Q: One of the biggest hurdles to helping someone with a marijuana dependency is proving that (despite popular belief) marijuana use can lead to addiction. Research has shown that overuse of marijuana can overstimulate certain systems in the body which will cause brain changes leading to addiction. It is estimated that 9 percent of people who use marijuana will become dependent, and 25-50 percent of daily users will become dependent. Adolescents who use marijuana frequently are at risk for decreased IQ scores later in life with research finding that on this population's IQ is decreased by about 8 points on average. Additionally, a longitudinal study conducted over sixteen years found that marijuana users are four times more likely to develop depression than non-users. Although not as common, abuse of medical marijuana or drugs containing cannabinoids (such as THC) can also occur. THC is just one of over 100 other cannabinoids that the marijuana plant contains. Because cannabinoids have a large effect on the bodyaffecting everything from pleasure regulation and appetite to memory and concentrationthey can have serious health effects when abused. Marijuana can produce symptoms of withdrawal if frequent users discontinue use. Withdrawal is the body's response to no longer having the drug in the system, and it is usually an indicator that there is physical dependence on the drug. Some of the withdrawal symptoms include: Irritability Mood changes Difficulty sleeping Decreased appetite Cravings Restlessness Various forms of physical discomfort Other symptoms of dependency can affect the person's behavior surrounding use of marijuana and not just reactions to not using it. In the past year, has the person: Used much more marijuana in one sitting than intended Tried to stop using marijuana but failed Had strong cravings or desire to use marijuana Used marijuana even though it caused or worsened symptoms of depression or anxiety Had to increase usage to achieve the same effects Had use interfere with personal responsibilities, school, or work Continued to use marijuana even though it caused fights or arguments with family or friends Stopped participating in previously important activities in order to use marijuana Used marijuana in situations where it may be dangerous, such as driving a car or operating machinery
A: Learn the facts concerning marijuana and dependency. Look for symptoms of withdrawal when the person stops using marijuana. Check for behavioral changes that indicate a marijuana use disorder.

Q: If you truly want to make serious life changes, you can't just say you will and let it alone. You need to commit. A behavior modification plan is an action-oriented way to commit and monitor your changes. Behavior modification means exactly what you think it means--it's a method of changing the way you act to certain stimuli in your environment. Behavioral modification techniques allow you to replace undesirable behaviors with those which are desirable through a range of approaches. One of the most common approaches is positive reinforcement, which is the process of increasing a specific behavior by adding a reward when it occurs. Behavioral modification is a psychological concept that can be used for virtually all behaviors that you want to change by either completely getting rid of them or increasing how often you do them. You can use these principles to stop smoking, lose weight, get up earlier, or end your procrastination problem. Behavior modification requires that you thoroughly understand the undesirable behavior in order to replace it. You might ask yourself any or all of the following questions to get a better handle on the behavior and when/why/where/how it happens: When do you do it? What times? How long does it last? Who is usually present when it happens? How does this person impact the behavior? What things are present in the environment a few minutes before it happens? What things are present in the environment a few minutes after it happens? For example, in order to lose weight you may want to reduce the amount of fast food you consume each week. You will first need to know how much fast food you are eating, and under what conditions. Just jumping right into a behavior modification plan without collecting any data beforehand can jeopardize your results. Spend several days or weeks carefully examining the occurrence of the behavior that you want to change, answering some of the questions that help describe it. Methods for measuring might be to tally the amount of fast food meals you eat each week, as well as determining exactly what you typically order and how much you eat of these meals (e.g. burger, fries, and milkshake with a total of 1238 calories). Since you are looking to make a major life change, odds are, you want to stop some undesirable behaviors. As such, it can be helpful to devise a list of alternative behaviors you can do to help with the transition. Once you closely understand the reason you engage in the undesirable behavior (by describing and observing it), you can then find healthier behaviors that meet the same urge or stimulus. For example, if you realize that you always eat fast food on days you work late, you can pack a snack or prepare a few healthy meals ahead of time to suit this purpose. If you want to cut back on alcohol and tend to drink socially, you might skip a few hangouts or ask your friends to meet up for coffee instead. As you start your behavior modification plan, you will want to continue collecting data throughout. Doing so helps you identify patterns or even new stimuli that promote the undesirable behavior of which you weren't aware. On the positive side, writing down how much the undesirable behavior is occurring and how much the new replacement behavior is occurring can show you whether you have truly decreased the likelihood of it happening.
A: Create a behavior modification plan. Observe and describe the behavior. Measure your baseline. Come up with a replacement behavior. Monitor your progress.

Q: Make-up can clog pores and lead to breakouts. Make sure you wash your face at night and before applying make-up in the morning. Use make-up remover to get at the stubborn places around your eyes. Use an oil-free lotion and apply all over your face and neck. Moisturizer is useful to even out your skin tone. Use one with SPF 15 to reduce sun damage. Moisturizer also provides a base for foundation. . Too much make-up covers up your actual beauty and may look clownish. Natural make-up (like Mineral Foundation) is healthier for your skin and reduces breakouts -- unlike most make-up, which increases them.
A:
Wash your face. Moisturize. Go natural