Reese Witherspoon and Husband James Toth Arrested in Atlanta on DUI & Resisting Arrest Charges

Early Friday morning on April 26^th, 2013, actress Reese Witherspoon and husband James Toth were both arrested in Atlanta, GA after Toth was pulled over by police on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. According to police reports, Toth was driving in the wrong lane on Peachtree St. in Atlanta, and upon pulling him over he appeared disheveled and smelled of alcohol. Police ordered him out of the vehicle and escorted him into the nearby Walgreen's parking lot to administer a sobriety test, which he agreed to.

At this point, Witherspoon began hanging out of the car window, arguing with officers and being verbally abusive. According to the police report obtained by Variety magazine, she said she did not believe that the cop was a "real police officer," and asked him "Do you know my name?"

She then stepped out of the car and continued to be uncooperative when the officer ordered her to remain inside the vehicle. After repeated attempts by Atlanta law enforcement to get her to calm down and get back inside the car, they then arrested her, which she resisted. Toth claimed that he had only one drink that evening but ended up blowing a 0.139 on the Breathalyzer test. The couple was arrested and briefly jailed until being released around 3:30am.

Toth and Witherspoon were in Atlanta shooting scenes for the upcoming indie drama film "The Good Lie." They have been married since 2011 and have one son together. Witherspoon is an acclaimed actress for many different roles over the years, most notably her performances in the films "Sweet Home Alabama," "Legally Blonde," and "Walk the Line," for which she won an Academy Award in 2005. Toth is an agent for the Creative Artists Agency, Hollywood's leading talent agency. Following her arrest, Witherspoon went on ABC's "Good Morning America" to issue a public statement apologizing for her behavior. She claimed she had "one drink too many" and that she exercised "poor judgment."

Witherspoon and Toth are not the first celebrities to be arrested for charges involving driving under the influence, and they will surely not be the last. Drinking and driving is a persistent problem in the United States and all over the world that affects millions of people every day. It is estimated that roughly 900,000 people in the US are arrested each year for DUI/DWI, one-third of which are repeat offenders. Not only does this cause serious legal trouble for those that are charged, it can also result in fatal situations. Roughly 12,000 people die every year from DUI-related accidents.

Drinking and driving is simply not worth it. Not only do you risk putting yourself and other people at danger by getting behind the wheel after drinking too much, you also create a mountain of problems if convicted. First-time DWI offenders face time in jail, thousands of dollars in court fees and legal fines, community service, drug and alcohol education classes, and suspension of driver's license. Second-time offenders face even harsher charges - more fines, more jail time, having an Interlock system installed in their car, and possibly an ankle bracelet to monitor their alcohol intake. Third-time offenders face prison time, and fourth-time offenders can lose their driver's license for life.

The best form of prevention for not getting a DUI or DWI is to simply not drink. In addition to legal trouble, alcohol abuse and alcoholism present a multitude of problems. But if you are going to drink, just don't drive. Call a cab. Get a ride from a friend. Walk home. Whatever you have to do, just don't get behind the wheel. 

Overcoming Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is a serious issue. Many people do not understand the difference between drug use and drug abuse. Drug abuse is when recreational or medicinal drug use gets out of hand. Medicinal drug use, such as prescription drugs, can be easily abused because of the powerful but short-lived effects that they produce. Recreational drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, or even marijuana, can become abused because of the setting they are used in. The most common form of abuse is caused by the tolerance that very powerful drugs produce. The most dangerous tolerances produced show up in drugs such as heroin and Oxycontin. 

Overcoming drug abuse is much easier and faster than overcoming drug addiction. If the abuser keeps procrastinating and waiting to take care of the problem of drug abuse, it is very probable that they will become addicted to the substance. They will become a drug addict. The way to avoid this? Make a change! Making a change will be hard work. It will take a lot of dedication, but this commitment will be completely worth it in the end. Substance abuse is a tricky disease to handle, and so there are many rehab centers located throughout the United States that are available to help you in any way possible.

When an individual begins to change the way he or she lives, they will have to consider many different aspects of their lives. They will have to assess the way the deal with stress, in order to avoid self-medicating with drugs or alcohol. They will also have to begin to choose who they allow into their lives and who they want to spend their time with. When a person stops using drugs or drinking, they will feel as though they have lost a lot of friends. They must begin to build up a new support network of sober friends to help them through this time of need. They also must assess how they feel about themselves as a person, and what they would do to better themselves. Many times, a person's occupation has a lot of influence (more than they may realize) on who they are as individuals. It may be time to make a change in that part of their lives as well.

When you are getting ready to change, remember and constantly remind yourself of the reasons that you want to change. Think about any of your previous attempts (if there are any) and figure out what worked and what didn't work for you. Learn from your mistakes. Set goals, but make sure that they are attainable and specific. Rid your home and workplace of all reminders and temptations of your addiction or substance abuse problem. Also, be sure to tell your friends and family about the change you are making. Their support will be surprisingly helpful and encouraging. Begin to be conscious of a healthy lifestyle, and you will achieve it! 

What Can Trigger A Relapse?

After drug and alcohol treatment, addicts still feel strong urges to continue their substance abuse. These urges are based purely on desire and sometimes can overrule all logical reasoning. This is referred to as a trigger. There are many triggers out in the world. Some are specific to each individual, and some are a uniform way of functioning. Completing drug treatment is a huge step toward living a healthy and productive life without drug abuse. The trick is maintaining this sobriety. One way to avoid a drug or alcohol relapse is to identify the different things that can trigger it.

There are some very common causes of drug relapse. These negative feelings (also found in other aspects of everyday life) such as anger, sadness, loneliness, guilt, fear, and anxiety can cause an addict to feel like they need to run and hide from them, and the only way they know how to do that is through drug use. Even positive feelings can trigger a relapse because they make the addict want to celebrate. 

Other ways that relapses can be triggered is through the physical body. Being in the presence of drugs and/or alcohol, around users of drugs or alcohol, or in places where you used or bought can be overwhelming and cause a lot of internal conflict. If you purposefully place yourself in situations just to show that you can do it, you may be placing yourself in unnecessary danger. Also, many people think that they will be fine after treatment, and that they don't need to worry about a relapse. This is a problem because they may fall back into their old patterns, and eventually fall back into drug use. If you allow yourself to become completely exhausted, you are not following the healthy patterns you have established, like rest, nutrition, and exercise. If you begin to pity yourself or expect pity from others, you are not being independent, and are therefore not taking care of your needs.

Dishonesty is another common problem for recovering drug addicts. Usually, it begins with small, unnecessary lies being told to those who are close to you. Then you begin to widen the spectrum and are soon making excuses for not attending meetings or for hanging out with old friends that still use drugs or alcohol. Someone might do this because they feel that they are the only people who have changed. Well, you can only expect to control yourself. Just remember to be honest and patient with yourself and others.

Drug relapse is never your fault, just as drug addiction is not your fault, but it can be avoided. Through drug treatment, you can find yourself. Through real life experience you can test your strength. It is important to know your limits and to respect your mind, body, and soul through sobriety. Don't wait until you relapse to express how you're feeling after you finish rehab. Counseling is provided to allow this transition to be more comfortable and understood.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS is caused by drinking during pregnancy. The child is then born with a range of disorders, referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, or FASD. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe effect of prenatal alcohol exposure. FAS is the number one most preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects. It is a condition that causes many mental and physical disabilities which will be present throughout one's lifetime. The most telling physical disabilities include abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and central nervous system problems. There are also many other secondary conditions that develop, which include mental health problems, learning problems, legal issues, and drug and alcohol problems later in life.

This disorder is caused by the alcohol in the mother's blood crossing through the placenta and entering the fetus through the umbilical chord. It has not yet been determined what happens after this point and what the critical times of exposure are. It is known that consuming alcohol during the first trimester results in the facial defects, but the central nervous system and behavioral disabilities could be caused by alcohol use at any time during pregnancy. Many people believe that it is okay to drink in moderation throughout pregnancy or at after a certain point, but to be safe, a women who is expecting a child should not drink until after the baby is born.

Although there is no cure for fetal alcohol syndrome, it is a completely preventable disorder. FAS results from drinking during pregnancy, so as soon as a woman discovers she is pregnant or wants to become pregnant, she should stop drinking immediately. Of course, this may not be so easy if the woman has an alcohol addiction. If this is the case, there are plenty of addiction treatment and addiction recovery programs that will be able to help with that type of a situation. If the woman is a heavy drinker and does not want to have a child, she should take extra measures to make sure that she does not unknowingly become pregnant because she may not realize she's expecting for several weeks.

An alcoholic woman may need a lot of support when she becomes pregnant. Often, this pregnancy is the first realization that she has an alcohol disease and must seek treatment. There are many programs set up for just that. It is important for the woman to remember that it is not just her life anymore. Getting help will not only better the mother's life, but the child's also. The reason that fetal alcohol syndrome exists is because women are not educated about this problem or because they are unaware of their pregnancy. Be sure you and your loved ones are not one of these women.

If you have a problem with alcohol, do not hesitate to get help. Many women don't realize that they have a problem until they want children, get pregnant, and realize that not drinking is more of a problem than they though it would be. Instead of deciding that your addiction is your weakness, decide what you really want out of life and get help in achieving those goals.

Death By Abusing Laxatives: Georgia Willson-Pemberton

Laxative abuse happens when a person tries to rid their bodies of unwanted calories or lose weight through the repeated misuse of laxatives. Many abusers are mistaken in thinking that after binge eating (consuming a lot of food at one time) the laxatives will clear the food and calories through their system before they are absorbed into the body. However, this is a not the case. By the time laxatives act on the large intestine, almost all of the calories and food have been absorbed by the small intestine. All of the supposed weight loss, or what feels like weight loss is actually only water weight, minerals, electrolytes, and indigestible fibers and wastes from the colon. As soon as the abuser drinks any fluids the weight be be gained right back. Usually, the abuser will sense this weight gain and proceed to stop rehydrating, which eventually causes the organs to shut down (dehydration). No matter how the abuser goes about using, if they are using laxatives incorrectly, they will most likely suffer serious and dangerous health complications and life-threatening risks as a consequence.

In recent news, the death of Georgia Willson-Pemberton was ruled death by laxatives as of April 3^rd, 2013. At 26 years old, Willson-Pemberton was described as intelligent, beautiful, and the life of the party. She graduated from a European business school in 2008. After graduation, things went downhill. She then started her four year battle with anorexia. It was reported that Willson-Pemberton from West London bought thousands of laxative supplement pills over the internet and spent the four years of struggling with her eating disorder in and out of residential clinics both in America and England. On December 7^th of last year, Georgia Willson-Pemberton died due to laxative abuse.

This woman was 5'10”, addicted to Dulcolax, and weighed 104 pounds at her time of death. She was also very intelligent and would keep to herself about her private life, even from her therapists. She went to see a few different therapists, none of whom could identify any triggers of her addiction. She would hide her laxative abuse by taking sodium supplements when she went in for blood tests, the therapists speculated. Two days before her death, Willson-Pemberton overdosed on over 80 laxative pills, which caused irreparable internal damage. Her death was ruled a “multiple organ dysfunction caused by laxative abuse,” as a result from her anorexia nervosa.

Georgia Willson-Pemberton had a loving childhood which is reflected through her achievements. If she could have opened up and gotten help, she would probably still be alive today. Many people do not realize that underlying causes, such as anorexia, can cause very dangerous drug addictions and drug abuse. If you or a loved one are suffering from the abuse of laxatives or any other substance, do not hesitate to get help through rehab and drug addiction treatment. It is important that you treat yourself and your body with respect. Through rehab treatment, you will meet with medical professionals and a therapist who will help you through this time of need. Attending drug rehab will help you to know exactly what you're dealing with and exactly how to deal with it.