling," Fong said. "The worse part of losing isn't dealing with the money losses; it's not being able to gamble." However, unlike addictions that involve chemicals, gambling addiction does not leave any physiological signs, according a research project by Problem Gambling Prevention. Fong also recognizes the difficulties in detecting gambling addiction. "When patients come into the office, they look just like you and me," he said. "They are well-dressed, their hygiene is good, and they speak clearly. They are not coming in with needle track, or as if they are going to die in front of you, [as] patients with other severe addictive disorders or medical problems. "When we see patients die, kill themselves or unintentionally kill other people, the cause of death isn’t called gambling overdose or pathological gambling," Fong said. "It’s listed as gunshot wound, or motor vehicle accident, or destitution. So [gambling] is truly a hidden addiction."
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arts + entertainment
volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
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Does music get a little help from drugs? Asha McClendon Staff Writer Musicians have seemingly had a part in the drug and alcohol scene throughout their careers, with legends like Whitney Houston, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and many others having met their demise due to overconsumption of or overdose on various substances. As far back as 1830, substance abuse played a part in the music culture with Hector Berlioz, a French romantic composer who used opium while he wrote “Symphonie Fantastique,” according to PBS documentary “Keeping Score.” “Drugs and music, I mean it’s been in the music culture for so many years that it is now the normal for me to hear lyrics about drugs within today's music,” said Santa Monica College music theory student Ashton McCreight. Drug use can be found in many of the music industry's top artists. With Rihanna rolling a joint on top of her security guard's head at last year's Coachella, or Lil Wayne having a seizure from drinking too much of a promethazine-codeine cough syrup nicknamed “purple drank," overindulgence of substances seems to be prevalent today. However, there are those who think that musicians using drugs is not a bad thing. “I feel that it’s good that artists use drugs; it lets them truly express themselves,” said SMC student Trayvon Gordon. “Drugs help artists explore another realm which they can’t access while being sober. I feel that can be one reason why drug usage is so common among artists of all ages.” SMC music department chair James
Martin feels that if a musician truly feels that their creativity is enhanced by doing drugs, there is not much that can be done to stop their behavior. “Some of the music was created by drugs in the '60s and '70s, and a creative mood is a tough mood to leave once an artist finds out how to get there,” said Martin. “If an artist thinks smoking a couple joints or sniffing a line is going to get you there, an artist is going to do it again.” Musicians Institute professor Daniel Gilbert believes that the careers of artists such as Morrison and Jimi Hendrix would be different if they had not ever done drugs. “Look what happened in the ‘60s,” said Gilbert. "Would that have happened without drugs? I’m not advocating drug usage, but if Morrison or Hendrix stopped using drugs, I would have to say there is a possibility that they would not be as iconic as they are now." However, Gilbert also sees the other end of the drug abuse spectrum. “Don’t get me wrong; musicians can still be amazing when off drugs,” Gilbert said. “Sometimes, drugs can bring someone up for a moment, but one way or another, that artist will be coming down from their high.” SMC student, rapper and producer Alex Crawford said he has been smoking marijuana since he was 16, using it to sometimes to “kind of release any anxiety I might have so I can perform my best.” “Personally, when I write music when I’m high I feel invincible,” Crawford said.
Courtesy of Stock.xchng Substance use often coincides with the music scene.
“Drugs and music, I mean it’s been in the music culture for so many years that it is now the normal for me to hear lyrics about drug within today's music.” —Ashton McCreight, SMC music theory student
Amy Gaskin Corsair
“I honestly feel someone who smokes weed, pops pills or does a few lines can feel free and have fun without worrying about any judgments from other people. When that person is high on whatever drug, they usually play music in their iPod or in their cars and the two marry. Drugs and music feed off each other.” Crawford is not unique when it comes to smoking cannabis. Since 2010, marijuana use is up 22 percent, with four in 10 teens having smoked the hallucinogenic. One in 10 teens now uses ecstasy, and in the last three years, ecstasy use among teenagers has jumped to 67 percent, according to drugfree.org, a website that provides information and support for parents of teen drug users. While there are many artists who openly do drugs and drink alcohol to potentially enhance their creativity, release anxiety or put on a better performance, there are those who have had long, successful careers without the aid of drugs or alcohol. Bruce Springsteen, multiple Grammy winner and a 1999 Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame inductee, has reportedly never done drugs. This was confirmed by musician Steven Van Zandt, who has performed with Springsteen, in a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone. “He's the opposite of a drug-created monster,” Van Zandt said in the interview. “He's in good shape by not doing drugs.” Tim McGraw, three-time Grammy Award-winning country singer, did an interview with US Magazine in 2011 about going to rehab because he would text his wife while drunk. Now he is three years sober and preparing for another tour. Unfortunately, drugs have still cast a shadow for several famous artists of the 27 Club, artists who have died at 27 because of some sort of substance abuse. Those musicians include Morrison, Hendrix, Cobain and most recently, Amy Winehouse. Whether an artist decides to indulge in drugs and alcohol or stay sober, Martin said music will keep “reflecting artist feelings.”
A Los Angeles musician plays stand up bass.
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volume 105 issue 13 • May 22, 2013 • santa monica college
No warning shots David Yapkowitz Sports Editor
David J. Hawkins Corsair Keilan Horton, a Santa Monica College men’s basketball player, practices driving the ball to the basket in the SMC gym on Tuesday.
I have become a very arrogant person throughout my life. years of game footage I have consumed. I make it a point to fully understand my subject matter, I have been known to walk away and avoid certain debates being an aspiring basketball journalist and all, and to fully because I do not want to embarrass people in public. I am prone to long rants and expletive-laced tirades understand it, I must be familiar with everything. My addiction allows me to take in each player, putting directed to my television and computer screen. The source of these narcissistic traits? An addiction. Yes, me in somewhat of a comatose state where I cannot hear or see anyone or anything but the game in front of me. I I suffer from an addiction. There are many kinds of addictions in this world. have been accused of ignoring others frequently when I Mine centers around a leather ball about 29.5 inches in am glued to a game. I obsess over every new player that enters the NBA, until circumference and a steel rim standing 10 feet from the I become fully versed with each of their abilities. ground. And that is where the arrogance begins. Basketball, that is my addiction. I eat, sleep, and breathe There are paid analysts for major-sporting networks basketball. such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated who It has become my have difficulty naming a single player on religion. The late a cellar-dwelling team, let alone giving a John R. Wooden’s breakdown of their skills and talent levels. book “Practical There are fans who cannot do it either. M o d e r n And these people claim to be basketball Basketball” is aficionados. the book I swear But where did this all begin? Where did it on, and James come from? All good stories have a beginning, Naismith is my and this one is no different. patron saint. My father used to be the head coach of the There are girls’ varsity basketball team at Manuel Arts 445 players High School in Los Angeles when I was first currently in born. the National As I got older, he started taking me to his Basketball practices, and my mother and I would sit on the Association, sidelines and cheer him and his team on at each and I can game. tell you the It was there, as an innocent 5-year-old, that I strengths fell in love. I did not know what it would do to me a n d then. I did not know the depths this game would weaknesses pull me to. of each one Like all addictions, I just could not stop. My of them, parents installed a regulation-size basketball hoop no lie. in our backyard, above the garage. I remember That comes how elated I felt when I hit my first shot after from hours David J. Hawkins Corsair upon hours, Madison Higgins makes a jump shot as Keilan multitudes of airballs. My dream was the same as that of many other kids years upon Horton keeps an eye on the ball. for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •
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Sports opinion
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in this world; I was going to be an NBA player, and that was final. By the age of 10, I had it all mapped out; no other career path would suit me. My addiction allowed me to discover Horatio Llamas, the first ever Mexican NBA player. During my adolescence, Llamas was seldom used reserve who played for the Phoenix Suns. He gave me hope that I, too, being Mexican myself, could make it to the NBA. Well, like most dreams of that caliber, it did not quite work out the way I wanted it to. It was around high school when I knew it was not going to. But my addiction was so deeply rooted, that it would not let me go that easily. I continued to work tirelessly on my game. I would often stay out at the park or in my backyard, long past midnight, making sure my game had zero weaknesses. I even spent Christmas Eve one year at the park, telling myself over and over that I could not go home and open presents with my family until I hit a certain number of shots. Basketball became my release, the court my sanctuary. I may not have been the best student in grade school academically, but once I got to the court, nobody else could say they were better than me. Just like with other addictions, basketball was my stress reliever. I became dependent on quick fixes after a terrible day. I would pick up my trusty basketball and head to the park; I needed my high. It was only a matter of time before I was floating among the clouds, away from the stress of everyday life. I have come to understand that arrogance is one of the side effects of this addiction of mine. I believe that the years I have spent perfecting my game have rendered casual players at the local park as being beneath me. I constantly remind my younger brother that as long as I am around, he will always be the second best player in the family. I have also become a self-proclaimed historian of the game. I have gone back and watched every bit of footage I can of past eras so I can accurately analyze and compare players across the years. I have given up many Friday and Saturday nights to analyze stats and game footage so I can arrogantly proclaim that I know what I am talking about. When I say Michael Jordan is not the undisputed greatest
David J. Hawkins Corsair Madison Higgins, a Santa Monica College men’s basketball player, practices jump shooting in the SMC gym on Tuesday. He and Horton practice two to three additional hours daily after the team practice.
player of all time, or that Kobe Bryant is the most overrated player in NBA history, there is credence to my words. I am not just spouting garbage like most so-called analysts and their blind sheep fans do. All of this has culminating with finding my life calling. If I was not destined to become a NBA player, I would be the next best thing, a basketball journalist. I have come to peace with my addiction and I embrace it. I reject any and all therapy; this addiction is here to stay. It feels good to get my addiction out in the open like this, and consider this my coming-out party. I will make it in this profession, and when I do, I am coming for all these so-called basketball analysts, with no warning shots. /thecorsairnews •
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sports
volume 105 issue 13 • may 22, 2013 • santa monica college
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Working out could be wearing you down Vanessa Barajas Staff Writer
Too much of a good thing could be damaging. While good health is heavily promoted to encourage being active and maintaining a healthy weight, there has not been much awareness of those who work out in excess, and how it can potentially cause negative effects on the body. Amanda Ebner, a personal trainer for six years, based in the West Los Angeles area with credentials from the American Council on Exercise as well as the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, has had her fair share of experience on the subject. “I did have a client that had an extremely low body mass index,” said Ebner. “Eighteen point five is considered the lowest healthy BMI. This individual was at 17.” Ebner explained how the woman became obsessed with lowering her body weight and would work out for an hour on the treadmill before her scheduled sessions. She maintained an extremely restrictive diet and would often arrive at the gym dizzy, weak, or tired from her low-calorie intake. Eventually, Ebner decided to part ways since she, “felt unable to train the woman in good faith, knowing that she was engaging in self-destructive behaviors.” Oftentimes, it is an athlete who may fall under the category of over-exercising, and that can possibly cause injury. Santa Monica College head football coach, Gifford Lindheim, who received his bachelor of arts in kinesiology, has been coaching at SMC for four of his 18year coaching career.
can lead to injury, mental fatigue and sometimes dehydration. Ebner said the most common exerciseinduced injuries are those resulting from overuse. “Think shin splints, runner's knee, tennis elbow,” she said. “Too much exercise can also lead to muscle tightness and misalignment, particularly if the individual is not using proper alignment or technique while exercising.” Ebner said that the signs on the surface of over exercising can be seen in brittle hair, dry skin and discolored nails. Ardell Gipson, a student-athletic trainer at Santa Monica College, said that some of the problems with over excersising may lie with student athletes who play multiple sports. Some football quarterbacks may also be baseball pitchers. “They have that strong arm and accuracy,” said Gipson. “Some kickers on football teams will be soccer players.” Ebner said that exercising once a day is enough for an individual. Most clients do not need any more than that unless they have specific training needs that would require more. Those training needs include practice for events such as the Ironman Triathlon, a 24-hour relay race, or a mountain ascent or climb. “I recommend even my very fit clients take at least one day off, totaling six days per week maximum with one of those days dedicated to active rest like yoga or walking,” said Ebner. For new clients, Ebner said she starts them off with three times per week, later moving to four times per week after six weeks of consistent exercise. Eating habits also play a major factor in exercise and workouts.
Sam Herron Corsair Santa Monica College women’s volleyball player Valerie Carrillo works out on Thursday at Santa Monica College. Carrillo is in strength and conditioning class that meets twice per week. Carrillo also leads yoga classes in Culver City and beach runs in Santa Monica, and hopes to become captain of the SMC women’s volleyball team next year.
cleanse trying to attend an hour-long boot camp.” Lindheim said that short and vigorous workouts seem to work better for his athletes. He believes it helps them stay mentally sharper and physically healthier. “We think the longer you go, the more you risk injury and lose enthusiasm,” he said. However, the amount of time to work out does vary between sports.
Sam Herron Corsair Santa Monica College student Chris Whipple works out on Thursday at Santa Monica College. Whipple, a former SMC football player, is part of strength and conditioning class that meets twice per week.
“We believe that at a certain point, there is a point of diminishing returns on your work,” said Lindheim. He stresses that more is not always better. A person can set themselves up for physical fatigue which
“I have had to send clients home who did not eat enough in a particular day to actually undertake vigorous exercise,” said Ebner. “Think about those on a juice
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SMC cross country head coach Eric Barron said his distance-runners' workouts, which include warm-up, drills, the workout itself, a cool down, and then @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
the core work, last 90 minutes to two hours. “After that point, depending on what the work is, cortisol levels or lactic acid levels may build to the point where more hard work becomes counterproductive,” said Barron. There are often warning signs that will tell when someone has been working out in excess. Gipson said that too much strain on a particular part of the body could cause major injury later on. “They do a lot of running and a lot of abdominal workouts,” he said. “Some even do weight training when they don’t need to.” “Somebody who is working out too much, will sometimes develop tendonitis and sometimes have nagging injuries that don't go away,” said Lindheim. “That's the body's way of telling you to rest.” Injuries as well as other physical problems such as insomnia and rapid heart rate as well as psychological problems such as irritability, moodiness and depression will show up over time, said Barron. As a personal trainer, Ebner said she looks out for the person she is training and will advise them to stop if she notices signs of fatigue which includes breakdown of form, loss of color in the face, shaky hands, or loss of eye contact or balance. Lindheim said he believes there is an old school mentality where more and longer is better. If he and his coaching staff see an athlete struggling physically, they try to emphasize that less is more. In Gipson's experience, over-exercising was a symptom of reaching for excellence. “They were striving for perfection,” said Gipson. “Trying to achieve it when it was already there, they just had to notice it was in them. They needed to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.”
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