Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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EtCetera. Fiction from page B2 only reason I ever left you for Ryan I was that I didn’t think I was wor 9 thy of you. But my therapist said I am worthy, so I came back to tell you. James, you showed me what love is. You make me whole, and without you, I’m a lost, drifting soul with only my kleptomania to fill the void. Can you forgive me? Will you take me back?” Miranda said. James stepped forward, hard ly believing this beautiful woman with the regular screwdriver could be standing before him professing her love. “We have a lot to discuss,” James said. “It’s been years since I we were together. Put the screw driver down, and we’ll go inside. Here, I’ll take your bag. That looks heavy.” “NO!” Miranda said, twitching a little as she clutched her bag clos er. “Whatever,” James said, won dering where his welcome mat was as he stepped into his apartment, holding the door for Miranda. “Have a seat,” he said, shoving a pile of pizza boxes and beer cans off the sofa and kicking them un derneath. “I’m going to change clothes.” Tfiran3a"sa^own^tiTniiaI^ ing her bag close. She watched as James disappeared into the bed room, and then her eyes wandered to the coffee table. She shook her head. It would never fit in her bag, especially after that monstrous wel come mat. With a glance at the bed room door, she snatched up the re mote control instead and stuck it in the front pocket. What a rush. Just then, James emerged, his hair combed and his pants clean, the scent of aftershave not quite enough to cover the lingering stench of beer and two days with no show er. He took a deep breath and sat down on the coffee table, facing the goddess. “Miranda, I’ve been talking with my ex-girlfriend and the Lord. I’ve discovered some things about my self, about how my actions affect others and about life in general. My attraction to you is purely phys ical, and you deserve more than that. Also, if I were to date you, I’d just be enabling you to continue being a klepto. You need to get help from a professional. Until you’ve become a strong person on your own, you shouldn’t be in a dating relationship.” Geez, where was this coming from? He’d never sound ed so honorable. “Doesn’t my love mean any thing to you?” Miranda asked, her voice cracking. “It means so much that I want only the best for you,” James said. “Get help, and then maybe we can be friends.” “I guess that’s it, then.” Miranda stood to leave, her heel crushing the corner of a pizza box. She took a shaky breath. If she couldn’t have James, at least she had his remote control. “I just want you to know you’re passing up something every guy dreams about.” “Oh, I don’t need to be told that.” James smirked to himself. “Just get help, Miranda. Focus on making yourself a better per son.” He held the door for her and watched her walk away, stagger ing a little under the weight of her bag. Shutting the door, James closed his eyes and sighed sigh of ex haustion, of relief, of disbelief. His entire outlook had changed in one day, and for the better. Who knew what Miranda would do, but he knew he had done the right thing. He had to take care of himself without enabling the harm ful habits of his friends. What a day. He threw himself onto the couch and reached for the remote. (y/tf/❖❖❖ Ritalin becoming a problem in colleges by Kelly Hamilton Staff Writer <* Ritalin, a drug prescribed for children with attention-deficit disorder, has recently become somewhat of a problem as increasing numbers of high school and college-age students take it to get high. According to Dr. Bradley Smith, a psychology professor at USC, “When prescribed to children with ADD and ADHD, the drug is effective in helping children to calm down and focus their attention. They are better able to control their impulses and sustain attention.” However, abusers crush, then snort Ritalin to get a quick high with effects similar to those of cocaine and amphetamines. The person soon feels confident, happy and calm. College students abuse the drug because as a stimulant, it keeps one alert and awake. One Ritalin abuser, a sophomore at USC who'asked not to be identified, said she snorted Ritalin dur ing exam week so she could stay up all night to study. “All night I was up. I never even got tired at all,” she said. “I got so much done. It was great.” She said she obtained the pills from a friend who had a prescription to treat his ADD. Side effects of the drug include nervousness, insomnia, headaches, loss of appetite. Abusing Ritalin can lead to tolerance and physical addiction. Upon withdrawal, Ritalin addicts might experience extreme depression. “Similar to amphetamines, Ritalin is quickly absorbed and is short-acting, with effects lasting only for about four hours,” Smith said. So i£a student’s goal is to do well on an exam, more Ritalin would have to be abused. The effects on intellectual ability are relatively low. It will only help a person to concentrate longer on studies, not make them smarter. Smith also said that his studies have shown that, Ritalin abuse isn’t a problem at USC. “Surveys I’ve done have shown that Ritalin abuse is relatively rare. Of all the Ritalin which is ore scribed, I have found that less than 1 percent is used to get high.” According to Smith, when compared with other forms of drug abuse, Ritalin is much less of-a problem than most other drugs, such as cocaine, speed, marijuana, ecstasy etc. Even among prescription drugs, Ritalin is low on the scale of abuse. The most frequent abuse of these is of Valium and other sedatives. As for the risk of overdose, Smith said: “Ritalin is fairly safe in terms-of an overdose; few people die from it.” He said excessive amounts of the drug can cause a headache and nausea, but that it rarely is a direct cause of death. Propecia I (finasteride) { Ask your doctor about this pill ! from Merck. 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