Many people think that HIV and AIDS are the same thing but this is not true. HIV is a virus, while AIDS is a condition that can develop if a person does not get treatment for HIV. A person with HIV, with proper treatment, may never get AIDS.

What is HIV?

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks and weakens the body’s immune system (the body’s disease fighting system). HIV makes it difficult for your body to fight against infections and cancers that it would normally be able to fight off.

What is AIDS?

If a HIV positive person does not get proper treatment, the virus may progress to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). AIDS is an umbrella term for many different opportunistic infections and cancers that can occur from having a weakened immune system due to the HIV virus.

How is HIV transmitted?

The virus is passed through certain bodily fluids. This means that blood, semen, women’s vaginal liquids, breast milk and secretions from the anus can all carry the virus.

Sex

You can become infected with HIV from sex (vaginal, anal or oral) with an infected person who is not on treatment without using a condom, dental dam or other forms of protection.

Needles

You can also become infected with HIV from infected blood and blood products and by sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment that hasn’t been properly sterilised. 

Passing HIV in pregnancy

A pregnant person with HIV can pass the virus to their baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. However, doctors can now prevent a baby from becoming HIV positive by giving the pregnant person special treatment before, during and after delivery. It is recommended not to breastfeed when you are HIV-positive to avoid passing the virus on to the baby.

Ways you cannot become infected

There’s a lot of misunderstanding around HIV and how it’s passed on. Here are some key points to know:

Getting tested for HIV

You need to have a blood test to find out if you are HIV positive. It can take between four and twelve weeks after initial exposure to HIV for antibodies to develop and be detected in a test. If you test within this period you may be asked to return and test again. Rapid HIV testing is now available through MPOWER. You can also test for HIV at home by taking an at-home STI test.

What are the symptoms of HIV?

It takes seven to ten years for many HIV positive people to show symptoms of the illness. Early symptoms can include swollen lymph glands in the throat, armpits and groin, fever, headaches, tiredness and muscle pain. If you are HIV positive you might be healthy for years, but can still pass the virus to other people.

What are the four stages of an untreated HIV infection?

There are four stages if a person does not get the proper treatment for the HIV virus.

Stage 1 – Infection: This is when the person first develops the virus after being exposed to HIV.

Stage 2 – Asymptomatic: During this stage, a person may feel well even though HIV is actually weakening their immune system. They don’t appear to have any symptoms.

Stage 3 – Symptomatic: Once the immune system has become weakened, a person develops symptoms of HIV such as tiredness, weight loss, thrush, stomach problems and mouth ulcers.

Stage 4 – Progression to AIDS: Once a person’s immune system has become extremely weakened and they have developed certain infection/s, they will be diagnosed with AIDS.

What treatment is available to prevent HIV?

PrEP

PrEP is a medicine which is taken to reduce the chance of getting HIV. It works by having enough of the drug in your body that if you are exposed to HIV, it can block it before it has a chance to infect you. Taking PrEP once every day reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90% and by more than 70% among people who inject drugs. Learn more about PrEP.

What is PEP?

PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis. It’s a month-long course of antiretroviral drugs. If taken within 72 hours of first coming into contact with HIV, it greatly reduces your chances of contracting the virus.

If you realise you may have recently been exposed to HIV, whether through unprotected sex or the use of an unclean needle, you’ll probably feel pretty scared and confused. But if your contact with HIV was within the past 72 hours, and if you act now, you may be able to prevent the virus from taking hold. Learn more about PEP.

Repeat testing

You will generally attend a specialist HIV clinic every three months or so to get testing done and your treatment monitored. They will also be able to advise you on safer sex and other practicalities of living with HIV. You can also get emotional support from hospital social workers and HIV organisations.

How can you avoid becoming infected with HIV?

There are a number of things you can do to avoid becoming infected with HIV.

Looking after your sexual health

There are many great options to help protect your sexual health, but none of them are 100% effective. Even if you use condoms every time you have penetrative sex, you are still at risk of getting genital warts and herpes, as these can be passed through skin-to-skin contact. Going for an STI check or taking a home STI testing kit with a partner before having sex, can be a great way of protecting yourself and those you have sex with against STIs and HIV. However, not all STI checks check for all STIs, so it is important to speak to your healthcare provider and ask them what is being tested for as part of your screening.

Discussing with your sexual partners the type of contraception or protection options available to you, and agreeing on a type that works for everyone involved can help to reduce the risk of pregnancy, STIs and HIV. Looking out for sores or symptoms on a partner’s genitals before having sex with them, can help to identify STIs that they may not be aware of. If you do see any signs that someone may have an STI, do not have sex with them until you know for certain it is safe to do so. Asking someone about their sexual health history is the responsible thing to do before having sex, and it should not be taken as an insult if someone asks you about yours. 

Safer injecting

If you take drugs involving injections, never share needles or other drug using equipment with others. Check out Merchant’s Quay’s safer injecting guide here.

Learn about PEP and PrEP

Go to your local A&E or STI clinic for Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) if you think you have been exposed to the virus. This medicine must be taken within 72 hours of exposure, and you must complete the full course of medicine.

You can also take a drug called PrEP, which taken once a day can prevent infection if exposed to the virus. PrEP is for people who have not been diagnosed with HIV, but who could be at risk of contracting the virus.

Looking after your mental health after a HIV diagnosis

If you are diagnosed with HIV you might feel a mixture of emotions. Unfortunately, there is still stigma in our society surrounding HIV that can cause some people to feel shame about living with it. However, like any other healthcare diagnosis, you are not to blame for having HIV and have not done anything “wrong”. Being diagnosed with HIV can have a negative impact on your mental health and wellbeing and if you don’t feel comfortable telling friends or family about it, you might feel isolated and alone. If you have found out you have HIV and you’re finding it difficult to cope, there are things you can do to support your mental health. 

Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin infection. It is not serious or dangerous, but it can cause growths to form and can appear in the genital area when spread by sexual contact. It is not considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

What are the symptoms of molluscum contagiosum?

Symptoms usually appear in the first three months after infection. This includes:

Growths on the skin

You may develop small pearly, smooth fluid-filled growths on your skin, that appear like bumps or lumps. They are most common in the genital area, the inner thighs and the lower abdomen. They can also be present around the anus (bum). These growths may be mistaken for genital herpes or warts.

Each growth will generally last for about two to three months. The infection itself will generally last for about 6-18 months. The growths do not generally leave scars, unless you scratch them a lot.

You should avoid sexual contact until treatment is complete, as you could spread the virus to someone else this way. It is also best to avoid touching them for the same reason.

Symptoms tend to be much worse and the infection can last for longer in people with weakened immune systems from illnesses such as cancer, HIV or AIDS.

How do you treat molluscum contagiosum?

You will need to visit your doctor or sexual health clinic to have molluscum contagiosum diagnosed. The growths can be removed with several different treatments, usually by freezing the growths or removal with a small needle.

Molluscum contagiosum is a virus, so once you have it, the symptoms may come back again. However, it can be treated easily by attending an appointment with your GP or local STI clinic.

How can you prevent molluscum contagiosum?

Condoms offer some protection against infection, but you can become infected from skin-to-skin contact alone. It’s important to get tested regularly for STIs and ask your partner(s) to do the same. Find a free STI clinics in Ireland near you.

Molluscum contagiosum can occur on other parts on the body, so it is recommended not to share towels or personal items of clothing

Remember: The age of sexual consent in Ireland is 17. If you’re over 16, you can consent to medical treatment including any treatment or tests needed.

So, you didn't study for your mocks… Now you've got your papers back, have realised that you've done horrifically and are panicking. With the big Junior Cert less than three months away, there's no way you can get your grades back up in time. You're destined to fail, right? Wrong. If you are willing to make an effort, you have plenty of time to turn things around. The question is, how?

Start by taking responsibility for your own work

If you've done badly in a subject, don't blame the teacher, the paper or the corrector. You'll have to accept that if you haven't done as well as you should have, it's because you didn't work as hard as you should have. This should provide motivation to make more of an effort for the next while. Note: If you don't get along with a particular teacher, try to spend extra time on their subject at home or ask another teacher for help.

Come up with a realistic study timetable

Sit down and draw a graph. Make seven columns, one for every day of the week. In each column, write down any free time that you have that day, and then work out how many free hours you have per week. Be realistic here; you're not going to study for five hours every night, so don't say that you will. Make sure to leave time for homework, hobbies, and relaxing. Personally, I can't study for longer than half an hour without getting bored, so I divide my study time into thirty minute blocks, but this varies from person to person. Whatever time you choose, remember to leave breaks between subjects. Once you work out how many study blocks you can fit into your week, start dividing this time amongst your subjects, giving more time to your weaker subjects. When you are happy with your timetable, hang it up at your desk or wherever you study. Do your best to follow it because it's more helpful than you might think.

Read over your mock papers

This will help you to see where you've gone wrong and what you can do to improve. If you did especially badly in a particular question, re-do it during your study time. Bring it to your teacher and ask them to correct it. Now isn't the time to worry about being called a "lick" for doing extra work. Mock papers are also useful to study from, as you will be surprised how many of the same questions appear in the real exams.

Spend time on what you need to learn, not what you like to learn

It's so much easier to sit down and revise your favourite subject for half an hour than it is to revise your most hated one for the same length of time. However, this attitude will get you nowhere. With three months left, there's no point wasting time studying things that you already know. Work on improving your weaker subjects instead, and concentrate on the questions that you answered badly in your mocks.

Ask for help

Maybe there was one question in the mocks that completely threw you. You had no idea how to answer it and you're still not entirely sure. Now is the time to ask for help. Bring the paper to your teacher and ask them to explain it to you. If it's still not making sense, ask another teacher, a parent, or a student from an older year. Don't stop asking until you are sure of how to answer the question; you will thank yourself if it comes up in June.

Know the exam papers inside out

Spend time going over exam papers and work out exactly how much time you have for each question. This is especially important in both English papers, where it's easy to get carried away on one question. Know how many marks each question is worth and make sure to spend longer on the questions that carry more marks. Also, make sure you know how many questions you are expected to answer in each section, how long your answers should be and whether you have a choice within any sections. Knowing this information before going into the exam saves time, and makes you feel calm and prepared.

Take short, basic notes

Much as you might like to carefully learn long paragraphs of information off by heart, time is not on your side. Read through the information and summarise long paragraphs in a few bullet points. Once your notes make sense to you, they are fine. If you find yourself very stuck for time, just write down the main topics from each answer in bullet points and then learn these. It will be much easier to write an answer in an exam if you already know what to put in it.

Don't panic!

If you genuinely want to do well, and are willing to put in the effort, you'll be absolutely fine.

We've all had those days where it's lashing rain outside and the only reasonable option is to just say inside in our pyjamas all day as we migrate from screen to screen over the course of 24 hours. We all know how it feels, and we also all know how empty we feel once the telly has been turned off, the laptop has run out of battery or the phone get lost in the folds of the duvet. Our brains are just empty shells when we're done. It's a miserable feeling when the virtual world is turned off. We are suddenly lost, with no life or source of entertainment. Boring.

There are solutions to this feeling though. They say you could go for a jog! Meh, I say to that. So what’s the other option? Reading. Before you say anything, I know what you’re thinking – he’s a book nerd; no one likes reading! In my opinion though, everyone has an inner bookworm. How deep this bookworm is buried depends on the person, but trust me, there is a solution and every person has a key to unlocking their inner nerd. The only downside to this is that each and every person has a different key, which is why people generally don't read. They simply haven't found the type of book that makes them tick. As an open book worm I can recommend a range of books that I know anyone would love. So let's start with my top five books of all time. For all you non-readers out there, this is a five step guide to becoming a regular reader. In fact, if you see out all five books to the end, I can put money on it that you will continue reading.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

For those of you who have seen the movie, the book is so much better. The style, characters and storyline in the book have captivated every person I've ever recommended it to, all of whom said the movie paled in comparison to the book. I don’t want to rush you, but I would recommend starting soon, as the second book of the trilogy, Catching Fire, is going to hit the cinema hard this year in November. Although, since every person I have recommended this to has read the entire trilogy in a week, this shouldn't prove to be an issue for most people.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

When you've nailed The Hunger Games trilogy, I have another one lined up for you. Divergent is along the same lines as The Hunger Games in relation to style. I would say this book is as good, if not better (I know you didn't think that was possible) than The Hunger Games. It’s a “must have” for budding readers. Plus, its big sister, Insurgent, is equally as nail biting and exiting. The newest edition to the family is still a work in progress so that should be something to look forward to once you've successfully gotten hooked on Roth's epic masterpiece.

3. Paper Towns by John Green

As amazing as The Hunger Games and Divergent is, I accept that the world is full of different people who enjoy different things, so Paper Towns breaks away from the fantasy aspect of writing and diverts back to real life. It's a truly intriguing story full of adventure that is actually achievable in this life, unlike being thrown into arenas to fight to the death. It also features more than one hilarious moment. I'll admit that I often found myself lying in bed laughing out loud reading this book. If you like this you should also read The Fault in Our Stars, which is another inspiring book also by John Green.

4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner)

I will admit that as fascinating as this is, it could prove a little heavy for anyone who's still learning the ropes. So I'll forgive you if you skip this one, although I do recommend you give it a go nonetheless. It’s a truly heartfelt and intriguing story about the lives of women in Afghanistan (I won't tell you any more, as I'm not a fan of summaries or blurbs). It was a life changing book for me that really opened my eyes to the world. For anyone who enjoyed The Help, I would put this streets ahead of anything that book tried to convey.

5. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

This is by far the most controversial book I have ever read in that it was nothing like the kind of books I had ever enjoyed before. It was a total shock to me when I actually found myself really enjoying it, which I really had not expected. I guess my romantic, soft, girlie side finally made an appearance, so I'll forgive the lads for giving this a miss.

So I leave you with this list of five incredible books that I really enjoyed, and I know you will all enjoy too. When the rain clouds disappear and you're dragged off on long sentimental car rides with your folks, bring a book along and continue your imaginative TV experience with your own blend of characters, scenery and situations. Plus, you won't have to put up with ten minutes of ads when it gets to the good parts; that alone would make me choose books over TV any day. So do me a favour: read at least one of these books and then compare the level of interest to that of the endless pages of hash tags, and the every detail of your friends’ breakfasts you find social networking sites plastered with. If nothing else, reading will improve your English more than any lecture, more than any teacher could tell you, more than any grinds could teach you. Consider reading an investment in your education. Lets face it, how often do you get enjoyment from investments in education?

“All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume.” – Chomsky

Drum roll please… SpunOut.ie is pleased to bring you our thought-provoking chat with influential thinker and activist Noam Chomsky. This screen could be filled 10 times over with his contributions and thoughts on social change and activism, but we'll let the man speak for himself.

More on Noam Chomsky's website!

Full transcript

 

 

 

 

 

Normally the day-to-day expenses of having a disability are higher than they are for people that do not have disabilities. You can apply for a disability allowance (which you keep while studying) or other financial supports to help with the increased costs. Here are some of the supports available for people with disabilities.

Available supports

Disability Allowance

Invalidity Pension

Blind Person’s Pension

Blind Welfare Allowance

Disablement Benefit

Occupational Injuries Scheme

Back to Education Allowance

Medical schemes

Employment schemes

Other payments

Marching is a common form of protest, where a group of people, sometimes small, other times made up of thousands, gather to demand changes or to challenge the actions of those in power. The march often begins or ends with a rally where activists can be asked to give short speeches or perform. Marches can be an effective way of guaranteeing media coverage for your cause because they usually cause disruption by shutting down streets.

Recent protests in Ireland

There are often marches and demonstrations held in Ireland for a number of causes. These have included marches for housing rights, reproductive rights, and climate change. 

A recent example is the demonstrations held in response to the death of George Floyd, a black American man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who died after having his neck continuously knelt on for almost nine minutes by a white police officer. Demonstrations have been taking place around the world, demanding justice and change to the racist structures that make up our society.

In Dublin, a march took place on Monday the 1st of June from O’Connell Street to the US Embassy in Ballsbridge, protesting against the death of Floyd and the treatment of black people globally. As part of the march protestors chanted “Black lives matter, no justice no peace” and when they reached the embassy the crowd also took part in a minute of silence. 

Another example of this type of demonstration is when thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin, Cork, Galway and London in memory of Savita Halappanavar, in November 2012. Savita died following a miscarriage at University Hospital Galway; both the Indian and Irish community rallied together, holding vigils and marching to mark her death.

Things to consider when organising a march

If you are organising a march, it’s important to work out the details in advance to make sure you know where you want your march to go, and to get the word out about the demonstration. It is more likely to be successful if it is well organised. 

COVID-19 restrictions 

Organising an event or a gathering under the current COVID-19 regulations is not allowed without a “reasonable excuse”. It is up to Gardaí to decide what a reasonable excuse is. This means that if they decided it was right to do so, they could allow small protests which practice social distancing to go ahead. The smaller the protest and the more social distancing measures that are practiced, the more likely Gardaí may be to allow it to take place. If you wanted to organise a protest which followed social distancing guidelines, it would mean arranging lots of small groups of four people, who practiced social distancing within 5km of their home. After the 8th of June protests can take place within 20km of people’s homes.

Size

Decide what size of march you wish to organise. Having 100 people march through or gather in your local town can be just as effective as having 10,000 march through a big city.

Routes

Check out a few possible routes and how long it will take to walk. A mile long march is a useful marker. A common route is to start on the outskirts of a town and march to a town square or central place where a rally is held.

Contact the Gardaí

It’s important to contact your local Garda station and speak to someone in charge of public events. Be confident on the phone and remember it is your right to peaceful public protest. Inform the Gardaí when and where you plan to organise the march and what route you will take. This is very important as the Gardaí can then re-direct traffic and allow your march to pass through safely.

Contact local relevant organisations 

The term “nothing about us without us” is a phrase used by minority groups such as LGBTI+ people, migrant groups or those in the Travelling community. The term expresses the importance of speaking with and asking the advice of the group you may be trying to help before organising anything. For example, if you would like to organise a protest against Direct Provision in Ireland, it would be important to contact a local Direct Provision advocacy group to ask them for their input on the idea. By doing this you can ensure that what you are planning is genuinely helpful to the group you are trying to support.

It’s also important to follow their lead. If they are already planning a protest or demonstration, consider combining forces and protesting together, rather than separately. There is strength in numbers, but it also shows that you care about their input and their experiences.

Ten tips for organising a march:

No film equipment is ideal. While a camcorder is handy, it generally records in AVCHD format, which is slow for editing. DSLRs have a great short depth of field, but they can have terrible sound quality. Even 35mm film cameras (which are just about as good as it gets) are extremely expensive to buy film for. It turns out that there is another option out there: a mobile phone.

Despite its clear shortcomings, it can actually be a very liberating piece of equipment. Though unfashionable compared to the above, mobiles are 100% portable and easy to lug around. By and large they will have lots of battery power, as well as being able to be used almost anywhere without passers-by looking or waving into your shot and ruining your footage. 

They don’t have manual settings or optical zoom or a tripod screw, but nearly everyone has one and the picture quality of their videos has improved considerably over the last few years. For any of you out there who are bored or has ever felt like making a film or video, a phone and maybe a friend or two is a great boredom beater.

Many of the world’s most popular YouTubers started their channels out of complete utter boredom Here are a couple of tips to get you on your way to making a YouTube video or film!

Avoid using the zoom too much. 

On a regular camera zoom can be used to good effect, but mobile phones generally don’t have optical zoom. Therefore, you could end up losing all of your picture quality if you’re not careful.

Break the rules and experiment

Some of the best ways of learning anything involve experimenting and making mistakes. No need to get too bogged down on technical rules, instead see what sort of results you get from breaking them. 

Try keeping your footage reasonably steady.

This is a fairly obvious tip. If you are making a horror film you might decide to make the footage shaky on purpose. However, if you’re not going for that effect, it is a good idea not to disorientate the viewer with jittery footage. A mobile phone is of course lighter than a regular camera, so you have to be extra careful that your footage doesn’t get out of hand when you use one. If you have a shaky hand or want a completely steady shot it might be a good idea to simply prop your phone on a table, wall etc.

Be aware of sound

One of the most important things in a video is that the audience can hear what is going on. It is a good idea to do a sound check to make sure you can hear what is being said and done. When you’re filming outside, wind is not your friend. If you can shoot in a sheltered area (or inside) great; if not, it might be a good idea to try and cup your hands at the sides of your phone so as not to pick up the wind which will make any good shot unusable. If this is too much, you could make a film without talking and maybe add music or sound effects afterwards instead.

Have fun!

Making videos can be a lot of fun and don’t forget to have fun doing it. It is not a skill that you get overnight, so if your first few videos aren’t that great don’t take it to heart. I don’t think it is possible for someone to get worse at filmmaking, so don’t beat yourself up.

After you’ve finished filming your video

It might be a good idea to edit your video before sharing it with your friends or online. Most computers or Macs come with basic editing software that should take almost any file format. If not, YouTube has an editor – and it’s actually pretty good!

Show the finished result to friends or family and ask them to be critical of it so that your next film will be much better. After that, why not get it out there on YouTube or Vimeo? There are also annual competitions in Ireland such as The 30 Minute Film Festival at the Galway Film, which takes one minute films on any format.

Writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine is a great way to voice your opinion and to inform other people on an issue you feel strongly about. Most people who read the newspapers read the letters page so you will have a guaranteed readership if published.

The editors contact address is usually listed in the editorial section of a newspaper/ magazine or in the ‘Contact Us’ section of a website. Writing a letter to the editor can be tough work. The plus side is the excitement of seeing your letter in print and getting your opinion out there.
 

Getting published

Ready for action
Read through your local media. If there is an article or feature in it that you think was wrong or misrepresented you, then get your pen out. Responding in this way increases your chance of getting published.

Stick to the point
Keep your letter brief and to the point. Focus on the main points you want to get across. Back them up with a few examples or facts. Be clear and cool in how you write. You will gain more respect that way.

Show personal voice
You have to write this letter with your heart as well as your head. Editors are more likely to publish a letter that shows a strong personal opinion. Humour and irony are also effective if they suit the topic. Otherwise, leave out!

Do your homework
Make certain that all your facts and examples are accurate and don’t exaggerate no matter how much you might want to! Credibility is hard to recover if you lose it. Remember the ‘Boy who cried Wolf’ story!

Create a catchy title
Add your own title or headline. Don’t be afraid to change it about until it feels right. Creating a catchy title will help draw more readers to your letter.

Final touches
Be sure to revise your letter several times and check for spelling, flow and grammar. Sign your letter if sending by letter or post. Add your phone number and a good time to call also, in case the editor needs to clear something with you before publishing

Don’t give up!
If you open the newspaper to find your letter has not been published, don’t be discouraged. It happens to the best of us! Determination is an important ingredient of any campaign so write another letter when you get the opportunity. You can use parts of the previous letter if it is still relevant.

 

Sample letter to the editor

Sarah Gallagher,
Sea View Cottage,
Rossnowlagh,
Co. Donegal
  March 11th 2013
The Editor
Irish Times,

 

 

To the Editor:
Lack of Proper Recycling Facilities
My name is Sarah Gallagher and I am a third year student. I am writing a letter in response to the article ‘Minister Launches New Recycling Facilities’ article which was in your paper on (cite the date the article was printed). I am concerned about the environment and recently joined a Green Action Group in my local secondary school.
While I was glad to hear of the new facilities in my area, I am annoyed that they are situated beside the local dump. This is over seven miles from where I live and almost two miles from the nearest village of Ballintra. It cost 75,000 Euro to develop the facilities but how much was spent on promoting their use locally? I asked some of my neighbours about the new recycling centre and many of them hadn’t a clue what I was talking about!
I and my friends have recently started encouraging our families to start recycling and we now separate cardboard, paper, plastic bottles, tins and glass from our household waste. The major problem is that none of us have a car. There is no public transport or recycling collection service in our area, so we rely on our parents to drive us out to use the facilities when they can manage the time.
I think the solution would be to have the recycling facilities in a nearby town or village. That way, people would become more aware of the services and could use them while doing their shopping or business. This would also cut down on car miles and further help protect our environment.
Yours sincerely,

Sarah Gallagher

Note: If you are sending your letter via email, you will be asked to give your postal address and mobile number. This is to verify that you really do exist and that you did in fact write the letter.

A young carer is someone under the age of 18 who is responsible for the needs of an adult who is ill, who has a disability or who is dependent on drugs or alcohol. As a carer, you may have to do a lot of household chores that the adult in your life would normally do, such as cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping.

You may need to help out with medical care, such as changing dressings or giving out medication each day. You may also need to take charge of looking after your siblings. Finally, you may need to provide emotional support to the person you are caring for.

Being a young carer can be very tough. You may feel scared that the person you look after isn’t able to care for you, and you may resent the fact that you have to do so much. You may also have trouble keeping up with your homework or studying for your exams. Finally, you may feel very alone and like you can’t be a ‘normal’ young person. Some young people can also develop health problems from being a carer, such as back pain from lifting the person they care for or stomach problems and insomnia from the stress of caring.

What can you do to help yourself?

What practical help is out there?

The Carers Association has a network of 16 resource centres across the country. You can drop into any of these for advice on financial entitlements, support groups and your rights as a carer. Visit their website or phone 1800 240724. The Carers Association also hold an annual Young Carers Conference, as well as an awards ceremony for the Young Carer of the Year.

Your doctor is always there to listen. Remember that you may very well be eligible for a full medical card so doctor visits may be free for you. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a counsellor if you’d like to talk things over with a professional. He may also arrange for a social worker to work with you and your family, so that you get the supports you need. If you do see a social worker, don’t think that it means you will be taken away from your home; social workers only remove young people from the home if they are in danger living there.

Holding a vigil is a powerful kind of protest. You can remember a group in society who is discriminated against or who are victims of torture and persecution around the world. You can also hold a peace vigil at a time of war. Vigils are usually held at night by candlelight and involve a group of people standing together, sometimes in silence.

Tips for a vigil:

Expensive items often top Christmas wish lists, with iPhones, laptops, tablets, e-readers, playstations, x-boxes and computer games frequently featuring. As a result, spending usually increases for many Irish households during the holidays. For some it rises dramatically, often ending up costing people more than they can afford. For many, the festive season can be a costly time of year. Christmas can become more about money and presents than it does about family.

Food for Christmas day is often plentiful and wide-ranging – selection boxes, sweets and chocolates are just some of the items filling the shopping list during the festive holidays. More is spent on food than practically any other time of the year, and probably even more time is spent eating it all throughout the Christmas period. We have more choice now than previous generations did; we have a great range of gifts to choose from and a wider selection of foods available for sweetening our festive season almost to the point of saturation.

Presents are often expected for each and every person. So Christmas has become synonymous with pricey gifts. The tree is usually carpeted with neatly wrapped shiny presents, stockings are filled, decorations sparkle and Christmas lights almost become blinding amid the tinsel and tree lights nestled in the faux Christmas tree towering in the corner of the living room. There is overindulgence, overspending, too much wine, too much chocolate, too much of everything and anything, all while the meaning of Christmas becomes lost amid the blur of shiny wrapping and expensive gifts.

The number one person in the house at Christmas becomes Santa rather than any of the family members, and the act of spending time together fades into the background. Thanks to the widespread availability of gifts, parents are placed under more pressure than ever and are made to feel that they must supply their children with presents they may not necessarily be able to afford. The holiday season can become more hassle than it's worth.

For many others though, Christmas may not be such a time of plenty and overindulgence. Christmas can be a lonely time – a time spent during the dark weeks of late December, just like any other month on the calendar. Some families are not as fortunate and can't afford the fancy gifts and possessions many of us wish Santa would deliver on Christmas morning. It can be difficult to recognise this reality, as the festive season has always been associated with presents and plenty of fine foods for those of us who have grown up in today's world.

Now, there is nothing wrong with overindulgence and being able to celebrate the holiday in the presence of family. However, the true meaning of Christmas may have become lost amidst the hype and glamour, as presents nearly become more important than people.

The true meaning of Christmas, which means being with close family, spending time in the company of loved ones and visiting close relatives seems to have become less important than the more commercialised festivities of modern day living. In comparison to years gone by, seasonal expenses has increased to such an extent that some families may end up spending more on Christmas than they ever have before. Yet the festive season still involves spending time with those close to you; it provides an opportunity to forget the hassles of everyday life.

Christmas should be all about celebrating with family and enjoying the spirit of giving regardless of what size, shape, colour or price the present is. The true meaning of Christmas lies in the giver and the receiver, rather than in the present.

Christmas may have become overly marketed. The holiday season has become a consumer-driven and sensationalised event where buyers are manipulated into thinking spending more and more is essential in order to have a great Christmas. New gifts, brand new toys, expensive items and a wide range of indulgent treats have become almost expected at Christmas. Yet all you really need is to spend time with family and friends (the people who care about you) and to have time to do and see things with family you may not be able to do during the year.

Sometimes it is important to strike a balance between the gifts on offer during the Christmas period and spending time with family. It is nice to receive gifts even if they are jumpers and socks from your nan. It is the thought that counts. The important thing is not to get overly caught up in the commercialised side of the festive season. Instead, remember who makes Christmas: the family. The spirit of Christmas lies in the gift of giving and sharing among those who are close to you. Without family, friends, relatives or people close to you, there would be no Christmas, only presents.

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