Archive for October 26, 2010

The Purpose of the Social Security Disability System

American workers who are seriously or permanently disabled may be eligible for benefits through Social Security Disability Insurance or to draw Supplemental Security Income. Both programs are designed to provide financial support to patients and their families after a debilitating illness or injury.

Proving eligibility for these benefits can be quite difficult, which is why many patients turn to social security disability lawyers to help them through the process. The Social Security Administration only provides benefits for total disability. Short-term disabilities or partial disabilities are not covered. The disability must prevent a patient from carrying out their previous work AND be unable to adapt to other work due to their injury or illness.

The core benefit is a monthly disability check designed to help an individual or family survive without the income of a job. Some patients may also be eligible for Supplemental Security Income. After two years on disability, patients will be eligible for Medicare. Some patients are also eligible for programs like food stamps to further supplement their income.

Drug Rehab Centers Counteract the Effects of Drug Abuse

The effects of drug abuse impact more than just an addict. This is why addiction treatment programs serve an important function in modern society. Drugs can alter perceptions, feelings, and thoughts which can severely impair an addict’s ability to function. This can cause damage to families and friends, but it also impacts the addict’s worklife and can even lead to criminal activity. The dangers created by addicts who operate machinery such as cars, or work with children or the public only increases the chance of accidents, injuries and fatalities that affect individual communities and damage the fabric of society .

Families and loved ones who seek to find a good treatment program are going to need to conduct a careful Drug Rehab Comparison search. The ultimate choice of a rehab program will involve looking at more than just the location and cost of a facility. The length of a program will be a significant factor in the addict’s long-term recovery, as will whether the program is residential or out-patient. Depending on the type of drug involved, medical detoxification may be a necessary element of treatment and not all programs are equipped to handle this. Other considerations will include whether a patient is experiencing multiple addictions, suffers from an additional mental disorder or condition or has medical conditions that require special treatment. Other factors that can make a difference in treatment and recovery include age, gender, and religious affiliation.

While saying no to drug use can be an effective tool in protecting communities from the financial and social effects of addiction, the existence of quality treatment programs will be a necessity as long as there are addicts.

The Grand Canyon’s Lost Cities

The date March 12, 1909 is an important one in the history of the folklore about the Grand Canyon. This was the date that an article came out in the Arizona Republic about a very interesting discovery by an explorer named G.E. Kinkaid . This man was born in Idaho, and came to Arizona to explore, like so many have since his time.

At the turn of the century, there were no Grand Canyon tours that made some of the journeys here more accessible, and those who came were on a more stolid mission. There was the lure of the unknown, of adventure, and a little danger. Today, the unknown and the adventure are still part of the reasons for so much attraction to the area, but for most visitors, the most threatening dangers can be surmounted with a little sunscreen. In those days, however, it was more unknown, and even unknowable to some degree.

According to the story in the Republic , Kinkaid found a secret cave, along with evidence that there was an ancient Egyptian civilization that lived here before the Native peoples settled in the area. Although there are many researchers who have tried to follow up on the story, there really isn’t enough evidence to support the claims. It does point out, however, that even in contemporary times, there is still a lot of mystery about the place, too vast to ever be fully uncovered.